I got the idea for this story a few days ago. I couldn't shake it off so I had to put it down on paper and so, here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

At Quest's End

Kate Beckett stood near the edge of the balcony gazing at the lights of the city as they shone brightly in the night. Gazing but not seeing. The sounds of this bustling metropolis wafted up into the sky and yet she did not hear. Lost in her own thoughts. There was a sharp bite in the night air but she did not feel it. At this moment in time she should have been feeling exultant, triumphant, happy but she felt none of these emotions. There was just numbness.

After so many years it had finally come to an end. The quest she had started so long ago had come to a successful conclusion. She had brought down the Dragon. The Dragon had been slain by her own hand. No more would he bring misery and ruin to those who crossed him. No more would he ensnare the unwary into his nefarious web and binding them to his evil designs. The city spread out before her and the world beyond could rest a little bit easier tonight. The Dragon was dead.

In this moment of triumph all she could do was dwell upon the sacrifices that had been made. Her thoughts were on the people who had fallen by the wayside, paying the ultimate price in this quest. They had believed in her quest, they had believed in her. And she thought of those beholden to the Dragon who had tried to break away from his evil clutches and had failed.

The noise in the room behind her was growing louder but she ignored it. The penthouse apartment was filling up with uniforms and investigators, crime scene people, and paramedics the usual small platoon of people who congregated at a crime scene, ready to do their part to investigate and record what had occurred in there just a short while ago.

As she continued to gaze upon the city she was born and raised in, quiet tears began to slide down her face. She did not want the others to see her crying. She had battled to keep it together but try as she might she could not hold the tears back. She did not have the strength to hold them back. They refused to be held back.

She could feel his presence behind her. This man who had joined her quest. He was standing behind her silently watching. His eyes only on her. She did not need to turn around to know his face was creased with concern and worry. She knew him well enough to know that he would be concerned for her and what she might be feeling right now. Yet he did not say anything nor did he move from where he stood. Giving her the space she needed, just like he always did.

This caring man, this loving man, this good man. He was her jester and her clown, the one who made her smile with his jokes and innuendo. This man who along the journey had become her partner and her best friend. He had seen her at her best and at her very worst, and everything else in between. Many times she had tried to send him away fearing for his safety and that of his family. There had been times her actions or words had hurt him, broke his heart just about, and for that she would spend the rest of her life making it up to him. Yet he had never wavered in this quest. Despite all that he had never walked out on her. He kept showing up. He had always been there at her side watching her back, looking out for her, trying to keep her safe. He was her champion, her safe harbour in the storm, her rock.

She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt his arms envelope her, drawing her close to him. She melted into his embrace feeling the warmth of his body infuse into her own. Some of the numbness began to ebb away as he held her tightly. His head resting against her wet cheek. She felt small in his arms and she felt safe. She should have known he would not have just stood there watching her. He always seemed to know what she needed even before she did. This man who could read her mind and sometimes see into her soul. This man who gave of himself so willingly, unconsciously when she needed it the most. He was offering his strength to her now that she needed it just like he always did.

She had believed in the power of the word because of this man. He was a man of words and it was his words that had first drawn her out of the darkness that had consumed her all those years ago. It had been his words that had pulled her out of the rabbit hole. It was his words that had set her on the quest that now found her wrapped in the comfort of his arms.

She had believed in the power of the word but had not truly understood its power until that fateful day in the cemetery when the Dragon had unleashed one of his minions to inflict a near mortal wound upon her. As she lay on the ground her life blood seeping out staining her uniform and the grass beneath her, the shock of the impact of the blow giving way to incredible pain and the struggle to draw breath, this man was there. She had seen the fear and concern in this man's eyes as he hovered above her trying to staunch the bleeding and cradling her head. She remembered that he had tried to knock her out of the path of the deadly missile, to shield her, offering his own body to protect her but he was just a heartbeat too late.

As she lay on the ground gazing up into his pained blue eyes, the darkness gathering about her wanting to claim her, for a moment she contemplated succumbing to the darkness. Surrendering to the peace that would come if she only let go. It was his words that had drawn her back. It was his words that had made her fight despite the incredible pain. Who could have thought that four little words would have such power over her?

"Kate, I love you."

She lay there in such pain and shock and fear. At that moment when the easiest of things would have been to just let go, let the darkness claim her, those four words had brought her back. Dragged her back from the abyss, away from the darkness. It was his words that had given her the strength to fight, to not give up.

And again it was his words that helped her on that first case after she had recovered from her physical wounds and returned to work when that suspect confronted her with the gun. She had tried to remain calm as she stared him down but she had been scared, really scared. In that moment she had questioned whether she had done the right thing returning to work, wondered if she was fit for for duty.

"Take it easy, you've got this. You've got this."

His words had banished her fear and had given her the strength to stare down the suspect and make him drop his gun.

"Hey, are you okay?" His voice was barely a whisper against her ear.

"No." She said flatly, honestly.

Kate felt him tightening his hold on her, his lips brushing her cheek. Not for the first time did she find herself wondering what she had done to deserve this good man. She turned her head to look at him, offering a thin lipped smile. "But I will be."

"We will be." He assured her.

Yes, Kate thought to herself, we will be. She offered him a small smile a smile of reassurance.

She studied his face and saw his lips curving into the beginnings of a smile. His eyes were filled with concern for her but there is something else she can see. Something that never failed to take her breath away. There is another, underlying emotion swimming in those blue eyes that is plain for her to see. Love. Unconditional love. She basks in the warmth of this man's love.

Kate's eyes move across his face and sees the discolouration forming below his left eye. Come morning it will be a real shiner she thinks to herself. He will wear it as a badge of honour. And he will milk it for all the sympathy he can get but she wont begrudge him for that, not this time.

Kate wanted to shake her head at him for his foolhardy action of launching himself unarmed at the Dragon's minion. It was an uneven fight. The minion trained soldier that he was and armed had never encountered a force of nature that was Richard Castle when he was in full protection mode.

The minion managed to get one punch in before he ended on the floor with Castle's fists raining down on him in fury turning his face into bloody pulp.

She could make him promise not to do such things again but she knew they would be empty promises. She had come to realise that when it comes to protecting the ones he loves there is no force on Earth that would stop Castle. She saw him bring down Lockwood in the warehouse that time because she had been in danger, and she saw him again tonight, and those other times. For Richard Castle, his loved ones always come first and he would stop at nothing to protect them.

Castle releases his hold on her for a moment before manoeuvring his left arm around her waist drawing her closer to his body. Kate moulds her body against him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. A small smile appears on his face as he reaches up with his free hand and with his fingers gently brushes away her tears.

"Come on, let's get you home." Castle whispers.

Kate nods her head. Home sounds very nice right now. She does not have to ask which home he's taking her. It's to the loft. Its become her home now too. Home where his family is waiting for them.

She lets him guide her back into the penthouse apartment. Any other time she would have rebelled at such an open display of affection but tonight she doesn't care who is witness to it. She is too exhausted to care.

They enter the room that is full of people. The body of the Dragon is sprawled on the floor face down, the blood from his bullet wounds soaking into the expensive carpet. Kate barely glances as the body laying on the floor. Castle manoeuvres her away from the body. She barely notices all the people in the room.

"Detective Beckett, Mr Castle." Captain Gates calls out.

Kate let out a small sigh. She should have known that the captain would show up. It is a high profile case. Captain Gates had been overseeing the case. She would be present to make sure that everything was done by the book.

Castle stops and turns to face the captain. The captain is standing near the body, beside her is a detective from IAB. The man had the hungry and eager look of a jackal ready to pounce on a carcass as he looked at Kate and Castle. Kate doesn't look at the captain and she doesn't look at the IAB detective, she keeps her eyes downcast.

"Where do you two think you are going?" Captain Gates demands.

If Captain Gates is surprised or shocked at seeing Beckett in Castle's embrace she hides it firmly behind her stern demeanour.

Kate knows that she should remain. There are questions from IAB and other investigators that she must answer. And she is more than willing to answer any number of questions that might be fired at her by IAB or anybody else for however long it would take until the investigators are satisfied but not tonight. No, not tonight. Castle senses this, understands this. She feels him stiffen as he looks at Captain Gates.

"I'm taking Kate home."

There is such authority in his voice. Kate has never heard it before. She lifts up her head to see the hard look on his ruggedly handsome face. She dares to cast her gaze in the Captain's direction. Captain Gate's eyebrows have risen in surprise. From the looks on Esposito and Ryan they are just as surprised as the captain. Lanie who is crouched over the body had stopped making notes on her clipboard and is looking up in wide-eyed surprise. Suddenly all activity in the room seemed to have stopped. Countless eyes have turned to watch the confrontation that is about to happen.

Castle holds the captain's gaze with a determined glint. It doesn't waver, almost as if he is silently challenging her to countermand his decision. Captain Gates has never been totally happy having Castle as part of Kate's team and given the opportunity she would get rid of him. The silent stand off seems to go on for an eternity.

Kate sees the surprised look on Captain Gate's face fade away. Her expression softens ever so slightly. She nods her head curtly.

"Very well Mr Castle." she announces finally, breaking the tense silence that has descended in the room. "The questions can wait until tomorrow."

"But Captain..." The detective standing beside the captain hisses.

Captain Gates silences the protest with a raised hand and a glare. The jackal steps back almost cowering. Captain Gates turns back to look at Castle.

"Detectives Esposito and Ryan." Captain Gates calls out. "Please escort Mr Castle and Detective Beckett home."

"Yes sir." Esposito and Ryan reply in unison.

"Thank you Captain." Castle says in a low voice. There is no triumph in his voice just an acknowledgement that Captain Gates has done the right thing and he is grateful.

Castle turns and escorts Kate out of the room. Standing at the elevator waiting for it to arrive Kate lifts her head to look at this good man that she loves and smiles.

"She's going to make you pay for that little scene back there." She says.

"I know." Castle whines. The worried expression suddenly changes as he looks at her. "It was worth it." Kate smiles even more.

The elevator arrives and they step in. Castle and Kate move to the back as Ryan and Esposito take up station at the front.

"You're going to have a real shiner there, bro." Esposito remarks motioning to Castle's growing bruise.

"Yeah, you better get that seen to." Ryan added.

"Don't worry boys I know just the thing to make it all better." Kate announces looking at Castle. She moves her head until her lips are close to Castle's ear.

"I'm going to kiss it all better." She breathes in a sultry tone of voice.

Castle's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He opens his mouth to say something but his mouth is captured by Kate's.

"Kate, not in front of the children." Castle murmurs in between kisses.

Ryan and Esposito look at their friends and shake their heads but they are both wearing big grins on their faces. They turn to face the doors giving mom and dad a bit of privacy.

finis

I would really like to know what you thought of it.

Con