A/N: So, after the reviews I received for the last chapter, I had a whole rant prepared about negativity and how all fanfiction is basically a form of wish fulfillment, but I'm not in the mood. I'm just gonna say this: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. And, yes, critiques can be phrased nicely, so don't pull that bull on me. Don't call me and the Original Ellie hypocrites for reasons that make me think you don't know what that word means; I can appreciate fics where Castle has a significant other, just like I can appreciate and write fics where Kate has a significant other. Make sense? Good. Now, on with the fic!

There are plenty of cop bars that she could take Savannah to, but some reason it doesn't feel right. Taking Savannah somewhere she sees her work friends, where her co-workers could all see…

See what? They're just working together. Whatever happened between them ended years ago, and nobody needs to know that it ever happened, nobody can tell – they may be detectives, but they're not that good. Sure, it makes memories dredge themselves from the crevices of her mind, working with Savvy, but it's nothing she can't ignore. It's easy. Kinda.

They wind up somewhere she'd discovered a few months ago, a warm ambience settling in the room, the warm lighting complimenting the softness of Savvy's eyes. Not that she's staring. She's not. Savannah's just very hard to not notice, that's all. Nothing more.

"This is fancy," Savvy remarks when they find a place to sit, draping their coats over the leather couches. "I remember college Beckett was all about finding cheap booze."

She rolls her eyes. "Isn't every student?"

Without thinking, she heads to the bar and orders what she remembers is Savvy's favourite drink – which had almost become her least favourite after a night of partying and vomiting in college, but Savvy had always been a get back up on that horse and ride it kind of girl, so it hadn't been surprising that she had moved past that by simply drinking more the next day.

As soon as she sets the drink in front of Savvy, she realises what she's done.

Savvy gives her a look that she can't quite pinpoint, puzzlement or awe or nostalgia, she's not sure which. Whatever it is, it makes her look away, blushing.

"You remembered my drink."

"Um," she clears her throat, wets her lips, "old habits. We did go to a lot of parties."

Savannah blinks away the look in her eye and glances down at the drink, fingers tracing the glass.

"Thanks, Becks," she says softly. She hears the words Savannah doesn't say. For remembering. She lets them go because she doesn't know if she can face this, whatever this is, quite yet.

"I knew I never should've let you meet Maddie. I hate that nickname."

Savannah laughs, "Oh, the ammunition I have on you, Kate."

Kate blinks, lips parting, and she can feel the heat rushing back to her face again as she remembers her beautiful laugh, such similar words spoken just as softly. Only they were young, she had just lost her mother and Savannah doodled her in the margins of paper; she drew her like she was beautiful and not drowning.

She remembers – "Oh, the ammunition Maddie gave me against you, Becks. You should let me meet more of your high school friends."

She'd scowled at her as they lounged together on her bed in her college dorm, textbooks spread around them, her legs tossed over Savvy's lap casually, trying to play it off as friendly even though she had been hyper-aware of her limbs pressed against Savannah's, the heat of her even through the clothing that separated them as the winter rain threw itself against the windows.

But Savannah had made her feel warm, and safe, and she was kind and beautiful and laughed at her jokes while most other students whispered about her at the back of lectures, girls gave her pitying looks and boys spread rumours about 'dead easy Beckett'.

"No way," she'd said. "I won't hear the end of this for weeks."

"Oh, you'll never hear the end of this, Kate," Savannah snickered, as her beautiful pink lips curled upwards and Beckett had to look away, down at her lap because Savvy had always been so gorgeous, so distracting. "I'm gonna use this against you forever."

Kate had smiled shyly, looked up at her through a blanket of hair. "You plan on being my friend forever, Savvy?"

Savannah had swallowed hard, a yearning in her eyes that Beckett had seen before but simply put down to her own imagination. And then Savannah had softly moved her legs from her lap, shifted until she was leaning above Beckett on her elbows and suddenly she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, her heart rammed itself against her ribs as Savvy had hovered there, lips inches from hers.

"Not just your friend," she'd whispered, and then she'd pressed her lips against Beckett's.

It felt as simple as breathing – light, and gentle, and breath-taking – a contradiction all rolled into one. She had yearned for it for so long that she'd been struck still, focusing on nothing but the soft feel of Savvy's lips against hers.

Savvy pulled away seconds later, cheeks flushed, eyes wide. Gorgeous. Perfect.

"I'm sorry," she said, mistaking Beckett's stillness. "I shouldn't have – "

"Shh. I want this too," Beckett whispered, cupped a hand at the back of Savvy's neck; her fingers weaved through her soft hair and pulled her back down.

It was light and soft and cautious, and then she grew braver, stronger. Soon Savvy's body was wrapped around her own, soft curves and skin that she couldn't help but feel, her hands sneaked under Savvy's top and that little noise she let out was beautiful, and they kept kissing and kissing until everything was silent, even the rain, and all she could hear was Savannah's shallow breath, and everything was wonderful and beautiful and perfect –

"Hey."

Beckett startles, almost spilling her drink but recovering quickly. She feels heat flood her cheeks once again as Savannah chuckles. Jeez. Why is she acting like such a teenager? Sure, it's hard being around Savvy and not remembering, Savvy still does things to her she's too coward to admit to, and Castle –

Castle left.

"Sorry," she blurts out. "Got lost in my mind there."

Savannah watches her carefully, and it feels like she can see right through her, see exactly what she's thinking. She'd always been so smart – could figure out people in the blink of an eye, so quickly it startled her. It's always been something that she's admired about Savvy, a quality about her she love – loved so fiercely.

Yeah. She had loved this woman once.

It had hurt to let her go then – it hurts to think Savvy's going to leave again, when this case is over – but it had been the right thing to do. The darkness had just began to swallow her as she'd found anomalies in her mother's case, her father sank further into drink, and Savannah was too beautiful for her to destroy. So she'd let her go, maturely. She'd wiped Savvy's bitter tears away and assured her she'd find someone she really deserved, Kate wasn't the one. When she'd made it back to her own room she'd found herself unable to breathe for a few minutes, mind aching and eyes swollen, and it hurt to see Savannah around campus afterwards but it was only for a few weeks. Graduation soon came and she celebrated it alone. Joined the academy. Helped her father. Pulled Royce into the darkness instead.

She had let her go, even as she'd loved her.

But she's here now and her maturity has only made her far more graceful, far more beautiful, and earlier she had sat in Castle's chair and spun theory with her like it was normal and right – and it had felt it.

"Yeah, it looks like it. You said this drink was gonna be a break, but I gotta say, it's not living up to expectations."

"A break for you, maybe."

"Why just me? You distracted by me, detective?" Savannah jokes, batting her eyelashes. "You need a break from me? Oh, how people will talk."

Kate laughs, shoving Savvy's shoulder lightly. "Yeah, you wish."

Savvy falters and then bites her lip, looking away. God. She's such an idiot. She shouldn't just say things so lightly, when some deep part of her knows she means them, hopes that Savvy –

No. She doesn't even know if Savvy is single. Hell, she's been back in her life all of a day.

"So," Savvy says, breaking the ice. "What's new in your life?"

Kate smiles, leaning back comfortably. "Well, I'm a detective."

"That's not new, Kate. You always wanted to be a detective."

"Alright, then how'd you end up working for the FBI?"

Savannah ducks her head, smiling wryly. "Long story. But I'm good at reading people, figures that I'd become a profiler."

"Yeah, it does," Kate says. "Though I always thought you'd use that talent to land yourself a rich, frail old man that – "

"Oh, shut up," Savvy laughs, shoving Beckett this time. "I'm not a gold-digger. That'd be a way too boring a life."

"I don't know, the money must have it perks."

"Yeah, well, if you know any millionaires, feel free to introduce me."

Kate waits for the ache of rejection to settle in her heart, but it doesn't. Castle is just a distant memory. A could've been, but wasn't.

And she looks at Savvy, wonderful, beautiful Savvy, who's smiling at her like she didn't break her heart when they were just kids and wanted too much from each other.

She knows what she wants. Who she wants.

But they agreed on no distractions. Maybe Savvy doesn't – She's probably with someone else, a woman as wonderful as her. It shouldn't hurt. She'd let her go. But it does, and she can't help that, and she doesn't think she wants to.

They finish their drinks quickly, warm liquid unfurling through her veins and loosening her limbs. Not drunk. Nowhere near. Just warmer. But soon enough Savvy's gathering her things and pulls her coat on, so she does too, following her out into the summer night. Under the artificial street lights, Kate can see Savannah's half-smile, a flash through her golden hair. She aches to touch her fingers to the corners of those lips, cup her jaw, run her fingers through her hair. But she can't. No distractions.

Stop getting so distracted, Beckett.

"You need a lift?"

"Nah," Savvy says, "I'll get a cab. My hotel's not far from here."

"Well, okay," she agrees, a little disappointed. Driving her would've given them more time together. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She almost chokes on the words, but the phantom burn is gone, it's gone, it's gone. Castle left. Savannah's here.

"Better not turn up hung over to work, Beckett," Savannah teases, hailing a cab.

"Oh, please. I can handle a drink, you, however… Could you walk in a straight line for me, Savvy?"

The cab pulls up to the sidewalk, and Savannah opens the door, tossing "tomorrow, Kate" over her shoulder.

"Wait."

Her heart pounds as Savannah stops, turning to her with one hand on the door. She hears the driver give an impatient huff and her throat closes up, words lost on her tongue. She doesn't remember what it was she wanted to say.

"What's up?"

"Just – "

She doesn't think. She just steps forward and cups Savvy's cheeks and kisses her delicately.

Oh – it's just like she remembers.

Savvy goes still, and it doesn't last more than a second or two, their lips parting from each other's unwillingly. When she steps back, Savannah's eyes are wide, cheeks flushed, like that first time. Her lips tingle.

"Goodnight, Savvy," she murmurs softly, and then turns to walk to her car without looking back.

A smile she can't quell lingers on her lips until her head finally hits the pillow, and she closes her eyes and remembers better times, better days, with Savannah.

A/N: Thoughts? And, remember, saying "Kate's acting OOC" and not really explaining why doesn't help anybody.

- Ellie

P.S.: Sorry for all the passive aggressiveness. I hope you enjoyed!