Author's Note: Apologies for the delay between chapters. I've been dealing with a lot lately. Thanks for your patience and thank you to those who have sent virtual hugs.

1x07 – Home Is Where The Heart Stops

She's nervous. Really nervous.

Her palms are sweaty and her heart is racing and her hand is shaky as she reaches out to ring the buzzer. And seriously, it's ridiculous. She's gone undercover countless times, and tonight is no different.

Sure, she'll be hitting the red carpet with Castle, but now that she knows how annoying he actually is in person, any aura he used to possess is completely gone, and being seen in public with him tonight is anything but exciting. She was done being star-struck over him about two minutes after she first met him.

Besides, it's not like she cares what Castle thinks of her hair or her dress. Or what he thinks about any part of her life, really. She couldn't care less.

Which is why it's ridiculous that she's nervous.

The door swings open then and Kate finds herself being ushered inside by Martha, greeted by his daughter, and she can't help but be polite because he may be irritating as hell but the rest of this unorthodox little family seems very sweet, offering her complements, fawning over her dress.

When Castle appears, looking dapper in a tux, Kate ignores the part of her brain that registers his appearance.

When he compliments her, she stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the wave of relief that washes over her.

But then Martha is clasping a beautiful necklace around her neck and Kate tries to protest but she doesn't stand a chance against the openness and love that just seems to exude from this family. They hardly even know her and yet here she is being cared for and donning a stunning piece of their jewelry.

Before she has a chance to really ponder the implications, Castle is ushering her out of the loft with a hand on her lower back, rattling on excitedly about something, though she really has no idea what because she's not listening.

No, she's a little more focused on calming the adrenaline that determinedly continues to course through her for who knows what reason.

Kate shakes her head almost imperceptibly, tries to snap herself out of this...funk...that seems to have settled over her.

Tonight is nothing that out of the ordinary, she reminds herself again. It doesn't even matter that she'll be with Castle because he'll be smiling for the cameras and flirting with dozens of women while Kate does her job, so she's not even going to be spending that much time with him. Just a basic undercover operation.

It'll only last a couple of hours, just long enough to find their guy and arrest him.

And it's not like it's actually a date.

Of course Castle rented a limo, and Kate soon finds herself being escorted across the sidewalk and into the oversized vehicle. She slides across the seat, leaving space for Castle to climb in next to her.

The bench seat is plenty large, enough room to fit at least three people. So naturally, Castle settles down right next to her, close enough that she can feel the heat radiating from his body.

Not that she's paying attention to that or anything.

"So tell me, Detective," he husks, lips far too close to her ear, and she barely suppresses a shiver that quite obviously is from the chill of the spring air rather than his breath on her cheek. "When was the last time you dressed up and went out like this? Or do you always spend your evenings at work?"

Kate rolls her eyes, beyond annoyed that he would even ask such a thing. He makes it sound like she has no life, like she typically works long hours and then goes home alone to relax and sleep.

He's not exactly wrong, but that's so not the point.

"You jealous that I might go on dates from time to time?" she shoots back, completely skirting his question.

"Me? Jealous?" he scoffs as though the mere idea is preposterous. "Psssh."

"Well then what's it to you?" Kate teases.

"I'm just curious to find out more about this side of you that wears fancy dresses and curls her hair."

"Well I didn't exactly have much choice when it came to the dress now, did I?" she asks sarcastically.

"Ah, so you do like it," he replies, clearly pleased with himself.

"I wore it because I couldn't very well not wear it after you had it delivered," she answers abruptly.

She is so not having this conversation with him, and seriously, could the guy drive any slower? They have to be there by now, right?

"Just admit it, Detective; you like it."

"I'd like it more if it covered a bit more of me," Kate points out.

"And I'd like it much less," Castle replies without missing a beat.

She rolls her eyes. Again. Her eye sockets have gotten quite a workout since Castle started following her around.

"What exactly are you hoping to get out of tonight, Castle?" Kate drawls. "Because I'm pretty sure it's not happening."

"I thought we were trying to catch a murderer," he replies innocently.

"We are. But that doesn't require a limo and..." she gestures to herself, "this dress."

"Maybe not, but it's so much more fun that way."

Kate doesn't even bother to justify that with an answer.

"So what type of event is this, exactly?" she asks after an extended and awkward silence.

"It's a fundraiser."

"I got that much. But happens when we get there?"

"Well, there will probably be a red carpet," he answers as though it is obvious. "Hey, another plus...you'll get to have your picture taken with me."

Right. Because that's just what she needs.

"Castle."

"Right, sorry. Let's see...food, alcohol, an auction, lots of schmoozing. It'll be fun."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Fortunately the limo comes to a stop then, and before Kate knows what's happening, the driver is opening the door and Castle is stepping out and offering his hand to Kate. She can already hear the melee of reporters lining the red carpet and the flashbulbs are almost a steady stream as she reluctantly takes the proffered hand and emerges from the car.

The schools her features, hoping to look like she's at least sort of enjoying herself. But the media and bright lights and Castle are not exactly her idea of a fun evening and apparently she's not quite as good at hiding it as she'd like to think she is.

"Boy, you really don't get out much, do you?" Castle says from her side.

Kate elbows him. Hard.

"I'm just saying," he continues, and apparently she should have hit him harder. "You don't have to look so miserable. Relax and smile. This is supposed to be fun."

"I must have missed that memo," she mutters, but before Castle can say more, a reporter is calling his name, and then Ryan and Esposito are looking her up and down with raised eyebrows and Castle is proudly strutting down the red carpet with her on his arm and she really just wants to get inside and get this over with.

The last thing she needs is to be seen in the tabloids with Castle.

When he abruptly insists upon dancing with her, she can't help but notice the feel of his warm hand spanning her lower back, skin on skin through the lacings of her dress. If she didn't know better, she'd think he planned that when he picked it out.

(He did.)

And she wants to be annoyed. She really does. But this is the first time all night that he hasn't been smug or annoying or arrogant. And it's kind of almost pleasant. Almost.

Because he's actually a really good dancer.

"Do we have to leave?" Castle practically whines. "I mean, we just got here. And after all the work I went to for the tickets and we hardly even got to dance and..."

Kate whirls around. "Castle, murder case, remember?"

"I know, but..."

"You know what?" she interrupts. "You can stay, I don't care. Apparently everyone in there is just dying to spend an evening with you. I'm sure you could find plenty of women to dance with. I, on the other hand, have a killer to interrogate."

"Boy, you really know how to put a damper on things, don't you?" he says.

But he follows her out, taking advantage of the opportunity to admire her figure from behind. The dress fits well, even better than he was hoping for when he selected it.

Of course, he was also hoping for more opportunities to dance with her. She was a little tense but he's pretty sure that with a couple of drinks and a few more songs, he could have loosened her up a bit. Maybe even more than a bit.

Though she made it very evident that that isn't going to happen.

Nevertheless, he's determined to keep trying. Something about her doesn't add up. There's the tough detective side and there's the empathetic side, but he's almost positive that there's something missing. A wilder side, the part of her from before her mother was murdered.

It's got to be there somewhere.

And it's only a matter of time before he finds it.

Thoughts?