A/N: Thank you for sticking around with this story. I'm sorry that real life commitments have kept me from writing/updating as regularly as I would like - I just post whenever possible. As usual, thank you Trish for the beta. This chapter's in Castle's POV.

Disclaimer: Not Mine.

Castle fixed Beckett and himself a cup of cocoa, sliding one of the steaming cups toward her across the counter. Now they could get down to business.

"So, what are you doing here?"

Beckett had mentioned a case earlier, but Gina's abrupt departure had interrupted the conversation before it even began. Castle looked across at Beckett to find her eyes downcast. Castle couldn't help but wonder if her evasiveness was due to the uncharacteristic shyness Gina scared her into or her guilt over the row she had caused.

Beckett raised her eyes toward Castle and began to explain. "I guess I thought your offer was still on the table, but there was this case in New York with a terrorist threat, so I was tied up for a while. But I didn't know how things were between the two of us, I mean, after Demming and uh, well, Gina just showing up last week, I guess we had a lot of mixed signals-"

When she brought up Demming, Castle couldn't help but remember his conversation with Esposito. Deciding to haze her a little, he cut in, "So you came all the way up here to what? See if I was really with Gina?"

She hid her face behind her cup at his words and he felt a perverse sense of satisfaction. Sure, he was being rather mean, but Gina must've rattled his partner something proper. He couldn't help but take advantage of the moment - who knew when another opportunity would present itself?

Beckett started backing off immediately. "I understand if you're busy with writing your book, I'll just tell the detectives who are in charge to work the case from another angle."

Okay he wasn't expecting that. Of course he'd help her. "So, uh, tell me about this case, Beckett. Undercover work, you say?"

There. That should be enough to let her know he was interested, but at the same time not sound overly eager.

Beckett leaned forward and began talking in what he dubbed her "Detective mode".

"Okay, so here's what's going on. Vice have been hearing rumours about a small gang who's looking to expand. Word on the street is they specialize in cocaine, tweaking the recipe to give a faster and longer high, and the money they make is being used to expand their empire, so to speak."

Drug money had to be lucrative, but this just sounded a little too far-fetched to Castle.

"Money from crack?" Was she making up a case on the spot? Because this sounded like one of his outlandish stories. She was supposed to be the level headed one in their partnership.

Beckett was quick to correct him. "No, not crack but cocaine itself. The good stuff."

Castle was now confused, and he was sure it was showing on his face. Weren't they one and the same? Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to. Blow, dust, white, yeyo, crack, base - weren't they all just street names for cocaine?

Luckily, his partner patiently explained that besides how it was used – be it smoking crystals or snorting powder – crack and cocaine's difference also lied within it's purity. Now that was something he didn't know. Cool.

She continued to outline the case, giving him details and slowly erasing any doubts he may have had regarding how legit this case was. Fine, so she really didn't just pull this case out of thin air.

He had been hopeful that the case would be a bit more action packed, but maybe he could swing things his way and have some fun whilst undercover.

Beckett stopped talking, picking up her cup to finish her drink. Her words lingered in the air. After a pause, she asked, "So are you interested in helping us out with the case?"

He had wanted to play it cool, maintaining his poker face, but truth be told, he missed working with Beckett. "Of course!" His exclamation bounced off the tiles in his kitchen, causing Beckett to startle. His face broke out in a grin as he gave her a toothy smile.

He could tell that his earlier aloof behavior had knocked her confidence - she tried to mask her mild apprehension but he could read her all too well - and messing with her was all too fun, especially given the heaviness of the night's earlier events.

"Castle!"

Chuckling, he collected their empty cups, shaking his head as he said, "You're too easy to mess with, Beckett. Should've seen your face!"

She rolled her eyes at him, but he noticed the corner of her mouth twitching upwards, and he knew she wasn't really mad at him.

"So we're collaborating with the Hamptons PD right? Any idea who's the detective in charge?" He'd had a few run-ins with the local enforcement, thankfully not a lot that had stuck to his record - his lawyer was very good - but Beckett might need a heads up in case they start things on the wrong foot.

"Detective Brandon? Brady? Something like that. Anyway, we don't have to drop by the local precinct until Monday."

The name didn't sound familiar, so that was probably a good thing.

"Do we know which families these teens come from? It would help me know which circles I should check out."

Beckett shook her head apologetically. "I left New York before they began checking where the families were spending their summers, but the Hamptons PD are liaising with the NYPD so we'll be able to find out on Monday."

Castle smiled boyishly as he straightened, stretching out a hand towards Beckett. "That means we're free tomorrow. You're on my turf now, Beckett, time to play by my rules."

She eyed his outstretched hand, pretending to consider it before rolling her eyes and putting her hand in his, letting him tug her out of her seat.

"What do you have up your sleeves, Castle?"

He repositioned his hands so they were now framing her shoulders as he steered her out of the kitchen.

"Time for bed!"

She lost her footing and stumbled, barely avoiding barrelling into a decorative vase.

"Whoa, easy there, Beckett. Separate beds," he clarified, chuckling. "I'm planning to show you around tomorrow, so it'd be best for you to get some rest tonight."

She regained her footing and allowed him to continue steering her toward the stairs. "I remember someone bragging about an ocean view from his patio-"

"-Amongst other things," he cut in, waggling his eyebrows playfully when she turned around to regard him.

He led Beckett off toward her bedroom, worried she'd get lost in his large and unfamiliar home. He suddenly felt like he had to say something before she closed the door, but none of the words in his head seemed right. Earlier on he could hide behind their usual banter when discussing a case as a defence mechanism to avoid talking about… them. Now, he was at a sudden loss for words. Castle felt like he had cotton mouth as he said, "So, I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Beckett bit her bottom lip, her eyes flashing to stop at his lips for a millisecond before darting up again. It all happened so quickly he wasn't even sure if it happened at all. "Goodnight, Castle."

Their easy bantering had returned, but along with it came something else, something new. Something he couldn't yet put a name to for fear of scaring it.

"Until tomorrow, Detective."

Castle found Beckett out on the patio the next morning, just staring off into the horizon. The sun was hidden behind thick clouds, but the sky was a myriad of different hues. The clear blue waves rushed up to shore, all traces of yesterday's murky waters during the storm now gone.

It was a new day; a fresh start.

He handed her a cup of coffee, taking delight in the way her mouth curved up as she grabbed hold of the cup with both hands, borderline unhealthily possessive as she inhaled deeply before taking a long drag of coffee. Compared to Gina, she was decidedly simple to please.

He sat with her quietly for a few minutes, neither willing to break the silence as they were too enthralled by the sea and the sky. Curious seagulls circled overhead and began landing closer and closer to his patio. Questions regarding Demming burned in the back of his mind but the morning was too beautiful to spoil. "Come on, I'll whip us something for breakfast before bringing you to town."

Since Gina had taken the Ferrari back to New York, they had to make do with Beckett's Harley. She drove them around town as Castle pointed out local places of interests and his favourite hangout spots. Castle finally admitted to not knowing how to ride a motorbike while they were cooling off with some ice cream.

Beckett's eyes widened in surprize when she finally realised he wasn't pulling her leg. "C'mon, Castle, my dad taught me how to ride a motorbike over the weekend - something he definitely regretted when I started saving up to buy my own bike, but I'll have you riding my Softtail by the end of the day." They eagerly finished off their ice creams before Beckett drove him to a secluded stretch of road to begin his lesson.

"Okay Castle, now change gears and go easy on the gas. Easy, easy, that's it, a little less," she encouraged him, the arm around his waist tightening subtly as the motorbike jerked forward. Castle eased up on the gas, letting the bike cruise smoothly along the road. Beckett was a good teacher - surprisingly patient and not condescending in the least. He grinned. Having her arm wrapped around his waist was an added bonus.

She had started out holding on to the back rail, but after a few false starts and one too many close calls with getting thrown off the bike, she warned him not to get any fancy ideas before wrapping an arm around his waist. It stayed there for the remainder of his lesson.

"Now slow down a little and be careful when you take this corner."

He nodded to let her know he heard her, switching to a lower gear as he pulled up along his house. He took the corner smoothly and drove the motorbike into his garage. He killed the engine and waited for Beckett to alight before he kicked the stand down and got off himself. "How was that?" He grinned happily at Beckett, feeling childishly proud but wanting positive reinforcement from his partner and teacher all the same.

"I think my dinner stayed in my stomach," she relented, holding out a hand to get the keys from him.

He replied cheerfully, "Told you there was nothing to worry about, I learnt from the best." She ducked her head and followed him toward the stairs but he could swear there was a tiny grin stubbornly remaining on her face.

Monday morning saw the both of them getting back down to business.

"That's it? That's how involved Hamptons PD are going to be? We do all the grunt work and they get all the credit?"

They'd just ended their meeting with Chief Stinson and Castle was feeling less than impressed, to put it mildly.

Beckett shook her head but remained silent as they stepped out of the precinct, folders clutched tightly in her hands. Castle continued, "Did you see that guy? I've probably seen more action than him!"

At that, Beckett stopped in her tracks, arching one eyebrow and giving him a pointed look.

"Really?"

"Seen more action on the job! Katherine Beckett get your mind out of the gutter. Although, I've probably- no scratch that, I've definitely seen more action than him in all aspects of life." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, knowing Beckett was probably going to clock him in the head.

He ducked, narrowly missing the folder she was holding as they swiped harmlessly where his head had been.

"Chief Stinson's stepping down in a year or so, it's understandable that he would want to go out on a high note." Her tone was carefully neutral. Too carefully neutral. As they got to her bike she turned around, handing the folder to him. Knowing his partner, she respected the paper-pushing chief even less than him. "Look Castle, it sucks that Detective Brady was called out of town last night and we're suddenly saddled with a chief that probably knows more about the Kardashians and Real Housewives than busting a drug ring, but that's the hand we've been dealt and I'm just going to make the best out of this situation. Besides, I think they'd be more of a hindrance than an actual help anyway."

Slipping on her helmet, she straddled the bike in one smooth move and kicked over the engine.

That was so hot-

Beckett interrupted his train of thought. "C'mon, Castle. I'm driving."

A few days passed with the two of them researching the teens and their families and getting Castle acquainted with what the gang members looked like. It was a lot of boring grunt work, but it was necessary. Without Ryan and Esposito's presence, Castle and Beckett had no choice but to slug through it on their own.

Castle finally had some good news to share on their third evening. He rapped out a quick rhythm on the doors to his study which had been converted to their work space.

"Guess who got us into an exclusive luncheon on a cruise that the Smiths, Bradlys, McArthurs, Johnsons, Youngs, and fifteen or so other prominent families are attending this Friday?"

Beckett looked up from her notes, surprise on her face. The families of the involved teenagers tended to attend a lot of the same functions, but getting an invite on such a short notice was slightly tricky, even for Richard Castle. The partners had been compiling a list of events that the families have RSPV-ed and Friday's luncheon was a good opportunity for them, albeit the short notice.

Castle walked over to join his partner, a slight spring in his steps as she stood to join him.

"How did you manage to get us in on such short notice?"

"Alexis used to babysit for the Cobbs and Mrs. Cobbs happen to be on the organising committee for Friday's events." He shrugged his shoulders as though it was no big deal. Mrs. Cobbs had been willing to add Castle and his plus one on the guest list, but only after he made a hefty donation for Friday's cause. Not that Beckett needed to know that.

"That's great, Castle."

"I didn't tell her it was for official police business because some of these families aren't so welcoming towards cops so it'll be Richard Castle plus one on the guest list."

She nodded, telling him, "That's alright. As long as we get on the cruise, right? I can use Katherine Houghton in case anyone knows you're shadowing Detective Beckett for Nikki Heat."

"Houghton?" he asked, wondering why she chose that name.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks reddening a little as she explained, "That's my middle name actually."

She didn't offer the story behind it and he didn't push for more. Judging by the blush dusting her cheeks, there had to be a more personal story behind her middle name, but Castle was secretly pleased that she had chosen to share this little piece of information with him in the first place.

She stammered out another sentence to move the conversation away from her name. "Is there, uh, do I have to- Is there a dress code for this luncheon?"

"Actually, it's a white party."

She arched an eyebrow at him, in that unimpressed, are-you-people-serious kind of way.

"It's the Hamptons! I didn't choose the theme, it's not my fault Gossip Girl was such a huge hit," Castle mumbled the last bit, defending himself from the judgemental looks she was shooting him. It was corny and over the top, but that was the Hamptons for you.

"So, Ms Houghton, care to go for a shopping trip in town?" he asked, shifting their attention back to her instead.

She rolled her eyes. "I think I managed to pack something in my bag."

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that! Please don't forget to review ;)