May 9, 2009

Detective Kate Beckett stirred sleepily as early morning sunshine crept through her bedroom curtains. Reacting instinctively to the changing light in the room, she turned resting on her side so she could see the clock on her nightstand. She hoped against hope that she had managed to sleep in for once. Darn. The clock read 7.02am, the LED screen flickering as though it was mocking her inability to lay in past seven. The young detective grimaced realising she had only managed five hours of sleep, a length of time that would be considered plenty during the working week, however it was Saturday, and she finally had the day off. The past five days had been long and busy, having consisted of not only two brutal homicides, but also the supposed kidnapping of a little girl from her home. A week that had reminded her, of the not only cruel, but selfish motives that controlled so many people; making it only harder to rest when night came.

Kate slipped out of bed, traipsing her bare feet across the hard wood floor towards the kitchen, unable to remember the last time she had eaten. On opening the fridge door, she realised once again that it was completely bare, apart from some milk, but at some point that too had started to turn green. She removed the carton, pouring the congealed contents down the sink, and placing the carton in the trash.

She reluctantly stalked over to the coffee machine, her insides aching, yet thankful that she still had one filter left, food shopping without caffeine in her system would inevitably end badly. She set the machine to brew leaving it running whilst she returned to her bedroom to have a shower and get ready for the day.

Twenty minutes later Beckett walked back towards the kitchen, towel drying her short brown hair as she walked. She reached the coffee machine, picking up the jug and pouring the hot black liquid into her favourite blue mug. Mid pour the door bell rang, startling her, causing her hand to jerk simultaneously pouring coffee from the jug onto the counter, and knocking over the already half full blue mug.

She cursed. Who rang the doorbell at 7.30am? And on a weekend no less!

Placing the coffee pot on the now wet surface, she tiptoed towards the door, not wanting to let her early morning caller know that she was there.

She peered through the peep hole, trying to make out who was stood behind the door, but all she could see was a mess of dark hair.

"Beckett!" she heard a man's voice call. "Open up! I know you are looking through the peep hole."

"Castle!" she exclaimed, opening the door and quickly pulling the tall, dark haired man into the apartment, shutting the door quietly behind him, hoping he hadn't woken any of her neighbours with his shouting. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Don't tell me you have forgotten our anniversary," he exclaimed, contorting his face into a look that she was sure was supposed to be cute.

"Castle, we don't have an anniversary. We aren't a couple; and even if we were I wouldn't want to celebrate it before 8am." Kate replied bluntly, huffing, and moving over to the sofa, sitting down before Castle could respond.

He followed her over hastily, amused at her respond. He did have to admit it was early, but he knew she would be awake, and by the looks of her hair and clothing she had been up for a while.

"The greatest things always happen before 8am, Beckett," he said, perching himself on the edge of her arm chair, feeling that he should at least give her some personal space on the sofa. "Think about how many fine murders we have been to before 8am, people seem to have a knack of finding bodies nice and early. Plus, the early bird catches the best coffee."

Beckett turned to face Castle, noticing for the first time that he was indeed holding two mugs of steaming coffee, as well as bag which she guessed, probably contained her favourite pastry, the bear claw.

"Sorry," muttered Beckett, reaching over to take the cup of coffee that Castle had extended towards her.

He shrugged, passing her a bear claw, before taking a sip of his own drink.

"Can't say I would have reacted any better if you had knocked on my own door first thing in the morning. I should have called. I just didn't think"

"Castle, you never think. I didn't even realise it was part of your vocabulary," mocked Beckett, grinning at him from over her coffee cup.

"I will have you know missy, that as a bestselling novelist I have an astounding vocabulary. Thinking just makes things a little less interesting."

"Interesting was not quite the word I was going for Castle," Beckett quipped her mouth full with the remains of her pastry. She had been more hungry than she realised. "But cases with you are anything but boring."

"Glad to be of service," Castle smiled reaching over to grab her now empty cup and pastry wrapping, standing up and morving towards the kitchen. "Are you ready to go?" he called back, turning to see that she was still sat on the sofa with a confused look on her face.

"Go where? We don't have work today." Beckett sighed, standing up.

"No rest for the wicked Beckett, especially not on our anniversary."

"Really Castle, what is with all this anniversary talk?" pleaded Beckett, following him into the kitchen, where he was depositing the trash, and much to her embarrassment, cleaning up the mess she had made with her own coffee earlier.

"Don't you remember?" he turned to her, pretending, once again, to look hurt. She shook her head, confused and irritated by the man that stood before her. He continued speaking pretending not to notice the annoyed look on her face. "Last month I took you out for coffee to celebrate one month working together, well another month has gone by, and it is now the ninth of May. So as we have no case I figured we should go back to our coffee place again."

"Just how bored were you this morning, Castle?"

"Umm" said Castle, a look of guilt covering his face.

"Umm Mr Castle, umm is not a very good answer. Stalling in the interrogation room shows guilt." said Beckett, walking closer to the man that had been following her round, for the past two months.

"Well, Alexis has an end of year trip with her school this week, and they had to be dropped off at 7am."

"Ah," said Beckett still walking closer to him. So close that she could see his pupils dilating.

"And, well, I was up, so I thought," he stuttered, hyper aware of their physical closeness.

"You thought what Castle? That you would come and wake me up?"

He grabbed his ears, covering them with his hands so that she would be unable to tug them. "I knew you would be up." He said quickly.

"And how exactly did you know that Mr Castle?" she grabbed his nose, tugging his face towards her own, a sly grin across her face.

"Ouch! You never sleep in!" he cried. "You are my muse, I know things," he adds grinning slightly.

Beckett pauses and lets go of his nose. He knows her better than she would care to admit. She shrugs, turning to walk towards the front door, grabbing a coat from the rack as she passes it. Then with the front door open, and her keys in hand she turns back to face Castle, who, much to her amusement his still stood in the kitchen, a perplexed look on his face.

"Come along Castle," she calls, as though talking to a young child. "We wouldn't want the coffee shop to run out of the best coffee and cake would we?"

He shakes himself, willing his body to be able to respond to her voice. Regaining composure he runs toward the front door and grins as he catches sight of the look in her eyes. The look of amusement and delight that he so very rarely sees. A look that sends a shiver down his spine, to places he would rather not mention. A look that makes his heart sing and his day a thousand times brighter.