Chapter 17
When Kate walked into the loft later that day, Lanie was sitting on the couch next to Rick. They both turned their heads towards the door and went silent. Kate's eyes went back and forth between the two, waiting on someone to say something. She knew that she was in trouble immediately.
"Kate, I think you should sit." Lanie said, patting the couch next to her.
Kate moved towards the couch, taking a seat at the very end, as far as possible from either of the other two in the room.
"Look, Kate, I don't want you to be mad at me, but I was concerned, and I didn't know who else to talk to that you might listen to."
"Oh, you didn't." Kate's forehead landed in her hands as she shook her head profusely. The embarrassment spreading across her face.
"Kate.." Rick stood up, walking over and kneeling in front of her. He took one of her hands from her face, placing it into his own and squeezing, "Don't be mad at her. She did the right thing."
The tears started to fall quickly, "You don't understand, it's my job to be perfect."
"You are perfect, babe." He said, running his hand down her cheek, lifting her jaw so that she was forced to look at him. "You are absolutely perfect to me, and if you aren't comfortable with your body then we can do something about that, but we're going to do it the healthy way. Taking un-prescribed medicine is dangerous."
"It works," Kate whispered.
"KATE I DON'T CARE IF IT WORKS!" his anger was starting to come out. "You and Alexis are the most important people in my life, and I will do anything to protect you and keep you safe. This is not an option. I'm not giving you a choice."
Her eyes never broke from his the whole time, but her eyes grew full of tears, waiting to break down her cheeks.
She nodded, "I know, and you're right. I freaked out about not being able to fit into the clothes."
"Baby, there are safe, healthy ways to lose weight, not that you need to. You are already skin and bones."
"You're just saying that because you want to get laid later," she let out a giggle.
"No, I'm saying it because I think you're perfect just the way you are, and if someone else disagrees with that then I have a problem with them."
"This isn't your problem at all, I can deal with it."
"I am making it my problem. I have already cleared out all the junk food from the pantry, and the ice cream from the freezer. We are all going to eat healthier in this house."
"Rick, you don't have to."
"I know I don't have to, but lets be serious," he said, rubbing his belly, "I've gained a little happy weight too from this relationship. I think I could stand to eat a few more fruits and vegetables and a lot less mint chocolate chip ice cream."
She poked him in the stomach, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close, planting a big kiss on his lips. "I love you, ya know." Immediately regretting letting the 'L' word slip out, "I mean, I didn't mean love, I.. I…"
"Hey, it's okay, I get it." he said giving her another peck on the lips. "We'll talk about it later, in private."
They both looked towards Lanie, who had sat quietly during the whole conversation.
"Oh, what? Now you all want to acknowledge my presence?"
They all three started laughing.
"I told you, when its just the two of us, it's different," Kate said, a smile spreading across her face.
"How different?" Rick asked, throwing a smirk in Kate's direction.
"It's just me and you, baby," she said, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulling him in for a tight hug. She planted a big kiss on his neck. "Thank you for caring so much, and for not letting me be stupid." She released him, looking towards Lanie, "You too, for ratting me out before I even had the chance to be stupid."
"Hey that's what friends are for, right?
After Lanie left, Rick and Kate decided to take a walk to pick Alexis up from pre-school. They approached the gates of Marlowe, holding hands, when Rick saw a paparazzi out of the corner of his eye, dropping her hand immediately and forcing distance between the two of them.
"Whoa, what's wrong?"
"Paparazzi."
"Huh, where?" Kate started to look around, easily finding the unhidden paparazzi across the street.
"I hate it when they do this, I've asked them so many times to please stay away from my daughters school."
Without saying another word, Kate took off across the street, headed straight towards the paparazzi.
"Dude, this is private property, and what are you doing taking pictures across the street from an elementary school, are you some kind of pervert?'
The paparazzi just laughed, pointing his camera at Kate and snapping a few shots.
"You're absolutely disgusting, you piece of shit. I don't care if you take pictures of me, or my boyfriend, but leave his child out of it. She is four, and you're going to scare her."
The man gave her no response, except to continue to take pictures of her, so she turned her body, walking straight back towards Rick. As she neared him, she got a running start and threw herself at him, arms around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist. She started to passionately kiss him, right in front of the man and a few other parents. After a minute or so, she released her hold on him sliding down his body back on to the pavement.
"What was that for?" Rick questioned, rubbing his hand across his swollen lips.
"Attention, now maybe he will leave us alone."
Sure enough a minute or two later the paparazzi was gone.
"I guess it worked, but the other parents don't seem to pleased. Look at them."
Kate started to look around at the other parent's, they were all glaring in her direction.
"Oh well, I'd rather them give me hateful looks, then some scary man with a camera follow Lex around. I mean seriously, it's crazy to me that they are allowed to take pictures of small children. She is four years old, what could they possibly want with a picture of her?"
"They want a reaction from me, well that's what I'm assuming."
"Well they got more than they were looking for I assume, and now their gone. Hope you don't mind." She said, giving him a wink, and a slap on the butt.
"That my girlfriend just marked her territory in what will be tomorrows front page news? No, I think I can handle it." he smirked at her, grabbing her around the waist pulling her in close and dragging his hands over her butt.
She embraced him, wrapping her arms around his body and laying her cheek on his chest. "You make me happy, ya know."
"Yeah, I'm fully aware of how happy I make you according to your slip up earlier."
"Rick, about that, I know we haven't been seeing each other long enough for me to be throwing that out there, and I'm not taking it back, I meant every word, and I won't take back how I feel about you. I don't expect you to return it, but I meant it, even though it scares me to death to admit it to you."
"I'm glad you're not taking it back, and maybe I'm not ready to say it back yet, but I will be able to one day, and I'll mean it. That okay?" he kissed her temple sweetly, making it known that he wasn't going anywhere.
"It sounds perfectly fine to me. Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting." She squeezed him tighter.
The bell rang and the teachers began to exit with their kids in single file line.
When Alexis saw her dad and Kate she took off running for them, sliding right by her dad into Kate's waiting embrace. Kate lifted the little girl up, placing her on her hip.
"How was your day Lex?"
"The best, and now you and daddy are here." She kissed Kate on the cheek.
Rick poked the little girl in the side, "No kisses for your dad?"
"Sorry daddy." She reached for him, practically diving into his arms and planting a huge kiss on his mouth.
"That's better, but you're too big for me to carry." He placed her on the ground, grabbing one of her hands, and she reached back with the other to grab Kate's hand. Kate made eye contact with Castle, a huge smile spreading over her face. She didn't know how this had happened all of a sudden but she felt like everything that had happened in the last two months had been worth it. Castle, was an amazing man, and she loved him, and his daughter.
"Daddy are you and Kate going to get married?"
Rick froze in his steps, "What? What makes you ask that?"
"Well, Lauren's daddy is getting married to his girlfriend."
"Is he? Well why does that mean that Kate and I have to get married?"
"You don't, but I want you too."
Kate's eyes hadn't left the sidewalk; she was wishing that she was somehow invisible with the blush that had crawled up her neck onto her cheeks.
"Well Kate and I are not getting married, Lex. Not anytime soon. We just started dating, can we have a little time to date first?"
"Not too long."
"Ohhhkay, I think this conversation is one for adults Lex, not for four year olds."
"I'll be five soon Daddy."
"I know pumpkin, and i promise that you will be the first to know if I am getting married, deal?"
"Deal."