Chapter 4

"Want some coffee?" Castle asked, trying to alleviate some of the discomfort his mother had just created.

"When do I not?"

"Good point," he said with a grin as he started the coffee maker and set two mugs out on the counter. Before he did anything else, he called Paula's number and left her a message to call him at home as soon as she reached the office in the morning, regardless of the hour.

Just as he sat back down, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Can't people leave us alone?" he groaned. "It's been a long day."

There was another soft knock as he walked toward the door. He looked through the peephole, and sighed, turning off the alarm and unlocking the deadbolt. Opening the door, he all but growled, "Sophia and one of the hoodies. To what do we owe the honor of this late night visit? I hope you don't intend to haul us off somewhere again because, this time, we're not going without a fight. You may not have heard, but we had a rough afternoon. And keep your voices down. I don't want my family..."

"My information didn't say that Detective Beckett was living here," Sofia interrupted.

"Not that it's any of your business," Kate hissed sharply as she joined them at the door.

"Look, I'm sorry about this afternoon. We had people watching you from a good distance. We sent help, but the police and the medics were there faster than we expected. I'm glad you're okay, but we need to know what you found out."

Castle and Beckett took turns telling Sophia the little bit they had learned from their informant and the circumstances around his death, ending with his getting out of the car and being shot.

"So you got him killed before we could get the rest of the information."

"You… You practically kidnapped a New York homicide detective and a writer and pressed them into service to do your job because it's illegal for you to do it. And now you're complaining? We were almost killed this afternoon, too…trying to do your job for you." Kate was livid, but she was keeping her voice down because she didn't want anybody else to wake up to find the CIA in their living room.

"If I'd known you had this kind of relationship, I wouldn't have bothered to ask. I'd have known you'd be too distracted to get the job done."

"Since you're determined to make it your business, they've made up the guest room for me because they were worried about me after this afternoon. If you're going to press us into service, you should be better informed. You knew exactly who you were getting and exactly who you were setting us up against, and you're unhappy with your own judgment. So what now?"

"Now?" Castle interrupted, "Now you get out of my home," he informed Sofia. Tomorrow, if you insist, you can haul us down to whatever godforsaken place it is you keep taking us to; but for now, you know everything we nearly died to find for you." Firmly, he stood with Beckett behind him and told them both, "Get out. And don't wake my family when you leave."

Sophia, still angry, turned and snatched the door open, motioned her assistant toward the hall, and walked out fuming. Rick had put his hand on the edge of the door so she couldn't slam it. He didn't think she'd want to call that much attention to herself, but he wasn't taking the chance. His family had already had to worry enough that day. He again set the alarm and turned the deadbolt, then he returned to the kitchen, obviously still angry. Kate followed and watched as he poured the coffee, his hands not quite as steady as before.

"You okay?" she asked.

"She had no right to talk to you that way."

"Her case is falling apart, and she's angry that she can't work it herself."

"You're defending her?"

"Not really. I can't stand her, but I know where she's coming from."

"I know, but...I'm sorry I backed you into this corner," he apologized as he put their coffees on the table and sat down. "I should have asked before I tried to commit both of us."

"Don't beat yourself up. I would have given in eventually," Kate insisted, playing with the handle of her coffee cup. "She knew you'd want in; and she knew I'd be less excited about it, but that I'd want to follow up what we had legitimately found on our own. It was our case. In my less than humble opinion, she's a manipulative witch who couldn't care too much less what happens to us. I think she's perfectly willing for us to be collateral damage if it comes to that, especially now that her witness was killed on our watch."

"Aw, come on, Kate. Tell me what you really think," he said with a tight smile that didn't reflect as much humor as usual. "I'd like to think you're wrong, but…" There was a pause as he took a sip of his coffee, looking pensive. "And she still had no right to talk to you like that."

"You sound like she wasn't including both of us. She's gone now, Rick. We can deal with her tomorrow. At least we know the captain is in our corner. That's what counts in the long run. Let's try to calm down…enjoy our coffee. There's been enough stress today."

He looked over at Kate, and she smiled, which made him smile. They were good together.

t wasn't quite ten yet, and Rick's mind was still spinning. He needed to enlist Paula to help the captain with the publicity problems brought on by his presence. He owed the captain that. Then they were likely to be hustled off to face whatever Sofia threw at them tomorrow. He'd seen Sofia angry about work before, and he didn't relish what was likely to be coming. But, at the moment, Kate was beside him, smiling, and he felt the tension starting to subside. They sat sipping their coffee in silence, enjoying the thought that all the traumatic parts of their day were bound to have left with Sofia. They could relax now…get some well-earned rest.

Rick finally broke the silence. "Sophia isn't the only one who spoke out of turn. Mother wasn't exactly tactful, either. I'm sorry, Kate," he said softly, resting his elbows on the table, hands clasped, not looking at her. "I didn't intend to bring you here to embarrass you."

"It's okay, Rick. She means well. And being mothered now and then isn't so bad."

"You're defending my mother, too?"

"It's a lot easier to defend your mother. She loves you and wants what she thinks will make you happy."

After another few moments of thoughtful silence, Rick asked, "Do you ever think the universe is trying to tell us something?"

"The universe?"

"We keep ending up trapped together in these awful places – bombs, freezers, handcuffs and tigers, car in the river. Maybe the universe is determined for us to be together, and since it can't get us there any other way…"

"It keeps trying to kill us?"

"Or keeps making us think we're going to die so we'll eventually figure out what to do with this thing going on between us."

"You think we're that important to the universe?"

"Maybe. It keeps letting us live."

"So, if we figure all this out, the universe might go easier on us? Is that what you're saying?"

He reached over and pulled her hand toward him, holding it in both of his. "Maybe we should at least do enough to try to appease it?" he suggested.

"And how would you suggest we go about that?" she asked smiling, offering him a glimmer of hope.

"Give ourselves a chance. Start small, not moving too fast, and build on it. We won't tell anybody else. We see if we can make it work and let them find out on their own when it does."

Kate cupped her other hand over his. "When? Not if ?"

He looked up and caught her soft smile and returned one of his own. "What can I say? I'm an optimist. We lived. You're staying here tonight, and I didn't have to kidnap you to make it happen. My daughter hugged you and my mother kissed you on the head before they went to bed, and you didn't seem uncomfortable with it. We're sitting here, quietly talking at the kitchen table while the family sleeps. I'm holding your hand…you're even holding mine. We're both smiling. It's working so far," he answered with a little twinkle in his eye."

"Looks like it is," she agreed. "It may not take care of the elephant in the room…definitely bigger than a bunny, though."

"A bunny? Really? Kate Beckett even thought of a bunny?" he chuckled, not relinquishing his hold on her hand.

She bumped his knee with hers and laughed softly. "So, if we're not moving too fast, where does your plan take us from here?"

He shifted their hands as he spoke, running his thumb across her fingers. "Give us permission to hope. Let me be in love with you out loud…well, not loud for everybody else to hear. Just for you to hear. Share my family…you need a family to go to sometimes, and you can see that they're willing. Let me hold you when you're really tired, when your mind is fighting with you, when you're overjoyed and just need to hug somebody…or just because I want to hug you and it feels good. Let me kiss you now and then? Let's call the dinners and movies dates. I'm not looking for anybody else anymore. Are you?"

"No. Nobody else," she admitted.

"So maybe our timing is finally right?"

"Maybe it is. I might be ready to try."

"I'd like that. I'd really like that, Kate." He hesitated a moment, then leaned over and kissed her gently.

"I'm really tired right now. Could we try the hugging and holding, too?"

"The couch is more comfortable for that." He stood, and she stood to follow him. "Be right back. I'm still a little chilly. I'll get us a blanket."

In less than a full minute, he was back with the comforter from his bed, and he dropped it at one end of the couch. Plopping himself at the other end, he adjusted the coffee table, propped his feet on it, slid into a comfortable position, and opened his arms. Kate eased into his lap, wrapped one arm around his shoulders, laid the other at his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder. Having drawn the comforter over them and wrapped his arms around her, he kissed her forehead before he closed his eyes and dropped his cheek to the top of her head.

Tomorrow was an entire night away, and all the related problems could wait until morning.

"I like this," he whispered against her hair.

"Me, too," she mumbled, pressing a kiss on his neck before they both relaxed into their newly agreed upon understanding…and slept.