Hey Everyone! This fic is a sequel to "Best Birthday Ever". It's set about a year after "Best Birthday Ever", and Rick has finally proposed, but has some questions...
Disclaimer: If you recognise them, I don't own them!
Kate Beckett sat on her bed while her fiancé is in the shower, getting ready for the day. That's right! Rick Castle is finally engaged to Kate Beckett! She fiddled the ring and thought back to the night when Rick knelt on one knee.
Flashback:
"Now, you don't take it off! Okay? No cheating Kate!"
"I won't Rick! Gosh, no wonder Alexis is the adult around here. I'm not going to take the blindfold off!"
Rick all but ignored his girlfriend's comment but instead replied, "Okay, one more step, and now!"
He removed the blindfold off, and Kate gasped in surprise. It was a beautiful night under the stars. They were on the rooftop of the apartment and a picnic was laid out before her.
"Rick, you-you-you did all of this?"
"Well, not me only... Alexis and Mother helped a bit as well."
Kate smiled the smile that is usually reserved for her boyfriend, and in return, Rick slid his 100-watt grin on his face.
"Come on, let's dig in!"
Rick moved to grab Kate's hand to lead her down to the picnic. They sat down and Rick took out the food and drinks. Kate was watching him carefully and was surprised to find his expression suddenly become serious.
"Rick? What's wrong?"
"Um, well. I was going to do this after the meal, but I decided against it."
"Do what?"
"Oh god. Okay. Calm down Rick." He talked to himself and then faced her.
"Oh god, Kate. I don't want to stuff this up. I've done this two times before and this is really different. You're different. Just..."
"Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?"
Rick took a deep breath and got to one knee.
"OH MY GOD... Rick?" Kate's eyes widened.
"Katherine Alexandra Johanna Beckett. I've known you for over four years now, and I've known from the start, that YOU are the one for me. Everyone loves you, and heck, I love you even more. I-I-I... Will you do me the honour of being my wife? Because I know that you are my one and done."
Kate sat there being speechless. Rick was starting to grow more and more nervous by the second.
"Kate? Say something. Please?"
She opened her mouth but nothing would come out. Instead, she did the one thing that Rick wasn't expecting. Kate Beckett crawled towards him and without warning, covered her mouth with his.
"Is that what I think that means?"
Kate nodded her head and pulled away. "It means 100 times YES!"
End Flashback
Kate smiled at the memory and looked up as her fiancé walked in.
"Ahh! Reminiscing about the best proposal ever?" Rick had his cheeky grin on his face.
"Richard Castle?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"Shutting up now Ma'am." He sat back and grew serious.
Kate looked up and it was the same expression he had on the time before he proposed.
"Rick? I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to hurt you. I just. I just. Never mind. Rick? Come on. I'm sorry. Please, say something?"
Rick's lips curved upward for a brief second and then it grew serious again.
"It's nothing Kate. I just. I have a question. About all of this." He waved his hand in the air.
"About the engagement? Are you having second thoughts Rick?" Kate had a hurt expression on her face and Rick could immediately see the walls going up.
"NO NO NO! Of course not! It's nothing like that! I... Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why did you say yes? It's a really odd question but I'm curious. You're always saying I'm a nine-year old on a sugar rush, totally incapable of taking anything seriously. You find I'm annoying, so why? Why did you say yes?"
Kate stared at him for a second and did what Rick wasn't expecting. She laughed. Kate Beckett laughed and laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. She was laughing so much that she fell off the bed and landed with an "Oof!" on the floor. Rick crawled to the side and had a confused look on his face. Kate finally stopped laughing and looked up.
"You're joking right? Right? This is some joke right?"
Rick's expression remained unchanged.
Kate looked at him and said, "Oh... So you're serious."
Rick looked away, ashamed.
"Rick, come on. You know me don't you? Have I ever lied to you? When I said yes, I meant yes. When I said I love you, I meant I love you. Yes, we tease, yes we bicker but that's us isn't it? That's what we do. Yes sure, I find you annoying, but, this may sound weird, but that makes me love you even more."
Rick's expression started to wear off, and a smile started to take its place.
"The thing is, although I find you annoying and a child, you are charming and sweet, and you make me smile and laugh on the worst of my days. You make work a whole lot more fun and exciting, and sometimes, the reason I come to work is because of you. You're you, Rick Castle, and that's why I love you and that's why I said yes."
When Kate finished, Rick had a smiled on his face and huddled closer to Kate. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of the head.
"Thanks Kate."
"What for?"
"For just being you."
Kate moved off the bed. "Come on hot stuff, we'd better get ready before Alexis starts screaming."
Rick followed her and suddenly stopped short in his tracks when she suddenly turned around.
"Oh, and tell this to anyone and you'll regret it Richard Castle. I have a reputation to uphold."
"Yeah? And what will you do?" He challenged.
Kate walked out the door and yelled after him,
"I won't let you name the baby!" Her laugh echoed down the hallway.
Rick was left standing at the door, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
Well, there we go! Kind of a cliffy. So Kate has a new baby! Yay!
I hope it's alright, but please... R&R!
Genie