When the small group arrived at the loft, Rick unlocked the front door and pushed it open for the ladies to precede him. He paused long enough to make sure the door was locked behind him, and then followed the women into the great room.

Alexis huffed an exhausted sounding sigh and announced, "I'm beat! I think I'll go take a shower."

"That sounds wonderful," Kate agreed. "I think I'll do that, too. Then maybe be could all watch a movie before bed?"

"Sure, that would be fun," Alexis said before moving toward the stairs.

Castle wrapped an arm around Kate's waist as they moved to follow Alexis upstairs. "I could help you with your shower, if you like?" he asked, his voice low.

"Ew, Dad!" Alexis complained. "As much as I love you both, you could at least wait until I'm out of earshot before propositioning your girlfriend!"

Rick chuckled, but Kate elbowed him in the gut- not too hard, but hard enough to turn his laugh into an, 'oof.'

"I will be showering alone," Kate informed both Castles.

Alexis made a face, but Rick rubbed his belly where her elbow had landed and grumbled, "I was just joking."

"Sure you were, Ricky/Dad," both women said at the same time, though each used the appropriate noun for Castle.

The women laughed and the three went their separate ways in the upstairs hallway.

As Kate stood under the hot streaming water, she had to push away the regret. She had a feeling it would have been a lot of fun to let Castle join her in the shower. But then the man had to go and ruin the possibility by announcing something like that in front of Alexis. Kate was okay with the girl knowing she was dating Rick. And she knew Alexis was smart enough to realize that her dad had sex with his girlfriends. But the child certainly didn't need to know any of the details of her dad's sex life- not where or when or anything else; especially if his sex life involved Kate. So Kate had to say no to the shower company for her own peace of mind.

Instead of thinking of regrets during her entire shower, Kate thought back over her day at the museum. The first half of the day had been tense and even a little awkward. But the rest of their time had been drastically different. Kate had relaxed and let some of her walls down. Rick had held Kate's hand and she'd not only allowed it, she'd enjoyed it. The man found myriad opportunities to touch her, and she'd welcomed each one.

Though she felt relaxed and comfortable around Rick then, every so often he'd touch her in a certain way that would heat her skin and make her anxious to get him home. He'd put his hand on the small of her back, or brush her hair over her shoulder, or even smile at her warmly, and Kate would melt.

Kate also found herself moving to touch Rick as well; a hand on his shoulder, or his arm; leaning against his side as they both studied a display in the museum. Once she'd leaned against him and Rick had put his fingertips under her chin, turning her face up to his so he could kiss her. She would have let him continue kissing her, but he'd pulled away, breathing quickly. Then he'd pulled her body closer to his and leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

Rick sighed happily. "I love… this exhibit," he said quickly, covering what he'd actually been about to say.

Kate looked up at him and smirked knowingly. "Really?" she asked, skeptical. "I had no idea you were so interested in Egyptology."

Rick laughed, knowing he was caught and happy that she wasn't running for the hills. Yet. "There are many things you don't know about me, Detective," He teased.

"Oh?" she turned and slid her palms up his chest, locking her hands behind his neck. "I'll make you tell me."

"Yeah? How?"

"I know a few tortures myself," she informed him.

Rick had groaned quietly then, vaguely aware of their public setting, and he had moved to really kiss Kate for the second time that day.

"Wow, maybe we should just go home now," Alexis's voice cut through the desire haze.

"That is a fabulous idea," Rick had agreed, barely pulling away from Kate.

And as Kate now stood under the hot water, she didn't bother to remember the quiet cab ride home, but relived the kiss over and over for several long minutes. Smelling like her favorite cherry scented soap and feeling refreshed, Kate finally shut off the water and dried off.

She idly wondered what she should wear to watch a movie when her eyes found her thick white terry cloth bathrobe. She grabbed it and donned it, grinning, as she headed to her room in search of something she'd once told Castle she'd never wear while staying in his house.

Kate had taken longer in the shower than she'd planned, so when she finally made it down stairs, Rick was just wrapping a hair band around the end of a French braid he'd made in Alexis's hair.

"Perfect timing," Rick noted. "Come over here," he added, guiding Kate to sit on the floor in front of him when she complied.

Alexis started Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and Rick began combing Kate's still wet hair. Even though Kate had already brushed it, it felt nice letting someone else play with her hair. Kate closed her eyes and missed half of the movie as she focused on the pleasure of Rick's fingers pulling gently through her hair.

Eventually, Kate moved her head out of Castle's reach, and she moved to sit beside him on the couch, Alexis on his other side. Kate made herself comfortable, curling her legs up onto the couch beside her and leaning into Rick's side, mirroring Alexis's position.

Every so often, Alexis would giggle over something silly that happened in the movie, and make the adults laugh in response. Alexis even sang along with a few of the songs, and sometimes Rick joined in. He really seemed to enjoy the Captain Hammer scenes the most. When the movie ended, Kate turned to look at them and wondered aloud, "How many times have you two seen this movie?"

"Only five of six times," Alexis said.

"This week," Rick added, making Kate laugh.

"It is pretty funny." Kate thought about it for a second then added, "I'm almost glad Captain Hammer was defeated by Dr. Horrible. The guy was a joke!"

"What!" Rick cried. "Captain Hammer was genius!"

Both women simply laughed at him, before Alexis yawned and stood.

"I think I'll go to bed now. I have school tomorrow."

"Good idea," Kate agreed. "I need to be at the precinct early, too."

"That's what I love about not actually being a cop," Rick gloated. "We don't have a case, so I don't have to be in early."

Kate grabbed a throw pillow and smacked Rick in the chest, making Alexis laugh at him. Grinning anyway, Rick lifted his hands to his daughter and let her pull him to his feet. Kate stood also, assuming they'd all be going to bed now. Alexis hugged her father for a long moment, told him she loved him and then pulled away. Before she was released, though, Rick kissed her red hair, told her he loved her too, and squeezed her tight once more.

And then Alexis looked up at Kate and hesitated. Kate wanted to remove all of the teen's doubts. She smiled warmly and opened her arms to the girl. "Good night, Lexi."

Alexis stepped to Kate with no more uncertainty and hugged the older woman tight. "Good night, Kate," Alexis said. She tried very hard to sound casual when she added, "I love you."

Kate tensed in surprise for a second, but quickly wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders and pressed her cheek to Alexis's red hair. "I love you too, sweetheart."

When they let go, Alexis was beaming and Kate couldn't- and didn't want to- stop herself from smiling in response.

"Sweet dreams," Kate added and Alexis turned to go to bed. When Kate looked at Rick, he was smiling sentimentally at her. Kate almost snapped, 'what?' but she already knew 'what.' So instead she rolled her eyes at him. "Night, Castle," she finally said, moving around him.

Rick's arm snaked around her waist and stopped her, pulling her body against his. "Where do you think you are going?" he demanded.

"I'm going to bed," she informed him in a 'duh' tone of voice.

"No, you're not," Castle told her, and then he sat on the couch again, pulling her down with him. "You made me a promise this morning, and it's now time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

"But you didn't hold up your end," Kate argued, trying to pull away.

"What! Yes I did!" he exclaimed, adjusting his hold on her.

"No, you didn't, Castle. You were supposed to keep your grubby hands to yourself, and you didn't."

"But you let me! And I was just trying to make a point, so it doesn't count. And my hands aren't grubby." He settled her body against his own again, and added, "You promised you'd let me kiss you."

Kate sighed wearily, overacting just a bit, and said, "If I must." She turned her face toward Rick's, closed her eyes and tilted her face up in expectation- and apparent boredom. Rick narrowed his eyes at her and didn't know whether to kiss her and be done with it, walk away in annoyance, or drape her over his knees and spank her… though this was Detective Beckett he was musing about, and he seriously doubted his ability to force her over his knee… unless she wanted to be there.

He shook those thoughts away and in the end, he did none of those things. Instead, his eyes went to the gap in the hem of her robe, where all night a glimpse of her thigh had been visible, teasing him. After several long seconds of studying it with his eyes, Rick finally put his hand out to study her thigh with his fingertips. Rick noticed the tremors that shook her body and felt the goose bumps that broke out over her skin. Rick then picked up her legs and draped the long limbs over his lap. Kate leaned back against the arm of the couch and simply enjoyed the feel of Rick's hands moving over her legs.

Rick leaned down to stretch out with her on the couch, and as his range moved, his hand moved higher up her leg, under her robe. He was just about to lean in to kiss her, when he was distracted by what he was feeling- or, more accurately, by what he wasn't feeling.

He suddenly pulled away and demanded, "What are you wearing under this?"

Kate opened her eyes, clearly annoyed, and snapped, "Nothing!" then she blushed and added, "I mean, nothing I'm going to be showing you."

"Seriously, though," Rick said, his tone indicating his intent. "You are wearing something underneath, right?"

Kate reached out and stopped his hand before it could curve over her rear. "Of course I am."

"I wanna see," Rick said, pulling his hand from her grasp and reaching for the belt of her robe.

"I don't think we should do this here," Kate said, stopping him with her hands again.

"Then come to bed with me," Rick said, his voice low.

"I don't…" Kate hesitated, trying to think with his body pressed along hers. "I want to take things slow."

Rick laughed sarcastically. "If you and I go any slower, glaciers will start laughing at us." He sat up then, pulling Kate with him and tried to hide his sigh.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" Kate asked, not hiding her own disappointment.

"No," he said, trying to laugh though he wanted to cry- figuratively, of course. "You want to go slow, and I want to respect your wishes. But if I kiss you know, I can guarantee I won't stop for hours. Katie," he became serious, holding both her hands in his. "You're making things a lot more complicated than they need to be. I've wanted you since I first time I saw you, and I know you want me, too. If it's love you've been waiting for, then rest assured, I love you. I've been in love with you for a long time now. And if you love me- at all- things shouldn't be this complicated."

Kate stared at him, wide-eyed, as she tried to think of a response. Her mouth even opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.

Rick couldn't help laughing at her; he'd never seen her so flabbergasted before. He stood and pulled her to her feet also. "Come on," Rick said, still pulling her by one hand toward the stairs. "Just so you know," Rick said to her over his shoulder. "Aside from Alexis and my mother, it's been years since I've told any woman that I love her."

Rick glanced back at her face to see her response when she didn't speak and he saw that she was smiling. She finally said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Rick simply grinned back at her.

He stopped outside her bedroom door and turned to her. He asked pointedly, "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind about…"

Instead of joking, Kate's reply was serious. "You've given me a lot to think about. I need… some time… to think."

"Don't think too hard," Rick teased. "Good night, Katie." He leaned in and kissed the corner of her jaw, still not trusting himself to kiss her mouth. When he pulled away, he moved his hand to cup her face where he'd kissed her. "Whatever you think about… just remember that I love you." His fingers moved to tilt her chin up and made sure he held her eyes with his. "You know me, Kate. I wouldn't lie about something like that just to… get something from you."

Kate nodded in response, whispered, "I know," and then watched as Rick turned and walked the few steps to his own room.

Author's note: Hey, I think this is my longest chapter ever! (Chapter 8 doesn't count 'cause it was originally two chapters that got mooshed together during rewrite). Which hopefully makes up for the fact that I didn't post sooner. Darn school for getting in the way of my fanfiction writing! Can you believe it? A quiz and a midterm in the same class in the same week! Yuck! Chapter 13 is already written though, so it will be up soon… I just have to type it up. And that might be the last chapter… ?

Oh, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is hilarious! It was an internet movie that Nathan Fillion was in, and he is amazing as Captain Hammer! And by amazing, I mean amazingly-bad. So, bad in a good way. He's so cheesey! I think I know most of the songs by heart… :-D