Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.

I haven't had many chapters with Tim and Kate together recently so I really like this chapter.

There are only a few more episodes left of the show to work with so we're almost at the end of the story. Hope you're still enjoying it.

Tim walked slowly through the corridors of the Seaquest heading to his quarters. It had been a long day. Stopping Maximilian Scully – again had thrown up some memories of the first time they'd encountered him. So Tim had a quick dinner, listening to Lucas tell how he'd persuaded Ben not to take him off the boat, planning to spend some time working on his possible projects then talk to Kimura for a while.

He'd been talking to her for a few weeks now. Ever since he'd last seen Kate who, in their final conversation, had told him everything he had always known about their relationship. It had been freeing for him to finally hear her say it and Tim found himself moving forward for the first time since waking up soaking wet.

Reaching his room Tim wandered in deep in thought, closing the door he stared when he saw Kate sitting behind it leaning against the wall. Her hand was pressed against her side, blood seeping through her fingers.

"Kate?"

"Hey," she gasped, pain in her voice, "I kinda need some help."

x

Relief filled Kate when Tim finally arrived; she was beginning to think he was never going to appear.

Tim stared for a moment before he dropped down beside her, "What happened?"

"Issues getting off the colony," Kate forced out through gritted teeth, "Got impaled."

"Impaled?!" Tim demanded as he pulled over a towel and pressed it to the wound.

Kate shrugged wincing at the movement, "It was that or holding my breath for twenty minutes. I went with the lesser of two evils."

Tim frowned at her, "We need to get you to the infirmary."

"No," she shook her head slightly, "No one can know I'm here."

Anger filled his eyes, "Kate, you need help and I'm not a doctor."

"Go," she told him, "See Darwin. Tell him…tell him I need a med kit." She shrugged again when he stared at her, "I've got them stored all over for emergencies like this."

"Please let me take you to the doctor," Tim begged.

Kate's lips firmed, "Get the kit and do not tell anyone I'm here. If you do," she stopped him arguing, "Then I won't be here when you get back."

x

Tim walked through the corridors quickly, hoping he didn't look conspicuous. He was very aware of the fact he had blood all over his right hand which was tucked in his pocket. He finally made it to the moon pool relieved to find no one there.

"Tim, swim," Darwin called gliding through the water to his friend.

Reaching in to the water Tim gently stroked the dolphin before whispering, "Darwin, Kate needs your help. She needs a med kit. Do you know where one is?"

Darwin nodded disappearing suddenly. Barely a minute passed before he returned with a small bag in his mouth. Tim opened it and pulled out the small black box before dropping the bag back in the water knowing Darwin would take care of it.

Heading back to his room he barely managed to avoid Lucas, hoping Kate hadn't lost too much blood.

He opened the door and shut it the moment he was inside before hitting the light on, relieved to see Kate was still sitting on the floor behind the door holding the now blood soaked towel to her stomach.

"Good," she winced, "Open it. There is a plastic sheet. Put it on your bed cause I'm gonna need somewhere a little more comfortable and I don't want to cover it in blood."

Tim did as he was told and spread out the sheet, surprised that it attached to the bed so no blood would get onto it. Moving back to the woman on his floor Tim helped Kate onto the bed wincing at the sounds of pain she was barely managing to suppress.

Getting her on the bed Tim grabbed the kit again, "Now what?"

"Blue packet," she forced out, "And one of your belts."

Tim frowned, "What for?"

Kate closed her eyes as she lay back, "I'm going to scream and I need something to bite so no one hears." She reached out blindly and caught his hand, "Tim, just do this for me."

Reluctantly he pulled out the blue packet and handed it to her before he retrieved one of his leather belts from the drawer. Folding it over he placed it in her mouth, wishing he could do something more as she ripped open the packet. Taking several deep breaths Kate moved the bloody towel before pressing the small pad she'd pulled out against the wound. Even with the belt in her mouth to muffle it Kate's cry of pain was still audible and Tim prayed no one heard her.

After a moment her head dropped back and she took several deep breaths the belt falling to one side bite marks clear to see in the leather.

x

Kate took several deep breaths as she lay waiting until the pad had completely melded to her. Finally she opened her eyes and looked up to see Tim's worried face just above her.

"I'm okay," she whispered.

"Are you sure?" he asked his hand gently stroking her arm.

Kate smiled slightly at his concern, "Yeah, it isn't the first time I've had to do this."

"What exactly did you do?" he demanded, "Is that thing going to stop you bleeding to death?"

She chuckled softly, "It'll hold it off until I can get back to Darrow."

Tim grimaced slightly obviously wanting to say something else, wanting her to go to the doctors on board the boat

Painfully Kate pulled herself up to sit, "Listen to me. What I did on the colony was not legal. I can't be seen here otherwise I will be arrested and that is not an option." She grabbed his hand, "I came to you because you are the one person I can trust to help me."

Tim sighed softly, "That's not fair, Kate. After the last time we talked, you know that."

"Yeah, well life sucks," she shot back at him, "If it didn't we would never have jumped ten years into the future and I would still be here instead of having to be Kitten again." She took a deep breath and looked up at him, "I just need a couple of hours to rest and then I will be out of your hair, I promise."

"Fine," Tim replied shortly, confusion covering his face when she caught his hand.

Kate bit her lip for a moment before asking softly, "Sit with me while I sleep. Please."

Tim hesitated before nodding. He placed one of the pillows so he could lean against it and grabbed his book. He gently covered Kate with a blanket before sitting on the bed to read while she rested.

x

Tim felt Kate cuddle close to his leg as she slept, setting his book down he reached out and gently rested his hand on her hair. She sighed as one hand came up to her chest and gripped the edge of his t-shirt.

Tim had read everything he could find on Sophie Kincaid and Kitten but only now he was beginning to understand what Kate's life had been like. He was now realising just how lonely she had been before coming to the Seaquest, before she had him and Bridger to watch over her when she was hurt. He finally understood just what she'd lost when they'd come here.

Soft murmurs sounded from his side, Kate was beginning to toss slightly as her sleep was battered by bad dreams. Sliding down he lay beside her, Tim slipped one arm around her shoulders allowing Kate to rest against his chest.

"You're safe," he whispered, "I'm here, Kate and you're safe here so just rest for now. I'm watching over you."

Tim woke up as his alarm beeped surprised that Kate was still sleeping cuddled close to him. Making sure not to disturb her he got off the bed and cleaned up the blood that was all over his floor. He hid the bloody towels in with his washing and hoped he could get them cleaned without anyone seeing them.

"Hey," Kate's tired voice made him turn to find her blinking sleepily.

Tim moved to the bed to check on her, "How do you feel?"

She pressed her hand to the pad sitting over the wound, "It's doing its job."

"Good," he nodded.

"Thank you," Kate said sitting up slowly, "For staying with me."

Tim shrugged, "I wouldn't leave you. You know that."

Kate smiled very slightly before asking, "Do you remember the hurricane?"

"Of course," Tim laughed slightly, "It was a horrible day."

"What I remember most is coming back onto the boat," Kate told him, "And seeing you standing there, waiting to find out if I was okay."

"Captain Bridger told me I should come with him," Tim replied.

"Did he tell you to stay with me while we were checked out?" Kate asked, "Or to let me hold onto you until I felt safe again?"

Wordlessly Tim shook his head.

"That was the day I knew I could trust you," Kate whispered, "That I could close my eyes and relax with you there because you would watch over me so nothing could happen."

Tim stared at her not sure what to say.

"I don't trust people often," she continued, "At that point the only two people were Nathan and Noyce. Then there was you, my best friend."

x

"Can I ask you something?" Tim asked breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

Kate nodded, "We've got time until I can get up properly."

"You knew Rawlings, didn't you?"

Kate winced, "Yes, he knew Kitten."

"It's really strange how you refer to yourself in the third person," Tim noted annoyed.

Kate shrugged slightly, "It's always been the easiest way to deal with it. So, Rawlings?"

"How did you persuade him to give up his spot on the ship out of there?" Tim questioned, "Because it seems a strange thing for him to have done."

"You're just thinking of this?"

Tim frowned at her.

Kate shrugged, "I told you before, Tim I'm not a nice person. I'm also a survivor and I'm not going to apologise for that. I was not dying because of him, I wouldn't have let any of you die either." She glanced at the clock, "You should go. You've never been late for a shift on the bridge in all the time I've known you. Don't be now."

"What about…"

"I'll be leaving," Kate cut him off.

Tim grimaced, "How?"

"I helped build this thing, Tim," she reminded him, "Like I told Hudson, I know at least six ways to the docking bay from pretty much every part of the boat. I can get on and off without anyone knowing."

Tim grimaced.

"Nathan was well aware of this," Kate pre-empted his next question.

She glanced at the clock again and he followed her gaze.

"I'll bring you something to eat before I head to the bridge."

x

Tim managed to find a table alone to have a quick breakfast unable to stop thinking about Kate and worrying he'd find her dead from blood loss because he'd left her. He managed to sneak a roll into his pocket and grabbed a small carton of milk before heading back to his room. Opening the door he frowned to find it empty.

Spotting a piece of paper on his bed he picked it up and smiled slightly at the note she'd left for him that simply read:

Thanks.