A/N :(That has nothing to do with this story). I've been nominated for the Castle fanfic award for "Not the whip cream inventor"! I don't know who to thank because I don't really understand how those awards work. But thank you to whoever! Thank you, thank you , thank you. This is so unexpected and cool and... wow. I'm sorry, I'm not very good at thank you speeches. Now it's time to vote. So if some of you could give me some votes, so I don't finish with zero, that would be really great. The two other fics nominated are by three awesome writers here TappinCastleFan and Sandiane Carter and Chezchuckles, so hum, yeah : humbling.

Anyway, on with Snap.(Fixed because I'm an idiot who writes several stories with different tenses and forgets which one is in what tense.)

It was bound to happen at some point. They never talked about it. Never set some ground rules. But it was bound to happen and she should be better prepared. She isn't. The sound of the newspaper hitting Gates' desk feels like a slap. The captain is standing tall. She has made Beckett sit down.

"Detective Beckett. Anything you would like to tell me?"

Beckett doesn't know how to respond to that and she wishes Gates called Castle in, too. He would make a quip and deflect Gates's anger toward himself. But the captain is smarter than that and Castle is waiting outside. Cringing probably. Trying to eavesdrop most likely.

"So?" The tone is icy and demanding.

Beckett took a deep breath.

"Sir. This is my personal life and I feel..."

"The hell it is Detective!" Gates roars. She slaps the newspaper back down again for good measure. "Isn't that your partner?"

"Technically he's a consultant, a civilian..."

"And you think that changes everything, don't you? Why do you think the NYPD fraternizations rules are for?"

"Sir, it's..."

"It's not just a question of chain of command and liability in case of sexual harassment. It's for your protection! God knows how many times you two find yourselves in harm's way. You can't have personal feelings clouding your judgment in the line of fire!" The captain is shouting now. At least, Castle will hear, as well as the whole bullpen. Beckett tenses, her anger rising.

"Sir, those rules don't apply to civilians. We did nothing wrong. I dare you to find one time I've been unprofessional."

Gates sits down, tilts her head. She speaks in a leveled, controlled voice.

"I'm not angry about your relationship with Mr Castle, Detective. I'm angry because I have to learn about it in the newspaper."

Beckett feels immediately chided.

"It's my personal life," she starts, weakly.

"With someone you work with, in my precinct." Gates sighs. "I'm not asking for the details. I just think a little advance warning would have been nice."

Beckett has nothing to say, so Gates continues.

"Had I been warned, I could have prevented this."

Beckett's head shots up.

"This?"

"The commissioner wants to reassign Mr Castle to another detective. If he still wants to stay..." This is not news to Beckett. It is standard procedure, after all. The surprise on her face comes from the other part of the captain's statement.

"And you would have prevented it?"

"That might surprise you, detective, but yes, I would have. Your team, as unusual as it is, works well. I'll deny ever saying it but I've come around on Mr. Castle's involvement," she smiles for a split second. "But now, I've been blindsided and even the mayor can't do anything about the commissioner's wish. His hands are tied because of the NYPD fraternization case going to court in two weeks. We have to be irreproachable."

"This particular case is about harassment and a sergeant sleeping with cadets. This had nothing to do with Castle and I."

"I agree. The public opinion on the other hand..."

Beckett's frown deepens.

"So what now?"

"Mr Castle is next. We'll discuss his wish to remain a consultant of the NYPD or not. But he will not, under any circumstances, be shadowing you again. I'll send him home until further notice. We'll talk to other detectives to find a solution."

Beckett's shoulders slumps. The wheels are falling off the wagon of her life and there is nothing to do about it. She gets up, unable to thank Gates, and leaves. The captain follows her, calling Castle from her doorway. The two partners' hands brush as he walks passed her. He offers her a reassuring smile. But he isn't fooling her. He, too, feels like crying.

Ryan and Esposito watch Beckett disappear in the elevator. She has to run some lead in their newest case and she refused their help, choosing to call in an uniform, instead. Castle is already gone. Kicked out like last summer. But the situation now is so unlike last summer. Ryan takes the newspaper he hid and looks at the article again.

"This is a good photo of them," he remarks.

"This is an invasion of their privacy," Esposito corrects.

Ryan inspects the photo more closely. Castle and Beckett are standing in the rain in front of the Angelica. So he guesses it was taken last week-end. The two partners are pressed together under Castle's umbrella. Nothing out of the ordinary except that Castle's hand is in Kate's back pocket. More importantly, his bottom lip is stuck between her teeth. They are kinda smiling. The photographer has caught them in what seems the end of a playful kiss.

"Still, it's quite romantic. A kiss in the rain and all. And they were in the street."

Esposito just grumbles, going back to work.

Paula enters the loft like she enters any room : purposefully. She goes straight to the dining table, barely saying hello to Castle.

"We have some damage control to do. But this will be easy. You wouldn't believe the forums on your fan sites. Everybody is going mad. Most people are ecstatic. So there's that. The press is going crazy too : "the writer and his muse". We need to go over who you want to make interviews with. Cosmo, obviously. Then," she slows down her speech, looking around the loft. "Where is she? I thought your detective was going to be there for this. It's important, Rick! If this isn't serious between the two of you, we need another plan alltog..."

Castle stops her with his hand up. He sits down at the table, sighing.

"Yes, it's serious. It's also seriously freaking her out."

"Meaning?"

"She isn't answering my calls. I've been banned for the precinct for now. I know she's been sent home too a few hours ago."

Paula gathers the stuff she started to spread in front of her.

"Well, we won't be able to decide anything without her. So let's go get your Ferrari : we're going to her place and I want to ride in style."

Beckett isn't at her appartment. After banging at her door for two minutes, Paula swats Castle's arm down.

"Okay, okay! She's obviously elsewhere. It's 10 at night. Were could she be?"

"I don't... wait!" Castle takes his phone and dials Lanie. He moves away from Paula for the conversation.

"Castle? Everything okay?"

"Hey, Lanie. Kate isn't with you by any chance?"

"Hum, no. But why aren't she with you?"

"You know about the..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for you guys."

"I'm afraid she's closing up on me, Lanie. I'm at her place and she isn't there. Do you now where she could be?"

"I don't know.. wait... What?.. hum... Castle, did you try her dad's?"

"Who was that, talking behind you?"

"Javi. But that's not the point here. Do you need the address?"

"No, I got it. Thanks!"

"Tell her to get her head out of," Lanie's sentence is cut when he hangs up.

Parked in front of Jim Beckett's house, Castle is unsure. Paula isn't. She drags him by the hand toward the door, ringing the bell forcefully.

"What if she isn't here?" He whispers.

She shushes him, gripping his hand firmly to avoid any escape.

The door opens on a startled Jim.

"Hi," Castle gasps.

Jim frowns when he sees their clasped hands.

"Good evening! I'm Paula, Rick's agent," she holds up their arms. "Don't worry. Nothing to read into this except he's being difficult." She points at the author. "He's paying me more than his lawyer, that doesn't mean he can waste my time. But back to you, Mr Beckett. It's so nice to meet you. May we speak to your daughter? It's about the media planning."

"Hello. Please come in," Jim smirks as he moves backwards to let them in. "Why don't we let Rick talk to her first. Do you want some coffee miss ?.."

"Oh! Call me Paula," she says with a wave. "Do you have tea?"

"Of course. Son, Kate's upstairs. Second room on the left. We'll be in the living-room."

Castle doesn't have time to thank him. He is already pushing Paula to the kitchen, making small talk. Castle climbs the stairs two by two. In front of the door, he takes a deep breath.

He knocks but doesn't wait for a reply. He pushes the door open.

"Hey." His voice is soft. He's taking in the sight in front of him. Still in her work clothes, Kate is lying on the bed, curled around a pillow

"What are you doing here?" She is pouting in her childhood room. Castle wants to smile at that, thinking about a younger, less badass Beckett. He imagines it isn't the first time she has found herself in this position over the years. He takes a look around the room. It's quite neutral. No pink walls but a soft yellow. Some old posters are hanging around. Nirvana, movies : Air force one, some Spielgierg's... He grins at the Police Academy one. It is signed all over. A friends' joke maybe? He will have to ask her someday. The next thing that catches his eye takes his breath away. On the closet door is another poster. It's the cover of "In a Hail of bullets". A collector. He doesn't even know if he has one.

"Is that?.." his voice is strangled with emotion. She has a poster of one of his book in her room. That is big! He knew she was a fan. But the fact that she obviously never took the thing down makes his head spin and his heart thump.

She turns on the bed to see what he is watching. She curses under her breath.

"Leave me alone." He knows this tone. She is not in a good mood.

He sits down on her bed, putting his hands on either sides of her to support his weight.

"You have a poster of me in your room," he sing-songs.

"Not my room anymore. And it's not you, it's a book cover."

"Yes, well, technicality, " he shifts closer so his hip comes in contact with her stomach."But it still makes me happy. I think you like me."

She hums, still refusing to look at him.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I miss you for one. Two, Paula wants to discuss media planning. Damage control and all that."

"The damage is done, Castle."

"That's why it's time for control."

Beckett lets out a long, exasperated sigh. He decide to shift tactics a little.

"Kate, as adorable as you look, pouting in your room like a teenage girl, I've reached an age where it's very creepy for my girlfriend to do that."

She jerks a knee up, hitting his butt. "I'm not pouting."

"Oh? What is it you're doing then?" He humors her.

"I'm ridiculous, aren't I?" She sighs again, looking up at him this time.

He bites down his smirk.

"I know," she continues. "I just feel like the situation is slipping away from me. It wasn't supposed to... be this way."

"What did you expect?"

"Not this. Not my dad finding out like he did, nor Lanie, Esposito, Ryan. And then Gates..."

"You didn't want them to find out?"

"I don't know. Maybe not just yet. And now, the entire freaking world knows!" She covers her face with her hands. "I'm barely used to this, to us.."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you are overestimating the newspaper's circulation. It's not as good as it once was," he jokes.

"It's on the websites too. Lanie sent me the links," she adds, her voice muffled by her hands.

Oh, Internet. Of course. "Sorry."

Her hands fall back on the mattress.

"Why are you famous?" She asks, her eyes roaming his face.

He smiles sheepishly. "Now you think I'm famous?"

She kicks his butt again.

"Ouch. Keep that up and I will bruise."

"Why should I care?"

"Your dad will think we did 'things' here for me to have those bruises." He waggles his eyebrows, leering.

She narrowes her eyes. He gets up and takes her hands, forcing her to come along.

"Come on. Paula is downtairs with your dad. I'm afraid they might starts doing 'things'. She can be very persuasive."

Already halfway through the door, Kate does a double take." How do you know that?"

Castle looked like a deer caught in the headlight. "Hum, what?"

He really needs to learn to shut his mouth. Thankfully, Beckett lets it go, leading the way downstairs.

Updates are taking a bit longer than usual. Work and life in general is getting in the way. It will keep coming, though. :-) And sorry for the tense mishap.