Edward sat in the kitchen, his hands threaded through his hair. He couldn't believe that happened. Couldn't believe the idiotic words that came out of his mouth. He glanced at the clock and groaned banging his head on the table. It had been an hour since she'd left and he honestly couldn't blame her. She'd just been trying to help, and he'd taken his anger and his stress out on her as he promised he never would.

'You really blew it this time.' Ed groaned as that damn voice came back again.

"Go away. I don't have time for you right now. I need to find a way to get her to forgive me."

'She's gone dude …' The hallucination said with a smile. 'You really messed up this time. It's just you and me now!'

"She'll forgive me …." Ed said though he sounded doubtful. "She has to." But he knew she didn't.

'Well … You're not doing any good just sitting there.' The hallucination said, for once actually being slightly helpful.

"You're right." He said looking down at the table. He'd opened his cell phone again, without realizing it at first but he dialled the number for the seventeenth time.

'Surprise of all surprises … No answer.' Edward tossed his phone into his pocket and grabbed his jacket.

"I'm not giving up so easily." He said before driving to Kristen's apartment after a short stop on the way.

By the time the doorbell rang, Deidre had already managed to draw out a furious, teary-eyed synopsis of what had happened, before Kristen had retreated to her room, insisting that she 'Needed Time Alone to Think'. No amount of coaxing, ice cream, or stolen alcohol had been sufficient to get her to come out.

"Hey, Kris!" Deidre called, going to answer the door. "I think the ass is here to see you."

"I'm not talking to him right now!" Kristen called from her room. "Tell him to go away!"

Edward knocked on the door again. "Let me in please. Don't make me sleep out here. I'll do it!" He threatened.

Deidre went to the door and opened it. "You really messed up this time!"

"Yeah I know … Can I come in please?" Deidre regarded him a moment before she let him in. "Thank you." He said heading over to Kristen's room.

He knocked on her bedroom door quietly. "Kristen?" He asked.

Kristen groaned, her voice strangely muffled, as if she had just shoved her head under a pillow that she definitely had not been crying into. "Deidre!" she yelled. "You are the worst guard ever."

"I'm sorry he gave me the eyes! You know the ones I'm a sucker for! Let him in before he starts pawing at the door!" Deidre yelled across the apartment.

Kristen sighed. "He's not a stray cat, Deidre, he's a human who should know better!" But she got up anyway and stalked over to the door, angrily drying her tears and muttering something under her breath about evicting Deidre. She unlocked the bedroom door and then turned away, going back to sit on the bed facing the opposite direction, knowing that if he saw her face he'd know she'd been crying, he'd know that he had gotten to her.

"Whatever you have to say, make it quick," she said curtly. "I'm done talking to you for tonight."

Edward stepped quietly into the room, leaving the door open behind him as he approached the bed, a black square cloth bag in his hand.

"That … That's fine. I didn't come here to fight. I came to apologize and … You're right … I don't listen when I should. And when I'm stressed I take it out on people I shouldn't. Just with Rubix and this new job-" he paused and sighed. "I'm making excuses again …" He said pausing as they stayed in silence for a moment. "I am sorry … And … I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore. I'll stop phoning you." He said quietly. "I should listen better, you're right … But … I do try. Maybe not when it matters but … I do." He said placing the rectangular black cloth bag onto her side dresser and leaving the room.

Kristen sighed, resting her head in her hands as Edward left the room. He had apologized at least … Though experience reminded her that an apology didn't mean things would actually get better. But … He really did seem sincere. And she felt bad that they'd ended up fighting the night right before Rubix's court case. She should go after him, talk things out. She stood up, glancing over at the cloth bag on the dresser … The bag squeaked. She opened the bag, and a gray and silver striped kitten scampered out of what turned out to be a cat carrier.

Kristen gasped as she went over to pick up the kitten. "He didn't have to …" she whispered. Looking more closely at its markings, her eyes widened. It was an Egyptian Mau. Just like she'd wanted since she'd read about them as a little girl. But her dad had thought it was too expensive, and her mom would have nothing to do with animals of any variety in the house. It was just a memory that she'd mentioned once off-hand, thinking nothing of it. And Edward had remembered it, even the breed. This wasn't a bribe to make her forget that she was angry … This was Edward trying to show her that he'd listened. No one she'd been with in the past would have remembered that, if they even listened to it …

"Edward!" Kristen called after him, coming out of her room, cradling the kitten, which was looking around curiously with bright eyes. "Wait."

Edward was already half way down the street, his hands in his pockets as he made his way towards his car.

'You blew it dummy!' He walked past the hallucination that was leaning against one of the trains support posts above the street, ignoring it but it appeared again walking beside him. 'You give in so easily!'

"Leave me alone." He said bitterly. He didn't want to deal with it right now. If only it worked that way.

Kristen made it out of the building before Edward reached his car. "Wait!" she called after him, running to catch up, while the confused kitten mewed in protest at all the rapid movement. She looked up at Edward, her eyes still red from crying. "Can … Can we talk?"

Edward was honestly surprised as she chased him down the street and he half wondered if it was his hallucination messing with his head again. There was no way she'd chase after him like that … But when he turned and looked at her, and saw the tears in her eyes, the kitten struggling in her hands trying to crawl up to her shoulder … He knew she had to be real.

"I didn't think you'd want to." He said wondering how she took the offer of the Kitten. "It's not a bribe you know …. You don't owe me anything …"

"I know," Kristen said quietly, petting the kitten behind its ears. "But… No one else would have remembered something like that, let alone gone out and …" She shook her head. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did." He said quietly, his hands still in his pockets as he stared at the ground. "I shouldn't have done that …. I knew what I was saying was hurtful and I didn't mean any of it but I said it anyway."

Kristen sighed. "It … did hurt, but everyone says things they don't mean sometimes when they're worried or stressed … I got carried away too. I wasn't trying to tell you what to do about Rubix, I just …" she glanced down at the kitten in her arms. "I just wanted to help."

Ed was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Do you love him?" He asked. He doubted she did, she hardly knew him, and it was a lot to ask for but … He wanted to know how she felt about him.

"Yes," Kristen whispered, looking up at him again. "At least, I want to take care of him and make sure he's safe and happy … It's not just because of you, if that's part of what you're worried about."

Edward sighed and nodded. "Then … What ever you chose … I'll respect that. I will have to call my lawyer before nine tonight, if you do decide to." He said sniffing and rubbing his nose slightly. "Do you … Do you want to come back to my place?"

Kristen hesitated. It might be best for them both to have a little space to cool down, but it seemed like the worst of this fight was over. And she wanted the comfort of being close to him, to reassure her that things really were alright again. "I'd like that," she said quietly. "If it's okay with you."

"I'd like you to." He said. "I have to pick up Rubix. If …" He paused, not wanting to voice what he was about to say. "If I … We … Lose this case tomorrow … Tonight might be the last night we have with him."

Kristen's eyes widened, the reality of what he had just said suddenly hitting her. And to think, they'd been fighting tonight… She took Edward's hand in hers. "Let's go pick him up," she said, understanding.

"We should grab the carrier first. And pick up the stuff for him. Deidre brought them into your place." He said grabbing the kitten as it lunged out of Kristen's arms. "What are we going to name him?"

Kristen thought about it for a moment, and then smiled slightly. "Why don't we see if Rubix has any ideas?" she said.