47. Co-Hosting

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Castle was busy in the kitchen when Kate came rushing through the open front door, which he had left unlocked twenty minutes ago when she had told him she was finally on her way over.

"Sorry, sorry," she exclaimed, while crossing through the living room and putting the full shopping bags on the kitchen counter, "I know I'm late. Cramer needed me to get something from the M.E.'s office and it took longer than I expected." She came to a stop in front of him, to place a quick kiss on his jaw, "Sorry I kept you waiting."

"Calm down," he laughed, his arms sneaking around her waist to pull her in for a real kiss, "We still have more than enough time."

"Okay good," Kate looked around, "what do you want me to do?"

"You could chop the vegetables," he said, letting go of her and pushing over the carrots, celery and cabbage followed by the chopping board and a knife.

"The girls?" She asked, while starting to work on the carrots.

"Upstairs with Mother, she's getting them ready for bed, so we can finish dinner without their little, greedy hands getting in the way." He told her with a smirk while checking on the roast beef in the oven.

"Great, did you get the beer?"

"Yep, in the fridge." He nodded without looking up from his task.

"Thank you," Kate leant down to place another kiss on top of his head while he was still kneeling on front of the oven. "I didn't mean to let you do it all alone." She apologized, knowing she had promised to be home in time to help getting dinner ready.

"It's okay," he shrugged, closing the oven and getting back to his sauce on the stove, "So what exactly took longer than expected?"

"Lanie," Kate said as if that explained everything.

"The intern who delivered the paternity test results?" Castle questioned, adding more curry to the sauce.

"Yep," Kate nodded, stepping around him, her hand trailing around his waist as her other reached for a bowl.

"So did she have big news on the case for you?" He questioned, but Kate shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Ahh," it dawned on him what had really kept her so long, "girls talk?"

"We forgot about the time," she looked up at him, "sorry."

Castle laughed, "It's fine, Kate. I'm happy you made a new friend."

"Still, this is my thank-you dinner for Esposito and I let you do all the work," she looked genuinely concerned and Castle left his sauce for a moment to pull her close.

"It's our thank-you dinner," he told her sincerely, "and there's still more than enough for you to do. And on that note," his right hand moved down to smack Kate on her ass, "get going."

She yelped, jumping out of his embrace to look into his smirking face as she grabbed the knife and started to chop the vegetables with a big smile on her face. It was fun, preparing dinner with him for someone that didn't preferred pizza or pasta.

When Javier Esposito knocked on the front door of Castle's apartment he had no idea what was about to hit him. He had wanted to be on time and ended up being at Castle's place early

and if he had known what awaited him behind the door, he might have come back 15 minutes later.

The door swung open and to his surprise there was no one behind it to greet him.

"Who are you?" A small voice reached him and he looked down to find two girls staring up at him. One of them, he knew, was Castle and Beckett's daughter Jamie and the redhead was probably Castle's older daughter Alexis.

"Hey," he grinned, kneeling down in front of them, "I'm Javi. Do you remember me Jamie?"

The little girl gave him a serious look and then nodded as her eyes lit up, "Work with Mommy," she told him proudly and Esposito nodded.

"That's right, I work with your mom," his gaze wandered to the other girl, standing protectively behind her younger sister, "and you must be Alexis. Beckett told me a lot about you."

Alexis eyes lit up, "Yeah?"

"Uh-hu," he nodded eagerly, "She told me what a great big sister you are and that you always look out for Jamie."

Alexis smile widened and Kate and Castle who were watching the scene from the kitchen exchanged a knowing look. Esposito would win both girls over in no time.

"And why are you here?" Alexis asked, giving the man in front of her a curious look.

"I was invited for dinner," he told them with a chuckle and was surprised when Alexis' small hand reached out for his to pull him inside, while Jamie hurried in front of them toward the kitchen.

"Do you like pizza?" Alexis asked.

"I do," he told her.

"Too bad, they didn't make pizza tonight," Alexis told him, looking as if she felt sorry for him.

"Jamie love pasta," the smaller one of the girls told him, almost stumbling over a stuffed bunny that was lying on the floor.

"How long are you staying?" Alexis continued her interrogation and Castle had to grin, his girl had surely gotten more self-confident over the past weeks and he knew exactly who he had to thank for this development.

"Uhm, I don't know yet," Espo told the girl who was still dragging him over toward Castle and Kate who seemed to be amused by what was going on.

"Is that the greeting all your guests receive?" He asked when they finally reached the kitchen counter and Alexis released his hand.

"No that was just for you," Castle grinned, before he held out his hand to greet their guest personally.

"Hey Espo," Kate smiled, giving him a quick hug. "They were supposed to be in bed already but they wanted to say hi to you."

Esposito grinned like a Cheshire Cat, "Well that's nice."

"Yeah," Kate nodded, "but not that they have done that," she turned her attention to Jamie and Alexis who were looking at the adults with merely hidden curiosity, "girls, time for bed. Your grandma is waiting upstairs."

"Actually she's already downstairs, looking for the little monsters who escaped their poor grandmother with an act that, under different circumstances, would've made her proud," Martha stated dramatically as she joined them in the kitchen.

She held out her hand to the young Hispanic standing with her son and Kate, "I'm Martha Rodgers, the mother of this horrible host who didn't even offer you a drink as far as I can see," she said, giving Castle a scolding look, "Richard, really I taught you better."

"Right," her son nodded, "Beer okay?"

Esposito nodded, "Beer would be great, thank you."

"So," Martha linked her arm with the younger man, guiding him toward the couch, "I had no idea Kate had such good looking colleagues."

"Mother," Castle warned her from the kitchen.

"What?" She shot him a look, before turning her attention back to the man at her side. "So Javier, tell me how come you're working with our lovely Kate?"

Kate and Castle looked at each other a little bit helpless until Kate gathered the girls and shoved them toward the stairs, "I'll get them to bed and you take care of the drinks and your mother," she told him with a grin before she disappeared upstairs.

"Castle man, this is not an apartment this is a palace," Javier Esposito gasped ten minutes later as he stood in the middle of the living room, his eyes wide as he took everything in for the first time since he arrived and Martha had left. His bachelor pad would fit three times into Castle's living room.

"Ah well," Castle shrugged, he didn't like to show off his wealth, especially not in front of people who had potential to become his friends.

"It's great, man," the Hispanic nodded, before turning his eyes toward the stairs where Kate had reappeared. When she arrived at their sides Castle handed her a beer and clinked bottles with them, before they all set down.

"So how is life in Homicide?" Espo asked, settling against the kitchen counter.

"Lots of foot work and running errands I'm afraid," she laughed, "but it's great. They let me observe and I feel like I'm learning a lot."

"Cool," Esposito grinned. "Don't forget about me while you're climbing up the ladder though."

She waved him off, "It's nothing. I'll be back in the squad room in no time," but to her surprise Esposito shook his head.

"That's not what rumors say," he said cryptically to her.

"What do rumors say?" Castle chipped in, suddenly very, very interested in what Esposito had to tell them.

"That Beckett is on the short list to be permanently transferred to Homicide," Espo winked.

"And what could that mean?" Castle questioned further, unsure what exactly that could mean for Kate's career.

"Becoming Detective," Esposito stated as if it was a given fact, "sooner rather than later," he added, shooting Kate a knowing look.

"You don't know that," Kate said, looking rather uncomfortable. She didn't like people talking behind her back, good or bad.

"Hey," Espo raised his hands, "just telling you what the word is."

"Anyway it's hardly possible they'll make me Detective anytime soon, I haven't even take the test yet," Kate objected, but Esposito just shrugged as if he wanted to say; Say what you want but I know better.

Looking over at Castle she found his eyes directed at her and she was surprised by what she saw in them. Pride shined in them and she had to swallow hard, couldn't remember when it had been the last time someone had looked at her like this.

"Okay," she cleared her throat against the emotions boiling up inside of her, "Hungry?"

Conversation flowed easily between the three of them, Esposito telling them about his time in Special Forces and how he had decided to join the NYPD after leaving the Army. Kate and he shared some of their undercover and Vice experiences which led to Castle furiously scribbling down story ideas for his new Derrick Storm novel, telling them to hold it every five minutes so he could keep up.

"We should do this once a week," he exclaimed excitedly, "you gave me ideas for at least three new books."

"Wait until Beckett is the star of Homicide," Esposito grinned at Kate who just rolled her eyes. "That will make real good stuff for your books."

Castle's eyes grew wide, "Or even better, I create a new character, a female, sassy Detective working New York's weirdest murders."

"I like that," Esposito held out his fist for Castle to bump.

"You will not write a book about me," Kate protested as she stood up to clean their plates.

"Who said the book was about you?" Castle smirked at her, but she just stared back at him.

"We both know that's exactly what you've been saying," she challenged him, "And need I remind you I'm wearing a gun?" with that she swirled on her feet and moved into the kitchen.

"She's got you, bro," Esposito smirked at Castle, who was still staring at Kate's back as she loaded the dishwasher.

"Yeah," he nodded absent-mindedly, "she's got me."

Esposito's eyes narrowed as he looked from Beckett in the kitchen to Castle who had a very dreamy expression on his face. When Kate returned, sitting down next to Castle, much closer than strictly necessary he couldn't take it any longer.

"Okay I gotta ask. You two, are you a couple or not? Because at the hospital you said no, but seeing you now ...," he trailed off, suddenly fearing he might have overstepped a line. After all they have only known each other for two weeks.

"Uhm," Kate blushed and then admitted, "this is rather new."

"Ah," the Hispanic nodded and an uncomfortable silence evolved around them.

Esposito felt there was more to the story, after all they had a two-year-old daughter together and yet

he had no doubt that it was the truth that they only recently had started to date. But he figured they might tell him at some point, so for now he wouldn't ask any further questions.

"And you, Javier?" Castle chipped in, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, no," he shook his head with a chuckle, "it's hard to find the right one for a guy like me. Hey, but do you know the new intern down at the morgue?" He turned to Kate who tried to hide a grin, biting down on her lip.

"Lanie Parish?"

"Yes her." Esposito nodded eagerly, "do you know if she's single?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Kate raised challenging eyebrows at him.

This time it was Esposito's turn to blush, "Well, you know," he stuttered, "I don't get the chance to go down there that often and I thought you might - I mean you girls have a different connection ...," he trailed off.

"Uh-huh," Kate nodded, not believing a word he said, "but enough time to check her out?"

"I didn't," he protested and looked over at Castle, "help me out here, please?"

But Castle just raised his hands with a laugh and said, "You're on your own. I'm not getting into this."

"Just go down there and ask her. A guy like you, I'm sure you'll manage." Kate mocked him before getting up to get the dessert, while Castle helped Esposito and himself to another round of beer.

Javier Esposito really was a nice guy, tough on the outside but she could tell there was a warm, loving and loyal core to find underneath his armor. She was glad she had the chance to meet him and hoped they would get to work together again.

"Are we boring you, Beckett?" Esposito pulled her out of her thoughts, but Kate shook her head with a smile.

"I'll go check on the girls," she told him. "You two keep going."

She passed behind Castle, letting her hands run over his shoulders and he caught her fingers, turning to look at her, before pressing his lips against her finger tips.

She left the men to their discussion and climbed up the stairs to the second floor, the smile lingering on her face and she realized she hadn't laughed and smiled this much ever since her mother died until Castle re-entered her life. He was like a force of nature that had turned everything upside down and even though she had doubted in the beginning that it could work out between them in any way, she was overwhelmed by how much better hers and Jamie's lives had become with Castle and Alexis in it.

She had given up on childhood dreams of a perfect family a long time ago, accepting that these and other wishes were illusions that couldn't withstand the cruelty of reality. But now? Not that she was anywhere close to thinking about marriage and all that came with it, but Castle had planted the seed of possibility in her heart, maybe after all it was still out there for her to find.

Maybe it was strange that these thoughts came to her on a night like this, but it felt so natural, so normal to be doing this with him that it was almost scary.

When Kate came back downstairs she found both men in Castle's study in front of his PlayStation.

"Kate," Castle waved her over when he saw her standing in the doorway, "come on in."

"And here I was thinking the kids where upstairs in bed," she joked but coming to sit with them nevertheless.

"I had to show Javi my newest game," he explained. "It's not even on the market yet."

"Mmh," Kate replied unimpressed. "I see." And then she stifled a yawn. "Hey I'm heading to bed, but why don't you guys play a bit longer?" She suggested.

"You sure?" Esposito raised one questioning eyebrow at her. "I can leave, it's getting late."

She placed one hand on his shoulder and shook her head, "No, you guys enjoy your game as long as you want to, but I'm just beat."

"Okay, if you're sure," Esposito looked unconvinced.

"Don't worry," Kate reassured him, "it was great having you over, we should do it again sometime soon."

"Absolutely, thanks for the great dinner, it was amazing," he told her getting to his feet to tell her goodnight, before she left the men to their game and Castle telling her he wouldn't be too long.

"That was faster than I expected," Kate grinned when she felt the mattress dip on his side.

"What did you expect?" He asked. "You're in my bed. You didn't really think I would stay away for long."

Kate turned so she could look at him, "What did Esposito say?"

"I think he detected my slight restlessness," Castle shrugged unashamed, "but I guess he had a great time. I did for sure."

"Me too," Kate agreed, "we should really do it again."

"We will," he mumbled, already dipping his head down to nibble at her neck.

"Mmm," she hummed in return, "no more Espo talk for now."

"I can live with that," he growled before capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss.

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