Chapter 7: Last Day in Paradise

As both women had feared, Kate's time in New Mexico quickly came to a close and they found themselves sharing their last evening together before Kate had to go back to New York. Vicky was sick to her stomach with the thought that in the morning she'd have to drop Kate off at the airport, but she was doing her best to enjoy the time they did have left to the fullest. She was in her pajamas, flitting around the kitchen preparing a meal for Kate.

Kate had been doing the majority of the cooking while she'd been there, so Vicky made her promise that this last night, she was in charge of the meal. A friend of hers from the gallery had agreed to teach her how to make an authentic New Mexican meal and although Vicky's prowess in the kitchen was usually very low, this time, she was handling it like an old pro. She was making enchiladas, posole, and red chili for the main dish, a small salad, and apple empanadas for dessert. Needless to say, the smells from the kitchen were intoxicating.

As per their agreement, Kate was staying out of the kitchen tonight. It wasn't easy but she had agreed, knowing this was important to Vicky. Kate sat on the couch and listened to the soft music coming from the stereo. The aromas that were emanating from the kitchen called out to her, begging her to go in the kitchen but she resisted. This was her last night in New Mexico; her last night with Vicky, and Kate wanted it to be perfect. If that meant staying out of the kitchen so Vicky could cook their meal in peace, she would do it.

Kate wondered how she was going to get on that plane tomorrow and fly away, knowing she was leaving her heart behind. She kept reminding herself that, one day soon Vicky would be with her in New York. She didn't know when it would happen but she was confident that it would happen. She just had to be patient.

When Kate couldn't stand being away from Vicky any longer, she stood up and made for the kitchen. She was about halfway there when she stopped in her tracks. She realized that she was dangerously close to breaking her promise, so she rallied her strength and found a compromise. She closed the rest of the distance and leaned against the doorway, content to just watch the woman she had fallen in love with as she moved about the kitchen. In the silence, Kate tried to memorize every detail about Vicky so that she could think back and remember her when she was back home and missing the warmth of the blonde's arms in the night.

Vicky could feel Kate's presence and she turned around with a grin, "Couldn't stand it anymore, huh?"

Kate smiled, "Nope. Couldn't bear to be away from you. I was in there," she gestured to the living room with one hand, the other resting lightly on her belly, "and I just...I missed you. I had to come look at you. I hope you don't mind being watched."

"No, of course not. You can sit in here and keep me company; all I ask is that you keep your hands to yourself. I'm pampering you tonight, remember?"she said with a smile that lit up her entire face.

Kate smiled, "Deal."She walked closer and sat on a nearby chair and just watched Vicky as she cooked.

Vicky was carefully putting the enchiladas together, taking care to smother them just right. She turned back to Kate and said, "A lot of cheese or just a little?"

Kate thought for a moment, "A lot...please." Kate was in the mood to be bad, in more ways than one. She wanted to make the most of their last night together. "Something tells me we'll both be needing our strength tonight baby."

Vicky giggled and put a lot of cheese on top. She then ladled out posole into two bowls and tossed the salad with a special homemade dressing that Vicky had picked up at a small, family-owned restaurant in town. She looked over her shoulder at Kate and said, "Ok, I am going to need a little help getting all this to the table."

Kate smiled as she stood up and crossed the floor to Vicky. She leaned close and kissed the blonde. Kate pulled away and said, still smiling, "As you wish baby."She shifted then and picked up the two bowls of posole and turned to the table.

Vicky carried the main dishes and set them down before going back to get the salad. A bottle of wine was already on the table waiting to be poured into two white wine glasses. She sat down with Kate and asked, "Will you do the honors?"

Kate picked up Vicky's hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. Then she smiled and said, "Of course." She picked up the bottle of wine and poured it into the glasses. Kate set the bottle back down on the table before she lifted her wineglass with one hand while the other reclaimed Vicky's free hand. She held the warm hand in hers and looked into Vicky's blue eyes and said, "To us and our love. And to the day when you move to New York and we can be together forever. I love you baby."

Vicky smiled, her eyes suddenly glassy with tears, "I love you too, Kate. I can't wait until our dream comes true." Their glasses met and then Vicky brought it to her lips, taking a sip. She set it down and looked back at Kate, "I hope you like this."

Kate smiled, "If it tastes half as good as it smells I know I'll love it. Thank you for... for giving me the best two weeks of my life...for loving me."Kate fell silent as she took her first bite of the enchiladas. She gave a tiny moan when the flavors exploded on her tongue. It was really good and Kate was very impressed.

Vicky watched her and the look on Kate's face said it all. She had succeeded in cooking something delicious, which made her extremely happy. She wanted to show Kate that she was able to learn something new because she didn't want the other woman to think that she'd have to do all the cooking when...if they were living together.

Kate opened her eyes and noticed that Vicky wasn't eating. She swallowed her food and said, "Um...this is really good, why aren't you eating? Is something wrong?"

"I'm just...I don't know, I'm watching you, I guess. I wanted this to be perfect and I guess I'm just savoring this moment of enjoyment."

Kate smiled, "Well, the food is perfect, the company is perfect and despite being our last night together, it will continue to be perfect." Kate took Vicky's hand again and rubbed her thumb over her fingers. She looked at their hands, liking how well they fit together, then looked back up at Vicky. "Tonight will be perfect because we're together."Kate brought Vicky's hand to her lips and she kissed her fingers.

Vicky nodded, "I know...even if I have to let you go tomorrow, at least I know you're out there. I'm not sitting here wondering if I'd ever meet someone who would make me happy the way you do. That in itself makes this a bit more bearable."She caressed Kate's chin and then worked on her food, wanting to get to dessert so that she and Kate could go sit together in the living room.

Kate frowned as something occurred to her. Vicky was talking as if they were going to cut off all contact. She knew she couldn't let her go on thinking that. "Vicky, sweetie, you'll have more than just the knowledge that I'm out there. Granted it's not the best solution, but there's e-mail, texting, phone calls, even webcams. We can talk every day. In fact, we're going to talk every day because I don't even want to think about going more than a day without hearing your voice or seeing your face on a webcam. It's not ideal but it's better than nothing. Right?"Kate suddenly wondered if that was something Vicky would want, to maintain contact. Kate felt something squeeze her heart at the thought that Vicky might not want to deal with the hassle of all of that.

Vicky nodded, but she knew better. The Marshal assigned to her case would never let her stay in contact with Kate, especially once she knew that Kate was from New York. She could maybe sneak in an e-mail here or there if she went to some public cafe, no traceable IP address. But anything after that...it was iffy at best.

Kate smiled, confident that Vicky wouldn't vanish from her life, that they would be able to talk and text and stay in contact. She went back to her meal, taking a sip of wine before taking a bite of her food.

Vicky continued on in silence, the only sound was her fork scraping against the plate. She finished her salad first, then the posole, but she kept her eyes on the plate. She was deep in thought about how she could sneak more than just e-mails to Kate. How she could call her every once in a while just to hear her voice. She knew she'd come up with something eventually.

After dinner, Kate gathered up the dishes and took them into the kitchen. She filled the sink with warm water and put the plates to soak. She took a breath and a moment to calm her nerves. She didn't know why but she had the feeling like there was something more, something that Vicky wasn't telling her.

It scared Kate to think that she might never hear from Vicky again after she left and she felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of losing Vicky forever. Kate took a few deep breaths, trying to control the tears so they wouldn't fall and her eyes wouldn't get red because she didn't want to worry Vicky or make her feel guilty or anything like that.

She was so focused on trying not to cry that she didn't hear Vicky enter the kitchen.

"Hey, leave those, I'll do them tomorrow." She walked up behind her, slipped her arms around her, and whispered, "I have a surprise for you in the living room."

Kate put her hands over Vicky's and leaned back. She was glad her voice was steady when she said, "A surprise? I can't wait. Let's go."Kate made a move to head to the living room, not looking at Vicky, not trusting her eyes not to give her away.

Vicky followed behind her and said, "Sit down and close your eyes..."

Kate sat on the couch and closed her eyes, smiling. She was glad for the moment to close her eyes and get her emotions under control.

Vicky crept over to one of the side tables and opened the drawer, taking a small packaged wrapped in teal paper from inside. She knelt down in front of Kate and took her hand, turning it palm up. She placed the package in her hand and smiled. "Ok, open."

Kate opened her eyes and looked at the box in her hand. She didn't know what to say. "Baby, you didn't have to get me anything. What is it?"Kate took her eyes off the box and looked at Vicky when she asked the question.

Vicky smiled, "Open it."

Kate turned to the box and opened it. The paper fell away to reveal a light blue box. Kate looked at Vicky again then opened the box. Inside was a ring. It looked to be silver but Kate knew it was probably white gold. There were two hearts in diamonds facing each other, leaving the top of the ring open. Kate's mouth hung open. "Vicky, this is...um...it's very beautiful."Kate wondered what the ring meant, but was too scared to ask.

Vicky took the ring from the box and then lifted Kate's right hand. She slipped it on her finger and then looked up into her eyes, "It's a promise ring. I wanted to give it to you as a sign that I'm yours and someday I will find my way back to you."

This time when the tears came to her eyes, Kate let them fall. She felt the ring on her finger but all she could think was that Vicky really did want to be with her one day. Kate launched herself at Vicky and, wrapping her arms around her neck, she kissed the blonde, letting all her emotions, her love, spill into the kiss. Kate felt Vicky fall backwards onto the couch and she shifted to lie above her. Kate began moving her lips down Vicky's neck.

"You...are...so...amazing," Kate said between kisses. She lifted her head from Vicky's neck to look into the blonde's blue eyes before she continued, "I don't know what I ever did to deserve someone like you, to deserve your love but I am glad I did it. This trip was only supposed to be about the Loretto Chapel and getting away from my job for two weeks but...then I met you and...everything changed. You showed me what love could be and I know, I know that you and I will be together again in New York. We'll be together and live our lives happy and in love. And I will wait, for as long as it takes for you to come back to me."Kate leaned down and sealed her promise with a kiss.

Vicky took on Kate's weight. She needed to have the brunette as close to her as possible for as long as possible. Her hands ran over Kate's back, tickling in some spots, rubbing in others, just the way that Kate liked. The kiss was sweet and strong and it made Vicky pulse with desire. She wanted to make love with Kate, but before they did that, she wanted to do something else first. "Baby, we should go share a hot bath together."

Kate smiled, "Oooh...I like the sound of that." Kate moved to sit up, straddling Vicky's waist and running her hands down from her shoulders, over her breasts and resting on Vicky's abs. She smiled down at the blonde and ran her tongue slowly over her lips, "Are you ready baby?"

Vicky nodded, "You have no idea." She caressed Kate's breasts in return and bucked her just a little, "You have to let me up if we're going to do that though."

Kate ground herself down onto Vicky's hips and smiled seductively, "Do you really want me to move?"

Vicky bit back a moan, "You don't play fair...but then again, neither do I." She squeezed Kate's ass and looked up into her eyes, "Wouldn't this feel better with us naked in the warm water?"

Kate bit her lip. She let out a whimper when Vicky squeezed her ass and she leaned down closer to the gorgeous woman beneath her. She ran her tongue up her neck, tasting the salty tang of sweat on her skin, and smiled at the shiver that passed through the blonde. She hummed against Vicky's neck, making sure to vibrate against her skin, "Mmmmm, baby you taste so good."

Vicky swallowed hard, her juices starting to flow, "I take it we're not moving..."

Kate smiled, "Well...we could move but that would mean stopping what I'm doing right now."Kate moved her hands under Vicky's shirt and lifted it up so she could wrap her lips around Vicky's breast. She teased her nipple with her tongue as one hand reached for the other breast and cupped it, running her thumb over the nipple to tease it to life.

"Y-yes, I realize that...but...wouldn't you, oh God...um, wouldn't you rather be somewhere a bit more...comfortable?"

Kate lifted her head and smiled, "Hmmm... Well when you put it that way..." Kate moved her mouth to the other breast and licked the nipple and grazed her teeth against it, "I guess we can move to another venue if you really want to."Kate's lips drifted down Vicky's torso, nibbling the skin along the way.

Vicky was growing wet and she realized that she was quickly losing this battle. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, her legs falling open in anticipation of Kate's attentions.

Kate felt a tiny sense of victory when Vicky's legs parted and she gave in to her. Kate smiled, she liked winning, but she also liked the thought of making Vicky cry out her name in the tub. It was something they hadn't done yet and Kate suddenly wanted to feel Vicky's wet naked body against hers. She leaned up and looked at Vicky. "On second thought, a bath together sounds really good. Come on." Kate slowly stood up and reached a hand down to Vicky, "Let's get naked and wet baby."

Vicky opened her eyes and watched Kate in shock. The brunette had given in just when Vicky was ready to surrender. The blonde took Kate's hand and stood, her body weak from desire. She leaned on the brunette and said, "I'm already one of those things..."

Kate grinned, "Oh yeah? Let's see what we can do about getting you naked." Kate pulled her closer and ran her hands under Vicky's shirt. She began lifting it up and swiftly took it off, smiling at the sight before her. Vicky wasn't wearing a bra and Kate leaned forward and pressed a kiss between the blondes pale breasts. She slipped her tongue out and licked the skin, pulling back after a moment to look up at Vicky, "You and me in your bathtub with the warm water surrounding us as we make love...sounds like a great way to make tonight perfect."

Vicky grinned, a little smug, "I'm glad you see it my way..."She took Kate's hand and led her to the bathroom. There were candles already lit and all that had to be done was fill the tub and get Kate out of her clothes. She went over and turned on the water, dropping a container of fresh rose petals into the tub.

Then she went back and started kissing Kate again while she took off the brunette's pants.

Kate let herself be undressed, enjoying the attention. She closed her eyes as her clothes seemed to melt away. Kate ran her hands over Vicky's waist, she quickly removed the blonde's pants and before she knew it they were both naked and pressed together, kissing like neither one of them would ever be able to get enough of the other.

Vicky slowly led Kate to the tub while they kissed and stopped when she felt the lip of the footed tub against her leg. She pulled back and then stepped in first, the warm water enveloping both legs up to her knees, she helped Kate in and stared deep into her eyes, "I need you so much."Her hand ran down over Kate's body, from her shoulder, over her breast, down her stomach and then between the brunette's legs. She was already warm and Vicky couldn't hold back any longer. She needed to be inside of her, making her feel loved and wanted.

Kate whimpered at the blonde's touch and whispered, "You have me. Forever."Kate surrendered to Vicky's touch and felt her knees buckle. They sank into the water, smiling.

They made love there in the warm water and then took a shower together before retiring to Vickys bedroom and falling asleep holding each other tight.


The following morning, Kate woke up with Vicky's arms around her, her body pressed close behind her and a feeling of dread in her belly. That afternoon, Kate was going to be getting on a plane and flying back to New York. She would have to leave Vicky behind and fly away from her and Kate didn't know if she was strong enough to do that. She didn't want to wake up tomorrow without the blonde's arms around her but she knew that she didn't have much of a choice.

Reality was calling, her time in paradise with the woman she had fallen in love with was over and now she had to go back to her life. Back to the precinct, the murder cases, the investigations...and the lonely nights. They would be worse now that she knew exactly what and who she was missing.

Kate closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Vicky, wanting to block out the truth for a little while longer, to ignore the fact that this was her last morning with her lover.

Vicky was in the middle of a dream when she felt Kate move and she opened her eyes just a little. "Babe, are you ok?"

Kate sighed and whispered, "Yeah, I'm fine. Go back to sleep baby."She didn't want to burden Vicky with her depression.

Vicky rubbed Kate's tummy, "You don't sound fine. Talk to me."

Kate closed her eyes, "It's nothing."Kate put her hand over Vicky's and traced small circles on her skin.

"You're thinking about leaving..."Vicky said with a deep sigh. She had thought about it all night until she literally couldn't stay awake anymore. Now it was Kate's turn and it hurt Vicky to think that her girlfriend was in pain.

Kate sighed, she kept her back to Vicky and said, "Yeah...I am. Can't help it."Kate felt tears in her eyes and she decided to let them fall. She didn't have the strength to hold them back anymore.

Vicky could hear Kate's quiet sob and it proved too much for her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and splashed on the bare skin of Kate's back. "I don't want you to go, Kate..."

Kate felt the tears falling on her back and she finally couldnt take it anymore and turned to face Vicky. She looked into her eyes and said, "I don't want to leave. I wish I could stay here with you, just quit my job and stay here and build a life with you but...I can't. Vicky, I love you and I want to spend my life with you but I can't just abandon my life in New York. It's killing me to think about going back to what my life was like before you. It was lonely then but I could manage. Now, after knowing how great it can be with you, it's going to be so much worse."Kate stopped talking as the tears became too much and she buried her face against Vicky's neck, crying for them and what they should have but couldnt yet.

Vicky cradled her, stroking her back, but her own tears were making it hard for her to stay still. She needed Kate and she didn't like the idea of going back to this life without her either. She couldn't bear the idea of coming home to an empty house, falling asleep alone, cooking for one. It hurt her heart too much that she thought it was going to break in two. She lifted Kate's chin and through the tears, she kissed her deeply, her need so great.

Kate gave herself over to the kiss. Needing to show Vicky that she loved her. Kate ran her hands gently over Vicky's skin, tracing the path from her thigh up over her hip to her ribcage, stopping only when she reached a firm breast and she cupped it. Kate shifted until Vicky was on her back and she was hovering above her. Kate lifted her head and smiled through her tears. She thumbed the nipple in her hand and said, "You and me, we're forever. No matter how far apart we are, we're forever. This is real between us and I know, I know that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. We just have to get past this little obstacle. Once you sort out what you need to here and make the move to New York, we will be together. Until then, just know that I love you and I will wait as long as I have to."Kate then leaned down and began kissing Vicky's neck.

"I love you too,"Vicky said, her hands raking through Kate's hair. She knew that whatever obstacles were in their way, their love was stronger. There wasn't an ounce of doubt about that anymore and it gave her the confidence that someday she would get back to her, Witness Protection be damned. For now, she wanted to just make the most of the time they had before she had to drive her to Albuquerque. She wanted to memorize everything about Kate that she hadn't already committed to memory so that when she was alone, she could call it back with total clarity.

Before Kate could really get lost in Vicky, her cell phone rang. The ring tone was familiar and she sighed as she stopped and placed her forehead on Vicky's left shoulder. "Dammit," she whispered. She lifted herself up and said, "I'm sorry baby but I have to take this." Kate kissed Vicky lightly before she left the bed and went over to the dresser where her cell phone was charging. Sighing she picked up the phone and hit the green button, "Hello Lanie...actually you are...no comment...no... Why'd you call Lanie...?" Kate sighed and brought her free hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Yeah...no yeah I got it...yeah thanks for the heads up...ok...yeah um...if I remember right it's 10:30 pm... yeah...thanks again Lanie. Ok, I'll see you tonight...bye." Kate ended the call and she put the phone back down. She turned to face Vicky with a wry grin. "Sorry about that."

"Something important?"she asked, turning onto her side. She was curious to know who that was on the phone, but also, she didn't want to pry. If Kate wanted to tell her, she'd tell her.

Kate looked down, "Um...kind of. That was Lanie, she was calling to tell me she would be picking me up from the airport tonight."Kate didn't know how to tell Vicky that her best friend was also calling to tell her that she was on the prosecutions witness list for one of her closed cases and she was expected in court the day after tomorrow. Kate hated testifying, she hated courtrooms, she especially hated lawyers and their readiness to accept plea deals that let murderers walk free after only a few years in jail rather than taking them to court so that they would get the life sentences they deserved. Vicky didn't know she was a cop and Kate wanted to keep it that way.

Oh, I see," Vicky replied. She had no reason to think it was anything other than a reminder call, so she just dropped it. "Do you want to come back to bed?"

Kate smiled, letting go of the reminder about court and walked over to the bed. She held her hand out and said, "Actually, I was hoping we could take a shower, together, and then I could make us some Malukuao for breakfast. As much as I would love to spend my last few hours here with you in bed, I think it might be easier on both of us if we did some normal stuff, you know?"

Vicky nodded, "Yeah, otherwise we might not want to get up and you'd miss your flight...oh wait, that actually sounds like a good idea..." She grinned at the brunette like a little kid hoping to get her way but she knew better. She chuckled sadly, "Just kidding." She tossed back the covers and got up, walking over to Kate to kiss her before taking her hand, "Come on."

Kate grinned as she followed Vicky. She was really tempted to give in to Vicky's suggestion but she knew that if she did, it would be even harder to say goodbye to her later. Kate pulled Vicky back after she turned on the shower and wrapped her hands around the blonde's naked body. She kissed her neck and said, "I love you. And I love watching you move, especially when youre naked. You're so sexy and beautiful." Kate lifted her right hand and quickly found the small bit of raised flesh near Vickys collarbone. That scar was the only blemish on otherwise perfect skin but even that tiny imperfection couldn't detract from the beauty of the blonde. "And not even this can change that."Kate slowly turned Vicky around and lowered her head to the mark. She lightly ran her tongue over the scar and then kissed it.

Vicky closed her eyes. She hated that scar, hated what it represented, but mostly she hated lying to Kate about it. She wanted to tell her, wanted to ask her to stop, to stop touching it, but she couldn't. Instead she lifted Kate's chin and said, "Kiss my lips..."

Kate lifted her head and smiled as she leaned closer and kissed Vicky's lips. She let herself get lost in the kiss, her hands resting lightly on the small of Vicky's back, just above the swell of her ass.

Vicky lightly scratched her nails over Kate's back as they kissed. She pressed her breasts against Kate's and rubbed lightly, loving the feel of Kate's fuller breasts against hers.

Kate savored the contact of skin on skin for a few more seconds before she pulled away. "Baby, the water's going to get cold."Kate tugged Vicky towards the shower. She stepped in and waited for Vicky to join her. The water was just right, not too hot but just hot enough to cause steam to fill the room. Kate pulled Vicky closer and began to kiss and nibble her neck while her hands ran down her sides and caressed her thighs.

"Kate, baby...please, make love to me one more time...please,"Vicky begged. Her voice was deep and throaty and her body was on fire, aching for Kate's amazing touch.

Kate lifted her head and let loose a feral smile, "Oh don't worry baby I fully intend to make you scream for me at least two more times. But since I've always wanted to make love under a waterfall, and there's no falls around here, the shower will have to do. So just relax and let me show you how much I love you."With that, Kate maneuvered the both of them under the stream of eater and lowered herself to her knees. She grinned up at Vicky as her hands slid up pale, silky thighs and she gently parted Vicky's legs. Kate leaned forward and reached her tongue out to taste her girlfriend.

Vicky let out a long, deep moan, her lips curling into a smile while the water cascaded down her face and breasts. She leaned back against the wall, lifting one leg to rest on the shower's ledge. That gave Kate better access to her core, which was dripping with her arousal. "Oh baby, yes, more..."

Kate smiled when Vicky moved and shifted a bit to get a little more comfortable. Kate leaned closer and higher and, with her hands holding Vicky's thighs, she wrapped her lips around Vicky's clit and sucked on it. Kate let out her own moan when she felt Vicky's thighs trembling beneath her hands and she felt her own wetness grow.

Vicky scratched at Kate's scalp as her hips started to rock back and forth. Her clit was so stiff and it was pulsing steadily while Kate's tongue worked it. Kate slid her right hand down Vicky's thigh and then swept it up the inside of her leg. She began to stroke Vicky's pussy, gathering the wetness there that had nothing to do with the water raining down on them and she grinned at the knowledge that she caused it. Kate flicked Vicky's clit with her tongue, lightening up on the suction as she slowly slid two fingers into Vicky's core, pausing a moment to let the blonde adjust to the penetration. Kate began a slow in and out motion, curling her fingers as she pushed in.

"Kate!"Vicky exclaimed when she felt the brunette enter her. The muscles around Kate's fingers tightened and her hips rocked harder now. She brought her hands up and cupped her own breasts, kneading the soft flesh in time with Kate's strokes. She wanted to touch the brunette so badly, but her turn would come soon, especially if Kate kept things up the way she was going.

Kate picked up her pace when she heard her name fall from Vicky's lips. When she looked up and saw the blonde's hands on her breasts, she grew even wetter and her desire doubled. Kate slid her left hand to the back of Vicky's thigh and up to her ass. Kate used her new grip to pull Vicky closer to her, unable to get enough of Vicky.

Vicky was already weak in the knees, but when Kate pulled her forward and her fingers went deeper, she knew that she was going to come hard and fast. It was like Kate knew exactly how to read her and deliver just what she needed. Her pussy was quivering as each stroke brought her closer and closer until she finally exploded. She screamed out Kate's name and moaned, shaking from head to toe. The waves washed over her for several moments, but when it all died down and she could speak again, she said, "I love you."

Kate felt Vicky come undone and she loved the sensation of it. She kept her fingers inside of her as Vicky rode out her orgasm and she gently brought her back to reality. She looked up when Vicky finally spoke and smiled, her lips and chin coated with the blonde's juices and she licked them up quickly before she smiled and said, "I love you too baby, so much."Kate slowly pulled her fingers out and she brought them to her lips. She kept eye contact with Vicky as she licked her fingers clean, making sure to keep them out of the shower's spray.

Vicky could feel herself shaking and the sight of Kate licking her fingers made her pulse again hard. A moan escaped her lips and her normally pale skin was a pink hue. "I need you, now..."She traded places with Kate and pushed her backwards until she was up against the wall of the shower. Without warning, her hand slipped between Kate's legs and she kissed her deep and hard as she started to stroke her.

The sudden reversal of positions coupled with Vicky's actions made Kate's head spin. She knew she was wet and ready and it wouldn't take much at this point to make her come. Kate closed her eyes and surrendered to the kiss and to Vicky's hand.

Vicky massaged, tugged and tickled Kate's clit while her tongue caressed Kate's, inviting the brunette into her mouth.

Kate slid her leg up and rested it on the edge of the tub, giving Vicky more access as she slid her tongue against Vicky's, losing herself in the kiss. Vicky's fingers were quickly getting coated and she figured Kate was ready to have her inside. She moved between Kate's pussy lips and found her entrance easily. She slipped two fingers in and started pumping in and out with ease.

Kate gasped at the sensation of Vicky's fingers inside of her and she began to move her hips in time with Vicky's thrusts. Kate felt her orgasm building rapidly and she gripped Vicky's shoulders to brace herself as she started to lose control. A few more thrusts and Kate broke their kiss to rest her head on Vicky's shoulder. She was gasping into Vicky's ear, the blonde's name coming out in fast bursts. When her orgasm finally hit her, Kate couldn't stop herself from biting down on Vicky's shoulder.

Vicky grunted when she felt Kate's teeth on her skin and slowed her fingers, drawing out Kate's orgasm for many more seconds until the muscles stopped pulsing.

Kate slowly came back down from her orgasm and she lifted her mouth from Vicky's shoulder. She looked at the indentation of her teeth against the light skin and she started to feel sick, unable to believe she had done that. Kate swallowed hard and turned her head away from the sight. She lifted her hand and rested it on Vicky's shoulder as she looked into the blonde's eyes, her voice thready and a little weak, but also sad and regretful, "I'm so sorry baby, I...I would never hurt you...I don't know what happened."Kate was close to tears by this point.

Vicky brought Kate close and held her as the water stung the bite. "It's ok, you didn't know what you were doing..."She had never known Kate to be violent, so she realized that it must've been the loss of her senses during her orgasm that led her to do it.

Kate shook her head, "No, no it's not ok. I hurt you, I...I almost made you bleed...I'm sorry baby."Kate couldn't look at the mark again and she was barely hanging on to her own control. Vicky was being too nice about it. Kate flashed back to Amber, the first woman she was sexually involved with before she became a cop, and she remembered the pain she endured in that relationship. Her first girlfriend had a mean streak and, well...biting was the nicest thing she had done to Kate. Luckily, Kate's best friend Lanie had seen the bruises and she had helped Kate get away from Amber.

Kate had vowed to never be in a violent relationship again, regardless of who was dishing out the pain. Kate pulled away from Vicky and stepped out of the shower. She needed some space so she left the bathroom and sat on the corner of the bed, wrapping her arms around her midsection as if she was trying to hold in the pain. Kate felt the tears well up and they fell silently and rapidly. She let herself cry and began rocking back and forth as the memories and the recriminations flooded her mind.

Vicky came running into the room, a towel wrapped around her and a fresh one in her hand for Kate. She approached the brunette slowly and spoke in a quiet, soothing voice, "Kate?" She wrapped the towel around her carefully, "You must be cold. Are you ok?"

Vicky's voice cut through the fog that had invaded Kate's mind and she slowly looked up at her lover. The blue eyes, the concern in them, pushed through the memories and the fear she was experiencing and Kate whispered, "Vicky?" Kate finally noticed where she was and she pulled the towel closer around her. She broke free from her daze and managed to smile up at Vicky, "Um...yeah, I'm ok now. Sorry about before. Are you all right? Your shoulder..."Kate's voice drifted off, not able to say what she had done to her girlfriend.

"It's ok. It's just a little mark, see?" She showed her shoulder to Kate and there was only a crescent shaped red mark that would fade in a couple of days. She knelt down and touched Kate's knee, "What happened in there, Kate? Why did you run out like that?"

Kate shook her head as she stared at the mark. It wasn't as bad now as it was before, it looked harmless now. Kate slowly lifted her hand up and brought it up to Vicky's shoulder but before she could make contact, she stopped herself, her fingers were less than an inch from the mark. She hovered over the mark and she noticed her hand was shaking. Kate pulled her hand back and rested it on her own knee. "I...I can't believe I did that. That's...that's not...I'm sorry baby."Kate couldn't wrap her mind around what she had done. It was unreal to her.

"You were coming, Kate. No one thinks clearly when they're having an orgasm. I know you didn't mean it," Vicky said and then sat down next to Kate. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

Kate took a breath and just said, "Amber."She stood up and adjusted the towel to cover herself better before she walked to the dresser and rested her hands on the top of it, her fingers tracing the patterns in the wood. She knew she would have to tell Vicky about Amber in order to explain why she had freaked out but she didn't know if she was strong enough. Kate's mind brought up an image of the bite mark then and she admitted that, strong enough or not, she didn't have a choice now.

"Who's Amber?"Vicky asked, watching Kate carefully from her place on the bed.

Kate took a deep breath. She had anticipated the question and now she had to answer it. She spoke, low but steady, "She was...my first girlfriend. We met during college, before I knew who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. She was the first girl I'd ever liked...as more than just a friend and I...I got lost in the relationship. She was nice, sweet and kind...at first, but then, after a few weeks, she changed. She started becoming angrier and she started drinking and she...she was violent sometimes. She...did things...to me and I...let her." Kate paused to take a breath as the old, familiar feelings began rising up again. Feelings she'd buried a long time ago but had never really resolved. Kate's head lowered, she stared at a line of grain in the wood and let her mind travel back to her time with Amber. "She always used to tell me it was my fault. That I made her act like that...she convinced me that I was nothing. She would hit me, yell at me over the littlest things, and she bit me...a lot, and almost always during sex. She left bite marks, breaking the skin more often than not, while she came in my hand."Kate stopped talking then as she realized she'd done to Vicky what Amber had done to her. Kate felt the bile rise again and this time she didn't fight it. She ran to the toilet and emptied her stomach of the remains of last night's dinner.'

Vicky ran to the bathroom and when she found Kate kneeling, she went over and rubbed her back, "It's ok, baby. I'm here, I'm not going to leave you."She didn't know what to do to make things better for Kate, so she just tried her best to comfort her.

When Kate had nothing left to throw up, she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes as she caught her breath. She looked at Vicky and saw the concern in her eyes, feeling even more guilt. Here she had hurt the blonde, marked her in a way that wasn't sensual but violent, and she was sitting there, comforting her as she threw up. Kate didn't know why Vicky hadn't run away yet but she was glad she hadn't. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to lose control like that...or like I did in the shower. I never meant to hurt you Vicky."Kate closed her eyes.

"Honey, I told you, I know that. You would never knowingly hurt me and I know that you feel bad for doing it, but you really don't have to. I'm going to be just fine, baby, ok?"She smiled and stroked Kate's hair.

Vicky's gentle touch and her words broke through the final wall and Kate nodded, feeling herself letting go of her fear. She would always have issues about this but she let it go for now. When she got back to New York and she was with Lanie telling her about her vacation and Vicky, her best friend would work her magic and she would finish putting the pieces back together. She would remind her that Amber would never hurt her again and Kate would be fine again. Right now, she needed to be in Vicky's arms. Kate reached out and pulled Vicky closer and hugged her, sighing, "Thank you."

Vicky held her close and rubbed her back, "You don't have to thank me, Kate. I love you and one little accident isn't going to change that. You are not a violent person, I know that in my heart, and if you had known, you wouldn't have done it."

Kate rested her head on the unmarked shoulder and let herself relax into Vicky's touch. She mumbled, "I love you,"over and over again, like a mantra.

Vicky could tell that this had shaken Kate to the core, but she meant what she said: it didn't change anything. She loved her and she'd help her though this no matter what it took. "That's right baby. I love you too, so much."

Kate opened her mouth to say something when her cell phone beeped a text. Kate jumped a little at the sound. She hadn't been expecting it. Kate looked into Vicky's eyes and she smiled, "I don't deserve you...but I'm glad I have you."Kate leaned forward and kissed Vicky lightly.

"You need to give yourself more credit, baby," she said with a genuine smile and then helped Kate to her feet. "Do you want to check your phone?"

Kate nodded as she stood, "Yeah I think I should, it might be important." Kate walked over to her cell phone and picked it up. She checked the text message and frowned, it was an automatic alert from the airline telling her that her flight was on time and scheduled to depart at 3 pm. Kate checked the clock on her phone and saw that it was 11 oclock. She turned to Vicky and held up the phone as she said, "The airport, an alert about my flight." Kate held out her free hand and said, "Come here."

Vicky went to her and took her hand, her blue eyes clouded with tears.

Kate pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her waist. She touched her forehead to Vicky's and smiled before pulling back to look at the blonde, "We have about three hours until I have to be at the airport. How about we go out for breakfast and take a walk in the sunshine?"Kate needed to get out and get some air before she got on that plane or else she'd end up taking the negative feelings that arose from the bite with her on the plane and she didnt want that.

Vicky nodded, "We can do that. Come on, let's go get dressed."She led Kate back into the other room and helped her dress, knowing that the brunette needed a little looking after given the morning's events. Once they were ready, Vicky grabbed her keys and walked out of the house with Kate, opening the door of the car for her.

Kate stepped into Vicky's car and settled back into the seat. She fastened her seat belt and waited as Vicky walked around to the other side. Kate smiled at Vicky, determined to keep the mood light and upbeat. "So, where are we going for breakfast?"

"I was thinking we could drive to Albuquerque and get something there, if you don't mind waiting 45 minutes..."Vicky said and started the car.

Kate smiled, thankful they had thought to load her luggage into the trunk yesterday, "That sounds fine to me."Kate reached over and held Vicky's hand.

Vicky squeezed her hand and then pulled out of the garage and onto the street. She headed in the direction of the interstate on-ramp and made the 45-minute drive to Albuquerque. When they got into the city, Vicky pulled off onto a side street and found a little place that she liked to go for breakfast. She pulled into the lot, turned off the car, and then got out. She walked around to open Kate's door and smiled, "I hope you like this place, they have the best breakfast in the whole city."

Kate smiled as she got out of the car, keeping hold of Vicky's hand. She loved being able to be open with Vicky, not having to hide the way she usually did back home. As she sat down in the booth that Vicky led her to, she smiled and decided right then that when Vicky moved to New York and they were finally together, she wasn't going to hide it, at least not from her friends, Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito.

Kate picked up the menu and skimmed it, quickly picking what she wanted, then she slipped out of the ballet flats she was wearing and she slid her foot slowly up Vicky's leg, thankful the blonde had chosen to wear a skirt today. Kate kept her eyes glued to menu, not really reading it as she let her foot graze Vicky's leg.

Vicky peeked over the menu and raised an eyebrow, "Frisky?"

Kate called forth all her training as a cop and her poker face and she glanced up at Vicky and with a blank face she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Are you telling me that's not your foot creeping up my leg? Cause if it isn't, we might have to make a call to the health department..."

Kate raised her eyebrows and leaned down, glancing under the table where she saw her foot touching Vicky's leg. Keeping up the act she said, "Huh, look at that...I guess it is my foot." Kate sat up again and looked at Vicky, "Do you want me to move it?"

Vicky shook her head, "No, well, unless you plan to move it higher..."

Kate looked around the crowded restaurant and grinned, "Well, I would if we weren't in such a public place. I mean there's a difference between playful fun and lewd public behavior, right?"Kate's voice was half serious, half playful because she really wanted to move her foot higher. She had a vision of Vicky sitting there fighting her arousal as Kate's toes teased her and brought her to orgasm in a public place but as a cop, she knew that it wasn't worth the trouble they could get into if they were noticed and arrested. So she slowly lowered her foot, resting her toes on top of Vicky's toes.

Vicky grinned, "Chicken."Then she went back to reading the menu, though she already knew what she was going to order, she just wanted to tease Kate a little.

Kate had a brief 'Marty McFly' moment but let it pass. She grinned, "Thats not going to work baby. I am not about to do something that could get me arrested and make me miss my flight, not to mention the embarrassment of the arrest, just because you call me chicken."Kate grinned as she looked up.

Vicky just chuckled to herself and then set down the menu. "Somehow I think it'd be worth it. Besides, there are plenty of loopholes to get around it."

Kate's eyes glowed with something almost devilish as she said, "Trust me, there aren't any loopholes for what I would do to you if there were a few less people in this restaurant."Kate was picturing being under the table with Vicky's legs spread and her panties around her ankles as she buried her face in Vicky's folds and used her tongue to make the blonde come.

"Ooh, that sounds dangerous and a little kinky. Better keep things on the up and up in that case,"Vicky said with a grin.

Kate just nodded and went back to her menu. The waitress came over then to take their drink orders. Both women ordered coffee and water. The waitress nodded and within a couple of minutes returned. She set down two cups and two glasses of water and poured the coffee for Kate and Alex.

Do you need a little more time to decide?she asked politely.

Vicky nodded and the young woman returned to her work.

Kate was about to say something when a text came through her cell. She checked it and saw it was from Lanie:

[Can't wait to see u girl! Missed u! Have a safe flight & I'll see u at Kennedy tonight!]

Kate just grinned and put the phone away, deciding to reply later.

"Lanie?"Vicky asked and set down her menu.

Kate looked at Vicky, "Um...yeah."

Vicky chuckled, "She's like a big sister making sure you're doing ok...I hope she likes me when she meets me."

Kate smiled, "Yeah she kind of is." Kate looked out the window for a moment then turned to Vicky, "And I know she'll love you."

"You sure? She's not going to make me answer 20 questions or submit DNA or run a background check, right?"

Kate chuckled, "She might. But I won't let her. Don't worry baby, she'll love you because I love you and you make me happy."Kate knew that Lanie would be cautious until Vicky proved herself to the overprotective woman, but she was confident that Vicky would pass inspection.

Vicky nodded and then the waitress came back to take their orders. Once she had them down, she disappeared again. "I was thinking that maybe we could go to the park and walk before we go to the airport. You mentioned that you wanted to be out in the sunshine."

Kate grinned as she leaned forward on the table, "I'd like that. Thank you."

"There's a place near here, very quiet, very green..." She sipped her water and looked at Kate with sad eyes, "Seems like a dream, doesn't it?"

Kate looked at Vicky then and saw the sadness in her eyes. She felt it too but knew there wasn't a way around it. "In some ways it does. I never expected to meet someone on this trip; I never expected to fall in love. This has been the best two weeks of my adult life and now I have to go home...alone. But I know this is real. I know we're meant to be so I know that I can wait for you." Kate reached over and grabbed Vicky's hand, lightly brushing her thumb over the blondes knuckles. "I have no regrets about these two weeks... Well that's not true. I do regret what happened this morning in the shower when I..." Kate broke off not able to verbalize what she'd done. "But other than that, no regrets. I just wish I didn't have to leave you."

"Same here, Kate. But it won't be long before we're together. I don't know why, but I feel it in my heart. I know that you're the one for me and that gives me hope."

Kate smiled, "We're going to be together Vicky and once we are, nothing is going separate us again."Kate brought Vicky's hand closer and she kissed it.

A few minutes later the waitress brought their food and Vicky smiled, "Mmm, this looks so good."She picked up her fork and started eating and though it was good, it was nothing compared to Kate's breakfast.

Kate looked at her short stack of chocolate chip pancakes topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries and smiled. She took a bite and almost moaned at the way the flavors mixed on her tongue.

Kate looked up at Vicky and got an idea. She speared a strawberry with her fork and made sure to dip it into the chocolate sauce she'd asked for on the side and then scooped up some whipped cream and held it out in front of the blonde. "Want to have a taste, baby?"

Vicky nodded and opened her mouth. It looked great on the fork, but she was sure that it would taste even better.

Kate watched as Vicky's lips closed around the fork and she found herself wishing they were alone...Kate was getting jealous of a fork! Kate pulled the fork back, watching almost mesmerized as it slid out of Vicky's mouth, those talented lips sliding against the metal. Kate swallowed hard, forcing her sudden arousal down.

Vicky closed her eyes and moaned. Kate was right: it did taste amazing. The flavors blended and she swallowed it down. She wished that they were back at her house sharing this, preferably naked, with a glass of champagne.

Kate focused on her food. Vicky's little moan was threatening to send her under the table and public lewdness charges be damned. "I wish I'd gotten what you did. Do you want to try mine?"

Kate looked at Vicky's meal and she smiled as she leaned forward, "That looks really yummy." Kate opened her mouth, waiting for Vicky to give her a scooped a little of everything, egg, hash browns, red chili, and cheese, onto the fork and carefully fed it to Kate, grinning. She pulled the fork away slowly and lifted an eyebrow, "Good?"

Kate swallowed the food and smiled, "It's very good, but the chili is a bit much for breakfast, for me anyway. I think I'll stick with my pancakes, but thank you for the taste."

"You're welcome," she said and took another bite. When she swallowed, she continued, "You get used to it when you live here. I wasn't a big fan when I first moved, but now, I can't get enough."

Kate thought about that and nodded, "Yeah that makes sense. I wish I could've stayed here long enough to learn to like it too."

"I'll start making it more often when we have our place together,"she said, her eyes twinkling with the idea.

Kate grinned, "I like the sound of that."She liked hearing that she wasn't the only one having mini fantasies about her and Vicky living together in New York, happy and in love.

"Would you be opposed to moving to Chelsea when we get our place?"

Kate leaned back and said with a smile, "Baby, I'd live anywhere if it meant I was with you."She knew that Chelsea might mean a bit of a commute to the precinct, but it would be worth it if she had Vicky with her.

Vicky smiled. Though she had always lived on the Upper East Side, she'd longed to move to Chelsea someday and buy a cute little loft. It was a very gay friendly area and she felt it would be perfect for her and Kate.

Kate enjoyed hearing Vicky making plans. She liked knowing that Vicky wanted this too, but it was more than that. Over the past two weeks, whenever Kate mentioned them living together in New York and that she'd wait as long as she had to, Vicky would either change the subject or start almost warning her that it would be a long time before she could move to New York. It gave Kate the impression that Vicky didn't really want to be with her after she left. But now, hearing Vicky making plans, it gave Kate hope.

Vicky finished up her meal and checked her watch to make sure they still had plenty of time for their walk. When the waitress brought the check, she snatched it up before Kate could get to it and handed the girl the money to cover the bill, plus the tip.

Kate grinned at Vicky's actions, "You know, I would've taken care of that."

"Yes, but you've practically been cooking every meal for the last two weeks. I figure I should pitch in at least a little..."she said, returning the grin.

Kate chuckled, "Well I love cooking and cooking for you is even better because you're easy to please." Kate reached out and took Vicky's hand in hers, "It's going to be hard to go back to cooking for one again."Kate decided she didn't need to mention that she would probably revert to her usual habit of take out.

She loved to cook but between her job and her loathing of cooking for just herself, she kept the take out restaurants near her apartment in business.

"Tell me about it. I won't even bring up the fact that I'm not a very good cook, so that makes it even worse,"she chuckled, though Kate could probably tell how sad she was.

Kate realized a change in topic was needed so she said, "Hey, come on. We have enough time for that walk so let's get out of here ok?"Kate hoped that getting into the fresh air and being able to walk together might help beat back the sadness.

Vicky nodded and got up from her seat, walking out with Kate to the car so that they could head to the park. The blonde got back on the freeway and took an exit about a mile down the road to a little side street that led to a huge park near the downtown museums. She pulled into a parking space and got out of the car with Kate.

Kate stepped out of the car and looked around, smiling. The park seemed like the perfect place to just spend time with Vicky. They could forget about her leaving and just enjoy being together. Kate held out her hand to Vicky, wanting to hold her hand as they walked around, and grinned, "Come here."

Vicky took her hand and willingly went closer to Kate. Her only thought was to be as close to Kate for as long as possible before they had to leave for the airport. The sun was shining brightly still, not a cloud in the sky, and the birds were chirping their songs while the two walked beneath the trees. It seemed odd that the day could be so nice when it was going to end up being so sad.

Kate saw the trees on their right and she had an idea. She looked around to make sure they were alone and then she moved to her right, she pulled Vicky along with her. "Come here I have an idea."She smiled at Vicky and kept walking backwards until she felt the trunk of a tree behind her. She leaned back onto the tree and pulled Vicky as close as she could get her, placing her hands on the blonde's waist to keep her in place. She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows before she leaned forward and kissed her.

Vicky kissed her back with fervor, her tongue darting into the other woman's mouth swiftly. She loved when Kate took control like this and her aforementioned desire to be close to the brunette kept her glued in place.

Kate smiled at Vicky's eagerness. She loved how Vicky never held anything back when they kissed. Kate ran her hands up Vicky's back and back down to just above her ass. Despite letting herself get lost in their kiss, Kate still had the presence of mind to keep it clean enough to avoid getting arrested. She pulled back from the kiss and lowered her lips to Vicky's neck and Kate had to admit, if only to herself, that she had a bit of a fetish when it came to Vicky's neck. She just loved tasting it and sucking on it and she really liked how easy it was to mark, to claim Vicky as hers. Kate was careful though, not to use her teeth at all.

Vicky tilted her head to give Kate room to work, her hands on Kate's hips to keep herself steady. She was Kate's and that's why she gave herself freely to her. She wanted the brunette to know that she trusted her completely.

Kate smiled when she felt Vicky move to give her better access. She drifted her lips lower to the collar of Vicky's shirt and she reached her tongue out, licking the valley between the blonde's breasts. Kate was getting turned on and she felt herself getting wet. Kate slid her hand around to the front of Vicky's jeans, she kept it hidden between their bodies but she slid her fingers between Vicky's legs, lightly cupping her. Kate felt Vicky jump a little in her hand and she grinned. She lifted her lips to Vicky's ear and whispered, "Do you like that?"

Vicky's cheeks were flushed and she nodded, "Yes...don't start something you can't finish, babe, please...cause I need you..."

Kate pulled her lips back but kept her hand where it was. She glanced quickly at Vicky's car and then back to her girlfriend. She grinned, a little evilly, and said, "Well...what do you say we go back to your car and I show you how much I need you too? I can definitely finish what I'm starting if you're willing to let me."Kate looked at Vicky, waiting for her answer, while her hand slowly stroked back and forth with just enough pressure to be noticed.

"Yes,"she said in a heavy breath and pressed down on Kate's hand, her underwear getting drenched with her arousal.

Kate grinned, she hadn't wanted to fool around in a car since her teens but she needed to be with Vicky one more time. Carefully she pulled her hand away, loving the little whimper that escaped Vicky's lips. She took Vicky's hand and said, "Come on." Kate pulled Vicky back to the car and she opened the back door. She motioned for Vicky to get in first and then followed her in. Kate shifted and gently lay Vicky down, "Just lay back baby and enjoy the ride, ok? I want to give you something to remember when you're in bed alone."Kate was suddenly really glad that Vicky's car has tinted windows as she took the blonde's shirt off and dropped it on the driver's seat. Kate took a moment to admire Vicky's breasts in the white lace, demi-cup bra she was wearing. It was very girly and very...Vicky. Kate smiled as she unhooked the front clasp and set the blondes beautiful breasts free. She lowered herself down and took one breast in her mouth and began to lick it while her hand began playing with the other one.

Vicky moaned and her back arched, pressing her breasts up against Kate's mouth and hand. Her nipples were stiff, straining for as much contact as possible. She was breathing heavily, her eyes closed and her hand running through Kate's short, brown locks. She hadn't done anything like this in years and there was something about being in a public place, even if they were concealed, that turned her on like nothing else.

Kate knew they didnt have a lot of time but she was determined to make Vicky come, hard. She switched her mouth to Vicky's other breast while her hands slid down her torso to the waistband of the blonde's skirt. She unzipped the skirt and slid one hand inside to cup Vicky's sex, her fingers getting coated with the wetness she knew she'd caused. Kate began to kiss her way down Vicky's body to join her hand.

Vicky was gripping the seat with one hand and Kate's hair with the other. Her legs were parted as much as they could be given the tight space and her breathing had evolved into moans, each one louder than the last. "Oh, god, Kate...yeah...like that, baby, like that."

Vicky's moans and her words only served to turn Kate on even more and she quickly slid Vicky's skirt off and closed her lips around her clit to suck on it.

Kate moved her hands around to Vicky's butt to cup her cheeks and lift her up a little to give her mouth more access of the blonde's soaking wet center. Kate smiled as her actions increased the moans coming from the blonde.

"I'm so close, Kate...please, baby, don't stop,"Vicky pleaded, her hips rocking, her breasts heaving, and her folds quivering. She had her eyes open staring down at Kate situated between her legs. It was pushing her closer and closer to climax to watch Kate's head bobbing as she licked, sucked, and thrust.

Kate lifted her head long enough to say, "Come for me baby."Then she lowered her mouth back to her task as she brought one hand around to the front and slid one long finger into Vicky. She curled her finger and felt the spongy patch of nerves that she was looking for. She increased the motion of her tongue against Vicky's clit as she applied gentle but firm pressure to the spot deep inside of her blonde girlfriend who was writhing and moaning. Kate knew Vicky was close and she wanted her to come in her mouth, on her hand.

Vicky couldn't hold back, though she was trying because she wasn't ready for this to end. Her back arched up and her muscles tightened around Kate's finger, her clit pulsing against Kate's tongue. Her moans were rhythmic until she finally lost control and then it was Kate's name on her lips. She came hard, her body rigid as she repeated Kate's name over and over.

Kate felt Vicky come apart in her hand and her mouth, shouting her name and she loved it. She slowed her finger and gently helped Vicky ride out the wave. When the blonde had come back down, Kate slowly slid her body up, rubbing against the sweat-slicked skin of the body beneath her and she looked into Vicky's deep blue eyes. Kate smiled down at her and whispered, "Thank you baby."Kate leaned down and kissed Vicky deeply, letting the blonde taste herself on Kate's lips.

Vicky licked and sucked at Kate's tongue, the salty familiarity of her essence filling her mouth. She pulled back, her eyes a dark blue color, and grinned at Kate, "Thank you. That was amazing, baby..." She took a deep breath and sighed, "Mmm, I want to return the favor."

Kate smiled and opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, her cell phone began chiming. Kate dropped her head to Vicky's chest and sighed. She reached around to the front seat where her purse was and pulled out her cell phone.

She checked the phone and let out a growl, "Damn it." She turned back to Vicky with a look that was half apologetic and half filled with frustration. She gave Vicky a light kiss as she turned off the alarm. "I would love to take you up on that baby but that alarm means I have less than 15 minutes to make it to the airport before I miss the one-hour check in window. I am so sorry baby, but we need to get going."Kate dropped her head to Vicky's chest again. She couldn't look into those blue eyes and see her reaction.

Vicky could feel her heart drop and then there was a squeeze, like it was stuck in a vice. She choked back her tears and caressed Kate's hair, their sweet scent thick in the car. She wasn't ready. That was all there was to it. But she knew she didn't have a choice, she'd have to take her, give her a good-bye kiss, and then go home to an empty house. The thought made her want to crawl into a hole. She sighed heavily and kissed the top of Kate's head and then began putting herself back together again. In minutes, she was behind the steering wheel and Kate in the passenger seat.

Kate felt like she was dying. She sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here with Vicky forever but she knew that wasn't an option. Kate turned her head and looked at Vicky. Her mind went back to a few moments ago when the blonde was naked, writhing beneath her, moaning. Kate would always treasure that memory. She reached out and placed her hand on Vicky's thigh, squeezing gently before she said, "I'm so sorry about this Vicky. I wish we had more time."Kate felt the tears coming on and she took a breath to fight them back.

Vicky could feel her throat close from the size of the lump inside. "I know...but it's not forever...it can't be. We'll be together again somehow, I promise. No matter what I have to door what you have to do. We'll be together."

Kate felt herself smile, "Yes, we will be. It will happen and I will wait for you. I just wish it could happen now."Kate had never really been a patient person but she was getting better at it and for a chance to spend the rest of her life with Vicky, she'd be patient.

They stopped at a red light and Kate turned in her seat to face Vicky. She lifted her hand to Vicky's cheek and she lightly ran her thumb over the cheekbone. Her voice was confident and firm, "Vicky Harrison, you and I will be together again one day and when we are, I'm going to spend the rest of our lives together making sure you know exactly how much I love you." Kate leaned forward and sealed her vow with a kiss.

There were a lot of things in this world that Vicky thought were certain only to find out that they could be yanked away in the blink of an eye, but this, Kate's vow, she believed was real with all her heart. Kate didn't take things lightly nor did she enter into them without giving it her full consideration. Vicky had seen this over the past two weeks. So she knew that no matter what it took, she and Kate would be together forever.

The honking of the cars behind them alerted them that the light had changed. Kate settled back into her seat as Vicky got the car moving again. They arrived at the airport within a few minutes and Vicky parked in the visitors lot. They got out and entered the airport.

Vicky insisted on accompanying Kate to the gate so she got a gate pass. They went through security and soon they were sitting in the chairs at the gate as they waited for the plane to arrive. Kate took Vicky's hand and smiled at her, "Thank you."

Vicky smiled, "For what?"

"For these last two weeks, for making this vacation the best of my life." Kate lowered her voice, "For loving me and letting me love you, for forgiving me for what I did to you this morning, for knowing it wasn't intentional, but most importantly, for believing me that we will be together one day and for planning ahead for it. Thank you for...being you. No pretenses, no lies, and no false promises just...being Vicky. I love you."Kate leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend.

Vicky nodded, but she didn't feel like she deserved Kate's gratitude. Yes, she loved her honestly, and yes, everything she had done or said or felt, was true, but there was one part that was not. It was the reality of who Vicky really was. It wasnt that she didn't want to tell Kate, she wanted to more than anything in the world, but she couldn't tell her the truth. She hated herself for that, but she hated Velez even more for taking that away from her and her girlfriend. She leaned her head on Kate's shoulder and said, "I love you too, Kate. No matter what happens, you have to believe that everything has been real and will always be real. Tell me you believe me."

Kate looked at Vicky and frowned, "I'm not sure I like the sound of that but yes, I believe you."Kate didn't normally trust so blindly but there was something about Vicky that inspired her trust.

Kate was in love, she knew it as surely as she knew her own name, and she knew Vicky loved her too, that much had become obvious these past two weeks. There was nothing Vicky could say or do that would change that.

Vicky kissed Kate again and then the call came over the PA system that Kate's flight was boarding. Vicky couldn't hold in her emotion anymore and her tears surfaced in the blink of an eye. She embraced Kate and held her tightly. "Please, get home safe and I love you. When you feel alone at night or when you're not sure how you're going to make it through your day, remember that I'm here and I love you with all my heart."

Kate held on to Vicky as if her life depended on it. She didn't want to let go, but Kate eventually pulled back and smiled through the tears in her eyes and said, "I will. When you get home I want you to look in the bottom drawer of your nightstand, I left you a surprise. I want you to remember me and know that whenever you look at what I left you, I'm thinking of you and loving you and waiting for the day when I can hold you again. I love you Vicky." Kate kissed Vicky, letting her love pour out of her, and then she pulled away as she heard her row being called. "I have to go baby, I'm sorry."Kate reluctantly stepped away and moved towards the door to the tunnel.

Vicky held onto herself, feeling as though a part of her heart had been ripped away. She watched Kate's plane pull away and waited until it had taken off and was out of her sight. She walked with heavy legs back to the parking area to get into her car and go home. The only comfort she had was the surprise waiting for her. Anything that came from Kate would be cherished until the moment she could be with her again.

Kate sat in her seat on the airplane and looked out the window as she watched the ground fall away. With every moment that passed, she was being taken further away from Vicky, so it made her glad that the seat next to hers was empty. It allowed her to cry in peace. She let the tears fall, not even trying to stop them. She felt the tightness in her chest as she thought about going to bed alone and waking up without Vicky. Idly, wondered if one could actually die from a broken heart. If so, she was sure she would land in New York as a corpse.


When Vicky got home, she closed the door behind her and heard the deafening echo as it bounced off the adobe walls. She continued to sob, her eyes red from all the tears, and slowly made her way into her bedroom. She sat down on the bed and reached for the drawer that Kate had told her to look into for the surprise and sure enough, she found the little package that Kate was talking about.

A few days ago, when she finally allowed herself to face the reality that she was going to be leaving soon, Kate decided to leave something for Vicky to remember her by. Vicky had to work that day, so she'd let Kate borrow her car again. Kate had typed a search into her cell phone to find the places she needed to go and then entered the addresses into the GPS unit in the car. Three stops later, Kate had everything she needed and went back to Vickys house. Shed been staying there since their fourth day together after Vicky asked if shed be interested in checking out of the hotel early so that they could spend more time together. Kate was thrilled at the invite and moved all of her things to Vickys place.

As she sat in the kitchen, Kate prepared Vickys surprise by carefully writing out the exact recipe for Malukuao, and framing it in a beautiful brushed metal frame that shed bought at Borders. She then picked up the copy of Rick Castles first book, the one shed bought at the bookstore during their first date, and carefully wrapped the book with a sheet of tissue.

Kate wanted to leave Vicky this book as a gesture that they would see each other again. She knew that Vicky knew how important the book was to her and that by leaving it with the blonde, she was saying that she knew they would be together again.

She placed the book into a gift box and then set the frame on top of it before closing the box. She then took out the stationery she'd also picked up at Borders and began writing the letter she was going to leave. She wrote down all of her emotions and thoughts about their future and then carefully folded the letter.

She slid the letter into the matching envelope and after sealing it, she kissed the flap and left a medium red impression of her lips on the white paper. Kate wrapped the box with the nice silvery wrapping paper she'd bought and then taped the letter to the top, Vickys name written in Kates handwriting. Kate slipped it into the bottom drawer of the nightstand and knew she would have to make sure Vicky didn't find it until she was gone.

Kate smiled as she thought of all the ways she could distract her beautiful, sexy girlfriend from looking in the drawer as she cleaned up the mess shed made with the wrapping and soon though, it was time to pick Vicky up from work. After returning to Vickys house for the night, Kate had cooked dinner and they'd snuggled on the couch, the blonde none the wiser about the surprise waiting for her in the nightstand.

Now, Vicky held the recipe and the book in her hands and smiled. "Oh, Kate,"she said, her tears still falling, but this time, they were happy. She knew how important the book was to Kate, so to be holding it at all meant that Kate believed they would be together again. She resolved that somehow she'd find a way to get Rick Castle to sign it for Kate, even if she had to use her Cabot pull to do it and the rules be damned. She set it back in the box carefully and then took the recipe into the kitchen to practice making Kate's signature dish.