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"Do you believe love exists?" Laurie asked Izzy softly. They were lying on his bed together after a long, heated bout of passion, their limbs tangled together, their breathing coming fast and irregular.

Izzy hesitated. "Love," he asked finally, "or lust?"

"Love," said Laurie firmly. "Like what...what Axl and I used to have."

The rhythm guitarist nodded slowly. "Yeah, I believe in love, Laur. If we didn't love people, we couldn't have anyone to run to when we were sad or whatever; we wouldn't be able to feel as deep of emotions as we can. No one would have a strong hold on anyone else without love, because without love no one would care enough to be sad when they were abandoned."

Laurie sighed, raggedly, as though she was trying not to cry.

"I wish," she said, "that love didn't exist. Because of all that you just said." She stared into his eyes. "If love didn't exist, then my heart wouldn't be breaking right now."

~~~

Axl propped his foot up on a cushion and tilted his head back against the brick wall of his dining room. He shut his eyes and listened to Erin moving around, setting things up. The minute she'd come over, he'd told her that it was official: they were going to go out again. She'd immediately commenced into setting up a candlelight dinner to celebrate and insisted that he not do anything to help her, because of his foot.

There was a crash from the adjoining room. Axl opened his eyes in alarm.

"Erin, what--?"

"Don't worry about it, baby! I'm fine!"

Axl sighed and shut his eyes again. Having Erin back was more trouble than it was worth; it had been easier to live with Laurie.

Oh, Stevens. Why did I ever let you go like that?

"Here we are, Axl! The candles!"

He opened his eyes and moved his legs as Erin set down six candles on the red and white plaidplace mat before him. She placed forks on napkins and knives below the glasses. Then she raced back into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a large plate of chicken and rice.

"Smells great," said Axl. Erin nodded and set it between them, using her fork and knife to dish it out. When she was done, they began to eat.

Laurie...oh, man, you could cook way better than this, Axl thought, a little sadly, as he chewed and swallowed the proof that he was basically screwed for the rest of his life.

~~~

On the morning that they were to return to their tour, Izzy grabbed Slash by the arm in the airport and dragged him into the mens' bathroom.

"Dude," said Slash, "calm down. What's up?"

Izzy had a wild, panicked look in his eyes. "Man...I've been fucking Axl's girl."

Slash's mouth dropped open. "Laurie?" he almost yelled. "You've been screwing around with Laurie?"

"Shh," hissed Izzy. "Yeah, I have. Ever since Monday...when I found her in a hotel lobby, sobbing because Axl kicked her out of his house."

"Whoa, man. I never heard about that. What happened?"

Izzy told Slash everything that he knew. Slash nodded wisely. "I figured that something big had gone down when Axl never spoke to any of us for the whole week."

The rhythm guitarist still looked troubled. "The problem with making it with Laurie is that it's not giving me the pleasure I thought it would."

Slash arched one eyebrow. "You mean...you still feel that way about her?" (Slash, like every other Guns member besides Axl, knew about Izzy's crush on Laurie.)

"I thought I did, bro, but...it's not the way I thought it would be. I mean, she's fine--"

"Skip the details; I don't want to know."

"--but we're like siblings. It's like sleeping with my sister or something. And then there's the whole guilt trip I'm getting 'cause she used to be with Axl, and you know how Axl is about the people and things in life he really loves. And that list isn't very long."

"What does Laurie think of this?"

"I don't know. I asked her last night, but she wouldn't answer me. She views this whole affair as a way to get back at Axl, which I don't get, seeing as he never cheated on her--"

"He hurt her feelings though, man. She seriously respects him, whether she wants to admit it or not. And when he criticizes her, or--in this case--denies her his love, she takes it very, very hard. And besides, you know how much Laurie hates Erin. She probably sees this as cheating, even if Axl doesn't. It is her revenge, you're right. And I'll be damned if Axl doesn't find out soon enough and get mad and kick you both out. 'Cause you know how he is."

"Yeah. He's my best friend. I know."

Duff stuck his head in the bathroom at that moment. "Izzy, Slash, c'mon, man. Everyone's waiting for you."

The guitarists left the bathroom together.

"Don't tell anyone, man," Izzy pleaded as they boarded the plane.

"I won't, dude," said Slash. "Don't worry."

But he couldn't help glancing at Axl, sitting with his head propped up on his hand, staring out the window; at Laurie, sitting with her head down, staring at her feet. Neither of them looked particularly happy. And not even when their respective partners joined them--Erin to kiss Axl all over his face, Izzy to slip his arm inconspicuously around Laurie's shoulders--did they seem to brighten up any.

It's gonna be a long tour, thought Slash. I hope to God Axl doesn't find out about Izzy and Laurie any time soon, because we can't afford to lose either of them.

Except, of course, with Axl's intelligence being as high as it was, Slash figured it wasn't too long before the vocalist found out. And when he did...the shit was definitely going to hit the fan.