Hi everyone! I'm SO sorry it has taken me a long time for this update! Between school and the holidays I have been crazy busy. I feel bad that I left you all hanging for so long though. I hope you all enjoy this chapter (finally going to the PARTY!) and I should be able to update again much quicker. Only 1 or 2 chapters left :) Thank you guys for sticking with this story and I really really hope you like it!

Disclaimer: These amazing characters do not belong to me. But if they did we'd already have little Caskett babies.

CHAPTER 10

Kate paused for a second as she got to the door, knowing that Castle was waiting just on the other side. She noticed her hand shaking slightly as it came to a rest on the doorknob. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the sudden onset of butterflies in her stomach. This is absolutely ridiculous, she thought to herself. It's just Castle. It's just…a date? Suck it up, Kate, she scolded herself mentally as she turned the handle and swung open the door.

What's taking Kate so long? Castle wondered to himself. Or maybe she really wasn't taking long at all. It was hard to tell with the way his heart was pounding at the thought of seeing her. It could have been a few seconds or a few minutes for all he knew. He was about to knock a second time when suddenly the door swung open, revealing Kate. A very green Kate. An unbelievably sexy Kate. For a moment Castle lost the ability to speak.

"Wow, Kate…you look, you look stunning," he finally managed to choke out.

And she really did, he thought to himself. She was wearing a deep green dress that reached mid-thigh with tall green heels. Do not stare at her legs, he scolded inwardly, forcing his eyes to travel upward. But that didn't seem to help. Her hair was down and curled in the way that always made him want to reach out and brush his hand across her face and tuck a strand behind her ear. Oh man, her ears…were those little green elf ears covering them? Oh my gosh, she was dressed as a sexy elf, he realized. And to top it all off, the green she was wearing caused her eyes to shine with the deepest color he'd ever seen. He wanted to write novels about that green. Hell, he HAD written novels about her. Yet, here he stood, reduced to near speechlessness.

Kate smiled shyly back at him. "I have to admit, look pretty good in green yourself, Castle," Kate said.

She attempted to disguise the fact that she was checking him out. Although the costume she'd picked out for him was downright goofy, all she seemed to be able to focus on was the way his white long sleeved shirt under the elf jumper seemed to cling to his biceps. Stop it, Kate, she scolded herself. She was broken out of her reverie by Castle touching her arm lightly.

"Shall we head over to Lanie's? Or do you need any more time?" he asked.

Kate shook her head. "No, I'm ready, let me just grab my purse."

"Really, Castle? You still have the Christmas lights up in here?" Kate said raising an eyebrow at her date for the evening.

Castle grinned. "We are going to a Christmas party, Beckett! I like to keep things festive," he stated matter of factly.

Kate suppressed a grin. The truth was, aside from her nervousness about her colleagues' reactions to her "costume", she couldn't remember being so excited about a party. And sitting here in Castle's towncar, close enough that their legs were almost touching; she felt the same contentedness as the day they went shopping. There was something about him that simultaneously made her heart race and put her completely at ease. She fought the urge to reach over and interlace their fingers.

"Thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight," Castle said after a few moments or comfortable silence.

Kate smiled at him. "It's the least I could do I suppose," she said. "I did sort of con you into being an elf," she added, along with flashing the coy grin she knew he loved.

Castle faked a gasp, dramatic as always. "So you DO admit to being a cheater?" he exclaimed.

Kate rolled her eyes. He definitely was Martha Roger's son. "A bet's a bet, Castle."

"I think you'll find that I always make good on my bets, my dear detective…even if they do require me to dress in costume." Castle replied teasingly. "I have to say it's well worth it if I get to have you on my arm all night, Kate," he continued in a more serious tone.

Kate fought back a blush and the butterflies she'd been trying to ignore all day made a violent comeback. She thought for a moment about what to say before deciding to go with banter.

"Think you can charm your way into getting me under the mistletoe later, Rick?" Kate said lowering her voice and purposely dragging out the K in his first name.

Castle gulped noticeably and was about to reply when the car stopped. They had arrived at Lanie's.

Kate laughed to herself. If only Castle knew how little charming it would take to get her under mistletoe. She was the one in trouble.

Lanie was nervous. And Lanie Parrish did not get nervous very often. She liked that she was tough. That her glares could scare even the fiercest detective or officer away if she wanted them to. But here she was, in her steadily filling apartment, looking around anxiously as if Javier was going to pop out from around a corner at any moment. This was not ok. She fixed one of those signature glares on herself in the mirror.

Lanie Parrish, you will NOT act like this over a man, especially not Javier Esposito, she told herself.

She had to talk to him. In actual words, spoken at a normal volume. She let out a sigh. That was the real problem. She had to admit to herself they both had horrible tempers…and equally amazing passion. Yeah…she had to figure this thing out. Even she couldn't be stubborn forever.

Besides, she was sooooo looking forward to seeing whatever happened between Kate and Writer Boy tonight. So she plastered a determined look on her face as she strode back towards her living room.

But just as she was about to round the corner at the end of her hallway, she ran smack into something. Something solid and Latin that knocked her backward into the wall.

"Javier Esposito! Why are you walking towards my bedroom?" Lanie managed to exclaim, rubbing her elbow, which had collided rather painfully with the wall.

Ugh, I didn't even make it a minute without yelling, she mentally scolded herself. ,

Esposito jumped back with a sort of deer in the headlights look on his face while Lanie stood there crossing her arms across her chest, waiting him out.

He finally broke, saying, "I…uh, just was thinking maybe we could talk you know, before everyone gets here….if that's ok with you?"

Lanie sighed. Better get this over with, she thought as she nodded and pulled him back down the hallway.

Once they were in her bedroom, Lanie motioned for Esposito to sit down with her at the edge of her bed. No more being stubborn, she reminded herself as she took a deep breath.

"Javi, I'm sorry!" she said quickly at exactly the same time as Esposito exclaimed, "Chica, I miss you!"

They looked at each other incredulously, as if neither believed what the other had just said. A few moments passed in awkward silence before they both burst out laughing.

"Really, Javi?" Lanie asked cautiously.

"Hell yeah Chica, I know I've been kinda a jerk since that double date with Jenny and Ryan…"

"Kinda a jerk?" Lanie teased, putting extra emphasis on the word "kinda" with a raised eyebrow.

"Ok, ok, I've been a jerk but I really do miss you," he said while looking entirely too handsome. "And I was hoping we could maybe work this out," Esposito added as more of a question than a statement.

Lanie smiled. "You know I miss you too. And I've been equally stubborn. I'm sorry Javi," she said. "And I'm sure I can think of a few ways you can continue apologizing," she added in a sultry voice.

"Mmm, that's definitely something I miss," Esposito said, his chocolate eyes growing even darker.

Lanie felt like a weight had been lifted. She knew they needed to talk more but that could be done later. After they enjoyed the party. After she filled him in on her bet with Kate and how amusing the rest of this party was really going to be. And especially after she showed Javi just exactly where that mistletoe was located.

"C'mon Javi, let's go…I have a surprise for you," she said.

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