CH1

Will turned and gave his date a goodbye kiss the through the open window of the car. "You sure you can get home from here honey?"

"Yes. It not worth trying to get through that intersection, and it's only a block."

"Do you want me to sit here and wait for you?" Jay asked.

"Why?" Will answered. He probably would have accepted the ride, if only convenience sake but he didn't really want Jay to know what building he lived in. They'd been set up on a blind date by his boss, so he felt obligated to accept, and the date hadn't been especially bad. It was just that he seemed a little clingy, and Jay was Jack with red hair. Well a little less of a party person, and a little more of a reader. He just was just a little young and more feminine than Will's taste. He had the feeling that was mutual. Will generally liked more muscular men, and people would mistake Jay for his sister. Jay seemed strangely right for Jack though. Maybe I should set them up, Will thought. Jay, Jack, Jack, Jay… No, it would be too confusing, he concluded

Will kept walking, enjoying the relative quite and sense of life the city streets had at this hour. He was thinking of Grace and home when he thought he heard someone about fifty feet behind him yell the word "fag." He suddenly wished he'd accepted that ride home. You're being ridicules he told himself you're not even sure that's what they said. Then he heard again, and this time he was sure. He reached for his cell phone, but before he could find it someone hit him in the back of his head with something. He screamed, then he fell and the air was knocked out of his lungs so he couldn't scream any more. There was something sharp. Some one kicked him screaming something he didn't bother making out, and then he blacked out. What happened to him after that he thankfully couldn't remember.

• • •

Grace stepped into the doorway of their apartment; everything was dark, not even lit by the lights of the city, yet she could still see. The mangled bodies of Jack, Karen, Will, Nathan, and herself, all lay on the floor. She heard a piercing scream, and flashed her eyes open. She was lying in her bed in the apartment she shared with Will alone.

She turned on the light and got up to make herself some tea. The tea didn't help, and she had a nagging feeling something was wrong. She needed Will. She went into his bedroom only to see his bed already made. She looked at the clock, it was almost three in the morning and it was a weeknight. That was when she knew something was wrong. Will never got home much past midnight except on weekends, and even then he usually told her before he went out, or he'd call. She played the messages – nothing. She called his cell-phone, it rang but there was no answer; that wasn't like Will either, he'd either turn the thing off or answer it. Suddenly she was scared, the dream, Will not home and not answering his phone…

She called Karen, who she knew was awake and whatever Karen said the opposite was probably true, which made her quite useful at times. "Honey what are doing calling me at this hour?" Karen asked.

"I knew you'd be up." Grace answered.

"It's not me I'm thinking of. I doubt you'd stay up past 10."

"I was asleep, but I can't find Will."

"You'll have to explain that one tomorrow, but I'll bet he's out having fun like the rest of us."

"Really? It's a week night Karen." Grace said skeptical.

"Give it up…"

"Karen I'm going to go find him."

"You're nuts. In your neighborhood?"

"I just can't stand the thought that he's…"

"Whatever. I'm busy honey. Got ta go."

"Bye Karen." Grace said add hung up the phone.

She splashed some cool water on her face, grabbed a hair band, through on some clothes, got a small backpack and tossed a first aid kit, water, a blanket, some money for coffee or breakfast, and Wills car keys in and was out the door in no more than five minuets.

• • •

Will was cold, his head hurt… Hell, everything hurt. He couldn't remember… He opened his eyes slowly and saw himself in a dark alleyway. He reached for his cell-phone but he was too weak and it hurt too much to move. At first he tried to go back to sleep but was so scared and alone. There was nothing else he could do, he started crying, and once he started he couldn't stop…

• • •

Grace ran in front of the building looking in all directions. When she got to the first alley way she took out her flashlight and looked down it. Nothing. She kept running. She something was reflected in the street light, and she bent over to pick it up. It was a picture of her, Will, and Nathan. She stuck it in her pocket and kept running, she heard whimpering noises in the distance and she ran faster, as she was running she saw shards of broken glass on the side walk. She had never run so fast in her life, it was only a matter of seconds before she was at Wills side. She gasped as soon as she saw him. There were shards of glass everywhere between where the bottle apparently broke and where he was lying. His face was coved in blood and tears, he was shivering, and she saw some blood on the side walk next to his back. She didn't think; she just kept running till she was at his side.

"Grac…?" He muttered in disbelief to weak to finish the word.

"Yes, it's me. You're going to be OK." She said, although she had no idea about the second part. She reached for his phone and dialed 911 before she did anything else. She put his head in her lap and threw the blanket over him. Then she took out the first aid kit and rubbed the blood off his forehead with a clean gaze pad. She gasped when she saw the letters F, A, G, written on his forehead in blood, probably with a piece of broken glass. She put some disinfectant on it and bandaged the wound. She thought about doing the same with the cuts on his back, but she'd have to turn him over and take off his sweeter… It would have to wait till they were at the hospital. She sat and held his hand as they waited.

When the ambulance came Grace was unbelievably relived to see someone who knew what they were doing take care of Will. "Are you all right mam?" One of the paramedics asked her.

"I'm Fine." She answered out of breath and clearly disturbed. "Is he…?"

"The injuries seem to be mostly external. He should recover. Do you know him?"

"Yes, he's my best friend and roommate." She said.

As they got in the ambulance he asked her "Did you see this happen?"

"No, I had a nightmare and when I saw he wasn't home and wasn't answering his phone I knew something was wrong. I have no idea how or what…"

"Calm down. Everything is going to be OK." He said as they stepped into the ambulance. "Do you know who his medical guardian is?" she saw one of the paramedics giving Will a shot, probably medication for the pain.

"It's me." She answered.

"This was obviously intentional, do you intend to press charges?"

"Yes." She answered with no doubts in her mind.

• • •

Grace sat in a chair in the waiting room. A police officer came to her. "Are you Grace Adler?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me what happened tonight?"

"Yes, I woke up at around three in the morning because I had a nightmare I couldn't…" She paused and pinched herself to see that she wasn't still asleep. It hurt so she was pretty sure she was awake.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"Just checking to make sure this wasn't all just a nightmare."

"I'm afraid it's quite real mam. I'm sorry about what happened." Grace nodded. "Can you continue?"

"Yes. I went into Wills room, and he wasn't home yet. He told me he'd be home at midnight, and it was a weeknight so the fact that he wasn't in bed was extremely strange. I called his cell-phone. He never leaves it on when he doesn't intended to answer it, and he usually calls if he's going to be that late. It rang and no one answered. I was worried something happened."

"What did you do?"

"I got dressed, and packed a backpack with a first aid kit, blanket, car keys etc."

"How did you know he was injured?"

"I didn't really it was the dream. You know how you can wake up from a nightmare out of sorts and taking everything... I wasn't going to feel alright untill I found him."

"You said you took car keys, did you have a vehicle with you when you found him?"

"No. I checked our block first, if I didn't find him there then I was going to get in the car and see if could find at the restaurant he told me he'd be at, or find some one who knew where he was. I walked or ran down the block, and saw the broken glass and heard someone crying; when I got closer I knew it was him. I used his cell phone to call 911. Then I put the blanket over him and tried to treat the cut on his forehead. When I cleaned it off I realized someone had written the word fag on face." She couldn't say it with out choking on her words. At the time she had been able to keep herself together for his sake, but he was being taken care of and she couldn't do it any more. "I never thought this would be happening to me. I've heard about stuff like this happing, but, I never thought it would happen to someone I loved. I never…" There were tears running down her face, she couldn't speak any more.

"Ms. Adler are you alright?"

She shook her head no. Thinking about it make her sick, and she got and went to the washroom before she threw up.

Grace reached for one the disposable tooth brushes they kept there, probably for this occasion. "Mam are you aright?" One of the doctors said putting her hand on Graces forehead.

"I'm not sick." Grace answered pushing her away. "Just upset."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She answered. All she wanted to do was pretend this wasn't happening, not to her, not Will, not here, not now. "My best friend was almost killed because he's gay. He's more than my best friend. Do you really think I want to talk about it?" she snapped.

"Make sure you take care of your self as well."

"I'm not thinking about me…"

"You should be thinking of both of you." She said. Grace left with out responding.

• • •

When she returned the nurse told her "Will wants to speak to you."

"What's his condition?" Asked Grace.

"He had a concussion, a few broken ribs, 20 stitches, and he's lost a lot of blood; you probably saved his life."

"It was that bad?" Grace asked horrified. The woman nodded sympathetically.

Grace sat down next to Will, his face was still a little gray but it wasn't anything compared to the last time she saw him. "How do you feel?" She asked.

"What planet am I on?" He responded his voice was soft almost a whisper.

"The pain medication?" She asked.

"Probably." He muttered.

"What did they tell you?" Grace asked.

"That you saved my life. That I was attacked and my wallet was left alone."

"How much do you remember?"

"Hearing someone behind me scream fag. Being hit. Waking up and knowing I was going to die, then seeing you…"

"Jesus, Will… Did they tell you about the cut on your forehead?"

"Yes, I asked."

"Oh sweetie…" She said, taking his hand and working to hold back tears.

"Stay with me Gracie…"

"Of course." She answered with out hesitation, and they sat together for hours in agony and shock.