a/n: Okay, so this one is a bit shorter than I originally intended. I just was not happy with the ending I had. So, I pushed it to the next chapter with the hope of refining. But, since it's been so long since I last updated, and I promised that I would update yesterday (And I feel really bad for lying to GImmaQueen about that, again – sorry ), here it is :) Thank you all for your reviews! Let the petulance continue…

What A Lovely Way to Burn

Chapter Four

"How was court?" Leo asked, taking a seat in front of Kate's desk.

"Wonderful," she deadpanned. "It wasn't enough to have Judge Mason eyeing me up, but Mr. Jefferson had more than his fair share of time, too."

"Judge Mason," he laughed. "It's a wonder that man hasn't been called on his roaming eyes yet."

"Yeah." As she stared at her desk, he watched her silently for a long moment.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your mind," he repeated. "What's on it?"

"Nothing." Kate looked up. "I'm tired, that's all." He nodded.

"Bullshit." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Are you still fighting with Ben?"

"Has the city been destroyed?"

"Kate," he scolded. "Come on, what's going on with the two of you?"

"I was mean to him."

"You're always mean to him."

"No," she said, shaking her head and sitting forward. "I mean I was really mean to him. I may have…I may implied that he was empty a-and less than honorable."

"Implied?"

"Or said." She faked a smile. "Again."

"Again?"

"Justin and Ben were in here, fighting and puffing their feathers," she explained, tapping a finger on the desk. "And I just couldn't take it anymore. I went up to the roof and when…when Ben came to apologize, I refused to accept his apology and took my frustration out on him." She sat up straight. "I shouldn't have said the things I said. And, yesterday, I was going to apologize to him, but we crashed into each other in the hallway and…."

"And it was just one more dart in the board."

"Yeah."

"And what about Justin? Are you fighting with him, too?" Kate nodded.

"I still love him. I'm always going to love him. But…I mean…it will only be a matter of time before we have another big blow-out fight, right?" Leo nodded. "And how do I know that he isn't going to find some other floozy in a bar?" She sighed and crossed her arms over the desk, leaning her chin on her wrist. "And he thinks I slept with Ben. He thinks that's the reason I stopped looking for apartments and moved out." Leo raised an eyebrow. "I did not sleep with Ben. A-and moving in next to him was just…it was just a coincidence. I didn't know he lived next door." She shook her head. "Even with a new start, I just don't see a relationship with Justin heading in the right direction."

"What is the right direction?"

"Right now, the right direction is home." She smiled. "And into a nice hot bubble bath."

"Kate?" Ben called from the doorway. "Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Home," he said incredulously. "It's well past quittin' time, Dearie. I can give you a ride."

"Right direction," Leo coughed conspicuously.

"I, uh…" Kate looked to Leo with pleading eyes. "I have a bunch of stuff to finish."

"She has nothing to finish," Leo said. "She will happily accept your offer." Ben smiled at the angry look Kate flashed Leo as he stood, seizing a handful of jellybeans from the jar on her desk. "Good night, Kate. Good night, Ben," he said, walking through the doorway.

"Leo doesn't…he doesn't know how much I really have to take care of," Kate explained.

"He's your assistant," Ben started with a slight frown, walking further into the office.

"Yes, he is."

"And yet he doesn't know what you have going on?"

"Not today, I guess," she shrugged with a forced smile. Ben nodded as Kate pretended to busy herself with the papers on her desk. He took a few steps forward, reaching across the desk to grab her phone. "Hey!"

"See you tomorrow, Katie," he said, waving the phone over his shoulder as he walked out of the office.

"Damn it!" She grabbed her bag and skipped around the desk, chasing after him. "Ben! Give that back!" She pushed through the glass doors just as he entered the elevator. "Hold the door!" she yelled.

"Decided to call it a night after all, huh?" Ben teased as she slipped between the closing doors.

"Where's my phone?" she asked, opening the buttons of his suit coat.

"Hey," he protested weakly as her uninjured hand roamed the inside pockets. "Good thing we're the only two in the elevator, Katie. Wouldn't want it getting back to Justin that you were feeling me up in public." Kate immediately stopped and withdrew her hand. "Don't give up now," he said, feigning a pout. "You haven't checked all of my pockets yet." She dared a quick shift of her eyes to his pants then back to his face.

"Give me my phone," she demanded.

"Not until we're home."

!#$%

Ben bounced lightly on his heels as the elevator ascended to the fifth floor. The pretentious silence that had bathed the car during the ride home had followed them into the building. Kate had glanced at Ben several times during their drive, quickly turning away every time he tried to meet her eyes. He knew by the mannerism that she had something to say. The fact that she had remained quiet bothered him more than any thoughts about the words that might leave her lips. Ben just wanted to spend the time with her, get through the evening with Kate understanding that he really was remorseful for his childish fights with Justin, and his cruel words to her.

Ben shifted his eyes to the right, seeing Kate in his peripheral. Taking her phone had been an effectual method of getting her out of the office. He concluded that holding her phone hostage a little longer would be the only way to keep her in his presence long enough for him to make a third attempt at an apology. He cleared his throat as the elevator signaled its arrival. Once through the doors and into the hallway, Kate stopped suddenly and turned to Ben, holding out her hand.

"My phone."

"You're coming over," he said, stepping around her.

"Um, no, I'm not."

"Well, you don't get your phone back then," he stated, continuing towards his apartment.

"Ben," she whined.

"Come on," he encouraged. "I'll make dinner."

"I don't want dinner." She trotted slowly after him. "Just give me my phone."

"I've been with you all day and I haven't eaten," he started, pulling his keys from his pocket. "So I know you haven't either." Ben opened his door and motioned with a sweep of his arm for Kate to enter. She glared at him, willing his steady impassive expression to falter and his hand to offer her phone. He shook his head and sighed. "I can order pizza if you would prefer that I not cook." When Kate offered no answer, Ben shrugged and walked through the doorway. "How's your hand feeling?" he asked, setting his briefcase on the floor of the closet.

"It's sore," she answered, slowly entering the apartment.

"Would you like some ibuprofen?" he asked, closing the door as she wandered into the living room. She dropped her bag next to the couch and turned angrily towards him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Shouldn't I be?" he asked, smirk in place as he slipped his hands into his pockets and walked towards her.

"You should be all of the time," she huffed. "But, this week…" Kate poked a finger into his chest. "What's your problem? You have been nothing but an-an ass this week."

"I've been an ass?"

"Yes! All of the smart-ass comments. The-the…" She gestured with her hands. "The back and forth with Justin. Why? And why do you have to do it in front of me?" Ben nodded.

"I don't have an answer for you, Katie. I've just…been an ass," he shrugged.

"Yes," she repeated. "An ass."

"I already admitted to that." He took a step towards her. "But what about you? Hmm?" He tilted his head slightly. "Your little speech on the roof yesterday? You were kind of a bitch, Katie." Before Kate realized what she was doing, she lifted her injured hand, slapping Ben across the face. He quickly recovered, tightly grabbing her wrist as she registered the sting across her palm.

"Ow, ow," she complained.

"Yeah," he scowled. She reached for his hand, trying to pry his fingers from her wrist. "Stop it."

"Let go, Ben. That hurt." She put her left hand against his chest, pushing against him as she tried to free her right hand.

"I know. Stop it," he ordered again. Fighting against her efforts, he secured his arm around her waist, bringing their bodies together. "Katie, knock it off."

"No. Let go of me!" With his fingers still tightly around her wrist, he turned her around.

"I said 'stop'," he snapped quietly over her shoulder. He released her hand and secured both arms around her, severely limiting her exertion. "Let me see your hand."

"It's fine," she said, taking one last attempt at freeing herself.

"Let me see it." Kate sighed and lifted her hand, carefully opening her fingers to a dark pink seeping through the white bandage. "It's bleeding again."

"It's fine," she repeated. Ben urged her forward with a nudge of his knee to the back of her leg. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to fix you, Katie."

"Fix me?" she repeated, countering his movements by pushing back against him.

"Yes, fix you. Move." Several contentious minutes passed as they moved through the hallway, Kate struggling against Ben as he forcibly urged her forward. "Stop fighting, Katie."

"Ugh! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Ben stilled, keeping his arms around Kate.

"Would you rather I pick you up and carry you?" She stopped struggling and with partial concession, obeyed his coaxing. Once through the bedroom and into the master bath, he released her, and closed and locked the door.

"You don't need to do that," she said. He turned to her with an angry frown.

"You'll run as soon as you get the chance," he said, moving towards her. "That," he stated, pointing to the door, "will slow down your attempt to escape."

"I'm not going to run," she said quietly as he backed her against the vanity.

"Yes, you will." He reached over her shoulder, opening the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet. As she settled the backs of her hips against the granite countertop, she tried to calm her ragged breathing, noticing that Ben's breathing was no more relaxed. She dared a glance at his face, needing to see his expression but not wanting to meet his eyes. "Give me your hand," he said, setting down a couple boxes of first aid supplies. She quickly looked away and did as told. He held her hand palm up, softly rubbing the backs of her fingers to calm the muscles in her firmly clenched fist. When her fingers finally uncurled, Ben opened the top drawer of the vanity, removing a small, silver pair of scissors. With slow movements, he cut through the bandages.

"I don't need you to do this," Kate said quietly. Ben did not answer, simply intently watching her as he removed the wrapping. As she had been doing all week, she directed her gaze downward. She looked to her left, purposely avoiding him. He noticed the tension holding her shoulders and the tear that trickled down her cheek. Taking a half step to the side, he stood fully in front of her, blocking her view of the floor. Ben let a small touch of amusement grace his lips as Kate turned her head, looking to her right.

"Next time," he started slowly, setting the used bandages on the countertop behind her. "Hit me with your good hand." He turned his eyes to her injury, easing his fingers from cradling her hand to circling her wrist. "You're lucky you didn't rip any of the stitches." He straightened his arm pushing her hand further from her body. He stepped into her and slid his free hand behind her neck, forcing her to face him. "I don't want to fight with you, Katie," he whispered against her mouth. She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head in agreement. Taking a small step back, he finished wrapping the wound. He gently took both of her hands and pulled her from her lean against the vanity. "All done," he said quietly, once again crowding her personal space.

"Th-thank you," she whispered. He watched as her gaze flicked to the door then uncertainly up to his eyes. He released her hands with a soft brush of his fingers against the skin on the inside of her wrists. Taking the opportunity, Kate took a step back and moved towards the door. Ben moved to stand behind her, approaching as her hand closed over the doorknob.

"I thought you weren't going to run," he said. She stilled as he lifted both arms, surrounding her as he place his palms against the door.

"I-I…You said you were done."

"So you're admitting that you're running?"

"No, that's not what I said."

"Then where are you going?" She let go of the doorknob and turned to face him.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah, that's right. You're not." His features softened as his gaze wandered between her eyes and her lips. "Let me make dinner for you. Please?" he implored quietly. "Then you can have your phone back and go home if you want." Kate took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay."