A/N: So, I've decided to write an epilogue of sorts… Actually, I'm going to keep writing this story until I run out of ideas. Again. (I'm not changing the title, just because it would be confusing- for me- and I didn't want to start a completely new story, since it would be based on this one). I've been inspired to keep writing this story because of all of the wonderful responses I've gotten from it! I Still have people adding me to their story alert, even though I claimed I was done writing Cop Out. Although I seen now that I forgot to change the status to 'complete' so... My bad! :-D So as my way of saying thank you to everyone who added me to their alerts, favorites and left reviews, I'll keep adding to this story until you all have to beg me to stop!
So, for all of you, here's my THANK YOU!
Oops! A couple reviewers pointed out that Castle has already seen her apartment, so I'm fixing this chapter. I think I only added a sentence or two, and edited one or two others. Sorry about the confusion, and thank you for pointing it out to me! I didn't go back and read the previous chapter before I took up writing again and the first time around I couldn't really picture her apartment anyway, so I didn't even remember that I had written about it.
They were in the car, driving back to the city as they continued their truth or lie game, only now their facts all had a naughty undertone to them. They had spent the rest of the weekend in bed together- metaphorically speaking. They only made it to a bed about half the time, but they did pay great attention to detail as they attempted to break in every piece of furniture in the house in addition to some of the walls and floors. They took breaks to sleep, to eat and every now and then for Castle to work on his book for an hour or so while Kate slept.
It was now late Sunday afternoon and Castle was driving Kate back to the city since she had work the next morning. Castle was going to spend the night with her- at her place- and then drive back out to the beach after she left for work.
Rick drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other heavy on Kate's thigh. Her hand was wrapped around his arm, gently playing her fingertips over the soft skin at the inside of his elbow. She moved her hand to grasp his bicep, and her fingertips flexed, reveling in the hard muscles there. On impulse, she leaned toward him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.
Rick just smiled. He wanted to turn to her, to kiss her fragrant hair, but he really didn't want to risk killing them because he took his eyes off the road. Instead he commented, "So, not only does Detective Kate Beckett frolic, she's affectionate too. Oh, and super cuddly right after I've made her-"
Kate slapped at his shoulder, abruptly halting Rick's words, and laughed. "I'm naturally an affectionate person, Castle," she informed him. "I just don't have people in my life that I can be affectionate with. Even with my father…" her smile turned a bit sad. "It's been difficult. I remind him a lot of my mother. He tries not to let it bother him, but still… I can tell…"
"Well," he smiled warmly at her, squeezing her thigh. "I'm a very affectionate person, so please, feel free to touch me or pet me as often as you like."
Kate just smiled and withdrew her hand from his arm. Before Rick could even protest, she was pushing her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. She continued to play with his hair as he drove through the busy city.
Finally, Rick pulled up in front of Kate's apartment building and they both got out of the car. When Castle opened the trunk, Kate began to reach in to get her bags, but Rick shouldered her aside. When Kate turned to give him an evil-glare-of-death, Rick didn't even look at her as he began removing their bags. "Go open the doors," Rick told her happily, still oblivious to her glare as he carried Kate's two cases in his hands, as well as his own bag slung over his shoulder. He finally glanced up at her face, noted her angry glare and smiled. "Please?"
Kate shook her head at him, but moved to do as he 'commanded.' As they made their way up to her apartment, Kate informed him, "You're just lucky I OD'd on endorphins this weekend, otherwise I'd kick you in the shin for pushing me like that. Not to mention telling me what to do. Again," she complained.
Smiling at the back of her head as she preceded him into the elevator, Rick said genuinely, "I'm sorry, sweetheart." The elevator dinged as both turned to face the closing doors. Rick dropped the suitcases to the floor as the elevator began to move, then reached out and pulled the red button to stop the car's ascension. He turned to face Kate and stepped forward, pushing her backward into the wall with his big body. "I can be a little pushy when I have my sights set on something that I want," he added, his voice low as he continued his apology.
"You apologize for being pushy," she observed, her voice as low as his and a smile teasing the corners of her lips. "By being pushier." She fisted her hands in his t-shirt and pulled him closer. "Yet not pushy enough," she concluded before pulling him into a kiss.
He chuckled, smiling against her mouth for only a second before opening to her insistent tongue.
"Good afternoon, Miss Beckett," a crackly voice sounded from a speaker in the panel beside them. "Did you have a nice weekend?"
Kate smiled at Rick's startled look then moved away from him. She reached out to hit the button to start the car again then looked up at a corner of the car and lifted her hand to wave at the camera. "Hey George. My weekend was okay," she shrugged. "I was stuck with this guy the whole time." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Castle.
"Hey!" He complained, glaring at the side of her head as they heard the chuckling over the elevator's intercom.
Kate just continued smiling at the camera- or at least where Castle assumed the camera must be since Kate was staring in that general direction, though he couldn't see the lens. "George, this is Richard Castle, my…" at the same time Kate said, "Partner," Rick said, "Boyfriend."
There sounded more staticy chuckling over the speaker. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Castle."
"Nice to meet you- so to speak," he replied.
The doors dinged and as Rick reached for their bags, Kate held her hand out to keep the doors open. Rick left the car ahead of her and Kate hesitated. Her hand still holding the doors, Kate looked back up at the camera and said, "Hey, George…?"
"Don't worry, Miss Beckett," he told her in a reassuring tone and Kate could hear the smile in his crackly voice. "I know how to keep my mouth shut."
Smiling brightly at the camera, she said, "Send Irene my love."
"She's been asking me when you're gonna come over for dinner again."
"Soon," Kate promised, then added, "Who knows, I might even have a date this time."
"Who, that joker?" George replied.
Both of them chuckled when Rick called, "Hey!" in protest to being called 'joker.'
"You bring him by and my Irene will tell you whether or not he's good enough for you."
Kate smiled cheekily and told him, "Oh, I already know the answer to that." George could be heard chuckling again, and Kate lifted her hand again to wave goodbye, finally following Rick out of the elevator.
Unlocking her apartment door, Kate could almost feel Castle's gaze on her as he studied the side of her head. As the door swung open, she turned and smiled at him. "George and Irene were friends of my parents years ago. When my old apartment blew up, George called me about this place. And now he keeps an eye on me."
Rick was just nodding in understanding when he walked through the door and froze. The place wasn't as 'top-of-the-line' or trendy as Castle's loft, but it was just as spacious and possibly even more interesting. There were different levels and spaces and the furnishings were all comfortable yet stylish and eclectic. "I know I've technically seen your apartment already, but I think I forgot to tell you this place is amazing!"
Pleased by his assessment, Kate nonetheless shrugged. "It's not as nice as-"
"Sh!" Rick hissed, cutting her off. "This place is great."
"You know, you're really annoying me today," she informed him conversationally.
Rick paused in his perusal of her apartment long enough to give her a cheeky grin. "So how is today different from any other day?"
Returning the grin, she ceded, "Touché."
Rick just laughed and asked Kate where she wanted their bags. So she led him across the main room, up a dozen steps and into her bedroom, where they spent the rest of the night, leaving only long enough to order dinner to be delivered from Kate's favorite Chinese food place.
A/N Part II: Oddly, the next chapter hasn't been written yet- though I have the idea- but the one after that is already about a thousand words in. And the chapter after that one has been started too. I really wouldn't have had any of this if not for everyone who kept adding my story to their alerts. You kept the story in my mind and really made me want to keep working on it, and this is what you all inspired. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! And thank you again!