Chapter Fifty-One

Forgiveness and Thanks

I own nothing except Melissa, Kate, and any other OC's that I mention.

Sorry that it's so short...I hope you all like it anyways.

I've gotten horribly addicted to Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" CD. Is anyone else addicted?

Okay, shutting up. Here's your chapter!

Melissa saw that Kate had a glow about her the next day when she walked into Elm Creek Animal Hospital at 11:00. She was smiling and looked like things were up for her. Melissa was curious as to what was making her so happy. Things still seemed to be a little forced between the two of them – they hadn't spoken for nearly a week.

"Hey," Kate said, going up to the desk. "Want to take a lunch break? I brought muffins again."

"Did you bake them this morning?" Melissa asked

"Of course!" Kate said. "I always make your's fresh. It's another big blueberry for you..." She enticed her by holding up a brown paper bag again.

Melissa wanted a muffin, but she was a little hesitant to talk to Kate. But she seemed so bubbly and happy today – maybe things were patched up between her and Will? She nodded, caving in, and going around the back to get to the waiting room.

The two of them sat on the stone steps, just like last Wednesday when she came to confess. It was another deja vu for Melissa – the awkward silences and muffin-eating.

"Will and I completed our couples counseling," Kate finally said. "Beckett was our counselor."

"Yeah...? I don't know him. Was he nice?"

"No, you know him. Beckett. Cutler Beckett. You know how you thought his name was Cutter Beckett?"

Wait...Lord Cutler Beckett? That meant that he was brought to the future, too? Gosh, who else was there to bring?

"Oh...my."

Kate laughed. "Well, if anyone wanted to see me in pain, they got it. But everything's better now. Will and I made up yesterday, so he's forgiven me." She smiled and took the lining off of her poppyseed muffin. "It's good to have him back."

Melissa was glad that those two were back together. Kate looked a lot happier. Even though what Kate did was horrible, she never wished a person bad.

"Have you forgiven Jack?" Kate asked.

"Yeah." Melissa cracked a smile. "I know what you mean, it's good to have him back, even if he was sort of a snake in the grass."

Kate laughed. "Yeah. It's good that you forgave him. That's one thing I love about you, Mel. You always give people second chances."

Melissa realized that she still hadn't told Kate that she had forgiven her. She did forgive her, she just didn't really know how to say it.

"I don't blame you for what you did," she said. "I blame Jack. I know how charming he can get. He should know better than to two time."

"No, Melissa, this is my fault, too. Don't place all the blame on Jack. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I kept doing it anyways."

Melissa took a bite out of her blueberry muffin. "Either way, I forgive you. I miss my best friend. If it was me who did that to Will, I couldn't face you for a month."

Kate chuckled. "You wouldn't ever cheat."

Melissa was right: she wouldn't. She just didn't want Kate to feel worse than she probably had been.

"You know what I mean," Melissa said.

There was a silence between the two of them again. Kate stood up and took her muffin with her. "I have to go. I have to do some shopping."

"Alright." Melissa stood up and embraced her friend in a hug, just like old times. "I'll talk to you later?"

Kate nodded. "Sounds good."

Kate swore to herself she would never step foot in E.I.T.C. Couples Counseling ever again. But when she pulled up that afternoon to it, she wondered why she broke that promise to herself. Couldn't she just find his address in the phone book and have it be done?

She got out of she car and went up to the familiar second floor. It made it feel like it was 4:00, when really it was 2:30. It was even more weird going to see Beckett by herself. Will was always with her, whether she wanted him to be or not.

Kate opened the door to the waiting room and saw the same blonde receptionist. Her light blue eyes lit up, almost as if she was ecstatic to see a visitor.

"Oh, um...it's Kaitlin, right?" the receptionist asked.

"Kate," she corrected. "Is Beckett in? I'd like to speak to him."

"Yeah, he's waiting for his next clients. You can go right on back," the receptionist said.

"Okay. Thanks."

Kate went back to Beckett's office and knocked on his door.

"I said that I'm not taking any calls right now," Beckett said, through the door. "I –"

"I'm not the receptionist," Kate said, opening the door and inviting herself in.

Beckett was sitting where Mercer usually was. He was writing something down on a piece of paper. He looked up at her, his expression turning sour, like he ate something bad.

"That's annoying," Beckett thought. "I thought that you were done here."

"Nice to see you, too, Beckett." Kate closed the door behind her. "Just thought that I'd pop in for a visit."

"Oh? And to what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Sims?"

Kate stood across from Beckett as his desk. She wondered how tall he was. Wasn't he about as tall as Elizabeth? Was that why he always sat down?

"My thanks. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but your program worked. You were right."

"Of course I was right."

Kate rolled her eyes, then pulled a gift card out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Red Lobster?" Beckett asked. "A gift card?"

"Yeah. I thought it'd be a good restaurant for you. They're the only ones I know that serve crabs." Kate bit back a laugh. Beckett was a crab, after all.

"You think you're funny, don't you, Miss Sims?" Beckett asked.

"If you don't want the gift card, I'll just take it and spend it on a dinner for Will and me."

"You don't need a dinner. You just need some rain."

Kate frowned. "What do you mean?"

"And now you play dumb. A triple threat."

She felt herself blush. Did Beckett see them yesterday? No, that was impossible, she would have heard him!

"You do know that it's not proper to kiss in public like that. I wonder what your father would think if he knew what William Turner was doing to his daughter."

Kate felt her face getting warm. She knew not to play into his game, she prayed that she'd only be smart enough to compete with him.

"I thought you'd take it as a compliment. Your program does work, after all."

"I'd prefer to not have people snogging in my parking lot."

"I'd prefer that you find other things to meddle about."

"Terrible sorry to inform you, but there's nothing else for me to meddle about."

"Try Mercer. I'm sure you could have a fun time poking your nose in his matters."

Beckett's green-blue eyes locked on her's. "Miss Sims, am I missing something? Tell me again what Mr. Turner sees in you that I don't."

Kate smiled. "I'm sure you could take him out for dinner at Red Lobster and have a long talk if you're so curious."

Beckett was quiet. Kate couldn't help but smile. Had someone outsmarted Lord Cutler Beckett?

"You're welcome for the gift card, by the way," she said, hooking her thumbs through the pocket of her jeans.

The door opened behind them. She turned her head to see an unhappy looking couple walking in. Kate guessed that they were on their first day – she recognized their faces all too well. Mercer, who escorted the couple in, gave Kate a why-are-you-here look.

"Miss Sims, if you'd be as so kind to leave my office, I have work that needs to get done," Beckett said, standing up from his chair. Kate noticed that she was the same height that he was – without heels on.

"I shan't keep you waiting, then," she said, a smile tugging at her lips, turning around and heading for the door.

Melissa's Blog Entry

Kate and I are good. Maybe us four could do something this weekend? Go to the park, maybe, and have a picnic? It's so great to have things patched up between us. She's always going to be my friend, no matter what she does. Cheesy, I know, but what can I say? I've known her since she was six.

Love,

Melissa Rose

Kate's Blog Entry

Heh. Red Lobster. Beckett. Crab. I'm good.

XOXO,

Kate