Chapter 12

A few days before the season of 'Swan Lake', there were the proof of clothes. The boys had already tried their clothes and now wore the gala costumes for the ball's court scene, except for Rick, who would have two costumes, one white and the other black. He now wore white leggings with the vest top black and gold, with long sleeves and his white ballet shoes.

Rick was leaning against a wall, waiting for Kate, who also would have two costumes, black and white tutu, when the girls from the corps of ballet left the dress room with one of their costumes, because the other were the prom dresses too. All wore white tutus and feather crowns, going to the rehearse room 1 to rehearse the Swans' dance.

"Rick..." The brunette turned and saw Gina in her white tutu, smiling at him.

"Hey Gina..." He said, giving her a smile and then asked: "Shouldn't you to be in the rehearsal with the others?"

Gina shrugged, still smiling, looking at those blue eyes and said, raising an eyebrow:

"I'm going, I just came to ask if you don't want to go watch us?"

"I'll, I'm just waiting for Kate."

"Oh, Beckett." Gina said coldly.

Seeing Gina's smile disappear, Rick tried to give her a friendly smile. He had already realized her and Paula's rivalry with Kate, but didn't put himself in the middle of it, knowing that Kate knew how to take care of herself and also didn't like people to interfere with her problems

He also knew that the blonde had a big crush on him, but there was no chance for her, Kate was the only one for him, but he continued to be educated because he and Gina were colleagues.

The two then began to talk about their expectations for the show when Paula in her costume, approached Gina and led her away from Rick and the blonde asked, confused:

"I thought you had gone to the rehearsal room?"

"No." Paula said with a dangerous smile and Gina raised an eyebrow.

"What have you done, Paula?"

"Let's just say that maybe our main Swan won't be able to dance today, or forever."

Gina put a hand to her forehead, worried. If anything happened to her career, it would be the end. She hated Kate and wanted Rick to herself, but she also knew the limits, unlike Paula. Sabotage it in a class, hide her things or provocation was one thing. Incapacitating someone was another.

"Paula, we agreed to sabotage her, but we can't do anything dangerous, if they find out, we'll be expelled!"

Paula didn't want to hear, her hatred for Kate was already at the limit and seeing that Kate hadn't failed at the rehearsals, had led her to do something dangerous and then she turned to Gina and snapped:

"Gina, relax, if you're so afraid just do your part and I, mine: I'll keep with the plan to take Beckett's role and you, seduce your Castle, okay?"

And Paula walked away, while Gina sighed, shaking her head and going to the room.

Kate finished with her costumers and now was dressing her black and bright tutu of the Black Swan, and went to the locker room, going to put on her pointe shoes. She turned the lights on and began to look around the place, suspicious.

Paula and Gina were always implicating her. Usually Gina was the one who sabotaged her in class and made comments while Paula regarded her with a cold, dangerous look, but today, Paula had been very quiet, in the test of clothes, leaving Kate worried.

The brunette then sat on the floor with her pointe shoes and shook one side, shaking her head when some razor blades fell from it. Paula or Gina. The brunette thought, picking up the sharp objects carefully and throwing them in the garbage.

When she put her hand inside the shoe, to pull the tapes, she felt something stick her finger.

"What the...?" She took the finger, seeing a small little hole in it that began to bleed

Kate put her finger to her mouth and then immediately raised her pointe shoe finding a threaded pin in the pointe. She pulled the pin and then checked the other side. Kate put her pointe shoes and left the locker room, slamming the door irritated. She met Rick in the hallway and the dancer went to her, worried.

"Kate? Why did your clothes test take so long?"

"It's nothing Rick, nothing!" She replied angrily, not wanting to tell him what had happened and look like a victim, but the irritation in her voice made Rick ignore what she had said. He held her by the arms, looking into her eyes and said gently:

"Kate, I know that something happened and I care about you, not only as a boyfriend, but as a partner and friend, so tell me what happened."

Kate sighed, dropping her arms, as she ran a hand on her hair tied in a bun. She knew he was right and if it was otherwise, she would worry about him.

"Gina or Paula put razor blades in my pointe shoes. And stuck a pin in the background."

"Kate..." Rick was shocked, he heard of ballerinas who'd do something like that, but he had never seen that. He then touched her face gently, stroking her cheek with his thumb and she gave him a small smile, feeling her anger going away. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I felt that something was strange so I checked my shoes before putting it."

"How so?" He asked confused, frowning and Kate crossed her arms, as she explained it.

"I thought things were too calm... Gina made no comment and Paula didn't look at me once. They should be laughing inside, thinking I would be stupid enough to not check my shoes before."

"It wasn't Gina, Kate." He assured her and Kate looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Why the hell was he protecting her?

"How? How can you speak so sure?"

Rick knew she wouldn't like to hear it, but nothing had happened and he would never let something between him and Gina happen so he reassured her and hold her face and explained to her in the best way possible:

"She came to me as soon as we finished with the costumers." Seeing that Kate was about to protest, he put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "It was nothing, we just talked about the rehearsal. Then Paula appeared and she seemed satisfied with something. It was her."

He finished explaining himself, dropping her face and Kate nodded, still a little insecure about Rick and Gina and irritated. It was obvious that Gina was hitting on him! Crossing her arms a little more, she said in exasperation:

"Rick, you know very well that Gina's been hitting on you since you came to the NBM, and you still talk to her!"

The dancer held the bridge of his nose, trying to keep himself calm. It was rare for him to raise his voice, but Kate's silly suspicion made him be rough:

"Kate! I know, and I have made it clear to her that nothing will happen between us, give me a break!"

Kate's eyes widened in surprise as it was the first time he spoke to her like that and she felt bad for pressing him, especially with the rehearsals. Rick, seeing her look, then took a deep breath, calming himself until he assured her, with the gentlest voice:

"I know Kate, I know how much she is mean to you, and if it'll make you feel better, I'll talk to Gina and ask her not to come closer to me, and we forget about it."

Gina might be his colleague, but if she was going to keep messing with Kate or staying in the couple's way, he would do that, for Kate. He paused and said, looking deep into her hazel eyes:

"Kate, I just want you..."

The brunette sighed, not wanting to be one of those controllers girlfriends, even if the colleague of her boyfriend was one that was always trying to sabotage her in class. Who am I fooling? I want Gina to stay away from him! But she didn't dare to tell him that. Kate then said softly:

"Rick, who brought the matter was me... You don't need to stay away from anyone that hasn't harmed you. Just don't let her throw her charm on you, okay?" She pleaded, looking at him and Rick nodded. "Because I won't let anyone have you."

Gradually she was smiling, making him smile with her and his blue eyes shone with love as he reached for her. Kate uncrossed her arms, accepting his hand and leaning against his chest, snuggling into him while Rick kissed the top of her head. The two spent some time in silence, just listening to the breathing of the other.

Kate looked up, staring at Rick's face and the dancer then looked down, finding the beautiful hazel eyes that overflowed the same love he felt for her and seeing that everything was all right, they closed their eyes slowly, smiling until they kissed. Kate rose her hands to his neck and Rick slipped his hands from her bare back to her waist, while deepening the kiss, which had a taste twice as good after the end of the discussion.

When the two broke, panting, Rick slid his hand down her tutu with a smirk, reaching her thighs and then picked her up, to Kate's surprise and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist while protesting and laughing:

"Hey Rick, put me down now!"

"You look beautiful in this black tutu Kate..."

Kate leaned her forehead to his looking at him from above, admiring him in his beautiful outfit and whispered provocative:

"And you aren't looking bad either prince..."

"Yeah?" He murmured lovingly and Kate confirmed, her voice bringing the love she felt for him:

"Uh-huh..."

They both smiled, and Rick leaned her back on the wall firmly and held her there as they exchanged a long look full of love and affection and several kisses. Kate began to stroke his hair, as his hands on her thighs covered by pantyhose began to grope her.

The desire began to take control, both forgetting that they had a place to be, until a voice said, coming from the hall:

"And where are our black swan and the prince Sieg-MRS. BECKETT, CASTLE, RELEASE NOW!" Gates demanded, her eyes widening as she looked at the couple, getting indignant to see the reason behind the delay of the main dancers.

Scared, Rick nearly dropped Kate to the ground, grabbing her by the thighs and then Kate, her eyes widening, unfolded her legs from his waist quickly, knocking his hands from her body to release herself. Gates approached with narrowed eyes and hands on her hips and said angrily:

"The season starts in a week and you two are making up in the halls of the NBM, while everyone is waiting for you?!" Kate and Rick lowered their heads in shame and she continued, this time with the voice quieter but threatening: "I know you two are very responsible, have shown that in the rehearsals already, then I also know that I won't get you two again making out in the NBM, am I right?"

"Sorry Mrs. Gates." The two said, sincere and she stared at them, knowing that they were really sorry, after all, the two were responsible. She then shook her head and said, clapping:

"Rehearsal, you two. Miss. Beckett, you walk with me. Mr. Castle, go ahead, please." The couple exchanged a look, and Gates added: "And Beckett, take this passionate look from your face, now you are Odile." And then Rick went ahead and Kate walked with Gates, thus being watched by the essayist.

When Rick was far, Gates stopped Kate and, to her surprise, Gates said friendly:

"Listen Kate, I know that these two months have been stressful, especially now that you have become a prima ballerina, and there is the pressure from some of your colleagues..."

"Mrs. Gates?" Kate stared at her surprise, not knowing what to say. It was the first time that Gates called her by the name and without being annoyed.

Gates opened an understanding smile, putting a hand on her shoulder and looking up because Kate was a little taller than her. She knew what Kate had been going through, had already been in her place 20 years ago, when she had been a ballerina too.

"I've been there, believe me. I understand you've gotten where you wanted to be, have the main role and have the love of a very sweet man."

"Are you feeling all right?" Kate was shocked to see her calling Rick 'sweet man'. She practically lived implicating with the dancer, annoyed with him and criticizing him.

Gates laughed and said:

"Just don't tell him anything, okay? I like to be able to be rough on him, he has potential. But as I was saying, I know you are in a good phase, just try not to be distracted from your responsibilities, okay?"

Kate opened a huge smile, feeling a huge wave of gratitude for Gates, the iron essayist, and she agreed:

"I'll, and thank you."

"Okay... Now rehearsal, walk walk!"

When the two entered the rehearsal room, Rick was already rehearsing his variation of Prince Siegfried with his costume, jumping and then doing the classical walk from the ballet with a smile. Knowing that soon would be her turn, Kate saw Paula, to her surprise, without Gina, sitting on the floor as she adjusted her bun.

With a winning smile, Kate walked toward her and stomped with one pointe shoe in the floor, her foot in Paula's view. Paula looked shocked and Kate lowered herself from her shoe, and said seriously, her voice full of warning:

"I have a beautiful foot, haven't I? Well, if something happens to it, I'll become Odile in real life, okay dear?"

And Kate left, leaving Paula very angry, going to the middle of the room and getting ready to her variation, doing Odile's pose.