All I write is a tribute to the excellent characterization on the show. I certainly have no rights over Castle, Beckett, or any of the others.

I am continuing to post this story because I find that I still like to read it even two years after I first wrote it. I hope you enjoy it, too.

"Cheerio darlings!" Martha calls from the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" With a wave and a smirk, she is out of the door, leaving Kate and Rick awkwardly tongue-tied at the sink. "I, um, well, I should-," Kate begins, unable to meet his eyes. "Yeah, shower, um, me too, well, not at the same time, obviously," he stutters, then, half hopeful, half terrified, "unless you want to, of course, I wouldn't want to stop you, I mean, I'd want to. Not stop you. I mean, shower, I mean-," Kate lays a hand on his arm, and he stops stuttering and looks at her. She's blushing, but trying to stifle a giggle at the same time. "Separate showers for now, Castle." She takes a step closer, so she can whisper into his ear, "But not for long, I think."

She leaves before she gives in to the urge to just devour him by the sink. She knows that it would be good. But she also knows they aren't ready yet. They're both a little unsure around each other, and she still carries her fear and just the tiniest bit of resentment towards him. She turns back to look at him as she enters his bedroom. He's standing by the sink, looking stunned, still. She laughs aloud at his expression, then in the next moment, is close to tears. It feels so good to laugh again. She'd thought laughter, the kind only he has ever been able to bring out in her, might be lost forever. All those days and nights longing to see his face, to touch any part of his body, the emptiness of her heart without him, suddenly catch up to her like a blow to the gut and she doubles over in the doorway to his bedroom, breathless.

Castle hears her laugh and turns to snap back a rejoinder when he sees her features shift and in the next moment, sees her doubled in pain. "Kate?" he calls. "Beckett?" A rising note of panic in his voice as she doesn't respond. In four long strides he is by her side, almost afraid to touch her, not knowing what's wrong. "Kate? Honey? What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" He tries to draw her face up to look at him, and with an animal cry she curls herself in tighter, burrowing into his side at the same time. He can hear her gasping breaths and heaving sobs, and he feels helpless. "Gone, Castle, you were gone, and I needed you. Why did you leave me? Why?" Her hands beat against his chest, and he holds her, crying himself. "I'm here, Kate, I'm here, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he repeats over and over, rocking her in the doorway of their bedroom, until his shirt is soaked through from her tears and his own.

Slowly, her sobs subside, as do his. "Maybe we can find a more comfortable place to sit, hmm?" he whispers. "Bed?" She returns hoarsely. "Yeah." They untangle themselves and stand up slowly, both exhausted from crying, but lighter for it. They weave toward the bed hand in hand and lay down curled together, breathing each other in. Their breaths calm down in sync. Kate reaches out her left index finger to trace the arch of his eyebrow. Rick kisses her palm where it lies close to his lips. "Sleep," she whispers. "Only if you do, too," he whispers back. "I'm afraid I'll wake up and you'll still be gone," she says, unable to hide after the storm of tears washed away her pretenses. Her honesty and the pain in her eyes takes his breath away. "I'll hold you always. I'll never let go again, Kate, never," he promises, sealing the promise with a kiss so gentle it brings fresh tears to her eyes. She pulls him closer, curling into his arms, and watches his chest rise and fall. She can hear his heartbeat slowing and settling beneath her ear. The steady sound of it finally lulls her to sleep.

She wakes to find herself still securely held in his arms. He is mumbling something. She raises her head to see him frown, his expression pained in his sleep. "No, no, I don't want to," he's saying, and she can see his eyes moving rapidly behind the lids. "Shh, Castle, it's okay," she tries to soothe him, stroking his cheek and sweaty forehead. "You're home, you're safe, I'm here." Slowly, his eyes flutter open. "Did I wake you?" he asks. "No, I was already awake," she replies. "You were having a nightmare." "Was I? I don't remember what it was about," he shrugs. "All I can remember is you telling me I'm home." He offers her a smile that makes her stomach flip over. She's still lying mostly on top of him, her arms pillowed on his chest, her face inches from his. Suddenly all she can think about is closing the gap of those remaining few inches. They wouldn't even have to move. She knows the second he reads the thought in her eyes. She watches his eyes flick to her lips and back, lightning fast, but she knows him now after all these years. She's craved that downward flick of his eyes for longer than she'd care to admit to. She's even bitten her lip on purpose a few times just to see it.

The longer they stay the way they are, the more heated the silence becomes. He breaks it first. "Umm, Kate, we should," he begins, then trails off to stare at her lips again, where she's licking them because they have suddenly gone dry. "Yeah, we should," she whispers back, distracted when his tongue licks out across his own lips in an unconscious imitation of hers. "I mean," he says, "that is, do you want to –," She interrupts with a whispered "Yes?" thoroughly distracted by the way his mouth is forming words. He seems to be having trouble getting them to string together properly, but she hardly notices, her focus intent on the slightly chapped skin of his lower lip where it glistens still from when he licked it earlier. Her mind is caught in memories of how the moisture glinting before her tastes. She wants to be the one to wet his lips, and is suddenly irrationally jealous of his tongue.

She licks her lips again, wanting them to be his. She feels more than hears his involuntary groan. His palm suddenly heavy on the back of her neck is electrifying. She gives a gasp at the feeling that is entirely swallowed by his mouth open on hers. Finally, a small part of her mind says, while the rest of it is too busy enjoying itself to say much of anything. This, this kiss, this is what she had needed every day of his disappearance. She drowns herself in the sensation, the taste, the smell, the warmth, the strength of him. They are grappling with each other, trying to get closer, tongues tangling in fierce need, her hands around his ears, her legs straddling his waist, his left hand gripping the nape of her neck and his right frantically pushing up her t-shirt at her waist.

The moment his hand finds the skin of her waist, she moans loudly into his mouth. Her hands leave his ears to roam his torso, trying to get even. He inches up the hand at her waist to unhook her bra just as he hears a gasp and a distinctly horrified "Oh my God" from somewhere that is not the bed. He stills and Kate stills on top of him when she feels his wariness. "What's wrong?" She asks him, still dazed. "Thought I heard something," he says. She sits up and looks around. Just then, they both hear a voice from outside. "Dad, Kate, I'm leaving for my study group. Just, you know, lock the door or something next time. Or close it, at least." Kate scrambles off him like she's been burned. "Oh God. This is embarrassing," Kate mumbles. "Alexis! You can come in now, we're okay," Castle calls out. She enters with one hand partly over her eyes, and sees Kate where she has tumbled to the floor in her haste to leave Castle's embrace. It's a toss-up whose face is redder, and for a second all three throw sidelong glances at each other. Alexis starts laughing first, as she holds out a hand to Kate. Then somehow all three of them are laughing hysterically on top of the rumpled comforter in an uncoordinated pile of limbs.

Eventually the laughter subsides and Alexis stands up from where she has fallen half over Kate and half over her father. Kate gets up with her. "You're going to have to redo that, you know," she says, tugging on the end of Alexis' braid. "I know. But this was so worth being late to my study session." Her eyes are sparkling with a combination of joy and unshed tears. Castle watches as Kate pulls Alexis into a hug, something he knows they have done a lot since he's been gone. They are their own little family. He'd wanted this, when he asked Kate to marry him. But now he doesn't know what to do, how to feel about something that came about when he wasn't there to see it. Because he wasn't there to see it. Then they both turn to him, and there is so much love shining in both their eyes that he feels foolish for his earlier doubts. "Come on, Dad, get into the huddle," Alexis holds out a hand. Kate silently extends another. He reaches out both hands to these women who have changed his life, and they pull him into the circle of their arms. "How did I get so lucky?" he whispers. "Oh, we just keep you around to amuse us," Alexis says, and looks at Kate for confirmation, silently asking whether it's okay to begin pulling his leg again. "Oh yes," Kate adds, "and for the smorelettes."

"Is that so?" Castle says, "Are you sure it's not because of my ruggedly handsome good looks?" Kate and Alexis look at each other. "Nah," they chime in unison. "I'm devastated, the women in my life don't think I'm pretty." Castle fakes a frown, causing both women to giggle. "Give up, Rick, your acting isn't great, either," Kate giggles. Alexis' phone chimes and interrupts the moment. "It's from my study group," she sighs. "Well, this has been great, but I've got to get going before the others think I've flaked." She drops a quick kiss on Rick and Kate's cheeks, then heads out the door.