Chapter 15. Yes I know it has been something like 3 months since I last updated this story…I'm sorry about that but things have been busy so…Whatever here is the next chapter. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do actually own both Katharine and Daniel so…

Spoilers: None

"Acts of kindness may soon be forgotten, but the memory of an offense remains."

Proverb

"Daniel," Katharine said idly to her companion after about a quarter of an hour of silence. There was no response from the driver's side of the car. "Daniel," she repeated a little louder thinking that he might not have heard her, but there was still no response. Slowly she turned to look at him.

Daniel was staring determinedly out the windshield, his eye moving quickly in an attempt to take in every aspect of their surroundings. His hands were holding the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were starting to turn white. Everything about him was stiff and attentive as if he was scared relaxing could lead to some great catastrophe.

"Pull over," she told him quietly knowing perfectly well that he could hear her.

"Please stop distracting me," he said without looking away from the road even for a second, and Katharine sighed.

"Pull over now," she said more forcefully than before, and Daniel did as she asked. She waited until the car had come to a complete stop on the side of the two-lane road they had been driving down, then she spoke again. "Get out."

Daniel did not question her authority. Instead he did as she instructed him, and waited patiently for her to get out of the passenger side and walk around the front of the car. The moment she was in range, Katharine lifted her left hand and slapped Daniel on the back of his head.

"Ouch," he exclaimed annoyed, "What was that for?"

"We are going to be in Ordway in less than an hour," she told him, "and we need to be strictly professional when we get there."

"I am being professional," Daniel said glaring at her, "You're the one who has the problem."

From the look on Katharine's face you would have thought he had slapped her in face, and for a few seconds it seemed he had shocked her into silence. However she quickly overcame her initial shock at Daniel's comment and revert to her usual aggressiveness.

"I have the problem?" she retorted starting to get annoyed, "You're the one who's wound tighter than a grandfather clock."

"Maybe that's your problem," he told her, his voice raised a little more than normal, "You don't have any sense of when the situation is serious."

"I do too," Katharine replied, knowing it sounded childish, but not particularly caring.

"No you don't." he said annoyed, "In fact, if you hadn't been distracting me the car crash never would have happened."

Some part of Katharine knew that Daniel was speaking out of stress and did not really mean all of what he was saying. However her anger was already starting to take control of her, and she was not quite sure which parts he really did mean. The stress was starting to get to her too.

"You can't blame that one me," she told him, "you were the one driving the car."

"And why exactly was I doing that?" he asked rhetorically, "Oh yea, because you made me." Katharine did not miss the accusation in his tone.

"So this is all my fault?" she questioned him, the fire in her eyes daring him to answer her affirmatively.

"Yea," Daniel replied, ignoring the silent warning, "It is."

"I guess you think that I killed that little girl too," she asked angrily.

"I don't know that you didn't," he retorted haughtily.

Katharine snapped, and, without considering what she was about to do or what the consequences would be, she lunged forward and tried to hit him. Her anger had affected her ability to aim, and Daniel ducked quickly enough that she only hit air, but it did not matter. The damage had already been done.

Shocked by her own actions, Katharine's fist dropped to her side, and her eyes widened in horror, "Daniel," she started slowly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

He cut her off. "You knew exactly what you were doing," he told her coldly, "Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me. Now we've already wasted enough time here. We need to get to Ordway before out hotel closes. So unless you have something else you would like to discuss, get back into the car." With that he turned on his heel and stalked back towards the car.

"Daniel," Katharine called after him, "Daniel!" He ignored her, but if she was honest with herself, she knew she deserved it. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as she made her way back to the passenger side of the car, "You really blew it this time Katharine." With that she slid into the passenger seat, and prepared herself for what promised to be a very unpleasant car ride.

-0- -0- -0-

She was not disappointed. They did not say a word to each other the entire car ride, and when they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Katharine practically jumped out of the car desperate to escape the nearly deafening science coming from her partner.

"I'm going to go check in," she told him, slinging her bag over her shoulder. He did not respond, but he did not argue either. So Katharine took that as a yes and disappeared into the hotel to retrieve their room keys.

Daniel sighed and followed her. Once inside he quickly located her standing by the check in counter chatting with the woman behind it. "Can have my key?" he asked her extending his hand.

"Which room do you want?' she asked him.

"I don't care," he replied just as coldly as before, "Just give me one." She handed him one of the two plastic entry cards, and he turned away from her before she could say another word.

The woman behind the counter looked at her sympathetically. "Don't worry about it," she reassured Katharine, "he won't stay mad at you forever."

"You sure about that?" Katharine asked the woman, who wore a nametag identifying her as Marg.

"Of course I am," Marg replied with a knowing smile, "they never do."

So there you go. I hope you liked it. I have the next chapter written, but I won't post until next week because I have going to Europe for 10 days and won't have Internet access. Please review and I will post the next chapter when I get home.