"Stay," he says. "Stay here tonight. Just to sleep." Something like confusion passes over her face, but she nods, and as they stand and he leads her into his room, all he can hear is the echo of her voice. I was only nineteen.
"God, your legs are so long." He could kick himself, it's a stupid thing to say to the woman who was practically in tears a minute ago, but she's just so hot, and her legs just never end…
"Part of what makes me tall, Castle." Kate's mumbling, close to sleep, he guesses. He's given her boxers and a t-shirt, let her use the bathroom first, and when he comes out, she's lying on the covers instead of under them.
"Right. Well, let's get tall you under these covers." She moves obediently, but her eyes are closed and her breathing has already changed, so he kisses her lightly- she mumbles, but he can't understand what she's saying- and turns out the light.
Rick stares at the ceiling, unable to find sleep quite as easily. It's true that he's been trying to work out her story since he met her. And, sure, he'd romanticised it- imagined, maybe, that she'd had a rough break up, or something mundane. But this, he hasn't expected. He doesn't know what to do with this. The last time he had a woman in his own bed- well for one thing, it hadn't involved sleep, and for another, it had been fueled by a lot of alcohol- but mostly, it had just been a really long time ago. And now, well, there's not much he can do but curl into her, and stroke her hair, the dark shoulder length curls tangling in his fingers.
Kate's eyes fly open at seven. She stiffens, takes in the scene. Soft sheets, an unfamiliar pillow. She's in bed, but not her bed. And she's not alone. Crap! But then she remembers- it's Castle next to her and she laughs, her hand flying to her mouth to cover the sound, lest she wake him, as she (tries to silently) freak out. In bed with Richard Castle, and I fell fast asleep well before doing anything was even an option. And it's seven o'clock. When did I even sleep a whole night through in the last two months? He stirs, rolls over, opens sleepy eyes. "Hi. What's so funny?"
"Hi." She bites her lip, and they stare at each other uncertainly. He moves to bring a hand up to her face, brushes hair out of her eyes. "I- should I go? Your- Alexis?"
He's silent for a moment, but his hand is still resting on her face. "Yeah. Alexis. She'll be up soon. But- you don't have to go. Unless- do you have to go? I guess you're working today, right?"
"Actually- sort of."
"You're sort of working?"
"I have the day off- but I want to go in. I- I usually go in."
"Huh." He's studying her. "You're kind of a workaholic, huh?"
She wrinkles her nose. "Kind of?"
He kisses her and smiles, then pulls away reluctantly. "Kate… I need to get Alexis up. I don't want you to go- I don't want to make you do this- but is there any chance you can get dressed really fast, and we can pretend you came here really early?"
"Sure," she says softly. He pulls on a t-shirt and heads upstairs. Kate breathes deeply, then gets up, heading into the bathroom, grateful that even if she's wearing yesterday's clothes, she's got make up in her purse.
She makes it into the kitchen as she hears Castle and Alexis come downstairs, Castle explaining to the girl. "Remember my friend Kate?"
"Yes."
"Well, she came by this morning, so she's going to eat breakfast with us, before she goes to work and you go to school."
Alexis nods and looks shyly at Kate. "Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"
"Hey. Morning Alexis. I sometimes get changed at work." It's not a lie.
Alexis nods. "Do you have a gun?"
"Not here, but yeah, I do. And I have a badge, which, actually, I do have here. Want to see it?"
The redhead nods again, reaching out to hold the badge that Kate takes from her pocket, as Castle switches the coffee machine on, and starts pulling food out of the fridge. Eggs, cheese, there's some ham.
"You're making making breakfast? I thought we'd have cereal or something?"
It's Alexis who answers, not Castle, as if parroting something she's heard a whole lot. "Breakfast is important." She turns to her father. "But nothing weird, Daddy!"
Kate offers to help, is waved away, so she sits next to Alexis at the counter and sips her coffee. It's good, really good. She's quiet as she watches Castle goofing around with his kid as he cooks an omelet, threatening to add chocolate and marshmallows as Alexis groans. Evidently they've had this discussion before. She wonders if they have early morning visitors often.
"Kate?" Alexis is asking her a question, and she turns to her.
"Yes?"
"Why are you here so early?" Hmm. So maybe it is out of the ordinary for her father's friends to 'arrive' in the morning for breakfast.
"I- uh- you remember your Dad helped me last week?" At the nod, Kate continues. "Well, I was thinking he might have a moment to help me with my case again today." Over Alexis' head Kate can see Castle's grin of approval as he gives her the thumbs up.
"Oh, I can help you today, Officer." The innuendo in his voice evidently goes over Alexis' head and Kate grins,
"Oh yeah?"
They walk Alexis to school together. Rick can see that it's freaking her out- she's obviously not used to being around kids. But Alexis likes her, he can tell, and she's pretty good with the nine year old, if a little reserved. After he's kissed Alexis goodbye at the school gate- to grumbles about being too old for school gate kisses- Alexis surprises him and Kate both, by enveloping Kate in a quick hug and calling out goodbye to the two of them as she flies across the playground.
Kate's earlier claim that she has to go to work hasn't come up again, and she doesn't protest when Rick suggests they stop for a coffee.
"So tell me more about how this cop thing works. Do you have, like, a cop partner?"
"This cop thing?"She's laughing at him. "No, I don't have a cop partner. I'm pretty junior, mostly we just do what the detectives tell us to do."
"You and the other officers? So, you have to go through dumpsters and stuff, while the detectives ask the questions?"
He thinks she blushes. "Well, sometimes I get to ask some questions. I- I haven't been sent into a dumpster for a while, let's just say."
"Why- oh! Because you're good. You're good, aren't you?"
Kate nods. "Yeah, it's no big deal. But Jones- that's one of the detectives- seems to like me."
"So the other uniforms- are they cool with that?"
"Yeah, sure. I mean, why wouldn't they be?" He catches her note of frustration, lets it go. But she continues. "It's not a popularity contest. I'm there to do my job, they do theirs. If I progress through the ranks faster, it's not on me to work that out with the other officers." He thinks she's done, he's not sure what to say, when she opens her mouth again as she shrugs. "I guess that I'm not the most popular girl in the precinct." The laugh that accompanies that statement is dark.
"You? How could anyone not like you?" He's indignant, insulted on her behalf.
She looks at him, narrows her eyes. "Gee, I don't know Castle. Maybe because I talk and share too much?"
"Okay, so you're quiet, sure. But you went out with your friends last night. And, I mean- you share. You told me- stuff. Personal stuff-"
Kate interrupts him. "Do you know how many other people I've told that to, Castle? Not many. At the precinct? Two. My captain, because he found me in the archives, and my training officer, because- well. Let's just say I don't tell many people."
Huh. He gets that she's hurting, fragile, lost. She's told him as much, and it's been apparent since he first laid eyes on her, but this? That she is even more private than he thought? "But- me. You told me? Why?"
Her face softens, she sips her coffee, thinking. She smiles, jokes. "Probably because you're tall?"
