It wasn't until she was several blocks away that Lily felt safe enough to stop. She pulled the phone out carefully, pleased to find that while it was still warm, she could hold it comfortably. She was not pleased to discover that the phone wasn't working however. Shit. Shit. Shit. She didn't have any numbers memorized except John's. She was burnt and bleeding and she only had so long before the adrenaline gave out and she lost it completely. Her hands were already shaking violently. Think, Lily. Think.

There was one thing she could try. She lowered the block that kept Alice from seeing her. Hopefully, her favorite pixie would have a vision that would tell her family she needed help. First things first, she needed a hotel. She slid her tank top back on before stepping onto the street. Her gaze fell on a Doubletree sign just up the road. She walked hoping the rain would wash enough of the remnants of the fight away they wouldn't think twice about renting her a room.

She paused before entering the hotel and pulled out the jacket John kept in his bag. After slipping it on, she zipped it up, hoping it would cover the remaining evidence of her fight. The lobby was empty when she stepped inside and she made a beeline to the desk.

"I need a room, please," she said, her voice rough. She pulled her wallet out of her bag and slid over her credit card and the ID that said she was 18. A precaution for emergencies Lily had never appreciated until this moment.

She gave answers without paying attention to the questions, just wanting the solitude of her room.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" the concierge asked as he handed her the key.

"Yeah. Long night. Listen could you a make a note if anyone by the name of Cullen or Hale inquires that they can have the room number and a key? Family coming to rescue me from a shitty boyfriend. I'm not sure which of them will show." She met his gaze then for the first time. Sympathy shone in his expression.

"Of course. Can I get you anything else?"

She shook her head and gave a little wave before following his directions to the elevator. Her room was on the twelfth floor. She pushed the button for her floor then leaned against the side of the car as her legs started to shake. She was almost there. Blood ran down the back of her arm and she cradled it against her stomach to keep it from running out of the sleeve and dripping to the floor. She didn't want to leave a trail to her room. The last thing she needed was anyone she didn't know coming to check on her.

Finally, she made it to her room. She dropped everything just inside the door and stumbled across the room to the phone. She grabbed it from the table and sat on the floor with it, staring at the number for direct calls to the room. She hadn't made a decision other than the one to stare at the phone but maybe Alice would pick up on it anyway. She just kept thinking of the pixie, praying it would work.

Ten minutes later the phone rang. Lily took a breath before answering. It was either her family or the front desk telling her the police would like to speak to her. "'lo?"

"Lily?" Carlisle.

"Thank fuck." Her words were slurred. She sounded drunk.

"What is going on, sweetheart? Alice could only tell that you were in trouble and going to the Doubletree and then this phone number. Where's your dad?"

Her teeth were chattering and her jaw felt tight. She wasn't sure how much she could get out. "Dead." One word followed by a loud sob was enough to get the point across she supposed.

"Shit. Are you alright? Of course you're not. Are you injured?" His voice was heavy with worry.

"Yeah. Burns. Cuts." To be honest, she couldn't give a better inventory than that. She hadn't done an assessment of her injuries and she was beyond that now. "Doesn't matter."

She heard wind on the phone and figured he'd started running to come to her. "Lily, honey, I need you to tell me exactly what happened to you. It's important."

Her daddy died. Again. Just like the first time she didn't stop it. Didn't save him. He was dead and it was her fault. If it wasn't for her, he'd still be alive. If she was stronger, faster, braver, they'd both still be here. Her lip trembled as tears ran down her cheeks. "It should have been me. He wanted me."

There was a pause and she wondered if he'd still come save her knowing it was her fault that his friend died. She hoped so. She didn't want to be alone. She hated being alone.

"Lily, listen to me. You're in shock. I'm on my way with Rosalie and Emmett. I'm going to have Jasper and Alice call you. Answer the phone, okay? It's important."

"k." She hung up and waited for the phone to ring. She didn't want to talk anymore, but she'd answer the phone for her cowboy and the pixie. The phone rang and she answered. She sucked in a breath to talk but nothing would come out. Her chest felt so tight. So empty.

"Princess, are you there?" came that slow Southern drawl.

She let out a sob on shaky breath. "Jazz." It was all she could say, but it was enough to let him know she was there and listening.

"Hello, Lily," came Alice's sweet voice sounding sadder than Lily had ever heard it.

She moved until she was laying curled up on the floor with the phone. Tears ran down her face as Jasper and Alice talked about nothing and read her a book. She didn't even register most of what they said, it was just the low hum of voices in the background of her grief. But it reminded her that she wasn't alone. Not yet anyway.

***

The door opened and closed with a murmur of conversation. "Oh, that's a lot of blood." Rose. Lily could only block the scent of the blood that was still in her body unfortunately.

"Do you need to leave?" Carlisle's low voice came. They were moving so slow. Maybe they thought she'd disappear if they moved too fast.

"No. It's Lily. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, I'm good," Emmett agreed.

Her family. They were here. A sob escaped her at the thought. In a flash, Carlisle was by her side. His hand cradled the side of her face. "It's okay, sweetheart. We're here."

He eased the phone from her grasp. "I've got her, Jasper. We'll call when we're on the way home." There was a pause. "I don't know yet. I'll update you when I can." He hung up and turned all of his attention back to her. "Can you sit up if I help you?"

She cleared her throat. "Don't know."

"Fair enough. Let's give it a shot." Hands grasped her and helped her body shift around so she was sitting up, her back leaning against the bed behind her. Pain battered at the block still firmly in place. If not for her gift, she would have been half crazy in agony by now. Even with the block, she grunted at the blast that shot through her.

He pushed the hair away from her face and smiled sadly at her.

"Hi, Doc."

"Hello, Sweetheart. Let's get you taken care of, huh?"

She nodded and cleared her throat again.

"Rose, get her some water. Emmett, fill that ice bucket with warm water and bring me a couple of washcloths. I also need some towels." Carlisle was in doctor mode and, if anything, it only made her feel that much safer.

A moment later Rose was holding a glass of water up to her lips. "Can you take a sip for me, baby girl?" She put her hand on the back of Lily's head to help her tip it to drink. After they'd gotten about half the glass down her, the vampire stepped back. "We'll get some more in you in a bit."

"Thank you, Rosie."

The blonde gave her a soft smile full of love and concern. "You're welcome, baby."

"Okay, let's get this off you," Carlisle said, drawing her attention. He held a pair scissors and moved as if to cut her jacket off.

"No." Her voice was loud, forceful. She cleared her throat. "It's his."

The doctor's gaze softened immediately and shifted to his daughter. "Rose, help her take it off. Be careful."

Lily clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as Rose shifted her. The vampire slid one arm off at a time, grimacing when the fabric stuck to the girl's injuries. Finally, Rose pulled the garment away and handed it to Emmett to put aside. "There you go, baby girl."

Lily glanced from Rose to Carlisle and narrowed her eyes as she saw him threading a needle. When he noticed, the doctor gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry. We're going to have to clean them out before I can stitch them up. It won't be pleasant."

She gave a small nod. "I'm blocking the best I can. Let's just get it over with."

His attention moved to Emmett. "We're going to have to strip her down. Can you go get her some clothes and shoes? Something comfortable, Emmett. Rose will give you sizes. Get her some food, too."

"You got it. Hang in there, little bear. I'll be back."

Her lips twisted in a small smile. How could they not? It was Emmett. As soon as he was gone, Rose was there helping her to her feet. They stripped her down to her underwear and sports bra. She hissed as they laid her on the bed, glass shifting under her skin.

Carlisle shook his head. "I know. I'm sorry. There's no good way to do this here."

"It's fine." So she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth while Carlisle pulled what seemed to be a million little pieces of glass from under her skin. Fucking Volturi vampire piece of shit. Rosalie gripped her hand and rubbed along patches of unblemished skin. He rinsed wounds with saline before stitching them up as quick as he could, using glue or bandages when he was able instead.

The burns were the worst. A deep, horrid pain that he assured her was a good thing. That meant her nerves hadn't been damaged. He cleaned them slow with soap and water and nausea rolled in her belly. Once satisfied with their cleanliness, he covered them in ointment and wrapped them in loose bandages. Finally, he took mercy on her and backed away. "All right, Rose. Take her in the bathroom and see if you can get her cleaned up. She'll feel better. Just watch the stitches and the burns."

Rose didn't give Lily a chance to walk, instead sweeping the teenager up in her arms and carrying her into the bathroom. She sat the girl on the counter then shut the door. Lily watched her move as she ran a cloth under hot water.

"Close your eyes, baby." Lily sighed in contentment as Rose cleaned her face a little bit at a time, rewetting the rag as necessary before moving on to the rest of her.

"Do you want me to wash your hair?" she asked as she finished cleaning the last bit of Lily's exposed skin.

"Too hard. It can wait until we get home. Can you put it up though?"

"Of course." Lily was more than happy to let Rosalie take care of her. And Rose seemed happy to do it.

"There's a band in my bag."

Her friend was gone and back in a flash, not only having the band but an armful of clothes as well. "He even remembered socks and underwear. No bra though."

"There are limits to Emmett and I's friendship, Rosie."

Rose giggled which made Lily giggle as well. The giggles soon devolved to sobs as Lily finally gave in completely to her grief, her fear. Rose had her dressed in minutes then picked her up to carry her out. Emmett was waiting just on the other side of the door, his face falling when he saw his heartbroken little sister. He picked up Rose while she continued to hold Lily and settled against the headboard of the clean bed. He stretched his legs out in front of him and got his two girls situated comfortably in his lap. His big arms wrapped around them both as they let the younger girl cry.

Carlisle was on the phone in the corner convincing the rest of his family not to come. They had everything under control and would be heading home as soon as possible after all. Lily weeping in the background wasn't helping him calm anyone down. "We'll be home soon," he finally snapped and hung up the phone.

He knew Lily needed to grieve. That she needed this release to let go of the man she called her father. But she also needed to heal physically and that wasn't going to happen if she made herself sick. He prepped a syringe and injected the sedative into her upper arm. She didn't even flinch.

Soon, those heartsick sobs began to fade as Liliana drifted to sleep.