The One – Chapter 3

The next morning as the sun was streaming through her bedroom window she was awakened to the sound of her phone's text message beeps. Kate smiled when she read the text. "Hey beautiful I hope you slept well. I will see you at the precinct." Kate typed her response, and she set her phone down and got up to get ready for her day.

When Kate arrived at the precinct she saw her coffee and bear claw on her desk and Castle was already sitting in his chair next to her desk. As usual both the coffee and the Bear Claw were still hot. Castle stood up and pulled out Kate's chair for her.

"Good morning Detective." Castle said into her ear as he sat down in his chair next to her desk after she had take her seat.

"Hi." Kate said with a smile on her face that melted his heart.

"How did you sleep" Castle asked as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Better than I have in a long time." Kate said honestly and Castle knew it was true. "What about you how did you sleep?"

"Like a baby." Rick said as he gently touched Kate's free hand.

"Yo Beckett a body just dropped." Esposito yelled from his desk bringing both Kate and Rick out of their little world.

"Alright Espo." Kate called back as she grabbed her gun and keys and Rick followed the detectives to their cars.

On the way to the crime scene Rick took Kate's free hand in his.

"Castle we should set some ground rules now that we are dating." Kate said as she caught a glimpse of her partner as she looked over to switch lanes.

"What kind of ground rules?" Castle asked with a suggestive grin on his face that Kate couldn't help but smile at.

"Well I am not ready to announce our relationship to the whole world…."

"So that means no PDAs."

"No well yes."

"Kate we will stay strictly professional when we are at the precinct, or at a crime scene but…"

"But what?" Kate asked as she looked at Castle.

"When we are out on a date I intend on holding your hand or opening the door for you and in the future giving you a kiss now and then."

"Rick I will agree to that." Kate said as she squeezed his hand as she turned her attention back to the road.

Kate and Rick came into the Chelsea Apartment where Lanie was looking over the body.

"Well Lanie what do we have?"

"Beckett it's about time you and writer boy got here."

"We got stuck in traffic. What can you tell me about the vic other than he's been shot."

"He's 23 year Mario Antonio, time of death looks like it was between 5 and 7 last night. 9 mm bullet hole to the back. I'll know more when we get him back to the morgue."

"Alright thank you Lanie. Ryan, Espo did you find anything on your canvas?"

"Not yet Beckett."

"Alright well Castle and I will head back to the precinct and see if we can find out anything about his family." Kate said as she and Castle left the apartment and headed back to the precinct.

"Kate come on it's just lunch at Remy's we've been there a thousand times nobody will suspect that we are a…"

"A what, Castle" Kate asked as they continued to walk towards Remy's.

"Well I was going to say couple but I'm not sure if that is accurate yet I mean we've only been on one date."

"Castle we've been together longer than these last two days and after last night I would say that we are on our way to being a "Couple"" Kate said as she took his hand and gave it a light squeeze and smiled at him.

"I like the sound of that Kate." Rick said as he opened the door for her and they were seated at their usual table and ordered their usual burgers and fries and two milkshakes one chocolate and one swirl which they intended on sharing.

"What?" Kate asked as she saw Castle staring at her.

"You have some milkshake on your…"

"On my what Castle?'

"On your nose." Rick said as he took his hand and wiped it off. As Kate and Rick's eyes met Ryan and Esposito appeared unbeknownst to the almost couple.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Ryan asked as Rick retracted his hand from Kate's face.

"No." they both said in unison.

"Are you two sure?" Esposito asked sensing that something was going on.

"Yes." Kate said as she looked at Rick who took a bite of his burger.

"What do you have there" Rick asked when he saw the file in Ryan's hand.

"Ballistics and financials." Ryan said as he held the envelope in his hand and looked at the pair.

"Oh" Kate said looking at Rick with a apologetic look on her face. They were starting to feel like them being a couple would be harder than they thought, especially, while they were trying to keep their relationship secret.