Summary: Alternate ending to "Bill Black" (Season 1, Episode 11) Will faces his worst nightmare and his new destiny

Disclaimer: This story is an amateur, not-for-profit publication produced solely for the enjoyment of other Will Trent fans and is not intended to infringe upon any rights by 3 Arts Entertainment, Selfish Mermaid, 20th Television, Karin Slaughter Publishing LLC, or anyone else.

EIGHT PINTS

He shouldn't be there. But he couldn't stay away. He could feel the stares upon him like they were knives and tried not to flinch at the pain they inflicted. Keeping his head down, he wended his way through the small hallway crowded with far too many humans for comfort.

Looking up when he heard a noise, he immediately squeezed into a tiny space near the door as EMTs pushed a gurney through the opening. The man strapped to it was barely recognizable, his face badly bruised, his glasses cracked and askew, drying blood everywhere. Glancing away, he slipped inside the apartment.

"You shouldn't be here." He stopped before he ran into a man blocking his path. Michael Ormewood stood with his legs slightly apart, his arms crossed over his chest. Did the cop really believe he could keep him away?

"I have to see."

Ormewood nodded. "Yeah, I guess you do." He stepped aside and let him pass. "Just don't touch anything," the cop admonished.

Will stopped in his tracks when he saw her, lying face down on the floor, the kitchen knife protruding from her neck. He never truly realized how much blood the human body contained, and it was a stunning reminder as he saw the halo of blood circling her head on the ground around her.

"Oh, Ang." His legs trembled for a moment before collapsing and he went down hard on his knees.

Something softly touched his right shoulder. "I'm sorry, Will."

Angie's apology struck him like a punch, the air forced from his lungs. "Why?" he whispered once he caught his breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew you'd stop me," she replied, her voice cracking a little as she added, "I couldn't let him. . . She's fifteen, Will. Fifteen."

He bowed his head, remembering what had happened to her when she'd been fifteen.

"I couldn't let him," she repeated. "It would have been so much worse for her. She's not like me. . ."

"It was never your fault, Ang," he said. "You never deserved any of it."

"You're the only one who ever believed in me. The only one who ever loved me." Her fingers tensed on his shoulder. "I shouldn't have been such a bitch to you. I should have told you."

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he asked, "Told me what?"

"I love you, too, Will."

His vision blurred and he had to close his eyes. Hearing those words from her for the first time, now that they no longer mattered. . . Pain gripped him as tightly as her hand did.

"Hey, can you do something for me?

"Sure. Anything." He didn't care what she wanted him to do. He would do it. For her.

"Make sure Lenny pays for what he did," she said. "Not just for me, but for the others. All the other little girls whose lives he destroyed."

He opened his eyes and reached up to touch her hand. "I promise, Ang," he said solemnly. "I promise."

"And, Will, I want you to move on."

"Ang. . ."

"No, I need you to move on. I want you to be happy. Happier than you ever were with me. Please. . ."

"Ang. . ." How could he move on from the only woman he'd ever loved? He loved her from the first day he met her. She'd been his constant. His only lover. She would hold his heart until he took his dying breath.

"Please, do it for me, Will."

"Okay," he said. He wanted her to be happy too, and if he had to lie and promise the impossible, he'd do it. "For you, Ang."

"Thank you."

Her voice faded away and the weight lifted off his shoulder. He turned his head, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but she was gone. He felt dizzy, as he always did after one of these unexplainable "spells." He had to fight the urge to flip her onto her back, to look at her face one last time, not caring if he spoiled the crime scene.

Reaching out a his hand, a commotion at the door halted his intentions. He twisted around to see a tall woman in a white coat walk into the apartment. Her gaze swept the room before resting on him.

"You didn't touch her, did you?" she demanded, her green eyes flashing angrily even though her tone was calm.

"No, ma'am," he managed to choke out as he rose to his feet.

"Good," the woman said as she pulled out a pair of latex gloves from the large bag resting against her hip..

"Who are you?" he asked, guessing she must be a medical examiner. "Where's Pete?"

"On vacation. I'm covering for him until he gets back," she replied, answering his second question. Then she answered his first. "I'm Dr Sara Linton. Who are you?"

Author's note: This is my first Will Trent fic! I've written fics for two other fandoms so I'm not new to writing fanfic, been writing since 1993, posting since 2003. I've been thinking of writing this since this episode first aired and listening to the Franz Ferdinand song "The Academy Award" (over 100 times!) has been inspirational, especially the last verse. I absolutely love this show and the books as well and hope you will enjoy this story. Thanks for reading!