Enjoy the Silence

A/N: Meg, to say a simple thank you is not nearly enough. You make this story readable, presentable to native speakers, take great care to get everything right and working as quickly as possibly so the readers don't have to wait a day longer for an update, even if life is not always easy. For that, you have my deep gratitude.

Chapter 26

She makes time, plenty of time, in an effort to make up for her busy work schedule over the past couple of weeks. When Castle arrives home from his therapy session, she already has both of their suitcases almost packed, Buttercup excitedly wagging her tail at the foot of the bed from where she has observed Kate's movements for the past hour.

The dog is smart; she knows something's up.

So does Castle, apparently, his face full of surprise and wonder when he finally makes his way to the bedroom.

What's this? he signs. You going somewhere? She hates the hint of uneasiness making his posture stiffen and his eyes wary.

She simply gives him a wide smile in return, abandoning the last of her packing to step closer, her hands sneaking around his neck as she smudges a quick peck to his lips.

"No, babe," she husks, pressing another kiss against his lips, soft and slow, taking her time just because she can. "We are going somewhere," she amends. "I took the next four days off so we can go to the Hamptons and have some fun. We haven't been anywhere together in ages."

She can already see the salacious direction his mind has taken, a somewhat breathless laugh escaping her lips at his expression, but she quickly puts a damper on it with her next words.

"A family vacation, Castle. Your mother and daughter included. So get your head out of the gutter," she warns, and watches as some of the boyish, naughty excitement leaves his face, only to be replaced by quiet appreciation.

So it is a good call, including his family. Still, because she can't help it, and because she wants to see some of that spark return to his eyes, she adds "But don't worry. I'll make sure we have plenty of alone time too."

His eyes widen imperceptibly then, the impossible blue making room for the darkness of his blown pupils, and fuck, she wants him. She wants him now, she thinks as she presses herself even closer to him, whispering teasingly against his mouth.

"I promise you, Rick, I will make it worth your while."

She can feel his chest shiver with a silent groan, all longing and heat. His fingers are bruising at her ribs and it would be just so easy, taking that final step and closing the gap between them to fuse their lips together, but they've got no time, she reasons as she takes a hasty step back from him before things have any chance to escalate further.

"I'm nearly finished packing," she says, stroking his chest in an effort to appease him, clearing her throat as she turns towards the bed. "We can leave soon, maybe after a quick supper. I mean," she stops in her tracks, throwing an unsure look at him over her shoulder. "If that's okay with you."

It's her first hesitation, this slight moment of doubt, because she hasn't even asked him – still hasn't, in fact – whether he's okay with this. Spontaneity has always been his forte, his thing, and maybe for the very first time, she can appreciate how much courage it actually requires of him.

But it's also rewarding, so very rewarding, the warmth spreading through her insides at his huge, answering smile that nearly splits his face in half. They're going to the Hamptons.

Kate lets out a bubbly laugh, her voice loud with mirth as she watches Castle trying to cajole a mistrustful Buttercup into the water. The dog is agitated, barking and jumping at the edge of the pool, one step forward and one back, desperate to join her family but still terrified of the strange blue stuff that curls and coils around their bodies.

Castle pulls on Buttercup's leash again, just a gentle tug forward, but it only makes her that much more stubborn. All four feet dig into the paved patio as she pulls back, her wide, amber eyes filled with panic and dread.

It would be heartbreaking, if only it wasn't so funny. The dog finally pulls so hard the leash flies from Castle's fingers, and she starts running circles around the pool, barking in despair at her laughing humans.

He turns to Kate with a helpless shrug, but she's paying no attention to the dog's pitiful whines, her eyes unabashedly roaming Castle's bare chest instead.

He looks good. His frame is full again, his skin no longer sagging in the places where he'd lost the most weight. He's been working out too, if the muscles in his chest and belly that ripple with each movement are anything to go by. His shoulders are tanned and freckled, evidence of the last three days spent lazing around in the sun, and that look he's giving her…oh, that boyish zeal in his eyes as his wet bangs flop across his forehead, making him look that much younger. It's a devastatingly dangerous combination and hell, has it gotten even hotter all of a sudden?

She ignores their surroundings for a moment, making her way across the water toward him as he stands in the shallow end, near the steps where he was just trying to coax their uncooperative dog into the pool.

Her arms sneak around his neck, tugging him closer as she glues her frame to his cool chest, their lips meeting in a hot, wet, unhurried kiss.

Somewhere from behind them, Kate registers Alexis's mocking tone of disgust, followed by Martha's reprimand of her granddaughter where the two of them are lounging poolside. But all she can concentrate on are the hot strokes of Castle's tongue as it glides over hers, a distinct contrast to the way his cool fingers dig into the flesh of her ass underneath the water, his thumbs pushing under the hem of her skimpy bikini bottoms and god, they really, really need to stop putting on a show for his mother and daughter.

But it's near impossible to draw away, especially when he feels so good against her, so right, and after pulling apart briefly to take a breath, they lean in for another deep kiss, the world around them narrowing to just their mouths and the combined sounds of the lapping water, their dog's barking, and Alexis's ringing laughter.

A mighty crash against the water's surface makes them jump apart. Confusion and shock is evident on both of their faces as they look around for the source of the upheaval, their hair drenched and dripping into their eyes as they try to figure out what just happened.

There's the victorious shout from Alexis, accompanied Martha's joyous cheering from their perch on the patio. And there she is, their dog, finally in the water and only a couple feet away, swimming towards them with frenzied panic in her eyes. Her mouth is full of the tennis ball Alexis must have thrown directly into the middle of the pool.

It was a ruse, a way to make Buttercup jump into the water on an impulse. They had discussed it, but it was Castle who insisted they use the gentle approach first, an idea that failed spectacularly.

Throwing the ball in was – obviously – a mighty success, but as their dog flounders in the water, splashing everywhere as she nears the safety of her owners, Kate momentarily wonders whether this was such a good idea after all. She can already see Buttercup reaching out with her paws and fuck, her razor sharp nails, and this could get very ugly, very fast.

Being the fearless detective that she is, Kate darts to the side at the very last minute, the dog flying by and missing her by inches, before throwing her huge body and clawing paws against a still-surprised Castle. He jumps as her nails make contact with the skin of his torso and upper arms, but he catches her and lets her curl all of her four paws around him, shaking and whining, her tongue licking his face in gratitude for the safety of his embrace.

Stark red streaks appear on Castle's shoulders, a droplet of blood forming here and there from the broken skin, and the sight makes her wince, but Castle doesn't seem to care. He's smiling and cradling the dog like a child, rocking her in the water like one might soothe a crying baby, and the very idea is so powerful, so endearing, it makes Kate's stomach clench with want.

She hears the snap of a camera and when she looks over, she can see a triumphant look on Alexis's face as she takes a picture or dozen of the two – actually, three – of them.

"Told you I would make her swim," she calls victoriously, ignoring Castle's glare over her "harsh methods" and simply shrugging in response.

"Well, that's all well and good, but now we have to find a way to actually detach her from your dad and get her to swim to the edge on her own," quips Kate with barely repressed amusement, seeing as the dog has absolutely no intention of letting go of her human buoy.

But she has an idea.

"Okay, Castle. Focus," she says, drawing closer in the water but keeping a safe distance from the anxious animal and her sharp nails. When Rick finally looks at her, she holds his gaze, talking carefully, already aware of what he'll say to her proposal, but hoping to make him see reason anyway. "You know we can't let you walk out of the pool with Beastie clinging to you like this." He's already starting to shake his head in protest, because first, he hates it that she still calls her Beastie on occasion, and second, only Castle would think Why not? in this situation, but she plows on undeterred, shaking her own head at him in return.

"No, babe. You know if we do that, then this was all for nothing and she'll never enter the pool on her own again." He's listening now, but Kate can see he's still unconvinced. "You know she has to master it on her own, and overcome her fear. She needs to see for herself that she can do it. The way she came in is the same way she has to get out. On. Her. Own," she emphasizes, as if that will make Castle worry any less about his precious pup. But even as she says it, a wave of warmth spreads through her chest at his protectiveness.

Castle's still giving her a doubtful look, but she's serious. She won't budge. After all, Buttercup is her dog too, so she gets a say in her training. She decides to try another tactic though, because she knows the one to be persuaded here is not the dog, but her human.

"Don't you want her to overcome her fear? She's already in. It would be a shame if we wasted this opportunity. Just trust me here, okay?" she says and holds her breath for a moment until she sees him give the tiniest of nods. Good.

"Let's try this, and if it doesn't work, I promise I will let you carry her out of the pool, okay?" It's her version of an olive branch. This time, his nod is firmer.

"Okay," she says, her arms outstretched towards them, her hands lifting to caress the pitiful, whiney, shaky mess huddled in Castle's arms. "It's okay, baby," she murmurs in a soothing voice. "We've got you. Now, let's try to untangle you from daddy so you can show him what a good swimmer you are, okay?"

She looks to Castle for confirmation, but he's standing there dumbly, stock-still in the water and staring at her instead, the intensity of the blue of his eyes rivaling the sparkling water around them. It makes her stop short, uneasy in her footing against the slippery surface of the pool.

She called him daddy. Right. Whoops.

She looks away and clears her throat, unable to face him at the moment, her heart and head too full with a number of emotions she doesn't want to even start dissecting. She focuses on Buttercup instead, grasping one of her paws and slowly pulling it away from Castle's shoulder, making the shivering animal let out a low whine of protest.

"It's okay, baby girl," Kate coos, undecided whether she wants to laugh or cry at the pitiful state of their frightened dog. "You are a mighty beast, remember? And beasts aren't afraid of water," she reasons, more for the tone of her voice than the words itself.

The dog looks at her, uncertainty in her wide eyes, but there's blind trust there too, and it makes Kate's heart melt further. "It's okay, sweetie, you're going to be fine," she promises as she untangles the other front paw from around Castle, lowering the dog's front half to float in water, her hind legs still clutched around Castle's sides.

"Now show me what a brave girl you are." She smiles, her eyes cutting to Castle with a silent request, and despite his prevailing state of dumb-struck astonishment, he steps back to let the dogs hind legs slip into the water at the same time as Kate lets go of her front paws.

There is a loud yelp and a second of pure terror on Buttercup's face, as the realization finally dawns on her that there is absolutely nothing keeping her above the surface, her body frozen in the strange blue liquid.

And then she kicks out, wildly splashing with all of her legs and lunging towards Kate, who was expecting that and quickly jumps back and out of reach. Another lunge and another step back, and then another one, and another, until they're slowly making their way to the edge.

"Good girl!" praises Kate in a loud voice, the dog wading toward her ungracefully, but still very much above water. "Look at you, you're swimming!" she laughs, noticing she's forced to pick up her tempo, Buttercup gaining more and more speed as she familiarizes herself with the water and its physical properties.

Kate's feet finally bump against the sharp edge of the pool's stairs and she steps up, slowly emerging from the water while still encouraging the panting dog.

Three. Two. One.

Buttercup leaps out of the pool and onto dry land, jumping and whining with excitement to be on safe ground again, shaking the water off of her body over and over, tongue dangling out before throwing herself at Kate, who's sitting on the stairs in the shallow end. The dog takes her by surprise, knocking her off the step while trying to lick her face, a frantic mix of wild beast and loving pet.

She takes a dip and disappears under the water and for a moment, Buttercup freezes in shock, but when Kate surfaces a couple of feet away, the dog doesn't even hesitate to take the jump in order to follow her mistress this time.

A half-hour later, and the dog is already swimming like a pro, a crocodile in waiting. Only the top of her head sticks out as her sleek body glides effortlessly through the water around them, before opening her jaws and fetching the ball Castle and Alexis are throwing from the edge of the pool. She happily leaps out and returns it to them every time, only to come running and jump belly first into the water to retrieve it once more.

Kate smiles from her perch on the opposite side of the pool, taking a moment to look around her, enjoying the simplicity of having a good time and being silly with her family, her fiancé…hell, her dog, in a mansion, no less (because there really is no other way to describe this place) in the Hamptons. It's so domestic, so familial and normal, and for a moment she waits for the grips of panic to seize her, but they never come.

This is her reality now, and she loves it; cherishes it with all of her heart.

She looks around again, her eyes naturally seeking Castle, but he's not sitting at the side of the pool anymore. She observes Alexis still playing with Buttercup at the far end, and is about to call out and ask the girl about where her dad has so hastily disappeared to when something cool and solid brushes the back of her thighs underwater. Before she has time to react, she's knocked off her feet as something pushes its way between her legs with great force and with a loud shriek, Kate finds her thighs in a vice-like grip and her body being hoisted up from the water and into the air. For a moment, she balances precariously, instinctively trying to right herself so as to not fall backwards or go face first into the pool, before finally realizing what her fingers are so tightly holding onto; a head, attached to a set of freckled shoulders, her hands grabbing fistfuls of Castle's dark mane.

She can hear Alexis's and Martha's laughter from nearby, feels Castle's own mirth as it rocks his body – both of their bodies – before he flinches when she starts slapping his head in retribution. He pays her back by diving under water with her and when she finally emerges, sputtering and wheezing moments later, Castle is already near the other side of the pool in the deep end wearing a self-satisfied smirk and oh, how she only wants to wipe that stupid grin right off his face.

She pushes off the bottom of the pool and it takes her only a few powerful stokes before she's at his side, lunging at him and trying to sink him, but he's simply too strong and doesn't budge an inch as he firmly holds onto the edge of the pool. She's left helplessly shoving and pushing against his shoulders and head, so she tries another tactic. Diving under the surface, she tickles the sensitive flesh on the backside of his knees (a fact that, as far she knows, only she is privy to) and when his feet involuntarily kick out to shake her off, she adds a quick kiss to his lower abdomen – scandalously below his bellybutton – on her way up.

By the time she emerges, she has him exactly where she wants him; squirming and twitching at the pool's edge, his knuckles white and eyes blackened with lust. She aligns her face with his, satisfied with the dreamy look she sees there, one of her hands disappearing once again under the surface between their bodies, her deft fingers finding just the right places to stroke and tease while making sure her body effectively shields her indecent caresses from the eyes of his family.

His eyes grow huge and impossibly darker before falling shut, his mouth falling open on a silent groan as she caresses him one, two, three more times, and just as his hands let go of the edge to pull her even closer to him, she lunges, ruthlessly shoving him under water with his eyes still closed and his mouth agape.

By the time he emerges, gasping and spitting like an angry cat, she's already heartily laughing at his expanse with the two redheads at the other end of the pool.

A/N: I am still working on the story and I hope you are still reading. Don't worry, might not look like it right now, but the story is not stalling, its going exactly where I want it to go. Maybe slower than other writers would progress, but we'll eventually get there. If you are willing to wait, that is. :)