AN: Hello my beautiful readers! Here's the mini-chapter I mentioned! So it'll be from Kat's POV on her walk with Joe. ;) My supermegafoxyawesomehot beta is the person Kat is based off of, so this is especially for her. I have no idea when the next chapter from Olivia's POV will be up. Hopefully soon! I'm really sorry about the long wait – life keeps getting busier for me! So here's the mini-chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Mini-Chapter: (a.k.a. Chapter 7.5) Kat's Walk

Kat settled comfortably in a beach chair while everyone else slowly returned with firewood. She'd already collected her share of the wood and had practically run back to the fire pit site to grab a chair. Now she was giving everyone big grins as they returned and saw her already in a chair.

It took almost twenty minutes, but everyone finally came back. Someone had a lighter, and Joe took it to light the fire. Once it was lit, he tossed the lighter back to its owner and came to sit next to her. Kat felt her heart speed up a little. She'd had a major fangirl-crush on Joe before she'd met him, and it had only gotten worse now that they were friends. He was just as sweet and funny as she'd imagined him to be, not to mention that he was hot. That was a bonus.

"So, are you having fun?" Kat was broken out of her thoughts by Joe himself. She turned to him and saw that he was leaning back in his chair, drinking a beer and grinning slightly. She smiled back.

"Yeah, it's really awesome here!" she said cheerfully. Okay, maybe that was a little too excited. Joe laughed at her response.

"Getting excited?" he asked teasingly. She grinned widely.

"Oh, just a little," she replied with equal cheer.

They talked for a while about Chicago and LeakyCon, as well as what they could do over the next few days while the girls were still here. Kat was vaguely aware of everyone else talking around them, but all her attention was focused on Joe. Every time he smiled or laughed, her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't consciously flirting with him, but became aware that their entire conversation made it sound like they were dancing around each other.

"Hey," Joe said after it had gotten dark. "Wanna go for a walk?" Kat nodded, and they both stood. She followed him away from the fire and walked just on the edge of the surf so the water gently rushed over her toes. Joe walked beside her, his feet almost entirely submerged. The water was cold, but Kat didn't mind. Joe's shoulder was gently rubbing against hers and it was sending tingles up and down the entire left side of her torso.

"So," Joe said, breaking the silence with what was possibly the world's most awkward word. She grinned and looked over at him

"So indeed," she replied, borrowing one of Olivia's favorite sayings. He quirked an eyebrow in her direction at the out-of-character response, making her giggle. Just a little, and certainly not in a completely embarrassing and fangirl-like way.

"It's something Olivia would always say whenever someone would start a conversation with her and use 'so' as an opening word," she explained. Joe nodded, understanding lighting up his face.

"Well, that makes more sense. I wouldn't have expected such a proper response from you," he teased with a grin on his face. Kat did her best to look insulted. Then she suddenly stooped down and splashed him with the water lapping at their toes. Water that was extremely cold, seeing as the sun was down.

The shocked look on Joe's face was priceless, and Kat was doubled over in hysterics when her laughter was rudely interrupted by a splash to the face. She sputtered and spat out water as Joe laughed brightly beside her. With a rather evil grin, she splashed him again, making sure to soak him as best she could, and then took off down the beach. It didn't occur to her to flee back towards the campfire; she just kept going the way they had been.

Kat didn't get very far when she heard footsteps behind her. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms lifted her off her feet and swung her around in the air, making her squeal with surprise. Joe stopped spinning her, but didn't put her down. She started squirming, impatient to be back on solid ground.

"I hope you know that I'm seriously considering throwing you in the water right now," Joe told her cheerfully. Kat froze for a minute, then started struggling even more vibrantly. Much to her surprise, she found herself being gently placed on her feet on the sand.

"But I guess I'll be the gentleman, just this once," Joe said as he released her and took a step away. Kat turned to face him.

"Well, I suppose I should thank the gentleman for being so generous," she replied in a mock-proper voice. He gave a little fake bow and she curtsied as best she could without a skirt. Then she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

It was really nothing, just a quick and hesitant brush of her lips against his cheek. Kat was pretty sure she was not supposed to feel like her lips had suddenly become a live wire. That was a new one. Joe looked as startled as she felt, looking at her as if she'd just started glowing or something. There was a minute of awkward silence that Joe eventually broke.

"So I'm guessing you felt that too, judging from the look on your face," he finally said. Kat nodded slowly.

"Yes. Yes I most definitely did," she replied, entirely unsure where this conversation was going to go.

"I think… I think that I have no idea what to say," Joe admitted. Kat smiled, but she could feel the blush rising on her cheeks. She didn't know what to say either.

"Maybe," Joe continued tentatively. "Maybe we can just sit? Just sit down here without everyone else?" Not trusting herself to speak, Kat nodded and followed Joe up the sand and away from the water. He settled down on the sand about halfway between the water and the street and patted the sand beside him. She sat with him, enjoying the quiet sound of the water on the sand and the warmth of Joe beside her.

The two sat in silence for a while, until the chill breeze started to get to Kat. She shivered and pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to warm herself. Joe noticed.

"You cold?" he asked, concern in his voice. She nodded and he shifted slightly.

"Come sit with me," he offered, indicating the space in front of him. She hopped over and settled her back against his chest, trying to ignore how her entire body now felt like a live wire. Joe wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she felt warmth begin to spread through her body. Joe was freaking warm. After a minute, she felt Joe's head move behind her.

"Better?" Kat couldn't help the shiver that traveled down her spine when Joe's breath gently skimmed over her ear. She had to take a deep breath before answering.

"Yeah, thanks," she managed to get out. She heard and felt Joe chuckle behind her at her answer. She shivered again when she felt his chest vibrating behind her.

"Funny," he murmured in her ear, making her whole body tremble. "You keep shivering. Are you sure you're warm enough?"

Kat wasn't sure what was going to come out of her mouth, but she was pretty sure didn't originally intend to say; "You're a tease."

There was a moment of silence as she and Joe both digested what had come out of her mouth.

"Well," Joe said. "I can stop teasing, if you'd prefer." Kat had to physically stop and take a deep breath at his tone of voice.

"Yes please," she said and where was this coming from? She was pretty sure she heard Joe take a deep breath and then suddenly the warmth behind her was gone. She turned, intending to ask what he was doing but was stopped when she saw his face.

Joe's face was set into a calm and serious expression, except for his blue eyes. He was looking straight into her eyes and his were burning with what she could only have described as desire. Her breath hitched and she felt his fingers hesitantly brush across her cheekbone. Kat let out a shuddery breath, eyes half closed.

"Kat," Joe whispered, and she could feel his warm breath on her face, and her whole body trembled. She felt his nose brush against her and her breathing speed up and her heart was suddenly skipping every other beat and the suspense was killing her. And then, suddenly, Joe's lips were hesitantly brushing against hers and it was wonderful. She felt her hands gently rest on his shoulders, and felt one of his on her cheek and the other on her hips.

It was only a few seconds before Joe gently pulled away. Kat kept her eyes closed for a second, savoring the way her lips were still tingling. When she opened them, Joe was looking at her with a very intense expression.

"Um," she offered, unable to form a coherent thought. He chuckled softly and gently.

"That was… wow," he offered in response, making her giggle like a kid on Christmas.

"Agreed," she replied.

"Would you maybe want to go on a proper date sometime? Just me and you, none of this running away from the campfire stuff." Kat nodded excitedly.

"Yes. Yes, yes, I would definitely like that," she replied, which made Joe's smile grow huge.

"Okay, you free tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," she replied, her heart threatening to explode out of her chest.

"Dinner at 7 sound good to you?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Okay, we'll leave at 7 then," Joe said, the big grin still on his face. Kat nodded in agreement, thanking her lucky stars that she'd decided to sing in that festival with her best friends.

AN: Awww! They're so fluffy! :p So there's my mini-chapter. Kat gets her Joe. She is pleased, as is my beta. This is 4 pages on Microsoft Word; that's about a third of the length of the last chapter, which was 14 pages on the same program. Just to give you an idea of how long my chapters are, on average. Yep, I have no life! Haha, just kidding, I have a small life that writing is a big part of. I don't' have a clue when the next plot chapter will be up. I started writing an Avengers story too, which is called The Dark Times, if anybody's interested! I love you all dearly and I hope to get the next plot chapter out to you soon!

~Moony