*Now here's the chapter that officially bumps me over the 50,000 word mark. Fair warning, the last 1000 words of this chapter probably cross the border into M-rated territory. The first section toys with the border, but doesn't cross, IMO. Enjoy! :D

Solid Ground – Chapter 14

"I can't believe I'm going to say this—"

"Then don't say it," she purred, softly nipping at his lips.

He groaned, his mouth opening just enough to provide her a brief window to strike. Kate pressed in, her tongue gliding out and stealing into his mouth, temporarily stalling his thoughts and words. Castle brought a hand up to clutch her jaw, the pad of his thumb slowly caressing her cheek as she squeezed in closer, deepening the kiss. Her hand skidded up and down his chest, coaxing a low rumbling moan from deep within this throat. Her mouth spread into a triumphant smile as she continued to lazily move her lips over his, occasionally flicking her tongue out again and again to tease the seam of his lips.

His hand dropped down her smooth neck and feathered down her side, causing a light giggle to escape her lips, eventually coming to rest along the curve of her hip. His fingers curled into her naked flesh as she canted into him, humming approvingly at his knowing touch. She gasped when she broke away, sucking in a breath of air, before slanting up to him and smiling warmly, resting her forehead against his, their noses rubbing together slowly.

"I think you've worn me out," he finished his earlier statement, slinked his arm around her waist and letting out a sigh of contentment as he felt her slick nude form mold perfectly against his.

Kate raised her head up and swirled her fingers around on his chest, mapping out some invisible path. "If you're really that exhausted, old man, I'm more than willing to do all the work," she offered with a teasing smile, her eyes lighting up with a playful spark that had been sorely lacking for far too long.

"Old man!?" Castle parroted, spatting out the words with obvious disdain. He fixed her with a decidedly unpleasant glare.

She chuckled throatily, tossing her head back in mirth. "Why don't you prove me wrong, then?" she advised with a quirky smirk.

Castle let out a low growl at the challenge. He gripped her tightly and spun her over, pinning her beneath his larger frame. Kate let out a sharp yelp, caught off guard by the sudden change in position. She blinked, disoriented only for a few seconds, and then gazed up at him with sparkling eyes, clearly impressed. Castle grinned cockily.

"You did that on purpose," he accused, but his broad happy smile belied the feigned condemnation in his tone.

She quirked up an eyebrow brazenly. "What if I did?"

"Then you deserve to be punished," he asserted, narrowing his eyes.

She shrugged her bare shoulders nonchalantly, and gave a slight nod. "Perhaps," she conceded. "You going to do anything about that?"

He growled, low and animalistic, as he grasped her legs and pulled them apart. Kate arched up and cradled his hips against her smooth thighs, looping her arms around his neck in encouragement, urging him on.

She pouted her lips and looked up at him, batting her eyelashes innocently. "I've been a very bad girl, Mister Castle," Kate said sultrily, parodying the naughty schoolgirl.

"That you have, Miss Beckett," he mumbled, dipping his head down to seize her mouth in a languid kiss. She hummed into his mouth, caressing the nape of his neck with her fingers as he ran his hand up and down her undulating body, cupping her breast in his palm and teasing her with his thumb.

"Old man," he scoffed, indignantly, as he pulled his mouth away from hers and began peppering wet kisses down the column of her gorgeous throat. "I'll show you."

And he did.

XXX

"Oh, look who finally decided to join us," Kimberly declared with a dramatic wave of her hand, gesturing in Kate's direction as she hiked up the low hill, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, and an all too obvious satisfied aura about her.

She bit down on her lower lip and ducked her head, blushing deeply. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late," she hollered as she continued making the climb on shaky legs.

Damn, Kate thought, wincing slightly. She had really gotten more than she'd bargained for with that 'old man' comment. The man was incorrigible. Not that it had been unpleasant, rather the opposite, really. It's just that she'd have liked it if she could have walked properly afterwards. It was her own fault. She had egged him on, knowing exactly what buttons to press to get him to give her what she wanted. And boy, had she gotten what she'd asked for! And it had been amazing. Kate smiled dreamily as she recalled her afternoon with Castle in the privacy of their 'love shack', as he'd dubbed it after the previous morning when she'd woke him up for a quickie before breakfast.

"Oh, don't worry, Kate," Robin said, giving her a conspiratorially wink. "We know you had more important things to do. Or should I say, someone more important to do?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," Kate rolled her eyes, coming to a stop on the top of the grassy knoll. She stumbled slightly, before finding her footing and gingerly sitting down on the soft ground, shifting her backside around until she was comfortable.

Once she had settled, she glanced up to find her friends watching her with keen, knowing eyes. She raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together, awaiting the onslaught of teasing that was sure to come. She'd been far too careful in sitting down to not provoke some sort of reaction.

"A bit sore, aren't we?" Kimberly asked, feigning indifference, but the smirk on her lips betrayed her mirth.

Kate chewed on her lower lip and glanced over at the blonde EMT. "A little," she admitted with a shy smile, briefly averting her gaze as a blush warmed her cheeks. "But it's all good. I was a bad girl… I had to be punished."

Robin gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Kimberly's eyes went wide as she stared at her in shock. Kate grinned, laughing heartily at being able to stun her friends with such a frank admission.

"No way!?" Robin shook her head, clearly astonished.

Kate knitted her eyebrows and stared at them in confusion. She didn't understand why they seemed so surprised, after all they'd just been joking with her about what she'd been doing with Castle.

"Oh my god! You did, didn't you?" Kimberly questioned, her expression still a paradigm of absolute shock.

"Oh yes… I did," she answered, releasing her natural suppression and fully allowing her satisfied expression to be seen. A silly, happy lopsided grin slowly spread across her face.

"Really?"

Kate bobbed her head, furrowing her brow, still baffled by her friends' reaction. She thought for sure that they knew she and Castle were having sex. They hadn't been particularly discreet about it. Well, maybe more discreet than Chris and Irene, but still… they weren't exactly hiding the fact they were doing it.

"God, Kate, we were just joking," Robin said, turning to Kimberly, who inclined her head in agreement. "We thought you'd just been… you know… fooling around, making out… not actually… doing it." She hissed out the last part, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Kate," the EMT spoke up, her brow creasing in concern. "I know it's probably not really my business, but seeing as I'm kind of the only medical practitioner here, I feel like I should warn you of the risk you are taking. I've already had to talk to Irene about this, since she and Chris have been going at it like rabbits from the start—"

Kate held up her hand to silence her friend. "I know, Kimberly," she asserted, having already talked about those risks with Castle.

"You do?" Kimberly's eyebrows shot up. "I… I thought Irene didn't want anyone knowing yet."

"What?" Kate hooted in surprise.

"WHAT!?" Robin screeched, biting her lower lip when the other two glanced at her.

Kate ducked her head and lowered her voice. "Irene's pregnant?" she questioned.

Kimberly sighed and raked her fingers through her curly blonde hair. "Yeah. But you didn't hear it from me," she gave both Kate and Robin a warning look.

"My lips are sealed," Robin said.

Kate merely bobbed her head, silently absorbing the news. It was one thing to talk about a hypothetical situation, it was quite another to actually see one. However, she'd already made her decision, and she was determined to stick to it, whatever the consequences would be.

It was one of the first things she'd learned early on in her life after her mother's death. She had needed to accept the ramifications of her decisions—whether good or bad—and not dwell on what could have been. That mentality had helped mold her into the woman she'd become. It was one of her greatest strengths, but had also been one of her most debilitating flaws. Because it had been that stubbornness, and inflexibility to compromise, that had almost cost her the man she loved.

"Have you even considered that possibility?" Kimberly's question pulled her out of her ruminations.

"Yes," Kate answered at length, locking eyes with the blonde EMT. "Castle and I discussed it two weeks ago when things got a little… heated." She paused for a beat, shrugging her shoulders. "I stopped us before we went too far. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. You don't know what it's like between us. Just the briefest touch can ignite the flame."

"But Kate—"

"No, it's okay," she asserted, firm and certain. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, having already come to terms with her actions and decisions. "I know and understand the risks. But, I just needed him. And I realized that I didn't care. If it happens, it happens. I'm willing to accept the consequences. And so is Castle."

"Easy for him to say," Robin interjected with a muffled laugh. "He's not the one that'll have to carry it around for nine months."

Kate shook her head. "We're partners," she stressed, "in all things. No matter what, he's always had my back. I know I can count on him." She licked her lips and sucked in a shaky breath, feeling the hints of tears at the back of her eyes. "I just love him so much. And we've wasted too many years dancing around each other, not acknowledging what we shared. I can't let something like this whole messed up situation to put a stop to everything. Not after we've fought so hard to get to this point."

"Kate, having a child—"

"No, you don't understand," Kate interjected, almost desperate for them to understand. She had talked a lot about their relationship with these two women, but she'd left out some key elements. "I almost lost him before I even had him. And those days were some of the darkest in my life." She paused, placing a hand on her chest, trying to calm the rapid beats of her heart. "But then I got him. He was mine. Yet even then, I almost lost him again because I let myself fall back into old habits, habits that I'd been working so hard at overcoming."

"Wow," Robin said, shaking her head. "You weren't kidding when you told me things had been complicated."

"They still are," Kate smiled weakly, not really referring to the present situation of being stranded, but mostly about the metaphysical emotional side of things. "Probably always will be. The point is, I've learned not to let that get in the way of living my life the way I want. And for a long time now that has included Castle."

"I understand what you are saying, Kate. Trust me, I do. But are you really sure about this?" Kimberly hesitantly asked, giving her a cautious look as she steered them back to the original topic. "If you get pregnant, I can't make any guarantees."

Kate stared off into space for a moment before turning her eyes to her friend and answering. "I'm sure," she declared with a nod. "In fact, I don't know if I've ever been this sure about anything in my life. I wasn't even this sure when I finally gave into my feelings for Castle."

She closed her eyes as she remembered sitting on the swings in the pouring rain as she contemplated all the paths her life had taken and where she wanted to be. She could still smell the scent of rain and feel the dampness of her hair as it clung to her neck. Opening her eyes, Kate looked back at her friends, smiling slightly at the confused looks on both their faces.

"I won't put my future on hold anymore," Kate said, firm in her conviction. "Before Castle, I never thought I'd ever want to have kids when I knew just how terrible life could be at times. But he changed that. Seeing him with his daughter, Alexis, I felt those wants stirring in me for the first time." She sighed. "I know now is probably not the best place or time, but I've wasted too long putting my life on hold while the rest of the world keeps on going. So if it happens, it happens." Kate chuckled and shook her head, attempting to lighten the mood. "Besides, I'm not getting any younger."

A silence descended upon the small group when Kate finished, and she glanced at her friends anxiously, curious to see how they'd respond.

"Okay," Kimberly let out a sigh, smiling warily as she reached over and clasped Kate's hand. "If that's your decision, then I'll support it and do my best to help when and if I'm needed."

"Same here," Robin put in, placing her hand on Kate's shoulder and giving her a reassuring squeeze. "It's what friends are for."

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes grew watery with happy tears. She'd never expected to reach this level of friendship with anyone who she hadn't known for less than a month. It had taken her a good year to open up to Castle, and even longer to acknowledge her feelings for him. Yet here she was, with friends! And a part of her couldn't help but feel that it was thanks to Castle and his efforts at tearing down her wall. He'd inspired her to tackle her demons and make herself a better woman… for him, for her… for her mother's memory. And now, despite being lost and stranded in the South Pacific, Kate truly felt free.

"You guys," she mumbled, shaking her head, a few stray tears leaking down her cheeks. Her bottom lip trembled, and she bit down on it, stifling back her overwhelming emotions. She forced herself to smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much. It… it really means a lot to me."

XXX

He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing his work. Just having finished it, he wanted to make sure that nothing was amiss. Kate was due to return from her girl's night soon, and he wanted to be able to surprise her with what he'd made.

The last couple of days had been a frenzy of wild passionate lovemaking, mixed in with his usual daily chores and routines. But, even in their down time, they'd still made love, slow and deep love, where he could languidly explore every inch of her delicious body and prolong their euphoria to the most extreme limit. So, it was safe to say that he really hadn't had any down time, as it were… not really.

Castle had been working on repairing one of his many snares when the idea for this particular item had struck him. He'd always loved craft making, Alexis could attest to that. And he was highly imaginative and creative. So, he got a kick out of MacGuyvering things. However, it was difficult to find time to work on the project. Recently, besides going out in the jungles placing traps and collecting the snared animals with Gervasio, most of his time was spent curled away somewhere in intimate embraces with Kate.

Yet, somehow, someway, despite the many obstacles that had presented themselves, Castle had managed to collect all the necessary materials and secret them away until he could pull them out and put them together to create his end goal. And he'd used the available free time while Kate was away having a girl's night with Kimberly and Robin to finish it.

Gazing down at the finished product, Castle smiled proudly as he ran his fingers along the curved wood. He hoped she'd like it, especially when he'd taken considerable pain in keeping it all a secret, which was more difficult taking into account their present living circumstances. Not to mention he was bouncing with the need to show off what he'd made for her, eager for her approval.

He jerked his head up when he heard a noise to his left. Narrowing his eyes, he barely made out her lone figure trudging up the slope towards their hut. Castle turned back and hastily pulled some fan palms over his creation, hiding it from view, as he wanted to make a grand unveiling. Turning back around to face his approaching fiancée, Castle leaned his against the exterior wall of their little shack and waited.

Kate stepped over the crest and smiled brightly when she saw him. He jumped up and beamed, his eyes lighting up with hardly contained delight. He was really looking forward to presenting her with his gift. As Kate approached him, she narrowed her eyes, suspecting something. But she shrugged it off, and allowed him to pull her into a deep embrace. Tilting his head down, he found her mouth with his and kissed her until his lungs ached for oxygen.

"Someone's in a happy mood," Kate giggled softly, biting her lower lip as she glanced over him. "What's up, Castle?"

He looked down, smiling brightly, but hesitated, noticing her red-rimmed eyes and slight sniffle. "Kate? Have… have you been crying?"

"Oh, um… yeah, but it was the good kind of crying," she insisted, placing a hand on his chest to reassure him.

Castle sighed, not completely convinced, and wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. She averted her gaze and laid her head down against his shoulder. He rubbed her back in soothing, steady strokes.

"What happened?"

She bit her lower lip and leaned back, glancing up at him as he palmed the side of her face, the pad of his thumb gently caressing her cheek.

"Irene's pregnant," she blurted out.

"What?"

Kate glanced up at him in surprise, as if she hadn't intended to tell him. She shook her head and pressed her palm over his mouth, her brow furrowing in self-reproach. "It's supposed to be a secret. Don't tell anyone I told you."

He inclined his head in agreement and waited for her to remove her hand from his mouth. "Okay," he concurred. "But what does this have to do with you crying?"

She sighed, her shoulders sagging as she relaxed into his arms. "Let's just say it brought up a certain topic," Kate said.

"Baby talk," Castle concluded with a firm nod.

"Yeah… baby talk," Kate confirmed. She paused, wetting her lips with her tongue, before proceeding. "When I joined Kimberly and Robin on the hill, they started teasing me about being absent from camp for so long, always off alone with you," she explained. He nodded, understanding what sort of jokes were implied. "They'd just been joking, not really thinking that we'd been off having sex, but I kind of let slip that that's exactly what we'd been doing, thinking they'd just keep ribbing me, as Lanie would."

"But that's not what happened?" Castle stated. It came out like a question, but it wasn't.

Kate inclined her head and raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement of his good guess. "Yeah," she sighed, leaning into his embrace, running her hand lightly down his arm. "The conversation went from light and teasing to serious in a snap. Kimberly was all set to give me a lecture about the risks… and I… I just… God, Castle, you'll be so proud! I opened up, I mean… really opened up and explained my thoughts and feelings, about you, us… the possibility of a baby."

She paused to catch her breath, dropping a hand between them to cradle her lower abdomen. His eyes followed the motion and his lips briefly tugged upwards, his heart warming with previously restrained thoughts. God… if their situation were different, he'd asked her to make a baby with him right this second. He could already picture their spawn—yeah, he called it that, deal with it. He imagined a little girl with her hair and his eyes, her nose and chin. Kate was so beautiful. Castle couldn't help but want their children to look exactly like their mother.

Kate flicked her gaze back up to his, eyes glistening with happy tears. "I made it clear that I didn't care," she confirmed his suspicions. "That if it happens, then it happens. And they told me that no matter, they'd be there to support me. That…," she choked up, overwhelmed with emotions, "that that was what friends were for."

"Oh, Kate," Castle sighed, hugging her tightly and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm so proud and happy for you."

She shook her head and wiped at her tears. "I feel ridiculous. It's not like I don't have friends back home… granted, not many, but I'm not completely anti-social."

He chuckled and squeezed her waist. "Don't be, I understand," he assured her, kissing her cheek affectionately as she gave him a watery smile and curled her fingers around his neck, pulling him back in for a sweet kiss.

"I think it's safe to say that they are now both very aware of how much I love you," she asserted. "And how much I want to make babies with you. I think I made that point very clear."

He laughed, and she giggled, ducking her head down bashfully, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Castle cupped her face in his palms and kissed her lips slowly, relishing the gentle exhale of her contented sigh as she eased into his hold. Backing away, he slipped his hands down to hers and interlaced their fingers as he moved back, guiding her over to the side of the hut.

"I made something for you," he declared excitedly, eyes wide with eager anticipation for the moment of unveiling.

"Castle," she hedged, biting her lower lip as she glanced up at him with worried eyes. He chuckled inwardly, knowing she was afraid he'd done something crazy.

"I know, but I couldn't resist!" he brought her hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Letting go, he stepped back and reached for the boughs he'd covered his creation with. "I hope you like it." He pulled the fanned palms away and heaved in a quick nervous breath before looking up to see her reaction.

Kate's mouth dropped and her eyes went wide as she bent down to pick up what had been uncovered. Her long delicate fingers ran down the curved wood, smoothed and flexible, and plucked at the taut string. She shook her head in awe and wonder, her eyes flirting up to him in astonishment.

"You made me a bow!" she gasped.

"Yep!" he grinned, animatedly quirking his eyebrows up. "Even have a dozen or so arrows. Used the feathers from some of the birds I caught with my snares for the fletching."

Kate stared down at the bow in her hands, and smiled warmly. Her eyes flicked back up to his and his heart swelled with joy, seeing that beaming smile that was his and his alone.

"My God, Castle… thank you… thank you!" she said, clutching the bow to her chest and grabbing him with her free hand to crash her mouth against his in a heated kiss. She pushed her tongue past the seam of his lips and deepened the embrace.

His nostrils flared as he swiftly inhaled her delicious scent, and he snagged her hips with his fingers, pulling her close. The bow clattered to the ground as her hands moved up his chest, frantically working on the buttons.

"God, I love you," she asserted, before shoving him to the ground.

Castle landed with an 'oomph'. He glanced up with wide eyes, pleasantly startled when she was suddenly pouncing on him, planting her knees on either side of his hips. Kate bent over him, arching her back as her mouth clashed against his in a fierce and possessive kiss. Her fingers deftly worked the belt around his waist, and she unclasped the button of his jeans in a matter of seconds.

He groaned, his head lulled back into the rough ground as his eyes rolled back into his skull, overwhelmed by sensory overload when she sucked on his neck and pushed her fingers under his boxers to grab a hold of him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she canted over and over again, breathy and hot, ramming her mouth back against his as she tugged impatiently at his jeans. He lifted his hips off the ground and wiggled a bit to help. She pulled his jeans down until just enough of him was exposed for her purposes.

Her hand flew down his body, and he gasped into her open mouth as she wrapped her fingers around him, teasing him like only she could. She smiled wickedly against his mouth as she nibbled at his bottom lip.

"You've been a very good boy, Rick," she purred seductively, sneaking a hand behind her head and pulling her hair loose, letting it fall gracefully around her face. "I think you deserve a reward."

"Oh God… I think so too," he mumbled, nodding his head in eager anticipation.

Kate smirked, and pouted her lips in a sultry manner, before she leaned back over him and kissing him hard. He brought his hands up and ran his fingers through her long sun-kissed tresses, loving the feel of the strands between his fingers. Her hair was so soft and silky. Kate pulled back and nipped at his lips and chin, before giving him a saucy wink and lowering her head, trailing wet kisses down his body.

Castle let out a groan, and shivered in sweet anticipation. It wasn't long until he felt her panting breath against his groin, and he arched his neck up to glanced down at her. Her eyes were hooded and dark, full of lustful desire. He caught a flash of pink as her tongue darted out to lick her lips as she stared down at him with hungry eyes.

And then she was on him, hot and moist, the long strands of her hair tickling his thighs as she bent over him. His eyes screwed shut as he tried to hold back, so very close already. She hummed in approval, which only made it worse. He gasped out her name, pleading with her, but she was having nothing of it. Kate was very skilled, and had his hips bucking and squirming in no time. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress a deep moan of uncontrollable pleasure from escaping, but her talented tongue distracted him and he couldn't hold it back. His mouth dropped on a startled gasp and he let go, falling over the edge.

When he returned from his high, Kate was hovering over him, a gloating smile spread across her lips as she brushed her fingers through his messy hair. "Was that good for you?" she asked, smirking as she licked her lips.

Castle growled, and wrapped his arms around her, changing their positions with surprising ease. Kate yelped in amazement, and smiled up at him, all cheery and delighted. He kissed her hard, and worked his hand into her pants, with his sights set on returning the favor. She gasped and arched her back, closing her eyes as he worked his fingers over her in the precise manner in which he knew would leave her breathless and begging him to end her torment.

He grinned victoriously when just that happened, and Kate was writhing under his ministrations, pleading with him to send her over the edge. But he wasn't done yet. He curled his fingers under the waistband of her jeans, and roughly tugged them—along with her soaked panties—down her long legs. Kate gasped, her breath hoarse and gravelly with rich arousal. He gripped her squirmed hips and kissed her soundly, feeling her shudder with anticipation… or was it the slight chill in the air?

Kate bobbed her head in approval as he kissed his way down her body, stopping along the way to fondle her breasts through her blouse before moving on to his intended destination. He nuzzled against her lower abdomen and breathed in the scent of her arousal.

"Just for you," came her quivering voice. "Only you, Castle. Only you."

He wasn't exactly sure what she meant, but he was beyond rational thought. Her hips squirmed and he tightened his hold on them, digging his fingers into her flesh as he licked his lips in anticipation of her sweet taste. He lowered his head and blew his breath out across her heat, adding to her agonizing suspense.

"God… Oh God, Castle!" Kate cried, thrashing beneath him. "Stop teasing me... dammit! I'm begging you."

Castle grinned, and readily complied, taking her to the threshold and back with nothing but his very talented tongue.

*I'm considering making Ch 15 about what's been going on in New York, but am not decided yet. Thoughts?