Thank you again, quicksilver123! It means a lot that you're still giving me feedback :)
Kate's nose was filled with the smell of her mother's flower garden as they walked up the steps to the front door. Lee had his hand on the small of her back, and it brought her some comfort. She knocked and held her breath. A face appeared at the skinny window beside the door, and then it was open with her mother standing there.
"Katie!" she cried, pulling Kate into a tight hug. "Ohhh I missed you!"
"Hi, Mum," Kate said, feeling emotional. A hug from her mother had been just what she needed without realizing it.
"Oh, hello," Leah said, seeing Lee suddenly. "Who's this?"
"This is Lee," Kate answered.
"Nice to meet you," Lee smiled.
"And you," Leah bobbed her head. "Come on in. Oliver! Katie's here!"
"Katie, huh?" Lee asked in Kate's ear as they went inside. He'd meant to comment on it earlier when they were talking about Liam and how he mentioned his Katie girl to Lee, but he hadn't felt it was the right time or place. Leah disappeared to find her husband, Oliver.
"Family thing only," Kate warned, nudging him gently.
"Shame," Lee murmured. "It suits you."
Kate felt her ears go red.
"Kate," Oliver said, appearing finally and hugging her. "Glad you made it to visit."
"How are you?" Kate asked.
"I'm just dandy," Oliver answered. "And you're Lee. Nice to meet you." He reached to shake Lee's hand.
"You as well," Lee replied.
"So what are you doing over here?" Leah asked as they moved to sit at the table.
"We're just in the neighborhood," Kate replied.
"How's work?" Oliver questioned. Kate flinched a little. They didn't know she had left the FBI. Lee's hand found her knee under the table, knowing she was stressing about this topic.
"I'm not with the FBI anymore," Kate told them. She never really was good at lying.
"Oh?" Oliver said, puzzled.
"Thank God," Leah sighed. "I was so worried about you working there."
"What are you doing instead?" Oliver asked.
"Are you happy?" Leah prodded.
"Did things just not work out there?" Oliver questioned.
"Do your sisters know?" Leah asked.
Kate felt like she was under a firing squad, so she put up her hand to stop them from asking anymore questions.
"I'm in between jobs right now, I am happy, I just decided to leave, and Emma knows," she listed, answering it all.
"And what do you do?" Oliver asked Lee.
"Where did you meet?" Leah asked.
"I'm kind of a mediator," Lee answered. "And we met in a bar."
"You're still hanging out at bars?" Leah asked, switching her focus back to Kate.
"Kind of a mediator? I don't know what that means," Oliver said. "What does that mean?"
"What did I tell you about bars?" Leah chastised.
"This was a bad idea," Kate said, standing up suddenly.
"Oh, honey, we're sorry," Leah apologized quickly. She put her hand on Oliver's arm to stop him from talking more. Kate crossed her arms.
"We've talked about this," Kate said.
"I know," Leah nodded. "We just forget. We want to know everything that goes on with you girls because we don't see you that often and talk even less."
"We've talked about this too," Kate pointed out.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad..."
"Then stop."
Kate started to move to the other room.
"Ever since Liam," Leah started, looking at Lee.
"Mum!" Kate shouted, still in the doorway.
"We're a little overprotective," Leah finished. Kate glared at her.
"That's understandable, Mrs. Macer," Lee responded.
"I shouldn't have come here," Kate said, running for the door.
"Honey..." Leah tried.
"I got this," Lee interrupted, hurrying after Kate. He caught up to her by the gate and put his hand on her shoulder. Kate turned into him and buried her face into his chest, crying.
"It's all right," he soothed, rubbing her back. Kate cried herself out before gulping and growing quiet.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"It's fine."
"They just get so overwhelming."
"They're parents."
"I don't think I can go back in there," Kate told him. Her head was resting on his chest, and his heartbeat was making her feel calmer.
"If you run from your problems, they never get fixed," Lee said. He felt like a hypocrite for saying it, though, since that had been exactly what he'd done. Kate didn't seem to notice this, which he was grateful for.
"And what if some problems can't be fixed?"
"Is this one of those problems?"
Kate knew he was right. She breathed in and out for a moment.
"No," she reluctantly answered.
"I see both sides of this," Lee went on. "You want some privacy in your life, and they fear not knowing anything can result in your death."
"It doesn't matter what they do or don't know. Liam's death was a freak accident. Nothing would have changed that."
"No, but maybe they wished they knew more about his life and what was going on so when he died, they had more of him to hang on to."
"Damn you. You are way too good at this," Kate sighed. He laughed.
"Do you feel better?" he asked.
"Yes."
"You wanna go back in?"
"All right."
Lee put his arm around her as they walked back. Leah was in the hallway wringing her hands anxiously. Oliver was hovering in the space between the hallway and the kitchen.
"You must be right for her," Leah said Lee as they came in. "No one else would have convinced her to come back."
"Mum," Kate warned.
"Will you stay for dinner?" Leah asked, changing the subject quickly. "I promise to ease up." Lee looked at Kate, who eventually nodded.
"It's not that I don't want you to ask questions," Kate said, diving in suddenly. "I just want you to take a breath or two between them."
"Okay," Leah nodded. "I can do that."
"Me too," Oliver agreed. He had been standing and observing quietly.
"And don't comment on how we don't talk," Kate went on. "I feel bad enough about that...I don't need a reminder."
"Got it," Leah said, still nodding. They smiled at each other.
Lee released her, and Oliver asked if he wanted a tour of the house.
"Oh," Leah said as Lee was up the stairs. "Emma and Dustin are coming too."
Kate froze. She hadn't expected that.
"Great," she said weakly. Leah beamed at her, not noticing this.
"Come help me," she insisted. Kate followed her numbly. This was going to be terrible.
...
Lee found her in the bathroom hyperventilating about an hour later.
"Kate?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"I can't do this," she gasped. "I can't see her. She was so angry at me."
"She might not be anymore. She might be just as nervous to see you again."
"Yea right," Kate said. She moved towards the window and yanked it open.
"What are you doing?" Lee asked.
"I'm running," she answered, popping out the screen.
"Don't," Lee said, grabbing the back of her shirt just as she lifted her leg to hoist herself up.
"If you're afraid of what they'll say, then just come with me," she advised.
"No," he shook his head. "Look, I know running away is easier. Believe me, I know, but also believe me when I say that it causes more angst and trouble than facing the problem."
"She won't want to see me. I'm doing the both of us a favor." Kate continued to try to climb out the window. Lee didn't want to force her to stay, so he felt helpless as she dropped down out of sight. Sighing, he put the window back together before going out to rejoin Leah and Oliver. He had no idea what he was going to tell them.
...
Kate ducked as she passed by the windows. She felt like a huge coward, but she just couldn't do it. She hoped Lee would make an excuse and meet her at the car. She stepped out from the bushes and onto the driveway only to walk right into Emma.
"Shit!" Kate yelped, startled. Emma jumped and shrieked, clutching her chest.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded.
"Just getting some air," Kate lied.
"Why are you even here?"
"I...I came to visit."
Emma crossed her arms then.
"Where is Dustin?" Kate asked, noticing she was alone.
"He had to work."
"Oh." Kate saw something flicker across Emma's face at this, as though she was annoyed with Dustin for not being there with her to protect her from Kate. Emma moved past her to go inside then. Kate felt unsure of what to do at this point.
"You must be Emma," Lee said as he opened the door.
"Oh...um..." Emma paused, looking back at Kate and then back to Lee. "Hello."
"Nice to meet you properly," Lee smiled. "Excuse me." He walked past her and headed for Kate.
"Did you...?" she started.
"No. I saw Emma first and knew you'd run into her. You gonna come inside?"
"I...I don't know..."
"She didn't bite your head off, so I think it's safe to say that you can survive dinner."
Emma was watching them, and Kate knew Lee was right but still felt nervous.
"Fine," she finally caved.
He took her hand in his and walked them back to the house. Emma's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't comment.
"Hi, honey," Leah said, beaming at Emma. "Look who's here!"
"I see that," Emma commented.
"No Dustin today?"
"No, he had to work."
"Oh, that's too bad," Leah said. "Come on and sit. Tell us about work."
Kate sat with Lee in the living room while Emma went into the kitchen to talk to Leah.
"She's ignoring me," Kate noted.
"You want her to get into it with you in front of your parents?" Lee asked.
"No," Kate shook her head.
"Then don't worry about it."
Kate gripped his hand and did her best.
...
"So," Emma said. They were nearing the end of dinner at this point. Kate had been waiting all evening, and she figured this was it. "You and Lee."
"Uh huh," Kate nodded.
"When did that happen?"
"Recently."
"Oh, wait," Leah said, suddenly realizing. "You met this man seven years ago. That's the bar you meant."
"Yes," Kate nodded.
"You owe me fifty bucks," Leah said to Oliver, holding out her hand. Lee burst out laughing. Kate, however, was appalled.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Oh, we made a bet on if you'd get with him or not," Leah explained.
"I can see that, but, um, why?" Kate asked.
"We get bored," Leah answered logically.
"Wow," Kate said.
"You owe me fifty too, Dad," Emma said.
"Now you know who the romantics are in the family," Oliver joked to Lee as he handed over the bills.
"Stranger in a bar is a hard bet to do," Lee agreed. "I would have said no too. Don't feel bad."
"Glad to see my life is a game to you," Kate said.
"I never commented on your family bingo cards I found," Leah retorted.
"Well, you obviously weren't supposed to know about that," Kate said, going red. It had been the game her and Liam had always played at family events.
"You and Liam knew us all really well," Leah went on. "I was offended at first, but then I realized how much you two had paid attention to us all. It was kind of sweet. And really, if you can't have fun in life, then what's the point?"
Kate bowed her head. Her mother had a point.
"So, where do you work now?" Emma asked. "I'm assuming you told Mum and Dad."
"Yes, they know I'm between jobs right now," Kate answered, giving her sister a look.
"Hmm," Emma said. She finished her meal and set down her fork. "This was great, Mum. I'm so sorry to eat and run, but I have a million things to do at home."
"Okay, love," Leah nodded. Emma stood up then.
"It was great to see you again, Lee," she said. "Bye, Kate."
Kate jumped up to follow her out the door.
"Emma," she said once they were outside.
"What, Kate?" Emma asked, spinning around.
"I'm really sorry," Kate started. "That you felt like we tolerated you. The truth is, you were just so much smarter than me, and I never knew how to be around you. I was more comfortable around Liam. Grace was always in her own world, so I didn't know how to be with her either. I never thought you'd think I didn't like you."
"I'm over it, Kate."
"Clearly not."
"Look, I don't care. Go live your life, and I'll live mine. I'll see you when I see you," Emma finished, walking away.
"I can't leave it like this," Kate insisted.
"Leave it like what? We're sisters, but we don't have to be friends."
"Emma..."
"Don't worry about it, Kate. I'll be just fine." Emma got into her car then, shutting the door firmly. Kate was feeling sick and upset.
"But I won't be," she whispered as her sister drove away. This was not how she imagined it ending, but there was no changing it now.
Oh, family drama. We are getting closer to the end of this story, but there is a bit more left to tell. Stay tuned for some more action!
