So, umm, I forgot that there was this scene that was supposed to come after the Will/Kate scene so I'm just going to slip this in here :) It's super short because of the whole 'this is only one scene' thing but next week will be longer and *checks outline* it's going to be gooood! (At least I think so). So, happy lazy Friday, drink lots (if you're overage - which I finally am, though I work all day tomorrow so...) and have a great weekend.

Please review and if you want to follow me on twitter you can find me at vatrask

Enjoy 3

The door to the loft was kicked open bringing with it a somewhat patronizing Gina and a tired Rick carrying a sleeping Alexis, curled up on her father's shoulder. Gina followed the duo inside the room and she closed it gently while Rick turned toward the stairs with a hint of pride and foreboding. Reminding himself that he was by no means an old man in any right, he prepared himself to ascend the stairs with his daughter still tightly wrapped around him. Gina, seeing Rick pause at the foot of the stairs, smirked at him. "Not scared of a few stairs are you, Rick?" Her tongue jutted out between her teeth and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Make yourself at home, Gina, I'll be right back after I put her to bed." And thus he turned towards the stairs, steeled himself and took the first step. Once he was half way up the stairs at a relatively quick pace she shook her head with a smile and padded across the living room – it always amazed her that a bachelor with a nearly eight year old daughter could have such great taste in décor – to his master bathroom where she knew he kept the Children's Tylenol. She tried not to notice the glittering object on his dresser but she was instantly attracted by the diamond resting there. At first she thought it might be a ring and her mind was racing with thoughts of who it could be for while her heart laughed at her for being jealous but as she picked it up, she realized that it was, in fact, a diamond stud. That made her even more worried. Picking up the earring, she held it in her fist as she met Rick in the living room.

"I just put Alexis to bed she-"

"How's is this?" She opened her palm and Rick's heart leapt into his throat. Instead of responding, however, he focused on putting her on the defense in hopes that she would back off.

"Where did you get this?" She blinked at his harsh avoidance.

"I-I picked it off your dresser, I-"

"What were you doing in my room?"

She straightened, her tone matching her annoyance. "I was getting medicine for your sick daughter when I noticed the earring. Who is she, Rick?"

He gaped at her, his temper rising – though he wasn't sure why. "It's not your concern who she is; are you jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous of your latest skank?"

"That's a good question, why would you be jealous?" They hadn't realized how close they were until Gina was pulling at the back of his neck into a deep, slow kiss filled with too much fire to handle. He responded in kind with a hand around her waist pulling her flush against him as her other hand came to his hip and stayed there, keeping her firmly planted in reality, the diamond stud digging into her palm.

"Dad?" They jumped apart on reflex when the tiny sound of a curious and tired Alexis came from her bedroom at the top of the stairs. Immediately Rick was turning towards his daughter to tend to her but the grounding hand on his hip caused him to turn back for a moment.

"She can wait for one second can't she?" She enticed him with a leer and shuffled forward until they were back in their original position but Rick quickly stepped away, cooling both of his heads.

"I really should go and see what's wrong." She let him go this time, knowing that he'd come back once his daughter was alright. Once he had disappeared up the stairs, she opened her palm again to stare at the diamond stud that had made a permanent impression on her skin and she was reminded of what had brought about her sudden expression of emotion. "I never thanked you for helping take care of Alexis today." She was startled out of her thoughts by Rick, descending the stares, satisfied that his daughter was going to be alright.

Gina returned with a tight smile. "No need to thank me Rick." He followed her eyes down to the earring and sighed.

"It was from before Alexis was born – a long time ago." He closed his palm around hers so the diamond was encased between their fingers.

She pursed her lips to the side in thought. "She must have meant a lot for you to keep her earring all this time."

"She was," his voice was tinged with the slightest regret that had her looking at him "but that's in the past."

She scoffed at the line that she knew was coming "And what? I'm your future?"

"No," that look was back in his eyes – the one that made her heart flutter at its primitive nature "you're my present." He pulled at the belt loops of her pants and she smiled on reflex "Right here, right now."

"But Rick," she teased "your daughter is upstairs."

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his breath hot on her neck sending liquid shivers down to her core. "My bedroom is soundproof."