Home Again
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be. Rating: M Time: Late Season Two
Rick slid his hand under her jacket and cupped her breast, then squeezed it gently. "I love your breasts."
"I love for you to touch them. But I like it better when you don't touch them through all that cloth." Kate teased.
Rick pulled her jacket off, then slid her sweater over her head. As he did so, Kate worked on his jacket and shirt. In seconds they were naked above the waist. Rick bent and kissed Kate's right breast. He stroked the other one.
"Take me to bed, Rick." She breathed. They quickly stripped and slid into bed. Rick resumed kissing's Kate's breasts and began working his way down to her stomach. Kate sighed and spread her legs. Suddenly she grabbed Rick by the hair and dragged him upwards. "No!" She hissed.
"I thought you liked me to…"
"I love it. That's the problem. I get too excited. I might cry out."
"Cry out? Don't you mean yell like Tarzan?"
"Castle! I can still go home you know."
"Yes, dear." Castle mumbled.
"And keep kissing me. That'll muffle any noise I make."
"You know, I have a bull horn around here some place."
"Don't you dare."
Castle kissed his lover and then gently entered her. The long slow strokes became faster and faster until both lovers climaxed. Kate moaned into his mouth.
"You are fantastic." Rick whispered.
"If you want anything, just whistle." Kate teased. "You know how to whistle don't you, Steve? Just put your lips together and blow."
Rick whistled softly. "Here's looking at you, Slim."
After a while, Rick spoke. "Kate, Gina's been after me…"
"She can't have you. You're mine."
"Jealous?"
"Terribly."
"Well, Gina is after me to write. I'm way behind on the second Nikki Heat book. I need to write. She suggested I spend the summer in the Hamptons writing."
"With her?" Kate tried to keep the fear from her voice.
"Of course not. By myself."
"You'd spend the whole summer in the Hamptons?" The fear was clear in her voice. How could he leave her now?
"There's this wonderful new thing you need to know about. They're called weekends. They also have something called vacations. I've talked to Espo and Ryan and they confirmed that you know nothing of these. You work on the weekends, and on holidays. When was the last time you took a vacation day?"
Kate thought. "Um, it was for a seminar on forensics. That was in…2006?"
"Okay, that's it. You need a vacation, Missy. That's an order. I'll write during the week, you can take some long weekends, a few vacation days before the weekend and come see me. Maybe you can take a week off as well. We'll have a great time."
"Don't Alexis and Martha go to the Hamptons for the Fourth of July?"
"Alexis, Martha and Kate go to the Hamptons for the Fourth of July. There's no way you're going to spend the Fourth alone. In fact, I have some fireworks in mind."
Kate wanted to go badly, but she worried. "How will I tell Montgomery that I want all these days off?"
Castle assumed a very serious look. ""Montgomery, I want these days off." That'll do it. Throw in your patented Beckett glare while you're at it."
"Castle! I'm serious. How am I going to explain wanting all of these days off to him? He'll want to know."
"Kate, he knows."
"What? You told him? Why?"
"Of course I didn't tell him. He's a detective and a man. How hard is it to see that I'm crazy about you? He's never said anything, but he knows. And he'll never say anything."
Kate thought for a moment. "Do you think anyone else knows?"
Castle looked thoughtful. "Espo might."
"Javi knows? Are you sure?"
"He has told me that if I hurt a certain detective, not otherwise identified, there will be massive amounts of pain involved. There was something about not being able to identify the remains, too. Maybe I should have paid more attention, but I'd never hurt a detective, so why bother."
"Oh, my God! He knows!"
Castle nodded. "Ryan also mentioned something about his grandfather's shillelagh and broken bones. The shillelagh is apparently some sort of family heirloom. Passed down from one generation of violent Irishmen to the next. "
"Is there anyone who doesn't know?"
"I'm sure the guy I buy coffee from is clueless. Really."
"Castle…" Kate stopped. She couldn't think of anything to say. Finally, "What should I pack?"
The two spent ten minutes discussing Kate's upcoming vacation.
"Castle, will you set the alarm for 5AM so I can get back home without anyone seeing me."
"Sure, but it's totally unnecessary."
"That may be, but I have to get up and go to work even if you don't.
Kate snuggled down next to Rick and tried to go to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. She knew this would be a disaster. Alexis would hate her. Martha would hate her. All of Castle's friends in the Hamptons would hate her. Everyone in the precinct would hate her. Castle would hate her. Her life was about to collapse back into what I had been BC, Before Castle.
"Beckett, try thinking instead of panicking."
She shot upright in bed. "Who's there?"
"It's me."
Kate looked at the figure at the end of the bed. "You're…me." Kate looked at the bed. There she was, sound asleep with Castle.
"Close. I'm Nikki Heat. Okay, for all practical purposes I am you. When Castle imagines me, I come out as pure Kate Beckett. The only difference is that I get to look into the mind of Richard Castle."
"Inside his mind?"
"You have no idea. That man could write a novel the size of War and Peace that would consist entirely of love scenes between you two. And they are very kinky. Jameson and I are so worn out sometimes…But that's not why I'm here."
"Why are you here? What did you mean by saying I should think?"
"Woman, what is the matter with you? Haven't you read the book? I know you've read Heat Wave, your fingerprints are all over Jameson, so to speak. Don't you see how Castle feels about you? He loves you. He loves you as much as you love him. You were made for each other. You complete each other. Just accept it. He's your one and done. He'll be with you always."
"Are you sure?"
"Nikki, where's my green jacket?" Alexis Castle was suddenly standing by the window.
"I think your father put it in the hall closet." Martha replied, sipping a martini by the door.
Kate woke up. She could hear Alexis outside asking Martha where her green jacket was.
She looked at the clock by the bed.
"7:45! Castle get up, we've over slept."
"Huh?"
"Did you set the alarm?"
Castle examined the clock. "Yeah, I set it for 5AM. Oh, I see. I haven't used this for years. The last time I did, I couldn't figure out how to turn it off, so I just turned the sound off. It's still off. Sorry."
"Castle!" Kate whispered sharply. "How am I going to get out of here?"
"Alexis will be going to school in another couple of minutes and Mom will go back to sleep once she's had a Bloody Mary. Then we can sneak you out of here. Want to cuddle?"
Kate glared at him, but in a few minutes Alexis left.
Then Martha knocked on the door. "Richard, I've made some coffee, so why don't you come out and make breakfast for Kathryn and me. The poor girl is probably starving."
Kate buried her head under the covers.
"What makes you think Beckett is in here?" Rick asked as normally as he could.
"You only close and lock the door when you have a woman in there. And the only woman you've had any interest in for the last year is Kate. Really, Richard. I hope you didn't think no one noticed how taken you've been with her. "
Castle conceded defeat. "We'll be out in a minute."
"The only woman you've had any interest in for a year?" Kate asked with a smile.
"Maybe longer." Castle got out of bed. "You can take this bathroom. I'll use the guest bathroom. See you soon." Then he leaned over and kissed her.
"Wait!" Kate cried.
"Can't get enough of me?"
"My clothes are a mess. They've been on the floor and…"
"I have something right here for you."
Kate looked suspiciously as Castle. "You keep spare women's clothes in your bedroom?"
Castle laughed. "No. But I have some clothes that'll fit you." He went to his closet and pulled out a pair of running shorts. "These have a drawstring waist so you can tighten them up enough to fit. Take your pick of the tee shirts on the left." Then he was gone.
When Kate walked out, Castle was still in the bathroom, apparently showering. Martha was sitting in the kitchen.
"Martha, I apologize for intruding like this. I really didn't want to come here last night. I really didn't mean to…"
Martha got up at once and hurried to Kate, holding her arms out. She hugged Kate. "Kathryn, you are always more than welcome in this house. I couldn't be happier that you and Richard are together. He has needed someone like you for a long time." Martha paused for a second. "I take that back. He's needed you for a long time. You're perfect."
"I'm not perfect by a long shot, but thank you."
"Oh! I've made some coffee. I'm sure you want some. Richard always talks about how you like coffee."
Castle came down the stairs some minutes later, dressed for his day at the precinct. "Guess who's going to come visit me in the Hamptons?"
"Kathryn, of course. Who else would you invite?" Martha replied.
"That obvious?" Castle asked.
"Oh, really, kiddo. Now make some breakfast for us while I tell Kathryn all about you."
"All about me? I'm beginning to see your point about not coming here last night, Kate." Rick said with a smile.
"I was completely wrong, I assure you."
Standing in the elevator in the 12th precinct, Kate put on her best poker face. Although she was sure that she might as well be wearing a sign that read, I had the world's best sex with Richard Castle last night, she was determined to act as if nothing had happened.
She stepped off the elevator and almost ran into Captain Montgomery, who was concentrating on a thick report. "Morning, Beckett." He mumbled as he rushed by her.
"Nice of you to join us, Beckett." Esposito checked his watch. "Almost 9 AM."
"I overslept. Forgot to set the alarm."
Espo motioned to Kate's desk. "Well, at least someone around here is working. Castle's been here for half an hour. He's looking over financials from the killing at the bank. Looks legit to me, but maybe you two will find something we missed."
"Castle complained that the coffee he brought you is cold now." Ryan scolded. "Tell him you can heat it in the microwave in the break room. That should settle the boy down."
Kate walked over and sat at her desk, being careful to keep her face completely neutral. "Morning, Castle. Got anything?"
"Cold coffee for you and some financials. There's one weird thing in the financials."
"I can heat the coffee in the break room microwave. Want another cup?"
Castle followed her into the break room.
"Castle, you were wrong. I'm sure neither Montgomery, Esposito, or Ryan suspect a thing about us."
"Glad to hear it."
Captain Montgomery walked out of his office and stood by Esposito's desk. Ryan had moved closer so he could hear. "They make a cute couple. I hope this lasts, for both their sakes." Montgomery said quietly.
Esposito nodded. "But remember, we decided, if he breaks her heart, we dump his body in the New Jersey wetlands."
"Works for me."
Author's Note: Next up in the series is Murder They Wrote as Beckett visits Castle in the Hamptons.