The drive back to the safe house was quiet. When they got into the car Castle closed his eyes almost immediately, and Beckett assumed that he had a headache – or that he was tired, since he'd slept so little the night before. She could relate; she was feeling the effects of his rough night, too, and had to admit – to herself anyway – that she was glad to be excused from anything else for the rest of the day. Just to make sure, though, she reached over and touched his leg to get his attention without startling him. When he opened his eyes and looked over at her, she didn't see him wince as he might have if his head was hurting him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." He gave her a slight smile, as though to reassure her.

"Tired?"

"A little." Castle sighed. "I was trying to remember the cab ride. I figured we're in a car, the cab is a car, maybe…"

He trailed off, but he didn't need to explain himself beyond that. She knew what he was talking about.

"No luck, though?"

"No. I have this blank spot," he said. "I know something is supposed to be there, but every time I try to focus on it, nothing happens."

"Maybe you're trying to hard," she suggested. "You've remembered a few things – and usually when you're not thinking about it. Take a break. We'll have lunch and forget about what you can't remember."

He didn't look completely convinced, but she knew from his expression that he was considering what she said, and that was good enough. She knew she was right, after all.

They drove the rest of the way in companionable silence, and again she parked the car inside the garage and only let him open his door when the garage door was closed.

"What are you hungry for?" she asked as they entered the kitchen.

"Montgomery was going to order pizza…"

Beckett shook her head.

"We don't get deliveries at safehouses. It would defeat the entire purpose…"

He'd expected it, but it had been worth a shot. With a slight shrug, Castle headed for the fridge.

"What did you have in mind, Detective?"

"We have soup."

"I'm not sick."

"Soup isn't only for when a person is sick."

"Chicken noodle soup is the first thing a person is given when they have a cold," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes at that.

"There are other kinds of soup."

"Is there tomato?"

"Yes."

"We could have soup and sandwiches, then. Grilled cheese and tomato soup."

"Sounds good. Rock paper scissors?"

He smiled and shooed her away.

"I'll make it."

"You sure? I could."

"You find us something to do the rest of the day besides spy on the neighbors."

Beckett knew that most of the safehouses tended to be stocked with board games and cards; the kind of activities for just such a need. Sitting around doing nothing could be very stressful when all you had to think about was what could be going wrong. It wasn't quite the same in Castle's case, but they were both used to being more active, so they'd definitely need to find something to keep them occupied.

By the time the smell of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup began to permeate the kitchen and living room, Beckett had gathered a few different board games, a deck of cards, and a 1000 piece puzzle that was a picture of a mountain with forests in the background and a complex meadow in the fore. Castle brought over bowls, saucers, and utensils and lit up when he saw the puzzle.

"I haven't done a puzzle in years," he murmured, his eyes warm.

"But you like them?" She had a feeling she knew the answer, even before he nodded.

"I'm a mystery writer. Of course I like puzzles. You?"

Beckett's smile was just as sincere.

"I'm a detective. It's what I do."

He gestured for her to have a seat and brought over a platter with far too many grilled cheese sandwiches on it. Then he filled both of their bowls with soup from the kettle on the stove.

"Hungry?" she asked, amused, as he sat down and reached for one of the sandwiches. He'd cut them in half, so it was easy to dunk into his soup.

"A good grilled cheese is not to be denied, Kate," he told her, stuffing the dipped end into his mouth. "Eat before it gets cold."

They ate in silence – mainly because they both hated talking with their mouths full if they could avoid it – and to her surprise they polished off all the sandwiches and a fair amount of the soup before they were full. She'd noticed while they were eating that Castle kept looking at the puzzle, obviously already trying to do it in his head, and when she was sure he was done, she got up and took his dishes before he could.

"Wipe down the table, Castle," she suggested. "Then get the puzzle ready while I do the dishes."

He grinned and got up, carrying the dishes that she couldn't and grabbing a wet washcloth from the sink after depositing the dishes on the counter.

"They can wait, you know…"

Beckett shrugged.

"I'll do them now so they're easy. It won't take long."

He didn't argue with her, and as she filled the sink with soapy water she watched him wipe the table off and dry it down and then reach for the box and dump the puzzle pieces out onto the now clean surface.

"I don't recall seeing any puzzles at your place," he said as he started flipping all the pieces upside right so they'd be easier to place.

"It's been a while," she admitted. She smiled over at him. "Besides, you haven't seen everything in my place."

"Good point."

Beckett finished the dishes before he finished getting all the pieces flipped upside right. He held one up as she moved her chair so she'd be sitting beside him instead of across from him.

"My mother had a puzzle when I was a kid," he told her. "It was two-sided, and on one side the picture was a huge jumble of different dice."

"And the other side?"

"Coins. All sizes, colors and kinds. It was mind-boggling. I spent almost an entire winter working on it."

"Did you finish it?"

He nodded.

"Only to find that there were a few pieces missing."

Beckett chuckled, and looked at all the pieces that were strewn in front of them.

"Do you want to count them, first?" she asked. "Just to make sure?"

Castle smiled, feeling pretty good all things considered. She was right; doing something other than worrying was definitely making him feel less afloat.

"I think we can chance it, this time."