A/N: Hi there, everybody! I am back. Again sorry for making you guys wait so long between updates, but my writing process is just this messed up.

This chapter is kind of a transition piece, but it's needed to get to the next part of the story. I am going to try and write faster this time, but I can't promise anything. Will do my best though.

Thank you so much for all the follows and reviews, you guys are simply amazing and I love writing for you. Sending lots of hugs your way.

"Beckett, this is getting cold." He called from the dining area, munching on some eggs.

Kate cleared her throat and approached the couch, picking up the navy blue hoodie from it and putting in on. "Castle, I'm sorry, but I am not staying."

The writer got up from his chair chewing on his breakfast as he went, trying to swallow the food so he could speak again. "WHAT? Why?" He grumbled. "I know you don't trust my cooking skills, Beckett, but I have to tell you, breakfast is one of my fortes. I make the best chocolate chip pancakes in New York. And I mean the state, not the city. You can ask Alexis..."

He was just vomiting words, he didn't seem to have any kind of control over it and she knew it, but he didn't seem to care what came out of his mouth, as long as he was able to make her stay.

Beckett sighed and walked a little closer to him, her hands hidden under the long sleeves of his hoodie, the cuffs scrunched inside her fists. "Castle, it smells delicious, but I am not hungry, really. I just want to go home."

"But…" He started, his face falling. He detoured walking to the kitchen and grabbing a mug. "No coffee either?" It was his last chance. It was coffee. She wouldn't say no to coffee. It was his peace offering, something soothing. Something theirs.

Kate's shoulders slumped a little and she felt her resolve cracking, but she needed to get out of there, so she took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I really need to get going."

She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, avoiding looking at the writer so the guilt wouldn't swallow her whole. She was being unfair and she knew it. After all, she had been the one showing up at his home, making a mess out of everything, and was now running away, without giving him even a simple explanation. How nice of you, Kate.

As soon as she touched the doorknob she heard rustling behind her and then a hand on her shoulder.

"Kate?"

She didn't turn, just shrugged him off and walked out of his loft. "I'm sorry, Castle."

He sat at the table for at least another hour after she left, the food untouched in front of him, mocking him in some twisted way.

He had been hopeful that morning when he woke up, thinking that maybe they would have the chance to talk it out and clear the air between them before it became too awkward.

He knew it was going to be hard, that Kate was probably the most stubborn and closed up human being on Earth, but she had been the one who came to his door the night before, so he thought that maybe this time, it would be easier to reason with the normally unreachable detective Beckett. How wrong he had been.

He felt stupid, because it hurt so much. He had started to care a lot about her, so much, that sometimes it felt inappropriate, because what were they anyway? Fragile friends? Tentative partners? Hypothetical future lovers?

She was extraordinary, smart, incredibly beautiful and challenging, invigorating… Everything he knew he would love in a woman, but never looked for in one, just in case. After two divorces, he tried to keep his heart behind bars, but it was very hard to do that around a certain detective. He knew there was something there, but she had always kept him at arm's length. Always, until last night.

The noise of a door closing and footsteps approaching startled him out of his reverie, setting his 'daddy' senses into action. He got up from the table, cleared the untouched serving of pancakes and proceed to warm it up for his little girl. At least he wouldn't leave the food to spoil.

Alexis' slight shape appeared at the top of the staircase and he smiled, taking in the sweet, sleepy face of his daughter. She was already wearing her school uniform; her hair pulled back on a sideways French braid that he had no idea how she managed to do on her own. She looked beautiful and just looking at her made his heart cheer up a little bit.

The teen took in the display on the dining table and frowned at him in surprise. "Wow! What's the feast for? Are we celebrating something?"

"What? Can't a father treat his daughter to a delicious breakfast just because he wants to?" He asked faking feeling outraged.

Alexis narrowed her eyes and sat down at the table, placing a napkin on her lap and reaching for toast and some eggs. "Sure, dad, whatever you say. But I am sure I heard the front door closing a while ago, so I am suspecting this fatherly streak is all a ruse to distract me from that suspicious nightly visitor?"

Castle chocked on the gulp of coffee he had just taken and turned bright red. "What?"

"Last night, Dad." Alexis insisted annoyed. "Are you really inviting women into the loft? 'Cause it is disturbing, just so you know."

The writer forgot about the pancakes that were already warm and ready to go and moved towards his daughter, his face white like paper.

"Pumpkin, that is not what happened last night. I didn't invite anybody. I mean, you came to wake me up, remember? I wasn't even out!"

The redhead scrunched her nose and pursed her lips and then nodded. "Then who came by last night?"

"Um…" He stuttered. He wasn't sure how to explain the events of last night to his daughter. "It was… It was Beckett. She wasn't… feeling well? So… She crashed here for the night. Yeah. That's it."

"She crashed here?" The girl asked confused. "Is there anything wrong with her apartment?"

Castle's eyebrows shot up and he licked his lips slowly. "Um, no. Nothing wrong. She just… She…"

"Morning, darlings!" Martha's voice resounded in the room like a booming lifesaver that made Rick sigh in relief. "The smell of coffee brought me back from the dead. Oh, and bacon! What's gotten into you this morning, Richard?" The woman chattered, taking a plate and serving some food for herself.

"Apparently, Detective Beckett spent the night here." Alexis commented nonchalantly, biting on her toast and looking pointedly at her dad, her eyes nothing but innocent. "I was asking Dad what was wrong, 'cause she arrived unannounced at 2 am and that is not like Beckett, don't you think, Gram?"

The older woman arched her eyebrows surprised and turned to her son. "I am sure there was a good reason for Detective Beckett to come here, darling."

Castle nodded effusively and picked up the almost burnt pancakes, pilling them up on the plate and offering them to his daughter. "Yes, there… there was and… it was totally related to work. Yes."

His daughter chewed on her breakfast and frowned. "Uh huh."

"Oh!" Martha exclaimed suddenly, stroking Alexis' arm while looking at her watch. "Wasn't Paige's mom picking you up at 8:30 today?" She asked.

The girl jumped out of her chair, leaving her pancakes uneaten, and cleaned up with her napkin. "Oh yes! Thanks, Gram. I forgot." Then, after picking up her bag and kissing her father and grandmother goodbye, she stepped out the door and left for school.

A few seconds passed in silence until his mother took a sip of her coffee and turned on her chair to look at him once again. "So." She muttered, looking at him through her eyelashes as she took another short swig from her mug. "She spent the night here, huh?"

The writer huffed and ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it even more than it already was. "Not you too, mother! It was… not like that."

"Like how, dear? I didn't imply she stayed in any way in particular." The redhead defended herself with a smirk. "But now that you mention it, Richard, why would Beckett come here in the middle of the night and then stay? You will have to agree that it is at least suspicious, darling."

"Well… yeah." He agreed with a sigh, his head falling down in defeat.

He knew his mother was more than aware of how he was starting to feel about Beckett, how it was not just about the books anymore. The detective had become someone very important in his life, and as much as he wanted to protect her privacy, he also wanted some advice, so as much as it pained him, he needed to tell his mom what had happened the night before.

"She was… wasted, mother. So. Very. Drunk!" He said, almost embarrassed. "I opened the door and she…" The blush that climbed up his body was totally unexpected, but he couldn't do anything to fight it. He felt like a 12 year old boy after giving his first kiss.

"She what, Richard?"

"She attacked me!" He shrieked. "I had her tongue down my throat before I had time to react."

Martha almost laughed at her son and had to school her features before she talked again. She was sure Rick had had a very hard time having to fight off a wild detective Beckett, even more when he was falling for her so hard.

"Well, I am sure that it was a nightmare for you, kiddo." She mocked him just out of habit.

He glared at her for a second and then walked away and let himself fall down onto the couch. "Well, it was!" He replied. "I had to stop her, mother. I couldn't let it go any farther than that. Not when she was not thinking clearly."

She followed him into the living room and took a seat right beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And you did the right thing."

"I know." He nodded. "I know I did. But you have no idea how hard it was, Mother. She just walked in here, looking like she just came out of one of my dreams, wearing that little excuse of a dress and wanting me! She wanted me!" He practically yelled. "But then, I realized it was not right and I stopped her."

"Because you're a gentleman." Martha added suddenly proud of her boy.

"She had been with someone else before she came here." He blurted it out as if the words burnt his tongue. And maybe they did somehow. It hurt to say it out loud, because it made it more real. He had been intended as a rebound, the second course, the last choice.

Martha blinked hard and then took a few seconds to process his words. "She what?"

"I asked and she admitted to it. She had been out with another guy. Then came to see me."

"Richard, darling, that she was out with someone else doesn't mean anything. She came here in the end, that means something."

"I don't know. I have no idea what happened with that man, and I have no idea of what brought her here. I tried to talk to her last night, but we ended up fighting and she was so drunk… it was late so I made her stay the night. I took the guest room." He glanced at the kitchen with his head and smirked. "I cooked breakfast as a peace offering, but she didn't stay. Too awkward, I guess."

Martha reached for his hand then and squeezed, giving him a sympathetic smile. "I need to talk to her, mother. I need to know what happened here last night, but it's like talking to a freaking concrete wall."

"After years talking to walls, my son, I've learnt that even if they don't talk, they usually do listen. Go. If there's something you're good with, those are words, Richard. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the first man to make concrete talk back."

TBC

I hope you enjoyed the ride ;) Leave a comment, suggestion, review, thought... I'd love to know your opinion.

Shout out to my lovely beta, Tshlw. You are magnificent. I love you, girl! Thanks so much for your help.

To the birthday girl, cause this is yours and it still keeps going ;) Love you!