I'm uploading this during the commercial break for Probable Cause here in Australia. Castle just got arrested. I know everything's gonna be ok, but.. still.

Anyway, enjoy.

It was a plan they were both on board with: Christmas Eve at her place, Christmas Day at the Loft. The Loft was where his mother was and where Alexis had spent all her Christmases; Beckett's Apartment was where nobody else was, which meant clothing was optional. They had both gone with the option of Santa's Hats – and nothing else.

Castle was particularly pleased with this plan. As he watched his girlfriend, in all her glory, walking across to him, he wondered why they didn't do this more often. Naked Wednesdays, or Naked Fridays or... Naked every-day-they-were-at-Kate's.

Under Beckett's small plastic tree was a couple presents from relatives that had been sent in and arrived early.

"Now, in my family, I was allowed to open one present the night before Christmas," said Beckett, sitting down on the floor next to him in front of the tree. "What about you, Castle?"

"Oh, Mother offered to let me do that, but I liked to try to figure out what I had and wait until Christmas Morning to find out if I was right."

"Wow, I'm surprised you had the patience. I would have pictured you as one of those kids who unwrapped all his presents secretly and then re-wrapped them hoping no one would find out?'

"No, are you kidding me? That would take away all the mystery, all the suspense."

"Oh, of course." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled warmly at him.

"Well, since, we're at your place, I think it only fair we go by your traditions."

"Ok," she said, pulling out her present for him, "Why don't you start?"

"I already unwrapped one of my presents, remember?" he waggled his eyebrows, indicating her fabulous naked body.

"Oh, I remember. In that case, so did I."

"No, I believe your present unwrapped itself before you got here."

Beckett bit her lip coyly as she remembered arriving home and being very pleasantly surprised to find a naked Castle waiting for her.

"Ok," she conceded, putting the present back. "Then, I guess I'll go with... this one,," she decided, picking up what looked to be a CD from Madison.

"Oh, it's The Best of Korn!" she exclaimed when she opened it. "I used to love that band!"

"Really?" Castle scoffed.

Beckett's eyebrows narrowed. "Yeah," she said slowly. "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh, no, I'm just... glad you grew out of it."

"What's wrong with Korn?"

"Nothing, if you don't mind empty, offensive lyrics."

"Hey, there's swearing in the Nikki Heat Books!"

"Yes, but not on every page."

Beckett looked outraged. "You know, what? I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go to sleep."

She got up.

"But... it's 9:30."

"Goodnight Castle."

"What, you let me open my present early and I'm not even allowed to play with it? That is so unfair!"