A/N: This oneshot is in response to a challenge issued to me by JayJay Nicola B at castletv . net chat. Need to thank my wonderful beta Xonze for the quick edit so I could get it posted and PenguinOfTroy for encouraging me to write again. As usual I don't own any of the Castle characters. That honor goes to the brilliant Andrew Marlowe and company.
Hope you enjoy the story. If you feel led, please leave a review as I would love to hear from you on what you all thought.
Happy Trails
By: Dale Evans, Roy Rogers
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.
Beckett woke to the sound of her phone vibrating somewhere in the room. Quickly sitting up, she did a quick scan and found it had fallen on the floor next to the pile of clothes next to her bed. As she reached out to pick it up, she felt an arm try and pull her back down onto the bed. Shaking the arm off, she pressed the call button.
"Beckett" She answered rather harshly.
"Espo, do you realize what time it is? We were supposed to have off so this better be good." She let slip knowing he would catch it. She wasn't disappointed.
Her eyes wandered over to the other body on the bed just as she caught Espo saying, "We? Is there something you need to tell us about? Last I heard, you had been doing the single thing for now. You know, after everything and all."
"Focus Espo. Is there something you needed or can I go back to sleep?"
"I bet that's all you were doing." She heard Esposito mutter before he continued "Yeah, well I kind of need to know the name of that stuff you put on my finger the other day."
"Stuff? Seriously, Espo, you called at this hour when you couldn't have waited until when normal people call. Why do you need to know anyway?" She asked.
"Yeah, well I was getting so much attention the other night with a ring on I thought I would try it again, but with a different ring. Now I can't get it off and Lanie is here at the bar. She doesn't need to see me with a ring on my finger. Figured I could slip out of the bar, take care of the ring, and slip back in before she spots me. Kind of thought you would be with her but it seems you had other plans."
"Of all the stupid know I'm never going to let you live-" Beckett started to say as she felt a hand start to trail lightly down her back making her body shiver in response. "Anyway, try Olay Body Lotion - Silk Whimsy. Should work like a charm and get you back in the arms of Lanie. Where you would have never left had you not been so stupid."
"Like you're one to talk. All right, I'll be going now. You know how it goes, say hi to Castle for me." Esposito said just as he hung up the phone.
Kate just stared at her cell for a moment longer before that hand running along her back was joined by lips along the base of her neck. Shaking her head one more time, she grabbed the arm that was now reaching around her stomach and pinned him on his back, leaving a trail of kisses of her own as she went.
XOXOXOX
When she opened her eyes the next morning, she could hear some strange noises coming from the direction of the office, could be from the kitchen, she wasn't quite sure. Debating whether it was worth it to investigate or stay where she was, she closed her eyes for another moment and let her mind drift back to the past few months.
To say things had been crazy would have been an understatement. A lot of things were said, more things were brought out into the open and a lot more things had been left to a standstill of sorts. Kind of like agree to disagree for the greater good and what good that had turned out to be. Much better than she could have ever dreamed.
Smiling, she opened her eyes once more and found a Green Lantern t-shirt nearby that she threw on along with a pair of shorts that were laying unceremoniously on the floor. Normally she wouldn't have bothered with the shorts but thought it might be a good idea this morning considering she didn't know what was going on outside the bedroom.
Walking out of the office area, she scanned the area until she saw him and started to laugh.
Dressed in a cowboy hat, boxers and button down plaid shirt hanging open, Castle was singing while making what she was assumed was breakfast. Music she originally didn't recognize was being played through the speakers on his laptop on the counter. She was able to listen to a few lines before she was spotted.
Kate felt herself being drawn in by his arms into a slow dance of sorts in the middle of the Loft. Cheesy as it was, it was perfect after everything they had gone through and yet still remained together.
Raising her head to look into his eyes, she leaned against him and gave him a long, passionate kiss.
"Not sure I want to know, but what's with the cowboy outfit this morning?" She asked as she broke the kiss and he went toward the kitchen for breakfast.
"What? You don't like how I look? I'm hurt, offended...ok, maybe not."
"Oh, I definitely like how you look. Just not sure I want to share this umm "look" with anyone else. Least of which your daughter." She said while her eyes roamed his body.
"Au contraire. My daughter is the reason I have this music on. You see she mentioned something about Roy Rogers and this song being a kids song but I disagree. You see this song applies to adults just as much as kids, maybe more so. I thought it was worth a listen."
Kate chuckled as she raised her hand and let it trail along his jawline as he set the song to repeat. She couldn't tear herself away from his eyes despite the fact that breakfast was probably getting cold at this point.
"Still doesn't explain this get up you have going, though."
"Thought I would dress up so I could really feel the song while you got some much needed sleep. You know I am the son of an actress..."
"Yeah, you have a point. Ok, several points." Kate said as she listened to the last part of the song and started to sway.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.
She felt him wrap his arms around her as she leaned her back into them. She knew his mouth would end up along her neck so she leaned her head to the side for better access.
"You know Rick," she said as they moved toward one of the windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline, "this song could almost be our theme song, if we would want one... which we don't, ever." She said more softly.
"Theme song? I could think of better ones but want to know where you are going with this."
"Well, we've definitely had our happy moments over the years and more than our fair share of blue ones, intentional or not, but no matter what we always seem to come back together, support each other, push each other in ways no one else really can and for that I'm thankful." She said softly as she enjoyed the feeling of his arms tightly wrapped around her.
"Just wish we didn't hurt each other so much in the process of getting to this point is all. Pushing each other, however, will never stop. If you know what I mean."
"Hmm, pushing could be fun. Touching too if done correctly and at the right time." She murmured as she felt his body tense against her. Taking this as her moment to turn in his arms, she looked up into his eyes and said, "I know I may regret admitting this and you may hold this over my head, but it was said once that I didn't believe in magic. Problem is that it's not true. I do believe in magic, especially when it involves you and me together."
Kate expected some retort from him but instead found herself wrapped up in what she had come to know as the classic Castle hug.
Running her fingers through his hair, she softly sang in his ear, "It's the way you ride the trail that counts, Here's a happy one for you." as they continue their tight embrace.
What has happened in their past or what may happen in their future doesn't matter as long as the do it together so -
Happy Trails to you until we meet again...