The park was packed, there were mostly families and couples but there were a few solo people. There were different stations set up with various materials; a paper station, cloth, wood, string, you name it there's a station for it. The way it worked was you could get material from any of the stations, how ever much of it you needed. She couldn't believe she had never heard of this before, she lived in the city her whole life.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Oh I don't maybe 20 years, Alexis and I have been doing it since she was 3. I think we need to find a good spot to set up base." He turned to Alexis, "Number 1 I need you to be on the look out for you know who, while I scout out a spot and Kate, we need you scout out the competition."

She was going to ask who you know who is but before she could Rick shouted, "Found it! Follow me." He quickened his pace to claim the empty and isolated spot. The spot was away from everyone else and was against the wall so no one could spy on them from behind. They still had a good view of everybody else and the stations. They laid out the plans and started dividing up tasks, Alexis would go with Kate to get their supplies and Rick would keep watch of their spot.

Kate and Alexis went to different booths, "So there are different categories longest flight, best kite, highest flight, single or group. We like to use bamboo as the frame for the kite, because it's light and strong." They went to the framework booth first to get the bamboo they need.

"Should we get the fabric before they run out?" Kate asked.

"Yeah it's right over there," Alexis pointed to the crowd of people.

Kate grabbed her hand as they made their way over to the crowd. They got to the front of the line, "Okay so should we use silk?"

"No silk isn't for the longest flight, it rips to easily and if that happens then the kite will fall and we loose. Tyvek is the best to use, it's the strongest."

"Wow you really do know a lot about this."

"We've been doing this for as long as I can remember."

Kate nodded, "According the list we need white, orange, yellow some black and a little blue. How long do we have to make this?"

"Take off is at 3:00, so about 3 or 4 hours."

"Wow then we better get started," Kate gathered all the fabric while Alexis carried the bamboo.

They arrived at their spot to find Rick talking to a family. "Is this you know who?" Kate whispered to Alexis.

"Yes, that's Raven and her son Theo. We despise them they cheat to win. Well they try to win; we've beaten them the last two years."

Kate saw relief wash over him when he saw them walking up.

"Here is Alexis, and this is Kate my girlfriend," he beamed when the word girlfriend left his mouth.

She felt her stomach bubble up, her heart pace quicken when he called her his girlfriend, this was the first time he would introduce her as his girlfriend. She would never get used to it.

"Nice to meet you," Kate offered her hand.

Raven turned to her, "You too. Well I'll see you guys in the field."

"She seems…"

"Spiteful?"

"Malicious?"

"Malevolent?"

"Wicked?"

"Ohh good one," Rick encouraged and held his hand up for a high-five.

Kate watched the interaction between the two. These two were definitely related. "I was going to say malign but those are better."

"Oh wow that ones even better." Rick's eyes lit up, seems he liked it when she used her vocabulary.

She met his questioning eyes with a leer, "Just because you're an author doesn't mean you're the only one with an extensive vocabulary."

He leaned in, his lips just touching hers.

"Guys! Let's get started we only have a few hours and have to test run it first."

They chuckled and pulled apart, "Alright let's get started then."

Rick put the frame together with the help of Alexis while Kate started cutting the material. They worked quietly, quickly and in unison. Kate noticed people were coming by and watching, she didn't think it was because they were trying to scope out the competition. When she was getting the fabric she noticed most groups were fighting and working franticly; they contrasted the scene next to her. They worked efficiently, like a team. Almost like a- she stopped herself there. No, they were not a family, she tried to push it out of her mind and focus on the task in front of her but one thought lingered, not yet.

She looked at the time and noticed it was a little after lunch, "Hey you guys hungry? I'll grab us lunch, what do you want?"

"Sandwiches," Alexis piped up.

"Text me your orders so I have them. Be back in an hour." She took this time to clear her head; she needed to get some space from her thoughts and the way to do that was to create a little distance from them.

She arrived at the deli and placed the orders. She didn't know what she was doing; never would she have imagined that she would be picking up sandwiches for her boyfriend and his daughter, what was she doing getting involved with a family? She was not in the right place to be involved with anyone especially not a family. Her job took up most of the time, not to mention everything with Mark. She didn't have the time to commit to them like they deserved. But yet she didn't find herself wanting to actually run. Mark's word echoed in her head, she needed to start living her life for her. Rick didn't seem to mind all of her baggage, he even told her that. So why was she having these thoughts?

"Number 23, number 23?" She heard the woman behind the counter callout.

She stepped up to the counter and grabbed the food. Even though she had the day off she checking her phone to see if the precinct called out of habit. She noticed it was 1:30, later than she thought. She needed to get back in time for the test run and eat before the take off, "If you get me to the Hudson 30 minutes I'll pay double" She offered the cabbie, he looked at her but didn't question it. He swerved and sped around cars, and running yellows lights.

She made it in time, "Sorry deli was crowded." She passed them their sandwiches and chips. She looked at the progress they had made, "Woah you guys made some real progress."

The whole thing was put together, "Just waiting for a couple spots of glue to dry, luckily we remembered the quick dry glue so it doesn't take over a day." Alexis looked over at Rick when he said the last part.

"What's the story?"

"How do you do that?" Rick asked slightly amazed.

"I'm a homicide detective, if I can't read people then I can't do my job. So spill"

"It was three years ago, we had lost the previous years, mainly because our kites were never strong enough. That year we weren't going to make the same mistake, we made a different mistake, the opposite mistake. I thought Gorilla glue would keep it from breaking. The problem was I didn't realize that Gorilla glue 1. Foams up and 2. Take a day or more to dry."

"The kite wouldn't even fly the glue was too heavy, plus it wasn't dried so the whole thing fell apart. It was a complete disaster, it didn't help that he," pointing to her dad, "had ran his mouth about how we were going to win and beat everyone this year, especially to Raven and Theo."

"So that's how they became you're mortal enemies."

"In my defense we would have if the glue had worked."

"Ever since then we make sure to run a few kites in between competitions to see what works best and the fastest way to make it."

Kate nodded, "So let's see how this turned out." She held up the kite, "Wow this is amazing! I've never seen a Star Wars kite. I can't believe you built Luke Skywalker's X-wing."

"What do you mean us? You helped, we built it." Rick responded, catching her eyes with his. She felt that familiar flutter like when he said we just like when he called her his girlfriend. "So should we see if this baby can fly?"

Alexis jumped up, "Let's do it!"

Rick got up and held a hand out for Kate, she reached for it and he pulled her up. He didn't let go as they walked to a clearing at the top of a hill, she didn't want him to. He held onto the kite while Alexis held onto the string, he started running down the hill with it, his arms holding it about his head. It was quite a sight, she tried to suppress the laughter that was building up; she was doing a pretty good job until he tripped over his own feet and rolled down the hill. She lost her footing and started rolling down the hill after him. For the second time in two days she found herself landing on top of him. She instantly felt his arms wrap around her. She looked down and stared into big blue eyes, so full of joy, hope and happiness. She couldn't help but the smile, and feel lighter than she has in a while. She closed the gap between their lips; it was deep, passionate, pouring everything into it that she couldn't with words. They broke apart when they heard screeching and laughter coming towards them. They looked up at the hill to see red hair rolling down the hill, landing against them with a thud. Rick grabbed her and pulled her closer, trapping her between them. Rick and Kate shared a quick look before attacking Alexis with the tickle monster.

Her legs kicked as she squirmed trying to get away from them but she was trapped. Finally they relented and let her go when she was barely breathing from laughing.

"Why is it that I can chase down suspects in heels but as soon as I'm around you I can barely stay balanced and have fallen twice in the last two days?"

"I guess I just make you weak in the knees, besides I don't think you were complaining last night," he smirked with an eyebrow raise.

She rolled her eyes, "Walked right into that one." She rolled off of him, stood up and patted him on the chest, "Come on big boy let's try this again."

"I think that's big man to you. Alexis where did the kite go?"

She sat up still recovering from the tickle attack, "Oh… I think it just fell to the ground cause it never actually took off." She took off running up the hill. "Found it!" she yelled holding it up at the top of the hill.

They climbed back up the hill Kate grabbed the kite before Rick could, "What? I always run the kite."

"Not this time, I'm doing it. Don't need you falling again."

Rick feigned offense to that comment and Alexis said, "Dad, stop being a baby. It's embarrassing."

"Yeah dad stop embarrassing us," Kate teased.

"Let's just test this out."

Kate successfully ran down the hill without falling this time, while Alexis held the string. The kite raised and flew like a bird, a bird attached to a string. They didn't let it fly too long, just enough to make sure it wouldn't break.

They had just taken it down and settled back into their spot, when the announcer gave the 30 minute warning. "I'm going to go check us in," Rick stood up and walked off towards the crowd starting to form.

"Do you think we're going to win?" Alexis's voice was so quiet Kate almost didn't hear it.

"I think we put a lot of hard work into it and whether we win or lose we had fun today."

"I just really want to win."

"I have found the best way to get what you want is to just go after it. If you want to win you have believe you can and go out and fly the kite the best you can. Now with that said I think we can kick butt this year."

Alexis smiled at that, "Do you know how to play slide?"

"Of course I know how to play!" They faced each other and started playing the hand game. Alexis was really good at this game, she could make it all the way up to 8 before they would loose count and mess up. They had made it to 9 without messing up by the time Rick got back with their number.

"There are 5 minutes until official take off, so let's get ready." They gathered all their things and headed to the competition field.

The announcer stood up in front everyone gave them the rules: the kite has to stay up for consecutive time, if it gets tangled in another kite all the kites are out. "Now lets keep this clean and fair. On my count. 3, 2, 1. Run!" At the word run everyone with the kite in his or her hands started running. It was something Kate had never seen before hundred's of people running in a field with colorful kites. Rick let go when he reached the end of the field and let it go, the kite took off and soared.

The bell ringed as they entered the shop, signaling the workers there were costumers. Rick loved this store, all the candy everywhere it reminded him of the candy shop in Willy Wonka; in fact they even show the movie on a continuous loop. That is where Rick found himself, sitting on the bench with Alexis sandwiched between him and Kate. Each had a personalized sundae on their laps; Kate ordered coffee and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow and hot fudge, topped with whipped cream, almonds and two cherries, Alexis ordered strawberry and vanilla ice cream with strawberries and hot fudge, whipped cream, almonds and a cherry, and Rick ordered chocolate and vanilla ice cream with marshmallow and hot fudge as well, also topped with whipped cream, almonds and a cherry. Will Wonka played in front them; Alexis mumbled the words to the oompa loompa's riddles with a mouthful of ice cream.

"Before the ice cream is all gone I'd like to make a toast to the best kite making/flying kite in the country! We did the best we could, that best was the best, here's to first place!" He held up is bowl like he would a cup.

"To the best team in the city," They repeated in unison clinking their bowls with his. They sat there long after the ice cream was finished until the credits rolled. He was surprised when Kate started humming along with the candy man song; he'd never heard a voice so sweet, he didn't think she knew he could hear her. He wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut in case she stopped.

"Alright I think it's time to head home." They got up and left. He hailed a cab, but none of them would stop. After several failed attempts, Kate stepped in and the first cab to see her stopped. He opened the back seat for her, before climbing in she looked over her shoulder with a smirk on her face.

"Oh stop being so smug and just get in," he said as Alexis followed in after her and Rick after Alexis.

Rick gave the driver his address; Kate spoke up giving her address, "Stop there first please." Rick looked at her questioningly, "I don't have any more clothes, plus I need to shower and take care of a few things around the house."

"You can shower at my house," He offered it was a feeble attempt; he saw the answer in her eyes but went for it anyways.

She put her hand over his, "I have work tomorrow, and I need to go home."

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

She smiled, "I'm not making any promises, depends on how tomorrow goes. If we get a case or not."

The cab pulled up in front of her apartment; they climbed out to say their goodbyes. She bent down and gave Alexis a hug, then turned to say goodbye to Rick, he leaned in for a kiss, and then they broke apart; as he pulled her in for a hug she whispered in his ear, "I think Alexis needs some time just you two, after having me around the last couple weeks." She pulled away and headed inside. Rick was amazed, she was always making sure Alexis was put first, that she never felt replaced. He loved that about her, where did that come from? He had been in love before with Kyra but this; this was different. It wasn't the same love that he felt when he "fell in love" with a random girl on the subway. He wasn't ready to say it, and knew she wasn't ready to hear it, but he knew what he felt and he hoped she was starting to feel it too.

A/N:This is the longest chapter yet! As always please leave your thoughts. This kite festival in NY is real however the details and date are totally made up for this story. I have very limited knowledge of Star Wars so I used google to find a kite this is somewhat what it would look like if you are interested just imagine it more handmade than manufactured:

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(Take out the spaces)