So I always like to thank people for reviewing, but I'm having an issue at the moment where I'm not getting any email alerts at all, whether it's new reviews, PMs, or story alerts. I will try and thank everyone, but if I miss you I'm sorry.

What if something had happened the night that Kate spent at Ricks.

They'd said their good nights but then had both gravitated back towards the sofa.

"I don't feel like sleeping just yet," Rick admitted, "It's been a busy day but my mind is still racing."

"Yeah mine too," Kate agreed, "It's been a hell of a day."

Rick nodded. "So what do you want to do detective?" he asked, "We could do a redo of breakfast and I could make you some pancakes." He then pulled a sorry face. "Oops," he muttered, "Didn't think that one through."

"It's ok Castle," Kate assured him, "I know you meant well. It's not your fault my apartment blew up." She paused for a second. "It is however down to you that I survived."

"Happy to help," Rick said.

He then got to his feet. "Wine?" he asked.

Kate thought about it for a moment, she probably shouldn't, but then it had been a hell of a day and a glass of wine might help her sleep. "Sure Castle," she said.

She made to get up but Rick shook his head. "Stay there," he instructed, "I'll just be a minute."

He moved into the kitchen, grabbed two wine glasses and a bottle of wine, and then came back to sit with Kate on the sofa.

Silently he poured two glasses and handed one to Kate, keeping to other for himself. "Cheers," he said, holding out his glass towards Kate.

"Cheers," Kate replied, touching her glass against his.

They both had a drink then looked back at each other. "Fancy a movie?" Rick asked, "Something light-hearted and fun maybe? Or maybe a chick flick, I know mother and Alexis have a collection of them."

"Hmm," Kate hummed, thinking about it, "Let's see what you've got Castle."

Rick smiled at her and then walked towards his movie collection, gesturing for Kate to join him. She did and then blinked a few times when she saw how many movies he had. "Pick your poison," Rick invited.

Kate had another drink and then started to run her eyes over the DVDs until her gaze landed on one in particular. She pulled it out and held it out to Rick. "Shrek," he said approvingly as he saw what she had picked, "Great pick. Light-hearted and fun, just what the doctor ordered."

They made their way back to the sofa and got settled down to watch the movie. "Do you fancy popcorn or anything?" Rick asked as the title sequence played.

Kate shook her head. "No thanks," she said, "I'm fine with just wine."

They settled back into the sofa and watched the movie, laughing and singing along as if they didn't have a care in the world.

The movie finished and Rick got up and stretched. "It's getting late," he said, glancing at his watch.

Kate nodded but didn't move from where she was sitting on the sofa. "I've got the second movie," Rick said, "Do you want to watch that one as well?"

Kate looked at him. "No it's ok, if you want to go to bed, you're right it's late."

"I can do one more movie," Rick said with a smile. He went and got the second movie and stuck it into the player. He got comfortable back on the sofa and pressed play. He glanced over at Kate and saw that she was making herself comfortable. He looked around and grabbed the afghan off the back of the sofa and threw it over her. She jumped slightly but then smiled at him and snuggled under the afghan.

Rick watched out of the corner of his eye as she shifted around a bit until she fell still again. Rick smiled slightly and then turned his full attention back to the movie.

He must have dozed off at some point because he woke up as the end credits started to play. He was confused for a second by a weight on his side. He looked down to try and work out what the weight was, and he was very surprised to find a sleeping Kate Beckett still wrapped up in the afghan, snuggled up against his side.

Grabbing the remote he turned off the TV and then looked back down at Kate. He had a few options on what to do. He could just stay like this, fall back asleep with Kate against his side, but he wasn't sure that was the best idea, they both needed a good nights sleep and while his sofa was comfy it wasn't that comfy. Option two was he got up and left Kate on the safe, giving her room to spread out fully, not perfect but better than their current position. Option three was to wake her up and get her to go up to her room, but looking down at her sleeping face he couldn't bring himself to wake her, she just looked too peaceful. And option four was he carried her up to the spare room and got her settled into the bed up there. He debated whether or not he was capable of it, he knew he could carry Alexis up the stairs, but Kate was a full-grown woman, not a teenager, so he knew it would be a bit harder.

Then he decided he didn't care, he wanted Kate to wake up in a bed. Carefully he slid off the sofa, taking care not to jostle Kate too much, then he slid his arms under Kate's sleeping frame. One arm under her knees and then the other under her back. He silently counted to three and then picked her up. She muttered something in her sleep but didn't wake up as Rick started moving towards the spare room.

He was very careful on the stairs, making sure he didn't drop or jostle Kate. She would mutter every so often, but Rick couldn't work out what she was saying, so he just ignored it and carried on walking.

When he reached the bedroom, he was glad to find that the door was open, and he walked through it. He gently placed Kate on the bed but at the last minute, he overbalanced slightly and fell backwards. His arms came clear of Kate but he fell and hit the floor.

He winced at the noise and hoped that he hadn't woken Kate. He was out of luck however, his fall had woken her.

"Castle?" her quiet voice came.

"Sorry Beckett," he said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Did you carry me up here?" Kate asked, sitting up and looking around, realising that she was no longer in the lounge and having no memory of walking up here herself.

"Yeah," Rick said, suddenly feeling self-conscious, "I wanted you to get to a decent nights sleep in a real bed, but I didn't want to wake you. You were out of it on the sofa and I thought I'd try and let you sleep some more."

"Thank you Castle," Kate said, "You really shouldn't have done that."

Rick just shrugged. "Good night Detective," he said, making his way towards the door.

He was almost out when Kate's soft voice carried to him. "Rick," she said.

He turned, the use of his first name enough to get his attention instantly. "What's up, Beckett?"

Kate looked a little unsure of herself as she asked, "Could you stay Rick?"

"It's my apartment, Beckett," Rick reminded her, thinking she'd forgotten where she was, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be downstairs in my room if you need me."

"No Rick," Kate said, "Can you stay up here with me?" She looked up from where she'd been studying her hands on the afghan and looked Rick straight in the eye. "I'm cold Rick," she said, "And, risking inflating your ego, you're pretty hot. That's why I leant against you in front of the movie once you fell asleep."

Rick smirked at her hot comment but then his face went slack as he realised that Kate had purposefully snuggled up against him, and she'd just admitted to it as well.

"Of course Kate," he said, his voice soft.

Kate smiled at him. She dropped the afghan on the floor and then crawled under the duvet. Rick stopped at the side of the bed, not sure how Kate wanted to do this. Kate didn't look at him but pulled back to the other side of the duvet as a clear invitation for Rick to join her under it.

He didn't overthink it, just got in and shifted his weight around, trying to get comfy.

"I had no idea how uncomfortable this bed was," he groused, "Mine is so much better."

"Is that an attempt to get me into bed with you Rick?" Kate teased.

Rick smiled back at her and shrugged. "Well we are already in bed, and you did invite me in after all, I just thought you'd like to be more comfortable."

He thought he'd taken it all a bit too far, had pushed Kate past the point of banter that she was comfortable with.

"Ok Rick," she said, and he was relieved to hear her still using his first name, he hadn't pushed it too far, "Let's go downstairs, but I'll walk this time if it's all the same to you."

"Of course," Rick said. His heart had skipped a beat when she'd agreed to come to his bed with him. He got up and then waited for Kate to join him before the two of them headed back down the stairs.

"I'm impressed," Kate said as they walked.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Kate said, "Well done for getting me up the stairs, that can't have been easy, I was a dead weight."

Rick just smiled. He couldn't think of an answer that wouldn't be able to be taken the wrong way. He lead the way into his bedroom and then stopped a the foot of the bed. "Which side do you want?" he asked.

"Whichever," Kate said.

The two of them walked either side of the bed and then got in. Rick pulled the duvet back and then back up and over the two of them once they had settled into the centre of the bed.

Rick was still as a statue as Kate pressed herself against his side. "Relax Rick," she said, "I don't bite." She chuckled slightly. "Well, not unless you want me to."

Rick took a deep breath, determined to keep blood away from a certain area of his anatomy as he felt a blush rise on his cheeks at Kate words. "Go to sleep Kate."

Kate surprised him again by pulling his arm up and around her shoulders, pulling the two of them even closer together.

"Night Rick," she said.

"Night Kate," Rick replied, his voice strained.

"Rick," Kate said, her voice soft, "Just relax ok. Nothing is happening here that we need to be ashamed of. Just one partner helping another."

"Right partners," Rick said. "Good night partner."

"Good night," Kate replied. She then threw caution to the wind, stretched up and gave Rick a quick peck on the cheek.

Rick had to take another deep breath and think of all sorts of things to stop any unwanted reaction from his body. Kate snuggled in closer to her chest and Rick could feel her smiling softly into his chest. He shook his head.

"You know detective," he said conversationally, "I could just send you back upstairs and turn the heating up."

"Shush Castle," she instructed, "Go to sleep." Rick pressed a kiss into the top of her head and the two of them closed their eyes and went to sleep.