Chapter Ten

"Ok Rick…This—ah!—this isn't working."

"Careful!" He warned, swooping into grab her arm as she stumbled in the deep snow. Using his right hand on her right forearm, he stood behind her and guided her with his left hand gently on her left shoulder. "We're nearly there."

She clicked her tongue as she continued to move forward in the unfamiliar space. "I still don't understand why I'm wearing this blindfold."

"Because I'm surprising you."

"…and you couldn't have done that without a blindfold?"

"Well, no. This place I'm taking you—you've been there before so seeing any part of where we're going would ruin the surprise, but we're nearly there. Two minutes—tops."

With a heavy sigh, she relented. "Fine."

As Rick guided her around a protruding rock, he pressed his lips tightly together. He really, really hoped she liked his surprise. He truly had no guess as to what her reaction would be, but as long as it was somewhere north of mediocre, he would consider it a win.

His plan had been born early the afternoon before: Sunday, the day after the mill's holiday party. The Becketts and their guests had a late breakfast due to the prior night's festivities, after which Kate's boyfriend left almost immediately. Evidently, he had business in Boston early that week and was due at his parent's for dinner that evening. He did, however, leave with the promise of returning on Christmas Eve.

Almost immediately after Josh's departure Rick began to notice Kate's glum attitude. Though she insisted she was fine, she spent a great deal of time staring out the window contemplatively in lieu of reading the book open in her lap. She also nearly ran into him twice as they navigated the kitchen making dinner, which gave Rick the idea that he should do something to distract her and cheer her up.

Early Monday morning, he asked Theresa what her suggestion for a pick-me-up for Kate would be. As he suspected given her antics from the holiday party, the aunt was all too happy to help and had an almost immediate suggestion: Rick should take Kate ice skating. According to Theresa, Kate loved ice skating and because of her father's injury and the busy schedule at the tree lot had yet to have the opportunity to do so that year. Theresa went on to explain that there was a sizeable pond located not quite a quarter mile behind the mill which the Beckett family often used for winter activities.

While Rick agreed to this idea, he confessed to some logistical challenges. Namely, how to get to the pond, whether or not it was frozen enough to skate on safely, and where he would obtain skates on short notice. Rob volunteered to show Rick the route to the pond and, once they were there, he confirmed the ice was thick enough. Also, he lent Rick his skates as they conveniently wore the same shoe size. Thus, Rick's plan was set.

Shortly after she finished eating lunch that Monday, Rick asked Kate to join him for a surprise. Naturally, she balked at having to wear a blindfold, but after he promised it would be worth it, she agreed, though skeptically. As he had never led anyone around by blindfold previously, Rick failed to take into account how difficult that would be on the uneven snow packed path leading to the lake, but thankfully, with the lake in sight, they'd made it relatively unscathed.

"Okay, okay. Stop right there." Rick squeeze Kate's shoulder and arm and she stopped walking instantly. He lifted his hands and untied the makeshift blindfold at the back of her head, letting the scarf fall into his hands. "Ta-da."

Kate scanned the scenery in front of her with her lips pursed. "The pond is the surprise?"

"Kinda." He hurried around her and pointed to a large rock several feet away on which rested two pairs of skates: one black with matching laces and one white with pink laces.

"Skating." Kate concluded when her eyes fell on the objects.

Despite Rick's hope, Kate's tone sounded more like she had said, "dentist." Feeling the pricks of nervous sweat forming on his brow, he said quickly. "I, uh, checked with your uncle and he said it should be frozen enough for us as long as we stay on this end."

She hummed and took two steps forward so she stood next to the rock. She let her gloved index finger trace the laces of one skate. "What is it?" Rick asked from behind her.

She turned and offered him a small smile. "I haven't been skating since my mom died."

"O-oh," Rick said, his shoulders deflating immediately. She hadn't been skating in years?! But her aunt had said….ugh! Theresa had got him again! First with the dancing and now the skating. That was it; he was never listening to her again. "I'm sorry; they never mentioned that."

"Who?"

With a half cringe he confessed, "Your aunt and uncle. This was kind of your aunt's idea. I got the skates from them. I'm sorry," he added hastily. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Kate shook her head. "No, no. It's a nice gesture, really; I appreciate it." Her gaze turned back to the skates as she dusted her fingertips over them, recalling the last time she wore them, just months before her mother's diagnosis. The laugher they'd shared as they spun around the pond pretending to be Olympic figure skaters while really struggling to do a simple figure-eight.

"Kate." Rick's voice was soft, though loud enough to pull her from her quasi trance. "If you don't want to skate then-"

"No we should. We should." She repeated, her voice a bit more convincing the second time.

He smiled and walked over to join her at the rock where they carefully switched from boots to skates being mindful not to step in any piles of snow with their sock covered feet.

"Are you a good skater, Rick?" Kate asked while lacing up her second boot.

"Um…"

"Uh oh." She laughed at the almost grimace on his face.

"Well, see, it's been a while for me too. I tried to take Alexis and-" His voice cut off sharply as the memory of a grinning, orange-haired little girl popped into her mind. She had been so insistent—so insistent! All it took was watching a skating competition on television with her mother and suddenly Alexis was bound and determined to be the next Michelle Kwan.

After days of begging, pleading, whining, and one over-the-top temper-tantrum, Rick finally agreed that they would take the little girl skating. Naturally, on the Saturday morning they agreed on, his wife had suddenly determined it was more important for her to go on an impromptu audition rather than watch their only child teeter across the ice. Rick didn't mind, though; he was used to all their daddy-daughter outings.

Arriving at the rink, Alexis's eyes were saucer-wide and she could barely wait for him to lace on her tiny skates. She was so excited that she failed to heed his warning and instead raced headlong onto the ice as though skating would be as easy as running across a park; it wasn't. She barely glided for five seconds before crashing to the ice. In doing so, she bit through her bottom lip, which meant their day of skating had been over before it ever began. As they waited for the doctor to stich her lip Rick promised her they'd go skating again the following year when she was a little older. Sadly, they never had the chance.

"Rick?" Kate's delicate tone pulled him from his memories.

He looked over at her with a half-embarrassed smile. "Ah sorry, sorry. I hadn't thought about that day in a long time it just kind of hit me," he said, a certain tightness in his chest.

She nodded. "I understand." After verifying her skates were tied correctly, Kate walked over to the edge of the lake and glanced back over her shoulder for Rick. She held out her left hand, palm up and said, "C'mon, let's go together. Ready?"

"No," he said as he stepped up beside her.

"Rick!"

He smiled at her laughter and slid his gloved hand into hers. "Ok, ok ready."

Okay, he could do this. Kind of. He hadn't fallen yet, so that was a plus. As much as he tried to replay the phrase "just like riding a bike" in his mind, there was a reason that saying was not about ice skating. Damn were his calves and ankles going to ache later! But he hadn't fallen—yet—and he took that as a win.

"Can I ask you something?"

Rick glanced over at his skating partner, who, much to his relief, looked much more at ease on the lake than he despite her ten year absence. "Always."

"So…you're from Manhattan. Did you ever live anywhere other than there?"

"Other than my time in the army, no."

She nodded. "So then I'm just curious…what do you think of Hinsdale? I mean, has your opinion changed since you inquired about a general store?"

He laughed when he spotted the twinkle in her eye. "Never going to live that down, am I?"

She shook her head, grinning. "I'm just curious, because the first semester I spent in Boston was quite…shocking, for lack of a better term, so I'm interested as to your opinion of the opposite."

Rick glided silently over the ice for several moments, considering her question. He'd noticed the differences between big city and small town, of course, but never really gave them specific thought; he'd never made a list of pros versus cons, but some of them were pretty obvious to list off the top of his head.

"It's interesting because they are very different, but there's good and bad to both. Take, for instance, something as simple as grocery shopping. In Manhattan that means collecting all your cloth bags, walking to the corner store, picking out what you need, but only what you can carry, lugging them back to your apartment—and keep in mind this needs to be done rain, snow, blistering heat or otherwise. And add a toddler to the mix? Forget about it; it's nearly impossible.

"Driving to the store, loading the groceries in the car and then carrying them right into your house is definitely much easier. Then again, you could always have the groceries delivered in Manhattan." He finished with a wink. After a moment he added, "It did take me a while to get used to driving a car everywhere after being used to a subway and bus system."

"Yeah but don't you have to wait for the subway and bus? You never have to wait for your car." She pointed out.

"Fair point—unless you're waiting in traffic."

She chuckled. "We don't have much of that here."

"I noticed." His smile faded away as he came to an almost-stop while skating. "It's funny…growing up and even into my early adulthood I knew I'd never leave Manhattan. Sure, the more money I made I contemplated buying a beach house, but I knew Manhattan would always be my home. But…then I joined the army, went to war and even still I knew in the back of my mind I'd come home to Manhattan…until I actually got to Manhattan."

Now very curious, Kate skated up to stand in front of him and watched his expression closely. It was clouded and she wondered if he was remembering something traumatic that happened to him while overseas. She'd heard the stories on the news and could only imagine the horrors he had seen.

"I don't…I don't like crowds now. I used to walk down a busy street and barely notice how many people nudged me or passed just a little too close. Now I notice." He turned his gaze to her, his eyes softening slightly. "It wasn't bad. I mean, I never had a panic attack or anything, though I know some of my colleagues weren't as lucky, but I did feel a heightened level of anxiousness, especially if I really got trapped in a densely crowded area."

"How long has it been? Since you've been out of the army, I mean." Kate asked

"August, so only a few months."

She hummed in response and started skating again.

"Sorry I got distracted and never answered your question about what I thought of Hinsdale."

"It's okay."

He took in a deep breath. "Long story short: I like it…and that surprises me. Even with the anxiousness I felt in the city, Manhattan still felt like my home. But here…it's different. It's calm. I don't think I've felt anxious once since I got here. Well, maybe right after I tackled your father that first day…"

"Pretty sure we were all anxious then," she said wisely.

"True…"

"So, ah, does that mean you're not completely miserable that you're stuck in this one horse town?"

He blinked slowly at her. "Not in the least."

"Was that a cracking sound?" Rick nearly froze five minutes later when he swore he heard the ice cracking beneath his weight. Just before he came to a complete stop, he pushed off and continued to glide knowing that his stationary weight would only stress the ice further.

Kate gazed down at the frozen surface, searching for hairline fissures. "I'm not sure. I don't think so…"

"It sounds like cracking."

She glanced up to see an expression on his face akin to being at the top of the crest of a rollercoaster without a safety harness. She fought a laugh. "Are you afraid of going through?"

"Absolutely!"

Her expression growing more amused she pointed out, "I think it's only like eighteen inches deep right here—if that."

He grumbled. "So I wouldn't die but I'd probably lose a toe or two…"

"Drama queen."

He shot her an unappreciative look and her smile grew. Fighting the fluttering in his heart, he turned towards the edge of the lake. "I'm getting off, but don't let me stop you."

Gingerly, Rick glided to the edge of the lake until he stood just before the spot from which they entered. As the very edge of the lake was covered in delicate ice mixed with debris, he knew the dismount would be the trickiest, but he was up for the challenge. He licked his lips and lined up his spot well before pushing off with his left foot. His right landed safely on the embankment and for a blissful second he thought he'd made it, but then his left skate caught the edge of the rough, he lost his balance and pitched forward into the snow.

Kate gasped at the sickening thud and subsequent groan she heard. Her back had been turned to him at the time and she spun to see him face down in the snow, his feet dangling just beside the ice. "Oh god Rick! Are you okay?" She was at his side in two glides and, unlike her companion, alighted onto the embankment with little difficulty.

He moaned when he felt her fingers touch the back of his shoulder. "Yeah just great. It's good this rock hard patch of ice broke my fall." Steeling himself with a deep breath, Rick used his palms flat against the ground to raise his upper body several inches. Using his upper lip and jaw he attempted to contort his face to alleviate the stinging, but found doing so cause immediately pain in the bridge of his nose. He hissed. "I think my nose is broken."

"What? Let me see."

Though it pained him, Rick rotated his body towards Kate's and tucked his right arm beneath him so his elbow propped up the top of his body. When he opened his eyes, he saw her crouching beside him, her face level with his as she examined his nose. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she grasped the glove of her right hand between her teeth and pulled it off. With her hand free, she reached up and delicately touched the side of his nose.

"Ow! Shit!"

The wrinkles in her brow deepened. "Did that hurt?"

"YES!"

With an even gentler touch, she skimmed her fingers over the other side of his nose. "But how much? Enough to be broken?"

"I don't know." He groaned.

She sat down in the snow beside him and pulled off her left glove. She placed her index fingers on either side of the bridge of his nose and pressed gently. As he did not immediately scream out in pain, she concluded, "I don't think it's broken. Bruised, probably."

Reaching to her left, she grabbed a fistful of snow and formed it into an arched shape which she placed atop his nose; he hissed. She used the pad of her thumb to stroke the end of his nose—the part not covered in snow—as she said, "I know it's cold, but this should help."

Rick shut his eyes and sucked in several deep breaths through his lips trying to forget about how freaking cold the snow felt directly on his skin and focus instead on his breathing. Though he doubted the snow pack was on his face for longer than a minute, when Kate pulled it away his nose did feel significantly better; maybe it wasn't broken after all.

"Does that feel better?"

"Yeah I…" Castle used his elbow against the ground to push himself up into a sitting position. As he did this, Kate's hands slid from the edges of his nose to the crest of his jaw. When he anchored his palm into the ground he noticed that because she was leaning her body over his, he had inadvertently brought their faces very close together—very close together.

He knew he should have moved—apologized and slid away—but he couldn't. He was mesmerized by the warmth of her fingertips splayed against his cheek, the chocolate-emerald swirl in her hazel eyes, and the pink fullness of her parted, frigid air kissed lips. Just as he thought about how much he wanted to kiss her she leaned forward and did exactly that.

Their lips brushed together and the pads of her fingers pressed more firmly into his flesh. She pulled back and her bottom lip grazed against his, filing his spine with the lovely feelings only a perfect first kiss could bring. She held his face for the space of two heartbeats before pressing her mouth against his once more. Rick responded by moving his left hand to the back of her shoulder and pulling her in tighter.

Their mouths crushed together and Kate let out a soft whimper before skimming her hands from his jaw to his neck. She sucked in a breath and went to tilt her head the opposite direction for another kiss, but in doing so brushed her nose rather sharply against his and he cried out.

"Sorry!" She used the flats of her palms against his collar bone to push them apart. When she saw his half-stunned, lip parted expression, horror filled her gut. Oh god! What had she done!? "I-I-I-I'm sorry." She stammered while scrambling to her feet—a challenge given the slippery embankment. "I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

"Kate." Rick dropped his chin to his chest and pushed himself first to his knees and then up into a standing position. By the time he was upright, she was already swapping one skate for a boot.

"We should, ah, go back."

"Kate."

"They'll be wondering where we went."

"Kate." She didn't respond, but as she reached for her second boot, he found himself sighing, "I'm sorry."

With less fury, she slid her foot into her boot and turned to face him. He could tell her bottom lip was trembling, though her voice was incredibly strong as she shook her head and said, "You didn't do anything wrong." With that, she grabbed her skates and stalked off towards the path leading back to the mill.

A/N: I could be cruel and not tell you when the next chapter is coming...but you do get a chapter a day until Christmas :)