8

"How was it?" Lanie asked when Kate got home. Kate smiled.

"It was... fun. We're going to be great friends."

"Just friends?"

"I don't see how we could ever be anything more," Kate said as Lanie began to help her undress. Lanie tutted.

"But you know you feel more for him than that."

"No," Kate said firmly. "I've known him for two days. Which means I really don't know him. At all."

"Sometimes it's instant. It was for me."

"You and Javi grew together for years. You didn't just look at him and know."

"Who says I didn't?"

"But-"

"You're afraid, Kate. You don't want to let him in."

"I did."

"What?" Lanie gasped.

"I told him who I am. I told him who my parents were."

"What did he say?" her friend asked quietly.

"He.. He told me not to go. I wanted to leave but he held onto me and told me I mustn't. And I'm going there tomorrow as well. He promised never to tell a soul, to pretend he didn't know."

"So nothing has to change. Do you trust him?"

"I think so. But I... I don't know if I want something to change. I told him he should use my real name, that he should call me Beckett when we were alone."

Lanie smiled. "And yet you say you don't care for him as anything more than a friend?"

"Lanie! I told you who I was."

"After years of friendship, yes. And you couldn't really keep it from me, since we live together."

Kate sighed. "He practically worked it out on his own."

"So he's a detective, like you."

"I'm not a detective."

"Of course you are. You're not paid for it, but what you do... you're a detective more than anything else. And I think Sir Richard wants to be one too."

"No. Castle-"

"So it's Castle now?"

"Stop it, Lanie," Kate said, but she was smiling. Lanie smiled back.

"What are you doing with them tomorrow?"

"Fencing," Kate said, her smile widening to a grin. Lanie laughed.

"Then they're in for a big surprise. I hope you enjoy yourself."

"I'm sure I will. I have a feeling they're both good too."

"I don't doubt it. But you will be better."

Kate winked. "I usually seem to be."

"How do you think he feels about you?" Lanie suddenly reverted to the previous topic.

"I... I don't know. He likes me. We talked for hours. I think we'll be great friends."

"And he wants nothing more?" Lanie said sceptically.

"Why should he? There are some gentlemen in this world."

"Of course. Speaking of gentlemen – was Mr Davidson here last night?"

Kate sighed. "I knew you'd find out."

"There's no need to sigh. You do what you want. I won't judge you."

"He's leaving. Going to Africa."

"That's sad," Lanie said honestly. "Will you miss him?"

"I'll miss the company," Kate said. "Goodness that sounded cold," she added. "I mean... I will miss him, and I wish him all the best... but our feelings for each other were... We needed each other. We needed to be close to someone. We used each other, I suppose."

"I know," Lanie said gently. "You don't have to feel bad about it."

"I don't. I just feel... I like having someone."

"You could have Sir Richard."

Kate nodded. She knew she could if she wanted. "I don't want that kind of someone."

"What, ruggedly handsome, rich, famous but not too famous..?"

"No. I mean... I don't want to use him."

"Then this is far worse than I thought."

"What? Why?"

"If you really weren't beginning to lo-"

"Don't even say it, Lanie!"

"Fine. If you weren't beginning to care about him, you wouldn't think twice about getting him into bed."

"You make me sound awful."

"I don't mean to. I mean... But it's true, isn't it? Why do you want to be his friend, without any benefits?"

"I don't know... Because... Because he's to good for that. Because he's a wonderful father and a wonderful man and he's too good for me!"

Kate was suddenly almost hysterical. Lanie had been unfastening the back of her dress; she spun around and stared at her friend.

"He's too good for me," she said again.

Lanie pulled her into a hug.

"No he's not," she said gently. "He can... You told him, Kate. You told him because you care about him, because you want to be close to him. You're going to have a great time tomorrow and you're not going to write anything off. He doesn't think he's too good for you."

Kate allowed herself to be comforted. She went to bed still thinking about him. She couldn't not. She... he was just...

LINE

Kate gasped, her quick feet allowing her to dodge out of the way but only just. Richard laughed.

"You're good," he panted.

She jabbed her foil towards him again, moving it so quickly he barely saw it – yet he still managed to jump out of the way. Alexis laughed.

"You're teasing him," she said to Kate. Kate grinned.

"How do you know?" she called. Alexis was sitting at the side of the room.

"I just know," Alexis said happily. Kate sighed and did a complicated little jump which somehow disarmed Richard. She stood behind him with her foil to his throat.

"Okay, maybe I was teasing him a little bit."

She lowered her foil and patted Richard on the back.

"But you're very good. Really."

He was clearly embarrassed. He picked up his foil and glared at her.

"I was distracted. I want a rematch."

Kate grinned. "Sure."

They moved apart and bowed to each other. Alexis yelled "Fence," and their movements blurred into each other, they were so quick. Richard gave it everything. He didn't care if 'Sara' was really Lady Beckett, or how forward thinking he was supposed to be. He was not going to be beaten by a woman. He pulled out every trick he knew, but she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. He watched her fight. She darted around with quick, subtle movements, using his strength against him.

Well two could play at that game. He slowed down, letting her dodge around him. He could tell she was confused; it was very unusual to completely switch techniques in the middle of a fight. She shot forward experimentally and he ducked out of the way, causing her to stumble slightly. She recovered immediately but he knew she was angry now.

Kate was determined to beat him again. She could beat anyone. But he was good. The truth was, she had only beaten him because he'd been distracted. She tried to think of a way to get around his defences but he had a wall around him, almost. And he wasn't letting her in. She tried to be relentless but she was getting tired; he had effectively reversed their positions.

She went in for another complicated move-

But he had been waiting for it. He flicked his foil so she almost lost her grip on hers, and while she was worrying about that, he hooked his leg behind her ankle and sent her sprawling to the ground, straddling her there before she could get up. He used one hand to pin her right wrist to the floor, and the other held his foil at her neck.

"You cheated," she muttered.

"We weren't playing by any rules," he said, breathing heavily as she relaxed underneath him. They stayed in that position a little too long before they remembered themselves – and their company. Richard jumped up and offered Kate his hand; she took it and stood beside him, then shook it.

"I guess we're even," he said, winking. Alexis laughed uncertainly. She had a feeling she was a third wheel, now. Kate didn't let her feel that way for long; soon they were sparring happily, first fencing, but moving on to different styles of fighting. Richard watched with interest, absorbing all the skills Kate taught.

Alexis left to get changed and Kate knew she should go home. Richard begged her to stay for Sunday dinner but she refused.

"I'm hot and sweaty and I need a bath," she said firmly. Richard laughed.

"I don't mind. You could have a bath here."

"I don't have any other clothes," Kate said, looking down at her breeches and shirt.

"We won't judge you. You can borrow something of Alexis'. She won't mind."

"I... I couldn't," Kate said, but she was beginning to change her mind.

"My cook is preparing something from a recipe I brought back from China," Richard said. Kate gaped at him.

"China?" she asked quietly. She was won over.

"Yes. Alexis and I love trying food from other cultures. I take it you will stay, then?"

Kate winked. "Just this once."

"You know full well it isn't going to be just this once. I'll get one of the servants to draw you a bath and find you something to wear."

"Thank you," Kate said. Richard looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. She ran a hand through her slightly tangled hair.

Richard wished he could touch it. He wished he could kiss her... She was... hypnotic. Even the thought of her having a bath in his house... He shuddered. They walked out of the dining hall (which they had cleared to fight in) and he found a housemaid to sort out a bath and some clothes for Kate.

She was taken to one of the guest bedrooms. The whole house was breathtakingly beautiful. To her amusement, the outfit she was given was a shirt, probably Richard's, and some breeches that must have been Alexis'. She washed quickly and put on the clean clothes, drying her hair as much as she could with a towel before tying it up in a braid.

Alexis appeared dressed in something similar; even Richard was wearing basically the same as they were. Kate liked that the Castles didn't mess around with clothes when there was no one to see them. She was glad Richard taught his daughter to fight and allowed her to dress comfortably when she was at home.

She wondered what could be wrong with him. She was sure he had to have some kind of flaw.


A/N: Thanks for reading and as always, please review! Love you xxx