Finding Kate

Chapter Eight: Reminiscing

"You know he's stubborn, and you're stubborn. He'll come around eventually; he just needs time to sort things out. You messed up his control when you came back." Eric's eyes were understanding and honest as he spoke.

I pursed my lips together and bowed my head to look at the floor beneath us.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure this time." I told him, taking a long deep breath, trying to pull myself back together again.

"You knew it was gonna be harder then this, but you have to keep your chin up and not let it get you down." Eric tilted his head until he was in my line of vision, a dimpled smile crossing his handsome features. "Where's the tough little UC girl I keep hearing about huh? Would she let Tim Speedle get her down like this?" He cajoled, poking me in the side until I was smiling despite myself.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" I grinned, elbowing him back.

Eric wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and pulled me to him, in a comforting half hug.

"Just think, you've always got me. I'm fun." Eric said playfully with a flirtatious wink.

"Keep it in your pants Delko." I giggled, smacking him in the stomach lightly.

Eric jumped way putting a hand to his stomach, mocking me as he pretending to be wounded.

"See, your smiling already." He pointed out.

"That's because Calleigh's taking me out for lunch today, I think it's some kinda Mexican place." I informed him.

Eric's eyes lit up as I remembered the name, and he began to fill me in on the menu as I guided him towards the break room so I could get my morning coffee.

Her laughter cut through the silence of the labs, causing him to jerk his head up at the sudden burst of sound. Her laugh surprised him; it was a musical sound, something that always used to make him smile. Now it just made his blood run cold.

Tim's doe brown eyes rose to see Kate standing there on the other side of the glass as Eric pulled her to him, both smiling. He couldn't take his eyes off the woman in front of him. Her dark hair was swept back into a neat, sleek twist; loose strands framed her beautiful features. Over the white cotton shirt, she wore a black pinstriped waist coat, that hugged her figure just right, professional, but sexy at the same time. The black suit pants made her legs look longer and showed off her toned lower body.

It was the sight of her laughing with Eric that was driving him crazy, just watching her leaning into him, made powerful feelings that he'd been stifling begin to stir within him, and he hated that. He despised the way she made him feel, the control she had over his heart and body.

He wished it was him that was making her laugh and it was killing him.

Kate and Eric were gone now; god knows where, leaving him to wallow in the silence of the Trace Lab once again.

Tim wasn't sure how it happened, he'd taken all the necessary measures he could to avoid her, making sure they weren't left alone together for any given length of time, he was always aware when she was around and he did his best to stay away.

Apparently that was not enough because he was staring into her evergreen eyes right now and he could feel himself drowning in her gaze. They were in the door way of the locker room, inches apart. He could practically feel her warm breathe on his face. Kate turned her head away, he could see her jaw clenching as she slipped by, leaving a trail of perfume in her wake as he stepped into the room.

The scent of it almost brought him to his knees as he remembered the smell, unable to believe that after all these years she still wore it. The moment he'd caught a hint of it he knew what it was.