We are back ladies and gentlemen with chapter 12 of Armed and Dangerous brought to you by SheWhoTangles and the makers of stress. It's Christmas times which means a lot is going on in a lot of people's lives - and even if you don't celebrate Christmas (religous or commercial) it's the end of the year which means a lot of changes and such so to everyone out there: hang in there. But do you know what would make an awesome christmas gift? Reviews. I've said this way too often but reviews are like little treats for writers and you have no idea how much it means to open your email and see a review from a reader saying something other than 'thanks'.

So please darlings, review and have a great December!

Enjoy 3

The sound of Kate's key in her apartment door lock barely registered, as did little of her drive home. She was tired out of her mind and functioning strictly on autopilot. The only coherent words in her mind were bathtub, bubbles, and book. She deposited her keys on the counter and her jacket over the back of the dining table chair. She headed into the washroom to begin filling up the tub. Kate betrayed herself by smiling as she swirled a generous amount of bubble bath syrup into the splashing water thinking of a scene from one of Castle's earlier books that randomly popped into her head. What Castle would give to be watching her slip into a bathtub full of bubbles! She had a sneaking suspicion he would have preferred her tiny daydream over the reality of his first bathtub experience with her after running in to save her after her apartment exploded. Usually that event would prompt a desire to take out his jacket from that day—her little souvenir tucked safely in the back of her closet, a reminder that usually comforted her on a rough night like this, but not tonight.

Kate's mood swiftly changed back to the stalemate in the current case. Extracting herself from her perch on the edge of the tub, she absently recapped the bottle and replaced it on the shelf. Her book lay waiting on the tiny tub-side table, and she patted it like a puppy happy to see it ready and waiting for her. Kate let the water do its bubble churning as she headed for a glass of wine, shedding clothes along the way. This case made revisiting past moments with Castle disturbing. Kate didn't care for the robbing of her small moments of contentment any more than someone delving into their personal history together and entwining it into this murder case.

Determined to offer her mind some escape, Kate answered the beckoning of her bubble-filled tub. Slipping beneath the warm caress of fizzing bubbles and hot water, Kate released her Beckett and let her muscles absorb the regenerating embrace of the water. Castle's rakish smiled flashed in her head; his face grinning over a burger and a discussion of The Forbidden Planet. Her eyes popped open with a sudden what-am-I-doing realization. Trying to shake the image off, Kate decided to let his words occupy her mind instead of his face and reached for her copy of Naked Heat. The water-stained, tattered cover welcomed her hand. The well-thumbed pages had a beautiful ruffled texture that felt as welcoming to Kate as the warm embrace of bathwater had felt. Kate's mind rejoiced for some peace at last. She turned to her marked page prepared to escape further to a place where she at last knew all the answers, but her moment shattered as she looked down. Someone had highlighted words in her book! There were barely any footprints on the floor between her deserted tub to the puddle forming around her feet as she dialed Castle.

"Kate? I thought you were going home?" Castle said to her, picking up on the second ring.

"I did. We don't need to go to Burgeropolis tomorrow for our next clue. I already have it."

"How?"

"I'll show it to you when you get here," she said with a tremor in her voice.

"Beckett, are you okay?" He asked catching the sound in her voice. "Where are you?"

"I'm at my place. I'm fine. I just need to grab a towel, I was in the tub."

"Do you mean to tell me you're talking to me in the…" Castle's voice trailed off trying to create a visual image of Becket on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, Castle." The taunt was too good to pass up. "Let's see how long it takes for you to get here." As frightened as she was, Kate could easily picture him biting his closed fist as she hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She half expected him to materialize at the door in seconds. Shivering, she headed for clothes and a towel to clean up the mess on the floor before he arrived.

Forty minutes later, Kate opened the door dressed in yoga pants and a tank top. Castle was standing there with a mixed expression of concern and disappointment while offering her a towel. Beckett rolled her eyes and turned away from the door. She walked toward the couch, successfully hiding her secret smile and giggle as she walked away from his dazed form still in the doorway. Castle closed the door behind him, very much alert, and followed her to the couch still clutching the towel he brought with him.

Castle offered her the towel again as they sat down on the couch together. Beckett took the towel from him with one of her infamous eyerolls and laid it down on the couch on the other side of her. Then she reached down to the book on the cocktail table in front of her and slid her copy of Naked Heat in front of him. She watched as his faced registered the condition of the book, looking as though it had been read a billion times; but she was grateful he resisted commenting on its well-read condition. Instead of a quip or wise guy comment, his expression turned extremely serious, and the worry on his face couldn't have been hidden even if he tried.

"There are words highlighted where I left off in the book. I didn't do it."

"Kate! Did you call anyone from the precinct?"

"No. The door was locked when I got home. After I hung up with you I checked around carefully and none of the windows were damaged or unlocked, nothing was moved or disturbed that I could see. I didn't even notice the book had been touched until I opened it to read." In the back of his mind somewhere, Castle noted she was reading his book in the tub; but his concern for her safety was more important. If anything happened to Kate…

"Why didn't you call someone? Why did you stay here? Kate, they could have been in here waiting for you!" Alarm escalated his voice, and he immediately reached out his hand to clutch her arm protectively.

"There was no point in contacting CSU, Castle. These are the same people who invaded Melissa Talbot's home. They know we can't find them, which is why they didn't bother to wear gloves or masks at her place. They aren't in the system anywhere. They're ordinary enough to blend in to the population without anyone noticing them. If they had any intention of hurting me, they would have been here when I got home." Beckett paused, her voice easing out of detective mode into something different. "…and I did call someone, Castle. I called you."

Beckett's last sentence caught him off guard. He smiled, dropping his hand from her arm. Their eyes locked with unasked questions on the case, but the air was thick with unspoken feelings and words between them of an entirely different kind. Kate dropped a card with her statement, exposing more to him than she had planned on. It was a slip of the tongue, but she had something to pull his mind back to the moment at hand. Even if it was disturbing news, it was a clue, and they badly needed to figure out what was happening.

"We are at the heart of this case somehow, Castle. We have to figure out what is going on." Castle looked at her. She was scared and so was he. Neither of them needed some crazy stalkers following them around, prying into their professional or personal relationship. They had enough trouble figuring that out on their own.

"Alright, where do we start?" Beckett smiled and handed him the book already opened to her marker and the page where the highlighted words began. Castle skimmed through the book while Beckett returned to the kitchen to pour another glass of wine. "I'll take one of those." Castle said, watching her pour with her back turned to him. Turning around, Beckett smiled at him, a second glass already poured in her hand. As Castle examined the altered pages, Kate set both glasses on the table, sitting down dangerously close to him, and looking over his shoulder. As Castle examined the words in hopes of finding some hidden meaning, he was painfully aware at how wonderful Kate smelled as she leaned over him… like cherries.

Beckett suddenly spoke, startling him. "Let's make a list of the words." Grabbing a pen and paper, they continued to sit close as they started listing the selected words from the beginning. Triple, Advantageous, Killers, Later, Hotel, Heat, Memories, Appreciate, Pool, Rook, Closer, Kiss, Fire, Never, Too Late, Priest, Love, Don't, Trust, Magazine, Read, Rain. Halfway through their next glass of wine and numerous theories, Castle picked the book back up in frustration looking for an answer on the pages.

"The words don't make any sense. They just seem to be selected at random."

"We're missing something." Beckett ran her hand through her hair, leaning against Castle's arm and peering over it at the book, just as both of them noticed something strange.

"They used two different yellow highlighters!" Castle and Beckett exchanged their 'we did it at the same' smiles, but with their close proximity-their moment of unison felt far more intimate than before. Beckett blamed her urge to lean into Castle and kiss him on the wine. But Castle had his teeth in the clue now, and he severed the moment by reaching across to the writing pad and grabbing her pen. Sharing the book between them, Castle circled the darker yellow words in the book. Beckett read the edited word selection, wondering if Castle could hear her heartbeat pounding away wildly in her chest.

"Advantageous, Later, Heat, Appreciate, Kiss, Fire, Priest, Magazine, Rain. They don't make any sense." Castle closed and rubbed his eyes, listening to Kate read the words. His fatigue, the wine, and the scent and proximity of Beckett was getting to him, making it hard to think.

"What do we have left over that isn't circled?" He asked. When Beckett didn't answer, Castle looked at her to repeat his question thinking she might not have heard him. But she had, and the expression on her face was laced in sadness and concern for him this time.

"Triple. Killer. Hotel. Pool." Kate stopped reading. "The Triple Killer case was shortly after we met Penny the first time." Beckett paused not really wanting to state the obvious, but she had to. "Not only are they including cases we've worked on. They are going in the order they occurred. You were right."

"I know." There was no gloating about being right. The Triple Killer case was one that haunted Rick. Kate remembered holding his hand outside after they had found him and Ryan. Kate remembered thinking that Rick had been… she couldn't even finish the thought. For the first time that evening, Castle looked thoroughly exhausted to her, and Kate realized she felt the same. She looked at the clock and couldn't resist a gasp over the hour.

"Look at what time it is! We can't go there now, Castle. We need to get some sleep. What don't you sleep on the couch." Castle looked at her with a raised eyebrow and the whisper of a grin.

"Beckett, are you inviting me to stay the night?" Kate chose to ignore his amusement and spoke carefully to keep her voice casual.

"You're too tired to drive home now. We can get an early start checking out the hotel first thing in the morning." Castle's mischievous grin gave her all the forewarning she needed before he spoke, planning her retort for his suggestion before the words left his lips.

"Why can't we just share your big, comfy bed? Afraid you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself, Beckett?" He teased.

"I assure you, Castle. It's not my hands I'm worried about." Beckett closed her bedroom door behind her without looking back, with Rick's comforting chuckle following her in for the night.

Castle called Martha to let her know he would be spending the night at Beckett's on the couch and to let her know that everything was okay. He didn't want Martha up worrying all night. He double checked that the doors and windows were firmly fastened before turning in for the evening. Castle returned to the couch, noting for the first time that a pillow and blanket were sitting neatly at the end already waiting for him. She wanted him to stay night with her. He tossed a smile at the closed door, happy Kate felt safe with him around and that she trusted him when she needed help. If only she could trust in him for something else…