"I know you have a lot of questions," Kale said weakly as he pushed himself into a sitting position on the couch he was laying on. I walked around the room as I tried to get my thoughts in order. I had more than a million questions and I didn't know where to start. 

I stopped pacing and walked over to him. I gave him the glass of water and a few pills that I were still in my hand. "More like a million."

He gave a tired smile. He was expecting me to say something like that. "Ok, I'm ready." He took both things from me and downed the pills with water.

I sat down next to him. I really looked at him from head to toe, more in detail than I had since he got here. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was here. He shaved his beard, he did it recently because he didn't have that the 5 o'clock shadow that always seems to follow the next day. I thought about the last time I saw him, I told him that he needed that beard gone before he saw me next. He must have been planning on coming here and seeing me. Did he also plan that he would get the snot beat out of him? "What happened to you?"

He frowned. "My cover was blown. They finally caught on to me."

"Was it blown here or in Russia because the blood looks fresh."

"It was blown in Russia but they found me once I got to London. They knew I was coming here before I knew it myself. I barely had time to escape with my life. Four against one is never fair."

"How did you get here?"

He chuckled. "It's London, I took a cab."

I rolled my eyes. That wasn't the response I was looking for.  Although, that was nice to know. "No, how did you get here, to London."

"I took a plane, took eight hours."

"Does Mycroft know you're here?"

He gave a light chuckle as if it was a funny joke. "He's going to find out sooner or later isn't he?"

He left without Mycroft's say so. There would be punishment. I knew he wasn't going to get out of this one easily. Mycroft always threw a fit when his plans fell through. He seemed to always take it out on us. "You left without his commands?"

"I was tired of listening to him anyhow."

Why was Kale so laid back about this whole thing? It wasn't like him to be so relaxed like this. If I was in his shoes I would be more on edge about all of this. "How was your cover blown?"

"Now that is the long story I was waiting to tell." He paused and gave me a small smile. I could tell that he really didn't want to talk about it with me by the way he shifted in his seat, as if trying to wiggle out of the question. He rather push the memories to the back of his mind were it was safer. The nightmares wouldn't haunt him as much if he put them in the corner of his mind. I should know, I had done the same thing.

"After I broke you out of prison, I hid all the evidence. I knew that they would catch on but in the mean time, I worked higher into their ranks. I found out a little more information but then they started find the evidence about me and you. They looked into my past and found holes in my history. I lied enough that they believed me for a little more time. 24 hours ago, I walked home to my flat to find a file with information about me and you. They threatened to kill me. I quiet work the next day but someone came in before me and killed two of my coworkers, framing me and I had to make a run for it. I bought a ticket for the first plane out. I didn't even pack. I thought I would be safe once I made it to London but somehow they caught me. I didn't want to put you in danger like this, but I really didn't have anywhere else to go."

I thought about what he just told me. That was what happened with me and Ivan. They killed him and left me to blame. These people were not very creative with their frames, or maybe they just didn't care. They knew I was going down, they just needed a little shove. "Kale, I'm already in this mess. If you think that it's your entire fault then you are mistaken. You can stay here as long as you need. But you should rest. If you don't want to talk about it anymore then I'm ok with that." I said and kissed him on the cheek.

<>

"You're welcome," he said and looked me right in the eyes as if trying to read them. His eyes were full of something I had not seen in a long time, longing. He leaned in closer and I knew what he wanted. I leaned in and gave it to him. I kissed him as passionately as he did with me. It felt like home. I missed this feeling. I felt my heart race in my chest. I felt alive.

I ran my fingers through his hair as I got caught up in the moment. I waited for him to pull me closer but he didn't. I could tell he was hurting by the way he held himself. He was out of breath. He didn't need me to cause more problems so as much as I hated it, I pulled back. "You need rest."

"I missed you so much Rori," he said as he took a deep breath of air trying to catch his breath. "I hope I have proved enough to you. I am always going to be on your side."

I nodded at him then smiled. I knew now what he would never pick his brother over me. I should have know that before because deep down I think he would always pick me if I was in the mix. The only reason why he picked his brother last was because I wasn't there. "I missed you too, so much. You can have my bed for the night."

He looked at the couch he was sitting at. "I'm fine with the couch."

I shook my head. He wasn't about to win this argument. "I have slept there before, it's decent if you're not hurting, it's unbearable if you are. This is not a choice you are sleeping in my bed."

He frowned and then slowly got up from the couch. "Ok," he said and started to walk forwards but almost tripped on his feet.

"Let me help," I said and wrapped my arm around him for extra support.

"Thanks Aurora."

I blushed as he said my name. He was the only one that called me by that and I missed it. I only dreamt of a time he would call me that again like he used to. I walked him into my bedroom and said, "I'll be on the couch if you need anything."

"Where is Sherlock?" he said as he laid down on my bed.

I looked at him and shrugged. "Gone for the week, on some case. I didn't ask too many questions. I didn't have the patience for him the other day."

I remembered the last time Kale was here. He left as soon as he appeared. It hurt. He left me alone. He always seemed to have that habit. I needed to know if he would do that again. If I let him back in I needed to know that he wasn't going to leave. "How long are you going to stay?"

He frowned at me and I felt my heart sink. He wasn't going to stay. He was going to leave again. Why did I hope that something different. Deep down, I always knew he would leave me, he always did. I felt my eyes well up with tears but I held them back. "I hope for a while," he said with a steady voice.

"But you don't know."

"No, I don't know."

I frowned at him again. We always was in this predicament. Just when I decide to let him in he leaves me hanging onto nothing. I loved him, deep down, I knew that I always would, but it was so hard to hold on when he kept leaving. I turned my back to him. "Goodnight Kale," I said and closed the door behind me.