A/N: So... I'm Zanna and I'm a Stanaholic. Wait. Isn't that the intro for something else?

"I can't believe you're giving him our room. Our bed, Castle!"

"Well he can't sleep upstairs. Not with that leg. It'll be okay – I've moved all our stuff into the guest room and it's almost as big as mine."

"Still... it's weird."

"It's weird no matter what."

They shook out the clean sheet and tucked it onto the bed. Kate sat down as Rick put out the pillows and comforter.

"Why don't you go on upstairs?" he suggested to his dejected girlfriend. "I'll bring you up some water and painkillers in a minute or two."

Kate sighed. "Fine. But it had better be just a minute or I'm coming down to get you, Perlmutter or no Perlmutter."

"Okay, okay. I'll be quick."

"You better..." she said as she left the room. She passed a drowsy looking ME in the hallway; he was drooping in his wheelchair. She took the stairs slowly, her head still throbbing. This was going to be a long night. And she'd had such wonderful plans for how this birthday was going to turn out... She missed a step and had to grab the handrail to stop herself from falling. Wow. Okay, so maybe she shouldn't be so angry with Castle for his slip earlier in the day.

Wait – she was defending him? She had concussion! He had just gotten them landed with Perlmutter for six whole weeks! She groaned as she reached the top of the stairs and went into the guest room to lie down.

Rick put on his best fake smile as he went to get Perlmutter from the main room. The grumpy old man just grunted when he wheeled the chair through to the bedroom. They had crutches but Perlmutter mumbled that he was too tired. Trying not to let his face show how horrible he was finding it, Rick helped him out of the chair and into bed. He put the crutches and chair both in easy reach of his patient and pointed out the bathroom.

"Not an idiot," Perlmutter mumbled. "Go 'way n let me sleep."

Rick was only too happy to oblige. He left the room and fetched Kate's water and meds. She was waiting for him; she'd propped herself up with pillows and had prepared her best death glare to train on him as soon as he came through the door. He visibly shrank about an inch.

"I'm sorry," he said yet again.

"I know you are," she said sternly. "I'm still angry."

"How angry?" he asked, handing her the water and pills. She took them and swallowed them down quickly, wincing as her head twinged again. She watched him suffer for about another twenty seconds before she flashed him a little smile.

"Cheer up, Castle. You look like a kicked puppy."

"I'm sorry, I just... I completely messed it up. The whole day."

"The day isn't quite over yet."

"It's pretty close. And how could we... you said no sex."

"And I meant it," she said a little regretfully. "But I'm sure we could do something to make the day at least a little memorable in a positive way."

"Please tell me you have an idea," he said, sitting down on the bed beside her. She grinned.

"I'm going to need about half an hour for the painkillers to kick in. You can go order us some food and phone your daughter, I know she'll be wanting to speak to you. And then... I'll teach you how to make birthday cake."

"I already know how to make birthday cake."

"Not this kind you don't."

Kate smiled at Rick as she walked downstairs to meet him in the main room. The painkillers were working nicely and she was feeling almost well, though still a little shaken. She'd been involved in far more than her fair share of explosions/near explosions, even for a cop.

She probably knew her way around the kitchen better than Rick; he grinned at this thought. Though she hadn't officially moved in, it was getting close. She took out a bowl and found the right ingredients, turning on the oven to preheat. Rick watched her, enjoying her movements. She had changed into yoga pants and a vest top so there was plenty for him to admire.

Kate was about to measure some sugar into the bowl when there was a shout from the bedroom. Rick groaned.

"I thought he was going to sleep at least until morning," he said unhappily.

"Me too. Oh well, you'd better go and see what he wants."

"I'd better. Aren't you coming?"

Kate laughed. "This is your mess, Castle. I'm making a cake. Just go help him, be quick, and come back so I can teach you."

"Fine," Rick sighed and hurried to his bedroom. Perlmutter was sitting up on the bed looking totally alert and awake.

"What do you need?" Rick asked resignedly.

"Nothing much. I'm bored."

"I can offer you a book to read?"

"I don't read."

Hiding his horror, Rick tried some other suggestions. "TV? A puzzle? My games console-"

At this Perlmutter smiled. "I wouldn't mind trying out guitar hero," he said.

"What, with your wrist?" Rick asked, hoping to dissuade the older man.

"I'll manage," Perlmutter said with a sly smile.

Rick resisted the temptation to laugh and said he would bring the set through to the bedroom TV. He plugged everything in and winced as Perlmutter turned the volume up to maximum.

"Maybe a little quieter?" he suggested.

"The explosion weakened my hearing," Perlmutter said with a grin.

"You seemed to be hearing me fine earlier," Rick muttered. Perlmutter gave him a glare which showed he had heard that, too.

Rick went back into the main room where Kate just stared at him with her fingers in her ears. He went to get some cotton buds but the noise was still atrocious. As well as being incredibly loud, Perlmutter was terrible at guitar hero. The clashing notes and screeching tricks would have been enough to drive anyone without a headache crazy, let alone Kate, who felt as though there was going to be another explosion – her brain.

With a final exasperated huff at Rick, she dumped the bowl of half-done cake mix in the sink and went upstairs, burying her head under the pillow and comforter. Even this protection didn't quite drown out the sound. Kate was beginning to reconsider her promise to stay with Rick while he had this unwanted visitor.

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!