Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't

Sorry if this update was late...is late. I am now discovering exactly how hard it is to write mysteries...convincingly. Lots of crazy ideas but they end up screaming at me. Reality works best - if I can manage it.

Are you following?

…..

"I love you," she told him quietly but meaning each of the three syllables, garnering a sharp inhale from him.

His eyes cleared of doubt and made way for a different darkness.

"Finally something we can agree on."

…

7.

"Castle," the pant escaped from the back of her throat but he caught it and breathed it back into her.

It was impossible to predict as he never seemed content to stay and commit one part of her to memory. Like a child, he had to have it all. And he never failed to erase any logical thinking from her, making any predictions impossible. It would take years, decades, to learn the extent of the power this man had over her. The rest of her life.

However long that might be.

She felt him begin to pull away and in panic she dragged him back forcefully into her. His breath hissed against her and she felt a catch when her fingernails where she broke his skin.

"Kate," he groaned, the light stubble starting on his face teasing her hot skin and his fingers gripping against her hipbones, his hands long since finding a home against her skin. When they slipped and trailed, her breath caught and she arched further into him and then she wasn't the only one fighting to breathe.

The steady thrumming shaking her body with each heart beat was ever refining into a concentrated ache. Every time. So quickly. The wonder of it never ceased and never failed to fan the flames of need higher.

He was hers, damn it; and she would be worse than damned if she ever let anything happen to him.

Not caring if he was prepared or not, she cocked a knee over his hip, dragging them closer as she had in Louise Prenton's apartment earlier in front of her colleagues. Recalling the interruption she clamped both arms around his neck and pulled herself up until both legs fully encircled him.

"Today might be a nice day to stay home after all," she puffed.

"Yeah?" he dropped his mouth to trace her collarbones before it dipped drastically to the valley of her chest, taking shameless advantage of her new elevation.

"Yeah," she breathed, struggling to find purpose and anchor. "Especially when you decided to have…all visitors announced," she pulled his head up to meet hers again, needing to taste him. "No interruptions."

"No," he groaned, denying her. "Don' jinx it."

"Jinx it?" she laughed breathlessly, reveling that he could make her laugh when they were doing this. "How old are you, Castle?"

"Old enough," he rolled into her and she instinctively clamped every muscle around him.

When the throb of almost painful heat dissipated enough to permit her breath she used it to ensure he wouldn't tease her anymore. "Then prove it."

The buzzing in her back pocket pushed her closer into him in surprise. "You can't be serious," she huffed.

"I hate being right," he groaned against her shoulder where it had dropped from exploring her neck. She used his neck for support, trusting him not to let her fall as she let one of her arms snake back and remove the device.

"Espo," she sighed when she regained balance and saw the display. She hit the receive button and slid slowly down Rick's body. "Hey Espo," she sighed glancing at Castle to see his face had frozen again. She put it on speakerphone.

"Beckett, we got a break," Esposito wasted no time.

"Tell me," she led Castle to the couch, mourning the lightness of a few minutes ago.

"We just got news Thomas Donovan has been admitted to New York Presbyterian."

"What?" the exclamation came from her and Castle.

"Neighbors complained about the noise and the doorman went up. When he didn't get a reply, he went in and found Donovan."

"What's his status?"

"He'll be fine, unfortunately; just some bruises and a bump on the head. The nurses said they'd be keeping him for a few hours to make sure everything is fine before releasing him."

"The doorman didn't see anyone?"

"He didn't receive any visitors for the Prenton apartment. The place does have a fire escape though that I'll look into."

"Okay, thanks for the update. Maybe you can try and get Donovan's story out of him."

"That's the thing, Beckett," he said quickly before she could hang up.

"What?"

"He's insistent he'll only talk to you."

"Great," she sighed, feeling Castle tense even further. "Does Gates know about this?"

"Yeah, and she isn't happy."

They could make T-shirts for that club. "Wonderful," she groaned, a hand catching at her hair. "Has there been any more progress?"

"Ryan finished sweeping the computer," Esposito was quiet.

"And?"

"According to the time stamps, who ever took those photos has been following you for over a month," Esposito reported, the sentence spoken too slowly. "I'm trying to work out some of the more public shots from the last couple of days and identify where they were taken."

"Just how many photos are we talking about here, Espo?"

She was met with silence.

"Javi?" she demanded.

"A few hundred," his voice was tight and she had to wonder exactly what he and Ryan had seen in those photos.

"Hundred?" she repeated.

"Most are of the two of you, but there are a lot of singles too. I'm sorry, Beckett." She flinched when Castle stood abruptly from the couch.

She thought of someone following Castle while he was alone and felt her stomach physically revolt.

"Beckett," Esposito continued. "They were of you."

…

Kate expected more of a reaction. A typically mild-mannered man, she knew Richard Castle tended to slip when he believed someone he cared about was in danger, imaginary or otherwise. But as soon as Esposito had shared the information he had just gone very quiet and collected his jacket. Pulling into a parking space at NY Presbyterian after a quiet drive she would have to describe him as determined.

The short but accurate directions from reception led them to a wing of portioned cubicles, most unoccupied. Treatment complete, Thomas Donovan's curtains were pulled back, leaving him sitting on the hospital bed in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. The side of his face was starting to turn an ugly shade of purple, stemming from an impressive contusion across the cheekbone.

"Mr. Donovan."

"Detective Beckett," his face alight with the same joy he displayed when the apartment door swung open. Castle couldn't help but step closer into her side and position his shoulder just a little ahead of hers, reversing their usual arrangement. "And Mr. Castle," Donovan made no attempt to mask his lack of enthusiasm at the second of his visitors.

"We heard you had a wee accident, Tom," Castle replied impassively. "So we thought we'd come and wish you a speedy recovery."

Beckett started before Donovan could reply. "What happened, Mr. Donovan?"

"Just a minor quarrel," he shrugged.

"And who was this quarrel with? Louise?"

He just shrugged again, but far from looking unconcerned, he seemed to be taking puckish pleasure in stringing it out.

"Why were the two of you fighting?" Castle asked.

"She wasn't very happy that I threw my phone at you," a hint of a sneer dampening his flare of ego.

"And why would that be?" Kate asked. She doubted it was because of the dent he put in Louise's wall.

"Exactly what I said," Donovan smiled at her. Was it wrong of her to hope that smiling was painful for him right now? "When I told her I wished I had better aim, she hit me with the fry pan."

"Where is Ms. Prenton now?"

"Promise you'll arrest her?" Kate frowned at his question, not replying but staring him down. There was something strange about the man, like he had changed since just that morning. "I don't know," Donovan sighed eventually. "I was out before I hit the floor."

"Why is she following Detective Beckett?" Castle didn't raise his voice at all but the fierce edge to it was unmistakable. Despite this, Donovan didn't look inclined to answer him, apparently enjoying the reversal of the power relationship, and Kate understood the difference. It was the way he treated Castle. This morning, he had largely ignored Castle during the questioning, but now his posture was openly hostile.

Kate liked him better when Ryan and Esposito were there to babysit.

"Donovan," she warned him.

At being directly addressed by her, he smiled again. "She was curious."

"Curious," she repeated.

"Her best friend's mother was murdered and you worked the case," he watched her face carefully. "After the case closed apparently you were the only thing she could talk about. Louise had enough and left her to deal with her issues. Of course she had to wonder about the stranger who suddenly made her not enough anymore."

"What is the friend's name?" Beckett asked, intent, but he just shrugged dismissively, his face tight.

"Then why would she take those photos?" Castle sounded confused.

"Guess you made quite the impression," even half purpling, his face couldn't hide the obvious beginnings of a leer.

Despite being hit on by the same ass for the second time today, she felt confident again. She remembered that case. It didn't matter that Donovan couldn't retain the name before tossing Louise into his bed for a sympathetic, comforting shag; Kate could never forget the families. Especially not the daughter who had opened up to her so much after her mother was murdered.

Now she had Louise's best friend and some possible answers. Phone already in hand, she nodded to Castle and stepped out to get a possible location on their suspect.

…

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