Firstly: thank you to ariel119 for the awesome beta work, once again. Much love to her for that!
Secondly: We've skipped forward again. This chapter is set the summer after the previous chapter. So, a whole year since the first chapter. I hope it's not TOO confusing, but bare with me, it'll all be clear by the end (I hope *crosses fingers and toes*)
Aaaanyway, onward to the chapter!
Chapter 3: No Other
She turned the camera around and pointed it at herself. Throwing out an arm, she captured the Detective next to her. "Smile, Kate."
Kate looked up from the veggies she was prepping and smiled. Seconds later, Alexis turned the camera around to show her the shot.
"Gosh, I look so pale next to you."
Kate laughed. "You do not." She held out an arm next the younger woman's. "See? Same colour."
It wasn't entirely true, and they both knew it, but Alexis appreciated the effort, anyway. She played with the settings for a few moments, and then held the camera back in front of her face.
"Hey, Kate?" she started.
When Kate looked up, Alexis hit the shutter. Cocking her head to the side, she frowned. "How do you do it?" she asked quietly.
"What's that, honey?"
Alexis turned the camera around to show the newest picture. "Look like you do, with very little effort."
Kate smiled embarrassedly and shrugged. "Good genes?"
Alexis rolled her eyes in what Kate recognised as an exaggerated version she often gave the girl's father. She smiled. "When you get to my age, you learn to let the little things go."
"But dad always calls you a control freak."
Kate smiled. "And I am, when it comes to work. But, here, with you and your dad and even Martha, I've learnt to relinquish my grasp on the control. I've learnt to relax."
Alexis smiled. "'Cause you're in love with dad?"
"Can I tell you a secret?" Kate asked quietly, eyes dancing with happiness.
Alexis's eyes grew wide and she nodded.
"It's not just your dad I'm in love with."
Alexis beamed and Kate took the camera out of her hands, snapping a photo of the wide smile.
"So, happiness plays a part?"
Kate shrugged. "Being happy helps. If you're happy, smiling and laughter come easier. You dad taught me that. Inadvertently, of course. Before you guys, I thought I was happy. Turns out I was kind of just… being."
Alexis nodded and watched the knife for a minute. "How did you know dad was the one for you? I mean, he always seemed to talk about just how much he annoyed you."
Kate smirked, but continued chopping as she answered. "Your dad kept coming back. No matter how many times I pushed him away. No matter how many times I threatened him and told him to leave me alone, he always came back."
"And the songs made sense!" a voice called from the back deck.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. "He's right. The songs do make sense." She reached out and patted Alexis's hand, frowning a little. "Is everything okay? This is kind of left field, even for us."
Alexis nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking about Ash and college in the fall. He's going to Berkley and I'm staying in the city… it's a long way."
Kate nodded. She knew Alexis and Ashley had been discussing what they were going to do when summer ended and they went their separate ways. She knew Alexis didn't want to break up with her boyfriend, but on the other side of the country, who knew what could happen?
"You guys still haven't figured it out?"
Alexis shook her head. "No, and its getting too late in the summer, and-"
"And you're worrying that when it comes down to it, you're going to part ways on bad terms." Kate finished, nodding in understanding.
Alexis sighed. "Yes. When you first went to college, did you have to go through this?"
"No. But the summer I went to Kiev I left behind a guy." Her eyes flicked to the open door where she knew Rick would be listening.
Alexis propped her head in a hand. "What happened?"
Kate sighed and shrugged, her eyes going glassy as she remembered. "We decided to stay together. Do the long distance thing. But, three weeks in, I get an email, saying he met someone else."
"Oh."
Kate tossed her head and smiled. "It worked out for the better though. He cheated on me and I fell in love that summer. Obviously, not everlasting love, but by the time I got back all my hurt feelings were gone." She paused. "Didn't stop me from 'accidentally' spilling my beer on him at a Frat party."
Alexis giggled.
"That's a lie, Kate. You've never accidentally done anything your whole life."
She rolled her eyes at Alexis and turned her head to the door. "Well, I certainly didn't intend on falling in love with you."
He walked through the door, thousand-watt charm smile plastered on his face. "No, that was just a happy side effect of my shadowing you." He walked up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders.
Turning her head enough to see his smirk, she replied, "Alexis was a happy side effect of you shadowing me." Her eyes danced as he stepped back, a hand resting above his heart in what she knew to be his mock-hurt signature.
"I knew it. You only wanted me for my daughter."
Kate shrugged and threw and arm around the girl's shoulder.
Alexis beamed again. "I win."
Rick pouted. "This round, Pumpkin. But it's my bed Kate sleeps in."
Making a show of ignoring him, Kate turned to Alexis. "Wanna have a slumber party in the guest room tonight? I'm sure Lanie won't mind sharing."
"Esposito might." He mumbled.
"Esposito can bunk with you." She shot back.
Alexis snickered at the renewed effort her father put into his pout. "How about next time dad goes on tour, I'll come over and we can camp out in the lounge room and eat bad food and watch bad movies." She paused and tilted her head close to Kate's and whispered loudly, "I don't want to make him cry when all your friends are coming up. If they pick on him, we'll never hear the end of it."
Kate hummed her agreement, before giving Alexis a little squeeze, taking her arm back and returning to chopping the vegies.
Alexis picked up the camera and flicked through the photos, occasionally chuckling and showing the picture to Kate.
Rick stood at the end of the counter and watched them with a small smile.
"Either get back out there and write, Castle, or pick up a knife and help. Do not just stand there and stare."
He watched for a moment longer, then stepped forward and kissed her softly.
"Ew, guys, I know you're in love and everything, but there are children present."
Ricked pulled back and shot Alexis a look, while Kate laughed lightly and offered the girl and apologetic look.
"Thank you."
XXX
"We could have hired someone to do this, you know."
She looked up from the fairy lights she was replacing and smirked. "But, where's the fun in that?"
"There is no fun in this, Kate."
She shrugged. "From where I'm sitting, there is."
"How did you untangle those so quickly, anyway?"
She shrugged again. "Magic touch?"
He frowned and bounced on his toes, trying to make the string of lights fall from his body. "'Magic touch' my ass." He mumbled.
"You want me to do what?"
His head snapped up and she had to work hard to keep the amusement off her face.
"I- what? - nothing!"
She bit her lip in that way she knew he found adorable – and irresistible – and stepped up to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let her hands slip into the back pockets of his shorts. "Oh. 'Cause it sounded like you wanted me to touch your ass." She flexed her fingers, highlighting their current location.
His eyes slipped shut and he let out a little moan. "Kate," he started with a warning tone in his voice. He loved it when she teased him, but this was just ridiculous.
She let her voice drop to that husky whisper she knew drove him crazy. "What? I like your ass."
"And I like yours, too. But my hands are in these stupid lights, and I can't touch you."
She kissed his cheek and stepped back. "Probably a good thing. We don't have time for that now."
He growled. "Tease."
Her eyebrow quirked. "Stay wrapped in those and you'll see how much of a tease I can be." She turned toward the house, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. As she walked away, she added a little extra swing to her hips.
"Hey, Lex?" he heard her call when she was in the kitchen. "I need to go into town, do you want to drive?"
XXX
Way back in early October, when he proposed, they had decided if they held an engagement party, they would wait until Alexis had graduated. They were already busy enough with her work, his writing and Alexis's school commitments to really plan anything. So, when they'd announced their engagement, they told their friends and family, that while there was a party on the horizon, they'd be waiting at least until June.
That's why they were up at the Hamptons now. By the time summer had arrived, they were all so wiped from winter, they decided make the Fourth of July weekend really good, and tack their engagement party in with the celebrations.
Really, what was going to be said that they hadn't already heard? Numerous times.
So, late Saturday afternoon she stood in front of the full length mirror in their room, turning left and right, checking to make sure her dress was sitting properly.
"God, you're beautiful." He murmured, coming to stand behind her. His hands automatically fell to her hips and he dropped a kiss on her shoulder.
She tilted her head, allowing him access. "Don't start something you can't finish, Castle." She'd aimed for stern, really she had. But he was doing that thing he did with his tongue that almost made her breathless.
"Oh, trust me; I have every intention of finishing."
His eyes locked on her in the reflection and he saw her link her fingers with his.
"We have guests." She murmured.
"So?"
She rolled her eyes, and then scrunched up her nose. "Castle, Alexis is down there."
"She isn't stupid. She knows we have sex."
"Your mother..." she tried.
"Also knows about the sex. Remember?" he smiled at the faint blush that rose on her cheeks. She could easily recall the night they were busted getting a little hot and heavy on his recliner downstairs. That memory didn't help her blush.
Her eyes danced and she bit her lip, stifling a moan. "My father." She hadn't meant for it to come out so husky.
He dropped his head to her shoulder for a second before stepping back. "Fine. You win."
She smirked and readjusted her dress. "I usually do."
"Only 'cause I let you."
She shot him a look in the mirror and fixed her hair.
His hands rose in surrender. "Okay, fine."
She smiled and stepped over to him. "I love you." She whispered, kissing him softly.
He kissed her again quickly. "And I love you. Now, we better get down there before one of those perverts you work with come looking for us."
She slipped her feet into her flats and took his hand. "You work with them too. And, really, would you expect anything less?"
"No, I guess not."
Kate smiled at him over her shoulder. "Huh, look at that. I win again."
He dropped his head and dragged his feet, thoroughly enjoying the sound of her laughter.
"I don't wanna ever love another"
(give us a shout if its ridiculously confusing, and I'll try and clear it up for you =D)