They haven't really been spending nearly as much time together lately as they should have been. Be it a case, meetings with his publisher, or Kate's mysterious disappearances.

If she's really just going to have a friendly dinner with one of her friends then she shouldn't be out late, so he figures that he'll show that he isn't suspicious, that he has full trust in her by surprising her. They can sit on her couch with some wine and watch a million (okay, maybe just one or two) movies before falling asleep in the warmth of each other's arms.

Maybe he's got an ulterior motive for wanting to surprise her. Maybe he's subconsciously trying to trap her, hoping that she'll bring her mystery "friend" home with her. He really, truly, hopes that it's just a friend, Lanie, preferably, but there's the gut-wrenching feeling telling him otherwise. He's seen this behavior too many times to know that how the detective is acting is not normal for just seeing a friend to catch up over dinner. No, there's something bigger going on, but he just can't find it in his heart to believe that Kate would ever do something like that.

But, then again, there's a lot about Kate that he doesn't know. She's like an onion, that woman. Stop it, Castle. Kate's different, she's special, she's…always.

So, only a few hours after the two parted ways Castle finds himself discreetly making his way into her apartment. He's had a key for quite a while, so getting in isn't a problem.

He sets the unopened bottle of the top-notch wine he dug on the coffee table, two crystal classes next to it, and makes himself comfortable on the couch.

He raises his watch in front of his face, reading the time on it. It's just a little past nine, so he's hoping that she'll make her way through the door shortly, if only to prove that she had an innocent dinner with a friend.

Leaning his head over the back of the couch, he starts studying the ceiling patterns, convincing himself that these lines look like different animals and starts making notes of things to show Kate when she gets back.

He doesn't even realize it when he falls asleep.

She doesn't get home that night until late.

Pushing the door open and making her way across her living room she stops at the sight of Castle stretched out, fast asleep, on her couch. A bottle of wine and two glasses sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

Her stomach drops instantly.

Here is this wonderful man waiting for her to come home and this is how she repays him; by staying out till the early morning hours with someone else.

The guilt is threatening to eat her alive. Yeah, some girlfriend you are.

She sits down next to his hip and runs her hand through the hair that falls messily across his forehead. He stirs and blinks up at her.

"Hey," he mumbles, "What time is it?"

"A little after one."

"Late," he notices, still half asleep.

"Mhm," she hums her agreement. "What are you doing here?"

Besides being too good for me.

"Wanted to surprise you, must've fallen asleep."

He sits up as Kate battles with the remorse.

He really doesn't deserve this. Her conscience reminds her.

"Let's go to bed, yeah?" She manages to get out as she helps him up and leads him to the bedroom.

"And what exactly are we going to do in bed detec-" a huge yawn cuts his sentence short as she smiles at him.

"Sleeping, Castle. As if you could stay awake for anything else." She teases him as she goes about getting ready for bed and he falls gracelessly onto the mattress.

By the time she emerges from the bathroom he's already knocked out cold. She settles in next to him under the covers, she's almost asleep as well when she feels his arm snake its way around her waist.

"Love you," he whispers.

She refuses to let the tears fall.

Hi, so, yeah. Don't go after Anna with fiery pitch forks for the lack of update in a while, that's completely my fault. You can come after me, but I'm gonna like, explain myself right quick. I'm 17 years old, I attend highschool full time, I work full time, and I have two kids that I take care of. Writing is something I do on the side, so yeah.

If you still want to come after me with fire, I give you permission to do so now.