He's not entirely sure how he ended up here, surrounded by men wearing leather vests and women with like three nose piercings. It had started as an off handed comment made by Beckett while they had all been celebrating a case at the Old Haunt. The boys were joking about how Beckett had a tattoo and they wondered if mom and dad had matching ones, she had looked at him with this twinkle in her eye and stated that "no, don't think Castle could sit through getting a tattoo" he's not even sure why that made him think it would be a good idea to leave the bar in search of the closest open tattoo parlour. But none the less thats where he was now in a seemingly nice looking tattoo parlour in SoHo.

"Mr. Castle, you ready?"

"Sure am!"

"follow me this way, you know what you want?"

"Yeah"

"Just let the artist know, straight through that door there" The receptionist points to a door painted completely black at the end of the hall. When he gets to the door he has to wipe his hands on his pants more then once before working up the courage to open it. When he does the first thing he notices is the table standing in the middle of the room, however the thing that caught his eye was the young blonde sitting in the corner cleaning needles.

"Uh s'cuse me?"

The young blond turns on her chair smiling up at him. "You can sit on the table and tell me what you want and where, remember we charge by the size and amount of time I'm sure Nia told you, before we start my name is Chris."

"You can call me Rick, so I just sit there and you...do your thing?"

"Yup ya seem nervous you nervous Rick?"

"Nope never better, lets do this!"

"Ok so lay down and we will get started, you just tell me if its to much"

Rick just rolls his eyes but winces when the needles touch his skin. In that moment the only thing he can think of that makes this not crazy is the fact that it will mean something.

CBCBCBCBCBCBCBC

An hour later he's at his apartment with his pants over his hip looking at his new ink. Its eleven at night and he left the group at the Old Haunt, now he doesn't know if he should go to Beckett and show her his badge of "Ha I told you so!" or just go drink a beer. With a quick shake of his head he grabs his wallet, keys and phone writing a note for his mother and Alexis and leaves.

Twenty minuets later he's standing outside her door debating whether to knock, because what if she's sleeping or found someone else to bring home and-

"Shit"

The door swings open to reveal a half dressed slightly wobbly Beckett. "Uh beckett you ok?"

"Castle what are you doin here?" It was obvious that she had a little more to drink after he left by the glassy look in her eyes and the fact that her night shirt was on inside out.

"You drunk Beckett?"

"pffft noooo" she steps back to let Castle through and stumbles a bit "ok not drunk just tipsy" Castle just nods making his way into her kitchen searching the cupboard for coffee. Once he has that started he turns to find her leaning against the counter studying him.

"What?"

"Why are you here?"

Castles eyes light up like a kid on christmas. "Oh I did it!"

"Did what?"

"The tattoo, I told you I could do it so I did" He says with a cocky smile.

"Oh my god Castle I didn't mean for you to go and actually get one, are you crazy!"

"Well did you want to see it?" She hesitates only a moment before nodding slowly. Castle begins to unbutton his pants.

"Whoa wait where is it?"

"Just on my hip"

"Ok" With that he turns slightly and pulls down the side of his pants to reveal two cherries. Kate lets out a small laugh and looks up at him confused. Out of all the things he could get she didn't underst-

"W-why?" she asked raising her eyes slowly back to him, knowing the answer and slightly worried to hear it out loud. He just shrugs.

"Its a piece of you."

"Castle I-"

"No its ok beckett I said I would wait and I will but now I will always have this as a reminder of you and this time. Always."

She nods giving him a soft smile. "Always"