Title: Secrets
Just One Suspect's Name edited... otherwise it's the same... I had one name wrong and in my haste to post I forgot to double check.
Summary: With the events of Cops and Robbers, Beckett and Castle discovered their feelings for each other while preventing her nightmares. Beckett and Alexis have a secret between them, Castle is understanding about the secret. But he might find out when tempers flare, and flare they do in Chapter 6. Demming is still an SOB and Gina the bitch makes an appearance or two. It might take one more chapter… or this might finish, just not sure on that one. They are getting along way too well… time to insert drama
A/N: WARNING: Out of character… I never really felt like I have to warn people but getting reviews from "guest" telling me they don't like out of character, so I will never rewrite an episode, that's what reruns are for. Don't like… don't read, that's what I do. Also I do tend to switch between first names, last names, titles or whatever….. it's a habit that I can't break, it's just how I do things.
Disclaimer: I don't own them or they would have gotten married during the finale.
Chapter Six: What Exactly Are We?
Kate woke up and once again no Rick, she thought this was something for them at last but apparently he didn't. The night he held her so she could sleep he probably had no clue she wanted this with him but now he shouldn't have doubts. Kate had never been the type to have sex, cuddle and sleep all night with a man. She never had the desire to wake up still feeling her lover's arms around her, kiss him good morning, look into his eyes while still in bed and maybe share a morning shower. But with Rick things were different, she felt it the first night of no sex just him holding her but she was waiting for him to make the first move so she could be sure. But it didn't happen that way, now after two nights of sex he is still leaving the bed early without her. She knew the first night it wasn't just sex, with him it was making love and her heart was now involved. He woke up and snuck off from bed without waking her, maybe he didn't want to be all in. She tried to keep the tears at bay, slipped into his boxers and his button down shirt then went out to find him. She saw him sitting at the table talking to Gina and Paula, oh good he left their bed for them. Paula looked over and immediately smiled. "Good morning Detective Beckett, I'm sorry if we woke you up."
Kate looked pointedly at Rick and without smiling answered her. "No you didn't wake me Paula, being in bed alone I got cold and that woke me up."
Rick looked up at her. "There's some breakfast in the oven Kate, I didn't want to wake you up so early. I have a book signing this morning, I told you right?"
She nodded. "And yet you are all still here. Is Lex up?"
Gina looked at her and gave her a funny look. "She hates to be called that, she prefers Alexis."
Kate nodded. "I'll remember that, thanks for the tip." She walked to the steps. "Hey Lex are you up?"
Alexis came out of her room. "I'm almost ready to go Kate, can we stop for breakfast on the way I'm paying."
"We'll stop and you're not paying, give me 20 minutes."
As she went back past the table called out to her. "Hey Kate, I made breakfast."
"You didn't wake me up Rick, I don't have time. I'll see you tomorrow at the precinct okay?"
He got up and followed her to the bedroom but she looked at him and the glare she gave him stopped him in his tracks. "Kate what's wrong?"
"Do you regret having sex with me Rick?"
"No Kate it wasn't sex, we made love and that is what this is love."
"Is it Rick? Why do I get up alone every morning? Why are we sleeping back to back? I want you to wrap your arms around me after we make love and let me know that you are totally with me. I want to wake up with you and maybe take a shower together. I want to be a damn couple Rick." By the time she finished talking she was in tears.
"I'm sorry Kate, obviously we need to talk about all of this and get on the same page with our relationship."
"Are we in a relationship Rick? I know it has only been 2 days but this is not the way to start out."
"I'll be done around lunchtime so I'll bring in lunch and after work we can talk about all of this."
"No, I need some space to think so I'll see you at the precinct in the morning." She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Rick but I can't be the only one in love."
"I told you I love you Kate."
"Telling is one thing, showing is another and I believe your agent and ex-wife are waiting for you."
He sighed and turned around. "My publisher Kate, she is nothing more to me and no one has ever had the place that you have."
He walked out of the bedroom and Alexis looked at him with her arms crossed. "What's wrong dad?"
"Something I'm not going to discuss with you, I guess I'll see you this evening." He kissed her on the head then turned toward the women. "Let's go so we're not late."
Paula waved toward the girl. "Bye Alexis, have fun today."
Before she could answer Gina smiled. "See you later Lex."
"My name is Alexis and I'm working on a homicide with Kate, I doubt it's much fun but I'm learning a lot from her. Apparently I'm the only Castle learning anything." Rick could only sigh and leave, he figured that Alexis would take Kate's side. They were close but this is a teenage girl that her mother was not much in her life, she had found that with Kate and she was terrified of losing it.
12th Precinct
Kate and Alexis walked in with bear claws and coffee, they were talking and the guys just watched. Finally Esposito spoke up. "Hey nothing for us? I'm going to have to text our bro to bring us something for lunch when he comes in."
Kate sat down at her desk and motioned for Alexis to sit in her dad's chair. "He's not coming today, book signing up town."
Ryan looked back at her. "He said he would be here at lunchtime, he won't let us down."
"I wouldn't count on that one. Anyway he won't be back until tomorrow and if you're looking for him to keep a promise, don't hold your breath." She looked at Alexis. "I'm going to get Gates and let her know you're here."
"I can do that Kate, I mean Detective Beckett sorry slip of the tongue."
Kate smiled. "That's okay Lex, I mean you call me Kate at home so it's only natural. I'll be right back."
When she walked off Ryan turned around. "What's going on with her and your dad?"
Alexis shrugged. "Nothing now, I think she broke it off this morning I only heard part of the conversation and he wouldn't tell me the rest."
Esposito looked at her and watched for Beckett to come back. "What part did you hear?"
"Just that she couldn't be the only one in love and she needed some space. Leave it alone and they'll work it out, he won't give up."
Just as Ryan was getting ready to comment Beckett and Gates showed up but Beckett looked at all of them with a glare she was famous for. Gates smiled at the girl. "So nice to see you again Miss Castle, we have some files to sort through in the conference room so everyone is in on this one. When Mr. Castle gets here he can help also, he has a great attention to detail."
Beckett spoke up. "He won't be in today sir, he has a book signing and then I believe he was going home to write on his current book. He has to do his actual job occasionally."
Gates smiled. "Sometimes I forget following you around isn't his job."
Alexis spoke up. "Well in a way following her is his job because of the books but being her partner and trying to keep her safe is just his nature, to protect those he cares about."
Gates nodded. "That's one way to look at it." Then she shocked them all when she walked toward the conference room. "Or you could be honest and say he's in love and can't stand to be away from Detective Beckett."
They walked into the conference room and Beckett looked at Gates. "Sir there is nothing going on with us."
She sat down and looked at Alexis. "Miss Castle would you mind fixing me a cup of that good coffee from your dad's machine before we start?"
Alexis nodded and just looked toward Kate as she walked to the door. "Yes sir."
Gates looked at Beckett. "I'm sorry if you were hiding it from his daughter but if you are then you need to get better at it, you aren't hiding anything from me. I was listening here from the bank site so I heard everything going on and when the bank robber called him your boyfriend you didn't deny it. When he threatened Mr. Castle you went at him over the phone with real emotion in your voice that was love Detective Beckett."
Beckett sat down. "Okay sir complete honesty here, we were together since the night after the bank blew up but we had a disagreement this morning and I'm not sure where we are. He may or may not be coming back."
Gates nodded. "I'm rooting for you, I'm not super fond of Mr. Castle but that doesn't mean I don't think he's good for you and our solve rate. Don't be so quick to temper Detective, I mean you've been stringing him along for years from what I heard so he might be slow to catch on that this is real."
Alexis walked in. "So is everything okay? Here's your coffee sir, I didn't know if you put anything in it so I made my favorite."
She tasted it and smiled. "I want you to write down what's in this so I can repeat it, this is really good. Now here's a paper with what we're looking for in the files, everyone look it over and start digging."
Book Signing late in the morning
Paula walked over and sat down beside Castle while he took a break. "So what's up with the detective?"
He shrugged. "Something and nothing, I screwed up big time trying to be what she wanted and it blew up in my face. She's so hard to read sometimes but I love her anyway, it's just so hard."
"It's not hard Rick, its called love and it takes work. She's totally worth it though, I hope you two work things out. I sent Gina on her way and told her that impromptu visits at the loft were over or I will call Ted, she doesn't need to be there. I can stop coming by too if it's a problem."
"No that's not the problem, she thinks I don't love her as much as she loves me. Every morning I get up before her so she can have her space."
"Oh Ricky you moron, she's sleeping with you which means she doesn't want her space anymore. The woman wants you to shower her with as much love as you possibly can, she stepped up and said I'm ready and then you flopped."
He nodded. "I see where you're coming from now, I just always assumed when we finally got together she would be the same Kate and want her space. I mean she's even talked about it at the precinct or when we've all been out for drinks, she never wanted a man to even spend the night at her place."
"But moron she came to you." She patted him on the arm. "Do another hour and then maybe you can work this out?"
"She said tomorrow, so I'll go home and write today."
"Don't close off, she never said you can't text her did she?"
He got up and started back for the table. "I'll think on it, let's get this done." He got many requests for chest signings but he told them in a nice way that he was in a relationship and no longer did that.
12th precinct
LT walked in the conference room and they looked up. "A lunch delivery for you Detective Beckett, should I have it set up in the break room?"
She looked around. "Who ordered lunch? Then she looked at LT, that's fine thanks." She walked out and saw Rose, a girl from Remy's. "Hey Rose, what's up?"
"Hey Detective, you guys must be busy today and I know Mr. Castle is upset that he had to actually work today but he sent lunch for everyone. He said if there is anything else you need to let me know and I'll go get it, it goes on his tab."
Beckett walked in the break room and looked through the bags and boxes. "There's enough here to feed an army Rose, thanks we're good." She walked back in the conference room and smiled. "So lunch anyone? Join us Sir?"
She smiled. "If there's enough I do believe I will."
They walked in the break room and Alexis whistled. "Wow this is better than the last I'm sorry I got from him, he must really be feeling bad."
Ryan picked up a plate and started looking through the food. "Yep, I knew your boy wouldn't let us down and you said not to hold my breath. I'll text him and thank him for you Beckett."
She sat down and smiled. "I'll take care of it you just dive in, I wouldn't want you to starve to death." She pulled out her phone and typed out a text.
Kate: Thank you for lunch, breakfast in the morning to talk?
Castle: I know you need to think so yes breakfast is great. I love you.
Kate: Love you too.
They ate lunch and then got back to work going through files. Late in the afternoon Alexis held up a file. "Okay this is the fifth one with the same information on it, can we arrest the bastards now?"
Beckett's head shot up. "Lex, language I mean really?"
Gates laughed as she got up. "I'm going to get the guys to come and get the other files but those with the information we need to go through them carefully and yes Miss Castle I want you in on this too. It might be good for her to be in the interrogation room once to see how things go."
Alexis smiled. "I've been in there, I yelled at my dad in there once."
Beckett laughed. "I watched the entire thing through the window, took him awhile to be okay after that."
Alexis smiled. "I used to be his entire focus, but now there is Beckett and if you would be so kind as to give me siblings then I could elope and he wouldn't know the difference."
Beckett laughed. "Oh funny Lex, we aren't even together right now so those siblings you want so bad might not be in the near future."
Late in the afternoon they had Juan Ortega in one interrogation room with Ryan and Esposito, Mickey Smith was in another interrogation room with Beckett and Alexis with Gates watching. IAB had Demming in an office in the Robbery unit with his captain. They had discovered through the evidence that Mickey and Juan were taking out the competition stealing their drugs. The operation of hiding drugs in artwork to keep from being checked out. Demming was helping them by covering up any robberies they might be involved in and sitting on any gallery robberies. Both of the guys were hard to break at first until Beckett let it slip that Demming was being questioned as well, they were apparently both afraid of talking against a Detective. Beckett walked into observation with Alexis after the officers took Mickey to holding. Gates smiled. "Great job you two, I'm impressed. But it does bother me that a detective from our precinct would do something like this."
Beckett crossed her arms. "I dated the man and I had no clue he was a dirty cop, imagine how I feel."
Alexis shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't back then, you had nothing to do with this."
The team were back at their desks when Gates came out. "Great work today, paperwork tomorrow but for now go on home."
Kate dropped Alexis off with a promise to call her the next day to plan a shopping trip. "You really should come on in Kate."
"Lex, don't worry I just need a night to think and then I'll talk to your dad in the morning. We already set up a meet for breakfast, I'll call you tomorrow and we'll go shopping over the weekend. I promise no matter what happens with your dad, I'm here for you."
Alexis hugged her and the opened the door. "Thanks for everything Kate, I learned so much today."
She smiled although she wished she would have been doing in with her. "Bye Lex."
Kate's apartment
Kate looked at the time before she sent the text but she couldn't sleep.
Kate: I need to talk, if I cry anymore my eyes are going to be completely dry. I can't sleep, another stupid nightmare.
TBC
Oh no… who did she text? I know who it is Oh that was soooo mean wasn't it? I will post the last chapter by Monday at the latest.
