From Friends to Lovers

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Rick had been waiting all day to meet Kate's little cousin sister. He loved kids. He remembered when he used to play with his cousin sister. Rick had no idea who his dad was, so the only family he ever mingled with was his mother's side of the family tree. He was sure Ally would be an angel, and Kate and him would have fun babysitting her.

He rang the doorbell and waited. The door swung open, to reveal a smiling goddess, and a little angel in her arms.

"Hey"

"hey, come on in."

Rick followed her into the living room.
Kate then turned to face him and said "Rick, this is Ally. Ally, this is your new friend I was talking about, say hi to Rick"

"hi wick" she said, shyly, and then hid her face in Kate's hair.

"She's still learning to pronounce the 'R's."

Rick nodded in understanding, and then stepped behind Kate to look at Ally.
"Hey Ally, aren't you the prettiest little girl I've seen"

Ally smiled, a toothy grin.

"You and I are going to be real good friends."

Ally looked at Kate now and said in a whisper which was loud enough for Rick to hear
"he's nice"

"I know, I told you you'd love him."

"Can I show him Mr. Bear?"

"Of course you can."

Kate put her down on her feet and she ran off, stumbling towards where she had left her stuffed animal. Kate took this chance to greet her boyfriend properly.

She pulled his face to hers and kissed him on the lips; he put his arms around her and pulled her closer. They kissed softly until they heard little footsteps.

"It's going to be tough keeping my hands off of you after that kiss." he said.
"I was hoping it would be" she teased.

They both sat down on the sofa. Kate lifted Ally when she approached them and made her sit in-between them. Ally then kept her stuffed animal on her lap and said,
"wick, this is . "

"well it's nice to meet you Mr. Bear. " Rick playfully shook the bear's hand. And it made Ally so happy.
Kate laughed and admired Rick's playfulness.

He began ruffling in his bag then, and then handed Ally a little doll, and said
"I bought you a new friend Ally, her name is Ms Lola"

Ally took the doll from his hand and asked "mine?"

"Yea, she's yours."

Kate began to speak "Rick, you really didn't have to get her..."

he interrupted, "It's alright, I wanted to"

Kate knew she wouldn't win with him. She bent down to Ally and asked "what do you say?"

She looked up at Rick and said "thank you wick"

Rick had a huge smile on his face "anytime kiddo."

"She's so pwetty." Ally said, while hugging the doll.

"Yea, just like you" Rick told her, and kissed her over the head.

"Ms Lola can be Mr. Bear's girlfwend."

Rick laughed, amused that she knows what a boyfriend and girlfriend is. Kate just chuckled and said' "I have no clue where she learns this stuff from"

Ally then stood up on the sofa and faced rick,
"you be my boyfwend?"

Rick looked over at Kate, and she had this shocked look on her face. He just chuckled lightly and said "how can I say no to an adorable girl like you?"

Ally began jumping and clapping. And Kate couldn't stop laughing.
"Ally, why don't you go keep Mr. Bear and Ms Lola back in their place, so that you can eat now"

"okay" she said, and ran away after Rick put her down from the couch.

"I didn't think you'd be so good with kids." Kate admitted to him.

"She's hard to say no to." he laughed. And added "I think it runs in the Beckett blood."
She glared at him.

"So, what are we eating?" Rick asked.

"Mom prepared dinner for us, let's go."

She got up from the couch, and Rick followed her into the kitchen.
When Ally came back in, Rick lifted her up to sit on his shoulder, and she surprisingly didn't mind. They fed her together, and ate their share too.

After dinner, they played hide and seek, and then watched Finding Nemo together. Ally had taken Rick's approval to be her boyfriend pretty seriously. All through the evening she wanted to be hoisted up on his shoulders, or siting in his lap, and right now, she had fallen asleep snuggled to his side.

He looked at Kate,
"Kate, look, my girlfriend's fallen asleep on me."
He joked.

she rolled her eyes at him.

"come on, don't you get a tiny bit jealous when you hear me say something like that and it's not you?"

"Ha!" she deadpanned.
"You're trying to make me jealous of my own 3 year old cousin?"

"Yea"

"well it isn't working," she stood up, and leaned in to kiss his nose
"cause after I put her to bed, you're all mine for the night"

she said seductively, and Rick's breath hitched. Kate walked to the DVD player and turned it off, she then came back to Rick, and gently lifted Ally into her arms,

"come on sweetheart, time to get to bed"
Ally stirred awake in her arms. "Nappy time?"

She was just going to walk away, when Rick said
"oh wait, how could I forget?" he dug in his bag again and took out a small little drawing book, and a pack of crayons and colour pens.
"Just something she can take home with her."

"Rick, how many more gifts have you got hidden in there?"

"no more for her" he said, with a sly smile.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at him, but then let it slide; she'd ask him later what he meant.
She went upstairs and laid Ally down in her bed, tucked her in under the covers, kissed her head and whispered
"goodnight angel."

She had had a tiring evening with Rick and herself, Kate thought, but what was important was she enjoyed her time here.