Very Castle Celebrations

Chapter 44

Castle would love to be able to let Jackson run free, but until he's checked the yard for toxic plants and any other hazards, his son will have to remain in his portable stroller. There isn't much growing in February. What looks like they may be rose bushes are bare, and the grass is brown and frost-burned. A few courageous flowers are pushing upward. Castle delights to recognize them as crocuses. He's found his inspiration for his Valentine's Day celebration with Kate. Like the stubborn crocuses, she has persisted against all the odds. Crocuses will be her plant-kingdom avatars. Now he just has to find purple ones.


While Kate is at work, Castle transforms the loft into a flowery fantasy. Locating enough purple crocuses was no easy task, but fortunately, a friend with an estate in Forest Hills had a garden full of them he was willing to part with for a case of 50-year-old scotch. Castle and Jackson took a field trip to gather them. Castle had no idea there were so many purple varieties. The one he will be featuring the most is the lighter colored Saffron Crocus which most closely matches the painting Kate holds so dear. Castle also purchased a single long-stemmed red rose to put on her pillow as a symbol of their love, but the crocuses - carefully out of Jackson's reach - are the stars of his Valentine's extravaganza.

In keeping with the color scheme, he also found some fresh plums to serve with soft Brie and Kate's favorite spicy crackers. Highlighting another of his favorite aspects of Kates personality, dinner will be King Crab legs which Kate loves cracking and tearing into to retrieve the tender meat, much the way she cracks cases. Of course, there will be bling, but Kate will be expecting that. The rest of his celebration will be a surprise. Castle's also anxious to find out what kind of epiphany Kate has in mind for him.

Kate's late. That's not unusual. She often gets lost in a case and loses track of time. It's not really a problem except for making sure all the water in the crab pot doesn't boil away before he can use it. Jackson is happily both eating and creating art with his favorite vegetable - cooked squash. To Castle's eyes, it clashes with the color palette in the rest of the loft, but his son reaches the slumber-seeking stage faster on a full stomach. He's hoping for Jackson's eyelids to droop relatively early into the evening.

When Kate finally arrives, Castle can detect a bulge in her tote bag. Excellent. Better still, there is a gleam of moisture in her eyes when he explains the crocuses. He hopes it's from joy, not an allergy, and her kiss is definitely of the joyful variety.


Despite his happy tummy, Jackson is as stubborn as his mother and her floral icons. It's almost 10 before he falls asleep. Castle has yet to glimpse the mysterious contents of Kate's bag or present her with his own gift, and he can tell that they're both feeling a bit rung out.

Castle lights the fireplace and he and Kate sink down on the couch in front of it, glasses of red wine in hand. As Kate sighs and closes her eyes, Castle pulls a box from his pocket and places it on her lap. Her fingers explore the velvet nap on its surface before her eyelids rise. She flips it open to view a charm bracelet. Castle imagines that on Valentine's Day the heart charm is predictable, but he has added a miniature file folder, a cell phone, a computer, and a "Case Closed," to symbolize her job. There's also a spoon, a diaper, and a teddy bear. She holds out her wrist for him to clasp the reflection of her life where it can be seen.

Pushing herself stiffly from her comfy seat, she retrieves her bag and extracts a strangely shaped item wrapped in shiny mylar. Castle feels the contours of the gift, before pulling it from its covering. It is strangely familiar. He traces the black plastic and silver signature with his fingers. "A Darth Vader mask signed by James Earl Jones! How did you get this?"

Kate explains that she bid on it as part of an online charity auction because she knew Castle would love it, and just got lucky. She was keeping it at work. Castle pulls her close. "I'm the one that got lucky to have you as my valentine."

Kate trails her fingers down his thigh. "Would you like to get lucky again?"

He searches her face. "I thought you were tired."

Kate pulls at a button on his shirt. "I got my second wind. Crocuses, remember. We push through to open to the sun - or whatever we open to."

In Castle's opinion, a second wind or any opening is never to be wasted. His knees are only protesting slightly as he lifts her in his arms to carry her to the bedroom. The red rose is still on her pillow, and she breathes in its fragrance before setting it on the nightstand.

They undress languidly, taking the time to enjoy every inch they reveal of each other. Castle strokes Kate from her breasts to the tips of her toes, feeling the tiny quivers of response beneath his hands. Her strong fingers encircle him as her tongue darts out with the lightest touch. She is like a match to tinder and Castle can feel the blood coursing to the center of her attentions. He doesn't need to say a word as her mouth replaces her hand. His fingers plunge deep into her hair as the room blurs around him. There are only Kate and the fire sweeping through him as her lips stoke the blaze.

He can feel the first pearlescent drops released from bondage as she pulls back, only to guide him to a deeper, warmer tunnel that holds him in its grasp. Her body arches under his intimate caress, as they move together in passion's thrall. He can feel the waves crashing through her, matching the explosion within his loins. He holds her against him as the pounding tide ebbs to gentle ripples and they can lie together, enrobed in the night.


Kate groans as the alarm goes off on her phone. She tells Castle that the last thing she wants that morning is to go to a meeting with the police brass and City Council members, but she has to attend. Getting enough funding for her task force to do its job, depends on it.

Castle swings his legs over the side of the bed. He can hear the bells, whirs, and animal sounds emanating from Jackson's crib toy. His son is going to want out any minute, whether Castle feels like moving his butt or not. He reaches for his robe. With a little luck, he may have time to start coffee before Jackson becomes insistent. He just manages to load the machine before his son's summons echoes through the loft.

It's just as well that he and Kate are getting an early start. She has things to do, but so does he. A real estate agent is coming to prepare a listing on the loft. Staying ahead of Jackson to pick the place up will be no easy task, but with enough caffeine and enthusiasm, he'll handle it.