After that last episode we all need a little fluff, don't we? Here's some mindless fluff. May or may not be a continuous piece.

A sharp whine cut through the still night air stirring the couple from their sleep.

Rick groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. Beside him his wife grumbled incoherently and then nudged her partner with her elbow to which he grunted in response.

"Your turn." She mumbled.

"Nu-uh." Came his muffled reply and she cracked open one eye slightly to get a look at the position of her husband.

He suddenly yelped and bolted upwards, his pillow rolling off the bed and onto the floor next to him. He glared at his wife through the darkness. "What was that for?"

With a self satisfied smirk she closed her eyes and relaxed into her pillow. "It's your turn."

"You didn't have to pinch me."

"You weren't getting up."

"I was hoping he would stop..."

Another sharp cry, that much louder rang in their ears and he winced and then sighed. "Fiiine."

He threw the blankets off of him and slowly rose out of bed. A low chuckle came from behind him and he quickly glanced over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at the brunette whose eyes were still closed.

"And what may I ask is so funny."

"I told you this would happen...and I told you you wouldn't wanna do it."

He grumbled under his breath as he ignored the soft chuckles that followed him as he walked towards the bedroom door.

He ran a hand through his hair and then over his face, attempting to wake himself up. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He called down the hall as his feet shuffled across the carpet.

He flipped on the lights to his office and his eyes fell upon the source of the shrill noise. Despite his annoyance at being rudely awoken in the middle of the night his heart melted at the sight of the small creature.

He let a small smile cross his lips as he walked over to the cage in the corner of the room, a small dalmatian puppy yipping and wagging its tail at the sight of his owner.

"Hey there Sherly." He lowered himself to the ground just outside the cage as the young puppy jumped up on the cage, darting his little pink tongue out between the black bars.

Rick unlocked the cage and opened the door and the little spotted dog jumped out immediately onto his lap, pawing his chest and rubbing its cold nose against his chin.

He let out a rather unmanly giggle and let the puppy lick him for a moment or two before grabbing its wiggly little body and placing it on the floor next to him.

The dalmatian, "Sherly", yipped and almost at once tried to leap back into his new owner's lap but Rick pushed him back, giving him the best stern father look he could. The puppy yipped again and fought against Rick's hold trying to nip at the man's fingers.

Rick gasped and tapped the puppy's nose, scolding, "No! Bad boy!"

The puppy stopped for a moment, perked its ears, staring back at him with wide brown eyes and then yipped and jumped into his lap wagging its tail furiously.

Rick sighed, unable to resist the charms of the young pup anymore and ran his hand gently over its soft fur. "Okay, I'll let you stay here but you can't tell mommy."

"Too late." Kate's voice sprung from the doorway and he glanced over to see his wife dressed in one of his long T-shirts leaning up against the door frame, smiling tiredly. "And mommy thinks Daddy is very weak."

The puppy yipped and wiggled in Rick's arms at the appearance of his other owner and forced its way out from under Rick's hold and pranced across the office towards Kate's feet.

Her smile brightened at the wiggly puppy at her feet and she kneeled down to scoop him into her arms.

"See, even you can't resist his puppy charms." He observed, smiling at the sound of Kate's laughter as the puppy licked her face.

"Yes but Rick," She cast a look over the puppy's head towards her husband, "You wanted the dog, and it was agreed that you would be training him."

"But Kaaaate," He whined and then grumbled at her stern look. She turned the puppy in her arms and held him out in front of her and it wiggled in her hands, pawing and snapping playfully at the air. "Resist the face, Rick."

"He's a puppy, Kate...and he has a mind of his own, much like his name sake."

Kate rolled her eyes and brought him back to her chest, petting him gently. "I still can't believe you convinced me to actually let you name him Sherlock."

Rick beamed proudly. "Sherlock is an awesome name and you know it. We're a police family, we deserve a police dog and what better than a dalmatian named Sherlock."

Sherlock yipped and wiggled in Kate's arms happily.

"See, even he knows his name is awesome!"

Kate shook her head, smirking slightly and placed the puppy back on the ground. Sherlock ran around her feet a couple of times, yipped up at her and then flew back over to Rick.

"It's 3 in the morning, Kate." Rick said scooping the puppy back into his lap. "I will resume training when its actually daylight."

"Alright." Kate answered skeptically. "But no matter what you let slip through the cracks, Castle, that dog will not be sleeping in our bed."

"Fair enough." Rick nodded to his wife and then returned to cooing at the puppy. "I'll get you your own little bed then, yes I will."

Kate watched her oversized kid of a husband play with the latest addition to their family and knew it was the right decision to buy him. After that case a few years ago when they shared a brief joint custody of a golden retriever, Kate thought that maybe one day she'd get another dog and hopefully it would be with Rick. Throughout the time they were dating Rick always hinted at getting a dog especially once they had officially moved in together, and then again when they were engaged and then again when they were married. It wasn't until after six months of being married did Kate surprise him by taking him to a friend of hers whose dalmatian had had puppies. He was a little kid at Christmas when he first saw the little puppies, still not ready to be sold, but needing homes. When the puppies were eight weeks old, they went back and one scampery puppy bounded over to the gate and placed his front paws on the gate, wagging his tail, his brown eyes shining brightly. Rick scooped him up and the puppy licked his face and for one single moment Kate thought she might have found something that he loved more than her.

They signed all the adoption papers that day and he let Kate drive home as he sat in the passenger seat, Sherlock Castle wiggling happily in his lap.

They'd had the puppy for just over a week now and almost every night he had Rick getting out of bed to play with him and then pet him until he fell asleep until morning. They had been instructed to, under no circumstances, "no matter how sad he sounds" to go and cater to him but obviously that had not happened and Kate knew that Sherlock, like his name sake, was a clever little puppy and now had his owner under his little paw.

A smile broke across her lips as Rick fell onto his back with a grunt, grabbing Sherlock and keeping him pressed against his chest as the puppy went to town with kisses on his face.

He stayed like that for almost a minute until even he couldn't handle the puppy slobber and grabbed him under one arm and used the other to wipe off his face. He took Sherlock between his hands and held him in front of him looking him in the eyes, "You have bad breath. You are a stinky puppy."

Sherlock yipped and wiggled in his hands and Rick chuckled and brought him back into his lap, holding him there as he continued to pet him.

"He is cute." Kate sighed, smiling at the young dog.

"Hear that Sherly, mommy thinks you're cute." The puppy yipped happily, tilting his head towards Kate and wagging its tail. "But," Rick inched his fingers up to scratch behind the puppy's ears, "And I'm sorry to tell you this boy, she thinks I'm cuter."

Kate let out a scoffing laugh. "Honestly, Castle, you think you're cuter than a puppy?"

"No, you think I'm cuter than a puppy."

She shook her head, smirking. "In your dreams."

He grinned back at her. "Frequently."

She rolled her eyes and he chuckled softly. She sighed quietly and took a step backwards into the hallway. "Alright, its late. Some of us have work to do in the morning and need sleep."

Rick took one of Sherlock's little paws in his large hand and waved it towards her and Sherlock, thinking it was some sort of game, turned and started to nip at his fingers. Kate let out a small giggle at the sight of the small puppy trying to gnaw away at her husband's fingers.

Eventually Rick pulled away, wincing slightly and shaking his hand free of slobber and little nibble marks.

"What's the matter, Castle? Can't handle a little puppy bite?" She teased.

"Hey! His teeth are sharp!" As if he was proud of that, Sherlock snapped his little jaws towards Rick's hand and wiggled to try and get it.

Rick held him tight against his lap and cast a pointed look at Kate. "See? He's a little monster."

"He's a puppy." Kate retorted with a chuckle.

"A monster puppy." Rick shot back and she shook her head. Rick smirked and scratched the puppy's head again. "Say goodnight to mommy, Sherly."

The puppy looked up at him, ears perked and he motioned his head towards Kate. Sherlock followed his motion and stared at Kate for a moment before yipping happily.

Kate smiled warmly. "Goodnight Sherlock." She looked over, amused at her husband who was staring at the puppy lovingly. "And goodnight to you too, Watson."

Rick grinned up at her. "If he's Sherlock and I'm Watson...does that make you Moriarty?"

Kate frowned and narrowed her eyes for a moment and then her lips curved in a devilish smirk. "No..." She purred. "I think that makes me Irene Adler." She threw a wink at him and then slowly turned around, swinging her hips as she headed back to the bedroom.

Rick stared, mouth open until she disappeared from sight and then he shook his head slowly, glancing down at the puppy who had settled down in his lap, staring up at him curiously. "The Woman indeed, Sherly... but don't you get any ideas, she's mine."

Sherlock stared at him blankly and Rick chuckled, ruffling his ears lightly and then proceeding to pet down his back.

Rick stayed for about ten more minutes with Sherlock, petting him as the puppy slowly drifted back to sleep in his lap. He yawned as he struggled to stay awake himself and then glanced down at Sherlock to see his little eyes had closed and he was seemingly fast asleep, comfortable in his place in Rick's lap.

Rick very slowly scooped the puppy up into his hands and placed him back into his cage, carefully locking it. He quietly backed away from the cage and then stood up and headed towards the hallway to go back to bed.

He shut off the lights and just turned out of the room when he heard a low whimper from behind him. He closed his eyes tightly, sighing heavily and then turned around, reentering his office, flipping on the light.

Sherlock was wide awake again, sitting nicely in his cage, his ears perked and tail wagging as he stared at his owner.

"You are going to be the death of me, Sherly." He sighed as he walked back over to the cage, unlocked it and scooped the puppy into his arms. Sherlock reached up to lick his face and Rick scratched behind his ears.

He headed back into the hallway, staring down the way towards his bedroom and glanced down at Sherlock who had happily cuddled against the crook of his arm, his little head nestled against his chest, staring up at him with the most adorable look Rick had ever seen.

He sighed again, reached into his office to quickly turn out the lights and then quietly headed back to the bedroom. He pushed the door open lightly and saw Kate curled up on her side of the bed seemingly fast asleep.

He glanced down at Sherlock and pressed a finger to his lips as if the dog would understand. He tip toed back over to the bed and slipped into his placed beside Kate, his back facing her as he placed the puppy down next to him.

Sherlock stood up for a moment, observing his new surroundings until Rick pushed his little body down, continuing to scratch behind his ears.

"Rick..." He tensed as he heard the sleepy mumble of his wife and even if she was half asleep he knew that tone very well.

"Yes, dear?"

"Is that dog in our bed?"

"...no."

He heard Kate sigh and roll over and she propped herself up onto her elbow, peering over Rick's broad shoulders to the spotted bundle resting on the bed. She cast a look at her husband who smiled sheepishly.

"Castle, I told you-"

"It's just one night, Kate."

"You know damn well it will not be just one night."

"Kate..." He pouted. "Please."

At that moment Sherlock looked up and noticing her presence, perked his ears and swished his tail back and forth slowly but looking too comfortable to move otherwise.

She glanced back and forth between her husband and their new puppy until between the two of them she couldn't resist. "Fine - but only tonight."

Rick grinned happily and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Thank you."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smirk on her face but it was quickly gone as her face grew serious. "I swear to God though Castle, if he pees in this bed..."

"He'll be a good boy, won't you Sherly?" Rick glanced down at the puppy who had completely settled into the bed, his nose tucked between his paws as he slumbered peacefully.

"He better." Kate muttered before rolling back over. Rick smiled to himself and settled down into the bed, placing one hand over Sherlock's back and watching the puppy sleep for a few minutes before he slowly drifted off himself.