Chapter 4

After being at the Café for about 30 minutes, they talked about the situation and what they had up to now on the case. While Castle was talking about the case, Kate was thinking about something else. She then cut him off:

"Castle, I don't think that you working on this case is a good idea. You might be too close to this one." Beckett didn't know how he'd react if she'd prevent him from helping on this one.

"What? No Beckett, I'm fine. I didn't know the girl it's just a lot to process that's all." He was obviously tormented by the situation. He knew that it was getting to him and that it might cloud his mind but he wanted to be part of it.

Beckett analyzed him, knowing that not being part of this would kill him just as much as it would if he'd stay home and wait for answers. She thought that she'd offer but, if he didn't want to stay away she'd have to look out for him.

"Ok, fine you can stay but if you feel that it's getting too hard, pull away, ok?" she asked him.

"Ok, promise" as he gave her a smile, appreciating her caring for him enough to let him be part of it.

"Are you ready to go?" as she took the last sip of the latte.

"Ready." Castle got up and led the way to the exit. His usual up right stature was replaced by a hunch.

"Hey you know what, we had a rough day, how about we call it a night? If you want we could all go to Remi's and then have a drink at The Old Haunt, it'll change your mind and we'd all need to relax a little. What do you think?" Beckett's suggestion took Castle off guard, it wasn't like her to propose such a friendly type of soirée, she's more the; take a glass of wine alone at home type of girl.

He turned and looked at her, her offer was completely sincere.

She knew that the rest of the gang would do it for Castle, because this wasn't easy for him.

"Ok," he said with a smile "Sounds like a great idea, seeing everyone will be good."

"Ok good let me call everyone and we'll all meet at Remi's at around 7, is that good?" Kate asked as she looked back in his sad yet hopeful eyes.

"Yeah sounds good, I'll pick you up on the way."

"Ok perfect 7 it is."

They both started walking towards the precinct they were going to ask the boys once there and then call up Lanie and Jenny for them to join.

Beckett was being really nice and Castle liked that she cared about him. She knew that he was going through a lot and you take care of those you love. Even if she would hardly admit it to herself she loved this man. He was her world, but for now he was a close friend. She wasn't ready to admit that to herself just yet.

"I'll take a cab and go home for now, pick me up later. I haven't eaten much today so I'll have something at home." Castle told Beckett as they continued walking towards the station.

"Ok yeah that's a good idea, I'll pick you up around 6:45." She smiled and walked in the precinct while Castle nodded a 'yes' got into the cab.

As she saw him enter the cab she felt a lump in her throat she felt so sad for Castle, he was such a good man, a kind man. He didn't deserve this type of new and especially not in these circumstances. As she thought about it more tears started forming in her eyes. She swallowed the lump, held back the tears she needed to go inside and invite all their friends to this nice little night she had planned.

As she got out of the elevator she spotted Esposito and Ryan at their desks. She walked over:

"Hey guys, I was thinking...considering the chain of events and the news Castle got today I think that we should do something so...I thought we could all go to Remi's have a few burgers and then head out to The Old Haunt, what do you guys think?"

Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, it wasn't like Kate to organise something like this then they both looked back at her with a smile.

"So? Are you guys coming?" Beckett was annoyed by their stares and smiles but she wasn't about to walk right into that one. She knew if she'd ask why they were looking at her that way that they'd say she was doing this because she liked him, so she ignored it.

"Yeah we'll go," Esposito said in a 'fine don't talk about it' tone

"Yeah I'm in too." Ryan confirmed.

"Ok, perfect hey Ryan call up Jenny to see if she'd want to come, the more the merrier." Beckett said with a smile. "I'll call Lanie to see if she can come." As she walked back to her desk.

It was now around 10:30pm and they had all eaten like pigs at Remi's their burgers were huge but oh so good. They were all in a booth at The Old Haunt, they had already all ordered their first drinks and were having a blast. The ladies were all on one side and then men on the other.

Jenny and Ryan were all lovey dovey at the end of the seat, while Esposito and Lanie were eyeing each other in an obvious way, leaving Beckett and Castle sitting one in front of another.

They were all talking about the wedding and how everyone had so much fun.

"Oh my god Castle you and your dance, what was that? A mix of the chicken dance and the Macarena." Jenny asked

Everyone started laughing, Castle had been goofing around on the dance floor just for fun and of course because he might had drank a little too much.

"What? What dance?" Castle looked at everyone with a confused looked on his face.

"Come on Castle, the dance...you were dancing all over the place doing a lot of weird things." Beckett was telling him with a huge grin.

"Really? I don't...oh right...did I...was I on one of the base speakers at one point?" as he slowly started remembering the evening "ahh yeah...good times" and then a huge grin appeared on his face. He then suddenly glanced over at Kate.

He looked at her as if he had had a slap in the face, as though he had just remembered something about that evening. Beckett then blushed broke the eye contact and started staring at her glass.

Everyone at the table stopped talking and were intrigued about what had just happened.

"Umm guys? What happened?" as Jenny asked discretely.

Beckett's cheeks were becoming more and more red. She slowly glanced over at Castle who looked at her as though he couldn't believe that he had forgotten such a thing. What he thought was a dream might actually have been reality.

Once their eyes were locked into one another they just sat there and gazed into each others' eyes. And just like that it was clear as glass, he hadn't dreamed about kissing her, he had.

"Wait, that wasn't a dream?" as he asked, completely forgetting about the other four.

"Yeah, it happened, but you were so out of it, I didn't mention it." As Beckett said it she suddenly became aware that they weren't alone.

She slowly moved her eyes from Castle to Lanie, who was in shock that Beckett hadn't mentioned it to her.

Castle got up took Beckett's arm and took her away from the gang, he wanted to talk to her about it. He felt bad that he had no recollection of it before now.

"Beckett, why didn't you tell me? I mean I thought it was a dream but the flashback about the dance brought back this one too." Castle was somewhat distraught about the situation. He was happy it happened but not so much that he had forgotten about it.

"Well, you were pretty much wasted and I didn't think that you'd want me to talk to you about a kiss that you wouldn't have remembered." She said in an agitated voice, she was a little mad that he didn't remember it, because it was a great kiss. One of the best she had ever had

"If you would have mentioned it, it might have come back to me. I hope that it wasn't followed by a slap across the face." Castle said jokingly but wasn't convinced that it might not have happened.

"HA! No...I didn't slap you" Beckett said in a laugh, as though a kiss from him was a disgrace.

"Of course I didn't slap you Castle." There it was her oh crap I said too much look. It was too late it was out there but, surprisingly Beckett was relieved, she was glad that he knew and glad that she didn't mind it.

"Why? I mean, it must have been inappropriate I'm sorry if it was." Castle wasn't sure of how it had happened but then it seemed to all come back to him, as he stood there in front of her, almost as if he could see it happening in her eyes.

He gazed back into her eyes, she wanted to talk but he cut her off:

"Oh right...we had just finished dancing on this horrible 80's song when a slow song started. I asked you if you wanted to dance and you said yes." He looked at her as though he was dreaming it, his heart was getting lighter as the memory of the evening was coming back to him.

"It was a great song and a great dance, " as he smiled at her "but then my head started spinning, probably from that last glass of wine. I excused myself and headed outside to catch some fresh air, but followed me. You said that you wanted to make sure that I was going to be ok." Kate was now smiling back at him, content that it was coming back to him.

"We sat on the curb, and we were talking about...ummm I don't remember but I remember that you were cold and I lent you my jacket. As I took it off and put in on your shoulder our hands touched and you looked at me. You looked at me in a way that I had never seen before, your eyes were shinning and you had a beautiful smile. Then you said, 'Castle, I had no idea you were such a good dancer,' and then I said:" as he looked to the ground and almost rolled eyes at himself finding what he said so stupid and immature.

Kate was looking back at him with a big smile waiting for him to say it.

"And then I said, well Kate I'm a much better kisser and I kissed you." He looked up at her and she was all smiles, she had butterflies in her stomach because she remembered the kiss.

As she continued looking at him she put a hand on his arm and leaned in:

"You're right you are a better kisser, than dancer." And moved back to her spot

Castle's face was priceless and a smug smile came across his face, he took a step towards Kate, pushed her hair away from her ear and leaned into her.

"Well, I can show you again if you want." As he pulled away he caught a smell of her perfume it was new, and he liked it.

Kate's immediate reaction was a sudden blush and then she looked over her shoulder, seeing her friends, with their mouths open because of what they had just seen. She turned back to Castle:

"Ok, maybe but not for all to see."

Castle was confused, was she joking or was she serious. He stood there and looked at her. She chuckled a laugh, smiled and started heading back to the booth when Castle took her by the arm. As he tugged her she turned and faced him. As he pulled her closer to him, he took his right hand, placing it on the back of her neck and caressing her jaw with his thumb. She couldn't pull away she was drawn to him, he leaned in and kissed her.

His lips were gentle, Kate's stomach jolted as her lips met his. Her stomach felt as though she was in a roller coaster ride, but in a good and gentle one.

The kiss was perfect just like she had remembered. Castle gently pulled away, opening his eyes and looking at Kate, who's eyes were still closed and her mouth still slightly open.

As she opened her eyes he leaned in and said:

"I'll remember this one for sure. No need for flashbacks I'll never forget this one."