Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

Chapter 1: A hard day

Typing the last words of his report Tony glanced over at Kate who was sitting her table with a pen in her hand, but didn't seem to be doing anything at all. She just sat there, her gaze fixed on a blank spot on the table, an expression of utter sadness on her face. She'd been sitting there like this for more than half an hour and Tony was beginning to get worried. At first he'd tried to wake her up from her paralyzed state by tossing a paper clip over to her. It had landed on the table in front of her and Kate had looked up, surprised by the sound, but otherwise hardly paying attention. Tony had stared at her in disbelief because he had already been prepared for a heated discussion over the question of how-childish-and-immature-does-one-adult-have-to-be-when-he-finds-it-funny-to-toss-paper-clips-at-other-people? What was wrong with her?

Tony finished the report and looked at his watch. 7.30 p.m. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to leave the office before 8? But he stayed at his table watching Kate. She'd finally started to move and was now taking some notes on the pad in front of her. But the expression on her face hadn't changed. She still looked sad and very tired and Tony felt with her. It had been a hard day, a tough case having finally come to a very unpleasant conclusion. They'd had the suspect for the murder of a female lieutenant in interrogation the whole morning. The lieutenant had been a single mom and when her neighbour had found her dead in her living room her two children had been missing from the house. There'd been no blood in the children's rooms so they had hoped to find the five year old boy and seven year old girl alive. But the suspect had finally cracked during interrogation and admitted to having murdered the two children. He led them to the house where he was keeping the bodies. Tony shuddered at the memory. Yes, he could understand the state that Kate was in right now.

"Kate?" he said.

She looked up from the pad and met his gaze. "What is it?"

"You finished yet?"

"Would I be here if I had?"

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Hard day, wasn't it?"

She just kept looking at him and Tony felt quite uncomfortable under her imploring gaze. He wanted to walk over to her and put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Make the sadness disappear from her eyes. But he didn't move.

"I was just thinking, maybe you should call it a day and head home. Get some rest." He smiled at her.

"Oh yes, thanks, mom," she replied sarcastically, and got back to work.

Tony sighed. She was definitely not in the mood to take any good advice. Maybe he should go and leave her alone. But he stayed, pretending he was still working on the report. It wasn't before 8:30 that Kate finally gathered her things up and took her purse out from the drawer she always kept it in. Nodding at Tony she murmured something about seeing him tomorrow and headed for the elevators. First thing Tony wanted to do was to follow her, but he didn't move. He heard the 'ding' from the elevator and watched her step inside. When she was gone, Tony leaned back in the chair and ran a hand across his face feeling rather stupid.