Summary: Castle and Beckett have a morning after.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Castle.

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Rating: T+

THE LIGHT OF A NEW DAY:

THE MORNING AFTER

Alexis came home earlier than she had planned. She felt she had to given her dad had sounded so strange on the phone last night when they talked. Something was wrong and she wanted to make sure he was really ok. Opening the door Alexis poked her head in, almost expecting to see her dad passed out on the couch with his laptop in his lap from an all night writing binge. No such luck. The couch was vacant. Stepping inside she closed and locked to door seeing nothing out of place until she reached the stairs where a trail of clothes greeted her. Some belonged to her dad and the others were too small; a woman.

Creeping slowly up the stairs Alexis slipped by her dad's door where it was cracked open. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to see who had stayed with her dad last night. For a split second Alexis hoped it was Detective Beckett. Poking her head in the open door she saw her dad, buried under most of the covers, snuggled up to a brunette. A smile, a broad grin, appeared on her lips. It was Kate Beckett. Backing out slowly Alexis vanished into her room stuffing her ear buds in and blasting music.

HOURS LATER:

Risk Castle woke wrapped around the body of Kate Beckett. She was still asleep with a gentle smirk playing on her lips. It warmed Rick's heart as he stayed staring at her. He was truly at a loss for words and he was ok with that. Since meeting Kate his life had been turned upside down, turned inside out, and rocked out of the solar system. Normally when things got tough he usually back away, retreated into his world of writing, but not with Beckett. She was more than a muse, more than the basis for Nikki Heat. At first that was how she started out. Rick was drawn into the world of police work when she had arrested him for murder. After he had more than enough material for ten books of Nikki Heat, he still stuck around. Now, Kate was more than his next best seller. She was what got him out of bed. She made the sun shine for him. She made him want to do as she did; speak for the dead. Leaning into her Rick kissed her shoulder, kissed the crook of her neck, kissed her jaw line, and placed a light lingering kiss on her cheek.

Kate woke to gentle kisses being rained down on her cheek and to her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open revealing she was still in Castle's, in Rick's bed with him wrapped around her. Last night had happened. She had made the choice to be happy, to move on, rather than to have closure on what had happened to her. Kate truly didn't care as she lay in his arms. She didn't care that she resigned from a job she enjoyed. As long as she had Castle in her life she could find her way again. She was truly ready to commit to him, to try and build a life where Castle fit. When this started he had been an annoyance with the occasional helping hand in solving cases. Then, he became more of a partner as time went on. Before Kate knew it she was falling in love with him, with his whit, with his smile, and his sarcasm. She already loved him for his writing.

There was so much to learn about Rick. He was truly a man of many layers. Underneath the savvy, nonchalant writer was a caring father who loved his daughter with all of his heart, and under that was a man who endured so much for her. He had been there when she faced down the man who killed her mother. He had been there when she had faced down her boss, her friend, her mentor as he bargained for her life. Roy Montgomery had brought Castle with him to ensure that Kate was taken out of harms way. Then she had been shot. As she lay dying she had heard Castle say he loved her. That gave her what she needed to fight for life. But when she got better, she had to wait to make sure she was at a place emotionally ready for him, so she could be the woman he deserved. Now she was here, in a point in her life where she could truly be with him.

Rolling over Kate smiled up at him. Gently his lips descended on hers kissing her as sweetly as he could. His lips could suck all the oxygen out of her whether they were in heated passion or a gentle, subtle good morning kiss. "Morning." She mumbled when they broke apart. Her body had never felt so sated, so relaxed. Every move she had Castle had made last night had been perfectly in tune. He fit perfectly to her. Everything about him called to her, until she was so wrapped up in him that her day was never complete without him bringing her coffee, him spinning his off the wall theories, or having him trying to convince his theories were what was actually going on. Kate loved it all. She loved him more than she had ever loved any man before setting eyes on Richard Castle. He saved her more than she could ever tell him. Kate was grateful to have him in her life now.

Rick grinned down at Kate. She was a pure vision of beauty with her long brown copper highlighted hair all mussed and her whiskey colored eyes still heavy with sleep but sated with happiness. "Good morning." Then he looked at the clock, "Or should I say afternoon. We slept the morning away... almost," He chuckled when Kate covered her face with the top edge of the sheet. Castle lay back on the bed and stretched his arms out feeling his shoulder pop and his back crack. A satisfied groan rumbled in his chest. Then Kate was straddling his waist, the sheet around her torso obstructing his view of her body, of the bullet hole. Rick sat up drawing down the sheet far enough so the bullet hole was revealed. Just as he had last night, he lovingly kissed her scar, drew the tip of his tongue over the roughened flesh feeling the different texture. He would never stop kissing that scar, the sign of her almost being taken from him with just a bullet. Rick knew all about the damage bullets could inflict on flesh. He had been terrified when one finally found her. Kate shuddered above him, drawing in a shaky breath. He could practically feel the emotion running through her. Rick leaned back, "You ok?"

"I'm perfect." Kate answered. Her heart swelled with love and her eyes filled with tears of joy. She ran her hands up his chest to cup the sides of his face. Every breath she took she took now because of him. "I love you Rick." Kate spoke the words she had been nearly choking on for months. But it wasn't until the last few weeks, when he was pulling away from her, that she finally admitted that they needed to be said. He kissed her hard and fast infusing her with all the love she could feel from him. His fingers dug into her back drawing a moan from her. Between her legs she could feel Rick coming to life. They had had each other all morning.

"This may be the wrong time," Castle managed between kisses, "But… I am really hungry." He smiled broadly and Kate just laughed resting her forehead to his. Rick joined in the laughter when he heard her stomach growl.

"I need coffee," Kate mumbled. Her caffeine addled brain demanded it to continue functioning. She would need the caffeine buzz to help wake up incase Risk wanted to play some more.

IN THE KITCHEN:

Kate leaned against the counter watching Rick as he brewed them a fresh pot of coffee. He pulled on a black t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants. She had pulled out the red oversized t-shirt she had worn once before. Of course when she had worn that shirt her apartment had been blown up. Now she felt at home in his shirt. Rick let the coffee brew a she crossed the short distance to her. His hands went to her waist, lifting her to set her on the edge of the counter. Kate rested her hands on his shoulders, "You better not let my coffee burn in the pot." Kate threatened playfully before kissing him. She couldn't stop kissing him now that she had him.

"Don't worry; I won't let the one thing that makes you smile in the morning burn." He replied resting his hands on the bare skin of her thighs. Rick couldn't remember feeling this good. Kate draped her right arm over his shoulder, bringing her left hand up to thread through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Well, not the only thing to make me smile." Kate bit her bottom lip. "When I would see you walking towards me, you made me smile. The coffee was a cover." She answered taking the time to truly see him; see the man. He had been right in front of her the whole time and it had taken her losing him and nearly dying again to realize what she had. "I'm sorry about the night before last."

"Kate…"

"No, Rick." Kate silenced him. "You were trying to protect me, I understand that now."

Rick sighed leaning his forehead against her chin. Slowly he breathed her in, filling his lungs with the alluring scent that drove him insane for her. "There could have been a better way."

"It gave me the kick I needed to make a change." Kate kissed his forehead lightly. She glanced over at the coffee maker to see the pot was full. "Coffee's finished."

Rick pulled back putting his hands on Kate's hips, urging her to slide off the counter. "Can't have it getting can we?" He teased turning for from her to retrieve two cups. Hopefully he had more time with Kate alone before Alexis arrived home some time in the afternoon.

"Hey dad, Detective Beckett," Alexis greeted coming down the stairs. She smiled cheekily when both of them jumped.

"Alexis…" Kate was at a loss for words and she was more than a little embarrassed to be standing in front of her in only Castle's shirt.

"What are you doing home sweetheart? Thought you weren't coming home until…" Castle looked at the clock, "Now…"

"I came home early." Alexis smiled making her way over to the refrigerator completely at ease with Detective Beckett in the kitchen with her father. This was bound to make him happy. "Oh dad, grams called. She's was wondering if we were going to join her in the Hamptons this weekend. I told her I would check with you."

Castle said, "Sure, we'll all drive up later this evening." He looked at Beckett offering her a cup of the freshly brewed coffee waiting for her to decline, to back out.

"Sounds like fun. Now I get to see how the other half lives." Kate took that first glorious, brain buzzing, sip of coffee. She sighed in pleasure. That first jolt was always the most important and the best to be savored slowly. It had Kate uttering a small moan of joy.

"You sure?" Castle asked.

"Yes," Kate nodded smiling at him and then looked back at Alexis giving Little Castle a broad grin. "I can't wait." She said. This was the first day of a new life where she and Castle could be together.