Disclaimer: I don't own Heist Society or any of the original characters.

"Hale where's my tool bag", Kat called into the other room as she placed a soft teal sweater back in her bag with one hand, the other searching through her carry on purse for the tiny black pouch that carried all of her smaller tools.

"What makes you think I know?"

She sighed and shook her head.

Sometimes his sloppiness astounded her and made her feel a little ashamed since she was the one who taught him everything he knows.

"Because I found a piece of your chocolate chip cookie in my purse and I hate chocolate chips."

There was a pause.

Then Hale strolled in, shaking his head with a tiny smirk on his face and a familiar black pouch dangling carelessly from his fingers.

"Damn", he said tossing her the tiny bag, "I can't believe how surprised I still am by your skill after all this time. It's easy to forget that you are, in essence, my mentor when you look so tiny and petite."

She smirked back at him and placed the tiny pouch in the secret compartment at the bottom of her purse.

"There's a reason Uncle Eddie calls me before you for jobs."

She laughed as he scowled back at her.

"Hey", he exclaimed. "He's started trusting me more since you left."

Kat froze.

They never discussed the time she'd been gone. Even though it had, technically, only been 3 months, that was like 3 years in thief time and she wasn't entirely sure that Hale had completely forgiven her for walking away from him. In fact, she wasn't sure if he'd ever really get over it. After all, to Hale (though he'd never admit it), she was the only family he had. Sure, he got along with her family really well, acted like one of them, but he was never really as close with them as he was with Kat. Never had that same bond with anyone else. So when she walked away, it was like watching his parents leave all over again.

At least that's what Gabrielle told her and she was the expert on guys.

The silence stretching on between them became too uncomfortable for Kat to bear any longer, so she decided to change the subject.

Turning back to her bag, she asked, "Hey, what time is it?"

There was a pause before Hale pulled out his cell phone and checked the time, saying,"11:10. We should probably get going."

Kat nodded and zipped up her bag.

"Ok. You ready?"

Hale nodded and started toward the door.

Kat sighed and shrugged her bag over her shoulder, her purse in her other hand. As she exited her room, she slipped on her shoes and walked past a silent Hale, who stood with his back against the wall, his bag thrown over his shoulder.

"Marcus is bringing the limo around", he said as they walked into the open elevator that opened up into their room.

Kat nodded.

"Good. We're making good time. She said midnight right?"

It was Hale's turn to nod.

She nodded as well as she reached across Hale's broad, lean body to push the lobby button. She moved to lean against the back wall of the elevator as the gold tinted metal doors slid closed with a quiet thump. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the small tingle at the small of her back as his arm brushed against hers. A wave of relief washed over her as a small ping echoed through the small space and the elevator doors slid open.

As she strode through the lobby beside Hale, she felt a small buzz in her pocket and she pulled out her cell phone to see a text message from her younger cousin. The address to a private airstrip on the outskirts of the small town popped up on her touch screen as she opened the message and casually, without turning, showed the message to Hale, who gave a solemn nod.

A sleek, black limo awaited them in front of the hotel, its headlights cutting a path through the dark parking lot. As they approached, Marcus slid out of the driver's seat and quietly took their bags from their arms.

"Thank you Marcus", Kat said with a nod, breaking the silence that filled the vacant parking lot.

He nodded in response and put their bags in the trunk before opening the door for the two teens.

She slid across the soft leather and let out a loud sigh as she leaned her head back against the head rest, her eyes closing in exhaustion. She felt the seat shift slightly as Hale slid in beside her and she heard as much as she felt the door slam shut. As the car slowly pulled out of the parking lot, Hale's loud snoring filled the space and Kat smiled softly at the familiar sound.

Opening one of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of his face in the darkness.

His expression was relaxed and vulnerable, giving him that boyish look that Kat only saw when he slept.

She was so busy studying his face, she jumped a foot in the air when the car took a sharp turn and he slid across the seat so that his head was leaning against her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she gazed down at his sleeping form and she was thankful for the darkness as a blush began to spread up her neck.

She had avoided being this close to Hale since she kissed him back in Monte Carlo.

She'd never been good with guys.

Sure, since the age of three she's been one of the few girls in a boys club and is indeed more comfortable around them than around other women, but when it comes to dating and boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, she's as hopeless as a guy in a women's dress department. Gabrielle had been excited when Kat had told her of this "ground-breaking" advancement in their relationship, squealing loud enough to wake the dead, but Kat was still unsure and doubtful about the whole situation. Which created further frustration in her gorgeous older cousin at Kat's own lack of feminine ingenuity.

She'd tried on many occasions to teach Kat the ways of the woman, but this of course led to more frustration on her part and very loud cries of, "Even our 14 year old cousin knows more about fashion than you do!"

On that note Kat's thoughts began to stray to thoughts of the cousin who was still sometimes a mystery to her.

A slight bump from a pot hole in the road bounced her slightly sideways so that she was practically in his lap and ,to further her discomfort, as if on reflex, his arm immediately curled around her waist, pulling her closer and forcing her against his chest.

She had to bite down on her bottom lip to stifle a surprised gasp and she was sure her face must be fire engine red by then.

The worst part though, was that she was actually comfortable.

In fact, she felt a soothing warmth radiate from him and sink through her skin and filling her with warmth.

Alarms were going off in her head and she felt the sudden urge to pull away NOW.

She could not let this go any further.

Hale was her best friend and their relationship was already complex enough without complicating it even more by making it into something more.

She was torn between pulling away, waking Hale (who hated to be woken up), and possibly saving face or staying where she was, sleeping comfortably for the first time in a long time, and risk Hale teasing her about it til the end of time.

As she sat there contemplating her next course of action, the decision was made for her as his head, which had slid back to its place on the head rest when they hit the pot hole, gently tilted to the side so that it was then leaning against her head.

More warmth spread through her and she couldn't hold back a tiny sigh of contentment as a wave of exhaustion came rushing through her.

And before she knew it, she was sinking into the dark abyss of sleep and she was gone.