A/N: Sorry! I would have put this up a week ago but everyone in my family got a stomach bug and I was busy juggling being a uni student with being a family nurse. Then I spent the end of the week gloating over how clever I was not to catch it and guess what happened Saturday morning? I knew there was a problem when I woke up at 5.30am… I knew there was even more of a problem when I threw up, actually.

Thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers! I can't tell you how much I love reading each one! :)

Anyhow, apologies (trust me-I wish none of us had that evil, evil stomach bug!) and here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

-------------------------------------

My first instinct was to run. When I'd slightly recovered from the shock of seeing Tony sitting at the table with Abby, I wanted to turn around and get the hell out of there. But something pulled me back; a part of me knew I would always regret it if I didn't go join them. It had been two years and I still found myself thinking about Tony every day. I needed some sort of closure.

Abby pushed me into the chair she'd been sitting in the instant I reached the table. I must have still been in shock at the sight of Tony because my mouth refused to work and I was pretty certain I was staring at him.

"Okay, here's what's gonna happen," Abby announced to us. "You're gonna sit here, eat dinner and talk. I'll be waiting just outside so don't think that either of you can escape. You're not leaving until you're both the people you used to be before all…this happened. Understood?"

Neither of us answered. I could hardly make sense of what Abby was saying but I suppose she decided our silence was better than one-or both-of us screaming and making a mad dash for the door. She gave an exasperated sigh before heading out of the restaurant, leaving Tony and me alone. Talk about awkward. On the plus side, I'd managed to stop staring at him and was now focused on my hands. Unfortunately, neither of us looked like we were about to talk.

I wanted answers. I wanted to know how he could have moved on from me so quickly. I wanted to know if I had ever meant anything to him at all. I wanted to know if he thought of me nearly as often as I thought of him-if he thought of me at all. But I didn't want to be the one to start talking. And I was worried that if I brought up those subjects, all the hurt I'd been trying to ignore for the past two years would resurface. So I continued staring at my hands.

"Water?" Tony asked me after a few minutes silence, holding out the water jug.

It had been so long since I'd heard him talk to me-since I'd heard him talk at all-that I almost gave a start. But I managed to collect myself in time and squeak out a "yes, please."

I couldn't help but look at him as he poured my water. He looked exactly the same, except for his eyes. They looked…tired, I suppose. They looked the way I'm sure my whole face looked.

"Thank you," I said after he poured my glass. I was grateful to have something to hold in my hands-something to distract myself with-and I started drumming my fingers against the glass.

"Are you hungry?" he asked me.

"Not really."

"Me neither."

We fell into another silence and I felt an overwhelming desire to scream. Since when had we been so polite, so careful around each other? That had never been our style.

---------------------------------------------

"God, Tony, you'd think we were going away for a month with the amount of food you packed," I complained, poking around his bag. We'd managed to get away for a weekend and Tony had stuffed his bag with every type of junk food ever made. "And none of it's even healthy."

"And you've packed enough clothes to last you a year," Tony retorted as he rummaged about in my bag. "I didn't think we'd be doing that much clothes wearing here…"

"Hey! Get away from my stuff!" I cried, walking towards him.

"You started it," Tony said, taking a step towards me.

"Well, I had to figure out what the smell coming from your bag was."

"I didn't know if we'd be leaving this room at all," Tony told me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "And it wouldn't be fair to you if I didn't have enough energy to make this weekend…worthwhile."

"You've got such a dirty mind, DiNozzo," I said, but I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips.

Tony lowered his face to mine, stopping just before our lips met. "So will you, after this weekend."

His breath on my lips sent shivers down my spine and I managed to whisper "keep dreaming" before anxiously closing the distance between our lips.

----------------------------------------------------------

Anger, hurt, confusion and annoyance rose up in me as I realised how different we were around each other compared to a couple of years ago. We were like strangers. I stared at my glass, drumming my fingers against it more insistently.

"So…how have you been?" I asked Tony, careful to avoid his gaze.

"Fine," he replied. Of course he'd been fine-Tony would've had a never-ending supply of girlfriends since I'd left. "How about you?"

"Fine."

I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of letting him know how many nights I'd dreamed about him or how many things reminded me of him or us. Or how I still couldn't think about the last few times I'd seen him because it hurt too much.

The next silence we fell into was unbearable. I was sick of sitting in silence, sick of not being able to say or hear what I really wanted to. There was no point anymore. I stood up and looked him in the eye.

"Goodbye, Tony," I said quietly.

"Goodbye, Kate."

We looked at each other for a few moments as I tried to get the courage to ask him all the questions I wanted answers to. It didn't come. I dragged my eyes away from him and walked out of the restaurant, where Abby was still waiting just outside the door. She looked at me expectantly, hopefully, and I shook my head.

"We tried to talk, Abby," I told her. "There's no point."

"Kate," Abby said, pulling me into a hug.

I let her hug me for a moment before pulling away.

"I know you were just trying to help, but please don't do this again," I said.

Abby gave a nod before I walked back to my car, glad to be alone. My hands shook as I started the engine. It was over. It was really, truly over. Even though I knew that, I kept checking whatever car was behind me, hoping against hope it would be Tony. Coming after me to tell me his side of the story, to try to clear things up, to tell me that I had meant something to him. But it was never him.

I waited until I got home before I allowed myself to cry. I cried as I had a shower, as I got into pyjamas, as I settled on the couch in front of the first thing I turned the TV onto. I cried for the way we used to be, for the way we ended, for the fact that I hadn't been enough for him and for the lousy effort I'd put in tonight. Maybe if I'd tried harder, we would've been able to get somewhere tonight. Maybe we could have cleared up a few issues. Anything other than the stiff, formal conversation and awful silences we'd had.

I almost didn't hear the knock on the door through the TV and my sobs. The first time I thought I heard something, I turned the TV off and wiped my face with a tissue, praying I'd been wrong and hadn't heard anything.

An unmistakeable knock came a few seconds later. I got up with a sigh, making sure my face was tear free. I was certain it would be Abby at the door checking up on me, and I had no idea how I'd be able to convince her I was okay with my red eyes and nose. I walked to my door, deciding I'd just ignore her but as I peered out to check on who it was, surprise flooded through me and I swung the door open.

Standing on my doorstep was Tony, looking like he felt just as good as I did.

"Tony," I said in surprise, my voice still shaky after my sob-fest.

Tony looked into my eyes, one pair of red-rimmed eyes to another, and took a step towards me.

"Why did you come back that night, Katie?" he asked me desperately.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

By the way, is anyone else shocked at the death of Natasha Richardson?! I've loved her ever since I saw The Parent Trap ten years ago when I was nine. I wanted to be like her character, Elizabeth James… Her death is so tragic and shocking. I just feel so sad about it and so sorry for her poor family!

Now, let's move on to a happier topic: TATE!

Will they work through their problems and return to Tate goodness?

Or will they decide they're better off apart?

There's only one way to find out…:

REVIEW!

(Pretty please.)