Kate Beckett came downstairs. She flicked her hair up into a bun and walked to the coffee maker. Tuning the radio to her favorite station, she scooped coffee grounds into the filter. Kate sung quietly to the song on the radio.
Adding another layer to the 'Beckett onion," Kate loved Broadway music. It was her secret obsession. When she was little, her mom would take a young Katherine to see a show on the weekends. Ever since her mom's death, Kate would turn the music on and almost like magic, her mom would be there singing along.
"For real though, imagine how it must feel going real slow. Down the highway of life with no regrets, and no breakin' your neck for respect of a pay check…" Kate stopped signing when she felt hands touching her back. Her muscles tensed, her body going into attack mode.
"You know I love it when you sing," his voice was rough, still full of sleep. She turned, wrapping her arms around him. She kissed him. It was sweet, warm and delicious.
"I know you do. That's why I do it," she said, her face an inch away from his, their noses touching.
The music changed, turning into a slow ballad. Castle started to sway slowly to the beat. Kate let her head rest on his shoulder putting her own movements into perfect synch with his. She hummed softly with the music, not feeling confident enough in herself to sing the correct words.
They seemed to drift off into an almost dream world. The only sounds were the music in the background and the quiet gurgle of the coffee maker. He kissed the crown of her head, she breathed in the scent of his shirt. She wished she could stay like this forever and always, but like songs, moments like this have an end. Theirs came when Kate felt her phone buzz in her pocket.
She rolled her eyes and broke away from her dance partner.
"Beckett," she said.
"Hey, we got him," Ryan said. Kate could hear sirens on the other end.
"Great bring him in, I'll be there in a while." She flicked her phone shut and mad a mad dash for the stairs.
She came back fully clothed a while later, a sad looking Johanna right on her heel.
"But mommy, I don't want you to go to work. You need to stay with me and daddy, we can go to the park," the girl whined grabbing onto the hem of Kate's shirt.
"I know you don't want me to leave baby," Kate said picking the girl up and setting her on the counter so she could look into her eyes. They were the same blue color as Castle's. "But I have to go. We are almost done with this case and I promise I will do something fun with you and daddy on our trip this weekend," Kate kissed her daughter's cheek, turned and left the loft, not giving a glance back.
The door had only just clicked shut, Castle turned to his daughter. He helped her hop off the counter and led her back upstairs.
"Come on let's get dressed and surprise mommy at work." He said leading Johann into her room and helping as she put on clean clothes. Richard brushed her hair, and pulled it back in a long ponytail, then points her in the direction of the bathroom to brush her teeth.
In that time Rick throws on jeans and a clean t-shirt, and brushes his own teeth.
Once both of them have gotten cleaned up, Castle finds his phone and key, takes his daughter's hand and leaves the apartment, locking the door behind him.
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The elevator doors open to the homicide department of the 12th precinct; Richard and Johanna Castle get out and go in search of their favorite detective. They first stop at her desk where an empty coffee cup sits, but not the cop.
"Hey, Castle! What are you doing here man?" Javier Esposito asked as he walks by.
"Uncle Javi!" Johanna yells before rushing to her uncle for a hug.
"Hey mija!" the cop says, scooping the girl up into a hug.
"We came to surprise mommy," the girl says.
"Oh ok, well then come with me," he says leading the girl and her father out of the 'bull pen' and down the hall.
"Did she close the case yet?" Castle asks.
"Not yet she's just about too. You know Beckett; she does everything in her own way." The group now stands in the viewing room watching through the two-way mirror as Kate gets the suspect to admit to killing the victim.
"Johanna we have to be very quiet when we are in here ok?" Javi asks the girl still being held in his arms. She nods, happy to be watching and listening to her mom catch the bad guy. The young girl didn't understand why the man her mom was talking too was in trouble, but she did know that if Kate was talking to him, he must have done something bad.
After a long, tense half hour, the mad had admitted to killing his wife and child because they knew about his drug selling job. He was charged with murder and drug possession and trafficking. Uniforms slapped cuffs and him and led him to a holding cell.
Rick, Javier, and Johanna filed out of the observation room just as Kate left the now empty interrogation room. The three snuck up behind the detective. Johann slid from her uncles' arms onto her mother's back, wrapping her legs around Kate's waist.
The touch and weight on her back made Kate jump. She reached behind her back and felt for whatever was holding onto her.
"Hi mommy," Johanna's voice was right in her ear which made Kate jump again. The girl giggled and slid off her mom's back and ran in front of her instead.
"Johanna? What are you doing here?" Kate asked crouching down to her daughter's level.
"It's a surprise. We came to see you and watch you catch the bad guy," she said smiling.
"You saw that?" Kate asked. Johanna nodded and smiled.
"It's never not sexy," Castle said behind his wife. He had on that smile that, when she turned around, immediately made her smile.
She walked up to him and whispered into his ear, "You have no Idea," she smiled and bit her bottom lip before taking her daughter's hand and leading the girl back to her desk, leaving Castle in disbelief.
On their way to her desk, Kate nearly walked right into Captain Gates.
"Oh, whoa, I'm so sorry sir," Kate stuttered.
"It's alright, just watch where you're going next time," Kate nodded and the tough as nails captain walked away, not even looking at Johanna, at least that's what Kate thought. "And this is not a place for little kids, get her out of here," Gates said over shoulder.
Kate sighed and shook her head, and led her daughter to her desk. She set the girl in the chair and rolled her eyes when Castle and Esposito starting spinning the girl, who giggled and squealed with delight.
"Now you see why I don't let you guys come to work with me. I'm never going to get anything done," she said to the boys.
And she never got to the paperwork that was supposed to be done before she left; she was having too much fun with her family to do work. Besides that's what she kept Ryan and Esposito around for.