Chapter 11

Kate snuggled into Rick's shoulder. Her hand lay across his chest feeling the rise and fall of normal easy breathing. It was the first morning she felt really relaxed in a while and she wanted to savor it. Rick's rhythm changed as he came to wakefulness and took Kate's hand. "Thank you," he said, "for staying with me, for being with me."

"Always," Kate answered.

Rick wanted to explore, to love, every part of her. He felt the silky strands of her hair, kissed her eyes, her cheeks, before coming to her lips. He couldn't drink deeply enough, but there was so much more. He traced the gentle curve of her neck downward to the sensitive indentation in her shoulder. Kate arched and gasped as his tongue dipped into the spot, bringing the scar before his eyes. Memories of the time he almost lost her shot though Rick and he desperately kissed the mark, reassuring himself that she was still there with him. His mouth found first one breast and then the other as his hands reached lower, stroking and caressing.

Kate pressed against his hand, reaching out to touch him, anywhere she could. She pulled his head downward until his mouth replaced his hand. She writhed, hands in his hair, holding him to her . The waves came coursing through her body. And Rick pulled back and smiled at her. Kate smiled back. "Partners," she said. "Tit for tat."

Rick gasped as Kate kissed the tattoo on his thigh and worked her mouth to where he stood ready. The teasing kisses and light touch of her tongue almost brought him to madness, but she was ready when he came to her, deeply and desperately. They moved together, touching and stroking, mouths locked. The soul shattering climax left them staring at each other in wonder.

Beckett wasn't sure she'd ever move again, but her phone buzzed and she did. There was a body. She and Castle met Lanie, Ryan and Esposito at the scene, a cramped basement apartment. Neighbors had become disgusted at the odor penetrating the door and walls and called the police. LT stood at the door and handed Beckett a small tin of wintergreen salve to help counteract the smell. Beckett shared some with Castle and returned the tin gratefully. The body was of a woman with snow white hair and deep wrinkles. The name on her mail box was Mary Murphy. There was also a second body, a gray tabby cat. "Lanie," Beckett asked, "what do you think?"

"Not a mark on her," Lanie replied. "Looks like another Sam Wallace - without the billions."

A gloved Ryan pointed to the trash can and held up a familiar looking can of cat food. Castle checked the serial number. "This is some of the stuff that was recalled," he said.

"Her cabinets are full of the stuff," Esposito said. "She probably stocked up when it was on sale. She has no TV, no internet, she might not have known about the recall.

Castle rammed a gloved fist against the wall and stormed out into the hall. Beckett followed. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, No!" Castle answered. "Listen, you do whatever it is you're going to do here, but there's something I have to work on."

"OK," Beckett agreed. "See you later?"

Castle stripped off his glove and cupped her cheek. "See you later."

Beckett finished her documentation of the scene and went to the 12th to start her paperwork. Castle returned to the loft and opened his laptop. He spent hours typing, followed by some time on the phone.

Beckett returned to the loft in early evening to find Castle thoughtfully stirring Marinara sauce. "Ready for dinner?" Castle asked.

"Sure," Beckett answered."What have you been up to?"

"I'll show you later," Castle told her. "Right now I have a need to feed you."

Castle dropped pasta into a large pot of salted water, already boiling on the stove, and put some crusty Italian bread in the oven to warm. Crisp green beans were quickly steamed. Castle had set the table with china and silver and cloth napkins folded as swans. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he served the meal.

Beckett wiped the last bit of sauce from her lips and helped Castle clear the table. "Rick, what's all this about?" she asked.

"Seeing Mary Murphy today, and knowing there were other people who died just because they were poor and couldn't afford a decent meal, it made me grateful for what we have. But it also made me angry that in a city, a country, overflowing with fine dining, there are people who can't eat."

"So what were you doing today after you left the scene?"

"I'll show you," Rick said. Rick got his laptop and opened it in front of Kate so that she could see what he had written.

"'The Killing Hunger?'" Kate asked.

"It's a Nikki Heat short," Rick explained, "highlighting the hunger problem. I used some elements from this case. In the story, Jameson Rook writes an expose. I can't do that, but I can weave a good tale. Paula is arranging for the story to be syndicated in newspapers all over the country. It must be something about Christmas, but Gina actually gave her blessing. My blogging buddies will be publicizing it and links will go out to all my followers on Twitter."

Kate draped herself over Rick's lap with her hands around his neck. Smiling, she said nothing, but stared into the endless blue of his eyes.

"What?" Rick asked.

Kate kissed him softly. "Just, I love you."

Finis

A/N That's it for Relapse. The next one will be in the same universe but much lighter fare. It will be called Pancake Confidential and Castle will be entering the (I couldn't resist) Great Pancake Flipoff where the body will drop. Thanks for all the encouragement. Love, Sally