Curiosity Killed the Cat

Nothing disturbed Kate Beckett's slumber so her knight protector succumbed to sleep once the sun rose to beat back the darkness. When he woke he was alone and in an unfamiliar bedroom. It took a few seconds to remember the late night escapades. Immediately he called out for her, "Beckett?"

Richard Castle got up quickly and looked around. By the coffee pot was a note for him. "Hey sleepy head. You need your beauty rest so I didn't wake you. I would tell you to go home and not come in today, but you would read too much into that statement. Let me try to order you not to come in until noon when the guys will report to work. There is a key by your coffee cup so you can lock up."

It wasn't signed and it was all very Beckett like. He reread it a few times and was satisfied. Alone in Beckett's apartment was a temptation, but the only familiarity he allowed himself was the enjoying the coffee and straightening her bed.

He went home to shower and change. Thoughtfully he chose a light blue shirt as his armor. It wasn't a shade designed to bring out his eyes; rather it meant to inspire feelings of loyalty. He detoured to buy lunch for the two of them on the way to the precinct. He vowed to keep his demeanor light and give her no cause to push him away.

"What kind of food did you decide I am in the mood for today?" she asked when she smelled her lunch coming closer.

Is this a test, he wondered? Will she pick a fight about whatever I brought? Is she annoyed I didn't ask? "I brought comfort food: burger and fries from Remy's." He scanned for her reaction.

Whatever he brought would be a favorite of hers. He knew her too well to err. It was a becoming a staple of the new Castle - perfectly innocent actions full of subtext. She smiled at the choice and accepted his offering.

Castle stayed out of her way as she put the finishing touches on the case file so she could hand it over to prosecutors. He bugged the guys and even popped in Montgomery's office to see if he was up for a poker game this month.

"Any night works for me. The missus loves the excuse to have the ladies over," the captain replied.

"I'll check with the rest of the Gotham City gang and let you know." Castle wasn't subtle with his next question. "Roy, what can you tell me about a suspect named Danny Manny?"

The Captain shut the office door and stared at Castle. "That's a red flag. If she is having nightmares about him, I need to know."

Castle smoothly lied, "She muttered something about his name being similar to the perp we staked out. Emanuel Daniels is a loose reversal of Danny Manny. Obviously they aren't the same guy, but I wondered what the back story was. I'm not sleeping with her but I always assumed she dreams of me and not dirt bags!" He smiled with suave deception.

"Oh, I didn't mean to assume anything. Forget you ever heard Danny Manny's name. Be smart and never ask her about it under any circumstances." The seasoned veteran stared hard to drive home the point.

"Fine with me. I won't ask her." He left Montgomery's office. This name caused more than a nightmare in Beckett; she vowed to kill whoever he was. The gut-check reaction after the gun incident was about more than pointing a weapon at him. She looked beaten. The writer sat in his chair lost in thought.

Esposito interrupted him. "Must be nice to loose yourself in daydreams. I won't ask who you're thinking about."

Castle looked around, "Where is everyone?"

"Ryan and Beckett are on other floors of the precinct getting the case wrapped up. They both want to get out of here early."

"And you don't?"

"Lanie is working late. What about you - Any big plans for the night that will immortalize the name of Castle?"

"A woman is going to have her way with me tonight." Castle paused to see if Esposito took the bait. When he saw the man's wicked grin, he explained further. "My mother is making me help her at the acting school. I get to set up all the chairs and move some tables for her big seminar tomorrow."

Esposito laughed at the reality versus the image. "Man, at least tell me it isn't about crying fake tears or dying a fake death."

The cheap laborer winced, "It is so much worse. It is about fake sex. Never date an actress!"

Esposito smirked, "Wasn't your first wife an actress?"

Castle let the man have his superior moment. "You wound me, detective. You take the glamour of being a diva's son and make me admit I am nothing more than a stage hand. Then you weasel out of me that dating an actress has serious drawbacks. My image will never recover."

Esposito played along, "What can I do to help you out, bro?"

"Actually, there is something. Beckett mentioned a name from an old case, but she won't talk about it. Can you look it up for me?"

"Yeah. No problem." They went over to Esposito's computer and he pulled up the rap sheet on Danny Manny. "He was busted for solicitation several times by Beckett when she worked vice. Oh no. Vice is off limits."

"Beckett worked vice?" Castle asked. "I guess I never thought about it." He let his mind wander back over the years. She knew about those nightclubs, domination, leather cuffs… She is a beautiful woman and seemed totally indifferent to her body. It made sense.

Esposito gave him what little background he could. He didn't know Beckett then. "Vice is the fast-track promotion for females. All the records are sealed because of the graphic nature of everything. Even the public arrest warrants read like soft porn. None of the vice cases will come up under her name without special authorization. You have to know a case and then you can access basic records like we did with this Manny. This piece of trash is linked to a sealed case. Bro, I can't and won't get into this stuff." Esposito made sure the writer heard him.

Castle was going schizophrenic. Part of him wanted to know every sleazy detail and let his imagination fill in the blanks, and part of him was sorry that Kate had been subject to that level of filth. He could only imagine what kind of strength it takes to deal with lust and murder as your chosen profession. For her to still be a caring person was remarkable. Actually it was extraordinary. No wonder she was a little guarded in her personal relationships.

Esposito noted the change from exuberant to quiet. He wanted to cheer up his coworker. "You know, we all have undercover arrest records. I know one of Beckett's." He pulled up a photo of a platinum blond 26 year old with heavy makeup. Her eyes were blue, obviously due to contact lenses. The part that transfixed Castle was the sneer on her face. He was speechless. If he didn't know this was his Kate, he wasn't sure he'd pick her out in a photo lineup.

The muscular detective gave Castle a little background. "This was a pretty big deal. She broke a human trafficking case and that's what earned her promotion to detective. She won't talk about it because of her partner. He got cocky and wanted to take down the leader of the ring, so he charged after the guy and ended up cornered. Beckett had his back and followed him the whole way. They both got shot multiple times. The vest saved her life. They actually have it at the police academy as an exhibit because there are so many bullets in it."

That story confirmed it. Castle was officially amazed and impressed with Detective Kate Beckett. He called her extraordinary without even knowing the half of it. She was so damned modest about what she accomplished, he would never find out. He could never make a fictional character as dynamic as the inspiration.

Esposito pulled up an undercover mug shot of himself as a gang member. Castle laughed at the contrast between the close cropped hair of the guy sitting in front of him and the youngster with a long, slicked-back ponytail with a moustache in the photo. "Man, I was already scared of you guys. If you looked like that now I don't think I'd have the balls to hang out with you."

They broke off the trip through the past when Beckett reappeared. She was all business today, and Castle was trying to stay on her good side. He nodded his thanks to Esposito and then made fresh coffee. He placed her cup at her elbow and took a swig of his own brew. She took a sip of hers and got back to work without speaking.

"How is the paperwork coming?"

"Good. We should be able to quit on time tonight. If you want to leave early, I can call if anything comes up." She glanced up at him, hoping he would bow out.

"Forget it! I have no desire to be available to my mother any sooner than necessary. What are your plans for tonight?" He sat beside her desk and searched her face for clues on how she was doing. His lovely detective had bags under her eyes skillfully hidden by makeup, and she was dressed in somber colors today.

"I've got time reserved at the range and a few boxes of ammo to fire. Then I'll have to spend the evening dismantling my weapons and cleaning them." She stole a sideways glance at him. The incident was eating at her and her and a raw vulnerability seeped out.

Castle kept his voice low. "I should return your apartment key to you. Is now acceptable?"

Beckett debated her answer. Letting him keep the key would be as symbolic as withdrawing it. That was one of the many drawbacks of being involved with a writer. She had a mischievous grin as she answered, "You can keep it but never use it."

His eyes went as wide as the ocean. "That is the cruelest tease you've ever done to me! What if I threaten to stock your refrigerator with food while you are at work one day? Or what if I feel the need to deliver fresh flowers? Perhaps you'll let me cook for you and have dinner ready as you walk through the door." Castle was animated with the possibilities of having a key to Beckett's private life.

"The first time you use it will be your last." The threat wasn't said in a joking tone.

"Oh, you'll shoot me?" Castle quipped.

All humor was lost. She looked at his beautiful blue eyes. "I will never joke about that again and will continue to apologize for my appalling lack of judgment. As for the key, I should have been clearer. The first time you use it will be your lasts because I will take it back." She quickly looked away and resumed her work.

"Hey - sorry. I wasn't thinking; I was only trying to tease." He tried to recover her levity. "I can always think of punishments I can give you so you can make it up to me."

She decided to play along. Truthfully she was trying to think of a way to show him how sorry she was. "Ok let's hear the options."

He was surprised. "First thing that comes to mind is you giving me a full body massage."

She countered his fantasy, "I'd use itching powders, dye, and girly perfume on you."

"OK very bad idea! How about a story from your days working vice that would be good Nikki Heat material?

"I'll start talking right now if you are sure that's what you want me to do." She stared at him waiting for the light to dawn. "This is a limited time offer. Now or never."

"What's the catch? You would never agree to such a revelation, so what am I missing?" His lips twitched at he thought of hearing about her in a case filled with sexual innuendo.

Her voice was low and sultry, "Rick, do you really want me to tell you a tale of vice right in the middle of the bullpen? Every gritty detail and description of sleaze?" She never looked away in embarrassment.

Oh god! Just the sound of her sexy voice and all the unspoken looks could do me in. He quickly ended the game. "I'd love to have dinner and a movie at your place sometime."

She smiled at his defeat but was also a little sad she got off so easy. "I get to pick the movie."

"As long as it isn't rated X," he teased.

She was serious, "You should know that pornography is off limits around me. I don't ever want to see, hear, or talk about porn."

How is it possible that I keep stumbling into stupid moments with her? Earlier I quipped 'shoot me' and now I bring up pornography with a woman I want to date. And I know she caught the reference to her vice work even though we've never spoken of it. "Kate, my mouth keeps engaging without thinking. Today of all days I was trying to be good. I'm sorry," he finished quietly.

Suddenly he understood the flaw in their relationship. He would never be able to stop picking away at the layers of this woman. She was reserved and didn't want to be an open book, and he was obsessed with laying her bare.

She read his mind, or at least gave a brilliant response. "Castle, quit trying to be perfect. I know who you are. Give me time to rebound from Josh, and then we can figure out whether or not we are perfect for each other." She grabbed the file and went over to see Ryan who returned with last of the reports needed to close the case.

The man looked down so he wouldn't betray the stunned expression she invoked in him. He took out his phone to give himself something to do and sent a text message to his daughter. Being a father was something he got right. He dared, for the first time, to hope he might get it right with the love of his life.