Castle 1. Valentine's Day

_This idea came from imyouraziraphale on tumblr. Thanks for the idea :3 Hope you all enjoy! Reviews are welcomed._

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At first it started off as a soft knock but the longer she let it go on, the louder it got until it became a pounding noise. What little patience she had left vanished as she pushed herself up from her couch, crossing quickly to the door. Unlocking and pulling it open, she groaned as she leaned against it.

"What do you want, Castle?"

"You," he answered mischievously, allowing himself entrance to her apartment.

She squinted her eyes at him, her eyebrows knitting together as she closed the door and followed him to her kitchen. When he said things like that, she was torn between kicking his ass and jumping him where he stood. Knowing that neither was really an option, she chose to ignore the impulses.

"Well you can't have me, please leave." She crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he explored her kitchen.

"Oh, but I can. You're single now." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, heading into her living room when he came up empty handed in the kitchen.

"I should have never told you that," she mumbled as she followed him. "What are you looking for?"

She never got an answer as he shouted in triumph, his right fist pumping in the air as he quickly picked up her phone. Not giving her a chance to protest, he started going through it.

"Castle, what are you doing? Give me that." She crossed the room quickly, reaching to grab her phone which he quickly jerked away from her.

"No, stop that." He swatted her hand away, earning a death glare, as he moved away from her. "This is the only way I can think of getting you to go."

"Who are you calling? Wait- Go where?" She jumped at him, grabbing the phone but not in time.

"Lanie," Castle whined into the phone. "Tell her to go with me."

Beckett's mouth dropped open as she momentarily forgot that she was trying to retrieve her phone from the writer. He _did not_ just call Lanie.

"Castle? Boy, what are you doing with Beckett's phone? She gonna kill you, ya know."

Realizing the opportunity, he slipped away from the stunned detective and stood behind the couch. "I came to take her out on a date for," he glanced at his partner and lowered his voice, "Valentine's Day."

On the other end of the phone he heard laughter, "Give her the phone."

"I owe you, Lanie."

"You only owe me if this works," she said calmly as he handed the phone over to Beckett, who had quickly advanced on Castle.

"Lanie, I have to call you back - I'm going to kill him." Beckett's voice was simmering, the famous death glare in her eyes.

"No, you are not. Girl, he wants to take you out. Let him!" Impatience was evident in the ME's voice, tired of the two's game.

"I don't want to go," Beckett almost pouted as she turned her back on the writer, rolling her eyes as he smirked.

"Yes, you do. You know you do. I swear, if I have to listen to you complain one more time how he was looking at some bimbo on the street because you won't woman up and make your move - I'm going to be the one committing murder."

Beckett pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, hearing the truth in her friend's impromptu speech. Mentally cursing everybody and anybody, she muttered a quick 'fine' into the phone before hanging up on her friend. She knew it wasn't her fault that Castle was so persistent, but she had to take the anger out on someone.

After taking in a breath, she turned on her spot finding Castle studying the pictures on her walls. She watched his features change as the pictures changed, her going from younger to older in some of them. Most of them were pictures she had gotten from her dad after her old apartment had been blown up, a few of them were new though.

When he came to one of her mom and her when she was about ten, she watched as his face turned soft. It was like he was creating the scene in his mind, which knowing him - he was. Feeling the anger melt away from her like ice, she sighed and propped her left hand on her hip.

"Alright, Castle, where are we going?"


	2. Worth It

_Thanks to bones12castle on Tumblr for the idea! I hope you enjoy. Reviews are always welcomed :3_

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"Mrs. Castle, over here!"

_Flash, flash, flash._

"Mrs. Castle, a moment please."

_Flash._

"Mrs. Castle-"

Kate groaned, knowing that eventually she would have to answer them. They wouldn't go away until she did. Adjusting the shades on her face, she turned towards the small crowd of paparazzi that was waiting. Letting the smile slip onto her like a mask, she focused on the woman closest to her.

_Flash, flash._

"Mrs. Castle, what brings you out today?"

Reminding herself to be polite, Kate held up the few grocery bags that she had in hand. "Just needed a few things from the store."

A camera went off to her right, her eyes quickly adjusting to the bright flash that burned into her cornea. She knew that at least one of the people standing in front of her were recording, the others preferring to write down everything she said and use pictures to capture the moment.

"Tell us, Mrs. Castle, how is Johanna?"

The protective side of her came out now, her walls quickly rebuilding themselves up as she started to step backwards. The doormen of the building was already opening the door, prepared to force the paparazzi off as he had many times before.

"She's fine but I really must go now."

Giving them one more smile she turned and quickly rushed into the building, hearing their calls as she eagerly jumped into the elevator waiting for her. Even after three years she couldn't stand the vultures that wanted to pick apart every moment of her and Rick's life. She had expected it to get easier over the years, and in some ways it had, but not in the ways she had hoped. Instead of growing a neutral feeling for them, she had learned how to avoid them and hide who she was. It helped when she was having a particularly bad day.

As the elevator climbed to her floor, she let herself relax. No one would be waiting to surprise her from here on, the building very good with security. In the past two years that she had been living there, she had learned to trust her neighbors and the people who worked there. When the ding announced her arrival, she stepped back and quickly walked over to the door. Unlocking it, she walked inside and dumped her keys and purse on the coffee table.

It was quiet. Way too quiet. Her eyes quickly searched the loft, her mind quickly piecing together where everyone could be. Martha wouldn't be there - it being the middle of the day - she would be teaching a class, Alexis would be home much later as she was more than likely stuck in class as well, but Rick..

She quickly put down the grocery bags in on the kitchen counter, her long legs carrying her over to the stairs and up. Heading down the hallway, she heard a voice followed by giggles coming from the master bedroom.

"Who is daddy's little princess?" His voice was soft and full of love, completely caught up in the moment.

Her heart was filling with warmth, her emotions assaulting her in the way only that they could when it came to her family. Quietly coming to the door, she leaned against the frame and watched as Rick held their daughter above his head as he laid on his back. The small infant was giggling, her little feet kicking non-stop as she blew bubbles through her lips. Pulling her lip between her teeth, Kate watched as a nice gob of slobber fell onto Rick's face.

"Aw, Jo!" He made a squeaky noise as he sat up quickly, attempting to stop the slobber from finding its way to his mouth. Wiping at it with his free hand, he held the baby close to his side as his eyes found Kate - her laughter giving away her hiding spot.

"When did you get here?" He turned slightly, bouncing their daughter carefully on his knee.

"Not too long ago," she answered softly, making her way over to the bed, sitting down next to him. She reached out, letting Jo wrap her fingers around her own. "Paparazzi attacked downstairs."

He made a face, knowing how much she hated that. "Sorry, I could've went."

She shook her head, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "It's alright, it seems I have to live with it."

He grinned, nodding. "Marrying me kind of means that, you're right."

"I probably shouldn't have done that," she said slyly, glancing at him through her eyelashes.

"Probably not," he murmured, sneaking a quick kiss.

Jo decided at this moment to giggle loudly, tugging on her mother's finger, bringing them out of their moment. With a smile, Kate gently took her from Rick's grasp.

"I don't think Alexis would approve of you giving away her title of Daddy's Princess."

Rick smiled, touching Jo's nose gently with his finger.

"I don't think she'll mind too much. She seems rather okay with sharing me," his eyes were focused on their daughter but quickly moved to her.

Her cheeks were flushing as she leaned against his shoulders, staring down at their daughter.

"I love you, Rick," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head as his arm snuck around her and pulled her closer, his hand rubbing small circles into her skin. She was never one for broadcasting her emotions, something he knew from day one and experienced every day. Moments like these weren't rare but they weren't frequent either so he took and cherished them when they did happen.

"I love you too, Katie."

A loud squeal came from their daughter, Rick laughing loudly as he leaned forward rubbing noses with the young girl who looked just like her mother.

"We love you too, Johanna Marie."

Rick's laughter and Jo's blubbering comforted Kate as she rested against her husband, staring down at the life they had created together. She knew that this - what she was feeling and how they made her feel everyday - was worth dealing with paparazzi everyday, even if she wanted nothing more than to shoot them all.


	3. Pretending

_Thanks to katherinecuddy over on Tumblr for the idea! As informed every time, reviews are very welcomed x3 Excuse any OOC-ness from Alexis. I wasn't sure how she would really act in this situation. I hope it's okay :x_

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Alexis Castle sat at her desk, staring hard at the biology exam that rested in her hands. A big red B minus jumped out at her, screaming that she had did horrible on the exam. She already knew that, she didn't need the proof on paper. Biting the inside of her cheek, she heard the door downstairs signaling that her dad was home - finally. Pushing back, she quickly headed downstairs before she lost her nerve and the anger burned out.

"Hey, pumpkin. How was school today?"

He had that silly grin on his face that he always had when he came back from the precinct and she almost lost her nerve in that moment, but then the paper in her hand rubbed against her leg and she groaned.

"Dad, I can't keep pretending that I'm okay with this!"

Her loud voice echoed through the loft, surprising them both as he set his jacket down and turned his attention fully to her. He, obviously, had no idea what she was talking about or why she was so upset. His eyes caught a glance of the paper, walking over to her and guiding her to the bar stools in the kitchen.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you talking about?"

She allowed him to sit her down only to pop back up a second later, pacing in front of him. The paper was rustling as she moved, adding to her already wrecked nerves. Slapping the paper down on the kitchen counter, she pointed at it as she turned to look at her dad finally.

"Do you see that? I got a B minus! Do you know when the last time I got a B minus was?"

He shook his head, obviously not following her train of though. He knew that she was upset and whatever it was had upset her good but what, exactly, he didn't know. Glancing at the paper she had set down, he took in that it was an exam and she had done poorly.

"It's not the end of the world, sweetie. You'll do better next time."

The words were offered up tentatively, he didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. He needed to get to what was really bothering her.

"No. No, I won't. It will just keep getting worse because I can't study! I can't think or focus. And it's not fair, dad. It's not fair." Tears were stinging her eyes as she finally collapsed onto the bar stool. The energy drained out of her quickly, her breathing heavy as she looked down.

"Pumpk-" He started to try to calm her down but was interrupted.

"I want you to stop shadowing Detective Beckett," she said this quietly - not trusting her voice to speak louder.

"What? Why?" The surprise was evident in his voice as he sat down beside his daughter, taking her hand in his own.

"Because, dad," she stated simply. She had been prepared to explain why but all the words escaped her now as she sat next to him. Breathing out a heavy sigh, she looked at him. "I worry about you all the time. At first I could pretend it was just research for your books and you would stop soon but I realized over time it wasn't about the books."

"It was about the books."

"Was," she repeated him smiling sadly. She understood her father's feelings for the detective, she understood - sort of - his need to follow her around but she couldn't take it anymore. "I know that you have feelings for her and you want to be there with her.. But I can't take it anymore, dad. I can't."

She leaned into his side and closed her eyes, letting his presence consume her and calm the rest of her nerves. She wasn't angry about the test anymore, only that she had let it get this bad before saying something. Holding her breath, she waited for him to say something. His arm went around her, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. After a few moments pause, she felt him nodding against the top of her head.

"Alright," he whispered. "I'll call and tell her that I can't shadow her anymore. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

He threw the last part in trying to get a smile from her, but it just didn't happen. Feeling emotionally drained, she stood from where she was sitting and turned to face him.

"I'm really sorry, I know you like following her-"

He held a finger up to her lips before pulling her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head in the process. "It's alright, Lex, I understand." Kissing her head once more, he pulled back and gave her a small smile.

With a nod of her head, she started for the stairs. She needed a nice, long, hot shower so that she could get started on the homework that she had been avoiding.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

Castle rolled over, his arm falling off of the couch and hitting the floor with a loud thump. Forcing his head to look over the edge, he stared at his fingers as they tingled and started to turn a bright red. That would teach him to fall asleep on the couch again. Groaning, he pushed himself up and looked around the living room. Judging by how bright it was and how quiet the loft was he figured Alexis was at school and he was all alone.

"Awesome," he muttered to himself as he managed to pull himself off of the couch. He had been up and down all night, his mind never letting him rest longer than a few minutes at a time. After calling Beckett and explaining to her that he couldn't shadow anymore, he felt something was missing. He stumbled to the bathroom and flipped the light on, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked rough.

He had just finished flushing the toilet a few moments later when there was a knock at the door. Forgetting that he looked like someone had run him over with a semi he made his way to the door and pulled it open, surprise socking him in the gut.

"Beckett?"

"Castle," her eyebrow shot up taking in his appearance. "Did I wake you up?"

He shook his head as he moved to the side and allowed her in, quickly closing the door behind her and flatting his hair down. To say he was surprised to see her there would be a bit of an understatement. He would have expected her to enjoy her freedom from him, she was always trying to get rid of him.

"What are you doing here?"

The question spit out of his mouth before he could stop it, sleep still clouding her mind. He hurried around her, gathering the comforter and pillow he had been using from the couch and tucking them into the corner.

She shrugged, looking around. She didn't miss him quickly moving his makeshift bed. "Something wrong with your bed?"

"What? No." He shook his head again as he gave her an odd look before realization hit him. "Oh, that. I couldn't sleep last night. I passed out watching the Nanny reruns."

"The Nanny?" She smirked at him and sat down in the corner of his couch, looking up at him before directing him to sit down with her eyes. Removing her weapon and badge from her hip, she placed them on the side table. When he did as instructed, she grabbed his remote and turned the tv on as she slipped out of her shoes. Making herself comfortable, she ignored his stares.

He wanted to ask what she was doing, why she was here but he didn't want to make her leave. He welcomed her company much more than he would admit at the moment. His eyes flipped to the tv as the Nanny started playing before going back to her.

"Don't you have work?" His question was timid, knowing that at any moment she could bolt.

"They know my number," she shot back at him quickly, obviously absorbed in the show.

He frowned, curiosity controlling his brain. As he went to open his mouth to ask another question, Beckett shot him a glare.

"Just shut up and enjoy the show, Castle."

His mouth snapped shut as she smirked and turned her attention back to the tv, leaving him speechless. Knowing better than to say anything now, he made himself comfortable just as she had and turned his focus to the show. When she wanted to tell him why she was there, she would. Until then, he would do just as she told him: shut up and enjoy the show.


	4. Ice Cream

_I wrote this in like ten minutes flat for Marissa as a little surprise :3 I liked how it worked out so I thought I'd share. I own none of this, sadly._

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"Castle?"

Beckett leaned against her door, her eyes going slightly wide at the man on the other side. She was in a pair of pajama pants paired with a black tank top. Her hair was thrown up in a messy ponytail, her feet covered in fuzzy socks.

He was staring at her, not having heard her say his name in surprise. She was adorable. From the way she stood there to what she was dressed in. He heard her clear her throat, his eyes being forced to move to her face.

"What are you doing here?"

Impatience laced her voice as she taped her foot, not moving to let him in. He simply smiled at her and held out the bag that she hadn't seen.

"Just thought you could use some ice cream," he said simply, bouncing back on the heels of his feet.

She took the bag, looking inside and smiling when she saw her favorite.

"You remembered," she stated softly - not really talking to him.

"I did." He grinned at her face and leaned in, kissing her cheek and surprising her. She looked up at him as he backed up. "Goodnight, detective."

He waved once and turned on the spot, quickly making his exit down the hall. In his wake, he left a very confused detective standing at the door. Her cheek was hot with blush as her stomach tingled. Forcing herself to breathe, she pulled herself back inside her apartment and close the door. A slight smile was on her lips as she glanced around, wondering how exactly Castle knew she had just been tearing her freezer apart looking for ice cream.


	5. Presents

**Thank you, bones12castle for the idea :3 I didn't expect for it to take off like this and turn into a monster of a story. I really hope you like it, cause I really enjoyed writing it.**

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"Good morning," Castle said cheerfully as he sat down next to Beckett's desk placing her normal cup of coffee in front of her. She gave him a look, taking the cup in her hand and sipping at the warm liquid.

"Don't even say it," she warned him with a cross look.

He held his hands up in mock surrender as the grin stayed on his lips, leaning back in his chair. He was itching to say something, to announce it to the room, but he wouldn't. He respected and feared her enough to keep his mouth shut - for now.

"Why don't you want anyone to know?"

"Because it's none of their business."

He rolled his eyes, his arms crossing behind his head as she delivered a quick kick to his shin. Wincing in pain, he frowned at her.

"They'd want to celebrate it with you, you mean?"

"Same thing," she told him stubbornly as she set the coffee down and returned to her paperwork.

"Beckett.."

"No, Castle. Now shut it so I can finish this and go home." She gave him one last glare before he sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her.

"Fine," he muttered in her direction as he stood back up. "I need to run out for a minute, don't leave until I come back?"

He raised his eyebrow in hope that she would listen to him, at least just this once. She stared at him for a moment, debating on what she wanted to do before nodding. "Alright, but don't be gone too long. I don't want to be stuck here all day."

"Why not? You are every other day." He shot her a grin before turning and heading towards the elevator quickly, dodging a pencil she threw at the back of his head.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"You have to stop by and get my present for her!" Alexis' voice rushed through his ears on the other end of the phone,

"No problem, pumpkin. You're in lunch right now, right?" He sidestepped a runner, heading in the direction of his daughter's school. He knew he had to hurry, having taken heed of Beckett's warning not to take too long.

"Yeah, I have ten minutes left and then I have to head back to Creative Writing but Ms. Protella will let me leave for a few if I need to give you something. She's pretty lenient on what goes on in her class."

"Well, that shouldn't be necessary, I'll be there in less than five minutes. I was around the corner picking up my present for her." A grin came to his lips as he turned another corner, almost colliding with some kid on skateboard. Yelping, he jumped out of the way and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"What did you get her? Did you finally decide on-"

"You can see for yourself after school," he told her quickly.

"If you honestly think she's going to come, then I want to give her my present in person." Her voice sounded annoyed, but resigned, obviously knowing better than to try to argue with her dad.

"I'm pretty sure I can. She has no plans. Last I heard, which was yesterday, her dad was out of town with a couple of old friends. He called this morning." He stopped walking, stepping to the side so he wasn't in the way.

"Well, then go ahead back to the precinct and I'll see you after school. I want to give it to her myself."

Smirking at his daughter's decision, he turned around to head for his final destination. "Have fun at school, sweetie. If you get a call from Lanie, I swear I didn't do whatever Beckett says I did that finally made her shoot me."

"Dad," she whined. She knew how he was. "Behave. Love you."

"Love you too, pumpkin."

He grinned as the line disconnected and he slipped his phone into his pocket. Knowing that Beckett wouldn't wait forever, he started walking quickly - he didn't want to have to track her down at her apartment.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"I was just about to leave," Beckett informed him as he neared her desk, his breathing heavy. "Why did you want me to stick around?"

He shook his head, watching as she pulled her jacket on and gathered her stuff. He knew that he had to get this right or she would simply shove the offer in his face.

"Let me walk you to your car?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, debating the pros and cons from this. Knowing he would insist on it anyway, she shrugged. "Sure, why not."

A grin met his lips as he grabbed her bag from her, hooking it onto his arm as they headed for the elevator. He didn't see any reason for her to tell him no. They had had dinner together before, alone and with their family members, they even occasionally had a movie night. Spending time together after work had become a way for them to wind down, something none of their co-workers understood.

Castle enjoyed the time they spent together, and he knew that she did as well. She still wouldn't admit it but he could just tell. It had been almost nine months since their undercover kiss and almost eight since Josh had broken things off with her. They had never discussed why but deep down the two partners knew. Avoiding the topic was safe, though, so that was what they did.

"That staring thing that you do that's creepy? You're doing it." Beckett stood in the opposite corner of the elevator, glaring at him quietly. "And you're smiling, which makes it ten times worse. Stop it."

He had, in fact, been staring at her with a smile on his lips as he thought about how much they had been hanging out. Adverting his eyes, he stared down at the floor while waiting for them to reach the parking garage.

Although she was used to his behavior it still bothered her slightly sometimes when it caught her off guard. She knew better than to ask what he was thinking, knowing that she would be butting heads with a brick wall. As fun as it sounded, all she wanted was to get home and take a nice hot bath.

"Any plans for tonight?" His words startled her, causing her to send him another glare.

"Not really, I figured I'd just take a bath and relax."

"Oh, a bath." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, giving her a grin. "Anything I can help with?"

Her foot shot out to connect with his already bruised sending, causing his leg to buckle and him to fall against the wall.

"Ow, woman. So abusive." He whined, rubbing his shin as he stood back up. He didn't like this habit that she had picked up a few months back.

She smirked and stepped out of the elevator as it came to a stop, leaving him to hurry out after her. She was used to his suggestive comments but that didn't mean she had learned to deal with them any better than she had before.

"In all serious, though, Alexis wanted to cook you dinner for your-"

He found his lips covered by her head, his eyes bulging slightly as she moved into his personal bubble of space. She was glancing around, as if someone had followed them and could hear their conversation.

"Don't say that word," she told him quickly before dropping her hand.

"I'm sure everyone already knows what today is. They just don't say anything in fear that you'll kick them." He sidestepped her hand as she went in for his nose this time. "You're so predictable."

She lashed out in another kick, bringing him down to his knee as she grabbed his ear and pulled him back up.

"What was that?"

"Apples, apples, apples!"

"Tell Alexis I'd love to come over for dinner," she said with a smile.

Releasing him she turned to her car and unlocked it, pulling her coat off and tossing it inside. Rubbing his nose, Castle handed her bag over and watched as she threw that in as well. Before she could climb inside though, he took her arm and turned her back to him.

"I want to give you my present now, though."

Her nose scrunched up as she put her free hand on her hip, tilting her head to the side as if asking what he could possibly get her. She knew there was no point in arguing with him over whether or not he would get her anything, over the past few years of them working together he had been giving her gifts left and right. It was easier just to go with it and accept them as they came.

"Alright, out with it. I want to go home and get a bath before I come over for dinner." She tried to sound annoyed, but it just came out tired and he knew that she would probably end up passing out for a nap instead of getting her bath.

It wasn't often that he got nervous around her anymore but when he did it hit him full force and threatened to knock him over. Now was one of those times. Undoing his jacket that had been buttoned up this whole time, he pulled a book shaped wrapped gift out of the inside pocket. He handed it over to her, a smile on his lips.

"A book? Really, Castle?" She tapped her foot, knowing him. There was more to it, there always was.

"So impatient for a detective," he rolled his eyes and pulled out the small box that was also gift wrapped. Handing it over as well, he let his hand brush against hers. Stepping back, he was preparing to leave. "I'll send the car for you around five, that good?"

She looked up from the two presents in her hand, shock all over her face now. "You're not going to stick around to watch me open them?"

He shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll just do that creepy staring thing you don't like."

She shrugged, waving the smaller present. "At least stick around for me to open this one?"

"Alright," he said quietly giving her a suspicious look. Normally she would have sent him away but he wasn't about to question her motives now. Rocking back on his heels, he watched as she set the bigger present inside the car.

When she turned back around and started to unwrap the present, he noticed that her fingers were trembling ever so slightly. Tucking this information in the back of his mind, he studied her face as she peeled the rest of the paper away and opened the box.

The slight smile that graced her lips proved that he had decided one the right thing; a nice, simple sterling silver bracelet with a few different charms. He knew that she wouldn't wear it if there was too many dangly things, but he had to have the three charms on there. One was a small book and pen, the second was a pair of handcuffs and the last was an apple.

"I love it," she murmured softly as she placed the box on top of her car, laying the bracelet across her wrist and holding it out for him. "Hook it."

He immediately obliged, stepping forward and clasping the bracelet together. His fingers lingered for a moment, flipping the charms over to look at them closely. He had spent weeks getting it just right and judging by her reaction he knew that he picked the right thing. Forcing himself to step back, his hands dropped to his sides.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a grin on his face. "I hope you like the other one just as much."

The smirk in his eyes had her wondering what it was but she didn't ask. Just go with the flow. She nodded, "I'll open it when I get home. I'll see you later?"

"Until later," he waved slightly and turned on the spot, heading back for the elevator. He need to get back to ground level so he could have Alexis, the parking garage had no signal.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

Beckett had pushed the unopened present into her bag and drove home, the whole time her mind wandering to that present. She knew from the feel of it that it was a book, but which book she didn't know. She had to admit, only to herself - and maybe Lanie, that she liked it when he gave her presents. He always just seemed to know what to get her, even if she was so mad at him she couldn't see straight.

The bracelet on her wrist dangled against her skin as she unlocked her apartment door, making her way in and tossing everything except for the present to the side. Her curiosity could not be contained anymore as she sat gingerly on her couch, peeling back the edges of the wrapping paper carefully.

A small plain dark green book fell out onto her lap, her curiosity spiking even higher. Setting aside the trash, she picked it up and flipped it over. There was no indication as to what the book was or who wrote it so she flipped it open, finding a dedication.

'_This is for you and just for you. There is no other copy of this, anywhere. So, that means no sharing.'_

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and leaned back on the couch, tucking her feet beneath her. Turning the page, she started to read - her stomach going wild with nerves.

'_Once upon a time there was young girl named… Just kidding, KB. Enjoy the real story.'_

A smirk covered her lips as she flipped another page and dove into the book. It was a murder mystery about a woman named Johanna who found herself thrown into the world of crime when her daughter goes missing. Although the name stung every time she read it, she found herself intrigued and knew that he had once again done it. Shaking her head, she set aside the book after marking her place and grabbed her phone.

'You nailed it. Again.'

She pressed send on her phone before tossing it aside and heading for the bathroom, ready to get her bath and get ready for dinner that night.

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_I really hope you all enjoyed this! I loved writing it. Reviews are always welcomed :3 and so are suggestions for new drabbles~ If you want me to write about Alexis' present, just let me know. I'd be more than happy to oblige. This was just getting way too long :P_


	6. I Dare You

_This isn't my best work, but for some reason it popped into my head and I wanted to write it out real quick. I hope you enjoy x3 Oh, I don't own Castle or anything else. Just this laptop and a few CDs._

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"That is the last time Paige gets to decide what we do on a snow day," Alexis Castle muttered as she pulled her arm closer t her chest before allowing her dad to pull her into his side.

"I still can't believe she got you to do it," he admitted honestly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her eyebrow shot up, her lips pursing together.

"No more hanging out with Beckett for you." He scrunched up his nose as they arrived at their car. Hurriedly he moved and opened the passenger door for her.

She made no fuss about him babying her, simply easing herself into the car and trying her best to ignore the pain that was shooting through right arm. Instead she waited patiently as he closed the door and went around to the driver's side, getting in. Once they had both buckled their selves up and he had started the car, she started in on him again.

"What do you mean you can't believe she got me to do it?"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," he winced at his own lame explanation as he pulled out of the parking lot and inched into traffic. "I just never imagined I'd be getting this phone call from you."

"I can be spontaneous, dad. Just because I chose not to act on that impulse doesn't mean I don't have it." She turned away from him, her lips set into a pout that seemed permanent. She knew she was over reacting but if it came down to it, she would blame it on the pain killers coursing through her blood stream.

"Of course you can, pumpkin."

She could see the smirk on his lips out of the corner of her eyes causing her to reach over with her good arm and punch him in the shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He yelped, giving his daughter a hurt look before refocusing on the road.

A shrug was all she gave him in reply as she slumped in her seat, exhaustion hitting her body like a speeding train. She had been on an adrenaline high this whole time, not once closing her eyes or resting her mind. Replaying the events that had led up to her accident repeatedly had been how she had spent her time sitting in the emergency room, trying to recall exactly how she had slipped. She had Paige's recollection of the events but that didn't really help.

"How exactly did Paige say I landed?" Her voice was far off, clearly indicating that she was lost in her thoughts.

"She didn't say, exactly. More like acted it out, or tried to. It was such an odd angle. The doctor said you were lucky the bone didn't break through skin." His face pulled together in fake horror, earning a smile from Alexis.

Silence flowed between them again as they slowly made their way towards the loft, lunch time traffic slowly them down significantly. When they neared their block, she felt her dad's eyes on her.

"What?" She asked him, sleepily.

"How exactly did they get you to climb up into tree that was covered in snow? You had to know the likeliness of falling."

She shrugged, averting her eyes from his as a smirk came to her lips. "They dared me to."


	7. Giggles

**I get where I can't think straight and my mind refuses to cooperate. Tonight, while trying to work on Blind Date, was one of those nights. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know there is a bit of OOC-ness, but it couldn't be helped. Reviews are welcomed x3 Oh, right. I do not own Castle or the characters :(**

* * *

"Beckett, stop that." Castle swatted the woman's arm that was currently poking his side, causing him to flinch every few seconds. His eyes caught hers as they widened, her lip poking out.

"You just hit me," she whined after pulling her arm quickly to her side.

Immediately he felt bad but staring at the paper work that the nurse had just given to him for the past hour had given him a bit of a headache. Sighing, he gave her a weak smile and reached out to touch her only to have her pull away from him.

"I was trying to make sure I read the paper right. It says you have to take the antibiotics twice a day and the pain medicine once every six hours or according to your pain." He scrunched his nose up, knowing that by now that information was branded into his mind.

"You're so boring!" She threw her free hand up before allowing herself to fall back on the hospital pillow, staring at the ceiling.

He shook his head, standing up to adjust the pillow that her injured arm was sitting on. "Sure, I'm boring now that you're all drugged up."

"Can we leave yet? I'm _so _bored." She took to humming quietly to herself now.

"We're waiting for your discharge pape-"

At that moment a nurse walked through the door, throwing the two a smile before focusing her attention on Castle - already knowing Beckett was out of it.

"Mr. Castle, if you could just sign the bottom of this form then Ms. Beckett and you could leave."

Inside his head he shrieked with joy as he quickly signed the paper, standing up as the nurse left the room. He turned his attention to Beckett who was already fighting to get out of the covers that she had managed to tangle herself in. Shaking his head, he moved over to her and pulled the covers off of her.

"I'm withholding pain medication unless you start crying." He watched as she swatted at him, simply stepping out of her line of fire.

"I'll shoot your foot," she said smugly as she threw herself out of bed.

He jumped forward catching her, avoiding her hurt arm, his heart now somewhere in his throat. Swallowing hard, he gave her a look. "Really, Beckett? You may think I have this great heart that's in good condition, but no. It's not all that great and you're going to be the reason of my death."

She giggled as she leaned into him, her eyes fighting to stay open. He took this opportunity to grab the bottle of pills from her side table, slipping them into his pocket.

"Admit it, you like me drugged up."

He rolled his eyes, pulling her tighter against him as they exited the room. "I think I like regular Beckett better."

"Stop calling me that," she grumbled at him.

"Beckett?"

She nodded, a sigh on her lips as she concentrated on her feet.

"That's my last name for a reason."

He gave her a questioning look but let it drop for now, seeing as they had arrived at his car. He pushed the button to unlock it, opening the door for her. Carefully putting her inside, he buckled her up and closed the door behind her. Going around to the driver side, he slid in quickly and glanced at her.

"Beck- I mean, Kate. Do you want to go home or..?"

She scrunched her face up at him, rubbing her shoulder gently. "It hurts."

"Home it is," he nodded as he put the car in reverse.

Her good hand fell over the divider between them, grasping at his arm. His eyes went to hers immediately, his eyebrow shooting up. He knew that she had pain killers coursing through her veins, clouding her mind and loosening up her tongue. He didn't want her saying anything that she would later regret, he didn't want their relationship to start out like this.

"You'll stay?" Her words were soft as her eyelids fluttered shut.

"Sure," he told her as he pulled out into traffic.

She nodded and allowed her hand to fall to his leg, her head rolling to the side as her eyes finally closed completely. Pain was starting to run through her body again, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.

He could feel her fidgeting in her seat and judging the time that had lapsed since the hospital had given medicine to her he figured that it was wearing off.

"Just hang on a few minutes," he quietly said as he sped up and around a car.

"You're going to get a ticket," she mumbled from beside him.

"With a detective in the car? I don't think so." He rolled his eyes at her as he neared towards her apartment building.

"I'd lie, say you kidnapped me."

He turned in time to see the smirk on her lips, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. He wanted to poke her as she had been doing to him for the past few hours but decided not to as she gripped tightly on his leg. Reaching down, he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Come on, we're here." He brushed his thumb over her skin before letting it go and parking the car, getting out as soon as he parked. He hurried around to her side of the car and opened the door, helping her out. Not minding in the slightest as she put most of her weight against him, he led her to through the doors and straight to the elevator.

"No funny business, Castle," she said into his side.

He smirked, nodding as he pushed the button for her floor. "Scout's honor."

"You were never a-" She broke off as she flung her arms about, hitting her hand against the wall. Tears sprang to her eyes as the elevator jerked to a stop. "Son of a," she muttered as Castle led them out of the compartment.

"I'll start withholding pain medication tomorrow," he told her lightly as they made their way down the hall to her apartment. He felt her snort into his side, her arm protectively held tight to her chest. Reaching their destination, he pulled her keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

He walked her to the kitchen where he sat her down on a bar stool, moving around her to the refrigerator. Opening it, he found a bottle of water right in front and grabbed it quickly as he pulled the pain medication from his pocket. Walking back over to Kate, he emptied a pill out into his hand before handing it over to her followed by the water.

"Thank you," she said as she accepted what he gave her. Swallowing the pill down with some water, she closed her eyes and prayed for it to kick in quickly.

"Not a problem," he told her with a smile on his face. "Come on, let's get you to the couch so you're more comfortable."

She nodded and took his hand with her good one, allowing him to pull her up as her eyes fell to the jeans she was wearing. "I want to change."

Silence was met by this, both of their eyes meeting when she realized what she had said. She felt bad, but only slightly, putting him in this position.

"I-I can call Lanie and get her to come help you, or-"

She rolled her eyes, leaning against him as they headed for her bedroom. "Castle, you saved me from my burning apartment when I was butt naked. I don't think it will be that much of a problem for you to see me in my underwear to help me into some more comfortable pants."

"Okay," he said cautiously, obviously not wanting to say anything more. He didn't want to put himself in bad graces with her, not now.

"But if you don't keep your scout's honor, I'm telling your mother and daughter. Let me see you live with that." A smug grin came to her lips as his eyes widened at her.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would so very much would." She directed him over to her dresser, opening her top drawer while he quickly adverted his eyes. Debating for a minute, she grabbed a pair of sweats and looked at him. "Think you can handle helping me change my shirt, too?"

He swallowed hard but nodded, keeping his eyes turned in the opposite direction as she grabbed a shirt as well and closed the drawer.

"You're a gentleman when you want to be," she told him with a smirk in her voice as she put the clothes down on top of the dresser. The pain medication was starting to kick in again, her playfulness showing that as she poked his side.

"I'll have to remember this when you start hurting again," he told her seriously as he turned to look at her. She was swaying on her feet, something he found hilarious despite the reason why. "We should get you changed before you fall over."

"You just want me naked," she laughed at her own words as she fought to pull her shirt over her head with one hand while avoiding hurting her injured limb.

Taking pity on her, he grabbed the shirt at the hem and gently pulled it over her head. He carefully avoided the cast that covered her wrist, tossing her shirt onto her bed. He turned and grabbed the clean shirt she wanted to put on, turning back to her to find her staring at him with a strange look.

"What?" He asked as he slipped put her arm through the correct hole first before slipping the shirt over her head and helping her with the other arm as well.

"I'm waiting for the line," she slurred her words only slightly as she pulled her hair out from the inside of the shirt. He recognized it as one of his now, his stomach doing weird things.

"No line, not this time."

He offered her up a small smile as he motioned to her pants, wanting to get this over with quickly and painlessly. Her eyes followed his motioning, nodding slightly as she fumbled with the button of her jeans. Why she chose today to wear jeans and also decided to break her wrist and dislocate her shoulder, she would never know. But there was no changing that now. A frustrated sigh left her lips as she slapped her hands down against her hip.

"You do it," she said in annoyance.

He looked up at her like a deer caught in headlights before he nodded slowly, his hands reaching out to unbutton her pants. His fingers were trembling, every single part of him tingling with anticipation. He knew that this was going nowhere, he would never let it, but it still drove him crazy. Finally able to unbutton them, he started to pull them down over her hips.

"I do believe you're trembling, Richard Castle." He looked up to catch her eyes staring at him, a smirk on her lips.

"I just don't want to get shot," he defended himself lamely, pulling her pants off the rest of the way. His eyes lingered on her soft skin, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He wasn't crazy or stupid, he knew better than allowing himself to indulge in touching her. Tucking away all the thoughts that came hurtling at him, he turned and grabbed her sweats.

"Are these mine too?"

The question slipped out before he could stop it, his mind mentally preparing for her to slap the hell out of him. His eyes found hers as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, her cheeks burning red.

"I forgot to give them back to you," she shrugged. "They're comfy to wear."

He chose not to reply this time, patiently helping her into the pants as he kept his hands from touching her skin. That was all it would take, once touch, for him to lose all control. Getting her feet through the holes he pulled them up and over her hips, folding the waistline once. They swallowed her whole, forcing him to tighten the strings and tie them.

"They look better on you," he told her seriously as he stepped back a little but not too far in case she started to sway again. "Do you want to lay down or watch a movie?"

"Watch a movie," she told him quickly.

"You just don't want me to leave, do you?" He teased her, letting her wrap her good arm around his waist and lean into him. They started for the living room then, the awkwardness of earlier fading away now.

"So what if I don't." She was speaking so low that he almost didn't catch what she said, forced to rest his head on hers to hear her correctly.

A smile came to his lips as he put her down on the couch, stepping back and edging towards her television. He didn't bother asking her what she wanted to watch, just turning on whatever had been in the dvd player.

"Do you want your water?" When she shook her head, he nodded and grabbed the controller before going to sit beside her. His eyes focused on her as she got comfortable next to him, her legs moving to rest across his lap.

"You'll wake me to take my antibiotics?"

"Of course," he told her quietly as he eyelids dropped close. He reached behind him and grabbed the blanket that covered the back of the couch, bringing it around to cover her up.

When she had fell from the fire escape and landed on her side, he hadn't understood why she had insisted on not going to the hospital so bad. He could see that she was obviously in a lot of pain, something that Esposito and Ryan had even pointed out. She had continued to turn his offer down until she accidentally brushed against him, tears springing to her eyes in a matter of seconds. Only then had she reluctantly agreed.

He understood now, though. A few moments before the nurse had called them back, she hard warned him how she got on pain killers. He hadn't believed her.

As soon as they had given her the pain killers to set her wrist, though, he knew it was the truth. She had started giggling immediately at how worried his was, poking him constantly to try to make him smile. He had appreciated the gesture but soon found it to be annoying. If this was how she felt everyday he followed her around, he was seriously considering quitting.

"Castle," she sighed out his name, her eyelids closed.

"Yeah?"

"Don't leave me," she mumbled quietly as sleep pulled her under. He knew that she would remember none of this tomorrow but he didn't care. The words meant something and that was all that mattered. Rubbing her leg gently he let his head rest against the couch, keeping his eyes on her.

"I would never dream of it, Kate."


	8. Comfort

_Thank you, bones12castle, once again for the awesome idea! I hope I did it some justice. I may go back and redo this completely, but I'm not sure. I like it for now. I hope you do x3_

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All he had heard about for weeks was the museum and dinner visit that Meredith had been planning for herself and Alexis. How excited Alexis was that her mother had finally carved time out of her hectic schedule for her, how they were going to get to spend the whole day together. It was the main topic of the loft for the longest time, so when Meredith called telling Alexis that she couldn't make it - Castle couldn't stand the heart break all over his daughter's face as she reassured her mom it was okay.

"No, mom, seriously. It's fine. I understand." She paused, her cheeks red as she fought the tears. "We can do it some other time. Really." She brushed her fingers over her eyes, turning slightly to hide herself. "Love you too."

He leaned against the refrigerator as he watched her hang up, setting the phone down on the kitchen counter. His heart was aching for her as she fought her instincts to run to her room and cry. Instead she gave in to a greater need and moved to her father, falling into his open arms.

"She cancelled. Again." Her breath came out in a huff as she sniffled, trying to stop the tears from coming.

"Why this time?" His words were soft as his hand moved in soothing circles on her back, trying to keep her calm.

"Something about work, I just stopped listening." She buried her face into his chest, allowing the presence of her dad comfort her.

As much as he wished he could make it better, he knew that he wouldn't be able to. Not this time. Kissing the top of her head, he continued to move his hand against her back as they stood there.

"She doesn't mean anything by it, pumpkin."

"I know. Mom's a spaz, always has been."

He nodded as she pulled back and looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from the tears that trailed down her face.

"I just wish she would think for once about what this does to me," she whispered quietly before turning to head to her bedroom.

His mouth dropped open to say something, anything, to comfort her but he immediately snapped it shut. He knew there was nothing that he could do or say that would make the hurt go away. Glancing at the clock, he pulled out his phone and held down speed dial. He had an idea.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"Thank you, so much, for coming." He said as he opened the door, revealing Beckett on the other side. She carried two bags full of things he couldn't see, stepping inside as he opened the door more.

"I couldn't leave you alone to suffer," she told him jokingly as she kicked her shoes off and set aside her bag. "Is she upstairs?"

He nodded, starting to walk backwards to the stairs. "I didn't tell her you were coming, but I'm pretty sure she's just laying in bed. Maybe she fell asleep." He looked hopeful for a moment before returning his attention to the detective.

"Are you sure she's even going to want to see me?"

She sounded unsure of herself but Castle nudged her in the right direction, knowing that she'd be okay once she got up there.

"She just needs someone to comfort her and she doesn't want it to be her old dad."

With a resigned sigh, Beckett nodded and made her way up the stairs. She wasn't sure if Castle was right but if he was she wanted to give it a try. She didn't want Alexis suffering by herself, especially if there was something she could do. Silently, she knocked on the teen's door and waited a few moments before she heard a voice inside.

"Come in."

Opening the door, she peaked her head in. At first her eyes couldn't find the girl, until finally they rested on a lump under the covers.

"Alexis?"

This got her attention. Quickly the teen flipped over and peeked her head out of the covers, looking up at her.

"Detective Beckett," she squeaked as she sat up, flattening her hair down.

Offering a weak smile, Kate allowed herself into the room and closed the door behind her. Setting down the bags, she made her way over to sit on the bed beside her.

"Dad called you?"

"Yeah, he was worried."

"I'm fine," she said quietly, her eyes betraying her as tears came again.

"Oh, Alexis," her heart shattered for the young girl as she reached over and grabbed a tissue from the night stand, handing it over to her.

"Thanks," she sniffled, dabbing at her eyes as the crying induced headache kicked back in. Seeming to forget who was sitting beside her, she flung herself back into her bed. "I can't believe she did this again."

Kate's hand reached out to comfort her before stopping, hanging there awkwardly in the air. She wasn't sure if her touch would be welcomed or not. Deciding that the worst that could happen was for her to be pushed away she let her hand rest against the girls back, repeating what Castle had done earlier.

"Mom's don't always have the best judgment."

"Well, they should," the teen mumbled into the pillow.

"I agree." Kate smiled down at the figure, knowing that the best thing she could do was agree with her at the moment.

"It's not like she couldn't have pushed work to the side for one day." The pout was loud in her voice.

"She didn't think about how this would hurt you, Alexis," the detective said gently.

"She never does," Alexis replied bitterly. "Never has."

Kate frowned, her eyes looking down for a moment. "She thought about what would hurt you when you were born. She knew you would be in better hands if she left you with your dad. Just think if she would have tried to raise you on her own."

It was quiet as the redhead took in her words, obviously knowing the truth in them. There was no denying that Alexis was better off with Castle. Meredith was a whirlwind of a person, never knowing what she was going to be doing from one minute to the next. After a moment she flipped herself over, looking up at the detective.

"You make a good point," she admitted in defeat.

"I do that occasionally," Kate smiled.

Alexis' eyes flickered to the bags that Beckett had brought in, her eyebrows scrunching up. "What's in the bags?"

Having forgotten about them, Kate's eyes jumped to them now. "Oh. That. Junk food. Comfort food. Call it what you want." She shrugged, reaching down to bring out a pint of ice cream.

Alexis eyes lit up, sitting up now and taking the ice cream from her.

"And while I'm sure your dad supplies the house with adequate silverware, I brought plastic spoons too." Kate pulled them out next, handing one over to Alexis before pulling out her own pint of ice cream.

"You're my hero," the teen said as she opened her ice before scooting over, patting the bed beside her. "I love him, I do, but I don't want to deal with him trying to comfort me."

Kate nodded as she took the invitation and moved to sit beside her, leaning back against the wall and opening her ice cream. "He loves you, just wants you to be happy."

"I know," Alexis said quietly, taking a bite of the ice cream. It was quiet for a few minutes before the teen looked at Kate shyly. "Tell me about her? Your mom, I mean.."

Kate stopped eating the ice cream, her mind freezing as her heart cried out from the mention of her mom. Her eyes looked around before turning to find Alexis', the young girl's face breaking down those walls.

"If you don't want to, it's okay. I just-"

"No, it's okay."

Kate licked the rest of the ice cream off her spoon before closing her eyes, bringing her mom's face front and center. A smile graced her face as she remembered the smell of vanilla, skin so soft and hugs so warm.

Outside the door, Castle stepped away when he heard Beckett start telling Alexis about her mom. This was a private moment and he respected that, just as he respected Beckett - now more than ever. His heart was aching for both of the girl's in that room, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Except leave them alone.

And that was what he would do.


	9. Snow Dancing

_Thank you cozcat for the idea! I hope you like how it turned out x3 I don't own Castle or the characters, etc etc._

* * *

"Beckett," the detective mumbled sleepily into the phone. With a glance at her clock, she realized it was only six am.

"Get up and get dressed!"

"Castle?" She frowned as she pushed herself up into a sleeping position, looking at her window. It was still dark outside.

"Who else?" She could practically here the smirk in his voice.

"Go away, I'm sleeping." She made to end the phone call, but stopped when he squeaked in protest.

"Please get up and get dressed? I promise it will be worth it."

She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be going back to sleep now anyways. Throwing the covers off of her, she swung her legs out of bed.

"Why am I getting dressed and where am I going?" Her voice was agitated as she maneuvered herself to her dresser, grabbing some clothes and heading to the bathroom.

"Just make sure you're warm and come downstairs."

With that, he hung the phone up and left in his wake a very confused detective. She shook her head as she quickly changed into warmer clothes. Even with a pair of leggings underneath her jeans she knew that the New York wind would still get to her. Trying not to think about it, she made her way to the closet and pull on a long sleeve shirt before grabbing her jacket.

After making sure that she had her cell phone and keys, she left her apartment and headed downstairs. She knew that without her morning coffee she would be grumpy, but she didn't plan on staying out long. It was her day off and she would find herself back in bed soon enough.

When she saw him standing outside of her building through the window she fought that smile that begged to come to her lips as she pushed open the door, the wind hitting her.

"Castle, it's still dark outside. What are you doing here?"

That grin that she hated to love came to his lips as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the cold, surprising her. She knocked into him and was about to start yelling when she realized it was snowing. Her head tilted back in wonder, her body resting against his, as she stuck her tongue out and tasted the first snow of the season.

He let her enjoy her moment of innocence before taking her hands in his own, pulling her to him even more. Her eyes snapped to him now, squinting with a quick shut down on her lips.

"Just relax," he told her - not letting her get the threat out.

She bit her tongue, her nose feeling as if it would freeze off at any moment. She was used to New York winters, but that never meant that she would like the cold. Taking comfort in the warmth radiating from her partner, she allowed him to pull her tight to him.

When he started to move them, awkwardly at first, she realized what he was doing - what they were doing. Dancing. A small smile did grace her lips now as she allowed her head to rest on her shoulder, her arms snaking around his waist underneath his jacket.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear as her eyes fluttered closed. Although she was past exhausted, she was taking comfort in his arms. To know that he remembered something that she had mentioned once in passing over a year ago filled her with emotions, ones that she wasn't ready to deal with. Instead she allowed her body to move with his, simply enjoying the moment.


	10. Partners

_This is the shortest thing I've written so far. But it gets the point across. This was suggested by youkillmypatience on tumblr! Thank you x3 I have no beta and all mistakes are my own. Also, I don't own Castle. Blah blah blah. Reviews are welcomed!_

* * *

"Sometimes I think I should have let that guy shoot you," Esposito grumbled as he dabbed at the coffee burning through his shirt.

"All because of some spilled coffee? That's rough, man."

Ryan handed over more napkins to his partner as he leaned back in his chair, staring longingly at his now empty cup. While he wanted coffee, he didn't want to have a repeat so he opted out. There was always later.

"You have no idea how hard it is to get all these stains out. Lanie suggested you do it on purpose."

"Why would I spill very hot coffee on you on a regular basis?" He scoffed at the idea, looking down at the paperwork on his desk. He had no motivation to even start on it.

"I should have known you were trouble from the start when they paired me up with you." Esposito threw a dirty napkin at his partner's head, giving up on cleaning the mess. "Some skinny white boy with baby blue eyes," he shook his head. "Almost getting me shot on the first day. Definitely should have let you take that hit."

Ryan rolled his eyes, having heard this all before.

"Yeah yeah, you're a good person. You wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if you would have let me get shot."

Esposito muttered something in Spanish under his breath as he pushed away from his desk and started for the locker room. Over his shoulder he yelled back.

"I just didn't want to explain to your mama that you got shot for busting down a prostitution ring. That kinda thing scars people."


	11. Best Friend

_For this one you owe all the thanks to stanajacqueline on tumblr! She suggested, I just delivered :) I hope you all enjoy. Reviews, as always, are welcomed._

_Oh, right. Any mistakes are my own. Blah blah. Castle is not mine. Yadda yadda._

* * *

"If I got ten bucks for every time you almost got shot while following me and not listening, I'd be as rich as you by now."

Beckett grinned across at her partner, leaning back in the booth as she took a sip of her milkshake. It had been a long day and all she really wanted to do was go home and take a bath but when Castle had offered to buy her dinner, she couldn't refuse.

"Maybe you should make that the new rule. Make me pay every time I don't listen."

She watched his eyes light up like they did every so often when his child-like side took over causing her to shake her head at him.

"I don't think the Captain would like that, though it would give me some comfort."

When he feigned hurt, she laughed and set down the glass that she was holding. Rubbing her freezing hands together, she looked down at the table as seriousness overtook her.

"In all honesty though, Rick," she smiled as her eyes caught his - the look of surprise revealing just how often she used his first name. "Thank you. If you hadn't came up right when you did, we'd be having a completely different conversation. In a hospital."

Her smile weakened, faltering only slightly as his head dipped.

"Anytime," he told her simply, that charm like smile on his lips.

This had her ducking her head, her eyes going back to the tabletop once more. The case they had just closed had left her feeling empty, vulnerable even. As usual, though, Castle had been there every step of the way butting heads with her to let him in. It didn't take much persuasion when the second body had showed up.

"I'll never admit to saying this, even under oath, but-" She cut herself off to look back up at him, needing the connection between their eyes. "You're my best friend."

Her emotions shook her to the core trying to catch her off guard and make her voice shake but she held firm, only slightly wavering on the last word. She watched as his eyes widened, his own emotions on display for her as they ran though his blue orbs: surprise, confusion, realization, love.. He seemed to shake himself out of whatever thoughts he was having to reach over and squeeze her hand lightly.

"Don't tell Alexis, but you're my best friend too." The smile on his lips was sincere as he leaned back again, picking up his drink.

"I won't tell," she laughed quietly as her eyes fell away, glad he had lightened the conversation up once again. He had a way of doing that and it was something she would forever be grateful for. He would just never know how much.


	12. Drinks

**Extremely short, but the idea was thanks to bookoisseur over on tumblr. Hope you like it~**

**I have no beta. Nor do I own the characters of Castle.**

* * *

"I can not believe you actually bought this place," Kate shook her head as she looked around the bar, her eyes finally resting on her partner.

He shrugged as he wiped the bar down once more, finally allowing his attention to focus on her.

"I couldn't just let anyone have it. This way, I can keep all the staff who have been here for a while and I can make sure it doesn't change."

Although this sounded logical to him, she couldn't find the logic in spending that much money on a place that he would probably not spend a whole lot of time at.

"Do you even plan on keeping up with everything, or handing it over to someone else?"

"I don't plan on stopping by everyday, if that's what you're asking but I am going to keep an eye on the place. Maybe stop by twice or three times a week," he shrugged before disappearing out of her sight for a moment.

"Where's Writer Boy?" Lanie's voice came from beside her, forcing her to take her attention away from where Castle had just disappeared.

"That is an excellent question," she mumbled more to herself as Esposito and Ryan joined them at the bar.

"Hey, where's Castle? Jenny just called and she wants me to come home, something about her dad-" He broke off as the man in question popped up from behind the bar holding a bottle.

"I don't even want to know what you were doing down there, Bro." Esposito shot him a weird look before taking the stool beside Lanie, his eyes still on Castle.

Castle simply grinned at them all before he set about making drinks for them while Ryan started to speak again.

"I'll have to pass on whatever concoction you're making, Castle, Jenny just called." The man offered an apologetic smile but Castle simply nodded.

"Tell her I said hey and I hope you can help with whatever her dad is doing."

Confused about how he had heard him but not ready to question him, Ryan said goodnight to the rest of the group sitting at the bar before heading out the door.

Feeling a set of eyes on him, he turned to find Beckett staring at him intently. It unsettled him but he said nothing as he finished making the drinks and handed them over one by one to the other three sitting opposite him.

"A toast," he started before they could question his movements. "To the Old Haunt."

He held up his own glass as the others did the same, touching their glasses momentarily before taking a drink. He downed half of his own drink before setting the cup down, glancing around the bar. His mother had disappeared from sight, something that could either be really good news or bad. Deciding not to worry about it at the moment, he focused on Beckett.

"How was it?"

"It was.. good." She gave him an odd look before smiling and leaning towards him. "But no matter how many drinks you give me, I will not be going home with you."


	13. Just Fine

**This idea just kinda came to me in the car while I was driving and wouldn't go away. Actually, it wasn't even this at all. It was just a small seed of Castle being dragged to Lanie's for a family get together. This is what came of that seed.**

**Remember, I own nothing - except this laptop and a crappy phone.**

* * *

"Stacy, stop that! No, Adien, put Chloe down. Alex, don't you even think about it."

"Kelly, stop right there! Benjamin, don't even - No, sir. March right back in there. Don't give me any lip."

"Aw, mom! C'mon," the young boy emphasized the last part of the word as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't 'aw mom' me, you rotten little devil child. Get back in there." The older woman shooed him with her hand, not noticing her newly arrived company.

Castle backpedaled fast, trying to make his escape out the door before he was noticed but it seemed his partner had other plans.

"Oh no no no, Castle. You agreed to this, get back in there."

He felt her hand on the his lower back, pushing him back inside the house as he grumbled in complaint. He could practically feel the smirk on her face boring into the back of his head.

"I didn't know she had so many.. little people." He jumped to the side as he was almost rammed by a small dark haired girl.

"Auntie Kate!" The girl threw her arms around Beckett's waist, her face burying into the older women's hip.

"Lacey, sweetie. Hey. Where's Auntie Lanie?"

"Out back," the girl answered as she released Beckett and looked to her companion. "Who is he?"

The detective's eyes flashed to the writer for a minute before a evil grin came to her lips. "This is my friend Rick, from work. He wanted to come by and visit all of you kids and play. Think you can handle him for a while?"

Castle started to stutter out a reason why he couldn't do that, but Lacey was already grinning ear from ear as she took hold of his hand started pulling him towards the opposite end of the house.

"Don't worry Aunt K, he's in good hands."

Looking over his shoulder, the older man mouthed the word help to his partner before glaring at her when she simply shook her head and waved. Knowing when he had lost a fight, he gave in and allowed the girl to pull him into what looked like a play room for kids.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

Slipping out the back door, Kate's eyes quickly scanned the back yard full of people to land on her friend standing with a small group. Making her way over to them, she bumped into the shorter one's side and gave her a grin.

"Kate! Hey, girl, when did you get here?" Lanie grabbed a soda from the nearby table before offering it to her.

"Just got here actually, Lacey was my welcoming party." Taking the drink, she opened it and took a small sip.

"Where's writer boy? Did he back out?"

With a smirk, Kate shook her head and nodded back towards the house. "I sent him to the dungeons with Lace."

"You didn't!" Lanie's mouth dropped as she glanced worriedly at the house. "That poor man. Kate, you know my family - they have no filter. At all."

"He's like a nine year old on a sugar rush anyways, he'll be fine once he gets adjusted. It'll be good for him."

"I hope so," the ME murmured more to herself as she finally looked away from the house and back to her friend. "But remember that year we convinced the boys to come? Javi and Kevin still won't come back, it's been almost three years!"

"Well, Kevin still has that scar on his left butt cheek according to Jenny and Javi is still afraid of those little nerf guns. You should have seen his face when Castle showed up to the precinct with one last week. I thought he was going to have a heart attack."

Laughter bubbled from the shorter woman's lips as she shook her head, obviously replaying the memory in her head. "He really shouldn't have challenged Caylee to a nerf gun shoot down, that girl is a pro at it. Even her own brothers know not to try it."

"Yeah, but did she have to corner him and repeatedly shoot at him until he was screaming for help? Admit it, she takes it a bit too far sometimes.." Kate twisted the can in her hand, her eyes flickering to the house for a moment, but it was enough to catch Lanie's attention.

"Want to go check on him? We don't want to have to explain to Alexis and Martha if he ends up in the hospital."

"Oh, trust me. They would understand but yeah, we should probably go check on him. I don't need him freezing up every time he sees a small child while we're working."

Their eyes caught each other as Lanie excused them from the group that had gathered around them, talking in circles. They were holding back the laughter as they headed for the house, each of them creating scenarios in their head.

"I hope Kyle talked him in into playing cowboys, that is something I would pay to see." Kate's eyes lit up as she walked excitedly now into the house, dodging kids left and right.

"I think you just want to see Richard Castle tied up a little too much," Lanie snickered behind her, following easily through the mass of kids.

"Just don't let him know that," Kate winked at Lanie over her shoulder as the ME shook her head, both coming to a stop as they came to the play room.

"No way in hell-"

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"_No way in hell-"_

"Ooooh, Auntie K said a bad word."

Lanie smirked and walked farther into the room, nodding to Bailey. "Auntie K did indeed say a bad word, I'll wash her mouth out with soap later."

Castle eyes were focused on Kate as he sat in the middle of a ring of all the kids peacefully sitting as they, too, focused their attention on the two women who had interrupted them. He had a small child in his lap who was around the age of four, who looked about asleep with her thumb in her mouth.

"How did you - No, what did you do to them?" Kate motioned to the kids, her eyes flickering between them and the writer.

"I was reading to them," he grinned as he held up a copy of Heat Wave.

Lanie covered her mouth as she started laughing, Kate's eyes bugging out as she glared at him.

"Please, tell me you are not reading a bunch of children that story."

"I'm not stupid," he rolled his eyes at her now as he set the book down, careful of jostling the child in his arms. "I've skipped the parts they don't need to hear and changed a few words. Don't worry, detective, I do have a daughter of my own."

He watched as she squinted her eyes at him, a slight frown on her lips as she took in the small group that he had accumulated. She had never seen them sit down this long before, it was a strange sight.

"I never said you were stupid," she replied lamely before nodding to the child in his lap. "How long has Kylie been asleep?"

His eyes went down to the small girl in his lap, a slight smile on his lips. "She was just up and listening a few minutes ago, must have just passed out."

Lanie stepped forward at this, holding her hands out. "I can tak-"

"No," he said quickly and turning his body from her slightly. "She's fine where she's at."

"Lanie, you may need to go tell Anna that her baby has been taken hostage." Kate smirked as she watched Castle.

The ME held her hands up in surrender, giving him a strange look. "Whoa, writer boy, I didn't say you had to give her up. I was just going to offer to take her. I know she weighs a ton after a while."

He simply shrugged as he looked down at the girl in his arms, his eyes softening as the smile grew. It reminded him of when Alexis was younger and would have him read to her. It made him miss that, miss the old days. Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he let his eyes focus on the two women who were still standing there.

"May I continue reading now?" His voice caught but he shook it off, pretending it hadn't.

"Sure," Kate said quietly as Lanie nodded.

As Castle turned back to the book, Lanie glanced at her friend and nodded to the door only to get a shake of the head. Making no noise, she found herself a seat on the floor in the corner where she could keep her eyes on the writer. Shaking her head at the two, the short woman quickly made her exit of the room - she did not plan on listening to Richard Castle read a book that she had already read.

As she wrapped her arm around Issiac's shoulder as he snuggled up against her side resting his head against her shoulder, Kate watched Rick . She felt a pull in her lower abdomen, begging her to go and kiss him right there but she knew better. The kids in the room didn't need to be scarred for life. Instead she was content with watching as he read, letting himself sink into the book and animating it for the kids.

She rested her free hand on her stomach, her heart fluttering as she realized he would be alright. He could do this. They would be alright. Why she had doubted him in the first place.. She didn't know. He already had a child - Alexis, and she was perfectly adjusted. He would do just fine with the child they were having now. A smile came to her lips as she rested her eyes, allowing the sound of his voice to relax her completely. They would be just fine.


	14. Splatter

**If anyone, and I mean anyone at all, is brave enough to crawl inside my mind and learn how I come up with this stuff.. I welcome you. Until then, enjoy the inner workings of my very confused brain!**

**I own nothing. Except a cool keychain.**

* * *

"Wait a minute, what exactly are we doing here?"

Kate stepped forward another step, looking around Castle's kitchen before her eyes settled on Alexis who was kneeling on the floor. She had a white cloth draped over most of the furniture, floor and hung on one of the walls. There was a large pot holding four tomatoes with a wire running out of each, attached to something that she was sure was a car battery. Although she trusted Alexis, she started to get an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Seeing how long it takes to blow up a tomato with a car battery. Dad still hasn't figured out why the Porsche wouldn't start." She smirked as she hooked a few more things up, her blue eyes moving to look at the detective. "You might want to grab that apron, I'm not sure how far this stuff will-"

There was a low pitch squeal as the tomatoes swelled before exploding, throwing tomato pieces and juice all over the place. Having heard the squeal in warning Beckett had made to move but was a moment too late, finding herself covered in icky red stuff. Looking down at her clothes, she let out a long breathe that forced her hair to float out of her face for a moment.

"Oh my god, Detective Beckett!" Alexis was jumping to her feet after quickly wiping the tomato juice from her goggles, hurrying over to her female company. Grabbing a dish towel on the way, she handed it over as she took in her appearance. "I am so, so sorry."

"It's okay, Alexis, it was an accident." Beckett wiped off her face and hands, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She felt sticky in all the wrong places, her skin staining a light red.

"That can not be comfortable. You can take a quick shower and I'll wash your clothes. I'm sure dad has some old sweats and a t-shirt you can borrow until they're clean." She was quickly making her way to her dad's room after discarding her own apron that she had been wearing, not bothering to listen to the stammered complaints of Beckett.

"Really, that isn't necessary, I'll just go home and.." Her sentence died off as she realized that the younger girl had already disappeared from the room, leaving her no choice but to stand there and wait for her to come back.

"Okay, so since he isn't here I suggest that you use his bathroom because it's a lot bigger." The redhead looked the detective over before making a slight face. "Let me lay down some of the white cloth to guide your way. I already put the clothes in there and got a towel out for you. If you just set your clothes outside the door on the cloth, I'll wash them for you."

"Alexis, really. I can just go home and take a shower."

"No way. I want to do this since I did this." She let out a quiet laugh as she realized what she said, grabbing the extra cloth and making a pathway through her dad's room and to his bathroom.

Knowing that the teen would not take no for an answer, she reluctantly followed her to the bathroom making sure to stay on the cloth. No point in running the floors. Eyeing the bathroom suspiciously, she turned to Alexis.

"You sure he hasn't bugged his bathroom?"

"I don't think so. Just in case, make it a good show." Alexis bit back the laughter from the look on Kate's face, quickly leaving the room.

"She is definitely Castle's daughter," she mumbled before going inside and closing the door behind her.


	15. Lullabies

**Honestly, no idea where this even came from. I'm guessing I should stop staying up so late and waking up so early - I think it's slowly diminishing my brain cells...**

**I own nothing in this chapter. The song mentioned is Speeding Cars by Imogen Heap. Reviews are always welcomed.**

* * *

"Castle, it's 2 in the morning. You better have a really good reason for waking me up."

"I can't sleep," he whined into the phone.

She rolled her eyes and made herself more comfortable, propping the phone up on her ear. "So you called me, of all people?"

"Well, I could've dropped by and said hi.." She could hear the suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Phone call will do just fine, thank you." She sighed and pulled the covers tighter to her body.

"Tell me a bedtime story," he pleaded with her quietly.

"No, go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy!"

Kate rolled onto her side, tucking the phone between her ear and the pillow so that it sounded like he was right there beside her. "I told you not to drink that cup of coffee so late."

"You let me! You could have took it from me and gave me this stern talking to about how it's unnecessary to drink caffeine so late. Then I would have whined and try to get my cup back and you could have threatened me with your gun like you're so good at."

He was rambling due to sleepiness - which was never a good sign.

"Castle, shut up."

His silence on the other end answered her demand, leaving her to pause for a minute and regroup. Somehow, someway, she had to get him to go to sleep - or she never would.

"Sing to me?"

This question was totally different than their usual game, his soft tone throwing her off. Ever since she had let on a few weeks ago that she enjoyed singing, he had been bugging her to sing for her. But now, at two in the morning and in her sleepy state, she couldn't even be bothered with finding an excuse.

"What song?" She asked, her voice filled with exhaustion.

"That one you were humming in the car the other day," he told her quickly - obviously having picked this out already.

Leave it to him, Richard Castle, to remember the smallest of details. Why she had even been humming that song she couldn't remember but the fact that he wanted her to sing it.. She shook herself mentally and eased herself. If it got him to sleep, it'd be worth it.

"You do understand, I will lie under oath and say I never did this. Right?"

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

"Good. And no interruptions. Lay down, get comfortable and close your eyes."

She heard the rustling of his sheets and knew that he was listening, not about to pass on the opportunity that she was granting him. A few grunts and a long silence later, she almost felt his presence back on the phone.

"Ready," he said quietly.

"I'm only singing this once, Castle. This one song, this one time. No repeats."

"Maybe I should come down the hall and join you…"

She glared at the wall, the frown settling on her lips. "I swear, I will shoot you."

"Okay, okay. Staying here." A brief pause. "I'm glad you decided to stay, though. I'm sure Lanie would have kicked Esposito out for the weekend but I sense some awkwardness there."

"I did this because I had no other option, my apartment is honestly a death trap from the fumigation." Her voice was light, letting him know just how thankful she actually was.

"Always a please, Detective."

After rolling her eyes she closed them, letting her self ease slowly back into her relaxed state. "We should get this over with before I fall asleep on you, writer boy."

At the use of Lanie's nickname, he laughed and nodded although she couldn't see him. "Alright."

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to pretend she was alone - knowing it would be the easiest way. When he stayed quiet on the other end, she opened her lips and allowed her voice to come out quietly.

"_Here's the day you hoped would never come, don't feed me violins,_

_Just run with me through rows of speeding cars._

_The paper cuts, the cheating lovers,_

_the coffee's never strong enough -_

_I know you think it's more than just bad luck_.."

Her voice softened as she heard his breathing relax on the other line and she knew that he was close to sleep. Licking her lips, she prepared herself for the words she was about to sing.

"_There there, baby, it's just text book stuff -_

_it's in the ABC of growing up._

_Now now, darling, don't lose your head -_

_none of us were angels and you know I love you, yeah.."_

Her chest tightened as her breath caught at her words, forcing her to still as she listened to his heavy breathing. He was asleep, that was sure of, but the words continued to spill from her mouth as she worked herself slowly into her own slumber.


	16. Break Room

**Something short and sweet to try to get me out of this writing funk.**

**I do not own Castle or anything else. All mistakes are my own.**

* * *

"Castle. Break room, now."

Her tone is enough to let him know that she's not in a joking mood, so he simply gives the boys a slight grin as he follows his partner to the break room. It only takes them a moment before he's closing the door behind him, focusing his attention on her.

"What'd I do now?" His voice is almost whiney.

She's fidgeting, trying to resist the urge that she so badly wants to give in to. They're at work, damn it. But as soon as those words leave his mouth the crazy feeling in her lower abdomen returns and she can't help herself. She's flying across the short distance that's between them and wrapping herself around him, their lips meeting instantly.

It only takes a moment for the shock to wear off and he's wrapping his left arm around her waist while his right hand goes up to tangle in her hair, pulling her as close as humanly possible.

Outside of the break room, Ryan glances at Esposito before he frowns and turns away from the closed blinds.

"They do know that we know what they think we don't know they do when they go in there, right?"

"I don't know," Esposito admitted as he shook his head and made his way to his chair.

"We should call Lanie," Ryan suggests.

"They'll be finished before she could get up here."

"True."

The partners glance at each other before grinning and returning to their paperwork that had been abandoned to bet on what was happening.

"She's going to be so pissed she missed this," Esposito laughed as he woke his computer up.

"Not our fault she works down under."

At that moment, their was a loud crash sound coming from the break room that caught their attention. Glancing at each other once again, Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Should we check on them?"

"No way, man. I do not need that image of Beckett in my head."

"Or Castle," Ryan shuddered as he returned his attention back to the paper in front of him.

A few moments went by before Esposito spoke up again. "Five bucks it was the same chair from last week again."

"You're on," the partner agreed with a smirk to his lips.

**xx**

Twenty minutes later when Beckett and Castle came out of the break room, looking a little more than satisfied, the two stuck their heads into the room before Ryan took the five bucks that Esposito was holding out, laughing.

"There goes the best espresso machine, ever. He better buy a new one."


	17. Please

**Extremely short. Just working out some writing jitters. This is an alternate ending for Countdown, I guess.**

**I do not own Castle, but I do own all mistakes.**

* * *

"What were you going to say?"

Her eyes flash with fear as she turns to him, her heart speeding up as she tucks her lower lip between her teeth. She wants to play stupid and pretend like she doesn't know what he's talking about but she knows that it's not fair - not to him, not to her. Sighing, she shakes her hair as she pushes away from her desk.

"Castle, please."

It was stupid of him, to ask for something that he couldn't have - not now, not anytime soon - but none the less he wanted to hear it. He needed to hear it after the past couple of days they had had.

"Kate," he said quietly taking in the others around them. "I just want to hear it."

Her eyes focus on him for a minute before she sighs and looks away, only to see Josh stepping off the elevator. Knowing it's now or never, she reaches over and gives Castle's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I love you."

The words are short and sweet but they mean so much to him. He closes his eyes and allows them to wrap around his brain and heart as he feels her hand slip away. Opening his eyes, he follows her line of sight to land on Josh. Forcing himself to stand up, he nods to the doctor before shooting a look at his partner.

"I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Castle." She manages a weak smile as she watches him walk away, her attention brought back to reality as she feels Josh sit down where the writer had been only moments before.

"Ready to go?"

She swallows hard as she stares down at her desk, the paperwork in front of her meaning nothing as she tried to gain control over her mind. Rubbing at the back of her neck she nodded and stood up, grabbing her coat.

"Yeah, I'm ready."


	18. Sleepy

**I caught myself rubbing my eyes like a toddler, and this idea blossomed. Hope you enjoy~**

**Oh, right. Just a reminder: I do not own Castle. All mistakes, though, those.. those are mine. Yeah.**

* * *

"Castle, stop rubbing your eyes like a toddler. It's making me sleepy."

The writer's lips stuck out in a pout as he fixed his tired eyes on his partner. "You should be sleepy. It's one in the morning. Any normal person who doesn't have super powers is tired or already in bed asleep."

"No one said you had to stay with me," she replied quickly after rolling her eyes.

"Montgomery told you to go home hours ago. Why he, or myself for that matter, expected you to listen is lost on my poor tired brain.."

Picking up the closest non-lethal object, which just so happened to be a paperclip, she threw it at his head and nodded for the elevator.

"Go home. I'll be fine. I am a big girl, ya know."

"Well, like you love to point out so very often I'm a nine-year-old who happens to be afraid of the dark. And, if you haven't noticed my dear Detective, it's dark outside. So you'll have to escort me home, I'm afraid."

The grin on his lips had her rolling her eyes again as she placed the folder down that she was holding, leaning against the edge of her desk as she turned her body towards him.

"You're a big boy, Castle, even if you don't know how to act like it half of the time."

"Still, my mother doesn't like me to wander around after dark by myself - said I get myself into bad situations." He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, barely keeping the grin from his lips.

"Castle," she groaned before sighing loudly, knowing that he would win. "Fine. I'll give you a ride home and then I will head home myself. Satisfied?"

"Oh, Detective, I am pleasantly thrilled."

Choosing not to reply to him and give him any further satisfaction, she pushed herself away from her desk and went about collecting the few things that she wanted to take home with her. She had gathered her gun, her badge, her purse and her coat when she went to grab the folder only to be stopped by the writer. Shooting him a questioning look, she felt her eyebrow shooting up.

"What, exactly, do you think you're doing Castle?"

"You're not taking that home, Beckett. I know you. You'll stay up even later trying to figure this case out and then you'll get here tomorrow and be dead on your feet. Forget it for the next couple of hours. Let your mind take a break and your body get some rest."

If it wasn't for the concern all over his face and oozing from his voice, Beckett would have argued that she wouldn't do exactly what he had said she would. But that would be lying and with the look he was giving her, she just didn't have it in her to lie to him. Leaving the folder on the desk, her hands found shelter in her pockets.

"You win - this time," she told him quietly as he grinned and offered her his arm.

Eyeing him suspiciously, she shook her head before hooking her arm with his while a small smile fought to appear on her lips. Ducking her head to the side so he couldn't see her face, she allowed him to lead them both to the elevator. She knew he was right, she knew that she needed to go home and rest both her body and her mind. And even though she knew all of this, she would never - ever - admit it to him.


	19. This Day

**This wasn't where I was going with this, but it works. I'm not happy with where I ended it, so I may continue at some other point. Reviews keep me writing and happy! I do not own Castle, by the way.**

* * *

Kate sighed, looking around the room before slowly climbing to her feet and heading for her bedroom. She knew that the reason Montgomery refused to let her work today, she knew why he refused to let her work this day every year. Still, it doesn't make the feeling in her chest any easier to deal with - it doesn't calm the emotions that swirled in her mind.

The home video playing on her television is just background noise, something to try and calm everything she was feeling. Grabbing her cell phone from her bed, she heads back into the living room and into the kitchen to sit on a bar stool. Her eyes lingered on the phone for only a moment before she is holding down her second speed dial, praying that he doesn't pick up but silently hoping that he does.

"Beckett! To what do I owe this lovely pleasure?"

"Can you come over?" She doesn't think twice about what she said, knowing that if she did she would stop herself.

"Of course," came his quick reply as she heard rustling in the background. "Is everything alright?"

She couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips at his concern, her throat constricting as she swallowed hard around the lump.

"Don't make me ask twice, Castle."

"I'll be there in ten."

She nodded even though he couldn't see her, letting the phone fall to the countertop as the line disconnected. _Just hold it together until he gets here, Kate, just wait for him. _The silent mantra is repeated in her head as she lets her eyes close, crossing her arms and resting against the cool counter.

Weakness was not something that she felt looked good on her; she much preferred the strong detective that she had molded herself into over the years. But there was something about this day, this day every year that broke her down and made her rethink every part of her life.

It wasn't until the knock on the door that she realized she had zoned out completely, losing track of time. Dragging herself off the barstool, she made her way over to the door and opened it barely to confirm it was her partner. Seeing his worried eyes focused on her, she opened the door the rest of the way and allowed him in.

"Oh."

The soft sound that came from his lips had her turning around to look at him before her eyes followed his to land on her television. Smiling sadly, she walked around him and headed for her couch this time - it seemed she couldn't stay in one spot for very long.

When he carefully eased himself down on the couch beside her, she moved over to his side and allowed herself to curl up against him. She had turned her brain off the moment he had walked into her apartment, knowing that it would fight her every step of the way. But she needed this and she knew he would understand.

She felt his arm wrap around her, pulling her even closer into his side as his fingers drew soft patterns into her skin. The burning sensation behind her eyes had her turning her head into his chest, biting her lip and fighting the tears that wanted to come.

"I miss her," she mumbled into his chest.

"I know," he spoke quietly as his own head ducked down and he kissed her hair. When he spoke again his lips were by her ear, "It's okay to cry. I won't tell anyone."

She half-smiled, the tears falling from her eyes immediately as her hands found comfort by grasping handfuls of his shirt. The honesty in his voice combined with the concern that she heard only confirmed her suspicions that Richard Castle wasn't just some playboy with too much money on his hands. He was a father, a son, a friend, a lover and most of all - her partner, always.


	20. Heart Like Mine

**Thank you, Jules, for this idea! I don't know if this is anything like you had in mind, but the idea just kinda took over once I started writing. This is loosely based on the song Heart Like Mine by Miranda Lambert.**

**I do not own Castle.**

* * *

Kate sighed as she rested her back against the corner of the booth, her eyes lingering on the cigarette held between her fingers gingerly. If anyone from the precinct were to see her, besides Lanie, they would most likely not believe what their eyes were conveying to their brain. Surely, hard-ass Beckett was not sitting there with a cigarette in hand.

But, she was. And she hated herself for it.

Shaking the thoughts away, she downed another shot before bringing the cancerous stick to her lips as she took a small drag from it. Blowing the smoke away, she let her eyes close as memories started to play on the back of her eyelids.

"_Katherine Beckett! Is that a tattoo I see?"_

_Her father's words caught her off guard as she jumped from the couch she was sitting on, quickly pulling her shirt down as her eyes flew to him. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, staring at her with a disapproving sort of look. Her twenty-year-old self bit her bottom lip as she emotionally sunk back into the couch._

"_Dad, I'm old enough to get a tattoo."_

"_You didn't tell me."_

"_I didn't have to." As soon as the words left her lips she wished that she could take them back, the hurt in his eyes cutting her to the quick. She offered an apologetic smile as she crossed the room over to him, laying her hand on his arm. "I know how you feel about them, I just wanted to avoid a unnecessary argument."_

_He sighed as he examined her face for a moment before flashing her a smile that let her know that the conversation wouldn't be going any farther. "Okay."_

Realizing that the ashes were growing longer on the end of her cigarette, she put it out in the ash tray before motioning to the waitress for another shot. She knew that this was unhealthy what she were doing and if her dad was there with her, she would be ashamed. But it wasn't as if she did this on a regular basis. Only when her thoughts consumed her so badly that she couldn't not do it. Giving the waitress a soft smile when she put two more shots on the table, she waited for her to walk away before downing the first one.

The pain she was feeling wouldn't go away, she knew that. But it could be numbed and that was exactly what she was doing.

"_Katie?"_

_Her body stumbled to a sideways stop as she nudged the side table with her leg, giggles falling out of her mouth as her glazed over eyes found her dad sitting in his recliner. The look of confusion that rested on his features only had her doubling over in a fit of laughter, clutching her side as she tried her best to calm down._

"_Are you.. drunk?" The words came out of his mouth as if was the most ridiculous thing he had ever said but the tone of voice said he already knew the truth._

"_Me? Drunk?" Giggles escaped her soft pink lips as she slumped onto the couch, shaking her head but quickly stopping. "Oh. Not good."_

"_Your mom is going to skin you alive."_

_The teenager rolled her eyes as she focused on her dad, finding the odd way the room moved didn't help her headache._

"_You were both drinking by my age."_

"_Times are different, Katie."_

"_Times schmimes." She rolled her eyes as the laughter threatened to bubble from her lips as she pushed herself up from the couch, obviously about to head to bed._

"_Take you a glass of water and some Advil." When she gave him a questioning look, he simply smiled. "Trust me, it will help."_

"_Can you get it, daddy? The room is spinning far too much." She made a face as she pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned against the wall, bringing a chuckle from the older man's lips._

"_Sure thing, sweetie. Go up to bed, I'll be there in a second."_

Her eyes turned moist as she remembered the next morning, her mom banging into her room with unneeded loudness. Her dad had squealed on her the moment his wife had woken up, letting her know exactly what Kate had gotten herself into the night before and her mom had taken great joy in torturing her through the mind splitting hangover.

She had been mad at them both for days. At first for the way her mom woke her up and then because they grounded her for a good two weeks. Her hangover, though, had convinced her that drinking wasn't exactly her thing. Even through college she was never one to go out and drink every night or every weekend, for that matter.

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly as she looked around the bar. It was getting late and she knew she needed to head home but the need to get the memories out of her system had her sitting there, refusing to move. Grinning a bit, she swirled the whiskey around the shot glass before bringing it to her lips and downing it quickly.

"_Come on, Kate, don't you love me?"_

_Blake's eyes were full with laughter as he held onto her hand, trying to pull her back to his car with him. Her lips were pulled up into a huge smile as she planted her feet firmly on the ground, shaking her head at the boy in front of her._

"_Nope," was all she simply said as she watched his eyes fall for a moment before quickly picking back up to plead with her._

"_You said you did."_

"_Blake, you're drunk."_

"_So? I love you, Katie. Come on."_

_She rolled her eyes and eased her hand from his grip and watched as he stumbled a few steps back, laughter escaping her lips._

"_You love the idea of me, Blake. Don't worry, you'll find someone right for you."_

_Pulling the ring out of her pocket, she handed it back to the boy before moving to kiss his cheek and stepping away in the same moment. She could see him trying to catch up with everything that was going on, his eyes darkening in confusion. Smiling, she waved slightly when he looked up at her with a hurt look._

"_Bye, Blake."_

"_Bye, Katie."_

She smiled at the memory, remembering how he had called for a few days but suddenly lost interest when he met Lyla. They had remained friends for a while but then they had drifted when he had proposed to Lyla and she had said yes - something Kate hadn't been able to do.

Even then she knew what she knew now. He wasn't her one and done. He wasn't the one who she wanted to spend forever with. They had only been dating for two months before he had sprung the question on her, urging her to keep the ring even though she couldn't give him a answer. That night he had wanted to take her to meet his mama but she had politely declined, walking away from him and the situation.

Kate licked her lips as she heard her mom's voice in the back of her mind, reminding her of when they had stayed up talking late into the night.

"_What if I never find him? My one and done? What if I'm alone forever and I end up living with hundreds of cats and no friends?"_

"_That won't happen. First of all, you despise cats." This had the younger girl smiling as the older woman continued. "Second, you're an amazing person. Someone will come along and love you for who you are."_

"_How can you be so sure?" Twelve-year-old rarely questioned her mother's knowledge but tonight was a different story._

"_I'm a mother, I know everything." Johanna's eyes twinkled as she kissed her daughter's nose. "Katie, you'll find a guy who thinks the world of you. He'll have a heart like yours and you'll know it from the moment you meet him - even if you don't realize it at first."_

"_What if you don't like him?" Kate asked this quietly, her small mind flooding with worry._

"_Don't you worry about that, sweetie. If you like him and he makes you happy, I'll like him."_

Suddenly she couldn't stand being in that booth any longer and she threw herself out of it, heading not for the front door but for the side door that she knew led to his office. She offered a smile to the bartender, pushing the door open and slipping inside before closing it behind her.

He didn't turn from his laptop, letting her know that he was obviously immersed in whatever it happened to be that he was writing at the moment. But she didn't care, she needed his attention. Stomping down the few stairs that it took her to get to ground level, she smirked mentally as his head snapped to her. She watched as his eyes lit up and the smile came to his lips before he tucked away the laptop and stood up, making his way over to her.

"You look pleasantly intoxicated," he told her with a devious grin on his lips.

"Shut up, Rick."

His eyebrows shot up in question but he did as told, his eyes studying her as she continued to him until she was standing right in front of him. She was staring at him, her mind and emotions running rampant now that she had let the idea filter in.

"I want to get married."

Obviously, he had not expected this.

"You- What?" He shook his head as if he hadn't heard her right, his head tilting slightly.

"You. Me. Marriage."

Her words didn't slur, and for that she was proud, but she knew somewhere that this was not how she wanted this to happen. She wanted it to happen, yes, but not like this. She wanted him to ask when he felt the time was right, she wanted him to completely go over the top because it was just who he was and she wanted to feel the all over butterflies that only he seemed to be able to give her.

"Kate," he started hesitantly, not wanting to upset her. "You know I love you, but we both know this isn't how you want this to happen."

She frowned, wanting to be creeped out by how much he knew her but finding that she didn't have the energy to be. Kicking the high heels off her feet, she allowed her toes to wiggle against the thick carpet that he had put down as she moved in and rested her head against his shoulder. He immediately had his arms around her, placing his chin on top of her head.

"You should have had Lisa cut me off after my tenth shot," she muttered into his neck accusingly.

"So you could come yell at me? No thank you."

"I wouldn't have yelled." She smirked as her arms circled his waist. "Talked loudly, maybe."

"Whatever you say, KB."

She nodded slowly, enjoying the feeling of him surrounding her and the warmth that was radiating from his body. She knew that he would suggest that they head home soon but she was content with standing here with him, in silence. But he was Richard Castle and silence was something he just didn't do.

"Hey, Kate?" When she made a quiet noise in response, he continued. "Don't change your mind on that marriage thing, okay?"

A grin came to her lips as she nuzzled her face into his neck further, giving him a quick squeeze as her eyes closed. She knew what he was saying, the implications behind his words. They had been partners for five years, dating for one. They knew each other almost inside-out with the occasional surprise sneaking up on the other. That was why he was still here at one in the morning, having this conversation with her. He knew that she needed this night, she needed the memories to come to surface. And he knew that she would need him when it was all said and done with.

"Don't tell the boys I got drunk and the first thing I wanted was to get married to you. I'll never hear the end of it."

Her voice was a soft whisper in his ear as he moved them backwards towards the couch, laughing quietly as he sat down and pulled her onto his lap. She could feel the rumble of his chest against her, seemingly surrounding her as she cuddled closer to him.

"I can't tell the boys, check." He nodded and then his eyes lit up. "Can I tell Lanie?"

"Not if you want to continue sleeping in our bed."

The pout that came to his lips looked like it belonged on a small child, his eyes turning down instantly as he sighed heavily. "You're no fun."

"I know," she told him half-heartedly as she made herself more comfortable on his lap.

She felt the blanket from the back of the couch being pulled over her before his fingers started running through her hair, relaxing her even more. The smile that came to her lips was soft as she curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, taking a deep breath to inhale his scent.

"I love you, Kate."

The kiss pressed to her temple made the butterflies in her stomach come alive as she tried hard to fight the blush that stubbornly made its way to her cheeks. She lifted her head up long enough to press a kiss to his neck, her eyelids fluttering close immediately as her head rested against him again.

"I love you too, Rick."


	21. Not The Point

**This is all Mogie's fault! Seriously, she sent me part of it as a surprise and I just continued on with it when she said I could use it. If you haven't already, you should mosey on over and read some of her stuff: MorgieSan.**

**I do not own Castle, sadly.**

* * *

She pounded angrily, on the door, willing it to open.

"Detective Beckett? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Alexis asked after she pulled the door open.

"Where's your father, Alexis?"

"In his office... what's going on?"

Kate ignored her and stormed into his office. "You _bastard_."

His head snapped up the moment the door slammed into the bookshelf. "Excuse me?"

"YOU GOT ME PREGNANT!"

Alexis squealed and attack hugged the detective from behind.

"What?" Rick squeaked from where he was sitting behind his desk.

"You. Got. Me. Pregnant." She stomped her foot with the last word, trying her best to ignore the squealing teen attached to her.

The writer swallowed hard, his eyes traveling to her stomach and then to her hip where he noticed her sig was not sitting. Feeling braver than he had a moment ago, he stood up and walked over to her.

"I promise, I didn't mean to." He offered her his charming smile, glancing to Alexis briefly.

"That doesn't change the fact that you did."

Kate's hands found her hips as the girl behind her reluctantly let go of her and moved to stand off to the side, obviously enjoying the show.

"You can't tell me that you're not the smallest bit excited," he challenged her.

"That's not the point," she hissed through her teeth as she advanced on him.

"What is the point?" He asked sheepishly, swallowing hard as she hovered in front of him.

"The point is, you got me pregnant!" Her eyes, wide with fear, flashed briefly to Alexis before returning to him.

"Detective Beckett," Alexis started warily, trying not to scare the woman away.

"Alexis, please. Call me Kate." The detective sighed as she chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes landing on the girl as she stepped away from Rick.

"Kate," she smiled gently as she looked between the two. "If you're worried about me - don't. I'm thrilled. More than thrilled. I get to have a little brother or sister!"

Alexis jumped on the spot as her hands flung into the air, the teen doing it a little dance as her face broke out into a huge grin. It seemed as if she couldn't help herself anymore, throwing her small body once again at the older woman.

"Oomph," Kate stumbled slightly from the amount of force Alexis put in her hug, smiling slightly as her arms found their way around the young girl.

Kate's eyes found Rick's above his daughter's head, the smile on his face sending butterflies racing through her. The overwhelming urge to kiss him swamped her as she turned her eyes away, the thoughts inappropriate while she was hugging his daughter.

"Alexis," Rick cleared his throat after a few moments, the smile still on his lips. "Can you give Kate and I a moment, please?"

The redhead pulled away with her grin still plastered to her face but nodded as she caught her dad's look, giving Kate's hand a small squeeze before she left the room and closed the door behind her.

"Kate," he spoke just loud enough for her to hear as he moved himself directly in front of her. He couldn't help himself as his hand went up to cup her cheek, his thumb moving over her skin slowly. "Are you okay?"

She found herself sighing at his touch, her eyes closing momentarily before she was looking up at him again. Her mind was racing and her heart was thudding in her chest but somewhere inside of her she knew that they could do this - together, they could do this.

"I'm okay," she nodded.

He studied her face for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him in a hug, her body fitting perfectly against his. When his face found her neck, he realized something that brought a smile to his face.

"You're not wearing heels," he muttered quietly in her ear.

"I didn't think running all the way to your apartment in heels would feel good on my feet." She shrugged as her face found comfort in his chest, her arms snaking around his waist.

"Probably not," he agreed before pressing a kiss against her hair. "You know we can do this, right?"

She felt her body stiffen before she allowed herself to relax, her head nodding of its own accord as her heart picked up speed again.

"I know."

"And I'll be here every step of the way."

"Promise?" She sucked in a deep breath as she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Promise," he smiled softly as he tilted his own head down to look at her. His lips found hers easily and he leaned in for a light kiss. "You won't be able to get rid of me."


	22. Want

**If this makes no sense, it's because I wrote it at 4 in the morning and did not edit it.**

**Enjoy~ Reviews make me a better writer!**

* * *

Rick knew she found it creepy but, at the moment, he didn't care. It was a little after one in the morning and his body simply refused sleep. Turning on his side, he watched as she immediately migrated closer to him and threw her arm over his waist.

"Kate?" His voice was a whisper as he looked down at her sleeping figure, her body pushed fully up against his now as she nuzzled her face into his chest. A smile came to his lips as he realized she was still asleep, obliviously to anything he was about to say.

"I love you, Kate," he whispered again.

He wasn't so much afraid of her hearing him, but of waking her up and having her threaten his life.

"I love you so much it hurts and I can't wait to tell you this when you can hear it and be able to say it back." He brushed his fingers over her cheek, grinning as she leaned into his touch. "Even if you're not ready to say it back at first, I'll wait. I'll always wait."

He bit his bottom lip as she started to stir in her sleep, flipping herself over in her sleep to lay on her other side with her back to him. Used to her normal night routine, he simply tucked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"I want to have babies with you," he whispered into her ear as he leaned down to press a kiss to her neck. "At least two, three if you think you can handle that. And at least one of them, or all - if I'm honest with myself, needs to be just like you."

He brushed a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, allowing his fingers to linger there for a moment before forcing them back to her hip. He didn't want to wake her up, she needed her sleep after the case they had had this week.

"I want to marry you." He felt his throat closing up as his eyes threatened to tear up, his heart thumping steadily against his chest. "I want to be your one and done."

Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled deeply as his body started to settle again. He could feel the edges of sleep calling for him but his mind simply refused. Instead he tightened his grip around the detective and took another deep breath before continuing.

"I want to always wake up with you next to me, I want to have silly fights over nothing, I want to have breakfast with you before work and I want to be able to tell anyone who asks that you're mine. Completely mine." He let out a slow breath as he drew circles lazily on her hip. "I want to come home with you every night and I want to kiss you without excuses."

He sighed and closed his eyes, snuggling closer into her body as he willed himself to relax even more. He needed to sleep. He knew that.

"I want an always with you, Kate."

He whispered this right beside her ear before brushing a gentle kiss over her cheek, resting his head behind hers in her hair. He knew that should would need time before the words he had just spoken could be said aloud. He knew that she would want to take these things slow. But he had to let her know. Somehow.

Even if she was asleep.

As his eyes fluttered and his thumping heart slowed to an even beat, he felt her shift in his arms once more. He tightened his grip on her out of habit, pressing a kiss into her hair as she sighed contently.

"Rick..?"

Her sleepy voice sent his eyes flying open as he stiffened - he had no idea how long she had been listening or if she had just woken up. He didn't answer her, though, simply stayed still waiting for her to talk.

"I love you too," she said groggily as she squeezed his hand circling her waist. "Always."

He felt his heart soar up into his throat as he simply squeezed her hand back, for once finding himself at a loss for words. It was only when he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding did he relax, his mind finally giving in to the sleep that had already overtaken his partner.


	23. Alexander

**My own brother inspired this. And because of him you'll probably have a lot more Little!Castle and Alexis moments coming your way. Hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own Castle.**

* * *

"No, sissy! You has to catch it!"

Little Alexander ran to get the ball that his sister had just smacked out of the air absentmindedly, sending it clear across the room. His little legs worked hard as he came to a stumbling stop, picking the ball that was almost bigger than him up and carrying it back to where he had been standing.

"Hol' your hands up," he squealed excitedly as the redhead opposite of him turned to look at him.

"Alex, I need to finish this paper. I can play with you as soon as I'm done, okay?"

A frown graced his lips as he hugged the ball to his chest, his spirits falling just a bit as he turned towards his dad's study. He knew that it wasn't Alexis' fault that she had homework but he couldn't help the angry feeling in his small chest towards her.

"Why did you come home at all if you was just going to be working on stoopid homework the whole time?" He stopped his momentary shuffle to look at his sister before turning back to head to the study. "You shoulda stay at school, Lexees."

"Alexander, come back."

He heard his sister's exhausted voice calling out to him but he didn't turn back, opting instead to venture into the room. He knew that it was normally deemed a restricted area and that if he got caught, he would surely be in trouble.

"Alexi, you know you're not allowed in there. Come here."

The shuffling behind him let him know that Alexis had gotten up and was now following him towards the study but he was determined not to let her catch up with him. Biting his bottom lip he took off at a run and bumped into the door, forcing it open.

Before he could take a step into the room he felt hands underneath his armpits, lifting him up and carrying him away from the door. Although logic told him that it was his sister he couldn't stop himself from turning in her arms and looking up at her. He immediately noticed the exhaustion that dulled her normally bright eyes and the way her lips were pulled down into what seemed like a permanent frown.

An emotion he couldn't quite place hit him full force in his tiny chest, making his heart ache as he dropped the ball he had been holding to reach up and put both his hands on each side of Alexis' face. When she stopped walking and looked down at him, he knew he had her attention.

"I sorry," he told her seriously.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Alex. I know you didn't mean it." She gave him a soft smile before leaning in to kiss his forehead.

"You needs a break," he frowned as he rubbed his short fingers against her cheeks.

"I can't, I have to finish this so I can enjoy the rest of my visit."

He squinted his eyes at her and resisted the urge to put his hands on his hips as he had seen his mom do to his dad so many times, instead opting for shaking his head.

"Take a small break an' then you can goes back to the paper and I will be 'ery quiet and watch Spongebobs."

He could see the spark trying to ignite in his sister's eyes and he knew he had her, his bottom lip poking out in a pout just to close the deal. He could see her give in as a smile came to her lips and she squeezed him around the waist.

"Alright, bud. How about a trip to the park?"

His own eyes lit up as a huge grin came to his lips, his head nodding excitedly as he started to wiggle out of her arms. When he felt his feet hit the ground he took off at a run towards the closet, looking for his shoes that he had kicked off last night when they had came home from picking Alexis up from school.

"C'mon, Lexi! We gotsa go, go, go!"

"Hold up, little bit. I got to text mom and dad to let them know in case they come home and we're not here."

"Tex' em on the way out! Les' go!"

Alexander stomped his foot as he wiggled his other one into his shoe, holding himself by using the doorknob. He could hear Alexis laughing at him, his eyes snapping to her as his lips poked out in another pout.

"You are so our dad's son," Alexis teased as she put her phone away and made her way over to the door.

"Well, duh."

He rolled his eyes as he took her hand, tugging her out the door as soon as she had put her own shoes on and opened the door. Earlier feelings of guilt and anger had long left him, now replaced with a light and happier feeling. Now all he could concentrate on was getting to the park as fast as his little feet could carry him.


	24. Happy Birthday

**This is for Marissa. Happy birthday, bb!**

**I do not own Castle, sadly.**

* * *

Richard Castle had been unnaturally quiet all day long.

While his normal boyish charm and innocence was still there, the pointless chatter that usually accompanied him.. simply wasn't. No, he had been patiently waiting all day long, keeping quiet and hoping that she would remember.

No. Not just remember. He hoped that she would say something. Anything.

But she hadn't.

Not once today had Katherine Beckett mentioned what today was or why it was so important. Instead they both, quietly, went about their day as if it were any other.

As it was now nearing quitting time and they had no murder, he was getting ready to leave. He found himself wanting to put distance between them, a feeling that didn't come often to him. But he wanted to get home to his daughter and his mother and allow them to cheer him up as they often did when he had a bad day.

Standing up from his chair, he grabbed his jacket and slung it over his right arm as he turned to focus on the detective before him. Suppressing the sigh that wanted to grace his lips, he put on his best smile as he gave her a small wave.

"Until tomorrow, Beckett."

He turned away before she was able to say anything, trying his best to get to the elevator as fast as he could manage without being too noticeable. He had only made it a few steps away from her desk when he heard her heels on the floor before he found her arm tucked inside of his.

"Let's go get a drink," she answered his questioning glance with a smile of her own.

Knowing that this could go either one of two ways, he shrugged his shoulders as a go ahead and allowed her to lead him the rest of the way to the elevator. The trip down to the garage was quiet as he watched her avoiding looking at him. He found it amusing, not quite used to this side of her.

"May I ask, Detective, where we are going?"

"You may ask," she started slowly as a grin turned up her lips. "But I may not tell."

He stared after her as she exited the small compartment, only remembering to move when she turned back to look at him with her signature smirk. He hurried after her and climbed into her car easily, used to their normal routine.

They were met by silence in the car. Not uncomfortable silence, but silence nonetheless.

It took until they were almost there for him to realize where they were going because she was taking a different route than normal. The Old Haunt. A grin came to his boyish lips as his eyes turned to hers with a sparkle.

"The Old Haunt? Really, Beckett?"

She shrugged. "Hey, free drinks."

He rolled his eyes at her as they pulled behind the bar into the owner parking spot, his eyes questioning her once again. She gave no answer this time, instead she simply climbed out of the car and headed for the back door. By the time he could unbuckle and get out of the car himself, she was already waiting for him in the back of the bar.

"You're kind of slow tonight, Castle. You sure you're up for drinks?"

The wicked smile on her lips had his stomach twisting in knots as he stood beside her, bouncing back and forth on his feet.

"Drinks with you? I think I've proved I can handle that." He wiggled his eyebrows to be met with an eye roll.

"I'll never live that one time down," she muttered before nodding for him to go ahead.

He gave her a suspicious look before shrugging and walking though the door that divided the rest of the bar from the back. As his eyes focused on the suddenly brightened room, he recognized a few people a minute for sound erupted around him.

"Happy birthday!"

The two words vibrated off of the walls and echoed through his ears as his friends and family jumped up from their seats, most of them clapping or throwing their hands in the air. Alexis, his mother, Lanie, the boys and the Captain were the closest to him that he recognized immediately. Before he could move towards them, he felt someone leaning up against his back.

"Happy birthday, Rick," her lips tickled his ear as her voice deliciously ate away at his motor functioning skills, a shiver going down his spine. He closed his eyes for a moment to soak it all in, his breath catching in his throat before he turned to her and simply smiled.

"Thanks, KB."


	25. Lipstick Cocktail

**Amusement for me to get over a bit of writer's block. The writer block gnomes have set up camp on my shoulders and are dutifully covering my eyes while gnawing on my ears. I cut this off where I did because I knew I could ramble on forever. Hope you enjoy!**

**I do not own Castle, sadly.**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait."

Esposito's eyes flash with amusement and some mischievous as he looked between Lanie and his partner. What the ME had just, accidentally, revealed to them had them both smiling like a couple of idiots with a little too much to drink. Good thing they were at the Old Haunt.

"We were inside getting our asses handed to us and they were outside playing tonsil hockey?"

His eyebrow hitched up as all three of their eyes landed on the two in question at the bar, the silly grin now forming on Lanie's lips as well.

"You're going to give them hell about it, aren't you?" Lanie asked, her voice sounding hopefully.

"Well.." Esposito looked across the table to Ryan who was giving him a 'do-you-even-have-to-ask' look. They both turned to Lanie at the same time and answered, "Duh!"

"Does he have his arm around her?"

Lanie's question had the two boys breaking their necks to turn and look at the scene before them, high-fiving across the table.

"I think we need some more drinks," Ryan supplied dutifully. "Don't you Esposito?"

"Why, Ryan," Esposito's eyes twinkled as he stood up with the other man. "I think you're right. What would the lady like?"

"The lady thinks you're both crazy if you think I'm going to just sit here. I'm coming along for the show."

Esposito smirked as they all three headed to the bar, quietly coming up behind Castle and Beckett. Luck was with them that night as they managed to get right behind the two without either of them knowing, Lanie's voice alerting them to their presence.

"Girl, please tell me you've gotten that man into bed. If not, he's going home with me."

Amusement came to the trio's eyes as the couple sprung apart fast, turning on the spot to look at the three. It didn't take a genius to recognize the blush on Beckett's cheeks, or see the smudged lipstick on Castle's mouth.

"Uh, bro." Ryan swiped at his own mouth, hoping to give Castle a hint.

The writer immediately received the message, wiping at his mouth in the same way a small child would with both of his hands. Beside him, Beckett was determinedly staring at a spot on the wall above their heads without saying a word.

"Do we need to dance around like small children and say I told you so?" Esposito smirked at his boss who sent him a quick glare. "Or not."

He studied them both for a minute before a mischievous grin came over his features and he excused himself for a moment. He made his way over to the bartender, quickly order a round of drinks for the group. When he had managed, quite skillfully, to gather all five drinks in his arms he made his way back over to find the rest of them emerged in a stare down - Ryan verses Castle and Lanie verses Beckett.

Lanie and Castle broke away first, turning their attention to Esposito as he started handing out drinks. He made sure to hold onto Beckett's for last, giving her a devious grin as he produced hers with a flourish.

"And for you, Beckett, the Lipstick cocktail."


	26. Fault

**I honestly have no earthly idea where the hell this idea came from. It just kinda popped up and stuck to me. I had the best time writing it, though.**

**I do not own Castle.**

* * *

"Castle..."

"Don't Castle me."

She glared at him. "Okay than.. _Rick_."

He frowned, his face turning down in a pout as he crossed his arms.

"This isn't my fault," he told her seriously.

"Well, it sure as hell isn't mine either."

She quirked her eyebrow at him, challenging his statement.

"Honestly. This time, not my fault."

He held his hands up in surrender as she crossed her arms and looked around the room.

"Lanie..." She said, mostly to herself as her eyes landed on the elevator.

"Yes ma'am?"

The ME popped up from behind the two, an innocent smile covering her lips.

"Do not ma'am me. What the hell is this?"

The detective waved her hands at her desk, disapproval lacing her voice.

"Well, I'm no scientist, but last time I checked it was your desk."

"Stick to your day job," Beckett replied dryly. "Seriously, Lanie, what the hell did you do?"

"I didn't do this," she looked affronted as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, who the hell did?"

At the moment the elevator dinged once again as Ryan and Esposito piled out, laughing loudly.

Immediately Kate's eyes trained in on her co-workers, her eyebrows scrunching together.

"They wouldn't," she said quietly to Castle and Lanie.

"Oh, but honey, they would." Lanie smirked as Castle nodded.

"They're dead," she grumbled to herself.

"I'll hide the bodies," Castle offered.

"I didn't hear this conversation," Lanie walked off with a parting wave.

"They are so dead."

Kate sighed as she looked down at her desk which was covered entirely in bubble wrap.

From her computer to her pencil holder.

_Everything._

"I think it's kinda neat," Castle offered timidly.


	27. About Time

**Part 2 of Chapter: 20; Heart Like Mine. This is for Beckett!Nemo. I hope you enjoy, dear :]**

**I do not own Castle. Or Lanie, sadly. I wish I did.**

* * *

"Rick, please, can we just go home. I love the Old Haunt as much as you do, but I'm just ready for bed."

Kate gave him a look letting him know just how serious he was but the stubborn man simply shook his head and gave her a smile as he pulled open the door.

"Trust me, Kate, it'll be well worth it. Come on."

She sighed, knowing that he wasn't about to change his mind and she didn't have the heart to ruin whatever he had planned. Instead she quickly crossed into the bar, letting the warmth of the place wash over her as she looked around. Immediately she realized that a bunch of people from the 12th were there, plus a few other people that the two knew outside of work.

"What the.."

She cut herself off abruptly as Rick pulled her to him, his hand resting on her hip while the other held her hand firmly in his. The smile on his lips were warm and comforting, letting her know that everything was okay. That she just needed to relax.

"Kate, do you remember a night four months ago?"

She studied him for a moment, letting her mind take a trip down memory lane. When she came across the night in question, her eyes went wide as she looked at him, her breath catching in her throat as her heartbeat quickened.

"I'm going to take that look as a yes," he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I told you not to change your mind about it and I hope you haven't.. Because if you have, this is about to be very embarrassing for me. And I'll probably move away to Alaska and take on a fake identity and live the rest of my life-"

She shot him a glare letting him know that he was rambling, but the glare was off-set by the grin claiming her lips. She watched as he took a deep breath before pulling a small green velvet box out of his pocket before lowering down to one knee. He opened the box, showing her a two carat Tiffany Bezet Princess cut ring.

Her eyes widened as she forgot to breathe altogether, too preoccupied to recognize her dad, Alexis and Martha who stepped out of the crowd to stand near the front next to Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery.

"You are my missing piece. You are the woman I want to wake up to every morning, who I want to share breakfast with, who I want to spend every minute of every day making the world a better place with. When I first met you, something inside of me clicked and I knew that I had to somehow put myself into your life. You make me a better person." He took a deep breath as his blue eyes twinkled with passion, the smile only growing on his lips. "Katherine Beckett, will you do me the incredible honor of being my always and marry me?"

Her throat constricted as tears pooled in her eyes, the smile on her lips saying what her mind seemed unfit to do at the moment. A watery chuckle escaped her lips as she started to nod, her curls flying around as she finally managed to cry out, "Yes!"

Rick's eyes lit up as he slipped the ring on her finger, quickly standing to wrap his arms around his new fiancé as applause erupted around them. His heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest as he gathered her up against him, lifting her feet off of the ground earning a squeal from the brunette.

A moment passed before he let her down, leaning back only to catch her lips in a kiss. They quickly lost themselves in the kiss, only breaking apart when Lanie's voice cut through the room.

"About damn time," the ME muttered, shaking her head with a huge smile on her lips.

Laughter consumed the room as Kate leaned into Rick's side, her head resting on his shoulder. She sighed happily as she wrapped her arm around his back, her eyes closing for a moment before she looked up at him with a grin tickling her lips.

"I love you, Rick."

"I love you too, Kate," he replied quietly, leaning over to kiss her forehead.


End file.
