Richard Castle 9

Richard actually was amazed that the first trap he checked actually had something. It was just a scrawny rabbit which might explain why it had taken his bait, but it would be enough to add meat to what else they had and maybe a little something left over for breakfast.

After crawling back into their tiny oasis he found a still almost naked Kate waiting for him. She held out his chunk of soap in the palm of her hand. "Take a bath, Castle. You're a mess. And give me this." She took the rabbit right out of his hand. He offered no resistance since his eyes were glued on the lovely skin she was showing. He didn't realize it but his stony exterior was starting to crumble the longer he stood there like a doofus staring at her.

He somehow managed to take the chunk of soap and found himself being pushed gently toward the water. "Now strip," she ordered. "Hop in and get clean while I cook us dinner." She started to walk to the tent. She had a mischievous idea and stopped to turn her head back his way. "Or do you need my help to take your clothes off?" She did her best to use what she hoped was her bedroom voice and tried hard not to smile.

Kate only turned away after she started watching him taking his shirt off. As much as it pained her, she kept her eyes on dressing the rabbit for their dinner until she couldn't take it any longer. A quick glance back gave her a view of his naked ass as he walked out into the water.

"OW!" She snapped her eyes off his gorgeous ass, onto the finger she had just sliced, then stuck the injured finger in her mouth. By the time she lifted her head back up to look, he was up to his neck in water. Since his back was back to her she decided to risk it. She held out her bleeding finger, murmured a spell, and healed her damaged finger after touching a finger to the wound. It was just a little something her mother had taught her. She had been taught how to fix even more grievous wounds, but hadn't tried to do that in what felt like years.

Kate really did try to concentrate on fixing dinner, however she kept lifting her head to see how Castle was progressing. At least that was what she told herself, even if it really was to see if she would get lucky and watch him come out so she could see him totally naked. So much so that she had stopped trying to cut up anything in fear that she would cut herself again. Still she lifted her head yet again only this time she didn't lower it back down onto what she should have been doing.

She suddenly felt her hopes rise and willed for him to raise up just a little more, only to see him submerge himself and stay down for an extended time. Just as she was starting to think about running and jumping into the water to rescue him, he popped up and shook his head, flinging water and causing his hair to stick out wildly. 'Don't do that, Castle. You'll give me a heart attack.'

OXO

Kate was ready and finally the rabbit was, too. So she turned to yell at Castle that their dinner was done. But he was already out of the water, wearing shorts, and walking toward her. She smiled wide. "You look clean, Castle. Almost good enough to eat," she teased.

"I didn't take you for a cannibal, Kate." He didn't know why he was teasing back and resolved to go back to putting more mortar in the cracks of his stony exterior.

She perked up when he actually bantered with her and took it as a small success. She handed over his meal, picked up hers, and didn't start eating until he had tried it first.

"And she cooks," he remarked. Yes, she had helped last time but this time she had done it alone.

"I'm just full of surprises, Castle. Stick around long enough and pay attention; maybe you'll learn something." Kate took a small bite, chewed and swallowed, then smiled at him.

He remained silent for too long to her liking. She thought she was making progress and now this. "How's your head? I can help again if you need it." Maybe she could get him to talk.

"It's fine, thank you." He still didn't understand why his head was so clear. He knew he had suffered from a severe headache earlier. As usual, he barely remembered anything during that time. All he really remembered was someone in his head with a massive hammer who just wouldn't stop.

"The offer still stands. I can help you." What she really wanted was his head in her lap again so she could see more of his daughter and stroke his hair some more. She would rather stroke something else, but they weren't that far along yet. And it was testing her patience.

Kate watched him open his mouth and start to say something before closing it while looking at her. She feared he had remembered something from earlier and would want to shoot her again. Yet he closed it and looked around. "How did you find this place?" Richard was still curious about that.

She decided on the truth. "I was looking for a root to add to your tea when you had a headache. What you use is good but I made it better for you."

That had his mind racing yet again. How did she know about herbs that would help him? Just who was she really? "You're an herbalist of some kind?"

"In a way. I'm a healer; my mother taught me," she replied and it brought back a memory.

'My mother is dead, Castle. ...Happy now?!'

She had stormed out of the witch's house at that point and his headache had soon followed. "Well, ...thanks." He wasn't sure what else to say.

"You're welcome." Then Kate decided to risk it. She shifted her position. "Lie down, Castle." She patted her thigh. "On your back with your head right here." She patted her thigh again. He shook his head stubbornly just as she reached out a hand, grabbed his arm, and began pulling. "I don't bite," she assured him. "And it'll help keep the next one away."

She was a little amused that he allowed her to move him into position without putting up much resistance. Soon his head was in her lap resting on her naked legs. He knew right where his head was located. It was as close to a woman's core as he had been in years. Looking up all he saw was skin and her face. He started to get up when she spread her fingers over his head. "Relax, it won't hurt. I promise."

"Close your eyes and try not to think of anything unless you want to. Think of a place, a person, maybe. Anyone you want." Kate didn't risk mentioning his daughter since he hadn't actually told her anything about her yet. The mere fact that she had his head in her lap again was a victory and it felt really good.

She began murmuring a spell to take his headache away, however since he didn't yet have a headache, she changed the words. She was hooked and really wanted to see the child again through his eyes. She was so very sweet.

"Daddy. ...Daddy, wake up."He/she was lying in bed and the little girl was shaking him/her to get them to wake up.

"Alexis, it's early, go back to bed," he groaned.He tried rolling over to ignore her and maybe get a few more minutes of sleep or at least quiet time.

But the little girl had other ideas and was on the other side of the bed prying his/her eye open. "You're awake, Daddy. It's my birthday and you promised," she reminded him.

Castle cringed knowing that he had promised. Kate's eyes flew open. Her name was Alexis and he was remembering her birthday."You promised, Daddy," she said again as she let go of his eyelid and simply stood there staring at him, willing him to get up and keep his promise.

He started getting up and groaned a little since he had gone to bed far too late last night. Well, this morning would be more accurate. "I'm up, I'm up."He ran a hand down his face.

"Are your hands clean?"he asked her and they both saw her roll her eyes at him and give him the cutest "Of course!"look Kate had ever seen. She was adorable and Kate was already falling in love with her. She wondered where Alexis's mother was. What had happened to her?

"Give me a chance to get clean and get dressed then I'll meet you in the kitchen. How about that?" He/she watched her starting to glow as she smiled wide.

"Hurry up, Daddy." And she was off at a run headed for the kitchen to get things started for him.

He washed his face and his hands, scraped a razor over his stubble, and Kate got a quick glimpse of everything as he put on his clothes for the day. She fervently wished that she could get her hands on him and make love to him.

Walking into the kitchen, he/shesaw her kneeling on her chair stirring something in a big bowl. "I've taught you well," Castle commented. He ran his hand down her hair and kissed her head. He walked to the stove, stoked it to heat it up, and took out a griddle.

He moved a bowl filled with blueberries next to her and started smiling as he/she watched her dump the berries in her bowl and continue stirring, though she was slowing down as it got harder and harder to stir. "Better let me take over, Pumpkin." He moved in, took the spoon from her, and stirred the batter with much more speed. "Think you can go pick us some fresh berries to put on top?"She scrambled off her chair and took off running. She came back, moved her chair so she could reach a bowl for the berries and then she was off running yet again.

All he felt was love and Kate was learning to love her, too. "What happened Castle? She's so precious." Kate was in deep and yet knew Alexis was gone. She wished with her whole heart that he'd buried someone else and not his sweet daughter.

He was just taking the last pancake from the griddle and plating them when she came back inside with her bowl of berries and set it on their table. She was sitting in her chair at the table and was served like a queen as he presented her with her birthday morning breakfast complete with milk and syrup.

She was already half done by the time he sat down with his and took the tiny amount of berries there were still left and plopped them on his pancakes. "Happy birthday, Pumpkin."Castle beamed at her as she stuffed her face. Her mouth was full but the look in her eyes was all love for her father. Kate's heart melted as he/she looked at her.

"Better go get washed up or you're going to get your birthday present all messy."She squealed, hopped down off her chair, and ran for the bathroom. He chuckled as he cleaned up their breakfast mess.

Moments laterAlexis was back and tugging on his/her pants. "Go sit down and I'll bring you your present." She pouted just a little which was just too cute and then hurried to the living room where she jumped on the sofa and turned to look at him.

He put everything away, went into his bedroom, and came back out with a box that had a number of small holes in it. He walked into the living room and set it down on the table in front of her.

"Happy birthday, Alexis. I love you more than anything." She slid off the sofa so she could untie the bow on her box and then work on how to open it.

Once it was open she drew in a deep breath and only had eyes for what was inside. "A KITTY! ...You got me a kitty!" She reached inside to lift out the tiny bundle and held it gently to her chest.

Using Castle's eyes Kate saw that it was almost solid black save for its front paws that were a snowy white. "What's his name?" he asked her which put her on the spot to come up with a name.

It only took her a second. "Midnight, Daddy, his name is Midnight. Oh, thank you, Daddy. I love you." The way she said it had his heart melting.

A tear ran down Kate's face. She still wanted to understand what had happened, but she was content to learn a little at a time and give him some good memories that he could keep without triggering a violent headache.

She removed her hands from his head and saw that his eyes remained closed. Much like last time, he looked peaceful. She bent down to kiss his forehead and went back to stroking his hair. She wanted more but was willing to take these little victories while she could get them.

It was then that she decided to risk it. She bent down and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. It sent sparks straight down her body and ended at her core that instantly became wet. She went back to softly stroking his hair as she gazed down at him.

"Her name is... was Alexis." Kate was glad to have learned but it also broke her heart a little to know that she was gone from this world. "I'm so sorry, Castle." She was only too aware of the pain of losing a loved one.

She bent down yet again, only this time she didn't just brush a kiss across his lips, she kissed them as best she could while upside down. She lingered and brushed her lips over his once more before straightening up. She was falling in love with him and had no wish to stop. She had seen the man that he used to be in an earlier life and she loved what she saw. She ran a hand down his face then carefully carded her fingers through his hair.

It felt like they were already connected. His head was in her lap and she got to caress his face and head while holding onto him. By sheer will alone she was making him whole again. She needed to do this more often till she knew all there was to know about Alexis and help him bring down his walls.

Kate simply kept stroking his hair and his face while she thought back to a little earlier.

Castle had washed and she kept her eyes glued on him, staring hard as he walked out of the pond. She got only a quick peek at his family jewels and her heart beat a bit faster. She started fantasizing just what she could do to them or what he could do to her. She mostly just saw his naked butt while he toweled himself dry. With one eye on his ass at all times she also looked him over even if it was from behind. As he dried himself she could see he had muscles. His arms, his back, and even his legs. The few men she had seen naked looked nothing like him. Just what did he do to keep himself in this kind of shape? Better still, what had he done before Alexis had died since she was betting he hadn't changed that much since then.

She watched him bend over, pick up his shorts, and slide them on before finally turning around. He may have been mostly dry but it appeared that his skin still had a sheen to it. God, but he was gorgeous and he was hers. She just had to get him to understand that part.

Watching him walk toward her allowed her to stare at his chest. His pectoral muscles were tight and had these tiny little nipples that had "bite me" written all over them. His stomach was flat with just a hint of a ripple. She couldn't stop her eyes from moving down to see the bulge that was in his shorts. Actually she was still staring directly at his crotch when he stopped not far from her. The fact that since she was sitting and he was standing meant his crotch was at her eye level giving her little choice but to look at it. If she bent forward just far enough she could reach and cup his jewels in her hand. Give his balls a little squeeze followed by running her hand up his growing shaft.

"Are we ready?" Richard asked her which only then brought her mind out of what she would love to be doing. She quietly handed over his portion of their dinner.

He had to admit that she knew how to cook. Normally he cooked for himself since he had taught himself how to cook while cooking for Alexis. However, the mere thought of his daughter had him cringing at the potential headache that was headed his way.

"And your mother taught you to cook?" he queried since neither of them had said anything.

"She taught me everything I know. I wish you could have met her. She would love you." Kate had little doubt that she would approve of him, even if he was a witch hunter and they were both witches.

It was time to find out. "Castle, ...um, what did you do before you became a witch hunter?" It was one of the things about him she was curious about.

He stopped eating and gave her a long look. She feared she had overstepped and interjected herself into his old life. "I was a blacksmith and did odd jobs on the side to make extra money. I made what the client wanted and didn't ask questions." Actually he had asked questions just not about the project he was working on for them or what they did.

He'd asked a few questions and had even gotten a number of lessons from a few of them. It was from them that he learned how to shoot. "Don't ever just shoot them once. If you're willing to shoot them at all make sure you put two or more rounds into them. Make sure they're dead, don't just think or wish they're dead. That kind of thinking will get you killed," one of his clients had told him. "Learn how to shoot with accuracy before you even start to think about how to draw faster than the other shooter. It doesn't matter if you fire first if your shot doesn't even hit the building behind him. And hit him where it counts."

Richard could remember him picking up a stick and whacking him in the head, poking him in the heart. "A gut shot kills slowly and painfully. He may be in pain but he's still a threat so finish him unless you want him to suffer. If you want to be mean, take his weapon, empty it of rounds save for one, and hand it to him.

You don't have to say a thing. The implication is clear. He can shoot himself and end the pain or shoot you and slowly die in agony. Maybe his shot kills you and maybe it doesn't." The man dropped his pants to show a bullet wound that implied that he was speaking of his personal incident. That he had learned it the hard way and was imparting his hard-earned knowledge onto him.

"I was good at both. My skill brought in a lot of clients. Earned me a good living." He left off 'And allowed me to provide for my family.' Even if Kate did hear it loud and clear.