a/n: After a terrible Nutcracker audition (I am so mad. So mad. It's not even funny) I realized I watched reruns of Bones. I watched the holiday episodes from season 1 and 3, and suddenly I was super excited to see the holiday episodes for Castle!!! (They better make one!) Anyway, a little, pre-jingle bell season story.

Please review!!!

Wintery Season

"You know, I really like the winter." Detective Kate Beckett broke the silence as the first snow of the season began to fall. The grounds were just beginning to get coated in what resembled a light layer of powdered sugar on top of strawberry shortcake.

"Why?" Richard Castle asked as he jogged up next to her, trying to keep up. The two were slowly making their way to a crime scene in the middle of the park.

"I don't really know, it's…" She paused trying to find the right words to describe what she was trying to say. "People rave about the summer all the time. Vacations to Hawaii, Tahiti, the Bahamas, Florida, but in the winter, they all just hide out in their homes and wait for the holidays to come around."

"So?"

"So…I think that winter can be just as enjoyable as summer."

"Summer means sun, Beckett. Sun means less clothing, do you see my chain of thought here?" Joked, Castle.

Kate smirked. "Sun means getting sunburned."

"You can get sunburned in the winter, too. Besides, it's cold in the winter, which means jackets, and coats and cashmere sweaters, and hats, and scarves, and heavy boots that clunk everywhere…it's so…expensive." Castle realized, calculating the cost for all his winter supplies in his head.

"And summer is not?" Kate inquired.

"Buy a bikini, and you're reading to go, go, go!"

"What about all that plastic surgery, and leg waxes, and bikini waxes, and tanning beds, and tanning lotion, and finding just the right bikini could cost more than two winter coats." Kate countered.

"What about all that holiday shopping?"

"You're rich! I like it; it puts festivity into the year. People just don't shop like that for luau decorations."

"Winter's lonely." Castle shrugged, kicking an out-of-place stick in the icy grass.

"What about all those songs with the families and their children waiting for Santa?"

"It's romantically dead."

"Is not. Summer is fatal for romance."

"Uh, hello, 'summer lovin'?' Grease?" Castle began to sing the tune, and Kate suppressed a laugh.

"I don't wanna lot for Christmas…" Kate began to sing, teasingly. "There is just one thing I need…" She continued.

"Why, Katie, you have a lovely voice." Castle complimented, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Well thank you, I'm flattered." She said sarcastically, and continued on into the chorus, "make my wish come true…all I want for Christmas…is you…" By this time the snow had begun to fall heavier and both Kate and Castle had their hands stuffed deep into their coat pockets, and their scarves wrapped tightly around their necks.

The yellow caution tape could now be seen, and the rush of the crime scene unit overshadowed the sense of bliss that had been just moments before.

Looking at the crime scene, he felt something nudge his arm, it was Kate. Her eyes focused ahead, but she quietly sung, 'Santa Baby…won't you hurry down the chimney tonight." She smirked, and ducked under the hideous yellow tape.

Smiling sheepishly, Castle looked back at the footprints they had created in the snow… "So she likes winter," he said under his breath, fog coming out from under his lips in light puffs; his mind was already churning away at this coming holiday season.

End note: Please Review!