Just Like Old Times

Achrann Castle

Chapter rated M for sexual content.

"Lilly, ya canna go after them right now!" Patrick snapped through the closed bedroom door. Lilly was dressing in a blue long sleeved buttoned shirt, sleeves rolled up, brown pants, and black riding boots. Lilly armed herself with her bow, her repeater, and her revolvers. "Ya gotta rest. Do ya even know what just happened tah ya?!"

"Yes!" Lilly shouted. Wait, did she? "No! I mean...I...uuuugh," Lilly sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. She had no damn clue what just happened with the tree. "I canna worry about that just now! I need to get me father's watch back and kill that rat bastard and his stupid cousin!"

"That's not how we do things here, Lillian! Ya can't just go killin' people willy nilly!"

Lilly opened the door angrily as Arthur laughed. "I don't know if ya knew this, but they murdered me first! This ain't just some 'willy nilly' killin', Patrick!"

Patrick put up his hands. "Yes, I knew. Arthur told me a lot of things on the trip here from America."

Lilly glared at Arthur. "So glad ya made a new friend but when it comes tah things I prefer tah keep private, could ya not have a big arsed mouth?"

Arthur laughed and scratched an eyebrow. "Darlin', may I remind you that your death affected everyone in the gang? Do you even know how devastated everyone was?" Arthur walked up to her and shook his head. "Did you even bother to ask anyone?"

"Well...I...no, but need I remind ya that I had a memory problem at the time?" Lilly snarled. Arthur gave her a stern look and she sighed in defeat. "I suppose that's no excuse, though. I guess it didn't occur to me that I meant that much to everyone. When someone dies, we don't...mourn them that much."

Arthur put his hands on her shoulders. "We mourned you, Lilly. We all went to your funeral, except Jack. He was particularly upset that you 'had to go away' and 'not come back'."

Lilly lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Arthur hugged her. "It ain't your fault. I wasn't tryin' to make it seem that way. You were goin' through a lot at the time."

Lilly nuzzled his neck. "When we get back, I'll talk to everyone. But first things first." Lilly pulled back and kissed Arthur's chin. "What are we doin' about Mr. Pierce and Brutus?"

"I have an idea," Patrick said in a chipper tone. "Let's hold a ball."

Arthur and Lilly looked at him incredulously. "A ball?!" they both said.

"Yes. A ball. Catch Mr. Pierce and Brutus off guard and then you can confront him in front of everybody. He and Brutus will be arrested for their crimes. We can only mention the flogging, though."

"Not if I had an antidote to the poison," Lilly said with a smirk. "No one needs to know that I died, although I'm sure Brutus and Mr. Pierce won't believe that I didn't. The stuff they used was real nasty."

Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. "That is true, but I'm not worried about them knowin' you died and came back to life. I'm worried about what'll happen to you if that rumor got around. I'd rather you not be known as a witch or a..." Patrick paused. "Something else."

Both the men shifted uncomfortably and Lilly grabbed the candle from Patrick. "Is there somethin' I need to know?"

"No," both the men said together.