A/N: Here it is! Fastest update in a while. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. You made me happy. And for those of you who asked about my mom, it was only a routine angiogram, she just complained A LOT. And I forgot to mention last chapter that we've hit over 2,000 hits! Yay! And 50 reviews, too! Anyway, I own no songs or plays mentioned in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Will

This time when I woke up the sky was grey and subdued, threatening rain at any moment. I quickly showered and pulled on an old black dress, before going downstairs. This morning there was no breakfast. No noisy chatter, no dishes clinking. Charlie and Greg sat silently at the table and Matt came down the stairs behind me, carrying a sleepy Sally on his hip.

We all stood around the kitchen for about five minutes before finally Pete led our teary eyed mother down the stairs. We all crowded into the hall to gather coats and umbrellas before heading out and piling into cars, the ride to the funeral home tense and silent.

Once we arrived, the home director led us up to the casket. There were mumbles of "He looks so good… So peaceful…" from everyone, but to me, he didn't look like my daddy. His face looked fallen back, sunken in, and he was so pale, his expression so solemn. I'm really not sure who, but it took three of my brothers to keep me from crumpling to the floor. They practically carried my to the other end of the room and sat me in a chair with a box of tissues, taking turns trying to soothe me.

Eventually my tears dried up and I took Sally out into the lobby to play until time for the service. Even then I sat in the back where I couldn't see into the casket. During the service it began to rain and as the preacher said his last words, the rain was the only sound to break the sad silence. Afterwards we all climbed silently back into the cars and drove toward the cemetery.

Pete held the umbrella over me as we made our way over the soggy grass to the plot. "You know you don't have to sing."

I sighed, steeling myself and looking straight ahead. "Yes I do. It's what he would've wanted."

We watched silently as they placed the casket down on the lowering thing and then all eyes fell on me. I stepped up in front of the crowd, taking a deep breath and beginning Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Though I'd managed to keep from crying until then, the words of the song cut straight through me and the tears started falling. My voice cracked on the last note of "goodbye," forcing me to cut off early. I hung my head silently and stepped away, allowing the director to lower the casket.

I watched in despair as Greg and Charlie began to shovel the dirt back into the hole atop Daddy. As if it knew, the wind picked up, causing the rain to pelt my face and making any umbrella useless. It may've been August, but I felt so cold in that moment. A sudden hand of my back made me jump and whirl around, hell bent on protecting myself.

I blinked and stared blankly at Lucas. What is he doing here? He didn't know. Unless Sara told him, but she even didn't know the details. How did he? He smiled apologetically, though his eyes were sad. I threw my arms around his waist and cried into his shirt, thanking God for whatever miracle brought him to me. It may've been somewhat wrong, but at that moment I needed him more than anything.

He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back and rocking gently in an attempt to calm me. I looked up at him and around at everyone else. No one seemed to notice he'd even arrived, all wrapped up in their own grief. By now it was only my family left, waiting for the boys to finish their labor. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we made our way back to the cars and headed home.

While everyone went to their respective parts of the house to change, I just sat on the couch, dripping wet and in a surreal daze, staring out the window. I felt the couch sink beside me as someone sat down, and was pulled into a shoulder. The sense of comfort and safety that settled over me told me who it was and I closed my eyes.

"You should go dry off before you get sick."

"So should you…" I mumbled without opening my eyes.

"I don't get sick."

"So?"

He stood and pulled me up with him. "Go upstairs and change. I'll get my stuff and be up in a minute."

I sighed and nodded, then trudged up the stairs to my room. I stripped off my wet dress and pulled on a pair of old jeans and an oversized t-shirt that wasn't really mine. I laid across my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I heard him walk in and change, but didn't look at him until he sat on the edge of the bed. I pushed myself up to lay on the pillows so he could lay beside me.

"You aren't mad at me, are you? I'm sorry I didn't call. Everything was so crazy and I was really out of it and I'm sorry. I lo…lost the number, but I wanted to call. I'm sorry for worrying you."

He only stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "You know… I went through four packs of cigarettes because of you…"

I blinked and tilted my head to the side, confused, and he turned onto his side and pulled me into his chest, letting me know I was forgiven. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Thank you…"

"For what?"

"Staying with me…"

The room fell into silence for a few minutes, the only sound the rain and our breathing. Finally I looked up at him and he was sound asleep. A weak smile touched my lips, but fell away as I felt the exhaustion wash over me, too. I heard my brother come to the door and knock, but couldn't find the energy to answer. He opened the door.

"Hey Willa? Nevermind…"

The first thing I noticed when I began to wake up was the absolute silence of everything. The rain had stopped and the house was peaceful. The second thing I noticed was the light tingly sensation traveling up my arm from my hand. I smiled to myself and gently squeezed his hand.

"Awake already?"

I looked up at him. "Why? Would you prefer me to stay asleep?"

"Nope."

I laid my head back against his shoulder and sighed. "Lucas?"

"Hmm?"

"I…Nevermind…" I shook my head, trying to dismiss the fact that I'd said anything.

"What?"

I shook my head again. "Nevermind. I forgot what I was going to say…"

"Okay then."

I buried my face in the pillows so he wouldn't see my frustrated blush and growled softly at my self. I'm such a wimp. Suddenly he poked me in the side and I jumped, almost falling off the small bed.

"Don't growl at me," he mock scolded while laughing.

I buried my face in my hands and shook my head. "Not you… Me." I peeked up at him through my fingers.

"I know." He sighed and pursed his lips in thought, and I recognized it as something he picked up from me. The thought made me smile. "I guess meeting your family's gonna be kinda awkward, since I showed un uninvited."

Thank you subject change! I shook my head and squeezed his hand. "It'll be fine. The circumstanced don't exactly call for propriety…"

"Let's just hope they don't hate me."

"They couldn't possibly hate you."

He laughed. "Don't be so sure."

"Why?" I tilted my head and looked up at him quizzically.

"I'm not very likeable…"

"Says you…"

"Well, before you, I didn't have any friends."

"Yeah you did. I know you did."

"Thor doesn't count."

I rolled my eyes. "Well what about that one guy…" He looked away nervously so I stopped.

"He was more of an…associate…"

"Ooookay… Well what about-"

"Just drop it, okay? No friends."

"Jeez… Fine, Mr. Pushy. But anyway, if you wanna have friends, you have to let people like you."

"Do you like me?" he asked teasingly.

"Of course I do. But then again, I'm obligated…" The look of shock on his face was priceless and I burst out laughing. "I was kidding!"

He frowned at me and mock pouted, turning away. "My loneliness and social disfunction is not funny."

"Okay. It's not funny."

He turned back to me and grinned. "Good." I sighed and nodded, lowering my gaze as my laughter faded. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" I asked softly without looking up.

"You smile for one minute and then you back to not smiling," his tone equally as soft.

He kissed my forehead lightly and I tensed at the suddenness of the gesture, then immediately berating myself for letting something so small upset me. "You keep making me forget, but then I remember…"

"Then stop remembering," he whispered against my hair.

"I can't…" I buried my face in his shoulder.

He pulled me tight against him and gently played with my hair. "I'm sorry I upset you."

I bit my lip and shook my head against him. "You didn't. It's not your fault. Bad things just seem to gravitate toward me anymore…"

"At least since you met me…"

I looked up at him, ignoring my tear filled eyes. "No. These things would've happened no matter what. It's because of you that I've held on this long…"

"Really?"

The hope in his voice both tugged at my heart and made me sick. How can I keep forcing him to suffer with me when he's suffered so much already? I swallowed the lump in my throat, but couldn't make my voice work, so I nodded and hoped it was enough. I let go of his hand and reached up to brush my fingers across the side of his face gently. He laid his hand over mine and reached up with the other to wipe my tears away. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

"I… I'm sorry…"

"What is there to be sorry for?" I whispered.

"Everything that has happened to you this week…"

I sighed and looked up at him. "It's okay. I told you it's not your fault."

"I know, but still… I hate seeing you like this."

I sighed and looked away. "I know. I'm sorry… But thank you."

"It's okay…" He sighed, sounding resigned.

I looked up at him "I mean it."

"So do I."

I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. "I…I…I don't know what… Maybe we should go downstairs now…"

"Maybe in a minute."

I sighed and closed my eyes as he started playing with my hair, soothing me. I head him sigh as he pressed his face into my hair.

"We sigh a lot."

I looked up at him blankly and burst out laughing. "That was about the most random thing to say ever."

"I had to make you laugh," he said, grinning like an idiot.

"Well you succeeded." I bit my lip to try and lessen my giggles.

He stretched, still smiling. "Think we should go now?"

"Probably…" I sat up and combed my fingers through my hair as my smile began to fade.

"Here comes the fun part."

I put on the best fake smile I could before turning toward him. "Don't worry about it. It'll be fine."

"If you say so…"

He stooped down by the bed to fish a t-shirt out of his suitcase. I walked over to my dresser and picked up my brush. I worked the tangles out of my hair as I watched him bounce on the bed in the mirror, the old springs creaking obscenely.

"You seem a bit anxious." I laid my brush back down in the process of turning and accidentally knocked down an old play bill. Before I could pick it up he'd already snatched it and was thumbing through it on the bed.

I sat beside him and looked over at it. 'The Majestic Theatre presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, January 9, 1988.' He flipped to the cast pages and located his picture.

"I looked like such a dork with my hair slicked back."

"Yeah you did. But in a way, it was kinda sexy, too…" I reached over to push his hair back. "How long were you in it before Crawford came back?"

He shrugged indignantly. "Only the first two shows."

"I guess it's a good thing I went to opening night, then…" He looked at me questioningly, so I continued. "My dad promised to take me to a Broadway show for my birthday, but at the time we didn't have the money. By January, though, we did, and this is what I wanted to see. Afterwards, though, I was obsessed with it. Singing the songs and dancing around the house. I wouldn't answer to anything but 'Christine' for I think two weeks. I was always waiting for my phantom to come take me away. Daddy always said he'd bee too old for me by the time I grew up…"

"I guess he never knew how wrong he was…"

He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah… But I guess I wasn't."

He leaned in and kissed me lightly. Though gentle and brief, the action still made me tense and tremble slightly. And his frown as he pulled away told me he knew. I sighed and hung my head, ashamed of myself. He reached over and lightly ruffled my hair, as if to say it was okay, but I grabbed his hand. Quickly, before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned forward and kissed him, forcing myself to linger until he pulled away.

"I guess we better get downstairs."

I opened my eyes to see him stand up and hung my head yet again. Another failure. I looked up when I felt a light tug on my hand. He smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Come on. You lead the way."

I laughed softly and sighed, forcing a small smile as I stood and led him down the stairs.

A/N2: Please Review! I would really appreciate it and it would make me super happy. Plus it motivates me to write faster...-wink- Next chapter is less sad and full of backstory. Yay! Now review! lol