Chapter 3

They finally turned up at the Old Haunt an hour later than they were expected, they saw the boys sitting at the usual booth and looked over to notice Lanie walking from the bar carrying three drinks. Since when was Lanie coming to drinks? Kate panicked knowing that she was unable to hide anything from Lanie and at first glance she knew that she would want details, even though Kate didn't really have any details to give. As she walked to towards the group Rick turned towards the bar to grab them both a drink.

As soon as she reached the table Lanie was on her feet dragging her off before she even got the chance to sit, the boys looked on with confused looks and shrugged.

Reaching the bathroom Lanie turned to face Kate eyebrows raised.

"So girl, you've got some explaining to do, what took you and writer-boy so long? An hour late to be exact, and let me tell you Kate Beckett it does not take that long to shower and change clothes, unless there was a certain writer-boy helping out then that would be a different story." She said with a wink.

"Oh gee Lanie, Hello to you too! And there is no way I'd be letting writer-boy help with any of that! We just got caught up talking, I guess time just flew by.."

"Oh no way you're not getting out of it that easy. What did you talk about?"

Kate stood there considering what to say, she settled with everything. That's what best friends are for right? She had to tell someone.

"Ok…"

Back at the bar Rick sat in the booth next to an empty seat. Confused he looked up at the boys who were staring at him.

"Where did Ka….uh..Beckett go? He asked before taking a sip of his beer.

Ryan and Esposito's eyebrows rose as they looked at each other and shrugged. "It's Kate now is it Castle? What kept you so long why are you…" he looks down at his watch "why are you an hour late?" Ryan stares waiting for an answer.

"Yeah bro, what aren't you telling us?"

"You didn't even answer my question?"

"Chica dragged her off pretty quickly, before she even had the chance to sit down seemed pretty urgent. Now you answer our question."

"Oh..ahh you know how girls are...they always take forever to get ready.."

The boys looked at each other grinning.

"Aha sure bro whatever you say. It's okay. You don't have to tell us I can just get the details off Lanie later."

"Boys, boys there's really no details, if there were you know you would be the first to know." Rick sits quietly listening to the boys murmur, thinking about everything that went on in Kate's apartment wondering what the kiss meant, if it would just get brushed under the rug like the undercover kiss or if they would talk about it. It was then that he made himself a promise that he wouldn't let it go. Not this time. This time they were most definitely going to talk about it.

Lanie flung herself at Kate unable to control herself "You kissed him! I'm so proud of you girl! It's about damn time!"

"Lanie you know this isn't the first time we have kissed."

"I know, I know but it was the first REAL kiss that wasn't undercover! How was it?"

"You're right it was very real this time. I could never get sick of kissing that mouth. His lips are so soft, it was amazing I don't know why I waited so long. I'm scared though about what it's going to mean for us... I think I'm in love with him Lanie. I have never felt like this with anyone before, not Will not Josh, hell the reason I broke up with Josh in the first place was because I realized that I would never feel about him the way I feel about Castle. I want to be with him so bad. But what if it doesn't work out? What then?"

Lanie pulled her into another hug unable to contain herself. "Girl you can't worry about the 'What if's' you can't live like that you need to take a chance you need to tell that man how you feel. You two were made for each other. Just talk to him."

"You're right Lanie. I will talk to him, I have to, as soon as the right time comes up"

"You know I'm always right girl. Just don't wait too long okay."

"Thanks Lanie don't worry I won't wait too long. We better get back to the boys before they send out a search party.

Throughout the boys' conversations, Rick continued to look towards the bathroom waiting for Kate to appear.

"…I really don't understand why you guys insist on calling me honeymilk…its.."

"The girls have been in there a while maybe I should send someone in to check on them?" Rick blurts out mid-sentence.

Ryan jumps startled by the interruption looking towards Rick "What's up with you tonight man you've been quiet. I'm sure the girls are fine they will probably be out any minute now."

"Hey look there they are now" Esposito states looking over at the bathrooms.

Rick turns abruptly and sees them arm in arm, his stomach flutters as he looks up to see Kate laughing at something Lanie says.

"What's so funny" He asks as he moves over for Kate to sit down.

"Uhh nothing just something Lanie said" she replies giving Lanie a wink.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur, Rick being unable to take his eyes off Kate the whole time. Ryan is the first to leave wanting to get home to Jenny, Lanie and Espo are soon to follow, leaving Rick and Kate alone in a nearly empty bar.

After an awkward silence they both go to say something over the top of each other.

"Do you.."

"Are we.."

"You go first" Kate giggles smiling up at him.

Rick grinned, Kate Beckett just giggled, she must be drunk.

"I am not drunk Castle! What were you going to say?"

How does she do that! "I was just going to say, do you..Ah…want to go for a walk?"

She nods slowly getting up waiting for Rick to put his coat on before they make their exit.

Stepping out of the bar they are hit with a cold gush of wind, it had cooled dramatically since they had entered the bar. Wrapping her arms around herself subtly Kate turns to Castle to wait for directions. She sees him taking his coat off before she realizes what he was doing it was around her; she shuffles her arms into the too long sleeves and looks up to him blushing slightly.

"Thanks" she says bumping her shoulder against his. "Anytime" he replies with a grin, walking forward "I was getting hot anyway, couldn't be bothered carrying it myself"

"Either way...Thank you." She walks next to him shoulder to shoulder heading towards her apartment. "You don't need to thank me you know, I'd do anything for you." He whispers as her stomach flutters. "So anyway what were you going to say before? In the bar?" Kate looks up at him not sure if she wants to have this conversation with him on the street.

"I…I don't remember…it doesn't matter.."

She looks up at him into his eyes and sees hurt " You don't remember or are you running away from something?"

She looks around searching for a park bench or something they can sit on, she settles on a swing set. She walks across the road and knows that he will follow.

Unable to make eye contact she stares at her trembling hands as she contemplates a way to answer his question.

"I…I'm trying not to run away from my feelings that I have for you Castle. I don't know why it's so hard for me to let you in, you have no idea how much I want to dive right into everything with you but I'm afraid, scared that I'll stuff up and wreck what we already have, our partnership, our…"

He stops her with his mouth on hers, she parts her lips slightly letting his tongue slide in beside hers. She rises from the swing running her fingertips through his hair, moaning into his mouth.

"I can't think when you do that" she whispers leaning her forehead against his.

"Good" he says kissing her again softly "you're over thinking it… You're not going to ruin this, I won't let you. It's too important." He grabs her hand and holds it against his chest where she can feel his rapid heartbeat. "Us. This. Will only make our partnership stronger. I don't want you to dive into anything you're not ready for. You can start in the shallow end, hell you can start in the kiddie pool if you want to. We can take it slow, snail speed, take it day by day. I just want this. I need this. I need us. I want to be able to hug you and kiss you whenever I feel like it" he leans in, kissing away the single tear that runs down her cheek, kissing down slowly to her jaw then finally reaching her mouth.

"Ok.." she replies bringing his lips back to hers "But we have to take it slow, and you can't go kissing me in the middle of the precinct, nothing's changing at my work."

He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and smiles up at her pecking her quickly on the lips "Ok, you can set the pace, I can follow" he says as he lifts her up into a bear hug spinning her around.

"Ok you big goof, put me down!" He complies as he kisses her again, hands pulling her closer to him and they slide up her back. She slides her tongue along the roof of his mouth, putting her hands around his waist, pulling him as close as possible. He smiles into the kiss "what have you got planned for the rest of your weekend off?" he asks

"I don't know, I was planning on a relaxing weekend in, but I'm open to an alternative?"

"Good. I'm taking you out."