Spoiler Warning: Contains spoilers for episode 4x16, "Linchpin." This is a reaction piece for a scene from one of the sneak peeks. Written before the episode aired.

Happy Castle Monday!

Fire In Your Eyes

He hasn't recovered from the surprise of finding her in his bedroom when Sophia walks toward the screen in the corner.

"You always need to know the end of the story," she extends a finger, taps against the black surface. The storyboard comes to life, illuminates the picture of Kate, all the links to her shooting orbiting around it, the connections, the clues, the questions.

"Like with her." Sophia points to the murder board, then turns a questioning look at Castle. "Does she know about this?"

"That's… well," he stutters. It's none of her business; he won't give her that much. Reaching for the small remote, he turns the screen black again.

"You always did like playing with dynamite," Sophia taunts him, advancing toward him. "Just be careful it doesn't blow up in your face."

"She's different," he defends her. Himself.

"Is she? Or do you just think she is?" Her smile is teasing, her voice that mildly condescending tone that he never liked about her. Then her eyes shift from his, focus on something next to his head.

"Hello Kate."

And Castle whips around, his heart in his throat. How long has she…?

Kate's eyes are fiery, alight with anger. But he sees the pain too, the hurt she is trying to hide. The hurt he caused. His insides clench in cold fear.

"Kate," he pleads, his voice low, needy.

But she just looks at him, shocked, and then she whirls around, stalks out of his loft, her long legs setting a fast stride, too proud to run, head held high.

"Kate!" He calls after her, but she doesn't stop, doesn't turn. The door slams closed behind her.

He spins around, glares at Sophia. "How long has she been standing there?"

Sophia shrugs her shoulders, looks up at him from under her eyelashes. "A while."

"Damn it Sophia!" He walks by her, grabs his coat. Shrugging his arms into the sleeves, he points a finger at her. "You won't get to ruin this for me, not this time!"

On his way out, he calls behind him, not even sparing her another glance. "You better be gone when I get back!"

"Beckett!" He pounds against her door, twice, three times. "Come on Kate, I know you're home." He doesn't know, actually, he's just speculating, hoping that's where she went after she hightailed it out of his place.

The door swings open. "Castle," she groans. "Stop making racket!"

"Let me in then," he pleads.

"Why?" She sounds wary, and it tugs on him, the loss of trust in her eyes, in her demeanor.

"So we can talk," he offers.

She turns, walks back into her apartment, but leaves the door open. It's the only invitation he will get, so he takes it, steps inside, closes the door behind him.

She whirls back around with the click of the door in the look, her arms folded across her chest defensively.

"So talk," she challenges.

"Kate," he walks toward her, palms outstretched in a feeble attempt at showing that he's come in peace.

"What is it Rick?" She rolls the R in his name the way she only does when she is angry with him. Her eyes flash. "What do you have to say that you haven't already said to your girlfriend?"

"She is not my girlfriend!"

"Oh really?" She stalks toward him, predatory and sleek, a jungle cat out for prey. "Then what was she doing in your bedroom?"

She's close now, close enough that he can smell her scent, and it's thoroughly distracting him.

"She just showed up. Nothing happened."

She doesn't believe him. He can read it in her eyes. And it hurts, tears at him from the inside. He can't lose her.

Castle reaches out a hand, cradles her cheek. "Kate." He feels the catch of air in her lungs, but then her eyebrows knit.

"Don't touch me." She slaps his hand away. "Your girlfriend won't like that." She growls the words at him, prickly, her eyes flashing bright green. And then it hits him, the signs coming together, fitting. She's… jealous.

And so he doesn't think, just acts, hoping it won't backfire, hoping…

He walks her backward so quickly that she can't get a word out. Her eyes widen in surprise when her shoulders bump against the wall, and he wraps an arm around her waist, pulls their bodies closely together.

"She's not my girlfriend," he enunciates his words, murmurs them against her face. Her eyes flutter when his breath caresses her skin, and she slips her hands to his shoulders, holding on.

"Kate…" His voices urges and her eyes open, a dark whisper of lashes trembling, framing the dark green glimmer of her pupils, looking at him.

He cradles her cheek in his hand, presses a thumb to her lips when she tries to speak.

"You know who I want…" Her breath catches and he feels it against his body, feels her torso moving with each lungful of air, rubbing his chest enticingly. Her nails dig into his shoulders, and he trails his fingers along her cheekbone, down to her cheek, caresses her neck. Her skin is so soft, his fingertips tingle, warmth traveling through him in waves.

He leans his forehead against hers, slides a leg between her knees, his heart leaping when she cradles against him, warm pliant curves.

"You know who I love…" He offers his truth, risking his heart to the moment. He suspects she remembers more than she's admitted to, each smile of hers a small revelation, but still his heartbeat thumps almost painfully against his ribcage.

She gasps, and he nudges her nose with his. "You know."

"I know," she nods, whispers against his lips, "I know," a fast staccato of breaths and sounds as she holds him against her.

He cradles his face into her neck, breathing her in, relief rushing through him in hot bursts.

But she pushes against his shoulders, pulls away. Her eyes are cloudy, covered with a thin sheen of tears.

"Then why did you betray me?" She speaks lowly, the shimmer of tears lacing even her voice, and it's more painful than if she had yelled. There's no denying it; he knows immediately that she saw his storyboard when Sophia had turned it on, her storyboard.

"You of all people?" Her heartbreak laces through him like spears, his throat clogged with regret. "I thought you would never…"

Castle reaches for her face, cradles a hand around each of her cheeks. He's sorry for hurting her, but he cannot be sorry for trying to protect her, trying to keep her alive.

"I watched you die, Kate," he urges, tilts her head so she looks into his eyes. He's surprised she lets him, and hope wells up inside of him, that all won't be lost, that he might not lose her.

"Don't you see? I couldn't lose you to this again!" It flashes in front of his eyes, how she was lying against the green grass, pale and lifeless, her eyes drowned in tears, and he pulls her face toward his, her forehead against hers. Desperate, his voice, his actions, he holds her close, eyes squeezed shut. Can't do anything but just keep her close. "I can't Kate," he whispers between labored breaths, "I can't…"

He forces his eyes open. "You have to stay safe," he pleads with her.

Her eyes shimmer and she looks at him, quietly takes him in. And then he feels the soft touch of her fingertips as she reaches for him, slowly, wanders her fingers over the cords of his neck and to his spine. She pulls herself closer, cants her hips towards his.

"Okay," she murmurs, nods her head within the cradle of his hands. Her voice reassuring, calming his frazzled mind like only she can. "Okay."

He can almost feel her lips against his as she speaks, her breaths whispering across his skin with every word. "But from now on, we'll do it together."

He's suffused with warmth, floating on hope, his heartbeat thrumming loudly in his ears.

"Together, Rick," she urges, and he nods, yes, together, and then her lips are on him, warm and soft and urgent. With a whimper he surges against her, covers her mouth with his need. He kisses her, runs his hands through her hair, down her back, pushes her against the wall as his body covers her front. She trails a leg up his side, and he runs his hands along her thighs, pulling her up and against him until she's wrapped around his waist. And then he cradles her against his body, holding her, so beautiful, so precious.

"Kate… Kate…" he murmurs her name against her lips, slows them down, nips, caresses.

She nudges her nose against his, slides her lips along his as she speaks. "I love you too."

End of Scene