He pulled open the door with a swift motion, his phone still stuck between his ear and his shoulder, listening through it, like if he'd stop to put it down, she'd be gone, like if he ended the call, she'd disappear, just like that, a making of his dreamful fantasies.

He stared, with his head propped to the side, holding the device in place. He stared, at Kate, standing there, in his doorway, in the middle of the night. He stared at her, smiling shyly, as she tried to reposition her sleeping son in her arms; his head nestled in the crook of her neck.

He stared at her, unable to move.

And she was beautiful.

Breathtakingly so.

"You came back," he let out, still.

The tip of her lips curled into a grin as she brought her cellphone close to her mouth and answering through it, she repeated, "I came back."

Rick's smile grew wide in understanding and he took his phone from where it was nestled, and threw it over, on the couch. As he did, she walked in, crossing the threshold she could never uncross, crossing the line that had blurred her unconscious. She bit, somewhat nervously at her lower lip and breathed out, "I'm sorry I left… I. I…"

Choked?

Failed?

Ran away?

She couldn't seem to find the right word to describe why she'd left, what she'd done, but he simply shook his head, pulling her closer, in a gentle embrace, his hands joined at her lower back, and said, "Don't apologize Kate, I get it, okay? You want slow, and I've been okay with that, I'm still okay with that."

Her teeth let go of her lip, letting her tongue trail over it before saying, "That's the thing, I don't. Not anymore." She shook her head as she added with more determination, "Screw slow. I'm tired of slow, okay? I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired."

Shortening the already small distance between them, she gently placed a hand behind his neck, pulling him to her. With their lips, mere millimeters apart, she stopped her movement and pulled her face away from his. Looking into his eyes, she asked, as it suddenly hit her, like it hadn't been a possibility until now, "Do you want slow?"

"I want you," he stated, "As slow or as not slow as you want. But if you ask me, I think we took it slow enough," he added. She let out a chuckle, and nodded, quietly closing the door with her foot. Pulling him, as her back was resting on it, and a sly smile was hanging from her lips, a smile that had him push her further into the door behind her. Her mouth was inviting, desperate, craving, as was his. Kate got onto her toes, as the vantage point had the kiss deepen.

In the blackness of her closed eyes, her mouth no longer found his, and she felt his hot breath at the apex of her neck and shoulder, shooting a shiver throughout her core.

And suddenly, there was nothing, no contact, no hands wandering her body.

Nothing.

She opened her eyes to find he had pulled away, breaking the contact of their frantic tongues , his breathing heavy ,as Kate shot him a puzzled look before he explained, breathlessly, "This. Is. Getting… Well…yeah… "Screw slow," but I still think, that we can take it slow enough that we can put Nikki down first."

Kate's mouth opened and her hand hid part of her shaking head. He chuckled, and winked at her, "What do you think?"

She chuckled uncomfortably, burying her head in his chest. Then, looking down at her son like he'd just magically appeared, the dead weight in her arms, she gently placed her cheek on the top of the boys head and whispered, "I think we could do that."

"I'm sorry baby," she mumbled into the boy's head, kissing his soft curls she repeated, "I'm so sorry."

Really?

Kate.

Really?

In front of the baby? In front of your son? You want to scar him for life?

Damn.

She shook her head containing a smile and walked in front of him, leading the way. She'd put her son to bed, like she should have done, hours ago, like they had done hours ago, and then they could get on with it.

Kate shot her head back to the unmoving man, extended her arm backwards, wiggling her fingers. He took her hand, and pulling, she led him away from the entrance.

For a split second, Kate wondered where she was, unfamiliar surroundings in the night. Her heart's beat quickened, until she saw him, the source of heat sleeping next to her, the naked source of heat, lying flat on his stomach, with an arm splayed between her navel and her breasts, her equally naked breasts. She wriggled delicately, the silky sheets brushing her stripped curves, her whole body turning towards him as her hand found its way to his chest, in a motion, a movement, she'd once felt mechanically encrusted within her subconscious.

Only now it was real.

He was real.

Kate observed the man at her side, studying his dormant, relaxed features.

She hadn't meant to wake him up, or maybe she had, but when she softly patted the skin of his chest, painting circles with her thumb, then trailing her long, thin fingers alongside his jaw, committing to memory every last detail, his eyes slowly flustered open.

He smiled a "Hey," kissing the hand cupping his jaw, and wrapping his loosely arms around her.

"You know, I would never have said anything, but I'm glad you came back tonight," trailing his fingers over the protruding bones of her exposed spine, he added, "Really glad."

She smiled, "Yeah, well, I'm glad I came back too."

"Yeah," he added. He fell into his pillow, staring dreamily at the ceiling, a smile forming, he repeated, "Yeah."

"Just rip the fucking band aid," Kate echoed, chuckling.

"Huh?"

"Julie's advice earlier," stated Kate.

"Well that's a very… poetic way to put it," he chuckled.

"She's… let's just say blunt."

"She got you back here, gave me this, so who am I to criticize her methods, huh?"

I know it's short, but 3 years later, I wanted to see if I still had it, and if you guys want me to finish this up.