Plotting and planning with another person was never a linear thing with Kate. There were always breaks, other subjects, jokes, and discussions going on while the plan was being made. It was her way of keeping things light and easy to manage.

The first break in the conversation came when Lucien carried her into an old abandoned building in the WestEnd. It was five stories tall. It looked as if it was once the offices of a well do to manufacturing company, from the details in the stonework and around the broken and boarded windows. Lucky carried her through the narrow corridor. Lanterns on the walls lit up as they passed, washing the way with a soft glow of light. He carried her past several doors into a room that was littered with wood, shattered and broken as well as a neat stack against one wall with an axe. He brushed off a table and perched Kate on the table.

There were certain things Kate joked about with people, the term ?Rape Van? had come up a few times when someone asked how they looked. ?Like a dude who drives a Rape Van down by the docks? was her usual answer. This building though? It had ?Murder Building? written all over it.

One eyebrow lifted as she looked around then faced him. "You going to murder me here?" Laughing, unhooking her arms from around his neck, setting them on the table behind her and leaning back on them.

Lucky?s returned as he walked over to a cluttered messy stack of shattered boards. "No. Only thing murdered in here is wood." He murmured another spell trigger and waved a hand over the stack and the illusion fell away and revealed a cabinet and safe. "This is where I come to let off steam," he remarked in further explanation.

She sat up at that, pulling her legs up under her body and folding them. "Nice. Do you come here often? Should we put a room in the new house where we can shoot things and let off steam?" She knew that everyone in Rhy Din had their secrets and no one was really what they seemed so she really wasn?t surprised at the cabinet, the safe, or the admission.

The safe and cabinets were unlocked and opened and he collected several folders and papers from them. He glanced over his shoulder at Kate's suggestion and paused. "That's not a bad idea at all."

"We'll put it next to the weapons room, in the basement." She watched him as he moved, interested in what he was doing but still keeping an air of calm and relaxation.

"How large of a weapons room?" he queried as he carried the items to the table she was sitting on. He set them down beside her, grabbed a barrel to use as a stool, then opened the folder marked DCH.

There were many many ways to answer that question, all of them could freak him out so she stayed calm and answered as if she was bored. She shrugged a little as she looked down at the folder. "Not too big, enough room for some explosives, caps, smaller guns and ammo, a few big guns in case someone gets into the house, knives for throwing and stabbing, swords?" at that hear head tilted up as she thought. "You like blasters? I mean I keep most of it at the castle but if I"m living somewhere I like to have stuff on hand."

A brow quirked as she listed a litany of her arsenal. "I acquired a blaster." It had been out of necessity after a threat. One of many.

It was a typical conversation for Rhy Din. Weapons and threats.

It was funny how easy life had become. There were still problems, battles, plots, and plans but at the end of it there was always home. Even while they were plotting the utter destruction of Howe?s office there were times of relaxation.

Her first night of mixing up the explosives she was planning on using started off with work and ended with relaxation.

"Tunnels? Driving? Walking? Or a jump?" She was still smiling at him as they exited the explosives room.

"I've got a team hitched up out front and waiting," he replied with a smile. A hand reached up to brush over her cheek, his thumb tracing over her smile.

"You are a planner aren't you Bear?" He was given a quick kiss before she started pulling him up the hall to the stairs. He might be the man with the plan but she was the woman who was fully on board with his plans and curious as to what he had in mind.

She didn't give him a chance to reply before she pulled him down the hall and up the stairs. He chuckled as he followed along. "Sometimes, Princess. Sometimes."

Up the stairs to the kitchen they went. "Last time you planned things I think it was Beltane."

As they went through the kitchen, he snagged a pastry off the kitchen counter. That smile bloomed once more. "That was some pretty good planning. And the best part? The fairy tale isn't over yet."

"Good point, we did have that bump though." She smiled and winked at him as they moved from the kitchen into the main room. It appeared she couldn?t just be happy and had to keep reminding herself that it wasn?t perfect. Perfect could be ruined, perfect never lasted, perfect always ended up being blown up. She didn?t want perfect, she wanted real.

His smile took a wry crook at the corner of his mouth. "It wouldn't be a good fairy tale if there wasn't a bump in the middle of it. It adds suspense and things."

At the front door she turned and kissed him. "Yes but this is Rhy Din, we'll have lots of bumps and I'd rather minimize them if we can."

When she stopped and turned to him at the front door, he wrapped his other arm around her and returned the kiss. "If we can't navigate around them, we'll ride over them." He reached around her and opened the front door for her. Out front was a pair of horses hitched to a small carriage.

Her first glance was over her shoulder, then she released him and turned around, smiling. "You do know how to charm a lady don't you?"

He slipped his hand down to take hold of her hand and started toward the waiting carriage. "Would you be disappointed to learn I'm a hopeless romantic?"

"no" She started laughing as he lead her toward the carriage. "Even when we were friends you were romantic."

When they reached the carriage, he lifted up her hand and brushed a kiss across the back of it, before handing her up to the carriage bench. He smiled. "I can't help it."

And that was the truth, it was just who he was. She couldn?t help teasing him though, so she sat on the bench, still smiling and retorted. "You'll be able to help it when I piss you off. You won't be feeling so romantic then."

He climbed up onto the bench beside her and reached for the reins. A grin crooked at the corner of his mouth. "Then I'll just be a pissed romantic." The reins were snapped and a his tongued clicked, getting the horses moving.

"I'll try to keep anything that might piss you off, off your radar. Ok?" She set her head on his shoulder, resting it there.

A featherlight kiss was brushed over her brow once she rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled to himself as he returned his attention to the road, driving the horses away from the castle and down the path leading to the lake. "We'll just take things as they come. Things will piss me off and it's just want it is. I rather you be honest and open with me."

"I'll try, honest and open isn't really my M.O. I've been more open and honest with you than anyone else though." The revilation shocked her, it was true. It?d started with the three truth?s she?d promised him, and had turned into an on going thing. She didn?t lie to him.

"I know. Thank you." He brushed another light kiss to her brow then. He set the horses into an easy gait as they rolled along. "So what did you have planned for this evening, before I interrupted?"

"Weapons inspection? Making sure the guns are clean, seeing what I have and what I need to order, mixing up more explosives. All that boring old stuff you have to do." She slipped the arm that was closest to him around his and set her hand on the inside of his elbow.

"Well, I hope you are okay that I have more mundane things in mind tonight." He smiled s she slipped her arm though his. A light tug of the reins at the horses turning off the main road, up the desired path.

"Things are never mundane with you." She tilted her head up to glance at his face.

That smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he glanced sidelong at her, catching her gaze. "Never?"

"Never. In fact, how dare you even think that anything you do is mundane?" Life with him never had been mundane, even the quiet moments were filled with things.

"Don't you think sitting around at the bar and drinking whiskey like it's going out of style is mundane?"

"Not here. This is RhyDin remember?" She smiled at him again.

He chuckled and nodded his concession. "True. Very true. Although, even in Rhydin, there's been some pretty mundane moments. Rare, but still."

I choose to believe that the mundane moments are so rare that they become special on their own."

"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

"nope, not this time." Laughing she leaned up to kiss him.

"Have you thought about being an attorney, Princess?" He chuckled and as she leaned up to kiss him, he leaned down, closing the remaining distance to kiss her.

"No, I have you for that." She leaned back with another smile.

He smiled and shook his head. "We could be partners, attorneys at law. It'd be a powerhouse firm."

She thought about that. "It'd really piss Howe off." and that really was the only reason she?d even think about doing it.

His smile grew slowly. "Yes, yes it would."

"no one would ever believe it. I'm Princess Trouble, that's what they all see." She lifted her head off his shoulder and shrugged.

The horses were slowed as they reached their destination. He pressed a kiss to her shrugging shoulder and grinned. "You never know, Princess. This is Rhydin after all." As he led the team to a clearing by the lake, she might notice the canoe was already in the water and there were something on the dock.

The canoe made her smile, whatever was on the dock made her raise an eyebrow. "What do you have planned?"

Once the horses and carriage came to a stop, he pressed down on the brakes and looped the reins around the brake bar. He grinned at her query and climbed down off the carriage, offering his hand to her. "You'll see."

She set her hand in his and climbed out f the carriage. "Is it a pony?" She couldn't help repeating that phrase everytime he had something set up.

He chuckled and shook his head as he handed her off the carriage. "No. It isn't a pony." Once she had climbed down off the carriage, he laced his fingers through hers and led her to the dock.

She let him lead, giving his hand a quick squeeze as they walked. "You sure it's not a pony?"

"Yes, I am certain, it is not a pony," he reiterated with a grin and another shake of his head as they walked down the dock.

"You don't know girls do you? Every girl wants a pony. Well a pony and to be a princess." She took a half step closer to him as they walked up the dock. "So what is it?"

"I shall try and remember that for the next time, Princess," he replied with a crooking grin. He tipped his head to the items as they got closer. "Something boys are known to like to do." A wry crook to that grin. As they drew nearer, should would recognize a picnic basket, blankets, tackle box and yes, fishing rods.

"You are a boy." She recognized the items and smiled. "Fishing eh? I don't touch worms." That statement was firm and maybe a bit odd coming from someone who had no trouble killing people, torturing people, or touching any number of slimy and icky things.

When they reached the items and the canoe, he moved from her side and climbed into the canoe and started loading the things into the canoe. "Hard to catch fish if you don't touch worms. How are you planning on baiting your line then?" he queried with a grin, offering her a hand once he got the last items into the canoe.

She took his offered hand and stepped into the canoe. "You'll do it." Her answer was very similar to the one she?d given him when he asked her about practicing law. Then smiling she sat.

He chuckled as he handed her into the canoe at her reply. Once she was seated, he untethered the canoe, pushed away from the dock and sat down taking up the oar. "If I do, will you promise you will still hold my hands?" he queried as he rowed out over the dark shimmering lake.

"not while you?re baiting the hook." She laughed as she watched the lake light up, leaving a trail of blue behind them. It was amazing how girly she was acting.

He smiled watching her look out over the lake and the trail of light shimmering atop the water surface. "What about after?"

"After is fine, I just don't like worms." She shuttered a little.

He slowly rowed them out to the middle of the lake, leaving broken trails of blue in their wake. "In that case, I'll bait your line for you," he agreed. "But you don't know what you are missing?"

"Slimy things with no legs? I know exactly what I'm missing. Snakes and worms. Noooooo thank you." She made a face and shook her head. "You know that here in RhyDin a snake was the cause of one of my more spectacular mess ups?"

A brow quirked curiously at her last revelation. He slowed the canoe, dragging the oar against the water. "A snake?" A thoughtful furrow creased his brow as he set the oar in the canoe. "What happened?"

"A snake was in the Inn and I freaked out." She looked at him as she made that massive understatement. "I really really really don't like snakes." There it was again, that understatement, her head tilted back and she glanced up at the sky. "Judah Bishop saved me and I slept with him. Well it was more sex in an alley but hey, the result was the same right?"

Oh yes. The Bastard. He did recall hearing about that incident and a frown creased his brow. He reached for the tackle box and set it at his feet. "Well," he began his expression easing. "I would venture to guess that bastard never took you fishing."

"No, there was no fishing involved." She smiled a little. "I seem to have a knack for sexing up guys you hate"

The first fishing pole was laid across his lap and he prepared the line and hook. "Yeah, you do...." He glanced up from his task over at her, a grin ghosting at the corner of his mouth. "...Trouble."

There was the nickname again, she had to give him a hard time, "I was just trying to get your attention." She smiled and leaned closer to him.

He paused what he was doing and leaned into her to steal a kiss from her smiling lips. "Do me favor?"

Her smile grew a little bigger at the kiss. "What?"

He didn't lean back right away, instead stole another kiss from her lips. "Next time you want to get my attention? Just smack me up side my head? Or give me a swift kick in the derrier."

She started laughing. "How about I just get naked with you? I think that would do it."

His own smile bloomed. "That will definitely do it, Princess. Without fail." He brushed another light kiss to her lips, then sat back, taking hold of the hook, and reaching into the tackle box to open a can he had in there.

"I have this vision in my head of one of us all mad and me just getting naked and yelling." She leaned back and chuckled, watching him.

He chuckled as he pulled out a fat, juicy, squirming worm and concentrated on baited her line. "Maybe, but the makeup sex would be worth it."

"the pissed off sex would be worth it, the Make up sex would be dessert." She made a face at the worm.

The fishing rod was offered to her, still holding the line right above the baited hook. "Very good point, Princess. I stand corrected."

She reached over and took the rod. "I'd rather not fight though." the truth of that statement made her blink in surprise.

Once she took the rod, he reached over and dropped the line into the water, sending out ripples of blue. An arm snaked out to snag around her waist as he brushed a lingering kiss to her lips. "I second that motion," he whispered his agreement to her lips.

"We are way to compatable Bear." She laughed again as she scooted closer to him, turning to look out over the lake. "You want to stay here all night? we can sleep in the cottage if you want"

He didn't bother baiting the other rod. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist and peered over her shoulder at her line. "It's lovely evening and I think it is just begging us to stay out here all night."

"We could always go swimming too." Still holding the rod she leaned into him. "Swimming here is fun.? It was finally getting warm enough to swim too.

Craning his neck to peer at the float off her line, he chuckled lightly. "I remember the last time we came out here for a swim." He tipped his head to the picnic basket. "And if the mood for trouble starts itching, I brought some reports and plans, along with wine and whiskey."

"oooo so we could plot and plan while we're having fun?" She kissed him. "You really do think of everything." Laughing she kissed him again.

His smile grew with each kiss and for each one he received he returned in kind. He leaned against her, keeping his arms wrapped around her. "I try," he replied with a chuckle. "I want you to be happy."

An eyebrow raised at that. "I'm happy when I'm with you." She looked at him. "What can I do to make you happy in return?"

A grin tugged to bloom beneath the neatly trimmed beard. "This. Just be with me. You make me happy."

For a man with a reputation of never being happy, you are awfully easy to make happy." Her free hand lifted to lightly touch the corner of his grin.

Lips tugged under her touch, tugging the grin wider. "It really doesn't take much to make me happy. A little this...a pinch of that...and voila...happy Bear."

She started laughing again. "No wonder you fell for me, bakers know a little this and a pinch of that."

The sound of his laughter rose to join hers. "That's got to be it! See, I knew there was something irresistable about you."

"True, I am very irresistable" She leaned back and struck a pose. "You are lucky I chose you Bear, there was a whole line of men waiting." Then she laughed again cause really? that was total BS.

That grin tugged to a wry crook as she posed. "That's why I'm called 'Lucky'. Although," he added with a thoughtful quirk of his brow, "at the end they were lucky sort of, because I was getting ready to have all those fellows taken out, just so I could jump to the front of the line."

She laughed again at that. "Yeah right. Like you'd ever do that" She turned to look out over the lake.

He set his chin lightly on her shoulder as she looked out over the lake, glancing out over the waters over her shoulder. "I might, if I had the right motivation."

"What modivation would that be?" She leaned back so she could look at him.

"You," he offered in reply when she leaned back and looked at him.

Well if that wasn?t just a kick in the pants.