CH15
Kate decided to attend the movie marathon since she promised and then put an end to this. It just wasn't going to work out.
Kate breathed a heavy sigh and rested her head against the door. This was going to hurt.
Kate knocked and the door opened resulting in Rick's smell that she hadn't been near for almost a week, hit her in the face and fill every open pore of her body. Breathing him in and making her legs weak.
"Hi Kate, come on in." Rick stepped aside and opened the door wide. Kate stepped inside and moved to wrap her arms around Rick and bury her nose into his chest, and started blinking back the tears.
It was going to be so hard to give this up, but they were just too different. Rick and Alexis deserved better.
Kate could feel Rick wrap his arms around her and held her close. They were interrupted by Alexis yelling. "KATE!" And Alexis came flying down the stairs to slam into Kate's legs and wrap her arms around Kate's legs.
Kate let go of Rick so she could kneel down to Alexis's level and soon found herself wrapped up again in Alexis's arms. "Hi Alexis." Kate buried her nose into Alexis's hair. She didn't have the smell Rick had, but she had learned to love it too.
"Come on, we're going to have lunch first." Alexis takes Kate's hand and takes her to the kitchen.
"I ate before I came over Alexis, I don't need to eat lunch." Kate hated lying, but the alternative was now worse.
"Oh." Alexis was suddenly deflated.
"I came here to watch movies honey, not eat you out of house and home." Kate tries to lift her spirits that she had just broken.
Another reason to end this. I can't ever be a part of this family. They're human!
"You and your father can go ahead and eat, I'll just watch." Kate offers.
Lunch turned out to be tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with milk to wash it all down with. Kate could appreciate the smell of the food, just not what it tasted like.
Alexis chose the first movie and sat down in on the sofa next to Kate and took a hold of Kate's arm as she leaned into Kate. While Kate had Rick on the other side that Kate was leaning into, burying her nose into his shoulder from time to time.
The Princess Bride
"That was terrific Alexis, very heart warming. Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Kate picks a line that is stuck in her head.
"As you wish." Alexis states, knowing it means 'I love you'. It got Kate to smile at Alexis.
How am I going to do this? Her own mother has abandoned her, and I'm leaving. … But I'm a vampire!
Rick chose next.
Sleepless in Seattle
What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you? Did Rick somehow know she was thinking about breaking it off with him? But she was a vampire! There were just some things they were never going to be able to do.
Kate was offered to choose next.
Kate saw a couple of them that looked interesting, but wasn't sure they were suitable for Alexis. So she skipped Saving Private Ryan and Armageddon.
Blade really had her interest. A movie about a vampire slayer. It was morbid sounding, but this was the planet she was living on, so Kate needed to know all she could.
A Bug's Life
"Oooo, I like this movie." Alexis likes Kate's choice. "Can we have popcorn daddy." Lunch was over 4 hours ago and dinner was likely to be after this movie.
Rick looked at Alexis and then at Kate. Saying no to Alexis was just something he couldn't do, and it was just popcorn, not something serious.
"Sure." And Rick got up and made a big bowl of popcorn.
Kate elected to hold the bowl since Rick was on one side and Alexis on the other.
The movies were making Kate emotional and Kate was turning to bury her nose in Rick from time to time still. Making it all that much harder to break this off after today.
"You don't like popcorn?" Alexis asks looking up at Kate. Alexis had noticed that Kate hadn't even tried any.
"Sorry Alexis, I was just caught up in watching the movie." And Kate takes a few pieces and eats them.
Rick leans into Kate. "Kate?" Rick whispers.
"It's fine Rick." Kate turned to him and smiled. And continued to occasionally eat popcorn.
They had just launched the fake bird to drive off the grasshoppers when Kate put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. "Excuse me." And Kate got up and ran for the bathroom off of Rick's bedroom.
Rick was soon right behind Kate holding her hair off to one side for her as Kate hurled into the toilet.
Kate knew when she started eating the popcorn that it was going to have to come right back up sooner or later. Kate went right on hacking with Rick right behind her, until her stomach was completely empty.
It wasn't really painful, but it wasn't exactly comfortable thing to be doing either.
Rick wet a wash cloth and handed it to her. "I'm sorry Kate, I shouldn't have let you eat. I knew better, but somehow having Alexis asking wiped my mind." Rick wrapped Kate up in his arms after Kate had flushed her mouth and used the wash cloth.
"It's alright Rick, I knew I shouldn't have eaten it, but I couldn't say no to her either.
It's not that I can't eat, it's just, ..." Kate is interrupted by Rick.
"You can't digest it and you can't keep it so you have to purge your stomach." Rick finishes it for her, remembering what she had told him.
"I'm sorry Rick, I really shouldn't be here." Kate saw the look on his face, and it looked like pain. And she was sorry she put it there.
"I'm a vampire Rick, and you and Alexis aren't. You eat food and I drink blood. I'm the one that's hunted and hated, not you two. Being with you and Alexis is just a dream Rick, being a vampire means it's one I can't have." Kate moved one of her hands to stroke his face and close her eyes and breath him in.
Then her eyes suddenly shot open and looked past Rick to see Alexis standing in the doorway. How long had she been there?
Kate let go of Rick and was on Alexis as fast as her vampire speed could take her and wrapped her arms around Alexis.
"Please don't fear me honey! …. Please? …. I'm not evil, I swear. I have no intention of killing you or your dad. I'm not like that, neither is Lanie. We don't kill people. … Ever!" God Kate didn't want it to be like this. Hurting these two was the last thing she wanted to do.
Kate pulled back but didn't let go of Alexis. Kate needed for her to understand.
"You're a vampire?" Alexis asked Kate searching Kate's eyes.
Kate nodded her head. "I'm sorry Alexis, I'm so sorry." Kate's tears started to fall down her cheek. Just one more time to wish she wasn't a vampire. Life was hard enough as it was.
"You drink blood instead of food." Alexis may be five, but she was quick. Kate had never eaten food when offered.
"You want to bite me?" Alexis wasn't scared of Kate, she was already in too deep to run now.
"No honey I don't want to bite you." It was the truth in more ways than one. Kate's throat wasn't burning and even if it was she wasn't going to bite Alexis.
"But you need blood, right?" Alexis asks.
"Every few days yes, but I would never bite you. Ever." Kate wanted to wipe away her own tears but didn't want to let go of Alexis.
Kate could feel Rick step up behind her, but neither of them said anything.
"But you need blood Kate." That got Kate to open her mouth wide. Had Alexis just said what she thought she said?
"I'm not going to bite you Alexis, I would never hurt you. Not for any reason." Kate searched her eyes. Just what was Alexis thinking.
"You don't want my blood?" Kate thought the look on Alexis's face was one of hurt or rejection, not fear.
Of course it's rejection. Her own mother has rejected her. Made her feel unwanted and unloved.
"Alexis, …." Rick started but stopped when Kate raised her hand to stop him.
Kate put her hand back on Alexis to hold her in place. "You want me to bite you?" Kate was now beyond shocked. Just who were these two?
Alexis didn't speak but nodded her head. "Why honey?" This time Kate did wipe away her tears.
Alexis looked nervous and looked up at her dad. Kate caught on fast. "Back off Rick."
Except Kate could feel that Rick didn't move. So Kate turned her head and mouthed the word 'Please'. Only then did Rick move deeper into the big on-suite bathroom.
Kate turned back to Alexis. "Why Alexis? You should be afraid of me, not asking me to bite you, so why honey?"
Alexis wanted to, really wanted to, but Kate might run if she did. And Alexis herself wasn't sure. So Alexis remained silent.
She's afraid of something, but it's not about me being a vampire. So what is it?
"You're not afraid of me, … are you?" Kate didn't sense that Alexis wanted to run and she wasn't shaking, and saw Alexis shake her head.
"But I'm a vampire, I bite and kill people. You have books and movies all about hating and fearing my kind." Kate points out.
"But you wouldn't and movies are make believe." Alexis may be only 5, but even she knew movies were for entertainment, not real life.
It got Kate to smile. "You're right, I wouldn't. … You know you can't tell anyone right. There are a lot of people who would be afraid of me and want to hurt me." Kate wanted to know if Alexis understood how important this is.
Alexis simply closed her mouth and zipped it closed. It got Kate to smile. "That's my girl." This got Alexis to launch herself into Kate's arms. It was just the kind of three words Alexis wanted to hear.
"You don't want my blood?" Alexis whispers into her ear since it was right at her lips.
"I'm not thirsty." Kate tells her the truth.
"Promise?" Alexis whispers to her.
"Promise." Kate tells her. Though what was she promising? That she wasn't thirsty or that she would bite Alexis if or when she was?
Kate standing up was Rick's Que that he could return. "Everything good?" Rick asks, knowing he would quiz Alexis later.
"I think we're good. … We're good, right?" Kate looks down at Alexis. Watching Alexis nod her head.
"I think we're missing our movie." Kate comments.
"We can start another one or rewind the one we were watching." Rick offers.
It turned out to not be too hard to rewind to where they left off, and the ants won out over the grasshoppers.
"Thanks for the movies." Kate tells them.
"You're leaving?" Alexis moaned.
"We've watched four movies and you two haven't eaten dinner yet, and you don't need to starve on my account." Kate tells her.
Alexis deflated, Kate was supposed to stay for a movie day. It wasn't time to go to bed yet.
"We can have something delivered and eat quickly before the final movie." Rick offers. "You can call and talk to Lanie while we eat." Rick offers an option.
And Alexis looked like she was ready to cry. Kate rolled her head. "Fine, one more movie. Then I'm going home." Kate points at them.
Rick headed for the take-out menus and phoned for delivery while Kate sat on the sofa and waited. Just not alone since Alexis was huddled in close.
"How long have you been a vampire?" Alexis asked softly.
"I was born this way, and no I'm not dead or un-dead, like your movies or books suggest." Kate answers her question.
"You were born a vampire?" Alexis didn't understand.
"I'm part of a race of vampires. I had a mom and dad just like you did when you were born, or when Rick was born." Kate explains simply.
"Where are your mom and dad now?" Alexis was going to have her dad invite them over.
"I don't know, we got separated." Like really separated.
"You don't know." Alexis thinks about it while Rick is in the kitchen getting ready for the food. "You've got us." Alexis offers.
Kate hugged Alexis close. "Thank you." Kate kisses the top of her head.
Thirty minutes later the Rick answered the door and Chinese food was delivered.
Kate joined them at the table. "You sure you're not hungry Kate? It's good."
Kate could smell it and it was interesting. "No thanks, I don't eat." Kate is forced to tell her.
"Ever?" Alexis was suddenly sad about that. Good food was fun to eat. Watching Kate shake her head. "Just blood." Alexis whispers.
"I'm sorry honey, but yeah, just blood." Kate smiled at Alexis. She was so sweet and innocent.
"Want some?" Alexis stuck her arm out. She was eating so Kate should to. This got Rick's attention.
"I'm not thirsty, … but thank you." Kate smiled and kissed the side of her head since Kate was sitting next to her with Rick on the other side.
Since Kate was the guest she got to pick the last movie of the day.
The Adams Family
Kate was enjoying it. This family was just too weird. Wednesday spent her time trying to kill her brother, and a body less hand running around.
"Do you speak French Kate?" Alexis asked looking up at her, since Alexis was practically in Kate's lap.
"No I don't." Kate knew other languages, just French wasn't one of them.
"Pity." Rick snapped his fingers. If Kate did it would have given Rick an excuse to start kissing Kate in front of Alexis.
Kate leaned over and nibbled on Rick's earlobe. "You don't need me to speak French to kiss me Rick." When suddenly Kate felt her fangs extend. It was only now that Kate noticed her throat was a little sore.
Kate willed them to retract before Rick or Alexis saw it.
Kate was chuckling at the end of the movie. That family was just nuts. "Alexis fell asleep about half an hour ago." Kate informs Rick.
"I can carry her to bed." Rick starts to get up.
"I can do it." Kate offers. And seeing the look on Rick's face. "I carried you remember."
Rick moaned. "Don't remind me." It was embarrassing to have little Kate Beckett carrying him out of his own tub and onto his own bed, when it should be the other way around. It did however earn him a quick kiss from Kate.
Kate had no trouble picking Alexis up and carrying her up the stairs to her room.
Placing her on the bed Kate got to work removing her clothes and then went in search of her sleeping clothes, searching various drawers.
Getting Alexis to wake up just a little as Kate worked at changing her clothes.
"Hhhhmmm, Kate." A sleepy Alexis mumbles out.
"Sshhh, go back to sleep." Kate coos at her.
"Not sleepy." Alexis fights to keep her eyes open.
"I think your heavy eye lids say otherwise." Kate smiles and kisses the side of her head. Feeling her fangs extend again. "Now go to sleep." And Kate retreats before Alexis can notice.
Rick however was right outside Alexis door and didn't miss that Kate's fangs were out. "You actually are thirsty, aren't you?" Rick points out.
"I'll be fine." Kate tells him and starts for the stairs. However Rick takes her hand and stops her.
"Kate I told you, so I'm going to tell you again. You need blood, take mine. … Now come on." Rick guides her down the stairs and into his bedroom.
"I know I won't remember it, but if you leave without biting me and put yourself in pain because you are too stubborn to do it. That will hurt me a lot more than the bite itself.
Now bite me and take what you need Kate and stop worrying about it." Rick tells her and lays back to relax on his bed.
"You're an amazing man Richard Castle." Kate works to blink back tears and takes Rick's arm in her hands.
"Just remember to come over again tomorrow. Alexis is still out of school and yours starts in about a week." Rick tells her before she bites him.
He wants me over again tomorrow!?
Kate kissed Rick's head and then bit his arm and started drinking. Closing her eyes and moaning as Kate tasted him again. His blood was still the most delicious and pure tasting blood she had ever had.
Just who was Richard Castle?
Kate stopped herself before taking hardly more than a single swallow and licked her lips. Noticing that Rick was unconscious. Kate leaned in and kissed his lips softly and willed her fangs to retract.
Kate stroked his hair and ran her fingers through it and kissed him softly once more. Then left locking the only part of the door she could without having a key.