Rick and Kate climbed into the cab and he gave the driver the hospital name. He sat back and his left arm and leg brushed up against her body. Acutely aware of her proximity and his attraction to her, he looked down and allowed his eyes to slide over the generous amount of leg peeking out through the slit in her gown. He immediately felt the same adrenaline rush travel through his body. It suddenly became unbearably warm in the cab.

"I had a really wonderful time tonight, Rick. Thanks for having me."

He lifted his eyes to hers and had to swallowed twice before he could answer. She had no idea how much he'd love to 'have' her. Shaking his head slightly to rid it of the thought, he replied, "I should thank you. My children love to spend time with you."

She grinned mischievously and looked at him sideways from under her lashes. "Just your children?"

He cleared his throat and decided to answer honestly. "Actually, no. I'm disappointed our evening has to end so soon."

Kate grinned widely at him. "I was hoping you would say that."

She leaned forward and gave the cabbie new directions, then settled back into her seat. Rick looked at her expectantly. Kate just grinned smugly and turned to face the window. Rick didn't let her divert his attention. "Where are you taking us?"

"It's a surprise." Rick frowned and Kate started to giggle, relenting at his pout. "I haven't been out in months and there's a small carnival in Central Park. I'd really like to see it, but Mackenzie has been too sick. Can we go?"

Rick smiled at her plea – she looked just like a little girl. He should have expected something like this. He looked into Kate's eyes and saw the same excitement that Mackenzie displayed when relating the stories about her birthday. "Anything you want."

She grabbed his hand and smiled with glee. "Oh, I can't wait."

Shortly after arriving, they walked around checking out the attractions, eating cotton candy and playing games. Kate talked him into riding the merry-go-round and then they tried the fun house, which had them doubled over and holding their sides with laughter. They sat down near closing time to eat a hot dog, when Rick voiced his discomfort with the stares from the other patrons.

"Not too many people come to the carnival in black tie, do they?" Rick shifted in uncomfortably. Kate just tossed their trash and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Let's go somewhere they can't stare at us." She dragged him along until they reached the Ferris wheel, just as the attendant was about to close the gate.

"Alright folks, last ride for tonight." Rick led them to a seat but didn't say anything, just enjoyed her delight as their chair lurched backward when the gears spun into action. Rick had to smile himself when the bottom dropped out of his stomach as the wheel turned pulling them high into the air. The seat stopped with a clang and jerked them forward, causing them to swing back and forth. Kate grabbed Rick's arm and the handrail, making him chuckle.

"Nervous? I didn't think anything could scare you," he mused.

"You'd be surprised…" She eyed him to indicate that he was the source of her fear. She decided to change the subject. "I just love the city at night. It's amazing to think all the people that are here. Each from a different path, yet they are all yearning for the same thing."

They talked a minute about the party and how he liked writing as a career. Rick grew quiet and saw Kate shiver slightly. "Kate, you're freezing!" He gallantly removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, leaving his arm around her.

"Thanks, I didn't think there would be a cool wind up here." She took a deep breath of the night air, but ended up smelling Rick instead. What was that scent? She leaned into his body and rested her head on his shoulder. "Mmmm…."

Her satisfied hum had a distinctly physical effect on him, and he shifted in his seat. There was no use denying his attraction, but the feeling still threatened him. Even if his mind and body said it was okay to move on, his heart still felt like it was cheating. He decided to stall by talking. He was intensely curious about her past, especially about Mackenzie's father, so he decided to chance it.

"Kate, may I ask you a personal question?"

She tipped her head up to look at his face. "Anything." Rick turned slightly to face her.

"What happened to Mackenzie's father?" He felt Kate tense under his arm and her eyes flashed.

"He's not in the picture." He lowered his eyes and blushed, turning back to regard the cityscape. Kate watched his reaction and sighed. Maybe it was time to share her own grief. She leaned forward, resting her forearms across the safety bar. "Will and I had known each other for a few weeks before we started dating. He was a cop so his schedule was always varying but it didn't bother me at all. We were together for six months when he got a job offer to join the FBI in Boston. He accepted saying I could just relocate with him but I knew how it would go. First it would be Boston, and then Phoenix, then Cleveland. New York is my home. I couldn't just leave.

"My roots are here. It's where I always imagined the whole white, picket fence dream – a loving husband, a couple of kids," She turned her sad eyes toward Rick, smiling wistfully. "That didn't stop him from leaving though. I came home one day and all of his belongings were gone."

Rick watched her relate the story. The profound sadness that replaced her usual cheerful brashness pulled at his heart. Her voice hardened slightly as she continued. "After about a month, I woke early with the flu. I managed to get myself to the bathroom thinking it was just brought on by stress which weakened my immune system. I tried taking care of myself for almost a week but I couldn't keep anything down."

Rick felt sick at the revealed rejection, his surprise morphing quickly into a simmering rage. He suddenly wanted to throttle the idiot that had hurt her so deeply. The intensity of his feelings took him by surprise.

When he saw a tear escape her eye and trail slowly down her cheek, he tried to comfort her by stroking her back lightly. "I'm so sorry", he said. "What about your family?" Rick asked quietly.

"I don't have one. My mother died a few years ago and my father," Kate leaned against the railing watching the people below. "Well, we don't really speak with each other."

Rick leaned forward to join her, piecing together the timeline. "It wasn't the flu you had that day, was it?"

Kate shook her head. "A trip to the doctor revealed that I was pregnant with Mackenzie."

"Did he ever find out about her?"

Kate shook her head. "I never saw him again."

Rick regarded her silently. Like him, she'd experienced her share of heartache. That must be why she could understand their pain so well, but she hadn't let that interfere with her daughter. His respect for her grew exponentially. "You've done a beautiful job raising her on your own."

She smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, but I've had lots of help – Lanie and the boys have all been wonderful." She smiled wistfully thinking of the people in her life now."It's been hard on Mackenzie not to have a dad though. She's been asking for one since she was 2. When she was old enough, she and Lanie ganged up on me about going out and dating. I've tried, but only seemed to attract real nut cases." Rick squirmed, wondering if he fell into the 'nut case' category. Kate didn't notice.

"I gave it up when Mackenzie got sick again. I didn't have time, what with working and her treatments and taking classes. I didn't really miss dating; I found a great outlet for my love." She looked intensely at him. "Kids love unconditionally, they don't know how to lie about it or hide their feelings."

Rick reached around her and pulled her close, kissing her lightly on the side of her head. "Well, I guess some of us learn that only when life knocks us on our backsides."

Kate laughed ironically, "Yeah, one swift kick in the ass and we're all messed up."

"I don't think you're messed up. I think you are a very loving individual and I'm happy that we met you." She smiled at him, a little of her usual sparkle returning to her eyes. Rick decided to brave his other question, the one that he both hoped for and dreaded. "Have you thought about whether you'd be interested in becoming my assistant?"

Kate let out a deep breath tipped her head back to look at the stars before answering. "A lot; almost constantly tonight. I really love your kids, but I don't think I can afford it."

Rick considered her words, and unwilling to give up just yet, he asked, "What if I paid your hospital bill, would you reconsider?"

Kate sat rigidly and punched her index finger into his chest. Her eyes flashed in anger. "Richard Castle, I wasn't talking about the money. I was talking about time with my daughter! Of all the arrogant, self-centered, egotistical things… how dare you try to 'buy' me!"

Rick leaned away from her, putting his hands up in front of him in the air in obvious embarrassment. "I didn't mean to imply that you were for sale. I just thought you couldn't help me due to your arrangement with Dr. Davidson."

Kate softened a little, but still squinted suspiciously up into his face. She tapped his chest again. "And how exactly do you know about my deal with Josh?"

Rick's face deepened another shade. "Well, besides overhearing Dr. Davidson mention it in the emergency room, I…um…well when you started spending time with my children, I...I had you investigated."

He saw her mouth drop and her eyes widen in surprise, so he rushed on to avoid any other misunderstandings. "I hope you understand, my children are very important to me and I didn't want to leave their care to just anyone."

Kate's anger melted away. She leaned back away from him as she considered his comments. "So you know how much I owe and you'd still be willing to pay it to get my help?"

Rick cleared his throat and tugged at his bow tie. "Like I said, my children are very important to me." Kate regarded him in silence for a minute. Her intense scrutiny made him feel uncomfortable, so he looked away and bushed some nonexistent lint from his pants. "So you think that taking care of my kids would take too much time away from Mackenzie?"

"Well, it's not like Soho is just around the corner from my place. I don't see how I can get Mackenzie ready for school or to and from the cancer center traveling across town several times a day."

Now it was Rick's turn to look surprised. "Kate, I thought you understood that I'd expect you and Mackenzie to live with us, since my work often takes me away for unknown periods at a time. We already have a two extra guest rooms; one for you and one for Mackenzie."

Kate's jaw dropped again as she contemplated moving her daughter to Soho. Kate closed her mouth and turned to gaze unfocused out over the tops of the trees, her eyes filling with tears. Rick watched her apprehensively for a moment, thinking he had offended her again. "What if we try it on a temporary basis, say a couple of weeks?"

Kate heard the nervousness in his voice, but she couldn't respond yet. Just as Rick decided to give up, Kate turned to look at Rick and spoke, her voice soft and unbelieving. "What's the catch?"

Rick smiled, relieved. "Just that you continue to lovingly care for my children. So, what do you say?"

Kate didn't hesitate. "Thank you." She threw her arms around his neck, knocking him off balance, making Rick grin at her enthusiasm. He wrapped his arms around her and they continued to hold each other just a bit too long. Kate finally pulled back from his embrace and she gazed into his eyes. Rick could hear his own heart thumping madly as she looked at him. He heard her breath catch as he reached up to cup her face with his hand, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. If he didn't kiss her now, he thought he would die.

"Kate..." he stopped speaking and took deep breath before trying again. "Kate...I want to... I...need..." his voice dropped off as he leaned in toward her, looking from her eyes to her mouth. He swallowed before speaking again. "May I kiss you?"

She dropped her head and let out a breathy sigh, "I...I don't think it's a good idea. I know you're still in love with your wife."

Rick nodded slightly, clenching his jaw against the guilt that threatened to overpower him. He knew he would always love Kyra, but these new feelings were too strong to avoid. He needed to do this. "Kate, I don't want to ignore how I feel...about you."

Kate melted a bit at his honesty. "Rick, I know that you're not Will, but I-" She reached up and gently touched his lower lip, his breath tickling her fingertips. "I don't want it to ruin our friendship."

His pulse quickened, her caress igniting an irresistible desire within him. He continued to reach for her until they were mere centimeters away. At least she admitted to being attracted to him. He felt intoxicated by the feel and smell of her breath mingling with his, and he allowed his lips to brush slightly against hers as he replied. "Maybe it won't."

He felt her close the distance between them and move her soft lips delicately against his. It felt astonishing. He felt so alive, as if all his senses were heightened, and her small touch sent him spiraling into sensual awareness. He knew she was holding back, so he threaded his fingers through her hair, appreciating its softness, and pressed her head tighter against his own. He opened his mouth slightly to touch her lips tentatively with his tongue.

That movement broke her restraint. She opened her mouth and moaned pleasurably into his. At the same time, she relaxed her body, falling into his chest. She stretched one arm around to caress his back and pulled the other up, passing her fingernails through his hair to the back of his head.

He closed his own eyes, and deepened their kiss, reaching deeply inside her mouth to brush her tongue with his. She eagerly accepted him in, gently encircling his tongue in her mouth, then responded by pushing her way into his in return. As she pulled back to catch her breath, he caught and sucked her lower lip between his teeth. Then he moved down to bite at her neck. He growled her name before readjusting his mouth on hers. He let his hand trail down her neck and arm and reached into his jacket to pull her body tighter against his own. He breathed in deeply, getting dizzy with the smell of her perfume mixed with her own scent, then bent down to take her mouth hungrily again.

Kate couldn't believe the way he kissed her, so full of passion. She wanted more. She reveled in his raw passion, enjoying the way he fervidly bit at her mouth, and neck, caressing her back. Gradually, the intensity of her feelings for him began to unnerve her until all at once; the pain from Will's rejection came rushing back to her.

Alarmed that she'd lost herself so completely, Kate started to pull back from him just as the Ferris wheel jerked into motion, tipping them and swinging their seat precariously. They both grasped the safety bar and pulled away, breathing heavily as they stared at each other. Neither of them knew what to say. Seeing her concerned look brought Rick back to his senses. He realized that he'd moved too fast with her and regretted it. He wondered how he could reassure her and just decided to be honest.

"That was amazing," he whispered, as he reached to brush a stray lock of hair away from her face.

His compliment and the look on his face calmed Kate. She gave him a flustered smile and fanned her skin with her hand. "You can say that again." They both leaned back in the seat and let out a long breath as they descended toward the ground.