He forgives and accepts her apology. He knows he shouldn't because there's still the weight of what she did, a slight crack in their relationship. But he loves her so much that he couldn't even think of anything but her.

She's the same. She missed him so much during these past couple of months. She missed his laughter, his warmth when she wakes up in mornings, his silliness. She wanted to tell him everything but she needed to keep him safe. That's all she wants. Him safe to have their happy ending.

Both hope that it's over now. They're in the same boat again. Just like before. So when she came knocking on his door (he wonders why because she really shouldn't. She actually lives there and has a key if it's locked) to tell him he was right in everything he told her when he confronted her that morning, he told her okay and just hugged her tightly and kissed her (or more likely devoured everything about her - her scent, her touch, her lips). But he wanted to punish her and she suggested her form of it.

But now, they're just enjoying the pause (the pause to probably several rounds of naked punishing). Her hand is on his chest, right where his heart is. He's softly caressing her shoulders. Both sheened with sweat, with happy smiles painted on their glowing faces.

This is better than last night, she thinks. I'm not sure I'll have some moves left for Year Two.

This is better than last night, he thinks. It's even better than that scene in Titanic we wanted to try on that cruise ship.

"Rick," Kate muses, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," he answers.

"Thank you," she tells him, lifting her face to look into his blue, blue eyes.

"For what?" he responds.

"For finding it in your heart to take me back."

Castle turns so he can face Beckett.

"Do you really think I won't? Kate, you're my wife, the love of my life. If you do something, you do it with a kind of passion the same way a lion stalks his prey. I just wish you came to me and together we could do it. What you did may not be forgotten but I can forgive you. Because we're better as a team, remember?"

Kate touched his jaw gently, her thumb caressing the laugh lines of his eyes.

"I know. I thought that was the hardest thing I had to face when I was promoted, working without you. Turns out this thing surpasses it. And I hate myself for putting you in the dark, for hurting you."

"It's all over now, Kate. I'm here. We'll do this together," Castle says, enveloping Kate in his arms. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Beckett answers. "Always."

They look at each other, emotions running wild and unspoken in their eyes. He kisses her and their bodies fill with heat - more naked punishing throughout the night - of two people who love each other fiercely.

Well, look at that. I wrote again. Thanks for reading and reviews are good. ;)

Picture used is of the previous episode. Time out from the time out...time in. Anniversary post-coital scene. Okay I'll stop talking.