Rained poured down on that day onto a man in a suit staring a three headstones. By each stone he placed something next to it that reminded him of the person beneath them. Today the items were a bottle of scotch, a brown scarf and a single lavender ribbon.

The man had the same ritual every Sunday. When most went to church, he came here. Every week he came to the same spot sporting a small picnic lunch and three new items. He never missed a week rain, shine or snow. He could be found have a conversation with the headstones like they could understand him. That rainy day a passerby in the cemetery stopped to talk to the man.

"Hey." The stranger said. "Can I join you?"

The man responds with a nod as he settled down onto his blanket. The stranger sits beside him.

"I'm Sam by the way" The stranger says. "Who are we talking to here?"

"I'm Will Truman." The man responds. "These are my friends. Here you have Karen Walker, who comes off as a witch on the surface but when you get to really know here. She's really not a bad person. Then you have Jack McFarland. My best friend for as long as I can remember. He was never afraid to be himself and was truly one of a kind. Then you have my Grace. I mean Grace Adler. My best friend. My confidant. My greatest ally. My whole world."

"They were all so young." Sam says his eyes scanning the dates etched into the stones.

"Yeah." Will said. "They were. I used to have it all. You wouldn't believe the shenanigans the four of us used to get into. I'm telling you they could make a tv show about us."

"I'd watch it." Sam says.

"Just as fast as the times began for us they ended abruptly. October 17, 2004 to be precise."

Flashback

The phone was ringing off the hook at Grace Adler Designs. Orders from were flooding in from clients about fall decor. The day had been so crazy both Grace and Karen were there late.

"I think that's the last one." Grace said clicking the phone down on receiver.

"Finally honey." Karen says putting down her magazine. "My buzz is wearing off."

"God I'm hungry." Grace says closing her design book. "I could really go for some Chinese food."

Before Karen could respond the knob on the door turned. Before either of them could see who it was. A masked burglar came tearing in. In his right hand was a gun.

"Give me the money." He growled out. "Or I'll kill you both."

Grace jumped for the cash box. Her hands shook as she struggled to find the right key on her key chain to open the box.

While Grace struggled to open the box, the ring on Karen's finger got his attention.

"Gimme the ring!" He demanded.

He noticed more jewelry sparkling on the brunette.

"Gimme it all!" He yelled pointing the gun at her head.

Not wanting to die Karen shakily takes off her necklace, earrings and bracelet. Stopping with she got to her ring. She just couldn't bare taking it off.

"I said gimme the ring!" He screams. "Or I'll blow her head off!"

The gunman lurched across the room to where Grace was standing. Before she could even comprehend what she was doing Karen jumped on him. He could take her jewelry. She didn't care but he was going after Grace. Her Grace and she just couldn't allow it. Grabbing the back of his shirt she wrestled him to the ground. As she pinned him she lost sight of the gun.

Bang!

The gun went off.

Bang!

It went off again as the gunman got two shots off.

Grace had heard the gunshots go off while Karen was wrestling him to the ground. She just stood there frozen as she saw Karen roll limply off the gunman. The gunman in shock dropped the gun, looked at Grace and ran off with the cash box and Karen's jewelry.

Grace now working in auto pilot ran over to her friend who was now bleeding out on the floor. Dropping to her knees beside her, she puts her hand on Karen's chest. Blood was startling to form a red spreading circle all over Karen's blue blouse.

"H-honey." She choked out. "Bleeding."

"You're going to be okay, Karen." Grace tries to reassure her.

"N-no." Karen says. "Y-you."

Only then did Grace notice how wet her own blouse was getting. The gunman's second shot had pierced her shoulder.

"Grace!" A familiar voice said from the hall.

"Oh thank god." Grace says. "It's Will."

Will had heard the shots from street level and had passed the masked man in the stairwell. He runs over to his best friend and her assistant.

"Help her first, Will." Grace tells him not taking her eyes off Karen.

Will looks at the woman laid out on the floor. A huge puddle of blood had formed around her soaking into the blue carpet. Sirens were heard in the distance as he inched towards her. He takes her hand in his as he placed his other hand on the wound causing her to wince.

"Sorry." Will said.

"G-grace." She chokes out. "G-grace."

Trying to offer words of comfort he whispers to her.

"She's right over there. She'll be okay."

Will's heart dropped as he felt Karen's breathing become labored and slowed under his hand. Her eyes slid shut as she gasped out her last words.

"Save her."

Just as one last breath escaped her lungs the paramedics came bursting in the room. Will gently placed Karen's hand on the floor, kissed her head gently and hurried over to Grace.

The paramedics had surrounded Grace. One placed pressure on her shoulder as another carefully laid her on a spinal board as a precaution. Will takes her hand.

"K-karen." She gasps out. "Are they bringing Karen?"

"Yes sweetheart." He assures her. "She'll be right behind us."

As they rolled Grace from the building Will made sure to block her view from the paramedic pronouncing Karen.

Once outside they climbed into the ambulance. Will looked out the small window to see an ME van roll up. Turning away from the sight he turns to his attention to Grace who just kept asking about Karen.

"She's right behind us." Will says. "I promise."

It was killing Will inside to lie to his best friend but he didn't want to tell her Karen's was gone in fear it could cause more damage. He knew Grace wasn't going to take it well. Just like he knew his best friend was head over heels for her assistant.

The ride to the hospital flew by as they sped down the streets of the city. What was once a familiar place to the lawyer all seemed so cold and foreign. The sirens whirled as the ambulance pulled into the bay. The doors flew open and Grace was pulled out. As soon as the wheels of the stretcher hit the ground she was surrounded by nurses and doctors who whisked her into the building. Will followed next to them as long as they could until they passed through two large double doors where he was forced to stay.

"Will!" A familiar voice calls out.

Will turned around to see Jack running towards him. His eyes full of more fear than Will had ever seen in them before. Jack had always been so innocent in a lt of ways. He lived in his own little world. He knew telling him about Karen would break him. He would break and Will wouldn't be able to fix him.

"I just got the call." Jack panted out. "Karen? Grace?"

Will guides him to a chair in the waiting area.

"Jack." Will starts. He wasn't sure he could continue but he knew this needed to come from him.

"Jack." He starts again. "They just took Grace back. She was shot in her left shoulder. From what I could understand she has a good chance of pulling through."

Jack took a deep breath and was silent a moment to let the news sink in. Will knew he and Grace had started out rocky but they had overcome their differences and became friends. Jack was silent a moment more before asking.

"Karen?"

Will could hear the fear in voice. It was time to tell Jack. Taking Jack's hand in his own he began to speak.

"Jack, Karen...Karen didn't make it."

Jack was utterly silent. His grip on Will's hand fell out as he just stared at Will. He was quiet for a long moment before he stood up. Will stood up with him.

"I need a minute." Jack tells him. "Please don't follow me."

Will watched as Jack left the waiting area and disappeared down the long hallway.

-W&G-

As Jack walked down the hallway, all he could think about was that his Karen was gone. That woman was the best friend he had ever had. They had been through so much together. She trusted him to help her when she thought she was pregnant. When he found out the man he thought was his father wasn't his biological father she was there for him to cry on her shoulder. She had even gone out of her way to help him find his biological father. When she was on the brink of losing Rosario to deportation he married the maid after he saw that Karen's Rosario meant the world to her. She was always there when he needed funding or an opportunity to try something new. She was there front and center during his first Just Jack show and made an attempt to get there every week. When he wrote a play, she was the only one of his friends who read it through, told him honestly what she thought and then helped him write a new ply. She was even in it herself.

Lost in his thoughts Jack found himself standing outside on a small deck staring out as whatever was in front of him. The lights of the city blurred as tears filled his eyes. One escaped and rolled down his cheek. He couldn't believe she was gone. He couldn't believe it was all over.

'W-who's your Daddy?" Jack asked out loud, an audible crack in his voice. He longed to hear her high pitch voice respond to their usual banter.

"Who's your Daddy?" He asks again.

When receiving no response, it all became too much. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as slumped to the ground. He sobbed loud audible sobs as he sat in a pile on the cold cement. He didn't attempt to stop the tears as they dropped off his face and splashed to the ground. Never again would he be her poodle. Never again would they go on a wacky adventure. Never again would he belly bump his best friend. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Will slide down next to him.

Before Will could even open his mouth to attempt to say something Jack fell into the arms of the lawyer. Gripping onto Will's coat Jack sobbed into him soaking the fabric. Will could only hold the shaking man close to him. As Jack cried he uttered out one last.

"Who's your Daddy?"