A/N: Thanks for the amazing response for the previous chapter! Every single review and PM put a smile on my face :) Happy Castle Monday!

A/N 2: Forgot to credit my betas! *smacks head* Anika & Iris, thanks again!

Chapter 5

"Castle, have you seen this?"

Kate's voice floated into the bathroom through the door that was slightly ajar. Pausing mid-shave, Rick asked, "Seen what, honey?"

He continued, shaving, expecting his wife in three, two-

"This." Kate pushed the door open, toast in one hand and a newspaper in the other. "Page Six," she elaborated, waving the offending article in his face, adding, "And don't honey me. Did you know about this?"

Castle smiled, putting down his razor and turning to his wife with a mildly amusing look on his face.

"Did that come in this morning?" he asked, gesturing at the article. When she nodded, he continued quickly, "Well, since I'm still in the bathroom, I think it's safe to say that I haven't seen it yet. And since I haven't seen it yet, I can't tell you if I know about it or not, detective."

Kate narrowed her eyes at him, taking in how the towel wrapped around his lower body hung low on his hips. "Are you patronizing me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. Her husband did not need to know how much his lack of clothing was affecting her.

His ego didn't need the boost, and besides, she was supposed to be mad. At someone. She isn't sure whom, but she vaguely remembers being mad at someone. If only her brain could stop getting distracted by her ruggedly handsome, towel-clad husband.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Detective Beckett," he murmured, pulling her closer by the ends of her button down shirt. His wife was going to court today, and she had dressed accordingly. "Now why don't you tell me what article's got you all worked up this morning?" he asked, noticing how her eyes just went another shade darker. Interesting.

Clearing her throat, Kate showed him the article. "It's some fluff piece about 'Third time lucky' and how you're 'Mr. Mom'," Kate told him, rolling her eyes and using air quotations.

"You're upset over the pictures," Castle surmised, intuitive enough to know what was really getting at her. There were a few pictures published along with the short excerpt, depicting Castle waiting in front of Arriana's school a few days ago. Another picture showed Castle fixing her hairclip, and a few of them walking down the street hand in hand.

"She's a minor! And I understand if they want to publish pictures from events, but this is at her school! I don't want the paparazzi invading our everyday lives. It's personal," Kate finished softly.

She didn't mention the nagging worry associated with the dangers of her occupation – after all, she had put many criminals behind bars throughout her years with the NYPD – and bringing it up would just send Rick's mind into overdrive. Besides, her mind didn't necessarily want to dwell on thoughts of bad things happening to her daughter.

"I'm sure it'll blow over soon, but I'll talk to Paula about it, okay?" Castle told her, dropping a kiss onto her forehead.

Kate hummed softly, offering him a bite from her toast. He took a small bite, understanding that Kate was still coming to grips with his lifestyle, which involved the limelight, and being out there in the public eye.

After a moment of solitude, he teased, "So, are there any other reasons as to why you're so worked up this morning?"

Kate pursed her lips and glared at him, keeping her eyes trained on his face. "Well, it might have something to do with my husband."

"Your husband?" Rick asked, faking ignorance as her hands trailed down his sides to where his towel hung, the article now lying forgotten on the counter.

Kate leaned in close to him, speaking breathily. "He's giving me a small problem."

"Small?"

Kate hooked her fingers in the band of his towel as she continued conversationally, "Yeah, you see," she said, tugging him closer, "I need to be in court today, so I can't run late."

"Don't have to be late, Kate," he said, leaning in for a kiss, his hand reaching for the trail of buttons down the front of her shirt.

"Good. Then you better wash off your shaving foam," she told him in a clear, no-nonsense voice, cutting through the haze of lust that was in the air just moments ago. Stepping back, she spun on her heel and headed out of the bathroom.

"So mean, Kate, so mean," Rick called out, earning a saucy grin and a wink thrown over Kate's shoulder as she sauntered away.

As it was, no one ran late that morning. Martha had agreed to drop Arriana off at school; so after a quick hug goodbye to both her parents, Arriana left hand in hand with her grandmother. Shortly thereafter, Rick and Kate departed for the courthouse.

It wasn't going to take long, so Rick had planned on waiting with Kate at the courthouse, before heading for the precinct together. Kate met up with Anthea from the deposition the other day, and Rick took that as his cue to hang back while they went through some last minute details.

However, there was a sudden change in the line up of witnesses to be brought forward, so Kate had to wait her turn. They didn't know how long it was going to take, so Kate sent him off to the precinct. Apparently the boys had gotten a new case and it was Beckett-flavored.

After getting through New York traffic, Castle arrived at the precinct just as Kate sent him a text saying she was up next, so her phone would be turned off. He wished her luck, glad that she didn't have to wait much longer.

Heading up to the homicide floor, he joined the boys who had just begun putting together the murder board. They gave him a quick rundown of the murder before Castle eagerly reached for the photographs of the crime scene.

"Whoa, he really was drawn and quartered! Disemboweled in a slaughterhouse – must've been convenient for the killer to have all those tools there already. Did you know, that in medieval times, a criminal was drawn, what we know as disembowelment, because it was believed that corruption dwelt in his heart and bowels. As you can imagine, it must have been very messy," Castle shared that little bit of knowledge.

"Man, why do you even know things like that?" Espo asked, pausing through his writing to shoot Castle a weird look.

"Mystery novelist, occupational hazard, research, need I say more?" Castle replied, shrugging. "Anyway, the organs would normally be thrown into a fire, so that it would be destroyed and purified. It's commonly the last thing criminals see before they die."

"Well, that's not the case for our John Doe," Ryan told him, tapping at a picture that he had just added to the board. The Irish detective continued, "The deceased had his brains blown out with a .357 magnum before he was drawn and quartered."

"So someone went through the hassle of removing his bowels and hacking his body to pieces after they shot him in the head?" Castle asked, his pitch rising as his excitement climbed.

"Like we said: Beckett-flavored," Ryan told him, frowning slightly.

If he caught on to the boys' slight remonstration, Castle ignored it. He stood up and began pacing in front of the murder board, unable to rein in his enthusiasm.

"It would make sense, actually. I mean, in this day and age, torture is rather frowned upon, but the killer maintained the essence of the execution. The whole point of the ritual was to humiliate, judge, and execute a criminal, stripping him of his integrity and identity, which I'd say, our killer accomplished. Blowing out his brains destroyed his face, which stripped away his identity, and being drawn and quartered in a slaughterhouse removed any traces of the victim's integrity. It's a really good modernization of the ritual!"

"Man, where's Beckett? You need to be put in time out or something. Bro, you do realize that normal people wouldn't be… be congratulating or praising the murderer on a job well done with their interpretation of the execution, right?" Esposito told him, looking warily at Castle.

Castle was spared having to answer that as his cell phone rang. Sliding the screen on his phone, Castle answered the call without checking to see who was calling. "Hello," he greeted cheerfully.

Ryan and Espo shook their heads, turning back to focus on the murder board once more. If Castle wasn't their friend, he'd probably have been picked up long ago by other cops as a person of interest in so many of the city's more interesting murders.

"Yes, Kate Beckett is my wife. Oh you couldn't reach her? She must still be in court. What is this regarding?" Castle asked, wondering what this phone call was about.

"What?! Where- How is she? Okay, and where are they sending her? Right, right, I'm heading over there now. Thanks."

"Everything alright there, Castle?" Ryan asked, hearing the worry in Castle's voice.

"I gotta go. Arriana's had an accident. Something about monkey bars and- " Castle broke off flustered, heading toward the elevator. "I need to go to the hospital. Keep trying Beckett's cell, will you? Get her to call me as soon as she can," he told them distractedly, jabbing the down button repeatedly.

"Will do, man," Espo told him grimly, but Castle barely paid attention to him. The elevator was taking way too long to get to the homicide floor. Castle made a half turn and headed for the stairwell, pushing open the doors and sprinting down the stairs.

Less than a minute later he was in a cab, on his way to Bellevue Hospital.

A/N: Keep the reviews coming! And don't hesitate to pester/bug me to make time to write the next chapter :) Come play with me on twitter: amandaOtweets