"Rick, I really want to get back today." They've already stayed an extra night and they'd had so much fun, walking in the woods, napping together in the hammock, having dinner at the Stagecoach Tavern. Quaint is an overused descriptor for a lot of the little inns and taverns in New England but this place has a special charm owing to their hosts, Eve, Allegra, and Emery's "guy," Dave. Aaron and Emery hadn't steered them wrong. Kate smiles again, thinking about the conversation.

They'd stayed in Hudson Sunday night, getting up early with plans to explore some of the shops they'd missed Sunday afternoon. They'd arrived at the coffee shop Monday morning just as Aaron and Emery were opening the door to greet their first arrivals. The aroma of the fresh brewed coffee was heady on the crisp morning air.

"You want to get a 'sticky bun' with your coffee," Emery had recommended, matter-of-factly, "They're my favorite."

Rick and Kate had"oohed and ahed," over their pastries and not just for Emery's benefit. The breakfast buns were really tasty.

"Hey, Aaron...Emery, we're going to explore the countryside after we take in Warren Street. Do you have any recommendations for places we should check out or places to stay tonight?" Aaron had told them about some of the places of interest in the area and about the Stagecoach Tavern and Racebrook Lodge. He told them to ask for Dave, Allegra, or Eve. "Tell them I sent you," said Aaron. Emery joined the conversation, proclaiming enthusiastically, "Tell Dave you know Emery. Dave is my guy!" Rick had beamed at Emery as if the child had quoted from one of his books. Though she'd made a valiant effort, Kate couldn't hold back her laughter. Aaron had smiled politely but his expression had been a bit puzzled. Between giggles, Kate had tried to explain about Rick's "guys" but it probably continued to be more of an inside joke. Information in hand, the couple bid their hosts farewell and headed out into a beautiful morning. Pocketing their directions to Racebrook, they'd continued to poke around in a few of the shops.

By early afternoon, though, they were on the road heading to Sheffield to visit Racebrook Lodge, both of them singing at the tops or their lungs: Billy Joel, The Box Tops, Jason Maraz, Bonnie Raitt. Rick even joined her singing Paolo Nutini's Candy, He sang to her; she sang to him. They sang together, harmonizing pretty well, she thought.

They laughed and laughed and laughed. Even in her favorite fantasies, she had not imagined how much fun it would be just to be with him, her guard dropped, the wall dismantled. She would be with him just for the laughter. She could even make a good case for being with him just for the sex. As a lover he was tender and curious, considerate and passionate and wild, all the while making her feel safe to be all those things, too. In fact, she'd just thought of that. She's always been more bold with him, more flirtatious, more herself than she's ever been with anyone else. In her wild-child days she'd been bold and she'd flirted plenty, too, but now with him, it's more real, more honest. She reaches over and takes his hand. He smiles at her and she smiles at him and they're grinning at each other like a couple of fools. Augh! She is so crazy in love with him. How does it get any better than this?

After initially missing the Racebrook driveway...by about three miles, they turned around and eventually pulled into the parking lot. They were trying to decide where they should enter when an attractive middle-aged woman approached them. "You must be Richard Castle and Kate... I'm Eve. Sarah called and said to expect you."

Kate smiled at Eve. "Oh, how nice! We didn't actually meet Sarah but we visited with Aaron and Emery and we briefly met Ella."

"Well, Sarah thought we might want to know that we were about to be visited by a celebrity."

Kate didn't think she'd ever seen Rick blush but his cheeks had turned rosy and he seemed unsure what to say, "Well – I don't know – I ..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Castle, we want to make you comfortable and make sure you enjoy your stay with us."

"It's Rick- please, call me Rick."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Rick." She turned to Kate. "And you, too, Miss..."

"Oh, call me Kate. My last name's Beckett but, please, call me Kate. And I'm very pleased to meet you, as well. This is a lovely setting. I'll bet it's really beautiful in a couple of weeks when all the leaves have turned."

"Oh, it is. Will you be staying long enough to see them...or maybe returning if you're not?"

"No, we'll be staying just one night," Kate quickly supplied. Rick smiled and shook his head at her.

He winks and fills Eve in, "Miss Beckett thinks we'll turn into pumpkins if we don't rush back to the city tomorrow but, who knows, maybe we can come back."

Eve smiled at the couple. "We just had a big group check out and it will be just a bit before your room is ready. The tavern isn't officially open but I can definitely find some lunch for you while you wait."

Rick remembered to inquire, "Oh, Emery wants us to meet Dave. Is he around? He told us that Dave is his 'guy.'"

"Oh, yes, Dave and Allegra will definitely want to meet you. Dave and Emery are like that," Eve crossed her fingers, holding them in the air. "Emery was a fixture at the Stagecoach from the time he was just a baby. Sarah was our chef then and Emery was a frequent visitor." She lead Kate and Rick into the Stagecoach, seating them in a wooden booth near the bar.

Rick looked around, excitedly, "Kate, isn't this awesome! Look at the floors, they must be original. I wonder if the bar is..."

About that time they noticed a wiry, older gentleman with a shock of white hair heading in their direction. This had to be Emery's guy.

"Hello, I'm Dave. I hear my guy, Emery, sent you." Kate had been able to control herself this time by smiling deeply, biting her lip, and avoiding Rick's eyes.

"Yes," Rick said, "I'm Rick and this is Kate. Emery said we should be sure to tell you that we know him."

All three chuckled at this and began shaking hands. Allegra had joined them just in time to get in on the introductions. "Emery sent these fine people our way," Dave had announced.

"So I heard," replied Allegra. "That is a good name to drop in this establishment."

About that time Eve had entered carrying a platter of finger-foods, three kinds of dip, and a bowl of some kind of pasta and seafood salad. "What can I get you to drink?"

They all shared a bottle of wine that Rick was delighted that they had. He and Dave chatted about the history of the tavern and the lodge. Kate asked about the garden she'd noticed as they'd parked the car. She loved that they grew some of their own herbs and vegetables. They enjoyed some lively conversation and they'd learned a bit more about Aaron and Sarah. As it turned out, Aaron's quite a wine expert, too. As the conversation began to wane, Eve offered to show them to their room. The wine had made Kate sleepy and she wanted to take a nap and maybe shower before dinner though she wasn't sure if she'd be hungry again until morning.

Dave told them, "You're obviously welcome to nap in your room but we also have some great hammocks hanging in the trees. You can even take a blanket from the room if you think it'll be too chilly."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Kate yawned, covering her mouth. "Excuse me."

Rick started to ask about trails and hiking and Kate leaned her head on his shoulder. He'd realized he better get her to a hammock or a bed pretty soon or she'd be napping right there.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he'd said, hoping he didn't sound patronizing. She'd smiled at him so he must not have offended. "So is it bed or hammock?"

"Hammock," Kate smiled. "But lets get that blanket."

/

While getting ready for breakfast the next morning, they're discussing again, or still, whether or when to start back to the city. Kate can tell that Rick would stay all week if she would just give the nod. They'd had a peaceful, relaxing nap on the hammock and still had time for a walk along the stream that ran near the lodge. Then they'd had a beautiful, romantic, candle-lit dinner in the tavern. The food was casual, the ambiance cozy. The temptation to stay tugs at her. In some respects, they have all the time in the world except for Kate's lunch date with Alexis. Not vocally, but Kate has been obsessing about it since she'd told the girl she would meet her. She is to the point of wanting it to be over.

"You know, I'm meeting Alexis tomorrow for lunch."

"Yes, I think you've mentioned that a couple of times. He smiles at her, that teasing expression in his eyes. "But it's like I said, we could call Alexis and see if she'd be willing to reschedule..."

"No, I really don't want to reschedule. I think it's better to stick with our plans. I mean I don't want Alexis to think that I don't follow through with things."

"Oh, OK... Are you stressing about lunch with my daughter?" He asks this with no attempt to hide his surprise. Clearly, he thinks she's being overly cautious.

"No! I'm fine...well, maybe a little. Alexis seemed very...formal when she asked me to meet her. I just...I just don't want there to be any chance of misunderstanding. I don't want her to be disappointed or...I don't know..." Only, actually, she does know. She does not want Alexis to be angry with her. She wishes she could take back some things, have a few do-overs with regards to how much fear and worry she's put the young woman through. The trust they're beginning to rebuild still feels tentative and fragile. And if her connection with Alexis isn't solid, really, really solid, it will eventually put a strain on her and Rick. Not that they wouldn't be able to maneuver around it but working around it isn't something she wants to have to do. She knows she can't undo the way things happened, can't just wish it away. There'd been a time when she and Alexis had been close but then Kate had hurt Rick. She understands it's the hurt that's impacted her connection with Alexis, as much or more than the danger she's put him through. Rick has admitted freely that Alexis is, in many ways, the adult in their relationship. She's taken care of him, making sure he was OK. For most of the years of her young life, with a few exceptions, it had been working pretty well, and then she'd had to stand by, helplessly, while her dad went through all that hurt, hurt caused by Kate. Kate understands that role. Right or wrong, she'd had to take care of her own dad after her mother died. If anyone would have put him through half the heartache...well, she wouldn't have been nearly so gracious or willing to put up with someone who could treat her dad that way. So it's no wonder Kate feels like she's being called into the principle's office for fighting on the playground. She's thinking about how the conversation will go. Will she, herself, start the conversation? "So, Alexis, you called this meeting with me today," or "I supposed you're wondering what my intentions are with your father." Ha-ha-No. No, she's going to play it by ear, she's going to let Alexis lead because if she doesn't then she'll just wind up tongue-tied or worse.

"Kate? Where'd you go? Do you want to go back to Hudson for coffee or do you want to pop over to Great Barrington and see what they have to offer?" Kate hadn't been listening, her focus was somewhere far from their light morning fare.

"Sorry. Either is fine with me. I'd just like to get back by 5 or 6." She takes care to say she'd like to get "back." She avoids referring to Rick's place as "home." They've had that conversation a few times, too. He thinks she's being overly cautious; he thinks she should just move in. It's cliché, really. She's there 95% of the time...well, make it 99%...oh, just face it, she goes to her apartment to knock down a few cobwebs every other week. They were in the Hamptons most of the summer but she'd told herself that was different. Who does she think she's kidding? Once she gets her winter things, her apartment will be just a shell. She even has a lot of her personal effects, photos and trinkets at his place. It's just...just...

"So, it's definite, we're going home today? We could drive back in the morning. Or, seriously, Alexis can be flex..."

She cuts him off, "Rick, before my lunch with Alexis, I want to be back in our own place, be in our own be-?" Oops! There's not a chance in hell he wasn't paying attention to her little Freudian slip. Shifting her eyes to the scenery doesn't mean she misses his deer-in-the-headlights posture.

He pauses and then says, "Actually, that sounds good." He gives her a break this time, not launching into all the reasons she should just move in. She relaxes into her seat. She hadn't even realized she was tense. She knows the unspoken meaning of what she's just said and why it sounds good to him and she wants to kiss him for not "going there." They're having a great time, so relaxing and fun to explore places neither of them has been before. She knows she'll be ready for that next step soon. She wants to be uncomplicated, she really does. Regardless of what Burke says about each person being responsible for his or her own feelings, she doesn't want to feel like she's the cause of that deer-in-the- headlights look on his face – no, not ever. There's something, though, something she's not getting. She thought when the wall came down there'd be no more fear and no more pride. Ah, the onion, they're peeling it away together, layer by layer.

/

He doesn't really get it. She won't move in with him, not yet, anyway. Well, it's more that she won't let her apartment go. That's what would make it "official." If her little slip of the tongue is any indication, she's at least considering the idea. He knows it's best to let her come to that choice on her own. She is coming to him. Little by little, she'd made her way to that first night when they'd finally made love. She'd nearly gotten killed coming to the recognition that he was what she wanted, that she loved him. And her getting to that has made him the happiest he's ever been. He hopes they can get to the next step with no life-threatening incidents. So far nothing has happened, no threats. He's beginning to think they're all safe.

/

They pull into a parking space. This must be Great Barrington she thinks. He's evidently opted for more new scenery. "Aaron said there's a little coffee shop around back of Rubiner's. It's called Rubi's, same family, I think." He puts the top up on the car in a matter of seconds and they're out of the car and across the street, walking down a little alley-way. "Here we go. Why don't you sit at the table out here and I'll bring you something delightful. Hot or cold caffeine, my dear?"

"Hot, please." The air has a hint of chill. The sun is warm but it's good there's no breeze and she's glad she's got her jacket. Kate takes a seat and looks around. The view is of the backside of the stores and of parking lots and houses. There's a close train that she actually glimpses as it travels along it's track less than a quarter mile away. It's blowing it's whistle. She loves that sound. This is another sweet town, possibly not as old as Hudson but with a different charm.

A young woman with a beautiful tattoo down one arm is holding the door for Rick to pass through. He sets the coffee and an assortment of goodies on the table where she sits. It's far too much for therm to eat. He has a tendency to do that when he's unsupervised but she's becoming accustomed to his excesses, at least to some extent.

He takes the seat across from her. "Richard Castle, have I told you how happy I am?"

"Why, no, Katherine Beckett, you have not." He smiles so much these days, his jaw hurts. "How happy are you?"

"I'm very, very happy. I am extremely happy," and with a faux serious face she tells him, "I want you to know, in all seriousness, how extraordinarily happy I am." Then they're grinning at each other and their grins turn to giggles, both laughing and enjoying how seriously happy she is, how happy they both are.

They're mmm-ing an yummy-ing over the sampling of goodies Castle's selected but soon they pick up their coffee and set off, coffee in hand, to explore the shops. It's familiar to fall in with each other, walking and sipping coffee, smiling, walking close together they amble along the back side of the shops. A few have back entries, others have only delivery doors. They choose an open door that leads through to Main Street in order to check out some of the stores' entrances.

"Odd, have you noticed many of the shops are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday...Do you think there's some secret town meeting on those days? Something to do with alien abduction or perhaps...zombies?" He grins and cocks an eyebrow at her.

"Castle, will you stop with the aliens and zombies...and vampires!"

"I said nothing thing about vampires bu-"

"I know, I was covering all the bases!" She rolls her eyes at him because he expects it but she's grinning, too.

"Well, then, Beckett, what's your explanation?"

"It's a weekend town, Castle. People come up here for the weekend. Sometimes a three-day weekend goes through Monday. There's probably not a lot of business mid-week, especially the antique stores and the galleries." She trails off, "I do wish that one jewelry store had been open, though. They had some interesting photographs of their jewelry in the display windows..."

That would have been nice, he thinks. He would like to get acquainted with her taste in jewelry for future reference. "We can always come back for a weekend, Kate. It's really close. Easy to see why it's a weekend destination.

Tucked in the corner of one block there's a metaphysical bookstore, Crystal Essence, and it's open. He grabs her hand and leads her into the shop, "Kate, you never know, you may still find some magic that you can believe in." She rolls her eyes at him again and lets him lead her. "Rick, you are all the magic I can handle." He waggles his eyebrows at her and puts his arm around her shoulders, suddenly hugging her close for a moment. "I love you, Kate," he whispers in her ear.

"Bookstore" is definitely a misnomer. There are so many things besides books. The store is filled with all kinds of beautiful crystals, exotic jewelry, even clothing. There's incense and body products and announcements of upcoming appearances by psychics, shamen, yogis, and natural health experts. Everything is beautifully displayed. What a nice surprise, she doesn't find it weird or off-putting at all. She might even like to return. It's the kind of store where one could spend hours and not see everything. She feels like she's just started browsing in earnest when she feels him guiding her toward the exit, grinning all the while. "There's another store I want to show you before we have to 'get out of Dodge.'"

"I thought you hadn't been here before, either."

"Oh, I haven't! It just caught my attention on our way here." He's walking with purpose now, like he's in a bit of a hurry. He doesn't even stop when they pass an ice cream store, instead he simply says, "Oh, here's our stop for lunch! What do you say?" He keeps walking, though, and then she sees it, "Tom's Toys." Perfect.

It's a charming old-fashioned toy store, walls lined to the ceiling with all sorts of playthings. Shelves in rows hold even more. "So many things to try, so little time," he sounds a little like the boy in the Disney commercial, the one who can't sleep because he's so excited. Tom's Toys has a way of making them lose track of time until their stomachs are growling. She argues that ice cream is not substantial enough but loses that one as they head back across the street to SoCo Creamery where they indulge in ice cream for lunch. He promises there's an Indian restaurant down the road that Aaron said is pretty good. They'll hit that before they grab the highway back to the city. They head toward the car, still stopping at a few shops as the mood strikes.

He reaches to open the door for her and she wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him to her for a brief but passionate kiss. He gasps a bit. "You literally take my breath away!" He grins into her eyes.

"Have to keep you on your toes, Castle."

"Yeah, or knock me off my feet!"

"Yeah, I heard that your heels are a bit round...long before I proved it."

"You know, I'm sure there are some little by-the-hour motels along the way back..." he whispers.

"What's the matter, Castle, you can't multi-task?" With that she ducks her head and folds her long legs into the car.

He runs around to the driver's side and gets in, puts the key in the ignition and fires her up. Kate's cued up an old Eurhythmics song on her iPod. As they pull onto the road Annie Lennox soothes, "Sweet dreams are made of this..." Yes. Yes, they are.