Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas || Chapter 2 || [Action]

[myjobpaysbetter]

[When Castle wakes up he's immediately aware that the sheets on the bed are a bit more luxurious than he's grown used to. Not to say that his sheets aren't nice, these are just...strangely more crisp, and the blanket is much more cozy. He does recognize the room, but it's not his room at the Manor, he sits up and glances around. Its one of many

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[wheresmybroom]

[Kate had slept like a rock, so when she wakes up, she doesn't exactly notice anything is different. All she knows is that she isn't home, it's just a room, and she can hear Castle making a fuss in the hallway so she pulls herself out of bed quickly.

She grabs her gun and sticks it in the waistband of her pants, tugging her shirt and pushing her hair out of her face as she tiptoes to the door. It doesn't sound like he's in trouble, just being obnoxious, but Castle isn't exactly the most subtle sometimes when he's in a bad situation. And it doesn't help that he's a plain shit magnet.

Beckett stumbles across the carpet and pulls open the door and... Hmm, she doesn't remember her door handle being hooked like that. But Rick in the hallway is enough to distract her in her hazy, just waking up fog, and she glares at him.]

Castle, what are you doing?

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[myjobpaysbetter]

BECKETT! Guess what! Or WHERE! Guess WHERE!

[Yes, he's that excited.]

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[wheresmybroom]

Castle, come on...

[She starting to wake up now, though, and the weird things are starting to stand out to her. The door, the hallway, the look on Castle's face, and she starts to put it together...]

No way. Are we...?

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[He's going to wait for it..

There it is...]

YES... We are!

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[wheresmybroom]

[Guess what bearers of good news get, Rick? They get armfulls of a grinning Kate Beckett who is wearing nothing but her PJs. She's so happy and relieved she can barely contain herself as she hugs him tight.]

Oh my God, Castle, this is incredible!

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[He's a bit surprised at the sudden arm load of Beckett a bra-less Beckett at that.. He hugs her back lifting her up off her feet a bit as he spins her around.]

I knooooow... Get dressed. We need to get going.

[Yep. He's still holding her.]

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[morethanwhoiam]

[She's just laughing. Laughing and smiling and grinning and clinging to him with all the happiness of someone who just woke up from a nightmare.

She stays in his arms and puts her hands on his cheeks, looking up at him through clouding eyes, her lips pressed together. She can feel the tears welling up at she looks at him. Relief just keeps washing over her body and she shakes her head.]

Thank you.

[She breaks away from him and slips back into her room, getting dressed as quickly as she can. Pocketing her gun, badge and wallet and making sure her mother's ring is secured on her neck and her father's watch on her wrist, she decides she has everything she needs and slips back out of the room.]

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[She looks absolutely stunning. Laughing and happy and beautiful. He smiles down at her, drops a quick kiss on her forehead and whispers.]

Always.

[He slips back into his own room once she's gone and gathers the few belongings he has important enough to try to take with him. Once he's done he steps back in the hall to wait for her.]

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[morethanwhoiam]

[By the time he gets back out to the hall, her euphoria has begun to wear off and it's been replaced with caution.

She hasn't seen outside, and even though she isn't insulting enough to think Castle doesn't know what New York City looks like, she just can't believe it was really that easy.

If it was, what was the point of the whole display anyway? Why kidnap them and keep them in manor for weeks and then send them back home with no warning, no reason, no anything.

It didn't make sense.

Beckett kept her thoughts to herself though, and greeted Castle with a warm, if somewhat forced, smile when he came back out into that hall.]

Home just in time for Christmas. Kind of appropriate, isn't it?

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[He's thought of all those things. Of course, he has. He hasn't been outside yet, but from the windows it looks right.

He has to hold on to some hope. After everything they've been through? He has to hope that this is what it is and not another trick.]

I was just thinking that.

[In other words, he was just thinking this was much too good to be true.

None the less, Castle offers his arm and an easy smile.]

If we're lucky we can pick up some Italian at that place by the precinct.

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[morethanwhoiam]

[And that's exactly why Kate hasn't mentioned it. She's a realist, but she's not heartless, and the idea of making one of Castle's dreams fall to the ground was not something she wanted on her shoulders.

Besides, if neither of them admitted it, it would be easier to keep hope that maybe, just maybe, they had been brought home.]

Nope. Our first stop is your apartment, so you can check on Alexis and Martha. I'll call the precinct from there and check in with Capta...

[She stops walking. Suddenly things aren't so great anymore, but not because of doubts. It was because all of things she's been pushing down, all of the memories she was trying to hold back in the manor came flooding back into her head. She gasped and lurched forward, looking at Castle with wide eyes. Suddenly Montgomery's death, the sniper, her dying... That had happened here. In New York. It had happened and it was real and as soon as she walked back through those doors she was going to have to deal with it all over again.]Castle... Maybe... Maybe you should

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[myjobpaysbetter]

Of course, and we'll bring them with us.

[He stops when she does and turns toward her. Concern lining his features because it isn't like Beckett to panic, but then again after what she's been through, what they've both been through. The sniper and then all of this. He's surprised she hadn't yet. He offers her a little smile and takes her hand firmly in his.]

Hey..Take a deep breath. [He's gentle and calm.] If you want to wait? You can wait. I'd like for you to come with me, but I'm not going to force you.

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[morethanwhoiam]

[She's trembling, and she takes a step away from him hoping he doesn't notice, pulling her hand away from him. She takes a few deep breaths and shakes her head.]

No. No, we can go, I'm fine.

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[He lets her hand go, if not a bit reluctantly. He was hoping to help ground her, to keep her centered because he is solid.]

We can go at your pace. If/When you're ready. It'll be alright.

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[morethanwhoiam]

[She knows that. And she knows she needs it.

But she's not ready. Not ready to ask him for help and she's sure as hell not ready to admit to him that's she's weak. So she just shakes her head again.]

No, Rick. I need to do this. I just... need to do it. Let's go. [She takes a breath and starts to lead the way out of the hotel.]

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[myjobpaysbetter]

[He hesitates another moment, somewhere between offering his hand again and putting them in his pockets. He finally settles on his pockets, as he gives her a gentle smile.]

Then we'll do it. In your own--[He arches a brow as she passes him, and kicks into gear to follow. He'll be right there Kate, to catch you if you need him to.]