Alright, so to make up for last night/this morning's crappy chapter, I present to you: a longer chapter filled with silliness and random goodness. Hopefully this is the 'doozy' you guys were looking for...

Please review and as always, you can follow me on twitter at vatrask

Enjoy 3

The next morning had been the most awkwardly normal mornings either of them had experienced. They had awoken around the same time, stood companionably as the coffee brewed and the toast burnt before getting ready for work – well, Kate got ready and Rick tried to smooth out his wrinkled clothes and hoped that the boys wouldn't notice – and riding to the precinct in the same cab. Of course Kate had insisted that he go and get her usual coffee so that they didn't arrive at the same time. Nothing had happened last night but that wouldn't deter the watchful eye of the those who had been rooting for them to get together and those who would kick one half of the team out should they discover anything amiss. So they tried to keep everything as normal as possible; a task which was harder than some would think. It began when he returned with her coffee and their fingers brushed, just a spark and a lingering look but it was enough to get the ball rolling. It didn't help that their lunch time conversations consisted of what time he was coming over tonight and what she should do with all that beer until then – in the middle of the bull pen. That had gotten some amused looks from the dynamic duo subtly taking bets on what the nature of their relationship was. For once, she decided not to be bothered by them and instead, embrace it. So when they got a call of a body drop a few blocks away, she turned at the elevator to watch Rick packing up at her desk and called – for the entire precinct to hear – "come on, Ricky, I'll even let you sit in the front." Castle had the decency to pause a moment as the rest of the homicide unit stared between them before practically running to her side, standing just close enough for comfort.

They both smiled as the elevator closed and the instant they were alone, Castle turned to her with exasperated curiosity. "What the heck was that? Do you want them to think we're together?" He saw her blush and hide a smile but she didn't seem to be denying anything. "Do you?" He looked carefully at her but before their one-sided conversation could progress, the elevator dinged at they exited into the parking garage. Once inside the car, everything was back to business, only discussing case related information which made for quiet and dull conversation. Exiting the car made for a more interesting experience.

"Michaela?" Beckett practically ran under the crime scene tape to a woman clutching her stomach and holding a cigarette to her mouth. When she heard her name, the blonde looked up with blank eyes and almost smiled as the detective approached her.

"Kate? What are you doing here?"

"I'm a detective now; I'm here working a case." She knelt before her friend, her eyes filled with concern. "What are you doing here, are you alright?"

The pain in her friend's eyes nearly broke her heart. "It's my fiancé; he's dead." Those words broke the dam as tears began to freely flow from the woman and onto Kate's shoulder. Somewhere in the distance, she heard Rick gently calling her, asking in his own way, who this woman was and if she was alright.

Pulling away after a moment, Kate glanced over her shoulder at her partner. "Castle this is Michaela Burkhart, we went to college together. Kayla, this is Rick Castle; my partner." Subtly wiping her tears on the sleeve of her forearm, she tried to offer a sweet smile that fell perfectly flat.

"I think I read about Rick Castle following around a detective but I never imagined you would be that detective." Kate smiled as she ran a hand comfortingly through her friend's hair.

"We can catch up later; how about we take care of you first alright?" With a weak nod, the young woman curled herself tighter into a ball as she took a drag from her cigarette.

"Want one?" She offered it to Kate who kindly shook her head.

"No thanks, I quit."

This seemed to take the young woman by surprise, a fact which did not go unnoticed by Castle; nor did her response. "You? Kate Beckett, the woman who used to smoke religiously? I don't buy it." Never one to miss out on an opportunity to learn more about the former Kate Beckett, Castle stepped into the conversation.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Kate Beckett?" Kate shot her partner but didn't speak knowing that her friend would answer regardless.

"Oh yeah, this girl could smoke like seven packs a day and you wouldn't know it from her lung capacity."

Oh now he was intrigued. "Tell me more about this lung capacity of hers."

"Alright if you two are done." They both shut their mouths at her scolding tone. "I said we'd catch up later. Right now, Michaela, I need you to concentrate on your fiancé."

Rick had taken the initiative this time and offered to take a cab back to the precinct to keep at least some of the rumors at bay but when Kate returned in her Crown Vic, she found him sitting suspiciously at her desk, having arrived well before her. She watched his never changing expression as she took her seat and began her work, only pausing when she opened her drawer for a pen. "Really Castle? Seven packs of smokes?" There was that boyish grin that told her he was being immature but still doing something incredibly sweet.

"There for Michaela; something for you to reminisce on when you go and meet up later." For the thousandth time since she met this man, she was struck quite suddenly by the utter sweetness of his personality.

Castle, taking her stunned silence as offence, began to quickly backtrack. "I didn't expect you to smoke them or anything I just-"

"I know what you just, Castle and I think it's sweet." She smiled, closing the door and letting her fingers brush his under the desk.

"Really?" It seemed impossible that she was suddenly so understanding and sweet. When she nodded, his smile could have lit up a small town. "I'm glad."

She studied his expressions with an endearing smile. "Me too."

A/N: If you guys are interested in hearing the song you can find it here: youtube: /watch?v=sEbUtpPQihM