Rick paced the break room of the precinct, trying to think, but finding all the thoughts in his head were to loud to hear just one at a time. He leaned against the counter and debated making another cup of coffee as he stared at his shoes memorizing each scratch and scuff mark. Kate walked in to make herself a cup and, seeing Castle, leaned against the door frame. He hardly left her side when they were together, but lately, today in particular, he had been keeping much to himself. She couldn't tell if it had to do with the new detective, Demming, whom she was seeing a bit more than casually, or if there was more on his mind. Kate was not Castle's type. Castle went for the beautiful, fun, blond girls, Kate always hated but secretly wanted to be. Not that she thought she was ugly, Kate knew she was beautiful, but not in the same way as he wanted. She it was a mystery to her, why Castle was jealous of Demming. Kate cleared her throat, and finally Castle noticed her enter the room. He perked up a bit and gave her a casual smile that she returned.

"Something on your mind, Castle?"

"A lot of somethings."

"Anything you'd want to talk about?, I'm getting kind of hungry. "

"Don't you have a date tonight?"

He seemed to cringe at the word date and she rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not until later, and knowing Tom, the portions will be small, so it'll be better to eat before anyhow. So what do you say? Grab a burger?"

Castle was back with that. He jumped up by her side and grabber her arm like a child grabbing his mothers. She couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed she was around Castle than she was around Demming. Maybe It was because they'd known each other longer, or it just ,might have been that he just had that quality, to make people, especially Kate, feel calm and relaxed.

They sat together on a picnic bench eating their burgers and fries. Kate slurped a Milkshake and Rick sipped his Coke. They talked about work, how the killer had crazy eyes, and how they're glad they're on Esposito's good side. The conversation slowly started to turn personal.

"So, where is Captain Fantastic taking you tonight?"

"Don't know yet." She said through mouthfuls of food. "I've been having to duck out on him, for the case and, stuff, a lot lately. So I guess somewhere I'll hate to get back at me."

"So, you're saying, you're having more fun, here with me, than you will be tonight, with Captain Fantastic?"

Kate raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer him.

"So, what's on your mind lately, you've been awfully quiet lately?"

"Oh detective, to talk about all this I think I'll need a drink. Care to join me? I would like someone to talk to, if you don't mind hearing me complain."

She smiled, the offer was tempting, and she did have some time before she'd have to go get ready for her date with Tom. But she really shouldn't, every time she had canceled on him, it had been because of Castle, he'd have a new idea that they had to look into, or he'd be right about a lead and they had to follow up. Honestly he had been getting jealous and slightly angry at her for always being with Castle. And she really did like Tom, He was nice, strong, smart, funny and very, very cute. He was almost perfect and for her.

"Maybe just one drink."

"Splendid."

They talked casually the ride to Castle's apartment, leaving the heavy lifting for later on. Kate just knew something was up, he was himself, but still not. She had known him almost two years now, she knew when something was wrong. They silently walked in the building and into the elevator. The ride up was quiet, not awkwardly so, kind of peaceful. She caught his eyes for a moment and thought he looked troubled, like he had something to tell her that was upsetting him, but what could he have to tell her. It wasn't as serious as when he told her about her mother, then he looked colder and, more scared. Now he looked just sad. She smiled at him, warmly, and it seemed to brighten him a bit. He stepped closer, she could feel the heat from his body over her, and she felt something she hardly felt next to men, short. He leaned in and touched her cheek, brushing it with his fingers and pulling them away. He held his fingers to her lips.

"Eyelash, Make a wish."

She thought hard, what she wanted to wish for. Her first thought was, Castle. And that scared the shit out of her. She decided to just blow it away, she never was one for wishing anyhow.

"What'd you wish for?"

"I can't tell you that, it wont come true."

They walked into his apartment and Rick took her coat.

"What can I get you? Scotch? A martini?"

"Scotch is fine, thanks."

Rick sat down next to Kate on the couch. He held out a glass to her and sat his own down in the table in front of them along with the bottle.

"So, you want to tell me what's got you so serious?"

"A lot."

She decided to sit and let him talk for now, he obviously needed to talk. He took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and started talking.

"Well, Gina is in town, which is horrible and stressful. She say's I haven't been writing in a while and I should stop shadowing you, so I can get work done. She's also being a nosy bitch, like always, trying to pry into my personal and love life, and everything she's saying is just, stressful and annoying and I just can't take her. She Cheats on me, she treats me like shit, she tells me what to do and when to do it, I feel like she's cutting off my balls every time she's around. I just, I don't know, it hurts to have her around now. And then there's, never mind."

"No Castle, tell me, this is good. You need to get it off your chest."

"I can't tell you. You wont like it, so, Just…"

He got up and started to walk towards the stairs. What the hell he was doing he didn't know. But he just was so worked up, he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to tell her, but she wouldn't like it, and he knew it. He would reject her, and right now, with Gina around, and Demming, and everything going wrong, he just couldn't take that.

"Castle, Castle!" She yelled after him, and stood up. "Rick!"

She didn't realize how much she'd like saying his name, she had to fight back the smile creeping onto her lips. He heard her call his name, and stopped short. She had never called him Rick. At least not when she really knew him. Kate walked over and stood in front of him, once again, she felt short in front of him. She looked up at him, she really looked, she noticed just how handsome he was. With his broad shoulders, and that chest she was dying to grasp at. His ice blue eyes and because they had been up solving the case, he had this adorable scruff and his hair was mussed in the same way it was when he stayed with her at her apartment.

"That's the first time you've ever called me Rick."

"Don't try to change the subject, What's going on? I don't care if I wont like it. I didn't like it when you looked into my mothers case, but that didn't stop you."

"This is different, I just, I don't know."

"Richard Castle, I've known you for almost two years, I want to think we're friends, and I want to hope I'm close enough to you, for you to tell me when something wrong, Now if you don't tell me, I'm going to hurt you, And you know I can."

"Kate!"

He grabbed her shoulders, and she subconsciously put her hands up on his chest and their eyes softened. He smiled, she smiled.

"Kate, I care about you, so much more than you can ever know. And I respect you more than most women in my life, more than most anyone in my life. And I want, someday, maybe someday soon, for us, for, you, and for me, for us, God, I hate that you do this to me, Jesus I want there to be an us. "

"Rick, I…"

And her phone went off. Her damn phone went off. Right when she had the perfect opportunity to tell him that she really did want him and them, her damn phone, shit. Demming. She still had Demming, she still liked Demming. He was a good man, a nice man, he's been patient and sweet and, just so damn perfect. She looked at Rick, scared as hell and answered her phone.

"Beckett."

"Kate, I'm at your door, are you ready? Are you home?"

"Tom, I'm so sorry, I lost track of time, Castle, he had to talk to me about something and I was going to leave a while ago, but we just lost… I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, Castle Huh? He seems to be popping up a lot lately."

"Tom, I'm really, so sorry, really. Please, we can go out tomorrow, my treat, wherever you want to go, I owe you. We can do whatever you want, wherever."

"You know Kate, I think I've been good about all this, but now It's really time to figure this out. It's him or me, Kate, Castle or me."