A/N: We're back to a non M-rated story in this chapter.
After their early morning activities, Kate had left Castle in her bedroom and gone into the kitchen to prepare some coffee, while the novelist had resigned himself to taking a shower so that he could leave to meet Alexis for their customary Sunday breakfast date.
Not that he hadn't wanted to meet his teenage daughter – never that. He had just wished he could find a way to stay with Kate for hours on end and then leave to make it in time for his customary Sunday breakfast date with Alexis.
It was a completely reasonable wish.
While getting dressed, the mystery writer had considered as a plausible solution for his dilemma funding a research for time travelling. Or maybe it could be for time controlling, his mind had provided. Okay, maybe just plain time stopping...
Sure, because those ideas would be the easiest way to solve the matter, the sardonic voice of reason in his head had scolded.
After the foolish inventive side of him had briefly thought that perhaps founding a parallel universe or something to that effect could work – at that point, Rick had accepted that he really was desperate for anything that would get him to have some more time with Beckett before he had to leave –, Castle had begrudgingly accepted the fact that he would have to leave to meet Alexis without being able to first spend some more time with his...
His what, exactly?
Kate was standing at the sink doing the dishes from their dinner the night before when she felt more than heard him coming up behind her.
"I wish I didn't have to leave now," Rick spoke in her ear as he wound his arms around her waist from behind.
The brunette smiled and slightly leaned her back on the author's shoulder, unable to contain the happiness she felt. In moments like this she truly believed she could be carefree again. Trying her best to avoid becoming a sap, though, she continued washing the glass she had on her hands and playfully retorted, "Look at the bright side, Rick. You've already had amazing sex with a superhot detective this morning and it's barely 9am."
He nuzzled the nape of her neck before repeating with a smile, "Amazing sex, huh?"
"Of course. I'm very dedicated to being great at everything I do, even when people around me can't keep up," She joked caustically, managing to sneak a glance at him without fully turning her head back.
"Oh, is that how we're playing now?" He asked, bantering with her good-naturedly, while turning her around so that her whole body was facing him.
"Um-hum," She smiled widely, winding her arms around his neck before dropping a kiss to his lips.
Once their mouths unlocked, Castle commented offhandedly, "This feels nice."
Picking up on his words' meaning – "being together feels nice" –, Beckett's first reaction was to tense up. However, she soon realized that being with Castle like this felt different from being with other men. He was right; it did feel nice. It felt good.
"It kinda does," She admitted to him.
Rick had noticed the initial tension in the detective's body because of his comment and he marveled at the fact that she had agreed with him after giving the matter some quick thought.
"I haven't felt this light in a long time," She continued. "Probably since before my mother died."
The meaningful look she gave him sunk in and he realized with a start what she was telling him: the tragedy that changed her life involved her mother.
Baby steps did work, apparently.
"I'm glad you feel this way now," He told her before lightly kissing her forehead and pulling her into his arms.
As he felt her grow ever more peaceful in his hold, Rick couldn't help but think about all the scenarios in which Kate's mother could have been killed. Had it been a robbery gone wrong? A car accident caused by some drunk driver? Had the older woman been – God forbid – a victim of sexual violence?
It took all the self-restraint he had in him not to push the issue any further right then.
"Thank you," Kate murmured, the sound muffled in his neck.
Castle couldn't tell what exactly she was thanking him for. He only hoped it was a sign that their relationship was evolving.
Deciding to test the waters, he asked after a moment, "You want to come over for dinner tonight?"
Beckett's body contracted in apprehension again, but this time it didn't go away. "At your place?"
"Yeah," The writer said, pulling her closer against his chest and caressing her short hair with one of his large hands.
Despite his efforts, Kate still felt uneasy. "Won't your mother and daughter be there?"
"Probably," He admitted, pulling back a couple of inches to look at the brunette's face. "Is that a problem?"
Kate closed her eyes for a moment, in an attempt to gather her feelings and thoughts.
There was still a large part of her that rationally believed that this thing with Castle would not go well. Clearly, he was impulsive, a man who followed his heart instead of taking a long time to think things through – he was an 'all in' kind of guy. However, that meant there was a great chance that, once the thrill went down, he would eventually get bored and leave her – his track record kind of attested to that. That was a problem for her. Even though she was actually starting to believe that he could be a nice guy, a man who wouldn't intentionally be a jerk to her, he most likely would only end up breaking her heart anyway if she let him truly in.
"Don't overthink things, Kate."
The detective opened her lids, staring straight into Rick's eyes for a moment. He really amazed her with his powers of observation. Dropping her hands from around his neck, she lied, "I'm not overthinking."
The novelist gave her a pointed look.
"I'm not," She added, defensively. "I just don't want to intrude in your family time –"
"It's not intruding if I'm asking you to come," He cut in.
It took her a moment to speak again. "Okay, then I wouldn't be intruding," She accepted his reasoning, but didn't feel any better about the matter. She was still scared. "It's just… I have some things I have to do today and I was really hoping I could get some quiet alone time tonight. I'm sorry."
The look in her face clearly showed how she was basically pleading him not to push this any further.
For a moment, Rick was really sorry he tried to test the waters.
"Of course, I understand," He tried to mask his hurt with nonchalance. "You're coming over for poker night on Tuesday, though, right?"
Kate smiled, relieved he had changed the subject. "You're actually serious about that, huh?"
Monday came and Beckett was all business at the precinct. She shared with the boys the theories about the murder cases Rick and she had come up with on Saturday – without actually telling them that Castle had been a part of the process, of course – and, after going through the evidence again for a great part of the day, they finally felt confident enough by late afternoon to bother a judge for an arrest warrant for Mason Archibald. Once the arrest was made, the whole case turned into a big story in the evening news – the media went crazy covering the millionaire's arrest for the murders of two young people that came from prominent wealthy families in Manhattan.
Castle was sitting in his office and watching the news, seriously considering calling Beckett to congratulate her on the big arrest, when his phone beeped signaling a text message. He was pleasantly surprised to see that the text came from Kate.
'The NYPD would like to thank you for your valuable contribution to solving a double murder.'
Rick beamed, immensely proud that Beckett had thought of texting him to acknowledge his help. He considered for a moment what he should write back and then finally settled on the words he wanted to use. Typing up his message in reply, he checked the text – 'Always a pleasure to be of service to New York's finest. It seems we make a pretty good team, you know. Like Tango & Cash. Or Sonny & Rico. Or Starsky & Hutch.' – and then hit send. He grinned to himself and turned his Xbox on, pretty sure he wouldn't get a reply from Kate.
Not five minutes later, his phone beeped again to let him know Kate had sent him a reply. Castle's grin turned even wider when he checked the message.
'More like Turner & Hooch – you being Hooch, of course.'
On Tuesday morning, the victims' families released a public statement in which they profusely thanked the NYPD for their incessant dedication to investigating the killings and putting their children's murderer behind bars. After that, the entire day had gone by with Captain Montgomery getting phone calls from many influential people to congratulate his team for a job well done – even the Mayor had personally placed a call to recognize the 12th Precinct's good work.
Glad to enjoy their good fortune while it still lasted, the Captain and his three detectives left the precinct by 5:30pm and headed straight to Castle's loft for their poker date. They would be worried about arriving too early if it weren't for the fact that Castle had already called Montgomery four times to tell him the earlier they got to the loft, the more they could drink and bet.
All the while, Rick had also been secretly texting Kate to get her to come to his place as soon as possible.
By the time the four cops arrived at Castle's building, the writer had already texted Kate for the sixth time that day. She covertly typed back a reply – 'Stop being so anxious, we're already here.' – before they all took the elevator up to the novelist's floor.
When the Captain rang the loft's bell, Castle immediately opened the door with a smile. "You made it!" He greeted warmly as he shook Montgomery's hand before doing the same with Esposito and then Ryan. Once he got to Beckett, his smile turned a little seductive and he planted a kiss to her cheek. "Good evening, Detective."
Beckett rolled her eyes for the benefit of her colleagues as she stepped into the apartment. "Hello, Castle."
The boys were smirking at the writer's attempt at charming their female coworker when they noticed he had moved behind the brunette to take off her coat.
"Here, allow me," Rick told Kate in a quiet voice as he touched her shoulder before slipping the jacket off her body.
She smiled timidly at the novelist's chivalry without paying any attention to the other occupants in the room, who were looking at the scene before them with curious eyes.
Castle somehow noticed it, though. "Why don't I take your coats before we move into the living room?" Rick asked the men in his loft, trying to play down his actions towards the female detective.
The Captain and the other two detectives agreed, each taking off their own jackets before passing them on to Castle.
"Detective Beckett!" Alexis's bright voice reverberated in the room as the teen came down the stairs. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Hello, Alexis," Kate greeted Rick's daughter with an amiable smile, before growing self-conscious as she took notice of the interested looks on her boss and partners' faces in her peripheral vision. "It's nice to see you again."
"You too," Alexis replied with a grin, genuinely pleased to see the female detective.
Castle had heard the exchange between his daughter and his – again, his what? – as he put away his guests' coats and couldn't help but feel pleased about the easy interaction the two had shared. Alexis barely knew the detective, but she sounded sincerely delighted to see the woman again.
It seemed as if Kate Beckett had already captured the hearts of both members of the Castle family.
Despite the happy thoughts in his head, the writer also detected some discomfort in Kate's stance once he actually looked at her. He realized such reaction was probably caused by the way the boys were inquisitively watching Kate and Alexis's interactions. Hoping to intervene, Rick minded his manners and addressed the three policemen in the room. "Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Alexis."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Alexis immediately told the men. "It's nice to meet you."
Once they all exchanged polite greetings, Esposito turned to Beckett. "You know Castle's kid, Beckett?"
The implication in the Hispanic's words was unmistakable.
Castle sucked in a deep breath and tried to come up with anything to take the attention off Beckett, but the brunette herself was quicker.
Trying to pass off as casual, Kate mentioned, "We've met a couple of times. Castle's family was here when I came to pick him up for questioning back in September, so that's when I first met Alexis."
"Ah, that's why you look familiar," they all heard the older woman say as she descended the staircase. "Detective Beckett, if I'm not mistaken."
Kate smiled politely as Castle spoke up. "And the old lady with crazy clothes and wild hair is my mother."
"Call me old again, Richard, and I'll spank you in front of your friends," the extravagant woman immediately said, to the chuckles of their visitors. "Martha Rodgers, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
They all went around a new round of introductions and Martha made sure to keep light conversation going while Castle and Alexis went into the kitchen to get some drinks and snacks.
Rick had never been so glad for his mother's flamboyance in his life.
After Alexis had left to go back to her room with a bottle of water and some peanut butter – not without admonishing her father for insisting that his underage daughter play poker with them on a school night, of all times –, Castle, his mother and the four guests finally sat at the poker table, each with their own beer bottle, and settled to start their game night.
TBC
(All characters and even some of the quotes in this fanfic don't belong to me. This is made available for entertainment only and not for profit. No copyright infringement is intended.)