A/N – This is my first time writing, much less publishing any sort of fanfiction. I welcome reviews with positive feedback or constructive criticism.

Contains spoilers for 5x10 – I read the spoilers and couldn't NOT write my version.

Disclaimer: Riiiiight. If I owned Castle I would not have yelled "Holy CRAP!" nearly so many times as I did watching "Probable Cause" on Monday…. And Tuesday… and Wednesday…

Chapter 1

"How's she doing?" She looked with concern at his reflection in the mirror as she continued removing her make-up, preparing for bed.

Castle leaned against the door jam. "She's okay. Exhausted, but I'm relieved that it's nothing too serious. She kinda freaked me out there for a minute."

Kate put down the toothbrush she was holding and turned to face him with a sardonically raised eyebrow. "'Kinda', Castle? Really? That's what you're going with. You made a mother hen look like a neglectful parent."

"What?! She's still my little girl, and… well, that was scary as hell!" He slid further into the room and leaned a hip against the granite surface of the vanity.

Kate's gazed softened as she dropped all pretense of teasing. It had been a harrowing couple of days, starting off with the call the previous morning from Alexis' roommate, frantic that Alexis had collapsed on the floor of their dorm room and was burning up with fever. They had met the ambulance at the hospital, fearing for the teenager's health, Castle a frantic mess, pacing and asking rapid fire questions of every hospital employee he encountered.

Kate made quick work of brushing her teeth, finishing readying herself for bed by plaiting her hair into a sloppy braid. "Well, at least we know that it's just mono. I had it in high school, and it sucked, but she should be able to bounce back pretty quickly as long as she takes it easy for a while."

It was Castle's turn to shoot a look at Kate. "We're obviously not talking about the same girl. The whole reason she was brought to the hospital and kept overnight was because she completely ignored any sign that she was getting sick, determined to 'power through' and drove herself into complete exhaustion. She just doesn't know when to quit."

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, I have no idea where she gets that."

Castle gave her a wan smile and sighed, "Kate, I'm serious. I'm thrilled that she's consented to stay here at the loft for a while until she recovers a bit more, but I'm worried about when she goes back. How can I not, when I know that she pushes herself to the point of neglecting her health?"

She padded over to him, gently wrapping him in a hug, her head tucked beneath his chin. "Sorry. I know it's hard, but Alexis has to learn her own limitations, especially living on her own, and she has to do that her own way. She'll make mistakes, just like this, and she'll learn from them. And you have to let her." She felt him open his mouth to protest, so she lifted her head and covered his mouth with her own, softly, effectively distracting him from whatever over-protective notion he was readying. She hummed contentedly, and snuggled back in against his chest. "So how are you feeling?"

Castle wrapped his arms around her securely and sighed wearily. "Like I just had several years taken off my life."

Kate leaned back in his arms to look up at him with a playful smile. "Castle, if that's all it takes to shave years off your life, then given all the life-threatening situations we've been through, your days are seriously numbered."

"Kate Beckett, are you calling me old?"

Twining her slender arms around his neck and adopting an innocent expression, Kate replied, "Not at all!" Rising up on tiptoe, pressing her t-shirt clad body against his larger frame, her eyes betrayed a look that was decidedly… not innocent. "I'm simply saying that given the facts at hand… you might not have much time left… and perhaps we should… make the most of it," her pauses punctuated by the feather-light kisses her lips were glancing along his jaw.

Castle grinned broadly, his exhaustion forgotten for the moment. "Not much time, huh?" He ran his hands slowly up and down, fingers tripping along her ribcage, drawing the t-shirt she'd 'borrowed' from him up to reveal tiny, lace-edged, plum-colored panties. He pressed open-mouth kisses along the veins in her neck, her head lolling back to grant him better access. Her breath hitched as his tongue darted out to taste the hollow of her collarbone. "And what sort of ideas did you have to keep me from frittering away my few remaining days?" He murmured the words against the rapidly heating skin of her chest.

"I –" Her eyes fluttered shut as she attempted to collect her thoughts. His thumbs brushed the outer curves of her breasts lazily. Shit. There had to be a law against how quickly he turned her into an incoherent idiot. Focus. She lifted her eyes to his to gaze at him with hooded lids, "Dirty ones, Castle. So very, very filthy…"

With a growl, Castle swooped down, capturing her lips with a tangle of tongues and a clashing of teeth. He swept his left hand down her leg, drawing her knee up to wrap around his hip. Her lower half undulated against his, pressing her heat against the evidence of his arousal. His questing hand roamed back up her muscled thigh to the lacy scrap of nothing separating him from where she needed him most, his broad fingers darting beneath to tease her wet passage.

She gasped, tightened her grip on his neck and the back of his skull where she anchored his lips to hers and jumped, wrapping both legs around his waist. He gladly caught her ass in his palms, continuing to use his fingertips to drive her mad with need. She pulled out of their passionate kiss to gasp, "Castle. Bed. Now!"

Castle spun in the direction of the bedroom, but the stress, worry and lack of sleep of the last 48 hours had taken its toll. He stumbled, nearly dropping Kate, who uttered a very un-Beckett-like squeal, and moved to stand independently. The writer righted himself quickly, and held on to her thighs firmly. His voice rumbled in her ear. "Oh, no you don't. You're not escaping that easily. I was promised filthy Beckett, and I mean to have her. Now." She threw back her head and gave a throaty, sexy laugh. My God, she will be the death of me… and I don't even care.

He passed through the doorway to the bedroom, and immediately stiffened in shock, hands releasing Kate quickly and suddenly. Only just managing to keep from falling hard on her ass, Kate glared at Castle furiously. "What the hell, Castle?!"

"Well, Richard, I didn't expect you to have… company!"

Kate whirled with a gasp to find herself staring at a very haughty, very nearly naked Meredith.

Thoughts? Yours are welcome and appreciated!