Author's Note: We assume for the purposes of the story that Castle is still together with Gina, while Beckett is of course with Josh.

Chapter One

Krabi Island, gem of Thailand; spectacular by virtue of proximity to the Phi Phi Islands. A perfect getaway. A couple's retreat. It was everything that Kate could wish for, everything that she needed to rejuvenate, to get away from the exhaustion that is her job and to finally reconnect with her boyfriend Josh.

The couple had been friendly at best, unfamiliar at worst. Since Kate and Castle had saved New York City from the dirty bomb a few weeks back, she had been too emotionally and mentally drained for the commitments a relationship like theirs required. Josh, on the other hand, was having second thoughts about staying in New York instead of fulfilling his calling in Haiti. News of poor conditions and the desperate need for medical expertise haunted Josh daily, and Kate sensed that the more his resentment grew, the more it became directed at her. And quite rightfully so. Kate knew that a trip to Krabi would not resolve all their issues, but she also knew they both needed the break as their lives were taking a toll on them.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Josh slipped his fingers between hers and pulled her arm on to his lap, while she smiled at his simple yet loving gesture. "Nothing, just thinking about how this vacation will be great."

"Mmm," he acknowledged as he leaned in to plant a short kiss on her lips. He always tasted so fresh.

The plane taxied to a stop on the runway and the seatbelt sign above their heads was turned off. Josh shot up immediately, freeing his long legs from the lack of space in economy class. Kate followed as they collected their bags and moved up the aisle to exit the plane, her hand still entwined in his. It has been an insanely long flight and Kate was looking forward to stretching on her hotel bed.

"Beckett?"

The familiar voice rang out as Kate and Josh stepped into the first class cabin on their way to the exit in the front.

Oh no, oh no no no. She whirled around on her heel, and sure enough sitting in one of the seats was Richard Castle. He looked just as stunned to see her, but his cheeky eyes roved over the loose black dress she was wearing and a little smirk hung on his lips, as easy as his demeanour.

"Castle? What are you doing here?"

"What a surprise, detective! Did you follow me out here?"

Her eyes narrowed at him and he laughed that melodious chime of a laughter that was his. "I'm here on vacation with Gina," he offered and that was when Kate saw Castle's ex-wife/publisher/girlfriend. Seeing them together reminded Kate of a summer not too long ago where Castle's reconciliation with Gina had derailed her attempt to express her feelings for him, leaving her with months of a train wreck. The memory was faded but the sting was fresh.

"Kate, we're blocking the aisle." Josh's voice called her from her untimely reverie. She glanced at the irritated crowds behind her and Josh. Turning to Castle one last time, she announced, "Well, enjoy yourself then, Castle."

What was he doing here? What was he doing here? What was he doing here?

Castle's eyes traveled to Kate and Josh's locked hands and back to Kate's face. She could swear she detected a moment of longing in his eyes, so quick, so tiny a sliver, that it vanished as quickly as it appeared. She blinked, but Josh pulled her away before she could mull over it.

Kate joined Josh where he was waiting for her outside the immigration checkpoint. He smiled at her, "How strange huh."

"What is strange?"

"Meeting Castle here. We're in Krabi and you still can't get rid of him. It seems like he's destined to shadow you forever." He chuckled, and Kate could not help but notice how different his laugh was from Castle's. Josh's was low and throaty; Castle's like a happy child. There was no malice in Josh's comment however, and he seemed to genuinely find Castle interesting. It was strange, Kate thought. Why was Castle here? She had not mentioned a single word about her plans with Josh to tour Krabi, so she knew Castle had not come out here on purpose. Besides, what would be the point of doing so? This had all been a mad, strange and frustrating coincidence. For a while, getting away from her job meant escaping the attentions of Castle as well, and Kate embraced that opportunity, because whenever Castle was around she felt it was harder to breathe. Their partnership had been tumultuous and it was beginning to mean so much to Kate that she felt a restructuring of priorities was in order. She needed a Castle-less gap. But then again, here he was, around when she did not ask for him, when she was not aware that she needed him.

Speak of the devil, Kate thought as she observed Castle and Gina at the taxi booth Kate and Josh were strolling towards.

"Richard, it's your detective again." Kate could overhear Gina saying as she tugged on Castle's sleeve, pressing against him a little more closely. He was wearing a shirt so blue it brought out his eyes, the loveliest shade of clear blue, a shade she could so easily drown in. So apparently she was 'his' detective. She could not allow herself to think about what that means. He turned around to meet her eyes as Kate and Josh joined the queue for a taxi.

Kate could not stop the feeling of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach, manifesting itself in a million anxious butterflies, fluttering all at once with mad vigour. She smiled politely, wanting both to conceal and dissipate her odd feelings. "Where are you guys staying?"

"The Krabi Resort." Gina responded with a small smile matching in politeness, but her eyes betrayed her slight disdain of Kate. Kate and Josh looked at each other in surprise and Josh said, "That's funny, Kate and I are staying there too."

"That is funny." Castle's eyes danced with mischief and he grinned at Kate in his Castlesque manner. While she felt nervous at his presence, he seemed to be completely at ease with the situation. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy this serendipitous arrangement. She rolled her eyes, an almost reflex movement, but she could not help but smile as well, feeling the butterflies in her gut land comfortably just because of Castle. "Are you sure you didn't follow me out here, Beckett? Put one of those nifty little GPS trackers on me? Or have a surveillance team attached to me 24/7?"

"Oh, I wonder who follows who on a regular basis. And if I recall, you are the one familiar with GPS tracking. Do not impose figments of your wild and secret desires on me, Castle." Kate fell into step with the easy banter that has so defined their relationship. Castle's mouth lined with teasing, as his eyes playfully explored hers, impressed by her willingness to play along. The both of them had stepped closer to each other while they spoke, as Gina and Josh watched from the side. Everyone and everything else only managed to fall away on the sidelines when Castle was in her sight, Kate mused, almost regretfully, as she pulled herself back towards Josh, the man who held her hand.

Castle seemed to sense the sudden shift in atmosphere so he said, clearing his throat, "Do you guys want to share a cab to the hotel?"

As the intriguing arrangement of the universe would have it, Castle and Gina's villa was right next to Kate and Josh's. Their villas were sprawled along a long, quiet coast, far from the rest of the world, but conveniently right next to each other. Krabi was by no means a large place, but it had a few pristine beaches, and the two couples just had to pick the same beach for their holiday. Of the same area, tourism was the main livelihood of the locals, so there were many beautiful resorts and hotels for their selection, and they had to pick the same place to stay. There were so many coincidences it was starting to get awkward. It was as if someone badly wanted Kate and Castle to be in the same space.

Kate was not sure how she felt about Castle's proximity to her private life. While he has been an instrumental part of her life as a detective, and he has indeed wormed his way into the parts of herself she never thought she'll share with anyone, her time with Josh was still hers and hers alone. Why was Castle always making her life infinitely more complicated? He was like an unruly pet that was disgruntled to be domesticated, thrashing all the furniture in her life, disrespecting boundaries and placeholders, peeing all over forbidden places, marking his territory, creating a sordid mess of her heart and leaving his scent everywhere he walks. He refused to be placed. Refused to be set aside. Refused to fit into the categories she had established to maintain distance. Shadow. Temporary source of irritation. Smart-ass. And then when he grew on her – Partner. Friend.

She sighed, as she stepped out of the shower, drying her hair. Josh had left her alone for the afternoon, having gone to meet a fellow social worker he had met during his work in Cambodia, today being the only time available to do so. She could feel uneasy at his leaving her by herself so soon, but if she was honest to herself, somewhat a feat in recent times, she was relieved. Kate had not wanted to seem conflicted and nervous about Castle in front of Josh. He would have noticed her distracted demeanour, and she could not decide if she desired this. She rummaged through her baggage for her copy of Naked Heat, needing to lose herself in another world.

Bringing the book along was not exactly aligned to her prior interests of a Castle-less vacation, she admitted, but she felt connected to him through his works long before he had stormed his way into her life, and she was unwilling to let that go, even if she cannot acknowledge or fully understand it yet. Opening the novel to its first page, she ran her fingers over the dedication – To the real Nikki Heat, with gratitude. She lingered on this page, as if she was caressing the author himself.

And then she hears it. A loud moan of relief. Release.

"Oh, Rick."

Her body froze.

"Oh Rick, you're so good at this." Gina's voice reverberated, as clear as if she had been in the room itself.

Kate slammed her book shut, feeling bile at the edge of her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, the sounds of pleasure too much for her to bear. Instantly, her masochist of a mind rests upon a memory hidden so deep in the recesses of her brain it seemed like a dream. "I'll stay on top of him." Gina had announced, clinging onto Castle. "It's not like I bite, much." A nightmare that plagued her summer last year.

"Do not ever stop, Rick."

Kate wrung her hands, feeling extreme heat and chills all over, like some brand of special hell she had no idea how to escape. All at once, she was unable to stop the mad rush of jealousy and anxiety that coursed through her veins like wild fire, yet she was unable to understand this urgent need to lash out and break something.

Her breathing uneven and her thoughts in disarray, she grabbed her novel and her bathing suit, deciding to visit the pool for now, slamming her door to the room shut.

Anything, anywhere, but here.

So, this story came to me while I was myself holidaying in Krabi. This story takes our favourite couple out of the context of the precinct and solving murders, so it might be able to shed a different light on their relationships with each other and with their respective others. For this story to work and to take on the tone it does, Gina has to continue being in the picture. Please forgive that detail, dear shippers. (: