A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 18th Chapter of Absolution titled 'Moving Haus' I'm not going to say anything about this chapter you can discover the contents yourself buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut HOW FUCKING EPIC WAS THE ALWAYS PROMO? I screeched so loudly I'm sure my neighbours thought I was torturing someone. And PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT actors don't use tongue!
Come Monday morning Rick and Kate rose early and headed to the 12th precinct in Kate's SUV, Rick smiling the whole way.
"What's so funny?" the female detective asked in amusement as they left the precinct's parking garage and made their way across the road to Angelo's.
"Nothing's funny," the Writer replied, giving her hand a little squeeze. "I'm just really, really, really happy that you've decided to move in. I feel for once my life is finally heading in the direction it should. And because of that I'm grinning like an idiot."
"Everyone in the bullpen is instantly going to know something's up, you know," Kate said dryly as they entered Angelo's. "Their first thought is going to be you spent the whole weekend in my pants."
"That's not true," Rick replied as they took their place in the queue. "You would have to have been wearing pants for me to have been in them all weekend."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Ha ha," she said dryly. "You know what I mean, Rick. The grin on your face is just advertising. You may as well buy a billboard in the middle of Times Square that yells 'I got lucky.'"
Rick laughed heartily. "Nah, when it comes to you sweetheart. I don't like to advertise," he confessed. "Not with intent anyway. If people guess...well good on 'em."
"Well they'll guess," Kate said as the queue crept forward. "I'm going to try and hit up Gates for an hour or two off today so we can head back to my place and start packing up my belongings. If things are slow she might give me an early day."
"And I'll ring around and get some boxes for you to use," Rick added cheerfully. "This is going to be awesome fun, Tulip."
"Moving a house is a pain in the ass," Kate declared, making a face. "Various times I've done it I've had arguments, spats and lost things. Well except last time. My last apartment blew up and there was nothing to move."
"It's a pain in the ass if you do it all at once," Rick conceded. "But if you do it with help like you will this time, it'll be less painful. Once you let Lanie, Espo and Kevin know you're moving...I bet they'll volunteer to help. Same goes for your Dad and I reckon Alexis and mother will chip in too."
"I don't want to trouble anyone." Kate mumbled.
"You won't be," Rick insisted. "Everyone loves you Kate, they'll want to help. Especially Mother and Alexis, they've wanted you to move into the loft as much as I have."
"Well if they volunteer, I'm not going to say no but I still don't want anyone to be inconvenienced."
After the pair bought their morning coffee, they crossed the road and returned to the precinct.
"I think today is going to be productive," Rick announced as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the department floor. "I have a feeling in my bones."
"Bones? Is that what you call it?" Kate teased as she swallowed a mouthful of bear claw.
"Ha ha."
"Good morning!" Ryan piped as he spied his two colleagues.
"It is, isn't it?" Rick countered equally as cheerfully.
"Well look who had a good weekend," Esposito teased. "Spent it in bed, did ya?"
"Javi…." Kate said in a warning tone.
"Yeah yeah, behave yourself." Esposito answered.
"Well something's up," Ryan said intuitively as the four colleagues and friends moved into the break room. "Aside from you two spending the entire weekend in bed."
"You going to tell them or am I?" Rick asked Kate with a grin.
"Go on, you do it. You'll pee your pants if you don't." the female detective replied dryly.
"If you two are getting married Lanie wins the pool." Esposito told them.
"We're not getting married Javier," Kate said witheringly as she retrieved a container of frozen food from the staff freezer for her lunch. "And If we were, don't you think I would be wearing a ring and announcing it somewhere else other than the bullpen?"
"She's got you there dude." Ryan pointed out.
"Yeah yeah" Esposito grumbled. "So what's the big news?"
"This beautiful creature has agreed to move in with me," Rick announced loosely, wrapping his arms around Kate's waist a huge smile spread across his face.
"I win that pool," Kevin announced with a grin.
"Do you, Espo and Lanie bet on every aspect of our lives?" Kate exclaimed in exasperation. "Seriously Kevin, you ought to take us out to a fancy dinner with the proceeds."
"Not every aspect," the Irish detective replied. "There are several pools but you'd hit me if I told you about all of them."
Kate just rolled her eyes.
"Congratulations guys, it really is about time," Esposito told his friends. "If you need a hand moving, let me know alright? I don't mind helping."
"Same here." Kevin added.
"Told ya." Rick told Kate triumphantly.
"If you really don't mind-" Kate began.
"We don't," Esposito said firmly. "Friends help friends, don't they? When you need a hand, let us know and we'll pitch in."
"Thanks Javi," Kate said gratefully. "I'm going to pack up the essentials like my clothes tonight then move the bigger stuff on the weekend. I'm going to see Gates later and try and get a couple of hours off early to make a head start on things. Just got to hope it's a slow day and she's in a good mood."
"I think given all the overtime paid and unpaid you've put in lately, she'll give you the time," Ryan told his friend "take a RDO if you have to."
"Is she here?" Kate asked
"Yeah, she got here a minute before you and Castle did."
"Well I'll get the day started first then ask when we break for lunch," Kate said. "Noses to the grindstone, huh?"
"Yup."
After working for a solid four hours Kate broke for lunch right on midday.
"I'm actually in with a prayer of completing all my paperwork today if a body doesn't drop." she declared capping her pen.
"Last time you said that a body did drop," Rick answered wryly as he looked up from the file he was working on "do you want to jinx yourself?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Funny," she said. "Well I'm going to ask Gates for some times off...come with me?"
"Sure."
Rick slid some finished files into his 'out' tray then got up and followed Kate across the bullpen to Gates' office. The older woman was at her computer, furiously typing away on the keyboard when they arrived.
"Sir?" Kate inquired, after knocking on the door frame. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, come in."
Kate led the way into the elegantly furnished office with Rick close behind.
"How can I help you detective?"
"Um well I was wondering if I could have a couple of hours off my shift today," the brunette detective spoke up as Rick placed his hand on the small of her back. "You see I'm moving into Rick's loft in TriBeCa and want to get a head start on packing."
The ghost of a smile flitted across the Captain's face. "I think I can spare you," she said keeping a serious tone. "But keep your phone on...you'll still be on call."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Detective?" Gates said as Kate and Rick made to leave her office.
"Yes Sir?"
"I'm happy for you," Gates told her with a much more obvious smile. "For you too Mr Castle, some in the department would say about time."
"Thank you Sir," The pair chorused.
"She's turning into a softie, I swear." Rick told Kate as soon as they were out of the Captain's earshot.
"I wouldn't go that far," Kate replied dryly, leading him into he break room. "How about we leave here at three and go straight to my place? I haven't got that much clothing it shouldn't take that long to pack up."
"I beg to differ," Rick joked. "Your shoe collection alone would fill up the Prancing Horse."
"I'm not even going to dignify that load of rot with an answer," Kate said rolling her eyes. "I do not own that many shoes. Lanie owns more...trust me."
Right on three o'clock both Rick and Kate began shutting down their computers and filing their completed paperwork.
"Alright, Castle and I are hitting the road," Kate announced as she stood and pulled on her jacket. "Call me if we get a body or anything new comes up, alright?"
"Got it," Esposito answered smartly. "Ryan and I knock off at five. We'll be around about half past to lend you a hand, alright?"
"Thanks guys you're awesome," Kate said gratefully. "Bring Chinese for dinner and you're permanently on my Christmas card list."
Ryan laughed heartily.
"Thought we already were?" he said cheekily. "Though I don't remember the last time we actually got a Christmas card from you."
"What's the point in giving you one?" Kate asked witheringly. "I see you at every staff party and usually every day through the holiday period...shut up you goofball."
The Irish detective just snorted with laughter.
"See you guys later." Rick said to his friends as he laced his fingers through Kate's.
"Later lovebirds!" the two detectives chorused.
"You know, I never thought I'd feel this way but I'm kind of excited about this whole moving thing." Kate informed Rick half an hour later as they arrived at her apartment building.
"Well maybe it's because you've got all the help you need to do it without the usual worries and because you're finally moving in with the right person." Rick suggested as they ascended to the third floor and walked down to the end of the hallway where Kate's apartment was located.
"I haven't actually lived with anyone before," Kate revealed, sticking her key into the lock and turning it. "Not since my dorm at Stanford."
"Really?" Rick exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah really," Kate replied, pushing the door open and switching on the lights. "After Mom died and I dropped out of Stanford to enter the academy...I just wanted to be alone. I stayed with Dad for a while after moving back from California but I've never lived with a friend or boyfriend. This is a new thing for me, a good new thing."
"Well, what did I say New Year's Eve?" Rick asked as she pulled off her jacket and led him through to her bedroom. "Twenty twelve is our year. Big things are going to happen."
Kate turned on her bedroom light and immediately let out a snort of laughter. He queen sized bed usually so immaculately kept, was piled high with suitcases of every shape and size. A scrap of paper was stick to the middle of the pile and upon it was written 'I hear you're going to need these. About time girlfriend xxx Lanie P.S How come I had to hear about you moving in with Writer Boy from Javi? We're talking next time I see you honey!' in Lanie's neat print.
"You've got some explaining to do." Rick said in amusement.
"I can't believe I forgot to tell Lanie!" Kate exclaimed, smacking her forehead. "God, I'm going to catch hell from her now!"
"I think she might understand," Rick said as he headed for Kate's wardrobe. "Let's get things started, huh?"
"Yup...let's do this"
Rick and Kate worked in perfect unison and in no time her clothes and shoes were packed up and stuffed into her SUV. They then returned to the third floor intending on lying down on the bed for a short rest when Rick spied a box poking out from under the bed.
"What's this?" he inquired, reaching for the box.
"No, Rick. Don't look in there!" Kate exclaimed as the Writer worked his thumbs under the lid to open it.
"Why?" he said, a wide grin spreading across his face as a red faced Kate lunged for the box.
"Because it's private!" Kate yelped loudly, lunging for the box and slapping his arm when she missed. "Richard Alexander Rogers, don't-you-DARE!"
"Ooooh, calling me by my proper name, It must be good," Rick teased opening the box with a flick of his wrist. "What do we have here?"
The Writer peered into the box and immediately burst out laughing. Inside was a wider selection of sex toys and light bondage equipment, ranging from bullet vibrators and ball gags to a pair of apparently brand new custom made black leather studded handcuffs. He picked the handcuffs up and dangled them teasingly in front of the mortified detective.
"Now I know how you knew those cuffs on that vic a couple of years ago were custom made," he said gleefully. "These look brand new."
"They are!" Kate yelped covering her face with her hands. "God, this is not how I wanted you discovering-"
"That you like being tied up?" Rick finished with a grin, dropping the cuffs and shuffling on his knees over Kate who was still sitting on the edge of the bed her face covered "I had no idea. Why didn't you want to tell me?"
"I did!" Kate exclaimed. "But not like this. I was working up to bringing this into the bedroom with me one night and I kinda sorta never got around it...god, this is so embarrassing!"
Rick placed his hands on Kate's hips and scooted her closer to the edge of the bed.
"You shouldn't be embarrassed," he murmured in her ear. "It's kind of a turn on to find this out, you know. I've just had a million ideas of what to do to you when you've got them on."
Kate took her hands away from her face and rested her forehead against the Writer's.
"R-really?" she said somewhat uncertainly.
"Oh yeah," Rick replied with a lascivious grin. "Maybe we can use them tonight when we get home if you're not too tired. I saw a couple of other things in there I could use at the same time."
Kate giggled. "Maybe," she said coyly. "But for the moment, close the box. I don't want Lanie and the boys seeing things that demonstrate what turns me on sexually."
"But Lanie's your best friend, surely she knows you have them?" Rick enquired.
"Of course she does but I'm not going to tell her exactly what turns me on!" Kate yelped. "Though I will admit she might have a bit of a idea. One night a few years ago before I met you, we got drunk and instead of clubbing. We went to what seemed like every sex shop in Manhattan and went vibrator shopping."
Rick roared with laughter the corners of his eyes crinkling up adorably.
"You two girls are scary," he chortled, securely doing up the box and lifting it onto the bed. "But remember you don't have to be afraid of telling me what turns you on. I want to know. I'm your one and done. I'm supposed to know what makes your toes curl."
"Okay, I promise from now on I'll tell you what my kinks are," Kate promised, pecking him on the cheek and getting to her feet. "Come on, let's start packing up the kitchen stuff."
"Aaaaaaaaand now we're back to Kate Beckett organizer," Rick teased as he followed the female detective from the bedroom out to the kitchen aisle. "Do you want me to pack up the cutlery in alphabetical order?"
"Oh shush." she replied, opening the nearest cupboard door.
"I love you, you know." he murmured in her ear wrapping his muscular arms around her slim waist as she pulled out a stack of mismatched plates.
"Rick, I love you too but you're interrupting my mojo!" Kate exclaimed half-heartedly, elbowing him in the stomach. "At least til we get home can you think above your waist?"
"As long as once we're there I can think entirely below the waist." the Writer replied, raising his hands and cheekily squeezing her breasts.
"You can," Kate relented momentarily, leaning into his embrace. "But in the meantime, behave."
Rick was leaning down to kiss Kate on the neck but was interrupted by a smart knock at the door.
"Dammit." he groused.
"Ha ha," Kate replied. "That'll be Lanie and he boys, remember behave."
"Behaving now, detective!"
Kate strode across the apartment floor and pulled open the door. Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny stood on the other side, all wearing identical grins.
"We come bearing gifts!" Esposito announced, pulling into view a trolley laden with dozens of bound moving boxes and old copies of the New York Times.
"And dinner!" Jenny added, holding up two bulging plastic bags that were slightly steaming.
"You didn't have to bring dinner as well!" Kate exclaimed, stepping aside to let her friend's in. "Good to see you Jenny, thanks for stopping by."
"No problem, when Kevin said you were finally moving in with Rick I wanted to help," the effervescent blonde said as she headed for the kitchen. "How about I serve this up while Lanie and the boys help you and Rick?"
"Sounds great."
"Have you got a system?" Kevin asked as his wife bustled about the kitchen.
"Not perse,' Kate replied. "Just going room by room. Rick and I had just started on the kitchen when you knocked, I've packed up my clothes and shoes and all the little knick knacks in my bedroom already. I want to pack all the small things up in every room before I even consider the bigger stuff."
"Sounds like a system to me," Rick piped up with a grin.
"Very funny Rick ha ha." Kate said dryly.
"How about Javi and I start on the important stuff like your computer and office stuff?" Ryan suggested, pointing to the little alcove off the living room where Kate's computer and desk was set up. "If I was moving I'd want to start with that."
"Thanks guys, you're really good friends," Kate said gratefully. 'Just remember label everything. Mom Dad and I moved when I was small and Mom didn't label any of the boxes and it took us three weeks to find everything."
"Yo, we're the masters or organizing we've got it covered." Esposito declared.
"Yeah Javi, we'll believe you." Lanie said in a disbelieving tone. "I'm going to work with my girl here."
And with that the M.E dragged Kate off to her bedroom. As soon as the door was shut behind them Lanie rounded on her friend.
"And tell me why I, your best friend had to find out you were moving in with Writer Boy from Javi and not you directly, hmmmm?" the M.E demanded, putting her hands on her hips and raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
Kate grinned her entire visage lighting up. "I'm sorry Lanes, I honestly forgot," she confessed. "After I told Rick I would move in with him we got carried away in the bedroom department again then this morning I got straight to work and lost myself in CSU reports."
"Well I forgive you this time but I better be the first person you tell when he proposes," Lanie told her fiend with a grin. "Get me?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Lanie, we've only just become ready to live with each other" she scoffed, bending over to open up the trunk at the foot of her bed. "Marriage for either of us is a long, long way off. We've both got a long way to go before we've ready to walk down the aisle."
"Uh huh, well whenever that day comes, tell me first," Lanie said with a grin, opening a box so Kate could place some linen in it. "Promise?"
"Promise."
Kate, Rick, Lanie, Esposito along with Ryan and Jenny worked solidly for the next four hours, stopping only briefly to eat. Then once all the boxes Esposito brought were used up, they packed up their cars and made their way back to the loft in TriBeCa.
"Thanks guys, I really, really appreciate your help," Kate told her friends giving each of them a hug. "You really didn't have to."
"Hey friends help friends, remember?" Esposito said. "We're not just a team at the precinct, we're a team outside the precinct too."
"Thanks Javi."
"So same time tomorrow?" Kevin suggested. "We can take apart your bed and move your office desk and get everything ready for the removalists."
"Oh Kevin, I-" Kate began.
"Yes, Kevin. She'll be grateful for the help," Rick interjected, pointedly looking at Kate.
"Yeah thanks Kevin." Kate said sheepishly correcting herself.
"I'll talk to my bros in Robbery at the fifty fourth and see if I can borrow a van," Esposito chipped in. "One of those will fit all the bigger boxes and shift you out quicker."
"Now Javi, you don't have to do that." Kate said firmly. 'You've already done so much. How can I repay you?"
"Not that you have to, but Castle never managed to get to that new steak house in Little Italy. If you really feel you have to repay us...take us there one night," the Latino detective replied with a grin. "But you're my sister from another vista, you don't have to do anything."
"Well al-right then."
"See you tomorrow girl, enjoy all the unpacking," Lanie told her friend, embracing her once more. "That's one things we're not going to help you with."
"Oh very funny," Kate said dryly rolling her eyes skyward as she returned her friend's hug. "See you tomorrow."
"Til then girl!"
Once all their friends had left Kate and Rick returned to the downstairs spare room that Rick had assigned for Kate's 'Girl Cave' and they started sorting the boxes into more organized stacks.
"I'm really lucky to have friends like that, you know." Kate declared as she placed the boxes containing her bed linen where the foot of her bed would be.
"I'm not the only one who loves you, Tulip," Rick said solemnly. "Granted Jenny, Kevin and Esplanie don't love you like I do, but they've still got your back."
"Yeah I know and I'm grateful," Kate replied with a smile unpacking a decorative vase and putting it on the window sill. "Like you said this morning, I finally feel my life is heading in the direction it should be and it's an awesome feeling."
A soft knock came at the door and Alexis appeared clad in a dressing gown and worn chicken feet slippers.
"Hey Pumpkin, you heading to bed?" Rick asked.
"Yeah, I just thought I'd come and say goodnight," the redhead replied stepping into the cluttered room. "I've got to be up early to start my shift at the morgue at seven."
"Lanie's working you hard, huh?" Kate asked.
"Yeah but it's nothing I can't handle," Alexis replied. "I'm learning tons of stuff and slowly starting to get over the blood, guts and gore of the job. She reckons I should apply to the coroner's office nearest to whatever college I go to. She said she would be a reference for me if I decided to do that but I'm not entirely sure what to do. There's tons of time to decide yet."
Rick embraced his daughter and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"Night kiddo, sleep tight." He said.
"Night Dad, "Alexis answered, returning his hug enthusiastically. "Night Kate."
"Night Lex."
"Hey, I haven't said it yet but welcome to the Castle household," Alexis said solemnly turning as she reached the door. "Dad and I have wanted you here for ages. We think you'll be the perfect fit."
A huge lump formed in the back of Kate's throat and she swallowed hard as she embraced the younger Castle tightly.
"Thanks a lot Alexis, that really means a lot to me," she said thickly. "How about one night we kick your Dad out of the loft and have that Disney marathon we talked about at Christmas?"
Alexis lit up. "Sounds great," she said as Rick exclaimed with 'hey!' "I'll dig out Mulan, Lion King and Aladdin out and set them aside."
"Well when I've moved in properly and had a decent night's sleep, we'll do it," Kate promised. "We'll make it a real girly night, huh? Nail painting, braiding hair and talking about boys the lot."
"Sounds awesome."
Alexis departed for bed a moment later and Rick wrapped his arms around Kate's waist.
"What?" she asked as the Writer just looked deep into her green/brown eyes without saying anything.
"You're extraordinary, you know that?" he said softly, brushing her fringe out of her eyes. "Alexis is right, you're going to fit in just perfectly."
Kate smiled. "Kiss me?" she asked.
"Gladly," Rick lowered his head and captured Kate's lips with his own. The female detective got up on her toes and returned the kiss enthusiastically, running her fingers through his hair and raking his scalp with her nails.
The kiss went on for an indeterminable length of time. Kate gave a little jump and Rick caught her allowing her long slender legs to wrap around his waist. Kate let out a little moan of desire as the writer pressed her up against the wall and kissed her ferociously; sneaking his hands up her shirt and undoing her bra strap with an expert flick of his wrist.
"B-bedroom–" Rick murmured once they paused for some much needed oxygen. "Our b-bed-room."
Kate's eyes sparkled. "Carry me," she whispered in her most seductive 'bedroom' voice.
"As you wish m'lady.'
A/N2: Author and Story alerts are nice but Reviews feed the monster! (Plus I want to hear what you thought of the ABC Always promo LOL)