a.n - this is short and wow it's taken forever for me to get something written, mostly bc my muse has gone on hiatus without telling me. it's been absolute hell not being able to get anything down, let me tell you. i'm sorry
"Beckett?" He tried, the ache in his voice clearing the fog that was consuming her mind.
No. No. He doesn't get to do this. Be hurt. The victim. I am not playing these games with him again.
A clock in the kitchen chimed - signalling a new hour. Kate's eyes cut to the wall on her left, the silver hands pointing; smaller one to the 10, the larger to this 12. Okay, 10pm. It's late. Shouldn't he be at home?
She looked up at him from behind the drink in her hand, her smoky irises stumbling over his 5'oclock shadow and down the slope of his neck, travelling the expanse of his broad chest. Anywhere but those deep blue embers begging her to speak to him.
Kate pierced her lips together tightly, her usual rosy complexion blanching as he took a few steps towards her. The mouth of the bottle pressed against her lips, the cold glass sent an uncontrollable shiver through her body.
What kind of man tracks down his ex...ex? She didn't even know what to call herself anymore.
Rick took a step forward, which she then in turn took one back. He sighed, realising that this wasn't going anyway like he had planned. Running his hand through his hair, not knowing what to do with his hands. He pressed them against his sides.
"Look Kate, I just wanted to give you those," he half-heartedly motioned to the other room where the roses rested in their trash can home, "And to see you because..." a small smile briefly appeared on his lips, "Seeing you after all these years. So many years, Kate." The use of her first name caused her eyes to cut to his, heart stammering in the cove of her chest.
Pulling a piece of paper from his coats pocket, thumb stroking the folded edge before holding it out to her. Her gaze moved to firmly rest on his shoulder, her chin pointing up defiantly. Rick sighed, placing the piece of paper on the countertop on his left before making his way back through the dimly lit hallway with his shoulders slumped, back through the spacious lounge room, and finally leaving through her front door.
Kate sagged against the hardwood, the angle causing the wood to dig into her lower back, the bitter cold biting into her skin through the material of her shirt. Hearing the front door echo shut, Kate moved her beer to the countertop suddenly no longer thirsty. Eyes closing in relief as a hand came up to rest against her forehead briefly, feeling a headache forming Kate applied pressure to the bridge of her nose with we thumb and forefinger.
Is it too much to ask for things to go smoothly for once?
Steam billowed out of the floral ceramic mug clasped in Kate's hands, her thumb tracing the fragile handle. She watched the dark liquid swirling in a slow clockwise direction, sloshing up the sides and staining her fingers. Kate was briefly lost in the peaceful calm that the rich aroma brought over her. Caramel strands tickling the side of her face and tracing shapes along her shoulder and arm.
"Katie?" The voice spoke quietly but clearly, penetrating the isolating bubble of calm surrounding her.
Head jerking upwards; Kate's eyes immediately connecting with the familiar brown. Shit. What were we even-? Johanna's face immediately softened upon the look on her daughters face. This past week she'd been even more distracted than usual, quiet, late. And she knew her daughter - she was rarely any of those things. Johanna offered her a small smile, nudging her shoulder with her own. Running her fingers through Kate's hair before sweeping it to the side, gently resting on her other shoulder.
"Now I can see your beautiful face." She said softly, stroking her daughters cheek.
Kate let out a watery laugh, only just noticing the tears that were trekking down her pale cheeks, salty and bitter droplets sliding across the dry red of her lips and curving down her chin. Pulling back from the warmth of her mother's touch, Kate shrugged away from the comfort. The loving touch pulling at her heart strings, as though someone was trying to unravel the aching pain trapped inside her chest.
Hearing a crash of metal scraping on gravel, Kate's eyes frantically darted upwards scanning the front yard of her parents property, her body subconciously moving to stand up and run towards the source of the noise. A warm hand wrapped itself around her shoulder to prevent her from doing just that, a light chuckle escaping from her mothers lips.
Turning towards her, eyes wide and worried Kate's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Johanna pointed towards the side-walk at Emma talking animatedly whilst she pulled out a bandaid from her front pocket. A wide grin spread across her round face as she knelt down beside the boy who stacked his bike, placing the 'DUMBO' cartoon bandaid across his knee.
Kate breathed a sigh of relief, her hand automatically coming up to wipe at the drying tears on her face before shakily sitting back down. I am usually better put together than this.
"Katherine...is there anything you want to talk to me about?"
Turning her attention back to her mother, her other hand still clasping the mug of coffee, Kate forced a small smile on her face - that didn't quite reach her eyes; they were still red rimmed and veined from the sleepless nights she'd been having all week.
"I'm fine- just...really run down this week." She said softly, looking away for a moment.
Eyes scanning the front yard, Kate spotted her daughter now wrapping a bandage around the young boys head. She couldn't stifle the laugh that built up in her chest and fell out of her mouth, combined with a very ungirlish-like snort. Oh that girl, she owns my heart.
Johanna knew that if she prodded any further, Kate would likely just close up even further - rather than just avoiding the topic altogether. She has such a big heart and at times it cost her so much...love...happiness. Sometimes she wondered if Emma wasn't around, if everything else would of been enough to keep her daughter sane.
She bit her lip trying to stifle the laugh that was threatening to make itself known as she watched her granddaughter patting the boy on the head, turning away and heading back up towards the house with her bright orange skipping rope.
Kate put her mug on the ground, off to the left as her daughter settled on her lap, the porch swing swaying with the quick movement and their combined weight. Wrapping her arms around Emma's waist and pressing a kiss to the back of her head, Kate sighed immediately feeling an inner calm spread throughout her veins, washing herself clean of the painful thoughts terrorizing her.
"I love you so much, bug. You know that right?" She whispered softly, loose curls tickling her face.
Turning in her mother's arms, still remaining firmly in her grasp whilst she watched her for a few seconds. "Yes! To the moon and back..." Her eyes lit up excitedly, cheeks glowning warmly as she pressed her soft palms against Kate's face.
Johanna watched the whole exchange; curiosity and concern playing across her face, before she pressed her own mug of tea to her lips and took a hearty sip.
| Biting her tongue, Kate stood up and gave Gina a small smile, her eyes darting around to the contents now coating the office floor. Moving swiftly Kate put her sandwich onto the desk and stooped down to help her with the papers. She stopped; her hands filled with the loose paperbacks clutched to her chest tightly enough to likely elicit dozens of papercuts. Kate's eyebrow hitched up towards her hair line when she realised that Gina still hadn't moved from her position against the desk, her eyes staring down at the ground; a small stick with two little red lines on it. |
"I-" Kate started, unsure where to start.
Placing the paperbacks on Rick's work desk, she stood there for a few moments trying to gain some sort of strength to be able to get through this. Of all the people to find out this complicated information it had to be Gina. I mean come on?!
A loud cough from behind her, Kate took a deep breath in; straightening her spine and neutralizing her expression in the hopes to build some sort of barrier between her and Gina. Maybe she didn't see it? She could of been staring at anything. There were papers everywhere.
When Kate had finally mustered up the courage to turn around, Gina was holding the pregnancy stick inbetween her thumb and index finger; her face pale but posture ramrod straight just as Kate's was.
"Is this what I think it is?" She asked accusingly.
Kate raised an eyebrow at the blonde, stalking between the small space between them and snatching the stick from her before quickly picking up other objects that had fallen out of her bag in the accidental struggle; a few bottles of make up, a hair brush, 2 blue pens and her keys.
"It's none of your business, that's what it is." Kate grumbled over her shoulder.
"I think it is."
"No. It's not."
"Kate-"
"No!"
Kate turned back around, her fringe blurring her vision briefly, eyes flashing in anger. Nails digging into the handle of the bag, Kate clutched it so tightly that her fingers started to blanch from pressure. Standing tall, Kate towered over Gina - which for most people - they would find intimidating. But not Gina, no, she was one to never stand down from a fight, or a challenge.
"This isn't just your life you're tampering with, Kate." She tried against, this time her voice softer, more pleading.
Kate shook her head, eyes filling with tears at being ambushed, accused and treated like a child. "I know-" She tried, her voice getting caught in her throat. Gina cut her off, taking a half-step towards her until she was right in Kate's personal space.
"No. You don't, Kate." She told her firmly. "You're just a student. Some college girl that he fucks around with when he's bored." Kate couldn't breathe, she knew these things weren't true. They couldn't be- They can't.
"You're not the first and you sure as hell won't be the last."
Just as the office door opened again, Kate, suddenly rose her hand up and slapped Gina so harshly that it resounds around the office. She tried to breathe deeply but that just caused painful hiccups to occur. With tears falling from underneath her dark eyelashes, Kate tried to regain control of her body whilst Gina held a hand to her face where her skin tone is slowly turning a more deep red with purple shades.
"What the hell is going on here?!"