A/N: Many thanks for the various adds and thoughtful reviews (and correction of unfortunate typos, Freewheeler)!

DISCLAIMER: You know that show Castle? Yeah, I don't own it.


Solid Ground

Chapter 2: Real Life Strikes Back


Monday morning marked their self-declared return to Real Life, and the first step for Beckett was figuring out what Real Life looked like now. She knew it couldn't look like the inside of Castle's loft forever, but it was early yet. Early in the day, and early in the discovery process. She would go one step at a time, and the first step was getting out of bed.

She slid gently out of his arms; he responded with some vague grumbling but didn't wake up. She pulled jeans and a white t-shirt out of the bag she'd brought from her apartment and slipped them on. Castle had eagerly offered to clear out a drawer for her yesterday— and then had offered to buy her a dresser— but she declined.

"I could even clear out half the closet. This side is mostly Halloween costumes anyway."

"That's okay. My bag is fine for now."

"Too soon?"

"Maybe a little. Besides, you never know when you'll need a zombie or space cowboy costume at a moment's notice."

Kate looked down at Castle, taking advantage of the moment to watch him unself-consciously. He had rolled in his sleep from his back to his side toward the spot she had vacated, his body unconsciously seeking her out. She smiled to remember when she had done the same thing to him on a dirty mattress in a basement, only to flinch away from the idea as soon as she was truly conscious. To be fair, the handcuffs, captivity and hungry tiger were more immediate concerns at the time than dealing with her stubborn head/heart conflict.

Even now she was a little amazed she was actually here, that she had taken such a colossal risk in exposing her heart to someone who had every right to reject her. Near-death mixed with near-loss of the most important person in her life was powerful alchemy, it seemed. But their conscious selves were finally catching up to the unconscious ones that had begun reaching for each other long ago, and she was determined to keep that particular wall down. The person she'd been before her mother's murder had gotten trapped on one side, and the driven, guarded version of herself was on the other.

She did not wish to erase all the things she had become in the last 13 years: the hard-won strength and determination, the thirst for truth she drew from her mother's memory, her compassion for the victims that was borne of experience. But she hoped that the best of the two Kate Becketts could merge into one person, and that New Kate would be comfortable and happy in her skin. And part of what made New Kate happy (so, so happy) was Richard Castle. Her favorite author, her annoying sidekick, her trusted partner and now, she suspected, her one and done. It was a life story worthy of life with an author.

x-x-x-x-x

Kate padded quietly into the kitchen and started the coffee. Lost in thought while she watched the drips gradually fill up the pot, she didn't hear the soft footfalls of someone coming down the stairs.

"Hi, Detective Beckett."

She smiled. "Good morning, Alexis. Please, call me Kate. Especially since I'm not a detective anymore." It still felt weird to say that; she suspected it would be for a while.

"You quit?" Kate nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"I realized that I need to fight for the things that are important to me if I don't want to lose them. And sometimes fighting for one thing means walking away from another."

Never one to miss subtext, Alexis asked, "And you've decided that dad is worth fighting for?" Her tone held just a hint of challenge.

"Yeah, I have. Can I pour you some coffee?" She wasn't even sure if the girl drank coffee, but the moment felt tenuous, and she instinctively reached out with a small connection.

"Sure, thanks." Alexis accepted the peace offering, then was quiet for a moment. When she spoke, she kept her eyes on the rim of her mug. "You know, besides when dad was married to Gina, this is the first time that one of... that there's been someone here in the morning."

Kate's first reaction was shock laced with disbelief. With Castle's long and well-documented history as a playboy? How was that even possible? But of course it was possible. She had realized long ago that Castle was a good father first, writer second, playboy third. He would have carefully shielded his daughter from that side of his life, and protected their home as a safe and stable place for her. Kate had been so focused on herself and Castle the last few days that she didn't think about the disruption it would be to his daughter to find her here, making coffee like she owned the place.

"I'm so sorry, Alexis. I didn't even think—"

Alexis looked up. "No, you don't need to...that's not why I told you. I just want you to realize what you mean to my dad. You're the first non-wife to be making coffee in the morning because you're the first one he's wanted here, as part of the family. He would do anything for you. He loves you."

"Believe me, I feel the same way about him."

Alexis gave Kate a searching look that reminded her uncannily of the girl's father. "I do believe you. But after everything he's been through this year, if you leave him now after giving him hope, I think it would destroy him. Promise me you won't hurt him."

Kate answered honestly, "I don't think any two people in a relationship can promise never to hurt each other. But I do promise that I will do everything in my power to make him happy."

His daughter nodded thoughtfully. "Then I'm glad you're finally together. Now he can stop not-so-secretly pining." She smiled. "And thanks for treating me like an adult and not feeding me the 'this is between the grown-ups' line."

"Well, you are an adult. Certainly more of an adult than your father. But you'll always be his little girl, and not me or anything else will ever change that."

Alexis smiled softly. "That's another reason I'm glad you're here. For most of my life it's just been me and him. Now Gram is so busy with her school, and I'm going to college, and I'll visit, but not all the time, and...and I'm glad he won't be alone."

Kate marveled at the girl's— no, the young woman's— willingness to share the most important person in her life if it would make him happy. "I'll take good care of him. That I can promise."

x-x-x-x-x

Castle woke up to find Kate's side of the bed empty and had a moment of mild alarm until he heard the clatter of pans and plates. He shrugged into a robe and followed the smell of olive oil into the kitchen, where he found her making an omelette. She looked up and smiled. "Good morning."

He came up to stand behind her, hands on her hips, and nuzzled her neck with a raspy cheek in greeting. "You're up early," he remarked, then reached forward to steal a sliced mushroom from her collection of ingredients. She swatted his hand lightly with the spatula, and he popped the ill-gotten goods into his mouth before turning to pour himself a cup of coffee and sit across the island from her. As much as he enjoyed cooking, he thought he might love watching her cook more.

She folded the contents of the pan in half. "Actually, you're the last one up. Apparently Martha really does have yoga, and Alexis said to tell you that she wanted to get an early start on helping Lanie organize some old files."

She looked up to see him smiling at her, and she knew he was pleased at her offhanded presence in his family's morning routine. To be honest, it pleased her as well. Martha especially had always treated her like one of the family when she visited, and now accepted her new role as perfectly natural, and Kate's earlier conversation with Alexis had left her feeling optimistic about the way New Real Life, Day One, was progressing.

Kate slid the omelette onto a plate and started another one as Castle shook his head. "Her first Monday of post-graduation freedom, and she gets up early to file things. I don't know where I went wrong."

"Apparently the paperwork gene skips a generation. Or two. Maybe I picked the wrong Castle for a partner."

"Quite possibly. But in my defense, at least I'm old enough to buy you a beer after work." He suddenly realized they were talking about their work partnership as if everything were normal. He winced inwardly at his thoughtlessness, but the topic didn't seem to bother her.

"Actually, I need to go into the precinct this morning too. Gates has some paperwork for me to sign."

He took a moment to formulate what he wanted to say next. "Kate, I have to ask once, but say the word and I'll never ask again: are you sure this is what you want? I'm guessing Gates would be happy for the chance to reprimand you and then reinstate you after the suspension. A stern, humorless kind of happy, but still..."

"What's the matter, Castle? Afraid you'll lose all your best Nikki Heat material?"

He didn't take the bait. "You could leave police work and open a felafel cart outside Central Park, and still never cease to inspire me. This is about your life."

Beckett slid the second omelette onto a plate and smiled a little to hear her words echoed back without malice. "Honestly, I don't know yet. For the first time in 13 years I'm not trying to bury myself in my mother's murder, and I'm not trying to bury it inside of me either. I'm trying to accept it and move on. If I can still be a good cop without that demon chasing me to keep me motivated, maybe I'll go back. Or maybe I'll decide I don't want to. But I need some space first to figure that out."

He reached out and surrounded one of her hands with both of his. "I will be here no matter what you decide. Glued to your side, giving you all the space you need. You know that, right?"

She smiled wryly. "I'm starting to get that impression. I'm stuck with you, aren't I?"

"Always." Their eyes locked, and the new possibilities contained in that one word hung in the air.

Beckett's phone rang and jolted them out of their musings. Just as well, thought Castle. No need to spook her with that conversation quite yet.

The caller ID showed an unknown number, and Beckett frowned slightly as she answered, "Beckett."

"Detective Beckett. We've not been introduced; my name is Mr. Smith."

"Mr. Smith." Castle shot her an alarmed look, and she walked around the island to allow him to listen in. "I would say that Castle's told me all about you, but you're not big on sharing personal details, are you?"

"Detective, you may not agree with our methods, but Roy Montgomery knew it was the only way to keep you alive."

Beckett let him have it. "Believe it or not, I don't want to hear it. Thirteen years I've spent trying to unravel the secrets and lies. For thirteen years you've been sitting on the truth. And now that I'm finally ready to do what you always wanted and walk away, you call. Why?"

"I am not the one who demanded you walk away, Detective; I was merely the messenger. I'm calling to remind you that the deal Montgomery made with the people who do wish to harm you is the only thing keeping you alive."

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Smith. You made it abundantly clear to Castle when you enlisted him to spy for you." She placed a hand gently on his shoulder blade, the gesture at odds with the harsh words and meant to reassure him that she was playing a role. "Why break a lifetime of silence between us to say it again?"

For a few moments there was no sound but the muffled morning traffic outside the loft before he continued. "The equilibrium of the situation has been...disrupted. You are about to receive information that will likely spur you to action. I merely wish to remind you that the moment I no longer hold the file, your life will be forfeit. Choose your actions wisely." Abruptly, the connection ended.

Castle frowned. "I don't like the sound of that. On the Mr. Smith spectrum, he sounded almost panicked."

Kate started thinking out loud. "Before he disappeared, Maddox told me he knew exactly who they were dealing with. If he found Mr. Smith, Maddox could be trying to force him to turn over the papers."

"But why call you?"

"I don't know, Castle, but I've got a bad feeling we're going to find out soon." Right on cue, her phone rang again. "It's the 12th." She hit answer. "Beckett."

"Beckett, this is Captain Gates. We need you to come in right away."

"Yes, sir, I was already planning to come in this morning."

"This isn't about your resignation. Something else has come up. Something that concerns you personally. And Beckett— call Castle in. He'll need to be here as well."

She frowned. "Yes, sir. I'll bring him in with me."

Beckett hung up the phone and with a single shared look they both headed for the bedroom to get ready, omelettes cooling on the counter, forgotten.

As they got dressed, Castle asked, "Does memory fail me, or is this the first time Gates has actually requested my presence in her precinct?"

"This is definitely a first," Kate answered grimly. "And it's on the first day she has a solid reason to ban you, since I'm not there to shadow."

"So why doesn't this feel like a victory?"

"I don't like it either. But let's save the wild speculation until we have at least a few facts to build on."

x-x-x-x-x

They stood side by side in the elevator at the 12th, each of them caught up in thought. Castle looked over at her profile as she watched the number on the floor indicator climb. "How are you doing?" he asked.

She smiled grimly. "I'm not sure if I'm walking through that door as a current or former employee, which feels...a little weird. But otherwise I'm fine. Let's just get this figured out, whatever it is." Turning her head only, she reached out and took his hand, and he laced his fingers though hers.

"Speaking of unclear roles in the precinct..." he squeezed their joined hands, "how should we play this?"

She took a breath and released it. "I think everyone will know soon enough. But—"

He finished her sentence. "—but not today. I understand if you're not ready to throw yet another ball in the air right now."

"It's not that. Although I do kind of like the idea of having you all to myself for a little while longer."

Castle smiled at that thought. "Yeah, me too." So he wasn't the only one. Good.

Beckett continued. "I'm more worried about how Gates will react. Whatever is going on, it sounds like it concerns both of us. But somehow I don't think that will convince her to make an exception to the "partners can't get involved" rule if she knew."

"And we don't want the Iron Gate to slam shut in my face— yes, good point. So we play it cool."

Her lips quirked in a half-smile. "Or at least play it inconclusive."

"Do you think that making out in the break room would ruin our plausible deniability? Because I've been imagining some very diverting lunch plans."

"Buck up, Castle. Let's see that poker face."

With a final squeeze, they dropped their hands as the elevator dinged and the doors opened on the longest day of their lives.


A/N: And here we go into Plotland. Feedback always appreciated.