AN: Hey guys! Sorry it took me longer to get this chapter up, I was sick. But as a reward, I'm going to put up two chapters today! This one is mainly filler (sorry!) but hopefully you'll like the next one too, as that has a bit more to it.

IBYL
xo

Disclaimer: I'm not AWM. End.

When they closed the case they caught, a man shot dead in an alley by a business associate when their working relationship turned sour, a few days later, the captain rewarded them with four days off. Rick grinned at the news as they left the Captain's office to pack up for a few days. Kate looked at Rick suspiciously.

"That smile tells me you have a plan. You have a plan, don't you?"

"Don't I always?" He said with a grin, and Kate sighed.

"I'm going to have to get used to surprises with you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are. But this one's really good, I promise." He said, eyes sparkling, and she smiled.

"Okay, I trust you." She turned to bid farewell to the boys, and the couple entered the lift together and Rick took Kate's hand. "Where to first?"

"Your place, then mine." He said confidently, and she smiled.

A few minutes later, they were back at Kate's apartment, where he pulled a small suitcase from her closet. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled.

"Pack. For four days at the beach. Include some jeans or something similar though, it gets pretty cold at night sometimes." He said, waiting for her brain to turn over.

"You're taking me to the Hamptons?" She asked and he nodded.

"You need a break. Hell, we both need a break. A few days out of the city will do us both some good, don't you think?" He smiled, and she kissed him softly.

"I like the way you think. I'll pack quickly and then we'll head to yours. Can you grab me some water, please?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, of course." He said, leaving the bedroom. She took the opportunity to pull her favourite pieces of lingerie into her suitcase, along with her swimsuit, and hide them under the clothes she'd already packed. Smiling as she accepted the glass of water from Rick, she threw in a few last pieces of clothing and her toiletries before zipping up her bag and lifting it off her bed. "You ready?" Rick asked in surprise, and she nodded.

"Yep. Let's hit the loft." She said, and they wandered towards her car. "Oh wait, should we take a cab?"

"Don't worry about it, you can leave your car in our undercover car-park at the loft if you want. We have a spare space." He said with a shrug, and she smiled.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Rick." She said, sliding into the car.

At the loft, Rick didn't take long to pack at all, and before long the pair were on the road to the Hamptons in Rick's SUV. He'd insisted on driving and even though Kate put up a little fight, she decided to let him have this one and settled herself into the passenger seat, fiddling with his iPod until she found something worth listening to. They chatted all the way there, telling stories about other vacations they'd taken. Kate told Rick about her semester abroad in Russia, punctuating her stories in a Russian accent and enjoying the shiver that coursed through his body when she rolled her R's. He told her tales of the giant European adventure that he and Alexis had taken after she finished middle school with perfect grades – the deal they had made before she started at her prestigious high school. She smiled as he told tales of France, Spain and Italy, silently hoping that she'd get to see those places for herself one day – maybe even with the man beside her for company. He glanced over as she pondered that thought and he took her hand, breaking her from her reverie.

"I'd like to take you one day. There's so many incredible things that I'd love to show you." He said softly, and she smiled despite herself.

"Your Jedi mind trick thing is starting to get a little creepy, now." She said, a teasing lilt in her voice, and he smiled.

"One day, Kate." He affirmed, and she really couldn't find a reason to dispute that.

XXX

Rick pulled the car up to his Hamptons place just as Kate woke from the sleep she'd fallen into about halfway into the drive. He smiled at her as she blinked sleepily.

"We're here?" She asked softly, sounding more child-like than he'd ever heard before.

"Yeah, we are." He smiled, before opening his door and running around to be chivalrous and open hers for her. She rolled her eyes but smiled none-the-less, as he took her hand and led her to the front door. "I'll show you around first and then come and grab our bags." He said, before unlocking the door and throwing it open to lead her inside.

The front door opened into a small hallway, leading to a large open plan living area, with a breakfast bar separating the lounge and kitchen. The lounge's main feature was the beautiful fireplace, and Kate couldn't help but smile at the sight. The four bedrooms of the house all came off of a hallway at the edge of the kitchen, the master bedroom had an en-suite, while the rest of the rooms had a large bathroom to share. Next to the main bathroom there was a small laundry. But the real hero of the house was back through the lounge room, out the huge floor to ceiling glass sliding doors to the deck. It had been masterfully crafted and Kate couldn't help but gasp at the view of the ocean that greeted her. She turned to Rick, who was smiling proudly.

"You really love this place, don't you?" She asked as she observed him.

"Yeah. What can I say? It's my escape." He said with a shrug.

"It's not what I expected, but I love it too." She said, and he pulled her into a hug.

"You expected something flashier." He said, picking up on her hidden message easily.

"Honestly? When you first mentioned the Hamptons house years ago, I was expecting some two story monstrosity. Now that I know you, I understand why you'd pick this place."

"Really, why?" He asked, curious to hear her interpretation.

"Because it's homely. And now that I know you, I know that despite all the fame and fortune, all you want is for somewhere to feel like home. You have the loft, of course, but you have this too." She said, and his mouth dropped in surprise.

"You're good, Kate, I'll give you that." He said.

"I know." She smirked cheekily. "Shall we go grab those bags?"

"Absolutely. And then we'll need to go get some groceries." He said with a smile, as they went about their business.