I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
A WHEN THERE'S LOVE TO BE HAD FIC

I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

-I'll Be Home For Christmas (traditional Christmas song)

When There's Love To Be Had summary: Rick Rodgers and Kate Beckett meet at the NYPD Academy in the fall of 2002 and become close friends. They become lovers the night before they graduate the following spring, and their relationship only blossoms. Rick leaves the force at the beginning of 2004 to pursue a potential writing career, and they marry in January 2005 after a short engagement. The story ends a few months later, in summer 2005, when his book is bought by Black Pawn Publishing and Kate becomes a detective.

CHRISTMAS, 2006

Rick sighs and runs his hand through his hair, not caring that he messes it up. He's done with TV appearances and book signings, so it doesn't matter, although considering the hungry looks he received from countless fans over the past three weeks, they might like the mussed look.

Not that it matters - he's happily married, thank you very much - but both his agent and publicist think that they can use his good looks as part of the marketing. Considering the modest first print of his debut novel sold out in days, and he's already signed a contract for two more books, they may be onto something.

His phone lights up and vibrates with a call, and he mutes the television before grabbing it. He grins and flips it on.

"Hi."

"Hey babe," Kate sighs, fatigue evident in her voice.

He shuts off the TV so he can focus on his wife of almost two years. "What's wrong? Long day?"

"You can say that. I don't know what the hell was in the water, but it was crazy after crazy today." He hears the sound of the refrigerator door, and she sighs again. "And I'm out of leftovers."

"Want me to order you something?"

"No, I'll do it in a bit. I just need to mope first. How was your signing?"

It's his turn to sigh. "Canceled." He flops onto his back and stares at the ceiling. "So was my flight."

"What?"

"Yep." He turns his head to look out the window, where the snowflakes coming down are so thick, he can't see anything else. "It started snowing overnight, and it hasn't stopped. Planes are grounded, roads are a mess. We're basically stranded."

"Damn."

"Agree. So, what are you wearing?"

Kate bursts into laughter, and he grins. If he can't make her day better in person, this is the next best thing.

"I just got off a double, Rodgers," she reminds him, still using his given name, and not his pseudonym of Castle. "I'm so far from sexy right now, it isn't even funny."

"Well, obviously you need to take your clothes off," he husks.

He'd bet anything that she rolls her eyes.

"Maybe later. I need food, a shower, and sleep, and not necessarily in that order."

"Tell you what." He manages to get off the bed, and he opens his laptop, pulls up the website for their regular pizza place. "Go bathe or shower, wash the day away. I'll call in a pizza and have it delivered in an hour." There's a long silence, and he glances at his phone to make sure the call didn't drop. "Kate?"

There's a quiet sniffle, and his heart breaks.

"I love you, you know," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion.

"I love you, too," he says quietly. "Call you back?"

"You better."

He looks at the calendar after he arranges for the pizza, and he frowns. He hadn't wanted to be gone this long right before Christmas anyway, but Gina had insisted they needed to capitalize on his popularity, and allow people to buy his book for Christmas presents.

Detroit was the last stop, with a few TV show appearances and signings, and a flight home on the morning of the 22nd.

Neither of them anticipated a snowstorm shutting down the city.

Now, he can only hope and pray that he'll be on a plane tomorrow. At least he finished shopping; flying on the 23rd will be bad enough, and adding Christmas Eve shopping would be torture.

Kate calls him back once she gets out of the shower, and they talk long into the night, until she eventually drifts off to sleep, her slow, even breaths lulling him to his own slumber.

By the time he drags himself up the stairs to their second-floor apartment almost a full 24 hours later, he's dead on his feet. He woke up to the news that flights wouldn't resume until late afternoon, so despite Gina's misgivings, he decided to drive. Once he got out of Detroit the roads began to clear, but the 10-hour drive still took a little over twelve.

He's fucking exhausted.

Christmas music is playing when he opens the door, but he doesn't see his wife in their small kitchen or living room. He quickly kicks off his shoes and hangs up his coat, and he just makes sure his duffel is out of the way before he goes in search of her.

He hears quiet humming over the splash of water as he gets close to the bathroom, and he grins and stops in the door, watches for a minute as she reads.

Kate glances up when she reaches for her nearby wine glass, and she drops her book to the floor as she stands.

"Don't get out for my sake," he teases, grabbing her towel and holding it open for her anyway. "I was about to join you."

She steps into the towel, and he wraps it around her before she throws her arms around his waist. "You said you wouldn't be home until tomorrow," she mutters into his chest.

He chuckles and rubs his hands up and down her back. "I got a car."

"You-" She leans back. "You drove? From Detroit?"

He shrugs. "I wanted to be home for Christmas," he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world; why wouldn't he want to be with his wife instead of 600 miles away?

Kate shakes her head, a slow smile overtaking her face and lighting up the room. "You-" Her voice cracks with emotion and she cups the back of his head, pulls his mouth down to hers. "I love you," she whispers, drifting her mouth across his jaw.

He presses his lips to her temple. "I love you too," he murmurs, "but I've been on the road for twelve hours. Can we pick this up after I shower?"

She giggles and runs her hands down his chest, tugs his shirt from his pants. "Hold you to that."