Catching Up (October 2001)

Kate was in utter shock. She just stood there after Steve left as her mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. He had just broken up with her....As the numbness and shock began to wear off the pain began to set in. She didn't realize she had begun to sink down to the floor until she was there. She felt like her heart had just been ripped in half. She bent over with her face in her hands as the tears began to steadily stream down her cheeks like a river. Her sobs made almost no sound, but her whole body shook. Kate had endured the loss of her parents and with Steve she had felt whole again, but now she had lost him too. She had never felt more alone in her life.

She heard her phone ding as Phil texted her back about picking her up in the morning. However, due to the recent change in her relationship status with Steve, she wanted to get out of the Tower that day. She texted him back and told him that Steve had ended their relationship and asked if he could pick her up that day. When he responded that he could, she began to pack. The pain had slowly began to numb again, although she remained on the verge of tears. Her plan had always been to come back to the Tower once the team no longer needed her at SHIELD, but now...now she wasn't sure what she was going to do.

She talked to Isabella privately and told her what had happened. Isabella was shocked at what Kate told her and couldn't believe that Steve had broken up with her over this. The car soon arrived at the Tower and Isabella gave Kate a special communication device that would allow her to type in messages that would be sent to the communicator Tony had. That way she could inform them about what SHIELD was up to. 

After Kate was gone, Isabella went to Tony in their office. "Steve broke up with Kate."

Tony winced when he heard what Isabella said. "Well, maybe I can talk to him. Smooth this over. He's just upset," Tony said. "We'll fix this babe. He's just worried about her going in alone," Tony assured her.

Isabella sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Steve needs to understand that he can't always be there to protect everyone and Kate needs very little protecting. She was really upset and I can understand why. I mean Steve was trying to force her to choose between possibly saving millions of lives and him and the fact that he got angry enough over her choice to break up with her is ironic considering that if he were facing the same decision he would have done exactly what Kate did." 

She walked over and poured them each a drink. "They were so close to getting engaged too. I was already writing the press release in my head."

Tony clinked his glass to hers then took a drink. "Well, he's lost everyone already. Maybe the possibility of one more was just too much for him. Its hard to judge a man like that," Tony said.

"But we do need this and I don't want to lose Kate. We need her," Tony said. "We already know something is going on over there. This will just solidify our suspicions," He said. "I don't want to have to take 'it' from them Isabella. But If I have to...I will," Tony said and took another long drink.

Isabella sighed. "Steve's not the only person to have lost people. Kate lost both of her parents and now she's lost Steve. Just promise me that you'll talk to me whenever he gets back to the Tower." 

Isabella wasn't certain what Kate was going to do if she and Steve didn't work things out. Would she really want to come back to the Tower? She didn't want to think about that right then. She sighed again and downed her drink and left to go make dinner.

Everyone but Steve turned up to see Kate off. Phil was there and he gave her a hug and covered her tears when they began to fall. His act of kindness had set her off and by the time he got her to the elevator she was in full crying mode. He packed her things into the back seat and the trunk and then they were off.

She got her old room back and it barely had changed since she had left. Phil understood when she wanted to be alone. And he heard her start to cry soon after he closed the door.

Steve returned to the tower and Tony called him into his office. The looks from Isabella were plain but Steve ignored them as Tony closed the office door.

Isabella made Chicken Parmesan and at dinner no one really spoke. Kate's seat next to Steve's remained empty and Isabella hoped that Kate was going to be ok. After dinner, she got everything cleaned up and then she and Tony retired back to their apartment with Serena. Isabella let Serena play with some toys and she looked at Tony.

"So, what did Steve say?"

Tony watched Serena. "He's upset. And, just like we presumed. His heart is broken...or at least, wounded. He is unwilling to go through it again," He said then gestured to forestall her.

"I reminded him that, love is the risk we all take. But also, that the benefit of love, completely outweighs the shortcomings of it. And that Kate is a solider, like he is. And we should not give up on her. If she had a family, they wouldn't. I told him that we were her family," he said. "I don't know if he is certain he wants to turn her away. I think he's still in love with her," Tony said.

Isabella sighed and rubbed her face a little out of frustration. "God, this is a huge mess now. Kate was an emotional wreck leaving. Her head may not even be in the game now, but I pray that it is."