"Look at you! You actually came back" joked Rick, as he opened the front door of his apartment.

"You really thought I wouldn't?" replied Kate.

"I was hoping, but honestly my hopes have been dashed in the past" he realised that came out a little more serious than he intended so he took her overnight bag.

"I want you to know I'm not going anywhere, I meant what I said 'I just want you'..." she paused, slipped her arm through his, rested her head on his shoulder and said "Always"

Rick smiled, as they strolled over to the couch together.

"So you were right this morning..." he said.

"About?" asked Kate, with a quizzical look.

"The door, it couldn't have been more than a fevered daydream brought on by last nights shenanigans. My little Graduate came home to sleep while you were gone..." answered Rick, before adding quickly "She's at a friends place right now but she'll be back for dinner at eight"

"Dinner? Suddenly, I'm very nervous" replied a slightly terrified Kate.

"Don't be, she really looks up to you. She'll be fine, maybe even happy for us..."

She shifted uncomfortably on the couch, it was a bad crack on Rick's half and he knew it.

"It'll be okay, really" he said poking her thigh.

Kate sunk back into the couch, as Rick got up.

He pointed to his DVD collection as he walked toward the kitchen "The Killer and Hard Boiled should be on the second shelf. I'm going to grab us some glasses and a GREAT bottle of Red"

Kate grabbed them, and placed both DVD cases on the coffee table, taking The Killer out and putting it into the DVD player.

She was relaxing on the couch watching the FBI Warning when Rick handed her a glass, the back of his hand lightly touched hers which caused a flow of electricity to wash over her, holding eye contact memories of the night before flooded Kate's mind, he tried desperately to hide a grin and sat down beside her.

Taking her hand in his (the one holding the glass), he poured a delicious red liquid into the glass.

Kate mumbled something to the affect of "Uhm... we should... the movie, someone should really press play before we..."

Rick put the bottle down, leaned in and kissed her deeply!

"never get around to it"

Kate guided their hands to put the wine glass down on the coffee table and moved into Rick's body, returning the intensity. After a few minutes they broke apart, smiling at each other.

"Okay, let's do this" Rick said, patting Beckett's knee.

About 45 minutes into 'The Killer' Rick's cell started beeping, he picked it up off the side table, swiping his index finger across the screen a TXT appeared he quickly gave it the once over, it read 'Castle we need to talk- Ryan' he hesitated and then switched his cell off. Kate may have been watching the movie but her years as a Detective made it nearly impossible to not notice the little things, like Rick's hesitation.

"Who was that?" she inquired.

He looked at her and said "Ah, no-one, it's not important"

Kate side eyed Rick, giving him a suspicious "Ohkay", which told him she knew he was acting shifty. They managed to make through the rest of the movie without interruption, save for a kiss here and there.

With ten minutes left on 'Hard Boiled' it was Kate's cell phone that went off next. She gave Rick an apologetic look, he just smiled and said "More popcorn" and made his way to the kitchen.

It was Lanie and she had some questions for her friend...

"Hey Lanie"

"Don't you 'Hey Lanie' me, what's all this about you resigning? I need some sort of an explanation" Lanie was pissed

"Uh yeah, maybe tomorrow?..." Kate said hopefully "I'm kind of busy, right now"

She knew that she was digging a bigger hole with her best friend by not giving her a straight answer but she wasn't ready yet, and Lanie would forgive her eventually.

Rick called out "Popcorn ready in 3.. 2.. 1" from the other room and Kate winced.

"Uhm, is that who I think it is?" said a surprised Lanie

"Maybe..."

"Where are you right now?"

Kate felt like she was being interrogated by Lanie, well-versed in that area she countered with "We'll have lunch tomorrow, promise"

"Sure and while we're at it you can fill me in on this other development"

Rick was just rounding the couch when Kate ended the call with Lanie but he still heard Lanie's parting word, her trademark "Guurl" and that laugh, the one he tried to get from her on a weekly basis.

"Was that Lanie?"

She looked up at him, taking the fresh bowl of popcorn from him and setting it on the table

"Yeah, I hadn't told her about me resigning, yet. I guess someone at the precinct filled her in"

Rick was more than a little shocked, because he knew they spoke about everything

"Why haven't you?"

"Uh, Castle! Little preoccupied..."

He nodded, unconvinced.

"Right.. but you were at your place for like five hours today. Why not call and tell her everything?"

Kate knew Rick would be okay with telling everyone about them being together, she knew he'd been counting the days and that it was a scenario he's played out in his mind a thousand times, and she loved that but she still had concerns.

"I don't know. S'pose I'm still working through everything" she found herself looking around the apartment, a little uncomfortable and waiting for his response.

"Okay, no rush..." he really didn't want to press the issue, they'd tell everyone when they were both ready "A honeymoon phase could be good for us, gives us time to figure everything out...starting now. What are we?"

Kate just stared at Rick. She knew better than to interrupt one of his tangents, oh god she knew when he was about to start a tangent, she thought.

"I've never actually been a boyfriend before... mostly just a boo-never mind" Rick stopped himself when he noticed the 'Are you kidding me?' look on Kate's face

"Just so we're clear... and uh... everybody knows where they stand" he started inching backwards, the look on her face had him extremely nervous.

"How could I have said something wrong?" he thought, while still rambling.

Rick started mumbling "I'm in.. I love- Uhm..sorry?"

He gave her a weak smile and his best puppy dog eyes.

Kate's façade was cracking, she was playing him.

"Oh, nice!"

A smirk made it's way across her mouth.

"Payback for the numerous times you've played me"

"Oh, you're good" Rick said leaning in to kiss her.

Just when the door to the apartment swung open.

"I'm not late...I'm not late.. I'm not" came Alexis' exasperated voice.

Rick and Kate hadn't even noticed that it was ten past the hour. Alexis however came to a screeching halt when she saw them together on the couch and how close she and her father seemed to be.

"Hey, princess" beamed Rick

"Hello, Alexis" was all an awkward Kate could manage

"Or maybe I'm glad to be a little late? What's going on?" asked Alexis, a smidge confused by the situation before her.

Rick wasted no time letting his only daughter in on the secret

"Uh yeah, this is why I wanted us to have dinner together tonight"

"This?!" questioned Alexis.

"She doesn't sound fine, Castle" thought Kate, mentally cursing herself for leaving this up to him.

Rick was a child half the time, for gods sake.

He swore she'd take the news well, but her reaction was less than convincing-especially to Kate. They'd hung out a few times, met for coffee at a café to discuss Alexis' boy troubles and the like without her fathers interruption. She had really come to appreciate Alexis' honesty and this didn't feel like her honest reaction.

"Yeah, Kate is my gir- nope that doesn't sound right- Kate and I are in a relationship now, sweetie" said Rick.

Alexis turned her gaze to Kate. She could tell her father was happy but wasn't getting the same vibe from her.

Kate almost disappeared into the couch. Sensing this, Rick squeezed her hand in support, this gave her enough courage to address Alexis.

"I uh... I wanna be with your dad, Alexis. I'm not gon- I won't hurt him, I promise"

Rick put his arm around Kate's waist, grinning.

"If you're both happy.." smiled Alexis.

'We are" Rick interrupted.

"Yes" echoed Kate.

"Soo what's for dinner?" Alexis asked after a brief silence.

"Take-out, your choice" replied her father.

Alexis flashed them one last smile before disappearing into the kitchen with the hands free to order.

"Castle!" exclaimed Kate, prodding his chest.

"Ow, what?"

"You said she'd be fine... with us, being together"

"She is...isn't she" Rick said unsure of what he missed.

"Really? You can't tell when your own kid is or isn't okay with a life decision... with the mistakes you've made?" Kate said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, usually she gets mad or embarrassed. I didn't see either of those, I don't think" he made a face and turned his attention toward the kitchen, confused.

"Riight" Kate thought shaking her head.

"I'm ordering from Shinto Palace. Dad, did you or Beckett want anything specific?"

"See, look at that.." Rick almost wrenched his neck spinning around to face Kate.

"Look at what, Castle?"

"If she was angry she wouldn't have asked about OUR specifics" he was wearing a grin that rivalled the Cheshire cat in Alice in wonderland.

Kate laughed.

Relinquishing any control she had over how her life was to work from this moment on, she'd signed up for the whole Castle experience.

"I'm allergic to salmon"

"Okay..." he looked at her with those beautiful bright blue eyes, yep she was in this for the long haul "Alexis, sweetie... nothing with salmon"

"Okay" replied Alexis.

Finally relaxed, Kate rested her head on Rick's shoulder, he in turn put his arm around hers, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.