VI . EVERYTHING I DO: LEOPOLD'S PLAN

Kate was not feeling well at all. After what happened in the 19th century, she decided to come back to her own time, hoping that time would eventually heal her. But somehow, it wasn't happening. Time wasn't healing her. On the contrary, she was feeling worse and worse every second that passed by. It was as if time wasn't there, as if it didn't exist.

She wanted to tell herself that the past days hadn't been real, but that was not the truth. The truth was that she loved him and all had been very real. She needed him, she needed his presence. She tried one last attempt to be hopeful, silently wishing, that time would bring her and Leopold together once again.

"Tears of hope run down my skin,

Tears for you that will not dry..

They magnify the one within…

And let the outside, slowly die"

But even in her attempt, she knew that it would not happen. It wasn't meant to be. Now, it was over. She was privileged enough already because she had been loved by him. Now it was no more.

She needed to overcome this. The question was How? How would she overcome a feeling that was stronger than her?. How would she just tear apart a piece of her own heart? She didn't know, and felt that she probably never will.

She was about to fall asleep, when she heard a knock on the door. She didn't feel like opening up, but did it anyway. She saw Charlie standing by the doorway.

"Hey sis" said Charlie. " Hey Charlie" replied Kate

"God…Kate, you look like you've been hit by a couple of buses" noticed Charlie. "Thanks Charlie, I love you too" replied Kate, almost sarcastically. "Sis, it's not meant to be hurtful. I just think you need to clear your head. Stuart knows of a good place, come with us for dinner " requested Charlie, hoping she would accept "I'm not in the mood Charlie" replied a very frustrated Kate. "Kate, I don't know what is making you feel this depressed, and I won't know if you don't tell me. I'm not putting pressure on you, I just want you to feel better. Please come with us for dinner. It's just dinner Kate, just today, please" begged Charlie. "Ok, Charlie, just give me an hour to get ready" said Kate in acceptance. "Thanks sis" said Charlie, hugging his sister.

An hour later Kate came out all ready. She climbed her way up to Stuart's apartment. "I'm ready guys" announced Kate. "You look splendid, Kate" said Stuart with a smile. "Thanks Stu. But I know I look like I've been hit by a couple of buses….well, only one bus anyway" said Kate directing the comment right at Charlie once she realized she didn't look that bad. Charlie and Stuart started laughing. It was good to see Kate's sense of humor was somewhat there. "Ok, guys. Let's go" said Charlie. The three of them headed outside.

They walked until the came around a restaurant, a fancy one. "You guys should have told me this was a fancy pants thing" scolded Kate. "Nah, you look very beautiful. Right now we are the luckiest guys on earth" said Stuart. "I mean it Stuart. I'm not dressed accordingly" said Kate. She was wearing some black dress pants and a nice light blue blouse. Stuart and Charlie were dressed on pants and shirts. Casual, but not too formal. "I mean it too Kate. Let's have dinner here, it's a nice place" tried Stuart ."Ok, you guys win" said Kate as she entered the place. Stuart gave Charlie the two thumbs up sign, and they both got in the place too. The place was nice, very private, very quiet, and it had a small stage for bands or musicians to play on. For the look of it, it seemed that someone would be on the spot tonight, and the place was pretty crowed actually.

"Ladies en gentlemen" began the announcer standing on the stage " tonight, we have someone special here on this stage. It's his first time singing, so please make him feel at home, make him welcome".

Kate sighed, staring at her almost cold dinner. How she missed Leopold. How she wished he was here. How she wished to hold him, to be in his arms. Being without him made her truly miserable.

"Now, please give it up for…Elijah Thomas!" finished the announcer. Kate still seemed to be daydreaming. She wasn't even paying attention to the stage. She was thinking about Leopold. Suddenly, the person on stage started to sing:

"Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me.."

The beautiful voice caught Kate's attention, so she turned her face to the stage, to see who was singing.

"Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more .."

Kate eyes went wide. This wasn't just any man singing. It was Leopold! Her Leopold. And he was singing not just any song, but her favourite romantic song of all times.

"Look into my heart - you will find
There's nothing there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice …"

Leopold turned to see Kate (who still was with her eyes wide open, being very impressed ) and he smiled at her. A true smile. He was truly happy to see her. She was his song, his everything. He needed to let her know… so he continued his singing..

"You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you "

Leopold finished his song. All the crowd was perplexed. He was a pretty good singer, so everybody clapped and cheered him.

Kate was still too impressed to react. So impressed she was almost staggering, or trembling for that matter. She thought herself to be dreaming. This couldn't be real, could it?

Leopold liked the song he just sang. It was about love, about sacrifice. But not only did he want to let her know he was willing to make sacrifices. It was necessary to let her know how she made him feel, and he had found the perfect song for that in Kate's musical repertory. Soon after he was singing again:

"Every time our eyes meet

This feeling inside me

Is almost more than I can take

Baby when you touch me

I can feel how much you love me

And it just blows me away

I don't know how you do what you do

I'm so in love with you

It just keeps getting better

I wanna spend the rest of my life

With you by my side

Forever and ever

Every little thing that you do

Baby I'm amazed by you"

Again, the crowd cheered, and clapped for a long while. Leopold had such a strong, melodious voice and it was very pleasant to hear him sing.

By this time Kate had stepped out of her emotional moment, so she clapped and cheered too.

Leopold was very impressed with this. He never thought he could actually sing, but the crowd seemed to like it. And what was more important: Kate seemed to like it.

He didn't normally do things like this. In fact he'd never done anything like it, and for him it could be embarrassing. However, this time it seemed it was all worth it.

Soon it was time to go but not before thanking the audience and saying something for Kate to hear "Thanks to all of you, you are all too kind. I hope you enjoyed the songs as much as I did." said Leopold, as he contemplated the audience. "I had never done something like this before, and I never thought I could. But the truth is that nothing happens without a reason, and there's a reason for what I just did. You see, I was never the one to believe in love, I never believed in it….but now I know that I was wrong, and it took just one single someone to make me realize it, to make me understand it. I dedicate these songs to her. I love you, Kate. Things worked out in a way we weren't expecting, and you left, so we could both go our separate ways. I know I could try to go back to the way I was before, to live my life like I used to before I met you, but I can't. Not now… not ever… and it wouldn't be because of lack of trying. It's just that… my feelings for you are stronger than anything else. Stronger than any struggle, or than any rational thought I could come up with…and even stronger than my whole being. Fighting against them would only be a lost battle. The only battle in my life that I'm not willing to fight..." Leopold saw how Kate's expression started to change, more with every word. Still, he continued his speech "I love you, Kate…and I can't stop my heart…I don't want to stop it…"

This was too much for Kate. There were so many mixed up thoughts and emotions inside her heart and head. She obviously didn't know what to do, so she did the only thing that she could at the moment: she started crying. No one had ever done something like this for her, and for her it was very special. This action meant the world to her. It was so special it was even hard to believe.

When he saw her crying, Leopold got off the stage. He approached her, and then he took her in his arms. Kate was still crying. "I love you, Kate" Leopold kept saying, one time after another as he held her and kissed the side of her head.

The crowd continued to cheer as they watched the couple embrace each other. Finally, after all went back to normal and Kate and company paid, they all walked out of the restaurant.

"Stu and I will head home. You guys have a lot to talk about" said Charlie, wanting to give Kate and Leo sometime alone.

"Sure Charlie" said Kate, drying her tears. Both Stuart and Charlie started walking away.

Kate and Leopold walked in silence in the small park that was located in front of the restaurant. None of them said a thing, but after a while, Leopold broke and silence "Why Kate? Why did you leave me?" asked Leopold with pain in his voice. Kate stood silent. She knew she had to tell him the truth. He deserved to know the truth at least. He came here, for her, and she was going to tell him the truth. "Leopold, first of all" started Kate "I want you to know that I love you very much, you mean everything to me Leo. If I left it was because of one thing: you deserve the best, and I am not the best. Your uncle told me that, and he is right. He made me realize it. I have no right to screw up the life you could have with someone better. I don't have the right to tear your family apart for a fight over me. I know very well how much your family means to you, and I love you so much I'm willing to sacrifice my own happiness, if that means you will be happy. Apart from that, I'm not good enough for your family, Leo. No matter how much I try to change, no matter how much I try to get along with everyone, I'm just me. Just an ordinary someone. You deserve extraordinary" finished Kate.

"I see" said Leopold. "but I think there's just one problem with your perception, Kate" continued Leopold. "What problem?" asked Kate. "That it seems you have forgotten that my own happiness is with you. That I love you beyond reason and imagination, you and no other, and for me you are nothing short of extraordinary. My heart and life are empty without you, Katherine. Look, what my uncle said to you, is not true, not in my eyes You are perfect to me, I couldn't ask for more, and I want you to know, Katherine Mc.Kay that I'd be damned before leaving without you. I'm not going anywhere, not without you. I don't care if you are nothing like the women back in my time. I love you because you are not like them, Kate. You are different. You are a beautiful soul. You are special. The most special I've ever met. I love you and I want us to be together" "I want that too, Leo..." Leopold took her hand "Kate, I know we will have fights and disagreements, but I know we will talk them over, we'll see them through, for we love each other. I'm profoundly sorry about my uncle, but I'm sure he will learn to love and accept you. He had no right to do what he did, and he had no right to say what he said. He doesn't understand the way I feel about you. I'm really sorry if his words hurt you." "It's not your fault, Leo…" "I know, but the least I can do is apologize on his accord. But anyway, that's not entirely the reason I came for. I came here, to ask you, to beg you, to come back. Please, Kate. Don't give up on me, don't give up on what we have. Let us fight this one battle…." pleaded Leopold.

Kate didn't know what to say to this. She loved him, and she knew he was right. They need to fight. To stand for what they believed in, and they both believed in each other. They were going to fight, and fight together. Their love was not something to be torn apart, and he was not giving up on her, and so it could only be fair that she didn't give up on him, not when she loved him like this. Still, she did not know what to respond to his comment, but she surely knew what to do, and so, without caring about anything else, she put her hands around his neck, reached to his lips, and she started kissing him. Leopold was surprised at first, since he wasn't expecting a kiss. But he didn't seem to really care about anything else either, so he returned the kiss altogether.

The couple kissed lovingly. Nothing mattered in that time. Only the love they felt for each other. They broke the kiss after a while, and stared at each other. "You are an angel, did you know that?" said Kate. Leopold smiled and said "I'm nothing of the sort. I'm just a man. And you are the only woman who has the power of bringing out the best in me". Kate smiled back, and embraced him in a hug. Leopold welcomed the hug. He never wanted to be without her again. It was very depressing just thinking of it. "Kate, darling. Please don't leave me ever again. Please promise that whatever may come, no matter how big it is, we'll go through it together. I don't want to be without you ever again. Please promise me this" said Leopold, still embracing her. "I promise you, Leo. I love you" replied Kate, smiling and looking in his eyes. Leopold smiled back and took her hand "I love you too" he said as they continued walking.

Leopold knew they still had time to enjoy themselves. As unusual as it was, the portal wouldn't close until the next day. Time was on their side once more.

The couple kept walking hand in hand. Kate was very curious and she started wondering.: How did Leopold find time to learn two songs? And two songs from the 21st century for that matter. She decided she would ask him, just out of curiosity. "Leo" started Kate. Leopold turned to see her "Yes, my dearest" answered Leo, kissing her hand. "How on earth did you know those songs, you know, the ones you sang a while ago? " asked Kate. Leopold was amused, so he started laughing lightly. "My dear Kate. What happened," he continued "is that you forgot something back there in my time. Something that I reckon holds certain meaning , since I know you like music. This" said Leopold, taking Kate's walkman out of his jacket. "Oh, now I see" said Kate smiling. "I guess you figured out how to use it?" asked Kate, teasing him. "As a matter of fact, and as implausible as it might seem, I did….after a long while anyway" Kate started laughing lightly . "Thank you sweetheart. Thank you for coming here. You really made my day, my dear Elijah Thomas" said Kate joking, as she put her arms around his waist to give him a small embrace. "Anytime, my love" said Leopold, returning the hug ."and please, address to me properly, call me Master Leopold, or your Grace" joked Leopold, lifting his chin, trying to seem arrogant. Kate nudged his side and they both started laughing. They were having a splendid time.

After the walk. They want back to Kate's apartment. The night was young and they were surely going to enjoy it.

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Hey guys waves. I sowwy for not updating earlier, but I've been in work enslavement lately rolls eyes at self

Anyways. Just came here to upload a few revamped chapters...and to drop a note to say thatI don't own anything :P!. I don't own the songs I'm mentioning (Remember when it rained, Amazed and Everything I do)! AndI don't own Kate or Leopold. Well,I wishI owned Leopold though...but still...I don't sad sigh.

Seriously. I don't own anything!. once again wishes she owned Leopold. I just own the crazy plot you're reading :P.

Thanks..and once again, sorry for not updating ealier bows to ask forgiveness