This is my first Caskett fic, so it would be highly appreciated if you be nice with the reviews. Don't forget to R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. I wouldn't wish that I did because the show is too flawless and the writers are doing an awesome job with it.

"Rick, please don't make things any much worse and complicated for me. I need to work. It's the only thing that can take my mind off…things." Kate Beckett shook her head and breathed deeply, focusing back on the load of paperwork on her desk.

He looked at her for a moment with an expression of concern on his face. "Kate, working at an environment where people carry guns and cuffs won't do you any good."

He offered her again to take the weekend off to go to the Hamptons with him and she declined again. They continued arguing in a hushed tone about it, but Castle was only hoping that he'd be able to help her, even just a bit.

"So, mom and dad are fighting again?" Ryan asked his partner, Esposito. "Oh yeah, been going on for half an hour or so." They stood from a distance, watching Castle and Beckett and debating in their minds, whether to or not to interfere. They watched as Beckett grunted, took her coat and walked out the bullpen while Castle ran after her.

"Who told Castle to lure Beckett out of work, anyway? They're stupid enough to not know that she'll never give in to that." Esposito shook his head, confused.

"I'm the 'stupid one' who told Mr. Castle to try to get Detective Beckett out of this case, Detective Esposito." The new captain, Victoria Gates said to him, giving him a sharp look.

"Ooh, I'm just going to go and check on the vic's financials." Ryan alibied out and proceeded to his desk.

"Look, ma'a-sir, I didn't know. I didn't think it was —" Esposito stopped, at a loss for words. How was he going to get out of this mess?

Lucky for him, she let it go. This time. "Mhmm, I'm going to let that pass. Now get to the vic's sister, stat." She said in her usual tone and left.

"Kate! Wait! I'm not getting any younger running after you, you know." Castle called out, trying to keep up with her pace. She stopped eventually and turned to him, her hands on her waist.

"Kate," he said more calmly now. "please." It wasn't until then that he noticed her crying; tears continuously flowing down her cheeks.

"I lied to you, Rick."

"Lied to me 'bout what?"

"I-I heard everything. I remember everything. I heard what you told me after I got shot."

Castle blinked, stunned, he fell silent and then they stared at each other, uncomfortable and lost.

He didn't look angry. He should be. She'd kept it from him, pretending that she didn't know for months. "You're not…mad," she said as she read his face again.

"W-why didn't you tell me?" he spoke, ignoring her question. Oh god. She spent years listening to people telling her alibis, but right now, looking at him, she just couldn't lie to his face. But she was afraid. Would he just walk away the moment she tells him why she kept the truth from him? Will he think that she didn't feel the same way?

Either way, she had to tell him. He had to know why.

"Rick, I'm a cop. Plucky sidekick or partner, you're attached to me. There are people who want me dead. If you'll be with me, and something happens," She trailed off as tears began to stream down her cheeks in earnest. "God dammit, Rick. I just don't want to lose you too."

"I think I can handle it."

"But I can't! You have Alexis and Martha. Don't you think about what they'll do if something happens to you? Do you just want to throw your life away by getting killed because of me?"

She kept fighting the tears that tried to fall down her cheeks; but she couldn't. She wanted to run away from Castle, keep her distance so that everything would be over; but she couldn't. She loved him too much to throw everything they had away.

"You deserve someone else, Castle. You don't deserve me." She watched his eyes, seeing the depth of his feelings for her as she said it.

She can't keep lying.

"Kate, the only person I want right now," He was walking toward her now. His hands were closing around her elbows, holding her there so he could look down at her. "Is you. No one else."

She looked up at him, biting her lip. "I want you too, Rick. It's just…we're…" she stammered, feeling her cheeks heat up. "It's going to be complicated..." she trailed off as one of his hands left her arm to cup her cheek. He smiled at her.

"We'll figure something out," He said and bent down very slowly to press his forehead to hers; his breath hot against her nose and lips. "We always do."

And just like that, he pressed his lips to hers. She moaned on contact, and he hesitated only for a second before deepening the kiss, pressing his tongue gently against her eager open lips. He crushed her lips, heat coursing through his whole body as the tip of her tongue flicked out to taste his. Her hands braced against his chest, she leaned into him, and slid her tongue fully over his, causing his fingers to claw on waist.

He moaned her name into her mouth, and heat shot through her body, curls of flame extending right into her fingertips, as she clawed even tighter at his shirt against his chest.

"I love you." She said as they broke apart, firm and loud, and she had never meant anything more sincerely.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I love you." Beckett repeated as a wide smile tugged on her lips.

"What?"

She slapped him playfully on the arm. They gazed at each other with smiles on their faces. "I love you too." He said, entwining their fingers together.

"So…do you want to grab some coffee before we go on the run?" She asked, blushing a bit. But before he could even open his mouth, her radio started making noises.

"Detective Beckett, I don't mean to ruin the moment you are having with the love of your life, but if you could just get up back here..."

It was Lanie. Kate wondered for a moment why she was at the precinct at this time. Visiting Esposito, maybe? But she figured she didn't mind at all. So she shook the thought off and looked at Castle.

"I'm guessing that's a no, then?" He chuckled.

"You bet." She replied, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands, erasing any signs of her crying.

He cupped her face once again, about to give her another kiss, until she stopped his lips with her finger.

"Rule number one, we do not show PDA when working." She raised her eyebrows as she removed her finger from his lips, then wiped it on his sweater.

"Then I look forward to the end of the day so I can have you all to myself." He hand his hand placed on the small of her back as they walked back to the precinct, and Beckett let this one pass. She just smiled, looking up to the heavens and thanked whoever there was to thank up there because she finally had another chance to get back on track again.

And thanks to Castle, the walls she built herself, have gone crumbling down.