A/N: This is my very first FanFic. I was recently inspired and wrote this in four hours. I am posting this as M rated, but if you think it should be lowered please let me know. Please review so I can improve my writing. This will have two chapters and I might upload the second tonight. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Ch. 1

A day at the zoo. That's what they need. A day out in public to distract them from the bedroom. She doesn't really want to go, but then again she can stay with Castle longer when they aren't spending all their time all over each other and she wants her relationship with him to not just be about sex, not that she doesn't enjoy that part of it.

"Castle," she moans to him, "hurry up before I drag your ass back in bed and stay there all day."

"Sorry Beckett, but you should have known I wasn't moving anywhere fast once you got out of that shower of yours," he replies back, giving her a sexy smile. She turns around then and glares at him with a smile barely escaping her lips.

Once dressed, they grab their jackets and head out to the zoo.

They're holding hands in line, kissing and nudging each other. They try not to worry about the looks parents are giving them, but it's impossible. "Castle we have to stop before those parents over there rip our heads off for touching." He gives her a look that says I won't ever stop touching you now. She sighs feeling defeated. Only their love for each other stops her from releasing his hand.

The reach the front of the line and buy tickets, then walk to the big map to plan the first part of their route. "You know which exhibit we need to see first?" Castle asks. "No,which one?" She asks back. "The elephants!" He says to her excitedly, "The animals we both love." He has that stupid grin on his face, but she can't help but smile back.

They start off down the path arms swinging between them happy to be out in the warm sun of the brisk morning. They stop on the way to see the chimpanzees and other monkeys before coming up on the elephants. Even though it was cool out the elephants were playing in the water. The little babies are wrestling with their trunks and Kate can't help but laugh at them. Castle joins in and soon the whole crowd has begun to laugh.

After watching the elephants for over half an hour, they decide to move on and see what more the zoo has to offer. The next place they stop is the bird exhibits. Rick wants to go into the building and watch them up close, but Kate hesitates. She's never really had any good bird experiences. One time when she was little a pigeon swooped down and took her ice cream cone out of her hand. Another time she was at the beach with her dad and one just happens to poop on her shoulder,ruining her favorite shirt at the time. She tells Castle these stories and he starts laughing uncontrollably at her. She glares, but not with a smile this time. He sees this and stops laughing immediately and she thinks its over. Instead he grabs her wrist and yanks her in after him.

She tries to run back out, but he pulls his arms around her, pinning her body against his. She struggles, but he's too strong for her. Not giving up his hold on her, he leans in to her ear and whispers, "Don't you dare keep struggling or else I'm going to loose it right in front of everyone in here." She stops, but he doesn't let go. He whispers again, "And besides, I'll keep you safe." She sighs at his breathe on her neck and begins to relax against him. He lets go but, wanting to feel safe again, she grabs his arms and pulls them around her waist. He doesn't mind because now he can use this, to get back at her when she teases him.

Every time a bird makes noise or takes flight Kate jumps out of her skin. They're almost through the cage when suddenly a bird lands right in front of them. She stops immediately and Castle, who was only paying attention to the feel of her hips on his hands, bumps into her making them move closer to the bird. She yelps and twists around to the side to get away. The bird doesn't move and Castle moves closer to it.

"Castle!" Kate whisper yells at him, "Don't go any closer to it." Rick rolls his eyes at her and continues to move. He's calm and collected as he gets the bird to perch on his fingers. Kate's breathing on the other hand is short and fast. Castle stands up and turns towards Kate with it. She backs up to the side of the pathway, nowhere to go from there.

"Kate," Castle looks at her with trusting eyes, "Don't make any sudden movements. This little guy won't hurt you."

With a quiver in her voice she simply replies, "Ok," while trying to calm her breathing down from its ragged state.

Castle continues to slowly approach her with the bird and then stops a couple feet away from her. There is now a small audience watching them. They have never seen anyone besides the keepers able to carry one of the birds. They're amazed. Kate can't run and hide, even if she wanted to because now people would see her being a coward. Castle takes his other hand and reaches for Kate's. She looks at him and his look encourages her to let him take hers. He brings her hand up to the bird and the bird looks at it. He stops her hand a few inches away and the bird suddenly chirps at it. Then it moves closer and Rick has to steady Kate's hand to try and stop it from shaking. The bird eyes the hand again and then hops on to it causing Kate to suck in her breathe. The bird hops around for awhile making Kate smile. Meanwhile Castle can't help but feel joy inside of him for helping his girlfriend confront one of her fears, as simple as it may be.