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Kate listened a moment even though Castle's smiling face encouraged her to open the door.

"I''l protect you." he teased. Although something about the way he said it comforted her. Like she could really trust him to keep her safe if need be. Even though she didn't need him now, Josh was simply intoxicated which she'd dealt with before. Still, she liked the way it had sounded when he'd said it.

"Just stay here." she ordered, placing the palm of her hand on his chest to stop him from walking with her, like she always did when telling him to stay.

"Oh a secret sparring session, I like it." He bantered.

She was at the door now, her hand on the door handle, "Shhh..."

"Katie, baby..." Josh started as she opened the door. "I was thinking, why did we every break up? We were perfect together." The smell of his breath alone caused her to step back as he invited himself into the apartment, stabling himself on the doorframe.

"Josh I think you should go." She suggested, blocking his path from coming in any further, "Why are you even here?"

"For you, I want you back. Why did you break up with me? Was it because of Writer Boy? 'Cause I can be just as charming as he can."

"You know why we broke up, Josh now please just leave. I'm busy." She tried to push him out, but he insisted.

"What could you be busy with at 2:00 in the morning?" he looked up and saw Castle across the room in his sweaty t-shirt. "Is that?" he asked, squinting.

"Why hello there, Joshy." Castle greeted sarcastically.

"Castle, waddaya doing here? Did I mess up your face too much to go home?"

"Maybe, if you didn't hit like a girl my pride might be somewhat damaged, but since those aren't the circumstances, no, I seem to be just fine thank you."

"You sure talk too much, I'm thinking you trying to steal my Katie."

"And I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of vocabulary or grammar like me, so why don't you do what's best for you and leave. Besides, even if I was trying to 'steal your Katie', she's not your Kate anyways, you don't own her." He quipped, still standing across the room, "She's not anyone's property, of course she could probably tell you that a lot better than me. When you were together, noticed I said 'were' as in past tense, if anybody owned anybody it would've been her owning you."

"You wanna go, little man?"

"I would say 'yes', but I've just been trained by the finest and drunks are less cute after they've been beaten up."

Josh paused as if processing Castle's statement, "Why don't you get over here and we'll figure this out."

Castle looked over at Kate who immediately shook her head, but he had to disagree with her on this one. After a couple of seconds of debating in his head, he finally crossed the room, standing inches from Josh's face like he had done hours ago before he'd gotten the crap beaten out of him.

"You ever hear the expression 'playing with three'?" Josh challenged.

"Castle waited a beat, "Why, yes I have, I believe you're doing it right now."

Josh laughed and Castle fanned his hand around the surgeons face to dilute the smell.

"Gross! You smell even worse when you're drunk!"

"Castle..." Kate warned, holding her arm out just in case one of them snapped again.

"No, Kate," Josh assured, "Maybe after getting his ass kicked twice in one night, he'll learn."

"I don't want to fight you, Josh. I'm above that." Castle opposed proudly.

"This guy is a Grade A nut job!" He laughed, grabbing Kate's hand and tugging her out the door. "C'mon, Katie, let's get out of here."

"Josh, let go." She refused, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp although he persisted in taking her with him.

"You know you want me." he drooled drunkly.

"Let go!" she demanded.

Castle didn't know what came over him those next few seconds, but he had managed to get Josh's neck firmly into a headlock. She curled his hands in a fist and drove his knuckle's over the top of Josh's scalp. "Leave my work wife alone." he joked in a high pitched voice. To his surprise, in the corner of his eye, he saw Josh release Kate's hand so he did the same.

However, when Doctor Motorcycle Boy came back up, his face was hot and angry, "I'm gonna kill you for that." He growled, eyes intensifying.

"You have no idea how scared I am right now," Castle answered honesty, starting to fear. He tried desperately to remember what Kate had told him about sucker punches.

Seduction. She had said, Look your opponent in the eye and offer some sort of distraction. He remembered the face she had given him, that delicate look that made him forget entirely that they had been sparring. He tried to mirror her lips, her eyes, even the length of her hair had distracted him. And so, with an awkward feeling in his stomach, Castle made his eyes shut halfway like Kate had done and even managed to purse his lips in the flirtatious way he'd seen women do without laughing. Josh gave him a confused and disgusted look and it wasn't long before his guard, like Castle's had been, was down.

"BAM! said the lady!" Castle screamed, and in a fraction of a second he had made his move- causing Josh stagger back into the hallway. As if on cue, Kate slammed the apartment door in the surgeon's face.

The two were quiet a moment, waiting for Josh to try again, but the silence assured him that they'd won. Finally, they both pranced up in excitement, giving each other a loud and painful high five.

"That was awesome!" Castle squealed, "I told you I'd protect you!"

Kate laughed along, "Oh you should know by now that I don't need protecting, you even said so yourself."

"Are you kidding? He was practically forcing you out of your own apartment, if it wasn't for me you could've been in some serious trouble."

She gave him a side smile without showing her teeth and raised an eyebrow, "Who's to say I didn't put on a little Damsel in Distress act just to see how far you went?"

"Ah, a detective and an actress, a secret identity just like Nikki." he chuckled, "So what now? More fighting practice?" he asked, holding his hands up in the defensive way she'd taught him.

She shook her head, "No, this deserves a celebration for my first successful student in ninja class. What would you say to ice cream?"

He squealed again, "I'd say that's a marvelous plan!"

She led him to the kitchen, opening the freezer.

"So what will ice cream lead to?" he asked as innocently as possible.

She didn't say a work, but just turned to him and gave him a look that said everything.

THE END!

I hope you all liked it! Thanks for sticking with me on this story, it was fun to write! Oh and after the Countdown episode, I'm positive that Josh isn't as big of a jerk as I made him in this- but since I'd already made him kinda cocky, I thought I should just stick with it so please excuse the OOC.

Love you all and I hope you have a great day!
Sarah