(Disclaimer: I do not own The Bad Guys; just Lilith and my other OC's.)
(Authors Note: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your continued patience and support of this story. I'm really sorry for the long gaps in between chapters, but between work, family and project deadlines, I don't have much spare time to write. But worry not, for I still have plenty of drive and inspiration, and I hope you all will enjoy this latest chapter ;) Until next time, stay safe and well, and feel free to comment/review as I enjoy/appreciate the feedback. Thank you.)
Chapter 18
-The Next Day-
Upon waking up and grabbing a quick breakfast, Lilith and her parents headed over to the remnants of her grandparents home, which was little more than a charred pile of bricks and rubble. Ignoring the police tape and gawking onlookers, she wasted no time in donning a pair of workman's gloves and a respirator mask before sifting through the debris and ashes in hopes of locating her son's cremains, while her parents did the same. Thankfully, the area she was in just so happened to be the living room where they had last been seen.
While sorting through the rubble, a police cruiser slowly approached and stopped across the street, to which an officer stepped out and approached:
"Morning, folks. Might I ask what you're doing?"
"We're hoping to salvage some of my family's belongings," Lilith's Mother answered truthfully without giving him too much information. Of course, Lilith opted to keep her head down and avoid eye contact with the man, lest he recognize her and report her whereabouts to Adam…assuming he was one of his cronies.
"I'm sorry to hear that, mam. Unfortunately, I have to ask you all to vacate the premises as the remaining structure is unstable and scheduled to be demolished tomorrow."
"Please, sir, just give us an hour."
*sigh* "Alright, but I'm going to stay here and ensure your safety. With that being said, would you like some assistance with your search?"
"That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you," her Father answered as he removed the charred remains of a coffee table and tossed it onto the grass, while his wife retrieved several ceramic figurines. Miraculously, most of them were intact and only sustained soot damage (which can be cleaned).
Donning a pair of latex gloves, the officer began sifting through the wreckage, looking for salvageable items that hadn't been destroyed by either the fire or the water, while Lilith removed more debris. "Hey, aren't you Adam's wife?"
A cold chill shot up her spine, to which she kept a calm composure and shook her head, "No, sir. I don't even know who you're talking about."
"Oh, sorry. It's just that you kinda look like her from the side. Maybe I'm just imagining things."
"It happens," she shrugged while keeping her eyes on her current task, hoping he bought her lie. Scooping out another armful of ash and charred wood, a stark of white suddenly caught her attention as she brushed away bits of debris and soot to reveal a tiny ceramic urn. Feeling tears beginning to flow down her cheeks, Lilith carefully picked it up and inspected it for damage. Thankfully, it was completely intact, with only minor soot damage. Holding it to her chest, she tearfully cried, "..I-I found him!"
Hearing this, her parents dropped what they were doing and approached. While they were glad to see that their grandson's cremains were recovered and intact, it was a bittersweet moment for all of them.
XXXXX
-Later-
Although she was happy to have her baby's cremains back in her possession, Lilith felt a pang of sadness throughout her frame as the memory of his loss overwhelmed her mind. Wanting to dismiss her depression, she picked up her phone and called Snake:
*:Hey, sweet peach.:*
"Hey, hon. I hope I'm not calling you at a bad time."
*:Not at all. I was actually about to call you, but I didn't know if you'd be busy with..well..you know..:*
"..Yea. I found him, by the way."
*:Oh, honey..I'm sorry you had to go through all this.:*
Rubbing her eyes, she laid back on her bed and emitted a sad sigh as she glanced over at the tiny urn sitting atop her nightstand, "..As much as I wish circumstances were different, I can't change the past. Regardless, I'm glad I have you to help me through all this."
*:And I'll do whatever I can to assist you. I just wish I was there in person, but I understand why you needed to go alone. Regardless, I miss you, Lilith.:*
"I miss you too, Hubert. I love you."
*:And I love you so much, my sweet peach.:*
XXXXX
"What do you mean I can't bring my son's cremains on board," Lilith angrily asked the TSA agent as her son's urn had been removed from her carry-on bag and set aside like some sort of illegal contraband.
"I'm sorry mam, but our guidelines state that human remains are to be transported in either a wooden or plastic container. Furthermore, documentation is required: ie, death certificate, certificate of cremation, or a document stating that said urn contains cremated remains. We also need to see documented proof of your relationship to the deceased, such as a birth certificate or a copy of the obituary."
"First off, I will not be putting my baby in a tupperware container. And secondly, I never received a birth certificate for him because he was never born.."
"Regardless, I cannot allow you to bring his urn past this security checkpoint. We can; however, mail his ashes to your intended destination.."
"No," she bit out in a firm/grief-laden tone. "I will not abandon him! I'll find some other way home. I don't care if I have to walk, I'm not leaving without my baby." With that, Lilith donned her backpack and carry-on bag before gently taking a hold of her son's tiny urn and heading back towards the exit.
At the sight of their daughter walking back towards them, her parents rushed over and asked: "What happened?"
*sniff* "They won't let us pass because his ashes aren't in a wooden or plastic container. And I don't have his documents with me because I didn't think to grab them."
"Oh, honey," her Mother hugged her close and stroked her short hair. "We'll figure something out."
"..I just want this nightmare to end.."
"We know, sweetheart," her Father added with a sigh, while he fought to contain his anger and frustration at these ridiculous guidelines.
"Maybe I should take a Greyhound bus like I did last time. Could we head over to the station now? Please? I just..I want to be rid of this place," she bitterly stated as she hugged the little urn to her chest before a nauseous wave suddenly hit her, forcing her to abandon her parents and rush into the nearest bathroom, not caring if it was the men's restroom or not.
She barely made it into an unoccupied stall when she suddenly purged her stomach of its contents. Of course, it didn't stop there: she vomited two more times before the sickly feeling dispersed, leaving her covered in tears and needing a good mouthwash. With bile running down her chin while clutching her son's urn to her chest, Lilith silently cried as she felt overwhelmed by everything that transpired during her stay in Buffalo.
Fucking stress.
It was bad enough that she wouldn't be allowed to fly home, but now she was kneeling on the floor of a public bathroom with her head hovering over a toilet bowl and her stomach doing cartwheels.
"Are you okay, Lilly," her Dad's voice asked from outside the stall.
"..Yea..I'm alright," she answered. "I'll be out in a few minutes."
"Alright. Your Mom and I will be right outside."
"Okay." Feeling her stomach finally settle, Lilith shakily stood back up and exited the stall before washing her hands and face in the sink, not caring if she was getting strange looks from men (as this was the men's restroom). Once finished, she rejoined her parents and left the airport with them, hoping she'd be able to purchase a bus ticket to LA and leave Buffalo behind her.
XXXXX
*:Hey, Lilith. Is everything alright? I thought you'd be on the plane by now.:*
*sniff* "No..They won't let me bring my son's urn on the plane, so now I'm heading to Los Angeles via Greyhound bus and won't be home for another two days."
*:Oh, honey..:*
"I just..I want to move past all this.."
*:I know. I'm sorry you had to experience all that grief and frustration.:*
"Same here. But, at least we're finally coming home. I miss you so much."
*:And I miss you. I love you, Lilith.:*
"I love you too," she replied with a smile as she wished she was back home in her cozy little apartment with him coiled around her in a warm embrace.