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A/N:

For Keeps

V. "I have no intention of being anything but good to you Princess"

For the first time in she didn't know how long, Lizzie Spaulding was actually feeling okay. The ache was constant, always throbbing away, but at least at this moment she was able to feel some hopeful brighter feelings along with that.

It was hard not to feel hopeful when you were eating breakfast with a table full of handsome Lewis men. Billy had gotten this new place on lease as soon as he had finished with rehab (being allowed to do the remainder on outpatient status) because he was tired of the drab scenery of the Beacon. He had offered to let Bill stay with him, but his son hadn't fully accepted yet, but had accepted his invitation to come over for breakfast.

He'd brought Lizzie along because he hadn't let her out of his sight the passed few days. They'd slept in his room twice, and even once in her room. But they were always together. Bill had no problem with that at all.

Also seated around the little cedar table littered with biscuits, eggs, bacon, and hash browns, was Josh. He and Cassie were having problems, and he was crashing with his big brother for a few days. He had tried to stay with Reva and Jeffery at Cross Creek (despite the awkwardness) but she had strangely turned him away. She'd been acting really weird the last several days.

Rounding out the brood of Lewis men was Dylan. The kinder of the young Lewis boys, Dylan just smiled and listened tentatively to the rest of the family's conversations. The only one quieter than him was Lizzie herself.

Suddenly Lizzie felt Bill's arm slid around her shoulders and tousle her hair, and she realized they were all looking at her.

"Earth to little darlin' " Billy laughed waving a hand in her face.

"Sorry." She said slightly embarrassed "Did you ask me a question?"

"Yeah." Dylan said, "I just wanted to know what the heck you're doing with my little brother."

"He's jealous." Bill smirked, taking a drink from his glass "I told him I was quite the catch."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, but laid her hand on Bill's leg under the table. The closer she was to Bill physically, the better she felt.

"He's not all bad." She said, looking at him regretting the ego stroke this was undoubtedly giving him. "Under all that broody moroseness, he's sort of charming."

Bill crunched his bacon. "And, if you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty hot."

The table laughed, Billy being the loudest, making side comments about how he got the looks from him. Dylan seemed more serious about his question though, and he did laugh, but quickly combatted another question, at his brother this time.

"Yeah. Hot stuff. Ava think so too?"

Everybody's laughter stopped, and Billy coughed uncomfortably. Lizzie squirmed a bit under Bill's arm. He looked over at her to gage her reaction. She didn't look maddened. Maybe a hint of jealousy, but her look just appeared to a bit downcast again.

"It's really hot in here, I think I need to breathe a little mornin' frost in. Mind joining me darlin'?" Billy asked good naturedly, as his sons just stared each other down.

Lizzie nodded, and got up to follow Billy, removing her hand from Bill's leg, but not before he tenderly grasped her fingers for few seconds, and locked eyes with her.

As soon as they left the room, Bill rounded his glare back to his brother.

"Anyone ever told you you're a real mood killer bro?"

"Anyone ever tell you you're a real ass, little bro?"

They just continued to stare, making Josh very uncomfortable. This was better than being under the same roof as Will though, way better.

"For your information, Ava and I are done. Actually, we never really were anything at all. Not that I feel like I owe you any insight to my life.

"I'm just surprised. You two were going at it like rabbits about a week ago. It's just hard to believe that you're a one woman man all of a sudden."

Bill thought about it really hard for as second, and stood up, pushing his chair under the table.

"Believe it."

Lizzie liked Billy's new porch. It had a cozy feel to it. She liked the view it had, and even the rocking chairs on it. She hoped to one day have a house of her own. Ideas like that seemed so foreign to her now. She had dreamed of having a big house before. One to raise Sarah in. Room for all her toys, and yard big enough for her to run, and have all the pets she wanted. No mansion. Just a house.

Thoughts like this were useless now, and Lizzie thought sometimes that maybe all normalcy was out of reach for her.

It didn't bother Billy that she was quiet as they stood on the porch together. She was more comfortable with Billy than she was with anyone in the world. Even more so than his son. She loved being with Bill, and she felt the same safeness she felt with the elder Lewis, but with Billy she felt no need to impress him at all. He cared for her for what she already was. He cared the way her father used to before his mind went. Maybe he even cared deeper than Phillip ever had.

Billy finally spoke.

"All that in there, its just sibling stuff sweet pea. Boy talk. It's got nothin' to do with you. Dylan didn't mean to upset you. He was just trying to get a rise out of Bill."

Lizzie nodded. " I know. I'm not upset, not really. I mean, Bill's been great to me this week, but if I'm not what he wants, then I want him to happy. I doubt he can find that with my anyhow."

"Well why in the world wouldn't he be able to? My boy's lucky he's got you, real lucky."

Lizzie grimaced "I'm toxic Billy."

Billy looked sternly back at her. "Stop saying things that. I won't have it. You are a fine woman, and my son is one hell of a lucky man, and he better know it."

"He does." Bill said, opening the screen door, and stepping out on to the porch. He forced a smile "Boy, I felt my ears burning. I should have known I was being discussed. I seem to be a hot topic these days."

"Excuse me you two, I'm going to go in and inform Joshua that he's to earn his keep here by washin' all them dishes." Billy said, before brushing past his son.

"I don't believe I've told you how pretty you look this morning." Bill smiled, sauntering toward her, hands in his pockets.

"I figured you'd get around to it." She smiled.

"Well let me tell you now, that you look indescribably gorgeous right this minute, and every other minute for that matter" Bill leaned in, and kissed just beneath her jaw line. His hands came out of his pockets, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, backing her into the porch railing, sweetly opening his mouth over hers, as she eagerly returned the gesture, her hands gripping at the top of his shirt.

He smiled contentedly, once they had use of their mouths again, and Lizzie tried to regain her breath. It was chilly out here, but Lizzie was more than a little warm under her collar.

She returned his smile, and smoothed his shirt where she had been gripping it to deepen their kiss.

"Let's get out of here, it suddenly got real dull in there." He offered, unwrapping his arms, and taking her hand.

"Bill. You're Dad wants to spend time with you. In fact, maybe I should leave you guys alone for a while."

Bill was having none of that; he didn't release her hand at all, despite her trying to inch away. "Oh no. You're staying right here where I can stare at you all day long."

She let go of his grip, but brought her hands up either side of his face and held it. She didn't say anything, but just looked him over.

"You studying me over?" He smiled, putting his hands over hers.

"Mhmm. Searching for the truth in your eyes."

"What truth is that?"

"What you really want with me." She said quietly, and Bill's smirk vanished. He pressed her hands tighter against his face, and his breathing picked up.

"Lizzie, Dylan was just being difficult in there. He thinks I'm Dad's favorite, always has. He was just trying to cut me down, don't let something he said bother you."

"It has nothing to do with that. I know you have sex with Ava. I caught you."

"Had." Bill reminded her "I only share my bed with one woman now."

Lizzie was a bit relieved by this, but wondered if she should be. Part of her said that Bill would just hurt her all over again. But a bigger part needed her to trust in something, and Bill Lewis was shaping up to be the very thing she could trust.

"Be good to me, Bill." She suddenly said, sounding way more desperate and needy than she'd ever wanted to sound again "Okay? Just promise that you're really going to try and love me, that you'll be take care of me, and I swear I'll be good to you. And promise that you won't hurt me Bill, that you'll stay-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Bill said, holding either of her arms, her body shaking now. "Now maybe I didn't myself clear enough a few days ago. I have no intention of being anything but good to you Princess. All that cat and mouse stuff, as fun as it was, I'm done with it. I just want to hold you, you and only you, in my arms at night, and make you forget all this bad stuff. "

Lizzie was ashamed of herself for flashing her weak side again, but glad that Bill still seemed to be in earnest. She nodded, smiling slightly.

"If I tell you something, you promise you won't get mad?" She asked hesitantly.

Bill smiled "Tell me anything."

She breathed in hard. "Bill…I think I'm in love with you."

He didn't say it back, and that was okay to Lizzie. She wanted him to wait until he was ready, until he was sure. Until it meant forever.

But, Bill Lewis did pull her into one mind-blasting kiss, his hands all tangled up in her hair, his lips gliding all over her.

The kiss only ended when Bill peaked out and threatened to turn the hose on them.

For a week her son had been home. Reva was overcome with delight, but she couldn't help wondering every time she looked in Jon's eyes whether he was a ticking time bomb or not. He seemed to be normal. Normal with Sarah. Normal with her and Jeffery. But, Reva knew that he must have ulterior motives for being back here.

His explanation had just been that he missed her, and he wanted to give Sarah a little time to spend with her grandmother. Reva couldn't argue with how good that felt, but it had been real hell keeping everyone but Jeffery away from this house all week.

She had tried to convince Jon that it was time to tell Lizzie the truth. Let her hold her baby girl again; know that she was still among the living. So that she could stop blaming herself for Sarah's death. And his for that matter. Jon wouldn't. He wasn't ready to tell Lizzie yet, wasn't sure if he could trust her.

Then, something really good happened. Reva was around to hear Alan announce his plan's to go to Switzerland for three months to over see a Spaulding project being constructed there. With Gus and Natalia now married, Rick and Beth anxiously awaiting their child, Lizzie not speaking to him at all anymore, and every other relationship he had in town strained, he thought it would be better for him to get away.

Reva was overjoyed. This meant that Jon could stay longer.

To Jon, after some thinking, it meant something else.

"I'm going to tell her Ma." He said, watching Sarah as she slept on Reva's couch, all propped up on pillows.

Reva looked up from what she was writing.

"Are you sure?"

Jon kept looking at Sarah breathing, imagining how he would feel if she were taken from him, and being convinced that she was dead. He was unable to breathe almost. He knew that this was how Lizzie was feeling all day, every day.

He'd been watching her since he got back in town. She'd changed. She was better. So much better. She didn't even seem like a Spaulding, at times, anymore, and he hadn't even seen her go anywhere near Alan once since he returned. She was always with the Lewis's, and the Lewis's, Jon could trust. Well, he could trust Billy, and his brother Dylan, and even Josh. He wasn't quite that sure about Bill. That guy seemed pretty thick.

His mind was made up. Lizzie seemed mature enough to be what Sarah needed now. And since she wasn't acting all crazy anymore, who was Jon to keep her away from her daughter?

"I'm sure." Jon said, nodding, looking intensely at his daughter. "But, as soon as Alan's heading back this way, we're on our way out, and Lizzie will just have to deal with that."