I forgot to mention something in the prologue. The title of this story, as well as where I got the idea for this story, came from a song of the same name by a group called "The Bamboozlers" who are no longer around. The titles of the chapters also came from the lyrics of this song. The song is amazing and beautiful, and if you'd like to check it out, let me know and I can point the way. It's worth it :) By the way, I do not own any of the lyrics.

That being said, on with the show. Sorry this chapter is so short, but they'll get longer. :)

Chapter One

Down These Empty Dim Moonlit Backroads

Kerri had gone a whole two seconds without thinking about Daniel when she came upon the coffee shop near his house that they first met at. Tears blurred her vision so bad she had to pull off to the side of the road as the memory hit her.

/Flashback/

For once, Kerri wasn't running late, so she took the opportunity to go out for coffee before she headed into work.

She parked and walked into the coffee shop. It was a small, non-chainlike, place and Kerri felt very comfortable in it. She looked up at the selection. They had things like Almond Amaretto, Bavarian Chocolate Cherry, and Black Forest. She smiled, always up for something a little different. She ordered a Chocolate Irish Cream coffee and sat down to wait for it.

She opened up the entertainment section of the newspaper that was sitting on the table and started skimming it. The bell above the door gave a ring and she looked up.

It took all she had not to stare. The bespeckled, good-looking man had her attention. She watched as he ordered and turned around, looking for a place to sit. Apparently the coffee shop was extreamely popular and there wasn't another open table.

"Would you mind?" she shook herself when she realized he was talking to her, gesturing to the empty seat at her table. She smiled and shook her head.

"Of course not." he smiled and she was completely taken in. His bright blue eyes were enhanced by the man's smile.

"I'm Kerri." she intruduced on impulse, holding her hand out.

"Daniel." he nodded back. She gave him her best smile, which he returned. Kerri's coffee was ready so she retrieved it and sat back down. Not long after, Daniel's coffee was done and he did the same.

"Just black, huh?" Kerri asked, attempting to start up a conversation.

"What? Oh, yeah." Daniel said, smiling. Did this man ever stop smiling? Kerri certianly didn't mind. "Sort of a rough night at work."

"Where do you work?"

"Um, I'm a civilian consultant for the Air Force." he told her. Kerri's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? What do you consult about?"

"Languages, mostly. I'm a linguist." he explained.

"That's awesome. I tried to learn Spanish back in high school, but all the dialects and nuances never really seemed to latch onto my brain to easily. So I stick to what I do best." Daniel shifted in his seat to look at Kerri better.

"And what's that?"

"History. I'm a teacher over at the grade school."

"Yeah? What grade?"

"Third. Though my parents are disappointed I don't work for the University." she told him. "I just prefer to teach the little kids."

"I'm somewhat of a history buff myself. I'm also an archeologist." If he didn't have her attention already, Kerri was definitely interested now.

"Archeology? Like digs and stuff? I've always wanted to do that."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when I was a kid, I'd bury stuff in the sandbox, leave it for a few days and go back to dig it up." Kerri told him and he laughed. A sound she enjoyed immensly.

"So, what made you go into teaching then?" he asked.

"I could tell you the exact moment I decided to be a teacher." she paused, and decided to continue, since he seemed genuinely interested. "I was in college, majoring in archeology, actually. Anyway, I was helping out some junior highschoolers with some of their school work, and there was this one kid, Jeff, who was having difficulties with a lot of his work and he'd get frusterated easily. But I worked with him and at the end of the year he managed to get great grades. Even an 'A' in history. He came up to me, thanked me, and gave me this huge hug. I changed my major the next semester."

Kerri didn't know why she was opening up to him so easily but he made her feel comfortable. He smiled warmly at her story and Kerri's insides melted. 'What is going on, I'm a grown woman for crying out loud. I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush!' she mentally berrated herself. She watched as he glanced down at his watch and started.

"I gotta get going! I'm already late. Sorry to leave so quickly." he got up to leave.

"Wait." Kerri said and searched in her purse and pulled out a pen and a slip of paper. Quickly she wrote her name and number on it and handed it to Daniel with a smile. "I'd like it if you'd call me sometime." she said. He looked at the number and smiled at her.

"I might just do that. It was nice meeting you."

/End Flashback/

He didn't call her until two weeks after that initial meeting. Their first date was a few days after that. They clicked as though they'd known each other for years. It hurt her to remember the times before it became to much. Kerri wiped her tears as the memory consumed her. She shook herself, letting out a cry of frustration and put her car in drive.

Sooo, what do ya think:-D Reviews are like candy!