Author's Note: Though I have written for several different fandoms over the years, this is my first Castle story. I don't own these characters, of course, but I appreciate having the opportunity to take them out for a spin.

This is a story insert for 6x04 in which Pi, Martha, and Alexis are all prevented from interrupting our favorite couple. Enjoy!

Limited Interruptions

"Just a minute...you're with me now. You don't have to work," Castle assured her.

Kate rounded on him quickly. "I don't need to work? Does that mean that you're my…sugar daddy?"

Backpedaling quickly in the face of her glare, he mumbled, "Ooh...hold on. That didn't...come out..."

When she didn't waver, he attempted a full retreat. Rolling onto his back and shutting his eyes against her, he attempted to fabricate an explanation. "Actually, I'm still sleep talking. I can't really be held responsible for whatever I say."

"Castle," she said in a warning tone, propping herself on his chest and looming over him

Reluctantly opening his eyes to face her, he tried his best to explain. "Kate, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it that way."

"So, you're not offering to be my sugar daddy?" she asked, her face unreadable.

Castle sighed. "When I asked you to marry me, I was making a promise to share everything with you. My wealth, which you helped create by the way, is part of that promise."

"Castle, I'm not marrying you for your money," she stated emphatically, her brow furrowing.

"Of course not, Kate. You're marrying me for the amazing sex," he quipped.

Her laugh was immediate and joyful, and she smacked him playfully on the chest. "Your ego knows no bounds, Castle."

"I notice you didn't deny it," he smirked.

"The amazing sex isn't the only reason I'm marrying you, but I haven't denied the truth about us in a long time. It would be foolish to start now."

Castle smiled at her in return, thankful for the privilege of sharing his life with this amazing woman. He slid his fingers into her hair and cupped her cheek, willing her to understand the seriousness of his intention.

"I know how important your job is to you, and I also know that you could never be happy without having meaningful work to do. Believe it or not, we aren't too different in that regard."

She cocked her head and raised her eyebrow in classic Beckett fashion.

He chuckled. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little more tolerant of down time than you are."

"A little?" she laughed.

"All right…so I may have turned down time into an art form, but I'm not wrong. Do you know why I killed off Derrick Storm?"

"You said you were bored with the character," she replied, intrigued.

"I was bored with the lifestyle, Kate. With the exception of Alexis, nothing I did had any meaning…the parties, the women, the books. I wasn't helping anyone."

"Your books helped me," she answered quietly.

"They did?" he asked in surprise, searching her eyes. He had always known that she was a fan, but the tone of her voice told him that there was so much more to it than that.

She smiled at him and rubbed her hand absently against his chest. "You were my mom's favorite author. At first, I read your books to feel closer to her, but your words, Castle…your stories…."

"Kate," he murmured, stroking her cheek softly.

"Your books offered me hope that justice could be found in the end. I had so many questions…so much pain, but your words soothed me somehow…gave me insight. They made me feel like someone understood me when everything I had known had been ripped away from me."

"I had no idea," he said softly, humbled by her words.

She smiled at that, remembering her words to him after their first case together. "You rarely do," she teased, intentionally lightening the mood.

"Ah, but my dear Beckett, I was right when I said that we'd be great together," he bragged.

"You were," she affirmed, leaning down to offer him a slow, loving kiss.

When she pulled away, she affixed him with a stern gaze. "That doesn't mean I want or need to be dependent upon your money."

"Kate, I know that. I've always admired your strength and your independence, and I have no doubt that you will find your way through this with or without my assistance. The point is that I don't think you realize how much I need to be able to help you."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Kate. I've been trying to take care of you from the very beginning."

"Oh, you were trying to take care of me, Castle," she smirked, running her finger suggestively down his chest.

"That, too," he acknowledged as he grabbed her and pulled her on top of him. "And I fully intend to show you exactly how much I care later. But, I'm serious. Every time I brought you coffee or teased you out of a bad mood, I was doing my best to look out for you."

"Most of the time you teased me into a bad mood, Castle," she countered, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You know you loved it, Beckett."

"I didn't want to, but I did," she conceded. "You made me feel again."

"And you captured my heart without even trying," he told her, emphasizing his point with a kiss. "I was lost after our first case together."

"Oh, come on, Castle. You couldn't possibly have fallen for me so soon."

"Well, at first I was just intrigued by you, and it didn't hurt that you were hot," he said, waggling his eyebrows and eliciting a laugh from his fiancée. "But, I think I started falling for you the moment you opened up to me about your mom and dad. I wanted to make things better for you somehow."

"You did make things better for me, Rick Castle," she told him, tracing the contours of his face with her fingertip. "Your beautiful words, and your quick mind, and your frustrating smugness-you were exactly what I needed in my life."

"And yet you pushed me away when you needed me the most."

He hadn't consciously intended broach the subject, but that awful summer was a topic that they had never really talked about. Even though they were planning a life together, there were still old wounds between them that had never fully healed.

Kate looked stricken. "I didn't want to be a burden."

"You could never be a burden. Never," he reassured her. "When I held you after you were shot, Kate, it was like the life was draining from my own body. I was so scared, and I swore that I would give up everything I owned to see you safe and healthy again. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see you in the hospital that day, even with Josh at your bedside."

"Castle," she murmured softly, regret evident in her voice.

"I wanted so badly to help you, and I was willing to give you a few days if that's what you needed. I kept waiting for the phone to ring, hoping that you were okay. I tried to fill up my days by helping with the investigation, but what I really needed was you."

"I'm so sorry, Rick. I was so focused on dealing with my own pain that I never stopped to think about how my absence was affecting you," she said, stroking his face as her eyes filled with tears. "I know this is a horrible excuse, but ever since my mom died, I've always had to handle everything on my own. I didn't know how to accept help, and, more than that, I couldn't bear to let you see me that way."

"What way?"

"Weak. Vulnerable. Broken. How could I be Nikki Heat for you?"

"What did you think Nikki Heat was for me?" he asked gently.

"The way you wrote her, Rick, especially in the beginning…she was almost superhuman. She was beaten and bloodied, taking on guys twice her size alone under the direst of circumstances, and she was always able to overpower them with her wits and her determination. I knew I wasn't like that even before the shooting, but I still wanted you to see me that way. I wanted to be extraordinary for you."

"Oh, Kate," he murmured, holding her tightly against him. "You are extraordinary. As much as I admired my kick-ass Detective Beckett, I already knew that you were vulnerable. It didn't detract from your strength one bit. I just wanted you to let me love you."

"When you told me you loved me that awful day…I know I pushed you away at the hospital, but your words gave me a reason to fight. I don't know if I would have survived the surgery, much less the recovery process, had I not felt the depth of your love for me."

"Kate," he soothed, hearing the anguish in her words. "You don't have to..."

"You deserve to know this. I missed you the moment I sent you away from my hospital room, and I broke up with Josh the next time I saw him. I knew I couldn't date one man when I was in love with another."

"You could have called me."

"I know, and I also realize in hindsight that my recovery period would have been so much better for both of us if I had just found the courage to let you help me. I was stubborn and afraid, though, and we both suffered for it."

"You know, before that day in the cemetery, you asked me what we were to one another, and I took the coward's way out. Maybe if I had told you that I loved you instead of fighting with you..."

"Shh," she murmured, placing her fingers over his lips. "We're here now, and that is all that matters. You've saved me in so many different ways, Rick, and I want you to know how grateful I am for the gift of your love."

Overwhelmed by her confession, he slipped his hand behind her head and drew her in to caress her lips with his own. Kate responded in kind, demonstrating with her hands, lips and tongue how precious he was to her.

Pulling back after a few minutes, she mused thoughtfully, "Sometimes I wonder why you stayed for four years, especially when I was so determined to hold you at a distance. What could I possibly have done for you?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Are you fishing for compliments, Detective?"

She blushed. "Castle, I'm serious. You could have given up so many times, but you stayed with me. Why?"

"You were a challenge," he told her simply.

"Why? Because I told you no?"

He laughed. "Do you have any idea how sexy it was that you turned me down flat? No one outside of my family had stood up to me in years, and I made it my personal mission to coerce you into changing your mind."

"So I should tell you no more often then?" she teased.

"You should always tell me no when I need to hear it. I rely on you to keep my ego in check."

"And I rely on you to make me laugh and tell me the truth. Why else did you stay, Castle?" she asked, unwilling to be sidetracked completely.

Stroking his fingers through her hair, he assured her, "There are so many reasons, Kate. Being with you gave me a purpose and a place to belong outside of this loft. I loved matching wits with you at the 12th, and I had the best time pulling your pigtails."

"I have to admit that I was a pretty easy mark back then," she said, smiling at the memory.

"And yet you never backed down—you gave as good as you got."

"I did," she grinned.

"You are my match, Kate. We bring out the best in each other, whether in building theory or building a life together. You are my trusted adviser and my best friend, and I can't wait to make you my wife. Do you remember our first case when you slammed me against the wall for putting myself in danger?"

She smiled. "I was so mad at you for baiting that suspect and putting yourself in harm's way. Even though you annoyed the hell out of me, my heart was in my throat at the thought of something happening to you."

"So you did have feelings for me," he teased.

"Shut up, Castle," she replied, pushing lightly against his chest and rolling her eyes.

"You are a fierce mama bear, Kate. It's the way you love. You can't stand injustice, and you fight for the victims and your loved ones with equal fervor. I'll never forget how you threatened that bank robber. He tried to play it cool, but he was very careful not to cross you."

"I would have done it, Castle," she told him solemnly. "If he had hurt you, I would have stormed into that bank and put a bullet in his head. I don't think you know how scared I was."

"See…mama bear," he told her, soothing her with a kiss before she could take offense.

"We are so much alike, Kate. We both show our love by taking care of people. You do it by offering compassion and kicking ass, and I do it by bringing the coffee and making people laugh."

"You know, I never really thought about it, but we really are more alike than most people would think. You hide when you're hurt, too."

"I know. I ran away with Gina to avoid seeing you with Demming, and I also acted like an idiot when I wrongly interpreted your silence as a lack of love."

"And when Alexis was kidnapped…," she added. "I wanted to be there for you so badly, but you struck out on your own."

"I felt your love, Kate…I just couldn't accept it then," he muttered. "I told myself that I didn't want to jeopardize your career, but the truth was that I wasn't sure that I deserved love when I let my little girl be kidnapped."

"You deserve to be loved, Castle," she told him fiercely. "You are the best man I know, and you are not to blame for what happened to Alexis."

"And you deserve to be loved, too, Mrs. C to be," he said, kissing her softly. "Even if you are unemployed."

"Way to ruin the moment, Castle," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "What am I going to do?"

"Kate, you can do anything you want. You can do volunteer work, go back to school… resume your modeling career."

"Castle," she warned.

"There are all sorts of ways to bring justice to the world. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

"And if I want to stay all day in bed with you?"

"I'm sure you'll do that justice, too," he said, drawing her down for a kiss.

As their lips met, however, Castle's cell phone began to ring. How did the the people in their lives always seem to find the worst times to interrupt them?

"Don't answer it," Kate murmured, distracting him with her lips.

Pulling away reluctantly, he was quick to explain. "It's the precinct ring tone, Kate. What if something's happened?"

A worried look on her face, Kate gave him permission. "Go ahead."

Leaning over to the nightstand, Castle took the phone in hand and accepted the call. "Castle."

"Sir? Yes, Captain," he nodded, looking at Kate excitedly. "We will both be there in forty minutes."

"What is it?"

"It's Gates. She needs us on a case."

"Why didn't she call me? If the hiring freeze is over..."

"It isn't. Technically, she just asked for me, but there's no way I'm going without my partner."

"Oh," she told him, disappointment visible on her face.

"Come on, Kate," he said, pulling her out of bed. "Let's show them what they're missing."

"But if they don't need me..."

"I need you," he told her solemnly, stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "Besides, who is going to keep me out of trouble if you aren't there?"

"Good point, Writer Boy," she said, smiling. "I want you in one piece for our wedding."

"Then let's get this over with so we can get back to practicing for our honeymoon."

"No interruptions this time. Promise?"

"I've already put Pi-proof locks on the door."

She shook her head and laughed. "I noticed he didn't barge in today. Can you hide his blender too?"

Castle grinned in return. "I'll put it in the safe along with our phones. Nothing is going to stop me from giving you my undivided attention," he assured her, sealing his promise with one last kiss.

"I'll make it worth your while, partner," she said saucily as she headed for the bathroom.

"I could give you some of that attention now," he leered, grabbing her wrist and turning her to face him.

"Tempting, but we don't have time to finish what we start. Besides, aren't you curious as to what made Gates call you?"

"She's finally succumbed to the Castle charm. All women do eventually," he bragged playfully.

"Please, Castle," she said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Gates barely tolerates you."

"You barely tolerated me, and now we're engaged," he told her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"I thought you said that I fell for you the first moment I saw you," she smirked.

"Well, yeah, but...," he spluttered.

"Castle, we both know that you fell for me first, but I am so thankful that you kept showing up and bringing me coffee until I finally realized what an amazing man you are. I love you, Rick," she told him, pulling his mouth to hers in a loving kiss.

When they finally broke apart, he murmured, "I love you, too, Kate. Now, hurry up and get ready so that we can dazzle Gates with our brilliance."

"Deal," she smiled. "The sooner we solve this case, the sooner I can show you just how much you mean to me."

"I already know, Kate, but I look forward to being reminded once again how extraordinary we are together."

"Who knows, Castle? Maybe I'll let you peel some more layers from the Beckett onion," she said, laughing as she shut the door behind her.

"Wicked woman," Castle thought, smiling as he headed for the closet.

He'd let her have the last word for now, but he would find a way to turn the tables when they had solved the case. Perhaps it would be a good time to show her that book he found—one he apparently signed years ago to his "Number One Fan."

"Oh, yes," he murmured gleefully to himself. He was definitely going to have fun peeling back those layers from his favorite onion, and this time nothing would interrupt them.