A/N: Happy 4th girly girls! (oh – and Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friend Ali (and anyone else from up north who might be reading. ;))

Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. A special note to Livvie dearest – I know I've told you this before – sorry – but when it comes to those two bats I'm bitter.

I'm bitter that PC ended with Caleb seemingly winning. I'm bitter that in the end he's so cruel to Livvie when meanwhile he made her the nutcase she became. Do I think they are perfect together? You betcha. Do I think they were truly in love? Yes. I most certainly do. Do I find it harder to write sappy stuff about them? Absolutely!

So there you go. That's why Livvie never says she loves Caleb in the last chapter – because when push comes to shove I'm going to give the good stuff to Rali. ;)

As for Livvie - she doesn't want Rafe – GOD NO – but she is a little bit torn between the lives she's led. And you'll see here – she's not the only one who's upset. Poor Kate and Colin. :'( Don't worry - I'll fix it soon – I promise!

So until 28 – enjoy! xox - G

Chapter Twenty-seven

Half a world away, Colin stood at the door to the nursery. He had waited for hours before he dared come close to her.

Katrina had fallen asleep while sitting in the rocker, Alex resting in her arms, his head lying gently on her chest. He could still see the tears drying on her cheeks and once again kicked himself for starting a fight with her.

He knew she wasn't angry with him – she was hurt. That was what killed him. Anger he could handle. They got into small arguments all the time but they blew over quickly. She could never stay mad at him for long.

But this was something different and he honestly didn't even know how it happened.

Was she right? He wondered as he gazed at his wife. Did he have a problem with what she was?

He tiptoed into the room and crossed to her, taking Alex from her arms and placing him gently in his crib. Through the whole process, Kate barely stirred. Colin walked back to her and lifted her up, not sure what he'd say if she woke up.

He carried her into their bedroom and set her carefully onto the bed pausing for a moment to gaze down at her. He thought, not for the first time, that she was so incredibly beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. Unable to keep from touching her, Colin ran a hand over her hair. As he did she murmured his name.

Encouraged he eased down next to her and began to take her into his arms.

Kate woke up then, startled to find herself in her own room without Alex and even more surprised to find Colin lying beside her.

She pulled away sharply and glared at him, swatting his hands away. "I said – don't touch me." She said sadly as she sat up and began to move off the bed.

"Katrina…" Colin sighed as he reached for her. "I'm sorry. Please. I don't want us to fight like this."

She shrugged him off and stood. "Are you planning on sleeping here?" She asked in a harsh whisper. "Because - if you are - I'm not."

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Livvie stood and moved to Caleb's side. She knew Rafe was right. She knew something was wrong – but she wasn't going to stand by and let him give her husband a hard time.

She took all the anger and frustration she was feeling and unleashed it on him. "I'm so tired of you and your wife and your 'oh please let us help you' crap." She moved towards Rafe and gave him a shove. "We don't want your help, we don't need your help – so you and your little helper here need to get your things and the hell out of here."

Rafe laughed as he stumbled backward. "OK. Take it easy Livvie…"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do. This is MY HOUSE." Her anger gained force with each word she spoke. "And I want you out of it."

Rafe realized that with the mood Livvie was in he wasn't going to get far. He looked over her head and pleaded with her husband. "Caleb. I need to speak to you alone for a minute."

Caleb sighed as he replied, mustering all of his strength. "Perhaps you didn't hear my wife Slayer, I'm not interested in talking to you."

Undeterred, Rafe took a deep breath. "Look. I understand. You are trying to take care of this yourself – and believe me – if the tables were turned I'd be acting the same way. But you and I both know that something's going on…"

Caleb's glare silenced him. "Rafe. Get it through your thick head. I don't want your help. There's nothing wrong here but if there was – trust me - I'd handle it."

As she listened to him speak Livvie gripped Caleb's arm tightly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. All she knew was that her worst fears were confirmed. There was something wrong here – and the way her husband was acting – she knew it was not at all good.

"Caleb. C'mon. You can't fool me. There definitely is something wrong." Rafe took another steadying breath and said the words that he now knew were true. "You're losing your strength and your powers. It's happening very slowly – but I can sense them fading away."

"You're way off, Rafe. You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Caleb turned his back and stared out the window.

Rafe moved to stand next to Kyle and shook his head. "I think I know exactly what's going on." Unable to stop himself, he gave Caleb a smug grin. "And if you're as smart as you think you are you'll let me help you take care of it."

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Colin took a deep breath and tried again. "Look I know I upset you…"

Kate shook back her hair and blinked back tears. "I'm not upset." As she said the words she knew she was not only lying to him, she was lying to herself. "I just want to be left alone."

"OK." Colin nodded and stood facing her, the bed like an ocean between them. "If that's what you really want."

"Right now that's exactly what I want Colin." She replied, her voice bitter. "I never thought I'd say these words but I really don't want you near me right now."

Just when he thought it might get better it seemed things got worse. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I know I shouldn't criticize your father." He saw that what he was saying was having little or no effect on her and tried again. "Honey. I'm sorry. I don't know what more you want me to say…" He trailed off, completely at a loss for words.

Frustrated, she threw her arms in the air and glared at him. "I'm not going to tell you what to say." She said with a sigh. "But I'll tell you this. It's not really about my father, Colin." She looked down at her feet and hugged her arms around herself. "It's about what you think of me."

"What?" He looked at her with a face full of confusion. He didn't understand what she could be talking about. "Katrina. Please. I love you."

Tears fell down her face slowly as she stared into his eyes. She was suddenly exhausted. Part of her knew that she should tell him just to go, that it would be better for them to talk in the morning. She knew if they continued this way they might both say something they regretted.

Despite her better judgment she heard herself ask. "Do you?" Her voice caught a bit. "Do you really?"

Colin was stunned. He moved to the end of the bed and started towards her. This wasn't just about him making a stupid comment. It seemed it was something much more serious.

"Of course I do – how can you even ask me that?" He shook his head at her and asked. "What just happened? I don't understand. What's going on here?"

"I don't know." Kate sobbed as she took another step away from him. She held her hands up in front of her to keep him away. Her thoughts went back to the last time they'd argued. It was the same fight they were having now. It scared her to death to know now for sure that Colin obviously had some pent up feelings that he had kept hidden from her.

Her voice dropped to a mere whisper as she continued. "I think maybe we've been kidding ourselves. I love you so much Colin but lately I'm beginning to think that's not going to be enough."

It was as if someone knocked the wind out of him. When he finally could breathe again he spoke just as softly. "OK. Hold on a second. Katrina…" Colin's voice was filled with panic. "This is crazy." He raced across the room and despite her protests grabbed her by the arms and held her tight. He looked deeply into her eyes, his heart breaking as he continued to watch her cry. "Shhh. Please don't cry. This doesn't make any sense."

"I know. It doesn't." She replied as the tears spilled from her eyes. "You and me – vampires and slayers - I mean – what were we thinking?"

It was as if his whole life was spiraling out of control. He needed to stop this – whatever it was and he needed to stop it now. Colin shook her a bit and desperately hoped he could make her see. He dragged her to him and held her tight.

"I'll tell you what I was thinking." He whispered into her hair. "That day I first saw you I was thinking that I'd never seen anything so beautiful. I was thinking how lucky I was that someone as funny and sweet and smart as you would ever talk to me. I was thinking about how long I'd have to wait before I could see you again…"

His words had her heart melting but there was still something she couldn't let go. "I can't do this." Her actions contradicted her words because even as she sobbed Kate held him tighter. "I can't spend the rest of my life defending my family to you. I need to know that you can see beyond what I am and just see me."

"Shh. I know. I can. I can see you." He promised as he pulled back to gaze at her face again. "I see you – believe me."

"Alex will be one too you know." Kate continued, her voice full of tears. "We can't escape this. It's not a choice – Colin. Being a slayer is not something I can turn on or off in a whim."

It was a low blow. Even as Kate said the words she regretted them.

Now it was Colin's turn to get defensive. "Unlike what you've seen my parents do." He replied as he deliberately took a step away from her. "I can't believe this. I should have known. You won't really be happy unless they're mortal will you?"

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Caleb needed to regain control. He refused, absolutely refused to let Rafe think for even one second that he had the upper hand.

"I'm going to say this one more time." Caleb summoned all his strength and forced Rafe to slam into the door to the study. In an instant he was holding a hand to his throat to keep him there. "You keep this up and I'm going to forget that you and I have come to an agreement. I'm going to forget that my son married into your pathetic, boring, mundane mortal family and find a way to change things so that you'll really have a problem to deal with. Like maybe come over to your side of the world and stir up some of that old trouble. If that's what it'll take to keep you over there and out of my business – trust me I'll do it. Now.." He glowered at Kyle and then brought his eyes back to Rafe's. "Do yourself and ME a favor and take your mascot and go back to your life in the suburbs. Don't you have a pot luck supper to attend or something?" He finished with contempt as he let him go.

As he stepped away Caleb stumbled. Rafe could see at once that that little altercation seemed to have drained him of every ounce of his energy.

Rafe could see in an instant how much that outburst had cost him. He decided to step away for now. It was obvious to him now that apparently he'd miscalculated. It was too early. He should have waited.

Rafe nodded at Kyle to follow as he opened the door and began to retreat. He almost choked on the words but he knew they needed to be said. "You change your mind Caleb you just let me know alright?"

"I'd kill myself before I'd take any help from you." Caleb muttered under his breath, signifying that there was no more room for debate.

As Rafe led Kyle out the door his only thought was that would be exactly what would happen if Caleb kept trying to fight this on his own.

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"That's not what I said." Kate replied, a shiver running up her spine at the look on Colin's face.

"You know as well as I do that they won't ever be happy that way." Colin fought to keep his voice from shaking. "They're vampires, Katrina. From the looks of things now they always will be."

"I'm quite aware of that fact." She sighed.

He wasn't quite done talking. He glared at her as he continued. "I can't believe that you've forgotten so let me remind you. That's what I am – that's where I come from."

"No." She shook her head at him. Her voice was full of love as she moved towards him. "That might be where you came from but that's not what you are. You fought harder than anyone I've ever known to escape that life Colin."

It was as if he didn't hear her. "It's still not something that will change. You say you have to keep defending your family but you need to be honest. You have a far bigger problem with my family that I have with yours. So - I don't know what more you want from me." He admitted, still fuming. "I have no idea what you want me to say to you."

Kate nodded. "I know." She sank onto the edge of the bed and fought the sobs rising in her throat. "That's what scaring me Colin. You've always known before." She looked up at him with a face full of tears. "Oh my God. What's happening to us?"

Deep down he wanted, more than anything else to make things better but he just couldn't do it. The things she's said to him had hurt him terribly. He was too angry himself now to find the words to answer her the way he knew she wanted him to.

Silently he went to the bed and grabbed a pillow and blanket. "You want to be alone Katrina don't worry. I'll leave you alone."

As the door closed behind him Kate fell onto the bed and clutched her own pillow, collapsing in a fit of sobs. Colin's last words were ringing in her ears.

Earlier she'd asked him to leave but now she wasn't prepared for the consquences. As she continued to cry she truly had never felt more alone in her life.