Note: Thank you all so much for the love! Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday…I had a huge paper to write for school that took me all day, and when I finished my brain was fried! I am so truly grateful for all of your reviews, they mean the world to me! I can't believe there are over 200 now…thanks everyone! I have so many more ideas for this story and I can't wait to share them all with you in time! It's almost Castle Monday! Can't wait! Also thanks BurningxRedxCaskett for reading through this for me!

I do not own Castle.

Chapter 21.

Rick pulled up in front of their Hamptons home and stopped the car. Kate had fallen asleep, and he looked over at her. Her windswept hair was partially covering her face, and her mouth was open slightly. In the silence of the evening, it was easy for Rick to hear her light snoring. She was perfect, even in sleep. He hated to wake her, but the slight roll of thunder in the distance told him it was time to head indoors.

He walked around to her side of the car and opened the door. "Kate, babe, we're here," Rick said softly, not wanting to startle her.

When she didn't budge, he bent to place a kiss on her brow, and then followed the trail down to her lips. Kate's eyes fluttered opened and she smiled. "I could get used to waking up like that."

"Lucky for you, you'll be getting this treatment for quite some time," Rick winked as he leaned over her to unbuckle her seatbelt before he scooped her up.

"Rick! Put me down!" Kate squealed.

Rick just cradled her to him, enjoying the fact that he was carrying her bridal style. As he walked up the sidewalk, Kate said, "Isn't this bad luck? We're not married yet!"

He looked down into her eyes, and noted the sparkle of amusement looking back at him. "Why Ms. Beckett, do I detect a belief in superstition?"

Rick stood there, holding her, and Kate stared at him a moment before she answered. "You know I don't' believe in any of that."

At that moment the skies opened up and the rain poured over them. Rick jogged the last few feet to the door, pushed it open and carried Kate inside before placing her gently on the ground.

"Good thing you don't, otherwise we would be in trouble. Besides, I was just practicing," Rick teased as he shook his hair off over in her direction.

Kate squealed and backed away from him. She laughed as he ran up and grabbed her before spinning her in a circle. Sometimes it was nice to indulge Rick in his childish ways. Life with him was never dull.

It didn't take long for Rick to join Kate in her fit of giggles and before they knew it they were slumped against the wall, laughing at everything yet nothing, and still soaked from the rain.

When they finally managed to catch their breath, Kate leaned over and kissed him. It started off slow and sweet, but was quickly replaced with a certain level of urgency. Rick nipped at Kate's neck and she let out a groan.

Her desperate fingers found the hem of his shirt and she pulled it over his head. Kate's nails dug into his back and she felt the familiar warmth spread through her body. Rick helped Kate out of her shirt and his lips found her pulse point. Her body shuddered as he lowered her to the ground.

They didn't know how long they had been lying there entwined with one another; not knowing where one body ended and the other began.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?" she didn't know if she was quite capable of words. He always seemed to have that effect on her, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Do you want to move upstairs?"

For the first time, Kate felt the cold, hard wood floors they were lying on and she thought he had a point. "Mmhmm," she mumbled as she felt him move to stand. Before she could protest, Rick was lifted her up again, and held her tight to his chest. Kate was too relaxed to protest.

Rick brought his nose to her hair and smelled the familiar cherry scent he was so fond of. "You smell good," he told her.

Kate smiled and buried her nose in his chest. Rick let out a small squeak and she looked up questioningly.

"Your nose is cold," he replied as she brought her hand up to check for herself. He was right, it was freezing.

Rick made his way into their bedroom and deposited Kate on the bed where she immediately snuggled under the covers.

"Should I make a fire?" Rick asked as he watched her burrow deeper into the warmth.

"Sounds great," Kate responded from the bed.

Rick busied himself with the fireplace in their room, and carefully arranged the logs before turning in search of a lighter.

"It's in the top drawer," Kate said as she watched him look around.

He just looked at her a moment before his face broke out in a grin. "Thanks." With Kate's direction, he found the lighter with ease and within moments had a nice fire crackling and lighting the room.

Rick crossed the room to join her and Kate lifted the duvet to welcome him into the space next to her. He held out his arm and she burrowed into his side, resting her arm across his chest.

"I love you," Kate told her fiancé quietly.

"I love you too."

They were quiet a few minutes, each just enjoying the fact that they were wrapped up together.

"I wish my mom could be here to see us get married," Kate admitted quietly.

Rick knew from the way she would play with her necklace lately that she missed her mom more than usual, but she hadn't told him anything and he had decided she would when she was ready. This was how Kate operated - sometimes she just needed time.

"She'd love you, Rick. She'd love how happy you make me. She would be so excited to be a grandmother." Tears were silently running down her cheeks onto Rick's arm.

"She would be proud of you, Kate," Rick told her as he pulled her closer to him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Kate looked into his eyes, "You think?"

"Oh, I know. Look at you. You've made this wonderful life for yourself. You're already a great Mom to Alexis, and you are going to be a wonderful wife, and mother to our children. You are happy. I know that alone would make her happy."

She nodded in acceptance, and Rick took her silence as an invitation to continue.

"She'll be watching, Kate. She'll be with us on our wedding day, I know it."

Kate turned her tear-stained face to his and kissed him. "Thank you. I think I believed it before, but I needed to hear it from you."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "That's what I'm here for."

She leaned her head over to rest on Rick's chest and relaxed as his breathing evened out. Kate hastened a glance up at him to see if he had fallen asleep, but he was lost in thought with a slight frown on his face.

"You okay?" she asked, arching her brows in question.

"Just thinking," he said quietly.

"Care to share with the class?" Kate teased, but was surprised to see he didn't laugh or even crack a smile.

Rick was silent a moment. "It's not important."

"Rick, hey, you can tell me anything."

"I know, I just feel like I shouldn't be upset…" he trailed off and Kate gave him the moment he needed to continue. "I wish my dad could be there too," he confessed.

"Rick, I - "

He interrupted her. "I know I don't really have a reason to be upset. At least I know he's out there somewhere…"

"Look at me," she implored and watched as his gaze rose to meet her own. "You're allowed to wish your father could be at our wedding, Rick. You don't need to feel guilty that your dad is alive and my mom is dead. I know you hurt too. You're allowed to hurt. I'm glad you're talking to me about this."

Rick squeezed her hand appreciatively. "I've never really felt like I could talk to anyone about it, until you." He paused again, as though collecting the thoughts he's been saving for years. "I always wondered who he was. I used to make up stories to tell the other kids in school when they asked.

He was a space cowboy. He was a doctor, a cop. I think at one point he was an astronaut. It was fun to pretend. As I got older, I thought mother would tell me more, but she didn't. I guess I kind of got used to it. She did the single parent thing, I did the single parent thing, and I never really thought I would find someone to complete me." Rick looked down into Kate's eyes. "But then you came along and my life was turned upside down. I had hope, a hope that I had never really believed in before."

Kate felt tears leak out of the corners of her eyes. She knew without him having to tell her that he had never told anyone how he felt growing up without a father. Meredith had alluded to it when they had talked, and with the exception of Paris, Rick had never really brought his father up.

"I'm glad you can tell me, Rick. You gave me the hope that I had lost faith in too. Before you, I thought that love was a myth, a fairytale told to children, like Santa Clause. I never knew the power it could have."

"It's real," Rick said simply.

She nodded. "I know it is. Thanks to you. I'm glad we are going to go through parenting together. I'm glad it's going to be you by my side."

"Me too, Kate. Me too." He fell silent again.

"Your dad is proud of you too. He may not be able to be there for you, but you saw in Paris, he has always kept track of you. I would be surprised if he didn't know we were engaged. Who knows? Maybe he'll make an appearance," Kate finished hopefully.

Rick raised his eyebrows at her. "I doubt it. But thanks for trying," he smiled down at her. "Thanks for not pushing. You're the first person who's given me the space I needed."

"Anytime. I'm always here for you, no matter what. You were there for me before I even thought I needed someone. I'm grateful every day that you pushed your way into my life."

Rick grinned. "I did push my way in, didn't I?"

Kate laughed. "You sure did. I'm lucky you were attracted to me right from the beginning."

"Oh you know you were the one who was into me!"

"Are we having this argument again?" Kate asked, relieved to see Rick's spirits lifted.

"There's no argument," Rick informed her as her stomach growled loudly. "Ahh saved by the growl!"

Kate shook her head. "I guess Peanut's hungry."

"Sure, blame me, then blame Peanut," Rick teased. "What can I make you?"

She thought for a moment and her face broke into a mischievous grin. "Do we have the ingredients for a smorelette?"

"Do you think I would ever deny you the delicacy that is a smorelette?" Rick asked. "I had the kitchen stocked with all of the essentials including the ingredients necessary to make my beautiful fiancé's craving of choice."

"You're the best, you know that?" Kate knew she was inflating his ego, and she was okay with that, sometimes he deserved it.

Rick smiled at her and planted a kiss on her cheek before he rolled over and out of the bed. "Late night snack in bed? Or do you want to venture down to the kitchen with me?"

She thought a moment. "I think I'll join you." He walked around to her side of the bed and pulled her up.

As Rick led her down to the kitchen to feed her craving, Kate couldn't help but think about their future together. Being in the Hamptons was part of her recurring dream. This was where she pictured them walking down the beach with their two children. This was where they would take family vacations and escape from reality for the weekend. In just a few days this would be as much a part of her as it was a part of him. When Rick led her into the kitchen with his hand on the small of her back she realized that it wasn't something for the future, it was already a part of her. Rick had made sure of that.

He got out the ingredients and began whipping the eggs together when he saw Kate looking over at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she smiled. "I'm just really happy."

He returned her smile. "It's the smorelette, isn't it? I knew it had that effect on you."

"That's exactly it," Kate teased as she popped a marshmallow into her mouth. "I keep you around for the smorelettes."

"I've said it once, I'll say it again, the heart wants what the heart wants," Rick joked back.

"Lucky for me you keep me supplied with them. I guess that's why I keep you around," she winked.

'Oh you wound me," Rick said as he held a hand over his heart and flipped his concoction onto a plate.

Kate leaned across the counter and Rick's lips meant hers in a quick kiss. "The kisses are good too."

Rick grinned devilishly. "That's not all that's good," he said as he raced around the counter to scoop her up.

Just like that Kate knew her smorelette would have to wait.

Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen