A door slammed down the hall, jolting Lilly from her slumber. She squinted into the sunny haze of Quentin's bedroom. Angry voices echoed from somewhere down the hall. Lilly rolled onto her back, groaning from the residual headache, her eyes puffy from a night of crying. She pushed herself up on her elbows, watching the door curiously. Her brows furrowed as the argument increased in volume. Padding her way over to the hallway and swinging the door open, she peeked her head out. The voices were louder now and as she looked to her right, she caught sight of a distressed Quentin banging on Alice's bedroom door.

"Q?" He started at the sound of her voice, whirling around to face her as if he'd been caught committing some heinous crime, "what's going on?"

"I-I messed up. I wasn't myself- I never would've- you know I wouldn't-"

"Slow down-" she didn't have a chance to finish before Quentin began banging on the door once more.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Alice shrieked, voice thick with tears.

"Please- just listen to-" a wave of magic pulsed outward from the door, sending them both flying down the hall. Lilly groaned at the impact of hitting the floor. Alice had used her battle magic on them.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

➻➻➻➻

"All y'all look like you did crime last night," Penny stated the obvious, looking around at each of their guilty, or in Alice's case, furious faces. Their eyes flitted around, landing anywhere but on each other. Lilly raised her hand to her neck, making a cutting motion to warn Penny about the dangerous territory he just entered. He gave her an odd look, shaking his head in bewilderment. "According to all the probability shit, we don't have time to wait. One or another, super shitty ending is coming within days, if we don't at least try to go get the knife, so," no one gave any sign of acknowledgment. "Is Lilly seriously the only one listening right now?"

"Guys!" Lilly's voice turned a few heads, but none of them showed interest in the current conversation. The awkwardness was almost palpable and Lilly would have liked nothing more than to leave the room.

"Oh, God," Penny reached down to show them all a rough, hand-drawn map of The Neitherlands, "The Neitherlands is Grand Central for the multiverse. The button will bring you in and once you're there-"

"Yes, the fountains are portals," Margo sassed, finally breaking her silence.

"Can I just say this? For your interest? As far as I know, you don't need a button or anything to ride the fountains, so don't fall in, don't get lost. The whole place is crawling with battle magic motherfuckers with hoods on. We get separated, you're dead." The frustration was seeping through in his voice. "Seriously, what the fuck is going on with you people?" Penny was really poking the bear now.

"Nothing, we're fine, aren't we, El?" Margo denied, her voice was overly innocent.

"We're phenomenal," he agreed, taking an extra-long swig from his flask.

"Fine, okay, we're not okay," Quentin blurted, finally having enough.

"Forget it, we just need to--" Alice started, in an attempt to brush off the situation, only to be interrupted by Quentin.

"We're going to--"

"It's over!" Alice snapped like a feral dog, standing abruptly from the loveseat, "I need a minute." Lilly stood stick straight, eyes wide as she watched Alice storm out of the room and up the stairs. She spared a quick glance at Penny and found him with a similar expression, only his mouth was hanging wide open.

"Alice is just a little bit sensitive right now," Margo explained, not even bothered by the scene the two just made.

"Could you just shut the fuck up, Margo?" Quentin shouted across the room. Lilly jumped a little bit at the sudden raise in voice, but Margo was still calm and collected.

"Are you seriously mad at me right now?"

"The fuck did I just walk into?" Penny muttered to himself and Lilly was feeling just as uncomfortable as he was in the middle of their drama. Dani, Alex, and Ava were thankfully missing out on this shitshow due to their job of gathering last-minute supplies for the trip.

"My life," Eliot drawled, "welcome."

"It's not funny, it's not a joke."

"But it truly is, Quentin."

"You people need to stow your shit!" Penny spoke sternly, having enough of their back and forth.

"We get it! Would you please, just, give us a f- goddamn minute!" Quentin yelled at Penny, stunning him into silence. The quiet went on for a few more seconds, growing heavier every moment.

"I love you, Q, but Penny's right," Lilly spoke calmly and sweetly, like she was coaxing a wounded animal, "I know you're hurting right now, but you really fucked up on a whole nother level this time. We can't afford any drama right now you have to-"

"I don't want your fucking opinion, Lilly!" Quentin shouted, causing Lilly to take a step back in shock, "you act like you're so damn perfect all the time, but you're just as fucked up as the rest of us! I'm not your little project you can fix, so don't talk to me like I'm an idiot, you're no better!" His words cut through her like ice, piercing her heart in an instant.

"Quentin you need to back off--" Penny moved to step between Quentin and Lilly, but she was already defending herself from the unwarranted attack.

"I'm trying to be a good friend right now and help you fix this. Not to mention, The Beast is coming to kill us all, and the only way we can avoid it, is by working together. We won't get anywhere at each other's throats," her voice was level, masking how much his words really hurt her.

"See! There you go again! You always talk down to me like I'm some fragile little child incapable of making my own decisions! I'm not your little sidekick! Believe it or not, Lilly, you don't know everything, fuck you!" Penny moved closer to Quentin, towering over him menacingly, his body blocking Lilly's view of Quentin, like he could block her from the words being thrown like knives.

"Well, no wonder I treat you that way!" Quentin's words finally cracked her facade and the anger and hurt she was feeling spilled out like poison, "I mean, when you make your own decisions someone always gets hurt! You're the one who cheated on your girlfriend and left your best friend to slum it with Hedge Witches because you couldn't get your head out of your ass and talk to Dean Fogg! Now, you're lashing out at me, when all I'm trying to do is help!" She moved closer, the others in the room watching the scene like a car crash.

"This is way better than The Bachelor," Eliot muttered, taking a drag from his cigarette. She ignored him, nothing was stopping her from giving Quentin a piece of her mind.

"At least I can keep it in my pants! You didn't see me joining your threesome! I'm so sick of you blaming everyone else for your problems, Quentin! My mother was murdered barely twenty-four hours ago, but you don't see me throwing a pity party. I might have lost the only family I had left, but I'm still fighting. So, please, for once in your life, take responsibility for your own screw-ups and don't treat the people who care about you like shit because you can't keep it together!" All the pain and frustration of the day before had found its way into her words. His accusations hurt and on top of everything, she lashed out at him because of it. Lilly whirled, rushing to the front door of the cottage, "I'm done with this, call me when you realize what a fucking asshole you are!"

She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to get out of there, if she stayed, she would lose it in front of everyone. She could feel the telltale lump in her throat forming as soon as Quentin finished his outburst, but Lilly wouldn't allow the tears to show until she was out of sight. She half expected one of them to come after her, but she was glad no one did. She needed some time to cool off before talking to anyone. Her vision blurred as she held her phone up to her ear. It rang and rang and rang.

"Hey, you've reached, Cara Glover! Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Unless I don't like you, then I won't." Lilly smiled slightly at her friend's voice, secretly grateful she hadn't picked up. She didn't know how she would lie to her about something like this.

"Hey Car, I'm just calling to- you know, I'm not completely sure why I'm calling. I guess I just needed to hear your voice. I've been having a bit of a rough time the past few days and I want to say that, you're my sister, always and forever and I'm so happy you've found someone as perfect as Jiada to share your life with. I wish you guys all the happiness in the world. I may not be in touch for a while, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you. I'll see you when I see you, I guess. Goodbye Cara." The moment she ended the call, the weight that had taken up residence on her chest, increased tenfold. She had no way of knowing if that had been the last time she'd ever hear her best friend's voice. She tried not to think about how Cara would handle it if she never returned from Fillory. She shook off the thought, hurrying down the path towards the Illusionist castle.

The moment she entered, she was unbelievably relieved to find Alex, Dani, and Ava, lounging in the common room. They each looked up when she entered, eyes sad. None of them spoke as she approached, sensing her fragile mood, "I know you're busy, but I really just need my friends right now.".

"Of course," Dani smiled compassionately, "come here," she opened her arms to her friend and Lilly hugged her. Dani pulled the blonde onto her lap, cradling her like a mother holding a newborn. Lilly savored the feeling of being cared for. She closed her eyes and let herself pretend everything was alright.

"I know I haven't been the most receptive to you wanting to come with us to Fillory," Lilly sighed, opening her eyes and returning to the grave reality she was in, "if we fail, if The Beast kills us,"

"We'll be with you, we aren't going to let you go alone," Dani stated sternly, expecting another fight.

"I need you guys to stay here. If we lose, The Beast has a one-way ticket to earth. That means, he's coming straight for Brakebills. Someone has to stay behind in case that happens."

"What do you want us to do?" Alex inquired, his tone serious. He laced his fingers together, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Dani's eyes widened in an expression of betrayal that he was even entertaining the idea of staying behind.

"I need you to get everyone out. The only person who knows anything about this is Dean Fogg, he can't do it alone. If we don't make it, you need to save them," he nodded, deep in thought.

"Be honest with us," Dani ordered, "do you think it'll work, killing him?" Lilly stayed silent for a moment, mulling over her words.

"I don't know, maybe? But who would I be if I didn't try?" Conversation grew stagnant, a heaviness had settled in the air, the possibility that this might be the last time they spoke, weighing on each of them. "I have to leave soon, I need to know that you'll do what's necessary if things don't go according to plan." She looked to each of them, pleading silently that they would listen. Alex and Dani both looked wary, but when her gaze landed on Ava, she saw the young woman had taken on a steely mask. Lilly knew that if things turned bad, she could count on her to get the job done.

"I don't like it, but I'll do it," Alex bridged the gap between them, gripping her hand tightly. His eyes conveyed the sincerity of his promise. An exasperated sigh sounded in the space beside Lilly. Dani shook her head in disbelief that she was actually about to agree with him.

"Fine, me too, I guess," a huff escaped the pink-haired woman as Lilly immediately threw an arm around her, squeezing tightly. The buzzing of Lilly's phone was the only thing able to pull her away. She glanced down at the screen, sighing when she read the message it displayed.

"I need to go, we're leaving in an hour and I still have to grab a few things." Alex nodded solemnly, pulling Lilly up to standing and into his arms. She let herself melt into the embrace, trying not to think of it as a goodbye. Another body joined the hug and Lilly saw the head of pink hair as Dani squeezed them both tightly. The moment ended too soon. None of them could stand to say goodbye. Lilly took the supplies her friends had gathered and left in silence, leaving no time for herself to change her mind.

➻➻➻➻

"Alright," Penny started, "if you guys are using those emotion bottles, let's go." Lilly watched as Eliot, Margo, and Quentin, immediately performed the spell, sucking their emotions into their bottles. Lilly hesitated, looking to Alice, who also seemed to be debating whether or not to use it. Lilly hadn't wanted to, she'd practiced without it and been modestly successful. But today was a new day and things had changed dramatically. Her mother was murdered, she was fighting with her best friend, and not to mention, headed towards her very likely demise. After another moment of deliberation, both Lilly and Alice performed the spell. She immediately felt the grief and hurt she'd acquired over the past week lift from her chest, leaving her burden-less and empty. She turned to Penny, completely void of emotion. The expression on his face told her he'd known she'd make this decision before she had. His surprise was directed towards Alice, who observed the group with a snake-like calculating gaze.

"How I was feeling about Quentin would have gotten us all killed," she explained, no one but Penny reacting with anything more than cool indifference.

"Likewise, Quentin really fucked things up for us."

"I'm afraid I must agree with you," Quentin himself admitted, the lack of emotions apparently putting things in perspective, "the other me was quite a dick." Penny couldn't help but snicker at the confession, though he was the only one. He quickly sobered up, holding both his hands out for the others to take. Alice took hold of one hand, while Lilly grabbed his wrist, given that button was already in his left hand.

She managed to take one last breath before she was plunged into darkness. It only took a moment for her to realize she was underwater, her body encased in murky liquid. She opened her eyes, glancing around at her companions. Some of them had adapted quickly, already swimming towards the spot of sunlight above them. She hurried to follow, kicking herself towards the surface until she was able to gulp down a lungful of fresh air.

Lilly hauled herself out of the water, her clothes weighing significantly more now that they were waterlogged. Her black fall coat dripped onto the pavement and her sweater was now reminiscent of a soaked sponge. She tried not to cringe as her toes squished inside her boots and swiftly cast a drying spell on herself. They waited for Quentin to clumsily haul himself from the fountain before moving in the direction of the library.

"Let's move, fast," Penny commanded. Lilly took up the rear alongside Quentin, hurrying along after them and checking for any attackers behind them. Alice read over the map trying to get her bearings on where they were going. Everything would've been fine, had a strong wind not ripped the paper from her grasp, and carried it into the fountain from which they came. Both Quentin and Lilly ran after it before it traveled back to earth on its own.

In their hurry, they didn't notice the unfamiliar woman creeping up on them until it was too late. Quentin triumphantly held the map up for the others to see, Lilly only a step behind. He stumbled back half a step when he saw her. The others only turned at the sound of Lilly's surprised gasp when she looked to see what had startled Quentin.

"Quentin? Lilly?" The woman asked, a malicious glint in her dark eyes, "we've been waiting for you," she raised her right hand and Lilly had only a moment to jump out of the way before a flaming ball of magic was hurled at her head. Quentin was much less skilled at maneuvering and subsequently jumped back through the fountain to avoid it. Lilly threw up a shield, blocking an incoming spell from slamming her against the concrete. She retaliated with her own magic, but the woman blocked it effortlessly. A storm of footsteps approached them and she managed a glance long enough to see a hoard of other bounty hunters running towards them. She looked over the woman's shoulder to her friends.

"Run! Go!" They didn't need to be told twice.

"You're lucky he wants you alive. The boss will be very happy to be reunited with you. If you come quietly, we'll give your friends a head start before we kill them," The woman offered, standing between her and freedom. Lilly was soon swarmed by the rest of the bounty hunters- she was trapped. She stepped back, the heel of her boot bumping against the edge of the fountain.

"Over my dead body, bitch," Lilly spat, stepping up to the ledge of the fountain. With that, she dove back through the Earth fountain after Quentin.

I'm sure you guys know what this means. Lilly's going back in time! I find that Quentin and Julia's journey to get to Fillory is much more interesting and given Lilly's story it fits way better for her. Things with Lilly and Quentin kinda took a turn for the worst compared to last chapter. I think the emotional state they're both in right now just wasn't a good mix.