A/N: Yeah, 4 months - no excuse, except that the muse was gone, completely gone. But then 'Watershed' happened and I got a bit of a kick-start. I had great difficulty with this chapter and changed a lot of things. But here it is. It feels a little rusty, but hopefully it will get things moving along again.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Marlowe, you magnificent bastard. Is it September yet?

Chapter 58 - A book like this

Her head was going to burst.

The pressure was brimming behind her eyes and pulsing throughout her skull. Kate closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly. It was late and she was exhausted. Come to think of it, she was constantly tired the last few weeks.

Maybe it was time for a break.

She lifted her head and focused her eyes on the whiteboard again. Okay, so they had time of death, cause of death and they had the murder-

"Hey."

Kate startled and whipped around, colliding with her husband's broad frame. "God, Castle," she breathed, a hand clutched to her chest.

He grinned and wrapped a hand around her arm, pulling her closer. "Scared you, huh?"

"No," she huffed before pressing a quick kiss against his mouth. "What are you doing here? Where's Lizzy?"

"I thought I'd bring you some dinner. And Lizzy is with my mother - give us some time to catch up."

She rewarded him with a leisured tilt of her mouth, her tongue caught between her smiling teeth. She stepped closer, sliding her hand underneath the sleeve of his black coat, her fingers dancing across his wrist.

He looked - and smelled - delicious.

"Sounds good," she murmured with a muted tip of mouth. "I'm starving."

Castle laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Kate wrapped her fingers around his larger ones and and pulled him along after her to the break room.

"So? How's the investigation going?" He asked, pulling out the homemade lasagne.

She sagged back against the counter and weaved a hand through her hair. "It's frustrating." She dropped her head and sighed. "Just when we think here's the break that's needed, we get screwed."

He beckoned her closer, handing her a plate. "So, the best friend is a dead-end?"

"Thanks," she said, sitting down. "Yeah, she has a solid alibi."

"Oh. Damn. Back to square one then?"

She pursed her lips. "Well, from what we gathered from her family, she's had a stalker for a few months now. So, I've sent out the boys to canvass the neighbours again to see if they've noticed someone hanging around. Hopefully they'll find something."

"Mm, okay. That's progress at least." He slid up next to her, a hand falling to her back, caressing up to the base of her neck.

He's been very touchy in the last couple of weeks.

"Can't wait to get you home, Mrs. Castle," he murmured, his mouth next to her ear.

She swallowed hard, dinner momentarily forgotten. "Oh yeah? You got plans for me?"

"You have no idea," he whispered, nuzzling his nose in behind her ear, her jaw cradled in between his fingers. "When we get home," he continued, his lips ghosting across the shell of her ear. "I'm going to strip you very, very slowly and then-"

"Get a room," Esposito's voice boomed, shattering their little bubble of intimacy.

They jerked apart and saw the boys standing by the break room entrance, both wearing disgusted expressions.

"Look, we know you guys are trying again-" Kate whipped up to glare at her husband. He only shrugged. In the last couple of months he's been having some of the best sex of his life.

He had to brag a little.

"-but can you please keep it out of the place where we eat," Ryan complained with a mock scowl.

"Says the man who helped conceive his twins in Central Park," Kate shot back.

Ryan's eyes almost popped out of his head, his mouth falling open in shock. "What-? How-? Jenny told you about that?!" He squeaked.

Kate lifted a sculpted eyebrow. "Your wife and I are close." Esposito guffawed at the expense of his partner. She turned her attention to the Hispanic detective.

"And don't forget that Lanie's my best friend, Espo. I know things about you. . . Latin Lover." The smirk quickly sunk away, only leaving narrowed eyes in its wake. She could swear his cheeks were pinker than usual.

When Kate turned her attention back to her husband, she wasn't met by smiling eyes or a grinning mouth, but rather concern and a hint of panic.

"Please tell me that you didn't share any details with Lanie and Jenny on how our daughter was conceived. Or any other pieces of intimate knowledge."

"Don't worry, Castle, I play it close to the chest." Her mouth curled into a devilish grin. "Besides, I only share the good things you do to me."

"Oh, hell no. I'm out," Esposito spat, before turning around and stalking off, appetite suddenly forgotten.

Ryan looked between them, his mouth stitched in severe line, his brow pulled downward.

"You two make me sick." He shivered and turned around. Before he got far, however, he swiveled back. "Oh, Beckett, before I forget - we got a hit on our stalker."

She stood up, all business now. "Yeah? What'd you got?"

"Name's Josh Dellande - he's a co-worker. And he's got a record."

She nodded, a sense of satisfaction, of progress flowing through her veins.

"Good. Do you have an address on him?"

"Uh, yeah," Epso called out from behind his desk. "A place in Queens."

Kate checked her watch - 21:56 pm. Damn. "Alright, it's late. Let's pick him up in the morning and bring him in for questioning."

Ryan gave a nod. "Will do, Beckett."

"First thing in the morning," Esposito added, pulling his jacket off the back of the chair.

"Night guys."

"See you. Ciao," Esposito hollered.

Ryan shrugged on a jacket and gave them a little wave, his partner waiting for him.

"Night Mom, Dad," the Irish detective called out cheekily before disappearing behind the elevator doors.

Kate rolled her eyes and Castle let out a bellowing laugh. He turned back to his wife - tired and watching him with a gentle, clear expression.

He reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing the soft skin just underneath her eye. Her eyes fluttered close, the dark sweep of her eyelashes kissing the top of his thumb.

"You ready to go?"

She leaned into his palm, her hand coming up to encircle his wrist. After a few moment, her eyes opened again. She pressed her mouth against his, soft and pliable.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

She checked again, just to be certain. You never know - that cop bitch could have someone surveilling her.

Good, no one was watching her.

She adjusted the awkward-looking black wig on her head and darted across the street. It wasn't difficult figuring out where he lived. Or to keep tabs on her. Her hands were shaking with a combination of adrenaline and excitement as she pulled the manila folder out of her bag. Nikki took a steadying breath and pushed the file into the gaping mouth of the post box.

Surely, this would get his attention.

Kate really tried to stay awake.

She really did. And it was not because of her husband's lack of trying. She was just exhausted. After his third attempt to seduce her out of tiredness, Castle relented with a soft chuckle and a kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep, Kate."

She struggled vainly against the tentacles of exhaustion. Damn it, she wanted him. Badly.

One last time.

"No, wait." She wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling his body back on top of hers, every curve and bump aligning delightfully.

"I want to."

Kate was pleased to see the darkening of his eyes again and to feel the way his hands flexed around her hips. Good. He was as affected as she was.

Castle swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Honey, you're exhausted and you have a long day tomorrow."

The detective answered by draping her leg around his hip, her foot digging into his thigh.

"I want to make a baby with you, Castle," she breathed, pushing up and rotating her pelvis against his. He grunted and dropped his head to her chest, exhaling harshly.

The appeal to his virility brought out his inner caveman every time.

Kate slowly scratched her nails up his naked back before gently massaging the base of his neck, moving her hands over his head and sliding her fingers into his hair. He lifted his face to her again, eyes nearly black with arousal. She dug her foot into his calf and rolled her hips against his. Castle reacted by roughly grabbing her thigh and hoisting her leg up to wrap around his middle.

"Eyes open, Beckett," he growled, his voice like a rough edge, vibrating right down into her bones. He drove his lips onto hers, drinking her moan and soothing the burning desire of her mouth with his tongue.

Oh, yes, definitely open.

Everything unlocked and exposed.

He was out cold. Splayed on his stomach, hair mussed, drooling all over his pillow. Gross, but kinda cute too. A smile curved her mouth as she watched him. She leaned down and brushed her fingers across his eyebrow and over his cheek.

"Castle," she murmured softly, careful not to scare him to wakefulness. His flying limbs can be quite dangerous. "Castle," she said louder.

He groaned and turned his face away from her. Kate chuckled and pressed her body across his back, peppering his jaw and cheek with kisses.

"Castle, wake up."

He growled and flipped onto his back, eyes opening slowly. "What's going on?"

She let out a single note of amusement. "Nothing, babe. Just, I gotta get to work."

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Time is it?"

Kate pursed her lips and darted her eyes pointedly to his lap. "Seven. Too early for Little Castle to be up it seems."

He stared at her in confusion for a moment. Little Castle- ?

Oh. . . oh.

"Wasn't so little last night," he muttered sourly, self-consciously pulling the sheet up to his stomach.

Kate laughed, combing her hand through his floppy, disheveled hair.

"Not what I meant. You didn't hear me complaining, did you Castle?"

"No, just a lot of moaning."

She laughed harder, rewarding him with a quick kiss; a happy, sloppy press of her mouth against his. Mm, Happy!Kate - the best kind. So soft and giving; not afraid any longer to let him see her.

All of her.

When she gets emotional watching some cheesy movie. Those days where she just walks around barefoot in a pair of ratty jeans and an oversized hoodie, her hair caught up in a messy ponytail. The times where she plays video games with him and gets really competitive. The nights when she watches over their sleeping daughter, guarding over her, keeping her safe.

"I gotta go," Kate said, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Really? But it's so early." He snatched her wrist and pulled her back into him, knocking his lips into hers for a bruising kiss.

Kate pulled away after a moment and wrinkled her nose, a smile flirting with her mouth. "Morning breath, Castle. And yes, I have to leave. They got a hit on our stalker."

He pouted, but released her. "'Kay. I'll try to stop by later for lunch."

"I'll call you," she replied, grabbing her coat and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She came back to brush a kiss across his forehead, her hand cradling the back of his head. "Love you."

"Love you too," he sighed, watching her walk away.

She swung around. "Oh and remember to pick up the mail, please. My dad sent us postcards."

"Okay, I will. Be safe."

Kate braced herself against the doorframe and offered him a muted smile.

"Always."

He stared at the photos, his forehead pulling down into a frown and unease rolling around in his stomach. He swept a shaky hand over the photo of a giggling Lizzy playing in the park with a grinning Kate watching in the background.

There were about twenty photos, varying dates and times - some were of his daughter and wife, some just of Kate. The focus of the surveillance seemed to be the detective. What was even more unsettling was the strange letter he had gotten with the photos. The deranged fan claimed that she was his true love and that Kate was just some. . . distraction.

A distraction that needed to be removed.

Rick dropped his head down into a waiting palm, rubbing the hand over his scalp, scraping his fingers through his hair. Sometimes he really hated his semi-celebrity status. He let out a laboured breath and, after a moment's hesitation, picked up his phone. He sat back and clenched his jaw, waiting for his call to be answered.

"Hello?"

"Jack, it's Rick Castle."

"Mr. Castle," the other man sounded surprised. "How may I help you?"

Castle got out of his chair, his features cast in shadows. "I need an upgrade on my private security - specifically for my wife and youngest daughter."

"That can be done, Mr. Castle. We just need to sit down and discuss the details."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, that's fine." He scrubbed a hand down his face, the crease in his forehead growing deeper. "Just. . . my wife can't find out about this."

A/N: Thank you for your patience, but the last few months I've just had no inspiration. I wrote bits and pieces, but it never felt right. This is the closest I've come to being satisfied with this chapter.

Apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes.

Title - from the Angus and Julia Stone song of the same name.