814. Chapter 814

After Setup

Episode 3.16

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm hot for Castle, but don't own it. Rating: K Time: See above.

"We should turn on the heater." He said, reaching for the controls.

"No." She said, pushing his hand away.

"Just let me turn it up a little bit. It's freezing in here."

"No." She pushed his hand away again. "And turning the heater on won't do any good. The engine is cold, so turning the heater on is going to do nothing but blow cold air on us."

"Then start the engine."

"And if I do that, we'll have a car sitting in the dark with the engine running. Suppose our suspect sees the car? He'll know someone's in it. And who parks out in front of suspects apartments?"

"But it's 4AM. Who's going to be looking out their window at 4AM?"

"Suspects are paranoid. Do you know why? Because people, like us, are looking for them. So they look out their windows at 4AM and if they see what looks like the police watching the place, they rabbit. And maybe we never see them again."

Castle sat and grumbled, putting his hands under his coat for warmth.

"You should have brought gloves like I did. And a longer, thicker jacket. And I bet you have those thin silk socks on."

"Better yet, I could have partnered with an Eskimo. She'd have killed a moose for me by now and made me a nice warm moose skin coat."

Kate smiled, although in the dark car, Castle didn't see it. "I don't think that even the most dedicated Eskimo detective could find a moose in New York and you'd be in a dog sled, not a car."

"The dogs would probably eat my moose skin coat off my back, too." He grumped.

Beckett sighed. "Okay, Castle. I'm going to give you a break." As he reached for the keys, she stopped him. "Not that. There's a blanket in the trunk. I've got the interior lights off so they won't go on when you open the door, and I'll pop he trunk from inside. You get out and keeping low, go back to the trunk, open it just enough to get the blanket out. It's on the right side and then close he trunk lid by pushing down on it. Do not slam the trunk, or you'll regret it. And pull the car door closed slowly when you get back in."

Kate was surprise at how well Castle followed her instructions. In seconds he was back with the blanket.

"Thanks. This is great." He spread the blanket out and tried to put it over both of them, but it was too small. "This won't cover us both."

"You're the one that's cold."

He reached out and touched her cheek. "Beckett, you're as cold as I am."

"I'm not that cold, now get under the blanket."

"You have skinny jeans on, a shirt and a short leather jacket. You must be as cold as I am." He handed the blanket to her. "You take it."

"Castle! You're the one who complained about the cold."

"And you're the one who never complains. Everything is always fine. I am not going to keep the blanket while you're cold. I'm a gentleman."

She glared at him, although she knew he didn't see her in the dark. "Wrap the blanket around yourself."

"Beckett…"

"I said wrap it around you. I have a plan."

When he'd slid the blanket under him, Beckett climbed over the center console and sat on his lap. "Now I'll wrap us up. We huddled together to keep warm in that freezer, we can do so again. You okay."

"Yes."

"And keep an eye out for Forbin. I can't see from here."

Kate Beckett relaxed and thought of the last time they'd huddled together for warmth. Josh didn't go to Haiti, but stayed in New York for me. For a while I thought we had a chance. But he's talking about going on another Doctors Without Borders mission again, and he's working overtime at the hospital. It's like he's making it up to his patients for being with me. I have to face it, I'll never be as important to him as his job is. And my job will always be more important to me than Josh is.

Kate relaxed against her partner. Castle kept me warm. He held me to give me some of his warmth. I almost said something twice to him on that case. First when we were in that quarantine tent I told him I just wanted someone who'd be there for me and I could be there for him. And Castle has always been there for me. Was that some kind of Freudian slip? But he never said anything about that. Just like he never said anything about the one and only time we kissed. Oh, yes. He said the way I knocked that goon out was amazing. He probably couldn't wait to get home and put Nikki in the same situation. Just before I passed out I thanked him for having my back. I was going to tell him I really cared for him and then I passed out before I could. But then Josh showed up and I thought things would be different for us. And now that I'm more and more sure that things will never be different between me and Josh, the time has passed. I wish I had the courage to tell Josh it isn't going to work and grab Castle, drag him to my place and ravish him within an inch of his life. But then what? I'd be his girlfriend. I know him well enough now to know I wouldn't be just a conquest that he'd drop as soon as the thrill of the chase was gone. But what? Would I end up the third ex-Mrs. Rick Castle?

Castle relaxed. Having Kate Beckett sit on my lap is something I can take off of my bucket list. I'm afraid the rest of the items about Kate will stay undone. She's sitting on my lap because we're both cold, not because she's attracted to me. Just like in the dirty bomb case. When we were in that damned tent, she told me that she wanted someone she could be there for and that would be there for her. That's not something you tell to a potential lover or boyfriend. You tell a friend something like that. It sucks when a woman tells you she just wants to be friends. She told me that because she felt it'd be safe to tell me. And I almost opened my big mouth and told her I'd love to be there for her. She would have freaked, I guarantee. And probably ended this partnership we have.

Something occurred to Castle. No, there are two things I can take off my bucket list. I kissed Kate Beckett. Sort of. Usually when you kiss a woman, you get some kind of reaction. Okay, we had to go save Ryan and Esposito, but she could have said something later. So to her it wasn't really a kiss. Not like she kisses Doctor Motorcycle Boy. We just distracted a goon.

His mind went back to their time in the freezer. Just before she passed out, she thanked me. We were both going to die and she thanked me. That's it. She just thanked me. I wish I'd told her that I'm in love with her. She was so far gone she couldn't have even gotten mad at me. And if we never woke up, she never would be able to complain about it. But God, if I had said it and we lived. I'd be dead for sure. But, if we're ever in that situation again, I'll tell her. Even if she does kill me.

Castle looked up. The sun was rising. "Beckett. It's morning. We'd better get out of the blanket. When Ryan and Esposito come to relieve us, we don't want them getting the wrong idea."

Or the right idea. They both thought.