I'll try to update "The Illusion Of Time" as soon as possible, but I've had this idea for a short little one-shot for a while now, so I thought I would go ahead and type it. The story is from The Watcher's point of view. Can you guess who The Watcher is? Enjoy! :)

The Watcher

Detective Mal Fallon and Special Agent Natara Williams don't know it, but they're being watched. Watched everyday by a person, a person who sits back quietly and simply observes. A person who is constantly with them, even though they are unaware. That person lurks around every corner, lurks in every moment, takes part in each adventure, but remains unseen. That person is me.

They first caught my attention during the Maskmaker case. The way they worked together, thought and fought together, pursued suspects together, it was simply exciting. And the more I watched them, the more fascinating they became. They each had their own story, their own secrets that they would come to share with one another, and I soon realized their destinies were intertwined with one another. I had to see where life took them. So I started to follow them. I watched every moment of every day. Well, not everyday. I have to eat, sleep, and make a living too. But the majority of my time is spent simply watching, and waiting to see what happens next.

Soon, I also realized that their friends had just as interesting lives as Mal and Natara did, so I started to follow them too. I've been there for everything. I was there when Mal was framed for the Senator's murder. I ran through the woods with Mal and Natara and watched them as they faced off with the Hunters. When the SFPD exploded and Shawn Mallory went to Zero's apartment, I watched in captivation as he murdered Zero in cold blood. I saw that coming though. I watched as he tumbled off the roof of Alcatraz, and my heart nearly broke watching Natara yell at Mal. I witnessed Mal shoot the mayor for Natara, and was just as surprised when the mayor was alive. I watched in anger as Oscar won Natara over, even though Mal had said how much she meant to him. I watched Mal take down the Ladykiller at the airport and watched him walk away sadly as Oscar and Natara worked out their issues. I watched in horror as Ken sacrificed himself to save Amy. I wanted so badly to help, but I didn't have the choice. When The Kraken revealed himself to be Shawn, I gasped in shock at the twist. I wanted to shout "NO!" when Oscar proposed, but they wouldn't have heard me. When Maria chased down Livewire and saved her daughter, I saluted with the rest of the SFPD down below. I hated Selene the second she came into the picture, and when she started dating Mal, I wanted to punch him in the face, but I have to keep my distance. I was there when Mal and Natara got drugged, and I got drugged along with them. That was my own doing. I sat in the cathedral as Natara and Oscar said their vows, and I was filled with anxiety when she hesitated. And when Mal crashed through the roof, it took all I had not to cheer. I followed Natara to Mal's apartment, and when she kissed him, I was overjoyed. I had waited two years for that. And when his apartment exploded and he was kidnapped, I knew I should have done something to help, but it wasn't an option for me. So I watched Natara tear apart San Francisco looking for him instead. When Mal's friends saved him, it was the most exhilarating thing I had ever watched. I would have liked to have seen Blaise take down that cannibal, but I wasn't around for that. So now, I currently watch them as they sit at the bar, one big happy family, after catching the Boogeyman.

Am I dangerous? Perhaps. They don't understand how much power I hold. They don't understand that with one decision, I could make or break their lives or the lives of everyone around them. Their whole world is in my hands, and they don't even know who I am.

I will never meet them. There are too many barriers in the way. Even if I could, what would I say to them? "I've been watching you for two years waiting to make a move"? No. So for now, I sit back and wait. Wait to make my presence known. I've made it known on numerous occasions, but they don't notice it. They think it was their own choice that saved their lives. Ha. They have no idea. Simply, no idea. I will watch them everyday. Everyday until there is nothing left to watch. But I know that won't be for a while. Their adventure has just begun.

It looks like Mal and Natara are headed home. Time to follow them. "You have reached the end of Chapter 8: Out Of The Shadows." What? No. This simply will not do. Volume 13 Prologue? OH MY GOD IT'S SHAWN AGAIN! I'm so done. No no no no no now I really can't wait for Volume 13. I frown as I close the Cause of Death app. "Until next week, my friends. . ." I smile and stuff my iPod back into my pocket, taking joy in the fact that it'll only be one week until I'm reunited with them and the adventure continues. "Until next week."

The End

So let me know what you think. Were you expecting that ending? :)