Author's note: Having a go at a sexy scene, and learning how to edit stories...neither were easy. Hope you enjoy.

Original Characters:

Matthaus Marhold; Suspected of stalking Alexis. First appears in "Medieval Castle"

Clair Winter; Castle's current romantic interest. First appears in "Castles in the Air"

Richard Mattland; convicted murderer. Assaulted Clair. First appears in "Castles in the Air"

A Castle by the Sea

When Castle asks for the details of the case involving Alexis' stalker, Beckett is immediately wary of his motives. But he assures her, "I don't mean his name, or anything like that. I trust all of you to keep tabs on him, and ensure a suitably unsavory cell-mate." Ryan and Esposito give a thumbs-up to this plan, and Castle continues, "But this is a unique opportunity to get inside the head of…well, a nut-case."

Beckett is still reluctant and says, "I don't think you're going to find any answers, Castle. And those texts kept coming after you gave us Alexis' phone. Some of the things he was sending to her…well, I don't want to see them again."

"But he wasn't really talking to her, was he? That's the bit that I want to understand better; the fact that it was all in his head. And I'd like to know how you tracked him down. It would be invaluable research."

Reassured, Beckett says, "Ok. I'll get you an edited copy of the file. But I suggest you don't take it home. Alexis does not want to see this."

Castle nods and says, "Agreed." And then he says, "Speaking of Alexis; with all that she's been through, I'm hoping to whisk her away to the beach for a break. So we'll be out of town for a week or two. Think you can manage without me?"

Beckett grins and says, "We'll do our best."

The school concert is a huge success, finishing only an hour behind schedule. Castle and his mother are in the audience to hear Alexis perform her violin solo. It's so beautiful that Castle is almost moved to tears. Looking around, he sees that he's not alone.

After the concert, Castle has collected everyone's coats, ready for a quick getaway. Martha is working the room while they wait for Alexis. Castle suddenly hears, from behind him, "Dad?" He turns to see Alexis and a scrawny, serious-looking young man. With a smug look on her face, Alexis continues, "This is Matthaus Marhold." To the young man, she says, "Matty, this is my father; Richard Castle."

Up close the young man looks pretty harmless, as he offers his hand and says, "Pleased to meet you, sir."

Castle struggles with the coats, before enthusiastically shaking the young man's hand. Overcome with feelings of guilt for a crime he never actually committed, Castle is over-friendly. He babbles about Bach, Germany and cellos, until Matthaus is looking a little afraid. So Castle clasps his hand again, and says, "Well, good to meet you." Alexis says goodbye to Matthaus. Castle watches the young man walk away and then says, "You ambushed me!"

Not even a little sorry, Alexis says, "And now we're even for you pestering my friends."

In reply, he hugs her and says, "I'm so proud right now."

Next morning, Castle and Alexis are having breakfast, when he says, "I've been thinking…"

"Uh, oh!"

"Ha, ha. With the concert over, and not much happening at school right now, I thought we could take some time off and head to the beach house?" Knowing her compulsion for a perfect attendance record, he pleads his case, saying, "With all that's happened, I think you could do with a break..."

"Sounds great, Dad. I love it." Castle is quiet for a while, so Alexis says, "Something else?"

"Maybe. Remember I told you about my friend, who was attacked?"

"Clair? How's she doing?"

"Good, good. She was strong enough to face her attacker this week. But she was a bit of a wreck afterwards and she's not fully recovered from her injuries yet. Anyway, I was just thinking…"

"That she could do with a break too? Sure, Dad."

Relieved at her willingness, Castle says, "Exactly. Thanks sweetie."

Alexis grins and says, "And with your girlfriend there, I won't have to be afraid that you'll go swimming in your underwear."

"First of all; she's not really my girlfriend and, secondly; the only difference between my swim trunks and my boxer shorts, is that my boxers are much more expensive."

"It's gross, Dad."

"You're gross."

Clair is initially reluctant to accompany Alexis and Castle, but he eventually persuades her and they pick her up late afternoon the next day. The drive up to the Hamptons is mostly uneventful. Alexis is a little cramped in the back seat of the Ferrari, but she makes no complaint, knowing that Clair's injuries demand that she takes the front passenger seat. With everyone making an effort to get along, the atmosphere is quite friendly and the women are soon bonding over Castle's terrible taste in music. Just glad that they're getting along, Castle graciously hands control of the radio to Clair and there's no more complaining. They've left the main road, and are approaching the beach house, when Castle suddenly stops the car and says, "Oh, Hell."

Parked off the side of the road is a compact, blue sedan. A woman, with a purposeful looking camera hanging around her neck, is leaning on the hood of the car. She doesn't appear threatening, but clearly Castle disagrees, so Alexis asks, "What's wrong, Dad? Who is she?"

"She's a freelance photographer. She haunts the vacation homes in the area, hoping for a candid photo or hint of scandal that she can sell to the highest bidder. I've no idea what she's doing here this time of year, or how she found out we were coming." To Clair, he says, "Sorry about this. If you don't want your photo in the papers, I suggest you cover up." After considering his options for a second, he says, "Just wait here. I'll see if I can reason with her."

As Castle approaches the woman, she's already raising her camera to take a photo of the car. Spreading his hands wide, as if herding a wild animal, Castle steps to block her view, saying, "Off limits, Sandy; that's my daughter."

Sandy knows better than to cross that line and immediately lowers her camera, but then she says, "I see two people in the car."

Hoping it will be enough to ensure Clair's privacy, Castle says, "A friend of the family." And then he says, "Sandy, you're not permitted within one hundred and fifty feet of the house, so…"

Pointing to a freshly painted line on the gravel, Sandy says, "I measured it. Your property is exactly one hundred and fifty feet down the road from here."

Undeterred, Castle gets out his phone, saying, "After last time, I have the local precinct on speed-dial. Let's see what they have to say, shall we?"

Sandy knows that, even though she's not breaking any laws, Castle could still ruin her day with a phone call and she says, "Ok, ok. How about one paragraph, plus a photo of you walking on the beach and I'm out of your hair for this year?" Looking at her watch, she says, "I've gotta go anyway. I have a feeling that my boat has finally come in."

Suspicious of her ready capitulation, Castle says, "No photos of my daughter?"

"Of course not."

"No harassing our guest?"

"Nope."

Satisfied that it's the best he can hope for, Castle says, "Deal. Come back in a few days, and I'll give you your paragraph."

Sandy writes the details in a large journal, and says, "Thanks, Rick. See you in a few days."

"Ok. And, Sandy?"

"Yeah?"

"Use the gate bell, not the door bell, ok?"

Sandy smiles and says, "Sure thing, Rick."

After a tour of the house, a short walk on the beach just on dusk and a hastily prepared dinner, it's obvious that Clair is exhausted. So Castle walks her to her room and says, "We don't have any solid plans, so sleep as long as you want. Alexis and I will be up for a while longer, but we'll be quiet."

Weariness evident in her voice, Clair says, "That's ok. I'm so tired that if a bulldozer came through the wall, I don't think it would wake me." After a pause, she says, "Thanks for this. I didn't know how much I needed to get out of the city, until you suggested it."

Pleased that his plan is going so well, Castle smiles and says, "No problem."

Clair looks like she's going to ask him something, but then she says only, "Night, Rick. I like Alexis."

"Night." Castle waits until the door closes before walking away. Lost in thought, he returns to the living room and Alexis says, "She ok?"

Snapping out of it, Castle says, "She will be. Thanks again for letting her join us. I think she really needs this."

"It's fine, Dad. I like her." She holds up a choice of board games. He points at Risk, and they battle into the night.

Castle is woken by a concerned Alexis shaking him as she says, "Dad! Dad, wake up."

It's enough to bring him violently awake and he's instinctively reaching to comfort or protect her as he says, "What's wrong?"

"Clair. I think she's having some sort of flashback. I could hear her yelling in her sleep and then she screamed. I didn't know if I should wake her or not."

Heart rate returning to normal, Castle gets out of bed, saying, "Ok, sweetie. Go back to bed. I'll take care of it."

The night air has a bit of bite to it. So Castle puts on his robe over his long-sleeved t-shirt and pajama pants before heading to Clair's room. There's no answer when he knocks on her door, but he can hear quiet sobbing, so he can't walk away and hesitates only a moment before opening the door. There's enough light from the illuminated hallway to see that Clair is sitting up in bed, with her head bowed on her knees. Realizing that she hasn't heard him, he says her name as gently as possible. Still, it startles her and she looks up with a little fear in her eyes. Seeing Castle, she rubs at the tears and says, "Sorry; just a nightmare. Go back to bed."

Still speaking gently, Castle offers a quiet smile and says, "No." And then he sits a safe distance away on the bed and says, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I want it to be over."

"And it will be. It'll just take time. Give yourself a break; you're coping a lot better than most people would." And then Castle grins and says, "And you're less hideous every day."

Clair manages a weak smile, and says, "Why are you putting up with me?"

Eyes sparkling with mirth, Castle shrugs and says, "You're hot." She actually laughs this time. Encouraged, he says, "Well, not right now. Right now you're all crumpled and puffy from crying."

Still smiling, Clair says, "Are you ever serious?"

Wiping all trace of a smile from his face, Castle says, "I seriously think we should find you some Kleenex. Then you should get back to sleep and dream of riding along the coast road, ok?"

Clair takes one deep, tremulous breath and then nods and says, "Ok."

Every day the bruises on Clair's face are a little lighter and the smile in her eyes a little stronger. And the lines of worry on Alexis' face, that had so bothered Castle, have vanished. He doesn't even mind when they sometimes team up and bully him into doing things their way.

By mutual consent, all three of them take a walk on the beach every morning after breakfast. Being off-season, they rarely encounter anyone. Despite the chill in the air and a biting breeze, this morning is looking like being a perfect day, with only wisps of clouds in the otherwise blue sky. The beach house is barely visible in the distance and Castle is, as usual, playing the fool for the women in an effort to distract them from their troubles, when he suddenly stops in his tracks. Alexis follows his gaze along the beach, to see an indistinct lump tangled in kelp, gently lapped by the waves. Remembering something from her childhood, Alexis says, "Oh, God. It's not a dead sea lion, is it?"

Without looking at her, Castle says, "Alexis, go back to the house."

Confused, Alexis steps past him, saying, "It's ok, Dad. I'm not eight anymore. I won't freak out."

Castle grabs her arm, hauls her back and says, "Go back to the house. Now!"

Now confused and afraid, Alexis nevertheless does as she's told. When she's gone, Clair says, "Body?"

Castle nods and says, "I think so." And then he says, "Ever seen one?" When Clair shakes her head in wide-eyed reluctance at the idea, he says, "Then you'd better wait here while I check it out."

Clair watches him approach and walk around the site, putting a hand over his mouth and nose when he gets downwind. Without touching the body, or even getting very close, he makes an examination and then returns to her and says, "It's a woman. She's been dead a while, I think." He takes his phone from his pocket, only to see that there's no signal this far from the house, so he says, "Would you please call the local police from the house? I'll stay here and keep an eye on her. The number is by the phone."

"Of course." Clair is turning to do as he asks, but then she pauses and says, "What do you want me to tell Alexis? I think you scared her."

Looking a little ashamed, Castle says, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I usually just tell her the truth. You ok with that?"

"Yes, I'm ok with that."

"Thanks."

It's not long before Castle sees a small team of police approaching from the house. He recognizes one of the uniformed officers and warmly says, "Good to see you again, Dan. Looks like being a long day for you, sorry."

Dan greets Castle and then introduces him to detectives Anders and Juarez, while the medical examiner heads to the body. The younger man, Anders, immediately aggravates Castle by brusquely asking, "Did you touch anything, or move the body?"

Castle endeavors to keep his tone civil as he says, "No. I didn't go within ten feet of it."

As is he's caught Castle out in a lie, Anders says, "Then how could you know if they're dead?"

Already tired of the game, Castle rolls his eyes and says, "Well, if you head downwind you'll smell the decomp. That and she hasn't moved a muscle in at least twenty minutes. But my first clue was the maggots crawling out of the wound on her back."

Dan can't help a snort of laughter at this and Detective Anders curtly orders him to cordon off the area. Meanwhile, the older detective has been assessing Castle and says, "Are you the Richard Castle who's been working with NYPD?"

Pleased at the recognition, even under such circumstances, Castle says, "That's right; the twelfth precinct."

Juarez silently digests this piece of information and then he walks over to take a closer look at the body, Anders in tow. Castle automatically follows them. As they approach, the medical examiner says, "Female; been dead a few days, by the look of it. I'd say cause of death is this gunshot wound to the back." Gently pulling kelp away from the body, he says, "There's also a ligature mark on her neck. So she may have been strangled at about the same time."

Castle has recognized her and says, "No. That's from her camera strap. The killer probably ripped it from her as she was dying." At their shocked looks he says, "Her name is Sandy Duarte. She's a freelance photographer. Dan can verify it."

Juarez slowly nods and says, "Well, Mr. Castle, it looks like it's going to be a long day for you as well. Would you mind answering a few questions for us?"

Realizing that there's no way around it, Castle sighs and says, "Ok. But my daughter is at the house. Can we do this in town?"

At these words, Anders looks as if he's won some victory. But Juarez appears wary of Castle's cooperation and steps aside as he says, "After you, Mr. Castle." On the way back to the house, Juarez stops for a quiet word with Dan, who then joins them.

Castle pauses long enough to reassure Alexis, before being driven to the local police station. Once there, he's shown into an interview room and asked to wait. He waits a long time. Familiar with the process, he's unconcerned and entertains himself as best he can. The detectives eventually return and Castle relates his past dealings with Sandy, including their recent road-side conversation.

When he's done, Anders goes over his notes and then says, "You say that you made an appointment to see Ms. Duarte this week?"

Finally losing patience with the entire process, Castle sighs and says, "It wasn't a solid appointment. But I gave her permission to return to the house for a photo-op and a caption to go with it. Obviously, she didn't."

Sounding more aggressive, Anders says, "Can you account for your whereabouts Friday night?"

Castle has had enough. Ignoring Anders, he says to Juarez, "He needs to work on his bad cop routine." Anders is opening his mouth to rebuke Castle, but Juarez stops the young man's reaction with a gesture. Still addressing only Juarez, Castle says, "I contacted you as soon as I found the body. I identified Sandy for you and volunteered everything that I know about her, even though I'm under no obligation to do so. If that's not enough, I'll want my incredibly expensive lawyer here before I answer any more questions."

Anders starts to say, "If you really have nothing to hide…"

But Juarez interrupts him and says, "That won't be necessary, Mr. Castle. We appreciate your cooperation. You're free to go. Please let us know before you head back to Manhattan, and you know not to leave the state?"

Relieved that at least one of them is being reasonable, Castle nods his compliance and is permitted to leave. After Castle is gone, Anders says to Juarez, "So you think he's clean?"

Juarez nods once and says, "Yeah, I do. But he's been working closely with cops; homicide cops, so he knows our playbook. And he had a run-in with Sandy last year, so I don't know…and that guest is recovering from a beating, or I'm Agatha Christie." He pauses and then says, "Put a tail on him while we check him out. I'll call NYPD."

When Castle finally returns to the house, the sky has turned as grey as his mood and it starts raining as he's walking up the driveway. Alexis and Clair are preparing lunch. Alexis is relieved to see him and rushes to hug him as she says, "Dad, are you ok? It's been hours."

Castle returns her embrace and says, "It's always hours. They're just concerned because of my connection to Sandy. But they'll check it out and drop me as a suspect." Shaking off any lingering disquiet, he says, "Let's eat. I'm starving!"

After lunch they're washing up when the phone rings. Alexis answers it and Castle hears her say, "Detective Beckett! Yes, he's here."

Castle knows that Beckett can only be calling because she's heard that he was brought in for questioning and wants to rub it in, so he reluctantly takes the call and Beckett says, "Murder, Castle, really? Isn't that taking the research a little too far?"

Using the same tactic that she's tried many times with him, Castle says, "A woman is dead, Beckett. Have some respect for…"

"Don't even try that line on me. Don't you dare."

Castle laughs and then says, "Local PD call you?"

"Yeah; a Detective Juarez. I told him that I'm almost certain you didn't do it."

"Almost?"

"Just being careful. My reputation is at stake here."

Castle smiles and says, "That's fair enough, I guess." And then, after checking that Alexis can't hear him, he says, "Should I be worried?"

Serious now, Beckett says, "I don't think so. Juarez asked smart questions. So he'll soon find a more likely suspect. Call me if you need any help and try not to piss him off, ok?"

"Ok, I'll try to try. Thanks, Beckett."

Later that afternoon, the rain shows no sign of letting up and none of them want to visit the beach anymore, so they light a fire and play cards. Castle cheats, Alexis always catches him out, and Clair laughs at them both. When the gate bell rings, Castle sees that it's Juarez. Using the intercom he says, "What is it?"

A slightly distorted version of the detective's voice says, "May I come in Mr. Castle?"

"Do you have a warrant?"

"No, I just want to clear up a few details from your statement this morning."

Castle considers keeping him in the rain, but thinks better of it and pushes the button to unlock the gate. Not wanting Alexis to hear any of the details, he meets Juarez on the porch and says, "Where's Bad Cop?"

Juarez smiles a little at the description and says, "I thought this might go easier, if he stays in the car."

Grateful for this consideration, Castle motions for Juarez to take a seat before sitting nearby and then he says, "What details?"

Juarez takes out his notebook and says, "Your statement is that Ms. Duarte referred to her boat coming in. Do you think that was a deliberate mistake? It will help if you replay the conversation; maybe even say it out loud."

Castle nods and says, "Ok. I reminded her of the restraining order and threatened to call the precinct. She looked at her watch and agreed to leave us alone, if I gave her a photo and a short statement. That's when she said…yes, she put emphasis on the word boat. It was definitely deliberate."

Juarez takes some notes and then says, "You have a gun license. But we can find no record of you owning a firearm of any kind?"

"No. I haven't owned a gun, since my daughter was born."

Juarez nods and says, "I see. I see." After a moment's hesitation, he says, "Are you aware that Ms. Winter is being sued for assault?"

Not rising to the bait, Castle calmly says, "If you know that, then you also know that any injuries he sustained were whilst he had her by the throat, punching her in the face until she was unconscious. Then he kicked her hard enough to crack ribs and rupture her spleen, before leaving her to die."

Juarez pauses so long that Castle says, "Is that all?"

"Not quite. Your daughter and Ms. Winter are your alibi for the time of the murder, so I'll need to talk to them."

Castle has risen to his feet even before Juarez finishes speaking and his voice carries a hint of danger when he says, "Then we're done here."

Apparently unperturbed by Castle standing over him, Juarez says, "It won't take long; just a short statement."

Castle's fists are clenched, but his voice is even, as he says, "Not going to happen. They've been through a lot recently. That's why we're here. And today they've been through more. So you're going to need a lot more evidence and a lot more backup to get anywhere near them."

Juarez pauses, as if deciding Castle's fate, then he stands up and says, "Thanks again for your cooperation Mr. Castle. Enjoy the rest of your vacation." Turning up his collar against the rain, he heads back to his car.

Castle is left with the distinct feeling that he's just passed some sort of test. He goes inside, and Alexis says, "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. He said to enjoy our stay."

When Juarez gets in the car, Anders says, "Satisfied?"

"Yeah. He's not our guy. I had him pegged as a Midtown, metrosexual man-child…and he is. But Mr. Castle is also old-fashioned about some things. His temper could get him into real trouble one day. But no way this guy shoots a woman in the back and dumps her body in the ocean."

Next morning the rain has stopped. Still unwilling to visit the beach, Alexis and Clair are planning their day. Castle is becoming increasingly alarmed by phrases like "darling antique" and "boutique clothing" and he's almost relieved when the phone rings. It's Juarez, who says, "I thought you'd like to know that you're no longer a suspect in the murder of Ms. Duarte."

Sensing a way out, Castle grasps at it. After checking that the girls can't hear, he says, "Look, I don't know how much Beckett told you. But I've been pretty helpful to the NYPD. And I'm familiar with Sandy's tactics, so maybe I could assist on the case?"

"As I recall, the detective said you're a pain in the ass, but occasionally useful."

Slightly hurt, Castle insists, "I don't think she used those words."

After a pause, Juarez says, "Oh, you're right; my mistake. She actually said total pain in the ass." After an awkward silence, Juarez says, "I got the feeling that you don't want anything to do with us."

"That was before my beach became your crime scene. As we speak, the girls are turning a week at the beach into one long shopping spree."

Juarez chuckles, and says, "Well, until my young partner learns to relax, occasionally useful sounds pretty good. We've found Ms. Duarte's car in your neighborhood. The techs have finished with it, and we were just about to check it out. If you're ok with signing some papers, we can pick you up in about twenty minutes?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Castle says, "I'll sign anything you want."

After hanging up, Castle composes himself before saying to the girls, "That was detective Juarez. He's asked me to help them find Sandy's killer." At the look of disbelief on their faces, he says "I think it would be best if I don't disappoint him."

Still suspicious, Alexis says, "Why would he want your help?"

Castle shrugs, saying, "I guess he heard of my work with the NYPD. He talked to Beckett, remember?"

Alexis considers for a moment, decides to make the best of it and says, "We'll need some spending money."

Relieved that she's going for it, Castle says, "How about five hundred?"

Certain now that he's lying, Alexis says, "There are two of us, Dad."

Desperate, Castle doesn't even haggle and says, "Ok, ok; one thousand and I don't have to listen to a single sentence containing the words bargain, sale, clearance, discount or curio, ok?"

Satisfied that it's the best deal she'll get, Alexis says, "Done."

After handing over his credit card, Castle goes to his room to get ready. Alexis sees that Clair is trying to hide a smile, so she says, "I know; he's a terrible liar." Flourishing the card, she smiles and says, "But he's a liar with a Platinum Express card."

Castle meets the detectives outside the gate. After getting him to sign the waiver, Juarez says, "You understand the rules Mr. Castle; always do as you're directed and…"

Impatient for any action, Castle interrupts and says, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. But I'd rather you call me Castle or Rick, if we're going to be working together."

Juarez says, "Ok, Rick. I'm Felix, this is Mike." With the introductions over, they drive to meet patrolmen at the scene. Police presence aside, there doesn't seem to be anything amiss. If Castle hadn't seen Sandy's body, he'd assume that she'd just parked her car and gone for a walk. He has a look around, while the detectives check out the car. Felix soon calls him over, holds up a camera and says, "Looks like the killer didn't get it after all."

"That's her spare. She always travels with two." They're obviously wondering how Castle could know that, so he says, "Last year I may have inadvertently smashed her favorite camera. She was back within seconds with another." Peering inside the car at the camera case, Castle notices something else and says, "Her night vision lens is missing too. So, whatever she was working on was happening at night. Her journal should be here. I saw her writing in it the other day."

Mike soon finds her journal, starts thumbing through it and then says, "Last entry reads Tuesday-Rick; that you?"

"I guess so. Anything for Friday?"

"Uh…C64803NS; that's it."

Castle is mystified by the code, but Felix says, "It's a boat number; Canadian, probably Nova Scotia."

Mike is already on the phone. After only a few seconds he says, "Yep; Nova Scotia. They're checking it out."

Felix ponders the facts and then says, "Could be that Ms. Duarte was looking for something other than a candid snap of couples in their pool. Canada still has a problem with smuggling. Some of those guys wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her, just for getting too close." After considering for a while, he says, "She must have walked from here." Looking around, he adds, "It's going to take us a while to find out which direction she took."

Castle points down one road and says, "She went that way." At their shocked looks he points out a freshly painted line on the road and then says, "Sandy had, at least, two restraining orders against her. One was taken out by me, and I'm willing to bet that the other pertains to a property exactly one hundred and fifty feet down this lane." Mike phones the precinct for details, while Felix and Castle head in the direction Castle indicated.

Sure enough, approximately 150 feet from the line, are the imposing gates of a large property. There's no house visible from the street and no sign of life. Felix points out surveillance cameras inside the gate and says, "And there's probably more."

Mike catches up with them and says, "Property is owned by Yassine Benharoun, a Moroccan national; occupation listed is entrepreneur, so could be anything. He bought the place last year. That's all we've got so far."

Felix nods and says, "Ok; get an unmarked car here now and get a boat in the water too. Tell them to keep their distance and watch their backs."

Felix is quiet for a while, staring inside the gate, so Mike says, "If this is about smuggling, then you know that the Feds will swoop on it soon as we file our report."

Felix sighs and says, "Yeah, I know. But we don't have a reason to get in there."

Castle says, "I take it, from your earlier comment, that you know the details of my encounter with Sandy last year?" When Felix nods, he continues, "She got over the perimeter fence using climbing equipment. I didn't see any in her car…"

Felix says, "Good idea." To Mike, he says, "Get some more men on it; enough to search the entire fence-line before dark. They're looking for a collapsible grappling hook attached to a climbing rope, but they'll only be able to see one or two prongs of the hook." And then Felix motions for Castle to follow him, as he begins the search.

They're soon joined by several uniformed officers and one of them finds Sandy's entry-point just on dusk. After documenting the scene, Mike heads back to the precinct to expedite the warrant. Felix says to Castle, "Nothing's going to happen tonight. If everything goes well, we'll back here first thing in the morning. You want to help us execute the search warrant?"

Castle beams and says, "Hell, yes."

Felix laughs and says, "Ok. I'll get someone to take you home. See you at five in the morning." He shakes hands with Castle and says, "Thanks, Rick. You were definitely useful, and not a total pain in the ass."

Castle returns to the house only to find that the living room looks like a clothing store exploded, with Alexis standing in the middle of it all. Excited, Alexis starts to say, "Dad, look at this jacket I got for…"

Castle holds up a hand in warning and says, "Uh, uh. You're dangerously close to violating the terms of our agreement."

Alexis smiles and says, "Ok, Dad. How was the sleuthing?"

"Good, though I've been on my feet all day and they're going to pick me up incredibly early in the morning." Looking around, Castle says, "Is Clair somewhere under all that?"

Alexis laughs and says, "No. She's just having a nap. Five hours of shopping was too much for her."

"Five hours! Did you leave any stores untouched?"

"Not many. Tomorrow we're going to see a movie instead."

"Sounds like a good idea. How about I get started on dinner, while you find somewhere else to put all that?"

"Ok. Thanks, Dad." Looking at the mess, Alexis says, "I've no idea how it's going to fit in the car."

Clair emerges from her room just as Castle finishes cooking and says, "Sorry to leave you with all the work. Alexis wore me out."

Castle smiles and says, "No problem. But are you ok?"

"I'm fine, better than fine. As of this morning, I'm off the painkillers."

Pleased with her progress, Castle says, "Then how about a glass of wine to celebrate?"

Amused at the idea of swapping one drug for another, Clair smiles and says, "Wine would be nice, thank you." Alexis joins them in time to help set the table and the three of them enjoy another nice, quiet evening. Tired from walking all day, Alexis excuses herself early. After an exhausting day himself, Castle is soon yawning. Clair smiles at his attempts to conceal his fatigue, and says, "You don't need to entertain me. Go to bed."

"It's probably a good idea. Apparently my day is going to start while it's still night."

After recovering from the shock of his 4.30am alarm, Castle manages to make it out the door without serious injury. He's stamping his feet to ward off the chill, when a convoy of assorted police vehicles stops at his gate. After getting in the car, he says, "And why the early start?"

Apparently serious, Mike says, "Because bad guys like to sleep in."

"Fair enough. So you got the warrant?"

Mike says, "Yeah, and we have a pretty good idea what's going on. The boat-owner is Rachid Harari, currently living in Halifax. He's from Western Sahara, near Morocco. They've had a lot of trouble, with many of the Sahrawi people fleeing through Morocco and other countries. Mr. Harari is suspected of involvement in human trafficking. From Morocco, they could island-hop to Santa Cruz das Flores. With a fast enough boat they could be in Nova Scotia overnight. We think Mr. Benharoun is his contact in the States. I doubt they're using a registered boat to transport the refugees, but they might have used it to dispose of Ms. Duarte's body. Canadian police have Harari under surveillance. If we find enough evidence, they'll move on him."

They're soon at the property. As they're getting ready, Mike hands Castle a bulletproof vest and says, "These guys don't play, so we won't either. Stay behind me and keep your head down." As if in support of his words an officer is putting chains around the wrought iron gate, with the other end attached to a police van. At a nod from Felix, they pull the gates off their hinges and everyone files in, with the tactical response team going first. Within seconds they're at the front door. The officers briefly announce themselves, before busting it in. Castle is forced to wait with the detectives, until the house is cleared. In the pre-dawn light he can see other officers swarming around the house.

When the dust settles they have eleven people in custody, a large stash of automatic weapons, an equally impressive amount of narcotics and two kidnap victims. Not a single shot has been fired. The two armed guards patrolling the grounds were experienced enough to lay down their weapons when faced with so much opposition. After a systematic search of the property, blood spatter is found in the garden, within 20 feet of where Sandy's climbing rope is concealed at the outer wall and Castle says, "She almost made it."

Felix nods and says, "Forensics should confirm that she died here. My guess is that it was one of the guards, on orders from Benharoun. I think the bullet we got from Ms. Duarte will match one of the SAR-21s they're carrying. They're professionals, so we should be able to negotiate a confession. The Feds will be here soon. But, with all that we've accomplished, they'll be assisting us, not the other way around. So thanks, Rick. I hope the rest of your vacation goes well and, if you ever decide to move here permanently, let me know."

Castle is only half joking when he says, "Actually, I'm seriously considering heading back to the city, for a break."

When Castle returns to the beach house, it's apparently deserted. With the estrogen/testosterone balance finally in his favor, he grabs a cold beer and prepares to catch up on the sports channel. But then he hears sounds coming from the patio. Regretfully laying the TV remote back down, he goes to say hello. Clair is doing slow, easy laps of the pool and hasn't noticed him. There are still several bruises evident on her body. But watching her move through the water is not an unpleasant experience. So he sits down by the pool.

Castle sees the moment when Clair notices him, but she finishes the lap before she stands up in the water and says, "Did you catch the bad guys?"

"Yep." Castle notices that she's out of breath and clearly in pain, so he says, "Should you be doing that?"

"The doc said that I can ease back into exercise, once I'm off the medication. Though he failed to mention that it would hurt this much." Clair catches her breath and says, "Alexis still in her room?"

"I guess so. I didn't see her when I came in."

"She went in there an hour ago, with the brand new phone you paid for."

Castle smiles and says, "Then she'll probably be a while yet. Beer?"

"Please. I think that's enough for today."

When Castle returns Clair is reclining on a deck chair. It's difficult not to stare at her injuries. But he's resolved to be a gentleman, so he resolutely looks her in the eye and almost spills the beer. After a fumbled apology, he sits down and then Clair says, "It's ok. I know you didn't do it." At his confused look, she says, "Every time you see the bruises, you get a guilty look on your face. But you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you've been kind of wonderful."

He puts on a smug smile and says, "I have, haven't I?" Castle sits down in the next chair and then says, "I guess that I assumed you didn't want to be reminded of it. So I feel guilty, when I remember and the bruises make it hard to forget."

In a weary voice, Clair says, "I was there, Rick. I'm not going to forget. And, if you're trying to keep me from thinking of it, it's not working. Because every time you look at me like that, I remember that I'm a victim and I'm working real hard to get out of that frame of mind." She can see that he's hurt and tries to soften the blow by saying, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because I am grateful. It's just…try and relax, ok?"

"Ok." They sit in silence for a while and then Castle says, "Can I still imagine ways of killing Mattland?"

At first shocked to hear that name from Castle's lips, she realizes what it means; that he's making a conscious effort to respect her wishes. Face shining with gratitude, Clair says, "My personal favorite is when I have my hands around his neck, and I squeeze until his eyes pop out."

"Oh, nice. But I prefer the classics; I rip his still-beating heart from his chest and make him watch it slowly stop beating."

"If you like classics, what about staked out on a fire-ant hill, covered in honey?"

They sip their beer, watch the sun set on the ocean and imagine various ways of killing her attacker, until the air is cold enough to drive them inside.

With the body count for the vacation thankfully constant at one, Sunday arrives in no time. The only challenge remaining is how to fit three people, their luggage and Alexis' purchases into one Ferrari. After an hour struggling with this Tetris puzzle, Castle throws up his hands in despair and bellows for Alexis. It's another hour before she's decided what to take and what to leave behind. So Castle is in a foul mood as they leave, but the open road soon fixes that and they all enjoy the drive back to Manhattan.

It's already dark when they arrive at Clair's apartment. It's not the sort of street that is used to seeing a Ferrari, so Castle gets out to assist Clair and says to Alexis, "I won't be long. Lock the doors and use the horn if someone tries to take the wheels." As he's getting Clair's luggage out of the car, he notices that she's looking at the small courtyard next to her building. They've not discussed it, but he knows that she was attacked in a tiny alley behind the building, just off the courtyard. Making an intuitive leap, he says, "You haven't been back there have you?"

Surprised that he'd suggest it, Clair says, "Well, no. I'm not well enough to ride, yet."

"No, I mean you haven't been back there at all, have you?" Castle can see that he's right, so he puts her bag in the front seat, tells Alexis that he'll be a few minutes and says to Clair, "Come on."

"No, it's fine, Rick. I just want to get home and…"

"What about not wanting to be a victim?"

Clair smiles and says, "So, you've gone from treating me like glass, to bullying me?"

Unapologetic, Castle says, "Apparently." With a tiny bow and flourish, he says, "After you." Clair's hand is trembling as she enters the gate code, but she doesn't hesitate and walks to where her motorbike is parked in the concealed alley. She stops there and just looks around for a few seconds. Castle guesses that she's reliving the night of her attack. Nervous about pushing her too far, he gently says, "Want to tell me what happened?"

Clair is silent so long that Castle wonders if she's heard him and then she says, "I got home late that night. I guess he scaled the fence, because the gate was still locked, so I just wheeled the bike in like I always do. He must have hit me from behind when I took the helmet off. All I remember is waking up with his hand around my throat and I couldn't call out. I punched his arm away and kicked him. I might have called for help then, I think. Anyway, he didn't like that and hit me so hard that I almost blacked out. He asked for the camera. I didn't know what he meant, so he hit me again. I don't know how many times he hit me, before I guessed that he must be talking about Eddie's camera. But I still couldn't help him, so he kept on hitting me." She shrugs and says, "Then I woke up in the hospital with Detective Beckett. I don't even know how I got there."

"You did call out. One of your neighbors heard and looked out the window, to see you on the ground and Mattland fleeing. She called it in."

"Do you know who it was?"

"No, but I'll find out." After a few seconds, Castle says, "You done?"

"Almost." Clair walks over and sits on the motorbike. She's a nasty shade of pale, so Castle is worried for her safety. But just being on the bike seems to make her feel better, so he decides to risk a joke and says, "If you start making vroom, vroom noises, I'm out of here."

The smile Clair gives him actually makes his chest hurt and then she colors slightly and says, "I like that look much more than the guilty one."

With that, all Castle's gentlemanly resolve is gone and he moves closer. The sound of the car horn almost ends both their lives. Castle laughs and says, "I guess she got tired of waiting."

Clair smiles and says, "Or someone is trying to steal your wheels."

Pausing long enough to help her from the bike, Castle goes to check. But the only danger is an impatient teenager, so he says to Alexis, "Ok, ok. I'll walk Clair up and then get you home."

But Clair says, "No need, I'm fine. You two go. I'll just grab my bag."

Unhappy, but cooperative, Castle hands her the bag and gets in the car. He waits long enough to see that Clair makes it into the building and then heads for home. Alexis is very quiet and wearing a knowing smile. After several blocks of silence, Castle says, "What?"

Smiling triumphantly, Alexis says, "I've seen that look before, Dad. Not really your girlfriend, huh?"

Castle grabs some dinner for him and Alexis on the way home. Of course, Martha is elsewhere. After helping clean up, Alexis retires to catch up with friends. Castle stares at his phone for a few seconds before calling Clair and she answers, "Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself. You busy?"

"No. Miss me already?"

Thinking exactly that, Castle says, "Maybe." And then he says, "Was I mistaken, or were you going to let me kiss you this evening?"

"No, you weren't mistaken." Castle is quiet for so long that Clair says, "You there, Rick?"

"Yes, I'm here…just contemplating infanticide."

Clair laughs and says, "No, it was a good thing. You kind of took me by surprise and I needed time to think about it."

Suddenly nervous, Castle says, "And what's the verdict?"

"I'm not sure."

Castle sighs and says, "So, I can unpack my overnight bag?"

She laughs again and says, "Thanks for understanding. Are you working tomorrow?"

"Not unless someone is murdered. Want to catch up for lunch?"

"I'd like that."

"Ok, I'll be there around noon."

Despite agreeing to dress casual, Castle spends a ridiculous amount of time getting ready for his lunch date with Clair. On arriving at her door he hesitates a second before knocking. When Clair lets him in, Castle can see that she's nervous too. So he takes a deep breath and just kisses her; not a passionate kiss, but not chaste either. When he tastes that just-brushed peppermint flavor, he's confident that he hasn't overstepped and his lips are still on hers when he feels her respond. So he dares to run the tip of his tongue along the inside of her bottom lip. Claire slides her hands up his chest as the kiss deepens. But then she gasps in pain and drops her arms. Castle had actually forgotten about her injuries and says, "God, are you ok?"

Clair says, "Yes, I'm fine." And then she smiles and says, "Well, that was unexpected."

A little embarrassed, Castle says, "Yeah, sorry about that. But we were both nervous, so I thought it might be best to just get it out of the way. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, but we're going to have to proceed with extreme caution, because I don't enjoy being in hospital."

Castle grins and says, "But you would like to proceed?"

Clair's eyes widen and she says, "I would." And then she touches the fingertips of one hand to her own lips and says, "In fact…"

So Castle kisses her again and this time they're both mindful of her injuries. After a while, a little breathless, he says, "Want me to get rid of the cab?"

Also breathing hard, Clair says, "No, I'm hungry. And we should probably pace ourselves, or I'm going to really hurt myself. You ok with that?"

"Sure. I'm not usually asked to hold back, but it could be fun." And then Castle grins and says, "I have an excellent imagination."

Clair smiles and gets ready to leave, as she says, "I'm sure you do." They're heading down to the cab when she suddenly blurts out, "I haven't read any of your books."

Confused by her tone, Castle says, "You thought that would upset me?" When she only shrugs, Castle says, "Despite the success of my career depending on people liking my books, I'm not quite that fragile." And then he grins and says, "Your loss."

Reassured, Clair nods and says, "Probably."

Castle takes her hand and barely relinquishes it until they're sitting at the table in their favorite restaurant. As usual, the maître de looks after them and they enjoy a delicious lunch. They're again holding hands on the way back to her apartment, only letting go long enough for Clair to unlock her door. Once inside, Castle is back to being nervous. Clair takes longer than necessary locking the door, so he knows that she's also anxious and he says, "Maybe we need some ground rules?"

"Ground rules?"

"I really don't want to hurt you, so I'm guessing that swinging from the chandelier will have to wait?"

Clair smiles and says, "I don't have a chandelier."

"Well, there you go; that's definitely out." And then Castle says, "Your ribs won't be completely healed for a while yet, will they?"

Clair sadly shakes her head and says, "No, not for a month or so."

"But the doc said exercise is ok?"

Clair smiles and says, "I'm not sure that swinging from the chandelier is what he was thinking of, but I can basically do anything that doesn't hurt too much."

Just talking about it seems to be putting her at ease, but Castle is still on unfamiliar ground and he says, "This is a new one for me. Maybe we'd better wait a while. I don't want to hurt you."

Clair smiles again and says, "You already said that."

Visibly distressed, Castle says, "Well, I don't."

His pained expression decides the issue for Clair and she takes his hand, leads him towards the bedroom and says, "You won't."

Once beside the bed, Castle easily kicks off his shoes. However, still worried about aggravating Clair's injuries, his hands are trembling so much that he can barely manage to get out of his shirt. In the end he pulls it over his head without undoing the last few buttons. Unfortunately, he's totally forgotten the cufflinks. The look of helpless embarrassment on his face makes Clair laugh and Castle says, "Not helping."

Still chuckling, Clair helps extricate him from the mess and then she says, "God, I'm really in trouble with you."

Now also smiling, Castle says, "Pathetic incompetence turns you on?" Taking her in his arms, he says, "Then this could be a match made in heaven." Clair's blouse obviously presented no such problems. Castle kisses her and unclips her bra at the same time. Smiling, she lets it fall to the floor and moves to unfasten her jeans, but Castle stops her hand and says, "I think it's probably best if we stop there, at least for now." And then he grins and says, "Just in case you can't control yourself."

Clair smiles and says, "Good point."

Castle puts his arms around her again and says, "Promise you'll tell me if I'm hurting you?"

"I will." When Castle suddenly picks her up she yelps in surprise and quickly says, "Didn't hurt."

Castle chuckles and says, "Good, because I'm not done yet."

He gently places her on the bed and stretches out beside her. There is no more hesitation when they kiss, but their tentative caresses display the wonder of something new. Castle is delighted to discover that just running his fingertips along Clair's spine sends tiny shivers of pleasure through her body. Like a kid with a new toy, he lingers there, reveling in the feeling of power, until Clair gasps, "Rick, please."

He chuckles and says, "Sorry, just having fun."

"Well, have fun somewhere else for a while."

Castle grins and says, "If I must." Pressing his hand flat against her spine to lessen the impact, he slides his hand around to her midriff. Lifting himself up on one elbow, he looks at the pale bruises still evident on her torso and says, "Does it hurt all the time?"

"No, not all the time." And then she gives a rueful smile and says, "Only when I do anything."

Castle gently traces the lingering evidence of her attack and is momentarily distracted by memories of Richard Mattland. Clair knows why Castle's gaze is suddenly dark and slides her free arm under his ribs to run her fingertips along his spine, hoping to distract him. While it doesn't make him tremble, the feeling is pleasant enough that Castle closes his eyes for a few seconds to better enjoy the sensation of her delicate fingers on his skin. But then he has to have more of her and opens his eyes to watch her reaction as he lets the back of his fingers brush one nipple. Clair gasps and her eyes start to close in anticipation of his next move, but she guesses that he wants to watch her and resolutely stares into his eyes as his hand cups her breast. The nipple, already erect, tightens further under Castle's palm. He can actually see her pupils widen when he caresses her, gently rolling the nipple between his fingers. Only when her lips part slightly as her breath quickens, does Castle lower his head to kiss her.

Clair is quickly becoming lost in pure sensation. The feel of Castle's lips on her mouth, his tongue questing for hers would be enough, but his exquisite spicy aroma envelops her and his touch on her breast floods her body with pleasure until she can barely think of anything else. She forces one leg between his and feels the unmistakable signs of his desire. When she slides one hand down his spine and under the waistband of his jeans, he gasps in surprise and hardens still further. Desperate for closer contact, she stops kissing him long enough to say, "Rick, get out of your jeans."

Breathless, he says, "No."

"Rick, please."

Smiling now, he repeats, "No." Still caressing her, he teases the nipple with the tip of his tongue and then his mouth. Almost as if she has no choice, Clair arches her body against him, but then she gasps in pain and falls back. Castle hasn't missed it and lifts his head to say, "Need me to stop?"

"No, I'm fine. I just can't move much."

Satisfied that she's all right, Castle grins and says, "Then just lie back and think of England."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

He doesn't quite lose the grin and resumes his caresses as he says, "You're not?"

Already trembling slightly at his touch, she says, "You know I am."

There's still a slight twitch of a smile on his lips as Castle kisses her again and then says, "How do you sleep?"

Caught unawares by the apparently random question, Clair shakes her head slightly in confusion and says, "What?"

"How do you sleep with cracked ribs; on your side, back, front?"

Finally catching on, Clair says, "Oh; propped up on a few pillows seems to work best." Castle is already extricating himself from her embrace and Clair says, "But then I won't be able to reach you."

Castle chuckles and says, "Just as well. You're clearly not to be trusted; your hand is still on my ass."

Clair digs her fingernails into his flesh just enough to make him jump before sliding her hand out of his jeans, saying, "Such a nice ass, too."

Castle smiles and says, "Definitely not to be trusted."

With care, Castle positions himself behind Clair, so that she's almost in his lap. He wraps his arms around her, kisses her shoulder and says, "This could work. How are the ribs?"

Clair is caressing the only part of him she can reach; his legs. She angles her neck to allow him access and says, "So far, so good."

Taking the hint, Castle leaves a trail of kisses up her neck and discovers, to his delight, that Clair has incredibly sensitive ears. Lips touching her earlobe, he slowly moves his hands towards her breasts and whispers "Hold on."

Already once again losing herself to his touch, Clair says, "Oh, God; really in trouble."

This time Clair silently vows to be kind to her ribs. As Castle's caresses threaten to drive all conscious thought from her head, she takes his words literally and grips his legs in an effort to keep still. His lips leave her earlobe and travel down her neck to her shoulder. When his teeth accidentally graze her skin she digs her fingers into his legs and manages to keep her body from writhing. Castle has noticed her reaction and starts gently teasing her flesh with his lips and teeth, even as he cups her breasts and rolls his thumbs over each nipple. Clair can feel her body reacting, as if she no longer has control over it. Her ribs are almost screaming in protest when she gasps, "Wait."

Castle immediately stops and wraps his arms around her, rests his chin against her shoulder and says, "You ok?"

Still trembling slightly, Clair says, "I will be. It's not as bad as when I sneeze."

Castle kisses her check and says, "I suppose hiccups aren't much fun either."

Clair is again caressing his legs and says, "No, they're not." And then she says, "I need to kiss you."

Castle slides one arm under her legs and helps her turn until she's sitting across his lap. They kiss for quite a while, more tender than passionate and then Castle says, "This is a fun way to spend an afternoon."

Trusting the arm at her back to hold her, Clair relaxes with her head on his shoulder and says, "Yes, it is."

When Clair starts undoing her jeans, Castle says, "Whoa, are you sure? We've already had to stop twice."

Clair smiles and says, "I'm sure. I might not be trustworthy, but is seems that you are. You won't let me hurt myself."

Castle smiles and lifts her enough to put her on the bed beside him and then he says, "No, I won't. Try and keep still, ok? Or I'll have to stop."

Clair bites her bottom lip in anticipation of where his hands might roam next and then says, "Believe me; I'll be doing my best to avoid that."

Still smiling slightly, Castle kneels beside her to remove her jeans. He can see that just the sensation of the jeans sliding off her legs is enjoyable for Clair and he says, "You sure are fun to play with."

Not really offended, Clair says, "I'm not a toy, Rick." When Castle only grins and remains silent, she says, "What?"

Castle is still kneeling beside her and runs one hand along the outside of her thigh as he says, "Oh, nothing."

She's knows he's lying and says, "You'd better tell me."

Figuring he's safe, at least for now, Castle says, "The first time I saw you…I thought you looked like biker Barbie."

Clair is silent for a second and then tries not to smile as she says, "You are in so much trouble when I'm healed."

Castle grins and says, "Well, that could be fun too."

With no malice or real intent in her voice, Clair says, "What if you're not allowed to play with your new toy?"

Unconcerned, Castle stretches out beside her again and says, "I'd probably cry…real tears."

Clair grins and says, "Then you'd better behave yourself."

Castle slowly slides his hand along the inside of her leg as he says, "Actually, I aim to misbehave." And then he inches his hand towards her hip, smiles and says, "Now, keep still."

Her arms already wrapped around him, Clair actually grips his shoulders as her entire body tightens in response to his touch and wonders how she's going to manage that seemingly impossible task. Delighted by her response, Castle's hand heads back towards her knee as if he's changed his mind, so Clair groans and says, "Rick, please."

This time his soft laugh is almost a purr and then he says, "Yes, ma'am." Moving slowly, to give her time to control her reaction, Castle lets his fingers touch her pantie line. When Clair doesn't cry uncle he covers her with the palm of his hand, only to find that she's so ready for him that the fabric is slick with moisture. His mouth actually drops open in surprise and he says, "Really fun to play with."

A little embarrassed, Clair smiles and says, "I'm afraid it's been a while for me."

Rubbing the base of his thumb against her and watching her enjoy it, Castle says, "Yeah, for me too."

Clair is having trouble concentrating with Castle's slow, steady caress sending jolts of pleasure through her and she says, "I find that hard to believe." And then she says, "Please take off your jeans." When Castle still appears reluctant, she says, "I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just want to feel your skin on mine."

After one, decisive nod Castle stands up beside the bed to remove his jeans and socks, leaving only his boxers and then he smiles at the frank look of desire on Clair's face and says, "You sure I can trust you to be sensible?"

Clair knows that he's having too much fun not to risk it, so she smiles and says, "Come here and find out."

So he does just that, kneeling on the bed beside her and then he says, "It's your third and fourth ribs and your spleen, right? No other serious injuries?"

Curious about the question, she says, "That's right, why?" In answer he puts a hand either side of her shoulders and one leg between hers, until she spreads her legs enough that he can lie on top of her. As their bodies make contact, Clair gasps and says, "Good plan."

Castle grins, places a quick kiss on her lips and says, "Don't let it go too far, ok? Or we won't be able to try this again for a very long time."

Eyes half closed as she grinds her hips against his, Clair murmurs, "I promise." Through her lashes she watches Castle's lids also lower as he luxuriates in the feel of their bodies moving together and slowly pushes against her, matching her need for more. Clair runs her hands over his back and shoulders, tracing the curves of his muscles, now accentuated by his efforts to keep his weight off her ribs. As the rhythm of Castle's hips pushes her towards climax, she wraps her legs around the back of his thighs, guiding him to exactly the right position. It's obviously working for Castle too, because she can feel a sheen of sweat forming between his shoulder blades and he's breathing hard as he arches his back and almost gently thrusts against her. On a hunch, she runs her hands down his back and then gently drags her fingernails up either side of his spine. He gives a deep, growling purr and arches his back even more and then opens his eyes and lowers his weight onto his elbows to recapture her lips.

Once again drowning in the waves of pleasure engulfing her body, Clair matches the hunger of his kiss and, almost without thinking about it, slides her hands down his back and under the waistband of his boxers. Castle gasps, taking the very air from her lungs and trails his lips to her ear to murmur, "Naughty." Not just the moist warmth of his breath, but the deep, fervent tone of his voice actually sends a shudder through her entire body. Clair can't help a grunt of pain, so Castle pauses and lifts his head to look at her as he says, "Sorry; didn't think you'd react quite that violently."

Clair returns her hands to his back, smiles and says, "Neither did I."

With his weight still on his elbows, he puts a hand either side of her face and looks into her eyes as he says, "Ok to continue?" When she eagerly nods, he smiles and places one kiss on her lips and another on her collarbone as he says, "Stay right there."

Castle almost springs to his knees beside her and removes her panties. Now completely naked before him, Clair runs one hand along the outside of his thigh, up under his boxers and says, "Your turn?"

With some sadness, Castle shakes his head and says, "Maybe next time."

Clair can see the sense in that, even while feeling a twinge of regret. She removes her hand and caresses his arm instead and then she smiles and repeats, "You are in so much trouble when I'm healed."

Castle grins and says, "I hope so." When he moves to climb between her legs again, Clair readily allows him access, already looking forward to the feel of his body on hers. But this time Castle stays on his knees between her thighs. Frustrated that she can't reach him without risking injury, Clair soon forgets everything else when he runs one hand over her until his fingers are deliciously moist and then finds her clit with unerring accuracy. Clair knows he'll want to see her reaction again, so she anchors her gaze on his and focuses on controlling her body's response. Even so, it's almost impossible to keep still when Castle brings his other hand into play as he excruciatingly slowly slides one finger inside her, even as he continues his caresses with his other hand. When Clair closes her eyes and arches her neck back as she grips the sheets either side of her, Castle murmurs, "Relax."

Momentarily distracted, she says, "Easy for you to say."

Without stopping what he's doing, Castle breathes a soft laugh and says, "I guess so."

Intent on giving her pleasure, Castle is nevertheless vigilant for any sign that Clair's injuries are becoming too much for her. A vein at the base of her neck is pulsing so hard that he can actually see how fast her heart is beating and his lips burn with the need to kiss her there. Her breath is coming in short pants now and the valley between her breasts is shiny with perspiration. He suddenly wishes that he had more hands, so he could caress the rest of her body at the same time. Her eyes are closed again, as her body gives in to his caresses. His dick almost aches with the need to be inside her, but he doesn't trust himself to keep her from hospital if it went that far. This is always his favorite part of the game anyway; watching his lover climax and knowing that it's because of him. He can't imagine that he'll ever get tired of that feeling of power. And there it is again, as Clair's face stretches in a mask of pure pleasure and the muscles around his finger tighten. When every flick of her clit makes her legs tremble, he moves his hands to caress her thighs. Clair sighs and covers her ribs with her arms. Worried that he went too far after all, Castle says, "Ok?"

Clair clutches at his hands and says, "God, yes!" She draws him towards her and Castle happily obliges, until he's lying by her side with their legs entwined. They kiss for a good long while and then Clair says, "Thank you."

Castle smiles and says, "My pleasure."

He jumps when Clair suddenly puts one hand on the bulge at the front of his boxers and she says, "So it would seem."

He laughs, at first, until Clair starts stroking him and he can quickly feel his resolve crumbling, but then he remembers what she looked like that first day in the hospital after the attack and he knows that he can't risk losing control, so he says, "No, I'll wait."

Thankfully, Clair complies and returns her hand to his shoulder. They kiss again and then she says, "Ok, but I'm going to keep track of what I owe you."

Castle smiles and says, "Don't worry, I'll remind you."

They're quiet for a while, comfortable in the silence and then Clair says, "Do you have to go right away?"

Castle shakes his head and says, "Not right away." And then he grins and says, "Another round?"

"Tempting. But I was actually thinking about a nap. I didn't get much sleep last night."

As he sits up to pull the covers over both of them, Castle says, "Me neither. I can't remember the last time I was this nervous about a date." As they settle once more in each other's arms, he says, "Though I'm pretty pleased with the result."

Already sounding sleepy, Clair says, "Mmm…me too."

Still concerned for her comfort, Castle says, "You right to sleep in this position?"

Clair smiles and says, "Well, I doubt that leaning back against you will make me sleepy."

A little flustered, Castle says, "No, I didn't mean me. I just meant the pillows, so you…"

She touches her fingertips to his lips and then says, "Go to sleep, Rick."

Castle kisses her fingers and then her lips and says, "Yes ma'am."

Both exhausted, they're asleep within minutes. It's just on duck when Castle is woken by the sound of Clair softly weeping. He wraps his arms around her and waits for her to calm down, then says, "Another nightmare?"

Clair looks at him and smiles in that way that pierces his heart, shakes her head and says, "I'd forgotten…it's been more than ten years since I've slept any length of time without waking up screaming."

Relieved that she's ok, Castle doesn't immediately do the math and smiles before kissing her. And then he says, "Ten years? But…"

Her expression already closing down, Clair says, "There are worse things than Richard Mattland."

It's obvious that she doesn't want to discuss it, so Castle manages a smile and says, "If I'm a cure for your nightmares, then I think we should spend a lot of time together."

Claire also smiles and then says, "You know, I think you might be right."

The End

Where Credit's Due: The Serenity reference is so blatant in this one that I feel the need to credit the writers.