Author's Note: This is my first time writing a Castle story. This is going to be set immediately after Castle and Beckett return to New York in episode 3x22 To Love and Die in L.A. Please review! It has been several years since I wrote fan fiction and my writing style has probably changed significantly. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own or make any money from these wonderful characters created by Andrew W. Marlowe. If I did, there would be a little Caskett baby by now!

Home Sweet Home

Beckett sighed in relief as she opened the door to her apartment, ready to kick off her shoes and relax after the long flight home. Her trip to Los Angeles had been more eventful than she had expected. She originally went to L.A. to get justice for Royce, but she ended up with so much more. She never thought that Castle would just show up on her flight. However much she had wanted to keep him out of this investigation she knew as soon as she saw him in first class that he would weasel his way in. Not only did he manage to involve himself in the investigation, but he also talked her into sharing a hotel suite with him. She couldn't deny that they had a moment together on the couch that evening. She acknowledged the fact that she and Castle were definitely attracted to one another, but she was still in a committed relationship with Josh. She may not see him as much as she would like, but they were still committed and she was never one to cheat during a relationship.

In fact, Josh was supposed to call her about 30 minutes ago when she landed. She tried calling him but it kept going straight to voicemail. She decided to go stop by the hospital to see if he wanted to grab dinner. She headed down to the front of her building and hailed a cab. She thought it was odd that she hadn't heard from him considering he would normally text her to let her know he was on shift. She arrived at the hospital in 10 minutes and paid the cabbie. As she walked through the sliding glass doors into the hospital, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. She walked to the front desk and recognized the nurse as the same one she had seen the last time she visited Josh at work. "Hello Barbara, is Josh here?" she asked amicably. Barbara looked up "Ah yes, Detective Beckett he's over in the break room. I trust you remember where it is?" Kate gave a nod of acknowledgment and headed over. She opened the door and her jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Josh with his tongue down the throat of a busty blonde nurse. Josh glanced up and immediately shoved the buxom blonde away when he saw her standing there. "Kate, I can explain" he started. She held a hand up and in a resigned tone "Josh, don't even bother. If you would rather be with a blond bimbo instead of me go ahead, just don't come crawling back to me when a pretty face and big boobs stops making up for the lack of brains." As she turned around to leave she heard "Kate, wait! I came back from Haiti for you, doesn't that mean anything?" She scowled and said "You came back for me, and yet instead of being with me you're here tonguing some blonde ready for a quick romp in the sack. Now leave me alone, I'll put all of your things outside of my apartment for you to pick up."

She quickly walked out of the hospital keeping up her facade until she was alone. She wandered aimlessly about the city wondering why every man in her life let her down, time and time again. First it was her dad, losing himself to the bottle when she had needed him most. The night she lost her mother, she lost him too. Although he sobered up five years later, they had never regained the close relationship they had before her mother's death. After her dad came Will. For a time, she had thought that he might just be the one. He was the first person to make her have fun and feel happy after her mother's death, which made it hurt even more when he chose his career over her. Now Josh had left her, for some blonde bimbo who probably couldn't even pick out the United States on a globe. Kate couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't worth staying for? Why wasn't she good enough?

She realized she had been wandering around the city for awhile so she stopped to figure out where she was. She looked up at the building next to her and startled a bit when she saw she was standing right outside Castle's loft. When Kate had first met Castle she thought he was an arrogant, cocky, playboy who threw money around in order to get whatever he wanted. However, over the past three years she had come to know him as the kind, sweet, and generous family man who had not only become her partner, but also her best friend.

Kate looked up at his apartment and realized that there was a light on. Castle was phenomenal at making her laugh and that was what just about what she needed right now, so she decided to head on up, hoping that he wouldn't ask too many questions about why she was there after seeing him just a few hours prior. She nodded at the doorman as she passed and walked on up. As she arrived outside Castle's door she hesitated a moment before putting her thoughts aside and knocking before she could change her mind.

Author's Note: I realize that Beckett might be a bit out of character, as some people think that she is always confident, but I think she has insecurities just like the rest of us she just hides them better. If anyone would like to be a Beta Reader for me please let me know!