Reborn in Castle (TV show)

[Later That Night]

By the time Travis and Kate left the 12th Precinct, most of the bullpen had emptied for the night.

Cassandra Wells could wait until morning. An APB was going out, Matthew Cole would have two uniforms keeping track of him, and the technicians pulling the archived Weyland footage weren't going to finish any faster because Kate stood over their shoulders. Montgomery had eventually ordered both detectives to go home before they found another excuse to stay.

They didn't go home.

Kate drove while Travis sat beside her, his jacket tossed across the back seat and the top button of his shirt already undone. Manhattan gradually disappeared behind them as they headed toward the industrial edge of the city, where warehouses, repair shops, storage yards, and fenced lots replaced apartment buildings and crowded sidewalks.

Neither needed to discuss where they were going.

Over the past two months, this had become part of their routine.

It had started shortly after Bali, once Kate had recovered from the initial shock of discovering that the man she was in love with could heal from catastrophic injuries, move faster than human reflexes should allow, and keep going long after ordinary exhaustion should've forced him to stop.

Kate wanted to see it in action, and Travis wanted to master his power to prevent another incident like the underground tunnel explosion from happening again.

Testing his abilities inside their apartment obviously wasn't an option. Travis couldn't exactly sprint down the hallway at superhuman speed or test his strength against the kitchen counter without creating big damage. Public gyms were even worse because cameras were everywhere, and somebody would eventually notice that the supposedly ordinary NYPD detective had physical abilities that belonged in a comic book.

They'd tried secluded places outside the city during the first couple of weeks, usually late at night, though that created its own problems. Hikers appeared where nobody should've been hiking. Cars occasionally passed nearby. Kate had once spent ten minutes checking the surrounding woods because Travis swore he could hear someone moving several hundred feet away.

Eventually, Travis decided they needed somewhere permanent.

So he'd bought a junkyard.

The property had been sitting on the market for nearly a year after its previous owner retired. High fencing surrounded several acres of abandoned vehicles, rusted machinery, scrap metal, shipping containers, and an old maintenance building near the center. There were no neighboring houses close enough to hear anything unusual, and the industrial businesses surrounding it usually shut down before evening.

On paper, Travis had bought the property as an investment.

In reality, it became their private training ground.

They'd improved it gradually.

Security cameras now covered the outside perimeter while deliberately leaving the main training area unseen. Motion sensors warned them whenever somebody entered the property. Travis installed stronger locks, reinforced sections of the fencing, and converted the old maintenance building into a small gym with weights, mats, medical supplies, spare clothing, bottled water, and enough equipment to make Kate joke that he'd secretly wanted his own Batcave.

The yard itself provided everything else.

Cars became strength tests. Steel plates became targets. Long stretches of open ground gave Travis enough distance to test his speed, while stacks of scrap provided obstacles he could move through without worrying about destroying something valuable.

Kate had started training there too.

Travis had never told her exactly why he wanted her training harder than before. He'd only said there might eventually come a time when their badges, guns, and ordinary police training wouldn't be enough.

Kate didn't ask him any questions and had chosen to trust him.

She knew he was hiding something significant, and she could see it every time he changed the subject whenever she asked what kind of threat required this level of preparation. Whatever Travis knew, he wasn't training her because he enjoyed keeping secrets. He was preparing her because he believed something dangerous was coming.

When the time came, she trusted him to tell her the rest.

Until then, she trained.

The car eventually turned onto an empty industrial road and approached a tall metal gate surrounded by fencing.

Kate slowed near the entrance while Travis reached beneath his shirt and removed the small remote hanging from his keychain. The gate rolled sideways with a mechanical hum, allowing them through before closing again behind the car. She parked beside the maintenance building and killed the engine.

She glanced toward Travis. "You realize normal couples usually go home after work."

Travis opened his door while smiling. "Normal couples are missing out on privately owned junkyards."

Kate got out and stretched her shoulders as she walked toward the building. "Normal couples also probably don't spend their evenings shooting metal targets and throwing car parts around."

"That's why their relationships get boring."

Kate laughed while unlocking the maintenance building. "I'm pretty sure boredom isn't our biggest relationship problem anymore."

"True. We're currently trying to figure out a three-person relationship with a medical examiner while secretly testing whether I'm biologically compatible with the laws of physics."

Kate stepped inside and switched on the lights. "When you put it that way, we sound completely insane."

"We solve murders for a living, Kate. That ship left the harbor years ago."

They changed their work clothes.

Kate changed into black training pants, running shoes, and a fitted gray top before tying her hair into a ponytail. Travis changed into sweatpants and a dark athletic shirt, then wrapped his hands while Kate checked the security system. Every perimeter sensor showed clear, and once she confirmed nobody had followed them, she took the tablet and locked the maintenance building and followed Travis toward the painted starting line they'd marked across the concrete.

Travis glanced over his shoulder and caught her looking at him. "You know, staring at my ass isn't technically part of the training program."

Kate didn't bother looking away. "I'm evaluating your physical condition."

"Very professional."

"I take my responsibilities seriously."

Travis smiled as he stepped behind the starting line. "Should I turn around so you can conduct a more thorough evaluation?"

Kate smirked. "Keep flirting and I'll add another twenty laps."

"With my stamina, you're threatening me with a good time."

Kate's mouth curved as she remembered exactly how much stamina he had. "Yeah, I'm painfully aware of what your stamina can do."

Travis laughed and lowered himself into position. "You weren't complaining last night."

"I was busy."

"You were definitely making enough noise to qualify as feedback."

Kate gave him a warning look that completely failed because she was already smiling. "Run before I decide to test how quickly you regenerate from getting punched in the mouth."

"That sounds like foreplay when you say it like that."

"Go."

Travis disappeared.

A rush of air swept across Kate as he tore down the open lane between the wrecked cars. Dust scattered behind him, loose paper flew from a nearby workbench, and the sensor at the opposite end flashed before Travis slowed and turned around.

Kate looked at the tablet.

Travis jogged back with barely any change in his breathing. "How'd I do?"

"You're faster."

"How much faster?"

Kate showed him the result. "Enough that I'm starting to think you're enjoying showing off for me."

Travis stepped closer and looked down at her. "Maybe I like impressing my girlfriend."

Kate placed one hand against his chest and pushed him toward the starting line. "Do it again."

His eyebrows rose. "Demanding tonight, aren't we?"

"You said I could take control sometimes."

Travis smiled. "You're trying to distract me on purpose."

"Is it working?"

"Extremely well."

Kate leaned close enough that her lips almost touched his ear. "Then imagine what you get if you beat that time."

Travis slowly turned his head toward her. "That's dirty motivational psychology."

"Run, Detective."

He vanished again.

This time Kate actually laughed when the timer flashed. "Unbelievable."

Travis returned seconds later with a smug expression. "Did I beat it?"

"You shaved almost a tenth off."

"Sexual motivation remains undefeated."

Kate shook her head while recording the number. "I'm absolutely putting that in my scientific notes."

Travis looked over her shoulder. "Subject demonstrates significant performance enhancement when promised sexual rewards."

Kate elbowed him lightly in the stomach. "I didn't promise you anything."

"You heavily implied something."

"Detectives work with evidence, Mister. Where's your evidence?"

He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "I've got enough experience interpreting your body language."

Kate rested both hands against his chest. "Patrick Jane spends five minutes around you, and suddenly you're a human lie detector."

"I don't need Jane's skills to know when my girlfriend wants me."

Her smile became more challenging. "Maybe your enhanced senses are giving you false information."

"Want me to test the theory?"

Kate kissed him quickly, then slipped free before he could keep her there. "Later. You've still got strength testing."

Travis watched her walk toward the stripped sedan they'd been using for controlled lifts. "You realize walking away like that should qualify as psychological warfare."

"Good. Maybe it'll improve your concentration," She said teasingly.

Travis crouched beside the car and positioned his hands beneath the reinforced frame. "You're enjoying having superhuman eye candy around."

Kate folded her arms. "Lift the car, pretty boy."

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