Jane Doe

"I'm proud of you." Rick murmurs, and Kate arches up onto tiptoe to brush her mouth against his, the two of them getting seriously handsy in the kitchen. It's been a week of slow, delicious lovemaking and every time her husband comes near Kate can't help but reach out for him.

There's been more than a little scowling from their son, tortured noises of disgust erupting from him whenever they kiss or embrace or are otherwise nauseatingly in love with one another. They just can't help it. It's like being a newlywed only more intense, more wonderful, because they've already built an amazing life together.

A life that Kate still doesn't remember, only knows through the stories her husband tells, but she's nonetheless enraptured by their history. "You are?"

"Uh-huh." He shrugs, a flush rising in his cheeks as he tugs open the refrigerator and grabs a carton of juice, nudging his shoulder against the door to close it again. Rummaging around in the cabinet for their son's zippy cup, he doesn't quite manage to look at her as he explains himself. "You're finishing therapy. That's a pretty big deal."

"I'm in a good place." Kate grins, taking the beaker from her husband and screwing the lid on tight before she hands it over to their little boy. Marlow is in the high seat at the counter; the intense duel between two of his action figures has him so distracted that he actually jumps when his mother sets the juice down in front of him. "Hey, sweet boy. Here you go."

"Thank you, Mommy." Mal beams up at his mother and she leans in to press a kiss to his cheek, a hand carding through his hair before she steps back from him and rounds the counter to join her husband, help him load the breakfast things into the dishwasher.

His shirt is tight, the soft cotton wrapped so deliciously around his biceps that Kate finds herself resting her cheek against him before she even knows she's doing it. Rick's arm comes around her, low down until his fingers curl at her opposite hip, and his lips dust a kiss to her temple. "I think we should do something to celebrate. Family dinner?"

"Sure." Kate grins up at him, untangling from his grip to rinse off the saucepan she cooked their eggs in this morning before she finds a space for it in the dishwasher. "Can you call everyone? I really have to get to work."

They don't have an active case, she's just on call, so this morning Kate let herself take the time to cook breakfast for her two favourite boys. She's dressed already, took a shower while her husband cleaned up the dishes and their son both. Today she decided to wear a tie, and she was immediately glad she did. Rick's eyes had widened and his jaw had hardened as he watched her emerge from their bedroom, his hands shoved down deep into the pockets of his pajama pants.

Mm-hmm. Over the past week or so she's learned a lot about what does it for Rick. And also a whole lot about herself that she hadn't known before. It has been the most wonderful learning experience, her mind blown more times than she's been able to keep track of.

"I'll call. Just Gram and Papa and Alexis?" Rick's voice draws her straight up out of her musings, but it doesn't exactly help dissipate the warmth in her cheeks, the hot thump of her blood in her neck and her wrists.

Swallowing back the thick, distracting clog of arousal, Kate manages a nod and heads to find a dish towel and dry off her hands. "Yeah. Let's keep it small."

"Sounds good to me."

"Great." She grins, stepping in close and draping her arms over his shoulders. In her heels, she's barely an inch shorter than him and their noses brush as they share a smile. Rick is the first to lean in, his mouth drawing sweet delight from hers and a shiver ripples through her whole body as his hands fall to frame her hips. Their kiss is tender and slow, careful and precise in how much is held back from it. Kate slicks her tongue at her husband's bottom lip and he grunts, drags her away from him by the hips. Laughing softly, Kate takes a full step backward and smoothes her thumb over his mouth to clear away the evidence of their kiss. "I'll call you at lunch."

"Okay. Have a good day. I love you." He says, and Kate finds herself humbled all over again by the depths of this man and his devotion to her.

Chewing on her lip a moment, Kate runs her palms over his chest to iron out some of the wrinkles in his pajama shirt. "I love you, too." Coming around the counter, Kate scoops her little boy up from the highchair and nuzzles at his neck, grateful that Rick wiped Marlow off and so he won't stain her clothes with the little hand he splays at her chest. "And I love you, my gorgeous boy. Be good for Daddy today."

"I be so good, Momma." Mal assures her, both hands capturing her face to hold her still and convey the magnitude of her toddler's words. Kate drops a smacking kiss to her son's cheek and his serious little face bubbles over with delight.

He wriggles in her grip and Kate hands the boy over to his father, giving each of her boys a last kiss before she heads for the door. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Kate slips out of the front door and closes it behind her, heading for the elevator.

When it arrives she leans against the wall of the elevator car, a hand dropping to massage low down at her abdomen. She's been cramping this morning, but worse than that is her sadness at not being pregnant. It had taken her by surprise just how fiercely she had wanted it, how sad she had been this morning to get confirmation that she isn't going to have another baby. At least not yet.

After their first night Rick bought condoms and they've been using them. Kate isn't quite brave enough yet to bring it up with him. Can't seem to find the words to tell him that she wants to throw out the condoms and start trying officially for baby number two.

She adores being a mother, loves Marlow more than her own life, and she wants a sibling for him. Wants to do it all again and remember it this time. For now though, waiting is probably a good idea. They're still settling into things, still finding their rhythm again and adding another baby to the mix is probably something that should wait a while.

Shaking her head, Kate steps out into the parking garage and heads for her car, pushing all thoughts of tiny little fingers and chubby cheeks out of her brain. Right now, she's Detective Beckett. No room to go all soft and melty at the prospect of another baby with the man she loves.

Rick is actually quite surprised that everyone is able to make it tonight. He felt bad about the short notice of their invitation, had apologised to Kate's father so many times on the phone that Jim had actually told him to be quiet, that it wasn't at all a problem.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, Rick heads in search of his son. Marlow has been playing in his room for a while now. Rick had put the finishing touches on dinner and then, everything keeping warm in the oven, he had sought out his wife and kissed her hard and hot up against the dresser in their bedroom.

They'd both gotten more than a little distracted, and now Kate is hurrying through the last of her makeup and Rick has about five minutes to get Marlow cleaned up and dressed for dinner. Knowing their son, it's going to take a whole lot longer.

When he nudges open the door he has to stifle a laugh at his son, sitting on the rug in the middle of the floor with a ring of action figures and building blocks circling him. "Hey buddy. Having fun?"

"Hi Daddy. Them had a war." Mal grins up at him, clambering to his feet and charging to meet Rick by the door. He raises his arms and Rick swings him right up into a hug, one palm splaying wide at his son's back to free up his other hand, fingers wriggling underneath Marlow's chin to tickle him.

He shrieks, squirming violently, and Rick laughs right along with his son as the two of them topple onto the mattress. For a few moments he lets Mal wriggle around on top of his stomach, but then he has to sit up and work towards corralling his son. "Come on, my man. We gotta get you dressed or we'll be in trouble with Mommy."

"Mommy is angry?" Marlow asks, eyes widening at the very idea of it, and Rick hastens to cuddle their son a little closer and soothe him with a kiss at the crown of his head.

"No buddy, Mommy isn't angry. But if you and I aren't ready in time for Papa and Gram and your sister to get here then she might be. So quick, let's get you dressed."

Rick lifts his son and sets the boy on the floor, standing up himself and heading for Marlow's closet. For his birthday Alexis bought him a tiny little button down, white with a swirling pattern of grey, and Rick plucks the shirt and a dark grey pair of tiny slacks from their hangers, turns back to find his son completely naked.

"Whoa there, my man. You still need your underwear on." Rick grins, waiting for Mal to tug them back over his skinny little hips before he kneels down next to his little boy and helps him get dressed.

Once he's finished, Marlow beams and throws his arms around his father's neck, coming a little too close to choking him for Rick's comfort. "Daddy, we match!"

"We do!" Rick grins right back at his son and scoops him up, slinging him around into a piggyback carry and heading for the staircase. Downstairs, Kate is just finishing up laying the table and when she hears them she glances up and grins, coming around the table to take their son from Rick.

"Look at you, my handsome boy." She murmurs, sharing an eskimo kiss with their boy and carrying him with her over to the kitchen. Rick follows, unable to help but gravitate towards his wife and son. "Alexis will be so happy to see that you like her gift to you."

Rick almost falls right over at that, his knees threatening to completely give out. He definitely didn't tell her that Marlow's clothes were a gift from his big sister. So does that mean. . . "Kate? How did you know that?"

"Hmm?" She says, still distracted with their son, but when she sets Mal down and turns to look at him her face washes clean with understand and she comes right to his side. "Oh, babe. I'm sorry. That's not a memory. I saw these in his closet the other day when I was getting him dressed and he told me they were from Alexis."

He swallows back the hurt and the disappointment, does a valiant job if he does say so himself. And he's grateful, truly he is, that there's no pity in Kate's face. Only a shared sadness, grief for her still-absent memories. She lifts up on tiptoe in her bare feet and offers him a sweet kiss, her fingers toying with the hair at his nape, and just like that all of his sadness is gone.

Yes, there are still gaping holes in her knowledge of their history. But they're working around it, carrying on in their life together. How could he be anything but grateful? "You called me babe. You always did that before."

"You're cute." She smirks, her thumb tracing the edge of his cheekbone before she drops down to flat feet. "I can't help it. You got him if I go put my shoes on?"

"Course." He smiles, settling onto a barstool next to his son in the high seat. Kate disappears through to their bedroom and Rick listens to his son's bubbling chatter, deciphers his story about the game he had been playing before his father interrupted to get him dressed earlier.

When his wife comes back he can't help but stare at her calves, her butt so enticing in the deep purple velvet of her dress. She looks gorgeous, truly, and Rick finds himself sliding off of the stool and meeting her in the living room, intent on telling her. "You are so beautiful, Kate Castle."

"Thank you." She blushes, fingers curling in the collar of his dress shirt as she leans in to kiss him. It's soft and quick, but when she pulls away she tangles her fingers with his and brings him with her to the kitchen. He gets carried in the rip current of his wife all the way to the refrigerator and hovers at her back, drops an open-mouthed kiss just behind her ear as she reaches inside for the tupperware containers he prepared earlier.

Kate pops the lid on each of them with one hand (how?) and heads back for their son. Setting each container in front of him, Kate ruffles his hair and reaches inside for one of the carrot batons, reaches over her shoulder to feed it to Rick before she takes another for herself.

"Here you go sweet boy. Carrots and grapes to keep you going until dinnertime, okay? Would you like to have some of the pasta and salmon like the grown ups are having?"

"Yes please." Marlow says around a mouthful of grape, kicking his feet in the high chair.

Rick's wife grins in something that might be relief and turns back to face him, pressing a wrist to her forehead. "That makes things a lot easier. Do you have an ETA for everyone?"

Glancing at his watch, Rick splays a palm at the curve of her waist and leans in until his forehead meets hers. "Could be any minute now, love."

He doesn't miss her shiver of delight at that moniker, but he has to force himself to ignore it. About seventy percent of him wants to scoop his wife up and carry her back to their bedroom, lay her down and peel off that dress as slowly as she'll let him.

But their son is right there, the rest of their family on the way to the loft. And, well, delayed gratification is a particular speciality of theirs. He can make it through dinner and an evening with the people he loves most in the world, safe in the knowledge that after everyone leaves he can finally stretch out with Kate and delight in the kiss of their naked skins.

After dinner - which was delicious, Kate is stupidly proud of her husband - Marlow gets drowsy pretty fast and his big sister collects him from the highchair and disappears off upstairs to get him ready for bed. Martha has cornered Rick in the kitchen and so Kate finds herself alone with her father in the living room.

"Katie." He starts, and she feels about six years old. Following his lead, she settles on the couch and traps her hands between her knees to stop herself from fidgeting. "You and Rick seem happy."

She's blushing again, completely ridiculous, and of course her dad notices. He smirks at her and carefully doesn't say anything, waiting her out. "We, uh. . .we talked. And I told him I love him."

It's weird to say that out loud, to her father. She doesn't think she's ever actually admitted to being in love with someone to him before. Not that she can remember anyway, and if Rick is to be believed then he is the only person Kate has loved over the missing span of ten years.

"I'm so glad, sweetheart." Her dad says, tugging one of her hands free from between her knees so he can clasp it in both of his. "And you're okay, Katie? Rick said you're done with therapy."

"I just don't feel like I need it anymore. I've come to terms with the missing memories. And I'm at a point where I feel comfortable asking Rick to fill in the gaps." Shrugging, Kate gnaws at her bottom lip and presses her knees together, rests her free hand at her thigh. She can't help but wonder if Rick is having a similar conversation with his mother in the kitchen right now.

"I couldn't be more proud of you." Her father says, and Kate lets herself fall sideways into an embrace. Her dad has been the biggest constant for her and she's so grateful for it, his unwavering support.

They slip into an easy conversation about her father's most recent visit to their family's cabin upstate and Kate is so enraptured with the story he's telling about a bear that came frighteningly close to the porch that she almost jumps right out of her skin when her husband's fingers curl around her shoulder.

Rick settles at her other side, his arm sliding low down around her waist, and Martha sinks into an armchair near Kate's father. The conversation turns to Martha's most recent play, which apparently Kate's dad went to go see, and it offers enough distraction that Kate can turn to face her husband, kiss him softly. "Dinner was delicious. Thank you."

"I'm so glad you liked it." He grins, nose nuzzling at her cheek. Kate is so wrapped up in him that she doesn't notice that their parents have gone silent until there's a loud cough and Rick jerks away from her. Behind them, arms folded, Alexis frowns and when they glance sheepishly up at her she rolls her eyes.

"Are you done being gross?"

Rick laughs and reaches out for his daughter's hand, pulls her around the couch to sit in his lap. She huffs, but presses a kiss to her father's cheek and stays put as Kate's husband pouts. "Sorry, daughter. We're done. How's Mal?"

"Asleep. I read him a story and he passed out on me halfway through." She chuckles, shaking her head and sliding off of her father's lap and onto the couch cushion. In between Kate and Rick and she groans, standing right back up again and moving to sit in the empty armchair instead. "Oh man, no way am I sitting between you two."

"Oh Alexis, sorry, I'll move." Kate says, making it halfway to standing before Rick is tugging her back down to sit even closer at his side. She feels bad for making the girl feel uncomfortable, or like she can't sit with her father. Kate can have him whenever she wants. It isn't fair to take Rick's attention away from his daughter.

All four of the others open their mouths to speak, but it's Martha that gets in first. "Katherine, don't be ridiculous. Alexis doesn't want to put up with the look on my son's face when he's without you. And really, neither do I or your father."

"Right." She grins, head bowed. Martha still kind of scares her a little bit. She's just so vibrant and full of life, and Kate feels a silly need to earn the older woman's approval.

Rick's fingers are warm and soothing where they sit low down at her spine and Kate lets herself relax in increments, grateful when Alexis diverts everyone's attention towards Rick instead. "So Dad. Kate is done with therapy now, but what about you?"

"Yes, I am too." Rick grins, the lift of pride at the corners of his mouth making him look so much like their son. Kate adores the little boy in him, finds herself so often swept up in a silly need to coddle him. "We're both done."

"That's great, Dad." Alexis says softly. Kate knows from personal experience how hard it is to watch a father go through therapy. And yes, Rick hadn't gotten anywhere close to as bad as Kate's own father did all those years ago, but it still can't have been easy for Alexis.

The girl's face is a little pale with relief, and now Kate really wishes she had ignored her mother in law and let Alexis sit with her father. She looks desperate for a hug, and Rick must sense it too because he opens his arms and beckons to his daughter. "Come here."

She does, climbing into his lap again and Kate turns away. It feels almost voyeuristic to watch the two of them like this. After a few moments, she hears Alexis let out a shaky breath and the girl shifts from Rick's lap again, this time squeezing herself in between him and the arm of the couch.

There's a beat of quiet, and then Kate's father stands and brushes some imaginary lint off of the fabric of his slacks. "I should be going. Thank you for dinner Katie, Rick. It was wonderful."

"You're welcome, Jim. Any time." Rick says, standing up to shake Kate's father's hand. Martha stands as well and gathers Alexis, the two redheads embracing first Rick and then Kate.

"We should go too."

"Can I call anyone a cab?" Rick asks, gets a row of shaking heads and murmured refusals from the rest of their family. Everyone migrates towards the front door and slips their way into coats and scarves, armour against the bite of early November.

There are more hugs exchanged, kisses to cheeks and then Kate leans against her husband's side, the two of them framed in the threshold as they watch the rest of their family heading for the elevator. Rick's kiss starts at her temple, moves down to her cheek, and by the time the elevator door is sliding closed he's got her against the wall and his tongue is slick and hot through her mouth.

Kate groans and arches into him, fumbling on one leg until she can hook a foot around the door and push it closed. Once she does she rocks her hips against the thigh he has between her legs and whimpers, turning her head away from his kiss to catch her breath and steel herself before she just comes apart right here in the entryway.

"Rick. Bed. Now."

They don't make it that far.