Lily's POV.

I felt it before I even woke up. The pain was numbing. I could feel something soft under my head. Easing my eyes open, I groaned and blinked to adjust my eyes to the bright sunlight. The memories of yesterday flooded into my head. 

Driving off, being attacked, reaching the Tanner's house. Then I noticed. A face was staring intently at me, his chin on his hand. I would have screamed, but I then remembered where I was. I knew who it was.

 "Dylan?" I croaked. My mouth was dry, and I coughed. He smiled. A wide, adorable smile. (pic above) "Your not dead!" He hugged me. I would have returned it, if I wasn't in so much pain. "Dylan." His mother walked into the room holding a cup.

"Hello, Mrs. Tanner." I tried sitting up with the help of Dylan. "Don't talk child, you'll dry out your entire body!" She fussed, placing the cup in Dylan's hand. "I can drink mysel-" "Nonsense. Dylan will help you."

Mrs. Tanner winked before leaving the room. Chuckling, Dylan held the cup to my mouth. "Open up!" I drank and glared at him. "I'm not a baby." He grinned. "You sure?" I reached out to hit him, but pain shot up my shoulder, which set off a pain in my neck. 

"Lily! You ok?!" Dylan gripped my shoulders as I bent over, wincing. "I-I'm fine..." His eyes got serious. "Ok, serious now. What happened to you? You were badly wounded when you arrived on our doorstep."

I took another drink, then leaned back. I didn't want to tell him. How could I? "Lily?" I looked at him. "Dylan...I-I can't really say. My head hurts to think, let alone talk. Can I...get some rest?" He smiled sadly but nodded. 

"Sure. If you need anything, just holler. I won't be far away." He kissed my head before retreating out of the room. "D-did he just..." My mind hurt. "Ow..." My phone buzzed. 

Surprisingly it was still with me! I pulled it out. 5 messages from mom. 7 unanswered calls. most from mom. 3 messages from Uncle Jack. 2 unanswered call from Uncle Jack....

I shoved it in my pocket and sighed. I glanced around the room. My pack hung from a chair in the corner. It didn't take me long to realise it was Dylan's room. That last time I had been there.....

I grabbed my head as pain flowed back and forth like restless waves. I lay back and tried to relax. My original plan came back to me. After Uncle Jack had told me we weren't in the mission, I had blown up. 

I had vowed not to give up on Dylan......and his mom of course. I was not going to leave them to the mercy of Viper. They didn't deserve it! Dylan was 19 now, and I had a birthday coming up soon. How could I leave them when we had so many happy memories together?

I sighed and went back to sleep, trying to forget how to tell Dylan the truth.......about my protecting him. 

Dylan's POV.

I closed the door and went down to the couch. "How is she?" Mom asked. "Fine. She's going to sleep now." I answered, slumping back into the cushion. "Dylan." Mom walked over and sat beside me. 

"I know you like Lily-" "As a friend!" I interrupted. I don't know why I did that. I was just lying to myself. I had forced it out of me for the longest time, but.....my feelings just got stronger. To be true, the never went away.

Mom cleared her throat, continuing. "And I know she likes you too." Did she like me....the way I did her? No. She couldn't. I was head over heels. I...I....Loved he-"Dylan. Are you listening?" I blinked. 

"What? Sorry, I didn't hear you." She sighed. "I was saying, that we can't stay here. The attack was a sign. The bad men know where we are. They will come for us again." I nodded and looked down.

"I-I hate running," I said softly. "I hate moving from place to place. Why can't we just....fight?" Mom looked tired like she always did. "Dylan, I know it's hard for you. It's hard for me too." She tussled my hair. 

"You remind me of your father. Always fighting for what he believed was right." I looked at my hands. I never knew my father for long. He always worked. But when he did come home. He would either talk quietly with mom while I was in bed, or read me a story.

I always loved my father...but I only knew him till I was about 5. that's when all the evil men started following us, and trying to kill us.

"Was he right?" I asked. Mom sighed and looked down. "He....knew what was right. But we all make mistakes sometimes." There were tears in her eyes as she said that. It always pained me to see my mother cry. 

"Mom?" she turned and stood. "Just....don't get too attached to this place, son." She turned and sent to the kitchen to prepare dinner. But I knew she would be silently sobbing. She missed dad as much as I did. 

Maybe even more. I looked down at the jade stone on a silver chain around my neck, concealed under my shirt.

A sudden flashback hit me.

~14 years ago~

The sounds of shouts filled my ears as I clung to the tall wooden pillar. I stared out as fire filled my sight and smoke filled my lungs. I wanted to scream, but I stood. Unable to move as our house burned to a crisp.

"Dylan!" I turned and ran into my father's strong arms as he embraced me. "Your not hurt?" I shook my head. "I-I'm scared, daddy..." Held me to his broad chest and stroked my hair. "I know son. I know..." 

He pulled back and looked me in my eyes. "Dylan I need you to do something for me alright? Can you do something for me?" I nodded, not sure what to say or do? My father pulled out from his pocket a green stone in a chain. 

"Pretty rock." I mused. He smiled kindly. "Yes, it is pretty. I need you to keep it for me. Safe from everyone." I looked up at him. "Even mommy?" He nodded grimly. "Only you and I must know about this."

He pulled me close. "Maybe one day you will not be chased, and will actually settle down. Have a family maybe. But I want you to know. If you do ever take this out of hiding. it will be for someone you care deeply about." 

I nodded not understanding much of what he was saying. "D-Daddy? Are you leaving?" He smiled a little. A sad, tired smile. "Daddy needs to say goodbye...for a while. I might be back. But if not.....," 

He reached around and fastened the chain to my neck, and tucked it into my shirt. "Take care of mommy like a good boy alright?" I nodded. "That's my soldier boy." He smiled and kissed the top of my head. 

"I love you, Dylan. Always remember that."  He stood and ran into the distance, fading in with the gunfire and shouting. " I will daddy." I whispered. "Dylan! Dylan are you ok?!" My mother ran up and hugged me. "Where is your father?" 

I could only look in the direction my father had run. He broke out in the distance, yelling for us to run, and not look back. Mom picked me up and ran, for both our lived, as explosions were all that was in my ears.

I rubbed a tear away from my eye, with my sleeve. The shouts and sounds still rang in my ears, my father's face, still clear in my memory. I didn't know what was so special about the stone...but I wasn't sure I wanted to find out either. 

I thought back the night the attack had happened to us here. This one had been different. There were two people who seemed to be fighting to save us. I never got a good look at them, but one seemed familiar.

I sighed and stood. "I should probably go check up on Lily." I thought. I walked up to my room and eased the door open as silently as I could. She lay asleep on the bed, her face was one of relaxation. 

I still wondered about what had happened to her. Had she been attacked? Her slight smile in her sleep was quite angelic.....I shook my head and went back down. "Dylan, wash the poor girl's clothes will you?"

Mom's voice came from the kitchen. "Sure mom." I went back up the stairs and grabbed the pile of her clothes. Making my way to the laundry room, I sighed. Stuffing the things in, something metallic, and heavy fell from her jacket pocket....

A gun......

Oooooohhhhhh, what will happen now?! I did a little backstory on Dylan so you could know him a little bit better. Isn't he adorable?! >.< Tell me what you thought about this chapter!