Here is chapter 9, enjoy!

Kate stayed there, looking at the ring box on the floor. Rick seemed to hesitate but bent down and reached for it. Kate's eyes seemed stuck on the box, following it while Rick picked it up.

"It's … uh … well, I think you know what it is." Rick said, toying with the box. He looked at Kate, noticing the smile on her face

"Well, aren't you going to give it to me?" Kate asked, finally looking away from the box to look at him, her eyes shining.

"I … uh …I had …"

"Ok then, I'm going to bed!" Kate said, tightening the robe around her and walking away, a disapproving look on her face.

She had reached the stairs before Rick could react to what had just happened.

"Kate wait!" he called, running after her. He met her in the bedroom. She was taking the covers off the bed and he noticed that she was crying. "Kate please." he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me." she almost growled.

"Come on Kate, listen to me." Rick begged her. "I … I didn't want to give you today and …"

"You should really stop talking right now." Kate warned. "You're getting worse and worse with every word." she said

"Kate Beckett, you listen to me now!" Rick almost yelled.

She turned around to him, eyes wide. He had never raised his voice like that on her before.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But will you listen to me, please?"

"Kate nodded, still shocked by his outburst.

"I didn't want to give it to you tonight, because I have everything planned for tomorrow. I wanted for it to be perfect, to be a moment that you will never forget. You deserve a magical moment, not only a heated moment on the way to the bedroom with the ring hidden in a vase in my haste to go and join you in the pool." Rick explained.

"Well, I can assure you I will never forget tonight." Kate said, a small smile on her face. "I'm so sorry Rick, I completely ruined tonight because I over reacted I feel so stupid right now." She sighed, sitting on the bed, putting her head in her hands.

"Kate. Don't worry about it, it's ok."

Rick said, sitting next to her and moving a hand up and down her back.

"No it's not. I ruined everything, like I always do. You're so nice and so sweet and all I do is jump to conclusions, hide or run away and I'm so tired of it."

"Hey, you're not running away now. Quite the contrary in fact." Rick said, laughing lightly. "Were you really so happy that I was going to propose?"

"Of course! I've waited for so long for this moment. I … I didn't make you doubt my feelings, did I ? Because I love you Rick, more than I ever loved anyone in my entire life. I feel … I don't know … I feel like I'm back to my old self when I'm with you and it's so good to be back! I never thought I would feel like that ever again after I lost my mother. And you know what? You did it. You took down every single brick of that stupid wall I had built around myself. I want it all with you." Kate said, looking directly into his eyes, hoping he would understand how truly she meant every word she had said.

"Wow … I uh … I'm supposed to be the one with the speech you know, being the one proposing and all. But … I can't even seem to find my words after what you just said. I love you Kate, never doubt that, because it's never gonna change. I know I don't have the best record in relationships but I swear to you, I will never leave you. Ever. You're stuck with me with the rest of your life. And I'll give it all to you Kate, a wonderful wedding, perfect children, a house in the countryside for when we're old and grey, I'll even share room with you if we come to be sent to an old people's house." Rick said, slowly sliding down the bed and kneeling in front of Kate. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the ring box but looking at Kate straight in the eyes.

"Yes. Yes I will." She answered, tears gathering in her eyes as she looked at her future husband. Her eyes left his only when he moved to put the ring on her finger. She gasped when she saw the ring. "Oh my God Rick!"

"You like it?" he asked, smiling, still keeping her hand between both of his.

"It's … so beautiful! It's perfect Rick. It must have cost a fortune!" Kate said, not being able to look away .

"It could have cost me my entire bank account I wouldn't care. You deserve it Kate, all of it. And so much more …" he said, kissing the ring on her finger before kissing her right on the lips. A kiss full of promises for the future.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"Well, if I had now engagement sex would be so good I would have tried it earlier." Kate said, later that night, stretching herself against Rick.

"That's not funny." Rick grumbled in her neck, making her shiver.

They stayed locked in each other's arms (and legs) for quite some time, waiting for their breathing to get back to normal. Felling cold, Kate move out of Rick's arms, much to his displeasure, to get the comforter back on them. She buried into Rick's side, her head on his chest, her ear just above his heart, and tucked the comforter around them.

"Rick?"

"Mmmm?" he answered, combing her hair with his fingers.

"Are you mad that I ruined your plans for tomorrow?"

" Did I seem mad to you?" Rick asked, smirking and moving one of his hands up her leg.

"No." she said, shivering at the contact. "But really, you're not disappointed? I mean, you plan something only to propose to me in our bedroom, both of us wearing robes …"

"Well, robes are easy to take off." Rick said, kissing her deeply. "But no, I was not disappointed. All that mattered is that you said yes. And we can still do what I planned for tomorrow, we'll just skip the proposing part."

"Can I know what you had planned?"

"Well, we'll start with a boat ride in the bay, a friend is letting me borrow his boat and …"

"You know how to drive a boat?" Kate asked, surprised.

"What? No, of course not! The Captain comes with the boat. And then we'll have a long and romantic picnic on one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, which was where I wanted to ask you to marry me. How does that sound for tomorrow?"

"It sounds absolutely perfect Rick." Kate said, kissing him lovingly.

so, what did you think?

here is the link to Kate's ring: www. platinumringcompany product/ platinum_ diamond_ solitaire_ ring_ prc10279/ #nogo