Hey everyone! I didn't plan on posting this chapter today but I was so excited after having watched last nights episode ! Best episode ever! and the promo for next week is really awsome, i never thought I would say that in my life but I can't wait for Mondays! Well ... Tuesday morning here ;-)

so, the link for Kate's ring didn't seem to work so I'll try again, with different "tricks" to see which one works.

product/platinum_diamond_solitaire_ring_prc10279/#nogo

3Ws dot platinum ring company (all in one word of course) dot com slash product slash platinum low dash (i don't know how you call that in English but it's the one on the 8) diamond low dash ring low dash prc10279 slash hash sign nogo.

I hope one of those two will work, it's really a gorgeous ring ;-)))

so here you go, enjoy chpater 10!

« Rick, I'm home! » Kate called from the hallway. She had hoped she would come back from work to a delicious dinner cooking on the stove, but there were none of the wonderful smells that usually accompanied Rick's cooking.

She put her things in the closet and walked into the loft looking for her future husband. He wasn't anywhere, which was strange because his Academy exams were the following week. He hadn't stopped working since they came back from the Hamptons, and that was more than two months ago. That why Kate was not that surprised to see him sleeping on the couch in his office, papers spread everywhere on the floor, notes written all over his smart board. Seeing him like that, so cute but so tired, she decided that her weekend off would be spent making sure that Rick was in his best form for the exams. He couldn't go on that way for the next three days or he will mix everything up and fall asleep on his exam desk. She closed the door of the office quietly so as not to wake him and headed to the kitchen. The get-Rick-back-in-shape weekend would start with a home cooked meal. Kate was glad she had managed to leave the precinct early that afternoon, that way she would have time to take care of her man.

More than an hour later, the lasagna dish in the oven, Kate went back in the office. She couldn't help but smile when she opened the door. Rick was still asleep but he had rolled on his side, a hand under his head, the other one keeping a cushion tightly against his chest. Kate really hoped their children would look like him. He was so cute sometimes, she couldn't wait to see his facial expressions on a tiny human being. Unconsciously, she brought her hand to her stomach and smiled. She was pregnant, but Rick didn't know it yet. Hell, she hadn't known for more than two days. She had figured it out when she missed her period – she never missed her period – and asked Lanie to make the test. And yes, she was pregnant. She was only two or three weeks along, she'll need to confirm with her doctor, but she didn't plan on telling Rick. Not right away anyway. She would keep it as a graduation present for him.

Shaking her head and getting out of her thoughts, she started to collect everything from the floor and put it all in Rick's desk. If she had anything to do with it, Richard Castle would not look at a single book or sheet of paper for the next two days! She moved softly towards him and sat on the couch next to him. Slowly, she brushed the hair out of his forehead – he would really need a haircut before the graduation ceremony – and tried to wake him up gently. Little by little, Rick seemed to get back from dream land.

"Hey there. How was your nap?" she asked softly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Uh … good. What time is it?" Rick asked, scrubbing his eyes with his fists Just like a baby Kate thought.

"It's a bit after seven. I made dinner and it's ready so I thought I would wake you."

"SEVEN ! Oh my God, how long did I sleep?" Rick asked, getting himself seated on the couch.

"I don't know, you were asleep when I came back."

"Where are all my papers? I need to work! I'm not ready! I …"

"Rick, look at me!" Kate said, taking his head between both her hands and making him look at her. "You are ready. You are certainly more ready than anyone else for these tests. And I know what I'm talking about because I quizzed you on every single page from every single book you had to study from. You're ready Rick. I swear. If you study more, the only thing you'll do is mix everything up in your head, and you really don't want to do that. Take it from someone who's more than obsessed with knowing every single rule and who took pretty much the same exam. If you let everything sink in during the weekend, it'll come faster and clearer to you when you need the answers on Monday."

"Yes but …"

"No but Rick! Let me take care of you this weekend, please. If you continue like that you will collapse during one of your exams. You need to relax, you need to sleep, you need some fresh air. You've always been there for me, let me be here for you, please." Kate almost begged.

"I love you, you know that?" Rick asked, a smile on his face when he understood that she was absolutely right.

"Yes I do." Kate said, kissing him lovingly.

"Now, did you say something about food?"

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

"You know, I still don't think this should be called a tub. It's a small pool." Kate laughed.

After dinner, she had drawn a bath for the both of them in the tub/pool of the master bathroom. They were now relaxing in each other's arms in a hot bubble bath, hands travelling on the body of the other but without necessary wanting more out of it. They were happy with just … being.

"Well, it's a tub. You already know what a private pool looks like." Rick said, kissing her jaw. "And you know what can happen in this pool." He cannot help but add.

"I wouldn't call a dead man falling into it while I'm naked in front of you really a good memory."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He growled in her neck, moving his hands up her thighs.

"Well, last time in the pool was great, but I have to admit, I preferred what followed the pool. You know , the ring and all." Kate said, smiling as she brought her hand out of the water, staring at the diamond ring on her left ring finger.

"You really like it?" Rick asked, tracing it with his fingers.

"Of course I do! I already told you, it's perfect. And I'm not the only one thinking that. Do you remember Lanie's reaction?"

"Yes. I really thought you were going to lose your finger that night."

"Yeah . I was pretty sure she was trying to steal it. I swear I felt it slip off my finger. I had to close my fist to be sure not to lose it. And even now, every time I see Lanie, I can see her staring at it. If it ever get stolen, we know who to question."

They stayed silent for a while, both of them looking at the ring. When he felt Kate shiver against his chest, he realized that the water had gotten really cold.

"We better get out of here. It's getting cold." Rick said, moving from the back of the tub.

"You go ahead. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"What? Why?" Rick asked, confused.

"You'll see. Put some pants on but no t-shirt." Kate said, smiling from the tub.

"Okaaayyyy." Rick said, leaving the bathroom but still looking confused.

He was sitting on the bed when Kate got out of the bathroom, wearing grey yoga pants and a Richard Castle T-shirt.

"Where did you get that?" he asked immediately, pointing at her shirt.

"I bought it, a long time ago. I went to a book signing of my favorite author with my mother when I was seventeen. She bought me the T-shirt and I got it sign as well as my book."

"Really? Why have you never told me before?"

"I don't know. I … I guess I wanted to keep some mystery." Kate said, blushing as she walked to him.

"It seems new." Rick noticed, playing with the hem of the T-shirt.

"Yeah … I never wore it before."

"Really? Why?"

"You'll think it's stupid." She said, looking at her hands.

"Come on, tell me. Please." Rick said, making her sit with him on the bed.

"I … I was afraid the dedication would come off." She said, blushing furiously.

"I don't think it's stupid. I think it's super cute. I wish I could remember seeing you before. Can I … can I see the dedication?" he asked, looking over her body and not seeing anything.

"It's in the back." Kate said, smiling as she turned her back to him so he could read.

Kate, you're the first real girl I've met today. You have gorgeous eyes, keep them smiling like that, don't let anyone take that away from you. Thank you for not being a fake-blond and not pushing your breasts in my face. You can't imagine how refreshing it was. I'm really happy to have real fans like you.

"I wrote THAT? Why would I do that?" Rick groaned, throwing himself on the bed.

"I love it! I took it out of the bag every time I had boy troubles in high school or college and it made feel so much better. Like, if you could see me like that, they were stupid not to." Kate said, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, well … I'm still ashamed of what I wrote." He grumbled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you'd like the surprise but …" she said, starting to get up to take it off.

"No Kate, keep it. I love that you have one and that I signed it. It's just … I can't help but be mad that I was such a jackass!"

"You see that as a jackass? I don't! Once I got to know the real you I saw it as a piece of the real you during your jackass period." Kate laughed.

"Well, if you see it like that, I guess I can live with that." He said, kissing her lovingly.

"Good. Now lay down on your stomach."

Rick did as he was told and hissed when something cold dropped on his back. He felt Kate settle on his backside and relaxed when he felt her hands move on his back.

"Oh God, that's so good."

"Well, that's not surprising seeing how tense you are." Kate said, working on the knots in his back.

"Well, I can't guarantee that I'll stay awake if you continue."

"That's the plan Rick. This weekend I'm taking care of you. The plan is to help you relax so I'm not stopping until you fall asleep."

Rick didn't respond. He simply relaxed under her fingers, feeling all his fear for the exams slip away from him. Little by little he could feel the sleep take over and didn't fight it. Kate was right, he really needed to sleep. As he felt himself slip away, he felt Kate kiss him in the neck and let himself be submerged by sleep.

So, what did you think of this chapter?