Knock Knock Knock

"Come in," Will called lifting his hands from his bright red face. 'Oh god that was probably the hottest thing I've ever thought about.'

"Will," Sami said as she came into the room. Seeing Will in his pajamas made Sami smile slightly. She was certain she had purchased the set when he was still in high school. 'God he was so young and cute and precious,' Sami thought feeling a little misty eyed. 'Even if he did yell and scream at me all the time.'

"Mom," Will acknowledged sitting up and leaning against his headboard. He squinted slightly he wasn't wearing his glasses. He hadn't cleaned his glasses of the water marks from the rain yet. Will put his hand on the headboard, 'Why did I picture Sonny and Paul doing that to me in this room and not at home,' Will wondered hoping his mom couldn't tell what he had just done in the shower.

"Sweetie," Sami pressed her lips together and looked over her shoulder. Seeing EJ still hovering by the door Sami grabbed his hand and yanked him inside the room and closed the door. "There's something we need to talk to you about."

"What is it," Will questioned frowning slightly when he saw how red EJ's eyes looked. "What's wrong," Will asked automatically concerned.

Sami and EJ sat on the end of Will's bed. Sami didn't want Will to deal with this, not again. 'Not after today with the stupid newspaper and those stupid bitches. Not after everything Stefano put him through. He's been through enough.'

"We just want you to know," Sami started saying, "Because someone," she looked at EJ, "Is taking it very seriously that you gave him one more chance."

Taking his cue EJ cleared his throat and wiped underneath his eyes, "I watched the DVD my father left for you in his will." Seeing William's confused expression EJ laughed sadly, "Only it wasn't meant for you. It was meant for me."

"I don't get it," Will answered honestly. "I thought he left it for me?"

"He knew I would have taken it from you, that I wouldn't let you watch it. Father was talking to me in the video," EJ confessed, "Bragging actually."

"About what," Will asked getting a bad feeling. 'What could possibly be so bad that it made EJ cry?'

"You," Sami answered when she saw EJ turn away and look at one of the walls. EJ explained what he saw to Sami but he refused to let her see it. And as much as she hated when EJ made decisions without her she had to agree with him on this one. "Stefano, he was explaining what he was going to do to you if he took you."

"What," Will grabbed one of the pillows beside him and hugged it against his chest, "What was he going to do?"

"He said," EJ closed his eyes, unable to tell William this if he was looking at his face. 'The same face I've known for years. The same blue eyes that begged me to protect him from his boyfriends when they betrayed him. If I think of him as my son how do I keep failing him?' He couldn't keep going. He couldn't tell William this.

"Do you want to watch it," Sami suggested hating seeing EJ so emotional.

"No," EJ interrupted before William could answer. "No," EJ was never letting William see that or Samantha. 'They'll never be subjected to my father's face or voice again,' EJ vowed.

"He explained that he was only blackmailing you with the evidence we burned to get you to leave with him," EJ explained quickly. If he went fast he wouldn't have time to think. "He knew when you arrived that you would need more convincing."

"OK," Will moved a bit closer to EJ and his mom, still clinging to his pillow. "What, what was he going to do to convince me?"

EJ bit his lip, eyes watering again, "Do you remember," EJ began, "That night, downstairs with Ian?" EJ hated watching the flash of pain cross William and Samantha's faces. "How he knew things that you said because that Zach person had bugged the apartment you were in?"

Will nodded slowly something inside of him beginning to shrink in fear, "Yeah," he whispered.

"My fath- Stefano," EJ couldn't say that word anymore. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to call him that again. "He was going to force you to do everything he wanted because he overheard you with your boyfriends. He knew that you liked it when they gave you orders and directions. He wanted to force you to float about in your own head while he made you believe what he wanted."

Will's eyes widened as he stared at EJ while he tried to keep himself together.

"And," EJ finished, "He said that when you started to resist he was going to show you a recording of the night Ian kidnapped you. That way you were reminded of what he could do to you if you struggled."

"Oh," Will uttered head falling, chin resting against his chest. "There's a recording?"

"Somewhere," EJ reached out and put his hand on William's knee. "We'll find it. Wherever it is we'll find it and destroy it."

"So that's why those pictures were in the desk," Will felt his lips trembling again almost like he was back in the rain. "He wanted Chad, he wanted Chad to threaten me with that."

"Will," Sami put her hand on his other knee and squeezed, "It's not going to happen. He never took you anywhere and nothing is going to happen to you."

"How do you know," Will shook his head, knees moving closer to his chest, "He's dead and he's still making me feel like this. He had that announcement in the paper. He put those bodies in my house. Who knows what else he can do to me still? What he already had planned?"

"He won't do anything," EJ promised, "We'll figure it out, together. Whatever his next step would be we'll discover it and stop it in time."

"I don't want anyone to see that," Will buried his face in his knees, "This was supposed to be over."

"No one is going to see it," Sami assured Will, hating that this was still happening. 'How is Stefano always one step ahead of us?'

Will put his thumb to his mouth and traced the puckered skin where his scar was. If he closed his eyes he could still remember what it felt like, the knife dragging against his mouth, blood spilling down his chin as his head felt like it wasn't attached to his body.

"Will," Sami whispered, almost certain he didn't even realize he was speaking out loud. 'But we've never talked about this the three of us. Never like this.'

EJ reached for Samantha's hand and practically crushed it against him. He had seen the photo's having gone to William and Chad's house to destroy them. But it was different hearing William describe it; relive it right in front of his eyes.

Will closed his eyes tightly practically rocking back and forth. "I can still remember the sound of him tearing off my clothes, what it felt like when he sliced my back open. All the things he said. I'm not what he said. I'm not, I'm not."

"We know you're not sweetie," Sami didn't know if Will needed someone touching him right now but she wasn't going to deny herself. 'I'm his mother and I'm going to comfort him.' She reached out and pulled Will against her, letting him fall to the side and nestle against her chest.

"He said he wasn't going to touch me," Will opened his eyes and weakly looked at EJ, "But when he saw me he couldn't help himself. He was going to, he wanted to," Will couldn't say it. Didn't want to say it. "I don't want anyone to see that," Will sobbed out. "Don't let anyone see that."

"We won't," EJ grabbed William's hand. He turned his palm over. If he looked extremely hard he could see tiny little scars from where the shards of glass were pulled out. "We just need to think about what my father would do next," EJ tried to think but it was so hard. 'How am I supposed to concentrate when my son is going through this? But that's what he wanted that sick bastard. He wanted me to be so concerned about William that I wouldn't be able to see what was in front of my face.'

Will wiped his eyes and pulled away from his mother. 'Twenty minutes ago my biggest worry was wondering how to fit both Sonny and Paul inside of me. Oh,' Will blinked a few times, 'That's it.'

"Paul and Sonny," Will whispered wetly.

"You want us to call them," Sami tilted her head feeling a bit lost at Will's statement. She knew the three of them had a moment in the square but she didn't think Will would want them right now.

"No," Will shook his head, "What would Stefano do to make sure everything went the way he wanted it? Paul and Sonny. He knows they'd get in the way. He'd have to find somehow to keep them away from me."

EJ's eyes widened as he searched for his phone, "We need to get them over here, straight away."

Hearing a knock at the door Paul frowned when he saw a delivery man through the peephole. Opening the door and signing for the small package Paul called out, "Did you order something?"

"No," Sonny walked into the room rubbing his towel against his thick hair trying to dry it quicker.

Paul, reading the address, said, "It's to both of us." With a shrug Paul ripped open the tiny envelope and pulled out a DVD in a plastic case with a note attached to it.

"I hope this reminds you exactly what will happen next time you try to see me," Paul read the paper before looking at Sonny. "No signature."

Sonny glanced at it briefly before asking, "Do you think it's from Will?"

"I guess," Paul said before taking the disc and putting it in his Xbox. As he waited for it to load Paul sighed, "I wonder what it is?"

"I'm guessing it's not PG," Sonny commented as he read over the note once more and moved to the couch.

Paul smiled slightly, "He did send us that picture in my uniform the last time we were kind of broken up."

"He did," Sonny sat down closely to Paul, arms and legs brushing together. "And today he said something about not wanting to be his friend."

The DVD didn't bother with a menu screen or the need to push play it just simply began.

Paul pursed his lips, "It's kind of hard to see anything. Will's gonna need to work on his lighting for next time."

Sonny smacked Paul's chest and laughed slightly. 'But Paul's right, you can't really see anything.'

Suddenly a burst of light pierced the dark room on the TV screen. Sonny and Paul both frowned when they recognized the place. 'Why would Will be in our old studio,' Paul wondered before he saw Will stumbling inside followed by Ian.

"What the fuck is this," Sonny screamed jumping off of the couch and reaching for the Xbox controller jabbing at the back button repeatedly. "Why isn't it turning off?"

"I don't know," Paul shouted standing up and running to the machine only the eject button wasn't working. Paul glanced up at the screen again when he heard Will make a sound of protest. The volume was extremely low but with how close he was to the TV Paul could just barely make it out.

"Unplug it," Sonny demanded seeing Ian hitting Will in the side of the head. "Paul!"

Jerking away from the TV, blinking away tears, Paul pulled the stand out and yanked on the power cord just as Sonny put his hands to his mouth watching blood tumble down Will's face.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket Paul yanked it out and answered without looking to see who it was, "Hello?"

"If you get anything in the mail don't open it," EJ ordered over the phone frantically.

"Too late," Paul gulped loudly.

Sonny knocked on the door to Will's bedroom gently before walking inside Paul following behind him, Xbox in his arms. He smiled lightly at Sami and EJ before seeing Will, a bit surprised he was on the phone.

Paul looked around the room surprised to see it looked nothing like it did the last time he was in here. 'When did Will change this,' Paul wondered before putting his Xbox on the new desk.

Will's head was resting on a pillow on Sami's lap as she rubbed his temples. His headache had been getting better until he started crying and then it came back with a vengeance. Will kept his eyes closed, phone pressed to his head, as he listened to Wendy talking.

"Just keep breathing in and out Will," Wendy told him in a soothing voice. "Ian isn't there to hurt you. Wherever Ian is it's far, far away. No one is going to let him hurt you again. And no one is going to think differently about you even if they see what really happened."

"OK," Will whispered, fingers folded into fists, "OK."

"I know it's scary," Wendy continued, "But all that's left of him in your life are your memories. The only way he can hurt you now is if you let him. Do you want that?"

"No," Will shook his head, making it spin, "No, no."

"Then don't let him," Wendy smiled a bit, hearing how stubborn Will was in his inflection, "What happened doesn't control your life. It doesn't change who you are. What Ian tried to take from you, you aren't giving it to him now."

Will unclenched his fists, getting feeling back into his hands, "I'm not. I'm not giving him anything."

"That's right," Wendy encouraged, "No matter what happens you aren't going to let this get to you. It's OK to be upset for a while but you're strong now Will. You're going to wipe your tears, sit up and face everything that comes your way. Got it?"

"Yes," Will followed her directions wiping under his eyes and pulling away from his mom. He took a few deep breaths before saying, "Thank you."

"Of course," Wendy reassured him. "You know you can call me for anything. I'm glad you called me."

"I knew you were who I needed," Will informed her a bit shyly.

"And I can't tell you how proud I am that you recognized that," Wendy laughed in delight, "You've come such a long way."

"Thanks," Will smiled.

"I'm going to let you go now, Will," Wendy informed him. "You go talk with your family and call me if you need me."

"Bye," Will said before he hung up his phone. He ran his fingers through his hair before looking up almost startling when he realized Sonny and Paul were there. "Oh," Will mumbled.

"Hey," Sonny smiled at Will gently before sitting on the bed.

Paul sat down next to Sonny and took Will's hand. "Is your head hurting," Paul asked as he noticed the pinched look on Will's face.

"Yeah," Will nodded a bit, eyes squinting still. He turned to get his glasses and looked at EJ gratefully when Will saw him cleaning Will's glasses carefully.

"Here," EJ handed them over once he was certain they were spotless. He felt like there was nothing he could do to protect William. Every time he tried he ended up failing time and time again. 'At least I can help him this way,' EJ thought while crossing his arms.

"Thanks," Will smiled at EJ. Will could tell that EJ was taking this just about as hard as Will was.

"Did you bring it," EJ demanded looking at Narita.

"It's in the Xbox," Paul said as he got up and handed it over to EJ. "It wouldn't stop playing and I couldn't get it out."

"This came with it," Sonny handed over the note that was in the envelope. He didn't know how Will was able to be so calm about this all. He only saw a few moments from what Will went through and he was a wreck.

EJ read it over before handing it to Samantha and William. He closed his eyes and wiped his hands over them. 'When is this ever going to be over?'

Will, eyes blurry and head aching, looked at his mother and patted her hand when she read it to him.

Sami sighed as she tossed the note to the floor, not wanting it to touch Will's bed, "Why was it phrased like that?"

"What do you mean," Sonny asked Sami in a quiet voice. He couldn't stop replaying what he saw over and over again. His eyes kept trailing over the side of Will's head down to his mouth. 'How could someone do that to Will? How could Ian look at his face, his smile and wonder why Paul and I fell in love with him?"

"It's in the first-person," Will said, knowing what his mother was thinking, "Why would Stefano send a note that sounded like I wrote it?"

Paul put his hand on Will's bare ankle, just wanting to feel any bit of Will to know that he was really there. He cleared his throat, voice dry and scratchy, "It sounds like you're warning us to stay away, right? But why would you be the one to warn us and not Stefano?"

"Maybe he thought it would be more convincing if it came from Will," Sami tried to think of an explanation that made sense. 'But none of this makes sense. The entire situation is ridiculous. How do you even begin to analyze the way Stefano DiMera thinks?'

"It sounds like a follow-up," EJ pointed out, "I doubt it would have been the first time he would have made William talk to you about this."

"He knew I hadn't broken up with them," Will reminded everyone, "And he wanted me to leave the night," Will looked down at Paul's hand gently touching his skin, "The night he died. I'm sure he must have had things planned to convince everyone to stay away."

"That's true," Sami lifted her eyebrows and nodded, "He knew EJ and I would never rest until we got you back. No amount of blackmail or threats would have kept us away."

Will smiled to himself thinking about that. 'They would have chased me around the world trying to stop Stefano. They wouldn't have let anything happen to me. See? Stefano wouldn't have been able to do anything to you.'

"Just like I'm sure he knew Paul and I wouldn't have just accepted the fact that you left suddenly. Or that you came back married to Chad," Sonny decided.

"So," Paul continued from that idea, "He must have known the only way we would have stayed out of it would have been to keep you safe."

"Which would mean," EJ's brain was finally working through the sea of grief surrounding it, "That he sent the DVD, pretending to be William, so that the two of you would think William was afraid. That doesn't sound right."

"Why would Stefano want them to think I was being threatened," Will asked, "Wouldn't he be trying to convince them that I was happy and doing what I wanted?"

"Well none of us would have bought that," Paul practically snorted. "We all know you. And even if we thought you ran away with Chad," Paul rolled his eyes, "We would know you would never come back from a trip suddenly doing everything Stefano wanted."

"Plus," Sonny reminded everyone, "He told us that he was blackmailing you to make you leave. If you came back different," Sonny reached out for Will's hand, "We would know it was because of him."

"Which would mean," Sami shook her head, "He sent you that to prevent you from doing anything to stop Stefano. If you tried to interfere he would have done something like that again," Sami looked down at the bed, "To Will."

Will shivered slightly but remembered what Wendy had just told him, 'I'm strong now and I'm not going to let what happened rule my life.' But Will couldn't help but be curious, "Would he really have done that to me, again?"

EJ set his jaw and nodded, "Yes he probably would have."

"If I didn't do what he wanted," Will stated quietly. Taking a few more deep breaths Will said, "I guess now we need to find out what happens next."

"Well I took care of the idiotic announcement," Sami huffed before rubbing at a scratch along her jaw. "And I'm sure," Sami added with a blank face, "That I might have caused a bit of a distraction today in the square."

"A bit of a distraction," Paul asked incredulously, "I still can't even get ahold of my mother after what you did to her."

"What's this," EJ questioned, having not heard about the fight, "What distraction are you talking about?"

"Uh," Sami twirled her hair around her fingers, trying to play dumb, "I might have gotten into a tiny little fight."

EJ looked at Samantha unimpressed, "How tiny is tiny?"

Sonny pulled out his phone, fiddling around with it until he found what he was looking for, "It's already online. You tell us," he handed his phone over to EJ.

EJ, watching the recording didn't know if he should be upset or proud over watching Samantha attacking Adrienne Kiriakis and who he knew from his research to be Tori Narita.

"I suppose it's about time someone other than me knows what it feels like to get slapped by you," EJ said with a shake of his head before handing the phone back over. "I get the feeling I don't need to ask what you were fighting over."

"What does everyone ever fight over these days," Will commented in a bored tone. "But I wanna see that video," he held out his hand and smiled when Sonny gave over his phone.

Will watched the video and couldn't help from giggling a bit. He didn't like seeing his mother reacting so violently but it was almost too ridiculous not to laugh. "What did she even say to make you tackle her," Will glanced at his mom.

Sami gazed at Will fondly. She loved seeing that he wasn't so affected by everything, that Will could and would bounce back quickly. But that didn't mean she wanted Will to know anything that dreadful woman said about him, 'Or EJ or me,' Sami thought.

"It wasn't true and it made me mad," Sami replied, "That's all you need to know."

"Are you sure it's not something I should know about," Will tilted his head and looked at her strangely.

"Well," Sami bit her lip nervously and played with the various necklaces she was wearing, "You know how I have that habit of opening my big mouth and saying things I shouldn't?"

"Yes," Will and EJ answered together.

"I might have yelled at Paul's mother a few things I shouldn't have," Sami explained, "And since you know that I get pretty loud," Sami added, "Everyone nearby probably heard it."

"So everyone probably knows whatever it is," Will wasn't sure how to feel about that. Judging by the guilty look on his mom's face he knew it wasn't going to be anything good. "Alright, what did you blab about?"

"Well they both made me mad right," Sami glanced at Paul and Sonny briefly, vaguely wondering how much that fight was going to change everyone's relationship, "And they were rambling on about how you were purposely trying to ruin Sonny and Paul's relationship. So, um, I said a lot of words but some of them might have been something along the lines of Paul touching you in your sleep."

Will blinked at his mother before throwing himself on the bed, head brushing EJ's lap, covering his face with his arm. "Ugh," he groaned. 'I thought I was done with that and with Ian. Why isn't anyone letting me forget and move on?'

Paul's entire body slumped, face falling. He didn't want anyone to know what he did to Will and by extension of that Sonny. 'We're passed that now. It isn't supposed to matter anymore. And now the entire town might know and my mother? God, what is everyone going to think of me?'

"What else did you say," Sonny couldn't stop himself from asking, needing to know that there wasn't anymore. 'Please tell me you didn't air any more of our dirty laundry.'

"Well not really," Sami admitted, "Paul's Mom said that Will wanted whatever Paul did to him and then said something about him sleeping with Chad and EJ and I kind of blacked out from rage at that point."

EJ pushed William's hair off of his forehead and looked over his features. He knew if he looked at William's boyfriends he would say something that would get him in trouble.

"If anything comes of it we'll deal with it," EJ explained, "Just say that everyone misheard, something. We'll do damage control."

Will moved his arm and looked up at EJ, "Thanks. I'm sorry you're always having to deal with my messes."

"Very few of your messes recently have been of your own making," EJ reminded William, giving him a tight smile. "For once in your life," EJ ended with.

Will wrinkled his nose before sitting up again, "Gee thanks."

Will looked over at Paul and pressed his lips together when he saw the expression on his face. Will didn't want anyone to know what happened between them, not the truth. 'It was bad enough when everyone thought I was the slut going after Sonny and Paul. What's everyone going to think if they hear the truth?'

'Maybe Wendy was right,' Will thought, folding his arms across his chest, 'Maybe I'm not completely over everything with Paul.' Will poked Paul in the thigh with his foot and smiled at him, wanting Paul to know he was still there with him.

Taking a deep breath Will stated, "On the bright side though no one ever believes Mom so they'll probably think she's violent and crazy again."

Sami rolled her eyes at Will before conceding, "For once my lying and scheming might actually benefit someone."

"Potentially," EJ shook his head, "We don't know for sure yet or not. I think we need to prepare for the worst."

"I don't want to make a big deal about this," Will started to say.

"It is a big deal," EJ insisted. "We need to figure out everything that might happen next and even after that. Rumors are the least of my concerns, William. We have all taken for granted the fact that he's dead. I've taken that for granted."

Seeing the frantic way EJ was staring at him, the familiar glint in his eyes made Will feel a bit concerned.

"I think I'll go see what the kids are doing," Sami said sensing that EJ and Will needed to speak alone.

"We'll figure out something for dinner," Sonny replied after Sami. Sonny pulled on Paul's hand until he was off the bed and following him.

"Why are you freaking out about this so badly," Will questioned EJ once they were alone.

"Because I haven't been able to do anything right," EJ shook his head, face twisted. "I couldn't keep you away from those idiots," EJ waved his hand at the door Kiriakis and Narita just exited, "I couldn't keep that article from being published. I couldn't prevent what happened with Ian the first time. I was completely useless when he was holding you at gunpoint. I apparently couldn't even properly dispose of Ian's body. There hasn't been a single thing that I could do to help you."

Will stared at EJ feeling horrified, "That isn't true. You've been there for me throughout everything. I don't think you haven't done anything."

"Well it's what I think," EJ muttered darkly. "I haven't done enough. I should have been able to fix everything and it's still happening. I should have been the one to take care of Ian."

"Is that why you did what you did with T and Gabi," Will whispered reaching out to touch EJ's hand. "Because of what happened that night?"

EJ crossed his arms and said nothing.

"I understand you know," Will continued, "Why you didn't shoot him, why you couldn't."

"I should have been able to," EJ insisted, "I should have been able to do anything I needed to, no matter the risks."

"You didn't want to hurt me," Will argued, "I knew it then and I know it now."

"Someone was threatening you and I couldn't do it," EJ closed his eyes, "If I wasn't so distracted and worried when it came to you I would be able to prevent these things from happening."

"There isn't anything you could do to stop these things," Will countered. "And I wouldn't want you to have killed Ian. I can barely stand knowing what Stefano did. I wouldn't be able to deal if you would have done it."

"The only reason I didn't do it was because I'm too soft," EJ gritted his teeth, "I see something bad happening to you and it clouds my judgement. My fath-Stefano was right. I couldn't be what he needed."

Will thought he had an idea of what EJ was talking about. 'Stefano must have really left an impression on that DVD.'

"EJ," Will said loudly and firmly, "I don't want you to be like Stefano or be what he wanted you to be. I want you to be you."

"Well, being me is not good enough," EJ growled.

Will cut him off, "Yes it is. I told you, you didn't have to be like him. And I don't want you to be like him. If he had his way you would do things like this," Will reached out for the Xbox. "Is that the type of person you want to be?"

"That isn't," EJ started to say.

"You've done a lot of horrible things," Will interrupted, "And maybe a normal person and family wouldn't get that but we do. My mom and I and the kids when they get older," Will shrugged, "They'll understand. Maybe I didn't get it when I was younger but I do now. The difference between you and Stefano is simple. Everything you do is for us, for your family, to protect us. And most of the time the way you go about it doesn't make sense and is completely crazy but it's true, isn't it?"

EJ looked away from William. He didn't want reassurances or comfort. 'If I had been what Stefano wanted he might not have gone after William or Chad.'

"You wouldn't do anything to hurt us anymore," Will continued even when EJ turned away. Will moved on his knees closer to EJ, "And you've been there for me through everything. We've talked more about it all than I have with anyone. You listen to me and you don't make me feel bad about myself.

"You've been a better father to me than my own," Will confessed, "And I don't want you to change or be like anyone else. I just want you to be you."

EJ bit the inside of his cheek harshly, trying not to react. However when William wrapped his arms around his shoulder and hugged him EJ sighed and pulled him in close.

"I don't want anything else to happen to you," EJ declared. "I just want you to be happy."

"And I'm going to be," Will acknowledged. "I'm working on it. And eventually all of this is going to be behind us and it will just be something else we've dealt with."

EJ nodded and squeezed William against him.

"And I think you need a break," Will told EJ, "You're going to crack one of these days. Maybe you and Mom should go away for the weekend. I could watch over the kids."

"No," EJ shook his head, "No breaks until this is over."

"EJ," Will complained, "It's just a few days."

"No William," EJ pushed William away slowly, "The last time I took a day off do you know what happened?"

"No," Will watched as EJ got off the bed and walked to the door, Xbox in his arms.

"My last day off I spent here at home in bed with your mother," EJ informed Will as he stopped inside the doorway. "I didn't want to be bothered with anything. So I didn't answer several phone calls. I was too busy to answer the phone call informing me that you were kidnapped. I'm not risking that again."

Will collapsed against his pillows stomach full, head only pounding slightly. 'I guess it's a good thing that my headaches aren't as bad now,' Will thought as he rubbed against his forehead.

Sonny lied on his stomach next to Will. He wasn't certain if it would be appropriate to pull Will against him closely if they were still on a break.

Paul sat on Will's other side. He had been unusually quiet ever since Sami admitted to publically telling everyone what he did. Paul had thought that incident was behind them. 'But the way Will reacted makes me think it's not,' Paul stared at Will carefully.

Will opened his eyes and caught Paul's eyes. Will smiled a bit knowing that Paul had something on his mind, "What is it?"

Paul licked his lips, "When you said you forgave me right before you said you loved me for the first time," Paul took a deep breath, "Did you mean it?"

'I should have known this was coming,' Will sat up criss-crossing his legs. 'And I'm going to be as honest as I can be,' Will promised himself.

"I do forgive you for that," Will reassured Paul. "And I haven't really thought about it at all until recently."

"Recently," Sonny asked as he sat up as well. "What does that mean?"

"Well," Will licked along his scarred lips, "I talked to Wendy about it at my last session." Will didn't particularly want to reveal it was because of Sonny, 'He didn't mean to tell her that.' "And she gave me a lot to think about."

"Like what," Paul quietly questioned feeling a bit terrified.

"I told her that I had forgiven you and I know that I do," Will started explaining, "But she started to make me wonder if I might have been kind of holding it against you a bit unconsciously."

"Have you," Paul felt a bit terrified. 'I did that to him and then I tossed him aside last week. He's probably always going to be afraid of me.'

Will bit his lip and fiddled with his bracelet, "Maybe," Will whispered. When he saw Paul's eyes widen and his mouth open Will reached out to take his hand, practically having to fight him for it, "Stop it. Just, I didn't even think that I was but it makes some sense."

Sonny saw how freaked out Paul was and he could understand. Sonny didn't even realize that this was still bothering Will. 'But it makes sense with everything going on. He obviously wouldn't just get over it overnight. I didn't get over what Paul did that easily.'

"Then what do you mean," Paul shook his head, trying to get Will to let go of his hand so he could move away.

"Just," Will crawled over Paul's legs and sat on them so he wouldn't move. Maybe it was a bit childish but Will needed him to be close to hear this. He needed both Paul and Sonny close to help him figure out his head.

Will gestured for Sonny to move closer to them, "I don't sit around thinking about it. And I don't shy away from you or don't want to touch you. But sometimes," Will bit his lip, having a hard time expressing himself, "Sometimes when I want someone to comfort me I go to Sonny and not you and maybe that's related."

"Because you think I'm going to hurt you," Paul asked looking at Will with a sad expression, legs tingling where Will was practically crushing them.

"No," Will sighed, trying to find the right thing to say, "I don't think you're going to hurt me. I don't think you ever wanted to hurt me either. Then or, or last week."

"What do you mean then," Sonny put one hand on Will's back and the other on Paul's thigh.

"I don't know," Will admitted, "I just know that I've been with you," Will glanced at Sonny, "Twice and the only time I was with just Paul I can't remember."

"OK," Paul held his breath a little. His mind immediately went to the day before Thanksgiving when he found Will and Sonny on the couch. He thought he had done the right thing by not questioning what was happening. 'I didn't even think that there was anything to worry about. I thought Will went to Sonny because he was there. I didn't think it was because it was Sonny.'

"And I don't know if that's on purpose or not," Will added. "I never thought about it or realized it."

"Well," Sonny rubbed up and down Will's back, "What did Wendy tell you to do?"

"She said I should have sex with Paul," Will said simply.

Paul lifted his eyebrows in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah," Will laughed a bit. "I was pretty surprised too."

Sonny smiled a bit, "Alright are you two ready to go now?"

Paul rolled his eyes, "Sure thing just go downstairs and wait for us to finish."

"Excuse you," Will smacked both Paul and Sonny's arms. "If you're here for sex you're waiting at least until tomorrow."

"Oh really," Sonny grinned, "That a hint about what your decision?"

"I didn't say that," Will teased. "I haven't made any decisions yet. I've got time."

"Is that so, huh," Paul pulled his legs out from under Will and made Will flail about, "I thought you didn't want to be our friend?"

Flopping to the bed Will laughed, "Maybe I'll just get rid of you altogether. Start over with some new boyfriends."

"Oh yeah," Sonny reached out and tickled Will's stomach, "You gonna hold auditions?"

"Yep," Will rolled around dodging Paul's hands too. "I think this time around I want some blondes. I've had my fill of brunettes."

Gasping in mock outrage Sonny grabbed Will's ankles and started attacking his feet.

"I don't think that many blondes is gonna work out," Paul teased, "You might not be able to figure out what to do when you're together."

Will kicked out at Paul in retaliation for that, "I guess I'll have to keep you around then to make sure my new guys know what to do."

"You want us to mentor your new boyfriends huh," Sonny laughed.

"Yep," Will nodded with a grin, "Give them a nice demonstration of what to do."

"What happens if you realize halfway through that you don't even need the blondes, huh," Paul pulled Will against him.

"Then they can just watch," Will relaxed against Paul as he dragged Sonny with him. "And enjoy."

"We're the only ones that need a hot blonde anyway," Sonny smiled as he rested his head on Will's chest.

The three of them relaxed against each other comfortably for a few minutes enjoying each other's presence.

Will, eyes closed, asked, "How much of that video did you watch?"

"Not much," Paul told Will. "As soon as we figured out what we were watching we tried to turn it off."

"We only saw up until this," Sonny thumbed across Will's mouth. "I don't know how you went through that babe. How you haven't stumbled by now?"

"I have a lot of support," Will stated trying not to think about everything that's happened.

"We won't leave you alone again," Paul promised. "We won't let you go through anything even if it's just as your friends."

"I know," Will said. 'I do know. I trust them.'

"We should probably get ready to leave," Sonny said after another few quiet moments. "The weather's probably getting pretty bad now."

"OK," Will nodded as he watched Sonny and Paul get up.

Will looked out the window in his bedroom that he once considered jumping out of. With the light from his bedroom and from the shine of the moon Will could see that the weather had turned from a blustery rain to delicate snowflakes.

'Sonny and Paul shouldn't be out this late, driving in this weather,' Will thought suddenly. He rushed to his bed and found his phone hoping he wouldn't be too late.

"Hello," Sonny answered feeling a bit confused when he saw Will's name. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to go," Will replied in a quiet voice. "Please come back."

Trying to keep the smile out of his voice Sonny, reaching out to put his hand on Paul's arm, "OK, babe, we'll be right there."

Author's note:

I think Sonny and Paul actually seeing a bit of what happened to Will really cemented how tossing him aside when he needed them was wrong. Do you think they're ready to get back together?

What do you think is going to happen regarding Sami blurting out what Paul did to Will?

Thanks for reading and please review.

Up next: Will makes his decision.