Disclaimer: I don't own Perception.

"Kate?"

The rampant paranoia is tamped down now that I'm back in familiar surroundings. There are no hallucinations either. I guess Lewicki dosed me on some of the sleeping pills I keep for this specific purpose. A solid block of sleep works wonders for my mind.

However, my rebellious brain decided to hijack my REM cycle and conjure a horrible nightmare. In it, I'm in the psychiatric hospital under restraints and raving mad. So when I wake up, in a knee-jerk reaction, I yell for Lewicki.

Which is why I think I hallucinated Kate running up to my room instead of Lewicki.

I feel all right, at least.

Sitting in a nearby chair, Natalie sighs. "You've really got to wake up, Daniel. Of course she's real."

My eyes blink several times when I realize that Kate is actually standing in my house. In my bedroom doorway, to be precise. Stupified, I thoughtlessly ask, "What're you doing here?"

"I was downstairs and heard you scream." Okay, obvious answer to obvious question. Her eyes quickly look over me. "You okay now?"

I don't like seeing her so worried. "I - had a nightmare," I reply. "It's okay. It happens sometimes."

"Ask her to sit, you idiot," Natalie scolds me.

I hasten to voice Natalie's request. Kate straightens up, still breathing heavy as she walks inside and collapses in the chair Natalie just disappeared from. "You sure you're okay?" she asks me.

"Perfectly." And I am. I'm well-rested and raring to go. I wish she'd stop babying me. I remember what she said standing in my doorway. I'm real. Like she wasn't sure if I was sure of that. "Why did you say "I'm real" just now?"

"I - "

Now she's embarrassed. I've called her out on her slip. Her hesitance only makes me irritated. I look away and snap, "So, what? Was all that talk about not defining me by my diagnosis just hypocrisy? Were you humoring me?"

Her face goes slack, a mask of neutrality that I've never seen her show me. Then she says, "Max put your breakfast together before he left. You want it?"

"Sure. I'll get up and see you down there." Kate stands up and leaves without another word. I get out of bed and start my morning routine.

"Daniel, that was low." Natalie's back. I glare at her. "Don't be petulant. She's doing her damndest not to dwell on the fact that you lost it at the warehouse. She doesn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"So?" I snap. "After all she said, she still - "

"What else could she say? You weren't even sure about her at first." Natalie gets right in my face. "You ever think about how Kate feels? She knows you hate being labeled, but she can't ask if you're all right without making it sound like you're crazy." She crosses her arms at me. "You're going to have to fix this, Daniel."

I heave a sigh. She's right, as usual. I was only angry because now Kate had seen me completely lost in a hallucination. It felt like she was treating me with kid gloves. I hate that feeling. It's demeaning. Even Lewicki doesn't do that. He just gives me a verbal kick in the pants.

But I know Kate better. She looks out for me. She cares about me.

I care about her too. So I ruffle my hair into some semblance of order, tie my shoes, and head downstairs to apologize.

She's sitting at the place across from mine at the table, sipping coffee and reading the paper. There's a mug of hot tea steaming in front of my fruit plate.

She knows me so well.

I sit down and say, "Sorry about that. I sometimes forget that not everyone is a judgmental small-minded hypocrite."

She doesn't look up from the paper. "I understand."

"Kate." I wait until she looks at me. "I'm sorry. Really. I just...I never wanted you to see me like that." To steer away from the awkward topic I ask, "How did your lead pan out?"

She follows my lead and shrugs. "Dead end."

I start in on my fruit. "You came back to the warehouse instead of reporting to Reardon."

"I still had your briefcase in the car. I thought you might've needed something in it."

My briefcase. That's right! My cassette player had been in it. I'd worked without music. That's probably why I lost focus and the hallucinations appeared so quickly.

"Good thing I came back when I did." Now she puts the paper down entirely. It's obvious she's choosing her words carefully. "Daniel, I'm sorry. I should've left someone with - "

"Another agent?" I scoff. "Please. You think I would've stood for a minion of The Man looking over my shoulder?"

A tiny smile tilts one corner of her mouth upwards. I've said something funny. "I'm a minion of The Man," she gently reminds me.

"But you're Kate." There's really no other way to say it. She's Kate. I wouldn't hesitate to call her my Kate.

Whoa, crossing a line there, Pierce. Back up. Instead I say, "I know you. I wouldn't know the random government stooge you assign to babysit me."

"It's hard to trust someone you don't know," Natalie says, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Someone you can't be sure is real goes unsaid. But I trust Natalie, and I know she's not real.

"That's nitpicking, Daniel. And you know it."

I ignore her for now and focus on Kate. "I know you," I repeat to Kate. I meet her eyes and add, "I trust you."

She looks relieved to hear that. We share a smile, and now I know we're okay again.

Kate looks away first, almost shyly. "Well, I better get going. Gotta get home and change clothes."

I glance at the clock and blink. "Wait, shouldn't you be at work already?"

"Yeah."

Which probably means... "How much trouble do you think you're in with Reardon?"

"Who cares?" she says carelessly. "As far as I'm concerned, your safety trumps procedure. I'll be sure to explain that to her."

"Sorry I got you in trouble," I say, then add, "Again."

She drains her coffee and smiles. "I don't care about that, Daniel. You know that." Her hand starts to move towards mine, then stops halfway.

Something gives me the courage to close the distance. Kate is visibly shocked when my fingers cover hers. "Thank you," I tell her again.

For not asking what I saw.

For bringing me back.

For being here for me.

For just...being you.

Everything I couldn't say. So I just say, "For everything."

Ta-da! Very good ending, if I do say so myself!

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