Chapter 48 – We Fit.

Disclaimer – Not mine.

My apologies I thought I published this a month ago.

"Stop dodging the question, are you coming to the premier or not?"

Wrinkling up her nose as she drove, "Yes, but…"

"You know I am not a fan of 'buts'."

"Yes, how about a 'well I was thinking'?"

"Not too sure I like the sounds of you thinking, you tend to over think things."

Playfully smacking his chest "Hmmpf. So my idea was that I would go with my entourage and meet you there."

Cocking one brow, "Entourage? Who exactly are you talking about?"

"Espo, Lanie, Ryan, Jenny – you know they would love an excuse to get dressed up and drink some of your money."

"Keep going."

"I could go with them and you could go with Alexis and Martha. The you can do your famous man red carpet dance and meet me inside."

"Been trolling the fan sites again?"

With mock indignation "NO!"

"And once inside?"

"A group of coworkers enjoying a great night?"

"Wearing the dress I bought you and some horribly appropriate dangerously high heels how do you think you will keep me in the 'coworker' category? That is asking a lot of a man."

"My secret weapon."

"I am afraid to ask."

"Gates."

Sputtering and tugging on his ear as if he was hard of hearing "Gates. You want me to invite Gates."

"Yes and her husband."

Waving his hands hysterically, "Quick where's the gumball?"

Kate shot him a confused look, "Why what happened?"

"I need to get you to the hospital, you have obviously been poisoned."

"Poisoned?"

"Or gone nutters."

"Nutters?"

"Invite Gates – that will buzz kill the entire evening."

"She will probably say 'no' and any suspicions she has about us will be squelched for a little while."

"You really think she will say 'no.'."

Breaking the no touch at work rule, Kate reached over and gave his thigh a reassuring squeeze. "Of course she doesn't even like you."

INSERT LINE

"Do it." She hissed. "Now's your chance, she is grumpier than ever – no way she'll say yes."

Castle reluctantly rose from his chair and shuffled like a man wearing shackles towards Gates office. He glanced over his shoulder before raising his hand to knock on the door frame. Kate was in full on Beckett glare mode.

Castle jumped at the sound of Gates' voice, she didn't even have the courtesy to let him knock before she barked "Mr. Castle do you need something?"

Today of all days he wished he had decided to be an actor rather than a writer. Forming his face into his best PR expression, "I would like to invite you and your husband to join the team and me at a prescreening of the movie for Heat Wave, my Nikki Heat novel."

"Can't give you a yes or no without knowing the date and time."

FUCK! Castle never swore, wasn't his way. But FUCK! Gates was either playing him or toying with the idea of attending. Either way he was going to kill Kate.

Tried as he might to sound in control, Castle rattled off the logistics of the event in a hurried mumble.

"Put us down as a yes, I'm not a fan of yours, but my husband is."

Castle stood numbly in the doorway, they had forgotten about her husband. How could they forget about him? Crap.

Gates snapped, "If you have nothing else you can stop blocking my doorway and go and make yourself useful."

Kate and the boys had watched the conversation unfold from the break-room, it wasn't the best view, but it was the safest.

Espo slapped Ryan on the shoulder, "From the way Castle is hanging his head and crawling back to his chair, sure looks like Mom and Dad have a chaperone coming to the big dance."

Kate growled, "Zip it Espo." Castle was going to kill her.

Ryan darted over to Castle as fast as he could, plopping himself into Beckett's chair, "Is she coming, is she coming?"

Castle stared at him unable to speak. His worlds were colliding.

Ryan yelped as he felt Beckett pinched his arm and drag him out of her seat, "Don't you have a lead to follow up? Paperwork? Anything?"

Ryan swatted her hand away "Whose dumb idea was it to invite her anyways?" One look at Beckett's face and Ryan ran. He didn't walk, he ran.

Gathering his words "Did you forget her husband was a big fan?"

Kate cringed; he really was going to kill her.

Kate opened her front door to a Lanie who let out a long and low wolf whistle. "Wow, Writer Boy is going to have hard time tonight."

"Why?"

Lanie crossed her arms and looked her friend up and down, "Please. You in that dress, those shoes he is going to stroke out. Good thing I'm a doctor."

Kate checked herself in the mirror and nodded in agreement, "Hmm – leave the mouth to mouth to me."

"We'll see, never hurts to keep Javi on his toes. He suffers from wandering eye syndrome."

"Maybe if you finally told him what he wanted to hear he would be cured."

Lanie roared with laughter "YOU are trying to give ME advice on love. That's rich."

Kate rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Don't try to scare me with the Beckett Eye Roll – that might work on Writer Boy but I am impervious to your witchy ways."

"Would you like to come in and have a drink or wait in the hallway by yourself? The car will be here in about 20 minutes."

"Car? We aren't cabbing it."

Kate's checks reddened, "Nooo."

"You let Writer Boy send a limo for you. That is one classy booty call."

Pursing her lips and glaring at Lanie, "It's for us, not me."

Grinning from ear to ear Lanie teased, "Go ahead and spin it anyway you want, it's a booty call."

Kate's phone buzzed signaling that the car was downstairs waiting. "Lanie let's go."

"See booty call, the man doesn't even come to the door to fetch you."

Kate shoved Lanie out the door, "One more booty call comment and your name is getting scratched off the guest list."

Lanie's eyes grew wide and she held up her hands in mock horror. "Got me scared now, NOT. I'm your cover story."

"And I'm yours. Think Gates would approve of you and Javi."

Lanie dropped her hands, linking her arm with Kate's "Let's go get our men."

Kate stepped out of her building and was surprised to see that it was Clay standing beside the Escalade. "Hey Clay, thought you would be driving the Castle Crew."

"Nope. He wanted me to keep an eye on you."

Wearing a smile Kate started to climbed into the SUV. Kate was pleasantly surprised to see that Ryan, Jenny and Espo were already waiting inside. "Hey guys."

Espo beamed when he caught sight of Lanie following Beckett into the SUV. He practically pushed Ryan to the floor as he scrambled over the backseat, wedging himself between Beckett and Lanie. Kissing Lanie soundly and then turning to Beckett "You don't mind do ya boss?"

Smirking, Kate asked, "Clay hold on, you have room for me up there?"

"Of course Ms. Kate."

Esposito, every observant little brother, "First name basis with Castle's personal driver, makes me think you have been holding out on us."

The Escalade stopped half a block back from the chaos. Ryan let out a low appreciative whistle followed by "Whoa this place is a mob scene. Glad we aren't working security."

Clinking knuckles with his partner, Esposito agreed, "No doubt bro, no doubt."

Clay turned to Kate "Ms. Kate it's going to be a few minutes. Security will call when we can go around to the side entrance." Turning to the back of the car "Mr. Castle did say that the 'entrourage' could walk the red carpet if they wanted to, up to you. But I need to call ahead."

Lanie pounded Javi's chest with glee "Come on baby, one red carpet." She stopped when she caught Kate's eye in rearview mirror. "On second thought let's skip it; we'll look more famous sneaking in."

Kate turned to search the faces of her friends. "You really want to walk the red carpet?" Espo wore his signature I'm a tough guy and above it all, but dying to do it face. Lanie was sucking in her cheeks, holding her breath. Ryan was grinning like a school boy. Kate was ready to say no to all of them, but Jenny. Jenny sat there quietly nodding her head like a kid waiting for her turn to talk to Santa.

Biting her lip, praying she wouldn't regret it, Kate announced "Red carpet it is."

The fist pumping and squealing from the 'entourage' was enough to send the SUV rocking. Clay leaned over and in a hushed tone "You sure about this Ms. Kate?" Pointing ahead at the paparazzi "Those folks are vultures."

Clay moved the SUV to the edge of the carpet, the vultures swarmed in. Clay suggested, "We can always just leave your friends out and drive you around to the side."

"Wouldn't that be more obvious, I'd feel like I had a bounty on my head, it's all or nothing."

The boys huddled together for a moment. Espo tapped Kate on the shoulder "We got you boss, Lanie and Jenny can go in together and we'll hang with you."

At the time it sounded like a good idea. Jenny and Lanie linked arms and headed off down the red carpet, they looked the part, the flash bulbs were popping and the girls loved pretending they were famous. Hamming it up and posing as people yelled out "Look over here." "What can you tell us about the movie?" "A little more leg." and "Give me a smile over the shoulder."

The boys flanked Kate and they started to follow. Their over protective nature only drew attention to the three cops. To the crowd of fans and press Kate suddenly looked like someone with bodyguards, not three friends going into an event together. The flash of the cameras was blinding. Espo felt Kate tense beside him, "You okay Beckett?"

"Yeah, let's pick up the pace."

The trio rounded the corner, they were home free. And then he saw her, he stopped talking mid-word, turned to drink her in. The grin on Castle's face was undeniable. She looked radiant. They stood 50 feet apart but there was no doubt who he was staring at.

Someone screamed out, "Its Nikki Heat."

Kate tried to play it off by looking behind her, pretending to find out who they were talking about. Ryan choked back a pity laugh, "Too late Beckett. They are on to you."

Kate was proud of 'Nikki Heat', well not at first, but she was now. Why not have a night of fun on 'Nikki Heat'. Linking arms with Javi and Ryan, Kate led them to the nearest group of fans waving a copy of Heat Wave. "We'd love to sign – this is Detective Javier Esposito the inspiration for Ochoa and Detective Kevin Ryan aka Detective Raley, we're a package deal."

The fans went insane, pushing and shoving to get their autographs. Flash bulbs exploding all around them as the boys hammed it up for the camera. Having been ushered inside, standing in the shadows was a glowing Rick Castle.

Once safely inside Espo and Ryan quickly abandoned Beckett to search out their ladies. Kate headed to the bar pretending to not look for Rick. She felt him before she heard him, "Champagne for myself and the lady."

Angling her body towards hers, sneaking a quick squeeze of his hand. Kate's voice oozed with sensuality, "Hey Castle."

Squeezing her fingers before dropping her hand to take the waiting glasses, he strangled out a "Follow me."

In her rush to follow Kate bumped into the person waiting in line behind her. Crap, Crap – Double Crap.

Gates smiled kindly, "Careful there Detective, dial down that smile. People may talk."

Kate's heart stopped. She willed herself not to react. Kate simply stuck out her hand to Sir and her husband, "Good to see you again. Hope you enjoy the movie."

Gates and her husband watched Kate search out Rick.

"You should tell them you know."

Gates clucked at her husband. "Not a chance."

"What's the harm?"

"The longer they think I don't know, the harder they will work at keeping it out of my precinct and as much as it pains me to admit, Richard Castle serves a purpose."

"Care to share?"

"Remember it's no accident I was transferred from IA to the 12th."

Her husband gave her a knowing look "Right."

Kate was almost to Castle when she felt a hand on her wrist. It was Gina. "We are about to start, let me show you to your seat." Kate really didn't like Gina before and she liked her even less now. Wasn't it Paula's job to orchestrate the event? Hesitant to call attention to herself, Kate acquiesced. "Fine."

Gina chose to ignore the snide under tone in Kate's voice, "Follow me." Gina escorted Kate up the stairs to a small room with two folding chairs and a perfectly private view of the screen. "Management uses this to keep an eye on things. Rick will be here as soon as he's done."

Kate left alone in the barren room Kate laughed to herself. Castle would either come bounding through the door any moment or Gina had locked her up and thrown away the key, what a night.

The sound of applauds drew Kate to peer out the window. Paula was making a production out of introducing Castle, the producers and the screen writers. The house lights dimmed, Natalie Rhodes appeared on the screen bigger than life. Kate's heart filled with excitement and pride. If she felt this giddy sitting alone in the dark watching the inner workings of Castle's mind come to life she couldn't imagine what he felt.

The sound of the door opening startled Kate, the cutting silhouette of the man in the doorway settled her heart. Her man.

He pulled her to her feet and hugged her fiercely. Kissing her with unexpected intensity. Gasping for air "What brought that on."

He growled, "You haven't seen anything yet."

Kate eyed him with suspicion and desire, "What about the movie."

"I know the ending."

His hands were desperately trying to make short work of her dress.

"Slow down cowboy, the door doesn't have a lock."

"You've already checked?"

Kate huffed out, "Of course, you always say you know me. Well, I know you too."

"Touché. That means you have a solutions"

"Ram the folding chair under the door knob."

"Oh great plan" Castle grabbed the chair, folded it up and secured it underneath the door knob in a single move.

"Practice this at home?"

"No, but it is totally going into my next book."

Helping him shed his tux jacket, "Our sex life is not going in your books."

"Well my dear the only way to keep this out of a book is if you please me, tease me, and bring me to my knees or its going to print."

Kate reached forward and hooked her fingers inside the waistband of his pants. He had her. It was her tell. Regardless of the words that came out of her mouth, if she hooked her hand inside his pants and began her seductive feather touch across his belly it was game on.

"Once again you are playing dirty."

Dropping her dress to brand her where no one would see, "You love dirty."

Kate stripped of Castle of his pants, "So do you."

Taking a breath, swallowing her with his mouth "And that is why we fit."

Thanks for the follows and the reviews – the end.