Chapter 6:

Of Nighttime Driving and Musings

The drive to the Hamptons was less than eventful. Beckett surprised Castle by letting him drive for once, to which he acted like a two year old and scampered to the driver's side and started the car before she could change her mind. He never seemed to amaze her with his boyish ways, but yet she hoped that this would never change. She would never admit it to him, but she often found herself wanting to laugh out loud at the things he would do.

They spent the first hour of the ride in silence, with Kate looking out the window into the darkness. They seemed to be getting farther and farther away from civilization with every passing second. The stars shone like brilliant beacons in the night sky. It definitely took her breath away. She had definitely never seen such grandeur living in New York. The city lights made the stars almost disappear. She wondered whether or not Castle's retreat in the Hamptons had this sort of view in store for her. He had mentioned that there was an ocean view and had showed her pictures which had given her hints of its beauty, but that didn't stop the wonder.

Eventually, Castle pulled into a gas station about halfway through the trip and got out to fill the car with gas. Kate got out as well in order to stretch her legs and walk around. She looked once again at the sky and immersed herself in her thoughts. It still amazed her that she was on vacation, much less that she was with Castle. Things were definitely changing between them.

She didn't even register that Castle had walked up behind her until she felt his arms circle around her to pull her against his chest. She tensed for a second before relaxing into his touch.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Castle asked, turning a little so that he could see her face. She had seemed to be someplace far away from where he was. He wondered at first if she was thinking about the case again, but she didn't seem to be as agitated as she had been. This side of Kate he was experiencing was the softer, more deeply pensive one. He honestly doubted that she would let him in on this secret revelation that she was experiencing.

"It's so beautiful here. It's almost untouched by man. The stars? You don't get to see those in New York. I've never been to a place where I could have such a clear view of them before. When I learned about the stars when I was little, I often wondered what it would be like to go up there and see them up close. I'd like to think my mom is up there among them, watching me. Well, I guess she'd be watching the both of us right now. I'm sorry if I've been harsh on you these past few days. I've just been so wrapped up in everything about this case that I guess I had forgotten that everyone was just trying to do everything to help. Then, you went and offered this opportunity to go on vacation with you, and when I resisted, you got the Captain involved. I should be really pissed at you, but right now, I've decided to let it go. You're just being a good friend and looking out for me," she said, turning to look at him. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks," she finished, before detangling herself from his hold entirely and walking back to the car.

Castle put a hand on the spot where Beckett had kissed it moments before. He mentally shook himself and ran to catch up to her. They both got back into the car and continued making their way. He wanted to talk to her about what had transpired earlier, but as he turned to do so, he discovered that Beckett was fast asleep. She looked so beautiful and peaceful as she slept, he thought, so full of innocence without a care in the world. He hoped that this trip would continue to be a pleasant experience for her and that she would let him in on more of her secrets. Mentally, he was already planning a few surprises for her.

What she had said about him being a good friend bothered him for some reason. Of course he was her friend, but he wanted to be so much more than that to her. He thought back to the night before when he had discussed his failed invitation with his mother. She didn't help matters at all. If nothing else, she made him feel more humiliated.

"I just don't understand, Mother," he had said. "I just want to do something nice for her. What's the harm in that? Why can't she see that as a good thing?"

His mother had laughed at him heartily, but then sobered up when she saw that he was angry. "Richard, you can't be serious," she replied. "Detective Beckett probably thinks that your reputation is preceding you. She's probably thinking of the countless times you might have done the same thing for other women. She's a special girl. Beckett has actual standards. Why exactly are you doing this? You've seen her upset over a case before. Therefore, I think you should ask yourself as to what your real motive is," Martha added, "Because if you don't tell her the truth and tell her a lie, she can see right through you."

He knew something was different about Kate the instant that he met her. He supposed it was because of the way she seemed so disinterested in being with him that really drove him nuts. He loved the way she moved, and he could watch her all day and never get enough. She was brilliant; she never ceased to amaze him with her wit and charm. They had chemistry, of that he was most certain. However, was that going to be enough to sustain things between the two of them if one of them made a move?

His thoughts drifted from his mother's impression to that of his daughter, Alexis. She had been sleeping when he decided to pop in and share his pensive thoughts with her. She didn't seem to understand what was going on at first, but her mind worked through the cobwebs of sleep to comprehend what her father was telling her. She knew long before he had how her father felt about Beckett. She was elated to find that he was coming into his own light and realizing it for himself. She listened to the plans that he had made for the two of them up in the Hamptons, and even encouraged him to keep thinking of new ways to show her he cared.

"She's the kind of woman who needs you to provide ample amounts of evidence to her before she makes any decision. Have you ever known her to do anything spontaneous without thoroughly outlining all the possible consequences first? I can see the way you look at her, dad. I may be young for my age, but I'm definitely not stupid. I've never seen you this happy or motivated to do anything for a woman in my entire life. Well, scratch that. I've never seen you drop everything to be with a woman that's not related to you. Usually when Gram calls, you grumble or something, or you ignore her. When Beckett calls, you answer her almost every time. Or if you don't, you call her back as soon as you realize she had called. You stayed with her while that serial killer was after her. You've put your life on the line hundreds of times. Gram and I worry ourselves sick over you every time you both go off chasing bad guys. All I'm saying is, if you don't love her, then I think you should stop," Alexis said.

He didn't realize how long he had been musing to himself until he realized that they had pulled up to his vacation home. Glancing again at Kate's still sleeping face, he decided he was going to make the first stupid decision of the night. Getting out of the car, he quietly moved over to her side of the car and unlocked the door. Opening it as quietly as he could, he gently unhooked her seatbelt and gathered her up into his arms. She was surprisingly lightweight for a person her size, he realized. Walking as evenly as he could with her, he managed to get her all the way to his front door before he discovered he had a slight problem. His keys to the house were in his back pocket, but his hands were busy holding her up. He gently set her on her feet, and pinned her against the wall with his hips to keep her from falling. He managed to get the door unlocked and open before he noticed that he was pressed intimately up against her, and that sudden realization made all the blood in his head run south. He shifted to move, but froze as he heard the sexiest moan emanate from Beckett's lips.

Castle looked to the sky and silently cursed himself and their predicament, because suddenly his mind was filled with very un-partnerly type thoughts. Scooping her up once again before heading inside, he then kicked the door shut and proceeded to carry her up into the guest room so that she could sleep more comfortably in the bed there. He didn't think she'd enjoy it if he took her to his room like he wanted to. Placing her on the bed, he then took her shoes off and placed them in the closet. Knowing that the jeans she was wearing would probably get uncomfortable later, he took those off her too, then drew the covers down to slide her beneath them. She was probably going to kill him for the state of undress that she was going to find herself in when morning came, but he was too concerned about her to really care. He covered her up and gently kissed her forehead before leaving to lock the front door and retire to his own room to sleep.

However, sleep would not come easily…..

A/N: Okay, I guess that this fic is turning out to be slightly more AU than I originally intended. I hope that everyone is still with me and still enjoys what I write. Lately I've been feeling a little discouraged at how yucky the storyline got, so I had to take a few days to think some things through. I hope that you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it! As always, please review!