A/N: Okay, so you guys have been super patient. I'm sorry it's take me so long to update but I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with all of this. I decided to skip a head a few weeks and just dive into the fluff, I'm thinking in the next couple chapters I'm going to ramp this up a little more: more Caskett fluff and hopefully dip into the conspiracy surrounding Beckett's Mom's murder, her shooting, etc. Basically I'm going to attempt a story line, bare with me.
Beckett re-obtained her job at the 12th precinct after several lengthy meetings with Gates, who had thankfully held off on filing the paper work for Kate's resignation. Her psychiatrist even showed up at one meeting to verify that Kate was in fact mentally stable and to state that when she quit she was just overwhelmed with emotions from both her mother's case and a sudden epiphany that she had just before Ryan pulled her from her imminent death. Gates, however, was not privy to the information pertaining to the epiphany. Though after some observation of Backett after she returned, with her loyal writer in tow, everyone in the One-Two was able to guess what the epiphany was about: Castle.
They'd been back at work for a week and so far no one knew, no one knew they had been dating for nearly three weeks now. They were lapsing back into their steady routine, with only a few changes, namely how they started and ended their days... in bed, together. They had decided to keep their relationship a secret after their first meeting with Gates, she had made an off-hand comment that they needed to be careful where they tread and to play by the book because they were on thin ice, a probation of sorts, upon their return to the precinct. Gates hadn't meant it too seriously but Rick and Kate both became concerned their relationship would be enough to allow Gates to push them out once and for all. Eventually they agreed they wouldn't tell people but when and if someone found out they'd deal with it, so far this hadn't happened.
So they kept it a secret, only three people knew: Alexis, Martha, and Jim. Alexis was tentative but she was slowly coming to terms, slowly allowing their relationship to become real and a part of her life. Martha was over joyed, she nearly squeezed the life out of Kate when she awkwardly walked in the loft to find one very disheveled detective possitioned snuggly under neath her son on the couch locked in a very passionate kiss. That hug however also caused Beckett some serious pain, and she cried out as Martha let her go. Martha had insisted on Kate telling her what happened, Kate eventually ended up telling both Martha and Alexis what happened to her, not just that day but what she's gone through in her last year since the shooting. She knew opening up to these two women had caused them to soften up to her, it allowed them to become closer.
Rick had dreaded telling her dad, Kate on the other hand knew that her dad loved him and would be estatic to find out about their relationship. Just as Kate predicted, her dad was happy beyond measure. What she hadn't anticipated was the reason why he was so happy they got their act together, he had pulled her aside that day and said, 'I am so pround of you Katie, I'm so pround that you let go. You're mom would be so proud of you for following you heart and for not letting the love of you life get away because of what happened to her. She knows you love her, but hon it's time to lay this all to rest. You have a real future ahead of you with this one, make it count Katie.' Kate was speechless, all she could do was pull him into a hug and tell him she loved him.
Things have been good for them; even with the few bumps in the road and a couple arguments here and there, overall they were good.
Kate was sitting at her desk trying to position her hair to hide the hickey Rick left on her neck. She had warned him not to, that someone would notice, but in the heat of the moment when all your inhabitions get thrown out of the window she forgot why she even cared. She smiled as she thought of their night together and exactly how she got that hickey, she shivered at the thought. He had a few himself but she had been a little more careful so as to not make it so obvious that they gave them to each other. She was still smiling when someone set down a steaming coffee cup in front of her.
She looked up at him and it was as if her memories came to life and she could suddenly feel his burning touch on her skin, his velvet lips pressed against hers, his tongue as it glided over hers searching for dominance in her mouth, the heat from his voice as he whispered into her ear, the shudder of his body as he released inside of her, she felt the way their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly , seamlessly. She blushed and looked briefly at the coffee trying to hide the blush that rose on her cheeks, then back up to him with barely concealed desire in her eyes.
"Morning." He said with a knowing smile and a devilish glint in his eyes. She replied with an equally knowing smile allowing her desire to shine through by a fraction.
"Morning." She replied.
They looked at eachother for a moment, reliving their heated night together silently in their heads before she added: "Thanks for the coffee."
"Any time." The innuendo was not lost on him as he replied quickly, letting the meaning of his words sink in. Kate completely forgot about hiding her hickey as she looked up at Castle with a lusty grin and was startled when Lanie, who was just walking by her desk, stopped and demanded information. Although Lanie hadn't seen the looks they shared, or was distracted enough to not see the depth of the emotions exchanged in their gazes, she was still aware enought to notice the obvious hickey on the pulse point of Beckett's neck.
"Ohhh, girl, spill it." Lanie said loud enough for only Rick and Kate to hear.
Kate and Rick both looked at her quizzically.
"What are you talking about, Lanie?" Kate asked confused.
"Who've you been smoochin' with?" The ME pressed.
Kate still gave her an innocent and slightly confused look. Which faltered just enough for Lanie to smile triumphantly, she exchanged her look of triumph for a look that would give any self respecting detective a run for their money. Kate risked a glance up at Rick who was trying not to laugh by pressing his fingers against his mouth, obviously happy to not be in Kate's possition but loving the way it made her squirm.
"What's so funny, Castle?" She asked him with a slightly accusing tone.
"Nothing, nothing. But I agree, I think we'd all love to know where that hickey came from." He was pushing her, challenging her to tell Lanie the truth.
Kate looked from Lanie to Rick.
"What if I told you it wasn't a hickey."
"Kate, I know a hickey when I see one. Now spill."
Kate sighed and glanced up at Rick again. Lanie followed this and froze, understanding washed over her face.
"Oh my god. You two finally..."
"Okay, okay. Keep it down." Kate said quickly, trying to keep her friend from screaming it for the world to hear.
"She's afraid if Gates finds out that it would just give her another reason to kick me if not both of us out of here." Rick cut in.
"Hey, I thought we agreed not to tell anyone. We, Rick. Not just me." Kate interjected.
Lanie was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She leaned in close so no one else could hear her and began her verbal assault. "Oh, I need the whole story. I'm pretty sure I've been waiting for this to happen just about as long as both of you have, if not longer. So... details?"
"Not here, Lanie. I'll call you tonight." Kate said with a one-sided smile.
"We have plans tonight." Castle said smoothly.
Kate hit her forehead and turned to look at her partner.
"Right, dinner. Um, we don't have lunch plans, right?" She asked Castle. He still looked as though he was trying not to laugh.
"Nope. Just dinner reservations, at your favorite resturant I might add."
Kate beamed at him, then turned to Lanie.
"You free for lunch?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
"For this, definately. You two are adorable already. Alright, I got to go. Big accident, lots of poor souls were lost. So I'll catch you later, at lunch."
Lanie leaned down and brought Kate into a big hug, she pulled back with smile as Kate replied.
"See you then."
Rick and Kate watched her leave. Rick sat down in the chair next to her desk and they sat and talked for a little while, at least until Esposito and Ryan showed up. Neither of them realized the other two cops were in the vacinity or they would have toned down the flirting. As it were, they were in total honeymoon phase of their relationship and Ryan and Epso could sense there was something different between them. Ryan leaned across his desk, closer to Espo, unaware that Rick and Kate could hear them.
"What's up with mom and dad?" Ryan asked eyeing the couple.
"I don't know, maybe they finally hooked-up." Espo said jokingly.
They snickered at the shock on the couple's face who had heard their short exchange, they quickly covered up their shock with looks of bemusement.
"No, really, what's up with you guys?" Ryan asked seriously, shaking off Javi's comment as the joke it was meant as. Whatever Kate was about to say was cut off by Lanie's voice calling over the din of the precinct to get Kate's attention.
"Duty calls. I'll see you guys after lunch." Kate said quickly. She started to turn away, grabbing her coat when she looked back at Castle and raised and eyebrow biting back a smile, pulling her lower lip in between her teeth.
"You gonna be okay on your own?" Kate said in a teasing tone.
Rick scoffed, looking offended and then allowed his features to soften.
"Please, Kate. I'm not an invalid."
Kate mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'you cetainly proved that last night', only Rick had heard her and a huge grin spread across his face and he chocked back a laugh.
"What was that, Detective?" He asked, provoking her again.
She blushed and shook her head calling back behind her, "Just keep out of trouble, Castle, I'll be back in an hour."
Rick watched her walk to the elevator already deeply emersed in conversation with Lanie. Espo walked up beside him, studying his features.
"So you gonna tell us what's going on, bro?"
Espo was standing with his arms across his chest and an eyebrow raised, obviously expecting Castle to cave with Beckett not around. He shook his head taking his usual seat next to Beckett's desk.
"Come on, Castle, don't leave us out in the dark." It was Ryan's turn to lay in on him. Both relying on tacticts that have worked before. They both came and hovered over him by Beckett's desk, trying to intimidate it out of him. Unfortunately for them it didn't work, Rick smiled and mimed sealing his lips and throwing away the key. The boys let out identical huffs of frustration and went to their own desks leaving castle by himself. He smirked the silent treatment, how original.
Finally able to take a break from Lanie's verbal inquisition, Kate settled back into her chair taking a deep sip of her coffee as she studied her surroundings.
A couple in the corner were sipping latte's and holding hands as they kept up a comfortable chatter. A mother with two kids was waiting for her coffee by the counter, trying to quite one of her crying children. An old man was sitting by himself looking out the window with a scowl on his face, she couldn't help but wonder what was troubling him. She sighed and looked back at Lanie, noticing with a start that her friend had been watching her intently.
"What, Lanie?" Kate said a little warily.
Lanie smiled and shook her head. "You look happy, really happy. I am so proud of you, girl. Finally, finally you let that man in. And I mean that in every way." Lanie rose her eyebrows suggestively, causing Kate to blush.
"Lanie." Kate said in protest with a laugh.
"What, are you going to deny how that hickey came to be?" She asked incredulously.
Kate finally broke and with smile she said, "Of course we've... slept together."
Lanie let out a squeal of delight and demanded details. Kate sighed and eyed her friend.
"I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure how Rick would feel about-" Kate started and Lanie interupted, "You giving me the play-by-play. Or should I say blow-by-blow." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and Kate groaned lowering her head to the table to hide her face.
"You had to put it like that, didn't you." She said, not a question but a statement. She glanced down at her watch and jumped up almost comically.
"We should get back." Lanie stood up eyeing her friend.
"This isn't over, Kate."
"Oh, I know, I'm far from safe from your verbal assault. You probably have a thousand more questions for me. And eventually you'll get your chance to ask them." The detective said with a smile, she picked up her coffee and they headed out the door and up the street back to the precinct with her best friend in tow.
Kate couldn't help but smile at her partner who was asleep in his chair by her desk. She loved watching him sleep, he always looked so at peace. She walked up to her desk, careful to stay quiet and not wake him as she took her jacket off and sat down to do some paperwork. All the while sneaking glances at him every minute or so.
"You're gonna blow our cover." Castle said sleepily as he squinted one eye open to peer at his girlfriend who was smiling at him.
Kate winked at him and continued her paperwork.
A/N: You guys like? Any thoughts or comments? Reviews welcome. Hope you enjoyed, Chapter three coming soon.
