And here's some brand new Casketty goodness!

Disclaimer: all things Castle belong to the brilliant Andrew Marlowe and ABC

XO

He'd been acting so odd lately.

Kate had moved in with Rick less than a month ago. And two weeks later he started being very secretive, hiding things from her, slamming his laptop closed when she appeared by his side unexpectedly. He'd been distracted. And she had no idea why. He refused to talk about anything except cases and their families, nothing about his sneaking around and hiding things from her. Kate had even caught him at her father's house a few days ago. When she asked, neither Jim nor Rick would say a word. They passed it off as a "guy's night." She wasn't buying any of it. Something was up.

Kate was sitting at her desk, mulling over paperwork from their latest case, when Castle strolled up with his usual cup of coffee for her. She gave him a bright smile as he lent in to kiss her cheek. Kate (and Gates for that matter) only allowed one cheek kiss a day in the precinct, nothing more. It had been four months since they started dating and told Gates about their relationship change. Surprisingly, she didn't mind all that much, as long as they stayed professional in her precinct.

Castle sat down in his regular chair next to Kate's desk. There was no new case all day, leaving Castle to spend hours playing Angry Bird's and Draw Something with Esposito and Ryan from across the room. At around 4 pm, Kate looked up and asked him about their plans for the night, "Is Alexis visiting for dinner tonight?" The young red head was studying at Columbia but made the occasional visit home to her father, grandmother, and Kate. Despite the rocky road they had early in their relationship, Alexis had grown quite close to Kate.

"Umm, no actually. I'm busy tonight, won't be home," Castle responded quickly, looking down at the floor, before running off to the break room. Kate sat there dumbfounded. What was wrong with him lately? Did she do something to offend him? Her brow furrowed as she watched him sit down at a table in the break room, looking over his shoulder through the window to be sure she was staying at her desk and not following after him.

Kate resigned herself to more paperwork and twenty minutes later, Castle returned with a fresh mug of coffee for Kate and a note in a tiny envelope. "Read it," he said, before walking off to the elevator and disappearing behind its sliding doors. Kate was incredibly concerned now. He'd written her a note and just left. What on earth was he doing?

She looked down at the small white envelope in her hands, twirling it between her fingers before finally flipping it over to open it. Castle's handwriting was sprawled all over a sheet of paper from an NYPD notepad, the seal of the 12th precinct centered at the top of the page.

Kate-

You probably think I've gone crazy, running away from you and hiding things. But you'll find out soon enough. I don't want you to know yet. But don't worry.

I just wanted something new. I had told Alexis that right before you brought me to the 12th for the first time. You were definitely something new.

I was here for the story. There's always a story, always a chain of events that makes everything make sense. But when I tried to figure yours out in that interrogation room, I had no idea of the woman you are. You fight for justice. And I love that about you.

You called me a nine-year-old on a sugar rush, totally incapable of taking anything seriously. Although, I still act like a child hyped up on Halloween candy, you love me anyway. And I know I have proved I am quite serious when I need to be, I'm quite serious about you in fact.

I won't be home tonight, but I'll see you in the morning bright and early for your morning coffee and kiss. Go to my (our) study and find a book, you'll figure out which one eventually. Please don't pinch my ear in the morning, but if you do, remember my safe word is Apples.

Love,

Rick

P.S. I told Ryan and Esposito to enjoy Shark Week, it'll be fun!

She looked the note over once more before folding it back up and returning it to the envelope. What was this man planning? And does he realize how many books line the walls of their study? I guess I should humor him, Kate thought.

Ryan and Esposito were whispering at their desks across the bullpen. "Hey boys, did Castle tell you what he was doing?"

"Possibly," Ryan teased with a wide smug smile.

"He said you wouldn't necessarily be a fan. Even though you are," Esposito responded.

Realizing she wouldn't get any more information out of the boys, she finished up her last bit of paperwork and clocked out, saying good night before taking the elevator down to the lobby. She drove her Crown Vic home to the loft, parked in the underground garage, and ascended the elevator to the top floor. Turning her key in the lock, she left herself into her home, dropping her keys and jacket by the door. Desperate to know what Castle was up to, Kate went straight for the study and stood looking at the vast collection of books on the shelves. The note said she'd figure out which book eventually. She hoped "eventually" didn't take all night.

The obvious first choice was Heat Wave. When Kate moved into the loft, she brought her copies of Castle's books with her. Two of each book he'd ever written decorated the two shelves at eye level. She pulled out her personal copy of his first novel based on her. The words of her former Captain and beloved friend, Roy Montgomery, sounded through her head, "Seems he's found the main character for his next set of novels, a tough but savvy female detective." It seemed clear that he was leading her to his Nikki Heat series. Opening the book, she found nothing out of the ordinary, no other note. She shelved the book and grabbed his copy, still nothing new within its pages. This is going to take forever, she thought to herself.

There were hundreds of books on these shelves. Kate thought hard about everything he had said in the note. Shark Week, sugar rushes, apples, pinching his ear…and then she figured it out. Their first case together. The Tisdale murder. Flowers for Your Grave. Kate scanned the shelf for the book, pulling out her copy, the cover now adorned with a dull yellow post-it note. In his familiar handwriting, she read:

You were right, Kate. I had no idea.

Another envelope was peaking out from the top of the book, she opened the book to where it lay, and pulled it out. The envelope read, my share of the paperwork.

She took the book over to his desk and sat down in his chair. Yanking out the papers within the envelope, she saw the official NYPD law firm's moniker and a notary stamp. It was his signed waivers to work alongside her. She remembered him signing them almost four years ago. "Do I have to wait for him to sign or can I shoot him now?" Things really have changed since then. It started out as "accompany and observe" and moved more towards what he had mentioned as more fun, "participate and annoy." She smiled widely at the memory. The beginning of their working relationship had started out rocky. "Your inspiration might strike you sooner than you think!" she had told him.

Behind the lawyers papers was another hand written note from Rick.

Kate-

I assume you've figured it out and hopefully it didn't take you an eternity. You're smart, so I'm guessing it took you no time at all.

I'm glad my lifeless remains did not have to sue the city. I'm glad that you prefer mystery to horror (although I am quite pleased that you eventually played strip poker with me). I'm glad that I really didn't have to tell you how sex worked later. You already knew [Rick had inserted a silly winking smiley face].

During the case with Sara Manning found in the dryer, her friend Chloe having murdered her over her baby daddy, you said you were the one and done type. I asked you if you'd ever been close to marriage. I saw that look. I later assumed it was Will Sorenson who broke your heart. I hate him for hurting you, but love him for not ruining your desire for a one and done. Anyway, you talked Chloe down from hurting herself. "Guys can be like that sometimes, they can lie, and when you find out how much, they can break your heart," you had said. It's been months since I told you about my lie. And I'm still incredibly sorry for hurting your heart. But I'm glad you forgave me.

Well, you'll find some bubble bath in the en-suite and a glass of wine chilling nearby. Enjoy your night and I'll see you in the morning…with yet another note. Shark Week isn't over.

I love you.

Rick

Kate wasn't sure she knew what Castle was leading up to, but she had her ideas. He never ceased to amaze her with what he would do for her. She was so lucky to have Rick Castle in her life. The love of her life. She enjoyed her bubble bath and wine, thinking of him, while rereading Heat Wave for the hundredth time. It never got old.

XO

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