Chapter Three

Kate almost skips to the door that Monday morning to find Castle on the other side, holding two coffees and a suspicious looking bag dangling from the crook of his arm. She smiles broadly at him, not being able to help it, and lets him inside. He turns towards her, offering the coffee, which she takes, breathing in the sweet aroma into her nose.

"Want to know all my top secret plans?" He asks, waggling his eyebrows He takes a seat on one of the stool.

"Yes.. Yes I do." She's leaning on the counter in front of him.

"First...we have dinner at my place before we go out caroling. The whole gang is coming." He rubs his hands together, as if thinking about what to make for dinner.

Kate nods sipping her coffee "Mm, peppermint, nice touch...thank you" She sips again humming in satisfaction.

"Your welcome." He smiles back. "I figure that talk about Ryan and Jenny's wedding will come up. My mother will ask them I am sure." He rolls his eyes. "And that will get us all talking about the wonders of getting married and happy relationships, and you know..."

Kate smiles. "Nothing like a wedding to bring up all those harbored feelings..." She trails off looking away. Realizing what she just said. "What else?" She then asks trying to move this along, she's feeling quite awkward.

He pauses for a moment, analyzing her words, stores it away. She sees this all play out on her face and she's not as scared as she thought she would be. "And then we all go out into the cold and go caroling. Hopefully the affects of wedding talk as seeped into their minds...coupled with their attraction for each other outside in the cold. I'd want to cozy up wouldn't you?" He asks.

Kate opens and close her mouth. "Uh.. didn't you say something about a duet, and then ice skating?" She asks quickly, staring into her cup and drinking to busy herself.

"Yes. I picked out our songs, the girls sing one, the guys sing one, Esplanie...all of us. Anyway, it will turn out much better than it sounds."

"It sounds like a wonderful night, Castle."

"I hope so...and the ice skating should be fun..."

"I haven't been in years..." She trails off thinking of her mom.

Castle nods understandingly and the two fall into a silence. Only the sound of their faint breathing and swallowing of the delicious coffee is heard until Castle speaks up.

"How was your weekend?" He asks, fiddling with the bag forgotten. He regards her appearance. Bags under eyes, perfect hair, the usual turtleneck, this time a cranberry color, a soft glow in those beautiful green eyes.

"Hectic." She says, eying the bag again. She was so busy with paper work and closing their current case, and he was doing last minute edits before the holidays. She hadn't seen him until today. "How was yours?"

"Editing." He rolls his eyes. "And Alexis and I decorated, our little tradition." He gets that far away look in his face she adores. "She's shopping with Mother all day today." He adds.

"That's sweet.. So that leaves you with me then huh?" He nods with a grin. After a respectable silence Kate says "But yes I was very busy...but it's all so I can take my vacation." She says, elbows propped up on the counter, clutching her peppermint coffee in both hands. The warmth of the cup seeping pleasantly into her bones.

"Your set then!" He says, patting the bag.

"Well I am on call today..I'm not officially off until Wednesday...What's that?" She reaches for it.

"Nah uh, my dear Kate." He snatches it back waggling a finger and looking at her deviously before pulling out two Santa hats. "For Christmas tree shopping. Get your coat." He throws her a hat.

She gives him a skeptical look. "I am not wearing this out in public." She says as she goes to get her winter coat. She turns to see him standing all pouty face, wearing the Santa hat. The white ball resting over his right eyebrow. Her heart melts.

"But.."

"Compromise?" She asks, walking over and fixing his hat.

"Okay." He waits.

Her body is buzzing at the close proximity she voluntarily walked into. "I will wear my hat." she lifts it to his eye level. "While we decorate." She hands it back to him.

"Deal." He says taking her coat from her. She turns around without a second thought and lets him help her into it...and then, his hands are in her pockets from behind.

His fingers brushing her side through the fabric. Her eyes grow wide, and then close and she has to bite down on her lower lip to suppress a gasp. Her heart is pounding in her chest as he removes his hand and turns her around to wrap her green scarf, from her pocket, around her neck for her. She tilts her head to one side, eyes transfixed on his face as he so easily does this for her, like a habit..like a couple.

"What?" He asks, in a regular voice. He's just finished knotting her scarf.

"Nothing." She says innocently, tugging on his blue scarf and glancing at his hat and then eyes before turning away to open the door. "You look cute in that hat." She then says before walking out the door, leaving him standing alone in her apartment.

"Castle!" She yells to him. He's far off along the path staring up at a very large tree. She can see the look of pure joy on his face as he breathes visible air out into the cold afternoon.

"It's perfect!" He yells back opening his arms wide to the tree has if to hug it. He looks back at her happily. Strands of brown hair lays lazily over his forehead. She loves the way he looks all the time, but there's something about the unkempt Castle that intrigues her..along with the "just out of bed." look.

Kate rolls her eyes at herself, and Castle's unreasonable choice in trees thus far. She smiles though hugging her arms around herself to ward off the cold and crunches through the snow towards him. They are in an area with little foot traffic so she has to use his bigger foot holes to make her way to him. His longer strides making her stretch just a little more than she is used to. Plus she's not wearing fashionable heeled boots. But regular snow boots he insisted on. Finally she steps up beside him, and looks up at the tree, craning her neck. It's taller now that she is up close.

"Castle." She huffs out a puff of white air. "This is too big...for my apartment..and for yours." She nudges his shoulder.

He crosses his arms and steps away from the massive tree. "Your a spoiled sport." He says in a half pout before his eyes land on yet another tree and he's off again. They have been at it all morning and her stomach is growling.

"No. I'm practical..and hungry." She says, eyes falling away from the tree. She fixes her scarf and tramps through the snow after him. But he's disappeared. She stops, pivoting her body without moving her feet, which are now becoming cold. The high snow has stealthily melted it's way into her boots, dampening her pant legs in the process. She snorts, and continues walking amongst the tall trees. It's very quiet, She can't hear anybody else who might be picking out their trees with family, or breathing..or footfall. "Rick." She says. But her voice comes out shaky, and less annoyed like she intended.

"Kate." She hears him say, and then the sound of something whizzing through the air.

Kate turns just in time to see Castle peeking out from behind a tree a few rows down, his arm extended, she sidesteps the snowball, falling into the nearest tree. "Ouff." She groans.

"Kate!" Castle yells. He's beside her in seconds, taking hold of her elbow and propping her upright again. "That was graceful." He then says.

Kate glares at him as she picks the pine from her coat. He starts picking it out of her hair. When she's done, Castle is till working at her hair silently and with an expression of concentration. She likes the way his fingers feel in her hair. Imagines what it would be like to cozy up on the couch with him as he plays with her hair. She stops herself immediately. Inwardly shaking herself and looks at the tree she fell into. It's a nice one. Not to tall, sort of wide but it could work.

"Castle."

"What? Sorry.." He says sheepishly as if she caught him getting carried away or enjoying it too much. Which he definitely was. She could tell by the gentleness.

"Look." She pulls the hand at her hair down, grasping his wrist and points with her other at the tree she fell into. "I like this one." She lets go of him reluctantly.

"Hmm." He steps back, sizing it up, and then fixes the branches marked by Kate. "You sure know how to pick em." He remarks.

Kate just rolls her eyes. "Tell me about it." She mumbles as he searches for the hand saw he dropped somewhere along the path.

Christmas music filters through the spacious Loft. They just got back from lunch at Remy's, Castle had paid someone to drop their trees off at their places. Kate's will be safely waiting for her when she gets home. And she'll have the doorman help her bring it up. For now Kate sits on the couch, enjoying the warm room, shoes kicked off by the door. She feels completely at home she, closing her eyes and day dreaming about what it would be like to come home to this place every day, to that man, and his family who she adores. They would surely welcome her with open arms..in fact they already have.

She hum, opening her eyes and then singing quietly to herself as she looks about the living area. It's already decorated, minus the tree that sits bare in the tree stand on the opposite end of the fireplace. White Christmas lights adorn the stair case, and almost every single doorway/archway. Lights also decorate the hearth, where a steady warm fire glows brightly. She imagines him decorating with Alexis and Martha...a tradition she hasn't taken part in with her own father...not even after her mother died... Kate sighs, bringing a hand through her hair and resting her back against the couch. The whole reason she tries not to care about Christmas.. is that she really has no one to spend it with...not that special someone anyway. Just her father, who she pops in to see Christmas eve, for dinner. She goes home alone, to an empty apartment, and visits her mother's grave Christmas morning before heading into an empty bullpen.

She feels a change in the air now...it's lighter, brighter. Full of hope and promise. "Where's your Hat?" The reason for her new found spirit enters the room. His own hat atop his head and a giddiness in his eyes as he carries a box of ornaments and sets it on the coffee table.

"Oh...right." Kate looks around her and finds it stuffed into the cushions of his couch. She stands up, while his back is to her, and fixes it on her head, over her wavy locks. "How do I look?" She poses. One hand on her hat, while her opposite leg curls upwards. She tilts her head to the side in a cute fashion.

Castle blinks, and then swallows. "Adorable." He says softly, with a deep rumble in his throat. She smiles, and gives him a wink before heading over to help.

"What would you like me to do?" She asks, looking into the box, surprised to see it's not full of expensive ornaments but actually quite sparse. Instead she sees two sets of colored lights, and some homemade, and some store bought balls and decorations, some garland. Then again the rest of the house looks like Christmas threw up in it...

"The lights?" He asks. Handing them to her.

"Sure." She takes them, starting to unravel them when she feels his hand on her shoulder.

"Hot chocolate?"

She looks down at the hand and then into those eyes. "Yes please." She gives him a radiant smile and turns back to her task. Singing the current song softly.

Just as she's about to start walking the lights around the large tree, the music gets louder, and she spots Castle swaying to the music while pulling white garland from the box. He's singing along with her. She shakes her head. But he points at her nodding his head still singing. It's then she realizes that she's been singing quiet loudly, and swinging her hips to the beat. He grins at her in a way that makes her all hot and bothered, but tries not to let it stop her. The song ends and a sad tunes starts to play. Kate stops swaying for a beat, not sure what to do, because this particular song fills her with melancholy. It's Faith Hills Where are you Christmas?

Kate turns slightly to see Castle frozen in place. She wonders if maybe her face betrayed her, or her body language. Because she's no longer dancing, and her hand is still up holding the lights. She sees the panicked look in his eyes, and he points off towards the music, mouthing he'll turn it off...but she shakes her head at him with a small smile before turning away and choosing to sing. She matches it perfectly. Really getting into it, feeling the music deep inside her, what it means to her.

It reminds her of her mother...The two of them always picked the tree together..with perhaps a little difficulty every time..and then they'd come home. Make hot chocolate, put on the Christmas station, and dance to it while they decorated the house, and the tree. Leaving a few ornaments for her father, when he got home. But now...now..she feels as though she's lost her sense of Christmas. Her spirit...and her father was never really big on it..he only did it for them..Without her mother? Kate doesn't have Christmas.

Castle shows up beside her, holding out a steamy cup of hot chocolate. She plugs in the lights, and then stands up in front of him, reaching for the mug, her hand lingering on his purposely before she brings the cup to her lips. Castle looks down at her the colored lights reflecting in his blues...her breath hitches from the look in his eyes, or the general feeling of nostalgia from what they are doing together...she's not sure, perhaps both. His head is tilted to one side, eyes showing something she's not sure she's seen before. And then his hand comes up to cup her cheek. She's surprised, but leans into his touch. She's still singing, as Castle's thumb wipes away the moister she didn't know was there.

So at the beginning I did not plan to go this way. But the song came on while I was typing during the decorating scene and it's where my mind went. Made me sad... anyway..please review. And I promise the next chapter will be less sad.