Timeline: definitely after Silver Bullet, not specified, but it's about 1-2 years later, I think

Disclaimer: unfortunately I don't own the characters, they belong to the writers of TGW and CBS

Note: Call me crazy, but ever since I saw an awesome fight scene in another TV show I've been planning to write a fight between Diane and Kurt. I just had to find a good enough reason to create an angst-ridden atmosphere for them, I hope it worked! This story was supposed to end with Ch3, but then I wrote Ch4, which will be the end I think. It has some cruel cliff hangers, just thought I warn you beforehand. It's dark, not fluffy at all, but I still hope you'll like it!

Chapter One

"What are these?"

He looked up from the newspaper he'd been reading, just to find her standing in front of him, with something in her hands, that he should have hidden from her. Judging from the look on her face, she was not pleased. Not that he'd expected her to like those at once, but it wasn't the way he'd planned on showing them to her. He'd been waiting for the right time to discuss them with her and that night was definitely not the right time.

"Hello to you too," he said smiling, trying to ease the tension that was already in the air.

"Cut the small talk cowboy," she said a little playfully and it gave him hope that they might actually be able to talk about it calmly, "What are these?"

"Plane tickets," he said, stating the obvious, without taking his eyes off her face.

"I can see that. But why are they here?"

"I…I thought we could…"

He hesitated, because he already saw the flashes of anger in her eyes, which predicted that this conversation wouldn't go too smoothly after all.

"We could what? I thought I had been clear about this, I can't go anywhere now."

"You were, but…"

But he still had hopes. He suggested going on a vacation together several times, but she'd always rejected his offers. There were always perfect excuses why she couldn't go. There was always a new case or an important client or simply problems at the firm that she couldn't leave behind. He got tired of asking, and decided to surprise her instead. And even though he should have hidden the tickets, something he'd accidentally forgotten to do, he'd already figured it wouldn't have made a difference after all. She would probably have reacted the same way.

"There's no but, I'm not going."

"Diane!"

"Don't Diane me! Have I or have I not told you that I don't have time for a vacation?"

"You have, but…"

"I don't want to hear about it. Take these back, or go on your own, or with whoever you want, I don't care."

She didn't raise her voice that much, but she obviously seemed angry. He knew she didn't mean what she'd just said, but it still hurt him that she talked that way, even if he didn't show it.

"I want to go with you."

"But I'm not going anywhere."

"You need a vacation, you need to rest, you need to get away from your firm, your work, you need it."

She'd been working day and night in the last few weeks, maybe months. He had never seen her so exhausted before. She didn't have time to rest and she didn't have time for him. He was there, he was patient because he was hoping it would be over soon and then they could go on this vacation, where they would have time to rest, to talk, to be together. He was more worried about her than about their relationship, but he'd been feeling neglected lately, even though he never complained.

"Are we discussing this again? I don't like to be told what I need to do."

"Just look at yourself! Think back on the last few weeks, months. When was the last time you went to be bed before midnight? When was the last time you didn't work on a weekend? When was the last time you took a day off? When was the last time you did your physical? When was the last time you ate 3 times a day? You're killing yourself!"

He'd told her all this several times already, but she never listened. Still he insisted on repeating them over and over again, hoping that she'd actually hear his words at least once.

"It's my right."

"I won't just stand by while you drain yourself, I love you too much to let you do that."

This was his strongest argument, one that should have worked.

"Then don't. You can go, you can go any time you want. What's keeping you?"

Maybe it would have worked with anyone else, but not her. And he still wanted her, even though she hurt him again with her words.

"Are you listening to me?"

"No, I'm not. I've heard enough. I've been able to take care of myself perfectly fine all my life. How dare you lecture me?"

She did raise her voice at the last sentence, he probably hadn't seen her that angry before, he almost regretted going too far.

"Diane…" he looked at her calmly, ready to give up the fight, but she was looking angrily at him, then her look faded away, and she seemed to have lost balance for a short while.

"Diane?" he stepped closer to her, and she already lifted her hands in rejection, but the next moment she lost her balance completely.

"Diane!" he shouted and jumped to catch her from falling on the ground.