Damn. Y'all rule. Thank you all so much for your reviews! I apologize for taking a week to update. I'm on Thanksgiving break so expect at least 1 or 2 more chapters before I have to go back to school. Thanks again for all your reviews! They really mean a lot.


When Lilian got home, her head was spinning. So much had happened in the last 24 hours and she was having trouble digesting it all.

It was daylight still, but Reina had begun to growl again, putting Lilian's nerves on edge. With a deep breath, she pushed open her door and stepped inside her house, half expecting someone to jump out with a gun in her face. Everything looked calm and a slow sigh blew past her lips. However, the Doberman continued to bare her teeth, the hair on the back of her back raised slightly.

The pair walked further into the house. Lilian nearly fell backwards at what was in front of her. The back door had been kicked in again. This time, nothing seemed to be out of place, or even touched. She ran for the front door and grabbed the baseball bat that she had never bothered to put away after the final community soft ball game. Bat arched above her head, she went for the phone next, quickly dialing 911.

The police checked over her house for a second time. Some of her pictures had been moved. The photos with her in them had her cut out jaggedly. In each of the places where she should have been, whoever it was had placed ripped pieces of paper that had something written on them. Lilian was too scared to take the paper out and try to read what it said. She willingly let the police officers take the pieces in for testing and whatever else they wanted to do with it.

When they left, Lilian went to call her friends. Lisa, Chris and Paul all agreed to come over and comfort her. Mickie had to stay with Kenny who had fallen ill with the flu.

The doorbell rang minutes later. Lilian looked out the window, feeling stupid. Get a grip. She opened the door, a wave of relief washing over her when she saw Lisa carrying a brown paper bag with food tucked inside. Chris and Paul followed behind her.

They all gathered in the kitchen while Lisa unpacked the bag. Lilian started to say something when Reina began her growling again. The brick colored fur on the dog's back started rising again. Two rows of sharp, white teeth flashed followed by barking.

Lilian stared bewildered at her dog. She reached down, grabbing her collar and pulling the dog back. "Hey, knock it off! You know Paul and Chris, and you definitely know Lisa." She bent down to a crouching position, her hands smoothing over the soft fur. In a softer voice she said, "If I'm not this paranoid, then you don't need to be either."

But still, the dog carried on. Lilian sighed and put her in the backyard, walking back to the kitchen feeling embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry. I don't know who's more shaken up about all of this." Lilian smiled slightly and looked over to her counter that was now covered in various foods. "Lisa, you really didn't have to do this."

"I know that, but I thought it'd make you feel better."

"And she claims I don't like her cooking like you do, Lil," Chris joked, getting a smile from the blonde.

Lilian turned her attention to Paul. He threw his arms up. "She doesn't trust me with an oven."

Lisa prepared chicken fettuccine alfredo with a Caesar salad. Chris sat the table while Lilian took Paul to show him what all had been done to her house.

Her voice cracked when she pulled out the index card with the two lines scribbled on it. The raven haired man frowned as her eyes filled with tears. Reaching out, he pulled her into him and let her cry.

Lilian clung to him like her life depended on it. She hadn't actually let any emotions out, save for the fear that would occasionally rear its ugly head.

"You're going to be okay," he said softly when her breathing had slowed. Paul cupped her face, swiping the tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

She shook her head. "Don't say that. You don't know that for sure."

"Would you like to stay with me until the cops catch this bastard?"

"No, I don't want to bring you into this. I'll be fine," she answered boldly.

He went to protest but knew better than to argue with her. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and they returned to the kitchen where Lisa was placing the salad dressing down in the center of the table.

Halfway through dinner, her phone rang. Lilian jumped from her seat, her nerves still shaky. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the looks of concern from her friends and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Ms. Garcia. This is Detective Lashley."

"Good evening."

"We got the results back on the paper that was left in your picture frames."

She swallowed the large lump of fear in her throat and leaned against the counter to keep her balance. "Do you know who it is?"

"I'm afraid not. But it is the same person. The handwriting was the same and so is the card it was written on. It's also in that same poetic form. Would you like to hear what it says?"

"No," she answered quickly. "No thank you."

"Alright, I understand." She could tell from his voice that he did. "We would like for you to have a 24 hour watch."

"What?"

"The gist of this is saying that tomorrow this person is going to hurt you."

Tomorrow was Halloween she mentally realized. "I don't think I need any sort of protection, sir."

"It would really be best though," the officer replied.

"I'm sure it would," Lilian said nicely. "But I really think I'll be okay. If I feel threatened, I still have the number you gave me and I will use it."

"We can't force any sort of means of protection on you, but like you said, you have my number and you can use that at anytime, day or night."

"Thank you," she answered before hanging up. She slowly sank back into her chair, fully aware of her friends looking at her.

Paul placed his hand on her back while she buried her face in her hands. When she looked up, Lisa noticed something in her friend's green eyes that she had never seen. That stubborn, take no prisoner Latina look was cracking with fear.

Lisa stood up and went around to hug Lilian. "Why don't you stay with Chris and I tonight?"

"No, I'm not going to let whoever this is ruin my life," the blonde said. "I will be fine, if I need anything, I'll call you."


The next morning, Lilian woke up early with the phone ringing in her ear. Groaning, she rolled over, meeting Reina's sleeping form freshly awoken by the phone as well. She kissed the dog's nose and reached over to grab the phone on her night stand.

"Hello?"

"Lilian!" It was Lisa.

"What?" Today was Halloween. Joy, Lilian thought.

"Lil, it's Paul." It sounded a little like Lisa had been crying, but Lilian couldn't tell since she was still trying to wake up. She looked over at the digital clock that read 4:56. She had to get up in 4 minutes anyway.

"What about him?" she asked, yawning.

"He…he um…He was killed in the middle of the night, Lilian."