Episode 6.01

I have no affiliation with ABC or the TV Show Castle. If I did the tenses would be consistent and I would be forced to beta.

Warning: contains Spoilers from Season 6 Sneak Peak 1, such as they are.

This is the result of 4 days locked inside with a concussion, had to kill the time somehow.

Chapter 1 -

There he is kneeling in the dirt steeling himself for potential rejection as he solemnly asks, "Katherine Houghton Beckett will you marry me?"

He watches as she shakes her head 'no.'

"No?" Castle asks as his voice betrays him with an undeniable quiver.

Kate swiftly responds by reaching for his hands and pulling Castle to his feet. He stumbles in a most ungraceful manner as he finds his footing on wobbly legs. Castle grimaced to himself, was it nerves or loss of circulation? His age was showing. Was she saying no because he is ten years old, strapped with not one, but two ex-wives?

Kate shakes her head 'no' once again. Recoiling in surprise, Kate chokes out, " .GOD…you're….proposing."

What did she think he was doing in an overpriced suit kneeling before her, holding a ring he hoped she would love?

Kate begins to sputter, "I, uh, well…I…" Dropping his hands she scrubs a hand through her hair, a tell Rick had seen a thousand times, Kate is either extremely nervous or pissed. Rick clasps his hands together as he prays for nervous.

With a whisper she confesses, "This is coming out all wrong."

Taking a deep audible breath, Kate reaches for his hands once again and squeezes them tightly, "I need to tell you something…."

Rick screws his eyes shut, unwilling to look into her eyes. Eyes that tease him with the emerald flecks dancing in pools of caramel.

Dreading the possibility she is about to reject him. Castle hopes that the repeated stroking of her thumbs over his wrists was a further sign of her acceptance, not her rejection.

Tugging him forward, Kate softly beckoned, "Hey, hey look at me – I didn't say 'no'."

Peeping out of one eye and then another, Rick squeaked out a "No?"

A wide grin graced her face "No….you surprised me, shocked me. I thought you were breaking up with me."

Rick sputters out a reply, "You what? I was going for dead serious. I needed you to know I meant it, no hesitation, no second thoughts."

Uncontrollable laughter bubble up Kate's throat, "Yeah, so serious I thought you were ending things."

Pulling her into an embrace, slipping the tips of his fingers into the back pockets of her jeans, "How could you think that?" He asked as he locked his eyes with hers.

"Where should I start? Vaughn. My secret trip to DC, which I was wrong not to share with you, another self-created unnecessary speed bump in the story of us. And every time I asked where we were headed, what we were to each other – you ignored my questions or said 'dating.' Do you know how much I hate the word 'dating?' To describe us? For me it was so, so I don't know casual."

Rick once again presented the engagement ring, "See this? Do you know how long I have had it? How many times I wanted to give it to you, but was scared to, too scared."

Wrinkling her brow and pressing her forehead to his, Kate mumbles, "Scared?"

"Yes, scared. I was terrified that if I asked too soon that I would frighten you away before anyone even knew we were together."

Pulling back to examine his entire face, an astonished Kate asks, "What do mean 'knew we were together?' How long have you had that ring? I can tell that ring is just…Wow. Rick that ring isn't found at the corner store in an hour."

The twinkle was back in his eyes, "I know a guy."

Sliding her hands inside his jacket to rest on his hips, "I would expect nothing less from you…a guy." Looking at the curve of his mouth and the mirth in his eyes, Kate prodded "When exactly did you buy this ring?"

"Only took two hours – but many hours ago, months ago."

"You're going to make me work for this aren't you?"

Planting a soft kiss on her lips, Castle murmured, "I think I deserve an answer to my question before I bare my soul?"

Sliding her cheek along his, Kate whispered in his ear. "Yes."

Playfully nipping at her ear, Rick murmured, "About time."

"Now about that ring…" ducking her head to nuzzle her face into Rick's neck, with a rare shyness creeping into her voice Kate asked, "May I try it on?"

Releasing his hold on Kate, Rick dropped to one knee, his face graced with a beaming smiling "First, let's take this from the top." If even possible Rick's grin grew wider across his face as he lifted the ring and asked "Katherine Houghton Beckett will you marry me?"

There was no confusion, no hesitation. Kate returned his smile with one of her own as she instinctively stretched out her hand, waggled her fingers and answered proudly, "Yes, a thousand times yes."

Castle moved to slip the ring on her finger, the moment Kate extended her hand further forward Rick snatched back his hand waving the ring as if it was a magic wand, "Are you sure now? A girl like you is a one and done kind of girl…"

Kate rocked back on her heels as her body rocked with laughter. "Do you remember everything I have ever said?"

Rising to his feet, "Hold still, yes, I remember all the words that you shared that sheds insight into the private, illusive, alluring and oh so very sexy Kate Beckett."

Rolling her eyes, Kate wiggled her empty hand at Castle, "Going to make a girl wait all day?"

Lightly grasping her wrist, Rick slipped the ring on her finger and brought her hand close to her face to allow Kate to really see the ring.

"Extraordinary." Wiping away a runaway tear, "Oh Rick, just extraordinary."

Twirling the ring on her finger, Castle confessed "Um, so I bought it the morning after."

"Which morning after?"

"THE morning after. As I entertained Mother and Alexis and you snuck out of the loft it hit me… I didn't want you to ever leave my home again."

Tilting her head with questioning eyes "And the guy?"

"As soon as Mother and I tucked Alexis into bed, I placed a call and arranged for a private showing. I wanted to ask you the minute you opened your door to me. I was waiting for an opening. You said let's make it round two and I wanted to say let's make it a life time of rounds."

Smiling gently, "Then Ryan."

"He threw me off my game."

Shaking her head at him, "You got game?"

"I have great game, a life time of games. But right now the only game I plan on playing is how quickly I can get you home and out of your clothes."

"THAT game is going to need to wait a bit. Let's walk."

Fixing a serious pout on to his face, Castle whined, "Walk?"

"Yes, a walk. Can't a girl show off her fiancé?"

"Why Detective Beckett, I am honored, I never took you for a braggart."

Lacing her fingers in his, Kate tugged gently on his hand, "Hmmm, really it's a ploy to convince you to share the 'other' times you were going to propose."