***I do not own His Dark Materials. Will is not my own creation. Darn! But Lena is though....***

Thought circled Will's head as he drove to Lena's house, thoughts about Lyra. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about her. It would only cause him pain, that's what Mary Malone kept telling him. Mary was telling the truth of course, but it didn't stop Will from thinking about Lyra.

"Stop Will," said his daemon, Kirjava, who was laying in the passenger seat.

Will sighed; she was right. So he pushed Lyra out of his head as he pulled up to Lena's house. He had met Lena almost a year ago at a bookstore. She had "accidently" bumped into him while he was looking for a book for a class. She was nice and pretty so he had asked her out for tea and coffee. That of course had ended up in a relationship lasting almost a year.

The reason Will was at Lena's house now was because she hadn't spoken to him in a few days, wouldn't answer a call or anything. Everything had been fine and happy, so Will wondered why she was doing this. So now he was here to try and find the answer.

He got of the car, Kirjava right behind him (she had insisted on coming) and walked up to Lena's door. Her house was a small one, but cute and fitting for the woman that lived here. It was a cheery cream color with a bright red door, and green grass and flowers planted in front. Her house always reminded Will of a home in a story book or a fairy tale. It was just so quaint and joyful.

As Will knocked on the door, Kirjava rubbed against his legs, trying to cool his nerves. They could hear the squeak of a moving chair, the shuffling of feet and a loud groan before the door finally swung open. Standing in front of him was Lena. She was a skinny woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes. Right now that hair was in a disheveled heap and those eyes were laden with big purple bags and bloodshot with the effort of carrying them. She was wearing her PJ's and bunny slippers.

"Oh Will. Uh…hi. Sorry, I know I don't look very…good. Anyway, come in," said Lena holding out the door.

"Thanks. Lena…" responded Will walking in, Kirjava trialing close behind. Will didn't finish, because he was in shock of the state of the interior of his girlfriend's house.

It was usually neat and clean; everything had a place and everything was in that place. But now in was in a state of chaos. There were dirty dishes in the sink, empty boxes and wrappers thrown about the room. Plants were wilting in the corner, as the rug and furniture were sitting at awkward angles. The curtains were closed and the only light was coming from a floor lamp next to a reading chair in the center of the room.

Will looked back at Lena; she was fidgety and shifting from foot to foot. A wave of worry washed over him. This was not the Lena he had known, something was wrong.

"Lena are you okay?" Will asked.

"Yes…well…really no…" she answered.

"What happened?"

"Well…I kind of found a new series and…"

Lena was an avid book reader. She used almost all her extra money to buy books, she visited the library almost every day, and belonged to several reading groups online and off. She would sometimes get really involved in a book or a series and miss one or two calls or dates or something of that nature. But she never got this involved. She had practically devoted her life to this series, whatever it was. That's why she was so disheveled. But what book would make her do that?

"Go on…" Will encouraged.

"You're going to think I'm silly."

"No I won't."

"Okay I'll tell you."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down and started.

"I was on one of my reading groups online and I came across this new series. All three books had just been published just last month. Anyway, they looked interesting so I went out to the bookstore and bought them. Once I got home, I started to read...and after that I kind of got deep into it. I lost myself for a few days. I just couldn't put the books down! They were so good! So you know me, I locked myself up in my house and just read and read. That's why I haven't been talking to you or returning your calls. I'm sorry, Will."

She was looking down at her feet and fiddling with her fingers, waiting for a reply.

"Its okay, Lena. But what I want to know is what series? How can those books be so good that they made you do this?"

"Uh…" said Lena walking over to the reading chair and picking up a book that laid hidden in its lap. "The first book's called The Golden Compass. I had just finished the last one, but if you want to look at the first one, here it is."

Will took the book that Lena was now handing him. It was a fairy heavy book, leaden with the story it held inside. On the cover showed a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, on top of a large polar bear with a mouse next to her. Will met the eyes of his daemon (now by the window) as a ping of memory popped into their heads. He looked back at the book, turning it over to read the back.

Lyra Belacqua...Jordan College…her daemon…Lord Asriel…Gobblers…

Will's eyes grew wide and his skin pale, as his heart started to beat fast in his chest. He staggered back to couch and sat down.

"Will are you okay?" asked Lena.

Will was speechless. It didn't make sense, but everything was right. The summary sounded exactly like what Lyra had told him. It was all just too much. Kirjava was now up on his lap, purring nervously.

"Will?"

Ignoring Lena, Will got up and walked over to the reading chair, to look at the other books in the series. Maybe it was just a coincidence; the other books couldn't be like the true story too. Could they? With his hands shaking he picked up the second book of the series. It was titled The Subtle Knife, with a cover showing the same blonde haired girl with her hand on a leopard and next to her was a boy carrying a tabby cat. Kirjava meowed a low and loud one with ears back, the memories that Will was thinking were too painful. Will hurriedly turned to the back and read the summary.

Lyra…Cittagazze…Specters…Will Parry…

Will dropped the book and Kirjava hissed at it like it was cursed. He sank to his knees. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be true. But it was, and the proof was right in front of him. In the corner of his eyes he could see Kirjava batting at something behind the chair. He felt a wave of angry and sad feelings come from her. So he crawled over to see what made her feel like that. It was the third book in the series, The Amber Spy Glass. The over was gold except a circle in the middle, which showed the girl and boy surrounded by gray figures, which Will knew were the dead. In the air was two big dragonflies and riding them was a small woman and man, Lady Salmakia and Chevalier Tialys.

His heart beat was off the carts now and he was as pale as paper. I reached out to the book, afraid of the story that it held. But before he could get his hands on it, Lena called out.

"Will!"

He looked up at her; her eyes were shinning with worry. He had once looked at her daemon with Mary's technique. It was a little sparrow, small, neat, careful and caring. She came and sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"Will, are you okay?" she asked.

Will stared into her chocolate brown eyes. There was something in those eyes that had made him stay with her for almost a year, but now he couldn't figure out what. His mind was too clouded with thoughts of Lyra.

"Uh…yah…" whispered Will, even though he was shaking his head no.

"Will Malone, you know that the real answer is no. Tell me. What's wrong?"

Malone… Now that was a last name that he had heard quite often now. His last name was now Malone after Mary had adopted him. Once Will got back, he and Mary had sorted everything out with the help of wonderful lawyer and luck. But soon after that, Will's mom had died of a "strange illness". So Mary had adopted him and raised and housed him until he went off to college, which was where he was now. He had barely talked to Mary since.

Tell her, that's what Lena wanted him to do. He couldn't do that, not the truth. She would never believe him. He broke away from her and got up.

"I…uh…h-have to go…" stuttered Will as he and Kirjava walked towards the door.

With hands still shaking and now wet with nervous sweat, he turned the doorknob and strolled out, leaving Lena on the floor with confusion, worry and shock written on her face.

Will shoved the keys into the car door, yanked it open and sat down. He had to get out of this place, he knew that Lena would only follow him and ask more questions. Putting the car in reverse, he backed out of the driveway and drove away. It wasn't long before he couldn't drive because of his shaking hands. He was weaving like crazy as Kirjava tried to soothe him to no avail. He should pull off the road, a cop would otherwise think he was drunk. Spotting a fast-food restaurant coming up on his left, he turned and parked, heart still beating like crazy and hand unable to stay still.

"Calm down, Will. It's not good for you to be this upset," stated his daemon, climbing up onto his lap, and licking his healed left hand.

Taking a deep breath, he laid his right hand on her head.

"Your right Kirjava. I do need to calm down, but it was just so…weird," said Will, trying to put his thoughts into words, but he didn't have too, Kirjava felt it too.

There was something very strange about those books, something that couldn't possibly true. His past couldn't be in the bellies of newly published books. It just wasn't possible. But yet it was; he had seen the books with his own eyes.

"Maybe it's not exactly like our story," said Kirjava looking up at him with pleading eyes.

She was trying to search for some loophole, something that was different and false. Her, like him, didn't want this to be true. A novel couldn't feasibly contain all their adventures with Lrya… Oh, what would she do now? She would probably march right up to the author and find out how he knew all this stuff. But like Kirjava said, the story might not be exactly correct. And there was only one way to find out for sure. Taking his hand off his daemon, he started the car again and drove out of the parking lot, with a mission in mind.