Okay, I know I said I would alternate updates between this story and It Started With a Kiss, but after the way I ended the last chapter, I really felt this one was calling to me more than the other one, so I'm going to update this one with this chapter, and then hopefully do It Started With a Kiss.

Thanks to everyone for the responses to the last chapter! I know everyone is concerned about our couple having their first fight, but…it was time. At this point they've been dating officially for about a month and a half or more…so the newness is still there but it's not as much of a honeymoon period as it was. And both of them are passionate people. Plus Castle just canNOT help but say stupid things without thinking around her sometimes…and those things get him into trouble more often than not, lol.

Because a lot of people commented on Jim's sense of humor (positively, might I add!), I want to point out my headcannon for where Beckett inherits certain qualities. Jim has always come off as a little more soft-spoken and level-headed…I think Kate gets her practicality from him. I think Kate gets her dry sense of humor and ability to throw rapid-fire banter, sometimes loaded with innuendo, back at Castle from her dad as well. But I think her tenacity, her fiery personality, her heart, her need to dig her heels in, and (most importantly for this chapter) her temper comes from her mom.

All that said, I still don't own Castle.

xxxxx

Kate had given up on trying to sleep somewhere around 5. Instead, she had gotten up to shower; she looked through the door that led from the bathroom into the guest room and clenched her jaw when she saw Castle sleeping soundly and heard him snoring lightly. She closed the door louder than necessary and locked it to make sure he couldn't get in. She was also intentionally louder than necessary as she showered and got herself ready for the day in the bathroom. She had stewed over his words and his decision to sleep in the guest room all night, and coupled with the fact that she hadn't slept well, she was angrier with him now than she had been the night before.

By the time her dad joined her downstairs in the kitchen, it was 730, and she'd already had her first cup of coffee and was working on a crossword puzzle in pen. "Good morning, Katie," he greeted, taking in his daughter's appearance. The fact that she was already completely dressed and her hair was still air-drying despite the early hour was odd to him. His daughter was an early riser as an adult, he knew that…but he'd expected her to be lounging in bed with her boyfriend and not sitting fully dressed at the kitchen island doing a crossword puzzle. "I take it Rick doesn't share your affinity for mornings?"

"Morning, Dad," she looked up from her puzzle with a small smile. When he mentioned Castle, her jaw clenched slightly as she turned her attention back to the crossword she was working on. "No," she stated simply. "And I don't care what he's doing this morning."

Jim raised an eyebrow slightly. He recognized that tone from his daughter; something had happened between the couple after he'd gone to bed, and she was still upset this morning. He wouldn't press, though; if she wanted to talk about it, she would. "How about I make some breakfast?" he suggested instead with a smile.

"That would be great, thanks Dad."

She had finished the crossword she was working on, and just as her dad was fixing his and Kate's plate with bacon and eggs, Castle appeared from the guest room…which did not go unnoticed by the older man.

"Morning," Castle mumbled, raking his hand over his face and through his hair. He moved toward Kate out of habit for a good morning kiss.

Before his lips could land on her, she simply slid off her seat on the stool and moved away from him toward the coffee machine without a word, earning a frown from Castle.

Jim watched this interaction silently. The whole thing reminded him so much of the way his wife had treated him when she was upset with him over something. "Good morning, Rick. There are plenty of eggs and bacon if you would like some breakfast," he offered with a smile.

Castle watched as Kate made two cups of coffee, and then frowned when she kept one and handed the other to her father, completely ignoring his presence, before returning to her seat at the kitchen island with the plate her father had made for her. "Thanks," he replied, clearly deflated now that he realized his girlfriend was every bit as mad at him now as she'd been the night before.

The older man fixed another plate and a cup of coffee, handing it to his daughter's boyfriend with a sympathetic look. "So, Rick, do you have another Nikki Heat book coming out this fall?" Jim tried to start a conversation with the man.

"Uh…yeah. Heat Rises should hopefully be out in September or October. I'm waiting on my publisher to send me back the final edits for me to review. As long as I have them submitted by the deadline, the book should be released in September. Obviously, given the recent events, they are being unusually lenient with the deadline. But I'd like to have the edits done so the book can release as scheduled. Otherwise promotional travel for the book will probably extend closer to the holidays than I'd like."

Jim nodded. "And you always travel to promote your book releases?"

"To some extent, yes," Castle explained. "This is the third book in the series, so it's not like the launch of a new series. Nikki Heat already has a dedicated group of fans, so there are some talk shows planned, some book signings. There will be a release party in the city, but there won't be as much pomp and circumstance surrounding the release as there was when I launched the series with Heat Wave. And it won't be a lengthy tour…at least in terms of me being gone for long periods at a time. Alexis will still be in school in the fall, and I won't leave her for that long. So my publisher and publicist will work out a schedule to send me to several larger cities for a few days here and there over the course of a couple months, probably mostly on the weekends or for no more than a couple days at a time where I fly in to a city one day and fly back the next. It's not necessarily ideal, but I insist on being there for my daughter, even if she is practically an adult."

"That's very commendable," Jim nodded. "Katie told me that you're a great father."

Castle smiled at that. "What else did she tell you about me?" he asked, earning an eyeroll from Kate as she finished her breakfast silently.

"That you're generous and kind. That you're a good man. But with Katie, it's also about what she didn't say. Just the way she smiles when talking about you, that genuine smile of hers I haven't seen in years…"

"Yeah, well that was before I remembered how much of a jackass he is," Kate interrupted, carrying her dishes to the sink.

"Kate, can we talk about last night?" Castle finally sighed, gently taking her elbow.

The same fire from the previous night flashed in her eyes when he touched her, and she jerked her elbow away. "Don't," she said angrily.

"I'm sorry…" he tried.

She crossed her arms and gave him a glare. "For?"

"Uh…everything?"

She clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes, pushing past him to go toward her bedroom. He tried to grab her hand as she walked by only to have her spin on him and angrily shove her finger into his chest hard. "Don't touch me," she hissed angrily, her finger poking his chest once more for emphasis before spinning on her heel and walking to her bedroom, slamming the door.

Castle stared after her, gently rubbing the spot on his chest she had forcefully poked. Jim came up beside him and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. When Castle started to head for the room, Jim gripped his shoulder a little harder and shook his head. "You don't want to talk to her when she's that angry."

Castle stopped and looked at the older man. "I don't?"

Jim shook his head. "You don't." He gave the younger man a slight smile. "Take it from a man who's been on the receiving end of that temper more times than I can count. Talking to her now will only make it worse. You've got to ride out the wave of anger first…let her get it out of her system. She'll be ready to talk eventually."

Castle studied the man. "Kate's been that angry with you?"

"Nope. Her mother," Jim told him with a chuckle. "Katie inherited her temper. So trust me, I know exactly what you're going through right now. The first fight Jo and I had, she didn't speak to me for almost a week."

"What did you do?"

He smiled slightly at the memory. "I said something insensitive…that I didn't even realize was insensitive at the time. But I said a lot of stupid things around her; it's difficult to get your brain to function properly around a woman who drives you crazy."

Castle sighed. "I know the feeling."

"Once I figured it out, I tried to talk to her…only I ended up putting my foot in it even worse and pushing her buttons even more…which is why I'm stopping you from going into that bedroom right now. You go in there, you're poking a hornet's nest. She won't hear anything you say; she'll only give you enough rope to hang yourself. Take it from a man who hung himself a few too many times. Wait her out."

"Patience is not one of my virtues," Castle admitted, staring at the door as though it would make Kate reappear.

Jim chuckled. "You better figure out how to make it one in a relationship with Katie. Otherwise you're going to be quite miserable, because I can promise you with her temper and strong willed personality, this will not be the last fight you two have…especially if you plan to go the distance with her," he added the last part with a raised eyebrow, trying to get a read on the writer's intentions toward his daughter.

Castle turned his attention from the door to the other man at that. "I love your daughter. I can assure you, this is not some casual fling with her. I'm in this," he answered the man honestly.

"Then I suggest you learn patience. Loving Katie means playing a waiting game sometimes," he smiled, giving Castle's shoulder another squeeze.

Kate threw open the door to the bedroom and walked huffily toward the closet to grab her leather jacket. "I'm taking my bike out. Do you need me to pick up anything?"

The question was directed at her father, but Castle opened his mouth to make a reply. "No, Katie, we're good. Enjoy your ride," Jim quickly answered before the other man could get a word out. Once the bike engine roared to life outside, Jim gave Castle a smile. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll show you around the woods and to the lake. Nature is very calming."

xxxxx

"You know, I asked Katie to bring you up here with her," Jim told him as they walked toward the lake.

Castle studied the other man as they walked. "So she didn't invite me just to invite me," he nodded his realization.

Jim laughed softly. "No. I doubt she would have invited you without my suggestion. Katie doesn't typically introduce me to a boyfriend this early into a relationship. I only met Josh a couple of times when he joined Katie for one of our lunches at the diner. But she doesn't bring them along when she and I schedule time together here at the cabin. I'm honestly surprised she brought you, even with my suggestion," he admitted. "So not only did she bring you around much sooner than she typically does, she brought you here. You're obviously important to her."

He let that information sink in. Kate didn't bring boyfriends around her dad unless it was more serious. And even then, not to this extent. That spoke volumes to him about how she felt about him, and he felt even worse about making her upset. "Why did you ask Kate to invite me?" he asked curiously.

"I wanted to thank you for saving her life. You took a bullet for her, Rick. She would have been shot…or worse…if you hadn't been there. You made sure I didn't lose my only daughter. I'll never be able to repay you for that," Jim told him seriously.

Castle stopped walking to look at him seriously. "It's not necessary to thank me, or to repay me." He knew from a father's perspective how Jim felt, because he knew how he would feel if it were Alexis. But he also was a man in love with the older man's daughter. "I would do it again to save her," he told him honestly. It was a fact he was pretty sure would be a hot-button topic between himself and Kate if and when they discussed it, but he absolutely would. "I'm her partner; I'm always going to have her back. And even if I weren't…I love her. I would do anything…anything…to keep her safe. I would die for her." That was another topic he felt would be a hot-button topic should it come up in a conversation with Kate. "But, uh…maybe don't tell her I said that last part?"

Jim nodded. "I think your recent actions speak for themselves, Rick. You don't know how much that means to me to know how far you would go to keep her safe." He smiled slightly then. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me. I won't say a word to Katie about the last comment you made. But you know how smart Katie is…I'd be willing to bet she already knows how true that last statement of yours is. And I'd be willing to bet she returns the sentiment. However, that's a conversation for the two of you to have with each other."

Castle winced slightly at the thought of another, most likely more serious fight than the one they were currently in the middle of. "I think I'll wait until she's no longer so angry at me before bringing up another topic that will also have her anger directed at me," he stated. He began walking down the path again. "Your daughter is the most remarkable, extraordinary woman I've ever met. But she's also the most maddeningly frustrating woman I've ever met."

"She's exactly like her mother in that regard," Jim chuckled. "I was married to Jo for almost 25 years. We were friends for 3 years before we ever dated. And those are words I have always associated with my wife," he told the man. "It takes a strong man to love a woman like that. A man who knows when to push her, when to support her, but also when to let her be herself and have her independence. From everything Katie has told me, I think you fit the bill, Rick. Just don't let her push you away. Katie has a bad habit of running sometimes when someone gets too close. Keep showing up for her, and I think you two will be just fine."

"I can do that. I will do that," Castle smiled. "She's worth it." Because aside from being a father, being loved by Kate Beckett was the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced. He was going to make this work with her, no matter how often he pissed her off by saying or doing something stupid; he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

xxxxx

Kate didn't return to the cabin until late that afternoon. When she did, Castle was relieved to see that she seemed a great deal calmer than when she had left, but he was heeding Jim's earlier words about giving her space until she was ready to talk. His eyes followed her as she returned her jacket to the closet and moved through the cabin, giving her dad a hug and having a conversation with him in the kitchen about dinner plans before disappearing into the bedroom to change from her riding boots into a pair of more comfortable sneakers.

It was difficult, but Castle remained in his spot on the couch, feigning interest in the TV instead of rushing to her, but he managed. His eyes did meet hers for a few moments before she told her dad she'd be outside on the porch if he changed his mind and wanted help with dinner. She gave Castle another look before heading out the door.

When he didn't move from his spot and only stared at the door after her, Jim gave a chuckle. "Son, that look was your cue to go talk to her," he said from his spot in the kitchen as he started preparing dinner.

Castle was off the couch in an instant now that he had seemingly been granted permission to talk to her and try to make this right. He went outside quietly, smiling as he watched her leaning against the railing of the porch. "Can we talk?" he asked cautiously, his voice soft and uncertain; it was possible she'd still shut him down, he knew.

"Depends on what you want to talk about," she stated simply, her eyes trained on the view of nature in front of her.

Her voice was level and calm, so Castle took this as a positive sign that he could continue. "I'm sorry about last night, Kate," he told her as he moved to lean against the porch railing next to her. "I'm sorry I was hesitant to touch you."

"That's not what I was so angry about," she told him, turning to look at him.

"It's not?" he asked. Seeing the look in her eyes, he quickly continued. "It's not." He thought back over everything he'd said, when exactly she'd gotten so angry. "I'm sorry I implied that your feelings or hesitancy about intimacy around my family are or should be different from mine around your father," he tried again. When she didn't stop him, he figured he was pretty close, so he continued. "Or that there is a double standard for us…because there isn't. And that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?" she asked him.

He was quiet for a moment, resting his forearms against the railing. "I don't know if you noticed, but I was kind of…not myself yesterday. From the moment your dad walked in on us, I…I just…I couldn't seem to say anything right or think clearly…" he trailed off with a shrug. "I'm a father too…and I just thought if the situation were reversed, and it were Alexis…I know how and what I'd be feeling and thinking, and I just kind of…freaked out," he looking at her with a small, apologetic smile.

"Ya think?" she arched an eyebrow.

"It wasn't one of my finer days."

"No, it wasn't," she agreed with him. She was quiet for a few moments before continuing. "It kind of felt like a slap in the face when you said being around your family was different than being around mine…like my feelings didn't matter, or that our families are different," she admitted softly.

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Kate…your feelings matter. I'm sorry that it came out the way it did, and I know it's a poor excuse, but I still wasn't thinking clearly last night. I never meant to hurt you or upset you. And I never meant to imply that our families are different. For the record, if it had happened at the Hamptons and been my mother or Alexis who had walked in on us in that position yesterday, we wouldn't have been doing anything sexual either," he tried to explain. "It was the way we were caught…it didn't matter who caught us. My reaction would have been the same. And I'm sorry I made you think otherwise. I promise…there is no double standard, and no difference between our families," he assured her. "How you feel matters to me. You should expect the same behavior from me no matter who we're around."

She gave him a small smile then. "I'm sorry it seemed like I was trying to seduce you last night; I was just trying to get you to relax, and touching you usually relaxes you," she apologized.

"I don't think anything was going to get me to relax last night," Castle admitted with a chuckle.

"And I'm sorry I got so angry. I didn't sleep much last night…I was too upset. And this morning when I saw how peacefully you were sleeping, even snoring…it only made me more angry. I'm sorry I kind of kicked you out to the guest room," she wrinkled her nose up slightly as she apologized.

He returned her smile. "Does that mean I'm allowed back in your bedroom tonight?"

"As long as you don't say anything else to piss me off," she agreed. "Look, getting caught was both our faults. Just because I didn't think my dad would show up early didn't mean it was out of the realm of possibility. I should have never let you convince me to have sex in the kitchen," she admitted. "But it really was a freak occurrence. And yeah…it was awkward. But my dad and I have moved past it…and nothing we do in front of him now will ever compare to what he saw, so can you please just try to relax around him?"

He chuckled softly. "I think I've been pretty relaxed around your dad all day. It's you I've been tense around."

She studied him for a moment. "You're sure? My dad isn't making you nervous?"

"On the contrary. He's actually given me a few tips into dealing with this little temper of yours," he chuckled. "And a few other insights about you," he added with a grin.

"Oh God…what exactly did he tell you about me?" she asked, wondering just what information Castle now knew about her that she might have wanted to keep hidden to avoid embarassment.

"Just the fact that I'm apparently dating a model…" he teased with a slow grin.

Kate hid her face in her hands as it turned red. "He didn't…"

"He did. He even showed me pictures…"

She grimaced. "I'm going to kill him."

Castle laughed softly, shaking his head. "Don't be too hard on him. He was trying to cheer me up. And he said my actions saving your life earned me a little glimpse into your past. But that's all he told me, I swear. Everything else he hinted at, I pretty much already knew."

She took a deep breath and sighed before wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long. I just needed to calm down and clear my head. Riding does that for me."

He smiled, his arms wrapping around her tightly as his chin rested on top of her head. "That's pretty much what he told me. He told me how much like your mom you are, especially when you get mad," he told her softly.

She smiled a little and looked up at him. "He talked to you about my mom?"

Castle nodded. "A little bit, yeah…when comparing the two of you."

"He really likes you, Castle…" she told him softly. "He never talks to anyone about her anymore, except for me." She wanted him to know how important that was, how special that was.

He grinned at that. "I'm honored. But I'm sure it has more to do with the fact that I made no secret how completely in love with his daughter I am," he told her. "Even when she's pissed at me."

She rolled her eyes and raised up on her toes to kiss him softly. "Yeah, well his daughter is completely in love with you too…even when she's pissed at you."

He smiled and kissed her slowly then, his fingers gently brushing along the soft skin just underneath the hem of her shirt when she deepened the kiss, pulling him closer against her.

The door opened, then, and Jim appeared. "Dinner's ready whenever you two are finished making up," he said in an amused tone.

The two lovers broke apart at the sound of his voice, but kept their arms around each other, Kate hiding a giggle in Castle's chest. "We'll be right in, Dad."

Once the door shut, Castle did release a soft laugh. "You know, I honestly used to think it was just my mother who had horrible timing. But I'm realizing that it must actually be a parent thing."

She laughed and pressed one last soft kiss to his lips before pulling out of his arms. "Come on, before he starts flashing the porchlight," she told him, tugging him inside the cabin after her.

xxxxx

I know this was a little longer, but I really wanted to put the make-up scene in this chapter and show that Castle was finally able to relax a little so that they can enjoy the rest of the time here at the cabin, hopefully.

As always, I look forward to all your comments, and really appreciate them! I love logging in and reading them all!