A/N: This came to my head while I was in the shower. So, here you go. Hope it turns out as amazing as my mind told me it would.

Disclaimer: Plot mine. Stana and Nathan, no.

A knock echoed in Katherine Beckett's apartment as she fastened her necklace. She slipped off her shoes and ran to the door, expecting it to be Lanie or even Castle, who was supposed to be picking her up soon. Leave it to him to show up early just to annoy her. She tried to be annoyed, but found herself smiling nonetheless. She turned the knob with her wrists (her fingernails could still be wet) and looked up. Josh was standing on her doorstep, a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Josh?" Beckett asked, furrowing her brows. "I thought you were in..."

"Japan? Yeah, I was, until I realized that I wanted to be here with you," he thrust the roses to her, which she took tentatively, unsure of how to react. He took in her formal gown and impeccable hair. "Special occasion?"

She cast her mind about for something to say. She had expected him to be out of town, and had never told him about the fundraiser being held to raise money for the scholarship in her mother's name. Josh didn't even know about her mother's death. "Um...yeah. It's a fundraiser. Castle invited a few of us from the precinct to go, and you know...good publicity for the 12th..."

"Oh. Well, I was hoping we could...catch up," Josh placed a hand on her waist and another on her face. "I missed you."

Beckett turned away. "Yeah, you too, but I need to finish getting ready." She retreated to her bathroom to put on her makeup and heard Josh following her.

"So do you want to call me afterward?" He asked. He sounded so understanding that Beckett almost told him what the fundraiser was really for, but couldn't bring herself to say it. She was nervous enough as it was, and instead of answering, she busied herself applying her lipstick.

"Mmmhhhmmmhmm," she mumbled. Josh stared at her questioningly, expecting her to repeat herself. Thankfully, someone else had arrived at the door and Beckett praised the lord as she excused herself.

It was Castle, looking fantastic as ever in his tux, with a green tie that matched her dress. She found herself looking appreciatively at him for much longer than was strictly necessary, and flushed. He smiled at her pink cheeks and opened his mouth to speak.

"You look..." he looked her over in a way that made her tingle from head to toe. "Absolutely divine." He took her hand and kissed it. "Are you almost ready, mademoiselle? Your carriage, and by carriage I mean limo, awaits."

"Who's here, Kate?"

Castle dropped her hand and Beckett's eyes remained on his face. Instantly, she saw hurt, confusion, and then...nothing. He closed off his expressions and became a different Richard Castle. She paused, then turned to Josh.

"It was Rick," she said firmly, using his first name to snap him out of his reverie. "We're heading out. I guess I'll see you later?"

"Oh, you're not going?" Castle, ever the gentleman, asked.

"I wasn't even aware there was a fundraiser, but you know, Katie's gotta do what she's gotta do for the precinct, right? I mean, isn't that why she still lets you shadow her?"

Castle's face went stony, but he smiled through it. "I imagine," he said. "Well, the function is sort of in Kate's honor anyway, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind it if you attended, right?"

"Castle..." Beckett said quietly, but he wasn't listening.

"I mean, I'm sure she would want to spend tonight with her boyfriend."

Josh was looking at Kate. "What do you mean, this is in your honor?"

Castle hastened to add, "Well, it's in her mother's honor, but Kate is her daughter so..."

"This is for your mom?" Josh was still looking at Kate, who was looking at Castle. He looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah, it's for my mom," Kate said. Josh continued to watch her, but when she offered no more insight, he sighed.

"So...will her mom be there?" he asked Castle. Castle looked startled. Beckett looked up and their eyes met. She pleaded with him silently not to tell Josh. She was tired of hearing the story, of telling the story, and he never cared enough to try to figure it out. He hadn't earned it yet, and she wasn't going to just give it to him. Castle read all of this in her expression, and even more. She trusted him enough to tell him. He cared enough to find out. Both of which, he had over Dr. Motorcycle Boy.

"It's her place to tell you, not mine," he said shortly. "But we're going to be late if we don't hurry, so..."

"We'll talk about this after?" Josh asked Beckett pointedly. She nodded dismissively and took Castle's arm. She pulled him away as the door slammed shut behind them louder than it should have. She flinched.

"Beckett?" Castle asked. "What the hell was that about?"

"Josh came back early from Japan," Beckett said, pushing the button on the elevator. "He wasn't supposed to be back."

"And...you haven't told him...?"

"No, I haven't told him," Beckett snapped, stepping into the elevator right as the doors opened.

"I know I'm pestering, but I can't help it...are you planning on it?"

"It's not a conversation I like to have, Castle," Beckett retorted. The elevator dinged, and the pair drowned in significant silence the whole ride down. Castle lost in his own thoughts, Beckett in hers. Castle was focused on the idea that if Beckett was truly serious about Dr. Motorcycle Douchebag, then she would have told him about her mother, or at least would have planned to. She didn't sound like that conversation was at all in the future. He fought the smile threatening to take over his face. She wasn't in that relationship for the long haul. He had hoped, sure, but he had never known for sure. And here she was, practically spelling it out for him.

He had cared enough to peel back enough layers of Beckett to find out more than her boyfriend knew, more than she was comfortable with people knowing, and while it took a lot of fights, and she was not at all happy about it, he knew her. He knew her better than almost anyone, and with a woman like Beckett that was something to be savored.

Beckett couldn't ignore the shaking of her hands as she clutched the bar of the elevator. Josh had come far too close to learning about her mother's death for her comfort. She tightened her hold on the bar as the elevator dinged, and she let Castle lead the way out to the limo. They sat in silence as she continued to stew in her thoughts. As much as she hated to admit it, Castle knew way more about her than any boyfriend she ever had did. Granted, she didn't want him to know as much as he did, but now that he had all the information at his disposal, she found she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. In fact, it made living that much easier, knowing there was someone else who knew what she was dealing with, every day.

Wordlessly, she squeezed his hand. He looked down at their hands in surprise, then back up to her face. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," she said.

Castle smiled slightly. "I'm sorry you snapped at me too," he said. Beckett rolled her eyes and removed her hand. Castle chuckled and reclaimed it. "I'm sorry I tried to pry," he amended.

"That's better," she growled.

He turned his legs toward her, and their knees touched, sending a current of heat all through Beckett's body. She dared herself to leave her knee where it was, and looked up into his face. He smiled at her. "Look, it's your decision when and where you tell him what happened with your mother. But tonight is about honoring her memory, having a good time, and being in the moment. Surely you can do that, right?" he smiled teasingly at her, and she smacked his arm.

"Thank you, Castle," she said as the limo slowed to a stop. "I'm glad I'm your date tonight."

"Well, you'll have to share me with Alexis and my mother when we get inside, but I am at your mercy, detective," he lowered his head into a sort of bow, and Kate flushed again. She knew he meant at her mercy in more than one way, and couldn't help but admire again the perfect fit of his tux as the door opened. Flashed harassed her eyes and the voices of the paparazzi were almost as annoying. Castle exited first and held out his hand for her, which she took. He pulled her out of the limo and kept one hand firmly on her waist and led her past the mob of people shouting questions at her.

"I didn't want the press to know about this but...you know...raising money and such," he shrugged and Beckett mimicked him.

"It wasn't that bad," she said, nudging him. "Get me a drink, will ya?" she pushed him in the direction of the bar as Lanie approached, looking fantastic in black.

"Hey girlie, so...how was it arriving on the arm of Writer Boy?"

Beckett rolled her eyes but didn't answer. "Josh came back early."

Lanie raised her eyebrows. "And he just let you leave with Castle?"

"Well, he doesn't exactly know...about my mom..."

Lanie nodded. "I figured. So when are you two separating?"

Beckett looked astonished. "What?"

"You know you want that," Lanie jerked her head in the direction of Castle. "So why aren't you with it?"

"Lanie, it's complicated..."

"No it's not, it's very simple. You are making it complicated," Lanie insisted.

"What is she making complicated?" Castle asked, passing Kate champagne.

"Everything," Lanie said pointedly. "Castle, hypothetical question."

"I love these!"

"I thought you would. Okay, say you have this friend, who is head over heels for someone, but they won't admit it..."

"Okay."

"And this person that they're head over heels with is completely in love with them too...but they won't admit it either..."

"Gotcha."

"What do you get them for Christmas?"

Castle looked utterly stunned, and Beckett snorted in laughter. He looked at her, and she shrugged from behind her hand as she tried to stifle her laughter. Castle cast his eyes around for a witty answer, and paused.

"I got it!"

Lanie smirked. "Do you?"

"His and hers towels." He raised his glass and walked away. "Excuse me, I need to go ask people to donate money. Apparently I'm good at that."

A/N: Okay, this is a twoshot...apparently.