Disclaimer: Same as always, assume it always will be.

A/N: Sorry it's really long!

Chapter 10: One Man's Legacy

Castle exited the cab and adjusted his tie. He hated ties but he felt it was appropriate to wear a full suit when meeting a Senator in his own home, especially for the first time. With that in mind he had chosen a black suit with a light blue shirt and matching black tie. He approached the door and knocked, ill at ease about the entire strange situation. The door swung open to reveal an older man wearing a grey suit, his tie hanging loosely and his hair dishevelled, particularly around his temples, as though he had run his fingers through it too many times. "Richard, I'm glad you came. Come on in."

Rick followed him into his study before speaking. "Senator, can I ask what this is all about?"

Carter's hands found their way to his hair again then he turned to face Rick head on. "Before we say anything I want you to have these." He picked up two old journals and one fairly new one and handed them to Rick, who wore a thoroughly confused expression. "What's written on those pages is more important to me than anything. Those are all the words I've ever wanted to say to you…It's cruel, when I finally get the courage to do so, time, that dear old friend, has turned and stabbed me in the back."

Rick paused for a moment then spoke, "I don't follow…"

"I'm your father, Richard." Rick stopped everything; even his once steady breathing came to a halt. Seeing Rick's reaction he continued faster than he had intended. "You're holding all the evidence I can offer you…short of a paternity test, which I will give you, if that's what you want." He was almost pleading for Rick to believe him.

"I…" His throat was dry and his voice refused to cooperate. "I…" He couldn't think. He couldn't breath. "You…you abandoned us?" It wasn't as much a question as it was a statement, but his sense of his reality was suddenly blurred. "You left Mother to raise me alone…" His mind was racing again.

"Richard….please…" Rick's heart seemed to be trying to escape his chest, it was beating so hard and fast he half expected it to burst free right then and there. The room seemed to be getting excruciatingly hot and small, very quickly.

"How long have you known?"

"Rick…"

"How long?" His every muscle clenched and he remembered the pain of all those years watching everyone around him with their dads; in the park, building sand castles on the beach, going to sports events, learning to swim, learning to ride a bike and play catch, having someone to turn to when he was too embarrassed to talk to his mother, at graduations, when he shipped out his first time, his only fear had been for his mother and who would look after her. All this pain, fermented into rage, was boiling in his veins as he looked at the one man who could have, no, should have saved him from the weight of a cruel world crashing down on his then young shoulders.

"I knew from the beginning. Martha told me she was pregnant…but we had already broken up and I was running for office and-" Rick cut him off in the middle of his begging.

"You knew? You knew this whole time…and you never even once tried to contact me!"

"I was scared! I didn't think you would want to see me! The voters would have turned on me...!" Rick couldn't take it any more. His tie had grown unbearably tight. He needed air. He needed it fast. He turned and walked out, prying his tie from his neck. "Richard?" Carter followed him onto the street. "Don't you walk away from me!"

"Like you did to us?" Neither man noticed they were in a very public place and were drawing a good deal of attention. "I waited for you." Rick's voice was low and oozed the disgust he now felt at the thought. "I dreamed, for years, of the day you would walk through the door and tell me you had been searching for us and that you'd never leave again…I used to dream that you were someone great, someone to be proud of…and I got you!" his voice was raised again. "A worthless coward!" He hailed a cab and climbed in.

Carter watched him leave, mentally kicking himself for not staying calm, he had known it would be a hard thing for Rick to hear but had lost himself in the heat of the moment.

Rick dropped the journals he had inexplicably been unable to release until that moment onto the couch and picked up his phone. Before he knew what he was doing he hit speed dial three. His mind caught up with the rest of him as the answering machine picked up his call. When he heard the familiar voice answer; "You have reached the desk of Detective Kate Beckett, I can't come to the phone right now. Please leave your name, number and message after the beep. I'll get back to you as soon as I can," he briefly considered leaving a message and taking her up on her offer to get back to the caller. He hung up before the beep sounded. He was even angrier at the realisation that she would never get back to him, whether he had left a message or not, because you can't go back to a place you had never been. Instead Rick called his mother's mobile.

"Richard, Dear, where are you? Alexis is already onto her second match."

"Tell her I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it…something's come up."

"What are you talking about? You've not missed a competition since she started. Is it a case?"

"No…" He couldn't contain his temper much longer, "Does the name Charles Carter sound familiar to you, Mother?" His voice held more spite than he had intended as he asked the rhetorical question, but then again, she had lied to him his whole life.

"Oh, my…Richard…I-"

"Save it, Mother… I don't need anymore lies." He fought to hold back the tears that stung his eyes. "Can you look after Alexis today?"

"Of course. You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

"Like the police horse incident? No, I don't need to embarrass anyone else this time. I just need to clear my head."

"Ok, Honey. I'll stay with her."

"Thanks…I'll see you later." He hung up quickly, afraid that he would lose control and break down. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a sudden, intense, need to see Jess. He dialed her number.

"Saint-Clair," She sounded so professional and serious that he chuckled a little, even in his mood such an oddity seemed to deserve some recognition.

"Jess, it's Rick."

"Rick!" He could hear the smile in her voice, which made him smile, despite the metaphorical gaping hole that had replaced his chest. "Hey, what's up?"

"I just needed to hear a friendly voice."

"Why, what happened?"

Her sincere concern made him want to tell her, right then and there. "You remember that call I got yesterday? The one from Senator Carter."

"Yeah…?" The question in her voice was expected.

"Well, he wanted me to meet him this morning, so I did…"

"What happened, Rick?" She was worried about him and he knew she wouldn't even think about denying it; after so long pretending to not care and feigning a strength he didn't feel it was enough to make him want to share his every hurt with her and trust her to make him smile again.

"He's my father…" A moment's silence made him uncomfortable and he was starting to regret the lapse in his defences when she replied.

"How does he know? He just came out and told you like that?…right out of the blue? The bastard!" She stopped herself and took a few calming breaths before continuing. "Sorry…what happened then?"

Rick told her the story and was pleased when she took his concerns and feelings seriously and confirmed that he had every right to react the way he had. She also encouraged him to contact his father, once he had sorted through his feelings and knew what he wanted, and to work things out. She was supportive, like he had hoped and was more comforting than he remembered any woman, not related to him, ever being. Except maybe that one time Beckett had told him that she wanted him to stick around, he was certain, however, that Jess really did mean what she said and would never turn around and use his moment of weakness against him.

"Rick…why don't you come visit me? I'm due for my lunch break soon…and we have a gym upstairs. It's not as good as the one you usually go to…but I'm at this one…what do you say?" He really wanted to say yes, without any thought, but he didn't want to interfere with her work, he was used to Beckett's 'Work comes before anything else' policy.

"I don't know…You're working and-" She cut him off before he had a chance to say anymore.

"Rick, I want to see you. I'm a little unsure how to tell you this…I have another motive too. I need to ask you a work related favour. Special Agent Shaw found out we're together and she wants me to get your help-"

"Shaw? As in Jordan Shaw?"

"Yeah…I take it you know her?"

"She ran the investigation into the psychopath that was after Beckett. Is she the one they brought in after…?"

"After we lost our last celebrity…It's okay, you can say it. Yeah, she is."

"Well, since I won't be interfering… I'll be there in twenty."

"See you then." They hung up and Rick grabbed his duffel bag. He found a clean pair of dark green, mottled cargo pants, a black tank top and a dark gray wool sweater, stuffed them in his bag with his runners and a towel before heading out the door.

Jess smile to herself. She enjoyed Rick's company and after the previous evening when he had kissed her on their first actual dinner date she was more than fairly sure he liked having her around too. The smile didn't fade a bit as she continued her work, though she was distracted by her memories of their first night as a couple.

The scene flowed through her mind like the highlights of a great movie. They stood outside her apartment door. She could see the sunrise through the window at the end of the hall, its golden light lending a sense of dreamy surrealism to the moment. His hair had somehow been mussed when they danced. He had taken her to a small Italian restaurant and then to a little known studio his friend owned. He had set candles and had music playing. They had danced most of the night, followed by a quiet stroll in the park. She hadn't thought it could get any better until she found herself looking into his deep blue eyes and losing herself in the moment. "I had a great time, Rick." She fumbled with her keys for a second.

"So did I." His smile was easy and relaxed as he hung his coat over his arm. "I'd really like to take you out again, soon."

"I'd like that." That was when he leaned in and she felt her breath catch.

He whispered to her, "I'm going to kiss you now." She could feel his breath caress her cheek, then his mouth brushed against hers, just enough that her lips tingled at the sensation. The tingling spread through her entire body and her eyes slid closed in anticipation. She felt him smile through the little contact they had. It seemed like forever but was really no longer than a fraction of a second, but when she could no longer restrain the need for his kiss she closed what gap there was between them. Her arms found their way around his neck and his hands were on her waist in no time at all. She deepened the kiss and he didn't resist. They soon found themselves inside her apartment her back pressed against the back of her closed door. Things had moved quickly from there and she had woken up satisfied, with his arm wrapped around her waist. That moment had set her day on a very positive path.

"What's got you so happy?" The deep male voice tore her from her musings. "Paperwork's never gotten that reaction from you before."

She looked up at one of the agents on her team. He was a long term friend of hers. He was smiling in a way that told her that he knew something was happening in her life that she hadn't told him about yet. "That's funny, I don't recall saying it had anything to do with the paper work…" She knew she would probably cop a ribbing for what she was about to tell him but she wanted to share her joy and she hadn't kept many secrets from him since the academy. "I may have met someone…"

His smile grew even brighter, which she hadn't thought possible. "What's his name? How did you two meet? And for goodness sake, when are you seeing him next?" He had been trying to set her up with half the guys he knew for months but she'd never aggress to a second date. She hadn't gotten over her last serious boyfriend, but by the excitement in her eyes he felt safe in assuming that he was now a thing of the past. He had always thought the guy was a bit of a tool anyway and couldn't understand what Jess saw in him. He pulled over a chair and sat on it, the backing between his legs. His enthusiasm reminded her of a school girl. She laughed at that thought but couldn't resist playing along. It was rare that she had anything good to share about her personal life and there was no way she was going to let the moment pass her by.

"His name is Richard Castle-"

"That novelist you love? The one who's books you read over and over again?"

"That's the one." She laughed again at the change of expression on his face. He went from indignant disbelief to stunned in seconds. She gave him a moment for it to sink in before continuing. "When I went home in my lunch, after Johnson's shooting, he was walking down my street. He had been having a bad day and was trying to clear his head. When I was getting in my car to come back I saw him trip over and I couldn't not help, not once I'd heard the crack his head made when it hit the sidewalk and he wasn't getting back up immediately."

"So you stole the poor man's heart…it was love at first sight-" He did a fairly comical impersonation of a love struck teenage girl and batted his eyelashes. She chuckled but smacked him good naturedly across the arm anyway. She couldn't let him tease her on the job without some ramifications. She was his boss, after all.

"Actually," She said pointedly, though her eyes still shone with happiness, "We talked for a while, then we spent a few evenings together." She noticed the change in his smile that told her he had interpreted her statement to mean something it didn't and decided she had to straighten that out before Rick arrived. "We just talked and shared a few meals, that's all."

"Sure it is." He winked. "Continue."

"Well, yesterday we sparred, hand to hand, to take my mind off things-" He laughed his disbelief.

"He knows hand to hand? I'll bet you wiped the floor with him!"

"Actually, he beat me." He shot her a look that said 'You so let him win.' "No, really, he did. He's ex-military, Harrison. He knows his stuff."

"He's ex-military? Seriously? He looks kind of…clumsy."

Jess was about to come to her new boyfriend's defense when a familiar voice distracted her. "I'm glad you think so. I go to great pains to have people dismiss me as defenseless and childish… they're less suspicious of you if they think you're inept." Rick was smiling as he approached them, holding his duffel bag so that it hung over his shoulder.

"Rick! You got here quickly." She jumped out of her seat, suddenly overtaken by the desire to be close to him and feel the warmth of his touch.

"Yeah, I got a good cabbie." He recognised her eagerness; he had a tendency to do the same whenever Beckett entered the room. Rick mentally slapped himself for thinking of Beckett when he should be enjoying a moment with his girlfriend. He almost curled his lip in disgust at the word; it was so juvenile, so childish. Partner. That was a better word.

"Good, because I was starting to miss you." She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips, but pulled away quickly when she remembered that they had an audience. Rick noticed the red tinge to her cheeks as she pulled away and looked at her shoes. Smiling to himself he snaked his free arm around her waist and held her close against his side as he turned to face the man Jess had been talking with.

"Hi, there. I'm Rick Castle, Jess' latest squeeze." Both men laughed as Jess; face flashed red with embarrassment and she hit Rick's chest. "Ouch! What…? You so should have seen that coming." His grin was brightened when she conceded the point with a tilt of her head before she wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "Call me Rick or just Castle. It's up to you."

"Hi, Castle. I'm Special Agent Carl Harrison, Jess' underling." He winked at the man he already felt he was going to like. "Call me Carl or Harrison."

"Nice to meet you, Harrison." Jess smiled to herself at the way the two most important men in her life at this point were openly accepting each other as part of a team they had yet to truly form. She couldn't have hoped for a better reception.

"Are you ready to get your butt kicked, Ricky?" He laughed when he saw the smile on her face; it could only be described as playfully evil.

"I think you'll find that it is you who will suffer the humiliation of losing, to an author no less. Tut tut tut. However will you face your colleagues?" He made a show of false realisation as he continued, "Or did you enjoy having me on top so much that you let me win?" He shot her an equally false look of accusation.

The red of her cheeks grew even brighter and she looked from Rick to Harrison in horror. "I…you…no…"

Rick thought that he may have pushed things far enough for the moment and took the ball from her court. "That's a pity…I certainly enjoyed having you under me, thought I wont complain about the times you were on top. I learned a thing or two when I had the chance to watch you from the floor… Excuse us please Harrison, I think the lady is planning ways to hurt me and make it appear an accident. I think it would be better for me to let her exhaust her rage before she gets too many ideas." The men laughed as Rick turned to Jess. "Lead the way, fair maiden."

Jess rolled her eyes at him to hide her musings from him until she had thought them through herself. She was well aware that he was trying to charm his way out of any trouble he may have just gotten himself into. If she was honest with herself, which she often was, she found it absolutely adorable. She did, however, worry that he felt it was necessary. Jess knew him well enough to know that for the most part Rick's overt attempts at charm, which he pulled off flawlessly, were actually his most effective methods of self preservation. He shielded his heart behind a mask of unaffected humour and charm, the same way he tried to appear nonchalant about everything so that people would assume he was an arrogant fool and not waste their time lashing out at him. The thought that he had learned that this act was necessary, especially in a personal relationship like theirs, made her chest tight and her eyes sting with unshed tears. He was a good man, father, son, a fierce friend, and she cared about him deeply. She cursed the experiences that had forced him to close himself off to the world the way he had. The fact that he had continued to love as easily and profoundly as he did while trying to protect his heart by not allowing himself to hope that anyone else was capable of love, so he could justify the loneliness he felt everyday as an unfortunate twist of fate, however, made her love him more.

'Hold on a second. Love. When did she start loving him? She hadn't known him that long. But he had opened up to her so easily and quickly that she was undeniably aware that she knew him better than most of his older friends. Ha! Friends! He had confided in her that he didn't have many of those, if any. Not true friends. He had hundreds of fans; thousands of people knew his name. He had told her how lonely his life had become since he began to spend time with the Detectives of the 12th Precinct. He watched them daily, he knew they tried to include him but he had realised, over the last week, that he would never have that strong of a bond with anyone. Their relationships were established and he was an add on at best. He hadn't told her the details but she knew something had happened the day they met, something that had brought that realisation home to him, something that he regretted not having noticed before he had lowered his defences and exposed his heart... Maybe it was his surprising depth that had first drawn her to him as a person, maybe it was his irrepressible humour, or his undefinable flair for life. What ever it was that caused that first spark, she knew herself well enough to know that it had grown. The man who, at that moment, had his arm around her waist had managed to draw her in. She longed to be beside him whenever they were apart, she wanted to hear him speak, Rick could make the most unexpected topics interesting, more than that, she wanted to hear him laugh, see him smile, feel his arms around her. When he was sad she wanted him to know that he could cry on her shoulder and not have to fear anything, because she wanted to protect him, to make him feel safe, the way he did for her. She wanted to give him her heart…she already had. She couldn't say when she had started to love him, but she did and that was that.' The realisation brought about a fluttering in her stomach that could only be described as the beating of butterfly wings. It also made what she had to ask of him that much harder. She had hated the idea before but now she hated herself for being the one to ask it of him. "Before we start, you and I need to talk to Shaw."

"Of course... Jordan! How could I have forgotten? Lead the way." Unwrapping his arms from around her he noticed the disappointment in her eyes and laughed on the inside. He offered her his arm and felt his heart lift at the tenderness and joy he saw in her eyes as she accepted it. In that moment he decided that he would put away the memories and pains of the past and do everything he could to make things work with Jess. The only real opposition to this resolution was a certain NYPD Detective, but he knew what he needed to do to remove that potential obstacle and he would do it, because he and jess deserved to have a chance at love. He would push Kate Beckett from his mind and though he knew she had left a mark on his heart, one that he would never be able to get rid of, he would ignore it because if he didn't it would haunt him until the very end. He was tired of always being the giver and never the receiver. Now he had found the ying to his yang (so that sounds dirtier than it should) and he wasn't going to let her get away without a fight.

Jess lead Rick to an office at the end of the corridor and knocked. When a muffled reply came they entered and Rick took in the room. It was basic, almost bare, but the windows admitted a large amount of sunlight and the mahogany desk was covered in papers. There were a few family pictures on the walls. A large bookshelf covered one whole wall and a pot plant seemed to be the only thing, other than the photographs, that showed that the occupant was not a total workaholic. Behind the desk sat the very person they had come to see. She looked up from her paperwork and smiled as she recognised the man standing before her, arm linked with the agent she had come to assist. 'What is it with him and integrating himself into the hearts of almost every law enforcement officer he met? The man could probably charm national secrets from CIA officials if he were of a mind to.' She wanted to laugh at her musings but then a serious question occurred to her, 'Where was Detective Beckett in this picture? Had Beckett not listened to her when she told her that there was more between her and Castle than either of them realised at the time? She hoped, despite her professional priorities, that Saint-Clair and Castle were just good friends and that Beckett and Castle were more, but her hopes were dashed when she recognised the shared grins that spread across the faces of the couple in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind that Castle was at least partly invested in the relationship that was blooming before her very eyes. Oh, well. She had told Beckett what she could, if the woman had chosen to let that kind of love slip through her fingers she didn't deserve the devotion Castle had given her.' "Castle! It's great to see you again."

"You too, Shaw. I'll admit, when Jess here told me you were the one they sent in I immediately began looking for an excuse to come by and see you, but Jess saved me the trouble. She said she wanted to see me and that there was a favour you both wanted to ask of me. So here I am… ask away."

"Straight to the point, hey, Castle? Not the approach I remember..." She was amazed to see him blush. From that very action she knew that something big had changed in Castle's life since she had last seen him. "Strangely enough it seems to suit you though."

"Yeah…I decided a new approach to a number of things in my life was necessary."

"Gutsy move…good for you, Castle." She reassured him that she was sincere with a smile and then continued. "We want you to go undercover on our case and be the bait for a serial killer."

Jess was horrified that Agent Shaw had just come out and said it…just like that…as if they were asking him to hand her a cup of coffee. She instinctively gripped him tighter, afraid that he would run from her side at the request. She decided that if he did she would certainly give Shaw what for, the chain of command be blowed.

Rick winced slightly, mostly at the painfully tight grip Jess suddenly had on his arm. He appreciated Shaw putting it straight for him, however much it startled him. She spoke her mind without mincing words and it was one of the things he liked most about her. The room had gone quiet and he noticed that while Shaw was looking to him for a response Jess was glaring at Shaw in a way that, had looks been able to kill, would have had Shaw collapse to the ground never to rise again. He held back the smile that threatened to break onto his face. He thought about the possible ways this could go. If he said no there would be no ramifications to deal with. Jess would not hold it against him, he knew that for certain, but she would be working longer hours away from him than if he said yes, and she would have to worry about the case longer than if he was helping to solve it, well, that was a possibility. If he said yes he would be putting himself and his family at risk. Acting as bait for a serial killer was never particularly beneficial to one's health. It would, however, help him explain his sudden preoccupation with things other than Nikki Heat.

Rick knew many of the details of the case. He had been Jess' sounding board on more than one occasion. Someone out there really didn't like male celebrities dating below their social class. Their MO changed with every killing, so the authorities were able to convince the press that they were unrelated, but preceding each murder a note had been delivered to the next victim. Usually they said something like; 'I will stop you.' 'I won't let you hurt her.' Or, his personal favourite, 'You'll pay.' He hadn't seen the notes, but Jess knew each of them by heart. How could she not? They knew the key was in the notes, but they were stumped. They had tried to find a history of violence or anything off about the way the victims treated the women they were with, but they each came up clean, which was surprising given the hype about celebrities mistreating their romantic partners of late. One man had been shot by a sniper at one hundred yards, one had been killed in a hit and run with a large minivan that had been stolen the day before, another had been poisoned with arsenic in his Champagne when he was toasting his engagement, one had overdosed on tranquilisers administered by a dart positioned in such a way that he could not have possibly have done so himself, an the latest victim had been drowned in his bath tub the night of his wedding rehearsal. There had been no collateral damage, none of the family members had been hurt or saw anything out of the ordinary, except the sudden caution taken by each couple. The FBI suspected a professional gone rogue was behind the string of murders, but they couldn't find any thing that linked the victims except their celebrity status and their relationships. They were all dating a woman of the working class and each couple was either serious or getting there. That was when it dawned on him. They had all been in relationships like his with Jess, only they had established that they were both in it for the long haul. He still didn't know if Jess was as committed to him as he was to her. 'If he said yes how would he know what was real and what was for show?'

He looked at Jess, the fear plain in his eyes. She felt her heart break when she saw it, she had wanted to protect him from that, but she had failed and it tasted bitter in her mouth. "Rick. You don't have to. I will understand and-" he cut her off.

"There are a few things I need to know before I make my decision." He waited until both women nodded for him to continue. "First, who would I supposedly be in a relationship with?" He thought he knew the answer but he wasn't going to risk misinterpreting the situation.

"Me." It was Jess who answered and he felt relieved but his silent question was brought back to the forefront of his mind.

He nodded in acceptance of that slight comfort. "Second, can you protect Alexis and my mother?"

Both women looked at each other, neither one surprised that he had asked that so soon, and then nodded their agreement. This time Shaw spoke. "The Un-Sub doesn't go after family members, but we will have them taken to a safe house outside of the city and assign a protection detail to each of them 24/7 until this is sorted out." Seeing the hesitation in his eyes she continued, "We will have a qualified teacher from the area, one who has passed a thorough check, keep Alexis up to date and organise a way for her to sit any exams she may be away for. We will keep tabs on the details at the school. As for Martha, she can stay with Alexis if she wants, or, if she is adamant, which I doubt she will be, we will assign a detail to her at her house with her partner."

"Why am I not surprised you know about Chet?"

"We asked around, got all the info we could before bringing you in on this. We didn't want to put you in an unnecessarily awkward position."

"Thanks." He smiled ruefully at her declaration. "Third," He turned to face Jess head on then. "How will I know what's real and what's not?" He hadn't meant to say it like that. He sounded desperate and unsure. He couldn't help that that was how he felt.

Jess was taken aback by the sudden pleading in his eyes as much as she was by the question and the fact that it had come up in front of an audience. Rick saw her hesitation and felt his heart sink. 'Had he misread her attachment to him? Had he assumed their relationship was more than it really was?' He wanted to get out of sight quickly. He turned to leave but her hand caught his and she brought him back around to face her. He saw the determination in her eyes as she used her other hand to bring his face up to look her straight in the eye. He was about to speak again when she slid her hand around to the back of his head and pulled him into her as she kissed him. It took a second for the surprise to wear off and then he found himself deepening the kiss. She pulled away then, remembering the company they were in. She waited until he opened his eyes, he hadn't even realised he had closed them, and then she spoke. "Was that real…? Rick, I care about you more than I care to admit given our present location, you need to know that. While much of what we do in public may be for the job, everything that happens in private is just that, private, it will have nothing to do with my work or this case. If you have any reason to doubt something I've said or done, ask me when we're alone and I will tell you the truth. I won't lie to you, Rick, especially about this." She indicated their relationship by pointing first at him then at herself and back again.

He felt himself grinning and knew he had to look like a sugar hyped child having a lollipop waved in front of his face but he couldn't have cared less. He was happy, happier than he had been in a while and he didn't care who knew it. He wanted to wrap her in his arms again and kiss her until she knew how much her words meant to him. He stepped towards her and she laughed, sidestepping his advance but gave him a peck on the cheek to show that she did want some contact. "Down, Tiger. You'll need all the energy you can get to beat me later, no sense wasting perfectly good motivation by giving in that easily."

Shaw sat back in her chair watching the exchange silently. She wouldn't say it out loud, it wasn't her place, but she could see that, while he was definitely invested in the relationship she saw developing in front of her she had seen what he was like with Beckett and knew that something was off. She could see that he was pushing himself towards Saint-Clair emotionally, but it seemed more like he was pushing himself away from something.

"Tiger…?" He was being playful again and that gave her the reassurance she needed to get through hearing his answer. She wanted to encourage 'playful' as much as she could in the current situation.

Shaw couldn't complain, at least his pushing had lead him to something that become great. It was still early days, but she had confidence in him.

"Would you rather I call you 'Ricky,' again?" A mischievous grin washed over her face and a matching twinkle filled both their eyes.

"Well, now, that depends, doesn't it?"

"Depends on what?"

"It depends on where we are, who we're with and what we are doing or about to be doing?" A seductive smile over rode his features and she laughed again.

"Let's finish this later, when my superior isn't watching us." A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face before he regained control of the situation.

"Sure…sorry." He smiled at Shaw. "Fourth, do you want me to do it?" He had aimed the question at Jess and both women were well aware of the fact.

"I…um…" She looked into his eyes again and swallowed hard. "Honestly…? As your girlfriend…no. I want you to say no and throw it in our faces. I want you to stay out of any situation that would put you in danger. I would understand though, if you did, because that's who you are. You're the guy who's always willing to help out a friend." He stood there, stunned at her open confession, it seemed like this was the day for them, they just kept coming and he felt selfish but he didn't want them to stop. "As an FBI Agent…I want you to say yes. I think this case would benefit from your involvement. I want to catch this guy and I don't think I can do it without someone going undercover, and I want that someone to be you. You have a military background, so I know you can handle yourself to some extent and know how to follow orders…when you want to. I also know that you are more familiar with our procedures than most celebrities, considering your recent involvement with the NYPD."

There was a long pause while Castle sorted through everything he had just heard and everything he knew about the case. He considered the impact this was going to have on his family, but, strangely enough, over the last few days he had begun to include Jess in his definition of family. He had seen how heavily this case weighed on her and he knew that even after she went home from his loft she didn't sleep much. The case was eating her alive and the latest victim was the worst, they had had him in their protection but the killer had still gotten to him. Jess had started second guessing everything; he knew this despite her best attempts at hiding it from everyone. He had wanted to fix it, now he had his chance. "Partner," with one word he had her completely confused and had Shaw even more enthralled than before, if that was possible. "If we're going to do this you're going to have to get used to the term partner. Because that is what we will be presenting to the world." Deciding that they had covered enough heavy topics without any respite he took it upon himself to correct that oversight. "Besides, if I'm going to be working closely with you on this I will be your partner in crime…or is that partner in crime fighting…? Either way, like it or lump it, we're partners."

Neither woman could hide their smiles and Rick felt the mood change. He preferred it like this. He could think without the weight of expectations pulling at his mind. "So you'll do it?" Jess was mentally trying to adjust to the thought of calling him her partner, it was a surprisingly pleasant experience.

"Yeah, I'm in. Now tell me will I be spending my days here or will I continue at the 12th?" Jess suddenly remembered the stories she had heard about the famous Detective Kate Beckett and wanted to tell him to give up the 12th and Nikki Heat but knew she couldn't. As she had those thoughts she remembered the fear in his eyes when he thought she wouldn't really be his, that it would all be a lie, and her fears were brushed aside. She took comfort from knowing that he was hers and she was his, no Detective was going to get in between them.

"You'll need to continue doing what you normally would, only in a way that people will believe that you are in a serious relationship. If that means staying at the 12th, then that's what you need to do." Shaw answered for her, saving her from revealing her thoughts before she was ready.

"I can do that…Shaw, do you have papers for me to sign?" He knew she would, Jordan Shaw was not the type of woman to be unprepared in the event that she got her way, or if she didn't for that matter. That was just another similarity between her and Beckett. Shaw produced the papers and he signed them. They were basically the same as the ones he had signed for the NYPD when he first began to shadow Beckett. "Okay, Jess. Now can we go beat up on each other?"

Shaw shot a look at Jess. For her own part Shaw knew that Castle had phrased it in a way that would make it sound horrible and embarrass Jess. He had succeeded, and while Shaw felt a slight tinge of sympathy for the woman who had just signed up for a very interesting partnership, she couldn't help but play along. She did have a sense of humour, after all. Jess looked just as horrified as they had expected and hurried to correct any misconceptions. "He means spar… We are going to spar… on the mats… in the gym upstairs." Castle and Shaw both burst out laughing at her awkwardness.

TBC

A/N: This chapter was a lot longer originally, I split it into two so that it was both a manageable reading length and it seems to work better like this. I hope you enjoy.

Eliza