Moment in Time

Boom

"He cares about you, Kate," Agent Shaw said, as she and Beckett gazed at Castle shaking hands in Captain Montgomery's office. "You may not see it, you may not be ready to, but he does."

"This thing with Castle," Beckett replied. "It's complicated."

"Ah," Shaw said with a knowing smile as she walked away.

Castle slid into his chair next to Beckett's desk, So, ready to go?"

"Go where?" Beckett asked.

"Back to my loft. Where else would you go? Your apartment is in ruins."

"I was thinking about a hotel," Beckett told him.

"In Manhattan? On a cop's salary? C'mon, Kate, stay with me, at least until you get some insurance money. You can cook. You already know your way around my kitchen."

"So you've got an ulterior motive, Castle," Beckett accused.

"You've found me out, Detective," Castle agreed. "Shall we?" he asked, offering an elbow.

Beckett reluctantly hooked her arm through his and they left the precinct.

Despite the discussion of Beckett's culinary skills, Castle and Beckett picked up burgers and shakes at Remy's on the way back to the loft. Castle noticed that Beckett rose from the table slowly and gingerly. "Kate, you've been blown up and beat up. There's a Jacuzzi in my bathroom. Why don't you take a soak and go to bed?" Castle suggested gently.

"I don't want to invade your space, Castle," Kate protested. "I can just take a shower upstairs."

"Kate, you're not invading, I'm inviting. I won't look, I promise. There's a robe on the bathroom door. It should cover almost every inch of you."

"Why do I think that in your next book Nikki Heat's going to be lounging in a Jacuzzi?" Kate asked with a smile.

"Oooh, I hadn't thought about that," Castle told her, "but it's a good idea. Of course I'd have to put Rook in there with her."

"Don't even think about it, Castle," Kate warned.

Castle raised his hands and shook his head. "I'll be good."

Kate closed her eyes and let the warm swirling waters sooth her. There were advantages to having a best selling author as a shadow, or whatever he really was. Afraid that she'd fall asleep and slip under the water if she stayed any longer, she reached for the luxuriantly soft robe that Castle had left on a hook. Burying her nose in the collar and inhaling the spicy scent that was uniquely Rick, she wrapped it tightly around her body, the softness almost a caress. The full sized figure of Boba Fett looming over her should have been creepy, but it wasn't. It was such pure Castle, it made Kate feel strangely safe.

"Great, huh! What did I tell you?" Castle asked as Kate returned to the dining area, "I made hot chocolate. You want whipped cream or marshmallows?"

"I thought I was supposed to be cooking for you, Castle," Kate told him.

Castle gave Kate a lopsided grin. "You have the evening off, but I'm looking forward to another one of your breakfasts. We had to go save Agent Shaw before I could finish the last one."

"Prepare to be amazed," Kate told him, dropping three marshmallows into her hot chocolate.

Rubbing his eyes, Castle arrived in the kitchen in a t shirt and sweat pants, exclaiming "I smell the bacon!"

Alexis was fully dressed for school and sitting at the counter eating a waffle with fresh strawberries. "Dad, I think Detective Beckett's waffles are better than yours!"

"Impossible," Castle replied, trying to steal a piece of waffle off Alexis' plate.

Beckett smacked the back of his hand with a spatula. "I'll give you one of your own in a minute. Coffee's almost ready too."

Alexis hopped from her stool. "Gotta go Dad, bye Detective Beckett." After giving her father a quick peck on the cheek, she was out the door.

"How about you, Beckett? Do you need to go to the precinct today?" Castle asked.

"Not unless a body drops," Beckett answered. "I thought I'd go back to my apartment and see what I can salvage."

"You want some company?" Castle asked. "You can use me as a pack horse. My mother, my daughter, and both of my wives did. You're also welcome to use my washer."

"Thanks, Castle," Beckett told him. "I may take you up on that."

The surfaces in the apartment were covered in a thin layer of black. Kate looked around bleakly at the ruined accumulation of her life. As the enormity of her loss hit, she swiped at the tears overflowing her eyes, leaving black streaks on her cheeks. "Kate," Castle murmured softly, "let's see what we can save."

The closet doors had been closed, shielding the contents from the worst of the damage. Boxes of pictures and papers from Johanna Beckett were untouched. The clothes reeked of smoke, but showed no signs of burning or melting. Castle was true to his word, helping Beckett carry everything she wanted to take. The trunk and back seat of Castle's Mercedes were filled to overflowing, as they navigated their way back to the loft, with a stop at a dry cleaner on the way. Castle snagged his doorman, who raised an inquiring eyebrow at Castle, to help unload the car and get things into the loft. Beckett spotted the maneuver and glared. Castle caught the man's eye and shook his head.

"Your doorman thinks you have a new live-in girlfriend, Castle," Beckett said with an edge in her voice, when they finally got the last of her things through the door of the loft.

"I wish," Castle muttered under his breath.

"What?" Beckett asked.

"I set him straight, Kate. Don't worry about it."

Beckett made a late lunch while the washer and dryer spun. By late afternoon, her clothes were sweet smelling and neatly folded into storage containers Castle had brought up from the basement. Beckett mournfully surveyed the pile of boxes by the door that held what remained of her life. Castle followed her gaze. "Kate, the important stuff survived, your mother's things, your mementos, the rest can be replaced."

Beckett shook her head. "Not everything."

"Wait," Castle told her. "I have something for you." He went to his office and returned placing a tiny bag in front of her. "What's this?" she asked.

"Open it," Castle told her. "I found it in the wreckage the day your apartment blew and had it fixed."

A smile lit Beckett's face. "My father's watch. Thank you."

"You know," Castle told her, taking her hand, "you've got all your old memories, now it's time to make some new ones."