48. Chapter 48

After Secret Santa

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or Santa Claus. Rating: K+ Time: Christmas time.

Rick and Kate broke their kiss, then Rick led Kate to the dinner table.

"Merry Christmas, Katherine." Martha said with a smile. "I'm so glad you could join us tonight."

"Me too, Detective Beckett." Alexis added. "Merry Christmas."

"Please, Alexis, call me Kate."

"Merry Christmas then, Kate." The redhead said happily.

"Merry Christmas, indeed, Kate." Rick added. "And now, who wants turkey?" he said, grabbing the carving knife.

After the meal, Kate confessed that this was her best Christmas since her mother had died. "Thank you." She whispered to Rick. "I didn't realize I missed Christmas so much."

"I'm just glad we could be together." Rick whispered back. "I've always loved the tree, decorations, the presents, the meal and most of all, family." He hugged her. "You're family now, you know."

"Thanks." She said, still whispering.

"Are we going to open our presents now?" Alexis asked.

"I thought we'd wait a bit. We really should exercise a bit after that big meal. Who's up for a long walk? Show of hands?"

"Dad!" Alexis said, looking shocked and shaking her head. "Presents?"

Castle looked at Martha, then at Kate. Both shook their heads. "Everyone wants to open presents? Now?"

Kate took Castle's hand and led him towards the tree. "Come on, Kitten. It's present time."

"Kitten?"

"Kitten. And it'll only get worse the longer you put off opening the presents."

Kate was surprised at the gifts the Castle family exchanged. While not cheap, they weren't the extravagantly expensive gifts she would have associated with Rick just a short time ago. They had, however, been selected with a great deal of love and care. And all were appreciated.

"Richard, you didn't get anything for Katherine?"

Before Rick could reply, Kate spoke up. "I asked him not to. I was afraid it would be too stressful this first Christmas together." She leaned in and gave Rick a kiss on his cheek. "Besides, he's given me the best Christmas I've had in years, and he's the best present I've ever had. How could he improve on that?"

Castle kissed her back as Martha and Alexis smiled.

After the presents were opened, Rick and Kate cuddled on the couch. Not saying a word, just enjoying each other's presence. Martha interrupted them. "Alexis and I are going to bed. We'll be sound asleep in no time. No time at all. Merry Christmas and to all a good night." Martha disappeared up the stairs.

"Do you think she's trying to tell us something?" Castle said with a grin.

"I can't imagine what." Kate replied.

"I'd like you to stay tonight, Kate. Of course, I'd always like you to stay, but if you do, you'll be here bright and early for our Christmas stockings."

Kate stood. "I think it's time you unwrapped your present." She took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

Later, Rick held Kate in his arms, luxuriating in the warmth of her body. He inhaled the smell of cherries that he now knew came from her shampoo. It was more than the smell of cherries, though, that he inhaled. It was the smell of the woman he loved.

"Kate, I'd like you to spend next Christmas with us as well."

"I'd love that." She said dreamily.

"And I'd like your Christmas tradition to continue, too."

Kate thought for a moment. "You're going to have me cloned. One would be here and the other at the precinct."

"I know a lot of guys, but the one that can clone you, I haven't met yet."

"Then don't. I don't want to have to be jealous of myself."

"What I want to do is have a Christmas party next year for the whole precinct."

"But we already have Christmas parties?" Kate said.

"You call what happened today Christmas parties? Homicide had cookies that Jenny Ryan baked and some that Karpowski made. Add to that some donuts courtesy of Captain Gates and there's the homicide's Christmas party. Robbery? They gave each other gag gifts. Nothing under five bucks. The whole thing lasted ten minutes, tops. Some of the patrol cops got together at Remy's either before or after their shift. However, they do that all the time. So how is that so special? And CSU? Oh, those wild and crazy CSU boys and girls. What did they do for Christmas? Let me see? No, don't tell me. It's right on the tip of my tongue. They did nothing! Absolutely nothing. And files? What did the files folk do, you ask?"

Kate held up her hand for silence. "Okay. We don't have the greatest parties. We're cops. We can't all take four hours off to eat, drink and make merry."

"I'd rather make Kate." Castle said, waggling his eyebrows. "Much rather."

"If we're going to do that at the precinct Christmas party, I think that Gates just might notice."

Castle pulled Kate close to him. "No, that's strictly between us, Kate."

"Good. But I don't see how we can hold a party for the whole precinct. The patrol officers can't just hang around the precinct, they have to be out on the streets. The people who work the day shift will want to go home to their families for their Christmas. Homicide, Robbery, Vice, Gangs, everyone like that may or may not be out at any time. I don't see how we could have a party for everyone."

"Neither do I right now, but we have a year to work on this. I do want this catered by the best restaurant in New York for starters."

Kate was becoming interested in Castle's idea. "You know, we could make up something like a picnic basket for the patrol officers. They could take them with them and eat when and where they could."

"Cold Christmas dinners?" Castle asked, wrinkling his nose. "Really?"

"Not cold. There are plenty of places out there that'll let a cop use a microwave oven."

"And we can do this by shifts, maybe." Castle added. "The people who come in on Christmas Eve morning can have a really nice breakfast."

"A big heavy breakfast first thing in the morning?" Kate wasn't sure of that.

Castle shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. We don't have to make all of our decisions tonight. We have a year to plan this."

And we have a year together. They thought at the same time.