"I thought you'd be gone." Kate Beckett said as she walked into her living room. "It's really late."
"I told you that I am not leaving you here alone until our killer is behind bars."
"Castle, I don't need you to babysit me." She sat down next to him. "But it is really sweet of you."
"I'm a sweet person." He smiled his best smile. "It's part of my charm."
He was surprised that she did not roll her eyes as she normally did when he made comments like that. Instead she smiled and looked down at her hands. She reached out and took his.
"Thanks for worrying about me." She said it in an intimate whisper.
He smiled and pressed her hand to his lips. "I worry about you a lot."
Their eyes met. She leaned in and kissed him very softly on the cheek. As she pulled back, he stopped her with a gentle hand on the back of her neck. He kissed her mouth very softly, lingering a moment longer than he would normally have dared. Neither spoke for a long time.
"I think maybe I should go back to bed." She said finally.
"Good idea." He kept her hand in his, stroking it with his thumb. "Good night, Detective."
When the case was solved and the federal agents had gone, Kate found herself obsessing over that night on the couch in her apartment. She had been genuinely touched by Castle's concern, but more than that, she had found his soft kiss electrifying. She had been doing a pretty good job, she thought, of hiding her feelings for him, but after that kiss she wanted…more. She had wanted more all along, but now, it was almost all she could think about.
She hesitated before walking downstairs. She had chosen a comfortable pair of jeans, but a form fitting black sweater which revealed just enough to be alluring but not enough to be blatant. She had seen how he looked at her in that sweater when she had worn it in the past. She had liked it… a lot. She pulled her hair up, also a look she knew he found attractive.
"What are you doing?." She muttered under her breath as she walked down to the first floor and stopped a few feet away from him. "Would you like a beer?" She asked, opening the refrigerator.
He turned to take the beer and stopped in his tracks. His mouth fell open as his eyes were drawn to all the right places. "You look fantastic. Overdressed for movie night in the living room."
"My choices are very limited. Most of my clothes are ruined. Can't get the smell out even after two trips to the dry cleaner."
He took a step closer to her and smelled her hair. "I think you smell really good."
"Thanks, Castle." She took a sip of her beer. "So what's the movie?"
The movie Castle had chosen was a blockbuster action film with a lot of steamy sex scenes. During a particularly hot scene, Kate became especially aware of their closeness. She turned to him and found that he was already looking in her direction. He reached a hand up to touch her hair and leaned in ever so slightly. She met him halfway and they kissed. It was much more purposeful than their previous kiss in her apartment. They were locked in a passionate embrace, tongues entwined and hands caressing places which had been forbidden until now. Suddenly, Castle pulled back.
"Kate, we can't do this." He stood, his arousal obvious. "If I don't stop now…" He looked at her for a long moment, then he left the room.
Kate was just about to get into the bed in Castle's guest room when there was a knock on the door.
"Kate, are you awake?"
"Go away, Castle. I am going to bed."
He walked into the room and sat next to her. "I need to apologize."
"No you don't. I made you uncomfortable. It won't happen again." She looked away from him.
"Kate," he looked pained. Eventually she turned back to face him. "Believe me when I say that I wanted to be doing what we were doing as much as you did. More."
She said nothing.
"The truth is… my feelings for you are overwhelming."
"Overwhelming? So, what, you're afraid?"
"I am afraid."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Save it. I don't need to be let down easy."
"That's not it." His eyes searched hers. "I know what a leap it is for you to trust. To let someone in." He touched her cheek. Her deep brown eyes held his. "I am not sure I can be trusted not to hurt you." He was completely sincere. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."
"So don't hurt me." She whispered.
He sighed. "I am a terrible risk. Look at my track record."
"You are a different man. I've seen the change in you. I want to be with you, Castle." It felt so good to get the words out. "I'm willing to take the risk."
He took both of her hands and looked intently at her. He pressed her hands to his lips. "I really don't want to screw this up. Every time I sleep with a woman it is the beginning of the end."
She leaned in close to him and kissed his forehead, then his cheek, then his lips. "So we wait." She kissed him again, this time feeling him respond. "We take it slowly." Kiss. "We spend time together" kiss. " and we find out where we are headed." Kiss. "When the time is right, we see what happens." Long, slow kiss.
"I really want you."
"I'm not going anywhere."
He hugged her tightly. "I will hold you to that promise."
They lay on the bed together, spooning and caressing one another until they drifted off to sleep.
Beckett awoke to find Castle gone. She had not slept so soundly in a very long time and didn't remember his leaving. She got up and shuffled sleepily down the hall. She knocked on his door, but there was no answer. She knocked again and opened the door. His bed was empty. She found him downstairs in the kitchen, making breakfast for his daughter. She walked up behind Alexis and put her hands on her shoulders. She squeezed. "Morning, Castles."
"Good morning." He handed her a cup of coffee. "Did you sleep well?"
She gave him a dazzling smile. "Yes, I did." She stepped around the counter and slipped next to him. She took a piece of bacon and kissed him sweetly. "Thank you."
"My pleasure."
Alexis beamed at them. "Are you guys… together."
Kate just smiled and walked to the fridge for the cream. Castle kept attending to the eggs.
"Come on… spill it."
Castle looked at his daughter. "We are exploring new possibilities." He winked at her as Beckett walked up next to him and fixed coffee for each of them.
As the weeks went by Kate and Alexis started becoming very close, which made Castle happier than he could say. Alexis had always been lacking a steady female role model and, as much as he loved his mother, she wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
"What do you lovely ladies say to a Saturday outing. We could have a picnic or go to the botanical gardens. Whatever you like."
"I used to like the botanical gardens, before my camera was blown up, that is."
"You can use mine." Alexis volunteered. "I'll go get it." She quickly exited the room.
Castle was smiling widely when Beckett looked at him. "What?" She asked.
"She really looks up to you."
"She is an amazing young woman."
"She's a little girl." He protested. She started to say something, but he cut her off. "Just give me this. I am deluding myself into thinking she is going to be my little girl forever."
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "I love you." It was the first time it had been said by either of them. He looked at her with disbelief in his face. She nodded. "God help me, Rick Castle. I am in love with you." She said again.
He was at a loss for words. He kissed her tenderly and pulled her to him. He stroked her hair and tried to come up with words. "I don't deserve you." He kissed her again. "I love you too."
Just then Alexis came bounding down the stairs, camera bag in hand. "Am I interrupting?" She asked in a light hearted way. "Too bad. Let's go!"
Castle kissed Beckett quickly, then took her hand. "Come on ladies. Let's go have some fun."
Kate sat in the guest room, wrapping a gift. It had been two weeks since they admitted their love and she had a special evening planned. Alexis had suggested that she sleep over at Paige's house, always plotting for Kate and Rick to have time alone. Kate was pretty sure that the only person in the world who wanted things to work out between her and Castle more than her and Castle, was Alexis.
Kate picked up her phone and dialed Alexis' number.
"Hello."
"Hi."
"Is everything OK? You aren't getting called to a case are you?"
"No, Honey. I just wanted to tell you something." She paused for a moment. "You know I love your dad, right?"
"Sure, and I think you are the best thing that ever happened to him."
"You're sweet. What I don't think I have ever told you is how much I love you. I couldn't love you more if you were my own daughter." There was silence on the other end. "No matter what happens between Castle and me, nothing will ever change that."
"I love you too."
"OK. Just wanted to say that." She looked at the gift again.
"Have a great time tonight, Kate."
Rick Castle came into the apartment, exhausted from a long press conference and book signing. The one thing that had kept him going was the thought of coming home to Kate. Or perhaps that is what made the day so long. He had wanted Kate by his side, but his publisher and the movie producer had convinced him to come alone. The millionaire, playboy author had more fan appeal, or so they said. He had hated every moment of it.
As he came through the door, he smelled something heavenly cooking in the oven and saw that the table had been set with care. A bottle of his favorite wine was on ice and a gift sat on the table. There was soft music playing throughout the apartment and candles lit on the table.
"All that's missing is the girl." He said aloud.
"How was your day?" He turned to see Kate descending the stairs. His face lit up at the sight of her, dressed in an understatedly elegant green dress.
"Are you a sight for sore eyes." He said with a smile.
"Hard day smiling for the cameras and signing breasts?" She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Writer's cramp?" She kissed him tenderly.
"The only breasts I am interested in are right here." He ran a hand up her side and stopped just short of touching her breast.
Kate smiled and rolled her eyes. She took him by the hand and led him to the table. She poured them each a glass of wine and handed one to him. "Open it." She said simply, indicating the present.
"What's the occasion?" He reached out for it.
She shrugged her shoulders and waited for him to remove the lid. He lifted a framed photograph from the layers of tissue paper and he was silent for a long moment. It was an artfully rendered black and white photo of Castle and Alexis in front of a wall of orchids. She had her arms wrapped around her father's neck and her head thrown back in joyous laughter. The look of adoration on his face was obvious in the photograph and it made his eyes well up with tears in reality. He set the photo carefully on the table and pulled Kate into a tight hug.
"Thank you." He said quietly against her neck.
"When I took that photo, it just seemed perfect. The photograph, the moment…our life." She kissed him tenderly, lingering. "I love you both so much… It just seemed to capture the essence of your relationship."
He kissed her, then looked at the photo again. "The only thing missing is you by my side."
"Castle, I have never felt like this. I know it sounds cliché', but I have never been this happy."
He smiled down at her.
"I feel like you and Alexis have filled this big hole in my life and it terrifies me."
"Why?" He whispered, deeply touched.
"You said it that first night. I have opened myself up to potential for real pain. I haven't done that since Mom died."
He traced his fingers up and down her arm, slowly and tenderly. "I know."
"But as much as I have tried to convince myself not to let you in… I didn't have a choice. You found your own way in and now…" She struggled with the words. "I have come to need you. I really need you."
He pulled her into a hug and hissed the top of her head. "I need you too." He looked into her eyes again. " You have had enough pain in your life for ten people and until now you have dealt with it all by yourself. You don't have to do that anymore." He kissed her. "I will always be here for you. I might just need you to point out when I'm being a jerk." He smiled. "I have been led to believe that I can't always see it myself."
"I believe you, Castle. And I will definitely let you know when you are being a jerk." They kissed deeply, allowing to passion to take control. He backed her against the counter and pressed his body against hers. His breathing was ragged against her skin as he kissed his way across her throat her chest. His hands claimed her waist and slid down to her tight ass. Her hands grasped at his hair. She caressed his chest and pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders, thrilling at the heat she felt radiating from him. She went to work on his shirt buttons, longing to feel his skin against hers. He stopped kissing her and looked deeply into her eyes.
"I want you, Castle." Kate said breathlessly.
It was all the encouragement he needed to scoop her up in his arms and head for the stairs. He kicked his bedroom door open and laid her on the king sized bed. They made love, slowly and passionately, paying great attention to detail.
He rested his head against her chest, exhausted, kissing her sweaty skin, feeling her body shivering as his lips touched her. He listened to her heart thudding loudly and felt more content than he had in a very, very long time. He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She snuggled up against him and entwined her legs with his until they both fell asleep.
Castle woke up a short time later and reached for her, finding her side of the bed empty. He pulled on some clothes and went in search of her. She was standing in the kitchen, tending to the dinner they had not eaten. He walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist. He bent down ever so slightly and kissed her neck, nestling his face against her skin. She smiled and leaned back against him.
"Hungry?" She asked.
"Mmmm." He growled, running his hands inside her t-shirt to just below her breasts.
"I meant for food." She laughed, turning in his arms so they were face to face.
"That too." He said with a devilish grin.
She rolled her eyes and handed him a plate, smiling the whole time. "Eat."
In the weeks that followed, Castle and Beckett were inseparable. They worked very hard to keep their relationship a secret at the station but every opportunity they got, they were going at it like love sick teenagers. They had not actually eaten on their "lunch break" in recent memory and she had moved out of the guest room the night she gave him the photograph. She had insisted they tell Alexis about their new relationship and she had been thrilled beyond words to have Kate living with them instead of just staying in the guest room. Martha had discovered it accidentally when she walked into his bedroom one morning to find a naked, sleeping Kate Beckett in his bed. She had smiled broadly as she quietly closed the door and went in search of her granddaughter. By the time Rick and Kate came downstairs for breakfast, Martha and Alexis had planned a very fancy dinner out for the entire family.
"Why are the two of you looking so conspiratorial?" Castle asked as he and Kate descended the stairs, hand in hand.
Alexis rushed over and took both of Kate's hands, pulling her from her father's grasp and into the living room. "It's all set. We have planned an evening at the theater followed by dinner at Marceau's. We're all going to get dressed up and have an evening out… as a family." She said the last word a little hesitantly, not because she doubted it, but because it was her deepest desire. Kate took her hand and squeezed it.
"I think that is a wonderful idea." Castle said with a smile. "I will be the envy of every man in New York."
"And," Martha said with excitement in her voice, "we are going to take you shopping since all of your evening gowns were destroyed in the explosion."
Kate looked over to Castle who just smiled and shrugged. "I know better than to take them on when they set their minds on something."
"What are you going to do while we are shopping?" Kate asked as she put her arms around his neck as he dressed in their bedroom.
"I have a few things in mind."
"Such as?"
He just shrugged and smiled.
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Nope." He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed softly, but with genuine emotion unmistakable.
"You make me crazy."
"I know."
"And I love you."
"I know that too." He hugged her tightly. "Now get the hell out of here and let my daughter use my credit card to buy you an evening gown."
"Yes, Sir." She gave him a quick kiss and headed for the door.
Castle, Beckett, Alexis and Martha sat at their table, enjoying a magnificent dinner. When the dessert course was brought out, Castle gave the manager a nod and small velvet boxes were placed in front of Martha and Alexis.
"To my daughter and my mother… a thank you for planning such a wonderful evening." They opened their boxes to find tasteful and elegant bracelets with heart shaped diamond pendants. Alexis ran to her father and hugged him tightly. Martha leaned over and kissed her son.
"Thank you Darling."
Alexis showed the bracelet to Kate, who fastened it on her wrist. Neither of them saw Castle remove a third velvet box from his jacket pocket. Martha saw him and she smiled broadly, a tear collecting in the corner of her eyes.
"Kate." Castle waited for her to look at him. She smiled at him, then saw the box he held in his hand. She stared at it for a moment, then looked up at him. Alexis took her grandmother's hand and covered her mouth.
Kate looked as though she was going to say something, but Castle stopped her. "Please," he said softly. "Let me go first." He grasped her hands lovingly in his, pressing them to his lips. "Kate, you have been the best thing that has happened to me since the birth of my daughter. You have made me want to be a better man and thank whatever lucky stars brought us together." He kissed her hands again. "I have found a kind of happiness with you that I never thought existed." He paused as his voice broke. "I have come to need you desperately and to love you more than I ever thought was possible." He opened the box to reveal a simple and extremely elegant engagement ring. The diamond was set between two vividly blue sapphires and glittered against the platinum setting. "Kate Beckett, will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?"
Her hands were shaking when she reached for the ring. She tried to speak but her voice failed her at first. She manager to whisper "Yes." She cleared her throat and said it again a little more loudly. "Yes."
Castle stood up and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her deeply as the tables around them broke into applause. As he placed the ring on her finger, she whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed her. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest. "So much."
Alexis hugged Kate with all her might. "I think I am happier than Dad is."
Kate kissed her soon to be step daughter on the top of her head.
"Welcome to the family, my dear." Martha said, kissing Kate on her cheeks.
"So what kind of wedding do you want?" Castle asked as they snuggled together in his luxurious bed. "We can do anything you want."
"You don't have a preference?"
"For the first time I am much more concerned for the marriage than the wedding." He smiled at her. "Guess I have grown up a little since my last one."
"You've grown up a lot since I met you."
"I don't know how anyone could see what happens every day and not grow up… What you have to deal with on a daily basis… I still don't know how you do it." He kissed her head. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever known."
"There's nothing amazing about me. I don't do anything that hundreds of other cops don't do every day."
"Yes you do." He looked into her eyes. "I have watched a lot of cops work. You are special."
She didn't know what to say. She decided to change the subject. "So back to the wedding."
"I mean it. Anything you want." He sat up. "If you want five hundred guests at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it's yours. If you want the two of us at City Hall, I'm in. If you want to get married, barefoot, on a beach in Greece, I will buy the tickets tonight."
"I guess I'm not used to such limitless possibilities." She smiled.
"Get used to it." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. He pressed a kiss next to her ear and whispered. "I want you to have everything you ever wanted."
"Castle," she touched his cheek, "you don't need to try to impress me." She pressed her lips to his neck. "I love you." She kissed him again and whispered against his lips. "I would love you even if were on a cop's salary and we had to get married by a notary at the station."
"You wouldn't have given me the time of day." He joked.
"You're probably right." She laughed.
"You don't need to be nervous, Castle." Kate smiled as she fixed his collar. "Dad likes you."
"He liked me before he knew that I have been sleeping with his daughter… among other things." He kissed her, allowing his hand to stray to her ass as he pulled her body against his.
"Oh, I tell Dad everything."
Castle's mouth dropped open and his heart seemed to stop. He removed his hands from her body and took a step back.
Beckett laughed out loud. "Relax, Castle. I'm kidding." She kissed him quickly and walked into the kitchen to check on dinner. She found Alexis already there, stirring the sauce. "Thanks, Sweetie."
"Anything else I can do to help?" Alexis replied with a dazzling smile.
Kate shook her head and put her hands on her shoulders. "I know I'm not your mother, but I couldn't love you more if I were."
"I love my mother, Kate, but she is more of a fun big sister." She put the lid back on the pot and turned to face Beckett. "You and Dad are the ones I count on when I need parents." She looked at her father who was playing a video game in the next room and shouting at the screen. "Sometimes just you." She hugged Kate who fought to keep from crying. "I am so happy Dad found you. I'm even happier he didn't scare you off by being so…" They both looked at Castle who was dancing after bowling a strike in Wii bowling. "Weird."
"I'll let you in on a little secret." Kate said in a conspiratorial whisper. "I kind of love the weird." The doorbell rang. She kissed Alexis on the cheek and went to let her father in.