Kate avoided Jensen for a week. It was easy, really. She kept busy with the puppies, Tavs's cafe, and reading. She'd forgotten how much she used to like to read.

Inside, she knew Jensen was probably blaming himself, and she knew she had to tell him that she wasn't ready either. It had hit her out of nowhere during their kiss. She suddenly had this vision of everything falling apart or ending badly, and she didn't want that. She didn't want to lose him at all, so if they were better as friends, then they should stay that way. She felt silly for even entertaining the idea of making it more.

Because really, she was bad luck anyway.

She was trying to get immersed in the story of a disgruntled detective trying to solve a cold case when she heard the pattering of small feet. She was in her hammock that was strung up off to the side of her deck, and she turned her head to see Piper appear on her own, humming to herself happily. Kate felt a pang inside at how much she'd missed that little girl. Then she felt another pang from missing that little girl's father.

Maybe she wasn't entirely over her feelings like she thought.

Piper cupped her hands over her eyes and pressed her face against the sliding door, looking in. Kate resisted laughing out loud at how cute this was. She set the book on her chest and waited. Sure enough:

"Auntie Kate? Are you in there?" Piper called.

"Over here, sweetie."

Piper's head spun in her direction quickly, and a beaming smile broke across her face. She came skipping and hopping over, jumping over and landing on Kate's stomach and swinging her legs that were now above the ground. Kate grunted from the impact and winced from the book digging into her ribs harder.

"What's up, Butterbean?" she asked.

"I missed you," Piper answered, turning her head to face her as it dangled over the other side a bit. "Daddy said you weren't feeling well. Are you okay now?"

"I am," Kate answered, going with it. It was better than trying to explain everything else, which Piper wouldn't understand anyway.

"That's good." A pause, then: "Can I see the puppies?"

"Of course."

Piper removed herself and bounced around while Kate got up and headed inside. Daisy was watching her pups sleep; one was awake, though. Piper carefully pet him and then bent down to whisper into his ear. Kate had no idea what she was saying, but she had an idea that Piper was getting a bit attached to this particular puppy.

She supervised while tidying up her room a bit. She was wondering what Jensen was doing when she suddenly heard him hollering.

"PIPER?!"

"Uh oh," Piper said from the floor, and Kate raised a brow at her.

"Did you tell your father you were coming here?" she asked.

"PIPER!" Jensen shouted again.

"Noooo," Piper said slowly, looking sheepish. Kate inhaled and then let out a sigh. She went to the sliding door and stepped out onto her deck. She could see Jensen on the beach shading his eyes and looking out at the ocean, and she felt his anxiety and terror in that moment.

"Hey!" she called after cupping her hands over her mouth. He turned to see her, and she waved her hand to gesture for him to come. He jogged over, and Kate wished she didn't feel so wobbly still around him.

"Is she here?" he asked, sounding a bit miffed.

"Yes..."

"Damn it, I told her not to..." he stopped himself quickly, and Kate gave him a look.

"What? To not come here?"

"To not disturb you," he corrected.

"Yea. Apparently I'm sick."

"How else was I supposed to explain why you stopped coming around?" he challenged. Kate ground her jaw as she looked at him. She didn't want to admit he had a point.

"I didn't 'stop coming around'..."

"Yes, you did," he cut her off. "I thought you said we were okay? That nothing was wrecked?"

"We are okay!"

"Then why did you cut us out of your life?" he asked. He'd stepped a bit closer to her so he could lower his voice and avoid Piper hearing them from inside.

"I didn't..."

"Kate, I tried twice to talk to you, and you wouldn't even answer the door. I saw you turn around and run after seeing me the other day."

She twisted her lips. So he had seen. And yes, she had ignored his pounding on her door because she just wasn't up for facing the truth. She didn't know what to say, so she ended up looking down at the floorboards.

"I haven't slept," Jensen said now. "At all. I keep going over what I did, and I'm sorry, Kate. I really am. I led you on..."

"No, stop," she interrupted, looking at him again. "You didn't lead me on, and...and you're not the only one who changed your mind."

"What do you mean?" He was confused now. She inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"If you hadn't stopped it, I would have," she confessed, and he looked surprised.

"Oh," he said. "Erm...why? If I may ask?"

"I'm just not as ready as I thought I was either," she explained, and his face softened. "I'm sorry I shut you out. I just...I didn't know how to talk about it."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said finally. "I want to be that person for you, Kate. No matter what."

"I know," she confirmed. "The same goes for you." She saw something flicker across his face just slightly, and she wondered what it meant when Piper came to the door. She looked like she knew she was in for a scolding.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, her voice a bit small. He looked at her and sighed.

"Piper, you scared me," he told her.

"I'm sorry."

"What have I told you about leaving the house without me?"

"To not to."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I wanted to see Auntie Kate, and you wouldn't bring me."

"You know why..."

"She's better now," Piper insisted. "And she's our friend, so she would have told you she was better, and you still didn't bring me."

"I didn't tell him," Kate intervened, unable to watch him dig a deeper hole for himself. "I was going to today. I was just taking extra time to make sure so I didn't get anyone else sick."

"Oh," Piper said.

"So, young lady," Jensen said now, putting his hands on his hips and looking at her again. "I think it's safe to say no program for the next few days."

"Okay," she said a bit mournfully. Kate knew which one he was referring to. Piper liked to watch a certain educational TV program every afternoon. Kate was guilty of enjoying it herself.

"Come on," Jensen said, ushering her out. He put a hand on the top of her head and gave a gentle shake, which Kate knew Piper interpreted as his worry for her and relief she was okay all in one. She'd seen it a few times.

She met his gaze as he walked by her, and she wanted to say something, anything, that would make things normal between them again.

"See you later?" he asked.

"Yea," she agreed. "I will."

He gave an affirming nod, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to say something else, but he just sucked his teeth and gave yet another nod before ushering Piper down the steps and onto the path to go home. Kate hugged herself when they were gone.

...

Jensen sipped his beer and felt lost. He'd been given the night off by Tavs, and he usually enjoyed having some free time, but all he could think about tonight was Kate.

She wasn't ready either.

Something about this made him be not as harsh towards himself. While he felt curious as to what made Kate feel unready, he also knew he had to respect her and not pry. If he had to take a guess, he figured it had something to do with her ex.

He sat there thinking when someone sat down next to him. He turned his head and saw Kate there smiling as she leaned on the bar top.

"Hey," he said, surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"Drinking," she answered. "Isn't that obvious? Why else come to a bar?"

"The people," he stated, gesturing with his hand. She scoffed.

"Maybe for you," she commented, signaling for a beer. When she got one, she sat down and took a swig before setting the bottle down in front of her.

"I think we need to talk this one out," she said after a bit. "Even if it is uncomfortable." He lifted a brow.

"I'm listening," he said. She nudged him, and he laughed softly.

"Look," she started, reaching to rest her hand over his on the bar top. He couldn't help but feel twinges inside at this. "It's obvious to me that there is something here between us."

Jensen was going to make a joke, mostly because he was feeling so nervous suddenly, but in the end, he couldn't. He stayed serious. He ran his thumb across her knuckles.

"I agree," he said when she paused. This seemed to derail her a bit, and he watched her watch his thumb continue to caress her knuckles lightly.

"We're both just not quite ready for it," she finally continued, meeting his eyes again.

"I also agree," he said with a slow nod.

"But we're both open to it a little further down the road." She paused again, and he stopped moving his thumb. She was still searching his eyes. "Right?"

"Yes," he confirmed, and he meant it.

"I didn't come here looking for someone," she said after a moment, "but I find myself caring about you a lot...and Piper. I've never felt so much at home in a place I've never been with people I've just met, but you've helped create that for me, and I feel the longer I'm here, the more I'm going to let go of my past and embrace the future...and I'm okay with that."

"If I'm honest," Jensen said, "you make me feel like there is another chance for me to have a life that's good, and while it won't replace the one I had with Suzy, I think it would still be pretty damn good."

Her head was close to his. He wondered if she was debating the same thing he was.

"I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," Kate advised, looking a touch emotional. Jensen couldn't help it; he reached to touch her cheek lightly with his fingers, and she smiled.

"Come on," she said now, sliding off her stool and tugging his hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked, letting her. She pulled him to the middle of the dance floor, and he began to resist and shake his head, but she wouldn't have it. Laughing, he just went with it.

And he had fun. Kate was letting down some walls, and she was doing mash ups of different dances while laughing so hard she could barely stand at times. When a slower song came on, she didn't run away. She let him put an arm around her waist while holding her hand in his, and she rested her other hand on his shoulder, their faces pressed together. This moment right here...it made Jensen feel more inside than if they'd started making out or went off somewhere private to do more. There was a level of intimacy in this slow dance that far exceeded that.

Which was why he did not kiss her, even though he had the urge to.

Kate moved her head to look at him, and he hoped she felt the same way he did. Having a someday was nice. There was no pressure, no rush. They could take time to get to know each other more and more while both knowing one day, it could turn into something better.

The song ended, and they stopped moving. It seemed they both needed to take some breaths before letting each other go.

"I care about you a lot too, Kate," Jensen said to her. "I don't think that'll ever change."

She gave a bit of a shy smile now, and without thinking too much about it, he pulled her into a hug. She embraced him back just as tight.

"Come on," he said as they pulled apart again. "I suddenly have the need for speed."

"Okay."

She followed him, and as she asked questions about his racing days, he felt like this was the most normal he'd been in a long time.

And he loved it.

...

Kate woke up to knocking, and she hauled herself out of bed and went to find Jensen standing there waiting for her. She felt warm inside, thinking about the night before. It had felt like a date but not really. She liked this going slow thing.

"Hey," he said when she pulled open the door. "Up for some fishing?"

"Sure."

She went to get changed and joined him outside. They walked side by side, arms brushing every so often. Kate knew Piper was with Tavs, so he had the morning to himself unattached.

Once they were on the water, she put her mask on as Jensen hopped out and disappeared underwater already. She joined him, taking in the stuff under them and feeling happy. She surfaced after him a moment later and pushed her mask up to see him better.

"Good haul," she said as he put three in the boat from his spear.

"Not bad," he agreed. She saw the fin slicing the water then, and her chest tightened.

"J," she said urgently, and he looked at her. She pointed. He turned, surveying it for a moment. Then he dropped the spear into the boat and sank underwater again. She panicked. "J!"

Two more fins showed up, and she was about to have a heart attack as she tried to lift herself up and out of the water when hands pulled her down. She slightly struggled until Jensen spoke.

"Kate, relax," he said. "Have a look."

"I'm not going to look at a bloody shark!" she yelped. Jensen pulled the mask down over her eyes and dragged her under with him. She was about to lose her shit when she saw it.

"Oh," she said, muffled by the water. A dolphin. She'd been scared of a dolphin. The thing was smiling at her, or at least, it looked like it was. Jensen finally let her go, and she surfaced for air. He was smirking at her when she looked at him.

"Shut up," she ordered.

"I didn't say a word," he replied.

"You were thinking it."

He just smiled, and she turned to look at the three dolphins lifting their heads out and talking to one another. She felt like this whole thing was surreal.

"Wait, how are you doing that?" she asked as Jensen touched the one and ran his hand along its face and head.

"We're buddies," Jensen answered.

"How?"

"They come by every so often," he explained. "We've hung out before."

"Oh." Kate was feeling a thrill she'd never experienced before. She liked nature but had never spent much time in it, nor had she ever touched anything wild. Something bumped into her, and she yelped only to find the second dolphin nudging her. Jensen was laughing now.

"Oh wow," she said as her fingers made contact with the dolphin. "Hi, sweetheart." She was swimming with frickin' dolphins! Wasn't this on most people's bucket list? When they went under, she did too, and she watched them move effortlessly in a playful manner with each other. She was sad when they left.

She surfaced to find Jensen wiping water off his face with his hand and reaching for his spear.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" He seemed curious.

"For bringing me out here today."

"Anytime, Kate," he answered, tossing her the spear. "Your turn."

She grinned.

A Month Later

Jensen spent most of his free time with Kate. They got along well, and she made him laugh. She made him feel happy. He helped her out with the puppies, getting them ready for adoption. He already knew which one Piper wanted, and he couldn't say no. He loved the little guy too.

It was Saturday, and they had spent the day together. They'd done baseball the evening before, and Jensen's team lost, which made Tavs do her victory dance and Kate laugh and join in. Today, they'd done the usual routine, and now they were finishing up supper.

"There we go," Kate said, taking the cloth and wiping Piper's hands with it gently. "You made quite a mess, huh?" She smiled at the little girl, who was beaming back at her.

"Thank you, Mommy," Piper said. Kate froze instantly, and Jensen suddenly lost his breath. He didn't turn around from what he was doing, though.

"No, no, sweetie," Kate said, recovering quickly. "I'm Aunt Kate. I'm not your mommy."

"But you could be," Piper said sweetly.

"I'm just a friend, Piper," Kate insisted, reaching to smooth the child's hair back from her forehead. Piper became distracted with eating again, and Kate stood up straight and took the cloth back to the sink. She looked very unsettled. She looked at Jensen, who was finally looking over at her now. Before he could even say anything, she beat him to it.

"I...I'm gonna go," she said.

"Kate," he started.

"I don't feel well," she went on, cutting him off. "Thanks anyway."

"Kate..."

She moved quickly out of the house and down the steps, the screen door slapping behind her loudly. Jensen looked at Piper, who was giving him a confused look. He had no idea how to explain what just happened. When Tavs showed up a moment later, it was like he was meant to go after Kate.

"Can you stay here?" he asked.

"Um, sure?" Tavs replied, sounding confused. He took off without another word.

...

She had to get out of there. Her feet took her to the beach, and she paced along the shoreline, dodging the waves as they lapped. Piper wanted her to be her mother? Where the hell had that come from? Kate ran a hand over her face and hair aggressively. She wasn't mother material. She was barely any material. After her legs grew tired of pacing, she sat down in the sand and hugged her knees. Being a mother had never really crossed her mind. She loved Piper, but she didn't think she could handle all that parenting stuff. Not like Jensen could.

Jensen.

She groaned. He must be so taken aback to hear his daughter call another woman Mommy. It must have sent him into a tailspin. She sat there, thinking that maybe she should pull back from visiting so much when suddenly Jensen was settling down in the sand next to her.

"What're you doing?" she asked, wondering where Piper was.

"Tavs came by to drop off a treat, so I had her stay with Piper for a moment while I looked for you," Jensen replied.

"Why did you look for me?"

"I felt like you needed to talk this one out," Jensen said.

"Me?" she asked, incredulous. She started to laugh. "What about you?!"

"I can go after," he advised. "So go on. Talk."

"I am so, so sorry," Kate said to him. "I never wanted her to replace Suzy with me..."

"She's a kid, Kate," Jensen stopped her. "She feels a connection with you, so she labeled it. She does need a mother, Kate, and even though we are just friends, I think it's really sweet that she's picked you to fulfill that role. I understand that she'll never know Suzy and miss her the way I do, and I won't hold it against her for calling someone else Mom."

"As flattered as I am," Kate said, "I am not mother material. At all. I can't do bodily fluids. I can't do temper tantrums. I can't do dating..."

"She's three, Kate," he laughed. "Four in a couple months."

"You know what I mean!" she burst out as he kept laughing. "I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he promised. His tone implied that he knew she could, and Kate knew in all actual truth, she could too. She just still felt so taken aback from the comment, and her head was spinning.

"And what about you? That must have really sent you trippin'," Kate stated. He sighed, finally calmed down again.

"It was a shock, yes, and I didn't know how to feel about it, but you've been in our lives for a while now, Kate. I think if Suzy would approve of anyone, it would be you."

"So that makes you okay with it," Kate reasoned.

"She always did have better insight than me," Jensen said ruefully.

"You really miss her," Kate noted.

"I do, but it's okay," he advised. "It's okay to miss people." He reached for her hand then, and she felt the warmth from his touch.

"I don't know how you do it," she said after a moment.

"Do what?"

"Live. If I lost the love of my life, I don't think I could carry on," she stated. She watched his expression grow a bit somber, and he sighed, turning over her hand and tracing her palm with his fingers lightly. It sent shivers through her.

"I didn't think I could either, and if it weren't for that little girl, I don't know if I would have."

The honesty was impactful, and Kate treasured it.

"When I left Evan," she said quietly, deciding it was only fair to be truthful back, "I didn't think I'd make it, and there were times I wanted to give up, but I prevailed. I wasn't going to let him win. He'd already taken a lot from me, and I decided he wasn't going to take any more."

"Good," Jensen said. "That's good, Kate." She gave a rueful smile and curled the fingers of her other hand in and out. His palm was resting over hers now, and she could feel his heartbeat.

"You should get back," she said, wishing he would stay.

"Not without you," he replied, and she met his eyes. She felt like it would be awkward to answer Piper's question about why she left, but she did want to go back. Jensen made her feel like she could do anything.

"Okay," she agreed, and he smiled and pulled her to her feet after standing up. He let go of her hand when they got to his place, and he went in first. Piper immediately asked what happened, and Jensen smoothly told her a slight fib that Kate just needed get some air to feel better.

"Are you upset with me?" Piper asked her now, and she shook her head.

"No, sweetheart. I'm not."

"Okay, good," Piper said with a big smile. She hugged Kate and then ran off to watch her program before getting ready for bed. Tavs was giving her and Jensen a weird look, and Kate shook her head slightly to give the hint that she shouldn't ask about it right now. Kate wasn't even sure she'd explain it later.

"Well," Tavs said, heading for the door. "I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, Tavs," Jensen said back.

"Mhmm," she replied, giving Kate a meaningful look before disappearing out the door. Kate rubbed the back of her neck while peeking at Jensen, who was watching her.

"It won't upset me if you tell her," he advised.

"I know, but I don't know if I will."

"I understand."

"Daddy! Auntie Kate! Come oooon!" Piper called, bouncing on the couch. "You're missing it!"

Jensen chuckled as he held out a hand for Kate to go in first, which she obliged. She was instantly snuggled by Piper when she sat down, and she held the little girl back. Jensen sat on the other side, and he let his foot touch her leg lightly. This simple gesture was sweet, and Kate realized she'd lacked things like this in her relationship with Evan. Piper's incessant giggling eventually got her laughing as well, and she let herself be in the present moment and not jumping to the future where things seemed a bit murky and unsure.

She just wanted to be happy, and she was.