Author's Note-Alright, alright I give in. Damn you all! Now you've all sparked this into a multi-chap. *sigh* I better get reviews for this. Haha, joking, they'd be nice though. NYLF xx

He hesitated for a single moment before he was on his feet and following after her. He'd never done so before because he'd had to find the book, because he was shy, because he was scared, but she had looked so close to tears, honest to goodness tears, that now he couldn't stop himself.

He barely got out the door before he spotted her. She was leaning against the wall of the library, her elbows tucked either side of her waist, her hands covering her face, weeping. Her shoulders shook and her torso rocked against the brick as huge heartbreaking sobs rattled through her. He didn't know her, had never said an actual physical word to her, but he couldn't stand to watch her cry.

In a rare moment of bravery, the same bravery that had him write and dedicate to her his book, he closed the distance between them and leaned beside her. She didn't move and he wasn't altogether sure if she even knew he was there.

He just stood there, several inches of space between them, staring across the street while she sobbed. It was several minutes before she seemed to have cried herself out. She hiccupped a few times before wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Here." He murmured, holding out a pristine white handkerchief. She looked up at him uneasily. "It's clean." When she still hesitated he smiled gently. "It's a handkerchief, not a marriage proposal; you can accept it without being expected to do something in return." She flashed him a slightly guilty smile before slowly taking it from his fingers and wiping her eyes with it. She pulled it back a moment later, startling at the mascara stains now adorning it's once pure surface.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologised quietly. He smiled.

"Don't be. Keep it." She looked at him warily. "No strings I promise." She nodded before dabbing her eyes again and wiping her face.

"I don't even know you, why are you being so nice to me?" She asked him quietly. He turned to face her, leaning his shoulder against the wall as he gave her a soft smile.

"I can't bear to watch someone crying. Especially someone as beautiful as you." His smile grew a little when her cheeks flushed. "Besides, you kinda look like you need a friend right now." She scoffed quietly. "You can tell me to leave if you'd like." She met his eye for the first time.

"Do you not have somewhere to be?" She asked tentatively. He shook his head.

"No, and no one expecting me back anytime soon either. I could buy you coffee? We could talk, or not." He added when she dropped his gaze. "Or I could just leave you alone?" He hedged softly. She shrugged.

"I, I won't be much company." She shook her head, staring at her shoes. He smiled.

"That's alright. I don't mind. I'm sure I've had worse." She chuckled. "They are; that's better." She granted him a soft hesitant smile. "Tell you what, how about we start with you name, that way we won't be strangers and you can stop worrying I've some sort of crazy axe-wheeling maniac." She chuckled again.

"Kate." She murmured. "Short for Katherine." He smiled.

"Rick, short for Richard." She looked up at him again with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Rick, short for Richard." He chuckled, holding out his hand. She hesitated for a moment before shaking it. Her palm was cool and soft and oh so small in his.

"You too Kate, short for Katherine." She dropped her hand and gently tucked a strand of long wavy chestnut hair behind her ear. He'd bet it was a self-conscious gesture. "So, would you be up for coffee or am I leaving?" She bit her lip, another self-conscious tick he'd wager.

"Could you just, what I mean is, umm..." she sighed and he had the irrational urge to tap her on the back, see if he couldn't dislodge those words for her.

"Kate?" He asked softly. She nervously took his gaze.

"Could we maybe just stand here for a little while longer?" The question was so quiet that if they hadn't have been standing less than a foot apart, he would have missed it. He nodded.

"Of course. Whatever you want, Kate." She smiled at him, ever so grateful, and leaned back against the wall, dabbing at the newest tear that leaked from her overfull eyes.

They stood for a long moment, him watching her out of the corner of his eye while she silently cried beside him. She took a ragged breath and he could no longer stand it.

He turned to face her before putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest, his other arm wrapping around her waist. She froze for a moment and Rick was just about to step back and apologise when she looped her arms around his back and held on her dear life as she sobbed into his shoulder. Rick laid his cheek against her crown and tightened his hold, rubbing his thumb in soothing strokes against the middle of her back.

He held her for a long while, quietly whispering that it would all be okay, he had her, and she could cry for however long she needed to, in her ear. Eventually she pulled away far enough to rest her cheek on his shoulder and took a deep shaky breath.

"I'm sorry." She felt him shake his head against hers.

"Don't worry about it. You obviously need to just cry. You wanna talk about it?" Kate shrugged and he pressed a kiss to her skull. "It's okay to not know. Come on." He pulled back and took the handkerchief from her, gently dabbing at her cheeks before handing it back with a soft returned smile. He slowly took her hand in his and led her across the street to a little out of the way cafe. "Let's get some coffee in you and we can talk as much or as little as you'd like." She nodded, too emotionally exhausted to argue, and let him lead her by the hand, into the cafe and down to a booth in the back corner.