Love on Ice

Chapter 24

Kate had had trouble getting any sleep at all that night. She'd gotten so used to sleeping next to Rick that she found herself pressing her face into his pillow so she could smell him. It didn't get any better in the morning.

Since she was awake and no one else was, she got her own breakfast then headed for her car, driving into work after checking on Alexis and kissing her sleeping head. She really was her mommy now and had learned to like it.

Kate soon found that she wasn't quite first in since Roy was there though the boys weren't yet. "Beckett, my office," Roy called out. Between him, Jim, and Rick, they had a plan for her.

"Sir?" Her board was empty so it couldn't be about a case.

"Sit down, Beckett." Roy waited for her to get comfortable. "I've gotten a few answers for you. First a homicide detective is referred to as an investigator in Canada. There are regional and RCMP or Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Something closer to FBI here. To become an investigator you have to graduate from the Academy, finish about six months of training as a police officer, followed by passing your promotional exam.

"However, since you've already passed the Academy here and completed over six months of training here all you need to do is pass your promotional exam. Prove that you understand the laws you're about to enforce.

"There are two things you will need first." This was going to be the kicker and Roy knew it. This was either going to break it or fix it. "You need to be a Canadian citizen and show that you've lived in Canada for at least one year." The later was the sticking point.

"One year." Kate had heard that part loud and clear. It meant she would be out of a job for at least a year and that was if, which was still a really big if, she could get a dual citizenship at all.

"This is for you." Roy put a folder on the edge of his desk for her to pick up.

Kate reached out to take it. "What's this?" She didn't even bother to open it to see what was in it. She believed she was screwed already.

"Your father tells me that your mother had dual citizenship and that her parents were Canadian. This is all the information you'll need to apply for dual citizenship in Canada. Basically since your mother was a Canadian all you need to do is fill out the enclosed form to apply for proof of citizenship. Once that's complete and you can show proof of residence in Canada, you can apply for a Canadian passport.

"Without your mother you would have to live in Canada for no less than 1,095 days, have paid Canadian taxes for a minimum of three years, then fill out various forms to become a Canadian. You just need that form and proof of residence in Canada. Then wait one year and pass your promotional exam.

"Also in there is my recommendation letter as well as one additional letter. Both should get you hired once you pass your exam." Roy was finished and had done all he could for her.

Now Kate really did open the folder and started looking through it. Sure enough it was filled with papers about how to be a Canadian, where and how to get a passport, what an investigator was along with a form to fill out and two letters. One was from him and one was from… That one had Kate breathing in sharply and looking up at Roy. It was the Police Commissioner's name.

"You need to hold out for one year, Beckett. The sooner you can establish a residence in Canada the sooner you can take your exam. One year to study everything you can about Canadian law."

Roy hated to see her go but he also knew he owed it to her to do all he could for her. In addition, getting her out of New York City just might save her life.

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Kate was sitting at her desk and was readying everything in her folder as Javi and Kevin arrived. She ignored them since she was busy reading. So far everything Roy had told her was true. Thanks to her mom she could move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen and get the job she wanted. Though it was going to take a year first.

Kate knew she might need that year to ace that exam. She was going to need to learn all about Canadian laws. If she could get this job she could get that one.

Javi tried for the fifth time to get her attention. "Earth to Beckett!" She finally looked up. "We got a body." It took Kate a moment to process what he had said. Then she finally got all her stuff together and followed the guys out to a car, off to see their new case.

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Alexis was in her room playing and Kate was downstairs at one of the computers. "Okay, I'm up and I see your message." Kate opened it while talking into her phone.

"I saw two houses today and I want your opinion." Rick had gotten a call from Roy about what it took for her to be a Canadian citizen and get the job she had now. She just needed to hold out for one year.

The first was in West Vancouver. It was nice if she liked modern looking houses. The garage had a wood door that she liked. The house itself was on a level higher and to one side of the garage. The kitchen was large enough, she supposed. The breakfast bar could seat five. The back wall was all wood panel and the storage space seemed rather limited.

"Four bedrooms and six bathrooms with radiant floor heating throughout." The entire place was white save for the really nice wood floors. She did love the deck and the view but not enough to live there. Kate shook her head, "Next," and opened the next one.

This one was also in West Vancouver and was really weird looking. It was three floors and the outside walls were all arched. It did at least have a pool that the other house lacked.

"Four bedrooms and five bathrooms and over 6,000 square feet. There's a pond on the lower level." None of it was fenced which meant Alexis could jump into either of them at any time which she automatically hated.

Wood ceilings, tile floors, and glass everywhere. Then she saw the bright yellow sectional and hated it on sight. Their bedroom was just odd. It had a TV hanging from the ceiling and curved glass block wall and glass on the sides. The bed was aqua of all things. The kitchen was at least larger than the first house. It had a breakfast bar that seated four, barely.

"There's no yard for Alexis to play in. Keep looking, babe." Kate shot it down as well.

"You tied again on your last game," she pointed out.

"The Edmonton Oilers, 3-3. They take their hockey very seriously up here and playing against another Canadian team especially so." He was thinking that was the reason for the tie. "Two more houses tomorrow." His realtor already had two lined up for him.

"How goes your quest for a Canadian citizenship?"

"I had to get Dad to help me. They asked questions I didn't have answers for. It went out in the mail today so now I guess I wait. Oh, and your real estate lady came out today, Maria tells me. She has a showing scheduled for this weekend. The three of us have to find somewhere else to be for a few hours." Kate was sure she would be at work while Maria was going to have to take Alexis somewhere.

"I'll be really glad when this is all over. I looked up where to go for my new drivers license and my new car plates. Once I have an address to give them." He needed a house first. "How's Alexis?" He wasn't sure she understood that they were moving yet.

"Playing in her room. I'll get her." Kate took her phone up to Alexis's room so she could spend some phone time with her dad.

Kate spent another lonely night and lonely next morning before going into work. God but she missed him something terrible. It was one of the things that was driving her to do this. She would work out how to solve her mother's case somehow. Right now she really missed those hands of his. And his lips, his tongue, his cock, and his smell. His pillow was rapidly losing his scent and he'd taken most of his clothes with him so that was out.

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Kate was back downstairs and it was really late. "Found it." She opened his email that had pictures of two more houses as she spoke into her cell phone.

This one was different. It looked to be all metal and glass. It was on a hillside and the garage was on two levels thanks to the hill. "Three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, just short of 4,000 square feet." So far all of them cost less than the one she was living in now so she assumed he could afford it.

The kitchen was enormous and had a huge island yet somehow it could only seat four people. The cabinets were black while the floor was a white tile. It had this massive accordion glass door that went out onto the back patio.

Kate clapped her hand over her mouth when she spotted the huge soaker tub in the bathroom. She was in love and she knew it. Except that the bathroom itself was all white, everywhere.

Then she found why Rick liked this house. It had a wine room that rivaled the one that was in this house. Now that she liked a lot. Just not so much the rest of the house.

Kate moved on to the next one. "Four bedrooms and four bathrooms, just over 2,000 square feet." So far it was the smallest house yet. "It has a dock and a boathouse!" Now Kate saw why Rick had sent her this house. Getting a boat sounded nice.

The fireplace was metal and in the middle of the living room while the kitchen was open it was tiny and had almost no storage. There wasn't even a vent hood over the range. There was a lovely greenhouse looking dining room. Glass walls and glass ceiling.

Their bedroom was unremarkable and there was literally no yard of any kind. Just a walkway leading to stairs down to the boathouse and dock. "Still no room for Alexis, babe. There isn't even a hot tub at this house. Keep looking if there's more to look at."

"I have one tomorrow then it's back to playing hockey since I have a work out game tomorrow before we fly to Pittsburgh and play the Penguins. I won't have time to look again until late February. We have a lot of away games coming up."

Kate had begun looking at their schedule. Over the next eleven games, seven of them were away games so he wasn't even going to be in Vancouver to look.

"I'm thinking of moving to an extended stay hotel if tomorrow doesn't work out." He missed Maria's cooking and eating out every day was starting to get to him. He also missed Kate and Alexis fiercely. "Really wish you were here." Damn but he needed to make love to her and badly.

"Me too, babe, me too." She was wet every night and it was driving her crazy with desire. Damn but she needed to make love to him. "I'll go get Alexis." If they kept this up she really was going to go mad.

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Kate was back downstairs late the next day and found his email for the next house. "They came and got your car today," she said as she opened his email.

"Hopefully I'll still be here when it gets here." It was going to take ten days to ship his car out to him. "I have a home game against the Colorado Avalanche before flying to Calgary and playing another Canadian hockey team." It seemed to him that every Canadian team was respected but they were the enemy. Not quite as bad as Islanders versus Rangers, but bad enough.

Kate saw the first picture. "Ooo, this is different!" It was the back side of the house and it looked like a log home on one end and a normal home on the other. There were four decks, lots of windows, and lots and lots of stairs.

"Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and just a fraction under 3,000 square feet." Not the largest but far larger than yesterday's houses. "I see a hot tub and is that a…bear?" It kind of looked like one to her.

Rick began laughing. "The big white, blue, orange, and pink thing? Yeah, that's a bear. I thought Alexis would get a kick out of him." He was perfect for a four-year-old working on five.

The log home side really was a log home inside and out, she soon saw. It was a good-sized living room with stairs up to a small balcony that Kate thought was the new computer room since that was about all it was good for.

"A claw foot tub!" She'd never had one of those before. The kitchen was different. It sat three at the peninsula and another four at the island. Then she saw the three large skylights in the kitchen and breakfast nook. The kitchen looked a little small and she didn't see a pantry. But it had a huge gas fired, six burner range that boasted two ovens to work with.

There was a little side courtyard that was beautiful and filled with plants and had an outdoor table and chairs for four. It was really nice.

"Is that a tub in the bedroom?" It was in the corner with windows on two sides and was completely open to the bedroom. Literally no privacy at all. She was willing to take risks from time to time, but that was a bit much.

"Yep. Not sure what they were thinking with that one," Rick agreed. "We could pay to have it removed."

"Yes, please." She shook her head in disbelief. "…I can't believe it's in the bedroom." Kate was having trouble wrapping her mind around that one. The view out the windows was amazing, though. She could see a lake and lots of trees on the property. "There's a yard!" It was surrounded by tall hedges but she saw grass and it was a nice size. Certainly enough for Alexis to play in.

"We could even get a dog," Rick suggested hopefully.

"We can talk about that later." Kate didn't shoot him down but she wasn't totally onboard with it either.

Two vanities and a large shower had her attention. "I think I see Alexis's room." It already had stuffed animals and one was a really big dog. It had bookshelves for her books and a place to play.

"Yeah, I thought that room was perfect for her. It has two beds now but that would just leave her more room for a bigger bed later." Rick liked that room, too.

She also saw that someone was going to need a green thumb. There were plants and flowers everywhere. It was part of what made the place really lovely but it meant work to her. She considered it briefly and thought perhaps they could hire someone to take care of the yard and foliage.

"Is the boat dock ours?" She could see it but couldn't tell.

"No, that's someone else's. We have a beach we can use but no boat dock." They could swim when it was warm enough but not get a boat. "The beach is mostly filled with driftwood at the moment and not really a beach like Hawaii or the Caribbean." Besides, at this time of year the water was really cold.

"We have neighbors but you can't really see them for all the trees," Rick added.

"I like it save for all the stairs. How much is it?" Kate went looking for it.

"It's been reduced from almost three million to a little over two and a half million now. There are hiking trails and that beach filled with driftwood. We'll need a home inspection. I take it you like this one?" Rick questioned her since if she didn't he was going to have to wait weeks before he could go back to looking.

"I do. Though I'm concerned about all the stairs, Rick. I can just see Alexis tumbling down one of them."

"Now you sound like a mother," Rick told her which made Kate grin. "I've already thought about that and Alexis does pretty well with stairs now. She's a smart girl, she'll learn. She'll have to get used to doing without an elevator, though," Rick chuckled since he didn't see the need for one even now.

"We could get a tent and camp out in our backyard," Kate offered since they would have the space.

"Down by the beach even. So do I put in an offer? Not sure I can get it for much less than the asking price. You need an address so you can show residency."

"I like it, spend what you are comfortable with. I'll show it to Maria so she can pick out her room and get used to it."

"Consider it done. The sooner it's ours the sooner you three get here. Not sure how much longer I'm going to last." He was horny beyond belief and listened to Kate moan which didn't help him any.

"I'll get Alexis and show her her new home and her new bear." Kate smiled joyfully and listened to Rick laugh. That bear was definitely a selling feature.

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"Hi, Dad." Kate had called him immediately after Rick was done talking to Alexis. "Rick found a house. It's partly a log home of all things but only on one end."

"So you're moving after all." Jim was happy for that. His daughter was an idiot if she didn't.

"Yeah, I get to spend a year learning about Canadian law. I might even have to take a class of two even. I still have to figure out how to solve Mom's case while living in a different country." She wasn't willing to give up on that. Not now or ever.

Jim tried to keep from sighing since he really wished she would just stop. But at least she was going to live her life. He truly liked Rick and Alexis was a doll. She'd found the perfect family to get attached to.

"You'll think of something. You have far too much determination not to. And when you marry Rick he and Alexis might instantly become Canadians." He didn't know the laws there but he wasn't willing to discount it. He was also looking forward to walking her down the aisle and handing her over to Rick and Alexis. Then would come waiting for more grandchildren. If only Jo could see her now.