I know, I know, I promised that this chapter would be fun and light, but...well...there was just one thing that I had to get out of my system first. So, the first half of this one is still kind of angsty, sorry...

Enjoy!


Talking with Richard had not been enough. It was never enough. Nothing could repair the damage that that bastard had been able to inflict on him. He grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, jotted a quick note for Chase, grabbed his coat, and was gone.

Two hours later...

"WHERE THE HELL IS WILL?" Finn roared, when he found Liz alone in her dressing room. "Did you say something to him again Liz? Cause if you upset him again I swear to God I'll..."

WHOA! Calm down Finn! What are you talking about?" Liz asked. Finn took a deep, calming breath and managed to say at a normal volume,

"I just went to check on Will and I can't find him. ANYWHERE!"

"Oh shit!" Liz exclaimed. She was still confused, but she couldn't help but feel responsible for Will's disappearance.

"We have got to find him soon! The concert is starting in four hours!" Finn said. Just then, Chase stepped in, his face grim. He walked straight to Finn and handed him a piece of paper. Finn's eyes widened as he read the note.

"Shit shit shit...oh HELL!" Finn muttered. "Not again. God, last time he did this..."

"What is it?" Liz demanded worried. "Is that from Will?" Wordlessly, Finn handed the paper to Liz. Liz glanced down and began to read.

Hey Chase. I'm sorry to just leave like this. I know that Finn is going to bloody flip when he finds out, but I just really needed to get away. To think. Don't worry, I promise that I'll be back before the concert starts. Just...don't tell everyone else that I've gone, okay?

Will Darcy

"What's so bad about this? Where do you think he's gone? I need some answers here people. I need some answers now." Liz said when she had finished. Finn and Chase made eye contact, and then slowly Finn nodded.

"You should tell it Finn," Chase said. Finn nodded grimly and than began to tell the story in dull tones.

"It was back when we were just starting to get popular, kind of like you guys. We were about to leave the club where we were playing, when Will realized that he had left something in the dressing room. He went back to get it and there was this crazed fan there. His name was George Wickham. Wickham asked for some sort of souvenir, and Will, he used to be pretty relaxed about fans back then you see, he said sure, and told him to wait right there and let him go get a poster or something. Then he turned to go, and Wickham attacked him. Apparently he thought that Will was lying and was just trying to get away from him. Will called for security, but before they arrived, Wickham managed to get Darcy's necklace. Now, I know that you're thinking big whoop, a necklace, but it was actually a chain on which Will kept his mother's wedding band. Once Wickham had gotten it, he took off running. Will took off after him, and they got into a huge fist fight. Security finally arrived, and Wickham was arrested. Will pressed charges, and got a restraining order. We thought that would be the end of it. But it wasn't. Will kept getting weird calls from him. It seemed like Wickham knew everything about Will. It was really creepy, but nothing really major happened so Will just kind of ignored it. Then, a year ago, right in the middle of our first tour, Will went home to see his sister Giana one weekend. When he arrived at their house, he found Wickham inside, on top of poor Giana, trying to rape her. She was only fifteen. Will almost killed him. Giana, she's still hasn't quite recovered. That's why Will hates Wickham so much."

Liz was astonished. She was shocked. She felt so guilty. Wickham had done all of this crap to him, and she had yelled at him. She was low, she was the lowest of lows, she was the little worm in the dirt eating its own crap.

"I am such a bitch." she said.

"Oh Liz," Chase said, "It's not your fault. You didn't know. Plus, it sounds like you've had some bad experiences with the guy too."

"Yeah. That bastard apparently has an affinity for attempted rape." Liz said bitterly. Finn sucked in a harsh breath at this admit ion.

"Hell. I'm sorry Liz..." He began.

"Don't worry about it Finn. Right now we need to find Will. Now, where do you think he is?" she interrupted. Finn looked uncertainly at Chase. "Come on guys! We don't have time for this. Where is Will?"

"It..It's just...Wickham called Will once, a couple of months after the incident with Giana. Pretty much said that everything that had happened was Will's fault." Chase said. "He was staying with me at my apartment in New York, but I wasn't home when he got the call. So, Will, he left a note pretty similar to that one, and left. I came home and found it. I wasn't too worried at first...but he didn't come back. I waited for hours before I finally left and went out to try and find him." Here, Chase paused again, looking uncertain about whether or not to continue. Finally, he drew in a deep breath and said, "I found him passed out on the sidewalk about a block from my apartment. Turns out he had gone to a local bar and gotten himself completely snockered."

"Oh Hell!" Liz said. "You don't think that he would do it again do you? He wouldn't be that stupid!" But from the looks on their faces, Liz could tell that was exactly what they thought had happened. Suddenly, Liz was all business. She left a note for Jane explaining slightly, and dragged the two men out of the stadium with her saying,

"Finn, you search every bar you find that way. Chase you go left and I'll go right." The two looked at her like she was completely off her rocker. "NOW!" she screamed. Frightened, they set off.


Liz was the one who found him. She had walked into a bar about three blocks from the stadium. A really seedy looking place called "Lone Ranger" that she would never have in her wildest dreams expected to find the proud rock star. But, there he was sitting, or really more slouching at the counter. She straightened her shoulders and marched straight over to him.

"Fitzwilliam!" she shouted, angrily. He drunkenly raised his head, and drunkenly smiled at her. "What the HELL do you think you are doing? How could you just leave Finn and Chase to worry like that about you? How could you do something this stupid AGAIN?" To her shock, Will looked at her for a moment, then promptly burst into tears. Immediately, Liz's anger evaporated and she looked at him astonished. Will grabbed her around the waist and buried his face in her stomach.

"Why?" he slurred. "Why does he have to go after everyone I love? He went after, mom, he went after, Giana, he went after you. What if he gets to Bella? What is he gets to Finn? What if..."

"Shhh...shh..Oh Will...It's everything is going to be just fine. He isn't going to get to anyone else, I promise." Liz said comfortingly. She stoked his back and thought about how to best handle the situation. She got the bartenders attention and ordered some water and food. She had to get Will sober before she took him back to the stadium. It would not be good for the others to see him like this. She pulled out her cell and called Finn to tell him that she had found Will. Then she turned her attention back to Will. He seemed to have regained some of his composure, and she decided it was time to confront him. This time, she went about it far more cautiously.

"Will..."she said tentatively, "Will, why did you do this? Chase, he told me what happened. All of it. Why did you do this to yourself again?" Will turned to look at Liz, and was silent for a few minutes, just staring at her. Liz was just about to ask again, when he said,

"It hurts." Liz looked at him encouragingly. "It hurts to think about all the shit that he gets away with. It feels like it's all my fault. I know it isn't, but it still feels like it is." he continued.

"I know." Liz said. "I feel the same way sometimes. But, we can't, neither of us, can let him get to us anymore." Will looked at her expectantly. "Jenny," Liz admitted, "Jenny was the one who found me. Fortunately, I had just decided to get completely drunk in my own apartment." Will nodded.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked. Surprised, Liz answered back,

"Why do you hate me?"

"I don't." Will said. "I don't hate you. I tried to convince myself that I did, but I don't. Not even a little bit. In fact, I quite like you. I...I just was so angry about the tour. I didn't want to go on this damn tour. I wanted to go into the studio, it's just a block from my penthouse, so that I could see Giana more. And I wanted to work on my music. But what about you? Why do you hate me?"

"You confuse me. Every time I see you you seem like someone completely different. First you're solemn and unsociable. Then you are joking and laughing when you were with Bella. And you'd say such stupid, arrogant things, and then be so sweet, like when I broke my leg. I don't think that I ever really hated you. You just infuriated me so much." Liz replied.

"Oh." Will said. "Well, I supposed it's a little late now to tell you that I am uncommonly shy. I don't do well in unfamiliar situations, especially when I'm already in a bad mood."

"Well," Liz said, "since we've both come clean about not hating each other, why don't we agree to be friends?'

"Okay, Friends." Will replied laughing.

"Now, I think you've sobered up quite nicely, so we had better be heading back to the stadium before they send out a second search party for us." Liz announced.


"ALLL RIGHT GENTLEFOLK OF MEMPHIS! ARE YOU READY TO RROCKKK? CAUSE HERE IS THE HOTTEST EMO BAND THIS WORLD HAS YET TO SEE, COMPLETE WITH THE HOTTEST CHICKS, EMOTIONAL HANGOVER!"

The curtain dropped, and four beautiful girls could be seen on the stage. A large screen over the stage switched from showing the cover of Emotional Hangover's album cover, to a live feed of Lottie, dressed in her traditional ripped jeans, but this time with a forest green tank top with black detailing hitting her drumsticks over her head and calling out,

"One, two. One, two, three, four!" The rest of the girls took the cue and began to play. The screen switched to a close up of Jenny grinning, her hair half-up and her body covered by a dark blue plaid jumper. The camera then switched to Marianne, rocking out in a deep purple blouse with black skirt, her curly hair pulled back in a twist. Finally, the screen showed Lisa, blond hair down and wild, wearing a blue and green lace dress. Suddenly, Liz's voice could be heard. The cheering fans, looked around the stage trying to locate her, but were unsuccessful. Then, from the center of the stage, Liz's head appeared, as she was raised from a trap door. She smiled at the crowd, and waved. She was wearing a purple and black blouse with jeans, and like always, here waist length black hair was falling around her like a curtain.

Backstage, one extremely tall, green-eyed man was watching Liz with particular interest. She didn't hate him. She didn't hate him, and suddenly, everything seemed like it would be much, much better. He was brought from his staring, when his cousin called out,

"WILL! Stop ogling Liz and get your ass back here. You still haven't even gotten ready!"

"Coming Finn!" Will called, casting one last glance at Liz before walking back to the dressing room.


Now dressed in jeans and a black polo, his curls still looking decidedly messy despite the hairstylist's valiant efforts, Will resumed his post on the side of the stage. Finn and Chase were just behind him. All three were waiting for Emotional Hangover to finish their last song. The crowd had absolutely loved them. So much in fact, that the company was bound to be upset that they were trying to out shine the main act. However, Will could think of nothing but how absolutely stunning Liz looked with her hair swirling around her as she performed, singing with abandon to as if she were in her bedroom alone instead of on a stage with thousands of screaming fans. The song ended with a loud crash from Lottie on the cymbals, and the stadium erupted into cheers. The girls bowed, and then ran off the stage grinning as the curtain dropped. Liz caught sight of Will, and hurried over to him.

"Hey!" she said. "That was sooooo amazing!"

"Yes," he responded, "It was fabulous." Their conversation was cut short by the announcer's voice.

"AND NOW! THE BOYS YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...VICIOUS INNOCENCE!" Will was forced to run to his spot on the stage. Liz called after him,"Break a leg!"

Next thing anyone knew, the curtain was rising again, and the first strains of Chase's guitar could be heard, followed shortly by the opening drum beat. Soon, Will's deep voice entered the mix. Liz stood in the spot that Will had vacated only moments earlier to watch. Will seemed totally at home on the stage. So unlike the vulnerable, drunk man from earlier that day. The set continued, and the fans cheered with renewed vigor. Then, the last song came, and something different happened.


Mean of me to write a cliffy...but so much fun

Review review my doves!