6. Blissful Morning

Beckett smiled blissfully as she lay with her head on Castle's chest.

"Wow," said Castle, "You were on fire."

"You were pretty incredible yourself, Castle."

"What came over you anyways," he asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

"Well whatever it was, can we please do that again some time?"

"You've never experienced it like that before?"

"No never, have you?"

Beckett smiled. She honestly wasn't sure if it would have even worked but she was glad it did. "No," said Beckett, "not like that."

"Then it's settled, we are so doing it again."

"Sounds good to me."

The two remained in silence, both content in each other's arms and most likely replaying their night. It had started off as a casual first date with a fancy dinner and then they'd come back to the loft, both in a heat of desire.

Not only had they gone a few rounds in the bed and on the floor but they had made their way to the steam of the shower as well, both trying out positions they had never used before.

Beckett had reached orgasm more than once. The way he felt inside her from all ends- the way his form easily glided into hers, the way his hands felt as he twiddled her, the way his form and fluids felt inside her mouth; was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She wasn't a virgin, she'd had her share number of partners but they had never felt compatible the way Castle did. He fit inside her in a way that could only be described as the right key for the lock and she loved every part of him that touched her- the way he ejaculated on her skin, the way her fluids ran down her body and onto him. It was perfection but even that word seemed inadequate to describing how well he fit inside her.

It was comfortable being with him this way, simply lying on the bed beside him in a cuddled position. Beckett felt it was something she could enjoy the rest of her life.

After a while, Castle broke the silence.

"So this thing between us," he said, "what exactly is it? I mean is it just about sex or is it something else?"

Beckett looked up at Castle. "You need a definition?"

"Yeah, I mean I'd like one. That night in LA I did tell you I loved you and you did say it back so I'm curious."

"Okay well in that case, Rick, this isn't just about sex for me, I promise. It's… it's something real so if you need a label, then yeah I guess we're dating."

Castle smiled, "So if we're dating that would make me your-,"

Beckett smiled and shook her head, "You really need me to say it don't you?"

"Oh please say it!"

"Yes Castle: that makes you my boyfriend."

Castle smiled in triumph at his new title.

"So that would make you my girlfriend then." Beckett smiled as well. "Then can I offer my new girlfriend a cup of coffee or some breakfast?"

Beckett thought for a moment. "Pancakes and orange juice," she suggested.

Castle and Beckett both looked at each other, both remembering the time when Castle had been her security detail at her old apartment and had made pancakes for the next morning. The boys, Ryan and Espo, had given them both grief over it.

Castle could still remember Esposito saying, 'Pancakes is not just breakfast. It's an edible way of saying thank you so much for last night.' Oh if only they knew now.

Castle leaned in and kissed Beckett, "Coming right up," he said to her.

Beckett dressed quickly in her bra, panties, jeans and the first shirt she found which was the white button down Castle had been wearing last night. She then stuck her cell in her back pocket.

Castle got dressed in his boxers and jeans and found a clean blue button down in his closet.

Castle held out his hand to Beckett which she took and the two emerged from the bedroom.

"Well, look whose up," Martha said with a huge grin on her face.

Both Castle and Beckett froze where they stood.

"Mother," Castle finally choked out as he saw her behind the counter and Alexis seated on a stool. "Alexis. I thought you two were supposed to be gone for the night."

"We were," Martha replied, "but things kind of got out of hand with your daughter last night."

"Alexis are you drunk," Castle asked.

"No," Alexis replied as she leaned her head on her right hand, "but I wish I were."

"Castle," said Beckett, "this looks like a family thing, maybe I should go."

"No stay Detective Beckett," said Alexis, "You don't have to rush out on my account, the least you could do is stay especially given the night you and dad have had."

A lump caught in Beckett's throat, "Excuse me?"

Martha laughed, "The walls aren't exactly sound proof, dear. And you are wearing Richard's shirt this morning."

Now it was Beckett's turn to put her head in her hands, "Oh god now I'm really embarrassed."

"Don't be, Katherine," said Martha, "we knew it would happen eventually."

"She's right," said Alexis, "It's not like either of you were discreet about it what with all the love eyeballs you two were constantly giving each other."

Castle looked at Beckett, "Still want to leave?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then you're staying. I promised to make you pancakes and you can't say no to breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day."

"Is this your way of keeping me hostage," Beckett said, quickly regretting the words that came out of her mouth.

"I could think of other ways for that. And I'm sure you remember what my safe word was."

"Castle!"

"What, our secret is out to them. We're both mature, consenting adults."

"Yeah some of us more than others," Beckett said as she pushed Castle forward, "You tend to your daughter and start cooking, I'll get the juice from the fridge."

Castle did exactly that.

"So what happened," Castle asked Alexis as he started to mix the batter.

"Jenna's sleepover turned co-ed that's what happened," Alexis replied. "It was just supposed to be a girl's night but her parents were out of town so she thought it would be fun to invite some of the guys over, Ashley included. It was just supposed to be us girls but then Jenna turned it into a strip club. They thought it was fun and then she and some of the girls started making out with their boyfriends out in the open as if nothing."

"So rather than participate in the activities you decided to call it a night early," said Castle. He looked at the batter, "Dinosaurs or bunny rabbits?"

"Dinosaurs," Alexis and Castle both answered.

"Yeah," said Alexis. "I mean part of me really wanted to and I did apologize to Ashley but dad, that's just not me."

Castle smiled at his daughter, "I know it isn't Alexis. I am proud of you though. You got uncomfortable and called for help."

"So you're not mad?"

"How could I be mad when you did everything right?"

Alexis smiled, "Thanks dad." Alexis then looked at Beckett who had filled four cups of orange juice. "Detective Beckett, were things this intense when you were in high school?" she asked as she helped Beckett take the cups to the dining table.

"Um," said Beckett, unsure of how much she should tell Alexis.

It was one thing to enter into a new relationship with Castle but she wasn't getting just Castle. She was getting his mother and his daughter to. She was more than okay with the whole package. She liked Alexis and Alexis liked her too. They had even talked a little that time when her apartment had blown up and Castle offered her to stay at his place.

"There were moments, sure," said Beckett, "but I wasn't exactly like you, Alexis. I was kind of a sci-fi geek."

"Still are," said Castle.

Beckett smirked back at him before turning her attention to Alexis. "But I was also a mixture of you and that Goth buddy of yours."

"Gracie," said Alexis. She then smiled, "Seriously?"

"Yeah seriously," said Castle. "If that's true then how the hell do you become friends with someone like Madison?"

"FYI, Madison and I were friends before my phase."

Castle continued to work on the rest of the pancakes, "Well that explains it. She's so bubbly and you're so…not."

"So Detective," said Alexis, "How bad was your rebel phase?"

Beckett smiled at Alexis, "Let's just say it was intense. It was around that time when I got my Harley."

Beckett left out the part about her tattoo, figuring that was an idea not best to get stuck in the teenager's head. To this day Beckett still had no regrets over her tattoo. It reminded her of her past and was as much a part of her as a scar would be to someone else.

Martha came over and began putting down some silverware, "I'm guessing your parents weren't too thrilled about that."

"No they weren't," Beckett laughed, "My dad freaked but my mom took it more calmly than I would have expected.

"Alright ladies," Castle said bringing the first two plates over to his mother and daughter, "breakfast is served."

He then went back to the counter and got two more plates. As he placed a plate in front of Beckett, she smiled. It wasn't the traditional round pancake or even the dinosaurs that he had made Alexis. Instead one of them had the letter 'I', next to it was a heart shaped pancake, and the third and final one was the letter 'U'.

The morning breakfast had to be cut short. Beckett had only managed to get through the 'I' and half of the heart when her cell rang.

She looked at Martha and Alexis and apologized to them before answering, "Beckett", and then took the call to the living room just a few feet away.

After she had hung up her phone she walked back over to the table. "Castle, we've got to go. There's been a murder at the Trump SoHo motel off Dominick and Varick Street."

Castle swallowed and patted his mouth with a napkin, "That's just eight blocks from here."

"Yeah," said Beckett. "Tell you what, why don't I go ahead and then just meet you there?"

"You might want to get a change of clothes first," Castle pointed out.

Beckett looked down. In all truth she had forgotten that she was even wearing Castle's shirt. It had felt so comfortable and so natural that she hadn't thought anything of it.

"Right," said Beckett. "I'll just stop and pick something up somewhere on my way to the scene," she said easily.

After saying her goodbyes to Martha and Alexis, Castle walked Beckett to the door, stopping at the end table where Beckett had left her purse that night.

She reached up and touched his lips with hers, lightly at first before going a little more forcefully.

"Thanks for breakfast," she said to him as she kissed him again. She smiled as she twirled out, "Wow."