A/N: I'm trying to please everybody! I know Rick still needs to tell Kate his secret, but I thought they deserved a couple of happy chapters first! Wasn't sure I'd get this up tonight, given that I was a bit stuck as to what to write and it took like four hours but I hope you enjoy it :)

Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews :)

After pulling out plates for everyone, placing napkins on them all, along with cutlery and a glass of water each, Castle and Beckett were running out of things to do in the kitchen, both silently admitting that they really should join the others. Unfortunately, Esposito had also realised that they were done faffing about.

"Yo Castle, Beckett," he called from the living room. "Are you planning on joining us or did you want us to give you some privacy?"

Castle chuckled and Kate blushed once again. "Oh shut up Esposito," she replied as they traipsed to the living room, "or I'll tell everyone what happened that time at the strip club stakeout."

"You wouldn't dare?" He asked, a slight wave of panic crossing his face.

"Keep quiet and I won't," she teased, poking her tongue out at him. "So, how's married life treating you then Jenny?"

"Oh it's amazing," Jenny gushed, shooting a lovesick look at her husband. "We've never been happier!"

Esposito made gagging noises which earned him a slap round the head from Lanie but Charlie caught the way Kate smiled at the married couple. She'd never seen her sister like this, so blatantly in love and it looked good on her, she was pleased. Castle was a great guy and she couldn't think of anyone better for Kate than Rick, she knew he'd give Kate the world if she asked for it but she also knew that Kate would do anything for Castle, her comment about him being 'everything' to her had proven that.

Another knock at the door came and this time Castle didn't ask Kate to get it, heading over, he opened the door and paid for their food, adding a generous tip to the delivery guy. "Foods here guys!" He called out and Kate jumped up to help again, ignoring the pointed looks from Charlie and Lanie. Castle piled the food containers onto the coffee table in the lounge and helped Kate bring the plates and cutlery in. "Dig in, everyone," Castle said, "there's plenty to go around!"

The room was quiet for a few minutes, save for the shuffling of people to serve themselves food. "This is so good Castle," Charlie said, "I haven't had Chinese this good in years!"

"It's a great little place," Castle told her, "Kate and I always order from there when we have Chinese."

"Pass me the chow mein would you, Ryan?" Kate asked politely, hoping against all odds that she would be allowed to get away with Castle's little slip up. Although all he was saying was that on some nights they'd been at the precinct late, they'd ordered food so that they actually ate, she knew the others would look into something that wasn't there.

"Hey Castle," Ryan said, "I'm surprised these two-" he pointed to Charlie and Kate, "haven't tried to trick you into confusing them yet."

Kate, Charlie and Castle shared a look before bursting into laughter. "Yeah..we tried that," Kate said.

"Turns out Castle knows Kate better than I thought..and he didn't believe it for a second."

"It was fun watching them try, though," Castle laughed, "they honestly believed they'd fooled me. Me! The master of jokes!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Don't act like you didn't enjoy every minute of it!" Esposito said, earning another slap from Lanie.

"Well.." Castle grinned.

"Richard Castle I swear to god you better not finish that sentence how I think you're going to finish it," Kate growled under her breath, just loud enough for Castle to hear.

"Oh," he whispered back, "so you don't want me to tell them that although having two of you was practically a dream come true that I'd choose you over anyone else any day because I'm so damn crazy about you?"

Holy mother of god. "No, I don't want you to say that!" She hissed and a satisfied smirk appeared on his face at her obvious discomfort. She tried to hide it by putting some more food on her plate and pretending to listen into the conversation that was happening between the others while she ate.

She was pretending though, because she couldn't stop thinking about Richard freaking Castle and his stupid freaking comments. How was it that after almost four years of his near persistent flirting and inappropriate comments that he could make her break now? This was Castle, this was what he did - but then it hit her; before, his flirting had always been 'generic', just the usual comments a red-blooded male would make in those situations, but the comments he was making tonight were directed literally at her. He was getting more personal and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep pushing him away, she was quickly running out of excuses.

The rest of the meal passed with no more quiet mutterings from Castle, just playful conversation between friends. The wine was flowing and Kate could tell Jenny and Charlie were becoming a little tipsy - her and Lanie could hold their alcohol a little better but even Kate was starting to feel the effects, her glass had magically been topped up when she wasn't looking more than once.

"Here, let me help," Kate offered as Castle began clearing up their dirty plates and uneaten food. "And don't say I don't have to," she grinned, anticipating what he was about to say, "if we both do it then it'll be done quicker, okay?"

"You're so damn stubborn, woman," he muttered but she could tell he wasn't seriously complaining, he wasn't going to turn down help.

Five minutes later and the leftovers were in the fridge, dirty plates in the dishwasher and everyone's glasses fully topped up. Kate and Rick rejoined the others in the living room, sitting down next to each other on the couch.

"We're about to play truth or dare," Charlie announced, "you two in?"

"Do you know me at all?" Castle asked sarcastically, "of course I'm in!"

"I..uh.." What did she say? She knew it could be fun but she also knew the kind of things Lanie and Charlie would put her up to should they get the chance.. "Oh screw it, fine, I'm in - but play nice!" She added, seeing the grin on her sisters face.

"Great, so who goes first?" Charlie asked and Kate and Castle both said "the youngest" simultaneously. After a quick round of mental maths, they worked out that Jenny was the youngest, and agreed that whoever she asked would go next and so on.

"Okay," Jenny said, "Rick, truth or dare?" Everyone seemed shocked that she chose Rick, expecting her to choose Ryan or Esposito as she knew them best.

"Umm..truth," he decided.

"I was hoping you'd say that! Okay - the real reason you killed off Derrick Storm?"

Castle hadn't been expecting that. "It's honestly nothing you don't already know," he shrugged, "I was bored, writing felt too much like work-"

"God forbid you do any real work," Kate muttered.

"Yes, thank you, Detective, I can kill off Nikki Heat just as easily you know.."

"Your funeral," she grinned, knowing full well Gina only forgave him for killing off Storm because of Nikki Heat's success.

"Anyway - I just fancied a change, I'd like to say Kate had a say in it but it wasn't until the book launch that I even met her..let's just call it fate."

Kate rolled her eyes, he knew full well she didn't believe in any of that. "Or bad luck," she supplied helpfully and Castle threw a cushion at her. "Okay, writer-boy, it's your turn."

"Writer man, Beckett," he whined. "Okay, Charlie - truth or dare?"

They continued like this for a while, and Kate began to relax when she was given no awkward questions about Castle, just the usual in this game. Pouring herself another glass of wine, it was her turn again, and Jenny's turn to ask again - who by this time was more than a little tipsy, but then again, none of them were sober, looked like Kate and Charlie were getting a cab home. She tried to ignore the excitement at heading back over tomorrow to get her car and possibly seeing Castle again.

"Uh..truth," she decided.

"Okay, has anything ever happened between you and Rick?"

Shit. Oh god she had not been expecting that! "I..um.."

"Kate," Charlie said in the worst whisper in the world, "you do realise that by hesitating you're kind of answering?"

Oh hell. "Fine," she admitted, glancing at Castle who was remaining silent for the first time in his life. "About a year and a half ago, Espo and Ryan were held by..a guy," she didn't feel like going into details about who it was, "and there was a guard outside who we quite clearly weren't getting past..so um, Castle came up with the plan that I pretend to be drunk."

"I bet he did," Lanie muttered - Kate hadn't even told her about this.

"And it wasn't working, he was onto us and so.."

"I kissed her," Castle said, "just a diversion - it worked didn't it?!"

Espo and Ryan were quiet for a moment - both of them had wondered how Castle and a Beckett had got in, and now they knew. "Right, it's my turn!" Kate said loudly, "Lanie, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Lanie said, "I have had far too much alcohol to be doing any dares!"

"What's really going on with you and Esposito?" She was going to pay for that and she knew it, she had a feeling Lanie would choose her next and she wasn't sure even choosing dare would be an advantage.

"What?" Esposito said, "what are you talking about?"

"You can't still be denying it," Kate laughed, "it's been highly obvious that something is going on!"

"Just a bit of fun," Lanie replied coolly, "isn't that right Javi?"

"Yeah yeah," he grumbled, seemed he really didn't know that everyone else had their suspicions.

"Payback time - Kate, truth or dare?"

Kate thought about it for a moment - she knew whatever she said it would be something to do with Castle, but did she want to speak or do? "Truth."

"Did you ever tell Castle about that summer?"

"No," she said and she felt Castle turn towards her. "I'll um, tell you later," she told him, shooting a smile in his direction before shooting evils at Lanie.

"What summer, Kate?" He asked quietly, the others carrying on without them.

"The uh summer you went to the Hamptons," she admitted in a hushed voice. "With Gina. You asked me and I said no because I was with Demming..but I um, broke it off with him and I was going to tell you yes but then little miss barbie came in and I didn't." Shit, did she just call Gina-

"Little miss barbie?" He asked with a grin. "Why Katherine Beckett, were you jealous? Of Gina?"

"What? No, don't flatter yourself-"

"Oh I don't think I am," he counteracted, "because from what I can make out you were going to give in. But uh..I am sorry about that," he winced, "it was a little heartless inviting Gina straight after inviting you.."

"It's fine, Castle," she smiled, "I gave you no indication that Tom and I were over so why wouldn't you invite someone else? Maybe it was for the best, anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked but Kate was spared from answering by a squeal from Charlie.

"What?" Kate asked, "what happened?" She looked around the room for a clue but suddenly realised Charlie was looking at her cell.

"It's Ethan," Charlie grinned, "his meetings were cancelled so he flew straight back home - he wants to see me tonight."

"Charlie, it's 10.30. What on earth are you going to do at this time of night?" Kate asked.

"I did offer to tell you how sex worked once, remember?" Castle muttered in her ear.

Oh. Well, that explained the look on Charlie's face then. "Well what are you still doing here?" Kate asked.

"Well I planned to spend the night with you guys..I'm not going to leave you just because Ethan's back."

"Why?" Jenny, Kate and Lanie asked together. Well, the three of them had seen Ethan, Charlie was being ridiculous.

"Seriously?" Charlie asked, "you wouldn't mind if I ditched you to go see him?"

"Don't be silly, Charlie, go get your man!" Kate said.

"Beckett's right," Castle said, "I'll ring Eduardo, get him to drive you if you like?"

"Oh no, it's okay, I can get a cab!"

"Nope, it's late and you've been drinking, I'm sure we'd all feel much happier knowing you weren't in the back of a cab alone!" By 'all' he meant Kate, but he knew Charlie would be less likely to agree if he said that.

"Well..if you're sure.."

"Of course I am, just give me a sec.."

"I think we should go too," Ryan said as his wife rested her head on his shoulders, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Eduardo can take you too," Castle said, "it's not far from Ethan's place anyway." He remembered from the other night when him and the boys had been checking him out, the subject of where he lived had come up.

"That'd be great, thanks Castle!"

Lanie, Espo and Kate decided to stay for a while longer, getting themselves more drinks and saying goodbye to the others.

"I want details in the morning," Kate whispered into Charlie's ear as she hugged her.

"What do you take me for?" Charlie asked. "I won't be home until at least early afternoon." She winked before following Jenny and Ryan out of the door.

An hour and at least two more glasses of wine each, Lanie announced that she had to leave, she had plans with a friend in the morning and she didn't want to be late. As predicted, Esposito offered to share a cab with her - despite their apartments being in opposite directions. They asked if Kate wanted to ride with them two but even she could see the relief on their faces when she declined, goodness knows what the two of them were going to get up to in the back of that cab!

After they'd left, Kate began clearing empty glasses from the living room and taking them through to the kitchen.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Castle asked, "leave those, I'll do them in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now come sit down, we need to talk about what you were telling me earlier." Kate shot him a puzzled look. "About how maybe it was for the best that you didn't go to the Hamptons with me?"

Oh, that. "Um.." Honesty, Kate. "Okay well I'm just going to come out and say it, okay?" He nodded. "I think that if I had come to the Hamptons with you then whatever could have happened between us would have just been there and we would have come back to the city and forgotten about it. I know you sort of said the same thing last year about how we kissed but never spoke about it but I don't think I could have spent that long with you and then forgotten all about it when we came home." She blurted all of this out so quickly that Castle struggled to keep up.

"Kate, look at me," he said gently and she raised her head to meet his gaze. "If anything ever happened or happens between us, I can promise you that no matter what, I would never forget it. God, that kiss? Every second of it is still burned onto my brain because for a tiny amount of time, I actually got to pretend that you were mine."

"Castle.." She whispered, unconsciously scooting closer towards him on the couch,many closer and she'd be sat on his lap. "I'm sorry, okay? For everything I've done and not done..said and not said..all of it, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologise, Kate. I think we both know I've forgiven you for what you did.."

"You shouldn't have done," she muttered. She didn't deserve his forgiveness.

"Well I did so deal with it," he huffed and she laughed.

God she was beautiful when she laughed, so damn beautiful. "Castle," she whispered again, "what are you-"

She was cut off by his lips meeting hers, soft and oh so perfect. His hand came up behind her to tangle in her hair as his tongue swiped across her bottom lip, drawing a gasp from her which he used to gain access to her mouth. His tongue met with hers and she moaned, just as she had done that one other time they'd kissed - except this time there was no guard, just the two of them and an empty apartment.

When he expected her to pull back and slap him, she didn't - she deepened the kiss, rising up onto her knees for better leverage. Her left hand cupped his face while her right ran through his hair, her sinful tongue never ceasing it's exploration of his mouth.

All too soon, he pulled back. "Wow," he whispered against her lips and she grinned, "that was.."

"Amazing?" She said, echoing his words from last time. She was panting slightly, god, she didn't know a kiss could get her this worked up..what was she going to be like when they..no, don't go there, not yet. "But um, I should go..it's getting late.." Both of them could tell she didn't really mean it.

"Stay?" He asked. "No, not like that..not that I'd say no but uh, I have a guest room? You're more than welcome to it, then you can drive home in the...tomorrow." He was going to say in the morning, but he didn't want to push her out if she wanted to stay.

Kate was torn between three choices: one, go home. Nope, not very appealing.. Two, stay in his guest room, knowing full well that the man she loved was sleeping just a staircase away..and three, stay over but in his bed, where they could snuggle and make out. Damn, that sounded like a good plan..

"Okay, I'll stay. But on one condition," she said.

"Yes, I'll keep out of your room, I won't offer to help you change or shower," he sighed dramatically, "god you drive a hard bargain woman!"

"Not what I was going to say," she laughed. "Actually..I was um wondering if you'd mind me sleeping in your bed. With you.." She added shyly. She had a sudden urge to want to be close to him. She loved him and he loved her so why couldn't they just cuddle in bed?

"Katherine Beckett are you asking if you can sleep with me?" He asked, pretending to be offended.

"Not like that," she said poking him in the ribs. "But um..yeah, I wanna cuddle and...stuff..but you keep your hands where I can see them! Deal?"

Castle was about to throw her over his shoulder and carry her into the bedroom but something stopped him. Their conversation about 'pretending things didn't happen' was still playing on his mind. "Kate..I would love nothing more to 'cuddle and stuff' with you, but I'm not going to be able to pretend this didn't happen. I don't know if this is the wine talking or not..but if we do this then we don't act like it didn't."

"It could be the wine talking but not in the way you think. Really it's just giving me the courage to say what I want..and I know, I don't think even I could act like it never happened..not now." Not after all we've been through, she added silently.

"Well in that case, why are we still out here? I have the comfiest bed known to mankind waiting for us!" He said as he stood up, "come on, let's get you sorted, I'm sure I've got a shirt you can borrow."

She smiled as she followed him into the bedroom. She knew what this meant for them and their relationship and all she could really think was..well, about time.

A/N: I hope this chapter is okay, I know the truth or dare thing with this group has been done which is why it's only a little bit in this chapter. Also, I'm hoping Kate isn't too OOC - would S4 Beckett be like this? But then again, she did turn up at his apartment and practically jump him so maybe it isn't too out of character to want be close to him!

PS: no, they aren't 'together' yet and and yes, the Castle reveal will be coming before they're actually a couple!

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