A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback, I'm glad this story's met such a huge resonance. There's been a complain about lack of Caskett fluff, so fresh out of the oven I present to you, chapter two.


It had been a long day of paperwork and Kate was relieved to come back to a quiet hotel room. She fell exhausted onto the couch and checked her watch. As if right on cue, her pocket started vibrating. She quickly pulled out her phone and opened the message from Rick.

"Where are you?"

"Just got home. Call?" She texted back.

"Can't. Still in meeting. :("

"Should I be worried?"

"Nah, Gina and Paula are fighting over… I don't even know what. I think they may have forgotten I am here…"

Kate chuckled. "Think you can sneak out for a quick good night call? I'm beat and don't know how much longer I can stay awake."

"I would love to but I'm afraid if I move they realize I'm still here and pounce on me. They look like they're out for someone's blood and I'd rather it be Jared from catering who's apparently screwed up the arrangements for the book party."

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. How was your first day at work? Did you play nice and make friends?"

"Work was good. I think I'm working with your younger brother."

"Huh?" She could almost see the confused look on his face.

"There's this really young college kid on my team who's the biggest fangirl of Nikki Heat I've ever seen."

"Oh really? Do tell me!"

"Like you need me to stroke your ego."

"Not my ego…" He fired back quickly. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Sexting? At work?! Really Castle?"

"What? A man has his needs and I haven't seen you since Sunday. Besides, Gina and Paula don't know I'm sexting you under the table."

"This is getting dirtier by the minute. :)"

"No. Dirty would be if I were doing you on the big conference table here."

"Rick! Delete that!"

She could hear the sound of his laughter as if he were sitting right next to her. She wondered if he drew Paula's or Gina's unwanted attention, when she didn't hear back from him right away.

"I'm serious, Rick. I don't want anyone to see that! What if you get into an accident and CSU take your phone and find the message?"

"Dating a cop was the worst idea I ever had. You're taking all the fun out of everything."

"Just wait until you're married to a federal agent!" She shot back. "Now go and delete that damn message."

A few seconds later her phone lit up and vibrated in her hands. "Done!"

"Thank you."

"Okay, where were we? Right, first day at work. How'd it go? Did you catch a case already?"

"No, just filling out paperwork. Long and boring day, possible carpal tunnel syndrome. Filling out forms is just not the same when you're not there to distract me with paperclip chains and origami."

"I can have a thousand paper cranes delivered to your desk tomorrow. It'll be just as if I was there."

Kate smiled, "Would you be upset if my wish were to never fill out another form in my entire life?"

"A teensy weensy bit. But I'd still love you. So back to work… you've got fangirl already following you around, who else is on your team? Do you have a new partner?"

"Fangirl is technically a fanboy whose name is Richmond."

"Tell me he isn't your new partner!"

"Jealous?"

"No, more like worried a pimply faced frat boy who can't find his own ass with a map is supposed to keep you out of harm's way."

"Relax, Rick. My new partner is actually also the team leader so I'll be in good hands." She could hear his sigh of relief all the way from New York. "And then there's Matt. He's a bit older and another senior agent. They're actually really good people. They kind of remind me of our old team at the twelfth."

"How so?"

"Well, Rachel our team leader reminds me a lot of how I was before I met you. The whole team seems to get along really well. And Richmond is like Ryan on steroids."

"That bad?"

"He calls himself the media czar, you know after Raley from the books."

"That bad?"

"Yep. Wouldn't shut up about Nikki Heat this and Richard Castle that. Reminds me a lot of when you started at the precinct and Kevin carried around a book of yours all the time, trying to impress his celebrity crush."

"He did? I never noticed!"

She could practically see the little pout on his face.

"Are they giving you a hard time about the Nikki Heat thing?"

"Just a little hazing."

"Do you need me to come?"

"And do what? Rough them up with your sharp tongue?"

"No but I could talk to them. Explain. Or I could bring Ryan and Espo to rough them up a little."

"No, it's fine. They're not mean about it. Just a little hazing for the new kid on the block."

"But you're no rookie. You're a tough and savvy NYPD detective with an outstanding record. They should show you some respect."

"That's sweet of you, Castle. But first I gotta earn my respect around here. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. And if it gets too much, I'll just channel Lanie, when they get too obnoxious."

"Lanie?"

Kate grinned and quickly explained her sassy comeback when she got introduced to the celebrity-struck Richmond.

"Ain't picking you up from the floor when you faint? That doesn't sound like Lanie. Much too harmless."

"Well, I figured threatening to smack him on my first day at work wasn't going to earn me any brownie points."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?"

"Yes. I want you to stay in New York and finish the arrangements for your book launch party, so you can come and spend the weekend with me."

"Are we still going to look at houses and apartments?"

"Unless we catch a high priority case, I guess so."

"Good, I've already looked online and contacted some real estate agents to send me brochures."

"Just don't go overboard, Castle. I know you said it's a good investment for your royalties to buy property in our nation's capital, but we know the housing market is slowly recovering at best."

"I thought you said you trusted me doing the preliminary scouting."

"And I do. You know me and you know my taste, I have no doubts you'll pick out listings we'll both like. I just don't want you go and buy the White House."

"I don't think that's for sale."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. And I can't wait to see your face when we go look at the places. You're gonna love them all and will have a hard time to pick one out."

Beckett stared at her phone in silence. House hunting. She was really going house hunting with her fiancé this weekend. When the hell had that happened? The past month had gone by in a blur. She left New York City only two weeks after she had accepted Rick's proposal to start her training in Quantico. Kate had to learn a whole new set of procedures and undergo specialized tactical training as well as prove her marksmanship on the FBI issued service weapons. She had barely time to process the change of status in their relationship. Rick had stayed behind in New York City to wrap up loose ends, since he couldn't join her at the FBI Academy anyway. When she'd passed her qualifying exams last Friday and moved out of the dorms in Quantico, Rick had joined her for the weekend and booked them a nice hotel suite at the W. They did a little bit of location scouting in the neighborhoods Castle had researched while she underwent training and came to the conclusion that Rick would do most of the legwork to find them a new place to stay. That way she could focus on work. Kate had put up a bit of a fight, when Rick had insisted they keep the suite until they found their permanent place but eventually acquiesced when he gave her that slightly salacious but mostly impish grin and called it an engagement gift.

Her phone vibrated incessantly in her hand brought her out of her reverie.

"Kate?"

"Kate?!"

"Kate, you still there?"

"Honey, you ok?"

"What did I say about pet names?"

"I was just about to step outside and call you, risking Paula and Gina's wrath."

"Just lost in thought…"

"Good thoughts?"

"Thinking about you. How much I miss you. How much fun we had on the weekend."

"I miss you, too, Kate. So much."

"I can't wait to get our own place here."

"Me neither. I can't wait for us to live together out in the open. No more hiding. No more secrets."

"The lying killer was right."

"We didn't drown in them. We're just poor at communicating but that's going to change, I promise."

Screw it, he'd just have to deal with Paula and Gina ganging up on him. She quickly scrolled to the top of her screen and pressed the call button.

"Why'd you do that? You startled the hyenas." He greeted her with a whine.

"Because I needed to hear your voice before I go to bed." She blushed, thankful he couldn't see her. "What about the hyenas? Are the salivating and licking their mouths yet or do you think you can get some privacy?"

"Oddly enough, they cast me an annoyed looked and went right back arguing. I think we may get away with it."

"Good, because I miss you and I wanted to say good night and tell you I love you."

"I love you, too. Be careful ok?"

"You know I am. Besides we've not been assigned our own case yet. Right now we're helping out two other teams."

"I…just… be safe. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I love you, Kate."

"I promise I'll be careful. There feel better now?"

"I know you think I'm childish and overprotective or whatever but… I don't know these people. I have to trust them that they can keep you safe and out of harm's way."

"Nothing's gonna happen, Rick."

"Just don't make me a widower before we've had a chance to announce our engagement, ok?"

"I'll try. It's on top of my list of daily goals."

"Good that's all I ask. Now go to bed and get some sleep, so you'll be alert and on guard tomorrow."

"Ok. Talk to you tomorrow night?"

"Always."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

Rick hung up and turned around to be met with the shocked faces of his book agent and ex-wife. They stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths. They weren't even salivating. They looked ready to go in for the kill. This was bad. Very, very bad. What had he gotten himself into now?