Title: The One – Chapter One

Author: Floss Aus

Pairing: Rick C & Kate B

Rating: T, just suggestion of adult activities!

Summary: Investigating a reality romance show murder has Castle and Beckett realising that secret romances are fun but also dangers.

Spoilers: Set in post Always world.

Disclaimer: ABC and Andrew Marlowe own them, Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic inhabit them and I'm just borrowing them. I' promise to return them all – except Fillion.

Feedback: OH YES PLEASE, seriously love it!

AN: My first multi-chapter story, please let me know your thoughts about plot, characters etc etc Don't worry, Ryan is coming – promise.

The elevator doors burst open, '-but I said apples, like five times,' Richard Castle finished his sentence.

Kate turned her eyes to him, but kept walking, not breaking stride as she headed down the corridor, 'Really? I seem to recall you were enjoying yourself, I wouldn't think you want to stop that.' She grinned, arching her eyebrow just slightly.

'Well, there was that,' he replied, staring into the distance momentarily lost in a memory of their morning activities. Kate smiled, shaking her head and then pushed past the closed door, into the commotion of the crime scene.

The sun flooded into the brightly lit loft apartment, the September New York shine still bright and strong, the fall yet to really take hold. In contrast to the positively gleaming day was the blood dripping down from the balcony of the upstairs open bedroom, pooling on the living room floor.

'Cool,' Castle whispered reverently behind her, staring at the blood trail. 'Or, you know, gross and macabre.' She proceeded up the stairs, her heels clicking on the floorboards, and as she arrived on the landing a slight nod to the two uniforms standing close by, protecting the crime scene.

'Lanie, what do you got?' She asked, arriving to find her friend leaning over the bed inspecting the two bodies that lay naked and cold.

'It's John Morrison and Sarah-Beth,' Lanie replied, excitement almost evident in her voice.

'Really?'

'Who?' Both Beckett and Castle answered at the same time.

'You know, from The One,' Lanie answered Castle's question, and smiled as if it should provide all the answers he needed. His confused expression and hapless shoulder shrug charmed Kate that if not for all the witnesses she would have kissed him pretty damn fiercely in that moment. This desire was a new and constant side-effect from their evolved situation.

'That dating show, you know, one woman searches for her one true love with 25 suitors to chose from,' Kate responded to his confusion.

'More information please?' Castle motioned, rolling his hand for her to keep explaining.

'This is the host of the show, and Sarah-Beth right here is this year's One. The show is still airing right now, so I'm guessing she didn't find her one,' Esposito announced as he climbed the stairs.

'And you would know this how?' Castle grinned at his friend.

'I..um... I may have seen it, once or twice,' he ducked his head ashamedly, while Lanie smirked with clear delight.

'Espo go,' Beckett interjected.

'Okay, Morrison and Sarah-Beth Hayston were seen entering the building last night at around 10pm, the doorman let them in. Neighbours indicate they heard loud, intimate noises, at around 11.00 and then nothing else. Morrison's assistant, found them this morning, called 911.'

Lanie continued, 'Well, they were dead around midnight from what I can tell. Both had their throats slashed, and didn't put up much of a fight.'

'Drugged?' Beckett asked.

'I won't know til I do a tox screen. The intimate noises were consensual sex it seems and with the alcohol, I'd imagine they were quite sedate.'

'How do you know they were sedate?' Castle asked, curious at the medical examiner's quick assessment.

'Two empty bottles of wine, just two glasses and three empty condom rappers on the floor, I'd say they'd been going at it pretty hard,' Lanie pointed to the incriminating evidence.

'Wow good night,' Castle retorted, 'Until they were brutally murdered.'

'Where were they coming from?' Beckett answered.

'Assistant says The One Reunion Party at the Mereton Hotel,' Esposito answered. 'The suitors and suitorresses from other seasons all get together every year for a reunion party. Sarah-Beth was the guest of honour with her three final suitors.'

'Yet she went home with the host. Scandal.' Castle replied.

'This will be,' Beckett turned to him. 'This show has millions of viewers and they keep The One's choice closely guarded, even though it's filmed months in advance.'

'Millions of fans including our hardened Medical Examiner and Detectives Beckett and Esposito,' Castle smirked.

'Well Castle, I've been lacking romance in my life lately, sometimes I need to seek it vicariously through other avenues.' She smiled back to Lanie, a small pretence.

'What ...lacking,' he incredulously answered but her warning glare silenced him.

'Okay, Espo, we're going to need surveillance tapes on the building, who entered and exited during our window. Lanie, I want to know if they were just exhausted from their activities or something more. Castle, we're off to the Mereton to chat with the suitors.'

'Kate,' Lanie beckoned. 'If you see Connor from Hope's season there, you let me know. That boy is fine.'

'I know right,' Beckett grinned as she walked past Castle to the stairs, a sly wink at his aghast expression and open mouth.

'You know, when you said play it cool, and under the radar at work,' Castle started as the elevator ticked down and away from their crime scene. 'I thought you meant, cooler than say, you open straddling me at your desk. I didn't think you meant, complaining about lack of romance and adoring other men.'

'Really, adoring other men is what I said we're about to do?' She smiled, his gentle ribbing a welcome return from the tortured looks and anguished feelings they'd been masking for over a year.

Now Kate Beckett was getting to enjoy this man beside her, ever part of him and she'd never been more in it. He satisfied her in so many ways she didn't imagine possible, and not just sexually. Of course, that was amazing, four years of verbal swordplay had enriched their understanding of each other and when that expressed itself physically, well, it literally left her knees shaking. But, after that, in the morning afterwards, when awkwardness and uncomfortable reasoning beckoned, they found a way around it, he found a way. They moved straight past it, and spent the better part of the last three months ravishing each other, while avoiding detection from family and friends.

It was getting harder for Rick at home. Alexis had spent a majority of the summer with her friends, or in the Hamptons with Martha and with Rick able to use his actual looming deadline as an excuse to stay in Manhattan and work, they were alone in their chance to explore each other. However, with school coming back, Martha again on her acting class crusade and Kate finally returning to the precinct after many lengthy interviews, counselling and reprimanding from Gates, life was getting back to normal – except for the normal that involved waking up with this man beside her in her bed. It was a great kind of not normal.

They both agreed though, that for at least a little while longer to keep it between themselves. Hiding it from his daughter was the most difficult for Rick, she knew that, but he'd respected her need to understand her own feelings just a bit more before declaring themselves to Alexis. Because more than anyone else in his life, Alexis was going to be the person who had to accept this relationship or all bets were off. K ate knew the bond between a father and daughter was special, especially with an absentee parent and while their situations were different, Kate recognised a maturity in Alexis that she had – hers was forced by external factors and violently thrust upon her. Alexis was eased into her maturity, with care and love by her father. She hoped that this maturity would come to play when they decide to reveal their relationship.

Hiding from the precinct was just common sense though. The knowing looks from colleagues, the muttered jokes, the constant questions she knew everyone would have were just too much to face and worse than that, she feared serious repercussions from higher up. Captain Gates was barely tolerating Rick's return to the office, and Kate was pretty sure what she'd say on his involvement with the team, if he knew they were romantically entangled. Entangled, she liked the word now, especially with the memories of how their sheets were this morning after she'd finally answered her cell.

'No, you didn't say adoring men. Just thought the 'he's so fine talk' was going to be, you know, less,' he smiled at her, rocking on his heels the way he always did when he was feeling playful.

'I can still appreciate a good looking man Castle, in fact I appreciated one this morning, very much.' She almost hummed, turning to face him and cornering him seductively in the small space of the elevator.

'Yes, you did. There was definite appreciation. Twice, if I'm not mistaken.' He responded, an almost dazed look spreading across his face.

'Oh it was twice. I'm nothing if not appreciative.' She whispered into his ear, her other hand grazing his cheek, a seductive finger sweeping across his chin and then she swiftly exited the elevator as the doors opened leaving a stupefied and slack jawed Rick, staring at her return frame.

To Be Continued