Here's chapter three. I must say this is my favourite chapter so far. It has the classic Castle/Beckett banter plus a little fluff at the end. It's a little longer then the first one, but somehow I had to make up for the super short chapter two! I also loved the idea of Rick in Cosmo. The idea came to me because where Nathan was in Feburary's edition of Cosmo. Then I remembered the faux Cosmo photo shoot Castle did in episode 2x01 (Deep in Death) and it got me thinking - I wonder if Kate picked up the magazine Castle was in?

Enjoy, and please review :)

By the time they had pulled up to Kate's apartment Castle had changed the station countless times and Kate was becoming rather irritated. He kept true to his word and didn't even utter a single syllable, so she had learned one good thing from the car ride.

"Well, from now on I know what to bribe you with when I want you to be quiet." She beamed as they got out of the car. He only smiled at her.

The whole way up to Kate's apartment Castle still had not spoken. Although rather pleased, Kate was beginning to wonder why, until her phone beeped. She flipped it open only to see New text message from Castle blinking on the small screen before her. She looked over at him grinning with his phone in his hand.

As she rolled her eyes she pressed and answer button and read:
"Can I speak now? Please?"

"Yes, you may speak now." She said, instantly regretting her decision.

She expected him to jump up and down with screams of joy. Needless to say she was surprised when he was once more buried in his phone. Her cell beeped, again, and she then understood why. She read:
"Are you sure? You promise you won't hit me … or yell at me anymore?"

She laughed. "I promise, Castle. Just pertaining to this moment though. I'm sure I'll find something else to be mad at you about sometime soon."

He was once again texting away. After another beep she read:
"Do you really promise?"

"Castle!" This time her voice harsh. "I can't believe I am actually about to say this, but please stop texting me and talk."

"Sweet!" He was overjoyed. "You just can't stand not hearing my charming voice, I knew it!" Flashing a smile her way.

"Texts run up my phone bill, Castle. Trust me; it's nothing to do with your.." She grimaced "charming voice."

"What!? You don't have unlimited texting? In all seriousness, you really, really need to get a better service plan. An iPhone is the way to go."

"Let it go, I do not need a new phone!"

"I could buy you one, you know?" A hint of hopefulness in his voice.

"Don't you dare!" Her tone was determined. "If you so much as buy me a phone case, I will injure you so badly you'll be lucky if you ever write another book again!" She glared at him and he was silent.

She turned as they reached her apartment door. "We're here." She began put the key in the lock and turn until Castle screamed at her "Wait!"

"What?" She asked a little taken-a-back.

"I need to take a picture."

"Of what? Me unlocking my door?"

"No. Of your apartment when you open the door. If you're going to lock me out I want a visual memory of where you live." He paused. "Nikki Heat research, remember?"

"So you're actually going to wait outside my door while I get ready?" She was apprehensive.

"Well, are you really going to let me in your apartment, unsupervised, able to roam free?" Doing his best impersonation of the way she had yelled at him earlier.

She thought it over for a moment. "Give me half an hour. I'm sure you can find something on that phone of yours to entertain yourself with." She said as she closed and locked the door.

Not three seconds later, a knock was heard at the door. Castle's voice was heard on the other side. "But, if I have to wait out here for half an hour – which in girl time really means an hour and a half – I've had two wives, remember?" She rolled her eyes at the thought. "I also live with two women, half an hour is never really half an hour. So if I'm going to be waiting on you, I have to use the little boys room first."

"There's a public bathroom in the main lobby." Trying everything she could to keep him from entering.

"In 'Storm Season' – you may have heard of a little book I wrote?" He said teasing her. "Derrick went into a public bathroom and was almost killed by a murderer. I don't know why I am refreshing your memory, I'm sure you've already read it... you probably have the page memorized."

"I do not have the page memorized!" She interrupted. She did, however, know the chapter.

"How would you feel if I went to that bathroom and wasn't as lucky as him? Despite what you may believe, I don't have his crazy ninja skills. And it wouldn't be good on your conscience you know."

Kate thought for a moment. "Well, it'd have to solve a murder, so much for relaxing... and there'd be paperwork." She groaned.

"Think of Alexis and my mother – they'd be devastated!" He said, almost whimpering.

Castle heard the door unlock as a smile swept across his features.

She stood there not moving a muscle. "Do not pull any funny business. I will show you where the bathroom is and wait outside the door. When you're done, you are coming right back here and waiting for me. Understood?"

"I promise." He said entering her apartment.

As soon as she closed the door, he whipped out his phone and started snapping pictures.

"Castle, what on Earth are you doing?"

"I told you – Nikki Heat research! When I wrote page 105 I only imagined what your apartment looked like. But now that I've actually seen it, I need a mental image. That way I can make the next book have a more believable storyline." He said tilting his head to his left to glance at a black leather couch. "Like that couch right there.. Nikki and Rook could –"

"Castle!" She barked. "Bathroom is this way." She practically dragged him up the stairs. "Here you go." Motioning towards the pastel light green coloured bathroom.

"Care to join me?" He said devilishly. "I see you don't have a bathtub, but a shower would do."

"Castle!" She hissed. "Hurry up!"

"Just figured I'd ask." He said as he closed the door and began poking around. He didn't need to use the bathroom; he just figured this was his best way to get into her apartment.

She was smart and figured out what he was up to when she heard him rummaging through the cupboards. "Castle! What are you doing in there? You had better get out of there right now. I will kick down this door if I have too!"

"Just a second." He called out to her, in the most innocent voice he possibly could.

She decided to let it go until she heard him scream. "Ladies' Home Journal!?" She realized he'd spotted her magazine collection. "Elle, Vogue" he went on "Shape Magazine, Martha Stuart Living. Beckett I'm kind of disappointed."

"Crap!" She realized he was going down through her collection. a"Oky, come out now Castle. You've had your fun." She was getting restless. She didn't want him to see what magazine was on the bottom of the pile. He'd never let it go.

It was too late. Before she could think of her next move the bathroom door swung open to reveal Castle holding February's edition of Cosmopolitan with a huge grin stretching from ear to ear.

"And what is this?" His smile now resembled the Cheshire cat.

She froze. She wasn't sure how to get out of this one. It wasn't bad enough that he now knew she liked to read Cosmopolitan, it was the edition she didn't want him to see. There before her stood Richard Castle, holding a magazine with himself plastered on the front, at the precinct, with the bachelor party cop twins using him as a stripper pole. In the bottom right hand corner, starring her right in the face was bold red text with the words:
"Richard Castle talks about dating, women, sex, the NYPD and everything in between! Details on page 48."

She thought she was going to pass out. She was sure her face was as red as the text she was reading.

"You actually read it? You even bought it!?" He couldn't believe it. He was stunned. He felt like he had just won the lottery. "You complained the whole time when I was doing the photo shoot at the precinct, and having to do the interview. But you actually bought it!?" His voice was now two octaves higher then before.

She still had not spoken a word. She wanted to do something, say something, anything, but when she opened her mouth to speak nothing came out. She watched as he flipped open to page 48 only to notice that the top corner of the page had been folded down.

"You folded down the page?" The Cheshire cat didn't show any signs of disappearing. "If a killer came from the bathroom and murdered me right this second, it'd be okay, because I would die a very happy man."

She still couldn't move. She wanted to grab the magazine, hit him, smack him, shoot him, but she was paralyzed. She couldn't even roll her eyes. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. She had to grab onto the wall so her legs didn't give out.

She began to speak. "I … I wanted to… to do…"

He interrupted. "Do you have a sharpie? I can sign it if you like?" His smile was ever wider, if that was possible.

This time her voice was back and she was fuming. "No, I do not want you to sign it." She lowered her voice a little. "You always like to do research on your characters. So I wanted to research who was following me." She said. Although, she was reassuring herself more then the smile man before her. "And to see if you said anything about me –"

She slipped. Oh shit, what now?

"You... " his eyes widening, "you wanted to see if I said anything about you?" Now his eyebrow went up. "Why are you interested in what I say about you?"

She was furious again. "Well," trying to regain her composure "given your little stunt with NYC's Most Eligible Bachelor list, I wanted to make sure that you had your facts straight, and you didn't try to pull that stunt again."

"Oh," a little disappointed, "I thought you know, you had a thing for me or something?"

"In your dreams, Castle."

"Always." He smiled.

She was amazed he bought that. It was way too easy. Well, it was until she noticed a curious look creep over his face.

"Wait a second detective." She froze again. "This magazine came out months before the Bachelor list did. So, it couldn't possibly happen again. It never happened before." He stood, rather pleased with himself.

She was caught. She had to come up with something fast, and said the first thing that came to mind. "I wanted to make sure the precinct had good press. And that you made it sound like we were good detectives and that I was too." Her voice was now angry. "Do you know how hard it is for a female cop to get a good reputation? Huh? Everyone think that we sleep our way to the top. It drives me crazy, not all female cops –"

He cut in, "Okay, okay. Fine I get it! No need to bite my head off.

"Are we done here now?" She was impatient. She wasn't really that angry. But, she had to convince him that was the real reason.

"Yeah, I guess so. But, I can still sign it if you want?" He smiled hopefully.

"Door, Castle! Now!"

He obeyed and walked down the stairs, starting towards the door. That was until out of the corner of his eye he seen what he assumed to be her bedroom. He halted causing Kate to bump into him, for the second time that night.

"What is it now?"

"Your bedroom?" He meant it as a statement but it came out more like a question.

"Yes, I'm sure you are aware of what they are." This time her eyebrow was raised.

His voice changed to imitate a serious business man. "I'm here on official Nikki Heat research m'am. I need to know what kind of pyjamas she would wear to bed." He whispered in a sultry voice.

She was angry again. " Door! Now!" She shoved him hard causing him to be standing in doorway.

He contemplated ducking under her and run to her bedroom and raiding her closet. But the more he thought about it, he realized he had pushed the limits enough for one day. There would be other days, he thought – it takes time to peel away the Beckett onion. So he complied and stood outside her doorway waiting for her to shut it.

"By the way," she said just before closing the door "I'm not one of your deep-fried Twinkies. When I say half an hour, I mean half an hour."

As she shut and locked the door he hollered from the other side. "I've got a stopwatch on my phone, I'm timing you!"

She took that as a challenge. Quickly running upstairs she showered, and changed. However, she took a little extra time on her hair, make-up, and picking out her outfit. She wanted to look nice, but not to fancy, like she tried to hard – just casual. She settled on a royal blue long-sleeve, and a pair of jeans. She did one last mirror check before grabbing her purse and heading towards the door.

She opened the door revealing Castle playing Beer Pong App on his phone. By the look on his face, he was winning.

"So how'd I do? Am I a deep-fried Twinkie?"

He saved his progress and checked the timer. "Twenty-eight minutes and three seconds. I apologize for my assumption."

"Yeah well, the female population doesn't consist of all deep-friend Twinkies you know."

"I do now." He put on a charming smile. "I've never met a woman like you before."

She blushed. Not knowing what else to say she again said that first thing that came to mind. "Did you order food already?"

"No actually I didn't. I never called my driver either, so we'll have to wait for a few minutes in the lobby. I honestly didn't think you'd be ready so fast." He paused. "So what do you want for supper?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not picky. What's Alexis' favourite meal?"

"She always wants Pizza."

"Well, pizza it is then."

He searched through his phone for the number. "Any particular toppings you want, or don't want?"

"I like everything, but I love pineapple, it's my favourite." She paused. "It was my mother's favourite."

The cashier picked up and he placed their order. "Hi there, could I please have combo number four, to be picked up? Richard Castle. Yes that's the one. Pepsi for the drink and stuffed crust is a must. For the toppings can I have pepperoni, cheese, mushrooms, green pepper and," he looked at Kate, "and can one half have extra pineapple, please? Okay, twenty minutes. Thank-you." With that he hung up.

She was both surprised and pleased at the same time. "You didn't have to get pineapples on half. If you guys like them, I could have lived you know."

"Yeah, but you like them so there's no reason why we can't each get what we want. And I know you can't possibly eat a half a pizza by yourself so we can just pick off the pineapples. It's not a big deal, we'll live." He chuckled

"Thanks." Her smile was sincere.

"For what?"

"Getting pineapple."

"It's only a topping Beckett." He was a little confused at why she was so grateful for the order. "But you're welcome." He smiled back. "Come, on, I'll call the driver on the way down to the lobby. The pizza is going to be twenty minutes anyway, so it'll be plenty of time for my driver to get here. Alexis and mother probably already went to the movie store, so the pizza won't get cold."

This time she was the one who followed his orders. She locked the door and smiled to herself. She had to contain her smile for fear of letting Castle know that Will didn't like pineapples either. However, when they ordered pizza he would never pick them off. He didn't like how the juice ran and once he got mad at her for ordering pineapples.

She muttered to herself just quiet enough so Castle wouldn't hear. "It's only pineapple juice, he would've lived."