Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading my story, I hope you enjoy it.
This story is a reposting of one I did on another Castle FanFic site.
By all means, please leave me feedback/reviews on this or any of the other stories I've posted here.
This is all a first for me and I'd like to know what's good and what needs improvement.
Story Notes:
Yes, this is really really sappy and fluffy. You will need your insulin.
Disclaimer:
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
"Hey Cast... Rick, since you're already in the kitchen, care to pour me another cup of tea?" Kate called out from her spot on the couch.
"As you wish." he says happily.
"You know, reading this short story of your's makes me wonder..." Kate starts.
"Kate, please." interrupting her, his voice taking on an unusual seriousness "Please don't let that self-doubt resurface again. I know what you said on our first trip to my place in the Hamptons. I understand it, I really do. I understand that we both had lives before we, well, became a 'we'. I just want you to remember that it was what made us what we are now."
She reveled in the feeling he gave her when he talked like this, so serious, so down-to-earth, so, so, what's the word? Intimate. This guy was willing to pull back a bit of his armor for her and talk to her about his feelings. Well, mostly. Like him, when they were face to face, words began to fail terribly.
"Yea but..." she started again.
"Look. Our lives are long journeys. Each one built of moments layered on the one before it. You my dear, are a spectacular person, and a pretty damn hot one at that but if you or I had a George Bailey moment and took just one of those moments out of our past, you'd still be a spectacular person and mega hot and I'd still be ruggedly handsome but Katherine Beckett and Richard Rogers would not be on these trajectories that brought us together and you would be a lawyer somewhere with a nice home, white picket fence, two point six children, an SUV in the driveway, a membership in the PTA and who knows, I'd probably be a rodeo clown." he pauses for a moment "I grant you, a ruggedly handsome rodeo clown but still..."
Coming over to her on the couch "One cup of tea for milady" he says putting her cup on the little table next to her making sure the handle is facing her. She notices the extra thought he puts into things like that and smiles to herself. "Thank you for my tea... So... rodeo clown eh? Yeah, I can see that."
"Ouch! Thanks."
"You're welcome." she smirks. Smiling wide she enjoys the banter with him. She's never met anyone, any man especially, who had the self-confidence to verbally fence with her and not feel put off by being challenged by a woman. It takes a lot of man to allow a woman to actually get the upper hand and still smile.
"Yeah. I'm not sure that's what I meant." He says, lifting her feet and scooting under her legs again to sit on the couch with her legs across his lap, both of them covered by a thick blanket.
"Very nice speech by the way." Kate says.
"Thank you. And I mean it."
"You do?" She asks somewhat surprised.
"Yes, I do. I mean don't you think I'd be the most ruggedly handsome rodeo clown ever?" his blue eyes sparkling at her, with that impish grin on his face. Damn that look, it's her kryptonite, she's almost powerless when he does that.
"Speaking of 'bull'..." she starts.
"Hey! Great segue!" he laughs, holding his cup near hers as an invitation to clink glasses.
"Thank you." she clinks his cup with hers before taking a sip. "That's not what I was going to say." She says firmly.
"Oh, sorry. Seems I 'assumed' what was coming next." Castle says sheepishly.
"That's okay, I like hearing your thoughts at times. Not that I want a complete essay for every answer."
"Duly noted." He responds quickly.
"Anyway, what I was about to say was, this short story of yours makes me wonder why we don't have a 'special place'. I know you told me about your rooftop with Kyra and I've told you about the spot on the pier where we'd watch the boats come and go and have a picnic but you and I, we don't have one of these special places. Did you ever notice that?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of? What do you mean sort of? Don't you think we deserve 'a place'?"
Smiling but looking serious, he turns to her "Yes, I had noticed exactly what you're talking about but then, I was reminded by my little red-headed, walking reality checker, that you and I do have a special place."
"We do?" Kate asks quizzically, unsure of what he means.
"Yea we do." he says.
"Okay, let me see if I can guess where it might be." She starts to look wistfully off into space.
"I'm thinking that a small wager on this might be in order." he laughs.
"A wager eh? I'm in. The loser... has to wait on the winner hand and foot for a day."
"You're on. So, start guessing. Oh wait a second." he scribbles on a piece of paper, tears it off the pad and puts it in his lap.
"That's not the answer is it?"
He holds up the piece of paper for her to see it. "Nope, keep trying."
"Smart aleck eh? Let's get this party started! I think maybe you'd think it was the first place I arrested you."
Up goes the piece of paper while he keeps reading the book in front of him.
"Hmmm... Okay, how about my desk?"
Again, he holds up the paper while he keeps reading. Now he's got a little smile on his face.
"Bull pen".
Paper.
"Front seat of my car."
Paper and a side glance with his eyebrows arched.
"Don't be a dirty boy. How about..."
On and on this game goes. She's guessing every place they've been for over four years and he keeps holding up that damn paper. Finally she falls silent staring at him. Quietly and shyly she points to her lips and says "Here?"
He smiles and gives her a peck on the lips, sits back and holds up the paper.
"Grrrr!" she exclaims, the frustration mounting then quietly she says "How about ... " and she gently points to her heart.
A soft smile and the paper.
"Ugh!" again. She narrows her eyes coldly and begins to turn her finger downward and he quickly holds up the paper again.
"Just for the record, it's 'G' rated." he says.
"Good or I'd have to taze you." she smiles playfully.
"You aren't giving up are you?" he looks a little put-out.
"No, I'm thinking." she snaps.
"Good. You are one of the few people I know who may get such a tricky puzzle."
"Ah, a hint! Good. I see where your brain is. Wait a minute, I covered that already... Didn't I suggest..."
He holds up the paper grinning.
"I'm not letting you win this game. I'll figure it out." She protests.
"We should have put a time limit on it. How about we say 'before lunch time'?" his eyes twinkling.
"Yeah, I'll get it before then."
"I'm not worried." he says and turns back to his reading.
"Wait a second... You aren't thinking 'on the page' are you?"
"Wow, very good guess, very meta, very ethereal, I like it."
She sits back smiling, pleased with herself for guessing it when he holds up the paper.
"You're a jerk! I'm going to get this now just to make you eat those words!"
Slowly he holds up the paper grinning.
"Arrghhh!" she smacks her fist into the cushion of the couch.
And again, she begins to name off strange places they've been close, each time met by his note.
"Hey, you gettn' hungry?" he says.
"NO! You're not getting out of this! Wait, you can't possibly mean the freezer!?"
Paper.
"Good, I'd taze you for that one too."
Paper.
Touching where her scar on her chest is "It isn't..."
"No, not related to that." he says softly.
"You are a frustrating person!" she grunts.
"So, what do you think you want to do for lunch?" he asks wistfully, staring off into space.
"You're going to starve if I can't figure this out."
"Okay but I may gnaw on my own leg to win this bet. Although, your's are mighty nice..."
"Zip it, 'Kitten!' I'm still working on this." Beckett snaps at him.
"Fine." he says smiling.
Another hour goes by full of exchanges, her guessing a place, him holding up the note. Finally, she sits there looking at him for a long while.
"Kate? Any more guesses?" Surprised that she's given up so easily.
"I don't think so. I think I've run out. Would you be willing to give me a hint?"
"Yes, I will. You sure you want it?" He asks with an eyebrow lifted.
"I hate to admit it but yes. I'll take a hint." She says quietly.
"It's going to cost you." He smiles again.
"You are going to extort something from me? Do you know how low that is?" Beckett asks playfully.
"Yup, I do. So, you willing to pay?"
"Depends, what are you charging for one hint?"
"A kiss." he smiles at her and leans in to receive it.
She gives him a warm kiss and forces herself to break the kiss quickly or lunch will be much later.
"Okay Ricky. One good hint please." She says still an inch from his face.
"Sit back and hold up your hand to me."
She looks at him and does as he asks. He reaches out and touches her hand with his index finger. Looks her in the eye for a moment and then sits back and begins to read again.
"You call that a hint? I've gotten better hints from a cracker-jack box."
Silent, he continues to read without flinching.
"So, that's your hint. Now I have to guess from that. I don't think that made it any easier."
He glances at her and smiles and turns back to his book.
"So what might it be..." she said losing herself in thought. Suddenly she looks at him. "I think I might have guessed it!"
"Well, I'm waiting to hear it and by the way, I'm getting hungry." He says reaching out to grab his note.
Softly and warmly, she leans in and puts a hand on his shoulder then touching his cheek "It's 'here', where we are right now."
"Exactly. You got it."
"You mean it?"
"Yes. Wherever our spirits touch, is our special place. Sitting here together reading. On a crime scene. At your desk. Walking down the street together or alone. Making love. Even talking on the phone or just thinking about each other. That is where our special place is. It is there I feel the least alone. It is where I can feel your thoughts for me. It is where I wonder what you are doing, what you are seeing, what song is in your head or in your heart. It is where I long for you. It is where I long for your touch. It is where you mean the most to me. It is where I want to share that moment in time with you. It is where I ache to touch you, hear your voice. It is where I want to smell your skin and feel its softness. It is there that I want to hold you tight and feel your breathing and your heart beating. It is there where I feel time stop. It is there where nothing else matters. It is there that I feel the most alive."
Crying now she leans forward wrapping her arms around his neck and lightly kissing his cheek. It is then that she notices that his cheek is wet, awash in emotion, unabashedly crying in front of her, for her. She finally sees the man inside that thick armor of ego, bluster, bravado, and humor that he always wears. For her he has done what he's never done for anyone before, he has let her in.
Softly, she whispers in his ear "I think lunch is going to have to wait."
### The End ###