Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or the recognizable characters who appear in this story. Any other names, for characters or businesses, are fictional, uncompensated, or are in the public domain.

"Urgh?" says the master of the written word.

"Still asleep? Lazy," chides Beckett from the other end of the call. "If you can manage to get yourself moving, we've got a drop. I just sent you a text with the address. You coming?"

"Mrph," Castle answers, his language skills still queued up behind the effort to crack an eyelid.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Beckett laughs, pretending to understand his monosyllabic nonsense. "Coffee sounds wonderful. See you there."

"Arnk," he answers, hearing her chuckle as the line clicks off.

As tempting as it is to drift back to sleep with her voice echoing in his ears and enlivening his imagination, it's a distant second to actually seeing her in person, even with the colossal inconvenience of having to leave his bed. So, with just a few more groans that might be imprecations, Castle lurches into action, getting himself cleaned up quickly. He prods around his eye as he finishes shaving, happy that the discoloration is virtually gone. He'll have to come up with new fodder for stories at the precinct. Though, he thinks ruefully as he looks at his watch, Beckett might give him another battle wound if he doesn't get his tail moving.

Thirty minutes later, he's stuffing bills into the hands of a cabbie who's now very glad he consented to idle his car while his fare dashed into a coffee shop. Pulling away with a jaunty and proscribed toot of the horn, he leaves the tall man juggling two large cups on the curb.

"'Bout time you got here," Beckett calls out from the doorway of an apartment building, where she's leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. "They've already cleared the scene," she says with a gesture to the door. "You missed all the fun."

Shaking his head, Castle approaches with a smile on his face, delivering her coffee with a small bow. "You clearly need this caffeine to clear your confusion." When she receives the coffee with an extended hand and upturned brow, he explains. "It's pretty obvious that 'all the fun' is still right in front of me."

With a blushing laugh, Beckett ducks to take a quick sip. "How do you do that? You went from grunting like a caveman to flirting within an hour."

"You're my muse, remember?" he answers with a devilish grin, taking a moment to sip his own drink while letting his eyes linger on his partner. "You inspire many thoughts and feelings, only a small portion of which can be put in a book."

Swinging alongside him, Beckett knocks shoulders to distract from her deepening blush. "Do you really expect me to believe that just because they're not in a book they're not written down?"

"I would never," Castle answers virtuously, using his free hand to clutch at his chest to ward off the false accusation that would otherwise smother him. "And on a totally unrelated subject, you wouldn't believe the security protocols I've got on my laptop."

Cutting him a distrusting look, she starts them walking toward her cruiser. "You'd better," she answers, parting from his side to walk around the front of the car. "After all, I'd want to know that any… personal photos were well protected," she suggests with a wink before slipping into the car.

It takes a short tap on the horn to snap Castle out of his shock.

Sliding into the passenger seat wearing a lovely blush of his own, Castle looks over at his partner. He's about to follow up on the photo comment – how could he not? – when she interrupts him.

"Vic's name is Shawn Bean…," she starts, raising a hand too late to stop Castle's explosion of laughter.

"That guy?" he Castle laughs in delight. "He dies all the time! It's what he's known for. How'd he die?" Castle asks excitedly, talking over Beckett's attempts to quiet him. "Beheading? Grappling gun to the neck?"

"Castle…"

"Pierced by about a hundred arrows? Run aground on a rocky shoal while impaled on an anchor?"

"Castle…"

"Forced off a cliff by stampeding cows? Dropped onto a radar dish?"

"Castle!" Beckett finally shouts, ending his fun. "Different spelling – our vic is S-h-a-w-n. He wasn't an actor. He was a grad student."

"Oh," Castle answers, deflating. Then, noticing Beckett's withdrawn posture, he gets a gleam in his eye. "A grad student studying…," he trails off, leaving a blank for Beckett to fill.

"Cinematography," she admits in a low tone.

"Yes!" Castle cries happily, pumping his fist. "Seriously, Beckett. Sean – I mean Shawn – Bean, studying film, and getting killed? I can't even tell you how many theories I've got already, and you haven't even told me how he died!"

"Nice to see that years on the job have taught you somber respect for the departed," she grouses as she pulls into traffic, grumbling to herself.

"That right there is a classic Beckett diversion," Castle says knowingly, and annoyingly, from the passenger seat. "So, how'd he die?" he asks, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I don't think you're conducting yourself with the proper decorum to get an answer to that question," Beckett replies tartly, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Okay, multiple choice then," he replies without a pause. "Let's see if I can do these in chronologic order…"

"A fork!" Beckett interjects, unwilling to let Castle get started again. "It was a fork, okay?"

"A fork?" Castle asks incredulously. "He was stabbed with a fork?" Watching Beckett's exasperated nod, he thinks about what he missed. "I can't believe I didn't see the crime scene. Must've gotten him in the carotid artery?"

Biting her lip, Beckett shakes her head again, wondering at her partner's innate ability to hone in on the odd details. "Well," she says, bracing for another explosion, "it was an artery, but not the carotid."

Castle furrows his brow before looking wide-eyed at his partner. "No. Not the…"

"Femoral," Beckett anticipates, nodding.

"But that would mean he was probably…,"

"Naked," Beckett admits, nodding again.

"So he was naked – not nude – and got stabbed in the groin with a fork?" Castle repeats, looking a little queasy. "Pretty sure I didn't see that in a movie. I take it back," he decides. "I'm glad I missed that crime scene. What'd Lanie say?"

"It wasn't Lanie," Beckett answers, keeping her eyes on the road even though she'd like to see his reaction. "It was Perlmutter."

"Now I'm really glad I missed that scene," Castle vows, lapsing into silence for several long minutes.

After another five minutes, he seems to have exhausted that topic of thought and manages to engage again. "Sorry, it's just – a fork! Anyway, where are we going?"

"Espo's checking with the school and Ryan's pulling phone and financials," Beckett replies crisply. "Shawn had a day job – we're heading there to talk to his boss, see if there's anything worth running down."

"I think I'll refrain from speculating on his job," Castle demurs, pulling a smile from his partner.

"Too many options?" she teases, shocking him by engaging where he'd pulled back. "After all, if he's like his namesake, he could've been a spy, a northern king, a corrupted warrior…"

"You've already got me hook, line, and sinker, Beckett," he smiles in response, delighting in her unexpected playfulness. "You don't have to boost your hotness even higher by showing off your movie knowledge," he says while she laughs. "Though it is pretty hot to hear you talking about spies and northern kings."

"Glad to oblige, partner," she answers with a wink. "But it's time to get serious. We're here. And look – a familiar setting."

Craning his neck to take in the building, Castle nods and huffs a laugh. "It's been awhile. Although Jonathan Tisdale's long gone, the poor guy. Wonder if his company is still here."

"We can check on the directory," Beckett says as she parks and exits the car. "We're looking for a company called Endeavor Ventures."

"Sounds fake," Castle speculates as they walk toward the building they've been in once before, back on their first case together.

"Why do you say that?" Beckett asks, brow furrowed.

"They're synonyms," Castle answers with a shrug. "It'd be like taking the subway train to visit the Risky Gamble casino in Townville. It's contrived. So, it's probably either a front for something or fake."

"Must be nice to just make all this stuff up," Beckett grouses, reminding him of her demeanor during their last case here. "If you don't mind, though, I think I'll still investigate," she offers with false consideration, striding toward the security desk.

After flashing her badge at the disinterested security guard, Beckett enquires about the office location for Endeavor Ventures.

"Never heard of 'em," the bored guard replies, leaning back in his chair and frowning as if providing that answer caused him to exceed his budgeted energy for his job today.

"Would you check, please?" Beckett asks while pointing at the computer on the desk, though it's clear this is a command, not a request.

Heaving a put-upon sigh, the guard makes a show out of scooting himself to the terminal, using two fingers to hunt and peck through about 20 different screens. Each slow clack of a key seems to elevate Beckett's blood pressure until Castle recognizes the signs of an incipient eruption. Thankfully, just as he's about to intervene, the security guard turns and confirms that a firm by that name or anything similar is not a current tenant and never has been.

"Thanks for your effort," she offers sharply before turning on her heel and heading toward the door. Castle lingers slightly, offering a conciliatory smile and chatting with the guard before spinning to catch up to Beckett.

She's leaning against the cruiser with her arms crossed and foot tapping when he emerges from the building, tapping on his cell phone.

"Beckett…," he starts as he approaches the cruiser, but gets cut off.

"Don't," she warns, hand outstretched. "I don't want to hear about your great prognostication skills."

Pursing his mouth, Castle's unsure about how to proceed. Blowing out a breath, he decides to take a chance. "I know the clock is ticking," he admits in a low voice, stepping close to focus on her, "but – walk with me?" he asks, surprising his partner. "Just for a few minutes?"

Beckett surveys him for a moment, then pushes off the car and steps beside him, setting them on a walk.

"You okay?" he asks gently as they walk, having decided without speaking that they'd do a lap around the building.

"Yeah," she sighs. "Just a little tense, I guess."

"I've got a solution for that," he replies while trying to tamp down his smile. "But seeing as I just got rid of my black eye, I think I'll avoid earning a new one by suggesting it."

"Who knows, Castle?" she asks while cutting him a sly look. "What makes you so sure that would be the physical reaction I'd choose?"

Following her comment about photos, this unexpected reaction has him chuckling and even blushing a bit. Beckett's apparently interested in playing today.

"This is the part where I get all excited and then you break my heart by telling me that you're better with your kick than you are with your punch, right?" he asks warily.

"Well, I was going to comment on the things I can do with my legs," she replies, running a hand down her flank while looking unabashedly at Castle's waist, "but if you'd rather talk about getting kicked…"

"No," he says hastily, after a large swallow. "I like your idea better. Go ahead," he encourages.

"Six words, Rick," she says, husking on his name to make sure she's got his attention. "Yoga," she purrs. "Lots and lots of yoga."

She knows her message's been received when his eyes glaze over and he needs to shake his head to continue walking in a straight line. His befuddlement makes her laugh and helps improve her mood.

"Thank you," she starts to say before Castle unexpectedly interrupts her.

"For that image?" he asks in delight. "No, thank you."

"Not what I was talking about," she chuckles in reply, "but still a fun thought," she winks. "I was thanking you for cheering me up, for not bragging about sniffing out Shawn's fake job."

Surprisingly, Castle seems to grow a little serious. "It helps that we're here," he says, gesturing to the building. "Helps me appreciate how far we've come. Back then… well, back then, I was an ass. I certainly would've strutted around."

"And now?"

"Now," he ponders, thinking out loud. "Now, I've learned. Well, a little bit," he hedges, prompting a laugh from his partner. "Now it's more about doing things right, with you, than it is about trying to impress the hot detective."

"I don't know, Castle," she replies, bumping hips with him, "you're still pretty impressive. Especially when you say things like that."

He looks so surprised, so delighted by her reply, that his whole countenance seems to brighten. It reminds Beckett again that a few kind words can go a very long way, especially with her partner. With a quick look around to make sure the coast is clear, she closes the distance between them and leans up to drop a quick kiss on his cheek, pulling away even before he can react.

"Come on," she says quickly, before her shocked partner can say anything. "We've still got a case to solve. And," she trails off uncomfortably, "I should probably apologize to the security guard."

"Don't worry," her partner replies, pointing them toward her cruiser. "I chatted with him a bit. He said thanks for his lunch, which should arrive in about half an hour."

Of course he cleaned up her mess, she thinks while shaking her head. That must've been what he was doing on his phone when he exited the building. Cleaning up her mess and cheering her up. And sniffing out case issues even faster than she expected. And all that was a prelude to some sweet words reflecting on the growth of their partnership.

"You're a good man, Rick Castle," she says quietly, bumping him again before breaking away to approach the driver's side of the car. "And a good partner."

Even though he thinks this is a case, she laughs to herself as she watches him smile, Castle is absolutely acing this date.

A/N: I'd hoped to get farther than this, but it's a fair stopping point and lets me post something in case the hurricane (even though it's a state away!) knocks out my power. The next chapter, whenever I can post it, will pick up where this one leaves off.

As far as the A/N from last chapter, I'm going to finish this story before pursuing something new. Not sure there'll be time left for the Halloween story, but I hope so.