Apparently my family doesn't take too kindly to being neglected. Who would have thunk? Hmmmppph….

I am not familiar with parks in NYC so let's just pretend, okay? Thanks ;o)

Characters are not mine. Much thanks to the wonderful Mr. Marlowe and Co.

Their ice creams finally eaten they continued to walk through the park when Kate stopped in front of a small chapel.

"What's this?"

"This is it."

"Here?"

"Yes"

"Now?"

She smiled and turned to kiss him. "No. Saturday at 11."

"This Saturday?" His hands were on her hips, pulling her in for another kiss.

She draped her arms around his neck loosely and kissed the corner of his mouth grabbing the small amount of rocky road with her tongue. "Ummmhmmm...Yes."

"That is sooo not going to work."

"You have something more important going on?"

"We need a license and all that other stuff you have to do first."

"We can do that right now, with all your connections I'm sure it won't be any problem."

"Your father will kill me."

"He'll be here, as will your mother and daughter."

"Esplanie, Rynny?"

She rolled her eyes at the nicknames. "Oh, they'll be here too."

"How did you manage this?"

"Serioulsy? Just a few texts."

"What about rings?"

She smiled and placed her mouth right up against his ear and whispered, "I already have one for you."

"You do?" His arms circled her as she nestled her chin on his shoulder. She nodded and kissed his neck.

He hugged her tight then pulled back slightly to look at her, "I have yours too."

"What? I already have one." She waggled her ring finger at him.

"That, my dear detective, is an engagement ring; you must have a wedding ring too."

She rolled her eyes, "Well then, I guess we're all set."

"Okay, let's do it." He picked her up and swung her around and she laughed into his shoulder.

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"Good Grief woman, you need to stop waking me up like that. You're going to be the death of me."

"What a way to go, besides, what's the sense of keeping you around if I can't unleash all my frustrations on you when I get home after a long, hard day at work?" She rolled off him and snuggled into his side, sliding one leg over his.

"Oh, so I've been reduced to a sex toy?"

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around him just a little tighter.

He pulled her closer to him. "I'm not really complaining."

"I didn't figure you were. Considering what the consequences would be."

He ran his hand up and down her back and through her hair, "Are you ready for the big day?"

"Ummmhmmmm. You?"

He sighed and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Very."

"Good."

"So answer me this, of all the roguishly handsome guys you could have, what was it about me that convinced you that I was your 'one and done'?"

She was surprised by his question and didn't say anything right away.

"I'm not thinking that your silence is a good thing."

She rested her chin atop her forearm on his chest and looked at him, smiling. She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. "You have the best kisses." She kissed him again, long and sweet, her hand running through his already disheveled hair. "And you brought me coffee." She kissed him again leaving a trail of soft kisses along his collarbone. "Mostly, because you brought me coffee, because you always brought me coffee. You knew just what I needed. You make me smile." She laid her head back down on his chest and caressed his bare skin. "I thought when I first met you that you were arrogant and only wanted one thing, when you weaseled your way into my life, I was bound and determined not to let you get to me. I saw through your façade though. I saw the gentle, doting father and the caring son. I loved the way you treated your daughter and your mother. I swear you were the first guy to take care of me, which is no small feat considering I don't let people in, but you persevered and you genuinely cared about me, with the respect and dignity my parents would want in a soul mate for me. That I was looking for in my 'one and done." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly reaching out for his hand and lacing her fingers through his and placing a kiss on his chest. She sighed contentedly.

"Wow."

"Oh, and you're really good in bed."

"Gee, thanks, I think."

"It's important to a girl, you know, that you can keep up."

"Yeah, well I'm not so sure how much longer I'll be able to do that."

"Well we'll have to keep practicing, won't we? I have to get my fill of you before we won't see each other for ever."

"It's only one night, and I'm sure you'll survive, Lanie will keep you occupied."

"You just can't wait to get rid of me so you can have your bachelor party at The Old Haunt with lots of near naked girls jumping out of cakes."

"There will be none of that."

"Don't be so sure, remember what Esposito did for Ryan's?"

"Hmmm, you do have a point. Maybe you were right, we should have just eloped."

"See, told ya." She poked him in the chest numerous times making her point known. "Didn't I, didn't I say before this was all over you were going to wish you listened to me and eloped."

"Ouch, Beckett..." He took a hold of her hand to stop her attack on his chest. "Yea, but then we would have had to deal with Lanie and your father."

She sighed and tightened her hand around his.

"So, what do Lanie and Alexis have planned?"

"Just girl stuff, nails, chic flicks, a quiet night in, nothing too crazy since I insisted Alexis join us."

"Good thing my mother already had plans."

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, a very good thing."

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She waited for Lanie and Alexis to finally fall asleep then slipped into an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and snuck out of the apartment. She took one of the secret passages to The Old Haunt and turned on the fireplace. She opened up a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. She sauntered over to the bookcase and picked out The Master and Margarita. She had read it many times, but it was one of her favorites. She curled up on the couch and waited for Rick to come downstairs.

He finally got them all into cabs and told the bartender to head home. He closed up the bar and then not wanting to go home to the empty loft, he decided to hang out in his office and maybe write for awhile. He saw the light on and the glow from the fireplace. As he got closer, he saw her sitting on the couch. She turned and rested her chin on the back of the couch, smiling at him.

"Hey."

He stood against the doorjamb and smiled at her. "Hey, yourself."

"I missed you."

"Yeah?"

"Umhmmm."

"Lanie and Alexis didn't do a very good job keeping tabs on you."

"I didn't think they'd ever fall asleep."

"So you've been planning your escape all evening?"

"I forgot to tell you something before I left."

"What was that? Cold feet?"

She rolled her eyes. "Literally, yes, figuratively, no not at all."

"Well, we'll have to do something about that won't we?"

She smiled at him and nodded. He walked over to where she was sitting and sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck; he took the blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over them. She nuzzled her face in his shoulder. His hand raked through her silky curls.

"So this thing you forgot to tell me?"

She sighed into his chest and dragged her tongue along his collarbone. "I don't want to sleep alone tonight."

"That's what you forgot to tell me?"

She shook her head and looked at him; she traced a finger along his jaw and placed a light kiss on his lips. She took in a deep breath and kissed him again. She unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and kissed his chest.

He pulled her head back up so he could see her face. He brushed a curl away from her forehead and kissed her lightly on the lips.

She kissed him back and whispered, "I forgot to say 'I love you'."

"And there's that puddle I've been reduced to again."

She giggled as he pulled her down on top of him.

A/N: So maybe another chapter or two or three…but I'm not sure when. It seems to take me forever to write something coherent these days. Oh and just an FYI, I will not be writing 'the whole wedding scene' I just can't do all that sappy fluff ;o) There might be a flashback or two…ideas and suggestions are welcome here. Thanks again to all who have reviewed, alerted, favorited, read, and re-read this silly fluff-filled story.