I Remember You

Chapter 15

It was pouring rain when Lily awoke the following morning. She knew it meant that they wouldn't be able to shoot at the church as they had planned, and her heart did a little jig at the idea of a lazy day off. They had been working non-stop for over a week and, if she was honest, she was exhausted.

She stretched and then laid in bed as she watched the rain hit the window. It was a steady rain which would make everything muddy. She sat up and reached for her thick wooly socks. Once she had them on, she padded to the small kitchenette and poured herself a mug of coffee, and as she sipped it, she blessed Finn for being able to make a decent brew.

Cupping the mug in her hands, she wandered onto the porch where she found Finn sitting in the rocking chair looking out at the rain. Lily probably shouldn't care that she hadn't brushed her hair or teeth yet, and she was wearing her baggy sweatpants and old t-shirt in which she always slept, but a little part of her did.

"You look extra chipper this morning," Lily commented as she curled up on the swing across from him.

He ignored her sipping his coffee, and Lily took the hint, leaning back and watching the rain as well.

A few minutes later Mason came down the lane wearing a rain jacket and rain boots. He stomped up the steps to the porch dripping water everywhere. He looked from one to the other as he took off his jacket and hung it on the corner of the empty rocking chair next to Finn, then removed his boots.

"Should I draw a white line down the center of the porch to keep you both separated?" he joked, obviously picking up on the vibe as he moved to sit next to Lily on the swing.

"Isn't that generally done for people who are fighting?" Lily asked, confused. She never had siblings, but she had always assumed that that was what parents did for kids sharing a room.

"This isn't a fight?" Mason asked just as confused.

"No, Finn is pretending I don't exist." They both turned to look at Finn, who didn't rise to the bait. "See?" Lily sipped her coffee.

"Hmmm, then a conversation might be difficult." He watched his friend for a moment before turning his attention to Lily. "I'll have it with you."

"O.K.," she said with a grin, turning to focus on him and not the man across from her. She knew he was still upset about her suggestion that he should kiss her, but she wasn't sorry she said it. She had a feeling that Finn had been living in his own world for too long, and he had forgotten how the real world lived.

"We have this season in the can, at least on the page, but we need a hook for next year. I thought we could brainstorm about possible ideas, something that would get the viewers interested. This year it was Brooke, and while that will be a continuing theme next year, we need something else."

"Maybe an extra special spirit that won't leave Desmond alone?" Lily threw out because it was the first thing that came to mind.

"We did that the first season," Mason shook his head.

They bounced some more ideas off each other, not really coming up with anything, although Lily had an idea that would be amazing she wasn't willing to say it in front of Mason.

"We picked out your song by the way," Mason said when the brainstorming ran its course.

"What did you choose?" she asked, eager to hear.

"I Remember You."

"The Johnny Mercer song?" It was one of her favorite songs.

"Yes, it seems apt for the theme we are setting."

"I Remember you, you're the one that made my dreams come true a few kisses ago. When my life is through, and the angels ask me to recall the thrill of them all then I will tell then I remember you," she sang.

"How come I never knew you could sing?" Mason asked.

"I was never willing to admit to it, not with Cassie being in the family." Lily shook her head.

"You sing just as well, Lily," Mason assured her. "Are you coming up to the house for breakfast?" he asked.

"Maybe, don't wait on me," she replied.

Mason looked over at Finn as he stood to put on his jacket and boots. "I know better than to ask you," Mason said with a smile. "Good luck, Lily!" he called as he darted off the porch and up the lane.

"You could have said hello at the very least," Lily said. "You're a bit of a brat."

Nothing.

"I was thinking, while Mason and I were talking, that a great hook might be your war wound, but I wasn't sure if Mason knew about it."

Lily's comment did get a reaction as he turned to look at her, his eyes wide as the rocking chair stilled. "So, my injury is to be used for what exactly, ratings?" he said in disbelief.

Lily wasn't put off by his displeasure.

"Think about it, really think about it. You are on one of the most popular shows in the U.S. right now. You are almost a household name." Lily leaned forward, placing her feet on the porch to ground her.

"I don't see your point?" He stood, his blue jeans hiding his leg from view.

"Veterans in this country are fighting for proper benefits and in some instance, just to survive, and I imagine that it's harder for those who come home injured. You could raise awareness for that, make people understand that sometimes the people you least expect are silently suffering." Lily's voice grew heated as she made her point.

"So, you think I'm suffering? You know nothing about me." His voice was low and hard, and it was a tone she had never heard directed at her before.

"Then we're even," she replied without missing a beat. "You know it's not just veterans that need people to give them hope and represent their cause. There are plenty of everyday people who would benefit from seeing an amputee succeed."

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" He gave a harsh laugh. "Have you always been this way?"

"What way?" Lily asked, her nerve starting to fail her.

"Stubborn, obnoxious, unable to take a hint and end a conversation while you're ahead," he ground out through clenched teeth.

"No, you just seem to bring out the best in me.'" she quipped, trying not to remember the shy cowardly girl she had been. The one who had stayed out of her father's way, avoided her mother's sharp tongue and insults, and only spoke when spoken to.

Lily had spent her childhood in the shadows, and now that she was in the light she didn't want to go back no matter who tried to hurt her emotionally or physically. Although, if she let Finn get to her, she could see it happening easily enough.

"Was the shy little girl who tripped over her own feet all an act?" he asked.

"No, there were a few issues I had to work through, but our little scene in the bar helped me figure out a few things." She shrugged.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Tell me one thing, one thing that lets me know..." he couldn't finish the statement.

"Lets you know what, that I'm not a girl who has lived a charmed life? Does the possibility that I may be as innocent as you believe make my words have less value?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course not, but I'm not an easy man, and I need to know that... you're a nice kid, and I don't want to hurt you," he finished, but she had the feeling that he was about to say something else.

"You mean break me," she said softly. Her heart soared at the thought. Perhaps Finn was finally taking her seriously. "I've already said that I'm stronger than I look."

"I wish I could believe you." He gave a sad smile.

Lily was no more ready to share her secrets than he. "You're just going to have to trust me then."

"There are very few people I trust," he admitted.

"I know what that's like, and it's a very lonely place," she said, meeting his eyes, begging him to believe her.