In From The Cold

Chapter 9
Counting Stars

He saw a flash in the distance. It was distracting. He was trying to focus on Beckett, listening to her give the eulogy for her fallen captain. She had talked about how Captain Montgomery had once told her that in their line of work there were only battles. And that in the end, the best any of them could hope for was to find a place to make their stand. Adding that if they were really lucky, they would find someone to stand with them. At that point, Beckett had cast a sidelong glance towards him. Castle couldn't shake the look of longing in her eyes. It was like she was trying to tell him something; apologize for the harsh words they'd exchanged during that fight in her apartment.

But then that flash of light caught his eyes again.

Castle blinked and narrowed his eyes, squinting into the distance, trying to discern what it was. And then it hit him. He'd been here before. It was a sniper's scope glinting in the sunlight. Not wasting another second thinking it over, Castle jumped into action. He dove across the grass for Beckett, colliding with her as a shot rang out across the cemetery.

They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. She let out a curse as he landed on top of her. He stayed there, hovering above her, groping around for any wounds or injuries. But there was none. Beckett hadn't been hit. The sniper had missed. She stared up at him, shocked and stunned.

He'd done it.

He'd saved her.

This time he wasn't too late.

"Castle?" Beckett questioned, brow furrowing as she gazed up at him.

"You're alive," he gasped, astonished.

"Yeah, I'm alive," she gave him a confused look. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm great, Kate." He laughed throatily, in pure joy. "I love you. I love you, Kate."

Her eyes went wide and then, before he could stop himself, he was cradling the back of her head in his palm and leaning down to kiss her.

Rick Castle awoke with start.

He blinked his eyes, startled by the sudden shift in what normally would have been a nightmare. He glanced around, a little disoriented. He was in a hotel room. That much wasn't entirely unusual these days, though he had planned on ceasing such occurrences. The room was silent, save for the soft sounds of his bed companion breathing in her slumber.

Castle pursed his lips and frowned, disappointed in himself. He thought he would have had better resolve in cleaning up his act. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he willed himself to move. He shifted, ever so slightly, not wanting to wait the woman beside him, rolling onto his side to gaze upon his latest mistake.

She was lying on her side, facing away from him. Of course, she was blonde. He sighed. What was wrong with him? His eyes trailed up and down her gloriously naked body. She was gorgeous, there was no denying that. At least he still had good taste. But this had been a mistake. He'd decided to stop this behavior. Castle wanted a real relationship. And one night stands with airy blonde bimbos wasn't going to get him that.

As if sensing his wakefulness, the blonde moved, adjusting her position on top of the mattress, gracing him with the sight of her perfect pert breasts. He groaned inwardly as he gazed down at her chest, feeling his lower body respond to the deliciously erotic sight of a beautiful naked woman spread gloriously out in front of him. Her skin was glistening, still slick and sweaty from their previous activity. But as his eyes skimmed along her torso, he stopped, noticing that her perfect skin was marred by a pucker mark between her breasts.

That was when it all flashed back to him. Castle's head jerked up as the fog of sleep receded. He recalled the events of the evening. He'd been attending the launch party for Raging Heat. He'd met a beautiful blonde at the bar. She had left a key card for him, hoping he'd follow her to her room. He had. And that's when he learned that Nicole Brennon was actually Kate Beckett. The truth came out, and she had explained it all to him. And then, a lazy smile spread across his face, they made love.

Flirting his eyes back down at the deliciously naked woman lying next to him on the bed, Castle eased closer. He raised a hand and gently traced unseen patterns along her smooth skin. Cocking his head to the side, he shifted his gaze to her face, smiling softly at how adorable Kate Beckett looked when she was asleep. His fingertips brushed along the marred patch of skin, and Castle turned his attention back to her chest. He scooted closer to her, and then lowered his head to brush a kiss just above her heart.

The action caused her to stir from her slumber. Beckett let out an appreciative hum at the sight of him nuzzling her breasts. He grinned into her flesh, and teased her with a few quick flicks of his tongue, before retreating. He sat up, and stared down at her as she slowly woke. She arched her back and stretched her legs, a little groan escaping her lips as her body recalled the vigorous activities it had been engaged in an hour or so ago.

Beckett languidly licked her lips and blinked her eyes, tilting her head against the pillows as she stared up at him, a mix of awe and wonder held in her gaze. "So," she stifled a yawn. "It wasn't a dream."

"No," Castle shook his head, grinning delightedly, trailing his fingers up and down her side. "It wasn't a dream."

"Good," Beckett declared, beaming with pure happiness. "I was worried it wasn't real. But," she shifted her hips, "Oh, yes… it was most definitely real."

"If you still have any doubts, I'm more than willing to provide an encore performance," Castle asserted with a waggle of his eyebrows, earning a giggling laugh from Beckett. He stared at her, in awe of how light and free she appeared now. She was so very unlike the uptight and stern detective he'd met all those years ago at a different launch party.

"You liked it then?" she asked, biting her lower lip, uncharacteristically shy.

Castle bobbed his head enthusiastically. "Yes, yes. It was...," his voice trailed off as he tried to find an appropriate word to describe what they'd just done.

"Amazing," Beckett supplied.

"Better than amazing," Castle insisted.

Her lips quirked upwards. "You'll hear no complaints from me," she asserted.

Castle bent down to press his lips to hers. He'd already gone far too long without kissing her. Beckett hummed into his mouth, wrapping her arms around him, pulling his body back down on top of hers. He groaned as her legs moved and wrapped around his hips. Within moments, the world was spinning and he was on his back with an enchanting Kate Beckett sitting astride him.

"I'm not done with you yet, Richard Castle," Beckett proclaimed, sitting back on her knees and reaching between them to grab hold of him. She positioned him at her entrance. "We have three years to make up for." And then she sank down on him, engulfing him in her love.

XXX

"I don't want morning to come," Beckett let out a sigh as she snuggled closer to him, dropping her head down onto his shoulder. She stared straight ahead, absently drumming her fingers against his chest. "I just wanna stay right here with you."

They were back in bed after another round—their fourth of the evening—in the shower, curled up, enjoying the fruits of their pleasure. Never once in his entire life had Castle ever felt more sexually satisfied than he did now, here with Beckett. She was needy, and wasn't shy about hiding it. He was the beneficiary of three long years of pent up desire that was now finally being unleashed. She was completely voracious, always needing to touch him, feel him, kiss him. She wouldn't let go of him. And, at the moment, Castle was more than willing to comply with those needs.

But soon they would both need to return to reality. The bubble would burst, and real life would beckon. There was still so much to discuss, to atone for. As much as he wished, Castle couldn't bask in the afterglow indefinitely.

"It'll be fine," he attempted to assure her. "I know it will be difficult, but that's where you shine, Kate." He paused, pursing his lips, knitting his brow together as he mulled over his next words. "Do you remember what I said to you in LA?"

She nodded against his chest, releasing a warm breath. "That I was a mystery you'd never solve," she recited. "That even after all the time you'd known me, you were still amazed at the depth of my strength, my heart… and my hotness." She smothered her smile into the crook of his neck.

"Hmm, not sure about that last one," Castle teased, earning a look from Beckett. She pinched his side for that, causing him to yelp. She immediately apologized, cooing softly as she soothed the abused spot. "You're tenacious, you know that?"

"Only with your encouragement," she said.

"No," he shook his head, gently nudging her back so he could sit up. She frowned, glancing up at him in question. "You were always extraordinary, long before I entered the picture. All I did was help coax you out of your shell."

"Castle, no," Beckett protested, sitting up and not even bothering to cover herself as the sheet fell away. Castle was amazed at his restraint. It was so very difficult not to allow his eyes drift down. "You are selling yourself short. You did so much more than that. Yes, I was good at my job. But, Castle, I wasn't having any fun before you."

Castle swallowed, allowing his eyes to finally drift down to her naked chest, staring intently at the mark that marred her otherwise perfect skin. "But I got you shot," he choked out. "If I hadn't started digging into your mother's case, none of this would have happened. It's all my fault."

"Bullshit!" she growled. "Don't you dare blame yourself, Richard Castle." She grabbed his face in her hands, tilting it up so that he was looking into her eyes. "Listen to me. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault."

"Kate…"

"No," she interrupted, fierce and unrelenting. "Don't say it. Never say it." She took a deep breath, and softened, dropping her hands to her lap. "If we'd never met, it still would have happened. I might not have been actively looking into it, but you know me, Castle, better than most. Eventually I would have dug it back up and all this would still have happened." She paused for a breath, and then looked at him with almost pleading eyes. "So, trust me, when I say, this was not your fault."

He stared at her for a long beat before answering. "Okay," he surrendered to her reasoning. She was always so very persuasive.

"Good," she nodded, decisively. Beckett cupped his jaw and leaned forward to kiss him. "Good."

Castle shook his head and let out a little laugh.

"What?"

He looked at her with a small smile. "Just… this is all a little overwhelming," he tried to explain. "This is not where I expected to be tonight."

Beckett's brow furrowed as she gazed at him hesitantly. She dropped her head, and fiddled with her hands in her lap, before sucking in a quick breath and meeting his eyes. "Any regrets?" she asked.

Castle narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the question. "No," he asserted, turning to look at her. "Not really. Only…"

"Yes?" she encouraged when his voice trailed off.

"Only that this," he gestured between them, "didn't happened sooner."

Beckett nodded, agreeing, raking her fingers through her blonde hair. It still was a little surreal, seeing her with blonde hair. He was looking forward to the day her natural coloring returned. "I know," she said. "And I'm so sorry for that. Things have never been easy with us."

He nodded thoughtfully. "The most worthwhile things in life are often the most difficult."

That caused her to smile brightly. It was a beautiful thing, her smile. Castle wanted to spend the rest of his life making her smile. She leaned forward to kiss him. Castle reached up to cup her jaw as their lips met. It was sublime. It was like the room had erupted. That was because there had been an explosion, of sorts. A small bullet-sized hole had penetrated the elaborate mahogany headboard, causing splinters to fly outward upon impact. If Beckett hadn't leaned forward to kiss him…

Before Castle could finish that thought, Beckett was wrapping him up in her arms and rolling them off the side of the bed. Just as they cleared the mattress, several more shots struck the bed, spawning a number of foam puffs to spray into the air above them. The window shattered, and glass shards burst out into the room. The wind rushed in, howling like a beast.

"Kate—?"

"Castle, stay down," Beckett hissed, pressing her body over his to keep him in place.

He clutched at her, holding her close, shuddering in fear that he'd lose her all over again. But her panting breaths and the warmth of her body over his told him she was alive. They were both still naked, completely exposed. Castle was trying his best to stay calm, watching Beckett for instruction. She jerked her head around, searching for an escape, but found none. Their best bet was to stay huddled behind the bed, hoping the mattress would cushion any more shots.

The wall above them exploded and plaster littered down on top of their vulnerable bodies. Beckett curled over him, trying to protect him. Castle closed his eyes, feeling utterly useless. He'd had three years to relive the events at the cemetery, and now that he had a redo, he was failing miserably.

After what seemed like an eternity, the shots ceased. Castle strained his ears, listening for clues to when the assault would resume. "Is he reloading?" he asked, quietly, proud that his voice didn't waver.

Beckett narrowed her eyes, listening intently. "No," she shook her head. "I don't think so."

Just then, the door in the other room of the hotel suite burst open, and they could hear footsteps pounding on the floor. From the volume, there were multiple persons entering the suite. Beckett pushed Castle back down when he attempted to move. She shook her head. Her eyes were wide. He swallowed. She was afraid. Castle remembered her mentioning that the threat wasn't completely over even though Bracken had been arrested. He had compatriots.

"Beckett, you in here!?" came a female voice.

Above him, Castle felt the tension leave Beckett's body.

"We're in here," she called out, shifting to sit up. She grabbed the bedsheet and tugged it off the mattress, bringing with it some foam and fluff. Beckett looked at Castle and offered him a reassuring smile as she moved the bedsheet around to cover their nakedness. "It's okay."

He nodded, still overwhelmed by the whole experience. It wasn't like he hadn't been in such situations—though, none exactly like this—with Beckett before, he just wasn't expecting any now. He glanced up just in time to see a Hispanic woman wearing a navy-blue windbreaker over a flak vest stride into the room with her pistol drawn. She spotted the pair of them hiding behind the bed and relaxed.

"Good Lord, Beckett," she groaned. "Are you insane? I told you to stay put. We'd received reports of a hitman on the loose."

"Sorry," Beckett offered a half-hearted shrug, momentarily glancing at Castle. "It couldn't wait." And then she frowned. "How'd you find me?"

The woman shook her head as she holstered her weapon, and smirked. "Your father," she announced. "According to him, you were determined to talk with the writer." She glanced around the room, noting the clothing strewn across the carpeted floor. She gazed back at Beckett with a quirked eyebrow. "Seems like you were determined to do more than talk."

Beckett's cheeks flushed. Castle shifted uneasily under the bedsheet, very much aware of their naked state. He watched as the two women exchanged a look. From the familiarity and judging from what she'd told him about her time in the witness protection program, Castle was fairly certain that this was Deputy Marshal Samantha Ramirez, Beckett's WITSEC handler.

"You're lucky your Dad gave you up, Beckett," Ramirez said. "Our team spotted the shots coming from a building across the street. If we're lucky, we'll capture the son-of-a-bitch before he can escape." She paused, appraising the two of them. "In the meantime, get dressed Beckett. We need to get you out of here."

"I'm coming too," Castle spoke up, finally finding his voice.

Ramirez shook her head. "I don't think—"

"Where I go, he goes," Beckett asserted, her tone brokering no argument.

After a long beat, Ramirez nodded. "Fine," she glowered. "But hurry, we don't have time to dawdle." She ducked out of the room and left the pair of them to it.

Castle looked at Beckett. "Thanks."

She turned to him with a warm smile brightening her face. "I've spent too long without you, Castle," she said, reaching up to brush the flop of hair back from his forehead. "I'm not giving you up without a fight."

XXX

Castle sat in the back of the sedan with Beckett. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer inside his chest. He tried to control it, but it was impossible. This entire situation was just so overwhelming. First, he discovered that the love of his life was, in fact, alive. Second, he learned that she'd been put under witness protection until the man responsible for not just her mother's death, but ordering the hit on her, could be brought to justice. Third, he finally made love to Kate Beckett—a number of times, in fact. And last, someone had just tried to kill them.

"We're going to be okay, Castle," Beckett attempted to reassure him, reaching across the gap between them to squeeze his hand. She'd tied her blonde hair back into a low ponytail.

He looked at her, and she offered him a small smile. He tried to reciprocate, but it fell flat. He couldn't help but be anxious. This was definitely not how he had planned spending the rest their evening together.

Ramirez twisted around in the front seat to face them. "That was foolish of you, Beckett," she said, clearly disappointed in her charge. "I left strict instructions that you—"

"I know," Beckett interrupted, staring back defiantly. "And I don't care." She glanced over at Castle and squeezed his hand again. "It was a risk I had to take." She turned back to Ramirez. "Besides, I stayed in character the whole time, until we were alone."

"That's true," Castle jumped in, trying to help.

Ramirez shook her head. "The disguise only worked in Nebraska because nobody knew who you really were," she explained, then looked at Castle with an amused expression. "I'm surprised you didn't see through it immediately."

Yeah, Castle thought, so am I. Beckett opened her mouth to defend him, but he tightened his fingers around her hand, stopping her. "I might have been a little drunk," Castle admitted, because, in truth, he had been. "And… to be fair, I did think she was dead."

Ramirez narrowed her eyes, not entirely convinced. Eventually, she relented with a shrug. "Fine, I'll give you that," she said. "But still, from the way she talked about you, I'd have thought you were smarter than that."

Castle raised his eyebrows as he cocked his head towards Beckett. "You talked about me?" he asked, a little smirk forming on his lips.

"Oh, don't be so smug, Castle," Beckett said, rolling her eyes, however her lips still quirked upwards in a small smile. "You write entire books about me."

"Touché," he smirked.

Ramirez's radio crackled. She slipped back down into her seat, and snatched it up. While she talked with her team, Castle flirted his eyes over to Beckett, watching her brow wrinkle as she stared out the window, contemplating the situation. Always thinking. She had an exceptional mind. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

"What are you thinking?" he asked softly, wanting to keep the conversation between just them.

She frowned, glancing over at him. "I don't know," she admitted, gently shaking her head. "Something doesn't feel right." Her eyes suddenly jerked away, staring right past him. A look crossed over her face, a combination of shock and horror. "Castle! Hold on!"

"What—?" he turned his head to see what had startled her and was immediately blinded by the headlights of an oncoming SUV. Castle barely had enough time to prepare himself before everything went black.