Title: Tied
Summary: Rick and Kate are stuck together...again.
Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.
Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!
"Quit squirming." Kate hissed.
"I'm sorry." Rick grunted. "It's tight."
"Well, just be still. I'm trying to fix it."
Rick sighed as Kate continued to attend to the bond around their legs. After a full two minutes she stopped and looked up at him.
"Any better?" She asked.
"Yeah, thanks." He smiled. "So, how long do you think we have?"
Kate stood up and looked around, then shrugged her shoulders.
"Probably not more than a few minutes."
"Okay. How are we going to do this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, who's going to take the lead?" He pointed to something in the distance. "If we are going to make in there in one piece, we need to have a plan."
"We'll do it like we always do." Kate answered.
"So, you'll take the lead?"
"It's always worked before."
Rick raised one of his eyebrows at her.
"It always works?"
"Okay. It works most of the time." She shook her head, trying not to laugh.
"What if I lead this time?"
"You think you can handle that, Rick?"
He swallowed hard at the way she said his name. He would never tire of hearing it on her lips. He leaned down slightly until his mouth was an inch from her ear.
"I know I can handle it." He whispered, smiling at the obvious shudder that went through her.
Kate wasn't going to let him get away with that. She turned and rubbed her nose against his, darting her eyes to his as she did so.
"What's first then, fearless leader?" She breathed out.
"We'll step with our outer legs first." He licked his suddenly dry lips. "Then our tied legs. We should be able to fall into a good rhythm then."
"Hmm. It sounds like a plan to me."
Kate pulled back as far as she could before turning to face the direction Rick had pointed earlier. She let the arm that was nestled between them snake its way around his back until her hand was on his other side. He mimicked her movements until they were locked together. They both glanced to either side, moving as one in unpracticed but undeniable synchronism. Each took a deep breath and looked back at the other.
"Kate, over there." Rick nodded to the right.
She followed his gaze and saw a man standing with a gun. Without warning he raised it and let a shot ring out.
Pandemonium broke out.
Kate and Rick took off running, indeed finding their rhythm almost immediately. They could hear people yelling, but they tuned them out and focused on staying in step with each other. It took them forty-seven seconds to reach their destination. Once they crossed the finish line, laughter overtook them and they fell to the ground when their feet became tangled.
A few seconds later two shadows were cast over them as Ryan and Esposito walked up. Rick was the first to look up at them.
"Oh hey, guys." He said. "It's about time you got here."
"Funny." Esposito retorted.
"Someone sounds like a sore loser." Kate joked as she sat up and started to remove the rope that connected her ankle to Rick's.
"No we aren't." Ryan argued.
"Well, we've beat you guys for three years in a row now." Rick said. "You'd think you'd be used to it by now."
"Whatever." Esposito shrugged. "It's just the three legged race. No big deal."
"You keep telling yourself that." Rick laughed.
He stood and offered a hand to Kate to help her up. She accepted and when she was upright she squeezed his hand in thanks before lacing her fingers between his.
"So, what is the next event?" Esposito asked.
"The egg toss." Ryan answered.
"Oh, it's on." Esposito grinned. "Ryan and I got that in the bag."
"Just like you had the sack race in the bag?" Kate bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"Hey, that kid totally tripped me." Esposito pouted.
"And what's your excuse, Ryan?" Rick asked. "Shouldn't an Irishman be at home in a potato sack?"
"Harhar." Ryan smirked. "I'm allergic to burlap."
"Right." Rick nodded sympathetically. "I think you both know the truth, but just don't want to admit it."
"What's that, then?" Esposito asked.
"Tell them, honey." Rick said.
"The truth is that you can't beat a Castle." Kate began. "And so a pair of them is unstoppable."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Rick smiled.
"Whatever." Esposito turned to walk away, but not before a smile cracked his lips. "Come on, Ryan."
They both started towards the crowd of spectators where Lanie and Jenny were watching from the blanket they'd set out so little Patrick Ryan could crawl around.
Kate tugged on Rick's hand and he looked at her. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss.
"Come on." She said. "Let's go psych out the boys some more before it's time for the egg-toss. We win that and we are officially the picnic champions."
"I love the way you think." Rick chuckled. "And I love beating the boys. And I love picnics. And I love you."
"I love you, too." Kate said with a wide smile.
They shared another kiss and then followed after Ryan and Esposito, still just as in synch as they had been during the race.
A/N - I've wanted to write something about a three-legged race since Cuffed. Now, I have. Thanks for reading! -Paige