Author's Note:

Before you start reading, please keep in mind that it is still late February in this particular universe. Less than a week has elapsed since the beginning of the story.

This chapter goes to IMW. I probably would have given up on the story long ago without her encouragement. Thank you so very much for your constant help with not only this but with the last couple of chapters. You're truly the best. :)

Disclaimer: In no way do either Castle or its characters belong to me.

Kate awoke hours later, still dressed in the cashmere shift she had donned much earlier in the evening. She quickly realized she was not in her bed but in her living room. Empty wine glasses lay abandoned on a side table while Rick's coat still adorned the back of a chair, reminding her she was not alone.

Sitting up, her eyes drifted to Rick, whom she spotted staring intently out the window. She smiled as she remembered their evening. The two had conversed for hours, interrupted only by a phone call from an already frustrated Alexis. Sick of endless shopping trips after only three days with her mother, the young girl had turned to planning her upcoming trip and had wanted to run a few of her ideas by Kate, unaware of the detective's date with her father. Kate hadn't alerted her to Rick's presence, not wanting the redhead to feel as if she couldn't call her whenever she wanted. As Alexis had rambled on, Kate had listened, interjecting when necessary yet thoroughly impressed by the obvious effort her youthful friend had put into her preparation. However, Kate hadn't been the only one to be impressed.

Rick had quickly determined that his daughter was on the other line, her peppy voice being far from quiet when animated, and spent the duration of the conversation warmly watching his girlfriend. His eyes had lit up as she and Alexis laughed, his mouth twitching as he fought the urge to join them. That Alexis was the center of Rick's world was no secret, but that he so earnestly approved of Kate's connection with the girl was something she couldn't help but find intimidating. As her time with Alexis truly was a pleasure, she had no founded reason to worry, yet she was weary of making a wrong move and damaging not one but two relationships.

Kate knew that these fears traced back to her childhood, her disapproval having caused many of her parents' romantic alliances to end. Rationally, she also knew that not a single of her relationships with any of those people could be compared to the friendship she now had with Alexis. The girl had sought her ought for advice long before Kate had begun to seriously consider the possibility of pursuing anything with Castle. The two had bonded and their friendship had quickly been formed. Alexis often turned to Kate, and Kate in turn welcomed Alexis. Forcing herself to keep this difference in mind, Kate had been able to push her fears to the far corners of her mind for the remainder of the evening.

Watching Rick now, Kate allowed her thoughts to drift back to the conversation that had followed Alexis' phone call. Always curious, Rick had made several connections of his own while listening to Kate's half of the call.

"Considering how often Alexis has been turning to you about this trip… Just how much does she know about your time in Paris with your mom?"

"She knows I've spent quite some time in the city and that it was an enriching experience. She just doesn't know the specific circumstances surrounding my year abroad."

Rick nodded, his eyes soft as he followed up her response with another question,"Why do you guard the memory?"

Kate surveyed him before answering,"You're the writer. What do you think? Why would Nikki Heat guard something like this?"

"You're not Nikki Heat," Rick replied, his unexpected answer drawing Kate's gaze to his own. "No?"

"No. She isn't quite tall enough."

Kate smiled softly at his expression.

"Then, why do you think Kate Beckett would secure such a memory?"

"Ah. Well, Kate Beckett is a different story. She's much more selective of her company, protective of her past, unwilling to share it with the wrong person. She doesn't want those who look into her past to only see the tragic and to overshadow the rest with pity, especially when it comes to her mother. She cherishes every memory, wishing to preserve each and every one for as long as possible not because she lives in the past, but because her past has shaped her into the extraordinary woman she is today. Hence, her memories remind her of who she is, affirm her daily choices, and inspire her future. Unwilling to relinquish them into the wrong set of hands, she guards them while she figures out whether or not her companions are worthy of her trust."

From their very first case together, Rick had been able to read her with unnerving accuracy. Though she had come to expect the unexpected from him, this was something she had yet to get used to as she found his observations to be unsettling yet oddly occurrence was no different.

Shifting her eyes from the ottoman on which they had been fixated, Kate met his gaze.

"I think you have your answer."

While such topics might have constrained her conversations with others, it had only deepened theirs.

Quietly, Kate slipped into the buttery leather flats that lay at her feet and made her way behind the couch, curious as to what had caught her partner's attention. Shivering slightly as she neared the frozen window, Kate took in the swirling mass of snow that was quickly covering the city streets. Having sensed her approach, Rick shifted his attention from the storm to her, pressing a kiss to her hair and looping an arm around her as she nuzzled into his side.

Kate gave him a sidelong look, pointing out, "You're still here."

"I'm hardly one to sneak out in the middle of the night."

"That goes against the Rick Castle image, don't you think?" Kate teased.

"Somehow, I don't think I would be here if I fit the Rick Castle image as seen by the public."

"Somehow, I think you're right."

Rick grinned, hugging her closer as they lapsed into a comfortable silence, their thoughts drifting along with the snow. Eventually, it was Rick who put an end to the stillness, his breath tickling her ear as he cautiously spoke her name.

"Hmm?"

"I keep thinking about what you told me, and I can't help but wonder… Have you been back to Paris since that year?"

Kate frowned ever so slightly at the question. Rick Castle was nothing if not a schemer.

"Once." Pushing her curiosity momentarily aside, Kate smiled wistfully. "My mom let me plan the summer after graduation. We spent most of it in Europe, and I made sure to end the trip with ten days in Paris. My grandmother was with us that time, so I have a different - wonderful, but different - set of memories from that visit."

Rick considered this.

"Would you like to go back?"

Kate shifted so that she was standing in front of him, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. She assessed his gaze, finding tacit assurance that he wasn't partaking in any kind of subterfuge. Satisfied, she answered.

"Eventually, yes; but as of now, the memories are still too raw."

Rick nodded, his lopsided smile assuring her the subject would be laid to rest… for now.

Morning brought with it the end of the storm and the smell of sizzling pancakes, drawing Kate from the peaceful slumber she had encountered after her early morning discussion with the man who was now making himself at home in her kitchen. Taking in the sight of her boyfriend busily bustling about, Kate padded into the room. This was the second time she had seen him making breakfast this week, and she couldn't help but hope it was a sight she would often behold from now on. She smiled as she watched him pour pancake batter onto a griddle. Yes, she could certainly grow accustomed to Richard Castle bustling about her kitchen.

"Good morning."

Rick rested the spatula beside the growing stack of pancakes before turning to greet her and drawing her into a kiss.

"Good morning."

Kate moved to wrap her arms around him as he turned back to the stove.

"I smell coffee."

Rick chest rumbled under her arms as he laughingly replied, "There's a pot adorned with your name on the table."

Kate leaned up to kiss him on the cheek before moving to pour herself a cup of the aromatic substance.

"And this is why I let you spend the night."

"You and the blizzard."

"Oh, it had nothing to do with the snow. I just didn't want to leave the apartment for brunch."

"And here I thought you saw me as your boyfriend."

"Nope, just as my personal chef."

"You wound me, Detective."

Kate chuckled, leaning against the counter facing the stove, mug in hand.

"I think your ego can handle it."

"Beckett."

Kate's phone had rung, interrupting their leisurely breakfast. Seeing as it was Esposito, it was likely to interrupt the rest of their day, as well.

Kate sighed as he filled her in.

"Lex and 64th?"

Jotting down a couple more notes, she promised to get there soon and hung up.

"Case?" Rick asked, less enthusiastically than on any previous occasion.

Kate gave him a sympathetic look.

"It seems like blizzards get in the way of just about everything but murder."

Stuck in traffic several minutes later, the couple amused themselves by discussing their strategy for dealing with their coworkers. Both had agreed that keeping their relationship to themselves, with the exception of their direct families, was best for the time being. Kate knew she would be able to keep up her usual stance towards Castle on the job; he, on the other hand, was hardly known for being able to hide his emotions…

"So, what are we going to do when we get to the scene?"

"We act normal. I make a few witty observations, impress everyone with my perceptive skills. You roll your eyes numerous times, all the while secretly swooning at my brilliance, and give Ryan and Esposito a few orders, and then we get out of there and go make out in the car," Castle explained enthusiastically.

Kate couldn't help but smirk. Despite the emotional sensitivity he had shown her lately, underneath it all, the same, annoying fifteen year old remained.

"Ha. Ha."

"You said we were supposed to act normal," Castle innocently stated.

"And by that I meant professional…"

"That would be my attempt at professional. Besides, they would know something's different if I suddenly become too serious."

Kate sighed her consent.

Castle grinned. They both knew about the precinct bet in which everyone had participated and were determined to prevent the victory of their friends. They had no doubt that Ryan had tipped off the rest of the trio on Friday and that at least one of them had changed their bet to the current date.

"So I was thinking… we can come out on… say April 5th?"

He wasn't really saying what she thought he was, was he? Then again, he was Castle and the Castle she knew was hardly one to keep out of a wager.

"Wait… You're in on the bet? That's so-"

"Brilliant?"

"I was going to go with cocky."

"In all fairness, there was no doubt that we would get together eventually," Rick stated confidently. "It was sure fact."

"Was it, now?" Kate asked, pulling into a parking spot.

"Indeed."

Kate gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand before reaching for the door handle.

"Let's go."

Walking close yet without invading enough personal space to attract abnormal attention, they made their way towards the crime scene. Behind the yellow tape, Lanie Parish could be seen crouching beside a pool of blood, its kiss staining the city slush. Bright crimson glared up at Kate, reminding her that the gray much was not, in fact, the worst thing in the world.

Arriving at the scene, Kate announced their presence.

"What have we got?"

"You're not going to believe this one."

"Try me," Kate and Castle challenged simultaneously.

"Cute." Lanie looked them up and down, muttering, "It's below freezing on a Sunday morning and you two still manage to be in sync." Entertained, she shook her head before moving on to the case, "I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before. Should interest both of you. Especially you, Castle. Let's just say it seems like just the type of murder weapon that you would create in one of your books."

Lanie's gaze flickered between the duo before she gestured up, causing Castle to exclaim as he took in the cold induced additions to the ridge of the structure.

"Seriously?"

Lanie nodded amusedly. "Mhmm. The shape of the wound indicates that his abdomen was punctured by a foot long icicle. The angle, however, as well as the location of the wound suggests that this was not an accidental case of falling ice. "

Castle's eyes lit up at the description. He was surely reveling in all the plot possibilities.

"This is so cool!"

Kate rolled her eyes at the Castle-ism as the man in question took off to scrutinize the scene and turned back to her friend in disbelief.

"Deliberate stabbing by icicle? Really? "

"Oh, I'm quite serious," Lanie deadpanned. "I made sure you were put on the case. I know this sort of thing is right up your alley."

If Kate wasn't confused before, she certainly was now.

"Thank you?"

"Come on, girl! Icicle. Stabbing. Melting finger prints. You do like the freaky ones, after all, and if thisdoesn't qualify as freaky, I don't know what does. I thought this would be the perfect welcome back mystery for you."

Kate stared at the M.E. as she took in her explanation. She couldn't help but admit that her best friend was being truthful… and thoughtful. She did like the challenging cases, and this was certainly an interesting one.

"That's… sweet? Creepy - very creepy - but sweet nonetheless. Thank you."

Lanie smiled, giving both her and Castle knowing looks.

"Anything to increase the time you and Writer Boy spend together."

"Lanie!"

"What? I'm just reminding you of what all but you two idiots can see."

"And that would be?"

Lanie smirked.

"Just that the two of you enjoy each other's company."

Kate snorted just as Esposito called out, waving her over to the alley adjacent to the building.

"Hey, Beckett!"

Allowing the corners of her mouth to twitch upward as she left the medical examiner behind, Kate made her way over to her fellow detective. Lanie might have been right, but she wasn't going to give any additional fodder to her speculation by acknowledging the truth. Her friend could certainly wait for another day to tease her about her sidekick. For now she just wanted to finish her job at the scene, free of gossip, and get back to enjoying her day with Rick. The rest would come later.

"Castle!"

Rick had made his way partly down the block, surely contemplating a backstory to the crime, but he jogged over as she beckoned for him to accompany her.

"Miss me already?" he whispered in her ear, allowing his hand to subtly graze her own as he arrived at her side.

Kate suppressed a smile and briefly hooked her pinky through his. Maybe the suggestion he had made in the car hadn't been his worst idea.

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