Typical male, lunging like he's making a football tackle. He's got size and strength, but she's got speed and agility. If she spins it just right, he'll stumble and land flat on his face. His arm wraps around her waist as she turns with the contact. He doesn't fall, despite his offensive failure. He straightens up in a ready fighting stance. She aims a side kick at his chest, and he blocks it, but she wheels around into a high crescent kick. He ducks and lightly kicks the back of the leg she's supporting herself on before she completes her kick. Her knee buckles, and she falls.

Castle smiles. He grabs her wrist and pulls her back to her feet.

Beckett can't believe he knocked her down first. She really didn't think he'd hit back.

She steps back to decide how to take him. She appraises her prey. His broad chest pulls his shirt tight. His arms bulge from the shirt's cuffs. If she sweeps his feet from under him and uses her body weight to pull him down, she could have him on his back. And that sounds fantastic.

She circles, trying to get a better angle.

He is really enjoying this. There was no way he can lose. Even if she pins him, he'll make sure she has to hold him to the floor, and that still sounds like a win to him. But he intends to try to win the actual match, as well. And right now, he has one distinct advantage; it's time to use it.

"So, Beckett? I know you've been dying to check out my tattoo, but that peep show kind of surprised me."

Her eyes widen. He lunges again. She doesn't think to turn in time.

He puts her flat on her back, his body off centered but very much on top of her.

This time he doesn't pull her right back up. While she's still stunned from hitting the mat (and his delicious proximity), he whispers in her ear, "That's two," then stands up.

He did it again? She can't believe one mention of the peep show distracted her that much. She sits up.

"It wasn't much of a peep show, Castle." More like a full length feature film.

"Yeah, I know, Kate. Peep shows are much too short." His smirk shows that he knows exactly which gutter her mind is in.

He reaches out a hand to help her up. She takes it, pulls downward, and thrusts her feet into his abdomen to launch him into an awkward tumble. She lets go of his hand before his shoulder dislocates, but he still feels the pain of over-rotating. She's standing when he looks back, so he rolls himself right back up into fighting stance. One for her.

Kate goes on the offense with a combination of strikes and punches. He blocks and parries most but doesn't try to hit her. She notices and steps closer to land her strikes with even more force. He's able to sidestep while blocking and push her a little. Off balance, she begins to spin back into her stance; but he steps in, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her back tight against his chest.

He knows he could lift her and there wouldn't be anything she could do about it (without inflicting major injury) but he doesn't. They share bad memories of the one time he'd had to do that. He leans down to where his chin brushes against her neck. He is about to comment on how good she smells when she plants one foot between his, holds his forearms, and hip-throws him over her shoulder.

He lands with a loud thud. She steps over him, leans so he can see straight down her shirt and mocks, "And that's two for me."

He reaches up far quicker that she expects and grabs her waist, pulling her down and rolling them over. She uses her hips and legs to keep them rolling and he uses his upper body strength to try and pin her down. She's on top the first time they stop rolling.

"Having fun, Castle?" He can see down her shirt again and wonders what the hell happened to that wall she claimed to have, because he could tell she was leaning down far more than necessary to pin him. He wonders what she'd do if he lifted his head and kissed her chest.

He catches her wrists and rolls them again. They struggle for dominance, then Rick gets her pinned. He holds her wrists tightly on either side of her head and presses his thighs against hers to hold her down.

"Lots of fun, Kate. We should do this every day."

Her chest heaves as she catches her breath. He's so close, and smiling that sexy smile. She's sure that, if she lifted her hips to meet his, she'd find him very happy to see her.

xXx

Their unseen audience outside the door watches in rapt attention. What began as Ryan and Esposito eavesdropping to find out why Hurricane Beckett stormed into the locker room quickly turned into fascination when the sparring match began. Then Karpowski joined them, intent on either asking Beckett a question or seeing the boys still fighting shirtless. The three detectives stare as Castle leans heavily on top of Beckett. To Ryan and Esposito, it looks like Beckett has lost.

"Damn," says Ryan, "I can't believe he beat her."

"He didn't," answers Karpowski, still raptly watching the pair on the mat.

"How do you figure?" asks Esposito.

"She's letting him hold her there. That position is one of the first holds she would have learned to break."

The guys don't get it. "Why?"

"Rape attempt. That's a typical hold for a man to use if he's trying to hold her & still have access to her. If she jerks both hands straight up over her head and at the same time knees his ass, he'll flip right over her head. She's letting him pin her like that."

For the first time in the conversation, the guys look away from the glass at their curly-haired co-worker, surprised. Then they go back to watching.

"Huh" is their only response, uttered by Ryan.


x

Please review! The good feeling they give me is addictive like learning cool stuff in tae kwon do, juijitsu, and aikido. Yeah, I'm a badass.

And, ladies, that is how you get out of a rape hold. Make sure you do it super fast, crunching your abs hard. Nail his balls, too, if you can. It'll at least knock him off balance enough to give you a chance to get away. Find someone bigger than you and practice it until you can do it. Every woman should know this move.