Katherine Beckett woke up with a sigh as she shut of her phone alarm. No one should have to get up at this hour if they could help it. Especially if that someone just ended their shift four hours ago. Only who would actually defend that statement? Kate's boss made her work so many crazy hours that she was the crazy always awake woman in the city that never sleeps. At last she resists the urge to call in sick and checks her messages instead, lest the bitch of a boss she had would assign extra special hours for the next few weeks.

At last Kate arrived at her place of employment. Not some fancy agency or anything that would be considered highly ranking. Just an ordinary coffee shop called The Java Bean. She and her coworkers liked to joke that it should be called The Human Bean: exploiting laborers one day at a time. Kate wished she got more credit for her work. Or at least not have to hide it from the general public. Her work was a sore spot for her, particularly among her relatives, who would only shake their head and blame her for not going to college. They shouldn't judge though. Kate shouldn't feel inadequate. It was her life to live. College was not everyone's cup of tea.

She quietly greeted her coworkers and set to work opening the shop for all the fancy lawyers and other various professionals on their way to Wall Street or who knows where. The day remained uneventful for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Richard Rodgers walked in looking for a change of scenery. His book, Finite Dreams, had not sold as well as he and his agent, Paul, had hoped. As he studied the menu, he realized he was in the wrong place for a cup of coffee. At five dollars a pop, there was no way anyone could afford that stuff… or could they? Hopefully I'll be more inspired with all these people he finally decided.

The first thing he noticed as he walked in is the brunette behind the counter. She's tall and has a pretty face full of sharp features. Maybe she is even a model. He feels like he has seen her somewhere. Wanting to talk to her, he decides to order a cup of coffee.

Kate studied the people in line as she filled orders. Her friend at the shop had made it a game between themselves whenever they worked the same shift to guess the lives of each person. So far her guesses had been fairly consistent with banker, lawyer, or doctor. The third person in line didn't fit any of these categories, though. This man seemed to be handsome more in the rugged sort of way, like a diamond in the rough, rather than the polished professionals she was used to seeing.

"So, what can I get you today?" She asked calmly. Don't ask anything else, don't ask anything else Kate chanted to herself.

He stammered a response. "Well I uh, how about a normal coffee?"

"Normal coffee. Like a latte? Describe normal."

She said it teasingly, but he seems to be taken aback. "No how about a cup of black coffee?"

"Alright, name?"

"Rick."

"Great. You can stand over there and wait for your order."

As soon as he left she berated herself mentally. Really Kate? She didn't direct any of her other customers. Perhaps it had something to do with his I'm so lost here look. Kate pushed the thought out of her mind and went back to filling orders.

"The guy over there is looking at you." Kate's friend sidled up to her.

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, you must know his name at least 'cause you took his order."

"So I do. His name is Rick."

"Do you plan to take action?"

"Do what? No, he's just a customer, Elaine. Don't you have stuff to do rather than bug me?

"Girl, he's interested in you and you know it. I don't see why you blew off the whole dating thing ever since Jake left."

Kate hadn't been totally honest with Lanie about the break up. According to her version of the story, she and Jake had broken up because they wanted different things. Which was true, partly. The unredacted version was that Jake had broken up with her over finances. She could still hear his voice the day of their fight, telling her how being a barista at a coffee shop was not something he expected her to work as forever. "Would you want our kids growing up telling their teachers mommy makes coffee for a living?" he argued. She never told him how she wound up in that position. Kate simply picked up her things and left.

Rick waited patiently, watching as she made his coffee. Something about her green eyes told him that she had a story more than anyone's watchful gaze could pick up. Out of all of his failed books, the one thing he managed to learn was how to read a person.

That skill would have been handy before his marriage failed. Now Rick had moved into his mother's place; his only daughter placed in his ex-wife's custody due to financial reasons. He believed Marianne didn't even really want Lexi. After all, a child would only stall the whole acting process. He could say that with certainty, being a stage child himself. This was Marianne's way of saying I win. Rick could not gather the resources to fight the court. The best he could do was visit Lexi whenever he managed scrape enough money together to fly to California.

Did green eyes have a family? She looked like the protective type. Maybe a child that she would tuck in every night. One that would wait by the door for her to get home. Wow, even in his thoughts he still sounded like Mr. Mom. Back when Marianne and Lexi were still around he used to take care of her every day while Marianne went to work on acting projects. If only he had known that one of those projects would be screwing the director.

"Cup of coffee for Rick!"

"See that, you obviously are interested in him. Hanging onto the words he said. Even more than with Jake."

Kate glared at Laine, who seemed to be volleying for matchmaker of the year ever since non Wall Street guy walked in.

"Of course not, Laine. Can't you see the poor guy is lost in this place?"

"Oh you keep telling yourself that, but I predict that he will ask you out in the near future if he ever comes back to this place."

By one Kate's shift was over. Freedom at last… or at least until Monday. Sunday was her day off. Happily, she tore off her apron and made last minute checks, hoping to leave before her boss came in. Kate had learned to leave by 1:15, even though her boss was supposed to show up at 1:30, just in case there were some 'minor issues' with anything at all.

"Hey, noticed your shift was over. I think I may have seen you somewhere. Do I know you?"

Kate looked up to see Rick standing by the entrance.

"No, I don't think we have met."

"Oh okay, you just look familiar."

"Probably someone else. I'm Kate, if that helps you though."

Kate. Rick wracked his brain to figure out where he had heard it. There were tons of Kates out there. Somehow he knew this one, though.

The next day, Rick rushed excitedly to The Java Bean. Once inside, he recognized the other people behind the counter from yesterday, but none of them were Kate.

"Is Kate here today?"

"Nope, it's her day off. What would you like?"

"Nothing really. I came here to talk to her. I finally remembered how I met her."