~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Past~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lily wait up," Kate called, practically running after Lily, who was walking speedily down the hall towards the gymnasium.

"I can't, we're going to be late for practice."

"She acts like that's the end of the world," Kate said to a Colleen, who followed in silence, smiling at Kate's disgruntled expression.

"Not for you, you've already made the team."

"And I can assure you, that it's not that big of a deal."

Lily didn't respond, just sped up, until she practically ran through the gym doors. She had to make the team. Walnut Groove had one of the best dance squads in the state, and she was determined to make the squad. Lily knew that it wasn't going to be easy. She was a freshman, and Mrs. Parker rarely picked freshman for the team. She usually preferred for students to at least be a sophomore, before they tried out. Colleen and Kate made the squad a month ago, during the first round of tryouts, which were only for sophomores and juniors. Today was the last day of the second round.

"Of course you would say that, when you didn't want to join anyway."

"But I did," Kate said, following Lily into the girl's locker room, where they proceeded to change clothes.

"Yeah," Colleen replied, "but only grudgingly, and only because you were out voted."

"That's because I have better things to do, than join a dance team." Kate said, sliding on her top, "It's just...I don't know, so cliché.'

"Not really," Lily said sliding on her tennis shoes, "Cheerleading would have been more cliché.

Kate groaned, "Yes, which is why I choose this, because you two," she said pointing at them, "wanted to have the full high school experience, and insisted that we do something active together, and since I am not playing a sport, well...this was it."

"And you will never let us forget it," Colleen said, leading the way out of the room.

"Not on your life," Kate ground out, as the girls headed to the dance room.

Lily laughed, and smiled happily, relaxing with each step, because she was going to make it.

"Lily," Colleen called, after they were almost to the room, "Where's your bracelet?"

Lily looked down at her arm, and groaned. "Oh no!"

The platinum charm bracelet that matched the ones Colleen and Kate were now looking at on their respective arms, was missing. She never took it off...They never took them off. Her mother had given them the bracelets two years ago for Christmas, and their families always bought them matching charms for their birthdays. They had six charms total.

"No, this can't be happening."

"Lily, relax, it's going to be alright," CC said stopping Lily, who was looking around the floor frantically for her bracelet.

"Yeah, calm down," Kate said, putting one hand on Lily's shoulder to stop her from moving. "Look, you probably just left in the locker room. We'll go back and look for it there."

"Yeah, Kate's right, it probably slipped off when you were changing.

"Ok, but I'll go alone," Lily replied. She had to find that bracelet, she just had to.

"What?" Kate asked.

"No, Lily we'll go with you."

Lily sighed, "Look, there's no use in you guys being late too."

"Lily..."

"No, you guys might get kicked off the team. I don't want to be the reason that you lose your places on the squad too."

"Like I care,"

"Kate, you are not helping,"

"What? I'm just being honest."

"Well, don't."

"Fine," Kate conceded. Her arms held akimbo. Like she wanted to be on this squad in the first place, she sighed, but Lily did. "Look, we'll just tell Mrs. Parker what happened.

"Yes, you and Colleen can tell her where I am, and maybe she won't be too angry."

"Lily," Colleen attempted to argue, but stopped. She knew it was useless to argue with Lily, who she could tell was three seconds from panicking. "Fine, we'll go."

"But if you aren't in there in ten minutes, we are coming to help you."

"Ok," Lily said smiling at her BFF's.

Reluctantly and with their feet dragging Kate and Colleen continued down the hall, while Lily sprinted off in the opposite direction.

***

Billy was beyond ready to fly the coop that was Walnut Grove Academy. It wasn't the prison that his European Boarding school had been, but it wasn't much better. Three years, his mother had only given him three years at a regular high school. And if he hadn't started acting out, just to get her attention his ninth grade year, he'd still be there. He'd been alone, lonely, and secluded away from everyone and everything, all because his mother couldn't be bothered. His father had wanted him to stay with them, but she had convinced him that he would get a better education at the prestigious Larkin Park Academy in Scotland.

"Abbott, are you coming to practice or not?" asked Jeffrey Todd Hellstrom.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Billy snapped at the arrogant prick standing next to him.

"Like you're about to crawl into a little ball, and cry for your mommy."

"Fuck you, Hellstrom."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Nah, but I tongued yours down pretty good."

"You mother..."

"Exactly," Billy grinned and then ducked, when JT took a swing at him.

"Cool it, you two," Raul said stepping in between an angry JT and Billy, who was grinning at him. Why did Billy have to always push, it was as if he wanted JT to smash his face in. Although Raul was sure that Billy could handle his own. He was the state wrestling champion in his weight class. "We need to get to practice."

"I was heading to practice," Billy said walking away, ignoring the many expletives that JT called after him. Billy couldn't stand JT. He didn't even know why he put up with the pretty boy, who was more trouble than Billy was. It was probably because Billy didn't like most of the people in the school. They were too stuck up and phony for his tastes. He wasn't a social butterfly by nature, although he played the part so well, that he even convinced himself.

 He didn't know why he'd joined the basketball team. It wasn't as if he could really play. He did okay as a center, and he could shoot a good three pointer, but those were the extent of his basketball skill. And yet sports, basketball, football, and wrestling, which was his favorite of the three, had kept him sane, in a world of insanity, a world that would be coming to a close in a few short months.

He looked down at his watch. He had plenty of time to change and get to practice. He sighed, "Why the hell was everyone so uptight?" He thought, as he drew closer to the gym. He was almost to the door, but stopped, when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Picking it up, Billy examined the tiny charm bracelet that must belong to a child, it was so small. There were six charms attached, a butterfly, a flower, a shoe, a bear, a purse, and a unicorn. Billy stared at the charms closely; they looked so familiar to him. "Butterflies," his niece Colleen loved butterflies. Come to the think of it, he was sure that she had a bracelet like this one. And yet, he wasn't so sure that it was hers. He studied the bracelet. The charms all seemed familiar, all except the flower. He was certain that CC had a rose, and this flower, with its pointed petals was definitely not a rose.

He ran his fingers over the delicate charm. There was so much detail in the platinum and tourmaline flower. It reminded him of a flower he'd seen in his Grandmother Katherine's garden. He wasn't a botanist, so he wasn't even going to try to and think of the name.  It really didn't matter, because he was sure that some girl was freaking out right now, and it was more than likely his niece.

"Crap," he said to the empty hall, turning towards the direction of dance room. He began a brisk walk to where he knew Colleen should be. He was sure Mrs. Parker wouldn't appreciate him interrupting her practice, but he found that he really didn't care. CC probably wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway. And if it wasn't hers, then he'd put it in his locker, and turn it into the office in the morning. And if it was CC's, well his little niece would owe him, and he was going to collect. He smiled, now what did CC have that he wanted?" he thought as he turned a corner.

Oomph

Billy's felt the air rush from his lungs at the impact, but it wasn't enough to stop his quick reflexes, which stopped the other person for falling to the ground.

"Ouch," she said, her head hitting his chest. Lily groaned, she felt as if she'd just made a wrong turn into a brick wall, and would have bounced off said wall, and onto the floor, if not for the large hand wrapped securely around her upper arm. It had to be a boy, because no girl could have a grip this tight. "Thank you," She needed to step back, she was feeling a bit...weird.

There's wasn't much of a body pressed to him, Billy thought, but it was definitely feminine. He could feel her small breasts pressed against his chest, and smell the vanilla scent coming off the curly ponytail atop her head. He breathed her in, god she smelt...delicious. He wondered if she looked as good, and smiled for certain when he heard her speak. Lily, he thought, of course it was Lily. He would know that voice anywhere, the soft feminine voice that always ran over his skin, and heightened his senses with each word she spoke. "You're welcome."

"Billy," She said looking up, to meet his smiling blue eyes.

"The one and only," he said grinning down at her, while trying to stop the now frantic beating of his heart, that picked up the minute he glanced into her amber eyes. Billy didn't know why he was so attracted to this skinny little elfin creature, but he was, and had been from the moment he'd met her at the beginning of the school year. CC used to always talk about her best-friend, but Billy hadn't really paid much attention. He'd seen her before, at one picnic or another, but they'd never officially met, and she'd been, a kid to him. She was still a kid, a skinny kid, with a pointy nose, a stubborn chin, and large cat like eyes. Not the color, the almond shape that tilted up just the tiniest bit in the corners.

"Oh," she said stepping back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Run me over?"

"I didn't...Are you hurt?"

He laughed. She was too adorable He couldn't remember the last time anyone had shown concern for him, the way she was now. She'd almost bounced off of him, and here she was asking if he was alright. "I'm fine, how about you?" He hoped that he hadn't hurt her, which was why he still had his hand around her arm. Yeah, that's the reason, his consciences chimed in.

"I'm fine," She said looking up under her lashes at him. Why was he still holding her arm, and was it her imagination or did the temperature in the hall rise by ten or twenty degrees? She moved, tugged her arm, needing to step away from him. He must have gotten the message because he let go, which allowed her to take a much needed step back. "Um, well, I should be going."

"Why are you rushing off so quickly," he asked already knowing the answer. A lily, the charm was a lily, his Lily. His breath caught, what did he mean by, His Lily? She wasn't his anything. She was his niece's little friend. Colleen's beautiful, gorgeous, charming, and o' so adorable little friend, who he'd been avoiding all year. 

"I...I lost..." she pouted and then frowned. She couldn't believe that she'd been so careless. What if she didn't find it, what if someone stole it? What if...Stop she had to stop this, her mother always said only negative things came from negative thoughts.
"I misplaced my bracelet."

Billy put his hand under his chin, pretending to think. "It wouldn't happen to be a charm bracelet, you know, like the one CC has."

"Yes, they're twins."

"Uh?"

"Colleen, Kate and I have matching bracelets."

"Oh, so it's silver with six charms?"

"Yes," Lily said, somewhat distracted, nibbling on her bottom lip. She really needed to find that bracelet. She had to, she just had to.

"It didn't happen to have a pink flower on it?" He asked, and smiled when she looked up at him. "Sort of like this one?" he asked dangling the bracelet in front of her.

She gasped and then gave him a smile so blinding that Billy was sure that he saw double. Her smile was like looking into the sun for the first time, and knowing that it could blind you if you stared too long, but finding it impossible to turn away.

"Where...How..." she started, "No it doesn't matter," She finished and reached for the bracelet that Billy held out of reach. Lily stared from the bracelet to Billy, who was still smiling down at her. She didn't like the smile, it made her stomach feel funny, and she was sure that nothing good could come from that smile.

"What are you going to give me for it?"

"What...What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you think I mean."

"But...It's mine, it's my bracelet."

"True, but you lost it," he said loving the way she flushed at his words.

"I didn't loose it, I just...misplaced it," she said biting her lip again.

"Yeah, and that's why you almost ran me over?" he asked and wagged one finger at her when she tried to protest. "Don't lie. You're not really good at it.

"I..." Lily was speechless, what did he mean she wasn't any good at it. He didn't know her, how could assume that she wasn't good at lying? She wasn't, but he couldn't just go around making assumptions, about her ability to fib. "I..."

"Calm down tiger, it was a compliment." He said. "You should be happy to be such a bad liar, it means that you don't do it often, and that is a gift that very few have.

"A gift?"

"Yes, honesty, it's," he paused, lowering the bracelet to where she could reach it, "A gift that very few people are capable of."

Lily was mesmerized by the honesty she saw in his eyes. She reached one hand out to grab the bracelet, but fell forward, when he quickly snatched it out of her reach with one hand, while catching her against him with the other. "Billy" She said stepping back and glowering at him, "Will you please give me my bracelet?"

 "Sure, if you give me something for it," he said teasing her, by slightly shaking the bracelet enough so that the charm clinked against each other.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "Like what?"

"You don't have to pout, it's not that bad," he said, wanting to bend down and kiss the pout away.

On instinct, she took another step back. His eyes...They were...They were looking at her in away that she'd never had another person look at her before. "Like...What?" she asked. She'd been ignoring the butterflies in her stomach that were now flapping their wings harder, to get her attention.

"Go out with me," Billy said before he could stop himself. Standing here, in front of her, was making him realize that his decision to stay away from her was about to be shot to hell, and he couldn't care less.

"Go out-with you?" She asked, sure that Billy Abbott, cute, gorgeous and incredibly arrogant, Billy Abbott, who was the object of affection, of over half the females at Walnut Groove, was asking her out. Her...Lily Winters, who was only a freshman?

"Yes, agree to go out with me on a date, and I'll return your bracelet to you."

"I can't...I'm..." she flushed embarrassed.

"What..." he asked his voice slightly hardening, "You have a boyfriend?" He hadn't heard that she was seeing someone, but perhaps he went to another school. Well if she was, he'd have to find out who he was and...

"Oh, no," she flushed even deeper, "I...I'm not allowed to date yet."

Billy breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, but you want to go out me."

She paused. Did she want to go out with him? She sort of, ok well she did have bit of a crush on him, but then who wouldn't. "It doesn't matter, because I can't. Now will you please give me my bracelet?" She reached for it. He meet her half way letting her take hold on around one end, but not letting go of the other.

"That wasn't an answer. Do you want to go out with me?"He pressed, feeling more than nervous about the answer. God, he was never this nervous around girls, but she did something to him that defied all reason.

"Billy?" She tugged on the bracelet.

"You don't want to snap it do you," at her slight shake he added, "Do you?"

"Yes," she said, "But I can't, my parents won't let me date until I'm fifteen."

"See that wasn't so hard," he said releasing his end of the bracelet.

"That's it." She said staring at the bracelet.

"Not even close," he said taking two steps forward, invading her personal space. "Friday."

Lily swallowed. He was to close, "What about Friday? 

"I'll take you out on Friday."

"But, I told you..."

"Shhh," He said placing a finger to her lips, "do you want to go?"

"Yes," She asked her mouth moving against his finger."

"Then we'll go." He removed his finger, bent and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You better get to practice."

Lily blinked as if coming out of a dream. "Oh my goodness, I forgot." She groaned, "I'm not going to make the team."

"You will."

"How do you?"

"I just do?"

"But I'm, late."

"It doesn't matter," at her skeptical look he added, "trust me."

"Okay," she said, turning in the opposite direction, "Thank for finding my bracelet."

"My pleasure," he said, staring at her legs that went on for days, for someone her height.

"And" she turned to face him, "For catching me" She turned and sprinted back down the hall, her heart beating faster and faster the further away she went.

And I'll always catch you. Billy thought. He wasn't sure where the thought came from, but as he stood in the hall and watched until he could no longer see her, he knew that it was true. In those few minutes that he'd spent with her, Billy realized that he wanted Lily Winters, and that be wanted her for keeps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Present~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It fits, Lily thought, holding the bracelet under one of the lamp lights in the living room. She smiled turning it here and there, it fit... it hadn't always fit. Her mother had brought them all I little big, because she wanted them to always be able to wear them. Lily constantly had to make sure that it was fastened to the closest setting, or it would fall off. That day, that fateful day she met Billy, she'd been in such a rush that she hadn't been paying attention, and had paid for it. It's a funny thing, how one small mistake had changed her life. If she hadn't been in a rush, she and Billy may have never had a relationship. He might have continued to ignore his attraction to her, and she would've eventually met another guy, and gotten over the small crush she'd had on him. But fate, if that's what you wanted to call it, had other ideas. 

"What's that?" Nick asked, as he sat next to his wife, who was curled up under a blanket on the sofa in the living room.

"A charm bracelet," She replied.

"May I see it?"

"Of course," She said taking it off and handing it to him.

Lily watched him examine the charms, running his fingers over each one and smiling.

"Did you just purchase this?"

"No, I...My mother bought it for me, a long time a go. It's actually one of three." At his raised eyebrow, she continued. "Colleen and Kate both have the same bracelet, only with different flowers, and..." She trailed off, watching him run his finger over the flower.

"Is the bee supposed to be attached like this?" he asked flicking the silver bumble bee that was hooked onto her flower instead of the bracelet.

Lily's breath hitched, when he flicked the bee, her bee, the extra charm. They each had nine charms, but Lily, she had ten. Billy had bought her a bee to hang on to her flower. It was a bee for Billy, to hang next to His Lily, or at least that's what he'd told her.  She'd told him he would have to purchase them all a charm. That it was a rule. He'd said that this was different, because the bee wasn't hanging from the bracelet, but from the Lily. "Yes, it's supposed to be there."

"Why don't you wear it anymore," he asked returning it to her.

"I out grew it," she said palming it.

"Looks like it still fit to me," he said, reaching out to play with a strand of her hair.

She smiled, "It does, but I'm just not that in to charms anymore."

"Oh really?" Nick asked seeing the wicked gleam in her eyes. "Tell me, Mrs. Newman," He said taking her hand, and bringing her onto his lap, "What exactly are you into.

"Oh, I don't know," she feigned innocently, sliding her arms around his neck. "Tall, dark, handsome men, with green eyes, stubby chins," she said sliding her chin against his trimmed beard. 

"Is that all?" he said breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair. She smelt so good, she felt so good. Nick wasn't sure how he'd gotten so lucky to have her in his life. It hadn't been easy to convince her to give him a chance, but when she had, he'd pulled out all the stops. He'd wooed her with everything he had. He'd been attracted to her for a while, but she'd been too young back then, and seeing someone else; that same someone, who was now back in their lives. "I love you," he said, bringing her face to his, holding it tenderly in his hand. She smiled, her eyes shining with love. He sighed, taking comfort from the love that he saw in them. He didn't know why he needed comfort. She was his wife, his, and she loved him, and that was all that mattered.

"I love you too," She said, and she did.

Nick kissed her, his lips were warm and smooth, as they moved against her mouth. He pressed her closer to him, one hand on her back, the other on her bottom, kneading, messaging, and bringing her closer to him. Nick wanted...no, needed her to feel his love in every touch, and every caress, so that she would know, so that she would not...forget.

Lily gasped, as she felt Nick stand up with her in his arms. "Nick," She squealed.

"I think we need to take this to a more comfortable setting, don't you?" He said not giving her a second to speak. Nick kissed her deeply and headed for the stairs.

 Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kisses with the same fervor as he was hers, while the charm bracelet slipped from her fingers to land on the floor.