Sorry for the delay. I was on a little trip!
It's been two weeks since he went on a book tour in London and then came back to New York. He sent a couple of postcards from London to the address that Kate gave him, but he received no answer. Rick knows that she can't answer him since she is unable to see, but he assumes her father is there with her and can help her to read them and give him an answer. Or call him on the phone from somewhere.
Another week passes and he's starting to overthink about the fact the there is no sign of her. He even wonders if she's already here in New York, so he tries dialing her phone number, but it goes straight to voicemail.
"Hey, Kate. I've been wondering if you're back in New York or you're still in your father's cabin. Could you please give me a call when you hear this?" He leaves one voicemail just in case and goes back to his writing.
On the next day, he decides that he can't wait anymore and goes to check into her apartment if there's someone there.
Bringing his knuckles against the wooden door, he knocks slightly a couple of times, jumping from foot to foot nervously. Rick tries to listen for any footsteps on the other side of the door, but there aren't any. He waits a minute more just to be sure that there is no one here and then leaves through the lobby, getting inside of his parked vehicle. He stays silent in the driving seat, his fingers patting against the steering wheel, watching the rainy weather and empty streets ahead of him.
Rick puts on his seatbelt securely across his chest, his hand moving to insert the key into the ignition and searches for the cabin's directions on his GPS.
It's Monday morning and there aren't many people on the road since they are all busy with work in the big city. He drives at a slower pace than normal since the roads are wet and there are a lot of turns in the forest. It's calm and beautiful. The low music that comes out of the radio increases the harmony inside of his vehicle, making the time pass more quickly.
Her father's cabin is not too far away from the city and by what he sees on the small screen of his GPS is that he's very close to it.
There's a tingling sensation inside of his stomach, trying to keep his excitement and hope that Kate will be happy with his presence.
When he spots a house through the trees, he finally pushes the breaks to slow down the car to a stop. He checks at his GPS, grinning when it shows that he has reached his destination and unbuckles the seat belt to step out of the car.
He jogs towards what he assumes is her cabin and shields his head with his hands from the rain. Stepping onto the porch he's now secured from the rain and he spins around to observe the little house. He glances at the entrance and notices that on the wooden door is carved 'Becketts' with what he assumes is a knife. So he's in the right place after all.
After gathering courage and knocking, he steps away to wait for someone to open the door. There isn't any response and he starts to wonder if she's not here either, but then he notices that there are car traces over the wet dirt, which could mean that maybe Kate and her father went shopping or somewhere else.
Rick takes a risk as he pushes the door knob down and he really didn't expect it to be unlocked, but in fact, it is. The wooden door makes a creaky noise when he opens it, cringing at the loud sound.
The paint on the parquet floor is weathered and peeling off in spots, and a slight breeze is making the shutters tap against the house and the hinges squeak. He breathes in the air of old wood and allows himself to step inside, observing what seems to be the living room and kitchen.
It's small and old-fashioned, but very clean and tidy. He likes this atmosphere.
His feet carry him towards the table, sitting on one of the chairs and waiting patiently for Kate and her father to come back. He hopes that they won't be freaked out when they see him-
Holy shit.
There is actually someone here.
His ears shot up in an alert when he hears footsteps from one of the rooms and then he hears an opening door, the footsteps coming closer to the kitchen area.
His heart explodes out of the cage of his ribs when gloriously naked Kate Beckett walks into the kitchen without any knowledge that he's here. Oh, well, she's not fully naked, but shit – she's only in her underwear and that's enough to make him so weak that it feels like he's going to faint at any second.
She's heading to pick up something from the couch and he wonders if it's a good idea to just unnoticeably disappear from here and wait until she's clothed. Just to pretend that he didn't see her only in her bra that hugged her lovely breasts and the length of her legs-
Oh no.
She's bending to pick whatever it is on the couch while her back is to him and his eyes bulge out of his head when he looks down at her perfectly shaped buttocks. He can't help but take a big intake of breath and let out a whining noise that startles the shit out of her.
She turns around the first second she hears a sound, her hands in front of her in what seems to be an instinct of self-protection.
"Who's there?" She asks, her hands reaching for one of the lamps next to the couch and he freezes.
What is he supposed to do or say now? He still wonders if there's a chance to get away from here without making any sound, but a hint of guiltiness floods through his mind. She's unable to see and it's not fair of him to sneak in and out without her permission. Especially when she's in her underwear in her own home and he is invading her privacy without her knowledge.
"I, uh. It's me, Rick." He gathers a courage, squeezing his eyes shut when he hears her gasp in disbelief.
Her hand leaves the lamp that she was about to take for protection and takes a piece of clothing to cover herself instead.
"Oh my God! What the hell are you doing here? How did you even- "
"I'm so sorry, ugh! I know I've made a huge mistake, but the door was unlocked and I thought that you and your father are out for shopping or something. It was cold and rainy outside and I decided to – just wait for you inside, I don't know why I did it. I'm really sorry that I invaded your privacy this way." He presses fingers against his closed eyes in guiltiness, trying to remove the images of her in his brain. They're going to be stuck there forever.
Her heart rate slows down at his explanation and the corners of her mouth lift up in amusement.
He stands up from the chair, still covering his eyes to avoid looking at her even though he already saw enough for a lifetime. "I apologize once again; I'll go outside now- "
"Wait, Rick…" She interrupts, making him go still in one place. "Stay. I mean, it's okay – I understand that it wasn't on purpose."
"I know right? How am I supposed to know that you're walking around naked?" He asks, still trying to look at the floor and not avert his eyes up to her – well her everything basically.
Kate's mouth flies open in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing red. "You're a complete jackass! As a matter of fact, I'm not fully naked."
"Well, hypothetically- "
"You know what? I'm going to go get dressed."
There's a little smirk forming on his lips when she turns around to walk into what's supposed to be her bedroom, keeping himself from taking one last glance at her ass.
"So, when is your dad coming back?" He asks when she sees her emerging from the room fully clothed, heading for the kitchen counter to make some coffee. She's wearing a little big for her frame gray sweatshirt and black jeans with fluffy socks on her feet.
"He's not. For now, at least." She answers while taking out two empty cups, putting water in a kettle and turning on the stove to boil it.
"You're here alone?" A hint of concern and worry clouds his features, watching as she rolls her eyes comically. "For how long?"
"A week, I assume. Why do you sound so surprised? It's not the first time I'm alone out here."
"Well, I thought he's supposed to be by your side if you need some help with something – for example, what if you're hungry and you want to go to the shop to get something? What if you get lost in that forest out there, huh?" He looks around through the windows of the cabin, his eyes moving anxiously through the big trees.
"I have enough food stored which I think will last even for two weeks." She speaks calmly, putting coffee and sugar into the cups. "You don't have to worry."
"What if someone attacks you?"
"Geez, you watch a lot of movies."
"No, seriously, look how I got into your cabin without you even noticing me. What if someone who has different intentions decides to visit?"
"That happened just once because my father forgot to lock the door. It won't happen again, besides, there are barely people around here." Kate spins around to turn off the stove and he stands up to stay behind her, checking if she turned it off in the proper way. Just in case if she switched the wrong button.
Okay, he is really being anxious.
"What if there are zombies?" Rick asks, following her movements with his big blue eyes, watching as she shakes her head in amusement and pours the hot water into their cups.
"So, how did you decide to come here?" She leads him to the small table, both sitting down to chat while their coffees cool down.
He really doesn't know the real reason why he came out here. He just missed her and got worried, because there was no signal at the cabin and they haven't spoken in two weeks. It's scaring him how much he cares about her.
"I just wanted to see how you're doing, I guess. I hope that my being here is not making you feel uncomfortable." He shrugs his arms, bringing the cup of coffee to his lips to take a sip, feeling a burning sensation against his tongue. "I'm going to leave after finishing my coffee, though."
"You can stay for a while; you know?" She chuckles, wrapping her long, numb fingers around the cup to warm them up. He did notice it's really chilly out here. "You came all the way from New York and you must be tired."
"Nah, not tired." He clicks his tongue. "I'm full of energy."
"I've never heard of you being tired, anyways."
They both laugh at her statement and then sip on their own drinks, enjoying the warm moment and the silence of the cabin. The only hearable sound is the rain against the windowsills.
"We can take a walk in the forest?" She surprises him by suggesting, making his eyebrows lift up.
"Sure, but doesn't it bother you that it's raining?"
"Nope." She shakes her head, sipping her coffee.
"Alright, then. Let's do it."
When they finish their coffee, Rick watches as Kate stands up from her seat to gather their cups, but suddenly she presses one hand against the table to support herself, swaying a little.
"Whoa, are you okay?" He jumps onto his feet, quickly going to her side to hold her by the elbows. She waves a hand at him, shaking her head as if it's not a big deal.
"Yeah, I got up too fast and my head swiveled a little. I'm fine."
They are walking side by side through the forest paths, stepping onto the wet dirt, leaving steps behind them. The rain falls lightly on them, mixed with frosty snowflakes. The first thing she gives attention to is the cool air, also the smell of the pine trees. The softness of the pine needles beneath her feet. She hasn't been here in a long time and even though she can't see the branches, fallen trees and bird nests, she's still feeling much peaceful than when she's back in the city.
Kate is holding onto Rick's arm with her gloved hand, listening to their own steps moving through the fallen leaves while he guides her.
"I'll have to warn you that you have to remember our way back because I'm not going to be much of a help if we get lost."
"Even if we do, we'll find our way back. We leave steps behind us." He speaks softly, tapping her hand, which is on his arm.
"Let's try not to get lost, okay?" She says, a hint of worry in her voice and he chuckles sweetly.
The wind wails between distorted trunks, carrying the sickly stink of wood rot. She breathes in the fresh air and hums in satisfaction. The only sound is the crunch of the leaves beneath their feet.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Did you get my postcards from London?" He asks, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Yes! My father came up to me the first second they got here and read them to me. It was really sweet of you to do this. I really didn't expect it."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Her arms shrug, her teeth grazing over her bottom lip. "I kind of thought you'd be really busy to send me postcards, so I hadn't expected it much."
"It doesn't take much of an effort to write and send a single postcard."
She remembers the day when her father walked into the cabin and announced that there is mail for her. They sat together at the kitchen table and Jim helped her to open the mail, saying it's from London. Kate knew that it must be from Rick, but that single fact didn't stop the butterflies inside of her belly.
She was so amazed by the depths of his kindness when her fingers touched the first postcard he send her; no one has ever done something so special for her. The card was made in a specific way with small beads and bumps so that she could trace them with her fingers and have some hint of what the card might look like.
"Thank you, Rick." She squeezes his arm in gratefulness, bumping her head against his shoulder.
"I'd send you hundred cards, but you'd get annoyed at some point."
"Hmmm, not if they are different."
"Really? You wouldn't be annoyed?" He asks, looking astonishingly at her.
"Nope." She pops with her chapped from the cold lips at the 'p', grinning playfully.
"Okay, then – since now you have three cards, only ninety-seven cards left."
"Treehouse!" He shouts unexpectedly, his voice echoing through the forest, making Kate startle beside him. "There's a treehouse right there!"
"Rick, what the- "
"C'mon, let's go inside." He takes her by the elbow gently, guiding her towards the tree where a ladder is hanging freely, so anyone could just climb up inside of the small wooden house.
"Rick, - "
"Whoa, be careful. Hold my hand, there's a very big puddle beneath the ladder."
"Maybe it's a trap." Kate mumbles annoyingly beside him, taking her hand away from him when he attempts to hold it. "I won't go there."
"C'mon, Kate live a little. It will be fun."
She only shakes her head at him in disapproval and crosses arms over her chest. His lips pinch into a thin line, shaking his head at her and turning around to figure a way to jump onto the ladder without stepping into the big puddle. "Fine. I'll go by myself."
"Go ahead, Indiana."
He folds his hands into fists and stretches his one foot to catch the ladder with it, making it sway a little. He hums in accomplishment when he catches the ladder with the tip of his shoe, bringing it a little closer to him and grabbing it with his hands.
Finding his balance, he hops with his other foot, jumping slightly onto the ladder without falling in the big puddle. "I really am Indiana Jones."
Meanwhile, Kate rubs at her temples, pulling the hood more securely around her head even though her hair was already soaking wet from the rain.
Rick climbs up the ladder carefully, testing if it's strong enough to support his weight by bouncing on it. The treehouse is not too high, so it's easy for him to reach the entrance, but when he does he can't open the little door. He grunts in annoyance, turning around on the ladder to look at Kate who is waiting for him.
"It's locked."
"Obviously." She murmurs.
"I wonder if there is any other way to get - "He's in the middle of his sentence when one of his feet misses a step on the ladder when he tries to go down, losing his balance and falling with a loud splash into the big, dirty puddle.
Some of the dirty water splashes Kate, but it's not a big deal to her when he has just fallen into the puddle. "Holy crap, Rick!"
"Awgh." He groans, spitting out some of the dirty water that has gotten into his mouth.
She jumps into action to search for him, walking towards the direction of his grunts to try to help him. "Rick, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." He whines in pain, holding onto his right shoulder. Dirt covers his whole face, the water from the puddle clinging into his clothes and shoes. He wants to cry. "Please don't tell me 'I told you so'."
"Here, I'll try to help you. Take my hand." She steps closer to the puddle, her feet stepping onto the slippery dirt.
"Kate, don't come any closer or you'll- "He tries to warn her, but she has already stepped onto the slippery area, letting out a scream when her ankle twists and she slips, falling with a smaller than Rick's splash into the puddle next to him.
TBC
