A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 15th Chapter of Absolution titled 'LA LA LA LA LA LAAAAAA!' (Keep in mind Babe Pig in the City) I do apologise for the delay in getting this chapter to you but I had some major editing to do at the advice of my beta. I cut out fifteen hundred words from the final draft then tidied up and according to her it flowed well **Fist pump**

So what did y'all think of Headhunters? I have to say for me it didn't 'do it' for me all that much. Now I have never seen an episode of Firefly before (Something I plan on rectifying during the Summer hiatus) so of course I missed out on a lot of what I've been told were several Firefly references. I though Det Slaughter was a total and utter asshole and the very definition of crass. I loved how Castle decked him after he so openly lusted after Alexis but I thought the writing for Slaughter in that particular scene was crass and generally out of character for the usual brilliant work the Castle writers serve up. I dunno maybe it was supposed to come out like that but I thought by that stage of the episode it was well established how much of a rebellious hardass Slaughter was.

I'm looking forward ot the zombie ep but I think it blows donkey balls we have to wait another two weeks for it (I still don't fully understand why, something to do with rating and 'sweeps' (whatever the hell that means) so I suppose I'll have to download some more eps of Air Crash Investigation eps or start right back at the beginning of Bones.

Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to Bella for her badass beta'ing efforts (You da shit girl!)

Kate woke up several hours later to Rick peppering the line of her clavicle with soft moist kisses. Without opening her eyes she snuggled down into the warmth of the sheets and smiled.

"Morning Writer Man," she murmured sleepily, her core deliciously aching from their earlier 'activities.'

"Morning Tulip," he replied, pulling down the sheets and capturing one of her nipples in his mouth. "How are we this morning?"

Kate slowly opened her eyes to see Rick, his hair alluringly mussed up and his face covered in stubbly growth, smiling down at her.

"Sore," she said sleepily, running her fingers through his hair mussing it up even further. "Might be walking with a limp today, damn you."

Rick laughed heartily. "Well that's what having angry make up sex does to ya," he said cheekily, nibbling her bottom lip and causing her to moan softly. "Think Rysposito will guess we've made up?"

Kate rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yes Rick, the boys will notice we've made up," she said dryly. "When it comes to us, those two notice everything. The big giveaway will be the massive hickey I'm sure you've left on my neck, I'm glad I brought a turtleneck with me. And the fact that we'll arrive at the precinct together. That only happens when we've spent the night together."

"I can make a trip to Angelo's and take my time getting out coffee and bear claw," the Writer suggested, returning his attention to her breasts.

"Oh that will be the number one giveaway!" Kate declared. "Everyone in the bullpen even Gates knows you bringing me coffee is just our version of a morning make out. When we weren't talking last week Karpowski asked me if we'd had a row because she'd noticed you weren't bringing me coffee."

"You don't think the screaming match we had was a hint?"

"No, she and her team weren't in the bullpen when that happened. They were out on the field," Kate replied, squirming as Rick worked his way down to her navel and tugged on the piercing in it with his teeth. "Oh god, you're not are you?"

Rick didn't reply, instead he trailed long languid kisses down her abdomen til he came to her core, parting her lips with a swipe from his tongue. Kate arched off the bed and groaned loudly as she felt the tip of his tongue brush over her nub. Wordlessly the Writer began attacking her core, consuming her juices greedily, nipping at every inch of skin. Teasing, titillating and driving her closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy.

"Oh gooooooooooooooooood Rrrrrrrrick!" Kate groaned, grabbing handfuls of his hair as an exquisite heaviness settled in her pelvis. "Shit!"

Rick grasped Kate's muscular legs and worked away til the petite female detective arched her back and came with a guttural squeal of completion. He consumed her release enthusiastically then crawled up the bed, kissing her languidly and allowing her to taste herself upon his lips.

"All the time it's getting harder and harder to go back to my own apartment," Kate moaned weakly as the Writer pulled her close to his muscular frame. "God, that was good."

Rick chuckled. "You know that situation can change," he murmured, kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear. "There's space for your things here."

"Let me look into a few things," Kate told him. "Moving all my things is the easy part. I'd have to find a real estate agent to sell my apartment and cancel my utility services-and my subscription to the New York Times and..."

Rick reached around and placed a finger on her lips. "All that would be easy," he said softly. "And don't sell your apartment, rent it out. It's the sensible thing to do. That's what I've done in the past. I can put you in touch with a good real estate agent. If you rent out your apartment you'll be able to build a little nest egg."

"I'll think about it," Kate said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Just after seven," Rick replied. "D'you want to get up? We could save water and shower together."

Kate giggled. "You're so environmentally friendly," she murmured, turning over and snuggling into his chest. "You just want to get funky. You know if you join the service, you're gonna have to learn to not be so obvious."

Rick chuckled. "Well do you want to help me save water?" he asked cheekily. "We can get all steamy and soapy and I can rinse you off and you can rinse me off. I'm sure if we try we can come to a mutually agreeable ending."

"Richard Edgar Castle, you are one big ass kisser," Kate declared, slapping his chest playfully. "I can't believe I put up with you sometimes."

"Aw come on, Tulip. Think about it," Rick whined, teasingly running his index fingers in lazy circles on the swell of her hip. "We'll have fuuuuuuuuun."

Kate grinned. "Alright then Writer Man," she said, sitting up suddenly. "Let's go get soapy."

Kate and Rick were the first to reach the kitchen forty five minutes later and were interrupted in the middle of a heated kiss by Alexis who bounced down the stairs her auburn hair flying.

"Morning D-Kate!" she exclaimed. "Didn't expect you to be here."

"I didn't expect to be here," Kate told the teen, returning her hug. "I got back from the Catskills last night and decided to come over late."

"Well it's good to have you over, I take it you've apologised?" she asked her father, giving him a hard stare.

"Yes pumpkin, I've apologised," the Writer informed his daughter meekly. "Trust me when I say a liberal amount of grovelling was involved."

"Good because the loft has been miserable the last week with you being in such a mood," Alexis said as she bustled about making a pot of plunger coffee. "Hopefully things will be a bit happier now."

"They will be especially if this beautiful creature sticks around for a while." Rick said, playfully pulling Kate close and kissing her on the forehead.

"Oh get off me you clown," the female detective replied, giving him a half hearted shove the ghost of a smile upon her lips. "I'll stick around for a few days but not the whole week."

"Dammit, I really shouldn't get my hopes up," Rick said with a grin as he began gathering the ingredients for pancakes. "Ah, but quality over quantity."

"So have you told Dad all about the flash mob group's latest project?" Alexis asked Kate as she scooped coffee grounds into the plunger jug.

"No not yet."

"You have a new project?" Rick asked in interest as he tipped flour into a mixing jug.

"Yeah we do," Kate answered as she reached into the overhead cupboard for their favourite coffee mugs. "Remember that call we got from Paula last week?"

"Uh huh."

"Well it turns out she rang Jason and put him in touch with the producers of The Ellen Show, GMA and the Today Show and we fly to Los Angeles in a week and a half for the first performance."

Rick lit up. "Really?" he exclaimed. "That actually went ahead?"

"Yeah, so since the Wednesday night class we've been furiously working out three new routines one for each show." Kate informed the writer. "Every night during the week we've been working, it's gruelling. I've lost count of the amount of cartwheels and back flips I've done."

"So can you girls reveal what tunes you're performing to?" Rick asked curiously. "Are you doing the same routine as Grand Central?"

"No, we're doing three separate songs," Kate replied, setting out their mugs on the bench and spooning sugar into them. "Hence why we're training at the gym every night. I haven't slept so well in ages."

"Kate's been awesome, dad. She rips it up every night," Alexis told her father. "It's all the class can do to keep up with her."

"So what songs are you dancing to?" Rick asked the brunette, who had turned a fiery shade of scarlet at Alexis' words.

"For Ellen we're doing L.M.F.A.O's Sexy and I Know It." Kate revealed. "Then for GMA we're doing the Glee mash up of Hit Me With Your Best Shot/One Way or Another. I open that one with another back flip, and for Today we're doing Crazy in Love. Martha's helping us out with costuming but we'll be doing our own makeup.

"So what dates are you appearing?"

"Well we're doing The Ellen Show on June fourth, GMA on the sixth and the Today show on the eighth, the Monday Wednesday and Friday of that week," Kate revealed. "I never ever thought I'd say this but after this is over I'm going to take a break from the gym and any form of exercise and sit on the couch eating junk food. I'm starting to turn into a gym junkie and I've never been like that. I've only ever gone to the gym often enough to keep fit to do the job."

"I think it's great," Alexis said enthusiastically as the kettle boiled. "I've signed up for one on one sessions with Jason once we come back from L.A and we've finished our TV appearances. I want to get fit."

"Well any time you've got a bit of spare time, you're welcome to come to the precinct gym and work out with me." Kate offered. "You won't have to pay to use the facilities there."

"Don't do that," Rick said at once. "She'll kill you. Every fibre of your being will burn like you're in the pits of hell. You'll cramp like you've never cramped before and -"

"Oh she will not, stop lying you big fat drama queen," Kate said dryly, giving the Writer a half hearted dead arm. "You're full of it Richard Castle and you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"Last time you took me to the gym-" Rick began.

"Don't listen to him Alexis, he's digging for sympathy." Kate said dryly. "I only worked your father hard because I knew he could take it. He's a big drama queen."

"Well maybe once we get back from L.A I'll take you up on your offer," Alexis said as she carefully poured boiling water into the plunger jug. Dad has said it several times and I've over heard Detectives Ryan and Esposito say you're an awesome fighter and I'd kinda like to pick up a few hints, self defence you know? Dad's already taught me to shoot. I'd like to be able to put someone on the ground if I had to."

"You taught her to shoot?" Kate asked in surprise.

"Uh huh, yup every year since she was thirteen she's come to Virginia with me when I've re-qualified with the FBI," Rick revealed as he added a cup of blueberries to the pancake batter. "And once in a while we'll go to a shooting range and unload a couple of carts in a paper target. It's good fun."

"Do you have a licence?" Kate asked the redhead.

"No, I've never gone that far," Alexis said. "One day I might but I don't really need to, at this stage I don't plan on joining the FBI or any police force so I don't need one. But if push came to shove and I had to defend myself I would be able to grab Dad's gun and use it."

"That's my girl," Rick said proudly 'innocent on the outside but the capability of being badass on the inside."

"I'll have to take you to the academy one day and see how you go doing the NYPD firearms assessment," Kate said. "Your Dad has tons of fun whenever we go there."

"Kate, Dad has tons of fun whenever you take him anywhere," Alexis informed the petite female detective dryly. "If you took him to a shoe shop he'd have fun."

"She's got a point there you know," the Writer piped up as he mixed the pancake batter ingredients together. "One smart cookie, my little girl."

"Great, you can come with me and Lanie when we do our shoe shopping for our TV spots during my lunchtime today," Kate replied with a grin. "We'll need a bag carrier."

"Oh, no way. I'm not going shopping with two women, it's excruciating enough with one," Rick declared. "I'd rather stick took picks under my nails."

Kate furtively ran her hand over the Writer's backside and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Than can be arranged, Cupcake." She whispered.

Every night for the following two weeks Kate, Lanie and Alexis went to SoHo fitness and trained for two hours ahead of their trip to Los Angeles and their appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show. Rick had graciously stepped in and paid for the eighty strong's group accommodation at the Beverly Hilton and made up the cost of a first class plane ticket for Kate, Alexis, Lanie, Paige and Kelsey. He and Esposito were now at J.F.K airport Friday morning waiting with their girls ahead of their flight, which was due to depart at nine AM. Half of the group had departed with Brad on the eight thirty flight and an air of excitement hung in the air as the second group waited for their own departure.

Rick had taken Kate off to a corner for coffee and was busy telling the petite female detective non verbally just how much he was going to miss her.

"Rick, someone's going to see us!" Kate scolded half heartedly as the Writer suckled upon her neck and rested a large hand on the swell of her backside.

"And your point?" he murmured in her ear.

"Rick, I love you and have the best fun kissing you but you know I'm not big on excessive public displays of affection. You know that," Kate murmured as a thrill of excitement raced up and down her spine at the Writer's ministrations. "Oh gooooood. The paparazzi could be lurking with a long range lens anywhere here, you clown!"

Rick chuckled as he sensed the female detective's resolve slipping.

"It's not like they've caught us doing anything worse than kissing before, Tulip," he murmured, his hot breath tickling her ear and sending a wave of need straight to her core. "Unless you want that to change of course hahahahaha ow! Apples apples apples!"

Kate grabbed his earlobe and twisted it. "You're a nit Richard Castle and sometimes I wonder why I'm so stupidly in love with you," she said scolding him, affectionately cupping his face in her hands and looking deep into his baby blues.

"It must me because of my irrepressible charm and vast arsenal of rapier wit," Rick replied with a grin. "You just can't resist me."

Kate rolled her eyes and snorted. "Well your vast arsenal of rapier wit is true to some degree you do have a great sense of humour," she admitted, tipping her head to the side and allowing the Writer to work on the hickey that seemed to be a permanent fixture on her porcelain skin. "Shit, that tickles Rick!"

The Writer chuckled. "Imagine what else I could tickle if we were home alone," he murmured. "You would totally lose your shit if we were alone, Tulip."

The loved up could totally lost themselves in each other; kissing touching and hugging til Esposito interrupted them with a loud 'AHEM!'.

"Jesus Espo, is there any time you or Kevin aren't being cock blocks?" Rick muttered his face turning a magnificent shade of scarlet.

The Latino detective grinned widely. "Bro, I had to interrupt. You and Kate were so busy eating each others tonsils you missed the first boarding call," he said. 'Departure time is in twenty minutes."

"Hmmph."

"Let's continue this when I get home Monday night, alright?" Kate said to Rick as the two left the corner they had been kissing in and headed toward the departure gate. "I'll ring you from LAX, okay?"

Rick hugged Kate and kissed her languidly as they got to the gate. "I'll look forward to it," he said, softly stroking her brunette tresses. "Have fun in La La Land Tulip, next time I'll come with you."

"I look forward to it."

Alexis was the next one to bid Rick goodbye.

"See you Monday night Dad," she said, engulfing her father in a hug. "Thanks for helping with the hotel and plane tickets, you're awesome."

"Yeah, more awesome than awesome!" Paige piped up.

"That's alright kiddo, you stay safe in L.A,' he said embracing her. "Stick by Kate and Lanie alright?"

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"Dad, I'm an adult. I'll be fine," she said dryly. "I promise I won't go anywhere without telling anyone first and I'll ring if I get lost AND I won't go anywhere on my own...I promise."

"She'll be fine Writer Boy. We're girls on a road trip. We'll stick together," Lanie promised the worried Writer. "No one is going to have fun alone."

"Good," Rick said as Alexis released him. "Go on, scoot Lex. The sooner you go the sooner you'll be back, I'll be watching on Monday."

"Awesome!"

"Sucks saying goodbye, doesn't it bro?" Esposito said to Rick as they watched their girls scan their boarding passes and head down the sky bridge to the waiting plane.

"Yeah, it does. But they'll be back Monday night," the Writer replied. "Meanwhile we get to occupy ourselves with blood and guts and-"

The Writer was interrupted by Esposito's cell phone ringing with the distinctive tone the Latino detective had assigned to dispatch.

"Sounds like a job," he informed Rick, retrieving the device from his pocket. "Esposito..."

Five hours later the plane carrying the second half of the flash mob group landed in Los Angeles. They made their way through the domestic arrivals lounge and met at the luggage carousel that would deliver their bags.

"LA LA LA LA LA LAAAA!" Lanie sang as they made their way into the bustling arrivals lounge. "I love L.A, I almost came to live and work here you know."

"Really?" Kate exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I applied to the L.A and New York Coroner Departments after graduating from Princeton and New York was the first one to offer me a job," Lanie revealed. "I'm not sure I would like to live in L.A in hindsight, Manhattan has much more of a buzz."

"And just think if you had chosen the L.A coroner's office you would never have met Javi." Kate teased. "And I wouldn't be hearing stories about his skill in the sack from you at every crime scene."

"Kate Beckett you liar!" Lanie exclaimed blushing hard. "I don't spill about that at every crime scene."

"Not verbally you don't," Kate teased her friend. "But the bedroom eyes you give him tell me everything."

"Well I can say the same for you and Writer Boy," Lanie shot back. "The eye sex you two have-"

"Oh pfft eye sex?" Kate exclaimed. "That's a load of bu-"

"Honey, you know I'm right," Lanie declared as they arrived at the luggage carousels. "Anyway moving onto other things, we don't have a rehearsal tonight do you want to hit the town?" There's this one bar Javi and I go to when we were down here in January, you'd love. It's a cheesy western one with western saddles instead of stools at the bar and a mechanical bull you can ride."

"There's only one bull I want to ride at the moment and he's back in New York." Kate confessed with a sigh as the carousel carrying the luggage from their flight whirred into action.

Lanie collapsed in peals of hysterical laughter.

"Kate Beckett, you naughty girl," the M.E teased. "Didn't you do that last night?"

"Oh yeah for several hours," Kate replied. "But Rick is like my personal brand of crack. I have to have regular doses or I flip out."

Lanie's face deepened in colour as she struggled to contain her laughter.

"Oh give it up Lanie or you'll hyperventilate," Kate said dryly, avoiding her friend's eye and keeping watch for her suitcase. "Drama queen."

"God, that boy has liberated you so much Kate," Lanie informed her friend. "Four years ago you would never had made a comment like that."

"I know and I kinda surprised myself," Kate confessed, recognizing Lanie's suitcase and pulling it off the conveyor belt. "Wow that was rather bawdy, wasn't it?"

"Very," her friend replied. "You go girl! So whaddya say? Dinner and drinks?"

"Yeah alright but I don't want to stay out all night." Kate replied, spotting her bag and pulling it off the carousel.

"We'll just have a steak and a couple of buds then," Lanie answered cheerfully. "C'mon let's get the bus."

After twenty four hours the rest of the group gathered in the largest conference room of the Beverly Hilton and resumed their rehearsals of their routine for the Ellen Show. Kate, Lanie, Alexis, Paige, Kelsey and the rest of the group worked hard often finishing a rehearsal session bathed in sweat and heaving for breath, but spirits were high and when Monday morning arrived excitement was at a high as the group loaded into two buses for the journey to the Warner Brother's studios. Kate took her spot next to Lanie and the two friends began chatting enthusiastically about their performance no more than three hours away.

"Reckon Gates will be watching?" Lanie asked her friend as Jason stood by the door of the bus marking people off his clipboard as they boarded.

"Dunno, she might be," Kate mused. "I don't think she'll be front and centre like Rick and Javi will be though."

"You going to ring Writer Boy once we've all made up and ready to tread the boards?"

"Of course, though going by the amount of times he's rung me since we landed in L.A he'll probably ring me," Kate replied dryly. "I'm surprised he's spent any time at the precinct and had the time to ring. He must be taking breaks every five minutes. That's gotta piss Gates off."

"Sweetie, this is Rick Castle who's got badass stealth skills and second only to my Javi's. He can get around Gates," Lanie told her friend. "And he's a good liar, he'd be able to say to her that he's ringing you to run some case information by you."

"Gates isn't stupid Lanes, she would see through that excuse," Kate said as the bus's engine roared to life. "She knows Rick and I are joined at the hip, but she is also a little less rigid than she was when she first came to the precinct. She'd let it slide as long as work is being done."

"So Writer Boy has greased her up then," Lanie suggested with a grin.

"Lanie, Victoria Gates doesn't let anyone grease her up."

"Dude, you're being obvious as balls on a bull," Ryan told Rick two and a half hours later interrupting Rick from reading the same line of the file in front of him for the millions time. "Give it up man and ring her. Your sighing can be heard downstairs in Narcotics."

The Writer rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he muttered, flicking the folder in front of him shut. "Where's Espo?"

"Break room on his cell kissing up to Lanie on the phone," the Irish detective replied dryly. "I passed the break room just now coming back from the bathroom and it was all lovey dovey I miss you so much cr-"

"You and Jenny are worse pal," Rick replied with a grin. "In the lead up to the wedding you had everyone in the department retching into trash cans."

"Bullshit!"

"Bullshit noth-"

"Yo Castle, your girl's on the line," Esposito called from the door of the break room. "Hurry up. I haven't finished with Lanie yet."

"Oh that sounded SO wrong!" Ryan declared.

"Shut up asshat."

Rick rose from his desk chair and made his way over to the break room allowing Esposito to drop his iPhone in the Writer's hand.

"Hello?" he said into the device.

"Rick?" Came Kate's voice down the line.

"Hey Tulip. How's my girl?" Rick asked softly, closing the break room door after Esposito who flashed his friend a knowing grin.

"Nervous, we go to air in half an hour and I'm standing here in a back studio dressed like a stripper wondering if I'll remember any of the steps -"

"Girl you are not dressed like a stripper!" Lanie exclaimed in the background. "We're all dressed the same and do you think Writer Boy would let Alexis go on National TV dressed like a stripper?"

"She's got a point you know," Rick told the worried female detective. "I've seen your costume, you're not dressed like a stripper, you're dressing sexy. Very sexy. Can you bring the costume home and give me a personal flash mob performance?"

"Oh Rick not now!" Kate groaned. "Seriously you are the most inappropriate person I've ever met!"

"Oh several people over my lifetime have told me that sweetheart," Rick replied with a chuckle. "Honestly how are you feeling about going live to air?"

"Nervous and excited, our final rehearsal last night went off without a hitch," Kate told him with confidence. "I landed a double back flip with twist and didn't wobble."

"Good on you!" Rick exclaimed happily. "Wish the episode went live to air here but we have to wait another four hours."

"Don't worry, you'll get the video in your inbox before the show airs in New York," Kate replied. "I was introduced to the executive producer this morning and I asked if he could email you our segment before the show goes to air in New York. He said yes, so keep an eye on your inbox. Ring me after you've watched it."

"Oh I'll definitely do that Tulip. You can bet on that," Rick replied. "Sucks not having you at the precinct."

"Don't worry Writer Man, I'll be home by midnight," Kate assured her despondent partner. "Lanie, Alexis, Paige, Kelsey and I are heading straight to LAX after we've finished at the studios and checking our luggage in early before hitting Santa Monica Pier."

"Awesome, bring me back a cheesy fridge magnet, huh?" Rick asked playfully as the break room door opened and Esposito strode back in. "Look I gotta go, Espo's back and probably wants to continue the phone sex with Lanie. I'll see you tonight, alright?"

"Alright, Rick. See you soon, I love you." Kate said softly. "Wish us luck."

"You don't need it, break a leg instead," the Writer said. "Have fun."

"See you."

"Alright girls and boys, places!" Jason called to the group as the broadcast went to a commercial break. "Move move move, let's do this."

"You go girl, you're going to kick ass," Lanie said to Kate as the group took their spots on the floor just off the main studio. "Let the country see Detective Kate Beckett Sex Kitten."

"Oh Lanie!" Kate exclaimed. "Really! You're not helping!"

"Deep breaths Kate, you'll do fine. You have in rehearsals," Jason assured the worried detective. "Just forget about the cameras, yeah? Just vamp it up."

"Alright let's do this!"

The commercial break ended and the cameras trained on Ellen who was just standing off to the side of the group.

"Welcome back from the break folks!" the effervescent talk show host bubbled. "Three weeks ago our next guests performed a flash mob in the middle of Grand Central Station and the resulting video went viral so far garnering seven million views. Formed as a dance based group fitness class three months ago this group had made news bulletins all over the world and several imitation groups have formed at gyms all over the country. So without farther ado please welcome the boys and girls from SoHo Fitness in Manhattan led by NYPD Detective Kate Beckett from the Twelfth precinct Homicide department to dance to L.M.F.A.O's Sexy and I know It!"

'Yeah, yeah
When I walk on by, girls be looking like damn he fly...'

"Holy shit bro, that was....was..." Esposito said to Rick four hours later as the Ellen Show finished airing on the East Coast.

"Yeah I know it was," the Writer replied, just as struck dumb as the Latino detective. "I-"

"Hot?" Ryan suggested with an amused snort of laughter. "Close your mouths guys, you'll catch flies."

"Shut up," Esposito muttered. "Seriously, I'm asking Lanie for a private performance-"

"DUDE!" Ryan exclaimed.

"I might ask Kate for the same," Rick concurred with his friend. "Wow that was good. I'm definitely going with her to GMA and the Today Show. If those performances are as good as that one I'm taking Kate right back home."

"LALALALALALALALALA!" Ryan sang his fingers stuck in his ears. "La la la la la!"

"Knock it off," Esposito muttered, throwing a cushion from the break room lounge suite at his friend.

"Put your tongues back in your heads guys, you look like dogs in heat," Stegner told his colleagues as he re-entered the break room an empty NYPD coffee mug in hand. "Everyone in the bullpen can hear you panting."

"Oh shut up," Rick muttered. "Were you not in here five minutes ago? Did you se-"

"Yup I did and I agree, it was hot-"

"Bro it was smokin'!" Esposito declared.

"Deep breaths Espo or you'll pass out," Stegner joked, rinsing his mug and placing it in the dish drainer before heading for the door. "Then how are you going to get Parish to give you a personal encore?"

"Shit, you heard that?"

"Dude, everyone in the parking garage would have heard you and that's in the basement!" Ryan piped up.

"Damn."

"Detectives, Mr Castle. I'm not stopping you three from working, am I?" Gates asked pointedly as Stegner left the room. "If you're discussing a case feel free to continue standing in the break room looking like you're not doing anything important."

"Damn we can't get away with anything with her," Esposito grumbled, adding his mug to the dish drainer as the captain continued her journey towards the elevator.

"I heard that Detective! I hear everything."

"C'mon, let's hit the books, if we're done by end of shift it's my shout for dinner," Rick offered as the three men left the room and re-entered the bustling bullpen. "There's a fancy ass steak house opened up in Little Italy if you're up for it. That includes Jenny."

"Whoever finishes last buys the first round of drinks though," Esposito challenged.

"You're on!"

Ryan, Esposito and Rick managed to finish the paperwork before the end of shift but a fresh case of a double shooting on the Upper West Side dropped as they prepared to leave the precinct. It was a messy crime scene and the three men were forced to work the scene and return to the deserted homicide department to start up a murder board instead of trying out the new steakhouse. It was nearing eleven PM when Rick's iPhone began ringing with an alarm he had set to alert him to Kate, Alexis and Lanie's flight, which was due to land at quarter past eleven.

"Shit, I forgot Lanie, Lex and Kate get in from L.A in fifteen minutes!" he exclaimed.

"Leave a voicemail and get them to take a taxi back here, bro. We're not going to get to J.F.K in time to pick them up, even with sirens." Esposito informed his friend as he drew a 'kill zone' graph on the murder board.

"That's an idea!"

Rick silence the alarm then rang Kate's cell phone, not surprised when it went straight to voicemail.

"Hi, you've reached Kate. I'm unable to take your call right now but if you'd like to leave your name, number and a brief message after the beep I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Hey Tulip, its Rick. Kevin, Javi and I have been caught up with a fresh one, a double shooting on the Upper West Side and are stuck at the precinct forming the case. Take a taxi to the precinct and I'll pay for the fare," Rick said after the beep. "Really sorry about not being able to pick you up. I love you, See you soon."

"Great, CSU pics have come in!" Kevin exclaimed as Rick hung up. "Yuck, they'd be sending that paver to the morgue in a bucket. There's more brains on it than what was in what was left of the skull."

"What's your gut feel on this one?" Rick asked, getting up from his desk and making his way over to the Irish detective who had started printing out the gruesome pictures of the crime scene they had only left an hour previously.

"We'll catch this one, there are tons of witnesses and half a dozen CCTV cameras around the area. There's no way we can't get at least a sketch impression." Esposito said confidently. "It's not a pop and drop but near enough to."

An hour later the elevator doors opened and Kate entered the bullpen with Lanie and Alexis close behind her.

"Ladies," Ryan said in a teasing tone. "Guys, the holy trinity of toe tappers returns."

Kate playfully clipped her colleague and friend around the ear as she passed his desk.

"Zip it," she replied, striding over to Rick desk and allowing the writer to envelop her in his arms. "Hey."

Rick squeezed Kate's slim frame, closing his eyes and inhaling her uniquely cherry scent deeply.

"Hey yourself," he said softly, kissing her softly on the lips. "Welcome home, I missed you."

"I was only gone for three and a half days," Kate told him with a giggle as across from them Lanie and Esposito engaged in a deep and much more passionate kiss than theirs had been.

"Three and a half days too long," Rick whispered. "Espo what the hell are you trying to do to Lanie, perform CPR? She's not dead pal."

Alexis and Ryan roared with laughter and shared a fist bump at Rick's comment.

"Ooh Writer Boy. I might be after that," the M.E replied dreamily, fanning her face after she and the Latino detective parted.

"Nothing's funny here," Esposito muttered, his face a magnificent shade of magenta. "Let's pack up for the night huh? Back here at ten?"

"If you're not performing CPR Javi." Kate teased, ruffling her friend's buzz cut hair.

"Oh shut up."

"Kate and I got you a little something at the Santa Monica Pier this afternoon Dad," Alexis told her father as he began shutting down his computer and tidy up his desk. "We saw it and instantly thought of you."

"Oh?" the writer inquired.

The redhead rummaged around her handbag and pulled out two strips of photographic paper printed from a photo booth. In the first strip were the Writer's two favourite girls pulling various faces, thumbing their noses and poking out their tongues. This made him chuckle and he instantly stuck the comic photos to the edge of his computer monitor.

"That one stays here," he said happily.

"Have a look at the second strip." Kate urged gently.

Rick looked down at he second strip of photographs and smiled as he saw each photo showed Alexis and Kate their heads together both wearing megawatt smiles.

"Oh wow," he said softly, gently running his fingers over the photos.

"A little something to put in your wallet," Kate told him, brushing her fingers across the back of his neck. "Sometimes actual photos are better than opening up the photo folder on your iPhone."

"Oh, I agree totally!" the Writer exclaimed enthusiastically, kissing Kate first then getting up and engulfing Alexis in a crushing hug. "Thanks kiddo, they're awesome."

"See ya in the morning Writer Boy, we're hitting the road." Esposito called from his desk where he had his arm around Lanie's waist.

"Yeah me too, I'm beat," Ryan added with a yawn. "We'll give you a heads up in the morning, alright Kate?"

"You got it." the female detective replied.

"Have you eaten?" Kate asked Rick in concern as he stowed away some files in his desk drawer and locked it.

"Yeah...Kevin, Javi and I got some pizza on the way back from the crime scene," Rick replied. "Still a bit peckish though. We were going to hit up that new steakhouse in Little Italy but this case dropped literally just as we went to leave for the night."

"Want to give me a heads up on the way home?"

"Sure, it started with this double shooting on the Upper West Side..."

A/N2: I'll know you love me if you review...lol