A/N: I want to thank all the readers from the bottom of my heart, for making this story a success. I never thought this one would get so many readers, followers or favorites, so Thank You! I would also like to mention the reviewers, mlivingston1432, KenLalaLaura, Juliet, Grace, hodhod2011danger, Orel Havi and adela, for sharing their views and giving me their valuable feedback. I can't really thank you all enough, but I am really grateful to all you, readers and reviewers!

Chapter 19

(Leon's POV)

I sighed out of tiredness, as I stepped on my porch. And as I came face to face with my main door, I just wished it could open by itself because I really felt tired to do anything. Brushing aside that laziness, I used my keys to unlock the door and got inside. I heard someone talking and realized that it was the sounds coming from the TV. Shadow came to greet me as always and I patted his head once, before making my way to the living room. I was shocked to find Kate still awake and watching TV. She noticed my presence and turned off the TV, it seemed she was waiting for me.

"You were waiting for me?", I asked, as she stood up and walked to me.
"Yeah", Kate replied with a beautiful smile, and for some reason it felt nice to hear.
"What're you planning huh?", I asked her suggestively, feeling energized all of a sudden.
"Wow Claire was right, you really are a flirt!", she said in a tone of surprise and shook her head slightly in disbelief, "Anyways let me help you with dinner."
"Sure", I agreed with a nod.

Kate led the way to the kitchen and I followed her, with a smile. I took a seat on the counter like always and watched her re-heat the dinner for me. I felt a little blessed at this moment, since I was really tired to do this all by myself. I wish I could ask her to wait for me like this for me every day, but then it would be asking too much of her. She was already doing so much for me that I sometimes wondered if I was paying her enough for all the care she's been showering me with and if I was even worth it.

"Here", Kate served me dinner with a smile and I looked down at it, "You really look tired!"
"I'll be fine", I said starting to eat my dinner. She didn't say anything and just stood there, "I don't think you stayed up just to serve me hot dinner, did you?"
"Ah well I was hoping we could talk but…", she left her sentence hanging; possibly she didn't want to throw stuff on me, when I was just back from work and tired as hell.
"You want to do something more now", I couldn't help myself from flirting with her.
"No!", she said shaking her head and her face rapidly filled up with blood.
I couldn't help but laugh, "I am sorry, but you brought it up on yourself, when you left the sentence hanging", I said smiling at her and she smiled at me too, "So what do you want to talk about?"

(Kate's POV)

I felt really bad to strip the few peaceful moments this man had and decided that my announcement could wait, but then once again my brain reminded me that I had been making one excuse after another for past week. In the morning I thought he was in a hurry to get to work; when he came back he was tired; it was better to talk face-to-face and many more such excuses. I looked at Leon, who was waiting for me to say something, and let out a sigh deciding that it has to be now.

"I want to leave", I gathered all my strength and told him.
"What?!", Leon said surprised, "I thought it was something very serious", he let out laugh, "Well you want leave, yeah sure go ahead. Take off for a week or even two. You deserve the vacation."
"No Leon, you misunderstood", I shook my head and tried to explain.
"You want me to tag along with you on your vacation?", he asked me and laughed at his own joke.
"Leon, listen to me", I tried to get him to pay attention, somehow this conversation was getting harder for me by the minute, "I don't want 'leave' but I want 'to leave', as in I want to quit. I want to quit this job", I cleared it out to him.

I looked at Leon, as he gave me a shocked look, "You want to quit?", he repeated.
"Yeah", I gave him a nod, "I think I have enough money to live on my own. And now that Max is not following me anymore; I can go work in a hospital or school, where I can earn more money to support myself."
"Well it's unexpected but if you want to quit then alright. I don't mind", he said speaking very casually. Seeing that he didn't really care much about me leaving ailed my heart, but it was foolish of it to think that Leon would be fazed by my departure, "When will you be leaving?", he asked me finishing his dinner.
"Tomorrow, the earliest the best", I told him with a smile, taking his plate and putting it in sink.
"Tomorrow?!", he repeated once again in surprise and muttered something under his breath.

"Is that a problem?", I asked turning to look at him.
"No", Leon shook his head but he looked thoughtful, "Actually I didn't think you'll be leaving so soon. I mean I thought you'd take a few days to wrap your things up."
"I've been meaning to tell you this for the past whole week but you were always rushing in the morning, so I couldn't bring myself to tell you", I told him the truth, feeling a little bad.
"Hmm… so you stayed up late to tell me you're quitting", he asked in confirmation with an amused tone and I gave him a nod, "So, tomorrow you'll be leaving for sure?", he again asked me and I nodded once again.

Leon ran a hand through his hair, "Is there a problem?", I asked him once again, it seemed he was hiding something.
"Well tomorrow I have to leave DC for a week and I was hoping that you'd look after Shadow while I am gone, but…", Leon left his sentence hanging.
"I decided to leave so suddenly", I completed what he was saying, speaking in a regrettable tone. I had really chosen a wrong time to bring it up.
"I am not blaming you or anything. I am sure Claire would keep him, since John won't be in the city either", he looked at his dog and sighed, "But I'd be more relaxed if you were here to look after him, since Claire has no experience to deal with him."
I let out a heavy sigh and pushed aside my reasoning, "Sure, I guess one more week won't hurt", I said to Leon and he looked at me surprised.

"Hey it's totally fine. I'll manage", Leon said being extremely formal, "I don't want to impose on you anymore."
"It's fine, I am at fault for not warning you before", I said to him with an apologetic smile, "So, consider this a notification that I'll be leaving after your trip."
"Are you sure?", Leon asked me doubtfully.
"Yeah, it's a just week, so it'll be fine", I replied. He won't be here so I won't really be getting between him and Lauren, and so I guess it would be fine.
"Thanks!", Leon said relieved, "You lifted a heavy burden off my chest."
"It's alright", I said to him, "But I won't be working for you after you return from your trip."
"Understood!", he said smiling contently.

"Now let's just go and sleep", I said faking a yawn, "I am tired and you have a morning flight."
"Yeah", Leon agreed and we both headed up the stairs without a word, "Kate?", Leon called out my name, as I pushed open the door to my room, and I looked back at him, "You sure… you just wanted to talk? I could really use your company", he took a pause during which we just looked at each other, "I'd be lonely once you leave anyways", he added and then he smiled, "I am just kidding", he let out a laugh.
"Leon", I called out to him and he looked at me, "Don't flirt with me! I hate it!", I said to him in a firm tone, entered my room and closed the door, not even bothering to hear his reply.

I leaned against the door and slowly collapsed to the floor. For a moment back there I thought he was serious, I was on verge of forgetting my morality and do something that I would have really regretted for the rest of my life. I repeated to myself countless times that he didn't love me, but the more and more I told that to myself the more painful all of it became. I don't know if quitting this job and moving away from him would make things any better.

(Kate's POV)

I filled Shadow's bowl and called him to eat, but he didn't came. He just looked at his food bowl and settled in his bed. He had been acting really dull, since the time Leon left. He whined a lot when he was leaving, as if he knew Leon was leaving for a long trip, and he kept waiting by the door for considerable hours waiting for his owner to return. He never behaved this way before, when Leon left for work, but I guess he somehow knew that it'll be very long time before he gets to see his master. The scene was really sad and adorable at the same time.

I sighed in defeat and moved to have my dinner. I sat on the counter and started to eat my dinner. And even though I hadn't eaten much, my stomach felt full. My condition was no different than Shadow at this point. Here I was thinking of quitting this job and never meeting Leon again, but the thought that I won't be seeing him or hearing from him for a whole week was making me lose my appetite. This love business was really ridiculous, my heart beats for another, my mind doesn't think straight and now my stomach is on strike.

I pushed away my plate feeling distressed and annoyed. I again asked Shadow to eat something, thinking that maybe if he eats then maybe I'll be able to eat too, but he didn't listen to me again. I rested my head on the counter, not really knowing what to do. My phone ring startled me, since it was a pretty odd time for someone to call. I looked at the number and seeing that it was Leon calling, made me smile.

"Hello?", I answered the call, sitting up straight.
"Hey, how's it going there?", Leon asked from the other end.
"Not so good", I told him the truth looking at his dog, "Shadow's not eating anything."
"Oh he's always like that don't worry he'd eat before he'd starve to death", Leon told me speaking very casually.
"I don't know, he's never behaved like this before", I told him still looking at Shadow, "He whined and waited for you near the door for hours and now he's sulking in his corner of the kitchen."
"Hmm… wait", Leon said and then I heard the dead tone.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and saw that the call had disconnected. A second later my phone started ringing again. Leon was calling again but this time it was a video call. I suddenly became conscious of my appearance, but I reminded myself that it shouldn't really matter to me, so I took the call without thinking anything anymore.

"Hey", Leon smiled at me from the screen.
"Hey", I didn't know how to respond.
"Where is he?", he asked me about Shadow.
"There", I kept my phone so that Leon could see Shadow sulking in his corner.

"Shadow", Leon called out him and Shadow lifted his head, hearing his voice, "Here boy!", Leon talked to Shadow and he listened to him diligently, wagging his tail, "How are you doing?", Leon asked, as Shadow lifted himself up and sniffed the phone, maybe to make sure it was Leon, "It's me buddy", Leon said and Shadow gave him a bark and whined seeing him talk through the phone, "So, I heard you haven't been eating", Leon said in somewhat scolding tone and Shadow whined, fruitlessly trying to hide his face behind his paws, as if guilty of the crime. It was so cute that it made me smile, "Don't trouble Kate and be a good boy till I come back", with that Shadow gave a bark and went to eat his food.

I was really impressed at that sort of relationship between them. I turned up the phone to myself and smiled at him, "Wow it worked like magic", I couldn't help but say, briefly looking at Shadow.
"So, rest all is fine?", Leon asked, smiling at me once again.
"Yeah rest everything is fine", I assured him in very confident tone.
"Okay I just wanted to make sure", he said letting out a sigh, "Now I'll be going, I need some rest!"
"Yeah I understand", I gave him a nod.
"I'll be calling from time to time to check on things", He told me in his usual monotone, "So, Goodnight and take care!"
"You too", I wished him back and he hung up.

I stared at my cell phone screen for a while, feeling empty all of a sudden. I put the phone aside and looked at Shadow, who seemed content to have seen and listened to Leon. I wish I could be a simple minded creature like him and just be happy with the fact that I got to talk to Leon. But unfortunately I was just a mere human with complicated emotions.

I sighed and pulled the food plate in front of me. I wasn't feeling hungry but I forced myself to eat, since I hadn't eaten anything properly since morning. After having dinner, I washed the dishes and headed up to my bedroom to sleep, since it was already late. Shadow followed me to my bedroom and settled at the foot of my bed, as I changed into my sleeping wear. I got on the bed and read a novel till I felt sleepy enough, and then I lied down to sleep.

A/N: I am grateful that you all took out the time to read the chapter, and I hope you liked it a little if not much. I am regretful for the grammatical mistakes and typos that might have caused confusion in understanding the context. Let me know what you think of the chapter or what do you anticipate for the upcoming chapters, now that Kate's departure have been stalled. Just a few more chapters remaining now, hope you have good time; see you all next week.