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It was cold. That was the first thing to run through Kate's mind as the haze of sleep removed itself and she was aware of her surroundings. When she had arrived back home for the weekend after having a long week at the precinct she was ready to pass out for two days straight. She looked towards the nightstand. It read, 11:23pm. What? She'd been in bed an hour and a half, she was exhausted, why did she wake up?

She shivered, and became aware once more of the cold. It reminded her of the freezer from last year. It had been horrible, and she hadn't been able to be in the cold without thinking back to that moment when she realised the situation was helpless. Then of course she had Castle and things didn't seem as bad because they were in it together.

Castle...

She couldn't possibly wake him after the week they'd had, he was just as exhausted as she was. It was cold in her apartment but God knows it was freezing outside, there was a snow storm starting when she had first left the precinct, it would be far too dangerous to worry him into coming over. Even then, what would she expect him to do? Clearly the heat was out in her building, there isn't anything Castle could do about that. Though she is certain he would say that he 'knew a guy'.

It would be impossible to interrupt Lanie as she an Esposito were starting to work things out, and she had no doubt that he was at Lanie's place tonight.

This is when she realises her building was unusually quiet when she had arrived home, she still took in all these things from a couple of hours ago but it had taken until now for her to really make the connection.

The complex was silent. The hall lights were dimmed. There had been a notice downstairs on the board that she hadn't bothered to read even though it was entitled 'Important'. The dread set in, the letter from her landlord that had been slipped under the door at the start of the week. She had finally picked up off the floor that morning but hadn't opened yet.

Quickly putting on some socks and donning her bathrobe she set out towards her kitchen in search of the letter. She hoped it wasn't what she imagined it would reveal and yet at the same time she knew and sighed as she opened the letter that would reveal her fate.

The letter read:

Dear Tenant,

Due to unfortunate weather circumstances and late maintenance the central heating system will be turned off between 28th - 8th, but with any luck should be working again by the middle of the week depending on the problem. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience and ask that you find an alternative to the building before the expected snow storm this weekend, or live like an Eskimo for the week. I do not wish to be accountable for any cases of hypothermia so consider yourself forewarned of the aforementioned possibility of demise should you remain in the building sans heat. If you can get back to me regarding where you will be staying during this time with your contact information I will be able to let you know when things have been resolved.

Regards,

Jerry.

"Oh God" Kate whispered to herself.

What was she to do? She had left it too late to pack a bag and head off to stay with her Dad. She'd never make it in the storm that was brewing outside. She couldn't bother Lanie, and the precinct was no place to get snowed in on her time off.

Just when she was considering building an insulation fort her phone rang. She gingerly went back into her bedroom picking up the phone and crawling under the covers.

"Beckett," she answered.

"Kate? Are you alright?" Castle asked her frantically.

"Umm, yeah I'm fine Castle, what's wrong?"

"Well, your landlord called me not long ago to double check that you'd gotten a message from him, said he hadn't heard back from you?" he questioned.

Kate groaned, now Castle was going to find out how stupid she had been. "Did he tell you what it was about? How does my landlord even know you?"

"Noooo, but I can tell your upset, what's wrong? Oh and I made friends with the guy in case I ever needed to rescue you."

"Oh Castle, I've been such an idiot, it didn't even dawn on me until I woke up freezing my ass off!" she told him frantically. "I don't see what you'd be rescuing me from exactly," she added as an afterthought.

"What didn't dawn on you? Are you okay Kate? Why are you freezing? Oh God, your landlord! There's something wrong with the building isn't there? This is exactly why I need to have the okay to break down the door! What if you'd been too exhausted to wake up and you got hypothermia!"

"I left the letter on the bench all week because we were so busy with the case and I didn't have a chance to go through my mail. I woke up ten minutes ago because it is freezing in here and then I remembered how quiet it was and the notice on the notice board that I didn't read and the letter from the landlord. I didn't realise it would be something this serious! Had I known I could have planned to be out of here," she sighed miserably, teeth chattering.

"So nobody is in your building except you?" He asked incredulously.

"That would be correct. I already feel like an idiot so no need to gloat mister," Kate said sternly. She could hear muffled sounds and Castle breathing. She wondered if he thought this was funny.

"Kate, you need to pack a bag and put on your warmest clothes. Can you do that for me?" he asked her seriously.

"I'm not going anywhere in this weather Castle, as cold as I am it does not look safe out there," her teeth chattered.

"You are correct that the weather is bad, but if you stay there Kate and you get snowed in you'll freeze to death! Not to mention I'm sure you have nothing edible to even keep you alive. I have a fire place here and a warm bed, you'd have my company. Come on, say yes," he pleads.

"Castle, I wasn't saying no, it's just, I don't see a logical way of making it to your place alive. There is too much snow on the road for a car and the roads aren't going to be cleared in this storm that's starting. I have no way of getting to you," she told him miserably but matter of fact.

"I'll come and rescue you my damsel in distress," he cried dramatically.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You'll do no such thing Richard Alexander Castle! It is far too dangerous in this weather and you'd freeze trying to get here," she told him sternly.

"I have a snow mobile with a scoop on the front," he told her excitedly. "The storm hasn't fully picked up yet, I could be there and back in less than half an hour if we are quick," he tells her seriously. "Just pack that bag, get dressed for the snow and I'll be there soon," he hangs up.

Kate was annoyed at first that he had hung up on her, but understood he didn't want to waste precious time. Then it occurred to her, why would anyone have a snowmobile in New York?

Instead of questioning Rick Castle she unlocked her door and hurriedly got her things together, shivering madly as she went. Then put on a beanie and the warmest jacket she could find. She didn't have any water resistant type snow clothing because she never went out in the snow, she was certainly ill prepared to be riding a snowmobile that was for sure.

Just as she was putting on some gloves and fiddling with her scarf Castle burst through the door, shivering as she had been not long ago.

"Kate! Good, you're alive," he pants as if he'd just run all the way here.

"That was fast Castle," she smiled warmly at him. "Thanks for coming to get me," she told him shyly; embarrassed by the whole situation.

"Not a problem, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I certainly wouldn't leave you to freeze in here, not after...well I'm sure you understand," he smiles at her.

"Yeah..," Kate leaves his sentence unfinished.

"Don't you have anything warmer?" He asked her puzzled.

"I don't usually go out in the snow and it has certainly never been bad enough for me to have to brave it to survive," she huffed.

"It's okay, it shouldn't take long to get back to the loft where it's nice and warm and safe," he was still in panic mode. "Plus," he added. "My jacket is massive and when Alexis and I were last on the snowmobile she was frightened she'd fall off and she fit inside it with me!" he smiled at the memory.

Kate chuckled and shook her head, "Let's go writer monkey."

Castle stored Kate's duffle bag under the seat of the snow mobile that was parked up on the empty side walk; even the street was pretty much deserted. Everyone was inside out of the way of the massive storm that was starting to really fire up, for lack of a better term. He rushed back up the stairs and into the lobby where Kate had waited for him.

"Okay, this is how this is going to work," Castle explained. "Put my snow jacket over your shoulders when we get on the snowmobile but don't put your hands in the sleeves. When I sit in front of you, help me put my arms in the sleeves and then snuggle up as close as you possibly can to me, like we are one person. I should be able to then zip everything up in the front. You should be protected from the elements, my back will be nice and warm from your body heat and we should get back to my place in one piece," he theorised.

Kate wasn't entirely sure that this plan was 100% fool proof but she had no choice and she was lucky he cared enough to even come and get her considering how exhausted they both were when they had left the precinct to go to their respective homes.

"Okay, let's go Castle," Kate commits herself to the idea.

Castle grabbed Kate's hand and rushed down towards the snowmobile helping her with the jacket and once she was situated comfortably he got in front and like he had planned she helped him into the jacket. It was snug, but warm and entirely too intimate. However, it was necessary because she would freeze without it. Already her legs were frozen and Castle's weren't really much better. He'd thought that they would beat the storm, but it had definitely picked up to the point that he could barely see. It was dark of course, and almost midnight.

They struggled the whole way to get around debris and areas that were too deep in snow to plough through. It took what felt like forever and Kate could feel Castle shivering but knew he was determined. They got to the loft and there was enough snow to get them into the underground car park. Castle sat up straight on the bike and took off his goggles and started unzipping the jacket.

"Soooo Cooollld," his teeth chattered as he spoke.

Kate didn't have the energy to reply and couldn't even move, her legs frozen and in pain.

"We-e Ha-have to, to get in-inside," he told her, gingerly moving himself off the snowmobile only to take Kate with him who was still holding on to him for dear life.

He hadn't felt her grip on him, he was so numb from the cold and she was on the brink of passing out. They steadied each other trying to stand without being able to feel anything.

Finally Kate spoke "I think we are in trouble, Rick," she sounded frightened.

"It's alright; we're going to make it. We just have to get warmed up as quickly as we can," he murmured whilst hugging her tightly and trying to warm her up.

"Okay," she whispered. "We can do this."

They made their way over to the Elevator and Castle pressed the button to get them to the top floor. They stumbled into the loft shivering and out of breath.

"Dad, Kate!" Alexis yelled and came rushing to their aid. "You guys are lucky you made it back the weather channel says two people were found trapped in a car! I thought it was you," she cried hugging them. "You're freezing," she exclaimed stepping back and finally getting a good look at them. "You have to get in the shower right now," she told them seriously.

They looked at each but Kate was too weak and too cold to care that Castle's daughter wanted them in a shower, together, probably naked. Castle was slightly more mobile then Kate and helped her take off her jacket and boots along with his own. He helped her up off the floor by the door groaning as his muscles ached from the cold. Kate was too exhausted to form a sentence so she hoped her eyes portrayed the gratitude she felt.

After basically carrying Kate into his bathroom where steam was bellowing out the door and Alexis was shouting instructions Castle promised he would take care of everything and asked Alexis to stay outside and find something for Kate to sleep in, they had left her bag in the snowmobile and it was safer for everyone to just stay inside the loft. Kate was in no position to argue as she appeared to be asleep against Castle's frozen form.

"Kate? You have to stay awake, come on!" he moved to sit her down on the closed toilet seat and lifted her head with his hands to get her to make some eye contact.

"So cold," was all she could manage to tell him.

"Just stay with me Kate, we have to get in the shower so we can get warm or we are going to go into shock, okay? I umm, well we're going to have to go commando on this one," he said gently looking straight at her and the look she saw made everything feel better. He didn't want to have to do this, to invade her privacy, but he wasn't going to let her freeze.

"It's okay," she murmured. "Has to be done," she sounded dopey.

"Alright. Let me help you okay? I promise I won't look," he told her, making no jokes.

"I trust you," Kate whispered as he stood her up and helped her out of her pants, sitting her back down on the closed lid.

When she could no longer feel his touch she opened her eyes to see him undressing in front of her. He didn't seem to mind that she was blatantly staring at his nakedness, as he said nothing and didn't even tease. She blushed when she finally made eye contact with him and turned her face away.

"Hey, it's okay," he tells her. "I never said you couldn't look, I just promised I wouldn't look," he was focusing hard at keeping eye contact instead of gawking at her legs.

She smiled shyly and lifted her arms up, an invitation for him to remove the rest of her clothing. When they were both undressed she looked up towards Castle to see what he would do next. It was awkward to look anywhere else considering he was standing and she was sitting and his whole package was pretty much eye level.

She had openly perused his body before as he had undressed, the steam from the shower warming her into consciousness. He was remarkably buff for a writer and from what she could garner rather well endowed. However, now that she was focused back at his face she could see the reason nothing was happening. He was standing there with his eyes squeezed shut.

Kate would find it highly amusing if it weren't for the fact that she was probably going into shock from the freezing cold they had just escaped from in inappropriate clothing.

"Is everything okay in there?" Alexis asked tentatively at the door. It must be awkward for the poor girl, Kate thought as she realised just how intimate things had gotten; and she had thought the sharing of a snow jacket was intimate.

Poor Castle was trying to be a gentleman when she knew how he felt about her, the tight control he was attempting made her sorry for him so she decided to take a leap in the direction she wanted and that she knew he wanted as well.

"Fair is fair, Castle," she murmured.

As if shocked out of his silent trance he opened his eyes to see her. She stood up but faltered and he had to quickly grab her to stop her from falling.

"Still not quite with it," she told him, quietly embarrassed that their bodies were making contact, they were naked and in each other's arms, it should be totally awkward but Castle seemed almost comfortable now that he was holding her. He still didn't really get to see her body now that they were so close, but Kate wasn't in enough control to be an exhibitionist.

He didn't waste time moving them under the warm stream of water in the shower. Muscles ached as the hot water hit them with stark contrast to the chill in their bones.

After fifteen minutes of standing under the hot stream with Kate in his arms, Rick became more aware of his surroundings and his state of undress. He was warm now, felt normal apart from his exhaustion. His body was awake even if his mind was tired. Not to mention certain other parts of his anatomy were starting perk up.

Kate was comfortable now, resting in his arms, feeling warm again and not so helpless. She could feel that once they started to relax into the embrace she could stand on her own; the contact just a novelty. She assumed that if she was this lucid that Castle must be even better in fact she could 'feel' that he was back to his old self. She didn't blame him; they were in a fairly sexually charged situation. Naked, touching, wet. There was never going to be a good way of stepping out gracefully.

They slowly moved back so that they could look at each other. Eyes focused at each other's faces out of respect for each other and the position they were in.

"Better?" Castle asked her, still genuinely concerned that she'd need medical assistance.

"Much," she tells him. "We seriously might not have made it back here Rick," She says and then rests her forehead against his chest.

He holds her close, "yeah, it was a close call tonight. I couldn't have left you at your apartment though Kate. I wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing you were all cold and alone," he whispered gently.

"Thank you. Not, ... not just for coming and 'rescuing' me but for not making light of this situation; not making it awkward". She hesitated with how she worded her sentence.

"I am trying pretty hard," he quipped.

The reference to 'hard' wasn't lost on Kate but she was no prude. "I can tell," came her muffled reply from his chest.

The rumbling laugh that he emitted after her comment was infectious and Kate joined him in the moment. Before making eye contact with him and smiling. She hadn't smiled like this in a long time. It was like that with Rick. When they weren't Beckett and Castle but just Kate and Rick; man and woman, spending time with each other. When the cases were out of the way they still had chemistry and things in common. It would be so easy.

Kate was so lost in his eyes with all these thoughts that the moment was quickly getting away from her. Castle wasn't one for sudden moves but they both new that it was up to her. Kate's smile faltered and she looked down. Castle brought his face closer to hers but only went as far as to rest his forehead against hers, their noses slowly rubbing. Kate found herself thinking it was really quite erotic, the control that they had over so much energy between them, because he loves her. She knew all of this. If she was truthful and not so utterly terrified she would admit that she loved him too. He knew the moment she freaked out and wasn't going to push it because she was enough.

This was really quite a big step for them in every regard. So Kate decides that she can trust him enough to know that he won't push. She steps back from their embrace.

"Thank you," she tells him again and then takes a risk and stands on her tippy toes and gently kisses him. It isn't a passionate kiss, but it is filled with everything she struggles to tell him. Just like that, he seems to understand that it isn't the time to take her against the wall of the shower; even though he is a little aroused. It's a promise that they will get there.

She then steps out of shower her hand lingering down his arm as she moves away reaching for a towel not bothering with modesty. He can look all he wants.

She hears him turning off the shower and stepping out behind her to reach for the other towel. She can't see their reflections in his mirror but she knows they must look much better than they did when they had first arrived and Alexis was so worried.

They stepped out into his bedroom where Alexis had left Kate one of her father's plaid shirts that was long enough to wear as a nightgown and some panties. Castle watches as she removes her towel and slips his shirt over her head whilst standing at the foot of his bed. She starts undoing the buttons down the front and he openly admires her body, deciding that she is allowing him to look.

He throws his towel back through the door of the bathroom and walks over next to Kate to get his boxers, slipping them on and then walking over to his drawers searching for a T-shirt.

"Don't," he hears a small voice.

He turns towards her from his dresser to see what the problem is, raising his eyebrows. She is now fully dressed in the clothing Alexis left.

She Blushes but doesn't turn away. "It's easier to share body heat without clothing between us," he raises his eyebrows higher. Kate expects to sleep with him?

She continues, "We need to keep warm and I'm feeling sentimental and, ... and well, I kind of need you at the moment," she makes eye contact with him again.

He sees now how frightened she was that they weren't going to make it back to the loft, she'd been back in that dark place where she thought the cold would take her. He walks slowly over to her pushing his hands past his dangling shirt and resting them on her hips, above her panties.

"Everything is going to be okay, we're alright, and I kind of like that we are a bit touchy feely," he smiles. "Not to mention we are and have been kind of naked, I always enjoy that," he kisses her cheek playfully.

Before she can banter back at him there is a knock at the door. "Dad, Kate? Can I come in?" Alexis asks.

Castle see's the panicked look on Kate's face and talks to his daughter over her shoulder whilst he quickly does up all the buttons she had undone. She is relieved he is so good at it and that it has escaped Alexis's notice.

"I made you both some soup, I'll leave a plate for you both on the counter," she yawns, "night."

"Night Pumpkin."

"Night Lex," they tell her. It is almost 1:30am. Soup does sound quite nice though. Castle takes her hand and leads her out into the loft's kitchen where as Alexis had said was soup waiting for them.

"Alexis is a treasure Rick," Kate tells him whilst she eats her soup.

He smiles, "I know."