"You really pick your moments, Beckett."

Kate swallows the small lump in her throat, her teeth beginning to chew on the edge of her bottom lip as she looks across the desk at her Captain.

"Sir, I know it's not the most convenient time."

"You're not wrong there."

Her brows pull together and she sits up a little straighter. "You know that I put 110% into my work, Sir. I've been working this case harder than anyone, and I'll still continue to work harder than anyone. It's one day, really only a few hours. I can still come in early in the morning and I promise I'll even be here bright and early come Sunday morning in that conference room. You know that I wouldn't ask unless it was important."

She can see Roy contemplating across from her. His gaze drops briefly, lips shrewing and hands coming to rest atop of his desk and Kate's pulse rises as her teeth sink further into her bottom lip.

She wanted more than anything to be able to get the day off so she could attend Alexis' party, especially considering how much in low spirits Alexis was, and after promising Rick she'd find the way to get the day off, she wasn't about to let either of the Castle's down – not after they'd already been let down by Meredith.

"May I ask why you're taking the day off?"

Her brows pull together, gaze snapping to land back on Roy, not realising her sight had trailed off and she'd been staring into space.

"I – it's a personal matter."

"Is it about your father?" His head tilts to the side and a sigh escapes from Kate's lip as she lets her tongue sweep out across her bottom lip, her head shaking.

Roy knew all about her father's bad habits – he pretty much knew everything about her past and the reason why she'd become a cop. He'd been good to her – too good to her at times.

"No, he's–" She pauses, not wanting to lie to his face about how her father was doing, especially after all the time he'd given her off no more than a couple years back when her father's drinking had gotten to the point of him almost landing in hospital. "He relapsed a few weeks ago. Has sworn to me it's the last time, but–" Her head shakes as she swallows once more.

"It's just really important I get Saturday off, Sir. And I normally wouldn't ask for time off – especially in the middle of a case, but this… it's important."

She's not sure how else to word it without completely word vomiting to Roy. It wasn't the easiest thing to explain – that she needed time off to attend a good friend's five year old daughter's birthday party because her mother had let her down and wouldn't be attending anymore. It didn't sound like such an important thing to attend too; nor did it seem appropriate to ask for time off to attend something just to put a smile on not only the almost five year old's face, but her father's as well.

Roy studies her for a moment, eyes slightly squinted as he slowly leans back in his chair. "Alright."

"Really?" Kate's eyes go wide, a smile threatening to bloom across her face.

Roy's head nods, a small smile starting to crease his lips. "So long as you're here early on Sunday morning and you continue putting a 110% into this case, then Saturday's all yours."

"Oh, Sir – I will, of course I will. This won't affect the case in anyway whatsoever, I promise you." She can't contain the smile spilling across her lips now as her hands come to grip the armrests on her seat, her body slowly starting to push itself up from the sitting position she'd been in.

"It better not, or you'll be doing Esposito and Ryan's paperwork for a month." A smirk comes in place on Roy's face, and Kate can only let the smile on her face break out into a full blown grin, because she knows having a few hours off won't affect her work in anyway shape or form, that she'd feel so much better about putting a smile on both the Castle's faces that she'd probably do even better in court than if she couldn't attend.

"Thank you so much, Sir."

He nods at her and she spins around on her heels, heading towards the door.

"Oh, and Kate?"

Roy calls out and Kate stops in the doorframe, glancing over her shoulder and raising her brow at her Captain.

"I hope he makes you happy."

Red immediately starts to surface across her cheeks, her pulse beginning to thump rapidly beneath the cage of her ribs as a small lump starts to form in the middle of her throat.

She wants to ask him what he means – ask him how he knew, but she shouldn't be surprised. He'd been a detective longer than she'd been, and he wasn't Captain for no reason.

All Kate can do is swallow the lump in her throat and spin back around, her cheeks flaming red as she quickly exits her Captain's office.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she'd almost spilled out a yes to Roy's sentence, and something inside of her makes her giddy and nervous all at once.


She doesn't tell Rick she officially got the day off and that she'll be attending Alexis' party – mainly so she can see the pure shock of surprise on his and Alexis' face when she shows up.

A smile is stretched across her face, butterflies swarming around in her stomach as she grips the present in her hands.

She's nervous, and she's not exactly sure why she's nervous. She's attending a five year olds birthday party, there was nothing to be nervous about.

But even she knows not knowing the reason why she's nervous is a lie, and that the anxiety building up inside her stomach right now has a lot to do with the man she's grown close to over the past few months.

The elevator dings open on his floor and she needs to calm herself down, can already feel heat rising to her cheeks.

She can hear the music and loud voices from down the hall and she moves to the side as she closes her eyes momentarily and sucks in a breath, holding it for five seconds before exhaling. She repeats this a few times till she calms the nerves inside of her, and once she thinks she's able to move without wanting to throw up the contents inside her stomach, she approaches the Castle resident.

Her fingertips curl into the palm of her hand as she lifts it and knocks a few times on the door before standing back and adjusting the box in her hands.

The door flies open no more than a few minutes later, and before her in dark blue jeans and a plaid shirt is Rick.

"Ka – Kate?" It takes him a few seconds to realise it's her standing before him and she watches the wide grin that breaks out across his face as he takes her all in. "You made it!"

"Well, there's no way I could miss such an important day." She grins, her head lifting slightly and he can't help but look at her in such awe.

"Come in, come in. Let me take your coat."

He steps aside, allowing her to come in and as she does she takes in the mass amount of decorations scattered around the loft.

There's people dressed up; some making balloon animals and another doing magic tricks.

She sees most of the adults have migrated to the kitchen, a few eyes landing on her and she tries her best to not pay attention, instead moving her gaze back around the room, because she has nothing to be nervous about – a few parents and housewives shouldn't scare her.

"So, what's in the box?"

Rick murmurs, a smile still plastered across his face as he helps Kate take her coat off and the nerves ease a little, a smile stretching across her lips as she makes eye contact with him again.

"Why, afraid the present I got her is much better than yours?" She smirks, her brow kinking slightly and he squints, a smirk spreading across his own face.

"Oh, that I doubt. Nothing could ever top the hundreds of presents Alexis got from me."

She shakes her head at him, eyes rolling as he leads her towards the gifts table so she can place hers among the rest.

"Alexis is really going to be so happy you're here, Kate. Let me go find her and tell her, just stay here."

She's about to protest, but before she can he bolts off and instead Kate stares at the empty space, blinking a few times with her hand outstretched for the air.

She retreats her hand, lets it hang down by her side as she sucks in another breath and glances around the busy loft once more.

"Katherine Beckett?"

Her head whips round, gaze landing on an older woman with flaming red hair and Kate's brow arches. "Uh, yes?"

"Hi, I'm Martha Rodgers." Her hand outstretches, a smile sprawled across her face and Kate's brows pull together slightly, a somewhat smile creasing her lips as she stretches her hand out to grasp the others.

"I'm Richard's mother, Alexis' grandmother."

Kate's eyes immediately go wide and she grips Martha's hand.

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry." She laughs awkwardly, head shaking and Martha merely shrugs her off, her other hand coming to rest atop of Kate's.

"Oh, don't worry about it dear. I was merely going on a whim. Richard has talked so much about the lovely detective he's befriended. And out of all the other woman here – you definitely don't look like a housewife."

"I – thank you?" She chuckles slightly, unsure if she should be flattered or not. But her pulse pounds either way at the mention of Rick talking about her to the other and Kate can't even contain the small smile that creases her lips.

"It's definitely a compliment, dear. Most of these women here seem to only be after one thing – that thing being my son, of course. But you on the other hand – I've never seen my granddaughter look so happy talking about anyone aside from her father."

Kate's pulse pounds even harder, a warm feeling starting to surge through her body and she isn't sure whether to smile or cry.

"She's a really great kid."

Kate slowly pulls her gaze away from Martha and glances around the room in search for the Castle's. It doesn't take long before her gaze lands on Rick on the opposite side of the room. He's bent down, a knee touching the ground as he speaks to Alexis before him – presumably telling the little girl who was here.

It doesn't take long before Kate sees Alexis' face light up and Kate's heart only grows, the pounding beneath her chest increasing as the smile on her face only grows wider.

She watches Alexis search the room, can see the excitement on her face and the frantic look of desperately trying to find her – and before long, the pair are making eye contact.

Alexis' face – if possible, lights up even more and the little girl immediately leaves the grip of her father, dashing across the room towards Kate.

"Kate!"

"Alexis, happy birthday!" Kate grins, almost stumbling back as Alexis' collides into her, small arms wrapping around her legs and Kate can only beam down at her before she's bending down to Alexis' level and giving the girl a proper hug.

"You came!"

"Of course, I came. I wouldn't miss it for the world." She shakes her head, her cheeks starting to hurt from how wide she's grinning as she watches Alexis pull back her head and match her own grin.

"Are you having a good party so far?" Kate asks, slowly lowering the girl to the ground, but Alexis only protests and grips her arms around Kate tighter.

"Hey, Alexis – c'mon, you're a big girl now, big girls don't need to be held." Rick steps forwards, about to take Alexis out of Kate's arm to free the woman from the five year old but Kate only steps back, an arm wrapping more securely around Alexis' back.

"Hey, who says big girls can't be held?" Kate raises her brow, titling her head slightly and Alexis only giggles, sticking her tongue out at her father who squints and tries to hide the smirk threatening to spill across his face.

"So?" Kate turns her attention back to Alexis who continues to grin up at her.

"I am! Better now that you're here though." She grins even wider, melting Kate's heart completely.

"Do you like balloon animals?" Alexis tilts her head to the side, brows pulling together and looking up at her so curiously.

"I do, very much. Elephant balloon animals are my favourite."

"Let's go get you one!" Alexis points her arm in direction of the man making balloon animals, having no intentions of leaving Kate's arms. But Kate doesn't mind one bit, she simply adjusts Alexis in her arms and carries her in direction of the man.

All nerves she had from before are simply gone, and even the stares from other parents don't seem to bother her, not when Alexis' is smiling bigger than she's ever seen.


The party soon flies by, everything going off without a hit. Kate even swears she sees Rick tearing up when Alexis blows out her candles, she teases him about it – light-heartedly of course, even though he denies it and says something about allergies, which she knows is a lie.

The entire party she'd spent either by Alexis' side, or in the kitchen sharing a drink with Rick and chatting away about nothing and everything. She also got to know Martha a bit better, considering all she knew was from Rick or Alexis.

After all the guests have left, Kate stays behind – tells Rick she'll help him clean up, despite his protesting and moaning that he was planning on leaving it and calling a cleaning service in the morning.

Martha's taken Alexis upstairs to get into her pyjamas, with promise that Kate won't leave without saying goodbye to her first.

"I'm really glad you could make it, Kate."

Kate glances over her shoulder, as she stops her task of cleaning up the remains of the ripped up wrapping paper.

"Me too, Rick."

"What'd you tell your boss to get the day off?" Her asks, coming around to her side and holding out the rubbish bag for her.

She shrugs, though a smile plays on her lips as she thinks about the last words her Captain had said to her.

"Just said it was a very important personal issue."

"He must really like you." Rick chuckles as Kate's face softens.

"He's good to me." She smiles at Rick before dropping her gaze and picking up one of the last boxes from the table.

"Hey – this is still wrapped." Her brows furrow as she glances down at the present she'd brought Alexis. "I got her this one." She turns to glance at Rick and he pulls his own brows together.

"Huh…" He mumbles, both of them turning around upon hearing Alexis and Martha coming down the stairs.

"Pumpkin you've still got a present here…"

"Don't chuck it out! It's Kate's! I wanted to wait to open it." She grins, scurrying over to the pair and happily taking the box from Kate.

Kate chuckles, glancing between the pair of adults before down at Alexis situating herself on the ground and beginning to carefully tear off the wrapping paper.

Alexis gasps, her eyes taking in the box's images and writing. She glances up at Kate rather quickly and almost squeals as she looks back down at the science kit. She's quickly rising to her feet and moving towards her father, showing him her present. "Daddy, look! Look what Kate got me! It's that science kit I wanted!"

Rick had already seen it when Alexis opened it, but he doesn't dismiss her excitement and instead bends down to Alexis level. "I saw! How lucky you are you." He grins at her. "What do you say?" He murmurs, running his fingers through her hair.

"Thank you, thank you!" Alexis beams, not able to take her gaze off the kit in her hands.

"You're welcome, Alexis." Kate laughs lightly, watching the young girl. "I remember you telling me you really wanted a science kit. I'm surprised your dad didn't get you one." She smirks at Rick who only shoots her a look.

"That's because the store was out." He mutters under his breath, a small pout forming on his lips.

"Oh, don't pout, Rick. Just accept that I'm the better gift buyer." She grins, teasing him as she pokes his shoulder and he folds his arms across his chest.

"Can I play with it now, daddy?"

"Not right now, pumpkin. It's bed time. But first thing in the morning, okay?" He turns back to his daughter, lifting her up into his arms and it's her turn to frown, a small pout forming on her lips.

"Hey, no birthday frowns." He lifts his hand, his fingers trying to push up the edge of her lips to form a smile.

"Can I at least open it and take a look inside, please, daddy?" She pouts up at him, her eyes going wide and Kate stifles a laugh watching Rick's lips stretch out, his shoulders deflating.

"Fine. But only looking, no touching." He places her down and before running off she takes a hold of Martha's hand, leading her into the living room.

"Come see with me, gram!"

Rick shakes his head watching his little girl before turning to find Kate putting her jacket on and his smile soon drops.

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. Need to get an early night if I'm going to make up for having today off."

"Let me walk you down."

"You don't have to do that, Rick. Besides, don't you want to see Alexis open up her favourite present?" She grins wide at him and he can't help but smirk as he shakes his head.

"If Alexis is anything like me, she would've already started an experiment." He pauses, glancing over to Alexis already wearing the safety googles and Martha helping her into the lab coat. She glances over her shoulder and gives Rick a sheepish look. "I risk my case." He murmurs before turning back to face Kate. "Now, c'mon. Let me walk you down, make sure you get home safely. It's the least I can do."

"Make sure I get home safely? It's literally a floor down, Rick. And I'm also a cop." She shakes her head at him, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, but Rick only shrugs at her.

"Alexis, Kate's leaving now, come say goodbye."

"Bye, Kate!" Alexis calls out, her eyes transfixed on the slime she's pulling out of the container.

"Alexis, don't be rude." He frowns, and Alexis sighs, placing the objects down and quickly running towards Kate and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Thank you for the present, Kate, and coming to my party." She grins up at her and Kate matches it, her hand smoothing over Alexis' hair.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"It was nice meeting you, Katherine."

"It was nice to meet you too, Martha." She nods at the older redhead and watches the two head back into the living room before Kate turns to Rick.

"Ready then Mr. Protector?" She smirks at him and Rick places his hand against his chest, eyes falling closed.

"I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Her head shakes, eyes rolling at him as the two head out of the loft and down to the elevator.

The ride down is silent, a comfortable silence nonetheless, but it's not until they stop outside Kate's door that Rick starts speaking.

"I want to thank you again for coming, Kate. I know you're in the middle of a big case and that it probably wasn't easy getting time off. But it really meant a lot to me, and to Alexis."

Kate smiles over at him, her heart starting to pick up.

"You don't need to thank me, Rick. You and Alexis are important to me. I couldn't let her be sad on her special day." She shakes her head slightly, brows pulling together, and she really can't understand Meredith not wanting to attend her own daughter's birthday. She'd only known Alexis for a short amount of time and was already so fond and attached to the little girl.

"Her own mother couldn't even give up something important to be here, and you could… You're incredible, you know that?"

Kate's head dips, heat starting to flare through her cheeks.

"I don't think I've ever met someone as amazing as you, Kate. You pay so much attention to Alexis, you really listen to her and make her feel so special. Her mother wouldn't even know she wanted that science kit, and Alexis has been begging me and anyone she sees to get it for her for months now."

Kate shrugs, warmth traveling up the sides of her neck as her pulse pounds beneath the cage of her ribs at such an ungodly speed.

"She's a special girl. You've got a really special daughter, Rick."

She lifts her head, sees a look in his eyes she hasn't seen before and her head can't help but tilt to the side.

"You're special too." His voice is so soft as he speaks and the pounding in her chest only travels up to her ears as she watches Rick take a step towards her, his hands coming to rest against the sides of her arms.

"And I am so lucky to even know you. These past few months… I don't know how I would've gotten through this without you. You really made… you made me see things so much clearer. You're so important to both Alexis and I, Kate."

He's closer than she ever thinks he's been and she suddenly isn't sure how to breathe anymore, all she can do is stare into the darkened skies in his eyes as he leans even closer to her. The only sound she really hears is the pounding of her heart in her ears.

"The day you knocked on my door… my whole world changed." Slowly he lifts one of his hands to cup her cheek, his thumb lightly brushing over the bone under her eye and somewhere in the back of her mind does Kate register that this isn't a good idea, but she also can't manage to stop the situation from where it's going.

"I'm so glad you knocked on my door. That I made so much noise you noticed it. Because had I not… we wouldn't be standing here right now, and you don't know how unhappy that makes me. The idea of you not being in my life – god these past months with you in my life have been everything, Kate. Seeing you, even briefly has made me so happy."

Her eyes are slowly falling closed as he speaks, tears beginning to emerge round the rims of her lids as her lips slowly part upon feeling Rick's forehead rest against hers. She feels his breath against her lips, and every nerve inside her body tingles.

The gap between them is soon closed, Rick's lips pressing against Kate's in a soft, yet slow kiss.

He's testing out the waters, trying to get a feel of how she likes to kiss – how their lips would work together, and as he slowly peels his lips off hers, he dives back in with more force than before that Kate can't help but gasp into his mouth.

Her hands immediately come to rest against his chest, her fingertips curling into the fabric of his shirt as her lips begin to move against his in a forceful, yet sensual kiss.

Both hands have come to cup her cheeks as he tilts her head back, bringing her body closer as his tongue pushes out of his mouth to nudge against her closed lips, and she doesn't hesitate in opening her mouth for him.

His tongue slips in, and it's unlike anything she's ever felt before. Most people whose tongue have been in her throat have always been rushed or uncomfortable, but Rick takes his time in exploring every inch of her mouth.

His tongue retracts and he surprises her in sinking his teeth into her bottom lip, to the point that she feels a moan threatening to bubble up out of her throat – and that's when she realises exactly what's happening – who she's kissing exactly, and before he can run his tongue along her bottom lip and soothe the bite he's made, she's shoving him back.

Her hand immediately flies to her swollen lips as she looks over at Rick with wide eyes.

The deep blue in his eyes have darkened, his pupils practically blown as he stares at her with such a daze.

She blinks at him, unsure what to say, or what to do.

Half of her just wants to grab him and continue what they were doing, but the rational side of her knows they shouldn't have done that in the first place and that she should leave quickly before they both do something else they regret.

"I…" Kate's at a loss for words, her chest rising as she quickly swallows the small lump in her throat. "That shouldn't have happened."

Rick frowns at her, taking a step towards her, but Kate simply takes a step away from him.

"Don't say that." He shakes his head and she can barely even make eye contact with him.

She doesn't say anything more, instead she pulls out her key and turns to unlock her apartment, but before she can go any further Rick is reaching for her arm and stopping her.

"Don't walk away from me, Kate."

She jerks her arm away from him, spinning round to face him. Her pulse is already racing, a lump starting to emerge in the middle of her throat, along with tears threatening to appear round her lids.

"Don't go. Come – come back to the loft."

"Why?" Her brows pull together tightly as she stares over at him.

"So we can talk."

She shakes her head, gaze dropping. "I have an early start, Rick." Her tongue sweeps out across her lips, running over her bottom lip his teeth had sunken into no more than five minutes ago. And already she hates him, because now she's never going to be able to look at her lips again without thinking of his against hers.

"Tomorrow then. Come over tomorrow."

She shakes her head, a sigh tumbling out of her lips.

"I can't, Rick."

"Can't, or won't?" There's a slight bite in his tone, and it does take her back.

"I'm not doing this with you, Rick. You're not… you're married."

"Okay, that is not an excuse you can use, and you know it. I'm separated, almost divorced. But I don't need to tell you that, because you already know all of that. You've known all of that from day one."

She chews on the inside of her lip, her fingers starting to fiddle with the keys in her hands.

"I like you a lot, Kate."

"No, you don't." She replies almost immediately and he looks at her with more confusement than before. "You don't like me, Rick. Not in that way. You like that I'm good to your daughter, that I have a cool job. But, you don't like me."

"How could you even say that? I don't like you because you're good to Alexis, or because you have a cool job. I like you for you, Kate."

She's too broken for anyone to like her. At least, that's what she seems to think. It's why she holds herself back from anything good in her life. She's been in relationships, plenty of them – but she's always had one foot out the door. Because she knows sooner or later they'll only ever view her as damaged goods.

And even though Rick's been understanding, a part of her thinks it's because he feels sorry for her. That he doesn't want to rid her simply because she's good to Alexis and could probably get him out of trouble with the law if he were to ever get into trouble again.

"You're still getting over Meredith, a-and I won't be your rebound."

She turns, pushing open her apartment door and closing it behind her before Rick can even open his mouth and respond.