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The last minutes of hour 41

Ok, so challenging Castle to earn the right to kiss me might have been my greatest idea so far… waking up with his arms around me today was great, but waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and homemade cookies is definitely my third favorite way to wake up. I'm quite sure waking up to him kissing me will be the greatest way to wake up, that's why, even if it hasn't happened yet, heavenly smelling things is only third. Though it comes really close to slowly coming back to feeling his arms around me.

"Hey there sleepy head. Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Haha. Ok, I was just thinking how nice it is to wake up to things that smell amazing, but to realize that your creepy staring was probably the reason why I woke up in the first place evokes all sorts of different feelings, most of them not really good ones…just so you know…"

"Oh now Kate! We both know you've come to love my creepy staring, why lie about it?"

"I might have grown into it, but claiming I love it is pushing it a bit. Besides, the really creepy thing is the fact that you can actually summon me from my sleep just by staring creepily at me."

"Let's agree to disagree on the fact that I find that comforting."

"Ok, whatever. So… are you actually going to feed me those delicious smelling cookies or they are just a cover up to burning down the house or something?"

"I am actually going to feed you some cookies. And some coffee. And anything else you might want or need…"

"Whatever to get the right to keep kissing me?"

"Something like that… Although, you did say today that if I wanted to kiss you all I had to do was to actually do so, so this whole challenge should be illegal or something…"

"Yeah? Who you gonna call to file the complaint? Bob-my-personal-friend-the-mayor?"

"No, but I could call your dad and ask for some advice to get you all mushy and friendly again… I bet he'd be more than willing to share some dirty little secret from your darker-teenager years in the meantime…"

"Not winning any extra points here Castle…Bring me some of those cookies if you want to actually do some kissing at all before the day is over!"

"And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay in bed and allow you to take care of me…wasn't that what you wanted to do in the first place?" That shuts him up, subsequently sending him to what I assume is the kitchen to fetch me some cookies. My whole body is doing a happy dance with anticipation. I'm suddenly starving and the whole idea of eating homemade cookies that Castle cooked for us is suddenly a good reason to get excited. I mean, who wouldn't! I woke up to the smell of something Richard Castle, mystery writer extraordinaire, made for me. I know I should be over the whole I've met my favorite author and he once gave me an advance copy of his next book thing, but I guess I'm childish. Really, how many people actually get that lucky? When he signed my copy of one of his books all those years ago I felt so important. And when I arrested him the first time I felt disappointed. Now? Now I feel honored to know he based three books on me. Don't you ever tell him that!I feel cherished, and respected and loved. And I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Oh my God Kate! Are you even listening to what you're saying? You, who's been an independent woman for the past 15 years suddenly sees herself as some man's girl?

Yes I do! But don't you dare tell him that, Inner Voice!

Oh, really mature! Talking to your Inner Voice and forbidding her to tell the truth about the fact that you, too, can be a nine year old from time to time!

Sure, fine, whatever! I'm a nine year old sometimes! But that doesn't mean I'll allow her to come out and play in public! That's for me to know and, in the worst case scenario, for him to find out.

You do realize he'd love that right? The whole playful side of Kate Beckett would pretty much make some of his greatest fantasies come true…

That still doesn't mean I have to tell him about the existence of such side…

No, you don't have to TELL him about it… You could always just SHOW him…

And what do you suggest we do?

"KATE!" His voice yells.

"What, Castle? Are you trying to give me a heart attack!"

"No, but I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes! What were you thinking about?"

"Sorry, can't tell…"

"Then sorry, can't share…"

"Then sorry, you won't get no kiss today!"

"Ok, ok, you win. Here are your cookies and here is your coffee. Am I allowed to keep you company?"

"Don't pretend to be all doubtful about it! You keeping me company is the fastest way, at least today, to get something from me!"

"Is that so Miss Beckett?"

"Yes it is Mr Castle. So what do you say? Would you like to climb into this wonderfully soft bed with me and share some coffee and cookies my boyfriend just got off the oven?"

"Oh he did, didn't he?"

"Yep… you see, his thoughtful like that. Always thinking of ways to keep me happy."

"Does he? Make you happy I mean?"

"He makes me the happiest girl in town. We share this beautiful relationship. It took us years to get to where we're now, but I wouldn't change a thing of our shared life's together. Which makes me wonder why am I inviting you to his bed…"

"Maybe because I remind you of him?"

"Can't really say I see how you could… I mean, he's well mannered, patient, extremely good with words and he's so ruggedly handsome that sometimes I need to get my claws out to keep the girls off of him."

"If you get jealous over mindless blond bimbos then your relationship mustn't be as steady as you claim it to be…"

"Oh trust me Mr. Castle. It is. You see, he's my one and done, and we both know it."

"Really? Are you getting married? Has he proposed to you?"

"No, not yet. He knows I'm not ready, and he understands, but he will, someday."

"He sound like a really good catch. Maybe I should meet him…"

"Maybe you should…"He's looking at me with what can only be described as a predatory look. That only seems fair, since I want to ravish him right know too. I guess role playing is something we'll have to explore in the near future…Though I'm sure that being just us would be enough for quite some time. Four years of foreplay can do that to a relationship I guess… "Not that I'm complaining, because trust me, I'm not, but I could really use some down time with him right now, so maybe you should make yourself invisible? I don't want to have to explain this to him…" And with that, he carefully sets the tray he was caring over the bedside table and leans down to kiss me. It's almost as if he was worried anything of what I just said could ever be true. So, once he lets go of my mouth, I make sure he's looking right into my soul and I state: "I love you. Only you and for who you are. For the way you're with Alexis, your mother, the guys, my dad and me. But above everything, I love the person I AM when I'm with you. So trust me Castle, none of it could ever be true. You're stuck with me forever partner, so don't you ever worry."

"It goes both ways Kate." He gives me a tender peck on the lips as if to seal a promise. "So… would you like some cookies?"

"Sound good to me. But wait, don't sit just yet… how about some Monopoly with our afternoon snack?"