17th of December 2013.
09:12am.

The day started like every other day. First her alarm would go off,and then her mother would call out for her to come downstairs for breakfast. Then she would get out of her king sized bed,shower and change into shorts and a loose tee shirt,then go downstairs to greet both of her parents.

Only that today was different.

The alarm sounded as usual,but her mother didn't call. Nor did the smell of eggs tickle her nose as she got out of bed. Frowning at the eerily silent house, she threw her covers back and got out of bed.

Without bothering to wear her satin kidskin slippers,she walked out of her room,stopped to check-in on her parents bedroom and found it empty.

I should call the police. She thought as she made her way down the large grand stairs.

But it might turn out that she was overreacting for nothing as usual.

"Mama? Papa?"

She crept slowly towards the kitchen door and almost got there when she slipped on the polished wood floor. She landed on her backside with a loud groan and lay there panting and listening for any sign of life.

There was none.

Her pyjamas shirt became wet all of a sudden,making her scowl in confusion. She started to sit up when the metallic smell hit her nose. The smell was all too familiar to her and she dreaded to look down,scared of what she might see.

Knowing that she would eventually have to look down,she did it anyway. Her face blanched white at the sight that greeted her.

Her mouth dropped open to let out a terrifying scream.

"Kate!"

Kate jerked up from the bed she was laying on,all she could see was red everywhere. She let out another bone chilling scream,but was cut off abruptly when something hard smacked her across the cheeks.

Her vision became cleared. Tired blue ice peered down at her in concern. Kate fell back on the bed and curled up into a ball,her body spasming from the after shock of the nightmare.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Fredo fired questions at her,while shaking off the urge to pull her trembling body into his embrace.

Kate's lower lip trembled,but she fought back the tears that were threatening to spill. There was no way she was going to break down in front of a stranger.

No way.

"I had a nightmare."

"About what?" He sighed and folded his arms across his bare chest. Even his own heart was thumping from the way he ran all the way from his bedroom to his office.

Fredo got back from work around seven thirty-five and he went to bed straight. He was vaguely aware of Kelsia popping into his room to tell him that she was off to school and that was that.

Just when he was only beginning to really fall asleep,a bone chilling scream shook him awake. His first thought was that his house was on fire. The second was that the stranger had kidnapped Kelsia,until he remembered that Kelsia had gone to school.

He arrived in his office to see his patient Writhing on the bed in throes of a nightmare. Fredo tried to wake her up by shaking her and calling her name. When she screamed again,he had no choice but to slap her awake.

Whatever dream she was having must have been terrifying for her to scream like that.

Kate took in a shuddering breath as her nerves began to settle. "It's nothing."

"You and I both know that you just lied through your teeth. That was something." Fredo scowled. "Were you dreaming about the night you were shot?"

"Yes." Another lie. "It was horrifying."

"Which is why you are going to tell me about how you end up being shot in the first place."

Kate sighed. This is inevitable. She thought as she slowly uncurled from her position. A dull throb in her shoulder had her wincing as she sat up on the bed to stare at him with a blank expression.

Kate found herself studying the man,his earlier question forgotten.

Arresting was the best was the best way to describe him,she decided,since he wasn't so handsome in the conventional sense. His long nose was straight and perfect for his square chin. His bone structure looked chiseled,as though he had been carved from a rough block of granite. His red lips were elegant and looked very capable of being seductive or stern.
It was clear that he hardly laughed at all.

His hair dark was thick and soft with a stubborn hint of wave,his close-cropped locks so black that it reminded her of a Raven's wings. The same dark stubble,stole across his cheeks and chin,giving him a slightly roughish look.

But what really had Kate hooked were his eyes. Unlike Kelsia's light ones,his was a deeper shade of blue. Like the colour of the icy ocean and sea were mixed together. Eyes that could look into ones soul to see their deepest,darkest secret. Eyes that held secrets and pain too.

Eyes that made you want to lay all of your defenses down.

Dark blush stole over Kate's cheeks at her own thought and she lowered her gaze. Suddenly,she felt under dressed in the hospital blue she was wearing. Her mouth had a foul taste to it,since she didn't brush for like three days now. She didn't even want to know how her hair looked like.

Kate wanted to run into hiding.

"Are you alright?"

Kate nodded. She kept her eyes down. "Can I use the bathroom first?"

"Sure. Follow me."

Kate got down from her bed. She frowned at that.

When did it suddenly become her bed?

Shaking her head,she followed him out of the room into a large and long hallway. The wood used for the floor and wall looked really shiny and well polished. Kate figured that it must be really expensive.

No painting hung on the wall,whatsoever. Which had her wondering about his wife.

Where was she?

"Here you are."

They stopped in front of a white door with a crystal knob. Kate stepped forward,grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. The smell of lavender hit her and brought tears to her own eyes.

Pasting a fake smile on her face,she turned to face him. "I won't be long."

"Take all the time you need." He didn't smile back. "I would be in the kitchen preparing some breakfast for us,since it's obvious that you are hungry." Then he left.

Kate closed the door and leaned against it. Blush crept up her cheeks at the sound of her rumbling stomach. The damn thing was always making a fuss when she didn't fill it on time.  Pushing away from the door,she walked over to the mirror over the sink to stare at her reflection.

The person that stared back at her looked lost,pale and thin.

Dirt caked her entire oval shaped face. Her once shiny green eyes,looked dull and lifeless to her. Her wide lips was pale and had a healing cut in the middle. Freckles spread all over her neck,the blue gown hung over her too-thin shape.

Kate didn't bother lifting the gown up,knowing the too many scars that was underneath. Inside,she felt dead,both emotionally and mentally. She already resigned to fate to lead her wherever it wanted,even if it was to death's own door step. Which was why she had to get out of here before she put Dr. Oliveira and his daughter in danger.

She walked over to the WC to do her business. When she finished,she went to wash her hands in the sink. Dirt went down the drain with water,reminding her of all what she had been through this past months.

Something wet dropped on Kate's wrist,making her look up into the mirror. Tears made steady lines down her cheeks,washing off dirt in their wake.

She didn't even realise that she was crying.

A sob burst out of her chest before she could stop it; Kate crumpled to the bathroom floor with her legs up against her chest and let the floodgates open.

She heard the door open and saw Fredo walk in through her haze of tears. She felt him wrap his arms around her as he joined her on the floor too. Kate nestled into his embrace and let it all out.

For the first time ever since this all began, Kate felt safe.

In a stranger arms.

A handsome stranger.