Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with CBS, Guiding Light, Daniel Cosgrove, or Marcy Rylan.

Author's Note: A new update, FINALLY! Sorry, just been busy. I got a couple chapters piled up, so I'll post 'em in the next few days. Glad you guys are enjoying!

For Keeps

VIII. "Lizzie Spaulding, you are going crazy."

He watched her sleep, and he knew that even though he'd come back here with an agenda, that she was the real reason he ended up back in Springfield. After all the horrible things that had happened to him in Venezuela, some of which he didn't even want to think about, he was here now, and he was content. Maybe even happy.

He reached around and ran his fingers down her back, making soft lines, through the shear cotton of her pink nightgown. She was usually a heavy sleeper, but right as his fingertips grazed the small of her back, her lashes began fluttering. The light was harsh at first and she winced, but when she noticed those eyes resting so softly on her, she smiled, and took in a pleased breath.

"Morning."

"Say it again." In the back of her mind Lizzie had known that this would be the first thing that came out of Bill's mouth when they awoke. She'd had to say it least a dozen times last night.

"Bill..."

"Just once, you know, to start the day off." He smiled brightly, locking her small legs between his under the covers.

Lizzie scrunched up her face, but wasn't even able to fake indifference. As much as he loved to hear it, she loved to say it. It was after all, the best feeling on earth.

"I love you."

He wrapped his arms about her, and pulled her until she was lying on top of him, her body pressing to his.

"You mean it?"

"Of course."

Saying it gave Lizzie a million raging butterflies in her stomach, but even though he wasn't ready to respond with a reflective admission, his reaction was at least encouraging. He didn't scorn her love as many others in the past had. He drank it in, like an addiction. Clinging to it, like a life raft.

The previous night had been the most entirely passionate night of Lizzie's life. Hearing that Lizzie was in love with him had opened Bill up, made him flash that vulnerable side that used to be his everyday façade. He hadn't been able to say it in return, not yet, but it had showed in the way he held her, a little tighter. The way he kissed her, a little deeper. The way he said her name, just a little sweeter.

She lay silently with her face on his chest, his hand going smoothly up and down her back.

"Thanks for last night." She said, tilting her head so that she could look up at his face.

"You're welcome" He smirked widely.

She nudged him in the rib. "Not that part perv. Well, not just that part."

"You have to admit though, that part was pretty damn good last night."

Lizzie reluctantly agreed. "But that parts always good with you Bill. No…stop getting all triumphant looking, I'm trying to be real with you. I mean, you treated me so good last night Bill. You listened to me, and held my hand tight… and I felt like…"

"Like what?" He prodded.

"Like… you never took your eyes off me."

"Why would I want to?" He asked seriously.

"I don't know. I'm just…you know, this creepy girl, who got way to attached to you way too quick. This girl with serious amounts of issues. But last night, you made me feel wanted Bill, and I can't remember ever feeling that good."

What had Jonathan Randall done to this girl? Bill wondered, staring down in her big sparkling eyes, her body shivering against him. If the guy wasn't dead already, he would kill him for making Lizzie feel so useless.

He gently rolled her from his torso, and in a second was now the one on top

"In case you still have any doubt baby, I do want you." He breathed, planting a kiss on her forehead "I want you." He pressed his lips to her right cheek this time "I want you." Her left cheek received the warm graze of lips this time "I want you." With the last one, he pierced her with a slow and tender, yet urgent kiss of her lips. His lips were so tight on hers, that they were practically bruised by the time he stopped for a breath.

"I won't let you regret it." She promised quietly, still breathy.

Bill had already started sliding the cotton of her gown up her thigh when his phone went off.

"Forget it." He said, planting her with quick teasing kisses. "Whoever they are, they're not important."

"It could be Billy." She said, with shallow breaths "He might need you."

"I think you need me more." He smiled.

"Bill."

He looked pouty, but he lifted his self off of her, and trudged over to his phone.

"It's Reva." He said, before clicking it on "Hey Aunt Reva, I'd love to chat, but I'm really busy. Got something very important going on so—What? Really? No. I'll come. I'll be there in a few. Huh? Why? Okay, she can stay here and wait for me I guess. Bye."

Lizzie sat up, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Apparently something urgent about Uncle Josh. She needs me right away."

"Oh, I'll come." She said…slinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"No. She said just me, just family for some reason."

Lizzie looked a little disappointed, but smiled softly at Bill anyway, as he found his gray thermal shirt and pulled it on.

She crawled down to the end of the bed, and he leaned down and cupped her face, kissing her once more.

"I'll be right back. Don't get dressed, and don't even think of moving off that bed."

"Yes sir." She agreed kissing his fingers before he took his hand away, and he thought quickly about ignoring what ever situation Josh was having, and stripping his shirt back off. He loved her angry face, but her sweet and innocent look was just as appealing. It made him want to wrap her up in his arms and protect her.

"Back soon, real soon" He said, walking toward the door before he really did change his mind.

"Won't be soon enough." She said blowing him a kiss.

"I hated lying to him like that" Reva said looking at Jon sternly, as he wrapped Sarah in her coat.

"Hey, I've got no beef with Bill. But when Lizzie finds out what I've done, she's going to go bananas at first, and having her big gorilla in the mix won't help. He'll take her side, and try to fight me, and it won't be good for Sarah. I need her to be alone when she hears this. She's scary enough on her own, when she hasn't got a hired gun."

"Bill is hardly a hired gun. He's her…well, I'm not sure what he is. Her boyfriend maybe? I just know he cares about her."

Jon scoffed a little.

"You know, that's not a scoffing matter Jonathan. You said yourself, she's changed. There is no reason a guy couldn't have real feelings for her."

"You think he does?'

"Bill? I don't see why not, well not a reason that would lie in her. He's a little different since he got back to town, so I'm not sure. But, he's there is all know."

"Yeah well, today he'll be here, while I'm there, and you better keep him here a while. I don't want any surprises."

"Okay. I'll do what I have to."

"I mean it. If it means clubbing him over the head, club him."

"Hopefully it won't come to that extreme"

"You never know." Jon said, pulling Sarah's cap on, and heading for the door.

"Okay baby girl, time to go meet your Mommy."

Even in his apartment, surrounded by his clothes, his stuff, and even his smell, without Bill there, Lizzie started to get that familiar lonely feeling. When he was there, she just concentrated on how she felt about him, all the good stuff. He was gone now though, and she had to fight to keep her mind off of how lonely she truly felt.

She stood in front of Bill's wall mirror, gown pulled up, examining her stomach. Her hand trembled as she ran it across the flat surface. She thought with anguish about the fact that for a little while this same stomach had housed the hope of starting her life over. Of being a mother again. Now, pending how much damage was done, she may never have that hope again.

She heard Bill's voice, intense and deep in her mind, "In case you still have any doubt baby, I do want you."

Sighing, and letting her gown fall back down over her stomach, she wondered how much Bill would want her once they told her for sure that she was practically a barren shell.

Her ears perked up. Had she really just heard that? A baby's babbling? Lizzie could have sworn she just heard the cooing of little child. She listened hard for it again, but didn't hear anything. She looked at herself in the mirror, and shook her head, splashing water on her face.

"Lizzie Spaulding, you are going crazy."

She opened the bedroom door, and really thought she was going crazy, because two dead people were seated on the edge of her bed.