Here's another segment of my Kate / Castle story. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, thanks to all those who noted my naming error in the last chapter. Sorry about that! It'll teach me to change names last minute! :o)

Bones35 left a nice review (as did many of you…a gazillion THANKS!) But she also had this idea that intrigues me: bringing back the collection cup of interested women. Problem is, I don't have any good ideas as to how. If you can come up with a good idea (even better if it's funny), I'll try to incorporate…and of course, give you credit for the idea. Bones35 also came up with a great idea as to how to incorporate, but it wouldn't work in this particular story. Who knows, maybe she'll write it for us?

BTW – I still haven't seen any stories about the idea in my bio. Any takers? I would love to read that, I just don't have time to write it.

Enjoy!

Chapter 27 – Punishment

Kate was walking back from patrol, reviewing the reports related to her current stack of DD-5s. It looked like one BOLO resulted in detention of a suspect she'd been wanting to talk to for months; arranging an interview with him at was her new top priority. She headed straight for Detective Ryan.

"Ryan," she said, still looking at the paper she was holding. "Patrol collared Nathan Sagstad. I want him in interrogation." She handed him the paper. "Esposito, pull the Hamelin file?" she asked, finally looking up. When she did, she noticed Ryan subtly nod toward her desk.

She turned to look and visibly shrunk when she realized the man sitting in Castle's chair wasn't Castle.

"Josh. What are you doing here?" she asked, rounding her desk.

"I came to take you to lunch."

"I'm working."

"So you can't eat?"

"I'm in the middle of an investigation, and an old one just got hot, so no, I can't just leave. And my lunch is already on its way."

Kate saw Lanie park herself in the chair near Esposito's desk. Ten to one the boys texted her as soon as they saw Josh. Nosy little gibs.

"It's not a whim, Kate. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks."

"Not entirely my fault."

"Come on, Kate. You aren't going to be gone long. We'll go close by."

"I'm working. We've got to—"

"How much are you really going to get done? You can't spare an hour for me? Won't they be working on it?" Josh asked, nodding to Ryan and Esposito.

The elevator dinged and opened to reveal Castle, carrying a small, cardboard box of drinks and Chinese take-out cartons. He'd had a moment of inspiration earlier and was smiling to himself as he worked out the details. He was in his own little world as he made his familiar way to his chair.

"Yes, but this is my case. I wouldn't just walk in while you're in the middle of surgery and expect you to hand it off to someone else."

Beckett's hushed voice stopped Castle a few paces shy of Beckett's desk. She looked tense, and seeing Josh there, he immediately knew why. Josh at the precinct was one thing—well, a two-time thing as far as Castle knew. Josh at the precinct unannounced was another—a bad thing. Dr. Motorcycle Boy should know better.

"That's different, Kate."

"No, it's not. There are families out there waiting for us to get this guy."

"You're acting like they're incompetent," he nodded toward her detectives, "And can't handle you being gone for a minute."

Kate was embarrassed. That was completely not true and she hoped Esposito and Ryan hadn't heard him, but she could tell from their heads-down stilled motion that they had. God, they have to know that's not true. She closed her eyes briefly and clenched her jaw. Now, she was mad.

Perfect timing, Castle thought. Since the pair hadn't noticed him yet, Castle steeled his shoulders and stood up a little taller than when he'd walked in. He resumed his stride, paused as if he'd just noticed Josh.

Castle walked up to him, with his hand extended for a good, solid shake. "Hey, Josh," he sounded overly friendly. "How've you been?"

"Good," Josh said, returning his handshake. "I see you're still playing cops and robbers."

Castle bristled, but didn't let it show. Only Kate saw the crinkles in the corner of Castle's eye twitch ever so slightly. Great, just what I need. Another "Who's the man?" contest.

"Well, you know…goes along with my Peter Pan complex."

Why is he being self-deprecating?

"Came to take your girl to lunch, huh?" Castle asked, not being overtly loud, but not quiet either. He watched Josh's face skew as if he was the most brilliant man in the world. The first to think of taking his girlfriend to lunch.

Did he emphasize 'your girl'? What's he doing? Kate wondered.

"I actually think that's pretty sweet," he said turning his smile to Kate. "Don't you?"

She glared at him. "Actu—"

"Isn't that sweet, guys?" he interrupted her, directing his question to Lanie, Ryan and Esposito.

Lanie looked at him suspiciously, but said 'uh-huh' while the other two nodded.

"Hey, Lanie, you gonna join us? I got you Yu Shang Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice."

He's giving my food away? "Castle!" Kate huffed.

"Oh, don't worry about us, Detective. You deserve a break. I'm sure Detectives Ryan and Esposito can spare you for an hour. And they'll call you if they find anything, won't you?" The two nodded.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Castle sent Kate an insincere smile, full of chagrin. "I might even let Tink and the Lost Boys get some real work done."

Punishment. The realization hit Kate. Fine, she thought, but I didn't invite him! She felt like she was being forced into something she didn't want to do, yet she couldn't get out of it without causing a scene.

Kate grabbed her purse and turned to her boyfriend. "Fine. You wanna go to lunch? Let's go to lunch."

This hadn't gone exactly how Josh had planned. Kate shot down his invitation to lunch. But what really irked him was that Castle had used all his same arguments, and now, suddenly, Kate was going to lunch with him?

"Kate—"

"No, you wanted to go. Let's go."

"Are you taking that?" He asked, glancing to her hip.

"I'm on duty."

He looked disappointed, but didn't say anything else.

Kate looked over to her team. Lanie, Ryan and Esposito were sitting with confused expressions, wondering what they had missed—because there was definitely an unexpressed undercurrent to the exchange between Beckett and Castle. "I'll be back soon," she assured them.

"Have a good time," Castle called. He mocked her.

Oh, he thinks he's won, does he? Her eyes glowered at him.

Josh held out his arm to Kate, but she declined. Instead, she grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, so that he couldn't walk without feeling her service piece rub against his side.

So, it's like that? Josh thought. Great.

Castle watched as Kate thrust her hip at Josh and dug her hand into his back pocket.

Punishment, he thought. Maybe not my best idea. He could be having lunch with her, after all.

Still, some part of him felt justified. She'd earned hers as much as he'd earned his.

Kate walked back into the bullpen. Ryan and Esposito where at their desks, Ryan on the phone, Esposito calling off a number to him.

"Where's Castle?"

"Went home," Esposito told her, not looking up. "Said he had an idea he had to get down."

Ryan hung up. "But, before he left, he found this." He handed Beckett a sheet of paper. "None of the calls to Michaels and Brunette were from the same number. We double checked."

"And triple checked."

"But, Castle noticed that the each received several calls from these two numbers...which are the same except the last three digits."

"Corporations do that a lot…different extensions, different numbers."

"We just checked. Turns out he was right. All the calls came from Keller-Morgan Industries. These ones," Ryan pointed, "to Michaels were from a conference room extension, but these one's to Brunette, are from…"

"Wait for it…" Esposito delayed.

"Guys, just tell me."

"Extension 418 – Liz Brunette." Ryan disclosed.

"His mother?"

"Yup. Guess the Lost Boys did it again, huh?" Esposito raked.

"Thought you said Peter Pan found this?"

"Well, uh, he did. But we confirmed it." Ryan said.

"Did he gloat?"

"No, actually," Ryan said. "Hey Espo, think he's getting sick of playing Cops and Robbers with us?"

"Who Castle? Nah, bro. He loves us."

They were giving her shit, and maybe she deserved, but what was she supposed to do? Apologize? She wasn't the one who said it and it was insulting to her, too. And they didn't need to know that she just had a pretty bad, still-not-entirely-resolved fight with her boyfriend about his lack of respect for her job.

Beckett knew she had to do something to make it up to them. Case of beer? No, couldn't be that obvious. That was too much acknowledgement…like admitting she'd done something wrong. Less paperwork? But that meant more for her. Ah, they could take the lead on the next interrogation. "Bring her in. You guys can question her."

"I'm going to see Lanie. And I still want to interview Stagstad."

Lanie was emptying the equipment sterilization machine and scanning new stock into inventory. She glanced up at Kate, but kept on working. Kate waited a few moments.

"Are you mad at me, too?"

Lanie sighed and finally stopped what she was doing. She wasn't mad, she was just…disappointed?

"How was your lunch?"

"You tell me." Kate sounded irritated.

Lanie gave Kate a don't-start-with-me look. "It was fine. Next time, go with the beef and broccoli. I like it better."

"There isn't going to be a next time."

Lanie's eyes widened with glee. "Did you finally break up with Motorcycle Boy?"

"No, geez, Lanie." Kate looked down. "But we fought. And he asked me to go on vacation with him."

"Before or after you fought?"

Kate scoffed. "We were fighting the whole time, he just didn't know it." Check your mouth, Kate.

Lanie didn't say anything for a bit, she just kept putting labels on her new test tubes. She was giving Kate time to decide whether she really wanted to have this conversation in her agitated state. Kate didn't leave so she finally asked, "Vacation, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"South Africa."

"He's leaving again isn't he?"

"Zimbabwe. For three weeks. He leaves next Saturday. Gets back on Castle's birthday."

"Great. So he can still go with you to Castle's party. Happy Birthday, Castle." Kate wondered if she even bothered holding her sarcasm in check.

"What? Why do you always take his side?"

"I'm not taking anybody's side." Lanie was getting exasperated. "Why are you so worked up? Did you not get to finish your fight? Come in here lookin' to pick one with me?"

Kate sank down in her chair. That's exactly what she'd been doing and Lanie called her on it. Really, she'd wanted a go at Castle. Sometimes he was so sweet and other times she imagined things would be absolutely ferocious between them. Wait? Why was she thinking like that? How could this make her want him? And why was she having such difficulty forming linear thoughts? Kate dropped her head into her hands and let her fingers scrape her scalp.

"Why'd he do it, Lanie?" Kate asked quietly, with her head still in her hands. She looked up. "If you're so convinced he wants to be with me, why does he push me away like that? I didn't even want to go to lunch. Now I'm mad, you're mad. The boys are mad at me. Josh is. And Castle's either mad or sulking or both."

"I'm sure it wasn't just one thing."

"Well, what then?"

"Let me ask you this. We ate lunch in the break room…no files, very little shop talk. I have a feeling that if it were me, or your dad or Alexis, you'd have been free for lunch." She watched Kate's expression, knowing she was right. "So what red-blooded woman does not want to have lunch with her extremely hot, finally free, cardiac surgeon boyfriend?"

Kate didn't answer.

"So here's what I think. Work is an excuse. Another roadblock. Or, and I think this might be more on par, you didn't want Castle to have to see you with him?"

Kate leaned back in the chair. She could feel that burn in her nose that she'd get when tears threatened. Why did it have to be so complicated? She'd given herself a shot a happiness with Josh. Hadn't she? She was happy with Josh. Wasn't she? Yes, but mostly happy with the way things were. She was happy to not have the pressure, to have control. How is that diving in? But then Josh said "I love you." He couldn't possibly love her. Could he? Could Castle? Castle promises her "always," and, mostly, she believes it. But to what does 'always' extend? She keeps wondering if she should break up with Josh. But is that fair? Maybe it is because she's not really upset about her fight with Josh, but Castle has got her heart all amiss. What she needs is time. I need time to think.

"Maybe I do need a vacation," Kate mused out lout, not really thinking.

Lanie was a bit shocked because she didn't think that was the way Kate was leaning. She shook her head. It's gonna hurt when he walks away, Kate. More than before.

Castle was rummaging around in his desk drawer looking for his blue edit pen. He went through a lot of paper, but he always preferred looking at complete and near-complete versions on paper. He liked to lay it out, look it over all at once. Plus, he just liked the feel of pen and paper.

He knew Kate would think he left because he was mad, because, really, when does he miss out on an interrogation if he doesn't have to? And Kate would be right, in part. He was angry, but mostly at himself. He promised himself he wouldn't push her. He'd just be there for her when she needed him. If she was happy, even if she was just pretending to be happy, he was going to let her be. He wasn't strong enough to walk away. He tried that once when he left her to Demming's care, but life had just been an echo of existence.

He couldn't do that again. It was better to be with Kate, than without. But, seeing her with Josh—who was sitting in his chair—in that moment, Kate's failure to see what was between them, to admit that Dr. Motorcycle Boy wasn't what she wanted or needed enraged him. He could see she wasn't happy, and not just about Josh being there at the precinct. Why couldn't she?

In his rapacious flare-up, Rick wanted to force feed her the witch's brew she'd crafted, and ask her 'How's it taste?" But the desire to do anything that would cause Kate pain was fleeting, and immediately regretted. He knew the truth: he wanted her, all of her, and he didn't want to share. He never wanted to hurt her, though he knew he had. He would do anything for her. She needed to trust that, even if, in a momentary lapse in judgment, he had a lousy way of showing it.

With a plan to make amends, Rick focused on editing his latest addition to the Nikki Heat series.

The precinct seemed louder than normal when Castle walked in, coffees in hand. He also grabbed a bear claw today—part of his K.I.S.S. amends: coffee, bear claw, apology. Beckett was at her murder board, not seeming to notice the extra people and noise.

Castle passed Ryan on his way to Kate.

"What's going on in here?"

"Narcotics busted a prostitution ring. Needed extra interrogation rooms. Choufani's team's helping out with the investigation. Coufer thinks one of 'ems got to know about the murder of that Asian girl a few months ago…what was her name?"

"Sammie Carr."

"How do you do that?" Ryan asked.

"What?"

"Remember all their names?"

"It's a gift." Castle said smugly.

Esposito walked over, with Lanie in tow. "Dude, she was found in a car with Quiznos Sammies wrappers on the floor. How do you not remember that?"

"Yeah. There's that, too." Castle sniggered, looking over to Kate with a sorrowful, yearning expression.

"Good luck," Lanie whispered to him, lightly patting his arm. She loved Kate, but she had a new-found sympathy for Writer Boy. She'd lost a lot of money the last couple of months betting in his favor, even when she was sure she was going to lose.

Castle walked up beside Kate. He didn't bother offering her the coffee right away. She'd just ignore it if she was still mad at him. Kate knew he was there. She'd known he was there almost immediately. His footsteps leading into the bullpen only confirmed what she sensed. They thought she was concentrated on the murder board, but really she was focused on Castle and what she wanted to say to him. She'd left the morgue yesterday feeling defeated. Exhausted. Sapped of her will to fight and be mad at Castle. That didn't mean she would back down if he started up, but she really hoped he didn't.

Kate turned to look at him, going straight for his eyes. Even in her heels she had to look up just slightly. She first noticed the bags under his eyes, making him look older and worn out. His blue eyes are darker than normal. She missed that glint in his eyes that she sees so often when she closes her own at night.

Castle was staring back at her, wanting to say something, but not really knowing what. Instead he examined her eyes which could be so expressive. He knows she can hide behind them, but she also takes so much in. She sees so much without even seeming to. He's always been impressed with Kate's ability to direct people and make demands with just her eyes.

They don't pay any attention to the audience that's standing there wondering if Mom and Dad are going to fight again. They're too busy assessing whether or not the other is still mad. Castle can see she's hardened, but from the way she's scrutinizing him, he suspects it had to do with not knowing how he feels, whether he's still angry. He stops staring so intently and lets his jaw slacken and his eyes soften.

Kate sees the moment he gives. She relaxes in response, but maintains eye contact. Her shoulders which were held back tightly in apprehension roll forward just a little. She rolled her head just a bit, letting loose the neck muscles that were taut with pride.

Castle grinned at her, spark back in his eye. Kate half smiled then, and reached for her coffee, before leaning on her desk. Castle sidled up next to her giving her a shoulder bump which she returned. Behind them, Ryan, Lanie and Esposito let out a collective sigh.

"So, what have we got?" Castle asked.

"Running two cases. Your phone number connection from yesterday turned out correct. We still don't know who killed Laura Dansk, but we at least know that each of our two primary suspects are connected. Through Liz Brunette, Drew Brunette's mother. Ryan and Esposito interviewed her yesterday. She claims Dansk was cheating on her son with Michaels, and that she called him to try to convince him to stop."

"Was money part of her powers of persuasion arsenal?"

"Yeah. But she says he wouldn't take it. Need to question Michaels and Brunette again today."

"And the Hamelin case?"

"Stagstad claims he didn't know our vic. I've got Ryan and Esposito tracking down evidence to the contrary. We'll question him again after we have it."

"So, what now?"

"We're going to talk to Michaels and Brunnette."

"You're not bringing them in?"

"Nah, want to catch them on home turf."

"'Kay. Ready when you are."

"Bathroom. Then we'll go."

Beckett left Castle where he was, still looking over the murder board. Castle heard his phone start ringing.

Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl

He pulled out his phone, but there was no picture of Alexis. He looked around and saw Kate's phone dancing and bright with Alexis' picture. Why was his daughter calling Kate? He picked up the phone and answered, just as Beckett was coming back into the bullpen.

"Alexis?"

"Dad?"

"Yeah. It's me."

"Dad, why are you answering Kate's phone? You know she's gonna kill you."

Beckett walked to her desk seeing Castle holding his phone in one hand and talking on another. She glanced quickly to her desk and then yelled, "Castle!"

"Told you." Alexis said.

"What are you doing?"

"Your phone. It was ringing."

"Phones sometimes do."

"It was Alexis."

"Calling me. Not you. You don't answer my phone."

"You stole my ring tone."

"No. You sent it to me."

"I thought it was my phone."

"Clearly it's not. Give me my phone, Castle." She was holding out her hand expectantly. "Now."

"Just let me say 'hi'."

Castle had pocketed his phone, so Beckett reached for his now unoccupied hand.

"Phone now, Castle."

"Hold your horses."

Kate dug her thumb nail into the cuticle of his thumb nail, applying enough pressure to get his attention. She knew this simple move could bring a grown man to his knees. Maybe not as effective as a foot to the family jewels, but more discreet.

Castle yelped. Beckett smirked, and increased the pressure. "Phone."

"Ah!" Castle's body twisted in pain. Beckett increased the pressure again.

"Apples! Apples!" he cried, relinquishing the phone. "Damn, Beckett. Show a little mercy next time."

"I did. And no 'next time.' Don't answer my phone," Kate answered while pulling the phone to her ear. "Hey, Alexis. What's up?"

"I told him he was going to get hurt. Whadya do to him?"

"Cuticle pinch. Very effective. I'll teach it to you sometime."

She didn't bother shooing Castle away while she talked to Alexis. She knew it was just to confirm plans for helping her get ready for prom. She was coming early to help Alexis work on her piece for Castle, but he didn't know that. She was looking forward to both aspects.

Castle eavesdropped unabashedly, adoring Kate all the more.

So what do you think? I hope you're enjoying this. I know some of you will express frustration at Josh still being in the picture, but please realize everyone else—Kate included—is too. She may be slow to make a decision, but it will be worth it. This is, after all, a love story.

Love to know your thoughts…and if you have ideas! Thanks! And Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there—and the men and women who support and love them!