Since Alexis didn't have class on the Friday, the three of them left Castle's loft on Thursday afternoon. Kate had called her father to let him know that they would arrive before dinner. Now they were entering the small village where he had lived since he had got out of rehab.

"You go straight after the lights and then it's on the left, it's just a path so don't miss it" Kate said, trying to stay awake after three hours of car journey.

Rick found the path. It was surrounded by trees and he couldn't see where it led.

"Did you live all your childhood in a cabin in the middle of the woods?" Rick asked

"Oh it's not a cabin at all, just wait and see" Kate said, putting her shoes back on. She looked at the back seat and found out that Alexis was asleep, a book on her lap. "Uh, someone's gonna have a sore neck tomorrow" she thought.

Before she could turn back in her seat, she heard Rick's "wow" and felt the car slow

"Told you, not a cabin" she said, looking at Rick and his reaction. She couldn't help but laugh. He looked like his eyes were going to grow out of his head.

"You never told me you were rich!" he said while putting the car to a stop.

"I'm not rich, my grand-parents were rich" she told him, gathering her things and opening the door with a desperate need to stretch her legs.

Rick was going to ask more questions but the front door opened and Jim appeared. He nearly ran to the car to great them.

"Hey there! Oh Katie I can't tell you how happy I am that you came with them!" he said, hugging his daughter closely, making her laugh. "It's definitely too big when it's just the two of us in here" he said, turning to Rick and shaking his hand enthusiastically. "Is Alexis with you?"

"Yeah, she's sleeping in the car" Kate smiled

As if she knew that everyone was watching her, Alexis began to stir in her seat and slowly opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to take everything in but when she realized where she was, she quickly got out of the car and went to hug Jim. After a few minutes of talking, Jim and Rick took the luggage and Kate led everyone in. Since it was a warm and sunny day, they left the luggage in the hallway and Jim led them to the garden where he had prepared fresh drinks for everyone. When he saw the garden, Rick couldn't contain his amazement.

"Why have you never talk to me about this place before?" he asked Kate.

"I don't know, I think it just never came up. You like?" she asked, smiling.

"Who could not like a place like that?" Alexis asked, the same look of wonder on her face. "It has … everything!"

"Well, you could even use the pool tonight if Rick would be so kind as to give me a hand with one of the water pipes. I'm not strong enough to unscrew it and the other won't work if this one's not working… and a pool without water is not as much interesting or useful." Jim laughed

"No problem" Rick said

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

After a few minutes relaxing on the terrace, Jim proposed to show everyone their rooms. Kate led everyone in the stairs but she stopped suddenly, causing Rick to crash into her with both their bags in his hands.

"Dad, did you take the …you-know-whats …off the walls?" Kate asked, trying not to show her sudden panic .

"Yes I did" he said. Once she was moving up the stairs he turned to Alexis "I didn't, it's gonna be too funny to miss this"

"Rick, my room's the last one on the left. You can put our bags there, I'm going to show the guest rooms to Alexis" she said, turning to the girl. "You have the choice between two, one with a view on the garden and one with a view on the lake."

"A lake! There's a lake? Where? I didn't see it …"

"It's on the other side of the trees that are by the pool. We can go and see it before dinner if you want" Kate laughed, taking Alexis bag. "So, garden or lake?"

"Lake of course" Alexis answered, following Kate at the other end of the corridor.

She helped the young girl settle, showed her where everything was in the bathroom and went to join Rick in her old room. When she met him, he was leaning against the wall in the corridor, just before her door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he smirked at her. Just as she was going to repeat her questions, his pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

"What was that for?" she asked, smiling and trying to breathe normally.

"Let's just say that your room is … interesting." Rick answered, giving her another quick kiss.

"Interesting? It's just a …" she stopped talking when she pushed the door open. Her eyes grew wide and she turned around. "DAD !" she yelled, making Rick jump. Her face was completely red, both from anger and embarrassment.

"What's happening?" Alexis asked, passing her head through the door of her room.

"Nothing Sweety, don't worry" Rick laughed.

"You think it's funny ?" Kate asked threateningly, turning to him.

"No" he said, a bit scared "I think it's cute. It's …"

"Really, really, really embarrassing "

"I think it's cute" Rick repeated, kissing her to prove his point "it shows how much you believe in us, you always knew we were going to get together. I love you."

"I love you too" she said, kissing him some more "but he will have to pay for that. And he knows it, that's why he's hiding. You know what? I think it's time to show you a certain photo Rick, come with me" Kate said, pulling him by the hand and taking him downstairs.

When the corridor was clear, Jim got out of his hiding place and he saw Alexis watching with interest what had just happened. He motioned her to come to him and open slowly the door of Kate's room. Alexis could barely contain her laughter when she understood what had happened with Kate and her father. The walls of the room were completely covered by posters of a certain Rick Castle from his younger days.

"Where are they now?" Jim whispered.

"I think they went downstairs. I heard Kate say something about a photo and …"

"Oh my God, KATIE NOOOOOO !" he yelled, running down the stairs, only to find he was too late.

"We're even now" was all she said, looking at Rick who was trying really hard not to laugh at the picture of Jim.

"For my defense, I have to say that I did that for YOU Katie. It was for your birthday and …"

"Don't try to justify yourself Dad. You embarrassed me, I embarrassed you. We're even now" she said, kissing him on the cheek and going to the garden, leaving Rick deal with her father.

Alexis came downstairs a few minutes later, wondering what was happening. She was really confused about the situation. When Rick saw her, he called her to him.

"Alexis! Come here and take a look at Jim trying to be me, it's so …nice and flattering" he corrected his words when he saw Jim's look on him.

She took a look at the photo and smiled.

"I think you look good" she said, giving Jim his picture back.

"Thank you Alexis, there is at least one sensible person in the house with me" he said, putting the picture in his pocket. "Well, Rick, what do you say we try to start the pool and then we can prepare dinner"

" Fine by me" Rick answered, following Jim outside, stopping by Kate on the way. "You have copies, right?"

"Oh Yes !" she laughed. "How do you like your room?" she asked to Alexis who had taken a seat next to her.

"It's great! It's even bigger than my room at home. Humm, since our dads are working on the pool, do you think we could go see the lake?"

"Sure! Let me find my shoes" Kate said, looking around her on the floor and pulling them from under the table. "You know you can ask me anything Alexis, you don't have to worry about bothering me or anything. You don't need to be shy around me ok?" Kate asked as they started to walk side by side to the lake.

"Ok" she smiled, looking somehow reassured. "You know, your dad showed me your room."

"Oh God …"

"I think it's cute" Alexis said, smiling at Kate as they got into the woods.

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

After a light family dinner, Alexis decided to go to bed, being rather tired after a week of classes and test and wanting to be ready for the three-day weekend ahead of them, Jim said that he was going to take care of the dishes and sent Rick and Kate for a walk outside. They decided to go to the lake which, according to Kate, was even more beautiful and romantic in the evening. Before leaving the house, she had taken a blanket which she spread on the 'beach'. They both laid down and faced each other. After a few minutes of just looking at each other, Rick got closer to Kate and kissed her sweetly. When he backed away, she was smiling.

"It's going to be a great weekend" she simply stated, getting closer to him so that she could put her head on his chest.

"Do you have any plans?" Rick asked, passing his hand in her hair.

"Not really. On the way I saw that the fair was this weekend, we could go, it's really great. Oh and there is the water station on the other side of the lake so, I hope you brought your swim suit" Kate answered.

"You're sure I will need it?" Rick whispered, passing his other hand under her T-shirt.

"Well, personally I don't care, I even prefer if you have nothing on but I'm not sure your daughter or my father would appreciate it. And all the other people around too." She laughed

"Well, bathing suit it is then. It's a shame for the population." He sighed dramatically.

"I'm warning you Mr Castle, if you show anything that should normally be hidden by clothes to anyone but me, you will never be showing anything to anyone again, got it?"

"Got it. And don't worry anyway, you're the only one I want to see me in all my innocence."

"Innocence? You ? Really?" Kate laughed

"Hey! I can be innocent if I want to" Rick exclaimed, pulling her away.

"Sure … but I prefer when you're not so innocent anyway" Kate answered, winking at him before leaning closer to kiss him passionately.

After a few minutes of intense kissing and caressing, Rick pulled away.

"Maybe we should take that in your room, don't you think? Your room which is full of pictures of me …"