As Castle and Beckett argued, their hearts grew more fond. They so wanted to stop and get up around each other, but at the moment that would be inappropriate since they weren't even in a relationship. Right now, there were more important things to discuss rather than to confess their deep desire for each other, for beckett's life was on the line.

"Castle, I don't want to talk about this right no, ju-"

"Beckett, Kate, please hear me out. If I don't do something, if WE don't do something you could get killed at the hands of the same man who put that bullet in your chest, who killed your mother! I beg you please, let. It. Go."

"No, Castle, no. You need to understand that this is my mother were talking about, who was murdered in cold blood, and no one cared! They pass it off as gang violence, then drop the case as if it didn't even matter! Like no ones feelings were on the line, like her only daughter wasn't going to be fazed by the fact that her mother's killer was going to roam out free for the rest of his life in the shadows, killing anyone who got in his way, and not one soul

in New York City ever cared, Castle. No i'm not going to let this go, whether it kills me or not!"

"You really don't understand the gravity of this do you? Or is it that you don't care that this might kill you? Are you blind to see that the finally, someone will die, whether it be you, or someone important to this. You can't win, you already lost, you are just diving into more trouble than you can handle and I don't understand why."

"What if it was your mother when you were young? What if it were Alexis, huh? What if it were someone important to you, and someone trapped them in a dark alley, and stabbed them to death, and the detective working the case let it go, said that she was killed in 'gang violence' and never touched her case again? would you be able to live with yourself if you let that die, Castle? No, you wouldn't, you'd be right here, in the same spot I am now, and not a soul would be able to say a word to you. What makes you think that you can control my life?"

Kate sat down on the table, tired of having a perfect posture, to make herself look as big and intimidating as possible, all she wanted to do was storm out. But she knew that if she did, she would never she Richard Castle again, and she didn't want to lose the person she came to fall in love with, and with the next words Castle spoke, caused her to fall harder and harder into that abyss named love that she had always been so afraid of.

"Look, Kate, I don't want to lose you, because I am in love with you. For four years, I have stood and watched you, as you went through relationships, and wished I was that man who had you in my arms, rather than one of those jerks you used to call boyfriends. Every day I see you, whether I am giving you coffee, or the profile picture on my smart T.V I fall deeper in love with you. And I dream that someday you'll see that I have been here, standing next to you every day for four years. comforting you through breakups, standing right beside your gurney when you got shot, saving your life from time to time and never asking anything in return. I do that because every day that I see you smiling, alive and happy, even when your not happy, makes my day. And I wish you could just see that for what it is. And whether you have any feeling for me or not, spare me the pain of going out there and killing yourself, please."

"Richard, please. I don't find that relevant at all an-"

"Relevant, relevant! What do you mean thats not relevant? You just don't want to listen reason because you're afraid of it. Well get over it Kait, because this is reality, and theres no way of getting around it"

"Look who's talkin', writer boy, you just went on a long fantastical ride into wonderland where I actually have feelings for you. Well guess what, what you say is never going to convince me of anything. Especially dropping my mother's case, even if my life is on the line."

Richard was hurt, of all the things she has said to him, all the jokes and names, this hurt the worse by far. She actually dissed him on the fact that he was in love with her, she dissed him on what he felt about her. Even if she didn't feel the same way, she shouldn't have said anything about that.

Kate wasn't feeling so hot either. 'Why in god's name did I say that. He hates me for sure now. Man sometimes I need to stop getting my ego in the way of my actual feelings.' and with that thought, she tried to apologise.

"Castle Im, I-"

"Save it, Beckett. I don't want your meaningless apologies. Might as well go get yourself killed, I could care less. As long as I have nothing to with it, or you, or NYPD. I resign.

"Castle, don't do that, I'm sorry, I really am. I was just being defensive and -"

"Get out. Just get out now. I don't ever want to see you again. Just leave.

As Kate got up, she looked over at Castle. He looked hurt, and she regretted even saying anything to him about it. Castle caught her staring, and she walked off. Walking slowly to the door and going out, feeling the tug of emotion drawing her back into the penthouse, but she knew she had to walk away, no matter how much it hurt, because she made her bed, now she was to lay in it.

"Good-bye Castle" she whispered as she walked down the long hallway towards the elevator "I love you too."

"Then why didn't you just say so?" asked Castle, startling her from behind. "Maybe we wouldn't had to have gone through all this."

"Oh, Castle." Kait wrapped her arms around Castle and started bawling. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I know, I am to." said Castle, hugging her back. Comforting her, telling her it was okay. For he had never seen her cry like this. In the four years he had known her, and this was the first time she showed her emotions to him, maybe anyone.

"Castle, I can't stop thinking about you. I fell in love with you and have been denying myself the truth, and now I have to accept it. Thank you, Castle. Thank you.

Nothing could stop them now. They both confessed to their feelings, they both had desire overwhelm them. They leaned in, they touched their lips together. So soft and gentle the first as they gradually got harder, hungrier. They kissed over and over, stopping only to breathe as they kept going. Finally they stopped, and Castle led the way back to the penthouse, they walked in and the door shut. silence filling the hallway as they dwelled in the house.