Chapter Twenty-Eight
Smoke
Meeting AU

"Oh, no. No, no, no."

Rick curses as smoke fills the little cabin, and he rushes to open all the windows and front door. All he wanted was to cut through the chill of the morning, but like the city person he is, he forgot to make sure the flue was open.

He grabs his bath towel and flaps it through the air, trying to help move the smoke outside, but it's useless. It's too thick in the air. Resigned to his fate, he grabs his coffee, sweatshirt, and a thick blanket, and moves out to the porch to wait for the smoke to clear.

He pokes his head in through the door every few minutes to make sure the fire doesn't start - unlikely since he'd extinguished it as soon as the smoke billowed - but when a half hour passes with almost no change, he sighs and runs inside to get his notebook. Well, he may as well get some writing done while he's stuck outside. It is why he's rented the cabin for the week, after all.

After some time, the cabin is cleared out enough that he can go back inside without feeling like he's suffocating. A few experimental sniffs of his clothing and the furniture tells him that the smoke didn't do too much damage, but he still leaves the windows and door open as he gets comfortable on the couch.

The soft crunch of footsteps on the gravel outside wakes him, and he jumps from the couch with a jolt, his notebook and pen falling to the floor. He runs a hand over his face, trying to shake the impromptu nap, and when the steps come closer and a shadow comes through the door he tenses, not sure what to expect.

He's the only one who's supposed to be here, so unless the rental company got their wires crossed, this is probably an intruder. Out in the middle of the woods.

Suddenly he wishes that he had something more than his rapier wit to defend himself.

Until a familiar voice cuts through the air.

"Whoever's in there, I'm an armed police officer. Come out slowly with your hands up."

His mind races to try and remember her name. He remembers her, of course, remembers the blissful weekend they'd shared in the Maldives the previous winter. The empty promises to stay in touch, to see each other again. And now he's about to see her again, literally on the other side of the world.

If he didn't already believe in fate, he would now.

He lifts his hands, palms out, and steps into the doorway. When she sees him her jaw drops.

"Rick?"

Ah, yes. He remembers her name now, how their names had blended so well together. "Hi, Kate." He nods his head towards her empty hands. "Armed, huh?"

Kate's face flashes. "I lied. Just about being armed, though. I am actually a cop." She crosses her arms and takes a step back when he moves forward to greet her. "What are you doing here?"

Rick shoves his hands in his pockets. "I don't know if you remember, but I'm an author. Decided to take myself on a little writing retreat, to get away from the city," he explains. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're renting the cabin. I'll call the rental company to get it straightened out."

"No," Kate says sharply when he turns to get his phone. "It's not that. This is actually my dad's cabin. I didn't know he'd started renting it out."

"Whoa, your dad owns this place? Nice."

Kate lets out a loud sigh and takes her car keys out of her pocket. "Well, I guess I'm driving back to the city. Enjoy your stay."

Rick rushes off the porch, swearing when his bare feet hit the cold gravel. He should've slipped on his shoes, at least. "Kate, hang on." He grabs her elbow when she reaches her car, and she jerks away, her gaze hard. "It's a long drive back, and it's getting late. I think it might even snow. Why don't you stay overnight?"

She levels her gaze at him. "That is a terrible idea."

"Why? It wouldn't be the first time."

"We had a weekend fling a year ago, Rick," she points out, placing her hand on the door handle. "We don't even know each other."

"Yet. It's just one night. Then you can drive back in the morning."

Kate stares at him for several seconds before letting out a loud sigh and dropping her head. "Okay."

Rick can feel Kate's eyes following him as he makes them both some hot cocoa, but he forces himself to concentrate in the kitchen and on straightening up a little bit. Assuming he'd be alone for the whole week, he hadn't bothered keeping the cabin tidy like he does at home. Most of his time has been spent sleeping, writing, and drinking coffee.

"Sorry about the mess," he calls out, drying his freshly washed mug. "I wasn't expecting company."

Kate watches him move around the kitchen from her perch on the couch. "It's fine. Can I help with anything?"

Rick pours the heated milk and chocolate mix into two mugs, squirts some whipped cream on top, and carries them both to the couch. "Nope. Thanks, though."

"Sure."

Rick takes a tentative sip of the cocoa. It's hot but not scalding, and he smiles when he sees Kate do the same. When she puts her mug down he can't help but snicker at the whipped cream that sticks to her upper lip.

She catches his eye and lifts a brow. "What?"

He points towards his own lip. "Looks like you're saving some for later," he teases.

Kate's cheeks flush and she wipes it off with her sleeve. "Oops." She curls her legs and tucks her feet under her, leaning back against the arm of the couch. "You're an author, huh? What kind of things do you write?"

"Mystery books."

Kate nods. "Cool." She glances at him and she blushes again. "I don't have a lot of time to read."

Rick chuckles at her obvious embarrassment. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little disappointed that she doesn't seem to recognize his name, but if she's a cop, she probably wouldn't want to read mysteries anyway. "So, you're a cop, yeah?" he asks. "Where?"

"Boston," Kate says. She opens her mouth again as if to say something, but she shakes her head and closes her eyes. "Well, I was. I just quit."

"Oh." Rick leans back. "So you did lie earlier, when you said you're a cop." Judging by the glare she shoots his way, that was the wrong thing to say. "Sorry. Can I ask what happened?"

Kate lifts her brows. "You can ask. But I won't answer."

Rick is about to ask something else, what her next step is or what she's even doing at the cabin - although he assumes she's here for a similar reason, to get away and clear her head - but out of the corner of his eye he sees her yawn. He stands and starts walking towards the bedroom. "I'll get the bed ready for you," he calls over his shoulder.

Kate appears in the doorway as he's stripping off the comforter. "What are you doing?"

"Changing the sheets," he answers with a glance. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"Well that makes no sense." Kate stops him with a hand on his back. "There's no point in changing the sheets for one night. I'll take the couch."

Rick straightens, groaning when his back pops. He's been sitting too much for the past few days and his back is tight; maybe Kate's onto something. Sleeping on the couch does not sound like fun, but he'd be damned if he'd keep the comfortable bed.

"Okay, so keep the sheets," Kate suggests when he insists on giving her the bed. When he just raises his eyebrows, she crosses her arms. "It won't be the first time I've slept in your sheets."

Rick feels his face flush at the memory of that weekend, where they'd spent hours wrapped up in each other's touch and taste. "Fine."

"Um, Rick?"

He jolts awake at the touch of fingers against his forehead, and he squints, trying to see through the dark. He can just make out Kate's silhouette next to him, although he can't see any of her features. Judging by her voice, though, it sounds like she's been crying. He clears his throat. "Everything okay? What's wrong?"

Kate joins him when he sits up and pats the spot next to him. "Nothing's wrong, I just…" She trails off and sighs. "Sorry. I shouldn't have woken you. I just had a bad dream."

Rick nudges her thigh with his. She's sat directly next to him and the heat of her leg reaches him even through pajama pants and blankets. Being in her company again is intoxicating, and he can't help but wish she wasn't here just for the night, that they could reacquaint themselves to each other.

"You had a bad dream and you needed to see me?" he teases, eliciting a chuckle.

"No," she protests, but it's weak. "I just-it's complicated. Do you mind if I don't explain? I don't really want to get into it."

He slides his arm around her shoulders and tugs her into his side, surprised when she doesn't flinch or pull away. "Alright. You just needed my epic hugging skills. I got you."

Kate chuckles again and drops her head to his shoulder. He loses track of time, but some time passes before she sniffles and lifts her head. She doesn't stand, though, but turns her face towards his and brushes her lips against his jaw.

Rick freezes. As much as he wants this - the tightening in his sweats a telltale sign of his desire - he'll let her dictate whatever happens.

She shifts to face him and her hand finds the hem of his t-shirt, and she pulls it up and over his head. As the shirt flutters to the floor she straddles his thighs, throwing the blanket aside and rolling her hips against him.

He groans and his own hips lift into hers of their own volition, but he silently curses when she stiffens. He grips her waist to keep her where she is. "Don't go," he whispers.

Despite the darkness around them, she's close enough that he can outline her facial features, and can watch her eyes search his. For what, he isn't sure. Permission, maybe?

"Don't go where?" she husks, her gaze dropping to his mouth. "When?"

"Now," he breathes as her lips move closer to his, the anticipation agonizing. "Tomorrow." Her lips finally touch his and he wraps his arms around her, holding her close to him as she deepens the kiss. "Stay here," he gasps when she pulls back for a breath.

She cups his face and kisses him again, her lips soft against his, her tongue sweeping inside his mouth to curl against his. Her fingers trail through his hair and she pulls away with a moan. "Take me to bed."

He's alone when he wakes, and he blinks against the harsh sunlight as he stretches under the bedspread. The coffee on the nightstand is still steaming, and he takes a tentative sip with a smile.

It's been two days since she arrived at the cabin, and much like their time in the tropics, they've spent the better part of their time in bed. He's tired, he's a little sore, and he's more relaxed than he's been in months.

So when she appears in the doorway fully dressed, including her coat and shoes, he stares at her in confusion.

"Going for a walk or something?" he asks, sipping at his coffee. "If you give me a few minutes I'll join you."

Kate shakes her head. "No, I'm leaving. I have to get back to Boston."

Rick scrambles out of bed when she walks away, and just manages to stop himself from tripping when his feet tangle in the sheets. He wraps the comforter around himself and pads after her. "Why?" he calls after her.

She picks up her duffel bag and turns to face him. "I have to figure out what I'm doing next with my life, Rick. I need to find a new job, a new place to live. I shouldn't have stayed as long as I did." She reaches for the door, but seems to hesitate before dropping her bag and approaching him. "It's been fun. Thanks for letting me stay."

Rick can't move as she cups his face in her hands and kisses him, a long, slow kiss that leaves him breathless. The sound of the engine turning over jolts him out of his daze and he shoves his feet in his shoes before rushing outside. "Wait!" he calls out, thrusting a hand out like he's hailing a cab.

Kate rolls her window down. "You can't change my mind, Rick. I need to go."

"I know. Just-" He glances inside her car. "Do you have a piece of paper?" She procures a small notebook and pen from her center console, and he jots a few things down before handing it back to her. "My address and phone number," he explains when she just raises her eyebrows. "I'd love to keep in touch this time."

Kate offers him a small smile and puts the notebook on the passenger seat. "I'll try," she assures him, putting the car in drive. "Bye, Rick."

He leans down and brushes a soft kiss to her mouth. "Until next time, Kate."

A/N: This one was borne from ideas from both Lou and Shannon, thanks ladies!