A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the second Chapter of Absolution titled 'C'mon Shake it, C'mon Roll. In this chapter I hope to highlight Kate and Alexis's relationship a little more. And of course hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
On with the show!
The following Monday night Kate arrived in TriBeCa to pick up Alexis for their first 'Bust a move yo' class, as Rick had started calling it. She parked her car on the curb and made her way up to the loft to find Rick bustling around the kitchen, studying an inch thick cookbook as if it were precinct paperwork.
"Hey is a cookbook more interesting than your girlfriend?" she quipped as her arrival went unnoticed by the writer.
Rick looked up and his face lit up.
"Hey darling girl," he greeted her, striding over and wrapping his arms around her slim waist. "How have you been?"
Kate squirmed as he pressed his lips to her neck. "In the two hours since you saw me at the precinct, fine," she said, dryly as the Writer began suckling upon her neck. "Oh for God's sake Rick, behave yourself! Where's Alexis? We need to get going."
"Oh for God's sake Dad, leave Kate alone. You're not Edward Cullen!" Alexis exclaimed from the top of the stars in amusement.
Rick sprang back his face a magnificent of red and a sheepish smile upon his lips.
"I know I'm much less on the sparkly gay factor," the writer mumbled as his daughter descended the stairs. "And I have a better hold of my emotions than that wimp."
"Yeah Detective Ryan does sparkly gay vampire much better than you, Dad."
Kate roared with laughter.
"I'm telling Kevin that first thing tomorrow morning," she said with a giggle. "The pictures of him at Halloween are still doing the rounds of the precinct computer system. Everyone in Narcotics call him Detective Dracula now. Javi caught less hell dressing up as a nun."
"So shall we head off?" Alexis suggested, slinging her gym bag over her shoulder. "I told Paige and Kel we'd meet them at Paige's place by six thirty."
"Yeah, let's head off. I've only got a fifteen minute parking spot," Kate revealed. "See you tomorrow, Writer Man."
"You two have fun busting a move 'yo" Rick replied with a cheesy grin.
Alexis groaned. "Don't give up your day job, Dad. You suck at being a gangster rapper," she teased, embracing him briefly. "See you when I get home."
"Have fun kiddo. Let me know all about it when you get back."
"I will bye!"
"Bye!"
Rick followed Kate and Alexis to the door of the loft, leaning on the door frame and watching them as they made their way down the hallway. They flashed him a wave and a smile before disappeared into the elevator taking them out of his sight.
With a sigh, Rick turned around and began closing the door at a loss with how to occupy his evening.
Then it hit him.
It was time to re-investigate Johanna Beckett's murder.
"So Doctor Parish couldn't come?" Alexis asked Kate upon reaching the lobby.
"Not tonight. She's got a night shift," Kate replied retrieving her keys from her pocket. "She's interested though and said she'll be able to come along Wednesday night. She's actually a little disappointed she couldn't come. She wants to see if 'Kid Castle' can cut up a rug as good as Old Man Castle can.'"
Alexis laughed. "I'm going to tell Dad, Doctor Parish thinks he's old." She joked as they reached Kate's car.
"You don't need to, she does all the time," Kate countered, unlocking the vehicle and sliding into the driver's seat. "That or Writer Monkey, Writer Dude and Quill Jockey. The latter is her favourite in recent times."
"I like Doctor Parish, she's awesomely funny," Alexis confessed as she fastened her seatbelt. "All my friends that came to Dad's Halloween party think so too."
"Yeah, she is funny." Kate agreed as she started the engine. "Between her and your Dad, they always cheer me up if I'm feeling miserable."
"You haven't been miserable for a while," Alexis observed as she punched in some information into Kate's dashboard GPS.
A wry smile formed on Kate's lips.
"Not much gets by you, does it?" she said. "No, I haven't been miserable in a long time. And that's all because of your Dad. He makes me the happiest I've been in years. You both do. Some of the best fun I've had has been spending time with you and your father. Though aside from going to see Book of Mormon last month together our group outings have been pretty thin on the ground."
"Bit hard to get out and about with a cripple, huh?" Alexis joked.
"You got it."
A few minutes later Kate pulled up outside an elegant terrace house in Battery Park City within view of the Hudson River.
"Back in a minute," Alexis told Kate, after releasing herself from her seatbelt.
"Gotcha."
Kate turned down the volume of the stereo system and drummed her fingers on the stereo as she watched Alexis leap out of the car and race up the steps of the terrace house. The redhead knocked upon the door and a minute later, it swung open and the young woman was met by two girls of a similar age. One a little taller with waist length black hair and the other, shorter and muscular with her chestnut hair pulled back in a messy bun. The trio raced down the steps and over to the car giggling, shrilly
"Hey girls, hop in," Kate greeted the new arrivals.
"Paige, Kel, you remember Kate Beckett. Dad's girlfriend," Alexis said, introducing Kelsey (The brunette) then Paige (the black haired girl) to the female detective. "She's a homicide detective in midtown."
"Oh hi, nice to see you again Detective!" Paige exclaimed, shaking Kate's hand enthusiastically. "I saw you at Mr Castle's Halloween party. You wore the Catwoman costume didn't you?"
"I did," Kate replied, as Kelsey shook her hand as well. "Hey Kelsey...good to see you again."
"Likewise detective," the teenager replied as she fastened her seatbelt. "Lex was telling us at school today you can really 'bust a move' on the dance floor."
"Oh really?" Kate exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at the redhead who was pretending to have difficulty with her seatbelt buckle.
"I may have mentioned you and Dad spent a lot of time dancing at Kevin and Jenny's wedding." she muttered.
"I can dance a little," Kate confessed. "Nothing polished though. When I was younger I used to take classical and jazz ballet lessons and I did do gymnastics in junior high. But all three of those were years ago. This gym dance class thing we're going to tonight is the first dance related fitness routine I've ever taken part in."
"Really?" Paige exclaimed in surprise as they headed off in the direction of SoHo. "So what do cops do to keep fit? You'd have to keep fit to chase the bad guys wouldn't you? You can't all be like Chief Wiggum."
Kate laughed.
"No we're not," she replied. "We all do different things to keep fit. A lot of officers I know compete in triathlons and long distance swimming carnivals and I know of one Narcotics detective in the twenty second precinct who competes in three day eventing. Personally I run and box and when I can find someone who's willing, I wrestle but few people at the precinct will spar with me know after two separate sparring sessions where I injured two fellow officers"
Paige and Kelsey's eyes widened in shock.
"She didn't do it on purpose though." Alexis chimed in, seeing her friend's concerned expressions.
"It happened during some sparring sessions," Kate explained, casually. "One colleague didn't duck in time and I broke his nose with a right hook and the other I blocked a kick and flipped him and put him down on his shoulder and that's when he dislocated it. Remember Detective Ryan and Detective Esposito from the Halloween party? Kevin wore an Edward Cullen costume and Espo wore a nun's costume."
"Oh yeah, they spent all night on the ping pong table!" Kelsey exclaimed.
"Yeah well I popped Espo's shoulder and broke Kevin's nose so badly he needed reconstructive surgery," Kate admitted. "Kevin's nose bled all over the gym sparring mats and I had to call 911 for an ambulance to take him to hospital."
Paige and Kelsey's jaws fell open in unison.
"Have you ever done that when arresting a suspect?" Paige asked in interest.
"Yeah I tripped up a suspect when I first joined homicide and broke his leg," Kate revealed. "I run faster now so tripping up is not something I've had to do a lot of."
"Sounds awesomely badass," Paige declared, admiringly. "I'd love a job that exciting."
"It's not always that exciting trust me," Kate informed the teenager. "A lot of the time is spent at the desk completing paperwork. Not every case involves a take down and despite what all the cop shows on TV say, stake outs are boring as hell."
"But there are times like where Mr Castle busted his shoulder, it can get exciting?" Kelsey inquired.
"Yeah those times are exciting though it's never exciting seeing your partner get badly injured," Kate admitted. "Rick thought it was terribly exciting though. According to him it was almost a pity he got discharged from hospital."
Right on quarter to seven Kate pulled up in front of 'SoHo Fitness', an upmarket gym in the heart of the SoHo district. She cut the engine and got out of the car laughing internally as Alexis and her friends broke into a little un-choreographed dance routine.
"You three starting early?" she asked in amusement as she slung her gym bag over her shoulder.
"Nah, we're just excited, Jason. Dad's trainer who's taking this class is awesome funny," Alexis declared as they began crossing the road. "He had kittens when I rang during the week and confirmed you were coming. He looooooooooooves Dad's work and wants to meet the Nikki Heat."
Kate rolled her eyes, good naturedly.
"I hope he realises I'm not Nikki Heat and my life isn't half as exciting as hers," she replied. "In fact if Nikki did what I do, fill out paperwork most of the day. No one would buy your father's books."
"Oh, he knows you're not literally Nikki Heat. He just wants to meet you, the inspiration." Alexis countered, pushing open the gym door. "Okay, let's go sign in and I can introduce you."
Alexis helped Kate sign in then the women changed. The youngest Castle then led Kate upstairs to an enormous wood panelled floored, and mirrored walled room where a short muscular trainer was busy fiddling with the stereo system that would play the music for the approaching class.
"Jason!" Alexis called.
The trainer looked up and his round face broke into a wide smile. "Kid Castle, how you goin' sweetheart?" he exclaimed in a broad effeminate accent as he engulfed the teenager in a hug. "How's the old man? Still whinging about his shoulder?"
"Oh yeah, every day, you know Dad" Alexis replied. "You remember my friends Kelsey and Paige?"
"Hey girls..."
"And this is Dad's girlfriend, Kate Beckett." Alexis told him as Kate stepped forward, her hand outstretched.
Jason lit up. "Hello darling, it's just awesome to have you here!" he exclaimed, shaking Kate's hand hard. "I won't ask you questions about Nikki Heat, you probably get that all the time. But I will ask if you can dance, can you?"
"Aw, a bit," Kate replied, honestly. "I did classical and Jazz ballet up til Junior high and a little gymnastics too, I know enough now not to look like an idiot at weddings and the policeman's ball."
"Awesome, so you can do cartwheels and backflips?"
"Yup." the older brunette replied.
"Great, I'm thinking of creating a little something and need some people who can cartwheel."
"A flash mob?" Alexis piped up, her blue eyes alive with excitement.
Jason tapped the side of his nose. "I'm not giving away any secrets kiddo, you can figure it out for yourself," he said with a grin as people started pouring into the room. "Surely you've picked up some detective skills from your father and Kate here."
"You are no fun Jason Hetherington!"
Once all the participants had formed into a dozen lines of half a dozen people, Jason made his way up onto the little stage at the front of the room and the biggest mirror than ran the length of the wall.
"Evening everyone and welcome to the latest group fitness venture at SoHo Fitness!" he announced. "The main focus for this class is to have fun, you don't have to be a great dancer or have precise technique. The whole point is to raise your heart rate, shake your groove thang and most of all have fun! Who's up for that?"
An enthusiastic cheer rose from the audience.
"Awesome stuff! Right now I've picked several songs off my iPod for tonight's class but if you have any ideas for song choices let me know at the end of the hour," Jason continued as he fiddled with his iPod. "Alrighty then, let's start with a little Chipmunks, remember you don't need perfect technique. Just follow my movements as closely as you can."
"This is going to be the best fun!" Alexis said to Kate as she bounced on the spot as the sound system crackled to life.
Kate flashed the teenager a smile, the younger woman's enthusiasm rubbing off on her.
'Yeah! In The Place To Be!
Chipmunks On The M I C!
Witch Doctor!
Everybody Get can they do it!
can they do it
Come On People Let's Get To It!
let's get to it
Come On shake, Come On Roll!
Everybody Hit The Floor!
Come On shake, Come On Roll!
Here's The Chipmunks Here We Go!'
An hour later, the classed finished.
"Okay ladies and gentlemen, that's all for tonight. You were all awesome!" Jason announced as the group finished their warm down. "Thank you so much for coming along and I'll see you same time Wednesday night!"
A light smattering of applause broke out and Kate made her way over to Alexis and the girls, who were sitting on the floor with their faces sweaty and cheeks rosy from exertion.
"You three have fun?" she asked, dropping down beside Alexis and starting a set of hamstring stretches.
"Oh it was awesome!" Paige exclaimed, swiping sweaty tendrils out of her eyes. "You can really bust a move Detective, seriously you rocked. Does the NYPD have a secret dance troupe you're a member of?"
"Ha ha very funny," Kate replied dryly, rolling her eyes as the girls collapsed in a fit of giggles. "No, there is no secret NYPD dance troupe, though I might have a word to everyone in the twelfth homicide department and see if they're interested in starting one to give a performance at the Spring picnic."
Alexis laughed. "I'll wash your bike with a cotton ball every day for the rest of the year if Captain Gates agrees to be a part of it."
"I think every member of every department in the twelfth precinct would volunteer to do that if I managed to convince Captain Gates to join a dance troupe," Kate said in amusement. "I'd end up with the cleanest Harley in the United States."
"So do you think Doctor Parish will come on Wednesday?" Alexis asked, hopefully. "She'd have fun."
"She would and she will come. Lanie likes this sort of thing," Kate revealed, leaning forward and grabbing her toe to stretch her hamstring. "She doesn't have a lot of time to work out but I think she might be able to make it to these classes, she doesn't often work night shifts these days."
"Hey ladies, have fun?" Jason asked, striding over as the last of the participants left the studio.
"The best, we're definitely coming back Wednesday night," Alexis told the trainer. "And I'm going to try and convince Dad to come, once his specialist gives him the all clear."
"Well it would be good to see him here, now I have to kick you girls out, a pump class is due in. See you Wednesday night alright?"
"See ya Jason."
"C'mon, let's hit the showers and get you all home," Kate announced, getting to her feet and holding out her hands to Alexis and Paige.
A little over an hour later after dropping off Kelsey and Paige at their homes, Kate arrived back at the loft with Alexis. She parked her car next to Rick's Ferrari and made her way up to the top floor with the teenager still on a high from the dance class.
"I swear I could've done back to back classes tonight. That was the most fun I've had in ages!" Alexis exclaimed enthusiastically as the elevator arrived on the top floor. "I'm going to log into my iTunes account and download the play list tonight. I need some new music on my iPod."
"So shall we meet at the gym on Wednesday or do you want me to pick you up again?" Kate asked as they strode down the wood panelled hallway.
"We can meet there if you like," Alexis suggested, fishing her key out of her handbag. "That way you can come straight from the precinct."
"If I stay that late again, your father is going to have words with me," Kate said dryly as the redhead slid her key into the lock. "He gets annoyed with me if I do too much overtime."
"He has kinda got a point though," Alexis pointed out as she pointed turned the key in the lock and pushed the door. "He's only concerned for your health and when you do stupid hours at the precinct you form enormous bags under your eyes and yawn every thirty seconds...Dad, you home?"
In the office Rick's stomach fell through the floor when he heard his daughter's voice. The theoretical connection he had formed between Johanna Beckett, the cases she was working on at the time of her death and who could've been connected to them and Kate's shooting flew out of his head and he rushed to hide the files and paperwork he had accrued over the past several months. He saved the files he had entered into the smart screen database then turned it off and shoved all the files in a nearby filing cabinet drawer.
In the office kiddo!" he called back, dropping back down into his seat and opening his laptop, hoping to give the impression to his daughter that he had been writing the next best seller.
Kate followed Alexis through the spacious loft to Rick's office. He was furiously tapping away on his laptop while occasionally referring to a stack of notes under his desk lamp. He looked up upon the door opening and broke into a wide smile upon seeing his two favourite people standing before him.
"H-heeey!" He greeted them, struggling to stifle a yawn. "How are my favourite girls? Have fun tonight?"
"We had awesome fun, Dad. But Kate can give you the details, I'm going to fix myself a snack," Alexis declared, striding into the office and giving her father a brief hug.
"Alright sweetheart."
Alexis left the office and Kate walked into the one room in the loft that was truly Rick. His personalised man cave that looked, smelt and felt exactly like him. She walked around the back of his chair and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey," she murmured, sliding her hands down his chest and under his shirt. "How's my boy?"
Rick yawned again and rubbed his face.
"Tired," he admitted, closing his eyes and inhaling her uniquely cherry scent. "After the day at the precinct and being on the laptop since I got home, I'm just about ready to go to bed. I think my eyes are turning square."
Kate ran her fingers through his sparse chest hair and turned her head to kiss him on the neck.
"Have you eaten?" she asked in concern.
"Yeah, I had some of the pasta left over from last night," Rick replied. "I'm not tired from not having eaten enough. I'm fatigued from sitting at a computer so long. I did it most of the day at the precinct and since I got home I've spent at least four hours doing it."
"And normally I'm the one slaving away in front of a computer with you being concerned for my health," Kate told the Writer, in amusement. "Now it's me, come on save what you're writing and come to bed, I'm going to need you in top form at the precinct tomorrow."
Rick let out a little moan of exhaustion and rubbed his face. "I thought you were heading back to your apartment tonight?" he asked her as he began saving his work.
"I am, well I intend to. But I can stay if you like," Kate told him as she sat on the edge of his desk. "I have a change of work clothes here so I don't have to rush back to my place. We can go to the precinct in my car tomorrow."
"I have to say I have gotten used to you staying over," Rick admitted as he began shutting down his laptop and sorting his notes into manila folders. "I wake up during the night when you're not here and I haven't woken during the night since I was a kid myself."
"Not even when Alexis was a baby?" Kate asked in surprise.
"Nope, right from day one she slept the nights through," Rick revealed, smiling at the memories of Alexis as a rosy cheeked infant, currently flooding his mind. "A lot of the time I had to wake her up to feed her, she was the most chilled out baby I'd ever come across. She seemed to adjust her sleeping patterns to mine. When I slept, she slept. If I was awake she was awake, we've been in sync from the beginning."
'I wonder if you'll be like that with our babies? Kate wondered as she watched Rick bustle over to his filing cabinet to store his folders of notes. 'Shit did I just say OUR babies? We've only been together two and a half months! Calm down Beckett, you are not the clucky type!
But Kate didn't believe her own words. She doubted anyone she voiced them to would either.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Rick said, breaking through Kate's reverie.
"I was just thinking how cool it is you and Alexis have such a solid relationship," Kate lied, reaching out and playfully running a hand across his backside. "A lot of one parent families are so screwed up, I've seen my share of messed up kids from one parents families in my time as a cop and I think it's great you two have such a solid relationship. I haven't seen that a lot in my job and I've dealt with a lot of one parent families. Especially when I first started out in uniform."
Rick cast her a knowing disbelieving look, indicating he know she was lying about what she had been thinking about.
"It's easy to be a good parent when you have a good kid." he told her, closing his laptop and pushing his chair under the desk with a bump from his hip.
Kate watched the Writer's backside appreciatively as he leaned forward to turn off the desk lamp. He noticed this and stood up a huge grin spreading across his face.
"Why Katherine Beckett, were you just gratuitously checking out my ass?" He asked with a chuckle. "I never thought you were that obvious."
"I could say the same about you," Kate countered as he wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're much more obvious about checking out my backside than I am about checking out yours, especially at the precinct. There I look at you out the corner of my eye. You stop me in my tracks and near enough ask me to bend over so you can check me out."
Rick threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Rats busted again," he declared. "I really should learn to be more subtle. You'd think with an actress mother and a girlfriend detective I would've picked up some skills over the years, but nope...it doesn't appear I have."
Kate grinned. "Well seeing as I'm spending the night again, maybe I can teach you a few things about being subtle before we actually go to sleep." she suggested with a husky whisper.
Rick swallowed hard as she slowly undid the fly of his trousers then reached for the buckle of his belt.
"And what things would you teach me, Detective?" he asked with a strangled whisper as she undid his belt and shimmied his trousers down over his hips.
"Well, these lessons in subtlety can't exactly be explained by words," the female detective whispered in his ear as she reached into his boxers and took hold of his masculinity. "Subtlety is more of a show then tell line of education."
Rick squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed again as his felt Kate's fingers wrap around his length.
"Are you going to tease me and leave me hanging or be patient and wait til we get to the bedroom?" he moaned as Kate stroked him.
"Oh this is only a taste of what's to come, Writer Man. I'm just warming you up," Kate replied with a purr as she gently squeezed him and tucked him back into his boxers. "How about we indulge in a hot coffee then head to bed?"
"Is that a euphemism?" The Writer asked, hopefully.
Kate giggled. "No...I actually meant let's have some hot coffee," she replied in amusement as he pulled his trousers back on. "It's only nine thirty Rick, I want to stay up a little longer. Even Alexis is still up. Don't you think it'll look entirely too suspicious if we go to bed before her?"
"She knows what we get up to, you know." Rick informed her, re-buckling his belt. "She's not stupid."
"I know she's not, Alexis is one of the smartest people I've ever met but I still don't want to advertise." Kate said firmly as she slid off the desk. "And even you'd have to admit if we went to bed now, that would just be advertising."
"Yeah you got me there," Rick admitted. "As long as I can feel you up when she's not looking."
"You are such a teenage boy Richard Castle." Kate said, dryly.
"Ah but you love me, mwah mwah mwah mwah," the Writer countered with a wide grin.
"I can go home right now, you know," Kate replied, rolling her eyes as she followed him out of the office.
"You could but I know you won't."
"Hmmph."
"Hey there's a fresh pot of French Press coffee next to the toaster if you're interested," Alexis told Kate and her father as she slid into one of the stools by the kitchen bench with a steaming mug of coffee and a sandwich. "There should be enough there for two mugs."
"Thanks kiddo, you're the best," Rick told his daughter as he kissed the top of her head. "So tell me all about tonight, did you two have fun?"
"Oh we had the best!" Alexis exclaimed. "Essentially it was just messing about tonight but on Wednesday, Jason said he would try and get us dancing a particular routine. He played the Chipmunks version of Witch Doctor for the warm up then moved onto al these Glee covers, but by the third of fourth song the group itself had worked out some semblance of a routine toward the end he played the Glee version of Scream. And Kate, Kelsey, Paige and I really ripped it up. Kate and Paige even sang along. The rest of the group pretty much stood around them in a circle and clapped, it was awesome to watch. Doctor Parish is going to have lots of fun when she comes on Wednesday."
"How come I never see you dance like that?" Rick asked, a scarlet faced Kate as she bustled about the coffee pot.
"Because if I danced like that in the middle of the precinct, I'd be laughed at and Gates would chain me to the desk all day," the female detective muttered. "I got caught up in the moment."
"It was great Dad, seriously," Alexis went on. "Even people outside the studio were looking in to watch."
"They were?" Kate yelped, mortified.
"Oh yeah, at least a dozen," Alexis responded, nodding. "I don't think they could actually see you properly because the rest of the group was gathered around in a circle partly blocking the view from the treadmill room. I think it's entirely possible Jason will get you upon the stage Wednesday night to lead the group in those steps."
"I'll arrest him if he asks me to do that," Kate muttered as she stirred milk into her coffee.
"Aw come on Tulip, seeing you bust a move to MJ would be awesome!" Rick declared, brushing a hand across the small of Kate's back as he began preparing his own coffee. "What's next, Black and White? Maybe Smooth Criminal? Ha ha! That would be awesome, you bustin-OWOWOWOWOWOW APPLES APPLES APPLES!"
Alexis let out an unladylike snort of laughter as Kate grabbed Rick's earlobe and twisted it.
"Behave yourself, Writer Monkey," she scolded, trying in vain to sound stern but the mischievous look in her eyes giving her away. "Teasing someone who is legally allowed to use a gun to defend herself is not wise."
"At the risk of being stabbed with something sharp, according to the United States constitution, the second amendment I believe. 'Anyone is allowed to use a gun defend themselves'." Rick countered with a cheeky grin.
"Ooooh dangerous Dad, you might want to stop before Kate does actually stab you." Alexis told her father in amusement.
"Listen to your daughter, Ricky" Kate told the Writer, biting her lip in an effort to restrain the laughter that was threatening to burst forth.
"Maybe I ought to bring to your attention to the fourth amendment that states 'One has a right to be secure in their own home'," Rick continued. "It also states..."
"I know what it states, you goof off," Kate said dryly, playfully smacking his arm. "Alright you want to be smart? The fourth amendment in it's entirety states 'The people have the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, this shall not be violated, and no warrants shall be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
"She won that one Dad," Alexis told her father as she swallowed the last mouthful of her sandwich then slipped off her stool to take her plate to the dishwasher. "I'm going to head upstairs and do some study before going to bed. You two can discuss the constitution and all its amendments on your own and give me a summary in the morning."
Rick laughed and returned the hug Alexis, bestowed upon him. "We'll do that pumpkin, sweet dreams," he said.
"Night, Dad, night Kate."
Kate swallowed a mouthful of coffee in a hurry. "Night 'Lexis."
"We're not really going to discuss the constitution and its amendments are we?" Rick asked Kate, hopefully once Alexis disappeared upstairs. "Because right now I can't think of a less sexier subject."
"Not even if I do it in something brief and lacy?" Kate whispered in his ear.
The Writer groaned as her hand slid down his abdomen and cupped his package. "Did you pack anything lacy in your gym bag?" he asked, hopefully.
"No just my normal bra and cheekies," Kate replied, deflating slightly. "But really even if I had packed something lacy, would there be much point in me wearing it? It's not like I have it on for very long."
Rick laughed heartily.
"You do have a point," he admitted. "And while the lace is nice, sometimes the sexist thing you wear is a baggy shirt and a pair of boyshorts, no bra of course."
Kate rolled her eyes. "You have an obsession with my breasts," she said dryly. "I've always wondered what's the big deal about them? They're just boobs."
"Are you asking me my personal opinion on breasts in general or my opinion on your breasts?" Rick asked, serious. "Because you might hit me if I answer the former."
Kate laughed. "It's just a girl thing I suppose," she said, allowing him to slip his arms around her waist. "In general we wonder why guys harp on about them so much. I mean they're only there to feed babies and if you don't have kids, they're essentially decoration."
Rick chuckled. "Well, in general speaking from a man's point of view, they're aesthetically pleasing," he told her in amusement, taking her hair out of its elastic and combing his fingers through it. "They look good, that's why we stare at them. That's why I stare at yours all the time. They're beautiful to me but are only part of what makes you beautiful as a whole. Are you going to smack me?"
"No...because that actually was kinda sweet," Kate admitted. "And I can't twist your ear for being so, I suppose I can say the same about your butt. I stare at it because it looks good."
Rick roared with laughter.
"Well thankyou for that detective," he chortled. "Would you like to take a picture of it for my caller ID on your iPhone? I have several different poses."
"Oh shut up. As weirdly appealing as that sounds, if for some reason someone else answered my phone at the precinct. I'd catch hell about it. Kevin, Javi and I answer each other's cells all the time, can you imagine the crap I'd cop from those two if your ass flashed up on the screen? No way, I already catch enough by having that pic Alexis took of us kissing on the balcony on there."
Rick lit up upon remembering the scene on Valentines Day when his daughter had furtively taken the photo of the pair and texted it to them both.
"Actually that's my favourite photos of us," he revealed, drawing her close and resting his chin on her head.
"I thought the photo you got from that photographer friend of yours at Weldon's New Years Eve party was your favourite?" Kate said. "You had it framed and hung on the wall in your office."
"That's one of my favourites, but the best ones my favourites by far are the casual ones when we're just slobbing it around the loft, or your apartment or when we've got some down time at the precinct. You know that one Kevin took of us at the precinct while I was giving you a lesson on the espresso machine?"
"Yeah, we didn't know he had taken it at the time and he texted it to Lanie ad Javi before us." Kate remembered.
"Yeah well that sort of picture is my favourite, posed pictures have a place don't get me wrong but the off the cuff ones, are the best." Rick told her, stroking her hair affectionately. "Nothing the paparazzi has taken has been a patch on the pictures our family and friends have taken."
Kate set her half finished mug of coffee down on the kitchen bench and stood up on her toes to bring her eyes level with Rick's. He laid his own cup down and rested his forehead against hers, his baby blue orbs boring into her green ones.
"What's up?" he murmured, resting his hands on her hips.
"Nothing...I just love being here, it's so warm and inviting." Kate revealed, closing her eyes. "You're here, Alexis is here. It's quickly becoming my comfort zone."
"You know there is something you can do to make that a more permanent arrangement..." Rick began.
"It's not the right time Rick," Kate replied, sincerely. "I still like my own space, I know you like your own space. I'm not ruling the possibility of me moving in, but I have to get to the point where my apartment doesn't feel like mine anymore. Do you understand?"
"Of course I do, you know me Kate. I'm not going to push you, I never have. When you're ready...I'll be ready," Rick murmured, sliding his hands up her slender sides and cupping her face in his hands. "No rush...huh? We've got the rest of our lives to make decisions like that."
Kate's insides turned into a huge puddle of mush.
"Thankyou." she whispered.
The two partners stood in the kitchen for the longest time, silently holding each other. Rick was the first to break the companiable and intimate silence when he drew back slightly and once again cupped her face in his hands. He smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling before he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Kate gave a little squeak of surprise before responding enthusiastically, opening her mouth and allowing Rick to access her mouth with his tongue. When the Writer ran his hands down her back and kneaded her backside with his strong hands she bit down on his lower lip and let out a breathy moan of desire.
"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, you know that?" Rick told her when they eventually pulled apart, slightly breathy from ask of oxygen. "I'm so lucky you chose me."
Kate didn't think it was possible but the puddle of mush in her stomach tripled in size.
"It was an easy choice in the end Rick," she murmured, tipping her head to the side and allowing him to kiss along the line of her jaw. "I realised you were the only one that could help me be the person I'm truly meant to be. You're the only person who I want to help me that way. You put up with me when I'm being a stubborn workaholic and still want to kiss me when we've had an argument."
"When have we had an argument?" Rick asked in surprise, rubbing his nose against hers.
"Last week at the precinct remember? In the break room."
"Oh pffft, you call that an argument?" Rick scoffed. "Tulip...that was barely a tiff, trust me. I've had some rows with women that have had the cops turn up on my doorstep. Not even Javier heard that discussion and that man could hear a pin drop at a Metallica concert. And even I'll admit I undermined you, I deserved the silent treatment. It had been a long day and I nitpicked. I can be like that."
"Hmm but our make up later that afternoon was good, wasn't it?" Rick recalled.
Kate let out an amused giggle as he lowered his lips to her neck and suckled upon the seemingly permanent hickey just below her ear.
"That make up was good," she admitted, a smile touching her lips. "But let's not totally rule out the showers. Men's or ladies again, the water pressure there is out of this world."
"I don't think we should chance doing it in the men's showers at the precinct gym again," Rick said. "Houston from Computer Crimes nearly busted us. If you hadn't balanced on the soap dish it would've looked awkward."
"Damn awkward," she agreed.
"And is it just the water pressure you like, detective?" Rick murmured, pressing his groin into hers. "Maybe it's another type of pressure, you're into?"
"How about I answer that question in bed?" Kate purred. "C'mon Writer Man...time for that lesson in subtlety."
A/N2: Well there you go peoples the second chapter fresh off the presses! I hope you liked it. If you're on Twitter follow me at (at) LauraDunstan and tweet me that you read this story. As always I am open to any ideas or suggestions you have! (Hint that means reviews ha ha)