[*occurred around noon today]

Greg paced his flat, needing a drink more than anything. The only thing stopping him was the memory of Snape's speech the day before. It was hard though when he was alone. Saturday Katie had saved him from himself and Sunday it had been Fred. Neither of them was here now- that was the problem. He crushed Raven's letter and tossed it in the fireplace, setting it alight with a spell out of sheer irritation. Raven's words reverberated in his head, Greg, you have to face your past and your fears. Do you need me there with you? I will come, just say the word. We're doing well, though Afjc is concerned about you. He says that his grandson should write, if only to say he's alive. Here's a picture of us performing at Hell's Kitchen. Maybe...ah hell...I know I should have come with you in the first place. What are best friends for if not that? I shouldn't have forced you to face your demons alone. I hope you forgive me someday.

He passed the bar, grabbing a bottle of Grey Goose. The urge to drain the bottle was eating away at him slowly. He circled around the piano and threw the bottle as hard as he could in the direction of the kitchen. He felt a small measure of satisfaction as it bounced off the wall. Damn, Luthien must have put a charm on everything breakable. He threw himself down on the couch and scowled. "I hate being fucking alone!"


Irritated that he was yelling at himself, he rolled to his side and laid his head on his arm. His meeting with Mandy over coffee had done nothing but irritate him for some reason. She's not Katie. With nothing to do, he decided to lay about all day...without touching the vodka.

Katie hadn't heard from or seen Greg again since he'd come to see her on Saturday, tears and kisses and snuggling on the sofa. She didn't expect to, really, as he seemed so broken, but she was worried about how he was doing. She still didn't know what it was that had him in so much pain, but she figured that he'd tell her when he was ready, if ever.

Her cottage smelled like the chocolate that she'd melted to drizzle over some late season strawberries that she'd found. They were her favorite, strawberries that is, and mixed with some sweetness ... they might lift Greg's mood a little bit if he was still feeling down. Resisting the urge to try one, though she really wanted to, Katie packed them in a little basket and concentrated on the apparition instructions that Greg had given her.

She reappeared with a soft 'pop' inside what must be Greg's flat, sparse and masculine and very much him.

Greg looked up at the 'pop' that signaled apparition and smiled when he spotted Katie. His smile widened as he took in the low slung jeans and the green scoop-neck fitted tee. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen especially with her hair all windblown. His first thought was to strip off that tiny little top to see what she had on underneath and the second involved removing her clothing entirely. But he knew rushing wasn't wise, that Katie was the type of woman you took care and attention with. With that in mind he sat up and shot her an inquiring look. He smelled chocolate and he was very curious to know what was in the basket. "Hi, Pixie."

"Hallo, puppy," she greeted, smile spreading across her lips in response to his.

He held his hand out for her. When she laid her hand in his, he grinned at the sight of the bracelet he'd given her. He tugged gently on her hand, bringing her into his lap. "I missed you," he murmured, kissing her brow.

Katie snuggled back into his lap as he leaned into the cushions, surprisingly comfortable with Greg despite the fact that they hadn't known each other for very long. She liked to touch people, to hold them and have them hold her if they would. It didn't always come so quickly, but Katie had been drawn to him from the start, something about him making her feel at ease despite the broken shadows in his eyes. There was also something to be said for shared pain and grief bringing people closer, much quicker than they would have otherwise.

"I was worried about you," she answered after a few moments, a blush heating her cheeks at the knowledge that he'd missed her, only after a few days. Turning her head slightly so she could see his face, she held up her little basket. "I brought sweet things for you, just in case." Tilting the basket to the side so he could see inside, she continued, "they always make me feel better." And then with a smile and an afterthought, "Oh, and the smell of the chocolate makes up for just about anything. It's like being in a melty cloud of goodness."

Greg nearly groaned at the thoughts flooding his mind. He really didn't need to think about feeding the chocolate covered strawberries to Katie and then kissing away the chocolate from the corner of her mouth (which he'd deliberately put there). He really, really didn't need to think about having her laid out on his bed, bare to the waist, and drawing chocolate pictures using the strawberry like a quill...and then taking his time removing said pictures with his tongue. He mentally berated himself and tightened his hold on her just a bit. He needed to feel her up against him so that he knew this wasn't a dream. "How did you know that strawberries and chocolate are my favorite treat?" Okay, third favorite...right after you and Fred.

She turned her face up to his, eyes twinkling around a big smile. "They're your favorite too!" Then, eyes dropping and cheeks tinting in another blush, she said, "It's exciting, well, a shiny coincidence that we both like them best." Cutting herself before she started babbling, Katie offered the basket to Greg with a shy smile.

He grinned, taking a strawberry from the basket and brushing it against her lips. "You try one first, after all you made them, Pixie," he urged her, his voice low and just a tad husky. He was going to enjoy watching her nibble on the strawberry, likely more than he should. He didn't want to push her and if he didn't offer up the strawberry it was highly probable that he'd soon be nibbling on her instead.

A grin tugged at her lips and Katie's breathing picked up just a bit at the timbre of his voice, more meanings there than just treats. She leaned forward and took a bite of the berry Greg was holding up for her, eyes closing for that split moment when chocolatey sweetness mixed together on her tongue. She loved chocolate covered strawberries and they were almost as distracting as ... well, Fred and Greg. Opening her eyes again, she gave Greg an impish little grin, tongue darting out to pick up the last of the strawberry juice on her lips. "They're good, promise."

Greg nearly groaned as she licked the juice from her lips. His hand was cupping her cheek and he leaned forward to kiss her gently, all before he really thought about it. He was running on pure instinct now. His tongue darted out, licking her lips. He moaned at the taste of chocolate, strawberries, and Katie. His hand slid back to cradle her head. He wasn't about to push her, but he wasn't going to back off either. Mineminemine. Her lips parted slightly and he deepened the kiss. The feel of her tiny little hands fisting in his shirt nearly broke what little control he had. He wanted her desperately. Pulling back slightly, he looked into her eyes, wanting, hoping, praying to see acceptance of him there.

The kiss had been quick, demanding and thorough, his tongue sweeping against hers looking for sweetness, his hands holding her to him. When Greg pulled back, Katie's eyes fluttered open as she tried to catch her breath. It was hard with him looking at her like he was, like he wanted more, his body cradling hers. Her eyes swept across his face, distracted by his lips, soft from kissing her before she found his dark brown ones with hers. Finally able to find words, a little smile tugging at her lips, she said, "They are good, huh puppy?"

He grinned. "Yes, they are. Another then?" he said, reaching out and plucking a second strawberry from the basket and bringing it to her mouth. "I think I need another taste."

"Yes, another taste," Katie echoed before he slipped the small chocolate berry into her mouth, the flavors still fresh on her tongue when Greg dipped his head to capture her lips again. She was pretty sure that they had spent as much time snogging now as they had talking, but something about Greg made her want him wrapped up around her. He was broken and let her help heal a little bit, for whatever reason.

Greg broke the kiss, smiling, feeling lighter than he had in days. "And how are you, Pixie?" he asked, settling back on the chaise. He really wanted to take her, mark her as his for the world to see. But, he didn't want to rush her, rush this in any way.

"Oh, I'm doing pretty good," Katie answered, smile playing over her still sensitive lips as she settled against him. Well, except for the fact that I really, really enjoy kissing both you and Fred. That could be a confusey bad thing.

"But I came to see how you were doing?" she said, turning her face up to his, eyes full of concern. She didn't ask for any specifics, didn't bring up what had happened the last time they'd seen each other, him breaking all over her. Greg had shown a lot of trust even coming to her when he was like that, something that still surprised Katie as she hadn't known him very long. She would take care of that trust, no matter how new or old it was, as best she could though, and pointing out pain or weakness to a dominant person was just not the way to go about that. Greg was broken right now, for whatever reason, but he was still that strong personality underneath and he'd not take to being forced into anything. He'd talk to her when he was ready, if ever. The best she could do is be there.

Greg just cradled her close. It felt so much better to have her here...just here with him. "I'm fine, pixie, just fine. Better now that you've come to call."

Katie laid her cheek against his shoulder as she looked up at him, smile playing at her lips. "You know that you can owl or floocall me anytime, yeah? I'd love to keep you company if it makes you feel better." She turned her body so that her side was pressed into his chest, hand fisted into his shirt as she cuddled closer. "I like spending time with you anyways, puppy, so it's goodness all around, yeah?"

"Yeah," he murmured, settling in, content to hold her for a bit. She felt really good in his arms.

Katie watched her fingers absently tracing patterns over his chest, the charms on the bracelet he had gotten her tinkling together. "Tell me a story, puppy? Something about you?"

She didn't mean to be intrusive, but ... she wanted to know more about him, know what made him smile, what made him sad. Somehow he had become her puppy, a man she wanted to pet, love on, take care of in her own way, protect from his inner demons. Katie wasn't big or strong and she couldn't face off with many people and come out on top, but she knew how to take care of those she loved and cared about, learned how to make them smile, how to make them forget a little while. She wanted to be able to do that for Greg too.

Greg wondered how he was supposed to concentrate on a story with her hands slowly mapping his chest. He loved the feel of her hands on him. He felt wanted, cherished...He wanted to return those feelings, to insure that Katie knew how much her care and concern meant to him. He wanted to carry her off to his bed and make her his in every way. Being with her was like being enveloped in sunshine. His thoughts wandered to Fred and how similar yet different it was being with either of them. Hell, she wanted a story and he was finding it hard to say no to her. He just didn't have that many stories about himself that wouldn't send her running fast and far. "What sort of story do you want? About me isn't very specific."

Katie glanced up from her fingers to his eyes. "How 'bout a good memory? Something that makes you smile every time you think on it? I'm curious about those kinds of things, you things," she grinned up at him.

Greg had to think long and hard about her request. Then he smiled. "I had a baby sister. She used to dress up in frilly dress robes and a tiny little tiara. There was this day, the summer before we lost her, that she insisted that Tracey and I have a tea party in the gardens of Stone Walk with her. She dressed me up in some old-fashioned robes..." he trailed off remembering how he never denied her anything, even though he'd only been four at the time. "She toddled out to wait for Tracey, babbling about how much fun we were going to have. Anyway, my mum set everything out in the gardens on a blanket. We spent hours out there." He wasn't sure how to explain why that day was so special. "It...well...there were no obligations out in the gardens, you see. Mum let us run and play regardless of the dirt and grass stains we got on our clothes. Tracey was happy there, with Abbs and me. We were free to be Val, Maeve, and Abbs."

He blushed a bit, turning to hide his flushed face. He never, ever talked about Abbs or Maeve so freely- at least he never had before.

Katie's heart broke a little bit for him, for his happy memories that were, at best, bittersweet. He'd lost a sister and possibly more if the ghosts in his eyes were anything to go by. She wanted to keep him, wrap him and all the happy things he could bear to hold close in a blanket of sunshine. She shifted in his arms until she could put her hands on either side of his face, the flushed skin warm against her palms, and ducked her head so she could catch his eyes. "Thank you for sharing that, for sharing it with me," she said softly.

Greg kissed her lightly. She had soothed him once again. "Stay a bit?" he asked, praying to every god that he could name that she would agree.

Katie melted against him, nuzzling her nose against the side of his neck, brown hair tickling her face. He wanted to keep her, for now. "I'm all yours, puppy."

{Summary: Katie shows up with some sweetness for a friend in need.}