Author's Notes: Rated M

(Update: 14/01/16 - I am trying. I just need to find a happy place in order to write a happy couple.)

Not a normal sex chapter but it is more explicit than the last one.

(Update: I've added something to the sex interludes but there is still not a full-blown sex scene. Other writers can do those better than me.

The sex interludes are now italicised so it is easier for those uninterested to skip them though there are moments during the other sections that reference sexual activity.

If this still disappoints then I'm sorry. I can't do better.)

I totally agree with my guest that they talk too much. I just hope I've managed to make their talking work. It's the best I can do. Please let me know what you think.

Possible bad news is in the Author's Notes at the end.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me so far.

I don't own Castle. This chapter would never make it to air even if I did.

Chapter 21: Strawberries & Cream

She hurried from the bathroom, through the bedroom, across the living room toward the kitchen counter, picked up her phone and glanced at the Caller ID.

"You have five more minutes," she said into the phone. "You better not tell me you're running late."

"Ooh," he said on the other end of the phone. "Somebody sounds a little crankier than when I left."

"That's because Frisky Girl has been getting friskier and the thing I need to calm her down isn't here."

"Maybe you could get Edgar to talk to her for a little while."

"She says she's talked to Edgar enough these last four months and she doesn't want to talk to Edgar tonight."

"You've been talking to Edgar for four months about me?"

"I've been talking to various Edgars for ten years about you and they're not good enough anymore."

"Shhh. Keep your voice down. You'll hurt the latest Edgar's feelings."

"So have you called to tell me that Charles is pulling up in front of the building and you will be knocking at my door in four minutes?"

"I haven't called to tell you that."

She flopped back onto the couch, sighing. "Then why have you called me?" she asked, not even attempting to hide her frustrated disappointment.

"To tell you I love you."

She melted. "I love you, too, Rick," she said softly.

"And to ask what you're wearing."

She giggled and said huskily, "Why do you want to know?"

"What are you wearing, Kate?" he asked in the soft rumble that he had rarely used with her but that had always made her wet when she heard it.

"Nothing," she whispered.

She heard his quick intake of breath and smiled.

"W-why are you wearing nothing, Kate?" he said, voice hoarse.

"I just got out of the shower."

"Trying to stop yourself spontaneously combusting?"

"Trying to make myself nice and fresh for you and Pussy Teaser."

His breath hitched. "Where are you?"

"Des-perately alone in my apartment wai-ting for you to get back," she said, forcing a longing moan into her tone.

A beat. "Where in your apartment are you?"

"Flopped out on the couch."

"Where's your other hand at the moment?"

"Resting against my stomach. Where's your other hand?" she asked him, biting her lip.

"By my side."

"It's not touching anything?"

"No."

"You've called me up to have phone sex and you're not touching anything?"

"I'm not in a place where I should be touching anything."

"Well, you need to come to a place where you can be touching everything." She made the last word sound as breathy as possible.

"My hand just brushed something."

"It should grab it."

"Do you want me to grab it?"

"I'd rather you let me grab it."

He let out a slow shuddering breath. "What's… what's nearest to your other hand?"

"Frisky Girl's start button."

There was a hesitation on the other end of the phone and he said, "I've got to go, Kate. Someone's at the door."

"You're still at home?" she said, startled and dismayed.

"Don't go off the boil," he said and hung up.

She sat up and stared at her phone in disbelief.

There was a knock at the door and she looked up, momentary confusion changing to understanding.

She stood up, smiling and shaking her head and quickly padded to the door, peering through the peephole.

He was standing there, phone held beneath his chin to shine light up into his face.

"You really are a pussy teaser," she said through the door.

"BCDS, at yer service, ma'am," he said in an accent she recognised but couldn't place.

"BCDS?"

"Booty Call Delivery Service. There's bin reports of a woman in this he'ah neighb'hood in desp'rate need of a booty call. Wonderin' if that might be yew, ma'am?" She detected an unsteady impatience in his tone.

"Shhh, keep your voice down. Mrs Hammond will freak if she hears that. She'll never stop nagging me."

"Are yew the one needing a delivery, ma'am? Otherwise, Ah'll just be checking with the other apartments seein' if they need mah service."

"Don't do that. You've come to the right place."

She reached out to unlock the door then realised she was still naked.

"Just a minute," she said and started to turn then stopped.

She bit her lip, turned back to the door. "Are you alone out there?" she asked.

"Ah only have mah friend with me, ma'am."

"Your teasing friend?"

"That's the one, ma'am."

"Good."

She unlocked the door and flung it open, standing naked before him.

"Frisky Girl's been desperate for Pussy Teaser to get back," she said.

She had time to register the shock on his face as his mouth dropped open before he set a landspeed record stepping through the door, wrapping his arms around her and grabbing her butt and lifting her as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.

She couldn't stop giggling as he carried her across to the stool.

He barely remembered to kick the door closed behind himself.

Her butt hit the stool and then his mouth was upon hers trying to smother her giggles as he pressed against her, slowly moving.

"You're a bastard," she breathed.

"True," he breathed. "Mother wasn't married."

"Don't make me wait anymore."

"Is Frisky Girl ready?"

"She's been ready all day."

"Check her for me while I get undressed."

He stepped back, his eyes running the length of her body before returning to the hazel he loved so much.

She stared at him and her giggles faded as the reality of the moment swept through her. Her eyes escaped his and roved downward, pausing below his belt, staring at the shape visible through his jeans.

"Check Frisky Girl," he repeated then peeled off his jacket without another word, watching her hand slowly slip between her legs and drawing in a breath as her fingers whispered over her glistening lips.

As he tossed his jacket absently aside, unable to tear his gaze away, he saw her fingers reach her start button and slowly, gently begin to caress it.

He fumbled with the buttons of his shirt as her fingers continued their movement and when his hands were dragging his shirt open and his chest revealed itself she moved her fingers downward and slipped one inside herself with a quick inhale.

He tossed his shirt aside as he kept his gaze on her finger moving between her lips.

"She's ready, Rick," she breathed, voice shuddering.

He bent down, tore each shoe and each sock from each foot in turn and tossed them aside, his gaze never wavering from the movement of her fingers until he straightened, tore his gaze away to see her still staring below his belt, desire and anticipation burning in her eyes.

He swallowed, reached into his pocket and dragged out his wallet then stepped toward her.

She glanced up at him and smiled, removing her finger from herself and spreading her legs wider.

Her hand reached out and grabbed him through his jeans, firmly rubbing while never taking her gaze from his.

"Set him free," he breathed hoarsely, forcing himself to share his focus with opening his wallet.

She brought her other hand around, slowly lowered his zipper, watching the anticipation and desire burning in his eyes.

She reached through his zipper and dragged out her wide awake new friend.

She almost gasped at the feel of him in her hand and she felt the moisture between her legs increase as she dropped her gaze to see him uncovered for the first time.

"Is it enough?" he asked, his breath slow and heavy.

"Don't be smug," she breathed as she moved her hand slowly along him.

His breath shuddered as he removed a condom from his wallet before tossing the wallet aside.

She moved her hand down him, brought her other hand to cup and caress his tip within her palm.

"Hello, new friend," she whispered and he shuddered, let out a slow breath then held out the condom to her.

She looked up at him, smiling softly at him then released him, took the condom.

He stepped back, undid his belt and jeans button, dragged his jeans off and tossed them aside.

When he straightened he noticed her staring at her new friend poking out of his boxers, forcing herself to breathe slowly, lips parted.

"Staring's creepy, Beckett."

She looked up into his eyes and softly smiled. "I think we're both snake charmers, Rick," she breathed.

"Both?" he asked, stepping close between her legs.

"I seem to have charmed your snake and your snake has certainly charmed me," she said, smirking her desire then held the still-sealed condom between her teeth.

Her hands reached for his boxers, pushed him back through them then pushed them lower and lower until they fell at his feet.

He stepped out of the boxers, kicked them to the side and leant forward, placing a hand either side of her, resting them against the counter, gently rubbing her new friend across her start button.

She looked directly into his eyes, breath shallow as her fingers tore the wrapper from the condom and tossed it aside.

He kissed her, slowly, passionately then drew back as her hands reached down, one hand wrapping itself around him again, the other placing the condom at his tip.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered, lips curled in a smirk.

"I really want to do this," she almost moaned back, rolling the condom onto him.

"I don't want to misread your signals," he whispered with a hitch in his breath.

"You could misread these signals?" she asked, finishing her task and guiding him back towards herself.

"You can be very subtle," he whispered as he felt her hands place his tip between her lips.

"Oh, will you just stick it in and get this over with," she hissed with a smile.

With a smirk he thrust forward and was inside her, stretching her in the most beautiful way possible and the words 'furiously pumping' came to mind.

"Christ. Rick," she gasped, wrapping her arms tight around him. "Be. Smug."

"Can slow down," he gasped out.

"Don't," she managed to respond, then gasped and looked into his eyes, lips curling into a smile. "Can. Handle it."

He smiled and, without breaking rhythm, moved in for a kiss.

She stared into his so-close eyes, hoping she could show him everything she was feeling as her gasps became grunts.

She collapsed against him as the last of their trembling faded, straddling his lap, still enveloping him as he sat naked on the stool.

She let her head drop to his shoulder and they panted in rhythm for a few minutes.

"Told you this would be better without the jeans," she eventually murmured between breaths.

"You were right. Again," he murmured, his own breath recovering.

"Again?" she asked.

"I really did have no idea."

She smiled, patted her hand gently against his other shoulder. "Do you think I did?"

They were silent for more minutes, arms wrapped loosely around each other, no movement except the rise and fall of their chests.

"I blew up your plans for tonight, didn't I?" she eventually murmured, soft smile curling her lips.

"To smithereens," he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," he said. "I should have just popped out into the hall and back."

She raised her head to look at him, smiling.

"But then you wouldn't have been able to try to have phone sex with me before we had real sex."

"I had a whole conversation planned that ended up where you actually started."

"Next time you better finish me off before hanging up."

"I couldn't be away from you any longer."

"With all your bringing me to boil tonight and then pulling back I was beginning to think you were giving me warnings about your followthrough and I had been missing the point."

"Admit it. You were hotter for me just before we did this than you were before we walked through that door."

"A thousand times hotter."

She kissed him gently.

"A million," she whispered and kissed him again.

They simply stared into each other's eyes for a while.

Eventually she said, "So was tonight going to be your version of tantric sex? Seven hours of foreplay and five minutes of fucking?"

"I'll try to last longer next time."

She shook her head, smiling. "I think we made ten minutes and you lasted longer than me."

"It was a photo finish."

"I actually lost count for the first time in years."

"The way she was squeezing me I think you hit triple figures."

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "This time you are bragging."

He shrugged. "We need to have a goal."

"I don't think I'd survive that many." She grinned and looked down between them. "So don't go overboard, Pussy Pleaser."

"Pussy Pleaser?"

She looked back up at him, smiling. "His superhero name."

He grinned and his eyes lit up. "Ooh," he said, intrigued. "Now I have to think of a name for Frisky Girl."

"Go ahead," she said, watching him ponder.

"Satisfied Girl?"

She shook her head. "She is satisfied – very satisfied – but she'll never be satisfied."

He thought again. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She thought a moment. "The most blissfully relaxed I have ever been in my life."

His face lit up in triumph. "Serenity Girl."

She glared at him.

"Peaceful Girl?"

"Peaceful Girl," she repeated then nodded. "She can live with that."

They stared into each other's eyes for a while, quietly breathing until she heaved a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry, Rick," she said, apologetically. "I'm going to have to move."

He nodded, leaned forward and kissed her.

"Thanks for staying with me so long," he said, softly.

"Thanks for letting me," she responded, softly.

She sat back and stared at him for a moment then reached down between them to hold the condom in place and rose from him, her own wistful sigh matching his.

She slowly removed the condom from him and he watched her as she idly held it up and casually looked at its contents.

"Quite a load," she said, impressed then turned to him with a smirk. "You could sell that to your groupies on eBay. Make yourself a fortune."

He grinned. "You are FreakMeRickCastle, aren't you?"

"She is freaky, isn't she?" she said and walked over to the garbage bin.

"I knew you were a member of my website."

She dropped the condom in the bin and said in a sing-song voice, "But you're gonna have to guess my name."

"You should burn that," he said, "so FreakMe can never get her hands on it."

"I should have frozen it," she said. "Just in case anything happens to you I can still have my little Castle babies."

She turned to see him staring at her dumbfounded.

She smiled at him, gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "You joke about our honeymoon, I'll joke about our kids."

He smiled and stood and flexed his legs a little, noticed her gaze move to her sleeping friend. "Like what you see?"

"Mmm," she hummed then struck the same pose as in her bikini photo. "Do you like what you see?"

"I love it," he said hoarsely, then chuckled. "I should take a photo and frame them together. Before and after shots."

"What a difference two scraps of cloth makes, eh?"

"Nothing and everything."

"You can take the photo. You can't frame them."

He looked around for his coat, picked it up then noticed something missing. "I've left my bags in the hall. Hang on."

He started toward the door but stopped at her voice.

"You can't go out there like that. Someone might see you." She hurried past him toward the door. "Let me do it."

"Someone might see you."

"It's not like Mr Thompson down the hall hasn't seen me in my skimpies before."

"What?"

She shrugged. "It was two in the morning and it was just a quick trip down the hall to the garbage chute. I thought everybody would be asleep."

"You're wearing a bit less than your skimpies."

"I'll be quick, but if anybody sees me they'll just nag me or try to come onto me every time I bump into them. If Mrs Hammond sees Pussy Pleaser she'll grab him and I'll never get him back."

She cracked open the door, looked around it then slipped outside, returning seconds later with an overnight bag and a supermarket shopping bag.

"You stopped off to shop on your way back?" she said, outraged.

"Needed to pick up a few things for what was to be tonight."

"Here's a hint, Castle. If your girlfriend is telling you she wants to fuck, you don't take the scenic route to get to her."

She placed the bags on the floor near the counter, looked up at him holding his phone and studying her.

"It turned you on, didn't it?" he said. "The possibility of getting caught."

"Not telling," she said coyly then her tone abruptly changed. "But if you try anything at the precinct I will have Roy kick you out and you will never darken that doorstep again."

"Will I be able to darken this doorstep?"

"Of course. We'll be shacked up together."

He smiled and raised the phone. "Okay. Strike pose."

She struck the same pose as in her bikini shot and he took the photo.

"Let me see," she said and walked over to him.

He put his arm across her shoulders as she leaned against him.

He typed on his phone as she absently reached down and wrapped her hand around her new friend, stroking gently.

He looked down at her, pleased but regretful. "My turnaround time isn't that good, Kate, especially after I've had a few."

"Oh. Hadn't realised I'd done that." She tightened her grip slightly and stroked him again before releasing him.

"You didn't have to let go."

"Let him rest for a bit. His night isn't over yet."

He grinned down at her then they were kissing again for a while and her hand absently wrapped around him again and stroked him.

"You can't stop touching him, can you?" he whispered hoarsely.

She kept stroking. "I think I just need reminding this isn't a dream." She looked down. "And he seems to be stirring." She looked up at him again. "Maybe your turnaround time is better than you think." Her tone became gently serious. "But if you don't want me to, I'll stop."

He put his phone on the counter and breathed, "I never said that."

She smiled, tightened her grip slightly as her hand continued stroking and she appreciated the hitch in his breath.

His hand around her shoulder moved down to her breast and his fingers gently brushed across her nipple.

He smiled at the soft inhale and the brief hesitation of her hand on her awakening friend.

He moved his hand across her chest and brushed her other nipple.

"You really are on high beam, aren't you?" he said, voice hoarse from the effect of her stroking.

"Spotlights. So you can't escape my sight again," she murmured, breathing slowly.

He smiled, continued gently whispering his fingers across her breasts.

Soon, she murmured, "I think Peaceful Girl is changing back to her civilian identity."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Check Frisky Girl's start button."

He slowly whispered his hand down her body and across her start button, feeling her response when he briefly touched it before moving his hand away.

"Still there," he said.

She giggled. "I mean, press her start button."

He slowly whispered his hand back, quickly and gently tapped her start button once then moved his hand away.

"Has she started?" he asked.

She shook her head, smiling. "No. You have to toggle her a few times before she gets revved up."

He slowly moved his hand back down, beginning to gently rub her. "Is she broken?"

"She's always been that way."

"Really?"

"She's an old design."

"You should upgrade."

"I like her this way. Takes time to rev her up but so much fun doing it."

"This is fun," he agreed.

"What about you? You thinking of upgrading? Waking him up instantly with maybe a squeeze here," she said, gently squeezing his balls before resuming her stroking.

"No, no. This is a good way of waking him up. I like this way."

"Me too."

They looked at each other and grinned, shaking their heads.

"We're weird," he said.

"I love the weird ones, too," she said before raising her head to kiss him.

They kissed and continued in silence for a while, breathing becoming heavier.

"I think she's revved up," she eventually whispered. "I'm feeling like the Atlantic in there."

"He's definitely awake," he whispered back, smiling.

"Was there another condom in your wallet?"

"Shopping bag."

She released him, stepped away to pick up the shopping bag and place it on the counter then reached in to pull out a small box of condoms.

"Cherry-flavoured?" She half-turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Do you think I'm the sort of girl who'd do that on our first date?"

He stepped up to her from behind and guided himself between her legs, letting her new friend tease her start button as he embraced her and gently moved his fingers around her breasts. "I think you're the sort of girl who's comfortable with her desires."

"I've always been comfortable with the physical ones, Rick," she murmured. "I needed your help to become comfortable with the emotional ones."

He gently kissed her neck, began placing kisses across her shoulder.

She swallowed then put the box on the counter. "Can't use these," she said a little hoarsely. "Yeast infections."

"I know."

She glanced back at him and smirked then reached into the shopping bag and pulled out another box. She ripped off the cellophane wrapping and held the box up to him.

"You don't want to do it this time?" he asked.

"Well, you're back there."

"Oh," he said, smiling and reached into the box and took one.

"Position two," she enunciated carefully.

"Shouldn't that be three?" he said, tearing the wrapper.

"Position three," she enunciated carefully.

"How many are you planning on?" he asked, reaching down to roll it onto himself.

"As many as we can get through," she said, then glanced down. "Hang on, Frisky Girl. Pussy Teaser will be back in a moment."

"Pussy Teaser? I thought he was Pussy Pleaser now."

"He has to stop teasing before he can start pleasing."

"Oh. Well," he said, stepping toward her again, "prepare for transformation."

"Get on with it," she breathed with a smile then gasped as he slid into her again.

Her hands against the counter stayed firm as her arms trembled. He bent over her, chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her, one hand clutching her breast, the other holding her as her elbows collapsed and she sank forward, gasping as he still pounded within her.

"You. Okay?" he panted, slowing.

"Keep. Going." She panted, thrusting herself back against him, pushing him deeper again within her.

He thrust again, harder, grunting in counter-rhythm to her grunts then slowed again, shallow within and without her for moments then again deep hard rapid solid inside her.

He bent his head near her ear. "Say. It," he commanded between grunts, between panting breaths.

"Wha...?" she managed.

"Talk. Dir. Ty."

"Fuck. Me."

He fucked her harder, changed the rhythm, no shallow, all deep, other hand sliding down to her start button, rubbing.

"Fuck. Me. Cas. Tle. Make. Me. Come."

If anything, when he made her come her orgasms were even stronger than the first time.

She took two bowls from the cupboard and placed them on the counter, trying not to glance at his naked back and butt as he knelt over the coffee table.

She felt mellower than she had in a long time.

"Are you going to be long?" she asked, unsealing the punnet of strawberries and starting to place them in a bowl.

"I'm wondering if you should rephrase that."

She giggled. "Almost everything I say you're reading a double entrendre into. Even when I don't mean it."

"You definitely mean it, Katherine Beckett. Come across all prim and proper—"

"Are you sure you haven't got me mixed up with one of your other girlfriends? I mean, they must all blur together after a while." She unsealed the spraycan and directed whipped cream into the other bowl.

"I remember the names and personality of every single one."

"I bet you do," she said, softly.

"It's just matching the name with the personality that's difficult. Except for the two I took to Atlantic City in 2003. I've forgotten who they were."

"Two?"

"Separate trips. Still can't remember why the jam ended up on the drapes."

"What?" she said laughing.

"But the drunk and disorderly and the resisting arrest charges were way overblown."

"I bet they were," she said drily.

"I just need to remember her name, what she looks like and where I met her and she'll be able to prove everything."

"No naked horse that time?"

"I was the one naked."

"So was the horse."

"True."

"I can guarantee, Rick, if I showed you my scrapbook—" she began then stopped, face frozen.

"Scrapbook?" he said, turning to face her, a smirk on his face. "You have a scrapbook of me?"

"No," she lied.

"You do," he breathed, amused, before turning back to the coffee table and hurriedly finishing up whatever he was working on.

"Okay, I used to collect scrappings of you once upon a time but I gave that up ages ago."

He stood and turned and walked to her carrying something squarish and flat in the shopping bag.

"After you dragged me into the interrogation room?" he asked, smirking.

"No."

"Because I can give you a really good photo of my latest girlfriend so you don't have a gap."

"It was years ago," she said, trying to pretend she wasn't interested in the shopping bag as he placed it on the counter and sat at the stool directly opposite her.

"Why did you give it up?" he asked, watching as she sat at the stool directly opposite him.

"I just got too old to do that sort of thing."

He simply stared at her, smirking.

"Fine," she said. "What the hell were you thinking getting involved with Claudia Campbell? You had to know she was only after the publicity of hanging off the arm of New York's Sexiest Mystery Writer until she found someone higher up the celebrity ladder."

"You think I'm New York's sexiest mystery writer?"

"That was the title of a Times puff piece."

"Of course," he smirked.

"And yes, I do."

"Claudia made you stop?"

"Made me rethink how insightful you were."

"You were jealous."

"Yes, because she used to shop in the same supermarket I did before she met Jason Borman and started climbing the wannabee ladder and I couldn't get away from her. That sickly sweet grin. Those big fake boobs. The legs up the wazoo."

"You're still jealous."

"No, I'm not," she lied again.

"I thought you said you weren't jealous of my old girlfriends."

"I'm not."

"You wanted to be her. Same supermarket. Why couldn't it have been you with me?"

A beat. "One," she grinned. "You get to be jealous of one of my old boyfriends."

"You were jealous of Meredith, too."

Her face fell. "That was different, Rick," she murmured.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I'm…" He kicked himself mentally.

She shook her head, gave him a small smile.

"See? Still a jackass, Kate."

She pushed the two bowls between them.

"Feed me and I'll forgive you."

"You love being fed."

"I used to watch Nine-And-A-Half Weeks too much."

He smiled, grabbed a strawberry and dipped it in the whipped cream then slowly moved it toward her waiting mouth.

She flicked out her tongue, staring straight into his eyes as she licked the cream then slowly wrapped her lips around the strawberry.

He never took his eyes from hers and she wasn't sure if he was still breathing.

"He waking up again?" she asked when the strawberry was gone, her eyes burning.

"Oh, yeah," he said hoarsely.

He lay on the floor as she straddled him, hands resting against his chest, eyes staring directly into his.

He looked up at her, tenderly resting his hands against the sides of her breasts before whispering them slowly down to her hips, feeling the soft shiver tremble through her, hearing her slowly inhale, seeing her eyes burn with anticipation as she raised her hips slightly and reached down to guide him to her.

As she slid down on him with a gasp she knew would always exist she realised Madonna and Quentin were both right.

When she found herself humming she hoped he hadn't recognised the tune.

The pleasure exploded through her and she arched backwards, her muscles tensing and untensing around him as he still moved, sending her cresting a peak she had never before experienced and then she heard him gasp and groan and felt his release within her.

Her hips bucked as she collapsed against his chest, head buried in the hollow of his neck, hearing his panting breath close to her ear as his spasms within her subsided.

They lay that way for some time until he eventually managed to find the strength to lift his arms and embrace her.

"I love you, Kate," he whispered between panting breaths. "Beyond love, if there is anything beyond love."

She mewled softly, unable to form words, nuzzled her nose gently against his skin.

They lay in silence for more long minutes, the feel of their skin against the other's soothing them, the feel of him still inside her comforting them, the sound of their breaths embracing them until she eventually rolled off him onto her back and stared at the ceiling, still panting.

He drew in his own long, deep, heavy breaths as his fingers reached out to gently touch hers.

Neither spoke again for a while.

Eventually she moved her head and stared down at the condom still hanging from him. "You can get rid of it this time," she murmured between pants.

"In a little while," he murmured, his breath still trying to recover.

They lay staring at the ceiling for some time, the floor hard but comfortable beneath their backs.

Eventually she looked back down at him and said, "I can't handle seeing it there," then leaned forward to rip the condom from him and toss it on the floor behind her. "That's better," she said, staring at her sleeping friend.

He sat up a little and glanced over at it. "It's leaking on the floor."

"I'll lick it up later."

A beat. "I hope you mean 'clean'."

She rolled over until her face was close to his and sang, "'Lick it up. Lick it up.'"

"You're a KISS fan?"

"Old boyfriend was. Played that song to death. I dumped him after a week. Couldn't stand hearing it anymore."

"Three things. One: excellent taste. Two: I don't think it was literal. Three: if you lick that up I am never kissing you again."

"Do you really think I'm that kinky?"

"I don't know how kinky you are."

She smiled at him, bit her lip and her eyes gleamed into his.

"How kinky are you?" he asked.

"You can't know everything about me all at once. Where's the mystery in that?"

She leaned forward and kissed him, then rolled over and sat up.

"Oh, we're moving, are we?" he asked, drily.

"Can't lie here all night."

"I'll get an adjudicator to rule on that."

She stood and stretched then watched as he clambered slowly to his feet.

"You surviving?" she asked wearily.

"I'm not as young as I used to be."

"I've got no complaints. I really am impressed by your turnaround time."

"I have access to natural viagra."

"That's not really a very flattering description."

"Sorry."

"Maybe I should call you an organic dildo."

"Hey, babe, I'm the original Edgar remember?"

"Don't call me 'babe', babe."

"Sorry, sweetheart."

She stepped into his arms and they embraced. "Don't you dare call me 'sweetheart' when Ryan or Espo are around," she said, her voice as warm as he ever heard it.

"They wouldn't rag you for that, would they? They'd rag me."

"Are you kidding? Sleepy once called me 'darlin' – 'Whatever you say, darlin' – and Espo still occasionally pops out a 'Sure thing, darlin' or 'Here's the file, darlin'. It's been five-and-a-half years, Espo. Give it a rest."

"So you had seven partners in about two years?"

"Two years, three months and seventeen days."

"Impressive."

"It took me only a month to drive you away."

He shrugged. "You've honed your skills."

She closed her eyes and smiled, relieved by the joke. "You want a shower? I need another one."

"I think I need a bit more turnaround time, Kate. I told you. I'm getting old."

"People have been known to do things in the shower other than have sex, Castle."

"Have they? Like what?"

"Like, I don't know, shower."

"That's a novelty."

She grinned and stepped back and patted him on one arm. "Turn around," she commanded gently.

"Why?"

"Turn around."

He turned around and she put her hands on his shoulders. "Gimme a piggyback. I'm too exhausted to walk that far."

He laughed and bent forward, putting his hands behind himself. "You really are a sixteen-year-old girl."

She clambered onto him and he put his hands beneath her butt as her legs wrapped around his waist. "Don't like?"

"I love."

She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I love that you're allowing me to be this way and I just want to enjoy it while it lasts."

"I'm not in this for a fling, Kate," he said softly.

"I know, Rick. Neither am I," she said softly.

"Is that too much for our first date?"

"Probably." She nibbled his ear gently for a moment. "Now, giddyap."

He laughed and started carrying her toward the bedroom on the way to the bathroom.

"See?" she said. "I told you the horse was naked."

The water curled over their bodies as both her hands curled around him, firmly stroking along his length, bringing him to full strength.

His breath hitched each time her hand moved back and forth across the ridge of his tip.

"I told you it wasn't a myth," she said.

"Impressed?"

"I'm not a size queen."

"Can't hurt."

"It can, you know."

He looked concerned. "Did I-?"

"No," she said quickly. "You felt good. It was all good."

"That feels good," he said, glancing down at her hands still stroking him.

"It's supposed to."

"You know what else would feel good?"

"You inside me."

"It's amazing how we think alike."

She grinned, leaning back against the shower wall, pulling him toward her with both hands.

As the water ran over them both she moaned as he slid inside her, raising one leg to wrap around him as his thrusts reached places no-one else ever had.

"Christ, Rick," she gasped out. "How big are you?"

"Seen Spinal Tap?"

She tried to laugh as his movement inside her quickened.

She didn't care that they didn't take the time to grab a condom.

He followed her out of the bedroom on the way from the bathroom.

They both looked clean and refreshed and still naked.

She glanced down at the couch. "That can be for position six."

"You're planning the spot for our next position?"

"I'm trying to christen as many places as I can tonight."

"Where's the spontaneity?"

"Says the guy who planned an entire phone sex conversation."

"I improvised when plans went awry."

"Well, I'll improvise if I have to."

She stopped at the counter, looking down at the shopping bag.

He stepped up behind her and she turned.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

He picked up the bag and handed it to her. "Something I promised you."

"When?" she asked, opening the bag.

"At The Old Haunt."

She tried to remember as she took a photo frame from the bag, tossed the bag aside and turned the frame over.

She almost pissed herself laughing. "Oh my god, Rick. When you said Binky Winky I thought you meant when you were three."

"I was a bit older than that."

"When was this taken?"

"Two years ago. James Patterson's fiftieth."

"Oh my god." She couldn't stop laughing.

"I won Best Costume."

"I'm not surprised."

Reading. "If you're very good, boys and girls, Binky Winky will give you all a snuggly wuggly." She looked at him, eyes gleaming. "This is gorgeous."

"I was going to auction it off for charity at my public birthday bash but if you want it, you can have it."

"How much do you think you'd get for it?"

A beat. "About fifty."

"I bid a thousand."

He grinned. "Sold, to the naked lady with the bruised tushy."

"Thank you," she said, still admiring the photo. "Remind me to give you the money later."

"Okay."

"And if you conveniently forget, I will shoot you."

"What type of relationship is this if you keep making death threats against me?"

"I'm sounding like FreakMe's crazy older sister, aren't I?"

"What makes you think she's younger than you?"

"You know who she is?"

"We think she's a guy."

"That makes the baby talk even creepier."

She put the photo on the counter, still looking at it.

"I know who you are, Kate," he said, softly.

She turned to him, leaned against the counter and looked into his eyes.

He looked into her eyes not speaking until she nodded.

"FurysAngel," he said softly.

She smiled softly. "I quoted your insight into Vanessa's thinking. That bit about Vanessa really spoke to me."

"Angel is who you would identify with."

She melted and stepped toward him and they wrapped their arms around each other. "You're the only one who could ever have understood that."

"You've shown me so many more parts of you—"

"Other people have been shown those bits. You're the only one who could see them."

She raised her head and they lost themselves to their kisses for a while.

When they broke apart she stared into his eyes, spoke softly, "I love you, Rick. More and more."

He looked down at her, smiling softly. "I loved your posts, Kate. They were so… insightful."

Reciting with a grin. "'Richard Castle, you're the bestest, most wonderfulest writer in the entire world.'"

"I told you, insightful."

"You've been the insightful one, Rick."

"It's no wonder you were so annoyed with me. I mean, beyond me just being annoying."

"Disappointed. That extra bit was disappointment."

"Am I still disappointing?"

She smirked, reached out and grabbed her sleeping friend. "Definitely not disappointing."

"Shhh, you'll wake him."

"You don't want me to wake him?"

"He needs to sleep for a bit longer. It's been four times in-" He glanced at the clock. "—two hours."

"I'm feeling as if I could go all night."

"My spirit is willing, my flesh turns forty soon."

"Okay," she sighed, faking a pout and releasing him. "So what are we going to do until he's recovered?"

"Strip poker?"

She looked down at herself then scanned him up and down. "What more can we strip off?"

"I've got a bag of clothes for the morning."

"And I've got a whole wardrobe. Winner seems inevitable."

"That's cheating."

"My house. My rules."

"So what do you want to do?" he asked.

"We could play scrabble."

"Ah," he said, shaking his head. "The winner's inevitable with that one, too."

"Really?"

"Award-winning world-famous mystery writer? Words are my speciality."

"Just because you get paid for putting them together in such an insightful and entertaining manner, doesn't mean you're the only one who knows actual words, Castle. I know words as well."

"You do?"

"I can think of two of them right now."

"Any others?" he asked.

"Verisimilitude."

"Couldn't fit that on a scrabble board."

"Fallacious."

"Hot."

"Mellifluous."

"Are you going to sing again 'cause I want to put in a request?"

"I think I've got a good chance of beating you."

"Nevergonnahappenland," he said.

"Next dinner at home, your place or mine, I challenge you. One game."

"Your loss."

"I know the words that the award-winning world-famous mystery writer knows, too, remember? I've read them enough."

"At least allow me to console you after your bitter and inevitable defeat."

"I'll be the one consoling you."

"Challenge accepted," he said.

"Deal," she said, reaching out and grabbing her new friend, firmly stroking him up and down.

His breath hitched and after a moment he reached out, whispered his fingers across her start button then slid two fingers inside her, listened to her soft moan. "Deal," he said.

They brought their mouths together and kissed, eyes closed, still stroking up and down, still sliding in and out.

"We never hit third base, Rick," she eventually murmured, breathlessly.

"No, we didn't," he agreed with a groan.

"A day of first base, a little bit of second," she groaned at the movement of his fingers.

"And four home runs," he murmured.

"We need to hit third."

"Ladies first."

"Okay," she said, continuing to stroke him as his fingers continued to work on her.

"Well?" he eventually said.

"In a moment," she moaned.

His fingertips inside her continued brushing and sending increasing tingles through her until she finally released her grip on him and moved backwards, moaning disappointment at both losses of contact.

She sat on the stool behind herself, elbows resting on the counter, legs spreading, staring into his eyes.

He stood before her, staring into her eyes, her new friend awake and pointing directly at her.

After a moment, she said, "Well?"

"Oh," he said, metaphorically slapping his forehead. "'Ladies first' means you get – I need to—it's my job first."

"Yes," she said meaning Duh, rolling her eyes and trying to contain a giggle.

"I just thought—"

"Considering all the teasing you've done tonight, if I went down on you first you probably wouldn't return the favour for a week."

Mock offended. "I would definitely not have made you wait a week before I worshipped at your holy temple—"

She grimaced in amusement at the term, eyes gleaming.

"It would have been a day at most," he said.

"You can call her my holy temple as much as you like, Castle, but there is no way I am gonna call him your holy rod."

"I was thinking holy sceptre."

"I'll try that," she said, then looked at him impatiently, smiling. "Now, get on with it, pussy teaser."

"Oh, you have no idea," he said as he moved his gaze from her eyes, down her body and to her holy temple.

He stepped forward, kneeling, placed his head between her legs and slowly his tongue licked gently between her lips then flicked her start button.

"God," she breathed as his tongue playfully teased her, swirling around and across her.

She gasped and moaned as he slipped two fingers inside her, let his fingertips stroke her velvet flesh, stroke the centre of her pleasure.

It was the most beautiful combination of sensations she had ever experienced and made her realise she had only ever been dealing with amateurs until now.

He carried her still-trembling body to the couch and gently lay her upon it.

She rolled onto her side, clenched her hands between her still-trembling thighs and allowed her head to flop onto the soft cushion he quickly placed there for her.

"I could have walked," she murmured unconvincingly.

He stared down at her, not speaking as he drank in the beauty of her fading aftershocks while sinking to the floor near her.

"Oh. My. God. Rick," she eventually gasped between panting breaths.

"I told you I have been complimented on my teasing."

"Don't. Be. Smug."

"If you say so."

"Be. Smug," she murmured.

He rested his head near hers on the couch and she looked at him and smiled.

"You must have had lots of practice to do this," she said, still breathless.

"Lots of practice. Not just to do this."

"Thank you."

"This isn't something to thank me for."

"I wasn't thanking you. I was thanking all the girls you've been with for training you for me."

He grinned then began gently stroking her hair.

"Will you get my cuffs?"

"Why?"

"You just did that to me. I am never letting you get away."

"Hmmph," he said, mock-offended. "I want to be with you forever because of our emotional connection and you want to be with me because I can get you off like that."

"It's not either or, Rick. I want to be with you forever because of our emotional connection and because you can get me off like that."

He leant forward and gently kissed her.

"Give me some time," she murmured, "and I'll return the favour."

"It wasn't a favour, Kate. It was a gift."

"Then give me some time and let me give you a gift."

"I think I have one more shot in me tonight. Do you really want to waste it?"

"Not a waste, Rick, but… raincheck?"

He mock-leered at her. "I really am looking forward to it."

"Help me sit up," she asked gently.

He tenderly helped her to a sitting position, loving how she pretended to be weaker than she was, then sat next to her, putting his arm around her. She snuggled into him.

"You know, Kate, it's getting late," he said eventually. "You need to get some sleep before work."

"You need sleep, too."

"I can sleep in the meeting."

"What's the point of going to a meeting if you're just going to sleep through it?"

"They miss my snoring."

"You snore?" she asked in mock horror.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch, won't I?"

"I'll get earplugs."

They settled into silence again, slowly and peacefully breathing.

"Have we run out of things to say?" she eventually asked.

"Do you think we'll ever run out of things to say?" he asked.

"I hope not," she murmured.

The silence reigned over them again.

"Hey," she suddenly said, remembering something. "You never showed me that photo you took."

He reached out his arm, pointing his hand in the direction of the counter. "It's over there, but—" Small grunt. "—my telekinetic powers don't seem to be working."

He started to move but she patted his chest and said, "I'll get it."

"Thank you for being kind to an old man."

She rose and walked over to the counter, glancing down at the floor. "You haven't picked up this condom yet."

"Sorry," he said.

"I'm not going to get into the habit of picking up after you."

He grinned and slowly rose, padded over to the condom and picked it up. "Ew," he mumbled.

As he walked over to the bin he saw her standing with his phone in her hand, face frowned in concentration.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Trying to think of which password you would use."

"5283," he said, grabbing a paper towel, dampening it slightly and walking back to clean up the spillage from the condom.

"'Kate'", she said softly, smiling as she unlocked his phone and started to search for the photo.

He finished wiping the floor, walked back to the bin then rinsed his hands at the kitchen sink tap.

"Any photos on here I shouldn't see?" she asked.

"Apart from Killer's selfie?"

She looked up at him leaning on the opposite side of the counter, grimacing. "You called him Killer?"

"Something Espo said on Thursday."

"What did he say?"

"It had been too long since you caught a killer."

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "And now I can catch a killer every night. Ha ha."

"You've caught four tonight."

"It was the same one. They kept giving him bail." She grunted in annoyance and held the phone out to him. "I can't find where you've put it."

He took the phone, typed briefly then held it out to her.

"Hmmm, pretty good," she murmured.

"I've been told I have a good eye for composition."

"I meant the model."

He smiled and typed on his phone again and held it out to her again. "Here's them side by side."

"That actually looks good. Put the bikini on the left and the birthday suit on the right and it's perfect."

He typed on his phone and showed her the result.

She pondered a moment. "One framed copy but kept here. In my bedroom. You can visit. And…"

"And…?"

She turned a slight shade of pink. "I want to take a photo of you and Pussy Teaser when he's awake."

"Done," he said and smiled.

"And put it side by side by with the Winky Binky photo."

He frowned at her, puzzled.

"I want to be able to compare the size of their trunks," she said and smiled.

"What if we break up?"

"I keep custody of both."

"Fair enough."

"We need to give this one a name," she said thoughtfully.

"Blossomed Youth."

"Unwrapped."

"Return To Glory."

"I think I like a simple one. Richard Castle's One True Muse."

He said, "Yeah, that's—" and then it hit him and he turned to her in horror.

"That one sounds sweet to me," she murmured.

"Kate…" he said and she heard a strange undertone in his voice.

"What?" she asked, looking up to see his ashen face.

"I should have told you. I never thought…"

"Told me what?" she asked, warily.

"You're not my first, Kate."

"You had a daughter before I even knew of you," she said, trying not to imagine the words she was afraid would come. "I never thought I could be."

He felt as if the world was disappearing beneath his feet.

He said, "You're not my first muse."

She was surprised how much that hurt.

They sat on the stools either side of the island counter, still naked.

She idly picked up a strawberry from the bowl, dipped it into the cream and bit into it.

"I can't give you details," he said slowly.

"It's Clara Strike," she said, voice and face neutral.

"How did-?"

"It was either Clara or Sister Rose and Derrick doesn't seem Sister Rose's type."

"I told you it was classified."

She gave him a wan smile. "You shadowed her?"

"Yes."

"You worked with her?"

"Yes."

"Had our shared brain thingie, as Lanie says?"

"Some of that, yeah."

"You slept with her."

He looked directly at her but she wasn't meeting his eyes. "Yes."

"How long were you shadowing her?"

"A year."

"How long were you shadowing her before you slept together?"

"Nine months."

She took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"We got along until we didn't. We had some of what we—" He waved his hand between the two of them. " —have – had."

Her eyes flickered at the use of the past tense but she didn't speak.

"We were attracted to each other and eventually we just went for it. And then we exploded."

"Thermonuclear explosion?" she asked.

"Whatever is beyond it. Put it this way, if I ever bumped into her again she'd probably try to kill me."

"Why did you explode?"

"We were too different. I was a nine-year-old with a sugar rush—" She smiled at that description. "—and Clara was… a woman with a serious job who finally got sick of having a kid around. What was annoying but sometimes useful at work became just annoying outside it."

She dipped another strawberry into the cream and chewed it pensively.

"We just couldn't seem to make it work and… she just couldn't be bothered to try," he said.

"You wanted to try?"

"I don't like walking away."

"It took you a day to decide to walk away from me."

"I was falling in love with you, Kate, and I hurt you. As I said, I didn't want to hurt you."

She looked into his eyes for a moment and he was ashamed of the sadness he seemed to see behind the curtain she had drawn.

She was about to speak then stopped and stood up. "I need to take a tinkle. I'll be back in a minute." A beat. "Maybe five, the way my bladder feels."

She started to turn then stopped and looked at him again. "We're okay, Rick," she said softly. "We're okay."

She walked toward the bedroom and he watched her, reflecting on the sadness he seemed to hear in her tone.

He sat on the stool for a while, staring at the strawberries.

Eventually he took one, dipped it into the cream and bit into it.

When he finished, he sighed and stood up, walked idly over to her CD collection and stroked his fingers down their spines as he read the titles.

"Richard Castle."

Startled, he turned at the clipped sound of her voice to see her standing in the doorway to her bedroom wearing her dress blue shirt and cap, twirling her handcuffs around her finger.

"You're under arrest," she said in the tone he remembered so well.

He started to smile and his hand dropped away from the CDs, snagging a vase on the way down.

They both looked down at the sound of the vase shattering on the floor and they both had a look of horror on their faces.

"Castle!"

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't step on it in your bare feet."

He stepped back and she walked forward, glaring at him. "You just can't help yourself. Always have to touch things."

"You didn't mind me touching—"

She stepped over the shattered vase. "Do you know what that meant to me? To my family?"

"I'll—"

"You'll what? Replace it? Do you think that can be replaced?"

She stepped up to him and gently but firmly dragged his arm behind his back and pushed him toward the bare part of the wall. It only worked because he co-operated.

"Is that how you've always operated, Castle? Something breaks and you just go out and get a new one?"

She dragged his other hand behind him and cuffed his wrists together. It only worked because he co-operated. "Did you ever think that some things can't be replaced?"

She leant against him and whisper-snarled into his ear. "Do you know how much that vase was worth?"

"No."

"Five bucks at the markets," she said then nibbled gently on his ear.

"I'll get you a new one," he said, the smile in his voice clear to her.

"Do you think that's going to make up for it, Castle? Now stand still while I do a strip search," she said, pressing against his back and rubbing her hands across his chest.

"I'm already stripped," he said.

"Then I'll just search you," she said, running her hands down his chest, past his stomach before one of them grabbed her now-waking friend.

"What's this, Mr Castle?"

"That's—"

"Keep quiet unless I ask you a question," she said, running her hand along the length of him and squeezing his tip.

He released a soft, drawn-out breath.

"Is this a weapon, Mr Castle? Are you carrying a concealed weapon?"

"It's definitely not concealed."

She ran her hand the length of him again. "Is it a baton? Are you carrying a baton?"

"No."

"No, it's too thick to be a baton." She ran her fingers around his tip, felt him get harder. "What is it, Mr Castle?"

"Why don't you take a look?"

She stepped back, touched his shoulder and he turned around, his eyes scanning her in her dress blue shirt and cap, her eyes fixated on his baton, hard and pointing directly at her.

"Is that a weapon, Mr Castle?"

"Yes."

"What does it do?"

"Would you like me to show you?"

"Would I feel good if you showed me?"

"You'd feel very good, Detective."

"I'm not a Detective. Can't you see the badge?"

"You'd feel very good, Officer."

"Is there anything you'd like me to do to make you feel good, Mr Castle?"

"Take off your clothes," he said in a very creditable Daniel Day Lewis impersonation.

She drew in a quick breath as she felt the stirrings within then stared at him as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt. "I think you found my upgrade, Rick," she said softly.

"You can leave the cap on," he said.

She walked into her bedroom, anticipation and desire on her face, hand wrapped around him as she dragged him willingly toward the bed.

"Where are we going, Officer?" he asked.

"Call me Lieutenant," she said, releasing him and turning around as she reached the bed.

"Lieutenant?" he asked, watching with desire as she flopped back onto the bed, legs spreading.

"Chloe," she said." Call me Lieutenant Chloe."

"I thought we were officer and perp."

"That was out there. Now we're in the command centre. Different roles. Keep up…" She looked at him questioningly, her tone enquiring.

He smiled at her, stepped forward and joined her on the bed, leaning over her, her friend pressing hard against her. "Mal," he said. "Captain Mal."

"Pleased to meet you, Captain Mal," she said, stretching up to kiss him.

"Pleased to meet you, Lieutenant Chloe," he said, returning her kiss. "I almost didn't recognise you out of uniform."

"I'll never forget you out of yours."

"There's nothing special about me."

"Your rocket begs to differ."

"Rocket?" he grimaced.

"Goes with the theme."

"So you have a landing bay?"

"Could be a wormhole."

"A passage to Paradise?"

"Sounds right to me."

He kissed her gently, his friend in motion across her skin, as hard as he had ever felt.

"I think your rocket is ready for re-entry, Captain Mal," she said hoarsely.

"All systems set to go, Lieutenant," he rumbled gently, reaching down between them and guiding himself to her.

"Then you may proceed," she softly commanded with a smile.

He looked into her eyes. "Maximum thrust, Lieutenant," he said then pushed inside her, hearing her gasp, watching the pleasurable strain reflect itself on her face as she let him fill her.

She wrapped her arms around him, grinding her hips in sync with his movements, her panting breaths matching his. "Oh, god, Rick," she gasped into his ear.

"Keep calling me 'god'," he rumbled, "and I'll get a big head."

"You already have one," was her riposte as she giggled through gasps and squeezed her muscles around him.

She lay on her back on her half of the bed while he lay on his side watching her.

Their exertions of the night were finally beginning to take their toll.

"Kate," he said, softly. "You do realise that was the second time we had sex without a condom, don't you?"

"I'll stop off at a pharmacist on the way home."

He was silent for a while and she looked at him. "If we manage-"

"I wasn't thinking—"

"I know you weren't."

They lapsed into silence for a while.

"I'm sorry, Kate," he eventually said.

She looked into his eyes, shaking her head. "Don't be. As you said, I'm more interested in our future than your past."

He hesitated a moment then said, "You felt as if you were special and now you feel you aren't."

"No," she wistfully lied, glancing away.

He gently touched her cheek to bring her gaze back to him. "You are special, Kate. Clara was a supporting character in a book about, well, me, essentially."

She smiled at him sceptically. "Derrick Storm is you?"

"The Chuck Norris version of me."

Her eyes gleamed at him as she smiled softly.

"Nikki's the star of her own series," he continued.

"You haven't even published one yet."

"Even if they never get published there'll be one Nikki Heat book written each year we're together."

"So you'll keep writing the flattering books I'll love as long as I keep sleeping with you?"

"You don't like emotional blackmail?"

She smiled. "Don't make a habit of it."

"You're special here, too," he continued softly. "I never watched a zombie movie with Clara and she never threw popcorn at me. I never danced the night away with her because she would never let her boys handle it. I never skated in Central Park with her or threw her over a barrier or rubbed cream into the bruise I caused."

"You haven't done that yet."

"Where's the cream?"

"Do it before I go to work."

"I never crashed out on the couch with her curled into my arms because I didn't want to sleep with her before the first date. I never once had an imaginary girlfriend because of her and I never once threw a chapter away because she asked me to. I never met her dad. I never had any of the really special things with her that I've had with you."

She leaned forward and tenderly kissed him then leant her forehead against his. "I love you. And… and I am glad you told me."

"If I'd realised what it meant to you I would have told you sooner."

"I still would have dated you."

They stared into each other's eyes for a while before she finally sighed.

"I'm going to have get some sleep, Rick."

"You really are going to break that coffee machine today."

"If it breaks, I'll drink battery acid and monkey pee."

"Eeh," he said, theatrically shuddering.

She smiled at him. "You need some sleep, too, Rick. You need to be nice and rested for your early morning meeting nap."

She settled against him and his arms wrapped around her.

"What was your favourite part of the day?" she asked.

"Meeting your dad."

"Do you know what mine was?"

"Getting proof that the compliments about my teasing were justified."

"That was pretty good," she admitted. "I mean, all the sex was pretty good."

"Pretty good?"

"Really good."

"Really good?"

"Absolutely fantastic."

"Absolutely fantastic?"

"Mind-blowingly incredible."

She looked back and watched him preen with exaggerated pride.

"Ah, yes," he said. "I am pretty incredible."

"But all the talking was good, too. And all the silences. But none of them were the best moment."

He looked at her with soft adoring eyes and asked softly, "What was the best moment?"

"This. Here. Now. Knowing that I will close my eyes and fall asleep and when I open them again you'll be right there beside me."

He took in a slow breath, leant down and tenderly kissed her neck then whispered in her ear, "Sorry, I'm still going to have to go with meeting your dad."

She smiled. "Should I have given you a barf bag before I said anything?"

"No barf bag needed but I think I may be diabetic."

She smiled again, settled even further against him. "Good night, Rick."

"Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Pussy Teaser."

"Good night, Frisky Girl."

"Good night, John Boy."

"Good night, Mary Ellen."

He closed his eyes. She turned her head to look at him for a moment then settled back and closed her eyes, breathing steadily.

It seemed to her that only five minutes later the alarm went off.

Author's Notes: I hope at least some of it worked for you.

And yes, I realise, these two chapters have been hellaciously long but I wanted to limit the foreplay and sex to a chapter each rather than split them further and string them out. (8 chapters for Sunday is enough, I think.)

(Updated: I think this chapter is now done. I've updated it a few times and I can't do any better with the sex interludes. Hope they're still not too disappointing.)

The Madonna/Quentin reference is about Like A Virgin. In Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino says it's about a woman having sex with a well-hung guy. Madonna says it's about love.

No, I won't be having Kate get pregnant because Rick didn't wear a condom. Twice.

I like the idea that (apart from Meredith who gave him Alexis) Kate is completely comfortable with his previous girlfriends but not being his only real muse gets to her.

The dialogue between them has clearly always been my focus so there was no way I could make this a traditional sex chapter. The question for me is, is it a candidate for the annual Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction award?

I almost thought of not including Chapters 20 and 21 but I realised the story needed them to complete Sunday and I think you would have lynched me if I left them out.

The possible bad news: I'm nearing the end though I'm not sure how many chapters that will be.

The possible more bad news: I won't be wrapping up everything I've forward referenced. (eg. No birthday parties, no Dr Death letting Kate know the truth of her mother's murder and her reaction to it.)

The possible consolation: I may either do a sequel or simply add Epilogues to this story. I'm not certain yet. I'll mark it as complete, though.

Possible problem: Caskett would still be the focus of a sequel or Epilogues but I'd also include scenes with only one of Rick or Kate plus other characters in the series (eg. Kate convincing Alexis to eat ice cream this lifetime while letting her know how much her dad means to Kate.)

I'll get the next chapter to you as soon as I can but there may be a delay.

Again, thank you all for your kind words and even your critiques. They have all helped me to try harder.

Special thanks to J.