A/N: i'm baaaaack! :D i cannot tell you how good it is to be writing again! this semester is KILLING me, though, so i've had to get creative ... these first two one-shots were both written by hand while i was at work, lol. this semester from hell also means i'll be updating more towards Friday & Saturday on a regular basis. and yes, i know my original plan was to update in fours, but this season is only 22 episodes, which doesn't fit evenly, so i'll be choosing my updates rather arbitrarily. aaaaand i think that's all the notes i have for you, lol. without further ado, enjoy!

A Deadly Affair, #1

Kate Beckett didn't need a partner.

She'd spent the majority of the summer convincing herself of this. Sure, a partner could be helpful. A partner could also be smart, creative, charming, sweet, and a damn good laugh to be around.

Key word: could.

Most of the time, a partner was a distraction. Just another body to get in the way. Another person to worry about. So she'd operated perfectly happily by herself for four months – just her, Ryan, and Esposito. Exactly the way she liked it. There was no need to worry about those two up and leaving, and she knew it wasn't just their paychecks making them stick around.

But when she was able to bounce theories off of someone again, she was reminded about how helpful a partner could be.

When she landed hard on the dirty cement floor of the burlesque club's warehouse and heard bullets whizzing overhead, she was reminded just how much a partner could come in handy.

When she found herself in an alleyway with the two suspects, she was reminded that having a partner could be lifesaving; instead of herself resembling human Swiss cheese, it was the killers getting holes punched in them.

Okay, so maybe Kate Beckett could use a partner.

But Castle?

Again?

He'd left her utterly shattered, not once, but twice. Twice. Hell, she wouldn't put up with that crap with a boyfriend. Why was Castle any different?

…Ah, the age-old question. Kate doubted she'd ever truly figure out the answer. All she knew was that here he was, asking for a way back in, and she was giving it to him.

She'd figured out the connection between the three victims a full day before he had (a fact that she truly wished she could lord over him). She'd stood there for a moment, a bit shell shocked, a bit thrilled with herself, and fully knowing what she had to do. Well, what she had to not do.

He'd figure it out; there was no doubt in her mind about that. And when he did, he'd win the bet. But the best part? She'd get her partner back, and on her own terms. He'd left against her wishes, and would only get to return because of them.

It was times like these when she marveled at the ironies of life (or, uh, signs from the universe).

She did experience fleeting moments of self-doubt. What if he didn't figure it out? She could only stall the investigation for so long. And what if he discovered what she was doing? Well, beyond the initial awkwardness, that might not be an entirely terrible situation… but getting past that awkwardness? Oh boy. That would be terrible.

And what if he left again?

But when she looked at him, she knew. When he looked utterly remorseful after (finally) realizing what he'd done wrong. When he brought her coffee. When he won the bet, but was willing to agree to her terms if she really didn't want him around. When he looked at her with such respect and joy when she told him he was welcome to stay…

She knew.

Kate Beckett didn't need a partner. But she wanted this one.

A Deadly Affair, #2

"If he's convicted, could I be the one to drag his ass down to holding?"

Kate Beckett cracked a smile and looked away from the observation glass, her gaze falling instead on Esposito, who was standing directly to her right. "If?"

Esposito laughed.

"Come on, Beckett," Ryan said from her left. "You don't really think he did it, did you?"

Kate sighed, and focused her eyes once more on a sight she never thought she would see again: Richard Castle on the opposite side of the interrogation table. Chewing her lip, she thought of everything she knew, everything she'd thought she'd known, and everything she clearly didn't know. "No, I don't," she answered finally. "But right now, he's not Castle. He's a suspect. And we have to treat him as such."

The door to the observation room opened, and Captain Montgomery stepped inside. "Beckett?"

She turned to face him. "Yes, sir?"

He surveyed her for a moment. "You know I'm supposed to tell you that you're too close to the suspect to do this interrogation. And then I'm supposed to order you off the case."

Kate nodded, torn between relief and disappointment. "Yes sir, I did know that."

"Well, I'm not going to do that."

The attention in the room audibly sharpened.

Kate couldn't quite believe her ears. "You're not?"

The captain shook his head. "If there's anyone I can trust to keep things professional during an interrogation, it's you. Especially now, since I'm putting my own neck on the line for you on this one," he added with a pointed stare.

She smiled. "Absolutely, sir."

"But Beckett, let me make something clear. If you feel like you can't hold it together in there, you are to get out, understand?"

"Yes sir."

"I would be more than happy to finish this one off for you."

"Um, sir?" Ryan interjected. "Don't you mean 'finish this one up'?"

"That's what I said."

Kate, Ryan, and Esposito exchanged glances.

Satisfied, Montgomery turned to the glass. "Beckett?"

"Yes sir?"

He narrowed his eyes conspiratorially. "Let him have it."

She smiled. "I'll do my best."

Striding confidently out of the ob room, Kate gave herself a moment's pause outside of the interrogation room. She took a deep breath and attempted to quell the wave of hurt, anger, and betrayal that washed over her. The man in this room isn't Castle, she told herself. He's a suspect with the same name.

He broke your heart.

No, he didn't. I've never met this man.

He left you.

This is going to be the first time we've ever spoken.

He might've killed a woman.

Now we're on the same page.

Finally filled with the correct kind of anger, Kate yanked the door open and stepped inside.

"Something's different," Rick commented. Yes, Kate thought savagely, you are. "Did you remodel?"

Still focused on her task, mind impressively clear, she sat down and looked him in the eyes for the first time in four months. "You've been informed of your rights, Mr. Castle?"

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "You're not even going to ask me how my summer was?"

"You are aware that you're under arrest for murder?"

"And I thought you were being rough with the cuffs just for fun."

Kate bit the inside of her cheek. Hold it together, girl, come on…

His gaze softened. "You look good."

Shit.

He's Dead, She's Dead

"Beckett."

"Hey."

Kate knew something was wrong as soon as she answered the phone and heard his voice. Call it a gut instinct, or woman's intuition, or maybe it was just because she knew him so well. But she could tell that something was definitely off.

"What's up, Castle?"

"Uh, I'm not going to be in today. For awhile, at least."

"Is everything okay?"

Silence.

"Castle?" she prompted, her concern quickly growing. "What's wrong?"

"You remember me telling you about Chet, right?"

She quickly racked her memory. "Yeah, I think so. He's your mother's boyfriend, right?"

"He was, yes."

"Was? Did they break up?"

"Well, that was the plan…"

"Okay, Castle, what's going on?"

"He's dead."

"What?"

"He had a stroke in his sleep two nights ago."

Kate's stomach dropped. "Oh my god, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," Rick answered heavily. "Mother's really upset, so I'm going to stay home for a bit in case she needs me."

She felt a sudden surge of affection. "Of course. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks," he said again, but this time she could hear the hint of a smile in his voice.

"And I'll assume you don't want the boys to know."

"Wow, it's like you've done this whole 'grieving' thing before."

She chuckled. "Ya know, once or twice. And Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"If any of you need anything, please let me know."

There was a beat of silence before he spoke. "Thanks. I really appreciate that."

"But let me guess; you're not going to need anything, right?"

He chuckled. "You know me so well."

She smiled. "Well, as long as you know the offer's on the table."

"I do," he said softly.

Kate cleared her throat awkwardly, attempting to ignore all the pleasant feelings that had no business existing at this point in time. "Alright, well, I should really get back to work."

"Yeah, probably," he said, sounding equally as flustered. "I'll let you know when I'm coming in when I know."

"Sounds good. Bye."

She ended the call and actually took a step towards the bullpen before stopping in her tracks. I'll let you know when I'm coming in. Isn't that what couples do? Let each other know their plans? Was this significant?...

She narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment, before quickly shaking her head to clear it.

"Something wrong, Beckett?" Karpowski asked suspiciously as she exited the bathroom.

"Yes," Kate answered. "I'm completely ridiculous."

Under the Gun

Rick Castle had had one hell of a day. From adding Mike Royce to the suspect list on the murder board in the morning, to arresting a group of murderous treasure hunters in a graveyard at night, it had been like living a day in the twilight zone. At the end of the day, he thought he'd be ready for anything. But, knee deep in a graveyard and gritty with sweat and dirt, he realized that there was one thing that he was most certainly not expecting.

After leaving the precinct, he and Beckett had hurried to her car, both trying to hide how excited they were. They arrived at the graveyard and quickly found their way back to the original dig site. Grabbing the shovels that were left there, they counted rows and stones and set to work.

"So," he'd begun excitedly as the first divots began flying. "What are you going to do with your half?"

Kate glanced at him amusedly as she stopped digging briefly to take off her coat. "My half?"

"Of the treasure!"

"First of all," she said, pressing her shovel into the dirt, "we might not even find anything here, so don't get your hopes up too much. And second, we are not keeping anything we may find."

"But—"

"No."

"But—"

"Castle, do you know how morally wrong it would be for a cop to keep the score that a man whose murder she investigated was killed for?"

He blew a raspberry at her.

She laughed. "Sorry to poop your party."

They worked for a few moments in silence before he spoke again. "Hypothetically speaking…"

She groaned jokingly. "Oh, here we go."

"What would you do with fifteen million dollars?"

He barely had time to blink before she answered. "I'd move out of my crappy apartment," she said with a laugh, tossing another shovelful of dirt onto the growing mounds.

He half chuckled, not entirely sure if she was being serious. "It's really that bad?"

She shrugged. "Not really. It's just not home, ya know?"

"Mmm," he hummed in agreement.

"And what would you do with fifteen million dollars?" she asked. "Actually, a more appropriate question would be; what would you do with another fifteen million dollars? Wait, let me guess… a robot butler? A rocket car? A spaceship?"

"Have you been reading my Christmas list?"

She threw a dirt clod at him.

He ducked, and laughed. "No, I'd probably set up a fund for Alexis. Ya know, just in case. Maybe give some to my mother so she can get her own place and get out of mine…" Kate laughed, and he grinned. "I'd probably donate a lot of it. I don't really need any more."

He glanced at her and, though she didn't say anything, he could tell that wasn't the answer she was expecting. He was content enough with that, at let the silence stand as they continued to dig deeper and deeper into the ground.

Every now and then, he'd sneak a sidelong glance at her face. She'd gone through hell (yet again, he mused angrily) in the last few days, and he was no idiot. He knew there was no way she could be as 'okay' as she claimed to be. As time wore on, he noticed the spark of excitement in her eyes begin to fade. When the small crease appeared between her eyebrows, he decided it was time to take action.

"How about we take a break?" he suggested, heaving another shovelful of dirt out of the now sizeable hole.

"Fine by me," she said, wiping sweat off her face with her forearm and sitting down on the edge of the hole.

He sat down beside her. Unsure how to broach the subject, he watched her nudge her foot into the dirt for a few moments before speaking.

"Don't do this to yourself."

She looked at him. "What?"

He sighed. "You know what. Questioning everything in your past that has to do with Royce."

He watched her chew the inside of her cheek for a few seconds before answering.

"I just feel like it was all a lie. I thought he was perfect, infallible, but the whole time I've known him, he's secretly been after this treasure. Everything's contaminated."

"Look, I've only known Royce for three days, but even I could see how much he cares about you. He obviously has some morality issues, but even after years of not seeing her, he kept a picture of his old partner in his closet." Tears welled in her eyes, and he nudged her comfortingly with his elbow. "He did right by you."

She swallowed hard and worked to find her voice. "And what if I end up like him? What if I lose my focus that much?"

He waved a hand airily. "You won't."

She looked at him. "How can you be so sure?"

He looked at her disbelievingly. "Have you met you?"

"You have a lot of faith in me," she said, her voice a mixture of pity at the fact that he could be so naïve, and awe.

Rick merely smiled, and silence fell again as she blushed rather furiously and looked away.

When she felt safe enough that her face had returned to its normal color, it was her turn to break the silence. "I told Royce that I caught my mom's killer."

"I figured."

"He said it was stupid of me to shoot him."

Rick felt distinctly awkward. "Oh?"

Kate nodded, and smiled slightly. "But he spews a lot of bile, doesn't he?"

This is huge, Rick realized. He grinned. "Well I certainly think so!"

She laughed and scratched her cheek, leaving a smudge of dirt behind.

He pointed at it. "You've, uh, got some dirt on your face."

Narrowing her eyes, she reached down to rub her hand in the dirt before smudging her fingers across his cheek. "So do you."

He nodded solemnly. "Touche."

She laughed. "Let's get back to work, shall we?"

He smiled and they stood up, wincing slightly as their shovels touched their sore hands, and resumed their work. Barely ten minutes had gone by before Kate froze with her shovel in the ground, eyes wide.

"Castle. I think I found something."

"Puh-lease," he said, continuing to dig. "I used that trick earlier, you're not gonna get that one over on me."

"No, I'm serious."

"What?" He turned to face her. She removed her shovel from the dirt and jabbed it back into the same spot. Distinctly audible was the clank of metal on metal. "Holy crap. I think you found something."

It was as if someone had lit a fire beneath them. They dug vigorously and soon unearthed a rectangular metal tin; a treasure chest.

"Holy crap," Kate breathed. "I didn't think we'd actually find anything."

"Honestly? Me neither," Rick said.

"Let's just keep in mind that this still might be a ruse," she cautioned. "Let's not get our hopes up too much."

"Right," he agreed. "Good idea."

Together they hoisted the box up onto the grass. There was a beat of silence as they stared at it, silently praying that it was what they thought it was. With fingers shaking with adrenaline, anticipation, and built up emotion, Kate pried open the top to reveal hundreds of glittering gems.

She let out a very un-Beckett-like whoop of excitement and burst out in giddy laughter.

"YES!" Rick cried jubilantly.

Without thinking or knowing exactly what he was doing, he turned to her. Evidently she'd had the same idea, and threw her arms around his neck in a brief celebratory hug. Forgetting who they were, he lifted her momentarily off the ground, but as he set her down and they separated, she didn't seem to care.

"I can't believe this is real!" she exclaimed as they clambered out of the hole.

He grinned, and flopped down onto the grass. "You did it!"

She looked at him, confused. "Me?"

"Yeah. You did everything you told Royce you would do. You did it."

A look of realization crossed her face, and she smiled. "No. We did it."

He smiled softly, and rolled his eyes heavenward. "And you wonder why I have faith in you."

She laughed and laid down on the grass as well.

"Ya know," Rick commented, gazing at the sky. "I fell in love with my first girlfriend because she was the only person I knew that didn't think I was stupid for wanting to be a writer."

Kate's eyes filled with tears. He had known she was lying when she told him she was putting on an act. That simple comment was enough to tell her that he understood, that he didn't think she was crazy and idiotic and naïve. And in that instant, she knew she had a true partner and a true friend. Whatever life might throw their way, they'd tackle it. And they'd tackle it together.

And together, they lifted the box and walked in tandem back through the graveyard and out to the street.

A/N: i kinda like this last one :). talk to me!