Disclaimer I do not own Castle

Trapped?

"What the?" Castle stared incredulously at the small box on the wall. There was no way they were trapped. He just couldn't be stuck, no trapped he reminded himself in a hotel elevator with Detective Beckett. Him and Kate just could not be there. It was a dream. No nightmare. He reminded himself.

"You ok?" Kate tilted her head on one side.

"Er, yeah." He ran a hand over his head.

"Well, you did say you wanted to talk." Kate turned to face him as he swallowed hard. He knew she was goading him but then he had been the one to force his way into the elevator. It had been him that had stated they needed to talk. For a moment he wondered why he hadn't just gone home. Alexis would be waiting to hear which flight he was on. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Yeah."

"Well, go on then."

"What?"

"Talk."

"Kate."

"Because, Castle I am all ears."

"I should never have agreed to come here. I should have just listened to Gates and kept away from you." He watched as she narrowed her eyes.

"She what?"

"When you were off recovering."

"Castle? Did that woman tell you that you could not work with me?"

"You know she did."

"I know you had to get the Mayor back on side." Kate folded her arms. "You don't talk to me anymore." She shook her head. "You know, as much as I hate to admit it I really did think that we would benefit from coming here, especially when I met your friend earlier."

"You mean Brennan?"

"Yes."

"I dunno. I let you down. You know it and I know it." He looked away, unable to meet her eye. Kate sighed heavily before taking a step towards him. Castle had to be the most stubborn man she had ever known. "How long did they say they would be?"

"You can't wait to get rid of me then?" She touched his arm, forcing him to look at her.

"Kate."

"Remember the last time we were trapped together?"

"The handcuffs or the freezer?"

"Both." Kate frowned at the memory. "Both times we were convinced we were going to die."

"Yeah, I remember." He braved a look in her direction. "We never mention it."

"No." Kate sighed. "Maybe we should have. Like maybe we should have talked about the night we kissed. The night we had to go rescue Ryan and Esposito's asses."

"Yeah." He swallowed hard. This was it. This was what he had wanted to talk to Kate about since the night he had pushed her up against the car and been kissed senseless by her. He shook his head, he hadn't known it until seconds later when she had knocked out the thug guarding the door.

"Maybe we should."

"We had to get the guys out of there. They would have shot Kevin. Without a second thought."

"I know." Kate touched his arm. "I know, it was crazy."

"You know how I felt about you but you still kissed me. There had to be another way of getting rid of the hired thug on the door." He watched as she looked away for a moment. He kenw she was trying to find the words she needed to tell him it was all a rouse to save the guys. He knew she didn't feel the same way as he did. But if she didn't, how could she kiss me like that.

"Castle." He turned from her, by the tone of voice he knew she was putting back the carefully constructed walls she was so famous for. She stepped back, desperate to get out of the elevator and away from Castle. She couldn't think when he was this close. She could barely string a decent sentance together when she was in the same room as him without Laine and the guys.

"Alexis will be waiting for me. I called her."

"I know."

"You know?"

"How else do you think I knew what you were doing? I can't believe you just ran out of that office and left me there with that boy!"

"Psychologist."

"He's what? 15?"

"Kate." Castle smiled slightly. He knew when she was deflecting. He did it enough.

"What?"

"I can't keep doing this. You were shot and I thought you were dying in my arms. Infact until the EMT got there you were. Those guys were amazing. But I can't keep doing this. I cannot keep getting so close to you only to have you push and push until I don't know what's going on."

"Castle." She frowned. He was known for his off the wall reasoning but this was crazy.

"No, you wanted me to talk. You told me go ahead. So this is me. Going ahead."

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Alexis stared at the phone. She could not believe her dad was so stupid. He could not just walk away from all his friends. From Beckett. She huffed as she picked up the phone, determined to speak to the only woman she knew could get through to her father.

"Gramms."

"Honey." Martha smiled as she walked along the theater corridor. "You ok? Sweetheart?"

"Dad has done something really stupid."

"Again?" Martha laughed.

"Gramms I am serious." She sighed as she walked towards the sofa. "He's killing off Nikki Heat. He isn't going to work with Kate anymore."

"But he loves working with her."

"I know." Alexis flopped onto the sofa. "He can't handle it anymore."

"Well, as much as I like Kate and her friends I do not like him being in danger. But Nikki is his most popular character."

"I know. Gramms, he is in love with Kate. I know that. You know that. I think the only people who don't are Dad and Kate!"

"Honey." Martha paused. "I think you'll find they do."

"Then why? Why would they keep arguing? I mean Kate nearly died!"

"Because, Alexis. Your father is a man. And even though I raised him to think more like a woman than most men when it comes to matters of the heart testosterone kicks in."

"Ew! Too much information!" Alexis pulled a face she knew her grandmother would never see.

"Maybe, look. I mean he thinks like a man. His pride has been hurt and he is running scared. He'll be fine. He wont leave." Martha smiled. "I know my boy."

"I hope so, Gramms I really do."

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A/N more soon. Please review.