Happy New Year everyone. I'm hoping to get back to posting every Friday. Hope you like this chapter.

What if Josh had cancelled on Kate so she'd spent the rest of the night with Rick.

"I really am sorry about your friend," Kate said. The two of them had made their way to a bar and had been sitting sipping on drinks for the past few hours. They hadn't really spoken about anything of consequence, just made small talk, but now Kate was starting to get a bit more serious.

Rick just shrugged. "It is what it is," he muttered before downing the rest of his drink.

"You were right though," Kate told him, "He didn't kill his wife."

"Yeah but I made that claim under a faulty assumption," Rick said, "I thought he was a good guy, he wasn't, therefore me insisting he was innocent was just me being an idiot."

Kate reached out and placed her hand over Ricks where it was resting on the table. "Hey," she said, "Look at me." Rick raised his eyes from where they had been studying the swirls in the table and looked straight at her. "You need to stop beating yourself up about what happened," she told him softly, "You were a kid Castle, and you had no reason to doubt your friend." She squeezed his hand. "And you helped solve two cases today Castle, that's pretty impressive."

"Why Detective Beckett," Rick said with a sparkle in his eye, "Was that a compliment I just heard?"

Kate dropped his hand and laughed, glad that her partner seemed to have gotten over his pensive mood. "You must have been hearing things Castle," she teased.

"Well it's all good," Rick shot back with a smile.

The two of them laughed and then Rick looked at his glass. "Can I get you another Detective?" he asked.

Kate looked at her nearly empty glass and then glanced at her watch. "One more won't hurt," she said, "But then I'll have to go."

Rick nodded and headed over to the bar. Kate watched him go. She probably shouldn't have stayed for another drink, she needed to get home and get sorted for going out with Josh later, but Rick had had a bad day and he'd always been there for her when she'd had a rough day and now it was her time to be there for him.

Kate smiled at Rick as he made his way back to her and then set a glass in front of her before taking his own seat.

Kate finished off her old drink and then took a mouthful of her new one. She glanced at her watch.

"If you need to go, Beckett," Rick said, "Just go, I don't mind. I've taken up enough of your evening and I'm sure you need to go and get all prettied up for your date with Josh."

Kate shook her head. "I'm fine right here Castle," she told him, "For one more drink anyway." She took a sip. "And besides, don't you think I'm pretty enough already?" She was teasing him she knew, and maybe it wasn't fair, but the smile on his face made it worth it, she just wanted to keep him smiling right now.

Rick shook his head. "Oh you're very pretty detective," he assured her before wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She laughed and fought off the blush that threatened to rise up her cheeks. She had been teasing him but his honest look in response had really thrown her. She cleared her throat and looked away awkwardly.

The two sat in total silence for a few minutes before Kate's phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and looked at the called ID. "I need to take this," she said.

Rick glanced at the phone. "Doctor motorcycle boy?" he guessed.

Kate nodded and got up. She moved away from Rick and then answered the phone.

Rick watched her go and sighed. He stared after her, watching as she spoke into the phone, and took a drink from his glass. He had enjoyed their evening but she would have to go soon and then he'd have to find something else to keep his mind off of what had happened. In a previous life, he might have considered going out and finding some random fangirl to spend the night with, but ever since he'd started working with Kate and the guys at the 12th he'd stopped doing that.

He knew that Alexis and his mother both had their own plans so he would have to entertain himself. He was just debating what movie he should watch when he got home when he saw Kate's body language change. Until now she'd been chatting happily and her body language had been relaxed, but now Rick watched as she stiffened up and her shoulders slumped. She ended the call and turned back towards Rick. He averted his eyes quickly, he didn't want to be caught staring, but he couldn't help but watch her out of the corner of his eye as she walked towards him.

Her shoulders were slumped and she looked unhappy. As she got closer to Rick though she rearranged her features to look more neutral.

"Everything ok?" Rick asked innocently as she retook her seat.

"He's got to stay at work," Kate said, "He was calling to ask for a rain check."

"Sorry Beckett," Rick muttered in response, "I know you were looking forward to spending Valentine's day with him."

Now it was Kate's turn to shrug. "He's a busy guy," she said, "I knew that when we started dating."

"Still though," Rick said, "It is Valentine's Day and you had plans."

Kate just shrugged again. "Doesn't matter," she muttered.

She picked up her glass and had another drink, staring off into space.

"How about," Rick said, spinning his glass on the table as he spoke, "You and I have a night on the town?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw as Kate stared at him in surprise. "I don't mean like a date or anything like that," Rick was quick to point out, "But neither of us have any plans now so why not spend a completely platonic evening together? We can go out or whatever you want, my treat."

Kate stared at him and he eventually looked up to catch her eye. "Come on Kate," he said quietly, "It'll be fun."

Kate chewed on her lip as she thought about his suggestion. "You know what Castle," she then said, "I think that sounds like a great idea." Rick beamed at her.

"So, what do you want to do?" Rick asked her, practically bouncing in his seat.

Kate smiled at him and then shook her head. "I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about us," she said, "So no dinner out or anything like that." Rick nodded his agreement; he could accept that.

"How about we go out drinking?" he said, "Maybe have a look at a club or something?"

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You just want me to get all dressed up like I did when we went after Oz don't you."

"That hadn't even crossed my mind," Rick told her. Kate almost believed him, but the massive smirk on his face gave him away.

"Not happening Castle," Kate sang, having another drink.

"Ok," Rick mused. "So dinner is out, night on the town is out." He tapped his fingers against his glass as he thought. "How about a movie night at mine?" he then suggested, "Or at yours if you'd rather. We could get some takeout, open some wine, just spend the evening watching silly movies."

It sounded a little too domestic to Kate but then she shrugged and nodded. "Sounds like a plan Castle," she said, "And I think your place would be better than mine. I'm sure your TV is much bigger than mine."

Rick nodded. "Not only that, I've got a projector I can set up so we can watch whichever movie we want on the big screen."

Kate hummed in agreement. "But this is only as friends, right?"

"Right," Rick told her, "Just partners spending an evening together watching movies. Nothing more."

Kate smiled at him and he smiled back. He then picked up his drink and drained it. "Right," he said, putting the glass back down on the table, "Go home, get some comfy clothes and stuff to spend the night." Kate went to protest but Rick just talked over her. "I've got a guest room," he reminded her, "That way we don't need to worry about the time, and if there's a body drop we can head out together." Kate shook her head but she was smiling so Rick knew she agreed. "Grab your stuff and then meet me at the loft in," he glanced at his watch, "An hour. That'll give me time to get the screen all set up and order in some Chinese."

He was practically vibrating with excitement and Kate had to shake her head at him, but she really appreciated it.

"Deal," she said, picking up her glass and draining it, "I'll see you in an hour. Do you want me to bring anything else?"

Rick shook his head. "I've got wine, movie snacks," he muttered, "I don't think I need anything else."

"I would say it's a date," Kate then teased, "But it isn't."

Rick smiled at her. "I'll walk you out." He then offered.

Kate nodded and the two of them then headed out of the bar. Rick hailed her a cab and then opened the door for her saying, "I'll see you in an hour, Beckett."

"See you in an hour Castle," Kate replied with a smile.

Rick shut the door and watched the cab drive off before he hailed his own and headed back to the loft.