A/N: The Girlfriend will remain nameless – she's just an OC.

Prologue

At twenty one, Trafalgar Law had it all - the scholarship, the Girl of his dreams and a guarantee he was going to follow in his father's footsteps. An eager to learn scholar, he'd succeeded throughout his early school years and kept a detailed to-do list. He was immaculate and clean, and did his best to avoid the troubles his peers were often bit by. He was assertive and respectful; a young and quiet alpha male that made the girls look twice and respect at the same time. He wasn't rambunctious and wasn't aspired by the adventurous opportunities that often presented themselves in front of him; he just wasn't interested in that type of social scene.

Clean shaven, the tall man dressed well for his stereotype and presented himself with a clear ambition towards his goals. His little sister, Lamie, looked up to him with clear devotion, sure to follow in his footsteps. A day earlier, he'd just signed a lease to an apartment he was going to share with his girlfriend - he'd scored a lucky part time job that worked with his medical school hours, with his parents helping out with other payments...his path was righteous.

But that all changed on one, warm spring day.

He was humming along to the Lumineers', checking his reflection in the rear view mirror. His hair was cut short all around, neat and plain. He wore his collars prim and high, his shirts neatly tucked into his belted waistband. He wore a light jacket over that. The phone rang over the Bluetooth and he saw that it was his Girlfriend - he tapped the screen with a smile blazing over his face because he couldn't wait to begin their life together. He really did have it all, and he knew it.

He checked the rearview mirror again - with it being nice weather, everyone was driving with their windows down. There was a younger man to his right with his car blasting Logic and Law had trouble hearing her voice over the spitfire verses leaving that car's speakers.

"Hi," she said briskly. He imagined her walking with the same type of no nonsense, iPhone to her ear and one hand clutching her purse straps to her shoulder. She had the same ambitions at Law, and was just as well tuned to her goals – not interested in any other social scene but the ones that made sense. Both of them were a great team together. His mother loved her and his father often turned into a stuttering mess in her presence. Lamie adored her - they went to the same nail salon sometimes, Law waiting patiently for them in the uncomfortable chairs against the window; adoring them both.

"I'm on my way," Law said, wincing slightly under Logic's use of words and subjects. Glancing over with disapproval, Law noticed the man - high school, this kid was young enough to have an acne problem - lighting up a questionable cigarette. Sure enough, he held his breath and exhaled a mighty cloud at his own reflection in the rear view mirror. Then hastily smoothed licked fingertips at his severely cut hair style with the three lines curling away from his ear. Both of which had gauges that looked dangerous. Law could imagine the bill for the surgery to correct that when the guy got older. "I just had to make a quick stop at the hardware store."

"I called to let you know that I'll be done within another two hours. I have to finish up my labs, and I lost track of time, I need - at least two more hours. Do you think you can come get me around five?"

Law was disappointed with the setback, but he shrugged. He figured he'd browse at the book store down the street while he waited for her. Maybe surprise her with Starbucks. "Sure, no problem. We can pick up dinner after."

"Okay, that sounds great! I gotta go! Love you!" she chirped before hanging up. Law barely had a chance to reply when the kid's music was interrupted by a loud ring of his own Bluetooth connection.

Law was relieved as that music ceased, the turn lane moving first at his left. Worst intersection here in town, he thought with annoyance, watching the line slowly move to the left. The slowest lights I've ever known…

"Hi baby!"

"Hi!" Law instantly replied, then he realized that his Girlfriend's voice wasn't coming from his car speakers. He checked the dash and saw that the Lumineers were still playing. Startled and embarrassed by his action, he glanced about to make sure he wasn't heard by anyone else with an open window. Then he realized the kid in the next car was talking excitedly to the woman over his Bluetooth speakers. Law was frozen because he'd just talked to her. He had literally just hung up and she was talking to the miscreant next to him in the same type of voice she used to talk to him when she was upbeat.

Blinking, he glanced over, sure it was a mistake.

"I'm all done here, come pick me up! I'll meet you over by the stairs - just have me back here by five, my ride will be picking me up right after," she continued, still in that brisk voice of hers.

"Awesome! I'll be right over, sexy!" the kid next to Law said cheerily, examining his reflection again. The kid was too young to know what 'sexy' was, Law was sure of it. "We'll get us some Starbucks and hit Target to find you some cool new apartment things...I'll let you share them with your real man..."

"You're so sweet! But that's horrible, don't talk like that! We're just friends, we're not doing anything wrong..."

"You just called me 'baby'!"

"It feels more appropriate with you - I can't even call him by any nicknames, he's so frigid. He corrects me sometimes when I accidentally - anyway, just get here! No funny business, we're just friends."

"Yeah, if friends means finishing up where he leaves off, haha…I guess that's what friends do, we pick up the pieces," the kid laughed, fixing his hair once more. "I'll be your friend, baby!"

"I just want to have some fun before I can't, anymore. He never wants to do things that I want to do, I just…I'm tired of going by the book. Anyway, no jokes about it. Just get here."

Laws heart was beating at a million miles per hour - face frozen with shock. His blood pumped with hard moving action, making it difficult to hear anything else. His face felt like it was an ice block and yet as hot as lava at the same time. Once the light turned green, the kid gassed forward and made an illegal change of lane in front of him, and multiple horns sounded out as Law continued to sit there.

He did not doubt that voice - it was her, he knew her voice well. There was no mistaking the intonation and hurried wisps of her breath as she spoke and walked at the same time. The thing was that this was happening - this had happened.

Horns sounded out again, and Law gassed forward. With his throat tight, he needed to see this. He needed to see for himself the scene that was to happen. So focused was he on the building blocks of learning the truth that he did not see the truck barreling through the intersection until it t-boned him.