So first things first, happy birthday to the dearest Jaime, also known as JMHaughey, if you haven't read her stuff - then you are missing out. I'm half responsible for making her a Castle addict, so I certainly owe her this as a present. This is a break from my normal angst, no dialogue pieces, this one is a light, kind of kooky, bantering sort of piece. It made me laugh while I was writing it, so I hope you do too.

I don't own anything you recognise, just a ticket to meet Seamus and Juliana in Australia tomorrow, well later today here.

Shopping With You

Kate Beckett sighed as she rinsed the last of her conditioner from her hair. She shook her head from side to side as she switched the faucet off, shivering as the cold air hit her. Carefully she wrapped a towel around her before reaching for a second to wrap her hair in. It had been a good morning, she'd been able to sleep late after last night's festivities and she'd even fit in a morning run which always left her in a better mood.

She wasn't expected at the precinct until late that evening, therefore she had planned a day of total home time. This home time would be complete with catching up on her DVR, there were several episodes of Temptation Lane to watch. That was until there was a knock at the door. Cursing to herself she quickly raced into her bedroom and found clean sweats and her oversized NYPD t-shirt from last year's picnic. She threw both of them on quickly and headed for the door as it was knocked on again.

"I'm here." She called, as she looked through the peephole, "What's the emergency?" she questioned as she pulled open the door.

"Well is this how you answer the door to all of your guests or just me?" Castle replied, stifling a giggle at his partner's dishevelled appearance. "You look like a washer woman."

Beckett glared at him, "A washer woman?"

"It's the towel on the head thing. You remind me of Mother trying to wash her intricate costumes when I was young. She once played an Irish woman who washed linens for a living, hence the washer woman name." Castle explained as he attempted to enter Beckett's apartment.

"Castle, are you here to critique my wardrobe choices or for some other reason?" Beckett questioned as he stepped around her and made his way into her kitchen.

"You've forgotten, haven't you?" he questioned, setting a bag down upon the counter.

"I have an excellent memory," she replied as she closed the door behind him and joined him in the kitchen.

"Last night?" Castle questioned by way of prompt, amused because despite her assurances of her excellent memory, she had forgotten what she had agreed to.

"Last night?" Beckett repeated to herself as she quickly tried to put the pieces together.

Beckett smiled as she lifted her second drink to her lips and swallowed the sweet wine carefully, somehow an impromptu Christmas party had been arranged and most of the twelfth had managed to make an appearance.

"We sure know how to throw a party don't we Beckett?" Castle said as he came to stand beside her, draining the last mouthful of his drink.

"Yes, your staff are very obliging." Beckett replied as one of the waitresses bought Castle another drink, complete with a red serviette underneath it. The serviette read, 'Merry Christmas Cops and Friends'.

Beckett smiled again, "Just how long have you been planning this party Castle?"

"Why Detective Beckett, I have no idea what you mean, this is after all just a small spur of the moment thing."

"And spur of the moment parties always have personalised serviettes?"

"Okay, maybe we at The Old Haunt have been planning this for just a few weeks." Castle explained, waving his arms around in a gesturing fashion, "But you have to admit we do throw an amazing party."

Beckett nodded, "I'd have to agree. But why the secrecy?"

Castle smiled, "More fun this way. If it is impromptu then no one has to worry about over thinking the situation, it's just a fun night out. No one has to buy a new Christmas party outfit."

Beckett turned her head to the side, studying her partner carefully, "You mean no one but you. I've not seen that shirt before and you are wearing a tie."

Castle smiled again, one of the amazing smiles that lit up his whole face, "Why Detective, I thought you'd never notice. I was beginning to wonder about your skills of deduction."

"Funny Castle, funny." Beckett replied, as she nudged him with her shoulder.

"They look like they are getting along better." Castle said as he gestured towards Lanie and Esposito.

Beckett wrinkled her nose, "They are standing three feet apart and staring at each other as they shuffle back and forth, I'd hardly call that better."

"Well, they aren't yelling at each other."

"Even if they were we wouldn't be able to hear them."

"Okay smarty pants, I bet that I can get the two of them dancing with the other by the end of the night." Castle said with a smirk, placing his drink down before sticking out his right hand for her to shake.

"What are the stakes?" Beckett questioned, withholding her hand.

"If I get them to dance then you have to do one thing that I ask this Christmas and I don't have to tell you until it's time and you cannot say no."

Beckett glared at him, "I don't know about that."

"If I can't then I promise to for one month do my share of your paper work."

"What makes you think I'd want you touching my paperwork. I need my case files to sound like case files, not the next great American crime novel."

"The next great American crime novel hey?"

"Don't let that go to your head."

"Would I?" Castle questioned with a wink.

"Yes." Beckett answered immediately.

"So what do you want then?" Castle retorted. "What will be your reward if I fail?"

"You mean, other than you failing?"

"You can choose later." Castle explained, taking her drink and placing it on the bar behind them. He shook her hand quickly and then pulled her towards Lanie and Esposito.

"Castle, what are you doing?" Beckett questioned with a small yelp as she planted her heels into the carpet beneath them, refusing to move.

"Oh, didn't I mention?" Castle told her with a smile as he turned around to look at her. "I'm going to need your help."

"Earth to Beckett, are you there?" Castle questioned, waving his hands in front of her face.

"Castle I haven't even had my coffee yet." Beckett replied with a pout as she returned to the present.

"One step ahead of you." Castle answered, opening the bag on the counter and pulling out a coffee cup. "Just for you." He said with a smile as he handed her the cup. "Now go and get dressed, unless you want to go out looking like the washer woman."

"Go out?" Beckett questioned.

"You still don't remember what you agreed to do, do you?"

"Yes. I do." Beckett replied as she walked towards her bedroom, she turned back to him as she reached the door, "And you are just going to wait while I get ready then?"

Castle nodded, "I bought a book. Now hurry up, the shops will be getting busy and I don't fancy fighting an elderly woman for the last item on the registry."

"Registry?"

"Think about it." Castle replied.

Beckett turned and wrinkled her nose, what exactly had she agreed to?

"My help?" Beckett questioned, "Isn't this your plan?"

"Yes, but I need a co-conspirator."

Beckett shook her head, "This wasn't mentioned in the bet."

"Changed at the last minute."

"That voids the agreement."

"I'm still holding your hand."

Beckett pursed her lips, "What do I have to do?"

"Dance with Esposito." Castle said as they made their way to the makeshift dance floor where a heady rock beat was playing.

"Your plan is going to fail, you know that right?"

"Then you'd better be thinking of something to claim as your reward." Castle explained as he let go of her hand and spun himself over to Lanie.

"Castle." Beckett replied warningly, but it was too late, he was gone.

Beckett closed her bedroom door behind her and sat down on her bed, there was dancing, she remembered that. But what had she forgotten? She'd managed to distract Esposito and then Castle had signalled towards her.

The music had changed from the rock beat and a slow, romantic version of 'All I Want for Christmas is You' had began to play, "I see your plan Mr Castle and I am even more convinced of my success." She whispered to herself as Esposito swung her around the room with one of his hands and soon enough Castle's plan was in motion. Somehow he'd managed to couple both Esposito and Lanie together, hands holding each others and both of them were moving closer together.

"Success." He said with a whisper as he took hold of Beckett's hand again and began spinning her around the room.

"How did you manage that?" Beckett questioned as she felt his grip on her tighten, pulling her closer towards him.

"I may or may not have promised Lanie something or it could just be the magic of the season, or the song." Castle replied as he spun her out from his arms.

"I think I believe the first one." Beckett answered as she stole a glance over at her friends.

"I don't know about that Beckett, those smiles look pretty real to me."

Beckett had to agree, her friends did look as if they were enjoying their dance together and as Castle pulled her closer she had to admit she was enjoying herself also. The music was slow, slower than normal and somehow she'd found her way right into Castle's arms, his hand held hers tightly and the other rested carefully on the small of her back. She stared at him and he smiled, "You had this planned all along didn't you?"

"What's Christmas without a little matchmaking and dancing and singing."

"I don't know about you Castle, but I can't hear any singing."

"That's because I haven't started yet," he replied, leaning close to her ear. "I don't want a lot for Christmas, there's just one thing I need, all I want for Christmas is shopping with you."

Beckett blushed from her seated position on her bed. She'd forgotten what Castle had said, wait he'd sung it. She'd been too busy focusing on not kissing him madly in front of the precinct. Had she even agreed to the shopping? Even that she didn't remember. She did remember what it was like dancing with Castle and she remembered the rest of the evening. The Remy's burgers and milkshakes on the way home. His smile as he thanked her for attending his 'impromptu' party.

"You want me to go shopping with you?" Beckett questioned as she opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the main room staring at Castle as she did so.

Castle smiled, "I decided on shopping as my reward for getting Lanie and Esposito to dance together. But you've remembered that now, haven't you?"

"You want to go shopping two days before Christmas and you want me to come with you?"

Castle nodded, "Exactly," he replied, before he began to hum the tune of 'All I want for Christmas is you.'

"Castle I hate shopping at Christmas. The crowds, the lines for anything and everything."

Castle shook his head, "You can't say no. I won the bet."

"I could just refuse to get dressed and stay like this." Beckett retorted, gesturing towards her clothes.

"That really doesn't bother me." Castle replied, "I could make a game of buying you clothes. Writer guy for the cop woman." Beckett laughed. "But I'd prefer you to dress yourself." He added, Beckett rolled her eyes and disappeared from sight.

"So what is so important that we need to go shopping today?" Beckett questioned as she climbed from the back of the town car which had stopped outside of Barney's.

"We need a present for Ryan and Jenny." Castle explained as he held the door open for the two of them.

"Castle, their wedding isn't for over two weeks, why the sudden hurry?"

"Well," he began, "In my personal shopping experience it is always best to buy presents for January in the days before Christmas."

"And the big sales that they have after Christmas don't interest you because?"

"Personally I've always thought that they are a good way for stores to offload people unnecessary junk."

"You mean you've bought the unnecessary junk in the past."

"There may have been a time that I came home with a large boxed set of steak knives that broke when I was cutting a piece of bread." Castle remarked as they headed for the elevator.

"Is there another reason for this impromptu shopping trip?" Beckett questioned as Castle hit the button for the home floor.

"I am striking while there are no dead bodies to distract us. You've always said that the holidays are a time for murder and mayhem. I am only making sure that we do not arrive at the wedding empty handed."

"We? That's awfully presumptuous of you Castle." Beckett teased as the elevator arrived at the floor that they wanted.

"I was meaning you and I each arriving without a gift. I was not using the collective 'we', unless that's something that you want to consider Detective."

Beckett smiled, "I should know not to challenge you on the usage of a word."

Castle nodded, "Yes, you should have learnt that by now." He replied as he walked towards the registry desk. "So, do you have any ideas of what you'd like to buy for them?"

Beckett shook her head as she followed after him, this wasn't the relaxing Temptation Lane morning she'd planned, but with Castle around it was certainly interesting.

An hour later Beckett was regretting her thoughts that this shopping trip was interesting, Castle was engaged in a particularly intense discussion with a saleswoman about the superstitions of china patterns. Each of them had fairly strong ideas on the subject, with Castle professing that flowers with crawling vines were not a good idea because they reminded him of spiders and of death and that was not a good metaphor for a wedding.

The saleswoman named Jaime disagreed, her point was that the flowers were all connected to one another just as Ryan and Jenny were going to become and that the vines signified a bond that couldn't be broken. Personally Beckett thought that the flowers were pretty and Ryan was a homicide detective and used to dealing with death and the spiders, well Beckett wasn't going to touch that angle.

She sighed to herself, "Castle perhaps china isn't the right present for you to buy." She added simply, placing her hands on the counter in front of her.

"But this was the only choice of mine that you didn't veto." Castle replied petulantly.

"You wanted to give him something called a silverware storing board."

"It looked like fun."

"Castle, it involves storing the knives and forks horizontally by sticking them into a board mounted on the wall."

"Yes, fun."

Beckett shook her head, "No Castle. Not fun. And also not on the list."

"I did also suggest bacon of the month club."

"Also not on the list."

"China was on the list."

"Yes but you can't decide on either of the patterns. One reminds you of spiders and the other has 'too many stripes'."

"I'd prefer it if I could choose the pattern."

"Yes Castle, but it isn't your wedding."

"What pattern did the two of you choose?" Jaime questioned from her position behind the counter where she had been interestingly watching the two of them banter back and forth.

"Us?" Beckett questioned.

"The two of you. When you got married." Jaime replied as if it was the most obvious thing to say in the world.

"We aren't married." Beckett answered quickly, feeling a blush creep up her neck.

Castle shook his head, "She's correct."

"Oh." Jaime began backpedalling, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to assume."

"It's fine." Castle replied. "I think I'll have to have a think about the patterns." He explained, placing one of the delicate plates in front of Jaime carefully.

Jaime nodded, "I'll be here until six if you decide."

"We won't be here until then." Beckett replied, "At least I hope we won't be."

At 5:57pm exactly Castle and Beckett waited on the corner of Madison Avenue for the town car to pick them up.

"I cannot believe I spent the whole day in Barney's with you." Beckett said with a smile as she struggled to hold the handles of the numerous bags she was carrying.

"Don't pretend you didn't have fun today Detective. I know that there are a number of presents in those bags, presents that you wouldn't have found if you didn't come shopping with me today."

"There may be a few." Beckett replied.

"Did you buy me anything?"

"You were with me the entire time." Beckett answered, rolling her eyes.

"But still you didn't let me see what you bought for Ryan and Jenny."

"Only because you didn't let me see what you bought."

"Only because you vetoed everything that I decided on."

"My present is going on the opposite side of the gift table as yours."

"As you wish. At least you've now got a present to give."

Beckett smiled as the car pulled up beside them, "You do realise that I am going to be late now."

Castle shook his head, "No, you won't be. This car is for you to the precinct and this one," he said pointing to a second car that had also stopped close to them, "is for me."

"And you aren't coming with me because?"

"I'm going to take the presents to the loft." Castle explained. "I promise not to look in the bags. Scout's honour."

Beckett shook her head, "There's only one problem there Castle. You were never a scout."

"Partner honour then."

Beckett smiled, that she couldn't deny. "Thank you Castle, that's really sweet of you." She leant up and kissed him on the cheek. "I guess I can see the finer points of shopping so close to Christmas."

"I knew you'd begin to see it my way." Castle explained as he took the shopping bags from her hands, just as her phone started to ring. "And that's the body call."

Beckett smiled as she answered, "Espo, what have we got?" she paused waiting for him to answer, "An elf, shot by Santa over Mrs Claus presumably." Beckett repeated, shaking her head.

"The Christmas season of joy has started." Castle called as he walked away, "And I was right to make you go shopping today. Even if I did promise Lanie a necklace to win the bet."

"Castle." Beckett called angrily.

"See you at the crime scene."

"You don't know where it is. And I am not going to tell you."

"You aren't the only cop I know." Castle called back to her and then he was gone, leaving her alone, standing next to the car.

"Miss?" The driver questioned, "Where to?

She contemplated giving the loft address and following Castle home and hitting him over the head with the present she had bought Ryan and Jenny, but she didn't. Instead she smiled and gave the address Esposito had given her, she wouldn't deny it, shopping with Castle had been fun, she just wasn't going to tell him that.

Happy Birthday Jaime, I heart you.