Author's note: Hey folks, I can't believe this story is nearly at 100 reviews. That's amazing and I am so grateful! Anyway, what I wanted in this chapter was a little bit of angst and humour as well as romance. I hope to have captured the essence of Kate and Megan towards the end, in a way that could fit perfectly into the show if someone ever decided to film this scene. Enjoy.

X

When Kate came home Megan was waiting for her at the door. She'd gotten changed into one of her by now infamous designer dresses. Kate didn't even know Megan had brought some with her but her eyebrows shot up in surprise nevertheless when the red head stepped past her out of the apartment. Her eyes subconsciously travelled down along Megan's slender frame, from the curve of her hips down to her ankles. Her breath hitched when she noticed the high heeled pumps she was wearing. When her eyes snapped back up to Megan's face she noted the obvious signs of anger.

"What happened?" she asked as she closed the door. "What did Todd want?"

"He reminded me that he still wants to take Lacey away from me," Megan replied through gritted teeth. Before Kate could answer she smirked. "I reminded him that my mother used to be a judge. His paperwork would never see a docket."

Kate cocked her head. "And he accepted that?"

"He will." She turned to look at Kate after pressing the button for the elevator. "What did you find out?"

"What?" Kate said softly. She'd been lost in her mind, her thoughts wandering off to Megan and Todd.

"Back at the lab," Megan jogged Kate's memory. "You left in a hurry."

"We'll talk about this over dinner," Kate smiled and the elevator doors opened with a soft ping. She followed Megan inside and caught the redhead looking at her as the doors closed. Their gazes locked and for a couple of seconds they just stared at each other without speaking. The atmosphere and tension in the small space shifted and Kate became increasingly aware of her rapid heartbeat in her chest. She tried to remind herself that she was supposed to help Megan, not let her feelings cloud her judgment but it was getting more and more difficult by the hour.

Megan thought about what Todd had said. He insinuated that she and Kate were dating. She didn't know how he got that idea but it left her wondering if maybe her feelings weren't as well hidden as she thought. Todd did know about her previous relationships with women, and he had often been fascinated by it too, but since their divorce he had seemed reluctant to accept it. It was almost as if he'd rather wanted her to move on with a man than a woman. As the thought crossed her mind Megan realised that when it came to Todd she was dealing with that good old green monster called jealousy.

"You're smirking," Kate observed and Megan snapped back into reality when she heard the blonde's voice. "Something's amusing you."

"No," Megan countered but her smirk didn't fade. "I was just wondering where you're taking me for dinner, that's all."

Kate matched Megan's smirk with one of her own as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the car park. "You'll see."

"I don't like surprises," Megan reminded the blond haired doctor as they walked to the car. "They make me…" She paused and Kate looked at her. "…uncomfortable."

Kate just smiled and got into the car. Megan climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up whilst Kate manoeuvred the car out. When they left the parking lot, Megan felt herself relax. She had not left the apartment since arriving here and it was nice to be outside, in the city. She watched the thousands of lights flash by outside her window. People's faces were blurred against the darkening backdrop and he heard the sound of a car horn beeping behind them. She loved Philadelphia. It was the only place she'd ever called home.

Kate drove to a small restaurant on Rittenhouse Square in central Philadelphia. It wasn't far from Center City, where she lived. The tree-filled park was surrounded by high rise residences, luxury apartments and a few popular restaurants. Megan got out the car, knowing exactly where she was, and turned around to look at Kate. Their gazes locked and when the blonde noticed the redhead's smile, she relaxed.

"How did you know?" Megan asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice. "How did you know one of my favourite places is right here?"

Kate arched an eyebrow but a triumphant smile graced her lips. Her endeavours had paid off. "I listen, Megan. You should try it sometime. You might learn something."

"I'll remember that," Megan answered softly as she and Kate crossed the street towards one of the restaurants. The food was Italian and French, two cuisines Megan enjoyed the most. She was quite partial to steak too but she could get it on every other street corner if she wanted to. Sometimes she wanted good quality food and this place was one of the best in her opinion.

The streetlights cast a warm orange glow over the street and the park as they walked and Megan found her eyes drawn to Kate. They walked side by side, maybe a couple of inches apart, and their arms brushed against each other. It would have been so easy to just caress her hand and make it look like an accident. Her breath hitched as she moved a little closer, suddenly longing for the skin contact, and when she finally felt Kate's hand against her own she released the breath she'd been holding. Kate's fingers grazed the inside of her palm before falling away. Megan continued to look straight ahead, avoiding making eye contact, but her heart leapt up when she felt Kate's fingers a second time, this time without her own interference.

Kate felt Megan's hand against her own and the second the touch faded, she wanted it back. She moved a little closer to the other woman and let their hands meet again. The touch was only severed when they reached the restaurant's door and she held it so Megan could enter first. As the older woman filed past her, she turned and their eyes found each other again. It was as if in that moment everything changed. Silently they seemed to have understood that this, right now, wasn't something friends did. It didn't matter how they'd tried to hide it, or even deny it, but there was something else happening here. Something neither of them quite understood. When Megan smiled, Kate knew.

"Table for two?" Kate inquired when she followed Megan in. "Reservation's under the name of Murphy."

"Follow me," the waitress said and Kate and Megan followed her through the relatively quiet restaurant. It was dimly lit and candles in small glass jars stood on every table. Crystal wine glass were waiting to be filled and when they reached their table, Megan casually draped her jacket over the back of her chair before slipping into her seat. She took the menu the waitress offered her, although she had a pretty good idea what she was going to order, but used it to hide the blush on her cheek.

After about ten minutes the waitress came back to take their order and left a bottle of rose on their table. Megan reached for it and poured herself and Kate a glass. She then picked up her dribk and brought it to her lips. The alcohol left a slightly bitter after taste in her mouth but it gave her a little bit of courage, but most of all it seemed to bring back her voice.

"So what did you find out?" she asked and when Kate gave her a questioning look she rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you went back to the lab because you thought of something. I know you cant take me there but you can at least tell me whats going on."

Kate caved in. "Its something you said earlier," she said. "About Caitlin Hansen, the girl who died when your hands went numb during the surgery."

Megan frowned. "What about her?"

"Tommy and Adam started looking into your past, Megan. Mainly at the time when you were still a surgeon. They were looking for anyone who might be angry enough to set you up for murder and when you described what happened to Caitlin…"

"You think…"

Kate nodded. "That's exactly what I think. So I went to see Tommy and I told him what you told me. They were going to wait till the morning but they've now requested all the files there are on Caitlin Hansen's death tonight and they're doing a background check on her family." She stared down at her empty plate but felt Megan's eyes burning into her head. "Have you ever considered the possibility that Caitlin's family could be responsible for this?"

"Not her mum," Megan said softly. "Her mum's the kind of person who would catch a spider and release it back outside the house." She shook her head and nervously picked at her fingernails. In a flash she was back in the room on the day she told Caitlin's parents that their daughter was dead. She'd seen grief before but not like that. The rawest and cruellest of emotions written across faces that until a couple of seconds earlier had expressed hope. "But her father…"

"You think he could do this?"

"I don't know what to think anymore," Megan admitted. "All of this…"

"I know," Kate said softly and reached over the table to touch Megan's hand. "I'm sorry, Megan."

"Not as sorry as I am," Megan whispered. "If what you're saying is true then Jonathan died because of what I did. I may not have pulled the trigger but I killed him even so. Someone singled him out because of his connection to me, over what happened between him and my father. Whoever did this, knew that I'd want to meet him if he called."

Kate watched the hurt flash through Megan's green eyes and squeezed her hand. "They know you." Her baby blue eyes searched the older woman's face. "But I know you too, Megan, and I know you didn't do this. No matter what some of the others say. We've done everything we could. The evidence shows you didn't commit the crime."

"It doesn't explain how I ended up with GSR on my hands."

"You were unconscious at some point, Megan. He could have put the gun in your hand, have you pull the trigger and voila, GSR." Kate's hand slipped away from Megan's, albeit reluctantly, and she leant back in her chair. She saw the look on Megan's face and couldn't help but smile. "The only person who still thinks you're guilty is Todd."

"Yeah but he's an idiot," Megan answered and took another large gulp from her wine. This time the alcohol burnt down the back of her throat and she flinched.

"What did he say?" Kate wanted to know. "When he came over earlier. Was it just to talk about Lacey?"

Megan placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hand. She wasn't sure how to answer that question. Was it right to tell Kate that Todd thought they were seeing each other? She didn't know how to take it, let alone Kate knowing what to make of it. She chewed her lip and fingered a lock of red hair, her eyes drifting around the room. Kate leant in, blue eyes fixing on Megan's face. She didn't smile.

"I know that look, Megan."

Megan feigned innocence. "What look?"

"That 'there-is-something-on-my-mind-but-I'm-not-telling-you' look," Kate said knowingly. "You forget I've spent too much time working around you, doctor Hunt." A sly smile tugged at her cheeks as she used Megan's title instead of her name. "You've tried to avoid me one too many times and you're as clear as glass to me. Spill it."

"Todd thinks we're dating."

Kate frowned in confusion. "What, you and him?"

"No," Megan answered slowly, drawing out the word. "You and me."

Kate's jaw dropped and she snorted in amusement. "You and me? Dating?" Blue eyes widened and she blinked a couple of times. Megan's expression remained focused as she slowly took in the tell-tale signs spreading across Kate's cheeks. Her pupils slowly dilated and a hint of a scarlet blush appeared on her cheeks. Slender fingers suddenly picked at a napkin and another second later the eye contact was broken as the blonde stared down at her still full wine glass. "Where did he get that idea?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Megan asked and leant back in her chair. Her body language screamed confidence when really she felt insecure and nervous inside. Kate's body betrayed her but Megan knew better than to let herself get caught. She'd practiced long and hard at her stoic and cold appearance and even now she managed to keep it up. "Where did he get it?"

"I have no idea," Kate stammered and peered at the red haired woman at the other end of the table through her eyelashes. She was aware of the blush on her cheeks and mentally chastised herself for letting herself her caught like this. She was a grown woman who'd been in more difficult situations than this one. She could handle a candle lit dinner with Megan Hunt, even if the red haired doctor had just made the suggestion someone thought they were dating. Which they weren't but she'd be happy if they were.

Megan realised with a shock that Kate wasn't blushing because she was flattered but that she was blushing because she was embarrassed. Everything about the suddenly shy body language told her something she had never even considered before. Could it be possible that underneath the sometimes cold and sharp demeanour, Kate Murphy actually had feelings for her? Was there such a thing? Her green eyes narrowed the longer she studied the blonde's face and the confidence started to fade from her body, allowing a softer and kinder Megan to shine through.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," she said softly. "Todd's always been kind of an asshole anyway so, you know, forget about it."

"S'allright," Kate answered and smiled. "I guess you… errm… just caught me by surprise, that's all."

Megan pulled a face. "Yeah, I seem to have a habit of doing that to people."

Kate picked up her glass and emptied it in one go. Her blue eyes almost immediately found Megan. "Listen, Megan, maybe we should talk…"

Oh shit. She's going to think that I'm in love with her and she's going to tell me that she's flattered but doesn't feel the same way. Why the hell did I tell her what Todd said? You are such an idiot, Megan Hunt! Call yourself an adult? A friggin' teenager would do better at this than you are right now!

"Do you want to forget about dinner?" Megan asked. She heard the nerves in her voice and she knew Kate heard them too. "We could go for a walk. After all, I'm breaking my parole anyway."

Kate smiled and took a handful of bills out of her bag. She left them on the table, picked up her coat and waited for Megan to do the same. Silently they left the restaurant, with Megan holding the door for Kate this time, and stepped out into the street. Without speaking they crossed the road into the park. Megan pushed her hands into her pockets and with every step she became more aware of her heart racing in her chest. She wanted to say something, anything, to change the atmosphere between them but she couldn't think of any words to say. For once in her life, Megan Hunt was speechless. She looked beside her and just caught the way the light of a street lamp lit up Kate's face.

"Kate?"

Kate looked up. "Yeah?"

"What're we doing?" Megan whispered.

Kate didn't answer. Instead she stepped forward, brought both her hands up to Megan's face and pulled her closer. Within a second their faces were close together and Megan for the first time really looked into Kate's eyes. What she saw answered any question that she might have had and she just waited. She waited for Kate to do what she knew she needed to do and when Kate's lips finally found hers, Megan knew that it was right. Her arms effortlessly slipped around the blonde's neck and she pulled her closer. The kiss grew from careful and nervous to passionate in a couple of seconds and when the need for oxygen drove them apart they merely looked at each other.

"Wow," Megan managed to say. "That was…"

"Unexpected?" Kate tried, a quirky smile lingering on her lips.

"Surprising," Megan answered.

Kate arched an eyebrow. "So…. you don't mind?"

Megan shook her head, her smile now matching Kate's. "No, I don't mind." She rose to the tip of her toes so she could kiss Kate a second time. "I don't mind at all."

They walked through the park, their hands linked together. For a little while neither of them spoke as they processed what happened between them. A line had been crossed and there was no going back, even if one of them wanted to. There was no escaping this. They eventually reached a park bench and when Kate sat down, Megan followed suit. Kate took a deep breath and stared down at her hand linked with Megan's. It seemed so natural and at the same time it was strange.

"You know this is going to be confusing, right?"

"Yep," Megan answered. "And at some point we'll be asking ourselves when, or how, any of this seemed like a good idea."

Kate nodded and blue eyes searched for green. "What do you want, Megan?"

"I want to take this step by step," Megan answered softly. "See where we go. I want to do it right but I'm scared. I've loved and lost before. Neither of us have done particularly well in the past when it comes to relationships. Your record is about as bad as mine." She smiled and Kate smiled too. "We're new to this, Kate. To all of it. There's so much to think about and at the same time I don't want to think about it at all…"

"Then maybe we should only think about it when it matters," Kate said softly. "And we'll see…"

"Yeah," Megan answered and looked at Kate. It didn't matter what she said. It felt right. "We'll see."