Title: Rock Foundation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Castle characters or their story lines. I just borrow them for fun.

Summary: A Sequel of sorts for my one-shot Rock Solid. Kate and Rick deal with the aftermath of Knockdown and move forward with their lives, learning to balance their partnership with their budding relationship.

Author's note: So here is the next chapter! I may or may not be able to get another one out before my Monday update (I promise to try though). I hope you enjoy this one; it's got some of our other friends at the Precinct.

Emma


Chapter XI

"Hey," Esposito tapped Ryan on the shoulder and gestured over his shoulder.

"What's up?" Ryan asked.

"Mom and Dad are different."

They watched as Castle and Beckett bickered over their bowl of M&Ms. "Are they sitting closer together than normal?" Ryan asked.

Beckett laughed and put her hand on Castle's arm while he grinned. She didn't move her hand. "Oh yeah," Esposito smirked. "They're closer. Much closer."

"Suppose we should go over there and bug 'em?"

They watched as the two leaned over a paper to read it together. They'd disengaged, but there was literally no space between their bodies now.

"I say they owe us an explanation," Esposito grinned and set off for Beckett's desk. Ryan laughed to himself and followed; Esposito was going to get it.

"Ahem," Esposito greeted.

Kate and Rick simply looked up at him. "What's up, Espo?"

"You tell me," he challenged.

Kate and Rick exchanged glances and they reached the same conclusion: Esposito was playing with fire, and they would make him burn.

"You two look pretty cozy over here," he continued. "Something to share with the class?"

"You know it's funny," Kate said to Rick. "Does he remind you of someone right now?"

"He kind of sounds like Lanie, doesn't he?" Rick nodded.

"Don't you think, Ryan?" Kate asked.

"He does. It's a very 'Lanie' turn of phrase," Ryan nodded. Esposito whipped around and glared at him. Ryan shrugged.

Esposito squared his shoulders and walked back to his desk without another word. "What's his problem?" Kate asked innocently.

Ryan and Rick laughed before Ryan begged off to get some coffee as a peace offering to Esposito.

"Bit close," Kate said once he was gone.

"What tipped them off?" Rick asked.

Kate lifted and eyebrow and looked at where he had pulled his chair up; they were sitting with their sides squashed together as they read The Times. It was a slow day at the Precinct so far.

"What?" Rick asked, playing dumb. He didn't want to move an inch.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Nothing. How was the end of your night?"

"Restless," Rick replied honestly. "Yours?"

Kate blushed and looked away. "I…ah…slept really well, actually."

Rick grinned and bumped her knee. "I'm glad."

Kate met his gaze for a second before flipping to another section of the paper. "What did you do instead of sleep?"

"I wrote a bunch. I've been finding it easier recently."

Kate buried her head in the paper and Rick simply smiled.

Across the bullpen, Esposito was watching them. "There's definitely something going down," he said to himself, before he whipped out his phone.

What's up with Beckett and Castle?

He sent the text and then sat back in his seat to watch the drama unfold in front of him. Beckett was blushing and Castle looked like the cat that'd caught the canary.

Good morning to you too. What do you mean?

He smiled and texted back, taking the coffee Ryan brought over and giving him a fist bump to let him know all was forgiven.

Good morning, Beautiful. Castle and Beckett, they're all, smiley and close.

"Any developments?" Ryan asked as he sat down and put his feet on his desk, glancing over to look at the pair across the room.

"Nothing yet," Esposito replied before his cell pinged.

That's better. They're like that all the time!

Esposito shook his head at his phone. Ryan chuckled; it didn't take a genius to figure out who his partner was talking to.

No. They're extra smiley. There's no space between them at all, and Beckett's BLUSHING.

Beckett giggled across the room. They looked over in time to watch Castle leave the bullpen to get coffee. Beckett just sat there, one hand twirling her hair as she popped an M&M into her mouth.

"Dude," Ryan whispered.

"I know!" Esposito replied. He looked down at his phone.

I don't know anything new…

He sat forward.

What's there to know that's old?

Ryan scooted over, tired of watching the one sided conversation and he and Esposito leaned over his phone, waiting for the reply.

"Something to share with the class?" Kate asked.

They boys jumped and looked up at her, having been so engrossed in waiting for Lanie's text that they hadn't seen her walk up to Ryan's desk.

"N…nothing," Ryan stammered, gliding away from Esposito to shuffle papers on his desk.

"Nada," Esposito replied, pocketing his phone and looking up at Kate as though nothing was amiss.

"Uh-huh," she scoffed. "Who ya texting?"

"No one," Esposito replied, wincing as his cell pinged.

"Hand it over," Kate demanded.

"You can't confiscate my cell!" Esposito exclaimed. "This isn't a case. And it's personal."

"So personal that your boyfriend Ryan can look over your shoulder? Should I be calling Jenny?"

Ryan simply rolled his eyes and looked back at his own phone, waiting for his mid-morning text from the aforementioned Jenny.

"It's just, you know, guy stuff," Esposito shrugged.

"Give me the phone."

"No!"

"Give me the phone or I'll go tell Lanie what you did at the Christmas party before she got here."

Esposito glared at her and then grudgingly handed the phone over.

Kate looked down at the new text and laughed.

There's something in your language about bros before hoes? Well, in girl speak we call it: Mind your own business!

"Looks like you're out of luck anyway," Kate smirked, tossing the phone back to Esposito, who looked at the message and then scowled, before getting up and storming out of the bullpen.

"I take it Lanie didn't tell him anything?" Ryan asked.

"Tell him what?" Kate replied, before she strode back to her desk. Ryan glared after her.

"What's got them in a twist?" Rick asked as he handed her a thermos.

"The gossip girls over there are angry because Lanie wouldn't tell them anything."

"Lanie knows?" Rick gasped, sitting down and doing his best to look scandalized. "What have you told her? Should I be begging forgiveness for besmirching your honor?"

"Besmirching my honor? Oh Castle, you'll have to talk to my dad about that one." She laughed at his panicked look. "And, you know, you would have to have actually besmirched something to be worried about that."

"That can be arranged," he waggled his eyebrows.

"I walked right into that one," Kate sighed. "Lanie knows about how we spent our days off and the trip to the…" she looked across the room, caught Ryan hanging onto their every word, and dropped her voice. "…our outing the other day. I haven't talked to her since before we closed the case yesterday. There's nothing for her to tell them, really."

"Then you can expect to have to go down there," Rick told her as her cell pinged.

"It's a little scary when you do that, you know," she told him as she read the text.

Get your little ass down here. STAT.

"Lanie?" he asked as Esposito plopped himself back in front of his desk, leveling a scowl at them.

"Yep. You can hold down the fort up here?"

"Piece of cake," Rick replied and waved her off before picking up the discarded paper and flipping through to the Entertainment section to find a play to take Kate to on their next night off.

"So, bro, level with us." He looked up and found Esposito and Ryan crowded around Kate's desk.

"What's there to level, exactly?" Rick asked, his innocent face set.

"We see you over here with Beckett all cozy around the paper. She's giggly and, Dude, she was twirling her hair when you walked away," Esposito told him.

"She's a woman; don't they all twirl their hair?" Rick asked.

"Not Beckett. The last time she did that, it was for the puppy saving fireman. So, come on, tell us. What have you done?" Ryan needled.

"Nothing! I'm still me. She's still her. There's nothing going on."

"Right. And the fact that you've been practically glued together all morning?" Esposito countered.

"We invade each other's personal space on a daily basis," Rick shrugged. "I wanted to read the paper, and she didn't twist my ear… there's nothing new about that."

"Castle," Ryan perched on the edge of Kate's desk. "We're your friends. Tell us, you know you want to share."

"Guys, seriously, there's nothing to tell."

"If you won't tell us, we'll find out anyway," Esposito tried from another angle.

"Find out what, exactly?" Rick asked. It was fun to rile them up.

"Look, Castle," said Esposito, "We know this act. But this time, there's no Motorcycle Boy, or Deep Fried Twinkie, or Ex-wife in the picture. You've got nothing to hide behind. Now, tell us straight up. Are you and Beckett together?"

"We're together all the time," Rick replied, smirking as the two of them groaned.

"I'm disappointed in you, man," Esposito told him before he walked off.

"I told you about honey milk," Ryan whined as he followed his partner. "So much for solidarity."

Rick sank down in his chair and let out a relieved breath. He and Kate were something, all right. But they hadn't even had a date yet, and regardless of how inconsequential that seemed, in light of what else they had been through together, it was enough to make him want to keep it quiet. Their relationship wasn't even fully a relationship yet; he didn't particularly want to field questions about how she was, what she did, or how he treated her, just yet. And he definitely wasn't ready to meet the father.

He rubbed at his eyes and wondered if Kate was getting the same grilling from Lanie.

"So, what's got the boys in such a tizzy up there?" Lanie asked as soon as Kate walked into the morgue.

"How do you know the boys are in a tizzy?" Kate asked, arching an eyebrow. Two could play this game.

"Cut the crap Kate Beckett," Lanie admonished. "Something's gone down between you and Castle, and I want to know what it was."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate replied evasively as she hopped up on the counter.

"Katie, I haven't seen you look this happy in a long time."

Kate tried to suppress the smile that she realized had been on her face all morning. "You're crazy."

Lanie simply looked at her. "You're smiling, and you look two inches taller, Kate. The only time I've seen you like this recently was in the first few days with Tom, and baby, I gotta tell you, you look better now."

Kate met her gaze and felt her resolve crumbling. "We kissed," she said quietly.

Lanie squealed. "You did! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Well, the first time was during my mom's case, actually."

"Hold up. Why am I only hearing about this now?" she asked incredulously.

"It never came up?" Kate offered, and then sighed. "I was with Josh, and then we were off for a few days, and the next time we talked there was just so much else going on…"

"Fine, I'll take that excuse, if you tell me what happened."

"We needed to get past the security bouncer to get to Ryan and Esposito, and the only thing we could come up with was to act like a drunk couple. The guy didn't buy it at first, but then Rick just kind of grabbed me and kissed me."

"And the guy backed off?" Lanie asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Not at first. We broke apart and I, uh, kind of went in for another one…sort of because the guy was watching? And then, well…we got into it. Then I took the guard out, we stormed the building and that was that."

"You got into it, and then you took the guy out?" Lanie's mouth was open in shock.

"Well, I got a bit distracted for a second, but then, I mean, we were still undercover, and Javi and Kevin were up there…and that was that."

"So that's how all this started then? The kiss?"

Kate sighed. "I think it's been starting for a while, Lanie."

"You were ready last summer," Lanie offered quietly.

Kate shook her head. "I don't think I was. I don't think he was. We needed the other people, Gina and Josh. I think it helped us get to know each other without all the stuff getting in the way, you know?"

Lanie nodded, looking close to tears. "So, that was the first time. When was the second?"

"Last night," Kate blushed.

"Last night! Did you…you know?"

"Lanie!" Kate exclaimed.

"Oh, come on! You've wanted to jump his bones for years. You guys have been having verbal foreplay for longer than that. It's not that outrageous!" Lanie scoffed.

"Alexis was there."

"Okay, different story then. So you kissed?"

"Yeah. It was…it was incredible, Lanie."

"Told you it would be," she smirked.

"Yes, well…you were right, okay? I admit it," Kate held up her hands.

"I'm just happy that you're happy, Sweetie. Now, do I need to have a chat with Writer Boy? Make sure he treats you well this time?"

"Writer Man," Kate corrected automatically, before blushing as Lanie laughed. "And no. He treats me really well already, Lanie. And I think he'll keep it up."

"You really like him, don't you?" Lanie asked knowingly.

Kate nodded. "I do," she whispered.

Suddenly she was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. "I'm so happy for you!" Lanie said excitedly. "Now, go on up to your man and make him take you out for lunch!"

Kate laughed. "Okay, but first, I need you to promise me that Javier won't mysteriously find out about this."

"Why would I tell him?" Lanie scoffed.

"You keep that up; it's working well for you," Kate laughed. "If that's how we're playing it, then I don't know why he'd know. But do remember, if he finds out, I can always send Rick down here for a day…and you'll be very sorry. He can be so irritating when he tries."

Lanie shook her head. "Message received."

"Alright, you have a good day, Lanie," Kate said as she left the morgue.

"You too!" Lanie called after her. "Finally," she muttered as she went about cleaning the morgue. "Took them long enough."

Kate entered the bullpen and found Ryan and Esposito tossing a baseball back and forth while Rick scribbled away on a pad at her desk.

"Everything alright up here?" she asked as she stood in front of Rick.

"Peachy."

"Great."

"The boys are mad at me," Rick offered as she grabbed her jacket.

"They'll get over themselves," Kate laughed. "Wanna grab lunch?"

"Definitely. You guys want anything?" Rick asked as he stood and put on his coat.

"Nothing from you, no," Esposito replied. "We'll keep our stuff to ourselves thanks."

"Alright, Pot, Kettle, see you later," Kate said before they got into the elevator, watching as Ryan and Esposito glared at them. "They're such babies sometimes."

"How'd you do with Lanie?" Rick asked as the doors opened and they strolled out onto the street.

"I…uh…told her?" Kate admitted guiltily.

"Figured you would," Rick replied as they rounded a corner. He took her hand as soon as they were out of sight from the Precinct. "We're not at work anymore…"

"You can hold my hand," Kate replied, giving him a squeeze. "And you can tell the guys, if you really want to."

"You get to tell Lanie because she's your best friend," Rick shrugged. "The guys will just haze us. I'm fine with keeping this," he gestured between them, "between us for a while."

Kate smiled and leaned into him as they stood and waited to cross the street. "Me too, just for a little while."

Rick gave her a quick kiss, shocking her, before he laughed and pulled her across the street. "Great. That gives us more time to come up with a really creative way to tell them!" he said excitedly as they entered Remy's.

Ernie showed them to their normal table and they sat down. He nodded when Kate asked for their normal meal and took their menus back, promising quick service.

"You know, we could just let them figure it out," Kate suggested. "We won't be doing PDAs at the 12th anyway. It might be more fun to just keep them guessing until they figure it out."

Rick nodded. "Sounds fun enough to me. And, as an added bonus, I get to invade your space as much as I want then!"

Kate rolled her eyes but laced their fingers together across the table. "If you think it would be good for deception."

"Oh, my dear Detective, I think it's absolutely necessary."