Okay guys I'm REALLY sorry I haven't updated in so long! I just started school again last month and I wanted to get into the hang of things before I started writing again! So this chapter I think starts out really well but it gets crappy near the end :/ I have 2 more I'm going to be posting today which I believe are a LOT better than this one so I hope you at least SOMEWHAT enjoy this chapter. If not hold your horses and wait for the next 2 chapters! :D xoxo 3

It was well after noon by the time they woke up. Rick just laid there watching her sleep. She was so peaceful. When he watched Kate do paper work she was fully aware of it but he couldn't tear his eyes away because she was just so damn beautiful. But here, in bed where only they lie she's even more beautiful. The way the sun shining through the window makes her hair sparkle, the way she makes a little snort like sound every few breaths. All of these things only he knew about. Maybe her past lovers noticed these as well but none of them admired them as much as him. After an hour or so Kate started to stir.

"Hey there gorgeous" said Rick with a smile.

"Guh mornin'" she mumbled, Rick laughed,

"It's not morning anymore sweetie" sweetie. That made her heart flutter. Sure her and Rick had been dating for a while and most of the time names like 'sweetie' or 'babe' or 'honey' talk down to people but when Rick said them, it made her feel so special.

"It's not?" Kate said, a little shocked,

"Nope. It's already 1:00"

"What? I'm late for work!" Kate tried to get up but Rick pulled her back down, "Castle let me go! We have to get ready!" Kate squirmed,

"The captain called earlier this morning. She said she doesn't want to see you at work today and if you do show up, you'll be taken off the case." Kate stopped squirming and sighed,

"Rick... I can't lose this one... who would do something so horrid to someone as sweet as him?"

"I'm not sure Kate. We'll catch that son-of-a-bitch. I promise." Kate laid down on his chest, she wanted to cry but she wanted to be strong. "Kate he was a close friend, you don't have to act like it doesn't bother you. It's just me here."

"I know but... that's not me! I don't cry. I don't break down."

"That's a lie Kate. I've seen you cry. You do break down but when you do you just grow stronger. You get angry. You get determined."

"Sometimes I fear you know me better than myself" said Kate with a smile. Rick leaned down and kissed her,

"I know the feeling." Said Rick his lips still brushing hers. "So what are we going to do today?" Kate leaned back pretending to think really hard,

"Hmm. I was thinking... I want to spend all day in bed with my Fiancé."

"I think that can be arranged" he said with a smirk. Rick stood up and started to walk out of the guest bedroom,

"Where are you going?" Kate asked shocked,

"I'm going to go make my fiancée breakfast" he said with a smile. Kate smiled back,

"Okay I suppose you can go do that. Mind if I join you?"

"Well..." he said, "I wanted it to be a surprise but I suppose I can have you join me" he said with a smile glued to his face. He held out his hand while she got out of bed. Once she was up she grabbed his hand and pulled him down the stair. Once down there Kate went into their bedroom to change into one of his shirts. When she returned to the kitchen the coffee was already brewing and he was already making pancakes.

"Wow! That was fast!" she said as she came over and sat on the bar stool at the counter.

"Yeah well I'm a fast guy" he winked at her and flipped a pancake.

"Really? I thought you were kind of slow last night." She said back in a low, seductive voice.

Rick's eyes got wide and he stared at her, speechless.

"I... I... I don't even know what to say to that!" he said.

"THE Richard Castle is speechless?" Kate gave a fake look of shock, "that's a first!" Rick glared at her,

"First of all I'm not THE Richard Castle. I'm YOUR Richard Castle." Said Rick in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. Then his glare softened and he gave her a sincere smile and said "and it's not a first. You leave me not only speechless, but breathless all the time."

This time it was Kate's turn to be speechless. A blush grew on Kate's cheeks and she looked away to try and hide it.

"Why do you do that?" Rick asked, he flipped his pancake again then leaned over the counter to lift her chin to make her meet his gaze, "You're beautiful even when you blush." Kate pushed his hand away and got up. Rick had a look of confusion plastered on his face. Did he say something to hurt her? Next thing Rick knew he was being turned around and he was kissing her with all the passion he had for her. After a while they broke apart.

"You leave me breathless too Rick." Said Kate, trying to catch her breath. She rested her forehead against his and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you so much" she whispered to him. He wrapped his arms around her too.

"I love you so much too" he whispered back. Rick broke the embrace and put their pancakes on plates and turned off the stove. He grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her to the couch. He laid down and pulled her down to him.

Rick and Kate just laid there in each other's arms for a long time. "I love this." Kate said, "Just laying here in your arms. I could stay here forever."

"Me too" said Rick with a smile. He leaned down and kissed her softly. Kate kissed him back, deepening it. Rick rolled Kate onto her back.

"Well hello" said Kate with a smile, "How's the view from up there?"

"Gorgeous. As always." Rick's grin grew as he watched Kate blush. Kate leaned up and kissed him hard. Rick started to pull his shirt off of her but before her could, his cell phone rang. Kate groaned in disappointment as Rick climbed off of her.

"Castle" said Rick into the phone. "Mhm... yeah...oh, okay, I'll tell her. Thanks Espo" Rick hung up the phone and turned to Kate who was now standing. "That was Esposito. He wanted to let you know they have a suspect." Rick's express was serious. His smile that had been glued to his face was nowhere to be found.

"That's good news... why the serious face?" asked Kate suspiciously.

"They can't find him."

"And?"

"It's... It's Michael." Said Rick hesitantly, Kate had to sit down before she collapsed. Rick rushed over to sit next to her. She leaned into him. Rick continued to speak while he rubbed her arm. "They found his fingerprints on the knife and some of his blood around the hilt. When they went to his house it was empty. No one has been there in days."

"I can't believe he did this..." said Kate running a hand through her hair.

"He's only a suspect Kate. We don't know this for sure." Rick was trying to make her feel a little better but it didn't work very well.

"Rick his fingerprints and DNA are on the murder weapon! You really think he's innocent?"

"No I don't. Personally I hate the fucking douche bag but I can't base this off of my feelings towards him." Rick pulled her closer to him and kissed her head,

"Okay." Said Kate, "Okay I understand. You go take a shower and I'm going to take mine after. Okay?" Kate was about to get up when Rick pulled her towards him making her looking him in the eyes. He kissed her deeply,

"Kay" he whispered before he got up and headed for the bathroom.

Kate sat at the kitchen counter eating her now cold breakfast. About 10 minutes later Kate heard a noise. "Rick?" she called. No answer. Kate got up to go see where the noise was coming from when she was grabbed from behind and pushed against the wall. Kate started to scream when a big hand clasped over her mouth.

"Now, now Kate. No need to worry anyone we're friends" said the horrid, raspy voice that haunted her when she was a teenager. Kate squirmed and kicked trying to free herself from the weight of his body on her. "Oh feisty are we? You know I like it rough" said Michael in a voice that made Kate want to throw up her breakfast.

Kate wouldn't give up. She kept fighting him and fighting him until she was too tired to move and just gave up. Michael took duct tape out from his pocket and ripped off a piece while still putting all his weight on her. Once he ripped off the piece he placed it over her mouth to ensure she wouldn't scream.

Michael ran his hands up under the shirt she was wearing. She felt so violated she just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. She tried to scream again but couldn't. Kate pushed at his hands and arms to get them off of her but the more she fought the tighter his grip became.

All of a sudden there was a darker shadow behind Michael and before he could turn around and see what was causing this he was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor.

Kate ripped the tape off her mouth and ran to Rick who was holding a baseball bat. She pulled him into a tight hug. The baseball bat hit the floor with a thud as Rick held her as tight as her could to his body. "Are you okay?" he asked her, not loosening his grip on her.

"Yeah... yeah I'm fine. I just... I'm fine." Said Kate, trying to hold back tears.

"I already called Esposito. He and Ryan are on their way. It's okay Kate. You're safe now."

Rick brought her over to the couch and sat down. He held her body close to his. The case was over but it brought back deep wounds that Kate always tried to hide. But this time she had someone to help her with her wounds someone to care for them. Someone to help her heal.