We Were Something New
A sequel to Start All Over Again
The ride had been beyond smooth so far, but her knee bumped and jolted like they were traveling over rough terrain. Not for the first time in the last hour and a half, she wondered if she had lost her mind.
No, she was sane, reasonable, competent, and in control of her faculties. She was just in love. In love and unwilling to miss out on another day with him. They'd lost so much time over the last two years - too much time - and she wasn't about to waste more, even if the separation was temporary this time around.
He'd stayed in New York for two weeks after wrapping up the case that had reunited them, taking her on a second first date (a 'fresh start first date' he'd called it) the day after she'd visited the victim's family. It had been harder than she anticipated watching him return to DC, to the life they'd been living for so long, and she'd decided enough was enough after just ten days. He was retiring for her, for them; she could cash in on a few of her vacation days and give him a big romantic gesture like she knew he loved.
She was going to him. They were going to him.
But even with Indy at her side, she hadn't managed to shake the jitters that came along with her impulsive decision.
What if he'd changed his mind? Both about leaving the job and about moving back to New York to start again. What if being back in his life and his skin had made him reevaluate that decision?
Indy nosed her knee, stilling its movements. Kate smiled, allowing her hand to open against the top of the dog's head, rubbing gently.
"Sorry, Indy. I know I'm being silly," she breathed, stroking her fingers over Indy's ear. "It's going to be fine."
Even if he had changed his mind, had decided to stay in DC, it would be fine. Washington DC wasn't thousands of miles away, it wasn't Belarus or San Marino, or wherever the hell else he'd been sent after leaving New York the first time. They could make a relationship work between New York and Washington DC. Of course, she would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to starting over in the city where they'd fallen for one another, the city where their relationship had flourished the first time, but the past two years and reconnecting had provided perspective; she just wanted him. In New York, in DC, wherever they needed to be, Rick Castle was what she wanted.
Kate gave her head a shake, forcing herself to focus on the now. "So much for confidence, huh?" she murmured for her dog's ears only.
Indy gave no response as her head dropped to Kate's knee, her eyes slipping shut under Kate's gentle ministrations, but it seemed like she understood.
"He's going to be so excited to see us," she said, stroking the dog's fur. "Let's just make sure you don't pee in his apartment lobby, okay? Though I'm sure he would consider that a compliment," she added with a wry smile.
The dog had been so happy to have Castle home. The first morning they'd woken up together again, they'd found that Indy had squished herself between them on top of the covers, her head resting on Rick's hip. She'd barely left Castle's side the entire time he stayed, and then the dog had moped for the first two days after he left. So really, this surprise was as much for Indigo as it was for her humans.
Exhaling, Kate lowered her chin, bringing her head down to touch Indy's. In response, her puppy dragged her tongue over Kate's cheek.
"Yes, thank you," she swiped at the stripe of dog saliva, taking the kiss as a hint to sit back in her seat and get out of Indigo's face. "I appreciate your input on the subject."
Kate rubbed Indy's muzzle with gentle fingers before glancing out the window. The world flew by, some shapes more recognizable than others, and after scanning the landscape, watching the sun disappear to the west, she reached for her phone to pass the remainder of the trip.
She found Rick's name in her notifications - underneath the five or so messages from Lanie and the boys wondering what the hell was up with her sudden embrace of vacation time. After a moment of thought, she sent Lanie a text with the truth - sort of - that she was visiting a friend and would be back in a few days, while the boys got something smart ass about her giving them a chance to show they could solve cases without her. Ryan and Esposito hadn't been keen to work with Castle again, knowing the history she shared with the (soon to be) former agent, and she wasn't keen to provide them with the finer details of her reconciliation with him either. Once Castle was back in the city and things had settled down, she would consider bringing them into the loop, but not before then.
With the check-ups out of the way, she turned her attention to Castle's message, pressing her fingers over her lips to avoid disturbing the other passengers with her laughter.
I am stuck in the world's most boring meeting - entertain me, please.
Knowing about their impending arrival would certainly do that for him, but it wouldn't help him concentrate on his meeting. So instead of coming clean, she sent him a frowning face and said she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep him occupied at the moment.
Of course, telling him that only intrigued him more, and she got another message within seconds asking what was going on.
She bit her lip, contemplating her answer. She could lie and tell him she was still at work - it would be the easiest way to satisfy his curiosity. Then again, if he thought that she was in the middle of a case, he might arrange for food to 'mysteriously' show up at the precinct, and she would hate to miss that. He would order her favorite, and the kung pao chicken would go underappreciated by Ryan and Esposito.
So instead of pretending to be at the precinct, she gave him a roundabout answer about hanging out with Indy and needing to keep her occupied. True at its basest form, but not specific enough to be a lie. Technically she was hanging out with her dog, she just wasn't doing so in Manhattan.
Lucky.
Oh, that was a jealous response if she'd ever heard one. Good thing they would be there soon.
She just had to be sure he wouldn't try to burn the midnight oil at his super-secret spy lair and leave them sitting alone on his doorstep because he had no idea they were coming.
Thankfully he jumped at the invitation to Facetime, promising to head home once his meeting was over so he could break out his computer for their impromptu date.
Kate smirked, glancing out the window once again, watching the sky turn pink with the sinking sun.
Almost there.
Finding a cab once they arrived proved to be more complicated than she'd hoped it would be. Most drivers took one look at Indy and tapped the sign indicating the only animals welcome in their cars were service animals. She couldn't exactly walk to Castle's place, nor could she take the dog on the metro, which left her with just a couple of options. Call Rick and reveal her surprise early, or find another way to his place.
Thankfully, the Uber she requested was pet friendly, and soon she and Indy were on their way to Arlington. Their driver was more than happy to have them, chatting away as they crept through traffic, awwing when Kate admitted that they were there to see her boyfriend.
"Who says romance is dead?" Rai asked, looking back at them, mischief in her eyes. "He better appreciate that."
Kate laughed, smoothing her hand over Indigo's side, grateful that the dog had always been good about car rides. "I think he will," she murmured, thinking back to the glee in Castle's last text, the one where he announced that he was out of the meeting from hell and on his way back to his desk to get his things. He was going to lose his shit when she called him to let them in.
She thanked Rai when the SUV stopped in front of Rick's building, sliding out and beckoning Indy to jump down. Rai grinned, winking over the duffel bag she unloaded for them.
"Enjoy your night, Kate. Bye, Indy - god, you're so cute."
Kate laughed, shouldering her luggage. "You too, Rai. Thank you again for this."
She rubbed Indy's back, waiting until the car had pulled away from the curb to fish her phone from her pocket and check again for new messages. She only had one from Castle: a proclamation that he was on his way home, which made her wonder if she had beaten him there.
She gave him a nudge, jiggling Indy's leash while she waited for him to respond. Her fidgeting came to a halt when he replied that he was changing clothes and would be grabbing his computer shortly.
Sending him another message, a bit of advice not to get the computer just yet because there was something waiting for him outside, Kate glanced up at the building, wondering whether any the illuminated windows over her head were part of his place, whether he was checking to see if she was putting him on with her text.
Less than three minutes later, the front door crashed open and Rick Castle came skidding out, bare-chested, his dress slacks slung low on his hips without his usual belt. Elation flooded his face as his eyes landed on them, and Kate pocketed her phone, taking a step forward.
"Good call on putting pants on," she teased, looking him up and down. "What kind of date did you think we were gonna have, Castle?"
His laughter bounced across the bricks, but he didn't refute either of her insinuations. She had no doubt that he would've come running outside in less if he'd needed to - and that their real date would've ended in video sex. It wouldn't have been the first time, after all.
Indy whined, straining against the leash in Kate's hand, eager to get to Castle. Kate gave in, allowing the dog to pull her forward and into Rick's space.
"Surprise," she offered, watching him fumble to catch Indigo without taking his eyes off her.
"I-yeah," he breathed, drawing Kate into him, his mouth seeking hers. Beckett caught herself, flattening her hand on his bare shoulder, delighting in the rush of heat against her palm. "I'm damn surprised. I can't believe you're here - that both of you are here," he added, dipping his head to acknowledge the dog squirming between them.
Kate brushed her fingers over his back, feeling goosebumps rise on his skin at the touch. "Why don't we head inside and stop giving the people eating on the patio at the restaurant across the street a show?"
Castle chuckled, swiping his mouth along her jawline. "Probably a good idea. While Tito's does offer live entertainment, I doubt this is exactly what they meant."
Rolling her eyes, Kate stole one last kiss before allowing her hand to slip away from his back. Her fingers tightened once again on Indy's leash, giving her overeager dog a gentle tug backward. "Let Daddy get his keys out, Indy. He sees you."
She watched Castle brandish a white keycard before his hand drifted down to ruffle the fur at Indigo's neck.
"I do see you, Indy. I'm glad to see you."
Kate bit her lip, flushing at his obvious joy. She was crazy, but she'd made him happy. Mission accomplished.
Rick slid Indy's leash from her hand, twisting once the leather strap was secure in his grip to wave his keycard over the pad and pull the door open for her.
"Thanks." Kate stepped inside, looking around his apartment lobby. The place was nice - very nice - crisp and clean, a security desk in the corner, and a small bank of elevators across the room.
"Nice place," she remarked, switching her bag to her other side, lest she smack him with it as they walked.
Castle smiled quickly, catching her hand as it made its descent from her shoulder. Kate blinked, staring at their joined hands, taking in the way his palm dwarfed hers.
"Thanks," he said, breaking her concentration. "Come with me for a sec; I want to grab something from the desk."
"You're gonna do it half-naked?" she asked, giving his bare chest a pointed - though appreciative - look, her eyebrow lifting on her forehead.
He hesitated, glancing down at his attire before shrugging and leading her to the security desk.
The young man behind the table lifted his head as they approached, doing a credible job of pretending he wasn't aware of their dramatic entrance.
"Good evening, Mr. Castle," he greeted, his voice neutral, even though the resident he was addressing was only half-dressed. "What can I do for you tonight?"
Rick's smile widened. "Hi, Erick. I was hoping you could help me out with a visitor keycard for the main doors. I have a spare key to my door for her, but I don't want Kate to have to rely on someone else to let her into the building while she's here."
Beckett flushed, lifting a hand in greeting. Two minutes and one ID check later, she had her own electronic card that would give her access to Castle's building. As they stepped into the elevator, Rick jostled her hand, looking a little bit sheepish.
"Thanks for indulging me back there. I know you haven't said how long you're staying, but I didn't want to you not be able to come and go if you want to."
"Come and go, and take Indy out in the middle of the night," she teased, stepping closer and tapping a finger to the center of his chest.
Rick grinned, drawing her finger to his lips. "I'll have you know that I have every intention of taking her out with you. Or on my own."
Her fingers slipped away from his mouth, lowering to trace across his collarbone. His shoulders lifted at her touch. "Sure you do. And then if she actually whines to go out tonight, it'll be 'please, Kate? I'll make it up to you in the morning,' and you'll sleep on while I stumble around outside with a plastic bag."
His lips parted. "Don't I always keep my word, though?" he asked. "At least about that?"
"We'll just have to see if you do," she murmured, stepping back as the doors opened to his floor. "But I'm willing to let you prove it to me, either way."
She left the elevator first, giving their joined hands a tug to remind him and Indy to follow her.
His apartment door had barely closed behind them when Rick pointed Indy toward the couch and yanked Kate into the wall of his chest, his mouth finding hers. With anyone else she might have protested, but with him she relished the insistence, the raw need in his kiss, allowing him to lift her off her feet and carry her to his bedroom to say a proper hello.
"Have I mentioned lately how happy I am that you're here?" Rick murmured against her neck the next morning. The gravel in his voice told her he hadn't been awake for long, probably woke up about the same time she did, but neither of them had felt inclined to move or break the spell.
"It might have come up once or twice," she drawled, smirking into the pillow as his arm tightened around her waist.
"Your mind is so filthy, Detective," he breathed into her skin. "You and I both know it came up more than that."
A hearty laugh bubbled from her throat. Their reunion had been everything she'd been craving since the day he'd left New York and more, and she relishes in her impulsive decision. They're still them, even in another city.
Twisting in the sheets, she turned to face him, her leg hooking over his. "Mmm, maybe you should refresh my memory."
Castle dipped his head, taking her mouth without a word, slicking his tongue over her lip. Kate opened to him on a groan, her fingers slipping through his hair, pressing closer.
"I suppose I could show you again," he offered when they parted. "Maybe a fe-"
The scratch of nails against his bedroom door cut off the rest of his innuendo. Rick grunted, moving to leave the bed.
"I'll get her," she said, stopping him with a kiss, her hands falling from his hair to stroke his shoulders. "You've already pushed it with your neighbors once since Indy and I got here; best not to go out like that."
She pressed another kiss to the bow of his mouth, rocking her pelvis against his, indicating how indecent it would be for him to step foot from the apartment at the moment.
"Keep that up and Indy will be waiting a while," he growled, his palm warm at her hip.
Kate's breath caught in her throat as want surged through her veins, flashing hot in her gut.
"She did go out pretty late last night," she mused, arching into his hands, welcoming the press of his mouth.
"Probably just wants attention," Rick added, feathering his lips down her neck. "Or to crawl in with us."
Kate laughed, catching his shoulder with her teeth. "Bad habit you started."
His chuckle rumbled across her chest. "Bad habit you perpetuated."
She had to give him that. She'd let Indy sleep in his spot so often while they were apart, allowed the dog to climb up with her in the mornings when she didn't have to run to a crime scene immediately. "She'll be fine for a little while. We'll know she needs the break when the real whining starts."
Rick's fingers slid along her thigh, teasing abstract patterns on her skin until she began to squirm beneath him. "Perfect."
Once they were finally able to bring themselves to leave his bedroom, they took Indy for a walk together, stopping to grab coffee from the shop at the end of Rick's block on the way back. Kate's instinct was to order a danish, too, but Castle stopped her, promising food when they got back to his place. And sure enough, as soon as he let Indy off her leash at his door (and watched with undisguised glee as the dog hopped up on his couch and made herself comfortable again), he stole a coffee-flavored kiss from Beckett's mouth and gestured toward the kitchen.
"Hungry?"
She nodded, stroking her thumb over his bicep. "Sure. Something easy, though. Don't make some big Castle-esque spread this morning; you have to go into work soon and I can't eat it all by myself."
He grinned, sneaking another kiss before stepping back and heading to the kitchen. "I'll save the spread for tomorrow, then."
Watching him open the fridge with ease, Kate nodded. "Okay."
"You know I wouldn't even go in at all, except-"
"No," she cut him off, following him into the galley kitchen and leaning a hip against his counter. "Castle, I didn't come to force you to change your plans. I just wanted to see you."
Her cheeks heated at the admission, but she didn't take it back. She hadn't been a "sharer" before meeting him, and in a lot of ways, she'd fallen back to those patterns after he left. But he deserved to know what their second chance meant to her, that she was in it just as deeply as he was.
Everything clattered in the fridge as Rick shoved the door closed. Her mouth opened to tease him about it, but she wasn't able to get the words out before his hands connected with her hips and he pulled her into an embrace, his face landing in the curve of her neck. Kate lifted onto her toes, her arms banding around him.
"Missed you," he murmured, his voice gruff against her skin. "The next month can't go by fast enough."
Her breath skipped. "You're still coming back?"
He scoffed. "I am counting the days, Beckett. Seriously, I have a countdown on my computer. I can show you."
"No," she denied, leaning back just enough to touch her mouth to his cheek. "I believe you. I just wasn't sure if you were still on schedule. Or if…"
"What?" he coaxed when she trailed off.
"Or if being back here had changed your mind," she continued, ignoring the way he looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Because if you have, it's okay. We can make DC work. It's DC; not Azerbaijan."
Castle's lips brushed her jaw. "Kate, I'm coming home. This job isn't for me anymore. It hasn't been for a long time, and when we saw each other again, that became abundantly clear. So you're just going to have to deal with me annoying you from now on."
And just like that, he calmed the rapid-fire stutter of her heart against her ribs, quieted the beast of doubt at the back of her mind.
"I can live with that," she breathed. "But you're sure you're not going to get bored like that?"
He shook his head. "I have things I've wanted to do for years to occupy my time. I have Indy to play with. And hey, I could even help you with some of your cases."
Her eyes narrowed at that. "Don't push your luck."
"I'll take that as a maybe," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek. "My point is that this isn't impulsive. It isn't a midlife crisis. It's what I want."
A grin slid across her face, matching the one that blossomed on his. "Okay," she agreed, turning her cheek into his palm.
"Good. Because I'm doing it."
"Good," she echoed, touching her mouth to his and allowing him to go back to foraging in the fridge for something to make for breakfast.
Lifting her fingers to her lips, Kate grinned. That had gone so much better than she could've hoped. He hadn't changed his mind, and he really hadn't made the decision because he felt like he had to for their relationship to survive.
"When I get back later, remind me to show you some of the places I was considering. I know most of them will probably be gone by the time I pick one and get to talk to the landlord, but at least I'll know what I'm looking for."
She nodded, surprised that she hadn't thought about something as big as living arrangements. Why hadn't she thought about it? "Okay. Sounds good."
Cold fingers brushed across her cheek, pulling her from her preoccupation.
"What?" Rick asked.
Kate shook her head, peeling his fingers away from her face.
"Just wondering what you've decided to concoct. Eggs, graham crackers, and… chocolate?"
He nodded, spinning toward the pantry. "Oh, forgot the marshmallow."
"The what?" Kate blinked, getting an unsettling picture of what she was expected to consume in the near future.
"Marshmallow," Rick answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm making you one of my prized creations - the smorelette. Part omelette, part s'more, it's like heaven and childhood in a single bite."
It sounded disgusting, nauseating, but his face held such adorable enthusiasm that Kate plastered a smile on her face and nodded.
Castle touched his mouth to her temple. "Relax, Kate. I'll also make a regular omelet in case you don't like it."
A laugh bubbled from her chest. Of course he was. "Thank you. I'll still give your weird smorelette thing a chance, but thank you."
He grinned, impish and unapologetic, moving back to the counter to whip up his creation.
Kate bit her lip, fought against the flare of guilt in her chest. She hadn't really answered his question. In fact, she'd deflected and distracted him.
"I hadn't even thought about apartments," she admitted a few minutes later. "For you. Obviously. I have one already."
Castle lifted his eyes from the mixing bowl, studying her for a second before he spoke, "To be fair, we hadn't really talked about it. I thought I'd get a place close to you, and then…." he trailed off. "I didn't want to assume; moving in together isn't exactly taking it slow."
"You're right," she said, quick to assure him they were on the same page. They hadn't lived together before, not officially anyway, but jumping into it when they were still trying to work things out probably wasn't the smartest idea.
Then again, starting all over again usually didn't involve their level of intimacy and comfort, it usually didn't involve spontaneous trips with the dog to see one another.
Maybe they weren't starting over after all, maybe they were just… turning to a new page in the book.
"But um," she added, feeling a bit like she was about to ask him to prom. "If you can't get into a place until after you're back in the city, you can stay with us until you do."
He nodded slowly, checking her face to be sure she meant it. "Thanks," he said, his smile turning bashful.
"Of course," Kate murmured. Reaching out to touch his back, she added, "I'm not going to let you live in a hotel after you've uprooted your life to come back to the city."
Rick's lips brushed the corner of her mouth. "It's going to be great, you know," he murmured. "Coming back to New York, retirement, it'll be great."
She hadn't really been a glass half-full kind of person since her mom died, but with Castle, she allowed herself to hope that he was right.
Just as they had when Rick was in New York, they fell into a routine, making the best of having each other, rediscovering one another in and out of the bedroom, and being a team again. Which made it more difficult when the end of their visit approached.
Castle insisted upon driving them to the train station, refusing to make her take an Uber when they could sit in traffic together. But instead of keeping up his usual running commentary, he was silent as they drove, thoughtful.
"You okay?" she asked after the quiet had stretched on too long.
Castle nodded, but the smile he offered did nothing to convince her that nothing was wrong.
"Just don't want you to miss your train," he explained. "Well, I kind of do," he continued, "but not because we're sitting in an endless line of cars. Think about how much fun we could be having back at my place."
Kate barked a laugh, brushing her fingers along the smooth skin on the inside of his forearm. "Isn't that why we're sitting in traffic now?" she asked, teasing his wrist with the tip of her fingernail. "Because we were having fun back at your place and missed our window?"
That got a smile out of him. "Well yes, but it was the best kind of fun, Kate."
"Uh huh."
"And wouldn't you like to have more of that? Instead of this?" He gestured to the brake lights ahead of them in disgust.
"Mmm, yes I would, but unfortunately there's no such thing as 'sex leave' at the NYPD, and I want to save the rest of my vacation for later in the year."
"There should be," he grumbled, but it was good-natured enough to let her know she had managed to draw him out of his funk.
She slipped her hand into his, allowing their palms to kiss.
"Just keep counting down the days, lover," Kate drawled. "Just keep counting down the days."
Wordlessly, Castle glanced at the taillights in front of them and tossed the car into park, straining against his seat belt to find her mouth with his. It was a bit clumsy, a little indelicate, but still Kate hummed, palming his cheek, welcoming the blanket of contentment his kiss brought.
"I love you," he rumbled against her lips when they parted.
Her heart stumbled. He hadn't said it since the night they reunited, since he'd declared the chance to reclaim their life more important than his job. At the time she hadn't responded, hadn't allowed herself to give him that piece of her in return.
But now-
"I love you, too," she assured, brushing soft fingers along his jaw, watching as his features brightened with joy. "And I think you should turn the car around when you can; we'll go home tomorrow instead."
Rick rocked back, stunned. "You - are you sure?"
"That I love you?"
He smudged a kiss on her forehead. "No, not that. What about your train? I know we're going to miss the one you were hoping to be on, but there are others tonight?"
She lifted a shoulder, glancing back to find Indy asleep with her head on her paws, unconcerned by the delay in getting to the train station. The dog didn't care if they went home today or tomorrow. Hell, she'd probably be content if they never left Rick. Of course, they would have to eventually if Beckett wanted to keep her job, but one more night wasn't going to hurt.
"And there are others in the morning, too." Kate traced her fingertip over his ear. "Let's go back to your place and use our time wisely."
The traffic wasn't much better the next morning - if anything it was worse - but they were able to embrace one another at Union Station without sadness. It wouldn't be long until he came to her for a weekend, and just a couple weeks after that, she would have him in her home and in her bed for good.
Just a few more weeks until the rest of their lives would begin.
This is for everyone who has prompted a follow-up to Start All Over Again. I hope you like it. And I hope to have more in this universe for you, too.
Previous stories in the 'verse: Monochrome, Start All Over Again