AN: Sorry this has taken so long.life has been pretty crazy lately. I managed to write a few chapters while I've been laid up getting my knee worked on, but they're written the old fashion way so I have to find time to type them up. Please review! It's the only thing that's gonna motivate me to type up the next chapter :-D

Chapter 4

Kate watched him drive away, letting out a deep breath when his taillights finally disappeared from sight. She really was alone now, more alone than she'd ever felt before because now she knew the alternative, that amazing feeling of being completely and totally connected to another person. Ten seconds apart and she already missed him, proof of how important he'd become to her tonight. Of course, he'd always been a very important part of her life, she'd just been scared to admit it.

She was still staring at the spot where she'd last seen the glow of Tony's taillights, totally lost in thought, when Gibbs gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She fought the reflex to jump and whipped her head to look at him, turning the faintest shade of red as she realized that she'd completely forgotten he was there. She let out another deep breath and gave a small nod to his unvoiced question, even though every impulse in her body was screaming for her to run.

She knew she had to do this, and the faster she got it over with the sooner she could get back to Tony. That was the only reason her feet finally unglued themselves from the ground and, with only the slightest prodding from Gibbs, she started towards the restaurant.

Several heads turned as she entered the restaurant and made her way to the front of the room. She had no clue what she was supposed to say, or how she should break the news. She passed her mother, who shot her a questioning look that Kate chose to ignore. She'd tell everyone at once and make a fast getaway, she decided. Everyone would assume she was heartbroken, so leaving quickly would be expected. No one would guess that she was racing back to Tony's arms instead of fleeing from the spotlight so she could mend a broken heart.

She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the thought of Tony's arms around her, but nothing she could do would chase that thought, plus the many more that starred Tony, from her mind. She kept walking towards her table on autopilot but her mind was a million miles away, lost inside Tony's apartment. She should not be thinking these thoughts right now, but she couldn't help it. She'd wanted Tony for so long, and now she would finally have him. She swallowed hard, feeling flushed at the mere thought of what she could be doing tonight. With Tony.

She drew a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself down. Now was definitely not the right time to be getting all excited. It was hard, but she forced her mind back to the only thing that was standing between her and the amazing night she was fantasizing about. She finally reached her table and realized that everyone was already staring at her. She panicked for a moment, wondering if they could tell what she'd been thinking.

She scanned the small crowd, breathing a silent sigh of relief when she realized that no one had picked up on anything. Even her teammates were looking at her curiously, and she wished she could at least tell them the truth. She kept her eyes locked on their table as she cleared her throat to address the crowd, not really caring what anyone but them thought.

Just as she was about to speak, she saw Abby poke Gibbs, who she hadn't even realized had gone back to his seat. She froze when she saw Abby ask Gibbs where Tony was. Gibbs shrugged, and Abby turned her attention back to Kate, glancing at Shawn's empty seat before looking at Kate with a knowing, encouraging smile. That smile gave Kate the little bit of courage she needed to finally make her announcement.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Okay, so she probably hadn't needed to say that since every eye in the room was already on her. Now what? "Umm, I don't exactly know how to put this, but the wedding has been cancelled. I'm sorry for the short notice, but it's for the best." Kate bit her lip nervously as she looked out at her stunned audience. She wasn't sure what to do next. All she knew was that she had to get out of there, and fast. She quickly bolted towards the door, hearing footsteps following only a brief second later.

"Katie, wait." Kate's mother yelled as Kate pushed through the door, escaping into the deserted parking lot. The words did nothing to slow Kate down as she raced toward her car with her mom hot on her heels. She fumbled for her keys, but couldn't find them in her small, completely overstuffed purse. She silently cursed her luck as she reached her car and, still keyless, was forced to finally stop.

Her mom closed the small gap between them, arriving at Kate's side just as she pulled out her stupid keys. Her mom reached out to touch her shoulder but Kate shrugged her off, forcefully jamming the keys into the lock and ripping the door open.

"Please, Kate. What happened? Did you and Shawn have a fight?" Kate glared but refused to answer, tossing her purse into the car and sliding in after it, but her angry silence wasn't enough to dissuade her mom. She put herself between the car and the door so that Kate had no choice but to listen. "Honey, are you sure you aren't just overreacting? A lot of people get cold feet before the wedding, but that's no reason to throw everything away."

Kate looked up at her mother, giving her the angriest glare she could muster. Her mom could be totally oblivious and far too cheery at times. She reminded Kate of an old Kindergarten teacher, constantly treating everyone as if they were 5. Her condescending tone made Kate want to scream, but if she did Gibbs would probably think she was being attacked and everyone would come running out. She'd definitely had enough unwanted attention tonight, plus a lot of amazing attention. A smile tickled the corners of her mouth as she thought about Tony's heated attention. She really couldn't wait to have his undivided attention again.

She shook her head before her thoughts got deliciously off track and forced her attention back to her mother, who was still trying to talk some sense into her. "You know how much Shawn loves you, and he's going to make a great husband and be an amazing father someday. You don't know what you're doing right now. You're not thinking clearly right now. Trust me, you're both going to regret this in the morning. You should call him and talk to him, straighten this whole mess out."

"Mom!" Kate yelled, unable to take another minute of her mother telling her what was best for her. The woman really didn't have a clue, but Kate couldn't risk filling her in even if she'd wanted to, which she definitely didn't. She was long past caring what her mother thought. This definitely wouldn't be the first time Kate disappointer her, and it probably wouldn't be the last. She gritted her teeth, trying to stay as calm as possible under the circumstances.

"Listen. I'm only going to tell you this once. Shawn and I are over. We were never meant to be, and nothing you say is going to change anything. It's my life and it's my decision. I made my choice, and I'm happy with it." Actually, ecstatic was more like it, but she wasn't about to tell her mom that. "The way I look at it, I just saved myself from making a horrible mistake that would have ruined my life. He wasn't my Prince Charming, Mom. Why should I settle for less?"

"You always loved that book." Her mom had tears shining in her eyes. She'd never seen her daughter speak so passionately before. Even though she still didn't know what had caused Kate's sudden decision, she found herself agreeing with her. "You should never have to settle. I just didn't want you to regret this in the morning, but you obviously have your reasons and they aren't going to change. Just remember that all I want is for you to be happy and to find someone that makes you happy, just like I found your father."

They were both fighting back tears as Kate stood up to hug her mother. When they pulled back, her mom had a thoughtful look in her eye. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. Kate looked at her questioningly but she shook her head. "Never mind, just go home and get some rest. You look like you could use it." She smiled and stepped away, closing the door after Kate slid back inside. Kate waved as she pulled out of her parking spot, completely surprised that her mom had been so understanding. She should have been more curious as to what her mom had been about to say since that look usually meant trouble, but she was too anxious to see Tony.