Author's note: At the risk of popping out a spoiler, this chapter definitely has an adult theme, and as such shouldn't be read by younger people without a parent checking to see if it's too mature for them, first.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Jeremy doesn't know it but I stole the Gift."

"What's the Gift?"

"I can't tell you. He'll kill you."

"Where's my diamond, Writer?"

"I don't have it…"

"I want that rock, Writer!"

The pain was excruciating, and he tried to jerk free, but the ropes that held him were firm.

"He'll kill you…" the feminine voice said. "He'll kill both of us."

"Where's my diamond, Writer?"

"I don't know."

"I hid it. Jeremy will kill me if he finds out I took it."

"What is it?"

"A secret."

"Where is it?"

"I can't tell you." There was a nervous giggle. "It's like 'Amorous Giants'."

"What?"

"Where's my diamond?"

The blow fell and he jerked again, pain making his mind numb and his breathing falter.

"I don't know."

"Where is it, Castle?"

"I don't have it!"

"Where is it!"

"Hey…"

"I don't know…"

"Castle?"

"I don't know…"

"Rick… wake up…"

"I don't-"

"Rick, hey… I'm here."

His eyes snapped open as he realized that the voice belonged to Kate Beckett. Still wrapped in the throes of the nightmare – and the pain that had accompanied it – he tried to wrestle away from the hand that was holding him, but it held him firm.

"No…"

"Castle, wake up."

"Kate?"

"I'm here."

"I don't know where it is."

"I know. It's okay."

As close as she was to him, she couldn't miss the way he trembled and she ran her hand along his arm, trying to steady him.

"They think I know where the Gift is," he told her, still caught up in the dream – although her hand was reassuring and her body was warm against him.

"You don't have to worry about them," Kate reminded him, pulling his head down to hug him. "They're gone."

He closed his eyes, his forehead resting against her shoulder, but he shuddered, again, and he felt her arms tighten around him.

"It was so real…"

"I know." Beckett kissed his cheek. "I'm here, though, and they're not."

He turned his head in her embrace, and she pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth, trying to reassure him. He opened his eyes, suddenly awake and very aware of her close proximity. Her lips were right there, and the temptation was far beyond what he could resist. He turned his head, just a little, and kissed her fully on the mouth.

Beckett was startled. Not by the kiss – she'd just kissed him, after all, so she wasn't surprised by that – but by the wave of heat that surged through her at the contact. It was electric and irresistible and everything that a kiss should be. Her hand stilled on his arm, but she didn't pull away. Castle pressed closer, his lips opening and his tongue searching, and at the same time his hand sliding along her side until he reached the hem of her shirt and the waistband of the sweats she'd gone to bed wearing. He opted to go up, and as she deepened the kiss his hand slid up under her shirt, pulling fabric up as he went and baring skin that he was eager to feel. She helped him, pulling away only long enough to bring her arms up and bare herself from the waist up.

He murmured his appreciation as she pressed against him again and his mouth left her lips to nuzzle her neck, then her shoulder and then lower and Beckett gasped in pleasure at the contact. Castle was eager, now, and while his mouth was teasing her upper body, his hand was already sliding under her waistband, taking hold of the only fabric still covering her. He pulled and again Beckett helped him, well aware that he wasn't going to be able to undress her by himself. She used her legs to kick the clothes off without losing the contact they had, and as soon as she was as naked as he was, his hand slid along her though and then used the grip to pull her leg up and over his thigh, bringing the two of them even closer.

Her hand went down between them, found what she was looking for and started to stroke him, much as she had only a few days before. He groaned and caught her lips in another heated kiss before he shifted, pushing her hand away from him and testing her with his fingers before pressing against her.

"Kate?" he whispered, his lips touching hers tenderly. "Please…"

She realized he was asking her for permission, even in the height of excitement. She might have hesitated, but there was no reason to. She wanted him. He wanted her. His medication was worn off enough that he wasn't acting in a drug-induced haze and hers had never been potent enough to keep her from thinking clearly. Beckett arched against him, just as eager as he was, and felt him respond to that silent reply with a thrust that made them both gasp.

Castle held still for just a moment, lingering in her internal grasp and enjoying the most intimate of embraces with her. Her lips caught his and she moved against him, impatiently. He groaned as she forced his pleasure, and started thrusting, slowly at first so she could catch the rhythm and then more as their mutual excitement built. His hand went down between them, caressing her and Beckett gasped again as an explosion of pleasure surged through her unexpectedly, sending her over the edge. He joined her only moments later, too eager to hold back even if he could have – which, when it came to her, he couldn't. He grunted as he climaxed, and clung to her, shuddering again, but this time for a completely different reason than the nightmare that had originally woken him.

Beckett held him closely, her body coming down off the high and feeling completely drained. She slumped against him and he shifted to get her back into a more comfortable position beside him, his arms still around her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," she whispered, her forehead against his chest and her eyes closing of their own volition. "It was…"

Castle waited, but she didn't finish the sentence. He nudged her, gently.

"Kate?"

The only answer was silence, and he wasn't sure whether to be amused or annoyed. She'd fallen asleep! Of course, he'd woken her out of a sound sleep, so he supposed it was only understandable. But still…

He reached down and pulled the blankets up over them, making sure she was warmly covered and then shifted again, trying to keep from waking her but at the same time finding that he was beginning to ache a little, now that he wasn't focusing on her or the nightmare he'd had. Castle sighed, relaxing despite the gentle throbbing in his face and arms. She was warm beside him and her bare skin was touching his, a reminder of their intimacy. He slid his hand along her side until he was cupping her breast and then drifted off to sleep, too.

This time, there were no nightmares.