Shoutouts: Jermey Shane- Here's another chapter! YAY ME! LOL

brankel1- I'm glad that you liked the sparring match, it was probably the hardest part for me to write. As for Liz, she is pretty justifiable. I used to hate the idea of one of my friends with my ex, Liz just went about telling Kat that in the wrong way, which only makes her human. But anyway, it's not like Jason is going to listen to his ex-wife when it comes to Kat. (And no, before anyone gets any ideas, Liz is not the bad guy in this story. She will be making a few appearances throughout the story though)

Author's Note:I realized a bit too late that I mistyped a penname. It turned up saying .Scott but it should really read, Kelsey. Marie. Scott so I apologize for the typo and thank you again for adding this story to your alerts and favs.

Here's chapter 7...

Chapter 7

Three weeks had past since the confrontation with Liz, and Kat had done everything in her power to distance herself from Jason. She often stayed at the office to go over the case files with her team while he was out with Tom questioning any witnesses they could find and tracking every lead that came to them.

That particular day, Jason was working at his desk, going over other cases that he had building up. Kat sat at the small table with Dell, once again starting from the beginning. Tom had the day off, as did the rest of Kat's team.

Jason glanced up from his desk to watch Kat for a moment. She was slumped back in her chair with a hand resting over her eyes. "We're getting no where Dell." She said suddenly. "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. We all need some time to clear our heads."

"You sure, Katherine?" Dell questioned.

"I'm sure. Enjoy your day." She nodded. Dell packed up his computer and left, just as Kat's cell phone started ringing. She answered it on the third ring. "Hey Tanya..."

Jason's phone started ringing just a moment later, he never heard the rest of the conversation between Tanya and Kat. "Hey Zack." He answered

"I'm a father!" Zack cheered over the line. "It's a boy!"

"Congratulations man! I'm happy for you. What did you name him? How's Kim?"

"Kim's fantastic! Our little man is one good looking kid! We named him Kyle Evan Taylor."

"I really am so happy for you guys. Congratulations again. I'll have to come see him when I get the time."

"It's only a three hour trip, take the day off." Zack teased. "Bring Kat along. Adam and Trini are on the way here now. Billy and Aisha are coming tomorrow."

"I don't know if she'll want to travel with me, Zack."

"She still pulling away from you?" Zack groaned.

"Ever since Liz..." Jason trailed off unsure if Kat could hear him or not. "Tell you what, I'm almost done here, I'll head up and be there in time for dinner. If I can manage I'll stay there till Kimberly comes home with Kyle."

"Sounds good, let me know if you can convince Kat to come along."

"Okay I'll see you later man. Enjoy your son."

"I will, later man." Jason ended his phone call and noticed Kat was clearing off the table and loading the files into her shoulder bag.

"I'm guessing Tanya told you about Kimberly." Jason laughed as he too began clearing off his desk.

"Yup." Kat nodded. "Little boy."

"Zack asked me to come see him, so I'm heading to LA after I go pack some clothes."

"Well that's good." Kat replied with her back to him.

"Do you want to come along with me?" Jason asked. Kat paused in her movements, and he could see her take a deep breath.

"I don't know Jase. Tanya and Rocky have the twins and Lucy at their house now... She might need help." Kat shook her head.

"Kat..." Jason started. He stepped around his desk and toward her. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Jason... don't." Kat shook her head, still with her back to him.

"If it's about what Liz said..." Jason started, but Kat whipped around and looked him in the eyes. Her blue eye ablaze.

"Jason, it has nothing to do with what Liz said! I'm here to solve a murder and catch a killer, not flirt with an old friend."

"You had no problem doing it before Liz yelled at you." Jason shot back.

"Because you made it easy to forget our past. Being around you made me... relaxed." Kat sighed.

"And then Liz reminded you of the past." Jason crossed his arms over his chest. Kat looked down at the ground.

"Jason, there is too much against us for us to even think about getting involved." Kat said. "I... we... It just won't work. So please Jason, just let this go. We need to be professionals here."

"Fine Kat." Jason said as he turned away from her. "Professionals it is. I'll be gone for the next few days. I'll see you when I get back, Agent Hillard. Call me if you get anymore leads."

Kat flinched at the harshness Jason used with her title, but he didn't see. Everything in her wanted to call out to him and call him back, but her mouth wouldn't work. She watched him walk out the office door and down the corridors toward the front door. Slowly she picked up her bag and followed suit. As she got into her rental car, she noticed Jason still sitting in his truck a few spaces away from her. He was talking on the phone, his jaw was set and his free hand gripped the steering wheel tightly.

She hated seeing his handsome features set in such hardline, especially since she knew she was the cause of it. Kat sighed heavily as she started up her car. She pulled out of her space and drove in front of Jason's truck, she could feel his eyes on her as she left the parking lot. She drove herself quietly through Angel Grove, toward Rocky and Tanya's home.

Kat parked her car in the driveway and killed the engine. Her eyes fell closed and she released a deep breath as she rested her head on the steering wheel. What's wrong with me? I can't be having these feelings for Jason... He's Jason! Tommy's best friend. I shouldn't be... Tommy even says, the past is the past. He all but told me to give Jason a chance... But... "Argh!" Kat screamed in the quiet of her car as she sat up straight again. She pounded a fist on her steering wheel. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

Kat sat in her car, hands gripped her steering wheel, breathing heavily through her nose, unsure if she should go inside or drive to Jason's house and go with him to LA. She grabbed her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed a number she had never used before. Funny, I hadn't talked to him in so many years and now I'm calling him for advice on his best friend. Kat smirked at the irony.

"Hello?" a female voice answered. Kat was taken back for a moment. "Hello?" The voice repeated.

"Hi, I'm sorry. I was calling for Tommy."

"Oh, yeah he's here. Hold on a second."

"Okay, thanks." Kat replied.

"Hello?" Tommy's voice drifted over the line.

"Hey Tommy." Kat answered softly.

"Kat? What are you... Are you okay?... I mean... Hi." Tommy stammered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything..."

"You aren't Kat. What can I do for you? This isn't a pleasure call I'm assuming."

"You're right." Kat sighed. "I needed to talk to someone, I don't know what to do."

"Do about what?"

"Jason."

"What about Jason, Kat?"

"I chased him off today. I told him that I couldn't get involved with him and then I regretted it and now his mad and..." She was rambling, she knew it, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Easy Kat." Tommy soothed. "Jason might have seemed upset, but he's pretty cool headed. What did you do?"

"Kim had her baby today..."

"I know, Anna and are I going to go see him Friday after school lets out."

"Jason's leaving now. He wanted me to go with him."

"So, why didn't you go?"

"Because I would have to be alone with Jason for the whole trip. What am I supposed to say? Tommy, Liz was right. I can't get involved with Jason. He and Liz have Lilly and you and I had Charlie. Jason and I have no business being together."

"Kat, you have to let go of what Liz said. Yes, you and I had Charlie, but Kat we aren't together anymore. Jason and Liz aren't together anymore. There is nothing saying you and Jason couldn't be together."

"I know Tommy I just... I don't want some fling."

"Kat, I know Jason really well. He doesn't want just a fling either." Tommy explained.

"But I live in New York Tommy. And Jason has a life here..."

"Kat, it's not the distance, and it's not me that's stopping you. Why are you so scared of being with Jase?"

"I'm not scared I'm just... cautious."

"Is that why you haven't had a boyfriend in ten years? Or why you don't even go on one date?"

"It's hard to explain Tommy."

"Kat, I know you, probably better than anyone else does. Sometimes you are the hardest person to understand. You keep everything bottled up and hardly ever open up to anyone. Jason is trying so hard to show you that he's open and keeps hoping that someday you might open up to him. This hot and cold game you're playing with him isn't helping any. I can't tell you to throw caution to the wind and say yes to Jason, but I can tell you. You've got nothing to loose by giving him a chance and only everything to gain if it works out. You need to make your choice."

"I know." Kat sighed once again.

"Kat, what do you think of Jason? Honestly."

"Jason is an amazing guy." Kat said matter-of-factly. "He's honorable, faithful, courageous, and an overall exemplary human being."

"Kat, you just named off a list of traits that fits any of the rangers." Tommy chuckled. "Think about just Jason, the way he looked at you when he had you pinned those few weeks ago... How did you feel?"

Kat took a shuddering breath as he mind recalled the intensity in his eyes, the feel of his hot breath on her cheek, and the quivering in her lips. "He seemed to see right through me, right through the walls I have put up around me. Jason sees me, not 'Agent Hillard' and not 'Tommy's ex'. Just plain old Katherine. He makes me feel safe, without a word or a touch. He makes me forget the pain I carry around with me, I feel... free."

"So..."

"I just don't know Tommy. I'm going sleep on it. I'll figure out what I'm going to do in the next couple days while he's gone." Kat replied. "Thanks for listening to me Tommy."

"I'm always here Angel Eyes, you know that. I always have been."

"I know, I just wasn't ready to talk to you." Kat replied.

"I know, I let you have your space. I knew you'd get back in touch with me whenever you were ready. Although I had hoped it would have been sooner."

"Tommy... I'm sorry for how I hurt you." Kat said quietly after a few moments of silence.

"I never blamed you Kat. I understood why you had to leave, why you couldn't be with me anymore. I understood it, but I had wished it didn't have to be that way. I wanted to help you through it. I wanted us to grow closer and stronger together, but the past is in the past. We had to deal with loosing Charlie on our own. For what it's worth, I still love you."

"I still you too." Kat nodded her head, even though he couldn't see her.

"But it's not the same as it was." Tommy added.

"Exactly."

"Well Kat, Anna's got lunch ready, I'm going to let you go. Take of yourself, think about what I said. And please, stop playing games with Jason."

"I'm not trying to play games Tommy." Kat argued.

"I know, because I know you well enough, but Jason doesn't. He thinks your playing mind games with him and it's confusing the hell out of him. Just be more aware of what you're doing to him."

"Thanks Tommy. Go enjoy your lunch."

"Later Kit-Kat." Tommy hung up, leaving Kat alone once again sitting in her car. She glanced at the clock on her phone and nodded her head, mind made up. She started her car and backed out of the driveway again. She drove slightly above the speed limit until she arrived at Jason's house. She sighed with relief when she saw that his truck was still sitting in the driveway. She parked next to his truck and got out of her car.

Kat gathered her nerves and walked up to his front door. She rang the doorbell, hoping that he wouldn't notice the her hands shaking or the tremor she knew was in her voice. Jason opened the door a moment later.

"Agent Hillard." He crossed his arms across his chest. "To what do I owe this visit to my home?"

"I'm sorry." She blurted out. Jason raised an eyebrow at her, but otherwise didn't move. "I'm not trying to play mind games with you."

"Humph." Jason snorted. "Could have fooled me."

"I'm still not sure exactly what I want Jason, but I... you... Don't shove me away, please."

"I'm not the one shoving you away Kat. You're distancing yourself from me." Jason replied harshly. "You want us to be professionals, I can deal with that. You're nothing but another FBI agent that I have to work with. You want us to be friends, I can deal with that too. You're Katherine, my best friends ex. Whatever you want us to be Kat, I can deal with it. Just let me know where you stand so I know where I stand."

"What if I'm not sure how close I want to let you?" Kat said as she shook her head. "It's been so long since I let anyone get close to me that I don't know how to act. You're scaring me."

"I'm scaring you?" Jason shook his head and sighed. "I'll tell you what, why don't we go with Jason and Katherine, friends and co-workers. You can have your safety walls and not let me get too close. Think you can deal with that?"

"I think I can." Kat nodded. She locked eyes with him and once again, she felt as if he were seeing right through her. She quietly bit her bottom lip trying to think of the next thing to say.

"Well, I've got to get on the road. I told Zack I'd be there by dinner time."

"Can I go with you?" Kat asked suddenly. Jason looked at her and seemed to be studying her.

"You really want to?"

"Yes." Kat nodded.

"Go pack some clothes and I'll be by to pick you up shortly." Jason nodded.

"Okay." Kat smiled. It was the first genuine smile Jason had seen on her in weeks.

It'll be good for her to get some time away from the case and away from Angel Grove. Maybe I should take her out tonight. Adam and Trini can come along... Friends Jason! You just set those lines... But friends can take other friends out for dinner or drinks... Let her set the pace... This is going to harder than I thought.