I've finally found some time to finish writing up this chapter. I actually started working on it after I posted chapter three, but then the semester started for me and I was too busy trying to do that. But luckily I am all finished, aside from one last final this coming Tuesday... So from now until end of August I will be free to work on my stories...unless I procrastinate, which I am excellent at! :D But I promise, I will try my best to work on some of my stories. So please read, review, and yeah. :) Thanks! Enjoy...or maybe not enjoy, because this chapter is quite sad...Anyway, bye.

Chapter Four

The drive back to Malibu was a long and gloomy one for Lilly as she sat silently in the passenger seat, leaning against the window. She couldn't believe how her life changed so drastically in just twenty-four hours. And it angered her that her fiancee failed to keep his promise. He failed to stay safe, and failed to always be there. She couldn't even think of how to go on with her life when the man she was supposed to spend it with died. How was she going to get past that? Her heart and emotions weren't able to deal with anymore grief or stress. No way could she live without her soulmate. Slowly she opened her car window, sticking her head out to look around her, and wanted so badly to roll the window up and end her life. But she wouldn't, not with Miley sitting right beside her, watching her every move.

"Lilly..." Miley soothed, peaking over at her as she drove, "How are you feeling, sweetie? You haven't spoken much this morning. Please talk to me, you can't keep your emotions bottled up; that will only make you feel worse." She place a hand softly atop Lilly's, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm here for you, Lil; I'll help you through this, just let me know how you're feeling and what I can do for you. I'm worried about you, sweetie pie."

Lilly kept silent, continuing to stare out the window. She knew her friend was just trying to make her feel better, but nothing could make the numbness and emptiness go away. Nothing could bring back the love of her life. "You want to know how I feel?" Her voice barely above a whisper and filled with such a sorrow that it could turn sunlight into a whirling thunderstorm. "I feel like the life was sucked right out of me and all that's left is an empty shell." Right then she felt a few raindrops land on her arm and reluctantly closed her window.

Oliver's funeral was to be held that Sunday, and that made Lilly feel even more numb. She didn't want to see his body so lifeless and broken. She had a strong fear of the deceased, especially after witnessing her parents murders back in her youth. He wouldn't look like himself, she knew, and that brought a huge pain to her heart. She loathed the choice he made to join the army; she had a feeling that his decision would end up in a tragedy. And it angered her that the feeling she had came true.

As she sat outside, on the back porch of Miley's house, she blankly watched the birds fly around their garden. Nothing felt normal anymore; she had no parents and now she had no soulmate. Her family was taken from her and all she had was her empty and numb self. She didn't know what to do with herself; she had no home anymore, no parents, no Oliver; she had nothing. Where could she go? Where was she going to live?

Miley watched her from the kitchen, not knowing how to comfort her best friend. She couldn't even believe how quickly a simple phone call would change their lives forever. Her best friend lost the love of her life, and she lost a good friend. How was that even real? It felt like a horrible nightmare. A nightmare that would last the rest of their lives. Sighing sadly, she decided to go out and sit with Lilly. She didn't want the girl to be alone right now.

"I'm here, Lil, if you want to talk about anything." The brunette softly spoke, sitting beside her and wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Please sweetie, don't keep it all inside...Tell me how you're feeling and what I can do to comfort you. You're my best friend and I want to be here for you. I don't want you to suffer alone." She felt her friend's body faintly tremble, which made her pull her in to a soothing embrace.

Tears were desperate to drip out but Lilly refused to let them. She wasn't ready to believe that her fiancee had passed away. Her heart couldn't take anymore grieving. "I have nothing left...no home or parents, no Oliver." The blonde spoke, hardly any emotion in her voice. She really hadn't felt that there was anything left, only her grief and empty life. Sure she had her best friend, but she couldn't burden her forever. There was no way she would do that, especially because every person who meant something to her ended up leaving.

Miley shook her head sadly, pulling her friend closer. Hearing how the other felt as though she had nothing left to live for about broke her heart. "Honey! That's not true! You have a home right here, Lilly...You're my best friend; you are always welcome here! Please don't feel that way, sweetie...I don't want you to feel that you aren't welcome, because you are! And you will stay here with us. Why don't we go inside? You need to go rest, Lil. It's gonna be a very long day tomorrow, sweetie."

Morning came, the sun shone brightly through the window as Lilly slept in her friend's bed. It was half past ten and her fiance's funeral was due to start early that afternoon. Something she hardly had the energy to deal with. Within a few minutes, her body began to stir and a gloomy groan was let out. She, very slowly, got out of bed, making her way to the bathroom so that she could quickly shower. How she loathed to be back home only to say goodbye to the person she had planned to spend her life with.

Miley and Robbie Ray sat at their kitchen island, each sipping on mugs of hot coffee. "I don't know how Lilly's going to react today. Having to see her fiance lying lifeless in a casket, and dealing with all the stares. What can I do to help her, daddy?" She glanced over at her loving father, knowing he'd always be there to give advice. And she needed that now more than ever.

Placing his mug on the counter, he gave a sad smile to his daughter, "All you can do is be there and support her, bud. It's not going to be easy today, not for anyone. But having you there with her will certainly help her feel more at ease." He stood up from his seat and walked over to Miley, pulling her in for a strong embrace. "You've gotta be strong for her, Mile...Which I know you will be, you're a wonderful best friend to her."

After getting dressed and running a brush through her long blonde hair, Lilly quietly went down the stairs and into the living room. She could see Miley and her dad sitting in the kitchen as they finished their coffee, but didn't feel like joining them. She could not bare to talk to anyone right then, all she wanted was some time to think. So carefully, she walked out the front door and sat on the porch. She listened to the birds chirp, watched as cars drove up and down the road and children playing down at the neighborhood playground. None of it brought any joy or cheer to her heart, only more numb and empty feelings.

She looked a few houses down, where she spent her more recent years living with Oliver and his family, and saw his mother outside greeting a few of her relatives. Lilly felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of her fiance's mother having to lose her own son. Her heart ached even more, if that was possible, and sobs just overtook her. Nothing would ever be the same for Lilly; she could never go back to her fiance's house, not when she'd see his mother and be reminded of how much he looked like her. And the realization of knowing that she lost no only Oliver, but also her second parents. The ones who took her in after her own were tragically murdered in front of her, six years ago.

"Oh Lilly," Miley's voice soothed as she walked over to her and scooped her into a tight embrace. She stroked a hand gently through Lilly's long hair, wishing she could find a way to ease her pain. "I'm here for you, Lil...Tell me what I can do to help you. Please sweetie, let me comfort you. You can't go through this alone; you need a friend. So whatever will help you through this, just let me know love." She whispered, holding her sobbing friend as tight as she could. It really broke her heart to see and hear her in that much pain.

The funeral home, which was only a few miles down from their house, kept filling with more and more people. Lilly felt her stomach flipping inside her as she stood at the back of the room, not being able to bring herself to look at her fiance. The thought alone made her feel queasy. She watched as others, many who hardly even knew Oliver, wept and mourned him. It almost angered her to see that, because she knew they didn't really care. They just came to show their face, not because they actually knew Oliver or spent any amount of time with him when he was alive.

She tried to walk closer to the casket, but her feet were frozen in place. No matter how much she tried, they wouldn't budge. A pair of arms wrapped soothingly around her and they were a very familiar pair of arms, ones that helped her through the loss of her parents. "Lilly, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Kate asked softly, holding her son's fiance close to her. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this again, sweetie! It's going to be so hard and painful, for all of us but even more for you. I know how much you loved my beautiful son, Lilly...And oh how much he loved you! You two were so perfect for each other; I hate that he was taken from us." She cried, but squeezed the blonde tighter, and pressed a motherly kiss to her head.

Lilly could barely get out a word with how much she was crying, but she enjoyed the embrace the older woman offered and squeezed back just as tight. Kate always did act as a second mother to her, and she would always love her for that. "I-I'm s-s-so sorry that you-you lost your so-son... I-I don't want this to be reality...Please let this just be a nightmare; I-I c-can't-can't live without Ollie!" Tears clouded her vision as they fell down her cheeks in vicious swarms.

Hearing how broken and distraught Lilly was only made Kate cry more, she held her close as she began to rock her. "Oh Lilly, baby girl...I wish this was only a nightmare...but it's not. Our Ollie is gone and we can't bring him back, but he will always be watching over us and he will never stop loving you. He's in our hearts, Lilly, and will be forever." She spoke gently, patting her back to comfort her. "Let's go say goodbye to him, Lilly. I know how hard it will be and how much it's going to hurt, seeing him this way, but I'm going to come with you sweetie. You don't have to this on your own."

Shakely, Lilly followed Kate to the casket. She felt more tears come bursting through her eyes as she neared where her lifeless, motionless, fiance lie. Her feet stopped and she shook her head violently, "No...No! I'm not-I can't...Oliver's not dead! There's no way he can be dead; he promised me that he would be okay! There has to be a mistake! Maybe someone mistakened the body as his, but it's someone else's!" Her face smothered with tears as she shake vividly with sobs. She wasn't ready to face the harsh reality of a life without her true love, and she certainly wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. She ran as fast as she could out of the funeral home, wanting to get as far away from it as possible.

Rain poured down on her as she ran through the parking lot and into the woods, where she collapsed onto the ground with her sobs overpowering her. Being at the funeral home only made things seem real, and she didn't want any of it to feel real. She wanted to wake up and have everything go back to normal. She wanted to be able to call Oliver and hear his voice; she wanted to know that he was alive and doing well. Knowing, though, that she could do none of those things only made the sobs come out stronger.

Minutes later had her best friend come running to her, pulling her up from the muddy, rainy ground, and wrapping her in a strong embrace. She rocked her softly, running a hand soothingly up and down her back. "I'm so, so sorry you have to go through this baby...So sorry!" Miley whispered, holding her tight while trying bring some sort of comfort to you. "I know it's extremley painful to deal with this, but sweetie you have to say goodbye to him. You'll regret it if you don't... I know you can't see that now, because it hurts so much, but you will hurt even more if you don't tell him goodbye. So let's get you calmed down, and then I'll take you back in there so you can do what you need to do, Lil. And as soon as you do that, we can go home. Okay sweetie?" She kissed the top of her head comfortingly.

Lilly, trembling and exhaustingly, looked down at Oliver. His skin pale and drained of all life, her tears dripped down her cheeks and into the casket with him. "Wake up, Ollie...Please. I don't want to live without you!" She sobbed, her hand shakely reaching down to touch his. She shivered; it felt nothing like him, cold and stiff. "I love you s-s-so-so much, Ol-Ol-Oliver...Please come back, I need you! Your parents need you; don't leave us! WAKE UP! Please wake up!" She started to sob harder and louder, squeezing Oliver's limp hand as tight a she could. She wouldn't leave that spot until he woke up. Even though she knew he would never wake up, he would be asleep for eternity.

The people who waited, behind her, to say their goodbyes watched in sorrow. Miley, who had been standing beside her the whole time, tried to gently pull her away but failed miserably. "Lilly, honey, you have to let go...He's not in there anymore; no matter how much you beg and plead, he's not waking up...I know that because I did the same thing at my momma's funeral. I stood by the casket, pleading for her to wake up until my daddy dragged me away. Come on, sweetie, let go of his hand...I know it's hard, baby, but you can't stay there forever." She spoke in a warm and comforting voice, wrapping her arms around her from behind, hoping to gently pull her away from the casket.

Several hours after the funeral, Miley lay beside Lilly, who was miserably crying at the realization that her fiance had really been gone. He would forever be asleep, and never wake up again. The thought only brought more tears to the blonde's eyes. Miley held her close, rubbing comforting circles around her back, hoping to ease some of the pain. "Honey, you should sleep...or try to, at least. It's been a long and rough day for you, it will only get harder until it gets easier." She kissed the top of Lilly's head, then soothingly placed it onto her chest while also wrapping the blanket around them. "I'm so sorry, Lilly...I really hate to see you in so much pain, and I want to take it away so bad, but I know nothing I do can bring Oliver back for you. I wish I could bring him back for you... My poor Lilly."

Clutching tightly to Miley's shirt, Lilly looked up into her eyes with pain but also a hint of thankfulness. "Miley," her voice tearfully spoke, "I'm-I'm sorry too...You-you lost a best-best friend... I'm sorry!" Her voice cracked into sobs as she squeezed her friend tight, letting her tears fall onto her. As much as she hated the pain of her fiance's death, and how she longed for him to come back, she was also so grateful to have Miley with her, and loved her so deeply for being one of the best friends she'd ever had.

"Oh, baby doll, we're going to get through this...together, I promise." Miley kissed her head lovingly, "I love you so much, sweetie. Get some sleep, I'll be right here with you." She pulled her closer, while stroking her hear softly until they both drifted off into sleep.

Miley woke up the next morning to hear her best friend's heart-wrenching cries, but saw that she wasn't in her room. Frantically worried, the brunette quickly jumped out of bed and hurried to find her. "Lilly, sweetie, where are you?" She called out as her crying grew louder. She entered the bathroom and saw Lilly curled into a ball as she lay sobbing on the cold floor. Miley frown empathetically down at her, "Oh honey, come here! Come get in my arms, darlin'...It's gonna be okay!" She wrapped her arms protectively around her distraugh best friend, scooping her off the floor and holding her close.

Lilly cried harder, holding onto her best friend for dear life. "It's never going to be okay! I'm never going to see Ollie again...NEVER! I've known him my whole life, Miley; there's never been a day where I haven't seen him...How the hell am I going to survive without him? Please tell me how I can possibly do that...It's painful enough without my parents, but now I also have to live here without the love of my life?! I don't-I just don't understand, Miley...Can you tell me what - what I did wrong? What did I do to make this happen?" She desperately looked into Miley's soft blue-gray eyes.

Hearing that her friend was starting to think that his death was her fault had Miley holding her even tighter. She shook her head, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "You did nothing to cause any of this to happen, Lilly! You better not even think that, baby girl! Oliver was in the army, sweetheart, and sometimes things like this happen in the army. Unfortunately he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, that's why he passed away...NOT because of anything you did, my precious friend. Don't even think to blame yourself, Oliver would never ever want you to!" She spoke very firmly, not wanting Lilly to blame herself for the death of her fiance. "I know it's painful for you sweetie, but I will be here for you, through everything; I will never leave you, love. I promise you that, darlin'." Miley cradled her broken, grieving best friend close in her arms, wishing terribly that she could find a way to ease her pain. She would do anything, anything she could to help her through this tragic time.