"Rick, get up!" Kate orders him

"Ok, but you promise never to let me alone with her?" he asked, getting up.

"You're ridiculous" she laughed, shaking her head.

"You don't know her, I do. Promise or I … take this T shirt off you" he said, getting behind her and playing with the hem of her T shirt.

"But I'm …"

"I know" he whispered into her ear before kissing her neck. He was passing his arms around her stomach when Meredith arrived in the kitchen.

"Richard! Why didn't you tell me you had guests …"

"Why would I tell you?" he asked. When he saw that she was going to kiss him, he turned around and put Kate between them.

"Richard!"

"What were you going to do?" Kate asked

"I was going to kiss him, why?"

"You don't kiss him. Nobody kisses him but me. Is that clear?"

"Sure" Meredith said, rather surprised by the reaction

"Do you want some coffee?" Rick asked his ex-wife

"Can't we go out for lunch instead? It's almost 1 and …"

"I'm not taking you to lunch Meredith. We had a party last night and, we're tired."

"Some even had their private little party this morning …"Ryan said.

Kate and Rick turned to him with death glares on.

"How do you know that?" Rick asked

"Wrong place wrong moment" he simply answered, seeing Kate blush as never before. "Hey, I'm not saying anything, I'm just …"

"Shut up!"Esposito, Lanie and Jenny said at the same time

"I'm not sure I'll be able to work with you again" Kate said "You erase this image from your memory, NOW"

"I'm trying but …"

"You don't try, you do it" she said, twisting his ear

"Ok, Done, done, done" he yelled until she let go of him

"It hurts uh?" Rick said, grinning. "You should have a safe word, just in case…"

"What is going on here?" Meredith asked.

"Nothing" Kate said, looking pointedly at Ryan. "Common Rick, time to get dressed! Oh, where did you put my dress?

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

Half an hour later, the couple exited Rick's bedroom, freshly showered and dressed.

"I'm still saying you should have put the dress on" Rick said as the joined the others in the living room.

"No. And I have to go. I need to talk to my dad" Kate answered

That's when they noticed that everyone was looking at them. Ryan, Jenny, Esposito and Lanie were waiting by the door, bags in hand.

"Oh you're leaving?" Rick asked

"Well, did you want us to stay the whole week?" Ryan laughed

"Uh no… I …"

"Well, we should get going" Lanie said "some of us still have to work tomorrow"

Everybody laughed and said goodbye. Kate also had to leave but Rick didn't want to let go of her. She kissed him (longer than socially correct when she noticed that Meredith was looking at them) and went to the door. Before she closed it behind her, she heard Meredith saying "Richard, What was that?" to which he answered "Don't start Meredith, and what are you even doing here?". She texted him good luck on her way to the street.

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

She was there. At the door. At her door. And yet she was scared to go in. She wanted to talk to her father about what she had seen the day before, but at the same time she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She almost turned around but to go where? This was her apartment. Gathering all her strength, she finally opened her door and went to meet her father.

"Hey Katie! How was the party?" he asked when he saw her.

"Yeah, it was great!" she answered, smiling. "Dad, I … I need to ask you something."

"Sure. Is everything ok?" he asked, sitting on the couch.

"I … Rick and I we … we saw you yesterday … at lunch …"

"Oh…"

"Yeah. I just … I know it's none of my business but …"

"It is your business Katie. I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything but I … I didn't want to … disappoint you." He said, looking at his hands.

"What?"

"I … I don't want you to think that I don't love your mom and … I will always love your mother. Always. Nothing is ever going to change that. But she's nor here anymore and … well, I kind of feel lonely in the house now and …"

"I'm sorry I don't visit more Dad. I …"

"It's ok Katie" he said, scooting closer to her and putting a hand on her knee. "You have your own life now. You have Rick. I need someone too, you understand?"

"Yeah. It's just … it's weird"

"I know. Do you … do you think you can be happy for me?" he asked, taking her hands

"Of course" Kate said, smiling, trying to blink back her tears "so, what can you tell me about her?"

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

Kate and Jim were looking at some old pictures when someone knocked on the door. She went to open it and was surprised to find Alexis on the other side.

"Alexis? What are you doing here? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah" Alexis answered "it's just, I have a really important test on Monday and I can't focus at home. They just keep shouting at each other and I was wondering if maybe I could…" she stopped when she noticed Jim on the couch "oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company. I'm sorry I …"

"It's ok Lex" Kate said, not even realizing the nickname, "you can stay, it's just my father"

"JUST your father?" Jim asked, coming to the door. "And who would be this gorgeous young lady?"

"It's Alexis" Kate answered, letting her get in, "Rick's daughter. Lex, this is my Dad, Jim."

"Nice to meet you sir"

"Likewise, but please call me Jim"

"Did you tell your dad you were coming here?"

"Uh … I may have left a post it note on the door of my bedroom"

"Ooohh, he's not gonna like it!" Jim chanted, going back to the living room

"I'm going to call your father" Kate said, leading Alexis to the dining table. "What do you have to study?"

"Chemistry, I never understood anything at it, I don't know why it would start now but … what?" she asked when she saw Kate smiling

"You're about to make someone really happy. Dad ! Alexis needs help with Chemistry!" she called to him

"Your dad knows about chemistry?"

"I taught chemistry for more than 20 years missie, I even had the 'coolest teacher' award in my high school!" Jim boasted.

"Really?"

"Well, I'll leave the two of you alone, even with the 'coolest teacher' at home I never could get my head around it." She laughed, reaching for her phone to call Rick.

"Hello beautiful! Miss me already?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm calling" Kate laughed "it appears that I have something that belongs to you"

"I already told you Kate, I don't want my heart back"

"Awww, that's cute … but not what I'm talking about. I'll give you a hint: red hair"

"What is my mother doing at your place?"

"Not your mother you idiot, your daughter!"

"What is she doing with you?"

"Revising for a chemistry test. Apparently she couldn't focus at home because of a yelling match …"

"I know. I don't know what to do Kate, I can't stand the woman. I really don't know how Alexis is as she is with the two of us as parents! And she says she wants to stay in New York. But not only in the same city as us … she actually wants to stay with us. In OUR apartment. I swear I …"

"Rick! Calm down! You can come here if you want. And bring food, you're having dinner with us" she said before hanging up.

An hour later, he was at Kate's door. He knocked. Nobody came. After five minutes of knocking, he pulled a key out of his pocket and opened the door. When he entered the apartment, he went directly to the kitchen to unload his bags. On the way there, he spotted Kate, sleeping on the couch surrounded with what seemed to be old pictures, and Alexis and Jim were at the dining table looking in a glass which was foaming.

"Hellooooo" Rick said, going towards them.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was called and asked to bring food"

"Did Kate open the door? She's awake?" Jim asked

"Uh, no, she's still sleeping"

"So how did you get in?"

"I used my key" Rick answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world

"Katie gave you a key to her place?" Jim asked, completely stunned

"Oh no, I had a copy made a long time ago … but don't tell her she would kill me" Rick laughed and left them, going to check on Kate.

She was still asleep. The TV was on. Pictures were scatters on the coffee table. He gathered them and sat next to Kate. As if she knew it was him, she move and got more comfortable against him, without waking up. Rick put an arm around her and started looking at the pictures. They were mainly of Kate and her mother at different ages. He was still going through them when Kate woke up. She looked at some pictures with him, not making him know that she was awake.

"Now that you've seen me as a baby, I'll have to ask Martha for some pictures" Kate said, making Rick jump

"A little warning would be good next time" Rick said, turning to kiss her. "You are really cute in this picture" he said, showing her the picture in question

"I was four" Kate said, remembering the day it was taken. "It was the first time my parents took me to a farm. That I can remember at least. I got to ride a donkey and I looooved it. I remember harassing my father on the way back home. I wanted him to by me a donkey to go to pre-school."

"You were sooooo cute in your little boots! Do you still have them?"

"Sure, I kept all my clothes and shoes since I was born"

"Yeah, that's was stupid uh?"

"Yes, completely stupid" she said, laughing

"Would you kiss my stupidity away?"

"With pleasure" she answered, taking his face between her hands and literally pulling him to her.

Before their kissing session got out of hand, Rick pulled away.

"Come on, we have a family to feed"

"She smiled at him and got up, taking his hand on the way to the kitchen. A family. With him. She would like that. She would love that.