My apologies. I've had half of this written since the S5 premiere and then the rest just wouldn't flow.

Please enjoy, please review; feedback makes me smile. :-D

A Threatening Message

Beckett arrived at work the next morning feeling less than optimistic. She approached her desk slowly and stowed her purse in her bottom drawer thinking how much she would kill for Castle to bring her a coffee. A night with Lanie had been just what she needed; although since she didn't drink much these days, a bottle between them was all it took to bring on a slight hangover. Ryan walked briskly over to her desk.

"Beckett you've got to get in here, Castle and Gates are going for round two."

"Oh boy." She muttered as Kate followed Ryan into the viewing room.

"I am a very busy woman Mr Castle. Tell me why I should be giving you the time of day?"

"Because I didn't do it."

"The evidence would disagree with you. Let's review shall we?" Gates paced back and forth across the room as she ran down her list. "You were identified with the victim on the night she was killed. Your fingerprints place you at the crime scene. The victim's physical injuries were inflicted by a person of your height and build. We searched your home and came across further damning evidence." Gate's placed the sealed evidence plastic containing Castle's black coat in front of him on the table. "Is this your coat Mr Castle?"

"Yes."

"We found the same fibers from your coat in the victim's hair."

"I put my coat around her until I got her inside; she was cold!"

"Or you pulled the coat around the victim; restraining her; while you dealt her a few blows to the head." Gates offered. She then placed another sealed plastic on the table. "Is this your shirt Mr Castle?"

"Yes." He said through gritted teeth.

"The lipstick stain on the collar matches the lipstick worn by the victim on the night of her murder."

"You know how it got there; you don't need me to spell it out again."

"My point is; the evidence is damning. Not to mention your lack of alibi."

"I lied about my alibi; I wasn't alone." Castle raised his voice in frustration.

Gates paused for a moment; digesting this new information. "Why on earth would you incriminate yourself with a false alibi?"

"To protect the woman I love; very much"

Beckett felt Ryan and Esposito's eyes latch onto her but she couldn't look at them; she just stared through the glass. It was like a train wreck; you can't look away no matter how bad it is.

"Go on." Gates prompted.

"I left my apartment at nine forty-five and went to my girlfriend's apartment. We were in bed together until about seven the next morning."

"Explain to me again why you have been wasting police resources?" Gate's had it all worked out by this point.

"There are rules against romantic relationships in her workplace and we figured since I didn't kill anyone the evidence would speak for itself. However it's done quite the opposite."

"I am going to need to verify your new alibi Mr Castle."

"You're a Police Detective Sir; I'm sure you've already worked it out." Castle tried not to grin but it was difficult.

"For the record; I need a name." Captain Gate's tone was slow and menacing. She was pissed off.

"Kate Beckett." Her name lifted a heavy weight off of his shoulders.

Gate's turned to the thick glass mirror on the wall. "Beckett; get in here; now."

Beckett tried to sink lower into her chair than was possible. Gates wasn't even pulling them into her office she was going to go for it in the Interrogation room. Her two co-workers just stared at her as she retreated through the door.

"Should we leave?" Ryan asked Esposito.

"I don't know about you bro; but you couldn't pay me to miss this."

"Speaking of which…" Kevin had just won the betting sweepstakes.

Esposito groaned; pulling a stack of bills out of his wallet. "Yeah; yeah; don't sound so smug about it."

Beckett entered the Interrogation room a moment later and tried to hold her posture high and confident; which lasted all of two seconds.

"Sir…."

"Don't "Sir" me Detective; sit down." Gate's stood firm on the other side of the table; arms crossed.

Kate sat.

"Let me be clear. Frankly I don't care what the two of you get up to in the bedroom. When your behaviour affects my Precinct; it becomes my problem. Not only does your behaviour directly affect the integrity of my House; you've been lying through your teeth about a murder investigation! I expect Castle to pull this crap but Beckett I expected much more from you."

"Sir…" Beckett tried to protest.

"I'm not finished." Gates cut her off. "You wanted off this case Beckett; congratulations; you're off. I'm sending you home for the rest of the day until I decide what to do with you."

Castle held his handcuffed wrists out over the table. "I hate to interrupt but these shackles are starting to itch; do you mind?"

"Oh you're not going anywhere." Gates warned him.

The look on Castle's face gave away that he really was worried now.

"But his alibi…." Beckett argued.

"….can only be corroborated by you Detective. The time of death was in the early hours of the morning. How can you be sure Mr Castle didn't leave your apartment; commit the murder and sneak back into your bed afterwards; leaving you none the wiser? "

"Oh come on; that's going beyond reasonable doubt." Beckett couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Need I remind you that you've lied! Your word loses all credibility."

"No credit at all?" Castle was beginning to get very anxious.

"Credit?" Beckett said to herself more than anyone. "That's it." She turned and faced Castle. "You're credit card!"

"Sal's Pizzeria!" Castle gasped.

Beckett turned back to Gates. "We ordered pizza off of Castle's credit card in the middle of the night. It was delivered to my apartment; all you need to do is run his credentials."

"Ring the Pizzeria; I spoke to the delivery man myself; he handed me the pizza!" Castle was getting excited now; Gates could hardly argue anymore.

The Captain exhaled slowly. "I should throw the book at both of you for obstructing a murder investigation. I'm going back to my office to do some actual police work; as soon as your credit card checks out Mr Castle; you are free to go. Beckett I don't want to see you in here for the rest of the day; you'll be lucky if I let you back in tomorrow." She walked out of the Interrogation room briskly and shut the door with a bang.

They both let out a deep breath neither of them knew they were holding.

"I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner." Castle told her.

"We were so focused on the evidence and where it was going that we couldn't remember the smallest of details." Beckett concluded.

Esposito and Ryan came in a few minutes later holding the keys to Castle's handcuffs.

"Your credentials checked out Castle; you're a free man." Ryan said with a smile.

"That's such a relief, please get these cuffs off." He extended his hands out to Esposito who was holding the keys just out of reach.

"Are you sure you don't want to hold on to them for the night?" Esposito grinned. "Or does Beckett keep some in her nightstand?"

"Javi!" Beckett was horrified that they had found out like this.

Esposito unlocked Castle's handcuffs with a smug grin. "Ok Castle I just need you to sign these release forms and you're good to go." As Castle was autographing the form; Kevin continued.

"For what it's worth, I'm happy for you two, but I can't believe you didn't tell us."

Kate stood up from the table. "What; just like Espo hasn't told us he's still sleeping with Lanie?"

Ryan's head spun round to look at Esposito. "Since when?"

"Since yours and Jenny's wedding." Beckett smirked. Anything to get the attention off of them.

"You and Lanie are back on?" Ryan was grilling him.

"We're not back on; alright it's complicated."

Beckett used the distraction and pulled Castle by the hand towards the door.

"We'll see you boys tomorrow; there's still a murder to solve." She called out to them.

"Gate's kicked you off." Castle reminded her as they walked back through the Precinct towards the elevator.

"When has that ever stopped me?"

"How did you know about Espo and Lanie?" Castle asked her curiously.

"I'm a Detective; Castle, I know everything." She smirked before adding "And she told me last night."

"She knows about us doesn't she? The two of you had girl talk?"

The couple walked out of the doors of the precinct and decided to take a stroll through central park. "I think she's had it figured out for a while. I suppose it doesn't matter; the secrets out now. Do you think we should tell your family?" Kate asked him.

Castle moaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Is this where I tell you that my mother might have also already worked it out?"

"What? When?"

"She saw you hiding in my closet." The words fell out of his mouth in a jumble; he said them so quickly.

"Castle!" She exclaimed. "How am I supposed to look her in the eye ever again?"

"It's ok, she's ok with it. She's happy; she's only been anticipating this for the last four years anyway." He tried in vain to smooth things over.

"What about Alexis?"

"I haven't told her yet; I'm waiting for the right time, her transition to college was very stressful; I didn't want to dump this on her."

"You don't think she'll approve?" Kate prompted.

Castle chose his next words very carefully. "Alexis made things very difficult for Gina to have a relationship with her. I don't want the same thing to happen here."

"You let your daughter dictate your relationships?" Beckett wasn't dropping it this easy.

"Alexis is my daughter, and you're Kate. It would be nice for the two most important women in my life could have some kind of bond; that's all."

"I'm a big girl Castle, you can tell me Alexis doesn't like me I won't be offended."

"She doesn't like the situations that I find myself in; when I'm with you. There's a difference." Castle side-stepped. "But…she knows what you mean to me. I'm sure that counts for something."

"So what exactly do I mean to you Castle?" She tried to ask as casually as possible.

Her question halted him in his tracks. He turned to face her; a look of hurt crossed his expression.

"You're really asking me this?"

"Castle; can you blame me? You show up at my apartment the other night like nothing had happened. All the while you'd had another woman trying to sleep with you. And she was your ex. And you'd been out drinking with her all night."

Beckett threw her hands up in the air, she was really angry now. "Putting aside the fact that she was murdered and I had to find all of this out myself; hell Castle, why didn't you tell me? You thought I'd be angry; it would have been nothing to what I'm feeling right now."

"I didn't think you would trust me. And I don't blame you; at all; especially after the bikini incident. I don't have the best track record; I know. But I've wanted you and me to happen for four years now. I'm trying so hard not to screw it up; but the harder I try the worse it gets."

"Then don't try so hard. Just be you. Castle; this is real for me; ok. I want this. But you need to be honest with me."

"I'll make more of an effort, I promise; just don't give up on us ok?" Castle asked with the most sincerity he could muster. "Maybe now that the secret's out the pressure will come off. We can concentrate on just being us, and doing what we want to do yeah?"

"That sounds good." She smiled at him.

Rick put his arm around her. "How about I take you back to my apartment tonight and I'll cook you dinner?"

The two lovers continued their walk around central park hand in hand. It was so nice to be holding hands in public; Kate thought to herself. They walked past a park bench that had a young lady sitting on it; she didn't give this woman a second thought until she called out "Detective Beckett?"

Kate turned around to find it was Suzie Wilson; the receptionist at the law firm where Luke Pritchard works.

"Ms Wilson, how are you?" Beckett asked.

"I was just going to come by the Precinct."

"Have you information about the Donnelly case?"

"Yes I….." She paused when she saw Castle and realised that he was the man she had seen in the bar that night. "It's you…..you were with Kellie."

"This is Rick Castle; he knew Kellie Donnelly from college; but he's been cleared of all suspicion. He didn't do this Ms Wilson."

"I'm so sorry; I know she was your friend." He offered.

"You said you had information?" Beckett prompted again.

"Yes I….." She pulled her mobile phone out of her bag. "I received this message about an hour ago."

Beckett tapped into the message. "Tell anyone about Kellie; and you're next." She looked up at the frightened woman. "Do you know what the message is referring to?"

"Not really. Kellie asked me last week if I could get the password for Luke's computer account. All of the computers in the office have their files backed up on a server so that you can log in and work on your case files from home. I'm the only person in the office who has a record of all of the passwords." Suzie explained.

"Kellie was looking for something." Castle said.

"I told her no; but she said it was important. We were sitting at my desk when she had asked me; she had come over to the office to take me to lunch. She looked really desperate; and I know it's not like Kellie to do anything against the rules. I told Kellie that the passwords were inside the locked drawer in my desk. Then I asked her to look after my handbag while I went to the bathroom. Kellie knew the keys were inside my bag; I gave her what she wanted indirectly."

"So that you could claim innocence if confronted." Castle asked.

"Yes. I could lose my job for this. That's why I didn't tell you about this during the interview; but now…whatever Kellie was looking for; she must have found it."

"The killer might think that Kellie shared the information with you; since you were the only way for her to get the passwords." Beckett concluded.

"But I don't know and I was smart enough not to ask. Please help me; I don't know what to do."

"We'll take you down to the precinct and you can make a formal statement. Police protection will also be put on you until the case is closed."

"Aren't you forgetting something; Detective?" Castle pulled her back to one side out of earshot from Ms Wilson.

"What?"

"You're off the case. Gates has banned you from the Precinct for the rest of the day, at the very least."

"Don't you think this is a bit more important than a silly suspension? I'll take Ms Wilson in and hand her over to Ryan and Esposito. Don't worry Castle; you're still cooking me dinner tonight." She smirked.

Beckett found out that her suspension was anything but silly when one of the officers at the entrance to the 12th blocked her path.

"I'm sorry Detective but I'm under instruction not to let you back in here today."

"Excuse me?" Kate responded; a little shocked.

The male officer continued. "Captain Gates has barred you for the rest of the day; I'm sorry."

Castle was the one smirking now. "It appears Gates knows you a little better than you thought."

"But I have information relevant to a case." She protested again.

"I'm sorry but those are her orders."

Huffing; Kate pulled out her phone. "Espo? It's Beckett I need you and Ryan to come down to the front doors of the Precinct…..you'll see when you get down here." She hung up frustrated.

"You really can't stay away from this place can you?" Esposito teased when they met with Beckett and Castle a few moments later.

Beckett ignored his comment. "You remember Suzie Wilson from Pritchard's law firm?" She motioned at the young woman standing there with them. "She's being threatened by the same person we believe killed Kellie Donnelly. You need to run a trace on her phone and put her in protective custody."

"What part of "off the case" did Gates not make clear to you huh?" Esposito tried again.

"Just do it. Call me if you find anything useful; I want updates." She said over her shoulder as she began to walk away.

"Can we reach you at Castle's place?" Espo called back. He was really enjoying this.

Beckett wanted nothing more than to turn around and poke her tongue out at Javi before deciding that was too juvenile. "Enjoy it while it lasts Espo; the novelty will wear off soon."

Castle put his hand around Beckett's waist as they walked off. He was enjoying being able to touch her in public. "Want me to punch him?"

"Esposito? Castle; he would put you in the ground."

"He would not." He argued playfully. "A coma maybe."

The couple made their way back to Castle's apartment; happy and content. A weight really had been lifted off of their shoulders by coming clean about their relationship. Castle was no longer sleeping in a prison cell and they could eat dinner with his mother; hopefully without it being awkward. They were smiling and giggling and playfully touching one another as they unlocked the door to his loft when they heard a voice float down from upstairs.

"Dad is that you?"

"Alexis?" Castle broke away from Beckett's touch. "It's the middle of the week; we weren't expecting you home until the weekend."

Alexis came flying down the staircase. "I know; but I'm in the middle of a meltdown; I need some advice, and a phone call just won't…do." She paused when she saw her father's companion. "Detective Beckett."

"Hello Alexis." She smiled warmly; trying to break the tension she immediately felt.

"What's going on?" Alexis wasn't an idiot, the fact that Kate was randomly at her father's apartment with him wasn't normal.

Castle took a deep breath in. "I think it's time we talked."

Kate refused to let this turn uncomfortable. "I'll make a start on dinner yeah?"

"Thanks; I'll be there soon." He replied; smiling at her warmly.

Kate squeezed his hand before he left her side to approach his daughter; whose sharp eyes hadn't missed the small display of affection. Castle took his daughter into his office to explain and Kate walked over to the kitchen sink to peel some vegetables and it didn't take long before she heard muffled shrieks coming from behind the doors of Rick's office. Beckett exhaled nervously wondering if it was a good shriek or a bad shriek.