Title: Law and Authors

Summary: Questioning at the precinct and a long overdue talk for one or maybe two couples.

Disclaimer: I don't own them but as far as the show goes…. I'm sticking by them!

For Alwaysadele (thank you, your review means more than you know)

Chapter Six: Talk the Talk

Beckett, Booth, Esposito and Ryan were in the break room when LT appeared at the door. "Detective Beckett, there are some people here to see you."

She looked up from her coffee. "Show them to the conference room please and we'll be right there." They walked out to the main area then Beckett looked at the other two. "While we talk to them will you please check with Dr. Parish, Miss Castle and Dr. Brennan, just see if they have anything for us?" They nodded and walked off.

Booth walked in front of her and smiled. "I appreciate you letting me in this conversation with you, I know you're used to doing this thing with one of them."

She shook her head. "I rarely talk to anyone with them, I do this all the time with Castle now. Does Dr. Brennan ever sit in with you?"

"She's my partner." He said like that wasn't even a question.

She nodded. "Exactly, just like Castle is my partner." She smiled. "We'll do fine, I appreciate how great you're being to him. We've worked with FBI before and they want to kick him out first thing."

"Well like we've established, no one gets it when law enforcement partners better with someone that isn't law enforcement. I think we're in the same boat though, they are more than partners to us."

She nodded and sighed. "I hope anyway." She picked up a file and motioned toward the door. "So ready to do this?"

"Right behind you Detective."

They entered the room and she put her hand out to the woman. "Thank you for coming in, I'm Detective Beckett and this is Agent Booth. We just have a few questions about Shayla, I understand she was pretty close to both of you?"

The woman nodded. "She was like a daughter to me for years, she came here on her own but she has an uncle in New Jersey. I never liked him and didn't want him around the store, he gave me the creeps and I wasn't the only one."

Booth cut in. "You said her family lives in D.C.?"

The man nodded and spoke. "Yes she is from there but came here to attend college, she was supposed to live with her uncle and I don't know why she didn't. She stayed with him for a few months but then just moved out. Here is her information, her complete file plus names addresses and phone numbers for some of her friends. We only knew a few of them but the name on top was her roommate, she used to work for us and that's how we met Shayla."

Beckett took the file extended to her. "Thank you so much, we'll contact her family so they can make arrangements."

Cecelia cut in. "We'll be doing that, she's to be buried with our family. Her family won't be interested, she never talked to her parents once she moved here. Just let us know when we can make arrangements and we'll take care of everything." The woman wiped her eyes again and Beckett got the sense that this woman was being very honest and really loved the girl. She thanked them again and called LT to show them out.

Once back out by her desk she looked at Booth, he could tell something was wrong. Then he saw the tear leak out of her eye and run down her face. So he took the folder out of her hand and smiled. "Go on and talk to Rick, I've got my own misunderstandings to clear up over dinner tonight. The guys and I will handle this and we'll see you tomorrow. Come in with your partner and a smile."

She nodded then went to get her bag. "Thanks Booth, I doubt anyone else would be so understanding."

"Well like I said, I have my own conversation tonight and hopefully they both go in the right direction." She smiled at him and then headed for the elevator.

Loft

Martha was in the kitchen when a text came up on her phone.

Katherine: Is Rick still there?

Martha: Yes, he is and I haven't heard any typing.

Katherine: I'm parking in the garage so can you let me in so I don't have to knock, I want to surprise him?

Martha: The door will be open darling.

Kate opened the door quietly and walked in with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She saw Martha in the kitchen and the older woman smiled at her and motioned toward the office with her head and then gave her a thumbs up. Kate almost laughed out loud, then Martha pointed to the steps to let her know she was going upstairs. At the office door Kate stopped and looked in at her best friend, he sat there staring at his laptop so she opened the door the rest of the way. "So my partner left without saying anything to me and it kind of pissed me off. I'm wondering why he would leave like that without telling me, along with pissing me off it kind of hurt my feelings."

He looked at her but didn't smile. "Well I didn't want the embarrassment of being sent home in front of Booth."

"I wasn't going to send you home, yes I was put off by what your fan said but really babe it's not your fault and I have to deal with your fame if we are going to be any more than friends."

"Are we more than friends?"

"You shouldn't have to ask but that's my fault." She moved his laptop off of his legs to the desk. "Looks like you're getting tons of work done." Then she moved his feet off of the desk and straddled his lap. "Let me just clear the air about something you seem to be confused about, I love you Rick and I want you to be more than my partner or best friend. I asked you the other night if you knew how I felt about you and you nodded, so I assumed that you knew I was in love with you."

He shook his head. "I know you love me but there is a difference between loving someone and being in love with them."

She leaned in and kissed him, then the tears came. She hated to cry because that she always felt was a sign of weakness but how could this have gone so bad? "I love you Rick Castle and I want everything with you. I want to date you, make love with you, marry you and have babies with you."

He kissed her back and then looked toward the office door. "Mother is here right now."

"She's upstairs but they already think we've slept together. Last week when we were in here kissing and you carried me to the bedroom, Alexis saw us. She was coming to see if we wanted coffee and I guess got here to see you stand up and carry me to the bedroom, so she went upstairs."

He laughed. "That's why the next morning when I came out she asked if you were still sleeping, when I told her you left the night before she looked very confused."

"I'm not leaving tonight and we aren't sleeping very early either. I need to help your mom fix dinner but after dinner we are taking a relaxing bath in your wonderful tub and then we are going to make love in what will soon be our bed. Any objections?"

He shook his head. "None at all but would you like to change before working on dinner?"

She got off of his lap and pulled him out of the chair. "Yes I'm going to change and you can go make some coffee, let your mother know the coast is clear."

He got to the office door then turned around. "Hey Kate?"

She suddenly turned back from the bedroom door. "What is it?"

"I'm in love with you too." He smiled and then left the room without waiting for her to say anything, she already told him how she felt and she knew he wanted to reassure her as well.

Loft (late afternoon)

Alexis got to the door with Lanie behind her, Lanie stopped Alexis from opening the door. "Are you sure it's okay to invite me for dinner without asking first?"

"Oh please, you're like family so no they won't mind. Besides Kate is probably coming for dinner too, she has been coming every night for months now. Since Tim broke up with her for caring more about what dad thought than what he thought, but anyway right after they started talking again she started coming over all the time. One night I was going to make coffee but when I got to the office dad was carrying her to the bedroom and they were kissing. He swears she left a few minutes later but I think she snuck out so we wouldn't suspect they are sleeping together."

"According to Kate, they aren't. I don't think she would be able to lie to me so well if they were. But she did say when they end up in bed she won't share details, not if but when and she just said that a couple of days ago."

Alexis scrunched up her face. "Ewww no I don't want details; I get enough just being around them. One night she was helping him with dishes and I came downstairs, they were kissing and acting all gross. But anyway if there is no dinner plan than we can make something. Kate has filled our freezer and refrigerator with what she calls make ahead meals, she is an awesome cook." With that settled she opened the door and they walked in. She didn't see anyone so she yelled. "Anyone home?"

They walked in and saw Martha in the kitchen and then heard a squeal coming from the direction of the office/bedroom area. "Richard Castle, stop right now your hands are cold."

Then they heard male laughter. "You weren't complaining about my hands earlier."

Then they heard voices just inside the office door. "Come on babe we need to help with dinner and Alexis will be home soon."

Martha looked at them and whispered. "She came in around 3:00 and didn't want to knock, I assume they had some kind of words or something. He came home around 1 or 1:30, she called saying that he left from where they were working without saying goodbye. I don't know what happened but she came in and I went upstairs, they left and this is how it has been since they returned. I was getting ready to head upstairs but now I'll just get out some wine."

The office door opened and they stepped out holding hands, Kate looked up and her face reddened. Alexis smiled. "Alexis is already home."

Kate's face turned a shade of red they had never seen before. "Yes, I can see that."

Hotel Restaurant

Booth reached over and took Bones by the hand. "Listen Bones, I don't want to be confused about us anymore. I want us to be more than we are now, what do you want?"

She moved her hand around so she could grasp his hand also. "I want us to define what this is, I mean are we just friends, or are we friends who sleep in the same bed sometimes or are we a couple? If we're a couple, then just sleeping in bed with you isn't going to work much longer."

He smiled. "I knew I couldn't go any further with you until I knew you were mine completely; I can't do any more than sleep beside you until I know we are going somewhere with this."

She nodded. "I know what I want, I love you Booth and I want us to be more than friends."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "I want the same thing; I love you too. So after the case?"

She saw the server headed over with their food, leaving him speechless was her goal. "No more waiting, I want us to begin tonight."

The server put their food down then after leaving he pulled his hand back and smiled. "Eat up Bones, you are going to need your strength later."

She laughed. "More like you will need yours and I'll demonstrate later what I mean." They both laughed and went on to finish their dinner.

TBC

Sorry I went MIA again… LIFE… oh geez how complicated can it be?

So anyway next chapter will start exploring if the new relationships will help, hinder or just not matter in the case.