It was the night before Christmas Eve. Tonight was the precinct's Christmas party. Beckett wasn't in the mood to go so she put on her favourite Christmas film Love Actually, curled up in her big over sized jumper and pyjama bottoms under a blanket on the couch. She sipped on her hot chocolate, and she didn't mind it burning her mouth.

Countless texts and missed calls came in on her phone and she just ignored them. Half of them were from Castle anyway. A couple of months ago, he came back to the precinct after spending the summer in the Hamptons finishing his book Naked Heat. Beckett was mad at him for just pretending nothing happened but she let him stay because secretly, she missed him probably more than he missed her.

"Where is she?" Castle asked eager to see her Christmas dress. He hoped it would be cute little red number, maybe even strapless, stilettos when suddenly he was snapped out of his fantasy. "I don't know, she comes every year so I have no idea where she is. She's ignoring all my texts." Esposito said just as Lanie came in her elf costume and kissed Esposito as he held mistletoe up. "Hey chica." He said in his Spanish accent. "Hey." She whispered back to him, with a bright smile on his face. Castle just looked as creeped out as Ryan but eventually they stopped their conoddling. "Where's Kate? She is always the first one here." Lanie asked curiously. She loved hanging out with her best friend at these stupid little events. "We don't know she's ignoring all our texts and calls." Ryan answered, eager to talk. "Let me try." Lanie said, before picking up her phone and calling Beckett. It rung for ages but then went to voicemail. She tried at least 3 times before she gave up. "No answer." Lanie said sounding worried. "She'll be ok." Esposito said in his caring voice.

An hour had passed and no one had seen any sign of Beckett. "Can you guys like trace her phone?" Lanie asked eager to see her boyfriend at work. "We can't, we can't use the computers personally." Esposito said. "Oh come one, Montgomery is drunk and everyone else is on the computers so no one will know." After minutes of pleading Esposito and Ryan finally did as Lanie pleased and Castle sat and watched it, laughing a bit. "She is in her apartment." Ryan said. He loved Beckett (in a sister type way) but why didn't she show up. "Can we go take her pizza when we're done here? Please?" Lanie asked. She did her cute little puppy dog eyes and no one could resist and they all just yelled out "FINE!"

During the movie, Beckett had drifted off into sleep. So she was just asleep on her couch and the TV still flickering through the film. She dreamed about how she would be spending Christmas alone, once again as her father was probably with his new girlfriend. She feared he may be drinking, because his girlfriend didn't know about his passed. Then she dreamed about when she was little and Christmases with her mum and dad were magical. As the dream went on, a smile pulled at the corners of Beckett's mouth.

The party had finished, and the only one drunk out of the giant group was the captain. The 4 of them actually had to help him out to the car as he mumbled things like "Was that tree always there?" and "Why is Mickey Mouse a hamster?" The group couldn't help but giggle. They managed to get him in Esposito's car. They do not want to remember that. In that car were Esposito and Lanie and the captain. Then there was Ryan in his car and Castle in his but they followed Esposito's car to the captains house as they helped get him out and in and then headed over to the nearest pizza place to pick up pizzas.

Lanie went in a got the pizzas; she got two of the pizzas with everything on them and then Beckett's favourite Ham and Cheese.

They were all outside Beckett's door and Lanie grabbed her key (because her Kate exchanged keys) and unlocked the door. They walked inside and Lanie shut the door. "Really, she ditched the Christmas party for this." Esposito looked over at Ryan. "Aww, she looks so peaceful when she's sleeping." Castle whispered and smiled hoping no one heard. The thing was Beckett did and quickly woke up, rubbing her eyes. When she noticed them all watching her, she screamed and they screamed. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked, only just realising she had her gun pointed at Castle, cop instinct, and she quickly lowered it as he held up a pizza box. "Pizza?" He mumbled scared.

I know its summer hut just been in a Christmassy mood.

~ Millie 3