Stunning Proposal

Spoilers: None really, future fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, no use in trying to say I do.

Kate Beckett sat worried about her shadow, Rick Castle, he had yet to show up that day and it was nearing five in the evening. There had been no murders and all they had done was paperwork but she had seen him that morning...that alone had made her smile, remembering that morning.

The kitchen was working full force, Beckett stood with Alexis making breakfast, both laughing over a funny story of Castle with Esposito and Ryan. "Well hello, if it isn't my two favorite ladies."

Castle entered and immediately kissed Alexis' head before moving to Beckett and kissed her head, leaning down he stole another kiss from her. Beckett smiled and looked at him, "hi baby."

"Oh bacon." He reached for it and she slapped his hand with the spatula. "Oww...what was that for?"

"Your cholesterol is up, no bacon this morning...Alexis told me what Dr. Connors said so no bacon." She pointed and gave him her 'bad cop' look and he backed up with his hands up.

Alexis laughed, "she's got you trained Dad, no one's been able to train him since he was potty trained, or so Gram said." She watched her father's face change, "face it Dad, your lifestyle is in trouble if you want this to last."

"Oh I'd give up books if it meant keeping this woman," he kissed Beckett and she smiled, catching his hand as it neared the bacon plate. "Apples, apples..." Beckett let his hand go and looked at him, "I'm serious though, I'd give up everything...well everything materialistic, if it meant keeping you. I love you Kate."

"I know, I love you too." She kissed him and reached over, grabbing a single piece of bacon, holding it up to him. "One piece, that's it...now go."

He took it and left but turned back, "I'll be taking care of some press business today so I'll be by the precinct later."

"Okay, I'm just going to finish and drop Alexis off at school before I head down."

The sound of Esposito and Ryan grabbing their coats made Beckett look up with concern, "yo, Beckett...where's your other half today?"

"Press business, he said he was coming in but left a text saying he had to pick something important up so he'd be later. I'm probably just going to head to Casa Castle and wait for him, Alexis needs help with her college applications so I'll just help her."

Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, "you owe me...I told you he was but you said no."

"Oh come on bro, seriously I thought he was going to wait."

"Wait for what?" They turned to see Beckett looking at them, "what don't I know?" She stood and walked around the desks to them, getting inches away and put on her 'just try to run' face.

"Sorry I have to go," Esposito looked at her, "Lanie will fry my ass if I'm lat..."

"Javier Esposito," Lanie came into the bullpen, "I said four-thirty but you're still here at five-fifteen, it better have been good since I know there's been no murder but there will be if you don't explain"

"He's going to..." Esposito looked at Lanie but moved his eyes in Beckett's direction, where the detective couldn't see.

Ryan looked at his watch, "as much as I'd like to...hi Castle."

Castle walked in the bullpen with a smile and looked at them, "detectives...how has your evening been?" He walked over and looked at Beckett, "and my lovely detective, been missing me?"

"Not the least." She folded her arms, "they know something before me...give me one reason why I shouldn't return to my apartment tonight and it better be good?"

Castle smiled and looked at her, "I admit I've been keeping a secret Kate and the guys figured it out only because I asked their advice on certain things." He put his hand in his pocket and removed it, in it was a box.

Beckett's breathe hitched at the box, "Rick?"

He opened the box and showed her the simple and elegant yet inexpensive ring inside, modest enough for a cop. "Katherine Beckett, will you do me the honor of being your one and done, of allowing me to be to be your partner in all walks of life...will you be my wife?"

She covered her mouth and looked at him, tears in her eyes for the first time in a long while. "Its beautiful and small..."

He looked at the ring, "we can get a bigger one if you want."

"Its perfect," she nodded, "yes, yes I will...I'll marry you."

They all began clapping as Castle put the ring on Beckett's finger, everyone soon descended on the couple and hugged them both.

"Congrats girl," Lanie smiled, "we'll have to begin planning the wedding so get the Castle Girls and we'll get started."

Beckett cleared away her tears, "thank you for helping him pick it out."

"Oh he wanted that one, something about it being just you but wanted our opinion on whether it was right or not."

Ryan and Esposito looked at her, "we promise the bachelor party will be stripper-free and alcohol only to a limit...we'll have a blower on site to make sure he doesn't go over the limit...don't want a murder in the place of a wedding and if he doesn't show...there will be one."

She chuckled and hugged them, the first time since they began working together. "Thank you both."

Castle looked at her, "I guess we should let the good detectives head home and head home ourselves, telling my mother and Alexis as they have no clue."

"Yeah, probably a good idea..." she grabbed her coat and Castle helped her into it. "Did you really do press business today?"

"I did, I had to set the record straight about our engagement being between us and not some book ploy...took an hour to convince the reporter it was after a long courtship and even longer partnership. It's set to run tomorrow on page 6 under the headline 'Writer and NYPD Set to Wed' because that's the only way I'd allow them to run it."

Kate turned and looked at him, a smile on her face. "I'm going to say this only once so enjoy it...you're amazing."

"I try, do you want to join me for dinner milady?" He offered an arm and Kate shook her head.

"I do."

The newspaper came out the next morning and half the city was buzzing and fan girls were crying as a picture of Castle and Beckett from a gala two months before was displayed under the simple headline:

Writer and NYPD Set to Wed: Rick Castle and Kate Beckett Engaged.

The article went on to explain how they met and how they began working together, even how they started dating. However, in the end the press couldn't help but spin it a little.

If writer and muse are set to wed, does that mean wedding bells could be in the future for their on-page romance Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook? With Dangerous Heat set to hit screen in two weeks, it seems possible that future book Federal Heat could in fact bring about the end of the Nikki Heat series or just be the start of a new and juicy set of books, after all...Rick Castle's muse and inspiration isn't just 9 to 5 anymore but 24/7.

At Casa Castle, only three words could be heard that morning: "Apples, apples, apples..."

A/N: Big and intimate...thought it worked for them and could totally be done in the show...I can actually see it happening.