A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 36th-ish Chapter of Dancing with Death. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoy this latest installment of Kate and Rick's lives!


As usual Kate rose before Rick the Tuesday morning and sleepily began her morning routine. Rick followed soon after and found his wife downstairs in the kitchen supervising a pot of porridge bubbling away on the stove a medium sized box at the end of the kitchen bench.

"Morning gorgeous wifey of mine," Rick greeted teasingly leaning down and kissing his partner on the neck.

"Kiss ass," Kate murmured in amusement, squirming as her husband's hands became progressively more adventurous. "Rick behave yourself, last time you felt me up in the kitchen you took me from behind and I burned the porridge so bad we had to throw out the saucepan and were half an hour late to the precinct."

"Ahhh good times," Rick responded dreamily remembering their sexual theatrics soon after moving into the Queens house. "Was even worth the chewing out we got from Gates and the ribbing we got from the boys."

"No it wasn't!" Kate exclaimed half embarrassed, half amused giving him a half-hearted elbow to the ribs. "Oh get off me you nymphomaniac!"

Rick threw his head back and laughed heartily as Kate squirmed away from him. "You know I've been called many things in my life but nymphomaniac isn't one of them," he chortled. "That's a new one."

"You'll get worse ones if you don't stop calling me 'wifey'" Kate scolded, flashing him a playful wink.

"Aw but I know you secretly love it," Rick informed her with a grin. "So the box, that's the stuff you're going to show Gillian today?"

Kate nodded and took the saucepan off the flame. "Yeah," she replied. "I didn't go too personal with the content I just mainly included stuff from Mom's academic career, from college and through her working life. There's a portrait picture of her Dad and me taken a week after I was born and the mortarboard and tassel she wore to her law school graduation ceremony as well as her degree certificate."

"Did your Dad not want to hold onto any of her belongings?" Rick asked delicately as he fetched a pair of bowls from a nearby cupboard.

"Not all of them," Kate replied stirring in a huge glob of honey into the porridge. "He kept a couple of photo albums and this stuffed bear he bought her for her birthday the year before she died and of course her wedding ring but everything else he gave to me saying 'Katie, I just can't bring myself to go through it all, all of this is yours' … I've only half-heartedly gone through it over the years and before yesterday hadn't touched it since I joined the twelfth homicide department in oh-six three years before you started there. I had forgotten all the contents. I've sorted it into chronological order and will get some vacuum seal bags and roller boxes to store it in at some point down the track."

"Do you want to store it in the house or back in the storage shed?" Rick asked.

"I'll probably put it back in the storage shed," Kate replied pouring the porridge into their bowls. "Alright grub's up."


Breakfast was a quick affair, Rick and Kate left the house in a town car shortly after nine AM and arrived at Columbia Law School on Amsterdam Avenue a little after nine thirty.

"I'll ring when we need a ride to the Twelfth," Rick told the driver as he pressed a greenback into his hand.

"Of course Sir."

The sleek black car pulled away from the curb and Rick and Kate made their way into the main reception area and over to the elevator bay where plaques were stuck on the wall identifying faculty departments and staff and their location.

"Jerome Greene Hall room eight oh-one," Rick murmured under his breath the pressing the 'up' button. "You ready?"

Kate nodded, gripping the box of her mother's old belongings carefully. "Yup, let's go."

The pair made their way up to the sixth floor where Gillian Lester's office was located and made their way over to the long elegant redwood reception desk.

"Can I help you Sir?" the bright eyed brunette receptionist asked brightly.

"Yes, my name's Richard Castle. This is my wife Kate and we're here for a meeting with Gillian Lester at 10am," Rick informed the young woman.

The perky receptionist scanned a printed out list next to her keyboard and crossed a line off with a yellow highlighter.

"I can see you both on the list here," she said cheerfully. "If you'll take a seat for a moment I'll ring though and let Ms Lester know you're here."

"Thanks."

"You look nervous," Rick said to his wife as they sat down on a nearby chesterfield lounge.

"I am a little," Kate confessed. "I don't talk to anyone outside my family and close friends about Mom and meeting someone totally new and telling her everything about Mom's life is a little nerve-wracking. I know I'll be fine though."

"Course you will," Rick said confidently. "You're always fine."

Several minutes later a nearby door opened and a young, statuesque woman dressed in a smart grey power suit emerged.

"Mr and Mrs Castle?" she called. "Ms Lester is ready for you now, please come through."

"Let's do this huh?" Rick said to his wife as they got to their feet.

"Let's do this."

Rick fell into step beside his wife and together they made their way through the door and down a short hallway where the young woman in a power suit stopped at a closed door with 'GILLIAN LESTER DEAN OF LAW' stamped on a brass nameplate on it.

"She's waiting for you," she said knocking on the door smartly.

"Come in!"

Rick led the way and led Kate into the spacious, tastefully decorated interior of Gillian Lester's office. A huge hardwood desk was placed in front of a large window which let the early morning sunshine in. Two comfortable looking bucket lounge chairs sat in front of the desk divided by a small side table upon which Kate placed the box containing her mother's belongings.

"Katherine? Richard?" Gillian a statuesque white haired woman in her mid fifties inquired with a bright smile.

"Please call me Kate, only my mother in law calls me Katherine," Kate joked as she accepted the other woman's outstretched hand.

"And call me Rick," Rick added. "Only my mother and my editor when I'm past submission dates call me Richard."

Gillian laughed. "No one calls me Gillian either," she said. "Please call me Gill, everyone does, now could I get you a tea, coffee something carbonated?"

"A white decaf with two sugars would be lovely thankyou," Kate said politely as she sat down in one of the bucket seats.

"Same thanks," Rick echoed.

"Well, where shall we start?" Gillian asked after instructing her assistant to make their coffees through an intercom. "Kate how would you like to tell me all about your Mom? You don't have to reveal any personal information if you don't want to."

"O-kay," Kate began nervously as she opened the box beside her. "I suppose I'll start telling you about her professional life..."


"So what did you think?" Rick asked two hours later as they left Gillian's office and made their way down to the curb where their town car was waiting for them.

"I'm overwhelmed to be honest," Kate confessed as she slid into the back seat of the sleek black sedan. "But not in a negative way. It was great sharing Mom's story and meeting someone as keen to perpetuate her memory as you are."

"What d'you reckon your Dad will think?"

"I think if we explain to him everything that went on today and the reasons behind it he'll be enthusiastic," Kate replied. "He knows about your desire to create a scholarship in Mom's name."

"Well how about tonight after your work and my training session with Anastasia you give him a ring and invite him around for dinner, say Thursday night? Then we can ply him with good food, good company and the story of how the Johanna Beckett scholarship is now a real thing."

Kate smiled. "Sounds great," she said. "But first work and training, huh?"

"Yup, life gets in the way doesn't it?"


"So?" Kate asked at the end of the day once her husband trudged through the door exhaustion plastered across his face.

"So what?" Rick shot back in a smartassed tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Genre babe, genre," she said. "What's this week's genre?"

"Disco," Rick groaned dropping his bag on one of the dining chairs and leaning over the kitchen bench to peck her on the lips. "I hate disco."

"That's just groooooovy man, what song are you dancing to?" Kate teased, waddling over to the oven and checking on the casserole that was bubbling away inside.

"Hot Stuff," Rick groaned. "You know the Donna Summer song?"

Kate burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Well, isn't that appropriate?" she giggled. "You are hot stuff."

Rick dropped his head into his hands. "That's what Anastasia said," he groaned. "I hate disco as much as she hates hip hop."

"Why?" Kate enquired. "Some of the best music ever made came out within the disco genre. You grew up in the seventies, the era of disco."

"I beg to differ," Rick challenged. "There's a lot of crap disco, in fact as a genre Disco is pretty crap. And I was a small child in the seventies I wasn't that much into music. The eighties is more my thing."

"Ryan and Esposito are going to think its hilarious you dancing to Hot Stuff," Kate informed her mortified partner. "Prepare to catch hell from them."

"I catch hell from them all the time," Rick commented. "I think I would rather dance to a doof doof remix of Baby by Justin Bieber."

"Now you see I know you're lying about that," Kate teased. "But if the opportunity comes up Anastasia will probably pick such a song, you're making her do a hip hop routine when the genre comes up."

Rick dragged himself to his feet and shuffled into the kitchen where he wrapped his arms around Kate's waist. "How was your day?" he murmured as he swept aside her long brunette locks and placed a wide open mouthed kiss to the slender column of her neck.

"Tedious," the female detective replied with a sigh. "Only one interrogation and Anne took the lead in that one, mostly following up with Perlmutter and Lanie, went through a bazillion hours of tapes with Javi and Tori, the rest of the day was just boring paperwork. You? How was training?"

"Exhausting," Rick admitted as he cupped her enlarged breasts in his hands. "I'm tired and sore and just want to go to bed."

"D'you have enough energy to join me in the tub after dinner?" Kate enquired. "We can soak our aches and pains away."

"That sounds like heaven," Rick replied with a heavy sigh. "How's bub been today?"

"Quiet for the most part, he or she has given me a decent kick a couple of times but they're not resting right up against my bladder which is good, it would've been embarrassing to go to the bathroom in the middle of an interrogation."

Rick let out a snort of laughter. "I wouldn't quite say I'd pay to see that but I would get a giggle out of it," he said in amusement.

"You find the most inappropriate things funny, Mr Castle," Kate teased as she gently extricated herself from her husbands adventurous embrace to retrieve two bowls from a nearby cupboard. "You hungry?"

Rick grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I'm always hungry, honey," he said raking his eyes up and down her slender figure hungrily.

"Seriously Castle anyone would think you never get any," Kate scolded reverting to the use of his surname. "And we all know that's not the case."

The writer laughed heartily. "Yes I am hungry," he admitted. "For food and other...things."

"Well maybe other things can wait til after our bath," Kate went on as she placed the bowls on the counter and grabbed a pair of tattered oven mitts. "Its better when you have to wait."

"Mmmmmm it is," Rick murmured dreamily. "It really is."


After a hearty meal in which Kate went back for seconds and thirds, the couple retired upstairs and prepared for their bath. Rick dumped his sweaty training clothes in the laundry basket by the door and began extravagantly parading around the spacious bedroom while Kate ran the bath.

"Oh put it away," she groaned as in a fit of hi jinx her husband began doing the windmill with his genitals. "Rick, are you drunk?"

"On love wifey!" The writer announced as he pranced around the room.

"Oh good lord." Kate muttered, giggling a little at her partner's theatrics. "The public know you as a highly respected FBI Special Agent, NYPD consultant and writer, what the hell would they think if they could see you now prancing around your bedroom with your man parts out? Your reputation would be shattered in an instant."

"Eh, it couldn't be as bad as the time I stole the police horse," Rick pointed out as he paused to watch her undress. "That was page six fodder for a week."

"You weren't serving with the FBI back then." Kate pointed out as she dumped her clothes in the basket and laid out her nightgown.

"No, but I hadn't been out of the service that long," Rick recalled as they made their way into the bathroom which was bathed with soft light and several fat vanilla and orchid scented candles. "Despite the circumstances that led to the equine theft I look back on them as good times."

"What did lead to you nicking the police horse?" Kate enquired. "I don't think I've ever asked, and it's certainly not in your file."

"Meredith's and I divorce came through that day," Rick revealed. "A bunch of mates and I went out drinking and one of them dared me to go streaking, I did and on a whim decided to go horse riding through Central Park."

Kate snorted. "As an officer of the law I shouldn't find that funny," she said with a grin. "It would be condoning illegal activity, especially with NYPD property."

"I won't let anyone know," Rick replied as he stepped into the bath and hissed at the temperature of the water. "Ah!"

"Too hot?" Kate asked in concern.

"A little, the first dip in is always hot," Rick replied as he slowly immersed himself in the bath. "Come join me."

Rick got comfortable then Kate followed. She stepped in the water then settled between her husband's legs, leaning back and snuggling into his muscular bulk.

"We don't do this often enough anymore," Kate said after several minutes of silence in which they just relaxed and let the days worries evaporate. "I miss it."

"We don't usually have the time anymore," Rick reasoned as he laid his hands on her belly. "Usually you're working late or I'm too tired after training to have the energy to bother relaxing in a tub."

"Well 'Dancing With the Stars' only goes for another four weeks, if you get to the final after that we can spend entire days in the bath," Kate suggested with a happy sigh. "I'll take a day off and we can stay in, eat takeaway and do nothing but have hot baths and sex all day."

Rick laughed loudly. "That is the best idea ever," he said in amusement. "I am always available for hot baths and sex. Our entire honeymoon was like that, save for a few times when we actually went out and did touristy things."

"I paid more attention to the tour guides we had than you did," Kate reminded him. "You always stood behind me and grabbed my ass."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh good times, good times," Rick sing songed dreamily. "Remember when I did that at London Zoo and the guide busted us because you squealed so loud?"

"Yes I did!" Kate exclaimed turning a magnificent shade of scarlet. "You didn't give me any warning. One minute I was listening to the spiel about their cheetah breeding program and the next minute I felt your hands on my ass. We were lucky no one recognized us. If you'd done that in Manhattan it would've been page six fodder for a month."

Rick laughed heartily. "Why do you think I did it while we were in London then?" he said with a snort. "There were more ass grabbing opportunities there."

"Well to let you in on a little secret..." Kate murmured in his ear. "I didn't actually mind all the ass grabbing. You may remember what we got up to after that zoo tour."

"Oh I remember," Rick replied "I remember vividly."


The minute Ryan and Esposito saw Rick's costume backstage at 'Dancing with the Stars' on Monday night, they collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"W-w-w-what the hell are you wearing?" Ryan managed to choke out. Esposito was too consumed with hysterical laughter to be able to respond coherently. "You look like a cross between a Woodstock Hippie and an extra from an Austin Powers movie."

Rick rolled his eyes and adjusted his light brunette coloured afro wig as tears leaked from Esposito's eyes and ran down his cheeks from the effort of withholding his laughter.

"Shut up, man," he told the Irish Detective. "Tie dye is cool."

"W-w-was c-c-cool bro," Esposito managed to choke out. "Why didn't you wear this costume when we had the Vince Bianchi case and Martha turned the bullpen into the set of Kojak? You would've totally blended in bro."

"Espo, be nice," Kate scolded as her friend and Ryan collapsed in a collective fit of laughter.

"Hey, if anyone can pull off tie dye - it's you bro," Esposito informed Rick. "You ought to keep this one for Halloween this year."

"No way, I already have my Halloween costume figured out," Rick announced with a grin. "Anastasia wanted me to wear a costume that stuck out."

"Well you certainly got that right, Writer Boy," Esposito responded with a snigger. "Ah you look good bro, not sure I'd have the cojones to wear something like that."

"I'll save it and next time the department has a casual for charity day you can wear it," Rick informed the Latino detective. "The pockets would easily hold your Sig Sauer."

Both Kate and Ryan sniggered heartily.

"Ha ha."

"Anyway we better let you and Anastasia get to the green room since you're on soon," Kate informed her husband as she pecked him on the lips. "Break a leg."

"Jazz hands!" Ryan and Esposito chorused, waving their hands at their friend.

"Oh very funny guys haha!"

"Did you know he was going to wear that?" Esposito asked Kate as they made their way toward the studio.

"Not that exact costume," Kate replied honestly "Rick is very secretive when it comes to his costumes. All he told me was 'its going to be brightly coloured."

"Well he nailed that one on the head," Ryan piped up. "Certainly would be a traffic hazard, would he?"

"Nope," Kate replied. "I think he's tapped into Martha's theatricality, she would totally wear something like that."

The Twelfth group snuck into the studio and took their seats just as the broadcast came back from the commercial break.

"Welcome back to Dancing with the Stars!" Tom announced. "Mystery writer Richard Castle and his partner Anastasia Smirnoff have been working extremely hard this week, take a look at this video..."

"No one in the entire precinct will ever let him live down that costume," Esposito murmured.

"Oh and you won't have anything to do with that, will you?" Kate said dryly.

"Gotta give the guy credit though," Esposito continued. "He has massive cajones to do it."

"And now to perform the cha cha cha Richard Castle and Anastasia Smirnoff!"

The minute Rick and Anastasia stepped onto the floor the studio audience fell about laughing at the writer's costume. He grinned widely, popped a hip then took up his opening pose his crystal blue eyes shining brightly.

"Sittin' here eatin' my heart out waitin'.
Waitin' for some lover to call.
Dialed about a thousand numbers lately,
almost rang the phone off the wall …
Lookin' for some hot stuff baby this evenin'.
I need some hot stuff baby tonight.
I want some hot stuff baby this evenin'.
Gotta have some hot stuff.
Gotta have some love tonight.
I need hot stuff.
I want some hot stuff.
I need some hot stuuuuuuuuuuuff..."

"If he doesn't win this competition, I'll hand my badge in," Ryan muttered just loud enough for Kate and Esposito to hear. "The dude's killing it!"

"Lookin' for a lover who needs another.
Don't want another night on my own.
Wanna share my love with a warm blooded lover,
wanna bring a wild man back home...
Gotta have some hot love baby this evenin'.
I need some hot stuff baby tonight.
I want some hot stuff baby this evenin'.
Gotta have some lovin'.
Gotta have love tonight.
I need hot stuff. Hot love.
Lookin' for hot loooooooooove..."

Rick and Anastasia flew around the dance floor. Rick's bell bottom trousers and Anastasia's skirt swirling around their legs. Their choreography was without fault and they matched the music perfectly. Kate even noticed Carrie, Len and Bruno dancing along in their seats.

"How's about some hot stuff baby this evenin'.
I need some hot stuff baby tonight.
Lookin' for my hot stuff baby this evenin'.
I need some hot stuff baby tonight, yeah-yeah.
I want some hot stuff this evenin'.
I want some hot stuff baby tonight...yeah yeah yeah!"

The minute the music finished every member of the audience leapt to their feet and roared their approval.

Rick picked Anastasia up and spun her around, letting out a whoop of elation. Kate caught her husband's eye and blew him a kiss and gave him a double thumbs up. He winked then he and Anastasia made their way over to Tom who was waiting in front of the judges table.

"A very colourful performance there from Anastasia and Rick!" he declared giving the writer a sparkly microphone. "Rick, your second go at the Cha Cha Cha. How do you think you went?"

"Better than I f-first th-thought," the Writer puffed his muscular chest rising and falling. "My stomach fell th-through th-the fl-loor when An-na-stasia told me w-we w-ere doing Disco th-this week. It's a genre of m-music I dislike im-mensely but I h-had f-fun w-with it this week. I-I'm j-just glad I-I don't have t-to don the tye d-dye and skin t-tight j-jeans every w-week."

"Anastasia how about you?" Tom questioned. "Did you enjoy disco week?"

"I did," the Russian replied brightly. "Much more than Vichard did I sink."

"Alright over to the judges...Carrie?"

The effervescent blonde giggled. "Richard, what are you wearing?" she questioned in amusement. "That outfit is straight out of Woodstock or an Austin Powers movie costuming trailer."

Ryan and Esposito let out audible snorts.

"That's w-what two of my friends said." Rick replied giving Ryan and Esposito a pointed look. "Anastasia suggested bright and colourful so with a bit of help from family we came up with this."

"And the afro?"

"Oh that was totally my own idea," Rick confessed with pride. "All the women in my life thought it wholly unnecessary."

"Ah I wouldn't be so sure," Carrie informed him. "It brings a little more authenticity to the routine, which I very much like by the way. Your theatrical side is coming out in this competition and you're clearly not afraid to go outside the square in terms of costuming, choreography or music. A couple of times I spied your posture slouching but it wasn't a huge factor in my score for you today."

"Len?"

"I'm going to be realistic here Rick, I hate your costume, it's...-"

The acerbic Englishman was suddenly cut off why a volley of loud boos and hisses from the audience (Ryan and Esposito volunteered a double thumbs down each).

"Garish," Len finished. "Its cheesy, gauche and stereotypical. I'm sure there were better options for your costuming tonight-"

Beside him Bruno rolled his eyes, loudly groaned and flopped back into his chair dramatically.

"However out of all the factors I took into consideration for scoring your performance tonight it had the least consequence," Len continued. "You and Anastasia performed a textbook Cha Cha Cha. Your tempo was perfect, your choreography was on point and you told a story. Yes as Carrie said there were a few times where your posture wasn't as good as it has been in previous weeks but it was barely noticeable. This dancing thing is quickly becoming second nature to you Rick and you ought to be congratulated. Anastasia you should be congratulated for all the hard work you've done with him. It's your tutelage that had made you two a definite chance to take out this competition."

The audience whooped and cheered.

"What did you think Bruno?"

"You two are a walking talking advertisement for Skittles!" the effervescent Italian informed Rick and Anastasia cheerfully. "Taste the rainbow!"

The audience roared with laughter and from the other side of the studio Kate even saw Len crack a smile.

"You two exuded the definition of the Cha Cha Cha," Bruno went on. "It was quick, sexy, and your technique was perfect. Anastasia I know Latin is your jam and you did a wonderful job with Richard. You both did great tonight. Can't wait to see what you do next week!"


"You've got to wear your costume to this Friday's casual for Charity day at the precinct, bro," Esposito told Rick hours later as the private jet taking them back to New York lifted into the air. "Every single officer in the precinct would donate their entire pay packet so see you walk in with tie dyed threads on."

"I'll fund next year's NYPD Spring Picnic if you wear it on Friday," Rick shot back. "The trouser hems would need to be taken up a couple of inches and you'd need to wear a belt with them but I'm sure the tie dyed look on you would get a much bigger reaction from the twelfth than it would on me."

"Bam said the lady dude," Ryan said leaning across his partner to give Kate a high five.

"Shuddup," Esposito groused. "You were awesome tonight, dude. Seriously, you and Anastasia are really in with a chance of winning this thing."

"What genre are you hoping to get next week?" Ryan enquired of the Writer and his dance partner.

"Not really fussed," Rick replied honestly.

"Paso Doble or Foxtrot I am thinking," Anastasia replied. "Next veek is veek nine we vill haff to perform two dances."

At this new piece of information Rick let out a long groan.

"Two?" he exclaimed. "Two? I barely get my head around one dance a week, UGH!"

"You shall be alright Vichard," the busty Russian replied cheerfully. "It is not hard."

"Yeah, well you're used to this sort of thing."

"Ah, you'll be right bro," Esposito encouraged his friend. "Maybe you won't have time to wear your Skittles costume to the precinct on Friday then."

The Writer groaned. "With learning two dances I won't have anytime to go anywhere but the studio and home," he complained half-heartedly.

"You sink zat is bad, I haff heard zat the finalists have to perform a dance on the final night off competition vith only twenty four hours notice," Anastasia piped up.

"Can I jump out the plane now?" Rick complained weakly.

Kate playfully elbowed her husband. "You can do it," she murmured affectionately tugging on his ear. "I have confidence in you Rick, you've far exceeded your own expectations in this competition so far, there's no reason you couldn't pick up the choreography of a new dance in twenty four hours."

"Your unfailing confidence in me is one of the reasons I love you so much you know," Rick informed his tired wife. "You're just the tonic I need to physically and mentally get through this competition."

"So I should keep coming with you to LA each week then?" Kate asked cheekily.

"Oh definitely, you most definitely should."


A/N1: Reviews feed the best peoples!