Author's Note: Okay so I'm still working on getting to the action again. Originally I had this chapter happening later on, but I felt that it needed to happen before Jason and Kat got too deep into a relationship. It's better if it happens at the beginning of their romantic relationship. This chapter is really short, but honestly there isn't anything else I could add to this to make it longer so eh... just deal with a short read today LOL Sorry people!
Just to set this up, Liz is not a total bitch as many are probably expecting after the way she jumped Kat a few chapters back... She does have a temper, which is only human, but with time can sort everything out and come to some mature conclusions. Plus I hope that this conversation will show what Liz may have been thinking when she yelled at Kat. She's not a bad person, just not a compatible fit with Jason... although Jason's guy friends talk behind her back, as most men and women do about friends' exes. Her thoughts on how Lilly should be raised differ from Jason's, hence the arguments between the two. Hope that helps with a little background on Liz.
Shoutouts: brankel1- Glad you liked their confessions and kiss. I had that planned for a while, I figured it would be really cute and sweet for that to happen at the ball. Oh sometimes I can be quite the evil genius. LOL Anyway, hope you like this chapter. A bit on the short side but eh... that's all right.
Jeremy Shane- Good to hear from you, here's another chapter!
Ghostwriter- Glad that you're liking this, got another chapter finished and edited! My kids are attending summer school right now, so they leave early in the morning leaving me with a whole morning of nothing but me and my computer! Prepare for lots of updates! YAY! Enjoy!
Chapter 15
"Jason, you're out of punch!" Kat called from the kitchen where she was finishing the food for the Halloween party. "You said there was packages of kool-aid in here but I can't find any."
"I could swear I had a whole bunch in that drawer by the sink." Jason called back from the livingroom where he was putting up the decorations. "You sure there isn't any?"
"Would I have said anything if I wasn't sure?" Kat appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
"Fair enough." Jason laughed. "We've got enough time, I'll run to the store."
"Make sure you get fruit punch flavored."
"Yes, Ma'am." Jason mock saluted her before walking towards the door. "Anything else Ma'am?"
"Just one more thing." Kat nodded. "Stop calling me 'Ma'am'."
"Yes, dear." Jason smirked.
"You're completely hopeless." Kat rolled her eyes before turning back toward the kitchen. She heard the front door open and close and then Jason's truck start up. She busied herself with finishing the food for the party. All their friends and their kids were supposed to arrive in just over an hour.
The doorbell rang suddenly, causing Kat to jump a little. Who would come this early? She thought to herself as she made her way to the door.
"Hi Kat!" Lilly exclaimed as Kat opened the door. The little girl was practically bouncing with excitement. "Did Daddy get my costume?"
"It's laying on your bed in your room." Kat smiled at the young girl. Lilly grinned and shot back the tall blonde and nearly flew up the stairs toward her room. Kat looked to Liz and forced herself not to scowl at the shorter woman. "You're early."
"I promised my friend I would help her set up for her party. Jason's house is along the way, I hope it's not a problem." Liz said.
"No it's not a problem." Kat shrugged. "Jason's not here at the moment though, he had to make a last minute run to the store."
"So you're here alone right now?"
"Uh... yeah." Kat hesitated.
"Could I um... talk to you? Just for a moment?" Liz shifted her weight between her feet and seemed uncomfortable. Kat looked at the woman cautiously, she wasn't in much of a mood to get another earful from her. Yet, something in her eyes told Kat that she wasn't going to explode.
"I guess." Kat stepped aside and let Liz into the house.
"So you and Jason are a thing now, huh?"
"Liz look..." Kat started.
"No, you don't have to explain anything to me." Liz held up a hand to silence her. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst a couple months ago."
"Huh?" Kat was confused.
"I've had some time to think things over, and well... it wasn't my place to chew you out. Especially the way that I did. I was in the wrong and I am so very sorry Katherine."
Kat stared at the green eyed woman for a few moments before slowly nodding and offering her a warm smile. "It's water under the bridge."
"He's always loved you, you know."
"He... he has?"
"I noticed it before I married him. It was in the way that he talked about you, the offhand comments he would make about you, or the way that he compared me to you... I thought at first that you were an ex-girlfriend that he still loved. Then I found out you were his best friend's fiance. Even a blind man could see that he was head over heels for you."
"I never knew Liz." Katherine's appearance softened and her heart went out to the other woman.
"I'm not blaming you Kat, I can't even really blame Jason." Liz shook her head. "I don't think he even realized his own feelings. Even if he had, he would never have done anything to come between you and Tommy, so I figured it was safe to be with him. I knew that he loved me, in a way he still does. But the whole time it was like fighting a ghost that only I knew existed. After you left I thought that he would let go of you, and for a while things were good. I really thought that you were out of his system. Then you were at Tanya's wedding, and it started all over again."
"Oh Liz." Kat said softly, unsure of what to say. Liz looked up at the taller blonde, her emerald green eyes glassy and gentle tears streaming down her face. Kat enveloped the shorter woman into a hug. As she pulled back, Liz offered her a sad smile.
"He called me your name once." Liz let out a small sad laugh as Kat's eyes grew in shear horror. "He was drunk, well as a matter of fact so was I. We were snuggled together after... well you know what... and he kissed the top of my head, whispered 'I love you, Kat' and fell asleep. I never told him about that."
"Oh my God!" Kat gasped.
"Don't worry about it Kat." Liz waved her hand in the air. "I can't blame you, or even Jason for that. It's my own fault for marrying a man who was so blindly in love with someone else."
"You can't blame yourself either Liz." Kat shook her head.
"But it is my fault Kat." Liz argued. "Jason wasn't fully happy in our marriage because I wasn't you and I wasn't happy because he subconsciously wanted me to be you. I put myself in that situation. Do you have any idea what it's like to live in someone else's shadow? That feeling that no matter what you do, you will never be able to emerge into your own person?"
"Yes." Kat nodded slowly, as she remembered her feelings after taking over for Kimberly.
"Then you understand how I felt." Liz nodded. "I did that to myself. I married Jason knowing that I wasn't the first or only person in his heart."
"Oh Liz..." Kat started.
"Promise me something Kat." Liz cut her off. Kat nodded, silently hoping that Liz wasn't going to ask her to stay away from Jason. "Keep him happy."
Kat blinked a few times, slightly surprised by the request. "Of course." She said as she regained her composure.
Liz offered her a sad, but warm smile. "They say that if you love something let it go. In many ways I still love Jason, so all I want is for him to be happy. Even if that's not with me anymore." Liz reached out and took Katherine's hands into her own. "He's been waiting for you for a long time, don't screw this up Kat."
"Thank you Liz." Kat smiled as a few tears of her own drifted down her cheek.
"Take care of him." Liz said as she turned away toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder once more. "Oh and Kat, don't let Jason spoil Lilly too much." The humor returned to her alto voice.
"What if I'm the one spoiling her?" Kat laughed as she wiped away the last of her tears.
"Then we have a problem, don't we?" Liz laughed as well. "Tell Jason I'll be by on Monday to pick up Lilly. See you later Kat."
"Bye Liz. Have fun tonight." Kat smiled as she watched Liz get into her car and drive away just as Jason pulled up into the driveway. As he got out of his truck, Jason glanced down the street at his ex-wife's retreating car.
"Lilly's already here?" Jason called as he gathered the bags of groceries out of the back of his truck.
"Yeah." Kat replied. Jason quickly made his way up the walkway and up the steps to Kat.
"Was Liz civil toward you?" Jason asked, concern laced into both his voice as his midnight eyes.
"She was fine." Kat said as she placed her hand on his chest. "You could even say that she and I are back on good terms."
"Huh?" Jason's face contorted into a look of confusion.
"Just trust me, Liz and I are fine with each other. She even wished us luck."
"We're still talking about the same Liz here right? My ex-wife, the woman who yelled at you in front of everyone?"
"She apologized for that."
"Liz never apologizes." Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Jason, just believe me that everything with Liz is fine. There's nothing to worry about." Kat said softly. Except for a psychopathic serial killer that think you're distracting me from my job. Kat thought bitterly to herself. She had debated about telling Jason that part of the 'Angel Killers' message, but settled for keeping it to herself. She didn't see any need to create more worry for Jason, plus knowing him he would just get even more protective over her and never let her out his sight.
"If you're sure." Jason nodded slowly.
"I'm sure." Kat smiled at him before kissing him softly on the lips. "There's nothing to worry about."
"I'll take your word for it, Snowflake." Jason smiled back at her. "Mind taking these groceries for me so I can go chase down my daughter?"
"No problem." Kat nodded as she took the bags from Jason. He pecked her on the cheek and dashed up the stairs toward Lilly's room. Kat sighed happily and returned to the kitchen. Maybe a calm, normal life wouldn't be so bad. Once this case is over, that is. I have something to think about after I have the 'Angel Killer' locked up.