Gabi sank onto Rafe's sofa with a deep sigh. She'd finally gotten Arianna to settle down and go to sleep. Apparently the little girl was missing her dad and Sonny.
"Sorry baby girl," Gabi said to the empty room. "I think it's best that you and I stay here for a while."
Things had gotten unbearable in the apartment she'd shared with Will and Sonny. Allegations and ultimatums had flown between Gabi and the men, and finally she knew she had to get out of there.
All she had told Rafe when she visited him at the hospital was that there was a lot of tension and that the apartment just wasn't big enough for the four of them anymore. It had been his suggestion that she and Arianna move into his apartment. He wasn't going to be using it for a long time anyway.
Nick had started staying over the very first night. Apparently he wasn't living in the mansion any longer, and he'd asked if he could stay with her instead of renting a room at a motel. After thinking about it for a while, Gabi had agreed. She knew Sonny and Will wouldn't like the idea, but she really didn't care. She couldn't deny that she still had feelings for Nick, and it was time for her to get on with her life. Will and Sonny had been standing in the way of that.
She remembered the last argument she'd had with Will. It had gotten very ugly, and he'd vowed to keep Nick out of his daughter's life no matter what it took to do it. She'd screamed back that Arianna was her daughter too, and that if she wanted Nick to be a part of their lives, then he would be. She hadn't given Will a chance to respond before she grabbed their daughter and stormed out of the apartment. She'd moved to Rafe's that very afternoon.
After a few minutes of sitting on the sofa, she decided to grab herself a snack. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized how long it had been since Nick left to go to the store to get some diapers. He should have been back at least half an hour earlier, but there was still no sign of him.
With a sigh, Gabi headed toward the kitchen. She had just opened a bag of chips when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Gabi Hernandez?" An authoritative female voice asked on the other end of the line.
"Yes?"
"I'm at University Hospital. A patient was brought in a few minutes ago who has been identified as Nick Fallon. You were listed as one of his medical contacts. We need you to come in right away."
"Nick? What happened? What's wrong with him? Is he ok?" She asked, panic rising within her. Despite everything that had happened, she still loved Nick.
"I'm afraid his condition is very grave," the woman answered. "I can't tell you anything else right now. You need to come in right away."
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Gabi promised. Her hands were shaking badly as she ended the call. Not taking time to find a sitter for Arianna, she quickly bundled the baby up and put her in her carrier before grabbing her keys and rushing out the door.
Will checked on dinner one last time, and then turned to go into the bedroom to change. As he got just outside the bedroom door, he couldn't help looking sadly over at the bassinet that sat empty and abandoned.
His little girl.
Up until a few days before, he'd had it all. His mother had finally been cleared of the murder charges that had plagued her for months, the man of his dreams was standing by his side through all his drama, reminding him every day that he loved Will unconditionally, and his best friend and the mother of his child had agreed to move in with him and Sonny so that they could all raise Arianna together.
That had all come crashing down with the realization that Gabi had allowed Nick to slither his way back into her life once again. And being in her life also meant he would be in Arianna's life. Will would not allow that to happen. Not after everything Nick had done to him and Sonny.
He'd already talked to Justin about what they could do to stop it; including suing for custody of Arianna if it came to that and Sonny's dad had agreed to help them fight.
Will let his fingers trail over the blanket that was still draped over the top of the bassinet, and he fought back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.
"Daddy loves you so much," he whispered. "I promise Sonny and I are doing everything we can to get you back."
He allowed himself a moment to gaze at his favorite picture of Arianna. Sonny had taken it the day of the 4th of July picnic, and her little face was the picture of happiness as she lay in Will's arms.
He skimmed his fingers gently over her image before bringing himself back to the present. It was a special night for him and Sonny, and he wouldn't ruin it with sad thoughts. Sonny had been there for him every step of the way and he deserved this celebration.
Will hurried around the bedroom to begin getting ready. It was almost time for Sonny to be home.
Gabi hurriedly made her way to the information desk. The panic had almost overtaken her, and she just barely managed to hang on long enough to try and get some information.
"Nick Fallon?" She asked desperately.
The receptionist was used to seeing distressed family members, and remained calm as she typed Nick's name into the computer.
"And you are?" She asked after a few moments.
"Gabi Hernandez. Someone called me because I'm listed as an emergency contact."
The receptionist locked eyes with her and gave a sympathetic smile. "If you'll sit down over there, I'll let the doctor know you're here," she promised. "He'll be with you in a minute."
Gabi nodded dazedly and slowly walked over to sit in an empty chair, placing Arianna's carrier in the seat next to it. She leaned over and rested her elbows on her thighs, burying her face in her hands, and prayed that everything would be ok.
It wasn't long before she felt a presence in front of her and lifted her head to find Cameron standing there with a somber expression.
"Cameron?" She asked as she leaped to her feet. "What happened? How is he? Can I see him?"
Cameron took a deep breath. This was the part of his job he hated most.
"Gabi, Nick was attacked and stabbed several times. Someone found him lying in the alley near the square and called an ambulance which brought him here."
"What? Is he ok?"
"I'm sorry," he said in a quiet voice. "We did everything we could, but the damage was just too extensive. He died about ten minutes ago."
Gabi could feel her heart shattering as her legs finally gave way and she sank to the floor. She'd been so hopeful that they could make it work this time and that she'd finally have someone to go through life with, the way Will had Sonny.
Will
Suddenly she remembered what Will had said to her a few days before. "I will keep Nick away from my daughter, no matter what I have to do!"
It was Will. Will had murdered Nick!
Sonny opened the door, and smiled as the aroma from the kitchen greeted him. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Tomorrow would be one year since his lips first met Will's in that tender kiss outside the Brady Pub.
What a year it had been! They had seen more than their share of heartache and problems, even nearly ending it for good when the truth about Arianna came out, but they'd weathered the storms and had shared quite a few good memories as well. Not to mention a whole lot of love.
He could remember that first kiss as if it had just happened. That kiss had led to a second, and then their first date (or, as Will loved to tell it, a half-date), and that had led to the two of them falling in love and living the life he'd always dreamed of.
Yes, there had been bad times, but they had been vastly outnumbered by the good ones. And he never wanted his life with Will to end.
Sonny wandered into the kitchen and took a peek into the oven to see what Will was cooking. He smiled when he saw stuffed pork chops and roasted potatoes. His favorites!
As he stood up, Will walked out of the bedroom and straight to him.
"Hi."
"Hi yourself," Sonny answered with a soft smile. He could tell Will was trying to be strong for him, even though the absence of Gabi and Arianna was still hitting him hard. "Rough day?"
Will just shrugged his shoulders, and pulled Sonny into a hug. "It was ok. A lot better now that you're here."
Sonny held him tightly for a few moments, and then pulled back slightly to kiss Will on the forehead.
"There's nowhere I'd rather be," he assured him.
"Good," Will answered. "I made dinner so we could celebrate since I know you have a full day at the club tomorrow. Happy Anniversary!"
"Happy Anniversary, Baby," Sonny said, and then leaned in to kiss him deeply. He almost forgot about the food until his stomach rumbled, causing them both to laugh.
"I guess we'd better eat," Will teased him. "Then we can have dessert."
Sonny knew just exactly what Will had in mind for dessert and he was completely on board.
"And you don't know of anyone else who would want Mr. Fallon dead?" The detective asked a distraught Gabi.
"No!" She wailed. "Everything has been really good in his life lately. He's off probation, he'd been working with Kate Roberts as a consultant, and his life was finally getting back on track. As far as I know, the only people he'd had a run-in with lately were Will and Sonny! And I heard Will say he would do whatever it took to keep Nick out of my daughter's life!"
The detective looked at his partner, and the two of them communicated silently. His partner rose from his chair and left the room to go make a phone call. It sounded like this would be an easy case.
"You ok?"
Sonny hugged Will a little tighter to his body as they lay together on their bed. After eating the meal Will had prepared, it hadn't taken long for the couple to take their celebration into the bedroom. Sonny was concerned because his usually extremely vocal boyfriend had been eerily silent during their lovemaking.
He knew Will was missing Arianna. Sonny missed her too. He wished things could have turned out differently, but he still felt they were justified in their concerned over Nick.
"Yeah, I'm ok," Will said, snuggling a little closer. "I'm sorry I'm such a downer tonight. I know tomorrow is the first anniversary of our first kiss and that you wanted to celebrate tonight, but I just miss her."
"I know you do," Sonny said softly, leaning in to kiss Will's shoulder. "And you don't need to apologize. I miss her too."
Will rolled over so that he was facing Sonny and reached up to tenderly caress his cheek. "I know. You love her as much as I do. Hell, you were there when she was born, and you've been a part of her life ever since. I just can't believe things have gotten to this point and Gabi is threatening to cut us out of her life."
"You heard what Dad said," Sonny reassured him. "You have a strong case. She made sure your name was on the birth certificate, she acknowledged that you were the father, and she even allowed you to live under the same roof with the baby. Dad is going to do everything he can to make sure she doesn't keep us away from Ari."
"Just more drama," Will sighed. "You must get so sick of all my bullshit. It seems like every time we think we've gotten past it, somehow it comes back and grabs us again. Even tonight of all nights, all we can talk about is me and my problems. Maybe Adrienne has been right all along. You should be running for the hills."
Sonny sighed deeply. He hated to hear Will talk like this, and he was so sick of having to defend his relationship with the man he loved. It seemed like every single day somebody was telling him to get out: his mom, Brent, Brian, and even Will himself. It was a continuous theme, and he had grown weary of it.
He used his hand to gently lift Will's chin so that the blonde was looking at him.
"I've said this several times before, but apparently it hasn't gotten through that thick skull of yours. I love you, Will Horton. I am exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do. You are my partner and my life, so your problems are my problems. And I feel sorry for my mom or anyone else who doesn't think we belong together, because they don't know what they're talking about. They have no idea how much we love one another. Got it?"
Will still wasn't convinced that Sonny shouldn't move on with someone else who had a lot less baggage, but he didn't want to upset his boyfriend any more than he already was. He nodded his head and forced a smile.
"Got it," he answered.
Sonny wasn't fooled. He could tell that Will still didn't believe it, and it hurt him to his very core. He wasn't sure what else he could do or say to get through to the man he loved more than his own life, but he'd find a way eventually. He had to.
He was just about to tell Will once again how much he meant to him, and how happy he was with their amazing life, when there was a pounding at the door of their apartment.
"Salem Police! Open the door!"
The two men looked at one another in confusion and concern. What in the world would the Salem PD want with them?
"Just a minute!" Will yelled, then got out of bed and hurriedly pulled on a pair of sweat pants before jogging to the door and opening it. Sonny was right behind him.
"Will Horton?" One of the officers asked.
"Yes," Will said, his voice shaking.
"Will Horton, you are under arrest for the murder of Nick Fallon," the officer said as he grabbed Will by the shoulders and whipped him around, roughly bringing Will's hands behind his back and putting handcuffs on him.
"Wait! What? What's going on?" Sonny asked. Fear was coursing through him like an electrical current as he saw his boyfriend being manhandled.
The officers ignored his questions as they patted Will down, searching for weapons.
Will's fear-filled eyes locked with Sonny's as the voice of the police officer droned on in the background, reading Will his rights.
"Do you understand your rights as they've been read to you?" The officer asked.
A dazed Will managed to nod his agreement before being turned again to face the door. Just before he was led away, he turned his head to make eye contact with Sonny once more.
"I'll call Dad," Sonny told him. "Don't say a word until he gets there. I love you!"
And with that, the door shut, closing Sonny off from the man who meant everything to him. Once again fate was keeping them apart.