Someone recently asked me if I was ever going to finish this story. I actually had two chapters already finished and I wasn't happy with them back in the day so just never posted. Then delay turned to distraction with pretty shiny new fandoms and here it sits. It didn't take much to bring out what I already had written and decide that not completely happy with was better that totally abandoned. Shouldn't take much to wrap this up with the rest that I have.

Thanks for reading.

Also, I haven't watched Castle since some time in season 5 so if there are conflicts with canon, it's not my fault.

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

~Anais Nin~

Bzzzzzz…Bzzzzz

The incessant buzz of a vibrating cell phone tugged Richard Castle from the comforting hold of restful sleep. Reaching blindly toward the sound his fingers grazed the edge of the phone and knocked it to the floor. As he leaned over to search, his heavy lids lifted slightly to focus on the eerie blue light that shone into the darkness from beneath the corner of the bed where it landed face-up. Who in the hell would call him in the middle of the night?

He came fully awake in an instant and as heart flew into his throat thinking of Alexis, but when he finally reached the phone and focused on the screen, it was Beckett's name that flashed at him. Confused, he quickly reached for the other side of the bed, his fingers brushing cool sheets where Kate's warm skin should have greeted him.

The phone was suddenly quiet in his hand, showing a missed call.

"Beckett?" he called into the darkness.

Everything was strangely quiet and he could hear no movement in the house.

He jumped a foot when his phone began vibrating again, this time flashing a waiting text. Mind spinning, his fingers fumbled on the screen.

Morning Castle, dress warm and meet me by the dock. Coffee's on the counter.

He checked the time stamp on his phone. It was 5am.

What in the hell could she possibly be doing up at this hour? It wouldn't be the first time he had come at her beck and call with complete disregard for the time of day but usually there was a dead body and a mystery waiting for him for his efforts. He seriously hoped that whatever was prompting her to wake him at this hour was at least as exciting.

Digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, he tried fruitlessly to shake off his grogginess. He flicked on the bedside lamp and fumbled sleepily in his bag for clean clothing. Once dressed, he plodded down the stairs to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and brush his teeth. By the time he emerged the world was finally beginning to come into focus.

The unpressed coffee sitting on the counter beckoned him and he poured the steaming muddy liquid into the travel mugs Kate had placed beside it, adding cream and sugar before heading for the door.

He looked out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her and glean some sort of clue as to what she was up to. While he didn't enjoy being up this early in the morning, it was obvious she had something special planned and he was excited by this rare glimpse at her playful and impulsive side.

Stepping outside, his world went instantly black. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and soon realized that there was already a faint lightening of the horizon.

The bobbing luminescence of a flashlight in the direction of the water caught his attention and he worked his way carefully down the porch steps and along the path to the dock.

As he approached, he was suddenly blinded when the bright beam of light turned directly on him.

"Hey," he shouted, raising one coffee laden hand up to shield his eyes.

"Sorry." Beckett's voice rang out in the darkness, echoing over the open water.

The shaft of light fell on his feet and illuminated the rest of the path to where she stood near the corner of a small and sturdy looking shed.

"Morning," he said as he reached for her, all irritation at being awoken so early immediately vanishing when she quickly set down the light and twined her arms around his neck.

He embraced her awkwardly, still balancing both cups of coffee in his hands, but her mouth had no trouble finding him in the darkness.

Her nose was cold against his, her lips soft and eager as she pressed up into him. He hummed gently against her mouth when her tongue brushed his lower lip and opened to her tender exploration. The taste of her covered him, mingling deliciously with the lingering tingle of peppermint toothpaste.

She whimpered softly in the back of her throat as he pressed his hips into her and he nearly covered them both in hot coffee when one of her hands slid slowly across the roundness of his backside.

He was breathless and more than a little aroused when she finally pulled back.

"Good morning," she said, her mouth still millimeters from his.

"Mmm…that is SO much better than a dead body," he muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"The kiss…I mean, your body…it's better than waking up to a dead body," he fumbled. "You know what? Never mind."

She laughed at his awkwardness. "I figured it was the least I could do for hauling you out this early." She stepped back and wrapped her fingers around the steaming cup he offered her.

"Oh, I don't know, we could go back to bed and you could really make it up to me," he said hopefully.

"Sorry Castle, not this morning. Today you are going to participate in a time honored Beckett family tradition." She reached for her flashlight and ducked into the shed.

Her departure was followed by a series of curious bangs and scratchings from inside and his inquisitive mind refused to be patient. He stuck his head around the door frame and ran smack into Kate who was emerging with a large spaded shovel.

Rubbing his already bruised jaw where it had struck her forehead, he looked down at her suspiciously. "Please tell me Alexis wasn't right. You're not actually going to kill me and get rid of the body are you?"

Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. "Well, the thought did cross my mind once or twice but I realized too many people know you're here alone with me. I'd never get away with it. Of course," she said, coming toward him with an evil grin, "that wouldn't stop me from making it look like some horribly tragic accident. A drowning perhaps? Some terrible mishap with the chainsaw?" Her fingers crawled up his chest slowly as her voice grew quietly menacing.

His eyes grew wide as they lit on the very dangerous looking chainsaw resting on a shelf next to the door.

God, she was good.

She laughed. "Relax Castle, the sex is far too exciting for me to off you this soon." She pushed off his chest with a grin, handed him the shovel and disappeared into the darkness of the far corner.

"Exciting?" A self satisfied smirk bloomed on his face.

"Very."

He was still mentally gloating over this when she finally emerged. He took in the contents of her arms and stared at her wide eyed. "You're taking me fishing?"

"I thought it might be a nice surprise," she grinned. "My Dad and I used to get up crazy early in the mornings after a good storm and row out into the middle of the lake and just sit for hours. It didn't really even matter if we caught anything, it was just about being out there together."

His heart melted a little and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He turned around as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Where's the boat?"

"Tied to the end of the dock. Don't worry, I made sure it was 100% spider free." She rolled her eyes. She had heard the anxiety creep into his voice.

"Best. Girlfriend. Ever!" he said, the words leaving his mouth without a second thought. Realizing what he had just said, he held his breath to see if she would comment.

There was a slight hesitation in her movement as she set down the tackle box but otherwise she gave nothing away.

"So," he cleared his throat to shed the awkward silence, "what's the shovel for?"

"Worms," she said simply.

"Eww." He dropped the shovel, wiping his hands on his pants at the thought.

"Seriously Castle? You're fascinated by death and you're bothered by worms? They're just worms. Besides, they make really good bait. Almost as good as fireflies."

His head came up. "Fireflies?"

"Yeah, the fish like them. What, don't tell me you're creeped out by fireflies too," she said incredulously.

"No," he mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, and kicked the dirt sullenly.

"Good, then I suggest you start digging."

He grumbled a response she couldn't make out and moved over to the tree line to begin turning over piles of sod.

"Could be worse Castle."

"How is that exactly?"

She grinned to herself. "I could have sent you hunting for leeches."

Ten minutes and a whole lot of slime and whining later they had loaded everything into the boat. She retrieved the oars from the shed and fitted them carefully into the oarlocks as Castle warily inspected the underside of his seat for anything hairy and eight-legged. He seemed a bit unfamiliar with the physics of small boats and she had to warn him several times to stay low as his height and sudden movements threatened to toss them both into the cold murky depths. She was beginning to rethink the wisdom of combining Rick Castle and open water.

When he finally sat down, she cast off and began rowing out to the places she knew offered them the best chance of actually catching dinner for the night.

The Eastern horizon had grown lighter and pink tinged clouds now dotted the edge of the sky. She could make out the shore to her right and she stopped when she judged that they were over one of the best fishing holes where the lake bottom below them slanted away sharply to deep springs.

"Castle," she whispered, "I need you to reach behind you very slowly and carefully and toss the anchor over the side. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely," his voice boomed out over the water.

He recoiled sheepishly as she shushed him. "You'll scare the fish," she admonished

"Absolutely," he whispered, turning over his shoulder and tossing the heavy weight overboard with a huge splash that bathed them both in icy lake water.

"Nice," Kate sputtered, wiping her face with her sweatshirt.

"Sorry," he cringed.

She handed him the pole she thought would be the easiest for him to manage. He looked away as she deftly worked a worm onto the hook, glancing over his shoulder to be sure she wasn't lying when she told him the deed was done. She quickly adjusted the bobber and motioned for him to cast toward the shoreline.

"I have fished before, you know. Just usually it's deep sea fishing with harnesses and minions who take care of the whole…baiting thing." He cast out awkwardly, his bobber landing only a few feet from the back of the boat.

She quickly rinsed her hands over the edge. "Here, let me help you get the feel of it." Moving slowly as he reeled in, she carefully avoided his dangling hook and moved to sit between his thighs. She closed her fingers over his wrist and lined her arm up with his.

"I like this better already," he murmured against her hair as he cast again, this time much more successfully. "So, now what?"

"Now, we wait." She snuggled back against him.

"I think I like the way you fish," he said, placing his chin atop her head.

He had taken Alexis on a father-daughter fishing trip in Canada every year from the time she was old enough to hold a pole until the year she finally decided that even catch and release was far too cruel to the poor fish who were, as she put it, 'really just trying to get a little fast food'.

Was it wrong to let Beckett believe that he was all thumbs when it came to a rod and reel? Maybe, but if it kept her baiting his hook and tucked against his chest like this for the next hour or so, he could certainly live with the guilt. Besides, it didn't appear that the fish were really in the mood to bite this morning anyway. After a half hour, he hadn't seen so much as a nibble.

Always one to take advantage of a good thing, he balanced the pole in one hand and wrapped the other around her waist, resting his hands atop hers.

"So, you want me to be your girlfriend, huh?" He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Ahh, I was wondering when that was going to come up." He hoped she couldn't feel the way his heart suddenly hammered in his chest. "Honestly it just sort of came out."

"So you didn't mean it then?"

He suddenly felt like he was in Junior High again and he wasn't willing to play games with his feelings for her. "Kate," he said sincerely, "I want you to be anything you want to be, as long as you want to be with me. I'll take whatever you're willing to give and you can have all of me that you want, always." He splayed his fingers across her stomach, holding her tightly as he pressed his lips to her hair.

"Rick, I…"

At that moment, several things happened.

He felt a sharp tug on the rod in his hand and only just managed to tighten his grip before it was nearly yanked away. His bobber had disappeared below the surface of the water and the boat swung abruptly in the direction of his line.

Instinct and muscle memory took over and he began to pull and release and reel in long arcs. It felt like he had hooked a shark with some serious fight.

Beckett quickly moved out of the way and went for the net as he tried to bring in whatever it was he had on the line.

He pulled once more and this time a huge fish with long stripes and a pointed nose flew out of the water, fighting with everything it had before disappearing beneath the surface again only a few feet away. Muscles straining, he leaned back as the line moved beneath the boat.

There was a split second in which he knew he was in trouble. The antique looking rod in his hand, bent nearly in half now, gave a sickening snap and before he had a chance to compensate for the sudden absence of opposing force, the small of his back hit the edge of the boat and a second later, icy water closed over his body.

Kate saw it happening in slow motion, the snap of the rod, the immediate counter response of Castle's body as he was thrown backward and over the edge, the sharp blow to his back as he fell.

She reacted quickly, grabbing the flotation cushion and throwing it into the water in the center of the ripples that pushed the boat away from where he had fallen.

It seemed like an eternity to her but was, in reality, only a fraction of a second before he broke the surface with a high pitched squeal and began to flail.

It was obvious that he was panicking and had lost his orientation. "Castle, behind you," she called, engaging the oars and maneuvering closer to him. "Grab the oar."

His eyes were wide with alarm as he turned in her direction. He was able to calm himself enough to cling to the sturdy piece of wood and she pulled him in.

"Kate," he sputtered, "f-freezing," he managed as he grasped the edge, his knuckles completely white.

"It's okay Castle. Just listen to me, I'm going to help you move around to the back and then we can get you in. If you try to get in now you'll swamp the whole boat." She held his eyes, trying to help him fight his terror as she worked to avoid a real disaster.

He nodded his understanding and moved hand over hand around the boat to where it was naturally lower.

She grasped both of his upper arms and encouraged him to hold tightly to her. "When I count to three I want you to kick your legs really hard okay? Ready? One, two, three!" She levered all her body weight backwards and was able to pull the majority of his upper body up and over the stern. He grabbed the rear seat and with a complete lack of finesse, plopped unceremoniously onto the floor in a sopping heap.

She crouched beside him, smoothing the wet hair back from his forehead. "Are you all right?"

Eyes closed, he drew deep gasping breaths and his body shivered from the combination of adrenaline, cold air, and frigid water.

"Castle, answer me. Is your back okay? Can you move everything?"

He opened his eyes and turned toward her, a huge grin spreading across his face. "D-did you s-see the size of h-him?" he asked.

Relief flooded her and she sagged against the hull. Her chest felt like it was going to explode from the warring desires to both kiss and strangle him. "It was a Muskie I think," she said, "probably almost 4 feet long. They get pretty big up here. I'm sorry Castle, they usually stay deep this time of year and don't hit on a worm lure. The storm must have brought him up to chase smaller prey. I…I wasn't prepared."

His hand closed over hers. "Hey, t-this isn't y-your f-fault. I should have c-cut the l-line."

Something dawned on her. "Yeah, where did your sudden ninja fisherman skills come from anyway?"

"M-must have been r-raw t-talent."

She suddenly realized how badly he was shaking and that his lips had taken on a distinctly bluish cast. "Castle, we need to get you out of those wet clothes quickly."

"I l-like the w-way your mind w-works."

She glanced at the horizon. The sun was just emerging behind the trees and was still far too low to provide any kind of warmth. "Can you get up or do you need a hand?"

He managed to push himself up onto the seat. All of his limbs appeared to be in working order but she had nothing to warm him with and all she could do was watch him shiver violently as she worked the oars back and forth in long straining arcs to propel then to shore.

The ten minute trip seemed like an eternity and her shoulders burned as she secured the boat to the end of the dock. Rick was strangely quiet as she helped him out and quickly wedged herself beneath his arm, stumbling with him to the waiting warmth of the cabin. The fact that he didn't protest her assistance worried her greatly.

"Take your clothes off," she instructed, hurrying into the guest bedroom to grab an armful of blankets. She deposited them in front of the fireplace and quickly tossed several logs on the banked coals. He was still fumbling with the buttons of his shirt when she came back to the kitchen and she brushed his trembling hands aside. "Let me."

"I l-like it w-when you're b-bossy," he said, but there was no accompanying Castle grin this time.

She pulled the shirt from his shoulders, alarmed by how cold and clammy his skin was. She pushed his sodden jeans down around his ankles and helped him rid himself of his equally drenched boxers, socks, and shoes. She pulled his cell from the pocket of his jeans and set it on the counter, knowing it was likely a lost cause.

"Y-you have n-no idea how g-glad I am that this isn't the f-first time y-you've seen me n-naked," he stammered as she led him to the fire.

She draped several wool blankets and quilts over his shoulders and spread out more on the floor. He watched her intently as she began to shed her own clothing.

"I d-don't w-want to be a d-disappointment this early in our r-relationsh-ship but y-you're gonna h-have t-to give me ten m-minutes. M-maybe f-fifteen." He pulled the blankets tighter around himself.

"Relax Castle, I'm going to use my body to help you warm up. Lie down and put your back to the fire."

He lowered himself down onto the blankets and she quickly slipped into the cocoon with him, pressing warm skin to ice cold flesh. "So w-warm," he murmured as she wrapped herself around him.

She pressed her leg between his and rubbed hard circles into the muscles in his back to stimulate circulation, carefully avoiding the area he had smashed against the hull of the boat.

Gradually the tremors of his body began to ease and his skin warmed beneath her hands. He was quiet and seemed content to lie wrapped in her arms. It was the quiet that worried her the most.

Her own core temperature had dropped remarkably as he leeched the heat from her but the fire and the heavy blankets helped keep her from shivering.

His breathing became slow and even and she realized he had drifted off to sleep. She held tightly to him, reassuring herself of the fact that he was whole and warm, even if he did smell slightly of fish and seaweed.

They had faced death together and separately many times and it had never felt like this to her. She knew deep down that she was overreacting, even being absurdly dramatic, but for the first time she felt as though she had something in her life she was desperately afraid of losing, something that was worth clinging to even with her very last breath.

Exhaustion bore down on her like a heavy weight, making her eyelids feel leaden and her limbs burdensome. Eventually, sheltered in the hollow of Rick's arm, she surrendered.

xxx

When she awoke, she had no idea how much time had passed. The light of the sun was much stronger through the windows and the fire had burned down considerably. She quickly realized she was being watched.

"Feeling better?" She asked, lifting her eyes to meet Rick's steady gaze.

"Mmm…much, but I think this knocks out any fantasies I had about us skinny dipping in the lake this week."

His smile had returned and his lips were back to an inviting shade of pink.

"So, I guess this means the count is even then." His eyes twinkled.

"The..? Castle, you can't be serious. Are you really still trying to convince me that you've saved my life seven times?" she baited him intentionally. The truth was she enjoyed listening to him recount the incidents where he had stood in harm's way for her, no matter how foolish he had been.

"Nine times Beckett, nine. The first was in the apartment where…

She lost herself in the melody of his words, the timbre of his voice. The man could certainly tell a good story even if his view point was just slightly skewed.

An incredible sense of calm crept over her as if his tone truly was hypnotic. The only things that existed in her world at the moment were the warm crackle of the fire, the soft bed of blankets beneath her, the hard length of his naked body pressed against hers, and the pleasant drone of his voice in her ear. How was it possible that she felt those simple things were enough to keep her happy for the rest of her life?

"And how can you possibly ignore the time I…"

"I love you," she interrupted.

She could tell it took a moment before the words that had just come out of her mouth had a chance to really ferret their way into his brain and it was some time before his mouth had a chance to slow down.

"I'm sorry did you just..?" he said incredulously.

"I said 'I love you', Richard Alexander Edgar Rodgers whatever-you-change-your-name-to Castle. Against all my better judgment and despite the sure and certain knowledge that I will live to regret it more days than not, I am simply, truly, and completely in love with you and I am beyond sorry that it took me this long to find the words."

In fact, the words spilled out of her in a torrent as she gently stroked his face, watching his reaction.

He held her eyes and brushed her bottom lip with his thumb before gently pressing his mouth to hers. He kissed his way along her jaw and brought his lips to rest lightly against her ear. "I need to use your phone."

She pulled away abruptly. "I'm sorry?"

He quickly wormed his way out from beneath the blankets and began rooting through her clothes.

"Castle, what..?" This was NOT how she had imagined this moment.

"I'd use mine but I think there are fish swimming in it at the moment. AHA!" He palmed the slim silhouette of her phone and turned toward the fire.

She stared at him open-mouthed, her anger slightly put off by how absolutely beautiful the shape of his backside was outlined by the red tongues of flame.

He placed the phone to his ear and turned back toward her with a smug grin. "Yeah, it's me," he said to whoever was on the other end. "She's totally in love with me."

He held the phone away from his ear with a grimace and she didn't need to be standing by his side to hear the girlish squeal of delight that echoed through the receiver.

"Yes I'm sure," he affirmed, nodding into the phone. "Let's see, well, first she rescued me from the jaws of a giant lake-dwelling fish with sharp pointy teeth, -long story, I'll tell you later-, then she said she loved me." He turned to her with a satisfied smirk, "How did you put it Beckett? 'Simply, truly, completely in love'?" He held the phone away from his ear again and waited until Alexis had stopped shrieking with delight. "Yeah, love you too. See you soon."

She drew an involuntary breath as he turned to her, all trace of humor from a moment ago as he regarded her with an intensity she had never seen. His naked body was cloaked in dancing red firelight as he reached a hand down to her and pulled her into his arms.

Loving fingers pushed the hair back from her forehead. "Tell me again," he whispered.

Maybe some new readers will find this and enjoy.

Kind of doubt I will write more for Castle after I finish this up as I am wholly sucked into slashy NCIS goodness. If that's your thing then check out my fics under MyShame7.

Thanks again!

Kat