"What if you-you, wait. Do you? Do you feel the same way?" Rick stammers.

"I feel...a lot of ways," Kate deflects. "But, I mostly feel like we are constantly in a "right person, wrong time" situation, and that feels like a sign."

"Well, what's so wrong about the timing?" Rick asks.

"For starters, we live on opposite sides of the country," Kate points out.

"There are ways around that," Rick shrugs.

"Yeah, like you buying flight tickets to Los Angeles?" Kate asks, remembering the notification she'd accidentally seen on his phone the night before.

"How did you..?"

"When I was taking pictures of you and Alexis," Kate explains. "The notification popped up."

"Oh, right," Rick sighs.

"That's another thing," Kate says. "You have a daughter, a family to think about."

"I do believe they have kindergartens in California, or am I mistaken?" Rick asks sarcastically.

"Rick, this is crazy," Kate sighs.

"Is it?"

"Yes," Kate doubles down. "As much as I have enjoyed...reconnecting this weekend, we decided yesterday that it was just that–for the weekend. I think we should keep it at that."

"Ouch," Rick sighs. "Kate Beckett, you are breaking my heart."

"We can call it even, then," Kate retorts. "I'm so sorry."

"I get it," Rick says. "But, uh, answer one question for me?"

"Sure," Kate nods.

"You never actually answered the question when I asked before: Yes or no, do you feel the same way?"

"I don't..know," Kate replies.

"Is that "I don't know" or "I don't, no"?" Rick laughs.

"Um, I do, Rick. I do feel the same way," Kate says. "But I still just don't think I can do this with you. Not right now."

"Right person, wrong time," Rick sighs.

"Yeah."

"Damn."

"Yeah."

"Well, guess that means we'll just have to make the most of the rest of the weekend then," Rick says, standing up from his side of the booth.

"Rick, I have to go to the airport," Kate reminds him.

"Your flight isn't until tomorrow night," Rick says. "Come home with me, have Christmas dinner, spend the night, and we'll go our separate ways in the morning."

"Okay," Kate says.

"Okay?" Rick confirms.

"You gotta make me a shake first, though."

Rick smiles so widely it makes his cheeks hurt. "What flavor would you like?"

After they finish their shakes and clean up their table at Remy's, Rick and Kate return home from their date. Though it was meant to be a "re-do", a second chance at the date they never had ten years prior, it did very little to provide any closure on the baggage of the past. In fact, now there was just more history, more baggage, more complication than they ever would have imagined as teenagers.

Even after everything, they were just happy to be together, to see what the road not taken could be like. They weren't burdened by regrets or secrets anymore, which in itself made that evening one of the best Christmases either of them had ever had. Kate felt that fact to be especially true. Ever since her mom died, Christmas had turned into a mournful occasion rather than a joyful one. That changed a little bit, having dinner with Rick, and Martha, and Alexis. It felt like she had family again, and that was truly a Christmas miracle.

"Daddy," Alexis says as she tugs on Rick's pant leg. Rick hands off the plate that he was washing and looks down.

"Yes, peanut?"

"Can we do bedtime stories now?" Alexis asks, having changed into her Christmas pajamas all on her own while the adults were cleaning up after their meal.

"It's still pretty early," Rick says when he glances at his watch. "Are you tired already?"

"Not tired," Alexis shrugs. "But if I go to sleep then Santa will come!"

Rick laughs at the almost-5-year-old's logic. "Sweetie, Santa only comes one night a year, remember? And he came last night."

"So no more presents?" Alexis asks.

"No more presents," Rick confirms. "But, do you remember what other time of year we get presents?"

"On birthdays!" Alexis exclaims.

"That's right. And do you remember when your birthday is?"

"January twenty...something," Alexis says.

"January 22," Rick reminds her. "Which means it is only 28 days away."

"But that's so many," Alexis says sadly.

"It'll be here before you know it!" Rick insists. "Yours is much shorter to wait than mine, or Grandma's, or Kate's. Kate has to wait almost 330 days!"

"Whoa! That's so many!" Alexis exclaims. "Sorry you can't get presents soon, Kate."

Kate dries her hands after letting the dishwater out of the sink and turns around to face Alexis.

"That's okay," Kate says. "It's the wait that makes the presents even more special." Rick can't help but smile widely at the interaction, and her answer seems to have really struck a chord with Alexis too.

"Daddy, please can we do bedtime stories still? And can Kate come?" The little girl asks.

Rick glances at Kate to gauge her comfort with that idea, which she responded to with a slight smile before they both raced Alexis to her bedroom. After many, many bedtime stories, Alexis finally drifts off to sleep and Rick and Kate tiptoe across the house to avoid waking her.

"So," Rick says, like it's a sentence.

"So?" Kate repeats.

"I realized early that I missed your birthday, but I do have a present for you, if you're interested," Rick blurts out when they reach his bedroom.

"Richard Rodgers, are you talking about your penis right now?" Kate scoffs in an unreadable tone. "Because I've already had that."

Rick is so caught off guard by her witty remark that he freezes for a full few seconds before bursting out laughing. "That, that, Kate Beckett, was a good one."

"You liked that, huh?" Kate chuckles. "And, I appreciate the offer, but I think it would probably be best if we're going to sleep together tonight to just...sleep together tonight. Just don't want to make things more complicated."

"Okay, I'm okay with that," Rick nods. "Afraid if we have sex again that you'll do something crazy tomorrow?"

"No," Kate laughs. "I'm afraid if we have sex again that you will do something crazy tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I have a limit of one grand gesture per week, so after today, I'm tapped out," Rick says. Kate unzips her suitcase and pulls out her pajamas and toothbrush to get ready for bed. Rick does the same, stripping down to his boxers as Kate removes her top. "Speaking of having sex," Rick blurts out again and Kate shoots him a glare.

"What? We didn't really talk about it. You weren't really interested in talking much last night," Rick explains. "I just wanted to say, that thing you did when we were in the shower...wow."

"You liked that, huh?" Kate chuckles.

"Ch'yeah," Rick exclaims. I really liked that."

"Good," Kate smiles. "Me, too."

After they finish getting ready for bed, Rick peels back the comforter and Kate rolls in as if she'd done it a million times. Rick pulls the blankets over both of them and Kate melts into his side, her body practically asking to be engulfed by him.

"Okay," Rick sighs. "Uh, I think. Ground rules. Ground rules would be good."

"Ground rules?" Kate replies as she turns around so that they are face to face.

"Yes, um, so no having sex, rule one," Rick states. "No sex...of any kind?"

"See, that's a slippery slope," Kate replies.

Rick adjusts his face into his signature sly grin. "Yeah, it is."

"No sex of any kind," Kate confirms.

"Boo," Rick sighs. "But, fine. Well, clearly cuddling is on the table. Are we good with cuddling?"

"Good with cuddling," Kate says.

"How 'bout touching?" Rick wonders.

"Touching, touching is good. Unless it crosses into to ground rule number one," Kate clarifies.

"Okay, so no sex, cuddling and touching is okay," Rick confirms. Kate nods in agreement.

"Um, okay, how about...kissing?" Rick asks.

"Hmm," Kate debates. "You know what? I'm gonna say yes to kissing."

"Yes to kissing?" Rick replies with a slight disbelief.

"Uh huh, if we're kissing, you're not talking, and when you're not talking, you're not annoying me," Kate explains. Rick feigns offense with a dramatic gasp but then can't help but smile.

"Hmm, cuddling, touching, kissing, sounds like you wanna make out with me," Rick says.

"Hmm, maybe I do," Kate laughs, softly leaning her head to land a kiss on Rick's lips.

After that, who's to say if their clothes stayed on, if the ground rules were followed, if they really did just make out? Regardless, it was very bright outside by the time they woke up the next day.

When Kate opened her eyes and adjusted to her surroundings, she realized her body was once again entertained with Rick Castle's. The clammy sheen of their skin touching felt oddly comforting, and the soft fabrics of their pajamas under the comforter was so warm. But then she turned slightly to her right, and there he was, fast asleep, snoring, mouth ajar as drool trickled down the corner of his jar.

"Rick," Kate whispers sharply. "Rick!"

"Hmm?" Rick groans sleepily. "Oh, hey."

"You're snoring in my face," Kate says nonchalantly.

"Oh, haha. Sorry," he laughs, turning his head slightly away as he wipes off his mouth. "Mmm, how did you sleep?"

"Once we finally went to sleep? Good," she says with a soft smile. "You?"

"Really good," Rick says. "Would you like anything? Coffee? Breakfast?"

"Hmm," Kate ponders. "I'm not really hungry. Can we just...stay like this for a while longer?"

Rick has no objection to that, so they curl into each other once again, not even bothering to check the time or their phones. The whole world was just them and the bed.

"Uhhhh," Kate groans as she eventually decides that it was time to get up. She reaches for her phone on the nightstand and her eyes get wide as she reads the time. "I should probably get going," she sighs.

"What? It's only..." Rick looks at his phone and realizes. "Oh."

It was 12:30PM. They had slept in half the day, and now it was time for Kate to catch her flight. She packed up for bag and they headed downstairs. They had a quick breakfast and she said her goodbyes to Martha and Alexis.

"Let me walk you out," Rick insists. Kate nods and he picks up her suitcase as they make their way to Kate's car. It was bright and sunny, but patches of dark clouds still sprinkled them with snowflakes as they both stared at each other, not wanting to say goodbye just yet. She knew it wasn't fair, to ask him to wait. To wait for her to be ready. He knew it wasn't fair to ask her the stay. She has a job, a life, in LA, and she'd already given him the weekend.

Still, they find each other like magnets for one more deep, passionate kiss.

Kate opens the driver side door and smiles at him. "Goodbye Rick," she says as she slides into the driver seat and turns on the car. She pulls the door closed and he softly waves as she drives away.

"Goodbye, Kate."

a/n: what if i told you this isn't the end just yet!? one more chapter to go :)