"Hey Dad?"
"Yes Katie?"
"I don't suppose you feel like another coffee?" her voice quiet.
Jim closed his eyes, his heart tightening in his chest. "Of course honey, half an hour?"
"Fine Dad, see you there"
She's already sitting down when he walks into 'their' coffee shop, her back's to the door but he recognizes the tumble of chestnut curls in the third booth in. He pauses for a moment, steeling himself to face his broken-hearted daughter.
Taking a deep breath he moves to the table and slides in opposite Kate. There's already a couple of coffees on the table and trying to postpone the moment of truth, he wraps his hands around his, recalling that it had only been a few hours ago that they had been sitting in this same booth as Katie told him about the DC offer.
He looks across at his daughter and sighs. She's sitting there, head down, her hair covering her face and her hands in her lap. He's afraid of what this will do to her, they had been so good together, she had seemed so happy and Rick totally in love with her. What would she do now, would the DC job be enough to fill the void …
"Katie …?" he enquires quietly
She looks up at him and he's surprised …. hell, not surprised ….. he's shocked! His daughter's looking at him from large, green, shiny eyes, and the look of happiness on her face can't be contained. This wasn't what he'd expected.
"What … what's happened Katie?" he asks, half in hope, half in trepidation.
She doesn't say anything, just bites her lip and then pulls her hands from her lap and puts them on the table. It takes a few moments for the sparkling light to draw his attention … and then his eyes focus on the ring. His jaw drops, and then closes with a snap.
Jim Beckett slowly puts his hand out and his daughter places her own hand in his. He stares at the ring for several moments before he squeezes her hand. He clears his throat and asks "You going to tell me about it … or just sit there and torture me?"
There was a gurgle of laughter from his daughter … did she actually gurgle? Jim grins at her then raises his eyebrows in expectation.
"He proposed to me!"
"Well, I gathered that Katie, but what happened to all the doom and gloom from this morning?"
"I guess we both did a lot of thinking over the last few days … and not much talking. I'd just wrapped the case up and we arranged to meet." Here she paused to take a sip of coffee before grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "For a moment, well, several moments, I thought we were done, that he was going to break up with me … not that I could blame him, but I suddenly wanted … no, needed …. another chance, and I wasn't going to get it!"
"And …?" prompts Jim as she falls silent.
"Then, next thing I know he's on one knee and proposing! Dad, I couldn't believe it!"
Jim's grinning across the table at his daughter, the glow of happiness on her face such a contrast to the tight seriousness of earlier in the day. He raises an enquiring eyebrow "What about DC?"
"We'll work it out somehow Dad, don't ask me how, but we will!"
"Katie, I'm so happy for you and I know your mom would have been thrilled; she'd have really liked Rick!"
"You think so?"
Jim Beckett nods "Anyone who stood by you like he's done over the last five, six years? Of course she would!"
"I have to get back now Dad, I just wanted you to be the first to know"
"Thanks honey, I'll look forward to seeing Rick and giving him hell for not coming to me first for permission to request your hand in marriage!"
They both laugh as they stand up, Jim placing his arm across his daughter's shoulder and hugging her as they make their way outside.
