(no subject)
It's never hard to find Duncan, even in the slippery, ever-changing dreams that she travels through. It's Duncan.
He's playing soccer when she finds him, on a field she doesn't recognize but that seems vaguely collegiate. It's sunny and bright and in the distance a girl with long blonde hair is cheering for him. Lilly can't make out her face, blurred in the way things are in dreams. She watches a moment longer, not wanting to interrupt what looks like a happy dream. Duncan makes an impossible goal, spins around in exultation, and spots her.
The crowd's roar dies away, the stadium goes dim, the blonde girl disappears, but the grass is still vividly green beneath her feet as he approaches.
"Lilly? Is- are you really here?" The hope and hesitation in his voice is heartbreaking, and Lilly blinks through the sudden stinging in her eyes.
"Duh, Donut. I promised I'd visit, remember?" Her words are more flippant than her tone, but they're cut off by Duncan practically crushing her into his chest for a hug.
"I miss you," he whispers. "I miss everybody, but when I'm far away I think I miss you most. I can't find any doors here, and I was starting to think that maybe the whole thing was just some stupid hallucination."
There goes the stinging in her eyes again.
"Well, it's not," Lilly manages. "Would hallucinations start their own brothels? Your brain is totally not cool enough to come up with something like that."
"Shut up, Lil," Duncan replies. He hasn't let go of her.
"I can't," Lilly says. "Seriously. I have to talk to you about something." The dream shifts, taking them with it to her corner of the Dreaming, the one Dream gave her.
"...they released him." Duncan clenches his fists, his voice rising in anger. "I couldn't follow the trial too closely, since we're still fugitives, but I didn't think there was any way for Aaron to wriggle out of this one. I mean, he killed you and they just let him go? They let him get away with it?"
"They let him go," Lilly confirms, her own fury a little more under control. "But he's not getting away with it."
Duncan turns to look at her.
"You have a plan." It's not a question. He recognizes that tone.
"I do," Lilly replies, her voice steady. "But I need your help. And the help of someone who'll listen to you."
"You've got it," Duncan says, reaching for her hand. "You know I'd do anything for you."
"Duh." Lilly smiles, squeezing his hand. "It's why you're my favorite brother."
It's why, when it comes down to it, that he's the one she trusts to avenge her, to keep Veronica and Logan safe from the man who killed her and to make sure that man doesn't live long enough to hurt anyone else. Because he's her brother, and some things just need to stay in the family.
He's playing soccer when she finds him, on a field she doesn't recognize but that seems vaguely collegiate. It's sunny and bright and in the distance a girl with long blonde hair is cheering for him. Lilly can't make out her face, blurred in the way things are in dreams. She watches a moment longer, not wanting to interrupt what looks like a happy dream. Duncan makes an impossible goal, spins around in exultation, and spots her.
The crowd's roar dies away, the stadium goes dim, the blonde girl disappears, but the grass is still vividly green beneath her feet as he approaches.
"Lilly? Is- are you really here?" The hope and hesitation in his voice is heartbreaking, and Lilly blinks through the sudden stinging in her eyes.
"Duh, Donut. I promised I'd visit, remember?" Her words are more flippant than her tone, but they're cut off by Duncan practically crushing her into his chest for a hug.
"I miss you," he whispers. "I miss everybody, but when I'm far away I think I miss you most. I can't find any doors here, and I was starting to think that maybe the whole thing was just some stupid hallucination."
There goes the stinging in her eyes again.
"Well, it's not," Lilly manages. "Would hallucinations start their own brothels? Your brain is totally not cool enough to come up with something like that."
"Shut up, Lil," Duncan replies. He hasn't let go of her.
"I can't," Lilly says. "Seriously. I have to talk to you about something." The dream shifts, taking them with it to her corner of the Dreaming, the one Dream gave her.
"...they released him." Duncan clenches his fists, his voice rising in anger. "I couldn't follow the trial too closely, since we're still fugitives, but I didn't think there was any way for Aaron to wriggle out of this one. I mean, he killed you and they just let him go? They let him get away with it?"
"They let him go," Lilly confirms, her own fury a little more under control. "But he's not getting away with it."
Duncan turns to look at her.
"You have a plan." It's not a question. He recognizes that tone.
"I do," Lilly replies, her voice steady. "But I need your help. And the help of someone who'll listen to you."
"You've got it," Duncan says, reaching for her hand. "You know I'd do anything for you."
"Duh." Lilly smiles, squeezing his hand. "It's why you're my favorite brother."
It's why, when it comes down to it, that he's the one she trusts to avenge her, to keep Veronica and Logan safe from the man who killed her and to make sure that man doesn't live long enough to hurt anyone else. Because he's her brother, and some things just need to stay in the family.