Disclaimer: I can say I own Castle all I want, but that doesn't make it any less of a lie (unfortunately)...


The man is insufferable. He's cocky and immature and annoying, but dammit, she can't help the butterflies that plague her stomach every time he smiles at her. She's struggling to maintain her calm control more than she has in years. Maybe it wouldn't be such a problem if he would stop watching her every move.

She attempts to bury her sudden shyness, walks up beside him and says, "I'm sorry for the wait, Mr. Castle. We should be able to take your statement once we've finished processing our suspects."

He smiles a bright, charming smile, and she mentally kicks herself as she feels a slight blush creep onto her cheeks. Even while she prays he doesn't notice, she knows he does.

"Not a problem, Detective. Although, I do have one favor to ask." He waits for her nod of approval before continuing, "Do you, by any chance, have a notepad or some paper you wouldn't mind parting with?"

"Uhh, yeah, of course," she stammers, groaning internally at her oh, so suave response. She rummages through a drawer in her desk, hands him a fresh legal pad, excuses herself, and hurries toward the break room as she tries not to hyperventilate. Richard freaking Castle is sitting at her desk, writing! She can't possibly believe it, so she wills herself not to think about it.

She honestly isn't sure she can handle being in an enclosed space with him, so she leaves Castle's statement to the boys and heads down to booking to make sure everything goes smoothly.

When returns to the homicide floor, she's surprised to see Castle still there, and chatting with Captain Montgomery, nonetheless. Her jaw drops as the Captain winks at her and Castle walks up to stand beside her.

"Can I take you for a late dinner, Detective?"

She has no idea what to say, absolutely no idea, so she opens her mouth and hopes nothing too bad comes out.

"Why, so I can be your latest conquest?" Well, alright, she didn't end up giggling and falling over herself to accept the offer, so she can deal with that.

His eyes dull, but he responds with a steady voice. "No. Because I'm hungry, and I'm sure I've eaten much more recently than you have. I just want to say thank you. Just dinner, and maybe a little conversation?"

He looks genuine, but she... Wait. Did he just say he wants to thank her? Why would he want to thank her? Why is he even still talking to her? She decides to mask her insecurity in sarcasm, because, after all, sarcasm is both easier and safer. "Would you actually leave me alone if I said 'no'?"

He smirks, "Probably not, so it'd be easier on you if you just go ahead and agree. I'll even let you pick the restaurant."

She doesn't reply for a moment, surprised at the invitation. Does his voice actually have a hopeful tone, or is that just her mind playing tricks on her? She has to have imagined it. Why would Richard Castle want anything to do with her? But he's standing there smiling at her and her stomach is fluttering; she wants to say no, but she can't seem to find the words.

He considers her, and apparently she had taken too long to reply. "Would you give me the time of day if I were just some other, normal guy?" His voice is soft, and more serious than it has been all night.

Hmm, would she? She isn't sure of the answer to that question.

"I can't just pretend you're some random guy, Mr. Castle."

"Rick, please. And you may not be able to, but can I at least pretend for tonight?" His voice is sincere, not just asking, but on the verge of pleading.

She doesn't know him and she shouldn't trust him, she should suspect that this is all just part of some plan; but, for some reason, she can't bring herself to turn him down, not when he's looking at her like that.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a loud rumble from her stomach. She startles, laughs, and then shrugs, "Oh, what the hell. But, just know, that if you try anything, I won't hesitate to kick your ass."

He lets out a breathy laugh, grinning once again. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Is that relief she sees in his eyes? It can't be. She really needs to stop over analyzing this and just get it over with so she can go home, take a nice long bath, and get back to her every day, not quite normal, but nowhere near fabulous life.

They walk to her Crown Vic in a slightly awkward silence, well, until he breaks it, that is. "So, where are we going?"

"Hmm, the way I see it, that's for me to know and you to find out."

"Oh, a mystery, I approve."

He doesn't pester her on the ride to the restaurant; she's surprised and, oddly enough, slightly disappointed. The closer they get, the more she starts to second guess her decision. They pull into a parking space and he looks at her with a slightly bemused expression, "IHOP?"

"Well, you said you wanted normal..." she trails off, ashamed at the timid, embarrassed quality of her voice.

He laughs, a surprised, happy sound. "It is. It's so completely and utterly ordinary." She averts her eyes and wills herself not to blush. She feels his elbow nudge her in the arm. She looks up at him, relaxing a little at the soft smile directed at her. "It's perfect, thank you."

Before she can formulate a response, he's out of the car and running around to open her door, grinning widely. She lets him help her out of the car. What the hell is she doing?

He's still smiling as they step into the restaurant. "Gosh, I haven't been here since Al- I haven't been here in forever."

That was by no means a smooth cover up, and yes, she's curious, but he's ignored all her awkwardness so far, so she figures it's the least she can do to return the favor.

They sit contentedly, both still trying to understand the situation. Their waitress startles them out of their thoughts; they give their orders and then go back to staring at each other. Rick opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a noise from his front pocket. He fumbles for the phone, shooting her an apologetic look as he answers.

"Hey, sweetie." He laughs. "Why do you sound surprised?" His face falls. "Oh, yeah, well... I'm actually at IHOP right now... With a, a friend?" He shoots her an odd look, eyebrows raised in both apology and question. "No, not like that!" Ah, there's the smile again. "Well thank you for thinking of me! And you're allowed to do that sometimes, you know?... Yes, I'll see you in the morning... I love you too, Alexis. Goodnight."

His smile is soft and genuine as he returns the phone to his pocket. Kate bites her lip, unable to identify the emotion causing her heart to clench. Affection? Jealousy? She can't decide which would be worse (but, probably jealousy).

"My daughter," he says quietly.

"I didn't..." she trails off, slightly startled.

"You were not asking very loudly."

She's probably blushing. Damn.

"Oh. I didn't know you have a daughter..."

"Not many people do. I've made sure to keep her out of the press. I want her to have the most normal life possible."

"Well, I bet she's great. How old is she?" Her eyes widen, staring adamantly at the syrup as she adds, "If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't. She's eleven, will be twelve in a few months. And she really is, best thing that's ever happened to me."

Kate wonders why he looks worried with this admission. She smiles, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "Don't worry, Castle, I'm not going to stalk her and sell her soul to the paparazzi."

He laughs, relaxing again. "Thanks... I think?" He pauses, as he realizes something, "Castle?"

She blushes (again, she seriously needs to get this under control), she hadn't even noticed she'd said it. "Uhh, habit from the job. Sorry."

The grin he flashes her could rival a small child's. "Awesome!"

Another silence falls over them, each one becoming less uncomfortable than the previous. A few minutes later, the waitress, Carrie, brings them their food. Three bites into her blueberry pancakes, Kate speaks up.

"Why are you doing this?" Well, that was forward. Great.

He sighs, staring adamantly at his eggs while he formulates his answer. He raises his gaze to meet hers, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Because I'm bored. Because you're smart and interesting and real. Because we're having an actual conversation. Because you don't seem to want anything from me. Because you know I have a daughter, and you asked how old she is."

He thinks she's interesting? He's talking to her because he thinks she's smart and because she asked a simple question about his daughter? Well, that's new.

Apparently, her face belies her confession, because he asks, "Did I just stick my foot in my mouth?" He looks almost disappointed.

"Uhh, no. I... I just don't know what to think about that, honestly," she finally manages to stammer out.

"Understandable. Can we try this again?"

She barely registers her head nodding through her confusion.

He extends his hand for the second time. "Hello, my names Rick. May I just say, you look stunning tonight. Would you like to be my friend?"

She's still slightly shell shocked, but she can't help smiling at the innocent and childlike tone of his voice. Stunning? Is he being serious? She studiously ignores the last part of his statement because she has no idea what he's getting at, and takes his hand.

"Kate Beckett. Nice to meet you..."

"I promise I'm not playing some kind of game. You have no reason to trust me, and you're a cop, so I understand your hesitation. All I want is one night with no paparazzi and no fans, and maybe even a real friend. I know it sounds like I'm using you, but would it be too forward to say I've really enjoyed your company tonight?"

He's rambling by the end; she's oddly touched.