A/N: Nope, don't own it.

"Carolyn, why aren't you ready for the costume ball?"

"I told you, Will...I'm not going", the haughty blonde returned, folding her arms across her bosom with an adamancy that highly irritated her husband. "I don't want to take any chances of running into Barnabas...the man frightens me!" Shivering, Carolyn began to rub her arms with the hopes of gaining any sort of warmth.

Raising a shot glass filled with brandy up to his lips, Will took a swig, then nodded thoughtfully. "Alright...you don't have to go. I'll just tell Mr. and Mrs. Collins that you've got a migraine, or somethin'. They'll be disappointed, I'm sure."

"I know, but...still", Carolyn insisted, completely missing her husband's rolling his eyes, altogether. "If it's any compensation, you look very handsome tonight."

Will raised his glass in a mock salute. "Why, thank you, my dear...for you I shall try to make the ladies fall at my feet. After all, you do like to instill jealousy in others, so why not do it through me?"

Carolyn frowned deeply. "Don't flatter yourself, Will."

"Indeed, I shan't", he returned mockingly, setting his shot glass back down onto the liquor table in between them. "Don't wait up for me, tonight...I can feel that this''ll be a long party."

Carolyn folded her arms neatly beneath her breasts, then shrugged. "Take your time, darling...I'll be reading the first chapter of your new novel. Maggie told me that it was very sensual and pleasurable to the senses."

"Yes...she told me that, as well", Will acknowledged, a knowing smirk adorning his lips as he turned in order to take his leave. "Goodnight, Carolyn."

"Goodnight, Will."

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Will's heart nearly stopped the moment that he saw her. A goddess in mortal's clothing is what she was; completely pure and angelic like all the fantasies that he had conjured up over her amidst the past fortnight.

Clenching his fists tightly at his sides, Will wondered why on earth such a beauty would choose Quentin Collins, the pig of Collinsport, over someone who actually loved her. Maggie deserved better, he conceded, and it pained him deeply to realize that she was staying by Quentin's side amidst her blind love and devotion for a man whom was too wound up in his own past to give her the time of day.

If Maggie were Will's to hold and to cherish, he would shower her with love and praises of her beauty and intellect, make love to her sweetly in the night, and harbor her safely away from the ugliness of the world that was prone toward such animalistic cruelty. Yes, he decided, she definitely deserved better.

"Oh...well hello, Mr. Loomis."

Will felt his breath catch in his throat as he spun around in order to meet with the enchanting gaze of his caller, his heart thrumming wildly within his bosom once he realized that it was Maggie, herself. "M-Mrs. Collins", he gasped, now breaking out into a sweat that was rather uncharacteristic of his normally cool and collected demeanor around women. "I-it's a very nice party...th-thank you so much for inviting me."

"You're quite welcome, Will", Maggie returned sweetly, her rosy lips curling upward into a delicate smile as her eyes sparkled like two russet gems. "Where's your wife? Surely she's not at home?"

"Uh, yeah...she's got a migraine", Will lied anxiously, stuffing a hand into his pants' pocket before shrugging his shoulders. "She said she didn't feel well, but I did try to convince her to come on out and get better acquainted with you. Speakin' of which, where's Quentin?"

Maggie's eyes flashed dangerously, yet she managed to bestow her guest with a tight-lipped smile. "He's not feeling well, either...he took ill just a few hours prior to your arrival."

"Aw, what a shame", Will remarked with mock sympathy, his eyes growing stony at just the mere thought of his rival. "If it makes ya feel any better, I think you're doing an outstanding job of running the party."

Maggie smiled gratefully. "Well thank you...I must admit that I feel very out of place here."

"How could you possibly feel that way?", Will demanded, by now absolutely incredulous. "You look positively radiant tonight...why, I truly believe that you've captivated your guests more so than the original Mrs. Collins ever could've done, herself."

"Really?" Maggie's eyes were wide with wonder, and it was quite clear to Will that she didn't believe him.

To further assuage her, however, he nodded, then bowed his head to mask his slightly rosy cheeks. "Yeah," he revealed softly. "I really do think that. You look downright gorgeous."

Now it was Maggie's turn to blush, her cheeks glowing a reddish hue that left her features even more demure and angelic than before, if that were even possible. "Thank you very much for your support, Will, but I really must get on to meeting Quentin's other friends."

"Of course", Will agreed, nodding, "yet when you're done, would it be too much trouble to ask if you'd meet me afterwards out on the terrace?"

Maggie appeared to be slightly suspicious, yet nonetheless broke out into a glorious smile. "Of course not, Mr. Loomis...I'll see you there." Noticing his disapproving glance, she immediately corrected, "Oh...excuse me...Will."

Smiling, Will raised his glass after her retreating form, returning lowly, "I look forward to it, my dear."

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Shivering beneath the moonlight out upon the aging terrace, Maggie briefly wondered why on earth she was actually waiting up for Will. After all, she was a married woman, let alone one who loved her husband very deeply. And yet...no. She most certainly did not have any feelings for Mr. Loomis. All that had transpired between them the other day had been nothing more than a mere act of lustful desperation.

"Maggie?"

She gasped, immediately whirling around before placing a delicate hand over her heart. "Will," she choked out, "you scared me!"

"Aw, gee, I'm sorry", he apologized, a look of pure and utter rue immediately washing out across his handsome features. "W-what I've gotta tell ya might come as a shock, so hopefully I won't scare ya twice."

"Oh?" Maggie appeared to be rather reluctant to hear what he had to say, yet nonetheless motioned for him to speak.

Taking this as his signal to go on, Will took a deep, cleansing breath, then bowed his head before murmuring softly, "I-I've been thinking about what happened the other day...a lot, in fact, and the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced about my feelings for you." Now gaining courage, Will took a step forward and gathered his lover's hands within his own shaking ones. "Maggie", he continued breathlessly, "I-I love you...I love you so incredibly much. You have no idea how much I wanna be with ya...how much I wanna make love to you, again, and to holdja as if you were mine. And ya know what? Just say the word, and you will be mine."

Maggie gasped. "Will!"

"Yes, darling?"

"This is preposterous! How dare you try to pull me away from my beloved husband! I love him, and he loves me!", she shouted at the top of her lungs, tears stinging along her lashes before she bestowed Will's cheek with a loud and resounding smack.

Grunting as his head swiveled to the side due to the tremendous blow, the sandy-haired young man frowned, then nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "You're right", he agreed, "your pig of a husband's pining away for you right as we speak...I bet he's tossin' and turnin' in those sheets just waiting for you to come on up and heal him of his ailment!"

"Oh, Will!", Maggie wailed, "Is there no end to your verbal abuse?"

Bursting into tears, the dark-haired beauty knew deep-down that he was very right in his sarcasm; Quentin was not pining away for her. Just the opposite, in fact. As soon as he had seen her descend the staircase in Angelique's old costume dress, he'd left Collinwood without another word and hadn't returned since that dreadful moment. Oh, if only she could prove Will wrong! To show him that she was loved!

When Maggie's soft sobs hadn't quelled, Will immediately regretted uttering such painful words and took his love within his arms, apologizing miserably, "Oh, God, Maggie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve-honest, I didn't!"

"It's alright, Will", the dark-haired beauty assured him. "Just please...leave me alone. I'd really like to clear my head, if you don't mind."

Will nodded painfully. "Sure..."

Watching on in utter bewilderment, the sandy-haired young man felt a lump form in his throat as Maggie turned on her heel and began to clip-clop off toward the entrance, his heart throbbing within his bosom once he realized that he was to blame for her sudden misery.

"You damn fool! Your jealousy has blinded you and driven her against you!", Will realized irefully, clenching and unclenching his fists by his sides as he began to feel tears well up along his lashes. "If you want to get Maggie, you need to wait...Quentin will slip up, eventually."

With this thought burning comfortingly within his mind, the young beau's faith was immediately restored in his mission and he left Collinwood a very happy man.