A/N: I know should have posted this earlier cause it was done but there was little I could do when it was on one computer and I was 50+ km away with no car away. So I'm thinking just one more after this then I continue on with my While He Was Away series again.

Considering it a good day when no notes had arrived today she was in a rather happy mood but completely bone tired, the two notes and flowers were starting to weigh heavy on her mind.

How do you question someone without making it look like you're crazy? It was all in the wording. But whom to question she'd hinted about the flowers to her boss but either her boss was dense or he had no idea what she had been rambling on about.

Pulling into the driveway minutes after Nick she assumed as she saw him get out of the vehicle, exhaustion written everywhere, he was just getting home from last night's shift and was due back several hours from now.

"Perfect timing" she reached to grab her briefcase from the back seat and he stood at the beginning of the walkway waiting for her except she had other plans.

"I'm so tired I don't think I can walk the short distance to the door" she whined, her bottom lip protruding just a bit to an almost pout; her head looking down to the ground like she was faced with a dilemma she had no clue of solving. She looked at him through her lashes and saw the exhaustion ease as he came over to her, his back facing her.

"Jump on" he bended a little to help her with the task of jumping up.

"You're sure?" she already knew the answer she just acted like she really cared about his answer.

"Jump on or you stay outside" she didn't have to be told a third time as she jumped on his back, his arms under her knees to keep her on. Her arms were around his neck, held loosely she didn't want her ride to end short because of lack of oxygen.

"Thank you Nicky" she whispered into his ear in a way he liked

"Ya ya" he carried her inside the door and over to the couch where he let go and she fell.

"Are you just getting home?" he nodded as he closed his eyes and ran a hand over his head.

"Go shower, I'll fix you something light to eat and then you can go to bed for a bit" she got up and he nodded again moving towards the bathroom, taking his shirt off as he went the sooner he climbed into bed the better.

--

He ate in silence as he watch her tidy up the already tidy kitchen, moving on to the living room she moved the book on the coffee table just a fraction of an inch and wiped away imaginary dust.

"Either you're horny or you've got something on your mind" he finally spoke

"No it's nothing really, just a few new high profile cases were dumped on my lap this week"

"High profile huh?"

"Ya nothing too biggie means a bigger paycheck and a lot more hours but nothing I'm not used to"

"If it's nothing biggie why are you tidying up when it doesn't need to be"

"It's nothing really" she moved a picture by the TV just a smidgen, he turned around to watch her move various other things not even enough to notice they've been moved. She stopped when he cleared his throat

"Honest it's nothing, just a lot on my mind"

"Okay" his eyebrows drew together in confusion, something was definitely bothering her; he just had to figure out what. He ate the rest of his sandwich quickly the exhaustion once again back full force. All he did was pull a double shift, what was it going to be like when he had to pull the triple next week?

"Mind laying with me?"

"Of course not" her eyes darting back and forth as he rinsed his plate and glass and put them in the dishwasher.

"You know you can talk to me right?" she was beside him in the hallway, she sent him a side glance

"I know, nothing I can't handle honest" she smiled and he was quick to notice it did quite reach her eyes.

"You're not cheating on me are you?" she laughed at the remark

"You definitely need sleep" she walked ahead of him into the bedroom walking towards her side of the bed.

"Answer me" came out harsher than intended; it had her looking up rather scared of the tone

"No I would never do that to you" she came around the bed to where he stood and embraced him with her arms around his waist pulling him as tight as she could. His arms went around her knowing she need his comfort in some little way. He swore he saw her wipe away a tear as she walked back towards her side and climbed in, she didn't speak another word.

--

He didn't know she was involved with anyone; that was not part of the plan. The flowers had been a small token of his affection; the letters were starting to scare her that much he could tell. Didn't he know he would do nothing to hurt her; he wanted her to return the love that he felt for her. Something this deep only came once in a lifetime, and he was not going to let her spend it with him. She would be his for eternity. He just had to make her see that, he was the one she was meant to be with. Careful to stick to the shadows he slipped the envelope into the mailbox, slightly sticking out so someone would see it on their way past. He slid back into the shadow's fading into the night like he had never been there.

--

Nick was on his way out the door when he saw it, something sticking out of the mailbox. Seeing it was address to Katie he popped back in.

"This was in the mailbox for you" he called to her as he sat the envelope on the table beside the door, she waved him off too wrapped up in her case to care about whatever was in the mailbox or so she let on. The moment the door was shut she raced to the door, her face paling the moment she saw it, the stark white envelope. The ebony letters and she could almost see the letters on the inside.

Her hands trembled as she open the letter and she sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face as she read what the letter said.

'You don't deserve to be carried like a piece of cargo'

The words had her running to the kitchen pulling out garbage from the can, each piece being thrown in a new direction. She neared the bottom when she saw the crumpled up paper. Un-crumpling the ball she for once was relieved to see the letter.

She was done ignoring it.