Chapter Sixteen
Stellar Constellation
Mid-season Seven

"Rick, where are we going?"

"Nice try," Rick lightly chides his wife. "But I'm still not telling." He glances at her in the dark to make sure her blindfold is still on before motioning to the tour guide to continue.

Kate huffs next to him and crosses her arms. "We're on the other side of the world, and you're still trying to keep it a secret? How do you even know where we're going?"

Rick grins. "He's called a tour guide, love." He coaxes one hand free and laces their fingers together. "I-"

"Know a guy," she interrupts with an exasperated sigh. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Actually, I called a travel agent, who hooked us up. You'll love it." He lifts her hand and brushes his lips along her knuckles. "I promise."

Kate sighs and leans into his touch. "Fine."

They arrive at their destination just a few minutes later, and Rick gets out of the car first before helping his wife. "Step down," he tells her, instructs her when to step up or down as he leads her to the field. When they reach the setup he'd arranged - with help from his pocketbook - he stops, and finally unties the blindfold.

Kate blinks a few times, then gasps and looks at him, wonder in her eyes even in the darkness of the night. "Rick, this is so cool!"

"I know, right?" he agrees with a grin. He walks towards the picnic blanket and basket laid out on the grass, next to a portable telescope. "So, we have some snacks, and champagne that we can enjoy while we gaze at the stars."

Kate glances around at their surroundings, but it's so dark that hardly anything is visible. "Where are we?"

"Hobbiton."

"Oh my God." She laughs and shakes her head. "So we're both getting our way."

Rick wraps his arms around her waist when she walks up to him and tugs her close. "Yep." He leans down and kisses her. "You get to see someplace you've never been, we make new memories, and I get to spend at least part of our honeymoon in Middle Earth."

She just rolls her eyes. "You're so ridiculous."

"Yeah, but that's why you love me."

Kate shrugs. "Yeah, but it's not why I keep you around."

When she slides a hand down and pinches his butt, he jumps. "Why, Mrs. Castle, not here in the outdoors where anyone could see," he teases with a fake Southern drawl.

After a few more long, slow kisses they sit, and Rick pours them both a glass of champagne as she takes the food from the basket.

"To our honeymoon," he toasts, lifting his glass.

Kate smiles and clinks hers against his. "To us.

"You know," she says a while later as they lay side-by-side on the blanket, looking at the night sky, "I read up on the constellations down here."

Rick glances over at her. "Oh?"

"Yeah." She scoots closer so their heads are almost touching, and points up. "See those four bright stars, kinda in a diamond?"

"Yep."

"That's the Southern Cross. It used to be visible in the northern hemisphere like two thousand years ago, but obviously not anymore."

Rick stays silent as his wife - God, he'll never get sick of calling her that - spouts off the things she's learned about that and other constellations they can see. Occasionally she stops and tries to apologize for talking and "ruining the silence," but he dismisses her apologies, insists that he loves listening. And he does.

She has such a curious mind, always learning new things, and it's one of the things he loves about her. It's what makes her a great detective, why they always have something to talk about. They're comfortable being silent together, but their conversations are never boring. She teaches him, challenges him, and as he gazes at her when she gets up to look through the telescope, he can't help but marvel at how perfect his life is.

Especially when they go back to Hobbiton the next day for a real tour, and she's just as excited as him.

A/N: Yet another idea from Lou who may not realize she's now my personal prompt provider.