Richard Castle wakes with a start. He sits straight up in bed as if he were just given an electrical shock. A sense of dread flashes through his body when he looks and finds the other side of the bed is empty. His panic increases as he looks around his bedroom. Nothing seems different. Nothing is out of place. Nothing here that doesn't belong

He cannot see over the edge of the bed to the evidence on the floor where her super sexy nightgown from last night currently resides out of sight

But then he hears a soft rustling coming from the direction of his living room and his eyes are blessed to see Kate entering the bedroom from the direction of the kitchen. She is dressed in one of his button down dress shirts, showing a massive amount of long slender legs, and carrying two mugs. One in each hand

Her face is bright as the morning sun "I brought you a coffee"

She walks around the foot of the bed to what has now become HER side of the bed. She hands him his cup and smiles as she sits down beside him. It is now a complete reversal of their prior lives together. He is no longer having to chase her endlessly just to end up frustrated or on the best day being blessed with a smile.

She appears open and evidently happy and now she has even brought him a coffee

He looks lovingly in her eyes "You were right"

She looks back to him "What?"

"I had no idea"

Her face fills with joy, then Kate looks down to her hands holding the coffee cup "Castle I've been worrying that all this was only a dream. You know…You…Me… This?"

"No you definitely weren't dreaming" he responds

She locks her eyes into his eyes and sees the same happiness that she is now proudly wearing all over herself "We really are going to make it?" Then is a fearful tone "Aren't we?"

"As long as two people believe. Truly believe, anything is possible"

A tiny giggle leaves from somewhere deep inside of her as her face begins to glow more than before, if that is even possible.

She takes the cup from Rick and then places the two cups on the night table. She pushes him over onto this back and she lays down beside him, curls her hand across him, and her face buried on his chest just below his chin. Her eyes close for just a brief moment.

She lets out a happy sigh then raises her head and begins nibbling gently on his lower lip. This causes a groan to exit his mouth.

She finally speaks "This is different. I like it"

"Me too"

She places her head back on his chest. "What do you want to do today?"

"I thought you need to go to the precinct?"

"I got a message last night. I can go in late since we were trapped for two days.

"Well then, we could watch TV" he begins

She responds "We could get something to eat"

"We could do that….or we could do this" And he captures her mouth again with his

She mumbles thru the kiss "yeah we could do that"

The moment is broken by the sound of the heavy loft door slamming BAM!

"Richard I'm home…"

Castle turns around in his bed and with a panicked look "OH MY GOSH!"

Kate looks up from behind his shoulder and toward the bedroom door towards the main portion of the loft "I thought she was in the Hamptons?"

"She WAS in the Hamptons. She's not supposed to be here"

Kate takes a deep stuttering breath then lets it out

Rick looks back at Kate

"Hide!"

"What?"

"Hide!"

"Castle! Are you serious?"

"Yeah! Just duck under the covers! Quick! I will block her view"

Kate pulls the sheet and blanket up and over her head as Castle also makes sure he is properly covered.

He settles onto his side with Kate directly behind him. They finish covering just in time as Martha Rogers enters the open door of her son's room.

She had learned, in the past, that if his door was closed it might as well be padlocked and he was expecting total and complete privacy. Unfortunately, Kate had entered this door without expecting an impromptu visit from his another member of his family

"Mother! What are you doing here? I thought you were staying in the Hamptons for a few days"

"Well I tried to call you last night and got no answer. And again this morning. So when I could not reach you I got worried and decided to drive back into the city"

"Why did you try to call me? Is it something to do with Alexis?"

"No not that"

"What was so important that you felt like you needed to come back to Manhattan?

"Well Richard, there was another article in the Ledger about you and I thought it would be wise to come and check on you?"

"Mother what article?"

"The ten most eligible bachelor's list. You were raised to the number five this year"

"And that justified this mad rush to come find me?

"Not completely. I mean it is what prompted an event that you need to attend"

"Mother, what are you talking about?"

"You remember Sara Green?"

"Yes. The neighbor next door. She lost her husband last year. I think he was in a boating accident"

"Yes, yes. That's who I am talking about. She saw the article in the Ledger and I must tell you she has been asking me about you every time I see her. She asked if it was true. That you definitely WERE single. And I told her you were most certainly eligible…"

It is at that very moment Castle feels a hand reach around his chest and a lovely set of fingernails dig themselves into this torso.

Castle tries to NOT react to Beckett's fingernail action "Mother! You told her that I was available?"

"Well yes, son. I did. And since she has planned an 'I'm Single and Ready To Mingle' party at her house for this weekend I wanted to make sure you were invited"

Castle feels the sharpness of the nails on his chest slide down to his stomach

"You can go and meet all the lovely young ladies at the yacht club. I know several there that are always asking me if I would introduce them to you. So I finally decided I was tired of making excuses for you absence. I told Sara that I will make sure you attend"

Castle reaches down to his stomach to try and protect his skin from further attack

"Mother! You can't commit for me to attend. Anyway, I am not interested in attending a singles party"

"I tried to call you to tell you about the party but you didn't answer. I told Sara that you will come and try to get yourself seen again. So why would I possibly tell her anything different?"

"Mother! You know where my feelings are right now. I am trying to work things out with Kate. I am wanting to have more with her"

Hearing these words gives Beckett a reason to smile while still hiding her presence from Martha. She flattens her hands to his stomach where she just scratched him and runs smoothing caresses across the damaged area

"Yes. Yes I know what you have said. Richard she IS the ONE woman that I would love nothing more than to see you with, but son, she has made it very clear to you that she is NOT available…for now. So what is the harm in you doing something fun for yourself? You have had your personal romantic life on hold ever since you came back from that fiasco with Gina last year"

"Mother I am not interested at all right now"

"Why are you fighting against putting yourself out to the single's world?"

"Mother, I have my reasons. I believe that eventually being in a relationship with Kate Beckett is worth the wait. I want to wait for her. However long that takes"

Kate feels more love for this man that she did earlier this morning, or last night, or yesterday. He has just admitted openly he was willing to wait for however long it took. She rubs her hand even more gently across him. Even to the point of almost tickling his side

"Richard. I do not understand but I am sure you have your reasons. But son do yourself a favor and stop waiting for her…"

Kate feels a tightening in her chest

"…make the first move yourself. Richard you love her. You have loved that woman for years. Stop her, talk to her and tell her you want her and maybe, just maybe things will change"

She waits for the words to soak in to her son

"Kiss that girl while you're both still young, but please do not force yourself on her. If she wanted you she would be here right now"

Kate pops her head out from under the covers and leans on Castle's shoulder

"Yeah she would" Kate says with glee in her voice then she leans in and kisses Rick on the cheek


OK so much for fun stuff. We have a double murder to solve