Title: Phoenix, Chapter Twenty-Four
Author: Inca
Feedback: And I'll go on a trip with you- [email protected]
Rating NC17
AU Liam/William
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, I just like to play with them
Spoilers: AU
Summary: Risen from the ashes, as an Angel




***




Wilthos and William stared at each other a little bright flickers of
eternity and time flashed past at blinding speed. Will broke the
gaze first and stared down at himself, blinking and feeling like he
couldn't breathe, knowing that he couldn't move.

((I didn't lock the door.))

Liam was still breathing heavily, sitting calmly on his thighs,
watching Wilthos with vague interest.

"Liam. Go into the room, now." Wiltho's said, dangerously quiet.

((I didn't lock the door.))

Liam looked a little hurt at the tone but he stood, disengaging
himself from Will with a whimper and trotted towards the office
bedroom. Will couldn't look at the way his come spilled out and
started to slide down Liam's thighs. He couldn't think of anything.
His mind was a vacuum. It was a nightmare. The worst nightmare. And
he was completely naked, which was astoundingly accurate.

Liam stopped at the closed door, staring at it, waiting patiently
for it to open. Will inwardly groaned. He slid to his knees and
tugged his jeans on, somehow believing if he were at least partially
clothed, the situation would improve.

Wilthos silently made his way across the room and opened the door
for him, closing it with a slam after he had trotted inside. He
glared at the ground, found Liam's uniform hanging half off the
coffee table, picked it up and silently opened the door passing it
to him.

He slammed the door on Liam's happy `thankyou' and turned around,
glaring eyes with burning righteousness.

Will stared down at himself quickly, still blinking and still
feeling like the air was being sucked out of his lungs. Wiltho's
walked up towards him, making little sounds of shock, cackling out
spurts of disbelieving laughter.

This was the moment. Will had pushed and pushed until the last
thread of his luck had snapped and flailed uselessly. A crying jag
suddenly pushed at the back of his eyes, but he managed to tamp it
down.
He risked a glance up at Wilthos and saw him shaking his head with
his eyes closed, like it was all too much.

"What are you doing!" Wilthos finally asked, still shaking his head,
his eyes bugging out. "You … You…!"

Will hung his head and slid down onto the chair, trying to find
comfort. He didn't want to cry or yell but everything was building
up. He was scared and humiliated and ashamed. It was all too much.

"I cannot even express how … utterly astounded! I am! By … this…
this…!"

Will bit his tongue to keep from saying anything and looked
furtively for his shirt. He realised his hand come on his belly. He
breathlessly tried to wipe it off, his face burning.

"This is the most, depraved, sickening, abuse of position I have
ever seen!"

Will couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're disgusting! You … take advantage … Liam trusts you …"
his mouth hung open, as he glared down with furious eyes.

Will winced with every word.

"Never in my … forty eight years of treating patients have I ever
seen … you better pray, Will, you better!"

Will grabbed his shirt and tugged it on. "I care for him, I trul–"

"I don't want to hear it. You disgust me." He spat out the words
like they were acidic.

Will studied the floor. He couldn't look up. He couldn't. He
couldn't speak, his tongue felt heavy and rubbery. He wanted to melt
away.

Wilthos' laughed bitterly. "That conference … in England? You took
him there as some sort of sexual toy to … use and … and … and
degrade, didn't you?! And I, I let you! Me! ME!" He yelled.

"I never used Liam!" he barked back, raising his eyes to the
opposite couch, couldn't face those eyes. He needed him to
understand, to say it was alright and that he got it, that it can
happen. "Never! We care about each other!"

"I think we both know what you care about." He said quietly,
waspishly.

Will clenched his jaw trying not to scream back at him. He blinked
furiously. "What you have done to Liam is not only unethical, it's
wretched. And don't think I wont use my full weight to make sure you
are put away somewhere you can never … prey! On the vulnerable ever
again! I'm taking Liam and I'll send someone to deal with you." He
growled out that last word with so much repugnance, like he was
talking to some murderous leper.

Will's face crumpled for a moment, but he regained his composure.
They were taking him away. He'd never see Liam again, and that was
that. And it was all moving so fast.

"Liam!" Wilthos yelled.

Why does it all have to go so fast! Wilthos was already taking him
away He was never going to see him again.

He didn't come through the door. He was probably standing at the
other side. Will felt a tear well up on his bottom lid.

Wilthos marched over and opened up the door to reveal Liam, looking
scared. He was clothed now, and Will turned and smiled weakly at
him. He looked between the men warily and came forward a few steps,
like a scared dog.

He'd heard the yelling. Will wondered if he knew what was happening.

He hoped not.

"Will?" he questioned, eyes flicking between his and Wilthos' as the
man strode towards him.

"Come now, Liam. He won't hurt you anymore."

"Will doesn't hurt me. He loves me." Will's heart felt weightless
for a few moments. He smiled at him, brighter.

Wilthos shot a hateful look at Will that burned his cheeks. "He
doesn't love you. He's just cruel." He said, gripping onto Liam's
arm.

"No! Will loves me. Right?" He said, eyes searching Will's. Will
smiled, feeling like he wanted to fall into the foetal position and
never recover. It was better not to say it; Liam would get over it
in time that way.

This was torture.

This was the last time he was ever going to see him.

He looked up at him. Breathed in the long body covered by prison
blue. The tanned hands with long fingers worrying at the buttons.
Absorbed it all, with unblinking eyes, afraid he'd miss a detail.
The smooth neck, a dark line of black across it, straight strong jaw
and sharp cheekbones, dark straight eyebrows over darker eyes. Messy
sex hair, some sweated wet strands clinging to the skin beside his
ears.

Never again.

Never see him again. Or hear him talk, or sing, or purr. Never feel
his fingers, or run his own through the dark hair. The room went on
mute. Never feel the hot body against his own; never watch in awe as
he created something beautiful out of paint or graphite.

Will closed his eyes and pursed his lips against the dark sinking
feeling. He didn't want any tears. He didn't want to upset Liam.

Didn't want to remember their last hellish moments together, the
last look at Liam - to have him upset. 
The sound was traitorously back. "Will." Liam whimpered brokenly,
starting to cry as Wilthos lead him to the door.
He knew what was happening, and the thought made a tear roll down
his cheek. He could hear every hiccupping breath, every distressed
noise Liam was making as tried to get his arm away from Wilthos'
grip.
Liam…
He couldn't let him go, not without a word; everything would mean
nothing if he said nothing. Liam would remember his words. He
believed it.

"I love you baby, don't worry, everything will be fine." He babbled
before his brain caught up. "Be a good kitty for Daddy, yeah? Don't
worry, purr for me."

Liam's face brightened. A little. Tears still seeped out. And
Wiltho's shook his head, staring at Will like he was the Morning
Star. "Never in my life …"

Wilthos turned to drag Liam away forever and Will was overcome. By
the last year and the feelings that had arisen inside him, growing
up so much and hiding everything, talking to none and keeping the
weight of his life like baggage to carry every single day.

Liam was trying to turn around in the grip, was keeping distressed
eyes on him, pleading for help.

Scheming and plotting and adrenaline highs followed by lows so deep
he felt they would swallow him whole, like sinking into an open
grave and feeling the dirt thrown over him and fill his nostrils and
eyes and squeeze in through his clenched eyelids.

Wilthos was yelling at Will and at Liam, and Liam was crying and
saying his name over and over.

Falling in love with someone and now having them taken away, sobbing
and sad and helpless.

No.

Fire filled his heart and he would not let Liam go. Ever. He would
take care of him. They would live in that big house with the pool
and the yard and the stars. That was the only path. Letting Liam go
was not an option.

He'd die without him. He knew it.

He stood up slowly.

He'd die; part of who he was would be snuffed out and never re-lit.
He needed him.

He stalked over, yanked Liam out of the way and grabbed the back of
Wilthos' frail head in his hands. He heard the cry of protest as he
knocked it against the door with as much force as he could push into
his body. He felt the shudder, reverberation in his arms as Wilthos'
head slammed into the heavy wood. He did it over and over until
Wilthos slumped, soundless, his hands dragging down Liam's jumpsuit
as he fell to the floor.

"Will?" Liam mewled looking down at Wilthos, at the red, too red
forehead, the rising egg.

"Angel, baby, it's all good now. I love you so much." Liam stepped
over the still unconscious body and wrapped his arms around his
neck. He purred and laid a light peck on his lips.

Will was laughing maniacally inside. He'd knocked Wilthos
unconscious. Probably killed him.

"Okay, sweets I want you to go back to your room and pack up okay?
Don't talk to anyone. Just go back, and pack, alright? I'll come
soon."

((Did he really just say that?)) What the bloody hell…?

"Okay Daddy. Are we going away?" Liam asked, his tears drying up,
watching him as he dragged Wilthos away from the door.

"Yes."

((They were? Who was speaking out of his mouth?))

Liam disappeared after a meow and a fluttering of eyelashes and Will
dragged the unperceiving man into the bathroom. He leant down and
listened for breathing.
Still breathing. Faint and barely there, but still breathing.

He ran back to the bed and grabbed a couple of belts he and Liam
often `played' with and tied Wiltho's hands around the toilet,
strong and tight. Much tighter that he ever tied Liam.
He grabbed a sock and pushed it into Wiltho's mouth, praying he
wouldn't choke to death, and taped it in there with tape from his
desk. He wound it round and round his head.
He didn't want anyone to hear him for a while. He taped his hands up
just to be sure and then his ankles.
He used the entire roll.

He grabbed his bag and shoved all the things he could think of, into
it. Photos, memories. He thought for a second then reached under his
desk, unsticking the Polaroid of Liam at Christmas looking happy and
excited.

He had money in the bank. Grants, savings, publishing payments. He'd
withdraw … they could go anywhere.

Go?

He was going to take Liam. And go. He steadied himself against the
wall as the floor swayed. Was he really going to do this?

His eyes widened at the answer.

Yes.

He was in prison even if he hadnt hit Wilthos and now that he had…
And Liam was already in prison. They wouldn't punish him for Will's
mistakes.

He had to try.

He nodded to himself.

He looked to his bedroom and dragged the sheets off, balling them up
and tucking them under his arms. With his bag packed he slipped down
to the car park, tears slipping out.

He was so insurmountably fucked if this didn't work.

He parked near a back access and jumped out, leaving his bag and the
balled up sheets inside.

Fucking Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuckety Fucking Fuck.

He ran to Liam's room, and found him calmly packing things into the
huge Christmas box Will had given him what seemed like years
ago. "Little faster luv." He said patiently, throwing everything he
could find into it.

"And this." Liam said, picking up some folded over wood. He realised
it was the easel Allen had given him.

He pushed it into the box, tight fit, but in there. Liam picked up
his water glass.

"Not that Pet, we can get a new one."

He put it back down and pouted. Will stayed calm as he acquiesced
and put it into the box, trying to hurry him as he started pulling
his drawings carefully off the walls.

"Baby. Please!"

He went faster.

After they'd cleaned out, he'd managed to convince him to leave the
bed sheets and table there; they strode down the halls, Will
carrying a large brown box and Liam clipping along merrily beside
him.

They both smiled at Barry as he walked past them, although Will
almost shat himself.

The guards wandering near the back entrance door made Will's heart
stop beating for a few seconds, but they hadn't noticed. He pushed
Liam into an empty room telling him to crouch down beneath the
window and not get up. He meowed quietly and swayed into the room.
Will poked his head round the corner.

"Oi!"

The guards stopped joking and looked at him, ready for action.

"There's some big bugaboo with the inmates in the aerobics gym over
the other side, wanna check it out for me?"

"Sure Dr Telleck."

He pointed down the hallway and they walked quickly. He let Liam out
of the room and they sneaked out the back after opening all the many
locks with his keys.

The sunlight was harsh and accusing. Will quickly pushed Liam into
the back seat.

"Lay down sweets."

Liam giggled. "Are we going to play in your car?" he rumbled.

"Maybe some other time. This is a different game and you can't break
the rules."

He nodded.

"You have to lie in the back, under all the sheets and stuff and not
move or say a word or even hum, kay?" he said, holding his head to
make sure he heard him.

"Kitty can do that." He said as Will pushed him into the backseat,
furtively looking around.

"Good. And if you do, we can go to the house."

Liam's eyes went wide.

"We're going today Daddy?" he made some happy noises as Will lay him
back and folded the sheets and blankets over him and then put all
the boxes and junk over and around him.

"I'm hot Daddy."

"I know Baby, it's only for a few moments."

Will jumped into his car and started the car with a
resounding "We're so fucked". He drove past the staff gate and
opened it up with his pass.

"Remember, don't make a sound. Not one. Alright?"

To Will's pleasure there was no answer.

"Good kitty."

He unlocked another entrance and then drove to the front gate and
waved at the guards as he pulled up.

"Hey." Clive said. The other never took his eyes off the game on the
small t.v. Will tried not to look at the heavy black guns they had
within reach.

"Hey Will, you knocking off?" He asked, holding out the sheet for
him to sign.

"Yep, bit of a hurry actually. Moving."

"Great!" he said with a joking false abandon.

Will nodded in an `I know I know' fashion and turned and waited for
the gate to open.

"Why'd you bring your stuff to work?"

He turned, smile frozen. "Oh just stuff I didn't want dirtied or
broken by the movers. Let's see what they've broken today, yeah?"

He laughed and flipped the switch; the gates opened up in front of
him. "Last movers broke my wife's wedding present mirror. It was one
of a kind. She tried to sue."

"Oh, that's horrible." He said sympathetically, scanning his pass.
He heard the things shift in the back.

"Nah, it was ugly as hell." He joked as the final security arm
raised up and out of the way, affording him an unchecked view of the
street.

He laughed for an appropriate amount of time before pulling slowly
away, waving to Clive and watching in his rear view mirror as he sat
down beside the other guard

"Daddy I'm burning inside."

"Hold on baby." He said still smiling like someone would see him as
he drove away from the prison.

He turned down a few more streets and then told Liam he could come
out. He did so sweaty and red faced from being under the blanket.

"Did I play well Daddy?"

"You did, I'm very proud." He said, indicating and turning. They
were going to his apartment as quickly as they could. Without
breaking the speed limit. Will didn't want to push the gods of luck
too much.  "Take off the jumpsuit Pet. Put on some of my clothes,
even if they don't fit properly."

"Okay!"

Will made it to his apartment and dragged Liam upstairs, distracting
him by telling him to go change into his holiday clothes which Will
still kept folded on the dresser next to his bed. He trotted off as
Will frantically packed suitcases full of photos and money and
things that could be pawned quickly.

Liam came out, smoothing his shirt down. "Will, I'm dressed in my
lion tail shirt."

"Good, good." Will said absently, throwing him a smile before
grabbing his diploma. It meant a lot to him. He paused a second and
then grabbed his address book.

"I'm thirsty Will."

Will ran to the kitchen and grabbed the huge bottle of water he kept
in the fridge. "Here you go." He said, giving it to him after he ran
back.

He frantically looked around. This was it. He laughed, high pitched
and strange enough to make Liam look at him funny.

"Okay back down to the car, Help me carry these."

They scrambled back and Liam was happy because he got to sit in the
front seat. He clapped his hands and bounced as Will tried to drive
to `Désirer et L'âme' as quickly as he could, swearing everytime he
looked down to see himself ten, fifteen over the speed limit. He
couldn't imagine anything worse than getting pulled over for a
ticket, right now. Well, he could imagine a few things worse.

"I like this game, it feels like a race." Liam cooed, reaching over
to brush Will's jaw.

"A race we have to win Pet. Another game? Ready? Over the next few
hours you have to do everything I say as quickly as you can."

Will felt that this could possibly be the most stressful day of his
life. His heart was going to collapse under the pressure, he'd pass
out or have a stroke.

"Yes, I can do that. Will we play?" Liam asked sexily.

He laughed. It lessened the tension. "One track mind luv."

Liam grinned and looked up at the entryway.

"What are we doing here?"

"Looking for the only person I know who can help us."



**~~**

Angel was having fun. He bounced up to the door with Will and joined
in happily as he banged on it. He smiled. It was brighter out here,
yellowy gold sun and his clothing was comfortable and Will was a
lion.

A little slot slid open, revealing two eyes. "Not open yet Pal."
They said.

"Wanna speak to someone. Wanna find a girl that comes here." With a
white lion roar.

"Not my problem."

"You know Faith?"

"Yep. So?"

"Know where she lives?"

"What's it to you?" The eyes asked.

Will grabbed his wallet and held up money.

The door clanked open.


*~


Now they were standing at another door pounding at it. This was fun
but it would get boring soon. He wished he could draw all the
excitement in the air. Where were his …

"pencils?"

"In the car Pet. We didn't forget them. FAITH!"

A voice. A girls voice. From behind the door. "What the fuck do you
want!"

"Faith!" Angel said helpfully. He wasn't sure what they needed faith
for but …

An irritated, beautiful girl opened the door. Liam wanted to draw
her. Big eyes and tan skin.

"It's you. How did you find me?"

"I need to get out of the country and I need your help. I'll pay
you."

She laughed. Like sweets, like candy in the air. She laughed lighter
than Jana. Deeper than Sally. Out of the country?

He looked at Will, "Is the house out of the country?"

The girl looked at him and blinked. "Who's your friend?" She smiled
seductively, all cat eyes and red lips.

"This is Angel." He said quickly. "I need to get out of the country."

"Hey Angel. Come in guys."

Will's hand wrapped around his elbow and manoeuvred him inside, like
Will thought he might lose him if he didn't touch him. The apartment
was not as nice as Will's. It was dark and smoky and small. She
closed them into the smallness, locking the door behind them.

"Why do you need to get out of the country?" She asked, smiling,
crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can you help me, or am I wasting my time?" Will sighed, standing
woodenly.

"Maybe. Where'd you wanna go?"

Will stared back at her. "Anywhere they can't extradite."

"Whoa." She smiled naughtily, big pretty eyes enthusiastic. "What
have you done?"

Her gaze turned to Angel and she looked at him out the corner of her
eyes like he was screaming at her.

"Why is he singing?"

Was he? Probably. The stars song was way too loud and happy to
ignore.

"Please. Can you help? Or point us to someone who can?"

"Yeah, yeah. I can, calm down. I'm guessing you need to leave soon."

Will nodded, relaxing, his shoulders slumping. "Very soon."

"We're going to the big house and the pool and the stars?" Angel
asked excitedly. Will's hand in the small of his back moved him to
the couch. Will smiled, showing the slightly crooked tooth that
Angel loved. He purred.

She gave him the same look. "Is he retarded?" She coughed a laugh.

"No!" Will barked, spinning around to look at her and the woman
looked offended.

"Alright, alright, so what's wrong with him?" She said, laughing,
putting her hands up in a surrender gesture.

"There's nothing wrong with me." He said happily. Not anymore.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever." She went to the small bar fridge and grabbed
a beer. She gave one to Will and to Angel. Angel accepted eagerly,
but Will absent-mindedly plucked the bottle out of his hands and
started having a quick-paced long boring conversation with the girl.
They sat at the small plastic looking dining room table, speaking
quickly, hushed, the woman nodding quite a bit. He zoned out and
started thinking about the pool they'd have. Under the stars, who
would never sing the anxious ear hurting songs again, swimming, with
Will. Naked. Naked Will.

"…Philippines or Indonesia, they're both on the boat's course." Said
the woman, holding a cell phone to her ear.

"No passports, right?" Will asked.

"No need, baby" She smiled.

Angel was lost in the words. Too much. Confusing. He ignored them,
Will would take care of it all. They could play in the pool. He
could hold on to the edge of the pool and Will could play with him.
Mmmmmm. Maybe they could get a floaty bed. He wondered if Will would
get him a collar like the one in his dream. Although, he did like
his collar. He reached up and brushed his fingertips across it.

"I'll get him round to talk. It won't be five star accommodations…
probably be downright uncomfortable." She said in a warning tone.

"Comfort doesn't matter. We just need out."

He wriggled his nose and stared out the window. The stars were
murmuring about how happy he should be. He wasn't going back to
prison this time. He could feel it. He frowned. Doyle… would Doyle
know the address? He would have to ask –

"Angel?"

He turned. Will was gone and the woman was staring at him. "Angel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you need anything? You've been sitting there for about an hour
now. And while I do like your singing could you knock it off for a
while?"

"Where's Will?"

"Gone to get money. He cant access it again, so he's gonna draw it
all out. But you have to sit in with the banks to draw his kind of
money out." She looked at him. "You alright? Look a little dreamy.
You're not trippin out are you?"

"No." He answered, feeling like that was the right answer.

"Oh good." She looked at him funnily.

She was radiating all different colours. Greens and blues mainly.
Yellow and gold too. She was a little confused. He could draw it all
if he had his …

"pencils here."

"Sorry?"

"I could draw the colours if I had my pencils." He repeated.

"What colours?"

"Your colours."

"Ah." She tapped her thigh. "Will didn't tell me much about you
Angel. How do you know him?"

"We love each other."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh. Okay."

"And we're going to go live in a big house with the stars and the
pool and a big yard." He smiled and thought for a moment. "And a
little puppy. Maybe. But I don't think Will knows yet." He'd like to
have a puppy. A brown one, with sleek fur. Or a blue one.

She raised an eyebrow. "And … where do you live now… before today?"

"Prison."

Her eyebrows slowly drifted up her forehead.

"And …" she frowned. Realisation flooded her face. "Liam. You're the
one that Will was talking about."

"Liam died."

"Okay. By vampires."

His hands shook. "They come at night." He managed, feeling the
prickles on the back of his neck.

"Okay. Alright, that's fine." She said fake happily.

He looked for Will. He wasn't there…

"Where's Will."

She paused. "Uh ...at the banks?"

"Oh." He frowned. That seemed familiar.

"So … how did you and Will meet?" She asked, coming to sit next to
him.

"Will's my therapist."

She just laughed. "Man, you guys have a really fucked up
relationship."

He frowned. She was laughing so what she said wasn't bad. Angel was
confused. He wanted Will, even though this girl was pretty nice. He
pouted and fluttered his eyelashes at her, because that always
seemed to work.

"You're cute. I can see why Will's trying to flee the country with
you. Tuck you away inside a big house."

He smiled. He'd like that.

Where was Will anyway? Oh at the house. No the bank. Or something.
He felt tired. He let himself drop away and then felt the girl
picking him up like he was light as a baby. Or a kitten.

"Meow."

She laughed and layed him along the prickly but comfy bed.


(("No don't need to do that anymore…" Will murmured, appearing
behind him. "Not needed."

He picked up a paintbrush and dipped it in yellow, laying a large
golden line over the black and red people crying on the picture.
Angel dipped his fingers in green and dotted them across the
corners, drawing leaves and worms, squiggles to chase away the black.

"See?" he wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close,
resting his chin on his shoulder, his hair soft and tufted against
his neck. "No shadows now. They're not needed."

Angel nodded.))


He woke on the bed and got up, hearing Will's voice drifting in from
the other room. He went to the doorway and leaned against the jamb,
blinking the sleep away. There was another man sitting at the table
now. He was dusty looking, but nice still. His skin was chocolate
and he had a shaved head. His eyes were lighter than his skin. The
back of Will's head was to him, and the dark haired woman leant back
in her chair, arms crossed as she watched them.

"We were scheduled to leave in three days time. But seeing as I've
got all the junk now, we can go earlier. How's one thirty in the
am?" The bald man said to Will.

Will's bright white head nodded. "Sounds good."

"Expensive though. I hear its about twenty grand more to leave
then." He smiled and his teeth were white as stars in the dim room.

"Gunn…" The girl frowned, a smile on her face.

"Fine. I don't care." Will cut in, and then he and the man shook
hands. Will reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He
pulled off a few and gave them to the woman. He gave the car key to
the man who rubbed his hands together.

"Man, I'm gonna love that car." He laughed.

"I did." Will said flatly.

The man's eyes caught sight of him moving away from the
doorframe. "Your toy's awake." The man said, smirking.

Will looked over his shoulder. "He's not my bloody toy." Will
snapped, turning back around.

The man held his hands up in a surrender gesture, like the woman had
done earlier. Will was agitated. Angel sat on the couch again and
watched them as the conversation turned and twisted around things he
couldn't keep up with. He fell asleep.


(("Come on Sweets" Will said, climbing up in front of him, white
chest over black pants. He pulled himself up some vine.

It was all green.
Jungle green.
He could hear the parrots and the roar of lions.
White ones.
Except Will was silent now. They had to be quiet or they'd scare it
off. He wasn't sure what, but there was something. Will helped him
up with muddy hands. He had dirt in a stripe across his face and he
was sweaty.

"Bit of a climb, huh?"

Angel looked down, they were right up the top of the canopy, the
hard sun filtered through the leaves and turned everything green.
Dark green. Jungle green.

"Where are we Will?"

"Jungle, Pet. We had to see it."

It?
He pushed through the canopy and a second later a muddy white hand
reached back through to pull Angel up. They crawled along the leafy
tops, which seemed to go on forever, but they didn't get tired. They
could hear the sounds of the jungle below them.

"Wait Pet. Stop."

They'd reached the edge. Will looked over, holding onto the leaves
tightly. "Beautiful. `ave a look, kitty."

He came up beside him and looked down to see a waterfall down below,
a pool beneath it and a huge orange-red and yellow bird on the rocks
on top of it all, huge sweeping tail feathers running down along the
waterfall. It squawked and it sounded like the stars songs were
coming from its belly.
He wanted to get closer; pat the feathers but Will held him back.

"Never get too close to a fire Pet, no matter how pretty it looks."

Good advice. Will always protected him. He sat back and let Will
wrap a sweaty arm around his bare chest as they watched it preen.))


He woke again, sitting up on the couch and the apartment was pitch
black. "Will?" He asked, not seeing anyone anywhere. He felt like he
was alone. His fingers tensed around the blanket on him.

"'Mhere Pet." Will's sleepy voice mumbled.

Angel looked down and saw him lying on the floor, white hair all
messy.

"I thought you'd left." He whispered.

"Never. Never leave you."

Angel was happy with that response. The stars hummed at it. They
liked it too. Happy songs, like at their anniversary, like when they
played. Always around Will.

"When are we going to the house Daddy?"

Will yawned a little and read the time from something to his left.
Angel couldn't see what. "In forty three minutes Luv, go back to
sleep." He rolled onto his belly, pushing his face into the pillow
on the floor.

"Are we leaving America?"

Silence for a moment. "Yes Pet, we have to, I did some bad things
today … yesterday."

"I don't think so."

He lifted his head, smiling up at him, like Angel was the most
beautiful thing in the world. "That's cause you're beautiful."

"Where are we going?" Angel asked, reaching down to pat his fingers
through Will's hair. The gel had rubbed out of it.

"Indonesia." Will mumbled.

"Ooooh."

Will yawned. "I love you Angel."

"I love you too."

"Are you happy? With what we're doing?"

He looked around. The room was dark and it wasn't Will's office or
his apartment or his own room. He felt a pang of homesickness for
his tiny room, with the door with the small square of glass.

"Where are we?"

"In Faith's apartment. She's driving us there, she just went to get
a car." He murmured.

"Faith is her name then." Faith of the big cat eyes.

"Yes Pet."

"Will we be together? In Indonesia?" He tried to remember where
Indonesia was. He vaguely recalled something from geography when he
was still in school.

"Yep."

"Can we go out to dinner and hold hands?" He asked, thinking of the
time in England.

"Yep." Will snorted a little sleepy laugh. "They quite like man on
man there."

He smiled. That made him happy. No hiding. He couldn't wait to get
to the house. "What's the address?"

"Of what? Indonesia?"

"No, the house."

Will blinked at him, sleepily. "Angel, we don't own it yet. We have
to go there."

"Oh. So I can help choose?"

"Yep."

Hmmm. That made him feel sugary.

"Do you have any candy?"

Will yawned and rolled over to his bags. He rattled through the one
from the office. "Here, have some fudge."

"Yummy."

He chewed, liking the sound of the sctuk sctuk in his ears. Will
started snoring and he liked that too. He'd hear that every night
from now on. He grinned in the darkness. Hear him snoring as they
slept next to each other, and then they could wake up the next
morning and stay and purr and eat and play, not needing to rush away
from each other before the guards saw them.

From now on, It would be Will and him. Together.

He liked that. Yes.

He purred.

Sugar and whiskers.

**~~**



"Daddy, I'm so tired. Can't we go back to bed?"

"No pet, we're going on a boat ride now." He said pulling Liam's
jacket around him in the one a.m. darkness. Faith was following
them, so he wasn't really worried about vampires. He'd seen what she
could do.

"Can we sleep on the boat?"

"It's going to take a bloody long time, so yes."

They were at the shipping yards and some crewmates were loading Will
and Liam's meagre baggage onto a pulley and hoisting it into the
huge cargo boat, along with other huge boxes of their own
belongings. The water was softly rising the smaller boats up and
down, and the air was cold but not windy. He'd pulled Liam off the
sofa and thanked Faith in money just five minutes ago. He'd given
her the keys to his apartment, saying she could sell whatever, as
long as she sent the artworks to them. She'd loaded them into a huge
black van she'd procured from somewhere, and driven them here,
staying at the speed limit. Liam got excited about the house and the
paintings when he woke up, but then started murmuring about being
tired again. He had tried to fall asleep in the car but they hadn't
let him.

Will was so nervous. He'd had vivid dreams all twenty-three minutes
he'd slept, of policemen swarming the docks looking for them, and
even though he was now awake, he kept seeing Liam being pulled away
from him screaming and crying and shoved back into his evil cell for
the rest of his life.

((It is quite possible that Wilthos hasn't even been found yet.))

Will winced. He hoped he hadn't killed the bastard.

Gunn came jogging up to them. "Good day to get your sea legs?" he
laughed, slapping Will on the back.

"No one will stop us will they?" Will asked, shivering a little at
the thought, not the cold. Police, buzzing onto the ship, finding he
and Liam cowering in a corner and dragging them aw-

"No need. Don't worry about that. We'll be in international waters
before you know it."

He nodded quickly, trying to assure himself. "Yep."

"Will, I'm falling asleep." Said Liam, struggling to keep his eyes
open.

"Go up, get one of the boys to show you where to sleep."

He turned back to Faith, not knowing what to say. Without her… none
of this…

"I know what you're thinking. And yes, I'm great." She smiled, red
lips parted around big white teeth. She handed him a scrap of
paper. "That's my number now, you ever need me in the future, try to
get in contact with that guy. He always knows where I am. Just tell
him I helped you."

"You really did." She hadn't needed to do any of this. Hadn't even
needed to save him from the vampires that night. But she had.
Whether she was bored, or altruistic, or because she expected for
him to pay her like he did… it didn't matter, she'd helped them.

"Hey, helping people? My destiny, remember?" She smiled, turned
around in a flick of dark hair, and walked back to her car without
looking back. Just a day in her life. Just two more she'd saved. He
watched until the car disappeared and tucked the paper into his
pocket, feeling Liam's head come down to rest on his shoulder.

He led Liam up the ramp, watching as he tried to take in everything
at once. He let Liam run his hands over the railings, humming, as he
got directions to the room off a gruff man who was sweating despite
the early hour.

He took Liam's hand and led him quietly singing and sleepy to the
tiny room in the middle of the ship. Their belongings were packed
into the corner of it and made it seem even smaller. A single bed
was the sleeping arrangements. He shook his head as he thought about
how much he'd paid for this privilege.

"We'll have to sleep on top of each other." Liam said jumping over
to the small bed. "It needs some pictures on the walls." He said
yawning.

"Maybe when you wake up Pet. Sleep now."

Liam purred tiredly and crawled into the bed, slipping his shoes
off. "Pictures of you and me." He smiled at Will, blew him a kiss,
and closed his eyes. He was asleep in moments, peacefully snoring.
With his dark hair mussy, black smudges of eyelashes, pink mouth
slightly parted as he lay motionless against the dusty cream sheets,
he truly looked like an angel. Will hoped he didn't mind the rocking
of the boat too much.

Will stood in the small cabin and just breathed. In and out. Trying
to let his mind catch up to what was happening. Watching Liam sleep
carelessly was helping. He giggled maniacally and had to lean
against the wall as his legs threatened to stop working. What he'd
done in the last five hours … what he'd done in the last year…

He'd conducted himself in an entirely unfit manner for his
profession. He let put a snorting crazy laugh, having to slap his
hand over his mouth as not to wake his lover.
He'd lied and snuck around, he'd taken a prisoner from custody and
given him day trips around England. He'd beaten up a mentally ill
prisoner and put him into a coma, had beaten up his boss. And now,
he had absconded with a convicted felon and was fleeing the country.
He left the room and stood on the deck, his shaking hands on the
railing. He swallowed and looked at Los Angeles, slumbering
expansively, and quietly before him. He'd never see this again, but
he was alright with that. Los Angeles wasn't for him. Liam might
take it harder, he'd grown up in America, it was all he knew.

He sighed through his nose.

He smiled. Regrets, he'd had a few… He giggled again. It was true.

But if he could re-do the last year of his life, live it over, he'd
still take the job, he'd still fall for Liam. Liam had shown him
things he'd never seen, made him grow as a person. Opened his eyes
to real monsters and monsters that existed in the sun, living in
human skin. He'd seen the worst of people in the last year, but
through Liam, he'd seen the best humanity had to offer as well.

Liam would never have gotten out of that life, not without breaking
a few rules. The world wasn't ready to accept him and what he
believed, or even, how he acted. They would have rather stuck him
away where he couldn't upset their way of life. And he had no one
else to help him. No one but Will. And now, Will had no one but him.
It seemed fitting.

And he'd almost saved him. Almost. Will could feel it in his bones,
just so close. In a few hours they'd be fine. His heart was ignoring
his scared and frightened thoughts of imprisonment, and joyously
soared, uncaring of consequences, already planning what to do in
Indonesia.

Will felt the boat rock away and he laughed again as he watched all
of his and Liam's bridges burning merrily behind them.

He watched for a while, until the shoreline drifted away, and the
buildings became little insignificant toys on the horizon. He went
back into the tiny room that was theirs, the first thing that was
theirs, and lay down next to Liam, side on, face to face.

He was snoring a little, lightly, his hand under his cheek.
He was so beautiful.
Will leant forward and kissed him gently, pressing against the soft
rose of his lips. He didn't wake. Will didn't want him to. Just
wanted to enjoy this moment, as it was, be in it completely.

They were starting over, new names, new country, and new life.
Together. Unafraid and in the light. Their old lives were gone, Will
thought, as the boat cut smoothly through the calm waters, their old
lives were burning away as fast as the bridges.

But it didn't matter anymore.

They'd rise from the ashes.



~End~

On to the Epilogue