"Time of death 0200." Kate snapped her gloves off. She looked at the young man lying on the table and then to the room next door where Luka was still working on the driver who hit the teenager. She had to now go tell his parents the news. She sighed as she headed out to the Family Room. The parents stood up, hands clasped, their looks hopeful. "Please sit." Kate motioned to the couch. This was the only thing she hated about being a doctor. She knew you couldn't save them all, but it was still hard to tell the families that you did all you could and their loved one didn't make it. "First of all, Mikey was a fighter."

"He has spirit." Mr. Crandell's voice shook. "He okay, Doc?"

Kate paused. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but his injuries…" She may as well have been talking to a brick wall. Mr. and Mrs. Crandell started crying. "I can let you see him if you want." When the parents nodded, Kate led them to Trauma 2. "I'll be here if you need me, okay?"

"Thanks." Mrs. Crandell's voice was weak.

"Pretty hard, isn't it?" Ray's voice nearly caused Kate to jump out of her skin.

"Yeah, it is. I mean, this is the part of being a doctor I don't like. How do you tell the parents you couldn't save their only son?"

"How old was he?"

"Fifteen and the driver Luka's working on was the one that hit him." There was sadness in her voice. "And he was drunk."

"You know that driver will survive just fine." Ray sneered. He put his arm around Kate's shoulders. "Shift ends at 7. What do you say I pick you up at the Admit Desk and we go for a drink in honor of your two month anniversary as our attending?"

She smiled up at him. "As long as it's coffee. Every time you and I get together for drinks, it's trouble." She smiled. Ray and Kerry were the only people from the ER that she really hung out with. The bond that had started to develop between her and Ray was not going unnoticed in the ER and gossip had it that they were dating. Ray and Kate shrugged it off, but the gossip mill was relentless and as they stood there, arms around each other, it was hard to deny they were anything but friends.

Kate sipped her coffee and stared out the window. The day had been a long one and now she and Ray were sitting in some small greasy spoon restaurant for breakfast. She smiled as Ray took a seat across from her. "Everything okay?"

Ray nodded. "Yeah. She just wanted to know if I had any laundry and what time I'd be home." He smiled.

"Sounds to me like you two are as good as married." Kate teased.

Ray wanted to be mad. A little mad, but Kate's smile convinced him he couldn't be even the slightest upset at the comment. "It does feel that way sometimes." He surrendered.

"So, Dr. Barnett. What's the plans for after breakfast?"

"Sleep." He smiled at her. "You look exhausted."

"It was a bad night, that's for sure." She stared out the window. "God! Does it always snow here?"

Ray laughed. "It's February, Kate. It ain't done snowing for another month or so." He laughed harder when she moaned. "Didn't you know that before you moved up here?"

She threw a piece of bacon at him. "I don't know. I had to…" She suddenly stopped.

Despite his curiosity, Ray said nothing. "Well, what do you say to going and getting a good day's sleep? Shift starts at what? Ten?" He winked at her.

She yawned as she stood up. "Sounds great. Though, I'm thinking a hot shower first." She looked at Ray. "Care to join me?" She playfully sang as she paid for breakfast.

"Thought you'd never ask." He played back.

The walk to her apartment was quiet and cold. It was as though nothing between them needed to be said. Quiet is nice Ray thought. He had always been a little scared by quiet. He always had to be doing something; saying something; playing something. He always had to have noise. But Kate reveled in quiet. It gave her a chance to think about what her life was and how it got to where it was. Quiet meant peace to her. She shivered in the frosty morning and Ray instinctively put his arm around her to warm her up. She scooted in closer to him and they continued to walk to her place.

She opened the door and looked at Ray. "You're more than welcome to stay if you want."

"Neela would have a field day." He closed the door behind him.

"Morris would have a field day." She laughed. "I mean, have you heard the latest gossip about us?"

Ray moaned as he covered his face with his hands. "Yeah, and it's that punk ass Morris that started it. I could just bitch slap him." He laughed.

"You think he's jealous?" Kate hung their coats in the entry closet.

"Probably. He thinks he has this God given gift and…Thanks." He said as she handed him a blanket. "He's mentioned a couple times how if I hadn't have been puked on by that kid, he'd have met you first and none of this would be happening."

Kate smiled softly at Ray. "Oh, I don't know. It still may have." She stretched and yawned. "I'm ready for a shower and bed." She gave Ray a hug. "Thanks, Ray."

"For what?" He hugged her back.

"For being a friend." She tilted her head up slightly to look at him. She found herself mesmerized by the green of his eyes and the cocky crooked smile that had formed on his lips.

"Don't mention it." Ray whispered. He didn't want to let her go and she wasn't making a huge effort to move either. Just fucking kiss her already, Barnett! He yelled at himself in his head.

Seemingly reading his mind, Kate cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly. "Shower." She whispered as she pulled away.

"Um, yeah. You said you were going to." His voice was raspy and he swore it broke a couple times in that short sentence.

She took his hand. "You coming?" She led him to the bathroom, where she started the shower and looked at him. "It's funny how things work, ain't it, Ray?"

"Mmmhmm." He mumbled. He pulled her close to him. "It's very funny." He closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Ray woke up and forgot for a moment where he was. He rubbed his eyes and rolled his head. He looked over to his left and saw Kate lying there, sleeping. Two months ago, if someone had told him he'd sleep with the attending, he would have laughed. Of course, the attending was Luka. He laughed quietly. He watched her sleep for a few minutes. He thought of the morning before. He thought of when he first saw her standing at the Admit Desk. He didn't know how everything occurred and didn't know if he cared to know. All he knew is that she was asleep beside him and the world, in his eyes, was good.

He climbed out of bed and headed in for another shower. Memories of the night before replayed in his mind. She had reached out to him, wanting him and there was no way he could say "No." She had a way about her and he admitted to himself that the sex was the best he had a long time. As he stepped out of the shower, he smelled coffee brewing. He opened the door and made his way to the kitchen. "Evening, sunshine." He laughed.

She turned around to see him in a towel and smiled. "How are you able to have a towel that low on your hips and have it not fall?" She smiled even broader.

He pulled her close. "It's a gift." He kissed her. "I do have to go and get ready for work. You off?"

"Yeah. What time's your shift over? Seven?" She poured him a cup of coffee.

"Yeah." He yelled from the bedroom.

"I'll cook breakfast for you if you come back."

He took the cup of coffee and smirked that cocky crooked smirk. "Should I just leave a spare toothbrush here then?"

"Maybe." She sipped her coffee. "If you think my spaghetti's great, wait until you taste my waffles."

"Strawberries and cream's my fave." He jumped out of the way as she playfully slapped him. "Hey. You're the one that gave me ideas."

"You're going to be late." She smiled.

He kissed her softly. "See you at seven thirty then."