A/N: I am SO sorry! This was actually half-written for a really long time but then I got CRAZY busy. On top of that, my editor took longer than expected to read over it because she was also CRAZY busy. I can't emphasize how much I had going on. In all honesty, you can thank mother nature and all of the snow for this chapter.

This is a response to a review, so if you don't really care just skip it. I know I've been using a lot of Alexis and I really agree that she is kinda being a third wheel. I just hate that in the show there isn't very much Alexis and Kate, so when I started writing this, I was like "I'm gonna make sure I use her" but now I feel like I've used her too much. She will be going back to school in the next chapter.

This is also my longest chapter yet. Happy Reading!

Alexis's feet started on the ground and her head in the upright position when Rick put in the movie. About half way through, her feet were tucked underneath her and her head was tilted so it rested against Ricks shoulder. Towards the end of the movie she was sprawled out, asleep over her father and Kate; neither one minded. Castle gently ran one hand through her long red hair while the other was extended over the back of the couch so his fingertips were gently resting against Kate's shoulder. She did her best not to look at him every time his fingers twitched and brushed against her. She tried her hardest to ignore the incessant pulsing of her heart or the heat that spread through her at his slight touch. It was when he gave up on trying to put some distance between them and began drawing patterns against her back, she found herself clutching Alexis's legs to remain calm. It barely helped.

When the end credits started to roll through Rick removed his hand from Kate's back and gently roused his daughter.

"Lex," he whispered, nudging her. "You gotta go to bed now."

"What about...the movie," she slurred, her eyes still closed and her head still on Rick's leg.

"You slept through it," Kate chuckled.

"Oh," was the young girl's response.

"You have to go to school tomorrow Alexis, time to head to bed," Rick cut in.

"What time is it?" She asked, still making no attempt to move.

"Around 9:30."

"Oh." She remained motionless.

"Come on," Kate said throwing the girls legs off her lap. Shakily, Alexis stood up and leaned down to kiss her father on the cheek.

"Ow," she mumbled. "Scratchy."

"Goodnight sweetheart," Rick said as he watched her legs carry her half-asleep brain upstairs. She stopped at the base of the steps.

"Night Kate."

"Goodnight Alexis," Kate called back. Soon she was out of sight up the stairs.

"She's right," Rick said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Kate asked confused as to what he was referring.

"My face. I haven't shaved in ages. It's killing me….Figuratively of course," he added when he saw something flash behind Kate's eyes.

"I don't know Castle. I kinda think it makes you look tough."

"Really?" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Kate laughed. "Reminds me of when we first met." Rick took note of the glint in her eye and the small smile she said it with. "Although, the beard was a little lighter."

"Hmm...Good to know." There was a long moment of silence between the two as they sat a respective distance from each other.

"So..." Castle finally said.

"So..." Kate mimicked.

"It's late."

"Not really….But I'm kinda tired anyway. I think I'm gonna call it a night." She watched Rick but he made no movement. He looked at her, confused as to why she wasn't leaving.

"Oh!" It finally hit him. "Right. Of course." He slowly and carefully got up and walked to his wheelchair.

"You're walking looks good."

"Yeah. I was trying to be extra careful today but tomorrow I'm gonna go without the wheelchair. Doc said I only had to be in it a few days."

"We'll good luck."

"Thanks...listen. I'm really sorry you're stuck on the couch. If you want I can sleep out here or-" Before he could finish Becket raised her hand and shook her head cuttin him off.

"Castle. This is fine. You're couch is 100 times more comfortable than mine and 1000 times more comfortable than the couch in the breakroom, where I have been spending most of my nights. Not to mention that time you spent the night sleeping on my couch to protect me from the serial killer. Now we are even."

"Serial killer?" He asked. Beckett paused at her slip of the tongue. Did she really want to be telling him stories? She decided she could figure out how to fit in with her 'just friends' story.

"A year ago this killer was obsessed with Nikkei Heat and came after me. You felt bad about it and slept on my couch in an effort to protect me. It didn't do much. He blew up my apartment the next day but the thought was cute." Her eyes widened when the "cute" slipped.

"Wow. I'm heroic." Castle smiled. Kate thought about how adorable he looked with the grin that plastered over his face with in stubble and comfy clothing.

"You saved my life. You braved the hellish flames to pull me out of my bathtub."

His eyes widened at the word bathtub.

"Really. That's all you pick up out of that sentence," Kate said annoyed. Castle shrugged.

"Night, Kate."

"'Til tomorrow Castle." Kate watched Castle roll out of the room, wondering what he was thinking when she'd said 'bathtub.

Kate grabbed a blanket and pillow and tried settling down on the couch but she really wasn't all that tired. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling she heard Castle call her name from his room. She jumped up and went in. The lights were on but he wasn't there. His wheelchair was next to the bed. She looked around; catching a glimpse of the coffee table she bumped into the previous night.

"Castle?" She called.

"In here," he responded.

She pushed open the door his voice came from and walked into his bathroom. It was spacious and she couldn't help but notice the giant bathtub.

Rick was standing at the sink in boxers and a black tee shirt, shaving cream on his face and a razor discarded on the floor. There were two lines down his face where he'd tried and failed.

"I need help."

"I can see that," Kate laughed.

"Don't laugh." He sighed. "I can't raise my arms long enough to shave and I just can't take this beard anymore."

"Okay…" Kate sighed, stepping further into the bathroom. She picked the razor up off the floor and rinsed it off. She, again, stepped closer to Rick. "I'm warning you, I've never shaved a face before. Legs are my specialty." Images of Kate in the shower flashed before Rick's eyes. Hot water cascading down her endless legs…he stopped when she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I'll take my chances," he said softly. Kate caught some something in his voice and the way he was looking at her but she tried to ignore it.

She took another step towards him. Kate felt his hot breath against her face as she slid the razor along his jaw.

"Okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"Good," he replied. She rinsed the razor off and did it again. _

"All done," Kate said confidently, placing the razor next to the sink. She grabbed a nearby towel and wiped all the remnants of shaving cream off of Ricks face. Then she ran her fingers over his freshly shaven skin. "Smooth," she said. She was really close and she knew it. Her chest brushed slightly against his as she ran the plush towel over his neck. His breath caught. She turned her eyes up towards him. She met his piercing blue eyes and immediately regretted looking up.

All the emotions that were swirling through him were evident in his eyes. There was a pure want behind them that made Kate a little nervous, but she couldn't help but realize she felt exactly the same. Unconsciously she flicked her eyes down to his mouth and then back up to meet his piercing blue eyes. Rick took it as an invitation.

His lips descended on hers. She stiffened but that didn't stop him from softly prying her lips open further. Kate's brain turned to overdrive. She thought about how bad the situation was but also how good his lips felt against hers. She thought about how much kissing Rick would screw with his memory further but the second his tongue met hers, Kate's mind went blank. She brought both hands up to his chest. He slowed down the movement of his lips against hers, thinking she was going to push him away. Instead she fisted his shirt and dove further into his mouth, deepening the kiss. Tongues fused together in a dance for dominance. Kate couldn't help the throaty moan she released into his mouth, only made Rick kiss her harder, desperate to make her do it again. She did. They tasted, and explored the other. Kate gently bit his bottom but quickly ran over it with her tongue. One of his hands clutched her hip, running his fingers over the hem line, catching just a little skin. Electricity pounded through her veins because his mouth was just so warm and he lips were just like she remembered.

Only when they were desperate for air they slowed the kiss and pulled apart, their foreheads resting against each other's.

"That was amazing."

"Why did you do that?" she panted.

"I was reading Nikki Heat and I got to the part where Rook and Nikki…you know…and I figured since it was based off us we must have…" he trailed off. His eyes were wide with confusion and desire and he was still breathing heavily. "I'm sorry," he finally made out.

"Don't be sorry," she said, pressing his lips to hers quickly. "But, I don't think we should do it anymore." She flicked her eyes up to his, just in time to see the hurt spread over his face.

"Kate, why not? I feel these things when I'm near you, Kate. Things that I've never felt before, which makes me think that we had to have been something before I get shot, right." He pulled his forehead away from hers so he could look her in the eye. "I really like you Kate." She smiled in spite of herself.

"I really like you too, Castle," she whispered. He brought a hand up to push back a few brown curls that had fallen in her face.

"Then why can't we do this?" He gestured between them.

"It's not right. We want you to remember, right? Things weren't like this before. We were just friends. Close friends but friends nonetheless. And if we do this then it could confuse you even more."

"If it means I can keep kissing you, I don't mind being confused," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.

It was dark and she was with him. His arm was around her and she had a grip on his jacket.

"He's not buying it, Castle," she sang, low, so the man nearby couldn't hear. The man was getting closer. She turned to face him, reaching for her gun but he pushed her hand away. His other hand came up behind her neck and pulled her lips to his. She tasted wonderful but pulled away all too soon. She looked him in the eye, threw a glance to her left and dove into his mouth for a second time.

Her lips danced across his and when she let out a moan, Rick pulled her closer. She was flush against him and her fingers ran through his hair as her arms circled around his neck. He was lost in the kiss. The next thing he knew, she had pulled away and knocked him out.

"That was amazing." She turned to look at him, her lips pink from where he just...

Rick tore his lips from Kate's and clutched her hip with one hand and the countertop with the other. He was hunched over breathing heavily. The tingle of the kiss on his lips now became a sudden pain at his realization.

"Oh my—Rick. Rick. What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"We've kissed before. We were in an alley and it was dark and it felt really good but then you pulled away to roundhouse kick this guy in the head and the kick was awesome but the kiss was so much better and it made me not want to think about kissing anyone but you and every time I looked at you afterwards I could remember the feeling of you pressed against me and I didn't mind. When did that happen?"

"You…you remembered. You remembered!" She pulled him by his t-shirt and kissed him quickly and soundly on the mouth, forgetting how much Rick remembering messed with her plan.

"Kate. When did it happen?"

"We were trying to get to Ryan and Esposito…They'd been kidnapped by Hal Lockwood. He killed the investigator on my mom's case…." Castle noticed the pain in her eyes when she said 'my mom's case'. There was a slight pause. "You were with me and I said I was opened to dumb ideas and you had one, Castle."

"But we never went further than that?"

"No, we didn't. And we can't now either." Kate lowered her voice to a whisper. "No matter how badly I want to."

"One for the road?" She smiled and kissed him again. It was a sensation neither would ever get tired of. All too soon, she was pulling away and leaving him alone in the bathroom.

"Til tomorrow, Castle." She winked as she closed the door. He sighed as she walked away, the feeling of her mouth still on his. And he couldn't get the distinct smell of cherries and the taste of coffee out of his mind.

Kate reentered the living room and fell onto the couch. She pulled up the blanket but knew she wasn't going to get any sleep. The feeling of his lips was still clear in her mind and she couldn't help but smile at the memory. She wanted him. She wanted him so bad it hurt. And she finally got him…almost.

A/N: Okay, I've NEVER written anything like this and I desperately want to know what you thought about it! I hope I didn't build it up too much and then it was blah. Was it what you were hoping for?