Posting this story and reading what you guys think has made waiting for the second episode of season 6 SOOOOO much easier. You'd think I'd have an easier time considering I only have to wait a week rather than 5 months, but no. Maybe once a few episodes have aired...And yes, in case I didn't make it evident the last chapter, Kate fell into CLEAN toilet water. Otherwise, as one reviewer put it: Ewwwww!

Disclaimer: I haven't seen the second episode yet, so nope, don't own it.

Kate yowled. She couldn't help it. The shock of the cold water and her rapidly damping fur was too much.

She was in the water just long enough to feel its effects before Alexis pulled her out. "You poor thing," she cooed, cuddling Kate, ignoring the water that was seeping into her shirt from Kate's damp fur.

Kate heard Castle's familiar footsteps rushing up the stairs and down the hall before she saw him in the doorway of the bathroom.

"What the-?" Castle's shocked expression changed into one of concern. "Is she all right?"

"I don't know," Alexis said. "Cats don't whimper like dogs when they're in pain so….I just, don't know."

"Here, let me take her." At her dad's prompting, Alexis handed Kate over. Once she was snuggled against Castle's chest, she felt the purring start anew.

Kate wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Even cold, wet from toilet water and close to the end of her ability to deal with the whole situation, being in Castle's arms was enough to get her purring again.

She hated to think of what Castle would say about all of this once she was back to her normal self.

Castle's gentle probing of her limbs-to check for injuries, Kate would assume-was oddly comforting. She felt the tension drain away from her until Alexis spoke up.

"She needs a bath, dad."

What? Why would Alexis say something like that? People didn't give cats baths.

Did they?

"She's got toilet water on her," Alexis said. "It looked like it was clean, but its still toilet water. That can't be good for her."

Castle was quiet for a moment before saying, "I have an idea."

He then set her on the floor and Kate watched nervously as he took off his shirt and then pushed down his pants.

"Ew, dad!"

"Alexis, she's a cat," Castle reasoned with his daughter. "She won't care."

Ummm, yeah she would.

"Go ahead and work on your report, pumpkin. I've got this."

Alexis sped out of the room. Kate wished she could go with her.

Instead, Castle picked her up before she had time to take more than one step.

He wasn't really naked, was he?

Kate really didn't want the first time she saw Castle naked to be when she was a cat.

What if she was attracted to him?

She hadn't felt much of the normal sexual tension she experienced around Castle since she had become a cat, regardless of her 'kissing' attempts. But he had been fully clothed up until now. Kate knew she wouldn't be able to control herself if she saw Castle unclothed in her human form.

What would she do seeing him that way as a cat?

She couldn't risk it. She closed her eyes, hoping it wouldn't take long.

But she was a Persian, Castle had said. Which meant she would have a LOT of hair.

The warm water that soon fell softly against her drove away the chill. Castle's hands, covered with soap, were moving swiftly but thoroughly through her fur. Kate tensed when she felt his hands on her stomach. A ripple of awareness swept through her but it was faint. Kate was sure it had more to do with her mind grappling with where his hands were other than any real feelings of attraction. Otherwise she would have felt it immediately every time he touched her fur, on the head, especially. She certainly had when Castle had his hand at her temple, his fingers splayed through her hair, when he had first kissed her all those months ago.

Finally Kate felt the water more directly, first cascading over her head and then down her back. Castle's hold was loose as the water rid her fur of the cleansing suds.

"Almost done," Castle assured her. "You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would. Cats usually hate water. Your name fits you; you're an extraordinary cat."

Even as a cat Castle thought she was extraordinary. Kate couldn't pretend, not to herself, that her heart didn't melt at that.

As Castle's fingers moved through her fur to make sure all of the soap was rinsed off Kate could hear her purring, even over the sound of the shower. She had felt the continuous rumble but the falling water had blocked out the sound until now.

By the time the shower ended Kate felt her eyes growing heavy. She wasn't surprised. She hadn't slept well the night before and what she had been through in the last few hours would drain anyone.

Just one little cat nap and then she would do everything she could to find a way out of this mess.

If there was a way out.