Back to Where We Have Never Been

A/N: I take someone saying that they really did not want to like my story but ended up loving it anyway as the ultimate compliment. :)

Thank you for all of your kind reviews, constructive criticism and support! Now on to chapter 9.

Chapter 9

Richard Castle whistled as he wound his way from his bedroom to the kitchen, rolling the left sleeve of his button down shirt up with his right hand, tugging at the fabric to make sure that it lay perfectly straight and wrinkle free against his skin. If it bunched it would annoy him, making his squirm until it was exactly the right length.

It was ten am and even with his temples pounding and his mouth gummy from dehydration he couldn't help but be happy. It was going to be a fantastic day.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Alexis questioned as he made his way around to the coffee pot.

"Oh, nothing. Had a good night last night, I am going to meet Kate for lunch and then come back here and get ready for dinner with Ashley's parents. You two will be there this time, right, because last time it was a disaster without you? Seriously, I need a buffer and you are adorable. No one can be mad at me when I have you at my side."

Alexis stared at her father as he took a sip of the scalding hot liquid and proceeded to suck in a little bit of air to cool his tongue. She shook her head. She had been watching him all week, listening, hoping and praying that she was wrong.

"What are you doing, Dad?" She asked as she leaned back against the counter, glass of juice in one hand.

Castle looked up at her, startled, tongue sticking slightly out if his mouth to lessen the burn. "What do you mean? I burnt my tongue."

Alexis tilted her head to the side and huffed out a breath. "That is not what I mean. What are you doing with Kate? I saw you last night. I've seen the way you've been acting all week. What are you doing with her, Dad?"

Castle paused. He could feel it, that longing in his stomach, the tightening of his chest. The way it was harder for him to breathe when Kate looked at him and smiled. "Nothing. I'm not doing anything. We're friends, that's all."

Alexis sighed again and pushed herself off of the counter, making her way around the island to the foot of the stairs. "She's engaged, Dad. It's not fair to her. It's not fair to you or to her fiancé for you two to be doing whatever you are doing."

It was Castle's turn to sigh. "We aren't doing anything."

Even as the words made it out of his mouth he could hear them fall flat.

Alexis turned to ascend the stairs and took a couple of stairs up before turning back around to face him, a strength in her eyes he was slowly getting used to, a look that was beyond her years in wisdom; like she already knew the unknown consequences in the future.

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see you hurt again."

Rick watched as he daughter made her way up the stairs and disappeared down the hall to her room. He let out one last sigh as he made his way towards his office and sat down, propping his legs up on the desk and pulling the laptop down into his lap. His thoughts drifted back to the way Kate had looked when she was hovering over him, her hair brushing his lips, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes lazy and relaxed.

He shook his head. Nothing was going to happen. They weren't doing anything.

Her hand moved slowly as she ran the rag over the curved metal piping. Her earphones were plugged into her ears and she could feel the floor of the second level of the parking garage quiver every time a car passed, bumping over the uneven surfaces.

Her father had been taking care of it for her, making sure it went to the shop for tune-ups. He would even let the guys there ride it so it would stay in good running condition, handing over the keys so that they could race it around the city. It really was a beautiful machine: strong, full of pent up energy waiting to be brought to life.

She ran the rag over the wheel, her braided hair falling over her shoulder as she sat, cross-legged on the floor, her leather jacket slung over the seat of the '94 Harley Softail. Her parents had wanted to kill her when she had brought it home and she refused to listen to reason. It was hers, she needed it then, she needed it now.

Kate glanced down at the thin watch on her wrist. It was ten am. She had two hours before she was supposed to meet Castle for lunch.

The acid churned in her stomach. It was just a meal, just lunch. It didn't mean anything other than two friends eating together.

She shook her head, she had plenty of time before she was supposed to meet her friend for lunch. She could take her bike for a spin around the city, give it a chance to stretch its wheels and get some air. It had been way to long since she had ridden. It wasn't fair to either of them to be cooped up like this.

She pulled the ear buds out of her ears and listened as the music continued to flow into the air of the now silent concrete structure, echoing off of cars and walls. She stowed her wallet and phone, along with the rag in the compartment under the seat before she pulled her jacket over her arms and secured the helmet over her head.

It's been to long she though as she felt the bike roar to life and backed out of the parking space.

Her laugh was silenced by the rumbling of the engine and her grin masked by the helmet but it didn't change the fact that they were there as she made her way up the ramp to street level and pulled out into the steady flow of traffic, aiming towards the nearest edge of the city.

It had been way to long.

The first thing Castle noticed when he opened the door was the wide smile glowing on Kate Beckett's face. The second thing he noticed was the motorcycle helmet cradled under her arm. She had a motorcycle? That was hot.

No. It wasn't hot. She wasn't hot; she was his friend. Having a motorcycle was cool, not hot.

"Sorry I'm late," she opened but the relentless grin on her face told him that her statement wasn't entirely true. "I had something I had to do."

"Uh huh," Castle replied, nodding at the helmet. "Where did you end up?"

Kate shrugged as she walked through the doorway, smile still in place as a slight red tinged her cheeks. "Connecticut."

Castle shook his head. "Of course you did. You have fun?"

"Too much. Now what's for lunch? I'm starved?"

"Beckett, you wound me. If I didn't know better I would think you just like me for my culinary skills."

Kate turned to give him a retort but her comeback died on her lips as she found herself inches from him, her free arm practically trapped between their bodies. She took in a surprised gasp as she placed her hand on his chest and pushed back, forcing him to take a step back from her since her feet seemed to be rooted to the spot.

"Sorry," he stuttered as he took a couple more steps backwards and tried to find a comfortable position for his hands: across chest, in pockets, at sides. None of them worked.

"It's okay," she responded as she looked around, helmet now hanging limply from her hand. "I, um, I should go."

Castle jumped and moved so he was standing in front of the door, blocking her attempt to reach for the doorknob. "No, Kate. Please stay. Look, about last night. It was a mistake. We were drunk; you were hurting. Nothing happened and nothing will happen. I promise. Just stay, please?"

Kate glanced up at the blue eyes staring down at her and she nodded her head, even as the voices in her head screamed at her to say no.

"Is there a place I can put this?" she asked, holding up the thick plastic helmet.

Castle gave her a small smile and pulled open the hall closet, taking the helmet and the leather jacket she had shrugged from her shoulders so he could store them inside.

Kate peered curiously over his shoulder and into the closet as something in the corner caught her attention.

"What's that?" She asked as she pointed past him.

Castle looked back at her, over his shoulder, shock etched on his features. "You don't know what that is?"

Kate shook her head slowly. "No, should I?"

Castle reached into the closet and pulled out two vests and two large plastic guns. "This, my dear Beckett, is the making of the best afternoon ever: Top of the Line Laser Tag. You wanna play?"

Kate leveled him with a look. "Castle, I'm thirty-one, I am way to old to be playing laser tag."

"Nonsense, you know you want to."

Kate shook her head again and took a step back, biting her lower lip.

"I know that look, Kate, you want to but you don't think you should. Come on, Beckett. Live a little. You just came here after joy riding on your motorcycle. What's wrong, afraid you are going to lose?" Castle challenged, matching her step by step as she backed into the living room.

Kate let out a soft growl from the back of her throat. He just had to go and challenge her.

"Fine," she snapped, reaching out to grab one of the vests. "But loser has to buy the winner lunch."

"Deal," he smiled down at her.

"Deal."

"Don't worry, Ashley," Alexis placated as the pair made their way down the hall from the elevator to the front door of the loft. "My father promised he would be on his best behavior. Plus, this time he is going to be cooking and not my gram. Everything should be just fine."

Ashley nodded his head reluctantly. "You sure they won't mind us dropping by like this? I mean, I'm sure Professor Beckett has better things to do than to have meeting with soon-to-be students."

Alexis shrugged her shoulders. "She's pretty cool. Plus, you aren't here as an incoming freshman, you are here as my boyfriend and she is a friend of my Dad's. Now…"

Alexis's sentence died on her lips, her key paused in the lock as she heard a shriek followed by a crash come from the other side of the door.

"What the…" she started as she scrambled to open the door. The two stumbled into the dimly lit apartment to see the top of her father's head poking out from behind the couch and Kate running towards the kitchen, spinning herself around the island. A lamp was on the floor, shattered into a dozen pieces.

"Dad? What's going on?"

Castle stood up, grinning widely at his daughter. His vest glowed and died as Kate took the opportunity to hit him with a kill shot.

"Ha! You owe me lunch." She yelled victoriously before turning to look at the two teenagers. "Hi Alexis. You must be Ashley."

Alexis reached back to hit the light switch as Ashley looked between the adults in unmasked shock.

"Um, hi, Professor Beckett?" Ashley stuttered out as she made her way and met him with an outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Kate smiled back at him, her vest glowing and blinking, gun hanging at her side in one hand. Castle grumbled about her cheating as he came up behind her.

"Hey, sweetie," he said, turning towards his daughter. "We're headed out to lunch. You two want to come?"

Alexis looked back at him, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times. "No, thank you, we just ate."

Castle nodded back at her and made quick work of his vest, grabbing the one that Kate was holding out to him as he made his way over to the closet.

"Okay, well you kids have fun. We'll be back in time for me to start dinner for tonight." He called as he followed Kate out into the hall.

Alexis turned to Ashley as the door click shut behind them, leaving the two teenagers alone in the dark apartment, the lamp still lying in pieces on the floor. Her brow was furrowed as she opened her mouth to say something, but found that words failed her as Ashley nodded back.

"Well," he started. "That was not what I expected."

Alexis shook her head and made her way into the apartment, flipping on a light switch as she went.

Whatever her father was denying he and the professor were getting themselves into; she was very afraid they were already there.