Note: This was the first story that I had ever written. I wrote it about four years ago. So go easy on me.

DISCLAIMER: THE STORYLINE AND IT'S CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME. PLEASE DO NOT STEAL THEM.

The house was bathed in shadow as the sound of heavy breathing and footsteps echoed in the air. He was watching the house, planning the precise moment that he felt right to strike. He didn't know why he thought this way. Maybe he was just an angry man pissed off at the world. His eyes scanned over the house once more and he moved on.

"Will! Where's my shirt?" Keira Bauer's voice rang shrill through the house searching for her husband. "Honey I put it in the washer!" he yelled back. "Will I need that shirt for work today!" her voice was annoyed and angry. "Just find another one! And i'm in the bathroom so you don't need to yell." he shouted back. Keria reluctantly found another shirt and thumped down the stairs.

"I really have to find myself a better job. I swear my boss hates me." she said with the sleep still in her voice. "Honey she does not hate you. And besides, I work enough for the both of us." he replied. "Yeah, I know but I just need to make myself useful." Keira stared back at her husband for a moment. They had been friends before they had been together. All through grade school it was always she, Will, Free, Jack and David. They were a close nit group of friends who had gone through everything together.

Keira had always been drawn to Will; he was just this happy go lucky guy just like her. He was tall with dark shoulder length, wavy brown hair and dark eyes. He just always made everybody laugh. "Hon, you are useful. Don't worry about it. I love you. I got to go." he whispered. Keira watched as Will left the house. He was a bartender at a highly rated bar and resturant in town. Keira then stood there for a few more minutes and then headed off to her job.

~*~

"Keira you are twenty minutes late." Her boss uttered the words with just a hint of anger on them. "I'm sorry. I had some problems at home this morning." she uttered back. "Well I don't see any physical damage of any kind. So, I'm guessing it's not life threatening. Please be on time." she spat back. The only thing Keira could not stand about her job, was her boss. She swore her boss was out to get her.

Later that day when business had slowed down, someone came up behind her and said, "Don't you have a break coming up soon?" Keira turned around and came face to face with her best friend, Free. Free was tall with short blond hair and blue eyes. He was the sweetest guy in the world and her favorite out of her group of friends.

"Free! I'm a waitress. You know I don't get breaks." she laughed. "Get somebody to cover for you." he whispered. Keira walked up to her co-worker Ashleigh and said, "Can you cover for me? Just for half an hour?" "You know I always do." she replied. Keira walked back to Free and they left. They decided to just drive around town together.

"So, we're all getting together tonight at my club. Are you and Will coming?" he asked. "Yeah, Will will be off work and I probably don't have a job now. So, what time?" she asked with laughter on her voice. Free chuckled slightly. "Around eight." he laughed.

It was a weekly ritual. The gang would all get together on Friday night and hang out together. They had always done this since grade school. Free owned his own club so they always went there.

That night at the club they were all sitting at a table listening to the music. Keira looked around at everybody. "Where's Jack?" she asked. Free laughed and answered, "Oh, mister big macho detective is going to be late tonight." "Isn't he always?" she asked. Jack had been in the police departement for five years now and he was always late to their gatherings. When he usually showed up all he talked about was what case he was currently working on. He always had some interesting stories.

Jack got there about twenty minutes later. They all had such a great time together. She loved her friends and she would not trade them for anything in the world. The hightlight of the evening is when David got a little too drunk and started to dance on the table. He started to sing something that they couldn't regonzie through his slurred words. Free was the jokester of the group and was always cracking jokes. The funny thing was is that they weren't funny. So the only reason they laughed is that he started to laugh at his own jokes. He had such a great laugh.

Later on in the night around four, Free decided that he was going to close up the club. Keira had volunteered to stay behind and help Free clean up. "So that was fun. We always have fun together." Keira mumbled. "Yeah, I'm still amazed that was have mangaged to stay friends for such a long time." he answered back. "Yeah that's a long time." she said. Keira looked at her watch and said, "Well I guess I'd better be going home now. I'll see ya tomorrow." Keira hugged Free and then left the club.

~*~

The next morning Keira got up early and headed off to work. Will had already left. Keira got to work and was late as usual. She got the feeling that this was just the beginning of the day. She had such a hectice day as she had prodictied. She dropped three plates of food, she messed up five orders and actually got yelled at by a customer. (even though she did drop the plate on food on his lap.) By eleven that night she was ready to quit and go home. She didn't know what was wrong with her.

Keira as usual feeling bad for her behaviour, volunteered to clean and close up the resturant after her boss had left. Keira closed and locked the doors behind her. As she was walking to her car she got a strange feeling that someone was watching her. That odd feeling did not help since she was in a parking lot alone. Keira turned her head to check and was knocked to the ground before she could adjust her eyes. The person who had knocked her down was now on top of her swinging his fists with all his might.

He muffled her screams with his gloved hand as he took away all the trust she ever had in the world. She could not see his face for it was hidden behind his black ski mask. After he finished he got up to walk away. He left Keira on the ground. Her clothes torn and her skin raw and bloody. But he said something to her that struck her a strange; he said, "I'm sorry."