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Axl watched as Izzy helped Laurie off the plane in the bustling airport of Denver, Colorado. They were playing this arena now to make up for the missed date of the previous week, and everyone who had paid for a ticket already was getting in free.

He told himself he didn't care that Izzy was now spending a lot of time with Laurie. He told himself that it wasn't anything; the guitarist was probably just feeling sorry for her. But he watched Izzy's arm slip around Laurie's waist as they got off the plane, and a jolt of suspicious jealousy stabbed his heart.

"Axl," said Erin, pinching him. "Axl, pay attention. It's time to get off the plane."

"Erin," said Axl, mocking her. "Erin, pay attention. I was about to get off the plane. So calm down."

She glared at him but did not press the matter. It was enough that he hadn't hit her at all the previous week; she knew she shouldn't press her luck.

They got off the plane with Slash, and Axl said, "Hey, Slash, you wouldn't happen to know why Izzy and Laurie are standing so close together, would you?"

"Nah," lied Slash hastily. "No clue."

Axl eyed him suspiciously. "You sure?"

Slash nodded. "Positive."

"He doesn't know anything," said Erin. "Drop it."

Axl swung out with his arm and his fist collided with the side of her face. "Shut the fuck up, all right? I've got my shit under control."

Then he stormed to the limo, where Izzy, Laurie, Matt, and Dizzy were sitting already. Laurie had her hands on her jeans and was staring down at her feet as Axl got in, a mildly guilty expression on her face.

What the hell? thought Axl. He wanted to get Izzy's attention, but for some reason he couldn't quite get the rhythm guitarist to look him directly in the eye.

There is definitely something going on, thought Axl. And I'm going to find out what it is, no matter what.

~~~

"So, Laurie, I heard that something is going on between you and Izzy. Care to tell me about that?"

It was the evening of their first concert of Denver. Axl was late, as usual, so Slash had confronted Laurie backstage with a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of Jack Daniel's.

She shifted slightly on the couch she was sitting on, her face flushed. "Where'd you hear that?"

"From the man himself," said Slash. "Look, I didn't tell anyone, okay? I'm just...I care about you, right? I'm just making sure you're gonna be okay."

"I'll be fine, Slash. Thanks for your concern."

"Tell me something, Laurie." He handed her a cigarette and his lighter. "Why Izzy?"

"He kissed me first," she said softly, half in defense, putting the cigarette to the flame and taking in a slow drag of it. "Anyway, he's pretty hot. And he's sweet." She looked at him. "He knows I don't really love him. He doesn't really love me either. I can tell: when we're having sex, it's not--"

"Don't wanna know!"

"--the same as when Axl and I would be together--"

"I get it, Laur!"

"--not the same passion or anything. I mean, Izzy's my brother, y'know what I'm saying? We don't have that same connection that Axl and I had, we--" She broke off abruptly as the door to the main room opened and Axl walked in, Erin hanging off his left arm. She smirked at Laurie as they walked past the sofa, like, hah, bitch, look who's laughing now.

"Ready for the concert?" asked Axl, without looking directly at Laurie.

"Yeah, man," said Slash, standing up. He turned and held out his hand to Laurie. "C'mon, Laur. Let's go."

She placed her hand in his and stood up. Her shoulder brushed against Axl's and she felt an electric jolt rush through her body. It was as though her brain was saying, here is the man that is perfect for you; why are you with that other one? Dump him and get this one back because you are never going to find someone like him again, not in a million years.

As they walked out towards the stage, Izzy, Matt, Duff, and Dizzy joined them. Izzy walked over to Slash and Laurie and said, keeping his voice low:

"Hey, Laurie. You okay?"

She nodded.

He squeezed her hand in his. "Okay, honey. If you say so."

Then they reached the stage, the screaming crowd, the blinding lights, the huge Marshall amps, and Laurie forgot to be sad as a rush of adrenaline flooded her body.

~~~

When the concert was over, they headed to the after-party, held at a casino. The minute they arrived, Axl was bombarded by a wave of his fans: groupies, some of them young enough to be his children, swarmed over his lean frame like ants. Erin was quickly lost in the crowd, screaming her lungs out. Laurie watched this scene from the bar with mild amusement, her hand wrapped around a glass of Chardonnay.

Then Izzy came over and joined her. "How's it going?"

She knew what he was referring to: the sight of Axl having fun without her.

"Fine. I've been telling everyone that all evening, it's fine. Can you stop asking me that now?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Laurie, you suck at lying. You're not fine. I know; it's okay, I'm pretty fucking miserable too. I hate having to see you like this. I'd break it off with you, except I think we need each other right now."

"Yeah, whatever," muttered Laurie, trying not to let Izzy see she'd been hurt by his words. Though she did not love him--at least not like that--she knew he was right: she needed someone to be with, and right now Izzy was the only available option. They couldn't leave each other until Laurie was sure everything was patched up between herself and Axl.

And that might never happen.

The lead vocalist detached himself from his group of fans and walked over to where Laurie and Izzy were sitting. The rhythm guitarist hurriedly rose to his feet and walked off, leaving Laurie alone with Axl.

"Hey," she said softly, avoiding his gaze.

"Hey," he said. "Why'd Izzy jump up like that?"

"Um...no reason."

"You look nervous, Laur. What is going on?"

She whirled to face him. "Nothing! Goddammit, why the fuck can't you people get that? I say I'm fine, I say nothing's going on, I say I'm surviving just fine without you, but no one believes me! Anyway, why do you care what's going on; you're the one who said we should stop talking to each other and just go on with our lives separately."

Axl rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean that we should break off connections entirely, Laurie, I meant--"

"You might as well have said that. If you and I can't be together, then there's no way I can talk to you. This is going to send me to an early grave, Axl. Just leave me alone."

Hurt flashed across his face, followed by sorrow, as he realized that by breaking off his ties with her romantically, he had also broken them in every other way.

"Just look at me for a second, then," he said softly. "I want to see your face up close...one last time."

She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, and then tilted her face at the same time he tilted his. Their lips connected and seemed to be held together for a few seconds by some magnetic force. His tongue swept through her mouth and left his taste lingering there long after he'd gone, like a promise that he'd return for her, claim her again as his and no one else's.