A/N: Another A/N... yes but I feel this is necessary because I would like to THANK all the readers who have left me a note! Thank you for doing this for me! It inspires me to write more!


Chapter 11

"Beckett!"

Her voice reverberated all the way through the phone to his apartment loft in Tribeca. The smile on his face grew an inch wider at the melodious tone in her voice.

"Hi, it's me. Richard Castle", his deep hoarse voice filtered through to her ear.

"Oh, hi!" she greeted him back, "No, Jamie, put that down!" Beckett's attention was instantly distracted by her middle child who was behaving very energetic again tonight. On the other end of the phone line Castle had no clue what was going on, but Beckett was obviously upset with her son. She briefly needed to put the phone down in order to scold her three old. All Castle could hear for the next minute were some muffled voices but nothing distinct until Jamie's loud cries pierced through to his bones.

"Sorry about that…" He could hear a door close on Beckett's side. She sighed.

"Everything all right?" Castle couldn't help from asking since Beckett sounded quite tired despite the brief conversation they had had.

"Yes… I mean no… I don't know. I… he's been driving me nuts all day long. He wouldn't listen to a word I say. It's been a long day."

Castle knew that she just slumped her body into the soft cushions of her couch. He could mentally see her lay there, her feet propped up and resting onto the small table standing in front of her.

"That was Jamie, right?" Castle wanted to make sure.

Out of pure exhaustion all Beckett managed was a nod of her head, and when she realized that she was actually having a phone conversation, she added a soft hum as a reply. Silence settled in between them, until Castle remembered the reason of his call. Then again, this might be a bad idea, she sounded very tired.

"So, I take you're not up to join me at the movies, do you?" He still dared asking. In the hope to still get a positive answer from her, he quickly added, "I actually wanted to go see that movie with Alexis, but she just told me that she has already seen it with one of her friends, so I was thinking of you… and, uh… kinda hoped you'd be interested… I… you know. And Alexis is okay watching the boys if you want."

He had kept the cherry for the top of the cake last. This should do the trick, he thought to himself, rather conceited.

"Oh, I don't know"

Castle felt like his heart had just been ripped in two.

"It's just a movie… If we hurry, we can still make it for the 8 o'clock session. You'll be home way before midnight to catch a much needed beauty sleep. Come on!" He wasn't going to take no for answer today.

Beckett sighed, "Okay, but just the movie."

"Sweet!" Castle exclaimed giddily into the receiver. "We'll be there in fifteen." and with those words he was gone.

Beckett probably gazed at her cell phone for half an eternity. She couldn't believe that Richard Castle somehow tumbled into her life out of the blue. He was no longer some sort of stranger, a best selling author whom she had a secret crush on. No, he was real and he wanted to take her to the movies, but she would never admit out loud that she had any kind of feelings for him.

Kate Beckett had always had a feeble for the tall writer. She had tried to repress that overflow of emotions capturing her every time a new book made it to the top sale. She was very well aware of the mass of women surrounding him when he walked on the red carpet. Never ever – not even to this day – would she have thought of Richard Castle being a very sweet and kind man. Not even in her craziest dreams. The fact that he was all that, and so much more, was beyond her. She was eventually going to wake up from that dream.

"Mom? Mom?" Matt was standing in front of his mother waving his hand and shaking her awake. When she gazed up into her son's eyes he said, "Somebody knocked at the door!"

"Oh… Oh my god… I…" Kate Beckett was on her feet instantly. She needed to get dressed, she needed to open the door, she had to feed Charlie, she needed to put her sons to bed… no…

"Mom! The door!"

She eventually woke out of her haze and finally opened the door only to find a worried Castle and Alexis literally staring her down.

"Hi, I'm sorry… I… I'm not dressed… I need to…" Beckett babbled as Alexis walked past her and immediately took over her job as a babysitter. Hugs with Jamie and Mattie were exchanged.

"What do you mean you're not dressed? Jeans, shirt, shoes, scarf… no make-up! Perfect!" Castle mumbled taking a good look at her from head to toe with a smile and pulled on Beckett's arm as she started rattling off a list of things to do to Alexis.

"I got it all covered, Kate. No worries! Charlie, milk, bed. Jamie no TV and Mattie, cough syrup. I got it."

"Thanks pumpkin." Castle casually leaned in and placed a tender kiss against his daughter's temple. "I owe you big time."

"Don't hesitate calling me if…"

Kate Beckett didn't have time to finish her sentence as the door shut right behind her, leaving her baffled. She didn't know whether she should be furious or just… There was that smile on Castle's face again. His eye brows were silently asking her what she was waiting for, they were running late.

"I'm not dressed!" she stated still utterly confused. Millions of thoughts were flashing through her brain and none of them made sense, at least not until she had organized them. She hadn't even had the time to say goodnight to Charlie…and Jamie… and Mattie. She had never left them without wishing them sweet dreams.

"You're looking beautiful!" Castle blurted absent mindedly, without registering his words. Neither did Beckett. The only thing on her mind, were her boys on the other side of the wall, and Castle only spoke those words in order to get her moved. She looked beautiful to him no matter what. She wasn't not dressed.

"Just five minutes…" Beckett managed to get out before unlocking the door faster than speed light.

He went after her nervous and gazed at his watch on end. They were running late.

Five minutes later she stood next to him, clad in a pair of dress pants and turtle neck pullover. It looked slightly more than casual. Castle eyes were wide open and Alexis feared for his jaw to drop to the floor.

"Breathe dad", she whispered against his cheek, standing by her father's side while balancing Charlie on her hip.

"Ready?", he gulped heavily at the beautiful woman waiting for him. She simply was stunning. One second she was a hands on mom, and now she looked… he had no words. Although there were many that could describe her so well, and yet, he knew there weren't enough words to exactly relate how she looked like to his eyes.

"Yes", she smiled up at him. That smile was easily making him go weak in the knees. "Night Charlie, mummy loves you…" she kissed her youngest son's head. Castle was mesmerized at the love and devotion the woman felt for her children. Dressed the way she was, and cooing her baby was even hotter than he ever thought possible.

He quickly stored his crazy fantasies far off in his mind and instead very gentlemanly held out his arm with a wide grin on his face. She laced her arm into his and they both were ready to stroll into the darkness of the night.


tbc