So this is a random one shot which popped into my head – the topic? What madness would occur if Castle and Beckett were stuck in a confined space. Together. For an extended period of time? Then there was the thought of the famous 'Unanswerable questions of life' – no I'm not talking about the 'What is the meaning of life?' question (far too elaborate) I'm talking about those really annoying ones, like 'Why is a building called a building when it's already built?' Yeeees, just THINK of the trouble our favourite writer could cause with this scenario! And what happens *after* they escape the elevator? *hint hint* this is a Caskett fic for a reason people and I intend to make it fluffy

*No Becketts or Castles were harmed in the creation of this fic*

This is set during the Josh and Gina time... so season 3.

Disclaimer: I think I need an official certificate to state the blatantly obvious – I do not own Castle *walks away grumbling at how painfully blunt the truth is*

Kate Beckett prided herself on her ability to stay patient, it was not always an easy task – working as a cop tested her patience in more ways than one, but dealing with psychopaths and uncooperative suspects and or witnesses was nothing compared to her unorthodox partnership with bestselling author Richard Castle.

He knew exactly how to push her buttons and though he did (as much as she denied it) make her job more fun, sometimes his actions which could often be associated with a really intense sugar rush got on her nerves sometimes but, after all the things they had been through together, Beckett found it difficult to imagine her life without Castle bugging her and following her around like a lost puppy.

But as Beckett observed her surroundings, she realised that this was the last place on Earth she wanted to be with her partner who was affectionately known for having the attention span of a Cocker Spaniel. As if on cue, the man in question looked to her with an amused smile, his bright blue eyes twinkling mysteriously.

Beckett rose a brow 'Whatever you're thinking, the answer is in your dreams.' She deadpanned while pinching the bridge of her nose as the familiar feeling of a caffeine deprived headache crept up on her.

Castle smirked 'I'm shocked that your mind automatically went to the gutter, Detective...'

Beckett snorted 'comes with the job Castle, plus...I like the gutter sometimes.' She said slyly, her mission accomplished when the writer's jaw dropped open at her revelation.

'Oh you're good...' he breathed lowly.

Beckett locked her brown eyes onto his 'You have no idea.' She said with a sense of Déjà vu.

Castle remained silent for a few minutes before casually reaching over to grasp Beckett's left arm, ignoring her scathing glare for the time being, he peered at the watch attached to her wrist before releasing his gentle hold 'Well, we've been here for almost 2 hours basking in companionable silence and our own thoughts, how about we play a little game?' he suggested with childlike glee.

Beckett threw him one of her trademark eye rolls 'Well I think I-Spy is out of the question.' She said dryly.

Castle looked at her thoughtfully 'We could play truth or dare!' he suggested.

Beckett shot that one down quickly 'No way! I'm not giving you the opportunity to peel more of the Beckett Onion and make a fool of me in one of your stupid dares!' she said seriously.

'You're forgetting that you have the same opportunity with me? I know you want to peel back some of the Castle Onion layers!' he said with a wink.

Beckett was momentarily tempted by this 'Maybe later...' she told him.

Castle grinned 'We could play Marry, Kiss, Kill. Or if you are feeling a little more adventurous there's the mature version...' he said waggling his eyebrows.

Beckett laughed a little at that 'I need to think up some evil combos before we tackle that game.'

Castle nodded in agreement before frowning at her slightly pained expression 'Headache?' he asked knowingly.

Beckett nodded slowly 'I have Advil in my bag but I can't dry swallow tablets.' She muttered.

Castle passed her an unopened water bottle which he had gotten from the vending machine in the break room 'I thought this might come in handy, lucky I grabbed it before we left.' He said watching as she took a quick swig before downing the tablets without a second glance.

'Thanks Castle.' She said gratefully.

For a few minutes, there was silence and Beckett was relieved to find that the Advil was working quickly. She glanced lazily over to Castle, who seemed to be lost in thought.

'You alright over there Castle?' she asked curiously before snapping her fingers in front of his face, causing him to jump slightly.

He looked at her funnily 'Can I ask you something?'

Beckett was momentarily shocked that he asked her permission 'You just did.' She said automatically.

'Funny, Detective. But really?' he continued.

Beckett's curiosity was now peaked 'Yeah Castle, go ahead.' She said finally, wondering what was bothering her partner.

Castle took a breath 'Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavouring, but dishwashing liquid is made with "Real lemons"?' he asked seriously.

Beckett blinked.

'And how can there be self help "Groups"?'

'I think we've been here too long.' Beckett groaned.

Castle didn't seem to hear her 'What did cured ham actually have?'

'Castle.'

'Why isn't popcorn considered a vegetable?'

'I don't know Castle.' Beckett sighed humouring him, hoping that if she did the madness would end.

'Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called "Rush Hour"?'

'I think you've lost it.' Beckett said pushing her head into her awaiting arms.

'Do Pyromaniacs wear blazers?' Castle said after a pause.

Beckett growled before slapping her hand over the writer's mouth 'I swear to God Castle, one more word and I'm going to knock you out.' Beckett snapped.

Castle pulled her hand away from his mouth slowly 'Speaking of heads, why do birds bop their heads when they walk?' he asked innocently.

Beckett moved as far away from Castle as she could so she wouldn't be tempted to kill him before pulling out her phone and slamming her finger into speed dial #2.

'Ryan! You'd better give me some good news because if I'm not out of this elevator in the next hour I'm going to go insane!' she barked into the phone.

'Uh, sorry Boss. We're working on it! I just spoke to maintenance; they said that it won't be longer than another hour and a half.' Ryan replied nervously.

Beckett ran a hand over her face but a small smile crept over her face when Ryan muttered 'Please don't kill me' in a quiet squeak.

'Okay Ryan. Do whatever you can to lessen that time frame; it's damn lucky that this happened after we closed our case.' Beckett said calmly.

After a quick goodbye, Ryan hung up leaving Beckett to deal with Castle, who was obviously listening to her conversation with interest.

'It's going to be at least another hour.' She said answering his silent question.

Castle groaned a little while moving his neck from side to side 'Thank God, my neck is killing me!' he whined.

Beckett grinned and decided to get her revenge 'Oh come on Castle, It could be worse.' She said patting his shoulder.

'Oh yes, I know. I'm a writer, I've thought of thousands of elevator related deaths and injuries, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts!' he said pulling out his pocket notebook and flipping to a fresh
page 'So, how could it be worse Detective?' he prompted her.

Beckett grinned like a Cheshire cat 'You could still be cursed.' She joked.

Castle dropped his poised pen and pouted 'Not nice, Beckett.'

'You could be claustrophobic.'

Castle smirked 'Good point. Is it possible to be a closet claustrophobic?' he asked, bringing back some of his unanswerable questions.

Beckett frowned 'Well you have to be open about being a clau...oh.' she said realising how much the question was messing with her mind, just like all the previous ones.

'Do you have a list of these written down or something?' she asked snatching his notepad to flick through it.

Castle shook his head 'Nope, it's amazing what you can find on the internet though...the questions are a great way to start a conversation.' He mused.

'They are a great way to get my headache to come back.' She said dryly.

Castle looked at her sheepishly 'Well I told you, truth or dare is still on the cards.'

'No thanks.' Beckett said with a grimace before a thought popped into her head 'Hey, I got one of those questions for you!'

Castle looked like a kid in a candy store 'Please do share with the class.'

'If the weather is "Partly cloudy" one day and "Partly sunny" the next, what's the difference?' she asked remembering the weather report from earlier in the morning.

Castle opened and closed his mouth several times 'Touché, Detective.' He said dejectedly.

Beckett grinned 'If a man speaks in the woods and there's no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?'

He placed a hand over his heart 'Your words wound me Detective...and not just me, but the entirety of the male population.' He said dramatically.

'That means I'm doing my job as a woman, Castle.' She gloated.

Half an hour later, Castle was still sulking and proceeded to sulk more when his IPhone died, leaving him without internet access and games.

'So...how's Josh doing?' Castle asked, resulting to small talk now that technology was out of the question.

Beckett folded her arms and leaned further back into the wall in a pointless attempt to get comfortable 'Wouldn't know, we aren't together anymore.' She said with a shrug.

Castle threw her an apologetic look 'I'm sorry Kate. What happened?' he asked kindly before his eyes flashed dangerously 'He didn't hurt you did he?'

Beckett chuckled a little 'Whoa simmer down Castle, remember – I carry a gun. We broke it off because of our insane work schedules...do you know how hard it is trying to date a doctor?' she said
exasperatedly 'He's on call all the time and if it's not him getting asked to come in to help with a patient or something, it's me getting called in to solve another murder! I don't think we got through one date without something happening...'

Castle's mouth twitched a little 'Reminds me of when we went on separate dates to the same place...'

Beckett frowned 'Don't remind me...' she grumbled.

Castle grinned widely 'Oh come on Beckett! That was quite an evening, did you know that Mr. July and Bachelorette #3 are now dating full time now?' he told her gleefully.

Beckett was not surprised.

'You don't seem disappointed.' Beckett noted.

Castle waved a hand dismissively 'Nope, but you realise that we got to play cupid?' he said while imitating firing a bow and arrow in her direction making her laugh.

'Not the most conventional way, but that's one way of thinking I suppose.' She said before looking down at the time, which now read 7:40 pm.

'How's Gina?' Beckett's mouth blurted out before her brain could stop it.

Castle mimed shooting himself in the head 'She wants my new Nikki Heat manuscript and long story short, it's not finished yet. The fact that she's my girlfriend means she can take harping to a new
level.' He shuddered.

Beckett took a swig from her water bottle to hide her smirk 'Why don't you just break off the relationship?' she asked 'If she annoys you so much, why are you with her?'

Castle squirmed slightly and looked down at his hands 'I can't break it off with her!' he spluttered.

'Why?'

Castle grabbed her arm and looked at her seriously 'If I do that, she'll bug me even more out of spite!' his eyes then widened 'You can help me!'

'Come again?' she replied stiffly.

Castle shuffled closer, his eyes silently begging her 'You could tell her to get off my case!' he began 'Or threaten to shoot her or something!' he said wildly.

Beckett tried to hold back a laugh, failing miserably 'If I threaten to shoot her, she could threaten to take legal action. I don't like lawyers, Castle.' She said shooting down the second option 'Plus, isn't
it her job to be on your case? You know, as your Publisher?' she reminded him.

'Yes, but Gina takes her job very seriously. Especially since her ex-husband is her client.' He muttered 'She enjoys seeing me in pain.'

Beckett shuddered when Castle's arm brushed against her own, she shuffled a few inches away from him before propositioning him 'So...what's in it for me...Kitten?'

Castle looked at her, eyes the size of saucers 'Name your price.' He said before glaring 'I thought we had an agreement, Detective?' he said with an arched brow.

Beckett bit her lip 'You're an easy target, sorry Castle. Look, I'll talk to her.'

Castle threw her a toothy grin before leaning over and kissing her forehead, leaving the Detective slightly dazed with heat creeping up her cheeks.

'You are a life saver, Beckett.' He said genuinely.

Beckett cleared her throat 'But I'm not going to save your ass from Gina all the time!' she said quickly while pointing her slim index finger at him.

Castle smiled 'I understand that this is a one off deal, Detective. I know that saving my ass from the wrath of my ex – wives whether it be plural or singular, is not how you want to spend your time
away from the precinct.' He said sheepishly.

Beckett absentmindedly played with the lid of her phone 'No kidding!' she scoffed before jumping as the phone in question began vibrating in her palm.

'Okay that was just freaky...' he said while she looked back with a mixture of amusement and smugness.

'You'd better have some good news, Esposito.' Kate half growled in greeting after glancing at the caller ID.

Beckett heard a small but audible gulp causing her stomach to drop to her ankles 'What...' she sighed exasperatedly before receiving a response.

'They're working on it Beckett, right now actually.' The detective replied with apparent ease.

Beckett jumped but didn't pull away when Castle pressed his ear to the phone in an attempt to find out what was happening.

'Yeah stop sugar coating it Esposito, I know there's a "But" in there somewhere.' She said snappishly before looking at Castle in her peripheral vision, finding herself uncomfortable with their close
contact. Pulling away and ignoring Castle's mumble of 'What are you doing?' she pressed the a button on her phone causing the slightly muffled voice of Esposito to wash around the room.

'Hey Beckett.' Ryan greeted, the boys obviously taking advantage of the loudspeaker function too.

'And Castle!' the writer butted in emitting a flurry of greetings and questions from the pair.

'Hey Bro! How you coping in there?' Esposito asked.

Ryan chuckled 'Yeah has Beckett threatened to kill you yet?'

'Yeah because I think I'd rather be locked in a jail cell for a week than spend a few hours in a 27 square foot box with Beckett...' Esposito said grimly.

Ryan mumbled something before speaking clearer into the phone 'Especially a caffeine deprived Beckett!'

'Yeah she's threatened to kill me, but I don't think Beckett would go further than that...after all, she hates paperwork.' Castle said casually.

Beckett arched a brow and cleared her throat 'You guys know that I can hear your spiel? It's called loudspeaker for a reason. How about we skip to the point?' Beckett said with false sweetness,
glaring straight ahead as if the boys were right in front of her.

'Sorry Beckett. Ryan just spoke to one of the maintenance guys, he said that they're working as fast as they can,' Esposito said quickly.

'But because it's an old elevator they have to be careful, he said that this elevator's been on the fritz since the last time it had a hissy fit...I think you remember that particular moment, don't you Castle?' Ryan
continued pointedly.

Castle's eyes narrowed at the phone 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' He said coolly.

'Suuure...' the partners said in a sarcastic harmony.

'Seriously Bro, I'm never going to forget that case! You running around with the curse...screwing with our Chi...' Esposito said, continuing to poke fun.

'Why does every person including my own mother feel the need to remind me of that particular case when I fall into these types of situations?' Castle asked dramatically.

'Two words Castle – Easy. Target.' Ryan told him earning a satisfied smirk from Beckett.

Castle mouthed you too? Before the previously silent Detective decided to take a crack, her mock window slowly closing up.

'It's true Castle, it's actually kinda funny...deny it all you want, but I've seen you flinch when the coffee machine makes a strange noise at least once a week since the whole curse debacle.' She said
recalling the writer's slight unease around the coffee machine which she had noticed by accident that very morning.

Small snorts and barely concealed laughter could be heard from the other end of the phone line while Castle frowned at Beckett.

'You're supposed to stick up for me Beckett! You're my partner after all!' he said, Beckett felt a small rush of pleasure after the word partner was used followed by a small tinge of sympathy.

'Alright boys, I think Castle's ego has been deflated enough today. So when are we getting out of here exactly?' Beckett asked finally.

There was a brief sound of shuffling 'About another 45 minutes.' Ryan said swiftly.

Beckett pushed her head back into the wall 'Okay. My phone's about to die...Hey Esposito?' Beckett said suddenly.

'Yeah Boss?'

'Go to Remy's and get Castle and I something to eat for when we get out of here...I don't care what as long as it's edible. Got any preferences Castle?' Beckett said thoughtfully, noticing how empty
her stomach felt for the first time in hours.

Castle shrugged 'Anything, just make sure there are two of those shakes in the order.' Castle said with a groan of longing.

Beckett smiled at the mention of Remy's shakes, which wiped the floor with all of the other competitors.

'Got it.' The pair replied simultaneously before goodbyes were exchanged, leaving the elevator eerily silent. Beckett shuffled uncomfortably, after noticing her empty stomach she was also lucky enough
to notice her bladder and the half empty water bottle beside her thigh.

Castle, being the ever observant writer noticed.

'Are you feeling as uncomfortable as I am right now?' he asked awkwardly.

Beckett nodded slowly 'The ladies room has just taken the top of the priority list once we get outta here.' She said seriously before pushing the messages coming from her bladder to the back of her
brain.

'We need a distraction.' Castle blurted out.

Beckett groaned 'I was just in the middle of distracting myself. Thanks a lot Castle.' She said punching his arm none too lightly.

The writer yelped and pouted 'I thought we weren't going to kill each other!'

Beckett smirked and leaned closer to him 'Yeah but there's a fatal flaw in your logic.'

Castle's blue eyes flashed, accepting the silent challenge 'Really? Tell me Detective, what exactly is my hamartia?' he asked curiously.

Beckett grinned 'You would never be able to kill me Writer Boy.'

Castle huffed a little 'I'm a bestselling mystery writer! I'm sure that I could think up a way to kill you before you could say "Oops."' He said confidently.

Beckett rolled her eyes 'I have read all of your books Castle. I know the way you kill your characters, I can put two and two together.' She scoffed.

Castle opened his mouth slightly 'I'm sorry, I went partially deaf for a second – did you say all of my books?' he spluttered.

Beckett felt the heat rise to her cheeks and her eyes dropped to her hands 'Derrick Storm got me through my mother's death.' She said quietly.

Castle's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates 'Kate...'

Beckett hesitated 'After my mom died, I was in a dark place...a really dark place, Castle. I refused to believe that some monster murdered my mother – everyone loved her.' She revealed, ignoring the
stinging coming from the back of her eyes 'My best friend got me "Gathering Storm" telling me I had to read it. Your books were the escape I needed. After reading all the Storm books that were
released, I went back and read your earlier works.'

Castle slipped his larger hand over hers and rubbed the soft skin underneath with his thumb 'I'm humbled that I was able to help you get through something as difficult as that, Kate.' He said gently.

Beckett sniffled, unable to stop the small tear from escaping her right eye.

'What I told you isn't common knowledge, Castle.' She said thickly.

He nodded in understanding 'Of course.' He replied 'But you know what this means?' he said with a small smile.

Beckett looked up, surprised to feel Castle's thumb swipe the tear from her cheek away quickly 'It means, my dear Detective that I was your partner and had your back long before you or I recognised it.'

Beckett bit her lip slightly in response 'So, I think I've got some evil combos for marry, kiss, kill now.' she said trying to move the conversation along from her past and mixed emotions.

Castle watched as she wiggled her toes and feet to get the feeling back, she had long since removed her shoes which now sat in the corner in front of her.

'Okay then Beckett, fire away your worst combination...' he said smirking.

Beckett opened her mouth to begin the game, but the sudden sound of the elevator powering up and the lights brightening caught the pair's attention.

'Oh my God.' Beckett breathed.

Castle looked over at his slightly frazzled partner, the new light allowing him to see what the dim lighting had prevented – Beckett's hair was slightly messed up and falling out it's elastic hold slowly
and the tear tracks were just visible on her reddened cheeks.

'It took them long enough!' Castle exclaimed before standing and holding his hand out to her.

Beckett took it without thinking and took in his own appearance, his hair too was frazzled and his shirt was unbuttoned under the neck and untucked.

'Great timing too!' he added 'I was hoping to see what devious combinations you were going to lay out on me!'

Beckett waited patiently for the elevator to climb up to the homicide division 'Just wait until the next road trip Castle. You'll wish you'd never said that.' She said slyly before finally stepping out of the
elevator where Ryan, Esposito, Montgomery and a medic were waiting.

'Hey Beckett!' the boys exclaimed while clapping Castle on the back 'See you survived!' Ryan commented with a wink.

'We want all the details.' Esposito added.

Castle glanced over to Beckett and sent her a reassuring smile silently assuring her that he would keep his promise 'Oh trust me boys, you will hear everything worth hearing.' He said joyously.

'I don't know if they could handle everything, Castle...keep it PG.' she said suggestively making the boys gape slightly.

Montgomery snorted 'Alright you two, go and get checked out by the medic, Ryan got you both some food, it's nearly 9 PM.' He said matter-of-factly.

'Alexis will be waiting for me, when I told her I was stuck in an elevator with Beckett, she was trying to settle on an emotion she went from being extremely worried to very amused.' Castle said musing out loud.

'Come with me Detective, I will check you over...It won't take long.' The medic instructed kindly.

Beckett backed off 'Whoa, no way!' she protested before walking off in the opposite direction.

'Beckett! Where do you think you're going? You are going to get checked over!' Montgomery demanded.

Beckett turned around at looked at the Captain calmly 'With all due respect, I was in an elevator for 4 and a half hours.' She reminded him 'I am going to the ladies room first, then I'll get checked over.'
She promised before briskly continuing her route to the bathroom.

Castle's eyes widened 'She just had to remind me!' he groaned before whisking himself off to the bathroom too.

After being checked over by the medic and being told the blatantly obvious fact that they were okay, Castle and Beckett quickly moved to the Bullpen where food was waiting for them.

Beckett sat down in her chair with a satisfied sigh and reached for her shake 'I have never appreciated my chair more than right now.' she said before taking the straw into her mouth and taking a generous sip.

Castle nodded in agreement 'Even this old chair has never felt more comfortable.' He stated before reaching into his backpack to pull out his extra phone charger, he met Beckett's curious gaze and
justified it with an answer.

'I always carry one just in case my phone dies in a really inconvenient place; it doubles up as a car charger too. Dead useful when I'm on book tours or we just happen to have a long case.' He explained.

Beckett nodded in agreement and held up her own black phone charger 'I do the same thing. I was actually wondering why you would risk tuning on your phone!' she said with a grin.

Castle looked very confused.

'Gina! Did you let her know that you were stuck in an elevator with me? She might have thought you were ignoring her!' she informed him, the writer's face transforming into one of pure horror when his phone loaded up.

He clicked onto his messages and found 10 voicemail messages and 23 missed calls from his publisher/ex-wife/girlfriend.

'Oh.'

Beckett glanced over and whistled 'She's going to rip you a new one when she calls you next.'

Castle gasped when his phone began ringing, Gina appearing on the caller ID.

He didn't answer immediately, choosing to glare at his partner accusingly instead 'What is it with you and the phone psychic thing today?' he hissed before hesitantly pressing the answer button.

'Castle.' He answered steadily before pulling the phone away from his ear as the high pitched voice of Gina assaulted his ear.

'RICHARD! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU FOR HOURS!' she fumed.

Castle gulped 'I was stuck in an elevator?' he said helplessly, not bothering to put the phone on speaker, her voice was ringing loud and clear enough for Beckett to hear.

'And you couldn't call me to tell me not to meet you at the restaurant? I was there for 45 minutes waiting for you to show up!' she growled.

Beckett smacked her hand to her forehead and mouthed You're so dead before watching as he tried to find an answer that wouldn't dig him a deeper grave.

'I – The reception in there was shot...' he said weakly.

Gina laughed mirthlessly 'Don't even try the whole "there was no reception" excuse on me Richard! The next place I tried after your mobile was the Loft! Alexis answered and let it slip that you were stuck in an elevator with your Detective muse...Beckett!'

Beckett winced and frowned at the phone after "Beckett" and "Muse" were placed in the same sentence.

'I will make it up to you, Gina...' he said trying to calm down his raging girlfriend.

Gina huffed 'You want to make it up to me Rick? Have that God damned manuscript on my desk by next week!' she snapped.

Castle ran a hand over his face 'I can't get it to you by next week, Gina. I've been on a case for the past week and a half; I haven't had the chance to finish!' Castle said sounding slightly miffed.

'You said the same thing a month ago! I want that draft!'

Beckett noticed her partner's jaw set and without a second glance she grabbed the phone and took it off charge before walking off toward the break room, leaving a stunned Castle behind.

'Get off his case Gina; it's been a long week for all of us. I know you need that manuscript but you can't keep pushing him like that, it's not going to get you anywhere.' Beckett growled softly into the
phone after the door was shut behind her.

'Ah hello Detective Beckett. I have every right to get that manuscript! It's months overdue and Richard really needs to get the book finished otherwise he'll miss the deadline! He needs to stop playing super cop and get writing!' she said coldly, obviously not appreciating the pep talk.

Beckett rolled her eyes and perched herself on the edge of a chair 'I beg to differ, I know Castle's writing. But have you noticed that less is being produced since the two of you got back together?'

Gina's breath hitched 'How would you know that?'

Beckett grinned and thought of a certain red haired teen that she happened to talk to once a week 'I have my sources, listen Gina get off my partner's back and reading over his shoulder. It'll work out better for both of you.' She said reasonably.

'Oh so he's your *partner* now?' she stressed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Beckett bristled 'Damn straight he is! That makes his problems my problems; we look out for one another. Back. Off. Do I make myself clear?' She said bluntly.

'Perfectly.' Gina said sweetly 'Put Richard back on would you?'

Beckett took a breath before walking back out of the break room and back to her desk where Castle was playing with his food absentmindedly.

His eyes shot up as she re-entered, she silently plugged in the phone and handed it back to him.

Beckett watched as Castle spoke to Gina 'Hi Gina. No I didn't. She's a friend, nothing more...I'm not lying to you! You know what? I think that's a good idea. Yes, I will call you when it's ready.' Castle blinked heavily after hanging up, Beckett leaned back in her chair and watched his expression transform into one of pure exhaustion.

'What'd she say?' Beckett asked, Gina had significantly dropped the volume of her speaking voice leaving what she said a pure mystery.

Castle took a sip from his nearly empty shake 'What did you say to her?' he asked with admiration.

Beckett smirked 'Told her to back off basically.' She said vaguely.

Castle smiled a little at that 'Well she's broken up with me.' He said casually.

Beckett winced 'Geez Castle. I just told her to back off...I didn't want to break up you two.' she said apologetically.

Castle waved a hand dismissively 'It's been a downward spiral for the past few weeks, it was inevitable. I don't blame you, Beckett.' He said honestly.

She nodded slowly 'Is she going to give you some space? I'd hate to have to have another heart to heart with her...' Beckett said distastefully.

Castle shook his head 'Not necessary. She said that the deadline is pushed forward another month and a half – that's plenty of time for me to finish the last few chapters and procrastinate some more.' He said with a wink.

Beckett bit back a laugh 'I'll warn Alexis that you might be entering Procrastination Station...she needs to be there to pull you outta there.' She joked.

Castle yawned 'Well Detective, I think it's about time I got home to said daughter... Am I driving you home again?' he asked.

Beckett shook her head 'I'll catch a cab, Castle. Go home...my car's going to be out of the shop tomorrow morning anyway.'

Castle tossed his rubbish into the bin beside her desk 'Come now Beckett, you know as well as I that catching a cab successfully at this time of night is borderline impossible!' he deadpanned.

Beckett rolled her eyes 'Is that a really lame pick up line or...'

'Funny...Look, why don't you just come back to the Loft? It's closer and I know you have those college party goers in the apartment next to you.' He said recalling the last time he'd dropped by

Beckett's apartment to discuss their most recent case; the music had reverberated off the walls and given them both a rather nasty headache.

Beckett pinched the bridge of her nose warily 'Okay Castle, I'm too tired to argue with you.' She gave in.

Castle looked like Christmas had come early and without missing a beat, he helped her into her coat and ushered her out of the precinct – remembering to take the stairs.

Castle pulled up at his apartment block and looked over to see Beckett sleeping quietly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically and evenly. He looked at her worriedly knowing that their last double homicide had hit a little too close to home, resulting in the Detective getting the least amount of sleep out of everyone, no matter how much Castle or the boys tried to encourage her to get some rest, she was determined to solve the case.

'Please don't press your SIG into my face...' he half pleaded with her sleeping form before getting out of the car and walking around to her side to open the door.

He shook her shoulder gently 'Beckett?' he said quietly trying to coax her out of sleep.

Beckett mumbled something incoherent and remained still, Castle paused for a moment before reaching over to brush the hair away from her face 'Hey, Kate? Come on. Don't make me carry you up
there.' He said half heartedly, not minding the possibility of carrying her bridal style to the Loft in the slightest.

Beckett was still unresponsive leaving the writer with no other option. He quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do, it could either get him shot or physically injured if she woke up.

He slung her left arm over his shoulder and took her into his arms gently, her only response being a small groan of protest as the street light hit her closed eyes.

After closing the passenger side door and awkwardly pressing the lock button on his car keys, Castle passed through the entrance of his building and nodded to the doorman, Grant, who looked quite amused by his situation.

'Long day Mr. Castle?' he asked with a chuckle.

Castle chuckled under his breath 'You have no idea...' he stressed before approaching the elevator, the stairs were not an option considering how many flights there were to reach the loft.

After pressing the button and letting the elevator doors close on them, Castle watched as the numbers on the black screen increased in a poor attempt to waste time, looking down he noticed that
Beckett was still dead to the world.

Beckett's eyes opened lazily, her green eyes observing her surroundings briefly before burying her head further into Castle's chest...wait. Beckett thought, the sleep induced fog clearing - CASTLE'S chest?

Beckett's eyes snapped open again as she realised, yes – she was currently being carried by Castle. They were in an elevator. And she had just snuggled into his chest.

Castle felt Beckett's body tense up in his arms, which only meant one thing...

'Castle?' she mumbled thickly but with edge.

Castle looked down and met her pissed glare 'About time you woke up. In my defence, I tried to wake you! You sleep like a log! Not that I'm complaining, you really need to rest Beckett.' He said
honestly.

Beckett tried to remain pissed off at him but she didn't have the energy 'You are lucky I'm too tired to reach my SIG, Castle.' She mumbled sleepily.

'So that's my cue to put you down, right?' he clarified.

Beckett wanted to say no – that she was actually extremely comfortable and wouldn't mind staying in this position for the rest of the night...but that would be crossing a line.

'Yeah.' she said half heartedly before feeling her feet meet the ground again.

There was an uncomfortable silence in which Castle checked his phone briefly and looked at the time. Beckett smirked a little 'So why didn't you take the stairs? I think we've seen enough of the inside of an elevator for months.' She said grimacing.

Castle nodded in agreement 'I wasn't going to carry you up 14 flights of stairs, Detective. If you woke up, you could have jumped out of my arms and pushed me back down them again!' he joked.

Ding!

Castle was the first to exit the elevator, Beckett following his lead as they walked over to the door to his apartment which was wrenched open a moment later by Alexis who immediately jumped into her father's arms.

'Dad! Thank God they got you out of that elevator!' she said relieved. Castle walked into the apartment awkwardly, Alexis still attached to him like a leech.

'I think your Dad's going a little blue there Kiddo!' Martha chuckled in greeting as she appeared in the living room with her usual "Martha Flare".

Alexis squeaked in realisation and let go 'Sorry Dad!' she said bashfully before smiling widely at Beckett and wrapping her into a hug too 'It's so good to see you Beckett!' she said happily before remembering her Gram's advice and letting go before she suffocated.

The Detective grinned a little, despite her exhaustion 'Alexis, I've told you – call me Kate. I'm not on duty so there's no need for formalities!' she scolded the teen lightly.

Alexis reddened slightly and smiled 'Okay Kate! I think I'd better go to bed, I was waiting for Dad to come home...' she told the adults.

Castle kissed Alexis's head and hugged her again 'Thanks Pumpkin.'

After bidding everyone goodnight, the younger Castle rushed upstairs leaving Martha standing with the pair, a knowing smile on her face 'Well I'm going to call it a night too! I have an audition in the
morning and I have to be ready!' she exclaimed.

'Goodnight Mother! Knock 'em dead tomorrow!' Castle said kissing her cheek.

Martha smacked her son's cheek lightly before smiling at Beckett genuinely 'So wonderful to see you again Kate.' She said hugging her in a very motherly like way before departing upstairs.

Castle shook his head at his mother's departing form before looking at Beckett who looked as tired as he felt 'You take my bed, I'll take the couch. It's a lot more comfortable than you'd think!' he said simply.

Beckett rolled her eyes 'No, we are not playing this game Castle. If you even try, I swear I'll shoot you. We're adults...tired adults, if we both keep to our sides, there's no problem.' She assured him.

Castle grinned 'So you're not offering to be the big spoon?'

Beckett tossed a pillow from the couch at him 'Shut up Castle.' She growled before walking upstairs with the writer.

Castle appeared in his room a few minutes after her, carrying a familiar set of her night clothes 'You left them here after your apartment blew up, remember?' he clarified.

Beckett arched a brow 'Why didn't you return them?' she asked testily wondering where that particular set had gone.

Castle didn't flinch 'When I washed them I just thought they were Alexis's and put them in her drawer, she told me just this week that this particular set was not hers.' He said holding up the purple
top.

Beckett shrugged; she and Alexis were around the same size anyway, it would be hard to differentiate.

Beckett thanked Castle quickly before moving toward the bathroom to change, re-appearing in the bedroom a moment later and awkwardly climbing in with the writer who proceeded to shut off the light, leaving them in complete darkness.

'Castle?' she whispered.

the writer turned to face the middle of the bed, just being able to make out her silhouette in the darkness, he answered 'Yes?'

'Thanks.'

Castle was stumped and voiced the fact a moment later 'For what exactly?' he waited for a response and was surprised to hear a small sniff in response.

Turning on the lamp he snapped back around to see Beckett looking straight back at him with slightly teary eyes 'For being my partner.' She replied with a watery smile.

Castle leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead before dropping back to his side 'My pleasure.' He said gently before throwing them back into the darkness.

Castle was beyond shocked when he felt Beckett move closer to him and press her back into his side, he reacted automatically and prayed her to not reject him, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She didn't tense up; she actually relaxed further into him and didn't protest.

'Beckett?' he mumbled beside her neck, the smell of cherries assaulting his nose as he breathed in.

Castle felt her head shift toward his, he knew she was facing him directly as he could feel their breaths mingling in their close embrace.

'Mhmm?' was her intelligible reply.

Castle grinned a little 'Thanks for telling off my publisher and getting her out of my hair...' he said sheepishly.

Beckett laughed quietly 'No one messes with my partner.' She said simply, she knew that their current position was crossing a line, she knew that what happened in the elevator and right now could have repercussions and bite her in the ass in the near future – but she didn't care.

Beckett felt her brain clog and become unresponsive when a warm pair of lips met hers gently, innocently – waiting for her to make the next move, Beckett knew he was letting her decide their fate, if she pulled away, they could act like it never happened – if she didn't, she was going to open a Pandora's Box of opportunities...

Beckett could feel Castle's heart beating fast, her own heart was working in overdrive. A thousand questions ran through her head in those few seconds:

What if we don't work?

Is this real?

what does this *mean*?

What will Martha and Alexis say?

Beckett pushed the currently unanswerable questions to the back of her mind and decided in an instant – after a moment's hesitation, she kissed him back surprised to find that he matched her speed and didn't push harder.

Beckett moved around and pushed her arms up and around his neck where they entwined, pulling him closer. He retaliated with a relieved sigh and wrapped his arms around her waist and nibbling her bottom lip gently.

She immediately granted him access, realising how right this felt. Their tongues danced for a while until the need for oxygen overtook the desire to pass out.

Castle was the first to break away, pressing his forehead against hers they both sucked in air greedily, both lost in their own thoughts.

'Castle...Rick.' she rasped, correcting herself quickly.

Castle took a moment, stunned that she had not only kissed him senseless but had also called him by his first name, something she did very, very rarely.

'We need to talk about this...' she said quietly, refusing to move from their current position in case this was in fact just some fantastic dream.

Castle found her lips again in the darkness and for another few minutes, they were lost. Beckett broke away and bit her lip as he kissed down her neck.

'Castle!' she breathed as he found a particularly sensitive spot underneath her right ear, her eyes rolled back and closed as he favoured the area.

Beckett didn't know how long he'd assaulted the spot on her neck, her mind was in a very satisfied haze – but it was immediately broken when Castle finally responded to her statement.

'I know...we will.' He promised.

Beckett gulped 'I don't wanna do the walk of shame tomorrow morning.' She told him as he nuzzled into her neck.

'There will be no shame involved, Kate. I'm not going to push this, I can honestly say that you are one of the most amazing women I have ever met and I'm not going to destroy what we have.' He said seriously 'You're my best friend and if that's all you want to be then...' he hesitated at the thought of going back to being "Just friends" or "Just partners" after this.

Beckett pressed her lips to hers quickly, finding the new contact very addictive 'I don't think I'd be able to go back from this.' She admitted, practically reading his mind verbatim.

Castle grinned in the darkness 'Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so.' He remarked.

'I want to give this a chance,' Beckett said 'But we have to take it slow.'

'But not too slow right?' he noted.

Beckett nodded in the dark despite knowing he wouldn't be able to see any of her actions 'Yeah, we're way past the whole first date, get to know each other spiel.' She scoffed.

'Alright...we'll talk more in the morning. It's Saturday so it's sleep –in day in the Castle residence.' He said happily.

Beckett untangled her arms from around his neck and instead slipped one on his chest and kept the other tucked beside her stomach before resting her head above his heart which was beating steadily.

'What about Alexis and Martha? What will they think?' she said trying to find the answer to one of her unanswerable questions.

Castle yawned 'Oh they'll be thrilled...Mother has been trying to play matchmaker ever since we started working together – Alexis is her little apprentice.' He said with a laugh 'She looks up to you, you know? Alexis really needs someone like you in her life – her mother is more like the eccentric aunt. You will always have a place here.' He told her before dropping another kiss on her forehead.

'Thanks Rick.'

Castle smiled when she tried to get as close to him as possible, Kate Beckett – a snuggler, who would have guessed? He mused.

'I have another unanswerable question for you.' He said mysteriously just as Beckett was about to drop off into a peaceful slumber.

Beckett tutted 'Oh can it Castle! You're ruining the moment!' she grumbled poking in the ribs.

'It's a really good one!' he whined.

She snorted 'Where'd you find this one? Facebook? Twitter? Bing?' she asked sarcastically.

Castle made a sound of disgust 'Bing? Pointless search engine if you ask me...Google all the way! Nope my dear Detective, this one comes straight from the horse's mouth!'

Beckett sighed grumpily 'Okay it had better be worth my time.'

Castle let her simmer for a moment before throwing it at her 'Who do you think won the Pool that's on us?'

Beckett erupted into quiet sniggers 'Lanie for sure, she's got eyes and ears everywhere – I wouldn't be surprised if she found out tomorrow from one of her sources.'

Castle raised a brow 'I had my money on Montgomery...I think he's a lot more interested in our relationship status than we realise.' Beckett shrugged.

'Who's her source? Do you know?'

'Yeah, her source is also mine.' Beckett replied.

'Who?'

'Alexis.' Beckett said with a smile.

Castle hummed a little at that 'My mother is a bad influence on her. Maybe we can bribe her to keep it quiet. I want the boys and Lanie to figure it out on their own.' Castle said evilly.

Beckett groaned a little 'It's going to go around like wild fire.'

'Yeah but everyone already thinks we're dating...it'll pass.' He reminded her.

Beckett had to agree with that 'Okay, which means the no PDA in the precinct rule applies to us.' She said in a business like tone.

'Mhmm...You think too much Detective, sleep. We have the whole weekend to plot and scheme.' He said sleepily.

'Okay. Night.' She yawned.

'Until tomorrow, Beckett.' He replied automatically before succumbing to sleep.

Beckett's eyes flicked open when the sun hit her eyelids, she looked down at her body which was tangled with Castle's leaving her in a warm, comfortable cocoon – flashbacks of the previous night making her smile as she considered falling back into the tempting arms of sleep.

As soon as she looked at the clock however, she didn't feel so tired.

11:40? No wonder I'm starving... she said gently escaping from Castle's possessive hold on her.

Padding down the stairs, she was shocked to see Alexis already downstairs, laughing at something on the television.

Alexis was the first to notice her entrance 'Oh! Morning Kate!' she greeted with a grin.

Beckett found the girl's grin infectious and couldn't help but mirror it 'If you can still call it the morning! I can't believe it's nearly lunchtime!'

Alexis shrugged 'I only woke up an hour ago! I figured we'd have brunch when you and dad woke up!' she said simply.

'Sounds good, you wanna help me?' she asked waving her over to the kitchen.

Alexis nodded vigorously 'Sure! Grams left an hour ago to go for her audition, she was practicing long before I woke up...' she told the older woman as she reached to get eggs and bacon from the
fridge.

The girls laughed and joked around with ease as they cooked, Beckett was still surprised by the younger Castle who she got along with as well as her father.

'Ah! We really need to have you here more often Beckett, if you're going to make breakfast like this every morning!' he said dropping a kiss onto his daughter's forehead as she hugged him good morning.

Beckett laughed a little but frowned as he tried to swipe a piece of bacon, she slapped his hand with the spatula and shooed him away 'Honestly Castle...can't you wait a little longer?' she teased
while tying her hair up.

Alexis snorted 'No way, he's incorrigible!' she said smirking at her father who was pouting.

Beckett pushed the scrambled eggs onto a massive plate before almost jumping out of her skin when Alexis gasped loudly.

She put down the pan and spun around to face the gaping teen 'Are you alright? You didn't burn yourself did you?' she asked, looking the redhead up and down.

Alexis shook her head slowly 'Kate...' she began, a mysterious glint in her bright blue eyes that were an exact copy of her fathers'.

Beckett's brow furrowed and flashed a glance at the older Castle who paled a little, following her line of sight with ever reddening cheeks.

'Kate...' Alexis repeated while pointing to a place a few inches below her right ear 'Is that a hickey?' she asked grinning.

Busted.

Okay so that's it! This was so fun to write and it turned out just a smidgen longer than I thought it was...was it fluffy enough for you all? Please drop me a review and let me know your thoughts!

Favourite line?
Any funny unanswerable questions you know of?

Thanks for reading!