I don't own them.

I'm trying out different angles with Caskett, please let me know what you think.

Beckett rubbed hers eyes trying to get them to refocus on the case file. Castle sat on her left resting his chin on his hand. His eyes were starting to droop but he was determined not to leave her on her own to deal with this case. They were in this together, and it was the only time in the past few weeks that they'd been able to enjoy time together.

Suddenly the elevator doors pinged and in came Josh.

"Kate!" His voice cut through the otherwise silent room, jostling them both from their semi-consciousness.

"Josh! What are you doing here?" Beckett was surprised but seemingly please to see him. Castle on the other hand just sunk further into his chair. He'd tried to like the guy for Beckett's sake, but had rapidly come to the conclusion that there was never going to be any chance of him getting along with any of Beckett's boyfriends if they weren't him.

"I could ask you the same question. You were supposed to meet me for dinner three hours ago." Josh was miffed. He understood that he and Beckett both kept unusual hours but she'd never missed a day when they'd planned to go out for dinner.

"Oh Josh, I'm sorry. We just got so caught up with the case, I completely forgot." Beckett rubbed her eyes exhaustively. It wasn't often that she would let on how tired she was during a case, but this one had really gotten to her.

"Well what's he still doing here?" Josh indicated Castle and pointed to him accusingly, "Hasn't he got a family to go home to too?" Castle stiffened. He didn't like Josh's tone but refused to engage in front of Beckett.

"He has a name. And not that it's any of your business but no, they're all away for the weekend. Castle is helping me construct a feasible motive." Castle smirked.

Kate's vehement defence of Castle shocked Josh. He knew they were friends but he hadn't appreciated just how close they really were. The cold stab of jealousy overtook Josh for a moment as the realisation that Castle and Kate spent more time together than he and Kate ever did, sunk in.

"Well when are you going to come home? It's late and I wanted to spend some time with you." Josh was on the verge of whining now and it started to annoy Beckett.

"I don't know Josh. I really need to try and get ahead with this one. This guy's clever, and if we don't figure out a motive soon, we're going to end up with another dead body. I'll be here all night if I have to be..."

Josh tried to cut her off as he gestured towards Castle,

"And as for Castle, he is a free agent. It's his choice to stay here and help me, but he'll go whenever he's ready." Beckett wasn't in the mood for a fight right now. Especially in front of Castle. She knew that things weren't great between Josh and Castle, not that she'd ever really tried to get to the bottom of it, but she wasn't prepared to start delving into it now.

In a desperate attempt diffuse the situation, Castle piped up, "Josh, if you'd like to stay and help Kate with the case so you can spend some time together, I can go." He stood up so as to emphasise his point.

Beckett shot him a death glare. She didn't like sharing her work world with Josh. It was bad enough having to tolerate Castle, but he was good at building theories with her. She couldn't imagine that Josh was terribly good at that sort of thing.

"Castle, you don't have to go, and Josh, you and I will spend time together, I just need to get through this case." Kate was begging with her eyes, looking into Josh's eyes. Unfortunately her puppy dog look wasn't as perfected as Castle's,

"Sure. I'd love to stay and help." Josh said enthusiastically. Kate huffed to herself before forcing a smile on her face as Josh pulled up a chair.

An hour passed, and they'd got no where. Kate's hands were either side of her temples as she tried to shut out the two men on either side of her; concentrating on the case file.

"Would anyone like anymore coffee?" Josh piped up. He'd been no help at all in the building of a motive, and he'd totally misunderstood the way Beckett and Castle built a theory. Part of the fun was Castle would suggest something totally outrageous and then Beckett would come up with something more feasible; which normally led in the right direction.

"No thanks." Castle offered, not looking up from his case file. Josh scowled at him. He wasn't really asking Castle.

"Kate honey?"

"Huh, what?" Kate was shaken from her train of thought.

"More coffee?"

"Umm, no thanks." She said before going back to her case file also.

Josh slumped off to the break room. He was miffed that in this misguided effort to spent some time with her, she'd managed two words. As he disappeared Castle put his hand on Kate's back,

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked

"For asking him to stay. I thought that it would make things better, but I think, as usual I've just made them worse." Castle looked genuinely sad. Beckett couldn't help but smile. She knew that he hadn't meant to interfere.

"It's ok Castle. I appreciate what you tried to do." She laid her hand on Castle's thigh absent-mindedly. It didn't go unnoticed by him. They looked at each other and smiled warmly. They suddenly realised how close they were to each other. Their eyes darkened as they started to look deeply at each other; and the atmosphere in the room felt like it had had an abrupt electric charge added to it, but the break room door closing snapped them out of their 'moment'. Josh came back and sat down.

"What'd I miss?"

Castle swallowed hard. It wasn't so much what Josh had missed, but what he'd potentially interrupted. Kate recovered quicker than him.

"Nothing really. Castle was just trying to get me accept another CIA theory." She smiled at him. Castle smiled back and was so lost in Kate's cover that his missed Josh's eyeroll.

They settled back into silence for another hour before Josh stood up.

"Come on Kate. I think you've done enough for one day. You're not getting anywhere and you need a fresh look at it in the morning."

Castle hated to admit it, but Josh was right. They hadn't come up with any feasible motive and he was starting to feel the strain.

"Beckett, Josh is right. It won't do you any harm to go home and rest for a few hours. You'll feel better after some sleep."

Josh was surprised when Castle agreed, but pleased that he wouldn't have to argue with both of them. They then noticed that Beckett hadn't proffered an opinion.

"Beckett..."

"Kate..." Josh and Castle said at the same time. Castle looked round Beckett's arm and realised she'd fallen asleep while resting her head there. He smiled to himself. She was so adorable when she slept. Castle stole a glance at Josh and realised that he seemed unsure of whether or not to wake her. Castle decided to rub his hand over her shoulder blades in hopes of rousing her.

"Beckett? Come on you need to wake up. Josh is going to take you home." That last part stung. He hated that he wasn't the one to be taking her home. But at that moment Beckett leaned towards Castle and started to snuggle into his neck, her hand resting on his chest.

"Hmm" Was all she said. Josh who had been standing back watching this unfold, decided that he'd seen enough. He wasn't about to let Castle enjoy this anymore than was necessary.

"Come on baby, I've got to take you home." Josh tried to pick her up but Beckett ended up grabbing a fistful of Castle's shirt making it impossible.

Josh snapped, "Kate wake up!"

"Shhh! You'll wake her." Castle could feel his blood begin to boil. He knew that Kate didn't get enough sleep as it was, and he didn't take kindly to Josh trying to startling her awake. Plus, he was enjoying having her in his arms a little too much.

"Well she'll have to wake up if I'm going to take her home!" Josh spat back.

"Don't worry about it, I'll just carry her down to your car. Where'd you park?" Castle tried to reason with him.

"I came on the bike." Said Josh in a tone that suggested that Castle should know that.

"You can't take her home on that. Even if you did get her to wake up, she's so exhausted she'd probably fall right back to sleep and come off the bike." Castle said incredulously.

"Well what do you suggest Writer Boy?" Josh folded his arms in frustration.

"I'll take her home in my car."

"Over my dead body!"

"Look, why don't you follow me on the bike? Standing here arguing isn't going to get Beckett home safely to bed." Castle sighed. Why was she with this idiot again?

When Josh didn't come back with a counter argument, Castle scooped Beckett into his arms and secured her against his chest as he walked toward the elevator. Beckett gripped onto his shirt even tighter and sighed contentedly again. Castle smiled down tenderly at her and automatically placed a long kiss on her forehead before Josh appeared at his side and reminded him where he was. Castle pulled her as close as possible so that he could savour this feeling of her completely relaxed in his arms. He felt the loss of what could have been as they rode down in the elevator in cold silence, apart from Kate's steady breathing.

Castle placed her gently in his backseat and managed to get her to relinquish her death grip on his shirt. On the drive back to her place, Castle kept stealing little glances in the rear-view mirror of her beautiful sleeping form. He'd then see the flash from Josh's motorbike headlight, bringing him back down to Earth with a bang.

They finally reached her front door, with Castle having already removed her keys from her pocket. Josh opened up while Castle sailed straight into Beckett's bedroom as if he'd been doing it all his life. He placed her on the bed gently and tucked her in under the covers. As he was getting up to leave he heard Beckett whisper,

"Stay."

"What?" Castle could barely believe his ears.

"Stay with me..." Castle's heart leapt at that statement. She obviously felt more for him than she'd let on, but Josh's frame appeared in the doorway.

Castle's face fell before he whispered in her ear sadly, " I can't" Kate frowned in her sleep, as if she didn't understand. With a final stroke of her hair and a kiss to her temple, Castle got up and walked to the door. Just before he got through the other side, he heard Josh behind him.

"Hey Castle!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Castle smiled sadly, "You're welcome. I'll...I'll see you around."

"Sure."

With that Castle closed the door. He hated walking away from her. Especially when she made requests like the one she just had, but she wasn't his to love.

Josh stared at the front door for a few more seconds before turning towards Kate's bedroom. They would have a lot to discuss in the morning.

Well there were are. I was thinking of leaving this as it is but I'm not sure. Would you like me to write more?

I haven't forgotten my other story Karaoke, but this one was bugging me and I had to write it down. I've got a lot of Caskett going on in my head at the moment. I hope you enjoyed it.