A/N: Apologies again for the sappiness that follows. Not sure what's gotten into the muse. Too many Christmas movies (and grog) I guess. ;o

They were sitting at her desk. She was desperately trying to finish up paperwork so she could go home.

"Favorite childhood Christmas tradition?"

"Castle, if you keep throwing ridiculous questions at me I am never going to get this finished."

"Just answer the question, Detective."

She put her pen down and leaned back in her chair stretching her legs out in front of her. "Is this for Nikki Heat or just your own curiosity?"

He looked up from his phone. "Oooooh, I could call it Frozen Heat or Snowbound Heat." He waggled his eyes at her and then smiled and said. "Just my own curiosity."

She looked over at him and bit her bottom lip. Debating whether she wanted to share this or not, but oddly enough she didn't feel awkward so she took a deep breath and looked away briefly and said, "As a kid I loved making cookies with my Mom. It was something she had always done with her mother. We'd pull out Nonna's Italian cookie recipes and put on aprons and listen to Christmas music. We'd spend an entire day at it. As I got older it was a chore and then my first year of college I wasn't able to get home and I missed not doing it and swore I would be home to do it the following year." She stopped and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "And then she was gone." She played with the ring hanging from her neck. "It was hard at first to make them without her, but then I found it to be very meditative almost and it's become a calming and peaceful tradition I look forward to." She looked up from the ring and placed it back inside her shirt and said, "What about you, what was your favorite?"

He certainly hadn't expected this. He was a little overwhelmed at first that she had divulged such a private part of her, but as usual he lightened the moment. "Well, as you can only imagine I didn't make cookies with my mother. Believe it or not she always dragged me out to Midnight Mass and then we would get hot chocolate and ice cream sundaes. This of course so Santa could get into our apartment without me seeing him. When we got back at around 2 am we would open our gifts."

"So, who put the Santa gifts out while you were gone?"

He looked at her with wide eyes. "It was Santa of course, you know Detective, if you don't believe, he doesn't bring you anything."

She rolled her eyes at him and sat back up. "Okay, enough of this game, I have work to finish and didn't you say you had a date with Alexis?"

"I do, will I see you later?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe I'll just hang at my place tonight and see you in the morning."

He gave her the sad puppy dog face. "Can you at least walk me to my car so I can kiss you goodbye?"

She shook her head and smiled at him. "You'll try to change my mind."

He looked around the bullpen; there wasn't anyone there but them.

"Don't even think about it Castle."

"Beckett, come on. I need a goodnight kiss."

She quickly kissed the tip of her finger and placed it on his lips; he grabbed her hand and laced his fingers in hers. She squeezed it tight and smiled at him. "Okay, get out of here and go spend the evening with your daughter."

"Yes, Mam."

"Don't call me Mam."

"Yes, Dear?"

"ARGHHHH, Castle. Go. Home."

"I'm trying."

Once he left it hadn't taken her long to finish up her paperwork and clear her desk for the weekend. She had spent the evening doing her laundry and cleaning but there wasn't much to do since she'd hardly been there. She picked up her knitting and put on the TV and tried to watch White Christmas but found she didn't want to watch TV not curled up on the couch with him; same thing with a book. At ten she finally gave up and went to bed. And at 11 she climbed out of bed and threw on a pair of boots and pulled a sweatshirt on over her t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms, pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail, grabbed her purse and keys and hailed a cab to the loft.

She was going to send him a text but didn't want to wake him if he had already gone to bed. She unlocked the door and quietly removed her boots and pulled off her sweatshirt, put her purse and keys on the front table, she could see a faint light on in the Living room and the glow from the fireplace. There were Christmas lights all over the loft, the surprise from Alexis and her father last week, and the tree was lit up, there was Christmas music playing softly in the background.

He was sitting on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, laptop on his lap. He closed it up and put it on the table when he heard her come in and reached over and turned off the light. She curled up beside him and let out a sigh; he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, placing a kiss on her head. They stayed that way for some time.

When did this happen that she couldn't get warm, couldn't get comfortable, couldn't sleep unless she was with him. She hadn't wanted it to come to this, never thought it ever would, but she had to admit to herself, for the first time in her life if she really thought about it, she was content. It was both reassuring and overwhelming, especially since she had always prided herself for being so fiercely independent.

He reached over the back of the couch and pulled down the blanket. He turned his body so he was lying down and pulled her down with him. They were now lying side by side facing each other. Looking into each other's eyes, he kissed her on the cheek and pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and raked his hands through her curls. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly her hand bunching up his t-shirt and moving up his chest and behind his head and gently playing with his hair. She moved closer to him, her knee working its way in between his. Her lips grazed his ever so lightly once, then again.

"I couldn't get warm."

He kissed her again and hugged her tighter. "You feel warm now."

She nodded and kissed him and let out another sigh. "And I couldn't get comfortable."

He slid his hand under her t-shirt and caressed her lower back. "Are you comfortable now?"

She nodded again. "I didn't want to miss being here, being with you."

"But you did."

"I did."

"And that makes you a little bit crazy."

"Just a little bit."

"There is a solution to that you know?"

"I know."

"Just so long as you know."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. She loved that he didn't come right out and ask her to move in with him, it really was too soon for that.

"I do."

He turned onto his back and she settled in and rested her head on his chest. After a few minutes she climbed on top of him, placing her hands on either side of his face and kissed him, her tongue tracing his bottom lip and then kissing him until he moaned and she had to stop to catch her breath, then she rolled onto the other side so she was against the back of the couch.

"Better?"

"Umhmm, now I can see the tree."

He chuckled and hugged her tight. "Sleepy?"

"Ummm."

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"I want to stay here."

"Okay."

"K."

"G'night Kate."

"Night."

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Rick."

"Hmmm."

"I love being here with you."

He was sure his heart skipped a beat or two. There was more he wanted to say, he was sure she knew that already, but might not be ready to actually hear it. He pulled her closer and laced his fingers through her hand that was on his chest and brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "I love you being here with me."

She squeezed his hand and finally drifted off to sleep, warm, comfortable and content and maybe just a little bit of something more.

I would like to think I'll get another chapter up before Christmas, but I can't promise the muse will stay away from the cookies and (spiked) eggnog long enough for that to happen. So, on that note I would like to wish all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas and all the joy and peace this season brings. A huge thank you to all who write, read and review on this site. You have kept me somewhat sane over these past few months. Hugs :o))))))