Reborn in Castle (TV show)

The bar sat only a few blocks away from the precinct, tucked between an old laundromat and a corner deli that never seemed to close. Warm yellow lights spilled through the windows while low rock music played somewhere behind the steady noise of conversations and clinking glasses. Half the people inside either carried badges or looked like they had spent enough years around cops to stop asking questions.

Travis and Kate sat near the far end of the counter where things were quieter. Her coat rested over the back of the stool while his jacket stayed half unzipped after the long night. Two glasses sat between them, already half empty.

The bartender slid another bowl of peanuts across the counter before moving away toward a louder group near the pool tables.

Travis grabbed a handful and tossed one into his mouth before immediately making a face. "Why do bar peanuts always taste like they survived three different crime scenes and a winter?"

Kate laughed softly into her drink while shaking her head. "You still ate them."

"Years of undercover work trained me to lower my standards."

"That explains your personality."

He looked over at her with a grin. "See, now that one hurt a little."

Kate took another sip while leaning her elbow against the counter. The tension from earlier had faded enough for exhaustion to settle properly into her shoulders now. Around them, off-duty officers argued about baseball scores while somebody near the jukebox kept feeding it terrible song choices like it was a personal mission.

Travis glanced toward the pool table area where two detectives were nearly starting a fistfight over whether a scratch counted. "Ten bucks says somebody throws a punch before midnight."

Kate followed his gaze briefly. "The bald one's definitely losing control first."

"See? That's profiling."

"That's survival instinct."

A quiet laugh escaped him while he lifted his glass slightly toward her. "Fair point."

For a little while, things settled into comfortable silence. The kind that came easier after surviving something ugly together. Kate slowly rolled the cold glass between her palms while staring ahead at the rows of liquor bottles glowing softly behind the counter.

Then she finally spoke.

"Thank you."

Travis looked toward her. "For what?"

Kate's eyes stayed forward for a second longer before shifting toward him. "Back at Aston's apartment." Her voice softened slightly. "When the flashbang went off."

He stayed quiet while she continued.

"You had no idea what that thing was." Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass. "For all you knew, it could've been a grenade."

Travis leaned back a little against the stool while listening.

Kate looked at him properly now, her expression more serious than before. "You turned around and covered me anyway."

The noise of the bar faded a little around them after that.

Travis held her gaze for a moment before letting out a quiet breath through his nose. "Muscle memory," he said casually while lifting his drink. "You spent time with dangerous people long enough, your body starts making decisions before your brain catches up."

Kate shook her head faintly. "That's not an answer."

"It's the truth."

"No," she replied quietly. "The truth is most people save themselves first."

Travis looked down at the amber liquid in his glass for a second before speaking again. "Maybe." His voice stayed calm. "But if that thing had been a real grenade and I moved away instead, you would've taken the blast directly. I just couldn't let that happen."

Kate studied him carefully now.

"And you were okay getting hurt or worse?"

A faint smirk touched the corner of his mouth as he looked back toward her. "You're buying the drinks tonight, Beckett. I can't let my drinking partner explode halfway through the evening."

Kate rolled her eyes softly, though the smile that followed carried something warmer underneath it. "You always joke when things get serious?"

"Usually means I'm trying not to say something honest."

That answer lingered between them longer than either expected.

Kate looked at him quietly for a moment, then lowered her gaze toward her drink again. "Still," she said more softly this time, "you protected me without hesitation." Her fingers brushed lightly against the side of the glass. "People notice things like that."

Travis watched her carefully now. The noise around them blurred into the background again while the warm bar lights reflected faintly across her face.

"Yeah?" he asked quietly.

Kate nodded once. "Yeah."

For a second, neither of them moved.

Then the detective near the pool table finally punched somebody directly in the mouth.

The loud crash that followed snapped both of them out of the moment instantly.

Travis looked over toward the chaos while pointing casually with his glass. "Told you someone throws a punch before midnight."

A couple of cops rushed over to stop the fight and soon things went back to how they were.

...

[Outside]

The cold night air hit them the second they stepped out of the bar. Behind them, the muffled noise of laughter, music, and drunk detectives arguing over pool rules faded once the door shut closed again.

New York felt calmer this late at night. Headlights rolled through the wet streets in long streaks while neon signs reflected faintly across the pavement from the earlier rain. Somewhere down the block, steam drifted lazily upward from a manhole while a distant siren echoed through the city like background noise everyone had learned to ignore years ago.

'Didn't even notice the rain.' Travis thought.

Kate slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat as she exhaled slowly. The drinks had taken the edge off the exhaustion sitting in her shoulders all day.

"Well," she said while glancing toward him, "I should probably head home."

Travis pulled his keys from his jacket pocket and spun them once around his finger casually. "Or," he said, "you could stop pretending your apartment is across the country and let me give you a ride."

Kate's eyes dropped toward the familiar Ducati parked near the curb. The streetlight reflected faintly across the polished frame and chrome details.

A small smile touched the corner of her mouth.

"On that?" she asked knowingly.

Travis followed her gaze toward the bike before looking back at her. "What's wrong? Scared of little speed?"

Kate gave him a look immediately. Then she extended her hand toward him without hesitation.

Travis looked down at her hand, then back at her face before chuckling quietly.

"Can you handle a Ducati?" he asked.

Kate's eyes sharpened instantly with that competitive spark he kept accidentally bringing out.

"Only one way to find out."

Travis laughed under his breath before dropping the keys into her hand.

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "Just don't crash."

Kate closed her fingers around the keys and walked toward the bike confidently.

"Have some faith, Wilson."

"Oh, I absolutely have faith," Travis replied while following after her. "I just also enjoy remaining alive."

Kate reached the Ducati first and swung one leg over it smoothly before adjusting her grip on the handlebars. The engine roared to life the second she started it, deep and aggressive enough to make a couple walking nearby glance toward them instinctively.

A slow grin spread across Kate's face at the sound.

'She looks kinda hot and badass,' Travis thought as he climbed onto the back behind her and settled comfortably against the seat. "Okay," he admitted while leaning back slightly, "that actually looks unfairly good on you."

Kate looked over her shoulder slightly, amused. "Careful. You keep talking like that and I might steal your bike permanently."

"I knew handing you those keys was a tactical error."

She laughed softly before easing the Ducati away from the curb.

The city lights streaked around them as they moved through the streets. Kate handled the bike naturally, leaning smoothly through turns while Travis sat behind her with one hand resting lightly against the back of the seat.

...

[Outside Kate's apartment]

"Alright," Kate said while slipping her hands into her coat pockets again, "I officially understand why people get emotionally attached to motorcycles now."

Travis raised an eyebrow. "So you're admitting my bike impressed you."

"Your bike impressed me," Kate corrected while pointing lightly toward him. "Your survival instincts still concern me deeply."

"That's fair."

A faint breeze moved through the street, carrying the smell of rain and distant traffic with it. Somewhere farther down the block, a cab rolled past slowly with music humming through cracked windows.

Kate looked up toward her apartment building briefly before turning back toward him again. The warmth from the bar and the ride still lingered faintly in her expression.

"Thanks for the ride," she said quietly.

Travis said, "Anytime." His eyes flicked toward the Ducati before returning to her. "Though next time I'm driving. I'd like my near-death experiences spaced out a little more evenly."

Kate smiled despite herself and shook her head slowly. "You're unbelievable."

"I've been told that a lot lately."

Another small silence settled between them. This one felt easier than before. Comfortable enough that neither of them rushed to break it.

Eventually, Kate stepped backward toward the building entrance. "Goodnight, Travis."

He held her gaze for a second before nodding once. "Goodnight, Kate."

She turned then and headed toward the doors, pulling her keys from her pocket along the way. Travis stayed where he was beside the bike, watching while she unlocked the entrance and stepped inside the building.

Right before the door closed behind her, Kate glanced back once through the glass.

Travis lifted a hand slightly in acknowledgment.

Then the door shut.

Travis stood there for another second before letting out a slow breath. A faint smile pulled briefly at the corner of his mouth while he climbed back onto the Ducati and started the engine again.

The bike roared back to life.

Then he pulled away from the curb and disappeared into the sleeping city lights on his way back to his apartment.

...

[Travis' apartment]

Travis pushed open the door to his apartment.

The lights were already on. The TV hummed in the background with some late-night show he didn't care enough to identify. And there, on the couch, sat Lanie.

She wore nothing but sheer red lingerie that clung to her body like liquid silk, transparent enough to leave almost nothing to the imagination. The delicate lace trim barely covered her breasts. She opened her legs a bit before crossing them, giving him a glimpse of the matching thong that disappeared against her pussy. She held a glass of red wine. Her eyes locked onto his with a knowing, predatory smile.

Travis closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, arms folding loosely across his chest. A slow smirk tugged at his lips as he took her in.

Lanie took a slow sip of wine without breaking eye contact, her tongue tracing her lower lip afterward. "Like what you see, Mr. Wilson?"

Travis let his gaze travel over her hot body. "I don't know…" His voice dropped lower. "Maybe you should stand up and give me a 360 view."

Lanie's smile deepened, playful and confident. She set the wine glass on the side table with a soft clink and rose gracefully from the couch. The lingerie shifted with her, the sheer fabric whispering against her skin. She turned slowly, giving him the full view and arching her back just enough to emphasize the curve of her ass and the long line of her spine. The spin was teasing, slow, and ending with her facing him again, hands resting lightly on her hips.

"Better?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

Travis pushed off the door and crossed the room. He stopped just in front of her, close enough that he could smell the faint scent of her perfume mixed with the red wine. His hand came up, fingers brushing lightly along her waist, tracing the edge of the red lace.

"Much better," he murmured. "You waiting up for me looking like this? Dangerous habit, Lanie."

She tilted her head, letting her fingers walk up his chest, playing with the half-unzipped jacket. "Long night with your partner again?" There was a teasing edge to her voice, but her eyes stayed heated. "Figured you might need something to take the edge off."

Travis chuckled as he slid one hand around to the small of her back and pulled her flush against him, the thin lingerie doing nothing to hide the warmth of her body. "You figured right."

Lanie's breath hitched slightly as she felt him press against her. She leaned up, lips brushing his jaw. "Then stop talking," she whispered, nipping lightly at his earlobe. "And show me how much you like the view."

He didn't need to be told twice. Travis tilted her chin up with two fingers and kissed her hard, the kind of kiss that burned away the leftover tension from the bar, the ride, and the long night. His hands roamed down her sides, gripping her hips as he walked her backward toward the couch. Lanie laughed softly into his mouth, the sound turning into a pleased hum when he lifted her effortlessly and dropped her onto the cushions.

She pulled him down on top of her, legs wrapping around his waist, the red lingerie already starting to slip from one shoulder. "I heard you had a rough day," she breathed against his lips. "You sure you can handle me?"

Travis licked her lips before saying, "Never doubt my stamina, girl." Then he kissed her again.

--

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[20 advance chs] + [Modern Family: 17 chs Early access]