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Take the Stairs - Chapter Four


He may have attempted to play coy, but she'd managed to wheedle their destination out of him somewhere between the third floor and the elevators opening on the ground. It sounded promising; she'd never been to the restaurant before, but every time she'd wheeled the twins by, it'd been packed.

She was looking forward to going inside and seeing if the crazy crowds had the right idea.

Not bothering to get a cab to go just a few blocks, they walked side by side, dodging another wave of people returning home from work. Their knuckles brushed tentatively with each stride, each gentle touch causing her head to dip. Neither spoke, neither mentioned the cautious flirtation of their hands, but she saw a shy smile curving his lips, too.

They were still working off their nerves, but she was confident it would be good.

"Have you been?" she asked finally, looking up just as he blurted,

"You look gorgeous."

They stuttered to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes locking. Laughter bubbled between them, one part embarrassed, one part amused at being on the same wavelength with each other.

"Thank you," she replied, ducking her head once more and pushing a piece of freshly trimmed hair behind her ear.

Maybe skipping out during her lunch break for a haircut hadn't been the best use of her time, but it was amazing what a new style could do to her morale. Gone were the dead ends and the stringy strands the twins pulled on when she changed their diaper; instead she felt lighter, almost more confident.

"I mean it," Rick said, eyes sweeping over her face and down her body. The phantom caress snaked down her spine, and she had to fight the shiver of self-consciousness at being under his scrutiny.

She looked different than he remembered, she knew. She'd tried to pick a dress that flattered the changes to her figure, but it still wasn't enough to hide everything. Most of the time it didn't bother her; she'd had twins and she was carrying a few stubborn, extra pounds around her mid-section that not even her most rigorous workouts had managed to take care of yet. There was no shame in that, but under Rick's gaze, she couldn't help but settle her arms against her belly protectively.

The gesture didn't faze him, though. He'd already swept back to her face, something burning in his eyes. Affection? Desire?

"Gorgeous," he repeated, smiling softly. "I like your hair, too."

"Thanks. It was kind of a whim. It's a little shorter than I wanted, but I like it, I think. And maybe the twins won't pull on it as much now."

Rick smiled again, shaking his head at her doubts. "I like it. It's sexy."

"Thanks." She offered him a smile of her own. "You're not so bad yourself, Rick. I like the tie."

He chuckled, ducking his head this time. "Alexis helped me pick it out. Apparently I was being crazy and hopeless."

Laughing, she nudged him with her elbow. They needed to walk; they were starting to get looks from other pedestrians for blocking the path.

"Well, your combined efforts are appreciated."

He brightened at that – god, he was cute – putting one foot in front of the other again before replying, "Thanks."

As they made their final approach to the restaurant, he offered his arm gallantly. "And to answer your question, I've never been here. I saw it when I was scoping out the neighborhood before we moved."

She grinned, squeezing his arm. Not that she would've minded going somewhere he'd been before, but it was nice knowing the place would be new for both of them. A fresh start, so to speak.

"Me either. We walk by a lot on the way home from the park, but never go in."

"Well good. It'll be a first for us both."

Kate kissed his cheek impulsively. "Perfect."

A blush stained his skin, his pleased, shy smile making him look like a little boy – like Eli.

"So I remember Alexis saying something the other day, but why did you move? And what made you pick the East Village? I would've pegged you as a Tribeca or SoHo guy." The change of subject was abrupt, but it was a necessary evil. Without it, she might've pressed closer, touched her mouth to his smile, maybe even blown the entire idea of 'slow' out of the water.

Rick grinned, trailing his fingers over her hand. "Damn, you're good. SoHo's my goal, where I want to be in a few years. As for why we moved… the neighborhood around our last place was starting to get a little rough. I didn't want Alexis to have to stay inside all the time, or feel uncomfortable just walking home from the store with a pint of ice cream. Then our rent skyrocketed, which was ridiculous considering the downturn, and I knew it was better to find somewhere new. And after walking around this place, I liked the atmosphere, I liked the people I saw, I liked being close enough to a flat space with green stuff that wasn't pavement, so here we are."

Nodding thoughtfully, Kate squeezed his arm.

"Well, for selfish reasons, I'm glad you aren't at your goal yet. And I'm glad you liked what you saw that day."

"Me, too," he rumbled, pressing his fingers against hers again. "SoHo can wait."

An easy warmth filled her belly. "Yeah? What's it waiting for?"

She expected something romantic, maybe a promise that would seem like too much too soon, what he said in response wasn't that,

"Well for one I need to make more friends. Preferably friendships with guys who can move my furniture for cheap."

Laughing, Kate slotted her fingers through his. "You did look like you were struggling a little bit there, bud."

Rick grinned easily, opening the door for her. "I'll have you know that other than the mishap with the elevator, I managed just fine. And if it weren't for said mishap, we might not have found each other again."

"Rick, you live at the end of the hall. Unless you take the stairs, you have to pass my apartment to leave the floor every day. I'm sure we would've run into each other."

He followed her into the restaurant, his hand warm in hers. She shivered at the swipe of his thumb across her knuckle.

"Yeah, but this is New York. How well do we really know our neighbors? Did you even know the old resident had moved out? We could've gone months without ever knowing we were so close."

Bits of other conversations kept breaking through her concentration, but she simply stepped closer, lifting her lips to brush his ear.

"I'm glad we didn't."

She couldn't hear him agree, but his smile told her everything she needed to know.

Thankfully, a few minutes later, they were seated at a small round table on the rooftop patio. Even with the noise of the street below, it was much, much quieter outside. They both looked grateful for that; having to yell to converse hadn't seemed very appealing.

Kate relaxed into her chair, sipping the water she'd been poured while her date surveyed the wine menu for the perfect choice. His brow furrowed adorably at the options, making her smile; it was another thing Eli had inherited from him.

"Eli looks just like you," she murmured, startling him out of his contemplation. "Anna, too."

Rick's eyes lost some of their confusion and he leaned forward, wanting to hear more about his children. She sipped her water quickly, gathering her thoughts.

"I'd always thought they looked like you, but until tonight I hadn't realized how much. They both have your smile, but he looks just like you when he's thinking."

He chuckled, suddenly bashful. "Just to be clear, that's a good thing, right? Should I be apologizing?"

"For making good looking babies with me? There are worse things you could apologize for," she teased.

Rick nodded in concession, the corners of his lips twitching. "That's fair."

She grinned, giving in and reaching across the table to swipe at his forehead, smoothing the lines off his face. "He gets so serious, like his decision to grab the blue key instead of the yellow one is going to make or break everything. And Anna has the cheeky, devious smile you give Alexis when you're about to tickle her."

Her date laughed, leaning into her hand. "I get the feeling you're just as devious, Miss Beckett."

Stroking his brow one last time, she retreated to her side of the table. "Mhmm, maybe. You'll just have to wait to find out."

Rick grinned. "I can't wait."

She grinned back, sipping her water once more. "So what's our wine choice for this evening?"

He cleared his throat, lowering his eyes to the wine card. "Oh, uh, I'm thinking red?"

"Red's great," she hummed, finally giving her menu a look. She never really bothered to pair her meal to her wine, but in the interest of not looking like a total idiot, she would attempt to this time.

He nodded happily, content with the choice, before flagging the young man who'd told them the night's specials down and requesting a bottle.

"So uh," he started once they were alone again. "I know you probably haven't had a chance to even look at it, but if you have, what do you think of the book?"

Flushing, Beckett looked at her hands and then back up at him. "I, um…"

He tried to school his face, but she watched disappointment flair. "Oh. You haven't started it. That's okay, I shouldn't rush you."

"No! No, no. I started it. I –"

"But you hate it, don't you?" He deflated even further. "Lots of people did, you're not alone."

Her hand scrambled across the table, covering his and silencing his self-deprecation. "Rick, Rick, no. No, I didn't just start it, I um, I kinda finished it? I stayed up all night – most of it anyway – to read. I couldn't put it down long enough to go to bed." A sheepish smile touched her lips and she looked up to find him gawking at her.

"You couldn't put it down?" he repeated, making her cheeks flush. "Does that mean you liked it? Or that it was so bad, you thought of it as the proverbial train wreck?"

Laughing, Kate shook her head. "Oh god, it was so good. I don't know how anybody couldn't like it. It was smart, it was suspenseful, and at one point I was laughing so hard, I thought I was going to wake the kids."

She rocked forward, her enthusiasm getting the better of her. She wasn't just telling him what he wanted to hear, she'd loved the book.

Relief flooded his face. "You did?"

"Uh huh, I think you know enough about me to know I don't feed you bullshit, Rick Castle."

His cheeks colored at that, and her fingers slipped around two of his. She understood his hesitance; it had to suck to have put so much time and effort into the book only to receive a lukewarm response.

"I mean it; the book was good. You should get your new publisher to re-release it if you can. With the right marketing, it'll sell."

Rick's eyes widened at the praise, maybe at the idea of having enough power to make that happen. Kate squeezed his hand in encouragement.

"Can I read your next book when it's ready? Is it related to the first one?"

His fingers twitched in her grasp.

"Ah, no, no," he stumbled over his words. "Wait, yes. Yes, you can read, but no it's not related. It's a standalone. New characters, a new universe, everything. And it's better than In a Hail of Bullets, too. I promise that. More authentic, I think."

"Oh, okay. Give me a summary, then. So I know what I'm waiting for."

It sounded bossy, but she didn't care. She couldn't remember the last time she'd talked about actual books, not the ones with the cutesy rhymes and animal characters that the twins 'read.' The boys at work didn't do much reading, Lanie was more of a bodice-ripper fan, and her dad liked sports biographies more than fiction.

Her mom had – her mom had been one of the few people with whom she shared literary tastes. They would spend hours in bookstores, wandering the shelves and debating whether they should purchase everything they picked up, only to leave without discarding a single book. They would spend the next few weeks devouring and swapping their choices, only to go back to the bookstore the next time they were both free.

Years later, she still had an email with a list of novels her mother had recommended saved on her computer hard drive. She'd read all of them within a year of her mother's death, but the email was one of the last things Johanna had sent her; she was keeping it for as long as she could.

"Kate? Are you with me?" Rick's thumb slipped over her knuckles, his call quiet and cautious.

Blinking, she focused on the man in front of her once more. The man she'd accidentally tuned out as he described his newest book.

"Sorry," she breathed, dipping her head in embarrassment. "I got lost… thinking. Tell me again?"

She listened the second time, watching his face as he spoke. Gone was the nervousness and the fear she'd seen a few minutes earlier, in its place was pride, excitement, and hope.

Rightfully so, too. His new book sounded awesome.

"I'll pre-order it this weekend, tomorrow or when I'm on shift on Sunday," she promised.

"Or I can get you a copy. They'll give me a copy just before it's released; it's yours if you'd like."

"Thanks." She squeezed his hand. Having the author's copy thrilled her to no end, but she might still pre-order it anyway. Sales were vital for him this time and she wanted to help.

"Thanks for wanting to read it," he replied, genuine gratitude honeying his voice. "At least I'll have one reader."

"Uh huh. I think you'll have a few more than that, Rick."

He chuckled, looking up as their waiter stepped beside their table to present them with their wine and take the rest of their order.

Once the young man was gone, leaving their wine was breathing in front of them, she shifted her chair a little bit closer to him around the table.

"So what, um, what made you want to go through all of this? Dealing with the nerves, and the publishers, and the sales numbers? Especially for a second time. It's brave."

Rick smiled softly, thoughtfully, lifting his wine glass to his lips. Gathering his thoughts, no doubt. She recognized the tactic.

"Thanks. It's um, yeah that part's scary as hell. On par with having Alexis or telling her mom I wanted custody when we divorced."

Kate nodded slowly, making a note to ask him about that sometime, too. There was so much she wanted to know about him.

"But I did it for the story. I know it's fiction, but it could still be someone's story. And maybe it'll help us make sense of why people do the things they do to one another. I don't know if that makes sense, or if it sounds like obnoxious writer ego bullshit," he added, laughing at himself as a basket of dinner rolls appeared on their table.

"No," she interrupted, handing him one before taking a roll for herself. "No, that makes perfect sense. Telling the stories, knowing why, that's important. That's really important."

She bit into the bread quickly, savoring the warm, flaky crust. Rick eyed her carefully, but did the same, licking crumbs and a smudge of butter off his lips.

"Is that why you're a cop?" he asked, voice quiet, like he'd seen something in her reaction to make him cautious. "Because I wouldn't have guessed. That night in the bar, I had you pegged as a burned-out lawyer, maybe a burned-out doctor."

Sipping her wine, she debated how much to tell him. He already knew about her mother, but he deserved to know the rest of the story. It had shaped so much of who she was and how she dealt with things; he should know.

"I probably would've been one. A burned-out lawyer, I mean. My mom and my dad were both lawyers. Dad still is. But after my mother died…"

It wasn't first date conversation, she knew that, but still the words tumbled out under his soft, quiet gaze.

"My mother didn't just die. She was killed. So I joined the police force… to find out why, I guess. Why they did it, why the people working her case never got anywhere. I guess to find out the story." Kate sipped her wine again, blinking away stubborn tears as she swallowed.

"Kate," Rick started, covering her hand gently. Their fingers had parted when the bread arrived, but she needed the touch now. "How… what happened?"

"We…" she stopped, spying a bus boy coming their way with a tray of salads. It wasn't a secret, of course, but she didn't want or need random strangers knowing her business.

She continued as soon as he was gone, "We were supposed to go to dinner together, my mom, my dad, and I, and she was gonna meet us at the restaurant, but she never showed. Two hours later, we went home, and there was a detective waiting for us."

Rick's fingers stroked the back of her hand, pulling her out of the memory and back to that moment. Back to him.

Kate swallowed hard. "They'd found her body. She had been stabbed."

"A robbery?"

Shaking her head, she took another deep breath. "No. She still had her money, purse, and jewelry. It wasn't a sexual assault, either. They attributed it to gang violence, an initiation probably. They called it a random wayward event, said she'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And they never caught who did it?" he asked, voiced hushed. Whether it was out of respect for their privacy or because he was caught up in his own emotions, Kate didn't know.

"No. So that's… why I became a cop." She lowered her eyes. "Part of me thought I could do it myself, solve it myself. Part of me just didn't want others to go without answers the way my dad and I had."

Squeezing his hand quickly, she offered Rick a watery smile. What a way for her to kill the mood.

"My dad took it hard, her death. He… he had some problems, but he's okay now. And I…" Her brow furrowed. "Shit, I probably should've told you this before you entrusted him with your kid – kids – but he is okay. He hasn't… since the day I told him I was pregnant, he's been working to be better. He's over a year sober."

Rick's head dipped, his lips brushing her blanched knuckles. Oh, she was holding on too tightly.

"Kate, if you trust him, I trust him. I like to think I'm good at reading people, and from what I saw tonight, your dad is a good person. More than good. Alexis, the twins, they're in good hands."

"Thanks," she croaked, sniffing quickly. "Sorry. I… wow, I think I may need to arrest myself for murdering the mood."

Her date laughed softly, pressing his mouth to the back of her hand. "No, you need to arrest yourself for that terrible joke, Kate," he teased, offering her an impossibly tender look. "That was just awful. As for the mood? Telling me about the boil on your butt would kill the mood."

That got her. She barked a laugh, swiping at her eyes and getting herself together.

"Telling me about you is why we're here, though. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to know more about the gorgeous woman I had less than a full day with in Atlantic City."

Heat infused her cheeks, making his smile grow. Oh, he liked knowing what he did to her, didn't he?

"But to even things up," he added, thumbing her knuckles once again. "My ex-wife, Alexis's mom, she cheated on me. My mother introduced us years ago when she thought I had been living in my head for too long. We had nothing in common, really. I was trying to write my book, I worked nights delivering sandwiches – a catch I was not – but we just hit it off, I guess."

He lifted a shoulder. "Meredith was just starting out, too, and I had visions of us rising to stardom together; Rick and Meredith Castle, the author-actress duo. We got married on a whim, then Alexis came along, and not long after that, Meredith started to pull away. She spent more time at auditions, less time with us."

Kate squeezed his hand. He didn't seem upset, but the support had to help with a story like this.

"I got off work early one night and caught her in bed with her director. She left that night, followed him back to LA, and served me with divorce papers a few weeks after that. We see her every few months, give or take. Sometimes it's longer if she's working; her career really took off in LA."

The snort made it out before her sense of decorum could stop it. "Yeah, I'll bet it did."

Rick chuckled. "She's… not a bad person, she's just… She and Alexis have their own special bond and that's what's important to me now. And I don't have to pay alimony because she makes more than I do," he added, offering her the cheeky grin she'd mentioned earlier.

"Well you shouldn't have to because she cheated on you." Protectiveness welled in her chest, making her grip his hand harder than necessary.

Rick hummed, loosening her hold to press their palms together. He didn't argue with her, though.

"You were just doing the best you could, right?" she asked. "You weren't stepping out with some sandwich floozy or abusing her? You didn't deserve that, neither did Alexis."

"No," he agreed, dipping his head. "No we didn't. But it only made me want to work harder, to get away from being the starving artist sandwich guy."

"And you are," she promised, surprised at her own ferocity. Rick Castle was a gentle, sweet, kindhearted man and he didn't deserve that. She didn't need months or years of learning about him to know that.

"Thanks, Kate." He cleared his throat. "I think I'm moving in the right direction, at least. Now I write for online publications and hope for good news about the book. No more sandwich deliveries."

"Mmm, that's kind of too bad. I was looking forward to getting a good hoagie from you." She punctuated her fake wistfulness with a delicate press of her palm against his, looking up at him from under her lashes.

She knew the moment her innuendo hit home, because his face broke open and laughter echoed around the patio. Just like that, the heaviness was gone, the weight of their shared confessions no longer inhabiting the table between them.

"Oh, Kate, I'll happily deliver a hoagie to you anytime."

She cackled. They were getting curious looks from the other diners, but she didn't care.

"So," Rick began finally, once they'd laughed until tears pricked the corners of their eyes and a deep breath was hard to come by. "What is it like to be a detective? On a TV realism scale, where does it fall?"

Sitting back in her chair, Kate tilted her head. "It's probably a … wait, is one the least realistic or is ten?"

"Mister Ed to Law and Order realism, Kate," he hummed, taking a bite of bread.

Laughing again, she nodded. "Well, it's nowhere close to the talking horse, Castle. Maybe NYPD Blue?"

His eyes lit up with his laugh. "You did that earlier," he observed, ignoring the reference.

"What?" She took a bite of her salad, chewing thoughtfully.

"Castle. You just called me 'Castle.' You did it earlier at your place when you were giving me a hard time."

"Mmm, sorry." She licked her lips. "Habit. It's kind of a camaraderie thing at work."

Rick grinned. "I like camaraderie. I definitely like having camaraderie with you. And I like Castle, too."

"You do, huh?"

His head bobbed eagerly. "Feels badass."

"Badass, huh?" She bumped his foot with hers.

"Oh yeah. Like I'm out there with you, combing the streets, tracking every lead, taking dirtbags dow – what?"

"Nothing." She pursed her lips to keep from laughing at him. Damn it, he was cute. "Nothing at all. I just usually stick with calling them suspects," she added, nudging his hand gently.

"Oh."

Kate laughed again, taking another bite. "Sorry to burst your bubble."

"That's okay." He wiggled in his chair. "I bet you still have good stories. You see a lot of crazy stuff, don't you?"

She did. She also saw terrible, horrifying things she hoped never to relive, but he wasn't asking for those. He was asking for the goofy things, the takedowns where the perp tried to run with their pants around their ankles, or she had to tackle them to the ground like Batman to keep them from darting into traffic and disappearing into the night.

So she gave him those stories. In return, he gave her stories about some of the people he'd met when he started researching his new book. He didn't come right out and say it, but she had no doubt that they were most likely mobsters.

They might have to talk about that at some point.

Thankfully, they moved on quickly from mobsters and stupid criminal tricks. Her sides ached from laughing, from hearing stories of playing dress up with his little girl, and from telling him about her – albeit few – antics with the twins.

It barely even registered when their entrée dishes were taken away and dessert appeared in front of them. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date that was this easy. Or one that she wasn't ready to leave before it was even over.

In fact, she didn't want the date to end. Not even when the restaurant closed around them, leading their waiter to explain that while they weren't being kicked out, their tab needed to be closed.

"Oh god, I'm sorry. We're sorry." Kate fumbled for her purse, sliding her card into the sleeve as soon as her fingers closed around the plastic.

Her date protested, making her smile quickly.

"My treat, Rick."

"I'm getting the next one," he warned, conceding without further protest.

"Kay." She winked, tapping her fingertips against the table as they waited for the young man to return. "Gonna hold you to that."

"It's still pretty early," Rick observed once they were back on the street. Once she'd collected her card, they'd made their way downstairs and out, not wanting to inconvenience anyone else by staying too long. "Think your dad's okay for a little while longer?"

"Yeah. Yeah I think he's good. What do you have in mind?" she murmured, checking her phone to be sure that her father hadn't sent out an SOS while they were giggling. It was only ten-thirty, he had to be good.

"Let's take a walk?"

Her cheek landed on his shoulder, arm curling through his. Even after drinking two cups of coffee, she felt sluggish and heavy, eager to sink into him. A walk would be good.

"Perfect," she agreed, feeling his warmth under her cheek. "Let's walk," she added unnecessarily, letting him propel them wherever he wanted to go.

They'd only gone a couple of blocks when Rick smiled, thanking her for dinner again. "I wanted to treat you, you know. It doesn't make up for not being there when you were pregnant, but –"

"You didn't know."

"No, but I'm sorry I didn't make it easier to find me. I should've given you more than just my first name. Or proofread my number."

She laughed softly, freeing her hand to rub his back. "Well, I wasn't much of a detective if I didn't think to try similar numbers. So that's on me." She looped her arm through his again, thumbing his bicep.

His fingers covered hers. "You shouldn't have needed to be a detective to find me."

Shaking her head, Kate smiled into his shoulder. It wasn't frustrating anymore. It had been, but it wasn't anymore. Having the story helped. Knowing it was practically a comedy of errors that kept them from crossing paths again helped.

"You know I almost put out an APB for you. Didn't go through with it, obviously, but I considered it when I was a little hormonal."

Her baby daddy – her friend – laughed, dipping his head to touch hers.

"That would've been so cool."

"You really think being brought in like a suspect is cool?" Her eyes rolled.

"Oh yeah! I mean, it's no fun when you have done something wrong, but being brought in and told I'd be a dad again? Seeing you again? That would've been awesome," he swore. "Especially if you were in that outfit from the other day."

Giggling, Kate pressed a smile into his arm. "You liked that?" It was just a regular work outfit. Nothing exciting, nothing crazy.

"The heels, Kate. The leather jacket," he groaned dramatically, pressing his lips against her hair. It wasn't a true kiss, but it still stopped her short, stole her breath.

She wanted to kiss him for real. Even if it meant speeding things up a little bit.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted onto her toes and brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth.

"Ka –" His breath hitched.

She hummed his name, pressing her mouth to his firmly, insistently.

His hand curled around her hip, pulling her closer under the streetlight. Their chests brushed, pushing together as his tongue slipped delicately over her lip. She opened to him, tasting chocolate and coffee, tasting their laughter and his joy, his fervor. Fuck, he was a good kisser.

She'd remembered his kiss so many times over the last year. She'd remembered the softness of his lips, the slide of his tongue against hers, the way his groan reverberated through her chest. She remembered the silky slide of his hair under her hands, the way the short strands stood on end when she scratched his scalp.

And shit, she wanted to refresh her memory again and again.

But they couldn't. Not tonight.

It took every shred of control she had left, but she managed to press another lingering kiss to his mouth before her hand slipped from his hair and she put some distance between them.

Rick blinked, focusing on her a second later, his smile shy and sweet.

"Hey."

"Hey," she echoed, sliding a thumb over his bottom lip. "Better than a perp walk, huh?"

"Wha?" It took him a moment to comprehend before he was chuckling again. "Well, that kiss was good, but Cop!Kate seems like she'd be just so hot. Call me greedy, but I want to meet her, too."

Lacing their fingers together, she began to walk again. In his addled state, the tug of their hands knocked him off balance and into her, putting his body warm and solid against her back.

"Well you never know, Castle," she teased quietly, kissing the back of his hand. His fingers tightened around hers at the affection. "Stick with me long enough and I might just let you see my handcuffs."


A/N: Thank you again everyone!