"The calculations aren't complete" Malcolm told Mira. He felt like he was forever repeating himself on this subject. Taylor had called him up to the Command Centre to talk with Mira. He had already told her previously that even with his high proficiency levels in mathematics. Physics wasn't his field of study nor was he near the level of competency that Lucas was. He knew he couldn't finish the calculations even if he dropped everything on his plate and focussed entirely on it.
"So we need him to finish them" Mira said as she and Malcolm sat opposite sides of the conference table Taylor and Jim.
"Yes" Malcolm said in an exhausted tone as he had better things to be doing right now.
"Then you will have to talk to Kate, convince her to talk with Lucas" Mira told Malcolm.
"No" Malcolm said.
"He won't show progress unless he talks with her" Mira said folding her arms. Malcolm looked to Taylor and Jim for explaination.
"It's true, he made an ultimatum that if Kate doesn't see him in the next three weeks he won't finish the calculations" Taylor said as he had watched the video feed from the camera.
"I don't care, I won't be roped into this and if anything I would dissuade Kate from meeting with Lucas." Malcolm stated firmly.
"You will have to convince her" Mira said looking to Taylor.
"Why don't you try and convince her?" Taylor asked.
"I have no sway with her" Mira said. It was true the two women were acquaintances but Kate held more power in their relationship. She was also not an idiot with a death wish.
"It doesn't matter anyway, she won't listen to anyone who wants to talk about Lucas. She doesn't want anything to do with the man and I won't help you in this regard. Kate has given enough to this colony and the sixers. It's time we respect her wishes" Malcolm said defending Kate.
"We have an agreement" Mira said ignoring Malcolm completely and looking to Jim and Taylor. At least they were more open to the idea. Taylor sat up in his chair and narrowed his eyes at Mira with displeasure.
"Our agreement was that we'd do everything on our power to reopen a portal back to the future. The terminus is being repaired. Your people are currently enjoying the luxuries of occupations, housing and food. I still have soldiers sleeping on the ground, don't you dare think you are coming out poorer in this agreement just because we have hit a bump in the process. It's only one of many I thought you had more patience than this" Taylor commented darkly.
"We only have three weeks" Mira stated.
"I will talk to her this afternoon" Taylor said to Mira. Malcolm watched on in disbelief. Kate had confided in him she never wanted to lay eyes on the man but here Taylor and Mira were discussing how to convince Kate to go into the brig.
"Do I not get a say?" Malcolm asked.
"You've had your say but its Kate's decision to make not yours" Taylor told him, Malcolm looked to Jim.
"I guess you agree with them?" Malcolm asked as Jim had remained remarkably quiet for an opinionated person.
"I'm against it. I think Lucas wants to stir up trouble. I also know that we are wasting time discussing this without Kate here." Jim said he was reserving his time for fighting when it would be more relevant. Right now Taylor was playing the leader, the diplomat with Mira who wanted everything to go her way.
He knew Mira saw no harm in Kate having a conversation with Lucas but Jim knew better. He knew that Kate would have to be ready to confront Lucas, if she wasn't then the conversation they were having right now was irrelevant. It was something Kate had to come around to willingly, not be forced into.
"Shannon, radio Kate and get her come here. The sooner we have this conversation the better" Taylor said.
Late that evening at the Taylor Residence,
"It's a civilian matter not a military one. As such it doesn't involve you" Taylor told Alicia as he pulled out the fry pan and other equipment they would need to make dinner. First day back at work had been a shocking. At least Alicia had been in a good mood until he informed her of what happened with Kate.
"Doesn't involve me?! She's my best friend, our family! I can't believe you would push her-"
"I didn't push" Taylor said cutting an angry Alicia off.
"No, you forcefully informed her in three weeks she has to walk into the same room she was held and tortured in to have a 'friendly' chat with your son the man who did those things to her. How did she take it? Like an order?" Alicia asked her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"She didn't take it well" Taylor said.
"I'm sure that is an understatement. I guess it didn't help she was exhausted and cranky from having no caffeine and still healing from her injuries" Alicia added dryly as she folded her arms looking at him darkly.
"In hindsight it could have waited another week or two" Taylor admitted, the meeting had ended in disaster. Malcolm had been remained quiet but disapproving as Taylor explained the situation to her. How they needed her to have a conversation with Lucas. The redhead had shaken her head just as obstinate as Malcolm when she declined to see Lucas. But she was more subdued, politer even when she refused to consider the idea of meeting in a neutral location late at night.
Mira of course had pushed Kate further as she claimed a soldier like Kate who has no qualms killing a man without a second thought or a moment's regret shouldn't have an issue with a 5 minute conversation with an unarmed prisoner. It had opened a whole can of worms, arguments started at the table until Kate said she would do it. She would have a 5 minute conversation with Lucas 3 weeks from the day. She left the room leaving them all stunned. Malcolm left a second later to pursue her. Mira looked pleased but Taylor and Jim were anything but.
He and Jim had a brief discussion after Mira left. They needed to maintain a united front even with their differences in opinion. Jim had agreed that he would talk with Kate the next day, help her prepare herself before confronting Lucas. Jim warned Taylor that if Kate wasn't ready in the three weeks to confront Lucas then it wouldn't happen.
"Really?" Alicia scoffed Taylor wished he hadn't told Alicia while she was holding a knife as she was cutting the vegetables on the board in a vicious manner.
"Alicia I've already had three people bite my ass about this and I don't need another. Kate will have to put her issues with Lucas aside and do as she has been asked. It's only one visit" he told her. Alicia put down the knife in her hand and looked at the board of chopped food taking a slow deep breath.
"I think we should change the topic because right now I want to throttle you" Alicia said with honest as she looked at him. She wanted to go back to the honeymoon bubble they had been in as she felt her anger simmer inside her.
"Ok, the soldiers took our news well" Taylor said that made Alicia smile as she remembered the grins of those in their unit and the heartfelt congratulations they had received. It definitely made the morning even if there were a few comments thrown around about how they looked forward to seeing Alicia pregnant and looking the shape of a bowling bowl and some suggesting how their names would be good for a girl or boy and would be chuffed at the honour.
Taylor had not let Mortimer, Eugene and Bernard down easy as he said he'd ordered Alicia to have girls and no daughter of theirs was going to be named Eugenia, Bernice or whatever the feminine version of Mortimer was. Though the Corporal had suggested that 'Mortimer' could be a girl's name too, start a trend in the colony.
"All of the female soldiers have requested a couple of hours off in the future to give me a baby shower" Alicia said leaping a chance of salvaging their night. She would talk with Kate in the morning.
"I'm sure we can work it into the schedule three months from now. Gives us time to figure out exactly what we need and then we can compile a gift list" Taylor said giving it some thought as it would save him and Alicia some time if they had a baby shower.
"My thoughts exactly" Alicia said as she picked up the knife again and continued making dinner.
Malcolm finished unpacking the clean dishes from the dishwasher when he heard Kate's shower finish. He closed the door to the dishwasher and hung up the tea towel before he moved to the bedroom to find Kate wrapped in nothing but a towel sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hair tied in a high bun on her head, he watched as she was awkwardly rubbing what appeared to be oil into her skin.
"Let me do that for you" Malcolm said as he sat down on the bed behind her. He brushed Kate's hands from her shoulder. Kate handed him the small 30ml bottle with an eye dropper to him.
"I thought your scars didn't bother you" Malcolm said as read the label, it was an oil treatment for scars. It was a mix of essential oils and antioxidants with a dose of the same chemical in the Derma-spray that helped speed up healing and regeneration.
"Normally they don't but I prefer not to walk into the brig three weeks from now and have Lucas point out his handiwork and feel proud of himself" Kate said.
"You don't have to do it" he told her as he made himself comfortable behind her and dropped a couple of drops of oil onto her shoulder before putting lid on the bottle and putting on the floor out of the way. He started to slowly massage the oil into her skin.
"It's one meeting. Mira and Taylor would have bullied me for the next three weeks until I caved. Mira would have said it was my duty and we all made agreements that we have to adhere to. Taylor would tell me it's for my own good that I need to do it. Once it's done I'm off the hook. Can we change the subject?" Kate asked in an exhausted voice, she gave a moan as Malcolm increased the pressure of his massage to her shoulder and slowly moved his hands so he was massaging both of her shoulders.
"Tell me what the results of your visit to the infirmary were" he said as he continued massaging her shoulders.
"Mmmm everything is fine I just need to not do anything for a couple of weeks and relax. That I have to use that oil for the next week, twice a day and my scars will be fade and disappear. Oh that feels good" Kate sighed letting her head drop forward enjoying the massage as Malcolm worked the knots that she hadn't realised she had from her neck.
"So what are you going to do with all your spare time?" he asked in a teasing tone as Kate relaxed further under his ministrations.
"I figured I'd paint the new house, start planning a baby shower for Alicia, I promised Zoe I'd watch the Muppet Movie with her in the Eye" Kate said.
"The Eye is for educational purposes not a movie cinema" Malcolm told her.
"The Muppet movie is highly educational on film making and classic Puppetry in the 21st century" Kate informed him in an amused smile as she lifted her head.
"I'll have to take your word for it as I don't know what a 'Muppet' is. I thought it was a 21st century slur for calling someone an idiot like Drongo" Malcolm said as Kate had called him a 'Muppet' from time to time not in a mean way but just when he did something amusingly stupid.
"It can be" Kate said as she threw a smile over her shoulder at him.
"Anyway you don't sound like you'll be resting much" he commented.
"There's a lot that needs to be done" Kate said as she shifted her body in front of his and leaned in close resting her head on his shoulder. He moved his hands to around her body holding her close and pulling them back on to the bed more before lying down completely.
"It can all wait until after you have fully recovered from your broken bones and are well rested" He told her.
The next morning Alicia had been heading to Malcolm's to check up on Kate as the woman was not answering her comm. or any of the messages she had sent either. She hoped Kate was sleeping and not ignoring the messages. She had just reached the front porch when she ran into Jim.
"Shannon, where are you going?" Alicia asked even though she already knew the answer she couldn't stop the stupid question from leaving her mouth.
"I'm going to talk to Kate" Jim said.
"Me too, Taylor told me all about how you are going to 'prepare' Kate to talk with Lucas" Alicia said.
"Yeah, I thought I'd attempt to be middle person between the two as I'm not sleeping with either of them" Jim said in good humour.
"You're saying I'm compromised due to my relationship with Taylor?" Alicia asked, she noted how Jim took a step back before answering.
"Yes" Jim said carefully.
"Fair call but in this regard Taylor and I are on separate sides of a fence" Alicia said as she stepped up to the door and knocked on the door frame.
"Really?" Jim said surprised.
"Yeah, Taylor doesn't really understand Kate the way that I do" Alicia said.
"Is this a 'girl' thing?" Jim asked.
"More of a 'Sister in Arms' thing" Alicia corrected as she knocked on the door and waited for Kate to answer. The door swung open to reveal a half conscious and barely dressed Kate. It was like she had rolled out of bed and tossed on the nearest article of clothing before opening the door.
"You're half dressed" Jim said as he noted Kate was wearing one of Malcolm's shirt and he assumed nothing else underneath. He had no desire to find out if that assumption was indeed fact.
"I am, what's up?" Kate asked as she squinted against the bright daylight that was 10am, not bothered in the slightest by her state of undress or the fact that she was standing with the door wide enough for anyone walking by to see her.
"Turn around" Alicia ordered her, Kate was confused but complied. She was too tired to compute the reasons as Alicia turned Kate and pushed her back into the house.
"You coming?" Alicia asked Jim.
"No, I'll wait here until Kate is decent. Don't need any nasty rumours starting" Jim said staying at the open door.
15 minutes later, they were seated at the dining table. Kate was fully dressed in wide leg yoga pants and t-shirt, her hair brushed into a low ponytail. She had perked slightly from sniffing the coffee from Jim's cup before returning to drinking her cup of peppermint tea.
"So what do I owe for this unexpected pleasure?" Kate asked as she rubbed the fatigue from her face with her hands before giving them her attention.
"I didn't like how we left things yesterday" Jim said.
"I said I'd do it, you all got what you wanted. What's the problem?" Kate asked.
"Mira and Lucas got what they wanted" Jim said.
"It's a delicate situation for all involved. Mira wants to see her daughter. Taylor has to placate to the terms of surrender he had promised to Mira and Lucas is holding the only thing he has to give he has hostage for his own demands. At this moment in time we have to find the balance. I'm not taking it personally" Kate told him calmly, though inwardly she was taking it personally on a deep level. She asked one thing and it was to be left out of whatever happened with Lucas and yet she kept being dragged into it.
"Liar" Alicia said.
"What's the point in getting angry?" Kate asked her.
"At least be honest" Alicia said.
"Fine, I'm pissed off. I asked one thing and that was to be left out of anything to do with Lucas. Yet I'm going to have to walk into that brig for his personal pleasure and for what?" the hand that Kate had on the table had flexed into a tight fist. "So we can open a portal back to your time. Open up Terra Nova for another Occupation-"
"That's jumping ahead a bit" Jim said carefully.
"Is it? Because I think what we have here is pretty good. I don't want it to be further tainted by people like Lucas, Weaver and the phoenix soldiers. I don't want to become an oddity or a science project ever again and I'm tired of waiting for something bad to happen. I'm tired" Kate told them. The way she said 'tired' was laden with a deeper meaning that it was not exhaustion from lack of sleep but a bone deep exhaustion from everything in general.
"Taylor and I spoke after the meeting yesterday" Jim said watching Kate, he now understood why she had agreed so readily. She wanted to get on with life and right now she just in a holding pattern. "I said we would talk and prepare you."
"I need a week to prepare" Kate said, she knew no amount of time would help her. She was not scared of Lucas but the memories he made her remember just by his mere presence.
"Use the three weeks" Alicia told her.
"No, I appreciate the concern but amount of time will help me. I'll go in hostile he expects it. I'm not afraid of Lucas he is not some almighty god, he's just a man and a damaged one at that. I will go in 7 days and talk with him. It is the only time I will do it" Kate said firmly.
A week later, Kate stood outside the brig with Jim. Alicia and Taylor were running drills with the soldiers and were currently occupied as Kate didn't want Taylor observing her visit with Lucas in real time. So Alicia agreed to help her out by distracting Taylor. Kate was still unnerved that Lucas told Taylor everything. It seemed to create a wall between them as he wanted to talk about what happened and she wanted to forget it all. It was her coping mechanism. Bad things happened in her life she tried to not let them drag her down, she preferred to forget them altogether.
"We can do this next week or never" Jim told her as Kate leaned against a wall taking deep breaths trying to calm herself. She was about to walk into the brig where Lucas had tortured and maimed her. Luckily the visible scars of the events were gone, even some of her old scars were gone thanks to Malcolm's help. She wasn't one to turn down a massage, he of course joked that he had the 'healing touch'. It felt cathartic to have the scars from her person slowly fade away.
"No" Kate said shaking her head. She pushed off the wall and squared her shoulders. The two soldiers at the door remained passive she was sure they would tell all their friends how she had a panic attack outside the brig. "Let's get this over with" Kate said.
Jim opened the door and Kate walked into the room. She took shallow and controlled breaths as she looked around the brig. Memories flittered through her mind, she remembered the smell of burnt flesh, dirt and sweat. She closed her eyes for a moment calming her racing heart and already taut nerves before she opened them again to see Jim closing the door behind him.
Kate took tentative steps into the room walking past the stabilizer she had been tied up to 8 months ago, the dried blood in the concrete of the stabilizer. Her stomach flipped with nausea as she tore her eyes from the blood to see Lucas standing by the bed. He looked surprised even nervous to see her.
"I didn't think you'd come so soon" Lucas said as his eyes roved over her loose clothing as Mira had said the woman was inclined to wear. She wore a man's shirt with the sleeves rolled up with wide leg cotton pants, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She looked exhausted, almost haunted. He liked to believe he had that effect on her until she spoke her words contradicting her expression as she spoke.
"Don't play stupid with me Lucas. Mira told me you are holding the Calculations hostage until you saw me. So here I am for my one and only appearance" Kate told him, Lucas smiled as he knew it was only the beginning. He was going to make sure she made a weekly visit.
"Have a seat" Lucas said to her.
"I'm not here to socialise, I'm here so you finish the calculations. You have 5 minutes. So talk fast" Kate said matter of factorily as she pocketed her comm. device after checking the time.
"You're not going to give me a chance?" Lucas asked.
"A chance for what?" Kate asked.
"To see how you are doing" he said.
"Touching, I'm perfectly fine did I mention once I walk out that door I'm gone from your life forever. Tell me what you want it's your only chance" she told him, Lucas threw his hands up defeat and said nothing. A few minutes of silence passed and Kate looked at Lucas waiting. When the 5 minutes lapsed she spoke.
"I thought so, let's go Jim" Kate said to Jim. They moved to leave and only made it as fair as reaching to open the door when Lucas spoke.
"I was wondering if I was right" Lucas said.
"Right about what?" Kate asked as she had her hand poised in air above the door handle.
"Escher said the best part of disasembling a person was putting parts of yourself into them. I told him that with you, I stripped away all the layers and that I put fear into you, I brought a strong woman like you to your knees and broke you. He of course laughed and said it was laughable as you were nothing but a weapon that pretended to be human. That I couldn't destroy you but he's wrong" Lucas taunted, he knew he could get away with talking like this as his old man was so wrapped in his delusions that Lucas was healing that he wouldn't believe Kate's words and just think them as petty.
"Kate" Jim said a low voice. Kate pursed her lips and took her hand away from the door. She turned on her feet and pulled the gun from Jim's holster before he knew what she was doing or could stop her. She crossed the space between her and Lucas and held the gun by the barrel out to Lucas offering him the handle of the gun.
"Take it" Kate told Lucas, her grey eyes were ice cold her tone deadly serious. Lucas looked confused to her actions while Jim knocked on the brig door calling in the soldiers but Kate ignored the orders being shouted at them as she held the gun out to Lucas. It was like they were in their own world.
"Kate -" Jim started only for Kate cut him off.
"Stay out of this Shannon" Kate told him as she didn't break contact. She grabbed his hand and placed it on the handle of the gun making him hold it "Take the gun, shoot me and try not to screw it up because I'm tired of being brought back from the brink. This is what you want right? To rattle me to see that fear in my eyes, You want to see the damage, your artwork so you can destroy it right?" she asked him calmly as she held the barrel to her chest. They could have been discussing the weather for how calm she was.
Lucas wasn't sure what to make of this, she was supposed to be scared running out the door a crying mess not shoving a gun in her hand and giving him orders. Her hands dropped away from his and she folded her arms waiting for him to pull the trigger. It wasn't playing out how it was supposed to.
"All I ask is that you do me the honour of looking me in the face when you pull the trigger" Kate told him, yet he couldn't, didn't pull the trigger "Come on, you had no problem pointing this gun at Lt Washington, stabbing your own father and you had no problem torturing me to an inch of my life, Leaving your tool marks on me. You nearly killed me twice. You wanted me dead? So do it" Kate said egging him on with a sick smile twisted on her lips.
Lucas's heart pounded in his chest as adrenalin surged his system, every fibre of his being wanted to pull that trigger to see her shocked expression as he proved her right but she wasn't an obstacle for him, she was supposed to be a pleasure. The same pleasure he had when they were in this brig together but then she was spoiling it. She wasn't scared or cowering in his presence. She was calm, emotionless and completely in control just like Escher. The gun in his hand shook as he realised Escher was right, he said that Kate was a finely crafted weapon. That what Lucas did to her in their short time together was nothing it didn't leave even a mark on her as she continued talking to him.
"... Can't see what you want? Or does it scare you to know I didn't feel anything you did to me? That all you got from me was the necessary responses to make you believe that I was in pain, that I was scared, that dredging up my past would somehow affect me. How you broke me" she said mocking him now "All that time wasted, memories ruined because you thought you broke me? But it is you who is wrong, I am a weapon. It is what I need to be to survive. Didn't Escher tell you a weapon doesn't feel fear, it has no regrets, you can damage it and scuff it but it won't stop it from it's primary function..." She told him, he looked into her eyes trying to find a flicker of something in her to show she was jesting but there was nothing, it chilled him to the core of his being.
Jim watched on as Kate talked to Lucas in a chillingly honest voice. He didn't know what to do as he knew Kate told him not to interfere but she gave Lucas a sonic pistol. She was too close to Lucas for the soldier to shoot as Kate would be hit with the shockwave as the sonic blast dissipated. Yet amazingly Jim saw Lucas was scared, truly scared to the point he was shaking in pure, honest fear as he held the gun pointed at Kate's chest.
"...What's the matter? don't like me being so honest, you wanted to get real, you put me through all that pain to peel away the 'layers'. Well here I am, this is the real me. Do you now understand? You can't put fear into me, you can't break me either as I was broken a long time ago by someone stronger, and more vile than you. Kind of what Escher did to you but I got to keep my body parts and it also made me stronger, smarter unlike you where you're nothing but a weak, damaged little man" Kate said with a menacing smile. Lucas pulled the trigger, the gun clicked but didn't fire, and he realised that the safety was on but before he could rectify the issue. Kate wrenched the gun out of his hand and tossed it over her should to Jim.
"You forgot to take the safety off and looks like your 5 minutes are up. Now that we understand one another better I think it's best we not cross paths again because I will always win" Kate told him as she walked out of the room with the confidence of a woman with great power.
Lucas felt relief wash over him. He agreed at her sentiment and hoped they didn't cross paths. His planned had backfired. She was a monster like Escher and he knew from experience he was out of his league. His plan needed rethinking he thought as his body shook from the remanents of fear and adrenalin. He moved to sit down on the bed and barely registered the soldiers or Jim leaving.
Jim followed Kate out of the brig. When he made it outside he saw her at a nearby tree on her knees dry heaving. He winced as she was making ungodly noises as her stomach tried to upend itself with no success. He closed the distance and crouched down beside her. He was glad she hadn't upended anything as he was struggling not to join her.
"There, there, just let it all out" Jim said awkwardly as he took over holding her hair for her and using his other free hand to rub gentle circles on her back as she continue to dry heave. After a few scarring moments of Jim's life passed Kate managed to control her stomach.
"I'm not that woman in there" Kate rasped as she tried to stop her stomach from spasming but failed as her gag reflex got the better of her. But the only thing that hit the ground were tears.
"I know, if you were we'd see her more often" Jim said.
"It was just a role I play" She said as if though she felt the need to explain herself. She lifted her head up and sat back onto her feet. Tears were running down her face at a rapid pace and her breathing was erratic as she tried to calm herself. "I'm sorry for all of it" she told him.
"That was a stupid stunt. What the hell were you thinking?" Jim asked her.
"I wasn't" Kate said honestly.
"No kidding, I think I aged about 10 years from that. You know if you wanted to pull such a stunt then we could have planned it. You know disengage the firing pin" he told her, he got to his feet and held out his hands to her to help pull her up. She took his hands and he pulled her to her feet.
"But then it wouldn't have been so much fun" Kate told him sardonically. She swayed on her feet as she felt incredibly lightheaded and woozy. It took a moment for the stars and black dots to clear her eyes but Jim held her up.
"Whoa, I got you" Jim said as he steadied her.
"Oh I need to go home" Kate said as she pressed a hand to her forehead. Her eyes rolled in her head as she lost equilibrium again sagging in Jim's arms. She felt sick and wanted to just lie down and forget the whole morning.
"Infirmary first. I think you could use a good sedative" Jim half joked.
"I'm fine just a little light headed. I just want to go home. Please" Kate pleaded. Jim nodded and decided to allow Kate her wishes though he did think she needed her head checked. For the stunt she pulled was beyond insane. He helped her walk home as she was deathly pale and having trouble staying on her feet. Many people were watching them and a few soldiers on the way stopped to offer a hand but Kate shook her head murmuring she just needed to lie down but thanking them for their concern.
Jim stayed with her and made some tea while she freshened up in the bathroom and had a quick change shower and changed into her pyjama pants and a tank top. She drank a cup of tea before she told Jim she just wanted to be alone feeling bad for kicking him but he complied and said if she needed anything to just call. After he left she went straight to bed and laid on top of the covers. She couldn't be bothered moving under them as she curled up on her side and cried.
An hour and half later, Malcolm opened the door to his home and kicked off his muddy boots before he went to the bedroom. Jim had radioed him and informed him that he was needed at home. He had been on the other side of the colony in one of the greenhouses when he got the call, he chastised himself for not being closer to home as he knew about the meeting he just assumed Kate would not go through with it. But Jim had informed him that Kate had and to get his ass him. So he jumped in his rover glad that he drove instead of walked and sped home.
Malcolm looked at Kate who was lying on her side in bed. She looked completely despondent as she stared at seemingly nowhere in particular. Malcolm moved to bed and laid down beside her and wrapped an arm around her stomach gently pulling her in close to his body, spooning her from behind.
"Hey" he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her neck.
"Hey, what's the time?" she replied in a saddened tone, it made him hurt to hear her talk in such a tone. She moved back into him and he held her tighter knowing his presence was balm to whatever was ailing her.
"Nearly Lunchtime, are you hungry?"He asked Kate shook her head as she turned around in his arms to face him. He could see she had been crying as her eyes were bloodshot and still watery. He brushed a hand down the side of her face.
"You want to talk about what happened?" he asked gently.
"Didn't Jim tell you?" Kate asked, her eyes filling with tears she felt like an idiot for how she had acted for what she had said in the cell and for crying but couldn't stop them. The whole event made her feel sick and disappointed in herself.
"No, not in detail only that it did not go well and I should come home. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner" he told her as he played with a strand of her hair.
"You don't have to apologise. Though I should tell you what happened as you'll find out anyway. I pulled Jim's gun and gave it to Lucas and told him to shoot me" Kate said rolling her eyes in disgust at herself.
"What?" he asked in a low voice.
"I don't know what came over me. He was so smug and I just wanted to pull him down a notch. To prove to him that he had no power over me. It was so reckless and stupid of me when Taylor hears about it I'll be toast. I won't be a deputy that's for sure and I'll probably be put in the 48 hour watch box" Kate said.
"48 hour Watch box?" Malcolm asked he was forever expanding his vocabulary with Kate.
"Psychiatric observation, I can't seem to do anything right and now I have made a royal mess of everything" Kate said through tears. Malcolm shook his head as he wiped the tears from her face.
"No, tell me what I can do to help" he said as he pulled her closer and kissed her brow.
"I don't think anything can help me right now" Kate said.
"Not even a cup of green tea? I promise that I won't inform the others that you cheated. I'll take the secret to my grave that is how much I love you" Malcolm said emphatically, he watched as Kate smiled for just a second before she burst into a fit of laughter. She smacked his shoulder and shook her head at him.
"What am I going to do?" She said being serious though she appreciated him making her smile.
"Well now you're going to lie with me for another half an hour and then we will have lunch because I'll be ravenous" Malcolm stopped when Kate shot him a look.
"I meant what am I going to do if I can't be deputy, Baz has fired me. I have no job" Kate said.
"Don't worry, everything will work itself out and if worst case scenario you are out of work then we'll figure it out. Until then I have enough money to keep us very comfortable. We won't starve or want for anything" he assured her.
TBC~ See you all next week!