A/N: i definitely didn't mean to wait this long between updates, lol. i was going to post this last week, but then all of a sudden it was Sunday, so i decided to wait for another episode... and then i was totally uninspired by Almost Famous :P. but here we are!


Punked

Richard Castle glared at his computer screen.

The computer screen glared back.

He could feel the blank Word document burning itself into his corneas, but didn't look away. He felt like he had something to prove; that there was at least one foe he could successfully vanquish. His date with Alexis was wonderful, but now, in the solitude of his office, his shortcomings and failures felt glaringly obvious. He'd been expecting that, honestly. It was why he'd always hated being alone.

Heaving a sigh, he flexed his fingers and morosely typed out a sentence.

The fact that she hasn't told you is how we know it's real.

He observed what he'd written for a few moments before muttering several choice four-letter words under his breath; his mother had a point. His stomach contracted unpleasantly.

Damnit, Beckett.

Rick knew that she wasn't a sharer; it was part of what made her so interesting. But it had been almost a month since they'd been working together again, and not once had she even hinted that there might be someone new in her life. And god only knows how long they've been… doing whatever they've been doing. Dating? Sleeping together? Falling in love? He let his breath out in a huff and slumped back in his chair. He certainly couldn't accuse her of overcompensating.

He rubbed his hands through his hair, and then dropped them to the keyboard.

Just joshing!

He pulled a face. He'd never be able to use that phrase again, would he?

Josh. What kind of name is that, anyway?

Alexis used to be friends with a Josh. He was a short kid, kind of goofy looking, with big curly hair and glasses. That, Rick thought, is what a Josh is supposed to look like. A Josh is not supposed to be tall, dark, and handsome, emphasis on tall… and dark… and handsome.

Rick groaned. God damn.

He typed several expletives and then promptly deleted them all, letter by letter, reminding himself of Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail.

Let's be reasonable, he told himself. You're with Gina. You're happy with Gina. What is or isn't going on in Beckett's love life is of no concern to you.

He let himself believe that for half a second before letting out a guffaw. Beckett doesn't matter. Yeah. Right. Good luck trying to trick yourself into thinking that, sir!

He rubbed a hand down his face. No, Beckett's a friend. And any good friend worries about what a friend does when it comes to his or her love life, right?

Right, he decided. Absolutely. He'd be a bad friend if he weren't concerned.

He narrowed his eyes, staring unseeingly at the bookshelves lining the opposite wall. Alright, he thought, let's think about this logically. She didn't tell me about him.

But she told him about me, he realized with a jolt. Did that mean something? Was Josh not (yet, he conceded ruefully) important enough to mention, but he, Rick, was? Or did it just mean that she was more comfortable talking to and confiding in Josh?

Rick slumped forwards onto his desk, allowing his head to fall onto the keyboard and type some gibberish. He lifted it up an inch or two and let it fall again.

Sighing again, he sat up and flattened his hair as he observed what was now written on the screen. Ryan and Esposito didn't know about Josh either, he reasoned with himself. If Beckett were serious with him, she would've told them at least, right? And she made me coffee, he thought happily. He added that to the Word document, typing each letter with relish.

COFFEE!

She'd never done that before. It had always been him making the effort, showing her, in this one small, safe way, that he cared. But now she was reciprocating, making him coffee and even offering up parenting advice. Which is more than can be said for Meredith, prodded his subconscious. He snorted.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Alexis poked her head inside. "Am I interrupting?"

Rick chuckled. "Come on, don't you know me?"

She laughed, and circled the desk to give him a hug. "Just wanted to say goodnight, and thanks again for dinner. We should do that more often!"

He smiled into her hair. "Anytime. I'm at your beck and call."

She planted a kiss on the top of his head, and glanced at the computer screen as she stepped away. "What's that?" she asked, indicating the Word document with one hand, the other still draped across his shoulders.

"Oh, nothing," he said hurriedly. "Just working through some stuff."

"Plot points?"

"Yes," he said, relieved. "Exactly."

Her eyebrows climbed towards her hairline as she read the incoherent blabberings on the screen in front of her, and she laughed. "Looks like Rook has some stuff to figure out."

Rick looked at his daughter – his beautiful, perfect daughter – and smiled, filled with newfound optimism. "Don't worry. He's well on his way."

Anatomy of a Murder

Javier Esposito wasn't sure of much in life.

He was never sure what a day would hold. He didn't know if he'd be stuck behind a desk mindlessly filling out paperwork, or chasing 80-year-old felons through alleys, or on his knees untying a dominatrix's boot, or bleeding to death in a hospital.

He wasn't sure if Ryan would bail on plans to stay in with Jenny for the night. He couldn't tell you if he'd find his own Jenny one day, or if he'd ever walk down the aisle with a woman. He didn't know how his fantasy football team would fare, nor why the Mets had tanked so horribly in the second half of the season.

If there was anything he was sure of, it was that he couldn't be sure of anything. For the majority of his adult life, he firmly adhered to the credo that the only sure things in life are death and taxes.

But watching them walk away from him that day, Javier Esposito realized he could be sure of something else: Castle and Beckett.

He couldn't honestly say that he was surprised by the revelation. He'd most certainly seen it coming. It had started out with the little things; Beckett not killing him on their second case together was a promising first step. Pretty soon they were apparently having heart-to-hearts about Beckett's mother's murder, which progressed to Castle bringing her coffee with alarming regularity.

He had watched from afar as they began spending more and more time together outside the precinct, witnessing the two, disheveled and pajama-clad, together in her apartment one morning. He still wasn't quite sure if he believed that nothing happened. After all, pancakes aren't just pancakes.

But what surprised him the most was how that personal time had somehow seeped into the precinct. There was no way they could hide their growing tension, nor the lingering stares. He almost felt bad about interrupting those stares so many times, but had always figured that they should take it home and stare at each other in private, for crying out loud. He'd particularly enjoyed catching them nose-to-nose over the graphic novel, though. Few times in his life had he felt such a supreme sense of being the only one in the room to be let in on a secret. There were all-nighters pulled, late night outings to Remy's, poker games, and the occasional gift given, not to mention all the gummy bears consumed.

His suspicion only grew stronger when Castle returned from the Hamptons after his summer away. He'd watched the tension slowly melt from Beckett's body, watched the coffee ritual begin again, and wondered how things would manage to come together this time. He wasn't sure what made him realize that Beckett was letting Castle win their bet, but it was suddenly glaringly obvious; what those two had worked so hard to build wasn't going to crumble after one summer apart. He'd bet on Beckett taking Castle back once, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

The two of them ending up together was inevitable. When it would happen and who would break the stalemate, he couldn't say, but he knew that someday, it would happen. The world would eventually right itself and they would consummate what had been growing for a year and a half and counting. They were too good for each other for it not to happen. She helped him grow up, and he let her laugh. They'd been through some rough spots, but when push came to shove, Castle had outlasted one boyfriend already, and Beckett had held on despite two ex-wives, a quick fling, and countless flirtations.

He wasn't surprised when Beckett said she'd get Castle out of prison if he found himself there. Castle, on the other hand, looked like his entire collection of novels had been dropped on his head, and Beckett clearly had no idea of the magnitude of what she had said.

But Javier Esposito knew. And as he watched them walk away, side by side, he couldn't help but grin. They were so in love with each other, and they didn't even know it.

They would one day, though. He was sure of it.

3XK

Everything was always a jump with him.

The I-say-jump-you-say-how-highs.

The leaps of faith.

The skyrocketing of her heart rate at inopportune moments.

Or, of course, the skyrocketing of her heart rate when she kicked down a door and half expected to find him dead on the carpet. It had taken her half an hour to stop shaking from the adrenaline rush and pure relief.

But the jump that Kate Beckett wasn't expecting was the literal one.

They were sitting by the pool, still holding hands, Kate reveling in the fact that his hand was strong and warm as opposed to cold and limp. They had been sitting in silence for an unknown stretch of time, a cool breeze playing across the surface of the water and making it ripple invitingly.

That's when Rick Castle stood.

He didn't let go of her hand but didn't pull her to her feet, so she remained seated, gazing up at him. He was lit with an eerie blue-green light reflecting off the water in front of him, making him look strangely ethereal. Her breath caught.

He looked at her, and she couldn't tell if he was happy, or anguished, or something in between.

"I'm alive," he said simply.

She could only manage a nod. He tugged at her hand and she stood, allowing him to lead her over to the edge of the pool.

He took a deep breath, and when he looked at her this time, she knew exactly what was going on.

She squeezed his hand briefly, and they jumped.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I hope you didn't ruin your shoes.

Kate let out a half laugh, half sob when she read his text later that night. She punched her pillow into a more comfortable position and replied.

Small price to pay.

She took the time to look at the screen of her phone when his reply came, memorizing the look of his name – she'd come far too close to never seeing that sight again.

Am I interrupting anything?

She knew he was asking indirectly about Josh; quite honestly, she was surprised he wasn't with Gina.

Nada.

She pondered a moment before she hit send, and decided to follow her gut and add another sentence.

You want to talk?

His answer came quickly enough to make her worried, under the circumstances.

Do you mind?

Rolling her eyes, she hit the 'call' button.

He answered on the first ring. "I'll take that as a 'no,'" he said with a chuckle.

Inexplicably, her eyes filled with tears at his lightheartedness. Joking around hours after a near-death experience; it was so very him. Now it was her turn to ask without asking. "I'm surprised you aren't otherwise occupied."

"I'm not really in a doing-things kind of mood," he sighed.

"I know what you mean," she said sympathetically. "How's Martha? And Alexis?"

"Both suffering some broken ribs from the hugs I gave them when I got home."

She chuckled. "But otherwise?"

There was silence for a moment, before he sighed. "I don't know. How do you describe this? I would say they're fine, but they're not, but under the circumstances…?"

"Nothing alarming?"

"No, normal reactions." He let out a humorless laugh. "Normal."

She winced sympathetically. "And did you tell Gina?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And she was properly terrified like any good girlfriend would be, but…" He sighed. "She doesn't get it," he said quietly.

"Not many people do," she said softly. "It's hard to understand what knowing you're going to die feels like."

They lay there in silence for a few moments, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Kate was the one who spoke first.

"And how are you doing?"

His pause seemed to stretch for ages. "I've been better."

Her eyes slipped closed, and she prayed her voice wouldn't break. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

She fought to swallow the lump in her throat. "For getting there too late."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault that you were at Jerry's mercy. I should've figured it out sooner."

He sighed. "Don't be ridiculous. You've saved my ass more than enough times. It's about time I did it for myself."

She sniffled slightly. "How did you?"

"I talked," he said simply. "I finally got to put my talents to good use."

She let out a watery chuckle. "You do have a way with words."

"You're so nice to me after I almost die!"

She rolled her eyes, but felt her spirits lift slightly. "You almost gave me a heart attack tonight, Castle," she mumbled somewhat shyly.

He groaned wearily. "That makes two of us."

Kate wasn't sure if it was because she was deliriously tired, or still slightly off from the adrenaline rush, or emotionally exhausted, or if it was because the statement was actually funny… but what she did know is that she smiled genuinely for the first time all night. She couldn't hold back the laughter that came next, either.

"What?" Rick laughed. "Are you laughing at me?"

She couldn't answer, but instead laughed harder.

"You are!" he exclaimed, "You're laughing at me!" Even though he didn't quite find anything funny, he laughed harder as well; Kate's laugh was infectious, and suddenly he was feeling all the virtues of his new lease on life.

"Wow," he said once she'd calmed down, "Chlorine affecting your brain?"

She blew out a breath, still grinning. "Nope. Just my shoes."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

She chuckled. "That makes one of us."

He grinned. "Then what were you laughing at?"

"Life," she sighed. "It's a funny thing."

"Mmm," he agreed. "That it is."

Almost Famous

"I feel dirty."

Kate Beckett took her eyes off the road for a moment and glanced at the figure in the seat next to her. Rick Castle was slouched down slightly and, though it was dark, the city lights illuminated the disgusted face he was pulling.

"That's not something I ever thought I'd hear you complain about," she said with an amused grin.

"Me neither, but then again, I never thought I'd be in a…" he shuddered, "male strip club."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic. Female strip clubs are just as sleazy."

"Yeah, but—" his head snapped up, and he looked at her. "How do you know?"

"I used to work at one."

He choked. "What?"

She burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! Jesus, Castle, what kind of girl do you take me for?"

He placed a hand on his chest and breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Well done, that was a good one. But seriously, how do you know?"

She sighed, and briefly flicked her eyes skyward. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes, yes it does."

"I had adventurous friends in college, okay?" She focused her eyes on the road to avoid his stare. "Some of them wanted to see what it was like."

"And you went with them?"

She shrugged. "I'm all for experiencing things." It was her turn to shudder. "But never, ever again."

He laughed. "So you feel my pain!"

"And it's one thing if you want to be danced on! It's quite another if it's unsolicited!"

"Aww, you mean you didn't enjoy the multiple juiceheads grinding on you?"

"What do you mean? Of course I did!" she said sarcastically. "What woman in her right mind wouldn't want to smell like… a strange man's sweat. And oil. And…" She sniffed, and wrinkled her nose. "Some kind of fruit."

He laughed. "As opposed to your normal kind of fruit?"

She blushed slightly, and fought to hide her smile. "Something like that, yeah."

He smiled, and they rode the rest of the way to the precinct in silence. He didn't speak again until she'd parked.

"By the way," he said, as they opened their respective doors and stepped out into the crisp fall air. He paused on the curb and waited for her to join him on the sidewalk. "I know I probably shouldn't be saying this, given our situations, but…" he pulled the door to the precinct open and stepped aside to let her walk in before him. "You look really, really nice."

She stopped in front of him, and let out a breath; he could see the cloud of mist hovering between them for a moment, before disappearing with the wind. She smiled, the little smile a small, deep-down part of him hoped was saved just for him. 'Nice' is an understatement, he thought ruefully.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second more before stepping inside. He blew out a breath and followed her, the door swinging shut behind him.


A/N: i knew what i was going to write about for 3XK before i went to sleep the night that episode aired. i'm not sure why, but i had it in my head almost immediately that they should jump in the pool. but for Almost Famous? i wanted to write about either Castle complimenting Beckett's outfit, the line she had about her apartment blowing up, or something about the motorcycle gang (since she's dating a "biker," i feel like Castle would've said something about it)... but trying to piece together a story was like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. couldn't do it. but i'd like to credit the "some kind of fruit" line to my friend and coworker, Laura! we were talking about the strip club scene and that gem popped out of her mouth, lol. OH, and i'd like to dedicate the story for Punked to my friend Josh, whose description i used for Alexis's friend... though he's since cut his hair and become much less goofy looking :).
ANYWAY! reviews make a stressed college student's days much more enjoyable! (hint hint) :D