Hey, guys. This popped into my mind and I kinda managed to write it and post it. I have plenty of ideas for this story and I hope you'll stick around with me for a while. Hope you enjoy!

Summary: What is it that Professor Rodgers had for his student Katherine Beckett? No one knew. Is it mutual? Will they cross the borders?

Long and tight corridors with lockers.

White walls filled with posters about sports, other activities and tips for the students about their future and outlook for the world.

The university is different to school. It makes you more responsible for your learning, spend fewer contact hours with academic staff than your high school teachers and have far more independence.

You also meet a more diverse range of students. But for Kate it was nothing like that. It was a place that she only wanted to study and someday soon become Detective, so she could find the person standing behind her mother's case and bring justice.

The wounds were pretty fresh.

Walking in straight line searching where her class should be, she made eye contact with several people. One of them was a guy with dark hair and the other was an older woman with big glasses smiling kindly at her. So kindly that if she kept smiling like this her prosthetics will slough off very soon. It must be one of the teachers here.

It was similar to her old university, except that this one is for something very different than her old dreams and goals for life. It was different on, so many levels.

She had better chances here.

Taking what it seemed to be a lot of stairs, making her lungs tighten, Kate finally spotted the door with little numbers on it '104'.

So this was it. Door to a completely different path and routines. The door that-

Alright, you can go inside now.

She took a long and heavy breath before placing her hand on the wooden door knob, pushing it down slightly. Cracking the door open she made the whole room subside and stare at her.

Yup. It's normal. You are new.

The professor, who looked more like one of the students, turned from the writing board to look at her, as well. He raised his eyebrows and huffed. Of course, she thought he was going to make a comment about her being late on the very first day-

"Wow. If you make all the students shut up like this every time you come in, I am going to be really thankful." He joked and everybody started laughing.

Except her. Very funny, she thought. Couldn't she just come inside without no one noticing her and find a place to sit down?

The professor must've noticed her anxious and pale expression, so he waved his hand for her to come inside. The moment he saw her he perceived the pain flashing into her eyes. She was a skinny girl around 19 years old, with dark circles formed around her hazel eyes and her hand was grasping nervously at the shoulder strap of her backpack.

"You must be Katherine Beckett?"

"Yes." She met his blue eyes for a brief of seconds and then quickly averted her gaze down to her feet.

"Well, then Miss Beckett It's a pleasure to have you here. You can call me Prof. Rodgers and we'll be learning more about the Literature here in room '104'. If you want to introduce yourself to us you can come up here and talk, or if you don't, find a place you like and make yourself comfortable." He spoke generously at her. There was no way she was going to speak in front of everyone about who she is and stuff like this. So she just made her way to find a spot somewhere in the corner of the room, without saying a word.

It was her first day here, so he decided to give her the space to get used to the atmosphere around here and continued with his lesson.

In the corner of her eye she noticed that one of the guys was staring at her smugly.

As she was ignoring the gazing frog on the opposite seat, the professor picked up one of the girls from the first seats on the writing board. Kate was observing the scene from the back seats of the room, listening and watching the professor's movements. He was different. And what surprised her most is that he looked like pure 19-20 years old guy. Of course he was older than that, but why would someone, so young like him become a teacher?

After he asked the dark-skinned girl questions on the topic and some of the material from previous days, he took out papers from his bag placing them on his desk. "So…the bell is about to-"

And before he can finish his statement the bell rang and the classroom filled with giggling and laughing noises. Professor Rodgers frowned and held up his hands asking for a couple of seconds. "The only thing I want to say before you go is that everyone should take one of these tests, here on my desk on their way out and practice on them for tomorrow. You are free to go."

Wow. Did she really come for the last five minutes of the lesson?

Bad start.

Everyone stood up eagerly to leave and Kate calmly stayed in her seat, gathering her stuff. Before she could notice, she found herself alone in the room with the professor.

"Katherine can we talk for a sec? If you feel comfortable, of course." The professor spoke nicely, pulling up the sleeves of his buttoned up white shirt.

She felt her heart racing, because only her mother called her 'Katherine'. This was awkward and she hated speaking with teachers. It was awful and her hands started sweating at the very first second he wanted to talk with her.

Her head bobbed twice slightly, picking up her backpack, placing it on her arm and making her way towards his desk. Damn it. She hated stuff like this. Talking, answering about her private life and why she moved to this university, why she is living with-

"I wanted to ask you if you are aware of the stuff we are learning here at the moment and if there are things that are unknown to you. Because if there's something you haven't learned at your old university - I can make a compromise for you and wait till you reach the other students."

What? Whew. Good, he is not the curious type.

"I ughm-"She spoke hoarsely and cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks heating up. "What I've heard, so far in your lesson are things that I know and for now there isn't something unknown to me? I'll see how it goes the next time and – tell you if there's something."

He smiled, because that was the first time he heard her trembling and full of shyness voice. And it was music to his ears. The smile faded immediately from his face when he realized what he just thought about her.

This was, so wrong.

"Alright. If there's something else you want to ask you can do it without any hesitation."

"Thank you." She nodded and made her way out, but before she-

"Oh, wait – your paper. Here, you'll need it for tomorrow." He extended his hand, giving her the homework.

She took it gently from his hand and folded it into two parts so as not to smash. "Can I ask you for a favor, Prof. Rodgers?"

His eyebrow raised in funny watching her with suspicion, like he was some kind of an agent interrogating her. "Depends on what is it."

"Please don't call me Katherine. Call me whatever you want, but not this." She noticed the way his eyes transformed into serious countenance and he nodded with understanding.

Thank God.

She finally prepared herself to attend the next laboratory class. Chemistry.

Heading towards the lockers she nearly laughed out loud at herself, because she didn't even know where her locker was. Spotting the dark-skinned girl from the literature lecture, she approached her and cleared her throat before speaking. "Excuse me, I am new around here and – um. Do you mind telling me how to find my locker? I'll completely understand if-"

"Oh, sweetie, of course I will." The girl responded kindhearted. "I think yours is next to mine, right here. Did the University administration give you a key?"

Oh, right. Very smart, Kate Beckett.

"Uh, yes. I totally forgot about it." Kate laughed nervously and took it out from the back pocket of her jeans extending it towards the girl.

"It's alright. Here, let's try to unlock it." She twisted the small key inside the locker and the metal door cracked open.

"Thanks, I am totally out of my mind." Kate rolled her eyes at herself.

"Girl, it's totally okay. I am here for a month or somethin' and in the beginning it was a disaster. Strangers walking around, staring at you like you killed somebody. Teachers giving you all the attention… I know the feeling."

"Yeah." A quiet laugh escaped from Kate's lips, surprised by herself.

"So, I didn't hear quite good your name earlier. What was it?"

"Kate." She simply answered. "Yours?"

"I am Lanie Paris. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand and Kate found herself shaking with her new friend, responding with quiet "Likewise."

"Right. Well, I'll head for the chemistry and prepare myself for the next hour of torture…"

"I have chemistry in my program, too." Lanie said smiling widely. "Oh, man, I already feel like you are my best friend. We can sit together!"

"Really – Oh – that's great." Kate stumbled over her words and before she knew what was going on, her new friend was dragging her towards the chemistry lab. It turned out better than she thought. At least she found someone who looked normal and chatty. Maybe a little chattier than normal, but that was okay for now.

Thoughts?