A/N: Time Ripple!
6 WEEKS LATER.
Martha lowered the Variety magazine she had been perusing, her eyebrows knitting together. She glanced at Alexis, who was sitting next to her at the counter only to find her granddaughter staring at the two people in the kitchen as well.
Castle and Beckett were making dinner... together.
It was something they had been trying to do since Kate started spending more and more evenings at the loft.
It hadn't really ever gone over well.
There had been arguments... some in hushed whispers and some fiery enough to hear across the room. The end result was a lot of Chinese and pizza... and spaghetti stuck to the ceiling in various places, which Alexis absolutely refused to ask about.
But this time...
This time, instead of the arguments and layers of sarcasm that could even drown out the scent of garlic...
This time... They were smiling. Laughing as they waited for the oven too preheat.
Kate ducked quickly as Castle lifted a pot of water over her head, coming up behind him to add a light amount of salt, pepper and several cloves of garlic to the water. She paused for a moment, his eyes glazing over slightly as she kissed the side of his neck. Smiling at him seductively, she grabbed up the cutting board with the potatoes, onions and carrots on it; blinking when Rick grabbed her hand.
"Not yet." He smiled.
Kate stuck her tongue out at him. "Like I don't know that! I just thought I would handle the cutting." She set it aside, out of his reach.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He turned too quickly and the roast he had been about to submerge slipped from his fingers, landing at his feet with a splat. His eyes widened as they flashed back and forth between his mother and Alexis, who were suddenly looking elsewhere, and Kate, who was doubled over with a hand covering her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
"Five second rule." Castle whispered, snapping up the roast quickly, washing it thoroughly and silently thanking the maid for her diligence with the floors. He rubbed it quickly with more spices before lowering the meat carefully into the water. That done, he grabbed a towel and wiped his hands as he turned back to her. "Again... what is that supposed to mean?"
Becket smirked, moving closer and running her fingers over the long nick under his chin. She raised up on her toes and licked it gently, remember the taste of his blood on her tongue when she had done the same thing that morning. "Do I need to remind you about what happened earlier?"
NO!" Alexis barked immediately.
Rick laughed, spinning the towel in his hands into a whip and smacking Kate on the backside with a resounding crack!"
"Hey!" Kate grabbed it from him, advancing towards him menacingly.
"Have I mentioned how sensitive my skin is?" The writer whined.
The detective smiled softly. "Oh, you don't have to tell me." Instead of hitting him she flipped the towel around his neck, pulling his head down for a long, slow kiss."
"Gah! And he doesn't want me to see R rated movies?" Alex groused, watching as the couple blushed and returned to their dance; every movement in step, brushing against each other every time they had to cross paths. "Gram?"
The matriarch shrugged. "They're freaking me out too." She laid her magazine down. "Richard? Darling? Richard!"
The writer finally tore his attention away from the gorgeous creature that had invaded his kitchen. "Yes, Mother?"
The older woman looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?" Castle shook his head in confusion. "What makes you think something is going on?"
Martha rolled her eyes. "The lack of bloodshed was my first clue."
Kate laughed, drawing the writer's attention. She grinned at him and shrugged.
With a smile, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and beamed at his mother and daughter. "Well, if you must know... Detective Beckett has agreed to accompany to The Beacon for the new book launch tomorrow night."
"The Beacon?" Alexis blinked. "Was there a murder at the book store?"
"Nope." Kate smiled, shaking her head as she glanced shyly at Castle. "Tomorrow night I will strictly be arm candy."
Rick snorted indignantly. "You could never be strictly arm candy." He leaned down and claimed her lips. "Mmmm... but you do taste sweet..."
"Bleh..." Alexis covered her eyes. "Could you two please not make me nauseas before we eat?" The fond look on her face faded to something more concerned.
"What's wrong, pumpkin?" Castle lowered the flame under the roast when it began to boil. He turned towards his daughter, a look of concern replacing his laughter.
"Nothing." Alexis tried to smile reassuringly. "I am really happy for you guys. I am. But..." She chewed on her upper lip. "A red carpet walk? You know that by the day after tomorrow you'll both be all over page six." She glanced at Kate.
The detective nodded. "I know." She looked up at Castle lovingly. "But... some things are worth whatever they cost."
The redhead sighed; happy for her father, but still worried. She adored Kate. The woman was the epitome of what Alexis hoped to become. Strong, able, unwilling to compromise her beliefs.
But self-belief that strong... wasn't always easy to get along with.
Shaking her head, she smiled. "So how long until dinner?"
Her father smiled. "About an hour." His face became inquisitive. "Speaking of dinner... weren't you going to ask Tab over tonight?"
Alexis froze, stuttering, "I was... I mean... I did... but... Tab is... shy."
Castle looked at his daughter carefully. He adjusted the flame on the stove before covering the pot with a lid. Wiping his hands, he came out from behind the counter. "Listen, honey-"
"Dad..."
"No, Alexis, let me say this." He tossed the towel onto the counter. "You have spent almost every night with this kid for the last two months. I'm not trying to push you but I don't think I'm out of line to ask to meet him."
Behind him, Beckett chewed on her lip, trying to keep her mouth shut.
"You're not, Dad." Alexis sighed. "It's just... complicated."
Kate bit down hard to keep from laughing.
"Complicated." Castle breathed in deeply. "Do you like this kid?"
The redhead looked from him to her grandmother before finding comfort in the soft brown of Beckett's eyes. "I think so."
He smiled, wrapping his daughter up in his arms. "Then I promise to give him a chance, okay?"
Alexis stared at him for a moment. "I'll remind you that you said that."
Rick looked at her quizzically but before he could ask any questions he felt Kate's hand close around his arm and heard her softly whispered, "Enough."
Smiling, he kissed Alexis on the forehead. "When you're ready, pumpkin."
"Thanks, Dad."
After that, dinner went smoothly, with maybe a little gentle teasing that earned Castle a kick to the shins.
He never did find out which woman did it.
After desert, they all sat enjoying their cocoa, Beckett laughing when Castle got whipped cream on his nose. Wiping it off, she stuck her fingers in her mouth, causing Alexis to shoot out of her seat.
"Okay! I'm out!"
"Wait!" Rick smiled as he turned to the detective. "Don't you think you should pick out what you're going to wear tomorrow night?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Where is it, Castle?"
He blinked at her innocently. "Where is what."
Reaching out, she grabbed his earlobe, smiling when he shouted "Apples! Apples!"
"Where is the dress you want me to wear tomorrow night? We both know you bought one and you're hiding it somewhere until the last minute so just tell me now!"
"It's in the closet!" He whimpered. "Behind the billions of shoes that have somehow migrated north."
Kate smiled, letting him go and heading for the bedroom, Martha and Alexis close behind her.
Rubbing his ear tenderly, Castle poured himself a scotch. He was halfway through his second before the bedroom door opened again.
Alexis came out first, a small smile on her lips and a flush to her cheeks. Martha followed afterward, her hands clasped together and her own smile huge.
Castle took one last quick sip of his drink before sliding the glass on to the counter. Sitting up eagerly, he focused all of his attention on the open bedroom door.
He wasn't prepared.
Katherine Beckett was a vision.
The dress was deep purple with a black lace overlay covering the fabric, giving it a lovely, if gothic feel. It was strapless, showing off the light tan of her shoulders and the freckles he loved to trace with his tongue. The bodice was heart shaped; barely containing the swells of the detective's breasts before hugging tightly along her sides, around her hips and down her thighs. At her knees, the dress flared out in a classic mermaid train.
She spun in a circle, making the bottom sway seductively.
If Castle had loved the front, the back nearly killed him.
Mostly because there wasn't one.
The dress was open all the way down to a point just shy of being obscene and the writer's mouth went dry with the thought of his hand against her bare skin all night.
"Wow." He breathed.
"That's what we said." Alexis beamed at him.
"It is amazing, Richard. But don't you think it's missing something?" Martha waved her hand impatiently.
His eyes widened. "Oh, right!" He jumped off the barstool and went to one of the side tables. Opening a drawer, the writer pulled out a large, flat black velvet box. He walked towards Beckett slowly, holding it out in front of him. When he was less than a foot away, he stopped; bringing the case up between them and opening it slowly.
"Rick..." Kate's breath caught, her hand immediately coming up to touch. She stopped short, pulling back as she looked at him suspiciously. "You're not going to pull some juvenile Pretty Woman move, right?"
Castle grabbed his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Detective!" He blinked under her scrutiny. "Okay, maybe I was but I certainly won't now."
The detective laughed, once again raising her hand. She trailed her fingers down the earrings first. Three inch platinum drops made up of five flawless half-carat diamonds; a shimmering amethyst surrounded by a circle of smaller diamonds dangling at the bottom. Then she turned to the necklace, almost afraid to touch it.
It was a string of identical flawless half-carat diamonds, but between each one were the same gorgeous purple stones, this time cut into tear drops, each of them also encrusted with smaller diamonds.
"Rick..." She breathed. "They're... truly stunning. But I can't..."
"Of course you can." He pulled the earrings out, carefully sliding them into the piercings she hardly ever used. Pulling the necklace free, he dropped the box onto the side table, going around behind her to lift it around her neck. He trailed his hand possessively across her back as he circled her. When he was standing in front of her again, his eyes glazed over slightly. "Perfect." He whispered.
"Castle-" She tried again.
"No." Rick touched her face gently. "They're yours. They were made for you. You are exquisite." He pursed his lips. "Will you do something for me?"
Kate raised one eyebrow warningly. "What?"
"Will you say 'I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way?"
"Castle!" She slapped him lightly on the chest, laughing as she ran her hands over her abdomen. "They are perfect." She smiled sweetly before taking a deep breath, Or, trying to. "I think you might be losing your touch though."
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"It's a little tight, don't you think?"
Rick stepped closer, running his hands down her sides and over her hips. "Feels pretty good to me. Besides, it's the same size."
The two women behind him immediately cleared their throats.
"I mean..." He caught on quickly. "It is... but not all designers use the same sizing... chart." He watched her eyes narrow. "Or... maybe it's just that you're happy! You know people say being happy makes you-"
Beckett reached up, squeezing his lips into a duck bill to shut him up. "Pick your next word wisely. Otherwise you might be limping down the red carpet."
Rick smiled, tugging her close with the hands he still had on her hips. "Radiant." He kissed her gently, but thoroughly. "Happiness makes you radiant."
He looked at her with such love and tenderness that Beckett almost wanted to cry. She glanced over his shoulder, relieved to find the living room empty, Martha and Alexis were no where in sight.
"You do say the sweetest things." She cupped his cheek.
Castle covered his own hand with hers, leaning in to it as he stared into her eyes. "I mean it, Kate." His smile was full of wonder. "I don't know what I've been doing right, but I hope I keep doing it because when you're happy... well... for the last couple weeks it's like you've been... glowing."
Beckett froze. "Glowing?"
"Yeah. It's like there's this light and it just radiates out of you. Glowing is the best description I can give you."
Kate stared at him for a long moment and then leaned up and kissed him.
"I love you." Rick whispered as he pulled her into his arms.
She went willing, nuzzling his neck as she mumbled. "I love you too." Turning her head, she buried her face in his shoulder; loving the feel of his arms around her, even as her smile slowly faded.
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