Hidden Lives ~ Winn Schott [1]

Chapter 8 - Kidnapping and Unwelcome Family

Lily was tapped out after a nice evening of food and conversation. Winn had lingered after dinner, chatting idly as they migrated once again to the couch. They leaned back, relaxed, and full of good food.

"Maybe next time we can actually watch a movie together," Lily commented with a light chuckle.

"I'd like that," Winn smiled. "And as much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I need to get home." He spoke with purpose, but it was still another five minutes before he made any move to get off the couch.

"Bye," he turned to her one last time. Fully kissing her on the lips before getting up.

She was left warm and buzzing as he stood to grab his coat.

She stood up behind him and as he turned around pecked him on the lips with the comment, "one for the road, hot Schott," and a wink.

They were both smiling widely, a blush dusting their cheeks, when Lily finally closed the door behind him.

She stretched, yawning, and tidied up a little as she moved to the bedroom. She moved the dishes from the sink to the washer and put the wine back in the cabinet. She smiled gently as she placed the Princess Bride disk back into the case and into the box. She was vividly reminded of the day she'd gotten it.

"No, no, no." Lex had chastised, "that move leaves your king completely unprotected." He indicated several possible points of attack along the chessboard. He placed the knight back where it had been, "try again."

"Lex," Lily had whined to the 14-year-old. "I don't even like chess."

But Lex had simply shaken his head and explained that chess would "teach her important life skills."

She made a face at his words, "if life is all about chess then I really don't want it."

Kiera had rolled her eyes and butted in from the chair she sat on nearby, "don't be absurd. Chess is the 'game of kings and strategists'"

Kiera quoted Lex effortlessly and he threw a captured pawn at her in retaliation. "One day, chess will save your life," he said wisely, but even he couldn't keep a straight face for long and burst out laughing with the other two.

Lionel walked in as they were laughing and smiled at the three before chiding in a very unconvincing tone that "Luthor children ought to be more disciplined." The effect was greatly ruined by his producing a movie from his coat moments later.

Two pairs of grabby hands reached for it instantly, Lex held back. At 14, he was working hard to prove himself a worth successor of the Luthor name, but Kiera, 12, and Lily, 11, had no such worries.

They held the movie up between them as Lionel scolded a bit more seriously this time about politeness and manners.

A fairytale cover of a kissing man and woman stared up at Lily and Kiera. 'The Princess Bride' was spelled in gold cursive just above the heads of the embracing figures.

Lily had been just as captivated watching the movie for the first time then as she had been every other she watched it. The story had come to occupy a special place in her heart, when she was younger she'd hoped for a dashing young pirate to sweep her off her feet and take her on a grand adventure.

Then she'd grown up to realize that nothing quite so fanciful as that actually happened in the world. But now, aliens and Winn...

The world certainly was more fanciful than her learned cynical nature ever had her inclined to believe. Maybe Winn could be my Westley, she thought to herself wistfully as she folded another blanket.