Hello guys!

So glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! :) thank you for your thoughtful comments and reviews! You guy rock! Now, we're kind of all over the place in this chapter. It's a long one (longest chapter EVER) I hope you enjoy the ride!

Disclaimer: Castle is not mine :/

[Chapter 21]

Rick and Kate silently read the article, Gates watching their reactions with curiosity. Kate sighed, handing the newspaper back to her Captain when they were finished reading. "I can't believe this," Kate groaned as she began pacing back and forth. "This is so messed up."

Rick walked over to her, his hands braced on her shoulders to keep her still. "I'll call Paula and make sure that something like this doesn't happen ever again. What we do on the weekend is our business not theirs." Kate slowly nodded, not looking at him. "I know you're not comfortable with this, but it'll be okay. I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered, hugging herself.

Rick smiled lightly, whipping out his phone and dialing the number for his publicist. He moved over to the large window in the office, his back to the two women.

"Have you two noticed any paparazzi following you since Saturday?" Gates asked, breaking the silence.

"No, Sir. We just went grocery shopping and went to lunch on Saturday," Kate replied, sinking down on the arm rest of a chair. "T- the photos in the article looked like they were taken from a distance. So if the paparazzi have been following us, it's not likely we would've taken the time to really notice them."

"Well, if you see anything out of the ordinary, anything at all, I want you to inform me. I will not have my people be publicized and ridiculed like that. You deserve your privacy."

A sigh of relief left Kate's lips. "I will. And thank you."

A small smile appeared on Gates' lips as her tone softened a bit. "So, would you care to enlighten me as to what is going on between the two of you? Are you...together?" Gates inquired, her arms crossed as she leaned against her desk.

"We are."

"I'm happy for you, Detective," Gates offered, shocking Kate. She wasn't so used to the tough as nails Captain to be so kind.

"Uh, t- thank you, Sir?" Kate thanked, a tad confused.

"Just so long as you make sure to keep the working environment professional."

Kate nodded. "You have my word that when we're here we'll be strictly professional."

"Good." The Captain paused before speaking. "You two work well together and even though he's tested my patience more than once, I must admit he has been a valuable asset to your team. Thanks to you and Mr. Castle, we have the highest closing rates in the city."

Kate smiled as she glanced over at the handsome man, watching him as he spoke with his publicist. She turned back to her Captain, "I've said it before and I'll say it again, he is a cop just without the gun and badge."

Gates noticed the look on the detective's face and couldn't help but smile. "I couldn't agree more, Detective."

Kate couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only is Gates accepting their new relationship but she's also complimenting Rick for all of his hard work. What was going on?

Gates went on, "I do believe that if he is going to continue to shadow you then he should be trained. He's been following you for how long and he hasn't had proper police training?"

Kate's mouth fell open. "Sir?"

"This is one of the other reasons I brought you two in here. Now, would you be up to training and teaching him, Detective?"

"I- uh..."

Rick ended the call with his publicist and walked over to join the two women. "Paula's working on it. And she agrees with me, this is nobody else's business but our own. We won't have to worry about those asses anymore, it's taken care of." Upon seeing Kate's expression he asked, "Everything okay?"

"Better than okay. Mr. Castle," Gates said, standing up. "How would you feel if Detective Beckett trained you?"

Rick's eyes grew wide and he gave Kate a look, then turned back to Gates. "Wait, you mean train as in...?"

"Combat and defensive techniques. If you are going to be on the field then you need to be prepared for what's out there and be ready to face it. As I was just telling Detective Beckett, you've been consulting for a long time and haven't had any training, something I would have made you do the minute you stepped in this precinct. Now, are you up to it?" Gates asked, glancing between the two. "Feel free to say no. I just think that in the best interest for your team that it would be a smart move to say yes."

He took the time to think about it before saying, "Yeah, I'm in. Just as long as my partner here is okay with it." He set on a hand on Kate's shoulder, squeezing it.

Gates looked at Kate. "Detective?"

Kate thought things through. Having Rick trained in fighting and defensive skills could be very beneficial, he'd be able to protect himself if something were to happen. Plus, the idea of training him and getting him all sweaty made Kate grin like no other. "Okay, I'll do it. I think it's a great idea, he can be rather clumsy though so I have a lot of work ahead of me," she teased, earning a hurt look from Rick.

"Hey!" He whined, bottom lip sticking out.

Gates moved around her desk, taking a seat in her chair. "It's settled then, you will start training him tomorrow. That is all," she waved her hand, shooing them out. They smiled, moving to leave. "Oh, and Detective Beckett?" Gates called, placing her reading glasses on.

Kate had just reached the door when she turned around. "Yes, Sir?"

Gates' eyes shifted over to Rick and then back to Kate. "Good luck."

The meaning of her statement not clear to either Rick or Kate. Was she wishing them good luck with the training? Or with the relationship and the paparazzi? Kate decided that it was a bit of both.

She gave a slight nod and left the office with Rick behind her. The two made it to her desk, each taking their respective seats.

"You okay?" Rick asked, leaning closer to Kate.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to being plastered all over the newspaper." She took a deep sigh, "But it'll all be old news in a few days and then we'll have nothing to worry about. Thank you for calling Paula and trying to get everything sorted out."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're okay with this," Rick smiled. "To be honest, I was afraid you'd take it the wrong way but you proved me wrong."

"I tend to do that a lot, huh?" Kate asked, smirking.

"Yes, you do," Rick winked. "Now with the whole combat-fighting thing, you really want to do that? Like you're really up to it?" He wondered, looking hopeful.

"I do. I think it's a great idea to have you trained. I'm not sure why we didn't think of it sooner."

"So, when do we start?" He asked eagerly.

"Start what?" Ryan asked as he and Esposito walked over to Kate's desk.

Kate smirked, indicating Rick with her pen, "Starting combat training with the man-child. It's Gates' idea."

"Whoa! Dude, that's awesome!" Esposito clapped Rick on the back.

"I know!" The writer grinned, his face lighting up. "We start tomorrow."

Kate tilted the pen in her hand toward Rick. "I'm dragging you in at the crack of dawn, so be ready."

"That's so early," he complained, slumping in his chair. "Can't we come in later?"

"No, we can't." Rick stared at Kate with pleading eyes as she sorted through a few files on her desk. "And stop staring, you know how I feel about that. It's creepy."

"Mmhmm," Rick hummed, smirking at his girlfriend.

"Anyway," Ryan huffed, drawing back their attention. "Did you two see the paper?" He held up the newspaper with the bold headline in view. "You made the front page headline!"

Kate let out a groan, raking her hands through her hair. Her ponytail was falling out, she'd need to fix it later. "Can we please not talk about that?"

The boys just shifted their gaze to Rick, silently asking him if they could hear all about it. "No more talk about the article guys, it's in the past and we'd rather forget about it," Rick said, answering their question. "So, if you could not bring it up again then we'd greatly appreciate it."

Kate shot Rick a thankful look, which he returned with a smile. The boys let out long sighs of disappointment. "You're no fun, you know that?" Esposito asked, a small pout on his lips.

"Get back to work you two," Kate waved off, her focus on the papers in front of her.

"But-"

Scowling her face, Kate's eyes met the two detectives'.

"Oh, there's the look," Ryan's face dropped.

Esposito shuddered. "Come on, bro. Let's get back to work."

She kept her gaze on them, watching as they turned their heads over their shoulders to check and see whether she was still staring or not. The boys sat at their desks, mumbling to each other. Ryan slapped the newspaper on his desk with a huff as he slouched in his chair.

Kate focused her attention back to Rick. "Thank you. They would've been bugging me all day about that damn article had you not said something."

Rick rested his head on the palm of his head as his elbow leaned on Kate's desk. "Anything for you, beautiful."

"Oh boy, I'll never get tired of that! I can't wait until you take me this weekend!" Rick cheered, getting off the motorcycle and tugging the helmet off. His hair was crazier than ever, pieces sticking up and out in wild directions.

"Gives you a rush of adrenaline, huh?" Kate laughed, getting off the machine as she pulled the helmet off her head. "You should've seen my dad when I came home on it one day. I don't think I've ever seen him so furious with me and I had gotten an earful when he found out about my tattoo, so you could only imagine how mad he was when I got the bike."

Rick laughed, his head shaking as his fingers ran through his disheveled hair. "Speaking of your tattoo..."

"Not gonna tell you where it is. So you might as well stop asking," she smirked.

"Spoilsport, you ruin all my fun," he stuck his tongue out like a small child. "But really, as a father myself I can understand how your dad must've felt. I'd never let Alexis on one of those things."

She led him through the small parking garage to the door that came to the lobby of the apartment complex. She hit the button to call the elevator. "You don't want Alexis on a bike but you're free to go on one yourself? Kind of hypocritical, don't you think?"

Rick hesitated, she made a good point. "Ye-yeah, but I'm the dad, so I get to do what I want. I'm the one in charge."

The elevator arrived and they stepped in the lift, the doors closing in front of them. "You so sure about that? She's more of a parent to you than you are to her. Face it, Rick. You're the child in that relationship."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Kate turned and leaned her side against the back wall of the elevator, her right arm raised. "You guess I'm right? No, no, no," she whispered, moving closer. "When are you gonna learn that I am always right?" She was now right up next to him, her whole body pressed tightly against his.

His breath got caught in his throat. How the hell can she be all normal one minute and then all sexy the next? Rick thought as Kate trailed a finger up and down his heaving chest. Must be a woman thing.

He had to think of a good come back, but he was struggling a bit. Rick finally said, "I- I am a slow learner."

Kate smiled mischievously, her finger finding its way up and down his throat. Her finger left a trail of goosebumps in its wake, Rick shivered unable to control himself. And just like earlier today in the elevator at the precinct, Kate left him high and dry as they arrived on her floor. Rick trailed behind as he followed Kate to her door. She took long strides, causing her hips to swing just a little more than usual. Rick couldn't keep his eyes away, he was drawn to her. She tossed him a grin over her shoulder as she waited for him to reach her.

Unlocking the door, they set their helmets and other belongings down on a small table near the door.

"You hungry?" Kate asked as she slipped out of the knee-high boots, her feet aching from wearing them all day. She definitely preferred her high heels a lot better.

Rick took his shoes off too, setting them near Kate's boots. "Starving," he groaned as he sat down on the couch and stretched out, taking up the entire length of it.

"What sounds good?" Kate called as she got to the kitchen, grabbing two wine flutes and a bottle of red wine that she rarely ever used.

Rick leaned his head back on the arm rest and looked over at Kate. "I've been craving a burrito all day. Wanna do Mexican? It's easy and delicious."

She smiled as she poured a nice helping of wine in each of the glasses. "That's fine. You wanna go ahead and order while I go change?" She asked, moving to the couch, giving Rick his wine, and setting hers on the coffee table. "I need to get out of these clothes."

He waggled his eyebrows up at her, sitting up. "Need any assistance with that? Because I'd be happy to volunteer."

That earned him a smack on the arm. "I think I can manage just fine without you," Kate scoffed. "I have been dressing myself for quite some time now, I'm pretty sure I know what to do."

Rick took a sip of his wine, lifting the glass up toward Kate. "Just holler if you need me. I'll be waiting out here...all alone."

Kate leaned down and kissed him briefly on the lips. "I'll be right back."

"Miss you already," he sighed as he watched her retreat to her bedroom. She didn't lock the door only closed it, so if he wanted to he could walk right in. He thought better of it though because he valued his life and Kate would be sure to kill him if he went anywhere near the door. Rick decided that it'd be best if he just called and ordered their dinner rather than causing himself bodily harm. So he did, knowing exactly what to get.

Kate emerged from the confines of her bedroom moments later, donning a gray NYPD t-shirt and some navy pajama shorts. The shorts came up mid-thigh, displaying a gracious amount of smooth skin. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, a few tendrils loose. Her feet were bare, a purple colored nail polish covering her toe nails.

Seeing that Rick was on the phone, she silently moved over to the couch and joined him. Kate tucked her legs underneath herself and leaned into his side. His voice was deep and soothing, it put her at ease as she cuddled into him.

He smiled down at her as he told the recipient on the other end of the line her address. "Thank you. Bye," Rick hung up the phone, reaching over to set it on the coffee table next to their drinks.

"Hi," Kate whispered, smiling up at her boyfriend.

Rick placed his arm over her shoulders, his fingers trailing up and down her upper arm. "Hi," he whispered back. "Food should be here in about fifteen to twenty minutes."

"What on earth are we going to do with so much time?" Kate mused, a sly look on her face.

Rick quickly caught on, a smile makings its way to his face. "I was thinking we could do a little of this..." His lips attached to hers in a sweet caress, tasting and enjoying her.

Kate returned the kiss, pushing her tongue forcefully into his mouth and deepening the kiss. She pivoted her torso so she was now facing him completely and her hands rested on Rick's arms for support. Slowly, she brought herself up to his lap, a leg on either side of him. Her hands snaked their way towards his shoulders as she straddled him.

His tongue found its way into Kate's mouth as she parted her lips. He roughly smothered her mouth with his own. Removing his hands from her cheeks, he glided them towards her hips and kept them there. Rick's groin was straining as Kate moved over him, her hips rocking slightly against his. God, they were on fire. She was moaning and panting, already so lost into the kiss.

Rick's hands were on her waist, holding her still. He couldn't take it with her hips gyrating like that right above him.

The kiss was hot, passionate and full of lust. It didn't last as long as Kate would've liked; he broke away from the kiss first, panting. She rested her forehead against his, trying to catch her breath and get it back to a steady rhythm. She cupped his face in her palms, her thumbs stroking his cheekbones.

"God-" Kate breathed, moving her mouth directly next to Rick's ear. She took the lobe between her teeth and tugged, earning a deep moan from Rick's throat.

Rick focused on his breathing and attempted to calm himself down. But with Kate nipping at his ear like she was, it was rather hard to concentrate. The grip he had on her hips tightened with every tug of his ear lobe. Right as he felt her hands pull on the hem of his shirt, her doorbell chimed.

Kate pulled back, her breathing hitched and her face flushed. "Food's here," she breathed.

"Sh- should we answer it?" Rick dumbly asked, not wanting to get up.

She played with the buttons on his shirt, undoing one. "We probably should...don't want the poor kid to wait out there all night."

Rick released his grip and let her go. She got off his lap and moseyed over to the front door, attempting to fix her appearance up a bit. Grabbing her wallet off the table, she opened the door.

"Hi," she greeted, hip resting on the door.

"That'll be $17.48," the teenager said, holding up two white plastic bags.

Kate paid and thanked the delivery boy before heading back to Rick. She scooted their wine glasses over and set the bags down. "I'm gonna go get some paper plates. You want some more wine?" Kate asked, already moving about her kitchen.

"Y- yes, please," his voice was a bit shaky.

"You okay?" Kate sat back down on the couch and handed him a paper plate, setting the bottle of wine down.

He nervously chuckled, shaking his head no. "I'm just trying to calm down f- from...well, you know."

Kate took a bite of her burrito. "Sorry. I just got a bit excited," she weakly smiled, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Well, I got a lot excited," Rick sighed, trying to get into a comfortable position. He was twisting and shifting on the couch, unable to get comfortable.

That caused Kate to laugh, her hand flew up to her mouth as she suppressed a giggle. It was pretty funny. "I- I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing," her voice was high and a bit squeaky as more giggles bubbled out of her.

Rick sat there, eating his own burrito, with a frown on his face. "No, you shouldn't. If you were a guy, you'd understand."

"If- if I was a guy, then I'd be extremely worried," Kate stated, her voice gradually getting back to normal. "You know, unless I got this whole biology thing messed up, I'm pretty sure I'm a woman."

Rick couldn't help it, he laughed causing Kate to go back into her little fit of giggles. The couple sat on the couch laughing hysterically; tears were streaming down cheeks and sides were aching. It was so nice to spend time, alone, with one another.

And they still had the entire night to do so.

Kate was in the bathroom brushing her teeth while Rick remained in her bedroom, sitting on the bed.

"Hey, Kate?" He called.

She poked her head out the door, toothbrush dangling in her mouth. "Hmm?"

"What am I going to wear to bed?" He tugged on his shirt to emphasize. "I didn't bring a spare change of clothes."

"Oh." She took the toothbrush out of her mouth, deep in thought. "Just take your jeans and shirt off. As long as you have boxers on, I'm fine with it."

Rick grinned, immediately stripping himself of his jeans and button-down. He had on a white undershirt, showing off his strong muscles. "You want me to keep the undershirt on or can I take it off?"

"Do whatever you'd like," Kate said. He could hear her spit out the toothpaste into the sink.

He shrugged, removing the shirt. Kate emerged and stopped in her tracks when she saw him bare-chested and only clad in boxer shorts. She'd never seen so much skin. His shoulders were broad and strong, his chest firm, his stomach taut. A dark trail of hair ran from his naval and disappeared down beneath his boxer shorts. Rick was a sight to behold.

"Like what you see?" Rick smirked, starting to unmake the bed.

Kate's jaw dropped, a bit of drool sliding out of her mouth. She couldn't speak, too in awe of him. She moved over to the bed, slipping in next to him. He had unintentionally taken her side of the bed, something that wasn't very important to Kate at the moment. Her eyes scanned over his upper body, a blush on her cheeks. "Where have you been hiding?" Kate finally sighed, scooting even closer to him.

He chuckled, pulling Kate down beside him and toward his chest. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, nice and comfortable. "Wanna know a secret?" Kate nodded like a small child who was about to be told the world's largest mystery. He moved his mouth right by her ear, his hot breath sending goosebumps all down Kate's body.

"I love you," Rick whispered.

Kate swatted him lightly on the chest, Rick capturing her hand and bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her lightly on the palm, looking at her with mischief in his blue eyes. "I already knew that you goof!" She yelped, taking her hand away.

"I know," Rick grinned. "But really, when I'm not at the precinct helping you with a case or working on my next best-seller, I'll go to the gym and lift a few weights. I gotta stay fit."

A hand trailed up and down his bare chest, going dangerously low. "You've certainly done a very good job of that," Kate mumbled, becoming a little distracted with the smoothness of his skin.

Rick let out a small laugh when he felt her finger slide down the left side of his stomach. Kate raised an eyebrow in question, was he ticklish? Only one way to find out.

She moved her finger back down his side, earning another chuckle from the back of his throat. Her question answered. Soon, Kate violently attacked his sides, sitting up and straddling him to get a better angle. Her fingers were relentless as she tickled him, small gasps coming out of Rick's mouth.

"Uncle! Uncle!" He cried out, reaching for Kate's hands to halt her actions. Kate stopped her movements, sitting back and crossing her arms with a proud grin on her lips. Rick sat up, holding his torso up by putting all his weight on his forearms. His hands moved to her knees, drawing random patterns with his finger tips. "Are you always this aggressive in bed?" He wondered, looking up at her with curious eyes.

The detective bent down and kissed him roughly on the lips, tugging on his bottom lip before pulling away entirely. "It's possible," she teased, a glimmer in her brown-green eyes.

"You're something else, Kate Beckett," Rick stated, smiling up at her with his signature goofy grin. "Always teasing me...am I just that easy of a target?"

"Yep," Kate simply said, giggling. "But it's fun to tease you because of the reactions I get. I'll never grow tired of it."

"That may be so. But just know that this whole taunting thing can go both ways. You might find yourself on the other side of the teasing street and I'm just as cruel as you are. If not, more."

She kissed him again, her lips lingering. "Bring it on, stud. Bring it on," she mumbled against his lips, their breaths mixing.

They kissed for a while longer, their mouths dueling and fighting for dominance. When they broke apart, both had identical expressions on their faces.

"We should probably go to sleep," Kate suggested, glancing over at the alarm clock on her bedside table. It read eleven o'clock. "We have to be at the precinct bright and early tomorrow. And we should leave a bit earlier so we can stop by your place to grab you some gym clothes."

Rick's head hit the pillow as he placed his hands over his face, moaning and grumbling to himself. "Why so early? Can't we do it after work?"

She got off his lap and snuggled into his side, her head back in the crook of his neck. "Nope. Because it'll wake you up and get your blood pumping," Kate reasoned. "And it's not like we're going in at four in the morning, you big baby. We'll leave here at about six-thirty, go to your loft, and then hopefully get to the precinct around seven-fifteen."

A grunt left his lips. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow," Rick complained, an unhappy look taking homage on his face.

"Yeah it will," Kate told him honestly. "But it'll so be worth it in the end. Trust me." Rick nodded, hugging her with his arms wrapped over her. "Good night, Rick."

He pressed a kiss into her hair, closing his eyes. "Good night, Kate. Love you."

She was already fading as sleep began to catch up with her. "Love you too..."

Kate knocked on the door that led to Rick's bedroom. "Could you be any slower in there? How long does it take to put on shorts and a shirt?"

The couple had woken up at six, giving them enough time to scarf down a light breakfast and allowing Kate to get changed. She wore a pair of tight fitting yoga pants and a black tank top, her hair was back in a simple braid. Luckily, Kate had an extra pair of clothes at the precinct so she didn't have to worry about bringing any work attire.

They had arrived to Rick's loft around six-thirty via taxi cab. Kate had brought along Alexis' pajamas that she had borrowed the other night, seeing that it was the perfect opportunity to do so. Rick and Kate rushed inside so Rick could get ready while Kate impatiently waited for him. Which is where she found herself now, standing outside his door with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"Rick!" Kate yelled, banging on the door for a second time. "The taxi's waiting downstairs and the meter is running! Hurry up!"

Alexis came downstairs upon hearing all the commotion. "Hey, Kate!" The teen greeted, coming into the study and sitting on her father's chair. "What's going on?"

Kate smiled at the teen. "Hey, Alexis. I'm just taking your dad in early to do some defense and combat training upon orders from my Captain."

Alexis leaned back in the chair, bringing her legs up to her chest. "Oh, that should be interesting," the teen chuckled.

"Oh, yeah! And hey, sorry if I woke you up, but your dad is just being super slow!" She yelled the last bit at the door, intending for Rick to hear it.

"Don't worry. I've been up since six, so I was just catching up on some reading. I'm an early riser."

Kate huffed, leaning against the frame of the door. "Wish the same could be said for your father. He can be really cranky in the morning."

The door opened to reveal a smirking Rick, clad in red athletic shorts that ended right at his knees and a black muscle shirt that was snug against him. "I heard that," he grinned, pointing a finger in Kate's direction. "And sorry. I couldn't find my sneakers."

Kate turned to Alexis. "Excuses, excuses. I'll see you later, kid!

"Bye, Kate! Good luck!" Alexis yelled. "And bye, dad! Love you! Don't die!"

Kate yanked Rick by the hand, tugging him through his study and toward the door before he even had the chance to say a word to his daughter. "We're wasting precious time. You have an extra change of clothes, right?" Kate asked, turning around just as they reached his front door.

He held up a gym bag with his free hand. "Got 'em."

"Good," Kate opened the door and headed down the tightly spaced hallway, going straight to the elevator. "Now, let's go."

Rick yelled goodbye to Alexis before he shut his door and sent up a silent prayer, begging that Kate would go easy on him and that he would survive this.

But he knew better; she was going to push him hard. He was in for quite the treat...

Whoo! :)

Please leave a review with your thoughts and comments! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Rick's training is the main focus of the next chapter! :) Thanks for reading! Until next time!

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