Hello, everybody! So, I know I should have spent the evening working on one of my other fics, but this idea just HAD to get out of my head. It's just a little one-shot, nothing to be taken too seriously. The first half chronicles events that have already happened in the series, with a little twist. The latter half of the story is entirely my own doing. I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to know what you think!

Raglan, dead. Her next tie to her mother's case, gone. Lockwood out there, somewhere.

Kate thought she might go insane.

The Precinct was quiet, at least to her. It was still. It was tense. Ryan and Esposito were across the room, working on some leads. Castle was at her side, making noise. Kate turned to look at him, irritated. She didn't have the energy for his antics. Not right now.

"What are you doing, Castle?"

He looked up quickly, like a little kid being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He smiled, though. "I'm making you…" He made a few more folds in the piece of paper he was holding. "A paper crane." He held up the little paper bird he had just crafted, a bright smile on his face. Kate stared at it for a moment, unsure of what it was supposed to do.

"A paper crane?"

He nodded, his face suddenly more solemn than it had been. "A symbol of hope."

She stared at it for a moment and he watched her carefully. Finally, she met his eyes again. "Thanks, Castle, but I'm really more interested in finding Lockwood right now."

Castle was still for a moment, and then nodded, a little too enthusiastically. "Right. I'll go grab us some more coffee."

Kate watched as he left in the direction of the break room, and then looked down to the little paper crane that was perched upon her desk. She picked it up and turned it in her hands, taking care to be gentle with the fragile creature. As she held it, she felt stronger. A symbol of hope, he said. He had crafted for her a symbol of hope. She moved the crane to the top of her desk, next to her computer monitor. A symbol of hope.

Kate stormed out of the precinct, grabbing her coat and jacket as she went. She paused for just a second at her desk – noticing the crane. Noticing it and taking in its peace, as she so often did in the past few weeks. She wanted to scoop it up in her hands and take it with her, but she knew that Castle was following behind her, trying to get her attention and calm her down. She had to get out the precinct. She had to get to L.A.

Clicking open the lock to her door and throwing her things on the couch, Kate started packing. She threw clothes into a bag, ordered a last minute plane ticket online, and grabbed her purse. She shuffled around, emptying the non-essential items, when she found it.

Another paper crane.

This one was a bright blue color, slightly smaller than the first. It hadn't been in her purse the day before – Castle must have snuck it in there after they started working on Royce's case. Of course he would. He understood that she needed a little strength right now.

She held the crane to her lips for a fleeting moment and then walked swiftly out the door, away from New York.

The morning of Lockwood's trial. Castle knew how hard it was hitting her, but Kate tried to keep a strong face throughout the whole ordeal. She and Castle would attend that afternoon, they would watch as Lockwood was put away, for the second time. Without the slightest chance of ever seeing life outside those bars ever again.

That didn't mean that Kate wasn't struggling with every breath she took.

She took a long sip of coffee and swiveled around in her chair. Castle was sitting there, in his usual spot. On her desk stood a brightly folded paper crane.

Kate stared at the crane for a moment, and then looked back at Castle.

"You ready to go?" He asked.

Kate glanced at the crane once more. "Yeah, I think I am."

It felt like every muscle in her sore body was screaming. Kate woke to nothing but the muted noises of the hospital and pain. So much pain. She reached out for the glass of water next to her and cast a look around the room. The recovery unit was bustling – it was about four in the afternoon. Josh would probably be by soon, though Kate wasn't really sure if she wanted him to come around.

Because he wasn't the one who had held her while she was dying.

He wasn't the one who had whispered that he loved her as he watched the light leave her eyes.

He wasn't Castle.

Kate rested her head back against the scratchy hospital pillow, closing her eyes. Ever since she had woken up from surgery, Kate had wanted nothing more than to see Castle. And when he walked through those doors, it was all she could do to stop herself from proclaiming her love for him right then and there. She wanted to tell him that she had heard. She wanted to tell him that she understood. That she felt the same.

Instead, she told him that she would call.

It's better this way, she tried to convince herself. She needed time. She needed to sort things out, to figure out what she really felt. To find her mother's killer. Because she was too scared to dive into it with Castle. Too scared to even dip a toe in the water. But she felt so alone.

Kate opened her eyes again and looked to her left, at all the flowers that had come from Precinct. It was then that she saw it.

There, amidst the colorful bouquets and sympathy cards, sat an enormous paper crane. It was twice as big as her biggest bouquet (the one Castle had given her), and more colorful than all of the flowers put together. Its wide wings draped over the sides of the table on which it sat, and it's long, elegant neck was pointed towards her. Kate felt her pulse quicken as she gazed at it.

Castle had come back. He had come back after she told him to leave, but he had taken care not to disturb her, because he knew that she didn't want to see him yet. He had made her a giant paper crane so that she would know that she wasn't alone.

Because she wasn't alone. She had Castle. And Castle loved her.

Kate stood in the middle of the precinct, looking around. It felt good, being back. It felt right to be working cases again, to be writing on the murder board, and, most importantly, to have Castle back at her side. She had gone too long without him. She had lost sight of who she really was, burrowing deep into her mother's murder.

It had pained her to see the hurt in Castle eyes when she finally saw him again. He was angry, and he had a right to be. She had left him for so long, after everything he had done for her.

But he was back now. She was back now. Everything would soon be back to normal.

Kate sat at her desk and smiled brightly when she saw a small paper crane sitting on top of her keyboard. Attached to its tail was a yellow sticky note, adorned with a very familiar scrawl.

Welcome back.

Months passed, and things returned to normal between Kate and Rick. The cranes would still pop up, whenever they had a hard case or whenever Kate was feeling down. Castle could always tell when she needed the little folded bird, the little symbol of peace in her otherwise chaotic life. Kate had come to rely on those cranes. Every time she would find one it brought a bright smile to her face and made her heart beat a little faster. She kept every single one, leaving them on her desk, around her house. The giant one he had made after the shooting sat in the center of her living room.

Every time she saw them, she was reminded of him. Of them. Of always.

And it was no different when Kate sat down at her desk, late on a Saturday night. The precinct was near empty; Castle had even left about an hour ago. For that reason, Kate was quite surprised to see a white crane greeting her when she returned to her desk from the break room. It hadn't been there before.

She cast a quick glance around the precinct. There was nobody there. Had she simply missed the crane before? She looked back to it, noticing the dark strokes across the wings. "Always," it said. He had written "always" on the wings. Kate felt her heart welling up in her throat as she looked at the little bird. Underneath was a note, on which was written two simple words. "Unfold me."

Picking up the crane, Kate let out a long breath. She didn't want to destroy the little creature that felt so weak in her hands. It was so perfect, so elegant and hopeful. And the promise written across its wings made it sacred to her. But Castle wouldn't ask her to unfold a crane for nothing, so she began to reverse the folds and reveal a large, square piece of paper.

On one side were two halves of the word "always," spaced out so that they would be on the wings when the paper was folded. The other side was a page full of black ink.

Kate.

Kate swallowed hard, trying to will down the lump forming in her throat. What was this? Where was he? She wanted to see him and hold him and breathe him in. And the only word she had read so far was her name.

I feel that this letter is long overdue. And it is because of this that I want to cut straight to the point.

I love you.

Kate blinked. She read the line again, and then once more. And then again. She had heard the words before, but now… She continued to read.

But I think you already knew that.

Kate smiled. He always did know her better than anyone else.

Nevertheless, it feels liberating, writing this now. Kate Beckett, you are the most extraordinary person I have ever met, and I am so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to follow you around, day after day. Nothing has ever made me happier.

And that's why I know, Kate. I know that I want to dive into this with you. I want to dive deep. I want to dive for the rest of my life.

I want to be there for you forever and for always. I want to be by your side when you are facing your enemies, I want to laugh with you when we are with friends. I want to help you find your peace and I want to bring you hope. I will fold a thousand paper cranes for you so that you know you will never be alone.

I love you, Kate Beckett.

Kate stared at the square of paper. She read the words and read them again, and then simply stared. Taking them in, letting them absorb through her skin and her blood and into the depths of her heart. And then she looked up.

She knew he would be there. Of course he would be.

He looked strangely solemn, worried. Hanging on every movement she made. So she smiled, because she knew he would understand.

And understand he did.

Kate slowly rose from her seat to meet him in the middle of the precinct. They came together in a tight embrace, holding each other and making a silent promise to never let go. Words were not needed as she looked up at him, both of their eyes slightly watery.

And then they met in a kiss, a deep, intense kiss, tender and full of meaning. Full of love.

Kate never wanted it to end.

But end it did, as both Kate and Castle seemed to have a need for oxygen. They broke away but stayed close, pressing their foreheads together and breathing each other in.

"I love you too, Castle."
A smile bright enough to light up the solar system broke out on Castle's face, and he swept her up again, pulling her into his arms and capturing her mouth with his. They tore away after a long moment, content to just sit there, in the middle of the precinct, and stare into each other's eyes.

"Castle?" Kate said softly, leaning into him.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for the cranes."