A/N: I'm sorry this one took longer to come out, but it's finally here and I really hope you guys like it. Thank you so much for the incredible feedback and amazingly sweet reviews. You all rock my world.

Disclaimer: Castle is not mine. No, really.

Someone Like You

Chapter 17

"No."

"But, Kate..." He whined and she glared at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. They were in his office at the loft and she was leaning against his desk while he sat on the couch across from it.

"No, Rick. It's too dangerous."

"But you do it every day." He countered and she sighed heavily.

He had been teasing her with this new character he was creating and tonight he had finally told her that it was going to be based on her. Even though she was flattered and excited about the prospect of her favorite author (who also happened to be her boyfriend) writing a whole new series of books based on her, she was less than thrilled when he asked if he could tag along for a few cases to do research.

"Yes, and I've had years of training for that. You haven't. It's not like in the movies, Rick. You know that. You know how dangerous it can be." She tried to make him see sense, to realize that it was not a good idea, no matter how excited he was about it. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate with him there following her around. How was she supposed to do her job, knowing that someone she loved was in the line of fire?

"But Captain Montgomery has cleared it already. It wouldn't be forever, Kate. Just a few cases and I promise I'll do everything you say." He stood up and walked towards her, reaching out to take her hand in his. "He could assign me to someone else if that's what you want, but I'd rather be with you." He gave her the puppy dog look and she rolled her eyes, trying to fight a smile. "Come on, please?"

"You'll do whatever I tell you to do?" she asked, grudgingly meeting his eyes.

"I will, I swear." He touched her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin gently. "I'll be really, really careful and try my best to not get in the way."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart." He rested his forehead on hers and she sighed, closing her eyes. This was such a bad idea.

"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you on my watch." She confessed, letting out a breath. He kissed her lips for a moment, lingering on her bottom lip for a few seconds.

"That's why I'm signing all those papers I showed you. Nothing is going to happen, but if it does, it won't be your fault."

"It's not that easy, Rick, and you know that." She looked away from his intense gaze and he pulled her into his arms, making her melt into his embrace. He always had that power over her and that was exactly what worried her. How was she supposed to do her job with a distraction like that?

"It's just for research and if something is too dangerous, I'll stay behind. I won't get in the way of you doing your job, Kate." He touched her chin, making her look at him again and she bit her lip, unsure. "Just for a few weeks and then I'll leave you alone at work. Not that you'll get rid of me, of course. I'll still bug you at home." He offered her a teasing grin, but she still wasn't sold on the idea.

"I don't know, Rick." She shook her head and stepped away from him, trying to clear her head. She couldn't think straight when he was this close. "Tell you what, we'll give it a try for one case." She suggested, already regretting it when he beamed at her happily.

"I'll make you proud of me, love, you'll see. Who knows, I might even turn out to be a decent homicide detective myself." His smile was so big and contagious that she found herself chuckling at his excitement.

"I doubt you'll be getting an NYPD badge anytime soon, stud. And this whole calling me love thing? That cannot happen at the precinct, as much as I love to hear it." She grinned against his lips when he pulled her in for a deep, breathtaking kiss. "It's Beckett or Detective for you while I'm working." She told him, breathless when they broke apart. "Are we clear?"

"Yes." He breathed and kissed her again backing her against the wall behind the desk. She groaned when he pressed his body against hers, his thigh fitting between hers in the most deliciously arousing way. "God, watching you work is going to be such a turn-on." He groaned into her ear and she bit her lip to keep a moan in.

"We can't do this now, Rick. The kids…" Her voice came out huskily and he pressed her harder against the wall, his thigh creating a world shattering friction for her.

"Mother took them out for dessert, remember? I told her we needed some privacy to talk about this." His teeth nibbled on her earlobe and then travelled down to her neck, eliciting a moan from her when he sucked on her skin gently, his tongue joining in on the fun. "I think we still have a few minutes if you're game." He whispered in her ear and she brought his lips back up to meet hers. She couldn't have enough of him. His taste, his scent, everything about him drove her crazy. They had been doing this for a little over two months now and he still made her heart flutter whenever he was close to her.

"Oh, I'm definitely game." She murmured against his lips, hand already working on his belt buckle.

Rick was supposed to start his ride along on the following Thursday. He had spent the week discussing everything and signing papers with his lawyer regarding his time spent researching the NYPD homicide detectives and his responsibilities and rights while doing so. When Thursday morning rolled around, Kate was feeling slightly anxious about the whole thing. She had no idea how everything was going to work out or how she was going to react having someone watching her work. Just the thought of it was unnerving, even if it was Rick and she trusted him and loved him.

That morning, she made an effort to look extra good to go to work. Picking out a green V-neck shirt that made her eyes stand out even more, she matched it with a pair of jeans and her favorite pair of heels. She knew Rick loved that her eyes changed colors depending on the day, but she also knew that he preferred when her eyes decided to be green, so she was hoping that would be the case today. She felt a little silly dressing up for work just because of a guy, but he was going to be watching her and, well, she wanted to make a good impression.

Not that she was on board with the idea of him following her around – she still had her restrictions about that, mind you – but she would rather he'd stay with her than follow someone else. At least if he was tagging along with her and the boys, she could try to keep him out of harm's way. Just the thought that something might happen to him out on the field made her sick to her stomach.

She dropped Tyler off at school, making plans with him to go shopping for Rick's birthday present tonight. He was going to have a small get together tomorrow night at the loft – and she really hoped it was small; she wasn't sure she could deal with the whole being a celebrity's girlfriend issue just yet – and he had invited the boys, Lanie and her father to the party. She wasn't really sure how she felt about having her dad over for her boyfriend's birthday party, but they had been dating for a couple of months now and maybe it was time they got to know each other. She knew Tyler couldn't stop talking about Rick and Alexis whenever her dad went over for dinner, so that particular development was bound to happen eventually.

She hadn't told her dad about seeing Josh that day, over a month ago. Back then, her father was still battling alcoholism, but when he had found out that she had been abandoned pregnant and alone by her husband, he wanted to hunt him down and kill him. She was sure that telling him Josh was back in town and had been for God knows how long was not going to go well.

In the end, she was glad that it had just been that one time encounter, as she wasn't sure she could handle more than that. The wound Josh had inflicted on her was still fresh, even though it had been almost nine years since that fateful day when he walked out and never came back. Just thinking about it made her heart ache, so she put it to the back of her mind as she stepped out of the elevator at the homicide department of the 12th Precinct.

Ryan and Esposito were already there battling their own mountains of paperwork. She was dreading her own share of it, but since they didn't have any active investigations going on, she might as well use that time to do it, as much as she despised it. Saying hello to the boys, she put her purse in her desk drawer and hung her jacket on her chair, before making her way to the break room for a much needed dose of caffeine. Rick would be here any second now and even though she had no reason to, she found herself slightly nervous and giddy at the same time, her heart fluttering in her chest.

Pouring some coffee in her mug, she took a sip and grimaced at the taste. It was really, really bad coffee, but the shot of caffeine to her system was heavenly. She was well aware she was addicted to the stuff and she was not even ashamed.

"I've got something better for you, detective." She heard his voice and a smile immediately tugged on her lips as she turned around to face him. "Morning." He said with that ridiculously cute boyish smile as he watched her, leaning against the doorsill.

"Good morning, Mr. Castle." His eyes sparkled happily and she bit her lip to suppress the smile and the need to jump him right then and there. He walked over to her and handed her the warm cup of coffee, which she accepted gratefully.

"Can I kiss you good morning if there's no one around?" he asked quietly, his arms efficiently trapping her between his body and the counter. She looked around the room and nodded, after making sure the blinds were shut and the bullpen still relatively empty. He pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss and she sighed contently. They hadn't seen each other in two days and she had missed him terribly. "Hi." He whispered, kissing her jaw and finally stepping away.

"Hi, yourself." She smiled and took a sip of the cappuccino he had brought her, moaning at the taste. "This is so good. Where did you get it?"

"That's for me to know, detective. As long as I don't tell you where the coffee comes from, you'll keep coming back for more." He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, writer boy. Let me show you around so you can get this research of yours started." She tugged on his shirt, making him follow her out of the break room.

"Bossing me around already. I'm going to love it here, I can feel it." He teased and she turned around, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Shut up, Castle." She shook her head, hiding a smile. "Come on."

"Hello?" His voice sounded so groggy and sleepy that Kate felt bad about waking him up.

"Hey, we just got a fresh one. You in?" She asked, after dropping Tyler off at school a little earlier than usual. Thank God the call had come in at a half decent hour, so she didn't have to bother her poor neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, asking her to watch Tyler for a couple of hours before she could come back and drive him to school.

"Yeah, yeah. Lemme just…" he yawned loudly on the other end of the line and Kate chuckled, shaking her head. "Lemme just get dressed and wake up properly."

"Think you'll be ready to go in fifteen? I'll pick you up."

"Yeah, I'll see you soon." She heard him moving around, probably throwing the comforter off of him and getting out of bed.

"And Rick?"

"Mhmm?"

"I missed you last night." She said quietly with a small smile and could practically hear him smiling on the other end.

"Missed you too, love." He replied warmly and she felt that familiar tug in the pit of her stomach. She really did love him.

"Now go get dressed."

"Yes, sir, detective, sir." He said mockingly and she hung up, laughing quietly to herself.

Yesterday had been a fairly quiet day and Rick had just hung around at the precinct for a few hours. They didn't have much to do, except paper work, so she showed him around the homicide department, told him a little about the investigation process, but that was as far as it had gone. Around noon, they ordered lunch and ate with Ryan and Esposito. She was extremely glad that her boyfriend got along with her friends, but Rick and the boys had become fast friends over the past couple of months. Their weekly basketball game and Xbox marathon had become sacred and Kate didn't even feel awkward about seeing her fellow detectives hanging out at the loft anymore. It gave her time to hang out with Martha and the kids.

She hoped this new case wouldn't put a damper to the festivities tonight. She knew how much Rick was looking forward to this and had been talking about it all week about how awesome it was going to be to have everyone at the loft for a party. She and Tyler had gone shopping the night before for his present and ended up getting him a new Xbox game that he had been talking about for weeks. He really was a complete child inside and Kate loved that about him. Tyler was really excited about playing it with him and couldn't wait to give him the present. The game was more Tyler's gift to Rick than anything else, since she had already picked out his present weeks ago. She wanted it to be something special and after thinking about it for a while, she had decided on something she hoped he would like and treasure.

Parking in front of his building, she smiled when she saw him already making his way to the car. He looked a lot more awake than he had sounded over the phone and she was sure this was partly because he was so excited about going to his first murder scene. She rolled her eyes, chuckling, and leaned over to open the passenger door for him.

"Morning." He greeted her, settling on the passenger seat. She smiled, accepting the cup of coffee he handed to her and pulled him in by the shirt for a kiss.

"Morning." She sucked on his bottom lip for a moment, nipping it with her teeth, and grinned when he groaned against her lips and deepened the kiss. "Happy birthday." She murmured, before kissing him again.

"Thanks, love." He whispered and rested his forehead on hers. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?" he grinned slightly as she captured his lips with hers again.

"Love you too." She gave him one last peck on the lips and settled in behind the wheel. "Come on, birthday boy. Ready for your first crime scene?" She grinned at his excitement as he nodded, taking her hand, his fingers tangling with hers.

"So ready. This is already the coolest birthday ever."

She drove off and they arrived at the scene ten minutes later. The victim was a young woman, barely out of her teens and she watched him freeze next to her at the gruesome sight, as they entered the apartment on the Upper West Side. It was a fancy apartment building and Ryan had already told her the girl was the senator's youngest daughter. Kate knew this was going to be a big case and hoped against hope they could solve it quickly. Those high profile kinds of murders always hit the news hard and she absolutely hated that part. Dealing with the press was something she had never gotten used to; the way they hounded her and her colleagues for information, not even respecting the fact that there was a family grieving the loss of a loved one.

She found Lanie near the body and got all the preliminary information from her. The victim had been shot five times in the chest and a pool of blood had formed around her on the floor as her frozen eyes stared up at the ceiling. She was a pretty girl too, Kate thought, as she squatted down next to the medical examiner to check the body.

After assigning Ryan and Esposito a few tasks, she walked back to Rick, who had been watching her closely the whole time she had been assessing her crime scene.

"You okay there?" she asked quietly, leading him out of the apartment. She needed to get back to the precinct and notify the family.

"Yeah, just…" He let out breath and shook his head. "It was just the initial shock. I'm fine now." He offered her a small smile and she squeezed his hand once they were inside the elevator. "There was just so much blood." He commented quietly, mostly to himself, and she threaded her fingers through his, trying to give him some sort of comfort.

"You never get used to it. It still gets to me whenever I cross that yellow tape up there. Every single time. It always brings me back to when my mom…" she couldn't finish and felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and pull her closer. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "But it's just the initial shock, like you said. Then you get over it and do your job."

"You are amazing for doing this." He captured her lips with his for a moment and pulled away just as the doors opened. They walked back to her car at a decent distance from each other, as there were uniforms everywhere, but Kate couldn't hide the smile playing on her lips if her life had depended on it.

"I'm hungry. Are you guys hungry?" Rick interrupted her intense gaze at the murder board by touching her arm.

"Yeah. I think we could use a break." Ryan offered hopefully and she turned to him, his blue eyes begging with her. She shook her head and turned back to the murder board to hide a smile. Okay, so maybe sometimes she got so wrapped up in a case that she forgot some basic necessities like eating.

"Boss, time for lunch?" Esposito asked and she nodded, pushing off the desk she had been sitting on for the past twenty minutes.

"Is she always like that?" She heard Rick ask the boys and rolled her eyes, while grabbing her purse and jacket.

"What, forgetting to eat and nearly starving us to death? All the time." She heard the teasing tone in Esposito's voice and rolled her eyes again.

"I can hear you, you know." She narrowed her eyes at him and he simply grinned at her innocently. "Can we get you guys anything?" She asked as Rick helped her into her jacket.

"Burger and fries, if you're going to Remy's." Ryan asked and she nodded as Esposito ordered the same.

"We'll be back soon. Call me if anything comes up." She told them and let Rick lead her to the elevator. When the doors closed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "How's your birthday so far?" she asked quietly, tilting her head to give him more access.

"Amazing." He sucked on her pulse point for a moment, earning a quiet groan from her. Having him so close all the time and not being able to touch him was driving her slightly crazy, making her nerve endings go into overdrive when he did things like this. "Do you think you guys will be able to make it tonight?"

"To the party?" She asked and felt him nod. "I hope so. Tyler can't wait to give you your present." She pulled away to look at him.

"Yeah? What about you?" he grinned and bit down gently on her bottom lip, his tongue soothing it afterwards.

"My present is different." She whispered in his ear and pulled on his earlobe with her teeth.

"As long as I get to unwrap you tonight, I'll be a happy man." His desire was evident in his eyes and she pulled him in for a deep kiss, breaking apart when she heard the ding indicating they had reached the first floor.

"Oh, you can count on that." She smirked at him and walked out of the elevator with a little more sway in her hips, with him following closely behind. He grabbed her hand and lifted his eyebrows, asking if it was okay. She nodded, entwining their fingers together. It was his birthday; she could give him a break, right?

"You are an evil, evil woman, Katherine Beckett." He whispered in her ear and she grinned, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"You have no idea, Mr. Castle." She replied and laughed when he bit back a groan. "You love me, anyway." She opened the door and was about to step out when a familiar voice interrupted her movement.

"Katie!" She heard someone calling her and turned towards the sound, her grip on Rick's hand tightening exponentially when she saw who it was. The color drained from her face and it felt like her breath had been punched out of her lungs.

Oh, no. Not now. Not again.

Shit.

A/N: Reviews are my drug of choice. I'm completely addicted and not ashamed to admit it. So, tell me what you think?