When Rick woke up in the morning, Kate was still sleeping against him. The house was really quiet. He spent a few minutes looking around the room, wondering how she had even found all these pictures. It was not like he was a rock star or anything. It was not like she could have found his photo in any magazine. As he was trying to figure that out, he felt her stir in his arms.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty" Rick said, kissing her on the forehead.

" 'mornin' " she grumbled into his neck.

"Slept well?"

"Like a baby" she answered, slowly opening her eyes.

"Do you mind if we take the pictures down for tonight? It's kind of creepy sleeping with me watching from everywhere"

"No you know how I feel when I'm working and you're pretending to play with your phone" she said, looking pointedly at him.

" But it's not the same! You are gorgeous, I don't have anything special. And it's not the same because it's not you watching you, it's me watching you and …"

"You're not making any sense and it's too early for me to try and understand what you're trying to say" she groaned, moving from him and burying her head in her pillow.

"It's not early, it's almost 11" Rick laughed

"What? Already? Where are my dad and Alexis?"

"I don't know, the house seems to be quiet. Maybe they went out?"

"Well, there is only one way to be sure" Kate said, getting up and trying to move past Rick. Of course, he chose that moment to bring his knees up and she fell on him.

"I didn't get my morning kiss" he said, pouting.

"You got enough goodnight kisses last night don't you think?"

"It's never enough" he answered, pulling her to him and kissing her "and I don't recall you saying no to all the kisses last night"

"Oh I wasn't, I can assure you. But there's a time for everything, and now it's time for breakfast so go shower, I'll see what I can find in the kitchen."

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

Once both Rick and Kate were showered, dressed and fed, Kate decided to prepare lunch. She went in the 'library' and found the recipe book she was looking for. When she got back to the kitchen, her dad and Alexis were back.

"Hey guys! Where were you?" she asked

"Your dad showed me around town, it's so cute. It seems so much more real than New York!" Alexis answered excitedly.

"Yeah, there was a small market by the fair, it was nice. Oh and I ran into Claire and I invited her over for lunch on Sunday. That's ok with you Katie?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, sure, why wouldn't it be?" Kate answered, forcing a smile on her face.

"Who's Claire?" Rick asked

"She's my … girlfriend I guess. It sounds so … young said like that, it's weird" Jim answered

"Well, I'm starting lunch so … you can do whatever you want" Kate said, trying desperately to change the subject.

A few minutes later, Rick had brought his laptop in the garden, Jim was reading the paper by the pool, and Alexis was watching Kate.

"She seems nice, you know." She said, helping Kate peel the vegetables.

"Who's nice?"

"Claire"

"Mmm"

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Kate turned to Alexis.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Accept all your father's girlfriends?"

"Well, first of all, he didn't have a lot of girlfriends, real ones I mean. Not the public appearances, that's just for publicity. But you know, he didn't have anyone except Gina in nearly three years"

"Why?"

"He said he was done playing around and was waiting for the good one to realize he was there. I think he was talking about you."

"Did you get along well with Gina?"

"Well, the first time, Dad didn't really let her approach me. He was not completely keeping her away but she didn't have a say in anything about me, like for school and stuff. The second time, I just knew it wouldn't last so I didn't even try to … I don't know. I was just waiting for you to open your eyes I guess" Alexis laughed.

"What do you think I should do?" Kate asked

"She seems really nice. I don't know what you should do but I think you should give her a chance and see how it goes. You don't have to love her right away but your father deserves another chance at happiness. But if she's bad for him, you have to make it stop."

"How did you become so wise so young?" Kate asked Alexis

"Well, you may not believe me but dad has a big role in that" she laughed. "But I think you will not have any problem with Claire, she seems … normal. And she was completely panicked when he told her that you were here. I think it's a good sign …"

"Yeah, well … we'll just have to wait and see. But it's still weird. He's too old to have a new girlfriend" Kate said, pouting like a child.

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

After a good lunch, Rick and Kate decided to go for a walk in the village. Alexis decided to stay with Jim.

"They spend a lot of time together, should I be worried?" Rick asked Kate as they were walking out of the path from the house.

"No, I don't think so" Kate laughed "they looked like they were plotting something though, we should keep our eyes open" she added.

"Well, as long as you're with me" Rick said, taking her hand "I'm safe. Your dad wouldn't dare anything against me if you're here. And Alexis is fine, she's way too cute for someone to hurt her."

They were now entering a park, when Kate saw someone she really didn't want to see. She tried to turn around discretely but was not that lucky.

"Katherine Beckett? Is that you?" the woman asked from a few feet away.

"Oh God no" she said, hiding in Rick's chest "it's not me, it's not me, it's not me …"

"It is you! What are you doing here?"

"Oh hey Jade! How are you?" Kate asked, staying really close to Rick who put his arm around her shoulders.

"Oh I'm great, like always! Who is this gorgeous man?"

"It's Rick, my husband" Kate said as if it was the most natural thing in the world, putting her arm around his waist and hooking her thumb in his belt.

"Yeah, right" Jade snorted

"Do you have a problem with that?" Rick asked

"Well, it's not like her to have a husband. Much less a quite handsome one." Jade answered. "So how did you find this imaginary husband of yours?" she asked, turning to Kate

"At work. And can you stop saying he's imaginary please, you'll end up vexing him"

"Well, he has to be imaginary, he shouldn't be with someone like you. You know that she's crazy right? She kept telling everyone her mother was murdered when she was just a slut going out in dark alleys at night and …"

She couldn't finish her sentence, being stopped by Kate's hand on her face. Rick was surprised by her reaction but glad she did it, he didn't want to hit a woman. Kate face was red, really red, like if she was going to explode

"And she's violent too, you should really get away from her. You should be with someone like me anyway …"

"But who are you?" Rick asked, completely astonished by the woman's behavior.

"Oh, sorry, where are my manners. I'm Jade Matthews. Would you like to have a drink sometime?"

"What? NO ! Why would I want that? You obviously are the crazy one here" he said, completely stunned. "Come on Kate, let's get going" he added, taking Kate's hand and leading her away. "Who is that woman?" he asked her as they were going away.

"The bitch of the village" Kate answered. "Don't be surprised if she's following us, she likes to stalk people when she doesn't like something. And she obviously doesn't like me being with you."

Rick turned around and saw Jade following them, not so far behind, apparently trying to be discreet but obviously failing.

"So, I'm your husband uh?" Rick asked quietly, winking at Kate.

"I'm sorry about that. I just thought I would make her shut up and …"

"Oh don't apologize, I like the sound of being your husband" he said, kissing her softly.

She simply smiled at him and they continued walking.

"Where did you get all the pictures of me?" Rick asked after a while.

"At the bookstore" Kate laughed. "I worked there for a while on the weekends. Mike saw me reading one of your books during my lunch break and told me he had big pictures in the basement. So I went to take a look and … well …. He kept giving them to me every time I was there."

"What did you do with them?"

"Oh … I put them on my walls and imagined things… mostly when I was going to sleep" she whispered the last part in his ear

"Ok, changing the subject right now, coming back to this one later, when we're alone. So, what about this fair you were talking about?"

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

It was nearly 11 at night when Kate, Rick, Jim and Alexis decided to head back home. On the way out of the fair, they passed a Ferris wheel. Kate stopped and looked at it for a while. Jim was looking at his daughter and the two Castles were looking at each other, not understanding what was happening. Kate turned to Rick.

"Rick, would you come on the wheel with me?" she asked somewhat shyly.

"Sure" he answered, taking her hand and following her.

"We're going home" Jim called to them.

Kate turned around to her father and nodded, smiling, but with tear in her eyes.

" Why was Kate crying?" Alexis asked, concerned

"She's finally letting go" Jim answered, trying to back his own tears. "She never went on the wheel with anyone but her mother and she has never gone since she died. Your dad is really good for her"

"She's really good for him too you know." Alexis said as they walked back to the house.

"They're just the perfect match" both Jim and Alexis said at the same time.

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

On their way back to the house, Rick and Kate noticed that Jade was still following them.

"When is she going to stop?" Rick asked, pulling Kate closer to him.

"I don't know and I really don't care" she said as they arrived at the door. "Do you want to go in the pool?" she asked seductively, turning to him.

"Do I need to change?"

"NO, no changing" Kate said, pulling him after her in the garden and pushing him in the water.

She took her shoes off and jump in the pool, or rather on him in the pool.

"I like the way you think Miss Beckett"

"Shut up and kiss me Mr Castle" she commanded.

He obviously couldn't decline such a proposition. He trapped her in a corner of the pool and began to kiss her passionately. Soon, she was making sounds he loved, moaning and sighing until he was completely out of control. When she felt him trying to undo her summer dress, she tried to break free.

"Rick … not … here …"

"Why?" he asked as he started kissing her neck.

"Oh my …" she moaned as he passed his hands between her legs. "someone could … ooooooohhhhhhh … see… us …"

"We'll just have to be quick then" Rick purred in her ear, making her shiver and respond more than enthusiastically to his kisses and caresses.

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

In the morning, when Kate and Rick finally made it downstairs, Jim was putting a plastic sheet on the pool.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked, as she and Rick were taking breakfast from the table in the garden.

"I'm closing the pool. Apparently a dog visited again last night. There was water everywhere around and there's some strange stuff floating in there" Jim answered, making Rick choke on his coffee and Kate drop the plate she was holding on the ground.

Jim turned to find both of them bright red. He shook his head.

"I don't even want to know. But YOU are washing it. Now excuse me but I have to go get brainwashed".