Disclaimer: I don't own the show Castle or any of the characters. I merely wish I had been creative enough to come up with it first, so I've invited them out to play.

xxx

Chapter 1: They Know That Santa's On His Way

Rick Castle yawned loudly as he leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out in front of his body and cracking his knuckles, stiff from watching as his partner completed the paperwork from their latest case.

"So, detective... plans for the holiday? Crazy parties? Spiked egg nog?" He leaned forward and cocked his head curiously, "Mistletoe?"

Kate Beckett clamped down on her bottom lip to keep from smiling as she forced herself to concentrate on her pen as it moved across the page. She made a small noise of contempt before finally hazarding a glimpse at the writer, who continued his intense focus.

"Presents, dinner, and a quiet day with my dad, Castle. Nothing quite so interesting. Any Castle family traditions this time of year?"

"Oh, just the usual yuletide cheer. Lights, carols, cookies for Santa-" He stopped abruptly at the minute roll of her eyes. "Surely you can't begrudge my darling daughter her yearly offering to the giver of presents."

Beckett snorted softly and shook her head. "Of course not. She's only 17, after all. Seeing as she's your daughter, I wouldn't expect her to discover the truth for at least another thirty years." Her slight smirk brought a twinkle to his eyes as she returned her attention to the paperwork in front of her.

"Christmas is the one time of year when everyone can believe in something magical, Kate."

Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan joined the pair at Beckett's desk, Esposito nodding as he rolled over in a desk chair. "It's what makes the holidays such a special time of year. Love, friendship, kindness..." He trailed off when he saw the disbelieving look on his partner's face. "What? A guy can't get into the spirit?"

Ryan shook his head slightly. "Perfectly fine by me. Tell the good doctor Parish and her influence I say hello."

Beckett smiled at the good-natured banter amongst her team, as Castle held out his bunched up fingers and tapped them against Ryan's. She signed and dated the final form in the file and cracked her own knuckles. "Well, we know at least one guy who won't be in the spirit. Looks like our guy Mr. Carlson won't have much to celebrate for many holidays to come."

"I'm glad at least someone in this precinct appears to be making half an effort to do work on the taxpayer's dime."

Four heads swiveled around to stare at Captain Victoria Gates, who had just turned off the lights and shut the door to her office.

"Sir. The Carlson case is done. Detectives Esposito and Ryan just handed him over to booking, and I'm wrapping up the paperwork now."

Gates gave Beckett's desk a once over, noting Castle's feet propped up on one edge. As he quickly let them fall off, she pursed her lips and nodded at them. "Granted, it wasn't the most difficult case you've ever worked, but I can't find any kinks in the case you constructed. Nice work, all three of you."

She missed the confounded look on Castle's face, but turned her attention to him when he spoke with over-enthusiasm, "Captain, any plans for your holiday?"

"I suppose I'll be working for most of it, Mr. Castle. Murderers don't take holidays, and we can't all be blessed with such flexible working conditions."

"Ah, of course not. Actually, I was just thinking of bringing some holly jolly to the precinct. Liven the place up a little, you know... a few strings of lights, a little tree in the break room... Secret Santa amongst the team?" He looked up at her with a hopeful expression Beckett had only seen on the faces of small children visiting Santa Claus in shopping malls.

Ryan stared at Gates with wide eyes, while Esposito moved his eyes back and forth like he was watching a tennis match. Beckett held her breath and braced herself for the captain's reaction.

"A precinct, much less the homicide division of a precinct, is no place for any disrespectful shows of emotion, Mr. Castle." Gates held up a hand to silence his oncoming protests, and turned to Beckett. "However, Detective, if you can guarantee that any such... activities... would be confined to the break room, I don't see how I could deny you."

Castle, despite having been dismissed from the conversation, nearly jumped straight in the air in his haste to begin crafting a list of necessities. "Brilliant, Captain. I'll just cut up some squares of paper for Secret Santa. You can draw the first name, of course-"

"I am not participating, Mr. Castle. I merely acquiesced to your request. Someone has to stay focused, after all." Gates nodded good night to the members of her team, her gaze lingering on Ryan, whose eyes had only gotten wider during the entire exchange. He diverted them immediately, suddenly interested in assisting Castle with folding scraps of paper.

As the captain walked down the hall toward the elevator, she heard Castle start humming to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and turned slightly before hitting the 'down' button. "The break room ONLY, Mr. Castle," she reminded him sternly.

When the elevator doors had shut behind her and the four of them were alone on the precinct floor, Ryan made a low whistle. "Seems Mr. Carlson isn't the only one who won't be celebrating."

As Beckett contemplated this, Castle dove into preparations with an enthusiasm only he could possess. "Obviously, Secret Santa names are a lock. The four of us, plus Lanie. We can exchange presents and gorge ourselves on food the afternoon of the 24th, before we all go our separate ways. Music, egg nog, obnoxious amounts of food, presents, lights, the tree, ornaments... I'm forgetting something."

Beckett rolled her eyes playfully, "I'm sure you'll pull it all together, Castle. I doubt you'd do something foolish like forget the tinsel... or the mistletoe."

Esposito turned his laugh into a cough and Ryan found a particularly interesting bit of lint to look at on his suit jacket, as each avoided making eye contact with Beckett, who was innocently observing Castle's slack-jawed reaction to her goading.

Pulling himself together rather quickly, in his own estimation at least, Castle grabbed for his pen and added each of the items to the list. He even managed to wink at Beckett, who mentally chastised herself for even planting the idea in the writer's brain.

Twenty minutes later, Secret Santa names were drawn - Esposito drew for Lanie, as the M.E. had been stuck on another case since the early hours of the morning - and Castle had been talked out of buying anything even remotely resembling mistletoe, after being reminded that he could be caught underneath it with any member of the homicide unit who happened to enter the break room. The team broke for the evening, and Esposito and Ryan left quickly, leaving Castle and Beckett alone as she straightened up the long-forgotten paperwork and collected her bag.

"You're looking perplexed, detective. In fact, you've looked like this ever since the Secret Santa drawing. Draw someone mysterious? Handsome? Already has everything he could ever need?"

She smirked at him. "Oh, absolutely. I know just who to talk to about that, though. I think I can get him figured out well enough. He's not that complex."

"Not complex?"

"No, I'd say he's pretty easy."

Castle blinked a few times and desperately attempted to keep his face neutral. "Oh, well... if you're sure about that. Mine's pretty easy, too. Won't need to put much thought into her at all."

He turned to leave and Beckett's stare could have burned a hole through his head. "Good thing we both got so lucky, then," she said stoically.

He nodded, wrapping his scarf around his neck and holding out her coat, helping her into it one arm at a time. He allowed himself another wink in her direction, and was relieved when she offered him a genuine, albeit soft, smile. A glance around the precinct confirmed that they were alone, and he offered her his arm, "Buy you a coffee to keep you warm on the way home? It's starting to snow out there."

She hesitated for a moment, then slipped her arm through his, allowing her fingers to curl around the muscle. They were continuously slipping into an easier and easier sense of camaraderie, and it seemed like every day she was allowing him more opportunities to take advantage of their ever-transforming relationship. She couldn't help the hesitation, but it seemed easier to give in and retreat into the comfortable ease the two of them shared during the holidays. Something about the atmosphere made people want to be close to someone, and Beckett knew that there was no one she would rather share these memories with than her partner.

Beckett subconsciously shivered at the thought as they approached the cafe down the street from the precinct. Castle, assuming it was from the brutally cold New York City winds, detached himself and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. She tensed for a moment, then allowed herself to enjoy the added warmth. As they approached the counter to order, Castle surprised her by ordering both of the drinks to go.

"Somewhere to be, Castle?"

"I have a very important date tonight, Kate." He watched as her face fell slightly, feeling ashamed for teasing her yet pleased that she was reacting with disappointment. "No fears, dear detective. My date is at a Christmas tree lot with a very particular salesman named Vinnie, who promises to know the difference between any two pine needles in the city." He nudged her side slightly with his elbow, and breathed a sigh of relief when her breathing evened out and she looked up at him with a coy smile.

"Well, by all means... you wouldn't want to keep Vinnie waiting." With that, she accepted her coffee from the barista and began walking toward the door. Pausing, she turned back toward him with a sincere smile. "Thanks, Rick. Sometimes the precinct can be a little suffocating. It's good to get a breath of fresh air every now and then. This idea you've hatched is a good one."

He returned her gaze with a crooked smile of his own. "I'd do anything for my partner... and our team."

She nodded and threw one last smile over her shoulder as she forced herself out the door and back into the harsh winds, which somehow felt even colder now that she no longer found herself wrapped in Castle's embrace.

A breath of fresh air, indeed.