Disclaimer: I'm a just a fan of the show, an Andrew Marlow minion—as it relates to Castle.

This is my first fan fiction. I have the whole thing outline and know exactly where it's going (good Caskett-y places), but I'm pretty much posting as I get done writing. If the ideas aren't as fully baked as you might like, I apologize!

This will focus on how Beckett and Castle's relationship develops, how they interact and connect with family and friends. I'll be attempting to inject a healthy dose of humor, but I know this is where I struggle. So if you laugh, chuckle, smile—or see a spot where you would have had I done something different, do tell!

Hope you enjoy it!

"Castle," she says, swinging open her door to the commotion outside. "You're here early."

She watches him. He'd obviously been trying to figure out how to juggle the box in his hands, his laptop bag over his shoulder and the count them…three?...reusable grocery bags in his hands.

"I texted you." Castle he defends, finally looking up. He realizes she's standing there in just a robe, her hair has been pulled back into a messy ponytail. He stares. Kate shift uncomfortably, fully expecting his eyes to drop from her face. But they don't.

"I just got up," she says reaching to relieve him of the bags. "I was getting ready to take a shower."

Castle snaps to, explains his text from earlier. "I have to leave earlier than I planned," he says, following her into the kitchen. Normally, he'd be watching her hips sashay, but today Kate's bare calves were calling to him. The way those muscles moved…it couldn't be called erotic, but he was certainly warmer.

"Hot date, tonight, Castle?" she teases, setting the bags on the counter. He followed suit.

"Not unless you're planning to have your wild way with me, Detective." He says, already leaning into her refrigerator.

"Fat chance, Castle." But she realizes she's checking out his ass. A bit vexed, she takes it out on him. "What, may I ask, are you doing in my refrigerator?"

"Well, I was going to make room for breakfast and some snacks I picked up," he says turning to her. "But as your shelves a damn near bare…except this science experiment" he says holding out a container of she couldn't remember what "and this ode to Alexander Fleming" he says of her leftover Chinese from early last week, "I don't think making room is going to be a problem." He turns tossing them in the trash. "You don't even have milk…or eggs."

"What's this?" He peeks into the Styrofoam container.

"Hey! That was my leftover burger! It was perfectly fine!" she huffs.

Castle makes a face and shakes his head. "Reheated burgers are no good. Soggy—besides you won't need it. I brought groceries. You can make yourself a healthy lunch."

"Castle, I can buy my own groceries." She was talking to his back. He opened her freezer. Two containers of ice cream: Creamy Chocolate and some specialty Vanilla Bean Mocha. Wonder where she got that?

"I know that, Beckett." He turned to the box and started loading the contents into the freezer. "I've never considered you incapable or unable to buy your own groceries. I was just there. And I knew I wanted breakfast."

"Those are not groceries, Castle," she says pointing to the containers he was now stacking in her freezer.

"Quite right, Detective. Nothing's lost on you," he quips. "These, my dear Beckett, are what you call leftovers. They're frozen in single-serving size meals so you can pull out one in the morning, thaw and reheat when you get home. Or you can take them to work. That way you're not living on takeout and you get a home-cooked meal—even if it's once-removed—every once in a while."

"You made me leftovers?"

"Well, not exactly. We made dinners at home. Alexis made some, I made the others—trust me, none of Mother's so-called meals made it into this box. I packed up the leftovers—even labeled them," he pointed out, handing her a couple.

She read "Baked Chicken Ziti" and "Orange Chicken with Rice." "Um, thank you, Castle, but why not keep them for at home?"

"Well, we're able to eat together pretty regularly and we like to cook. Plus, we do have some leftovers at home, but it's not like there's enough for us to all share a meal, so we just keep them for an occasional lunch or meal when everyone else is out. Every now and then, if the freezer starts overflowing with leftovers, we each pull out what we want and have a leftovers night."

Kate's a little wistful as she listens and watches as his face soften, just talking about family moments. I miss "we" moments. "It sounds great, Castle. It's very sweet of you." She's been saying that a lot lately. Signed Temptation Lane cast photo. His "I don't like you spending time with other writers" confession. "Thank you and please thank Alexis for me."

Castle flashes her a big smile. "No problem…now, you shower. I'll make breakfast. Then we'll get started."

"Okay. What are we having?" she asks over her shoulder. She pauses at the door to her room.

"Frittata, if you have a good cast iron pan?" he half says, half asks, glancing at her. Seeing her face, "Omelets it is then!" he announces. "Shower, woman!"

When did I start taking orders from him? Where was her fight?

Chapters 2 through 5 are up with Chapter 1. Since there's no Castle for the next couple of weeks, I expect to move right along.