CH9

Kate and Lanie had to wait before leaving since they needed it to be really late and dark when they went back down to the planet. Shutting down the ship again for another long sleep.

Kate carefully as she could landed the shuttle on the same roof as last time. Kate momentarily thought about landing somewhere else, but they needed for the shuttle to be close. Close enough to reach quickly if necessary.

As soon as the shuttle door opened Kate took in a deep breath to check if anyone was near, including Hunters. There were no Hunters close, but Rick was and it made Kate weak in the knees.

Lanie came around the shuttle and found Kate sniffing the air and it looked like she was barely standing. "Rick's here?" Lanie asked it like a question but knew by the way Kate was reacting it wasn't really a question.

"I really wish you could smell what I smell Lanie, I really do. He just, … It's like, …." Kate couldn't find words to describe it. Kate did however notice that her fangs were out.

The smell of him wasn't strong, not like when he was in her arms with her nose buried in his chest. Which is exactly where she wished to be right now.

"Come on Kate, we need to go home. I at least need to get some sleep, you can call Rick in the morning. We need to work out how to get better ID's and these social security cards and anything else we need. …. Here." Lanie hands over one of the small duffel bags that held the money.

"We should dump the bag after taking the money out of it. We don't want anyone tracing it to us somehow." Kate offers up and steps over the side of the roof.

They then run for their apartment, where Kate dumps the money on one of the beds. "I'll be right back." Kate tells her and steps outside onto their deck and steps off the side and drops to the ground, bending her knees on impact.

Then Kate runs, stopping at a construction site to pick up some debris to weigh the bag down with and then launches it for the middle of the Hudson River. Then runs back to her building and back up to their apartment.

"School starts in a few weeks." Kate points out.

"And we need ID cards to get in, some kind of history." Lanie points out. "But I'm tired so I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Lanie heads for her room.

It left Kate up to think since she had slept during her blood cleaning, to get the drugs and alcohol out. It reminded her to never intentionally use drugs or drink, she hadn't liked the effects.

Her thought soon got her thinking of Rick. What was it that made her react the way she does around him. Smell has always been a large part of their lives, vampires used it to get advanced warning when a Hunter was near.

It was also used to determine if any humans were close, and like the other night when they went looking for drugs, hoping to find money.

They were only guessing that the drugs were a bad thing and if what Kate experienced was any indication, they were used to disappear from life. Not that Kate understood why anyone would want to do that.

Then her thought went to why wanting to go to the University just north of them was such an important thing? Her parents had told her that an education was important, but what did she want to do when she got there, not IF she got there.

This planet didn't have space flight obviously. If all the junk in orbit was any indication they had trouble even doing that with unmanned, whatever they sent up there. So learning more about ships was out.

It didn't look like their communication system was exactly state of the art either. The only other thing that had ever interested her was learning why her race was being hunted to extinction, and what she could do to stop it.

Kate had met very few vampires in her life, none of the ones she had met were killers either. At least they didn't present themselves as being killers. What if this planet found out about them? Could she find a way to convince them they weren't evil monsters?

It all sounded like criminal justice to her. Lawyer maybe? Just defending who she really was not what she was, didn't require her to be a lawyer for that. Your actions told people who you were, not the words you used.

"So what do I do?" Kate asked out loud.

Not having an answer tonight, Kate went to bed.

Rick got up and started making breakfast. Pancakes again, hoping that this time they would actually eat them. Rick internally swore he wouldn't mention the words mother or Meredith this time.

Rick had just finished his third and final pancake when Alexis showed up at the breakfast counter still wearing her PJ's. "Here is yours." Rick places a single pancake in front of Alexis and picks up the maple syrup bottle. "May I pour, my lady?" Rick tries it with his best British accent he can manage.

Getting Alexis to nod her head and watch her dad drown her pancake with maple syrup. Then pick up her fork and start eating, making a mess of her face and her hands.

Rick was grinning at Alexis while eating his, watching Alexis get the syrup almost everywhere as usual. It was dripping off her face and onto her PJ bottoms.

After she is done Alexis runs her finger through the syrup still on her plate and lick her finger clean.

"You better go wash and take a shower, I'll lay your clothes out for school." Rick tells her, getting Alexis to grin at him since she always made a mess eating pancakes. "And don't touch anything with those sticky hands." Rick calls after her. Forcing Alexis to not touch the railing and take the steps one at a time.

Rick drove Alexis into school. "Have a good day in school, I love you."

This time Rick gets a kiss goodbye. "I love you too dad." Alexis smiles and runs inside.

Rick is back home and cleans up from breakfast, then goes to gather the dirty clothes and start a load of laundry. After that he went to his study to get some real writing done.

Rick was only just finishing cleaning up some of his outlines so he could start a chapter when the house phone rang. "Good morning Mr. Castle." Said Eduardo from the front door. There were actually 5 different doormen. One was on duty 24 hours a day, including holidays and weekends. They rotated 12 hour days for 3 days, then took the next 3 days off, and then rotated the final day of the week between them.

It may be Rick's building but he let them make their own hours. Rick would hire a temporary person when one of them took vacation time.

"Morning Eduardo, is there a package?" Not that Rick was expecting one, but one never knew.

"No sir, there is a young lady down here who would like to see you. Her name is Kate Beckett." Eduardo tells Rick.

It got Rick to freeze in place. Kate was downstairs!? He had told them where he lived, but he really thought she would call first, if she called at all.

"Sir? … Do I send her up sir?" Eduardo asks since Rick hadn't said anything.

Rick shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. "Sure, … I mean send her up." Rick finally gets out. Then hurriedly saves his work and closes his laptop.

"You can go up Miss. … 4th floor." Eduardo tells Kate.

"Thanks." Kate smiles at him and goes into the building through the door he holds open for her.

Finding the elevator and presses the up button, and waits.

Kate can feel her heart pounding in her chest. Nervous didn't begin to describe what she felt. Lanie's voice of encouragement just moments ago was what got her this far.

The elevator doors opened just as Kate had almost convinced herself to run away and go back home. Kate just stood there staring at the open doors for a moment. Just as Kate started to step into the elevator the doors started to close on her and hit her, only to re-open.

Kate with a shaky hand reached out and pressed the button marked 4. Watching the door close and then re-open shortly after feeling herself going up.

Stepping out into the hallway, there was a door just a little ways down on her left.

Kate forced her legs to take her to the door. Kate squeezed her eyes shut tight. Kate could already smell him on the other side of the door somewhere, it already had her weak in the knees.

Kate's breathing was becoming harder to accomplish and her stomach was in knots, then Kate forced her fangs to retract. Then lifted her hand and gave the door one weak knock and waited.

Kate could hear his footsteps and then watched the door swing open and the smell of him blew out the door straight into her face. "Hi Kate. … Come on in." Rick opened the door wider and stepped aside.

Kate willed herself to step inside far enough for Rick to close and lock the door.

"Come on inside and have a seat, do you want something to drink? Water maybe?" Rick asks.

Kate was breathing him in and losing her mind, barely making out if she wanted to drink something. "You." Kate ever so softly spoke. So soft even she didn't hear the word.

Then Kate felt Rick's hand on her back guiding her to the living room and the sofa.

She was so beautiful, so stunning, so amazing, so deliciously nervous and so obviously frustrated, or scared.

Rick guided her to the sofa except when they got there she turned to face him and stepped in close and wrapped her arms around her and buried her head in his chest.

Rick knew she had done this the first time they had met, Rick was only mildly surprised to find himself wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

Kate buried her nose into him and started breathing him in, he was so delicious, and Kate felt her fangs extend. Kate knew, just knew he would taste just as good as he smelled.

Rick pushed her away a little to look at her. "Kate, are you alright, something wrong." She had been shaking and the sound of her breathing felt ragged.

Kate slapped her hand over her mouth. "I can't" Kate said through her hand. "I can't hurt you. … I can't." Kate easily broke away and was at his front door in a flash and starting to turn the lock.

"Kate stop, just stop." Rick watches Kate's hand freeze on the lock. So he moves and steps up behind her. "Kate I'm pretty sure you're not hurting me. Hurting me would be you running off after just getting here." Rick tells her.

Rick moves in close behind her and wraps his arms around her from behind. "You might as well stay Kate." And Rick worked to slowly spin her around to face him. She still had her hand over her mouth, so Rick reached up and slowly moved it away with the intent of kissing her hand softly.

The light of the room glinted on two sharp fangs, protruding over her bottom lip. She wouldn't look at him, she was so ashamed and scared. Kate didn't even smell him at the moment. Though the fact that she was holding her breath probably had something to do with that. He thought she was waiting for him to run. He waited for a moment, thinking about... Well there was a lot to think about.

"Are they real?" Rick asks looking at her though her eyes were looking down.

Kate looked up at him and with tears in her eyes nodded her head. Then Kate watched Rick reach to touch one with the tip of his finger.

Kate grabbed his hand to stop him. "Don't I might hurt you. …. It's not safe." Kate pleaded with her eyes.

"I trust you and you came here for a reason and it wasn't to kill me if you are this afraid." Rick tells her.

"Why are you here Kate? Not that I'm not glad you are." Rick continued to lift his hand and Kate let him and stroked a finger down her cheek, then brought both hands up to her face and cupped her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears away.

Then Rick leaned in with the intent of kissing her, however Kate lifted her hand to his lips stopping him. "Rick?"

Rick could tell she was so afraid of hurting him. Rick kissed the fingers that covered his lips and then moved his hand to take hers away from his mouth and held in close to his chest.

Rick could feel his heart pounding in his chest. If those teeth were actually real it meant Kate was something really special, so he went back to slowly leaning in with the intent of kissing her. Only this time Kate didn't stop him.

The kiss was soft at first as their lips barely brushed across each other. Then Rick pressed the kiss a little harder and Rick used his tongue to stroke her bottom lip.

He was kissing her. It was amazing and so very soft. Kate could smell him and almost taste him. Just as Rick started to press the kiss and run his tongue across her lower lip, Kate wrapped her arms around him and squeezed and pressed her tongue into his mouth. She wanted to taste him.

Rick felt her arms tighten. She was strong. Like really strong. It almost took all the air out of his lungs. Still when he felt her tongue enter his mouth Rick reciprocated and used his tongue to search her mouth and taste her.

Kate was holding on for all she was worth. His smell and the taste of his mouth were intoxicating and she so wanted to bite him and taste the rest of him. Kate was just moments away from biting his lower lip when she backed off with great difficulty.

Kate and Rick were standing in each other's arms trying to get their breathing under control.

"WOW!" They both spoke at the same time getting Kate to giggle and Rick to just smile.

Then Rick reached up and ran his finger along Kate's lower lip, getting Kate to open her mouth just a little while they stared into each other's eyes.

Then Rick ran his finger over the tip of one of her fangs like he had planned on doing earlier. "OWE!"

Her fang was sharp and his finger tip started to bleed.

The smell of Rick's blood immediately assaulted Kate's nose and she grabbed his hand and stared at his bleeding finger, taking in a deep breath.

The only reason Kate didn't collapse since legs were now made of rubber was that one of Rick's arms was around her and one of hers was still around him.

Then Kate saw Rick smile and start pushing his still slightly bleeding finger towards her mouth.

Kate's hand let him rub his finger along her lower lip, leaving a trail of blood along her lip. Then Rick pressed his finger into her mouth and Kate immediately started sucking on his bloody finger.

God he tasted even better than he smelled. His blood taste so rich and pure!

Kate stroked her tongue over his tiny cut trying to draw out every last little drop.

Rick watched her squeeze her eyes closed and her face lost every edge it used to have. If Rick didn't know better he would say she was having an orgasm just sucking on the tiny cut on his finger.

She was so beautiful and being what he thought she was made her truly unique. Something to be cherished and loved.

Rick pulled out his finger that wasn't bleeding anymore and watched Kate try and follow it with her mouth.

Kate opened her eyes and saw Rick smiling at her, which melted her heart. Rick wasn't running or even looked scared. In fact he looked the opposite of that.

"You're a vampire?" It almost sounded like Rick was questioning. Kate nodded her head, still afraid of what he was thinking. Except that his now free hand went back around her to hold her close, so she did the same with hers.

"You don't feel dead and you feel warm, and I can feel your breath on my face." Rick was confused. Vampires were the undead. Weren't they?

Kate frowned, not understanding. "No, I'm alive, just like you. Why would you think I was dead?" It didn't make any sense to Kate.

Rick tilted his head, something wasn't adding up. "Vampire mythology tells us that Vampires are the undead. Dead but still walking and living." Rick offers up the short, short version.

"No." Kate tells him. "There is no such thing as undead Rick." Kate was confused, why would he think she was dead or this undead?

Rick brought his hand back up to her face and lifter her chin up and leaned down to kiss her again, using his tongue to search out hers.

Kate moaned into the kiss. His smell assaulted her and filled her lungs and got her to bring her hand around to fist his shirt to remain standing. His tongue was dueling with hers and she could taste his mouth and still taste the residue of his blood.

Kate broke from the kiss abruptly and stared up into his eyes. She was soooo close to biting him and she so feared that she couldn't stop and end up accidentally killing him.

What she wanted to do was run away from the risk, but her legs were rubber and she was lucky to be still standing.

Rick looked into her eyes. She was scared of something. Rick wanted so much more than just a kiss, is that what she was afraid of? Or was it ….?

"You want to bite me, don't you?" Rick guessed that was the problem. Especially after watching her suck his bleeding finger.

"Rick?" Kate silently pleaded not to go there. Just keep kissing me and let me smell you, I don't need more. Not yet.

Rick knew he was right. "Come with me." Rick took her hand and started walking her for his bedroom and passed the bed that Kate saw.

His bed was huge! So much bigger than hers, and it was a little darker than hers, and looked a lot more manly too. But Rick just kept walking and found they were both in his bathroom.

Rick let go of her and went over to this giant tub and turned on the water and kept adjusting the controls until he got the temperature he was after.

Then Kate watched him move over to the lavatory counter and open it and pulled out two bottles and poured a little of both into the tub, and then put them back.

Then Rick stepped over to Kate and started working on the buttons of her shirt. Kate didn't stop him but did question. "Rick?"

Rick switched to undoing his buttons. "Take your clothes off and hop into the tub." Rick asked of her and then leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose.

Rick pulled off his shirt and noticed that Kate wasn't doing anything. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or you me. … Now clothes off and get in the tub." Rick kisses Kate's cheek as he takes his shoes off.

Rick is soon standing in front of her naked and turning off the water, turning to see a naked Kate standing there a little self-conscious, but not covering up. Kate actually liked having his eyes on her, she should likely feel cold with no clothes and yet for some reason she felt warmed.

Kate watched Rick step into the tub and hold out his hand to her, offering for her to step in with him.

Kate took his hand and stepped into the tub and felt Rick turn her so that her back was too her. "Now sit Kate." As Rick slowly sat down pulling Kate with him.

Soon Kate was sitting between his legs with her back up against his chest.

Kate soon felt Rick's hands wondering over her body, leaving a trail of Goosebumps in their wake.

Kate moaned and leaned back into Rick, this entire thing was just so soft and sexual feeling. It was like nothing Kate had ever felt before, and Rick wasn't running. In fact he was doing the opposite of running.

Kate soon felt his lips on her neck as his hands worked their way up to cup her breasts. It soon had Kate moaning as she held her hands outside of his that were still on her breasts, felling him kiss, lick and lightly bite her neck.

Then Kate felt one of his hand wander down her stomach until it was firmly between her legs.

Kate loved his hands! His hands and especially his fingers were driving her mad.

Kate had arched her back to get her nick closer to his lips while she had spread her legs to give him easier access. She was close, so very close.

Kate was just one little stroke from crashing over the side for the very first time in her life, when Rick lifted up his other arm and pressed his wrist onto her mouth.

"Bite me Kate." Rick pressed his arm against her mouth feeling her teeth brush up against his skin, feeling the tip of her fangs lightly scrape across his skin, just as he moved his fingers to send Kate over the edge.

Kate would have screamed, as she arched her back lifting her rear up off the bottom of the tub. However her mouth was full, so all that came out was a muffled scream from her throat.

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There are some spelling errors, my apologies. Stupid site wouldn't let me save the changes.