Chad walked over to the doorframe and stared at the bullet. The very bullet he shot in hopes of murdering his father. He didn't know if he felt relieved or not. Using the knife he found in the kitchen to wedge the bullet out Chad held it in his hand before pocketing it.

Sami was outside checking on Johnny, Allie and Sydney laughing off their suggestions that they heard a gunshot. "It was just the TV," Sami smiled, "You know how loudly Daddy likes his movies."

Kate had followed Sami outside. Smiling at the children she nodded along with Sami, "You thought that was real too? So did we. That's why your mommy and I were screaming."

Chad walked over to EJ and asked, "What should we do now?"

"I'm going to wait a few more minutes," EJ responded, staring at his father's body, almost in disbelief. "Then I'll call the ambulance and we all pretend we found him like this." Standing up EJ rushed to his home office. A long time ago he had a document forged that would be useful now.

"Right," Chad nodded in agreement. Spotting something spilling out of his father's pocket Chad bent down and picked it up. Chad held the key in front of his face before looking over at Paul and Sonny who were standing in almost the exact same spot as earlier staring. "Shouldn't you two be checking on Will," Chad asked raising his eyebrows and extending the key.

Will was slumped in the bed, head between his knees trying to calm his breathing as soon as Stefano left the room, locking it ominously behind him. 'Oh god, oh god, oh god.'

Will didn't know what to freak out over first. The fact that he was being held against his will, that EJ might have killed someone with Sonny's help, or that Paul kept him a secret. 'I can't do this. There has to be a way out of here. I wanna go home. I wanna go home.'

Will tossed the blankets off of him legs getting tangled so he crashed on his knees to the floor. He couldn't find his phone anywhere. 'Mom must still have it.' Righting himself Will ran to the door and yanked and yanked on the knob but it wasn't budging. Giving up on the door Will ran to the window. It was just big enough that Will could wiggle out of it if he had to. Opening it slowly Will looked down and clutched the window ledge tightly in his hands. 'Oh god, was the second floor always this high up?'

There wasn't a tree, a trellis or a drainpipe in sight. 'I would have to jump,' Will thought feeling nauseous just thinking about it. Turning away from the window Will promised himself if it was between being forced somewhere by Stefano and jumping he would jump.

Walking into the bathroom Will wondered if there was anything there he could use to defend himself. Unfortunately unless he wanted to smack Stefano with a toilet brush it looked like he was out of luck there. 'I really need to talk to EJ about this oversight.' Going back into the bedroom Will paced back and forth. 'OK don't think about anything else. Just think about how to get out of this. Think Horton, think.'

With his hands against the sides of his head Will froze upon hearing a single gunshot and two loud screams. 'Oh my god, oh my god. That was my mom. Why is she screaming? Oh god, oh god.' Flashing suddenly to the last time he heard a gun shot Will could have cried. He could almost feel the warm splatter of Ian's blood across his skin again. Will stood perfectly still attempting to hear if there were any more shots fired. 'What the hell is happening out there?'

Running to the door again Will pulled with all of his strength on the knob. 'Fuck who designed this stupid thing,' Will snarled. 'I want out, I want out.' Slamming his shoulder against the door Will winced in pain, 'Ow.' Will started beating his hands and fists against the door screaming as loud as he could. Pausing to take a breath Will leaned against the door and glared at the window. 'Is this a jumping moment?'

Will gasped when he heard loud steps barreling up the stairs. 'Oh god, oh god.' Panicking Will looked around the room desperate to find something to defend himself with. Spotting a large hardback book on a nearby shelf, something he must have left when he was younger, Will grabbed it and held it against his chest. 'Thank you Harry Potter,' Will thought as he moved to stand in the corner behind the door hoping to remain undetected.

When the door swung open, barely missing Will by a few inches, Will heaved the massive book in his hand ready to swing it at whoever came near him.

"Will," Sonny and Paul shouted together, stopping inside the room, not seeing Will anywhere. Eyes locking on the open window Sonny's eyes widened and he made a mad dash for it. Looking down, not seeing anything, Sonny spun around and sighed in relief when he saw Will barely missing smacking Paul in the back of the head with a large book. "What the hell," Sonny couldn't stop himself from asking.

Will raised his book high in the air only to drop it instantly when he recognized the voices calling his name. Practically wheezing when he realized he almost bashed Paul's head in Will put his hands over his mouth, "Oh my god."

Paul, whirling around, reached out and grabbed Will yanking him harshly against his chest. He didn't care if Will was mad at him or not at the moment. Paul was going to hold him.

Sonny stumbled over to Will and Paul. Instantly falling against them Sonny held on tightly to Will's waist and Paul's shoulder. 'How does this crap keeping happening,' Sonny thought miserably as he rested his head against Will's neck.

"What-what happened out there," Will questioned voice frantic. "Why did I hear a gunshot? Why was my mom screaming? Who was it? What happened? Just tell me what happened!"

Paul raised one finger to Will's lips getting him to quiet down. "Breathe," Paul ordered. "Everything's fine. Nothing happened downstairs."

Will pushed away from Paul and Sonny suddenly. Shaking his head Will took a few steps backwards, "Don't lie to me. I don't want you to lie to me anymore. Just tell me everything that happened."

"Chad tried to shoot Stefano," Sonny told Will quickly. 'Will's right. No more lying.'

"He shot Stefano," Will questioned feeling almost light headed. "Is he OK? Is Chad OK?"

Paul shook his head, "Chad tried to but he missed. But Stefano is still dead."

"You aren't making any sense," Will told them beginning to get frustrated. "What happened?"

"Stefano is dead, Will," Sonny informed him, reaching forward and grabbing Will's elbows. "Chad tried to shoot him but he missed because Stefano fell backwards just in time. He had a heart attack."

"No one called an ambulance," Paul added, swallowing harshly, "And he died."

Will almost couldn't believe it. "What," Will asked. "He's dead?"

Sonny nodded, "He's dead. EJ is waiting a few minutes to call 911. We all have to pretend we found him that way. That we didn't know it happened. If anyone asks you were asleep."

"Right," Will whispered as Sonny guided him to the bed to sit. "He's actually dead. Not, not normal Stefano-dead right? Where you think he's dead but something bad happens and it's him because he wasn't really dead."

"He's dead," Paul reassured Will, sitting beside him on the bed. "Completely dead."

"OK," Will nodded his understanding. He wasn't sure what to think about Stefano. 'He was behind almost every awful thing that happened to me. And now he's dead.'

"The last thing he ever told me," Will said in a subdued voice, "Was 'All my plans depend on you.'"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Sonny put his hand on the small of Will's back. "He can't bother you ever again."

Despite the conflicting emotions he felt swirling around his chest regarding his boyfriends Will just wanted a few minutes of peace. A few minutes where he could forget every other problem they had. Every lie they told every secret they kept.

Falling onto his back on the bed Will quietly asked, "Hold me?"

EJ stood with one arm holding his stomach and the other across his mouth watching as the paramedics loaded his father onto a gurney. He handed over the document he had to one paramedic, a do-not-resuscitate form.

"We're very sorry, Sir," one of the paramedics told EJ as they pushed Stefano out of the room.

EJ nodded unnaturally subdued. He followed the paramedics until they walked outside, put Stefano in the back and drove to the hospital. Walking back inside EJ slumped onto the sofa and closed his eyes.

Chad, sitting in the chair, head in his hands, glanced at EJ, "What happens now?"

EJ sighed, "We should head to the hospital. We need to get a doctor to legally pronounce him dead. Get a death certificate. Keep up appearances as his grieving sons. Ask about mortuaries and things like that. Since it's Father we'll probably need to make a press release."

"EJ," Chad began, "I'm sorry."

"Don't," EJ held up his hand. "It doesn't matter now. Nothing happened."

"I know you said not to," Chad kept going, "But I didn't think we had a choice. I took the gun from one of the safes the last time I was here. I didn't plan on using it, I swear. It was just in case. Hearing all the crazy things he was saying I wanted to be prepared."

"I understand," EJ replied. "And for what it's worth you were right and I was wrong. I should have listened to you when you warned me."

"No," Chad shook his head quickly, "EJ, I wasn't right. If I would have hit him I don't even know what I would have done. I would have put everyone here in jeopardy and I wasn't thinking."

"Like I said," EJ insisted, "It doesn't matter. It's over with. Father is dead. Now," EJ stood up, "I should head to the hospital and handle everything. This is going to be gargantuan news once everyone finds out. We need everyone to believe we're upset."

"I'll go with you," Chad offered. "I am, I was, his son too. We should do this together."

"Let me check on Samantha and the children first," EJ mumbled as he walked outside. 'Everyone is safe now,' EJ reminded himself as he headed towards his family. 'Well, most of my family,' EJ hoped William was in good hands for the time being. 'They have a lot to talk about.'

Will was resting his head on Paul's chest as Sonny held tightly to his stomach. Eyes clenched together Will focused on breathing in and out steadily.

Paul, fingers lightly running up and down the back of Will's neck, asked, "So he admitted he was behind Ian?"

"Mostly," Will responded lowly, "He said something about letting Ian do what he wanted because it would make me easier to manipulate."

Sonny, breathing in Will's scent, trying to memorize the way Will felt against him in case he never got this opportunity again, shook his head. "What if Ian killed you," Sonny whispered, "What would he have done?"

"I don't think he really cared," Will muttered. "I think he just saw it all as one big opportunity either way."

"I can't believe everything boiled down to him," Paul frowned unhappily. "We all suspected but to know it's true is even worse."

"If it wasn't for my uncle though," Sonny pointed out, "Than Stefano never would have learned about Ian."

"But EJ's the one who came up with the idea about a fan," Will added. 'God everything is so messed up when I think about it all.'

"Which wouldn't have happened if Chad never sent the article," Sonny reminded them.

"Well he only did that because of what I did," Paul groaned, closing his eyes, "So it's my fault."

"No it's not," Will argued. "It's not any of our faults. It's all Stefano. It's always Stefano."

"And now he's gone," Sonny splayed his hand across Will's stomach, "He's gone and we can start to put everything behind us."

"Not everything," Will replied sadly remembering all the other problems they needed to face.

"Right," Paul swallowed. 'God what are we even supposed to talk about first? My mother or Sonny killing people?'

Sonny squeezed tightly to Will, legs tangled together with Paul's, before letting go and sitting up. 'OK you can do this.'

Pulling away from Paul Will scooted over until he was sitting up against the headboard. Putting his glasses back on and crossing his arms Will didn't know what to say. Didn't know who he wanted to hear from first.

As the awkward silence surrounded them Paul clenched his hands and practically shouted, "I'm a giant douchebag who was too afraid my mom wouldn't understand us so I kept you a secret. I'm sorry, OK. I know I shouldn't have. I know you deserved better."

Blinking in surprise, not expecting Paul to yell at him, Will frowned, "You know saying you're afraid to tell her makes it sound like I'm something that should be a secret."

"That's not," Paul looked distressed, "That isn't true. I don't think you're something to be kept secret. I know that I should have told her immediately. I just, I just didn't."

"But why," Will wrapped his arms further around himself. "I don't get it. Everyone here knows. Why wouldn't you tell her?"

"Because she wouldn't understand," Paul tried to explain. "She can barely wrap her head around people knowing that I'm gay. That I wanted people to know I'm gay. And I knew if I told her about us, about you, she wouldn't get it. That she'd get the wrong idea."

Will grumbled, "Like she thinks right now because you didn't tell her."

"I, yeah," Paul said slowly, knowing he wasn't explaining everything correctly.

"She thinks I'm some stupid whore and you didn't say anything," Will commented. "Neither of you did. She was screaming it at you and you didn't say a word."

"I was surprised," Paul defended. "She's never said anything like that before. I didn't know what to do."

"Someone was calling me a slut and you didn't know what to do," Will asked incredulously, getting upset.

"That's not what I meant," Paul shook his head, "I just, I was shocked and I couldn't think. You know I've always defended you before."

Will looked at his hands not knowing what to think, "Did you tell her after?" 'Please tell me she doesn't still think that.'

"Of course I did," Paul moved closer to Will, putting his hand on Will's foot, "I told her everything about how I was feeling from when I met you until now. Well not everything, nothing about the dangerous parts, but about our relationship. I told her I loved you."

"Why didn't you just tell her that in the first place," Will sighed, "Why couldn't you just say that?"

"She read the article," Paul admitted, "And I didn't know how to set her right. She wouldn't give me the opportunity. Every time I tried she would interrupt me and I couldn't get her to listen."

Sonny, who had been silent throughout the discussion, moved closer and said, "Tori's not understanding like our mom's about being gay. She didn't want Paul to come out at all. Something like this wouldn't ever cross her mind. She wouldn't understand."

Looking at Sonny Will remembered that Sonny wasn't surprised by Tori's presence. That Sonny seemed to know that Tori didn't know about Will. 'So Sonny must have kept me a secret too.'

Averting his gaze, picking at the blanket underneath him, Will asked, "Then why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let me know that I was a secret?"

"I was going to," Paul insisted, "I promise. I just hadn't found the right time."

"The right time would have been when you didn't tell her the truth," Will shot back, nibbling his lip. "At least that way I wouldn't have had your mother screaming at me this afternoon while I was trying to sleep. Why would you put me in that position?"

"I didn't know she would be here," Paul confessed before realizing that wasn't exactly helpful. "I was going to tell you but everything with the hospital and Stefano and Chad and I didn't want to upset you even more. I know that doesn't excuse what I did. I just want you to understand."

'Maybe I get why Paul did what he did but that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt.' "Do you wanna know what you keeping me a secret makes me feel like," Will sighed closing his eyes.

"What," Paul asked quietly. He hated seeing that insecure expression on Will's face. He hated that his actions put it there in the first place.

"It makes me feel like everything that everyone says is true," Will confessed, lifting his knees to his chest, "That I'm just some stupid boy you two are playing with. That you're embarrassed to be with me. That what we have is something to be ashamed of."

Paul opened his mouth but nothing came out. He never wanted this to happen. He thought he had everything under control. That he could handle the situation. 'Why didn't I just tell my mom when she came to Common Grounds? Why did I care more about what she thought over Will's feelings?'

"I am so sorry, Will," Paul promised. "I swear I'm not ashamed of us. I'm not. I love you and I don't care who knows that I love you."

"Except your mom," Will mumbled under his breath. His eyes were scrunched together. He knew the second he opened them and saw the expression on Paul's face he would cave. 'If he looks as sad as he sounds I won't be able to resist.' But Will didn't want to give in so easily this time. 'I'm allowed to be upset. I don't have to forgive him right away.'

Shaking his head Will couldn't help but think that Paul wasn't being entirely truthful. "I think a part of you must be ashamed," Will stated, "If what you said was true then you would have told your mom the truth. She said something about you lying to her so that must mean she asked you about the article. So you actively lied to her. If you weren't ashamed of me then you would have told her."

"That's not," Paul started to say before stopping and pressing his lips together. 'Oh god am I? Why is it so easy for everyone in Salem to know about our relationship but not my family?'

Sonny looked between Paul and Will frantically, "No that can't be right. Just because Paul didn't tell his mom doesn't mean he's embarrassed by our relationship. He's never done anything to make you or me think otherwise."

"Well what else am I supposed to think," Will demanded. "He, you, both of you," Will couldn't figure out what he wanted to say. Everything he was feeling was rattling around in his head and he couldn't decide what to say.

"You two spent so long trying to convince me that this was real," Will opened his eyes and gestured between the three of them. "That we were real. I've spent our entire relationship thinking that's what you thought too. But now I don't know."

"We are real," Sonny insisted heatedly. "You know how we feel about you."

Will shook his head, "If Paul can't tell his mom about me, if he's too embarrassed or afraid to, then how am I supposed to believe I'm anything."

"Shut up," Paul growled, face contorting in anguish, "I love you, both of you! And fine maybe I was too embarrassed to tell my mother about us but that isn't because of you. It's because of me. Because I know in her eyes I would be a giant disappointment." Paul put his head in his hands and continued, "I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted any of this to happen and I'm sorry. That's all I can say OK. I'm sorry."

"But why wouldn't you just tell me," Will asked meekly, deflating a bit under Paul's obvious grief. "Why wouldn't you explain it to me? I woke up and she was yelling at me and I didn't even understand half of what she was saying. I didn't even know who she was and she came inside and," Will blinked away tears, refusing to cry, "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want this to happen," Paul whispered, reaching forward slowly, giving Will plenty of time to push him away. Enveloping Will in his arms Paul rested the side of his face against the top of Will's head, "I didn't want to upset you. I know that I should have told you. Sonny kept telling me that I should tell you. It just never seemed like the right moment and I'm sorry."

Peeking his eyes out from behind Paul's arms Will looked at Sonny, "Why did Sonny know and I didn't?"

"I only knew because he was upset about it one day," Sonny admitted knowing Will wasn't going to be happy about it. "I told him he needed to tell you and his mom."

'He was upset about it and I didn't notice,' Will thought sagging in Paul's arms. 'Am I really that self-centered? Do I really make everything about me?'

Paul shook Will slightly in his arms, "Hey, whatever you're thinking you're wrong. This isn't your fault. It's my fault. I should have been honest with you and my mom. And I never should have dragged Sonny into my lie too."

"Why is she here," Will wondered out loud. "Why did she show up if you said you didn't know she was here?"

Paul winced slightly, "The other day you answered my phone and she freaked out. Since I didn't tell her about you she thought I was, um, cheating on Sonny with you. I told her to leave it alone and I ignored her calls for a day. And she showed up at Common Grounds this morning. I just needed a little bit longer to figure out how to explain everything to her. I told her to meet at the apartment. I thought you were still with Neil and Brian. I wouldn't have sent her there if you were in bed."

"OK," Will could understand that a bit. 'He didn't mean for everything to happen like this.' Will could appreciate that everything was a series of unfortunate coincidences today but he was still upset. 'Paul still didn't tell me the truth. After I've been honest with them about everything.'

Watching Will's face process everything Paul had said, Sonny knew it was his time to explain his actions. He didn't even know exactly what Will knew, what Stefano could have told him or even how Stefano knew about it at all. 'I promised myself I would tell them the truth so I'm going to.'

Clearing his throat Sonny said, "I need to tell you the truth about a few things."

Will pulled away from Paul to stare at Sonny. 'Oh god, I almost forgot about what Sonny did.'

Paul, sitting next to Will on the bed, faced Sonny and crossed his arms, 'How could this have happened?'

Taking a deep breath Sonny started explaining, "After I overheard T that day I couldn't get it out of my head that he hurt you. That he helped Ian hurt you. We saw him in the hospital and he knew Ian was going to hurt you and he didn't bother to say anything."

Will tried to keep an open mind. 'Sonny understood when I told him I shot EJ. I can at least try to understand this.'

"I just kept wondering, you know," Sonny bit the inside of his cheek, "About it all. We already suspected Stefano was involved somehow and I didn't want you to go through anything else ever again. I just wanted him to go away so he couldn't bother you, us."

"You wanted him to go away so you plotted to murder him," Paul asked feeling completely stunned. 'Sonny's never acted this way before. He's never given any indication that he could think like this.'

"No," Sonny shook his head, moving so he was sitting on his knees on the bed, fists balled against his lap, "No that isn't." Sighing heavily Sonny said, "I knew that what I was thinking was dangerous but I was desperate. So I went to the only other person I knew who could possibly feel the same way."

"EJ," Will stated blankly. 'How could they both do this? Why would they?'

Sonny nodded, "Yeah. I asked him to meet me at work one day. And I told him that I wanted T taken care of. I didn't specifically say to kill him I swear." Flaring his nostrils Sonny looked at the blanket, "But I didn't say not to either."

Paul looked at Sonny like he'd never seen him before.

Will put his hand over his mouth and blinked several times. He wasn't sure what to think. "Did you, how, do you even feel bad about what you did," Will finally settled on.

Sonny rolled his bottom lip between his teeth and shook his head, "I'm sorry that it hurt you but I'm not sorry T's dead."

"How can you not be sorry," Paul demanded, "Because of you someone is dead!"

"Because he hurt Will," Sonny defended, "And from the conversation I overheard someone, probably Stefano, wanted him to do it again. I'm not proud of it but I did what I thought was best."

"How is that what's best," Will cried, "You, you don't get to decide who gets to live and who gets to die. That isn't, that's not who you are Sonny."

"I didn't think so either," Sonny admitted, "But I did what I thought was necessary. I asked EJ and he agreed with me. It wasn't like I went out and did it myself."

"No," Paul shook his head, "No what you did was much worse. God, did you even think about the consequences? What EJ could have done with that information? You know what kind of person he is."

"What does that mean," Will rounded on Paul and asked loudly, "What are you even saying?"

"I know you love him Will," Paul dismissed, "But even you can see that eventually he was going to hold that over Sonny's head somehow. That he was going to use what Sonny did against him."

"How could he do that," Will argued, "When EJ's the one who killed him in the first place?"

"Technically," Sonny interrupted, "EJ did threaten to tell you," Sonny looked at Will, "If I made you unhappy again like you were earlier in the week. But I think it was kind of an empty threat since he would have to confess to murder."

"EJ wasn't the problem," Will insisted, shooting Paul a sharp look, "Stefano was the problem because he found out and he's going to go to the police."

"Stefano is dead," Sonny reminded Will gently, "He can't do anything now."

"Oh, right," Will lost some of his gumption. 'I had almost forgotten.'

Remembering what Stefano had said before he died Paul asked, "How did you know about what Sonny and EJ did about T? Did Stefano tell you?"

Will nodded slowly, crossing his arms, his sock covered feet digging into the bed. "He showed me some evidence," Will told them gently, "He said that if I didn't do what he wanted he was going to send everyone to jail-Sonny, EJ, Neil, Brian."

"Neil and Brian," Paul wrinkled his nose, "What the hell do they have to do with anything?"

"They saw EJ on his way out of the dorm," Will sighed, "I don't know how the police didn't think to look at the security footage outside the building. It showed Neil and Brian looking at EJ. You can't exactly see his face but I know it was him."

"Right," Paul said suddenly, recalling the conversation they had with Neil and Brian after Will got out of the hospital. 'Fuck we have been keeping so many things from Will, haven't we?'

"Wait," Sonny shuffled closer, "You were going to go along with Stefano's plan just to keep us out of trouble?" Seeing Will nod Sonny reached forward and yanked Will against him, "Don't ever do something that stupid again. Will, do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

"I wasn't going to let any of you go to prison," Will defended, a bit shocked by Sonny's behavior.

"Prison is nothing compared to that," Sonny reasoned clutching Will against him. "What was he even going to do to you?"

Trying to push away but giving up when Sonny refused to let go, Will stated, "He didn't really say. He just kept going on about how he was going to change the way I think. And that I had to listen to Chad's instructions."

"He said you were leaving tonight," Paul remembered, putting his hand on Will's back, "Where were you going?"

"I guess wherever Ian was supposed to take me," Will wasn't entirely sure. "Somewhere to brainwash me I suppose." Closing his eyes again Will relaxed against Sonny.

"Will," Paul pleaded, "If that ever happens again, if someone ever threatens or blackmails you again you have to make sure you don't give in. I don't care what they threaten to do you aren't going with anyone or doing anything you don't want to."

"I wasn't going to," Will disclosed. "That's why I opened the window. I thought I was going to have to jump out to get away from him."

"You're afraid of heights," Sonny said plainly.

"I know," Will shuddered a bit thinking about having to fall to the ground. "But it was better than going with Stefano. I thought if I could get away then I could find EJ and he could do something."

"We're getting sidetracked," Paul reminded them, "Sonny," he caught his boyfriend's eye, "Just explain it to us again."

"I wanted to make sure Will was safe, that everything was really over," Sonny looked into Paul's eye and crushed Will against him, "I didn't want anything to happen again. So I went to EJ and he agreed. I didn't ask for any details. I didn't care that I had put myself into his debt."

"But that's not everything," Sonny closed his eyes. 'This might be what really puts Will over the edge,' "Gabi wasn't actually an accident."

"How could she not be an accident," Will yanked away from Sonny and Paul both, scurrying over to the edge of the bed. "It was a car accident. The word accident pretty much says it all."

"I don't know how," Sonny tried to get Will to understand, "I just, I know Chad and EJ were thinking about dealing with her the same way T was dealt with. I don't know maybe it was just a coincidence but I don't think so."

Will slouched on the end of the bed, back curved over, 'How could this have happened?'

"I don't want to keep anything else from you," Sonny confessed, "That's the only reason I'm telling you. I don't want you to think I left anything out on purpose."

"What if it was just an accident, just a coincidence," Will asked, "Like Stefano dying?"

"I don't think so," Paul shook his head slightly.

"You were with me when I found out about T," Will whispered suddenly, face downcast, "And Gabi. You held me and comforted me and you knew all along what happened."

"I, yes, I did but I didn't," Sonny started to say.

"No," Will shook his head, hair flopping around his forehead, "No. You sat there and told me everything was going to be alright. And you didn't want me getting so upset over it but how could I not? I thought everything was just an accident or a freak attack. How am I supposed to deal with knowing their deaths are my fault? They were killed because of me."

"But you're safe now," Sonny believed, voice full of conviction, "Everyone that was involved is gone and you're safe."

"How do you know that," Will asked, eyes watering, "How do you know that? What if I'm never going to be safe? Every time I think that something else happens. I just want it to be over."

Paul, crawling towards Will, "So do we. We just want you to be safe." Paul wasn't sure what to make of Sonny's confession. 'I want Will safe too but am I willing to kill someone for it?'

Paul tried to picture it. If he was the one with the gun tonight instead of Chad would he have pulled the trigger? 'Would I have killed someone to keep Will safe?'

Sonny rested his head on the back of Will's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to do what I thought was right."

"Why didn't you tell me," Paul questioned Sonny suddenly. "You knew how pissed off I was about you keeping the Chad thing from me why the hell didn't you at least tell me?"

"I-I didn't want anyone to know," Sonny said, feeling a bit shamed, "I knew it was dangerous. I didn't want you to known and be implicated."

"You helped plot to murder someone," Paul spat out, "And you didn't even tell me! We're supposed to be in this together. We're supposed to take care of Will together and you did this without consulting me."

Will, back facing his boyfriends, didn't know what to make of their arguing. 'Should I be offended by this too?'

"What was I supposed to do," Sonny yelled back, "I couldn't exactly tell you."

"You were supposed to not do something so stupid," Paul growled. "What were you thinking? If EJ was caught he was going to throw you under the bus. You could have gone to jail. Hell, you still could. What the hell happened to the bag of evidence?"

Sonny opened his mouth and closed it several times. 'What did happen to the evidence? Why was there evidence at all?' Running his hands over his face Sonny realized, 'Oh my god. I really could go to jail couldn't I?'

Paul glared at Sonny intensely until he saw the gentle tremble running along his shoulders. Paul shuffled closer and put his arm around Sonny and guided his head to Paul's chest. 'God, no wonder he freaked out before we got here. He was keeping such a dangerous secret.'

Will turned when he heard Sonny sniffling. He watched as Paul comforted Sonny feeling a bit odd. He wasn't certain he had ever seen Sonny breakdown before. While Will could appreciate the fact that Sonny was willing to protect him it was going to take a bit longer to wrap his head around how Sonny did it.

However he wasn't that upset that he couldn't comfort Sonny. Will wiggled against Sonny, holding onto him from behind. Kissing the top of his shoulder Will sighed, "It's OK."

"No it's not," Sonny denied, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's going to be alright eventually," Will offered not knowing what to say. Reminding himself of all the times Sonny or Paul comforted him Will just held Sonny tightly and placed kisses across his shoulders and neck.

"We're such a fucking mess," Sonny cried. "How did this even happen?"

"I don't know," Paul pushed one his hands into Sonny's hair at the base of his neck. "I don't know."

"It probably had something to do with the fact that you two aren't honest with me," Will pointed out quietly, voice muffled against Sonny's shirt. "When I always tell you the truth."

"Yeah," Sonny agreed. "That could be it."

EJ and Chad both stood up and shook hands with the doctor across from them. "Thank you," EJ stated as he picked up the death certificate.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sir," the man declared. "And you're certain you don't want an autopsy?"

"Our Father has a history of heart attacks and strokes," Chad said, voice low, "We just want to grieve in peace."

"Of course," the doctor nodded understandingly.

EJ and Chad walked towards the elevator and sighed. The nurses and employees were already gossiping and talking, entirely unsubtle looks being shot their way. Stepping inside the elevator EJ sighed, "We have to make sure everyone's story is straight."

"When we get back to the mansion we can call everyone together," Chad suggested. "Just to make sure."

As the elevator doors opened EJ rolled his eyes at who was waiting for them, "I'll talk to you in the morning. I'd like to spend this time with my family." Shouldering his way past Roman Brady EJ continued forward towards the exit.

Author's note:

I'd really like some feedback on this chapter. So please review if you can.

Thanks for reading!