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[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is dreaming, again. But it's not her death this time. It's Veronica's. Lilly knows this in the way you just know in dreams, that this is Veronica's death but it hasn't happened yet...

Veronica is trapped in some kind of metal box, and Lilly's in there with her, seeing the red-lit fear on her best friend's face as she gasps something into a walkie-talkie clutched desperately in her hand. Veronica is panicking, pounding on the walls and the smell of gasoline is everywhere. And then there is a soft whoomph, and crackling and it's getting hotter and Lilly and Veronica have the same expression of helpless terror on their faces.

"Veronica!" Lilly is screaming now, in the dream and out loud. "VERONICA!"

Comments

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter is awake in a second, leaping to her side.

"Lilly! Lilly, wake up! What's wrong?"

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is awake and scrambling out of bed in an instant, reaching for her jeans as she speaks.

"It's Veronica, she's in trouble, or going to be, I have to go, I have to go now."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter turns his back politely the moment he realises she's going to change.

"Of course. What can I do?"

[awesome_lilly]

"Tell everyone I said goodbye," Lilly replies, pulling her t-shirt on.

[highking.livejournal.com]

There is the hiss of a sharp intake of breath, but Peter's voice remains steady.

"Anything else?"

[awesome_lilly]

"Yeah, where's that sword-" and Lilly's brain finally catches up with her, and she swears.

"Fuck. I'm still a fucking ghost!"

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter is wincing before he even speaks, prepared for her refusal.

"I may not be a ghost in your world..."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly looks at him, bites her lip. She wants to say no, but Veronica's face is still in front of her and she is still a ghost and there is nothing she can do alone.

"It... it wasn't good, what I saw. This could be dangerous and you could get stuck there..." or else Veronica could die.

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter's still facing the wall.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take, if you need me."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly sighs, makes up her mind. She reaches out and touches Pete's shoulder.

"Yeah. I do."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter turns to face her, his expression grim. This is the face King Peter wore when preparing for battle.

"I'll go change and meet you downstairs."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly nods.

"Okay. And Pete? Hurry."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter is downstairs in all of two minutes, dressed in clothing he knows he can move in, Rhindon strapped to his hip. Lilly is already there, waiting.

"I'm ready."

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly gives him a quick smile.

"Thanks. So... if we get through and you can't see me anymore just go right back, okay? Otherwise I'll tell you where we need to go."

She slips her hand into his, faces the door.

"Okay, door. Get me back to Veronica, please?"

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter squares his shoulders, squeezes her hand, and follows her through the door.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly steps across the threshold, and freezes. It's worked, they're through, but they're not in Veronica's apartment... they're in her brother's bedroom. She turns to Pete.

"Okay, this is Duncan's room, not Veronica's, but at least we're in Neptune."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter doesn't even hear her words. He's reaching up to touch the bloody wound on her head, to try to wipe away some of the blood that is frozen in the act of dripping down her face.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is confused for a second, and then she glances down to realize that she's in the clothes she was murdered in and her blood is frozen on her cheek again. Pete's reaching for her, but she knows from long experience that he won't be able to touch her. No one can, not here.

"Pete? Ghost, remember?"

[highking.livejournal.com]

It's just a moment too late for Peter to stop his hand, and it goes straight through her head. Peter's eyes widen even further.

"Oh, Lilly."

[awesome_lilly]

She smiles crookedly at him.

"Yeah, being a ghost is not the most fun I've ever had. But hey, at least you can see me."

[highking.livejournal.com]

"By the Lion's mane, Lilly. I didn't realise. I'm so, so sorry."

He's apologising for his cruelty a few days before, yes, but there is much more than that in his voice.

[awesome_lilly]

"It's okay," Lilly says softly, and she looks to say more but there are voices coming down the hall.

"Someone's coming, uh... get in the closet. Duncan never uses it, there'll be space."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter quickly opens the closet door and goes in, shutting it behind him just before Veronica and Duncan come into the room.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly stands disconcertingly in the slatted closet door watching her brother and best friend closely. Veronica is carrying several tapes, and she hands one to Duncan. He puts it in his camera, fiddles with the tv, and suddenly the screen is filled with the image of Aaron Echolls, naked in his poolhouse with someone who is far too young to be his wife.

Lilly, Duncan and Veronica recoil simultaneously, and Duncan hits pause.

"Mr. Echolls?" he says, incredulous. Veronica sits down on the bed, hard.

"Oh God, I know what happened. I know who killed Lilly."

[highking.livejournal.com]

Peter is straining to hear, moving cautiously to peer through the slats without making any noise.

"Lilly and Logan had broken up again," Veronica explains to Duncan. "She must have taken a box of his things to the poolhouse to leave for him and found the camera set up."