Reese watched the couple emerge from her building. Holding hands and smiling tenderly. He knew this man from his file. It was her partner. How did this detail evade Finch's research? Maybe this romantic relationship was new. He had gone over his reports from Finch, Carter, and Fusco, and there had been no hint of this partnership including a romantic relationship as well. It had been widely rumored for a while, when the partnership was new, but rumors had since died down.

A full city block behind them, he followed on foot. They weren't even watching their six; how could they not be watching? The most recent attempt on her life was still so fresh.

And that was what made it interesting. Her number hadn't come up before. Enough was done out of range of their surveillance network that not even the machine had caught onto the threat. The hitman was good. And Reese knew exactly how good he was. He had joined the military because he enjoyed killing, but disappeared after murdering another Green Beret. It was rumored that he'd been poached by the CIA. Or mercenaries. Reese was one of the few who knew the truth.

The operative was a merc, who killed for fun and money. He was one of the truly scary ones who could blend in, look and act completely normal, enjoy perfectly delightful dates with intelligent, confident women, and have no one suspect the predator within. He could answer correctly on psych evals to get the promotions he wanted then walk out and kill with no remorse. Reese thought that was their only difference. Reece remembered the faces of those he killed, and each one affected him. Some, he knew mankind was better off without; some, he tried not to think about and told himself he was following orders like a good soldier.

During the mission they had worked together, years ago, the man had gone by the name Michael Ray. John was never sure if it was his real name or an alias. But all police information would be calling him Maddox right now, so that's what he would use, too.

Maddox's information and most recent alias had been entered into the current BOLO watch list by Detective Kevin Ryan. It wouldn't help. They wouldn't find him. He was either long gone, or disguised well enough that he could just walk into the police station without even arousing suspicion.

The only thing he couldn't figure out was how Maddox had been sloppy enough to leave DNA behind. Either he did it on purpose to increase the thrill of the chase, or he was even more cracked than before. And he was a crazy son of bitch before.

Trailing far behind, he watched the happy couple duck into a coffee shop, kissing as she slid past him holding the door open. Yeah, this behavior had to be a new development. Beckett & Castle couldn't get enough of each other. Reese paused to 'window shop' across the street while they got their coffees.

Xxxx

They stood the short line being that cheesy couple Kate always hated to see because it made her secretly jealous. Rick stood behind her, close enough for his chest to touch her shoulder blades, his hands on her hips, her fingers skating up the front of his thigh. She ordered coffee and pastries for them both, as well as a pouch of freshly roasted coffee beans.

His voice rumbled in her ear, "You know how hot I find it that you didn't have to ask what I want?"

She grinned. "Rick, I know exactly what you want."

His eyes darkened, and she raised her eyebrow with an I dare you look.

The barista called out "Beckett," in a voice that conveyed he was just too cool to care if Beckett came to get the cups he'd set on the counter.

Castle got the cups and handed one to her. She smiled. He decided to always bring her coffee in the mornings, no matter what. That smile melted him every damn time. Espo wouldn't ever have to fill the gap by bringing her coffee ever again. That is, if she decided to go back to work. If she can. No matter, she can join the circus and he'll still bring the coffee. She can become a stay at home mom and he'll… whoa, shit.

"Castle, what's wrong?"

"What? Nothing."

She didn't buy it. "You went away somewhere in your head for a second there."

She looked around, scanning nearby faces, cop instincts kicking in.

He smiled. "Nothing's wrong. Just thinking of things to come."

"Good things?"

"Yeah. Very good things." He looked around and they were outside. Yeah, he did go away, didn't he? They were on the sidewalk, and his vision of her as mother to his child – children? – made him not register that they'd walked out of the coffee shop. He grinned and kissed her again. "Mmm. You taste good."

She smiled and simply accepted his response. Their hands linked again as they turned toward the farmer's market.

Kate's phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out just enough to see the caller ID. "The 12th". She dropped it back into her pocket and let it go to voice mail.

Reese kept his distance and checked out tomatoes while Castle taught Beckett how to tell how a pineapple was ripe.

His phone rang. "Fusco. What did you find?"

"Most people say 'Hello,' when they answer the phone. Or their own name."

"I'm not most people." Reese kept his voice monotone. He'd save the quips and chit-chat for Carter. He wasn't friends with this jerk and wasn't going to pretend to be.

Fusco rolled his eyes and delivered. "There is a lot of new information being filed, but most of it requires security clearance. It looks like there was a police cover-up twenty years ago that made somebody very rich and very powerful. Even HR's afraid of him. The only response I got was to not look into it or I wouldn't be looking into anything ever again. Whatever Beckett found, whoever she crossed, Reese, this is really, really big. I don't think that even you can help her."

Reese looked across the pavilion again. She was laughing and looking adoringly into her partner's eyes as he joked about the fruit, sunlight gilding her hair. Castle looked amazed to be there.

"I hope you're wrong, Fusco."

Xxxxx

Rick carried the cotton grocery bag in one hand and held Kate's hand with the other. She took every opportunity to touch him, smile at him broadly, lean against him… she turned again towards him to whisper into his ear innuendo too suggestive to say out loud on the open sidewalk. Rick pulled her, once again against his body, oblivious to the throng of people around them on the New York sidewalk. A quick kiss, a nuzzle of noses, before Kate's eyes locked onto blue ones. Not Rick's.

"Castle," she said, smiling, pretending to have not noticed the familiar face behind them, "That guy, a block back. Does he look familiar?"

Castle stilled, kept his arms around her, and turned them so he could see who she meant. "Which one?"

"Black suit."

He was about to tell her that half the men he could see were in black suits, but then he saw the face, too. "I saw him at the farmers' market."

Kate crumpled inwardly. Her voice was barely more than a breath. "Damn. I saw him outside the coffee shop."

Castle's fingers threaded into her hair to cup her skull. The man didn't seem to be able to tell that they had seen him. He kept walking toward them. Rick kissed her forehead and asked, "Are you armed?"

They turned and walked with the crowd hoping to gain a little distance between them and their tail. "No. My back-up piece –I mean, my gun – is at home. I thought this was supposed to be over."

They walked faster, and the man fell back a little ways.

Xxxxx

"Finch, I think I've been made."

"Hold on, there's something going on with the Beckett case. Something's happening. Don't make contact yet."

Please review! They're addictive like sex on the beach. The drink, you perv. Actual sex on the beach is gross. Sand in all the wrong places.