"Hale! Stop it!"

"Stop what Kat? What am I doing that is making you so displeased? Should I stop caring about you?"

"No, Hale, it's not like that it's -"

"It's what Kat? What can it possibly be this time? What great excuse have you come up with now?"

"Hale, they aren't excuses. I mean it when I say that!"

"What are they then, Kat? Are they the truth? I don't think so! Spare the effort Kat."

"Hale, no. Don't be like this?"

"Don't be like what? Your best friend? The person who waits for you to call, or come home! The person who waits for a letter in the mail, even? Do you want me to stop caring? Do you want me to turn my back on you? Do you want me to leave you alone? Do you want me to leave?" His voice lowered from a yell to a whisper.

"No I don't want you to leave. I want you to stop your worrying though! I want you to know that I'm going to be okay. You have to trust me, Hale." I was practically pleading now.

"You're asking me to stop caring about you? Whether you're going to come home in one piece, or not at all? You're asking me to trust you, after you've left me? You said you would never leave me Kat. You lied to me. That's all you've ever done. You left me, Kat! I didn't leave you! I never have and I never will! Why won't you understand that I don't want to leave you?" Hale's words cut through the silence in Uncle Eddie's kitchen. They felt like they were stabbing me in the chest. His words hurt, and Hale knew it.

"I don't want you to leave me, Hale. I want you to know that I'm coming home. They're easy jobs! I don't need other people there. If anything, it might put you in danger!"

"I! There it is! It's not always about you, Kat! We all care about you. Whether you think you need the help or not, we're all here. We all care and we can come. We can handle ourselves." Hale started to turn around and I knew there was nothing that I could do to change his mind. There was nothing I could do to make him understand.

"Hale. Wait! Try to understand!" I tried, but I knew it was too late. I knew the damage had been done and that Hale was hurt. There was nothing I could do now. Hale was Hale and he would come around in his own time. Hopefully, he would come around.

There was nothing left to say and I had a plane to catch. I grabbed my duffle that was lying at the door, ready for me to go, again. Hale was right. I was leaving him again and again. He didn't deserve this. He deserved better. I couldn't give him that though. He wouldn't get better from me. I opened Uncle Eddie's front door and stared outside. I turned my head, looking back. I don't know what I expected to see there. Maybe I thought Hale would come back and try to stop me. Maybe, just maybe, I would actually stop.

The air was chilly. I wish I had a warmer jacket but I knew I wouldn't be here long. I had packed light. I didn't expect to stay. I knew that it was an in and out job. A quick thing. No one would see me, hopefully.

The streets were busy. I liked busy. It was always a good cover. There were so many people around yet I felt at ease. I felt like I was at home among all these people. I was comfortable. I had so many people around me yet, I felt alone.

As I was walking into the coffee shop, someone bumped into me. It shouldn't have been strange. There were so many people, it was bound to happen. But something felt off and I couldn't put my finger on it. I bought my coffee and blew on it. I never really liked my coffee overly hot. You can't taste a thing for days when you have a burnt tongue. I put my hand in my pocket to grab a napkin to wrap around the coffee mug that was getting increasingly hotter. That's when I felt it.

I couldn't tell whether I was getting sloppy, or whether this person was really good.
"Don't do it. Home is where it's at." The writing on the small card seemed awfully familiar. I turned it around to find the familiar words. Words that had been etched in my mind since the day I first saw it. Visily Romani.

*AN: hey so it's been a while now. I hope you like this! It's a short chapter but it gets better! (hopefully aha) Review and stuff and tell me if you like it, what you think, etc. :D I'm always open to suggestions and critisism :) Oh, and the title's a work in progress.