Thanks go out to Robert, my Beta. Thank you.

This is what I imagine happened after 3:16 Set up and 3:17 Countdown. These episodes left a mark upon the dynamic duo, or at least I think they did.

Turning point.

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Chapter 1

"Hell of a day, huh." Kate's heart was pounding, her someone who would be there for her and she could be there for him was standing inches from her. All she had to do was take one tiny step.

"Hell of a day." Hope faded from Rick's eyes as soon as he saw doctor motorcycle boy. "Goodnight, Beckett." Rick felt his shoes were encased in lead, with each heavy step it tore him apart. No way in hell Josh was her one and done. How could he be? When he felt with every fiber of his being it was him. Rick closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. It didn't help. Every one of their friends knew they belonged together….why didn't she? Today, all but proved it- she felt something for him, didn't she?

Rick reached the elevator and slumped against the back of the car. You know how you have a scab, and you know if you rip it off it's gonna hurt like hell, but you can't stop yourself. You grab hold and let her rip and when you expose the raw tender skin underneath it stings like a son-of–a-bitch. That's exactly how he felt right now. He couldn't stop himself from looking up. The pain of seeing doctor motorcycle boy's arms wrapped around Kate was worse than his writer's brain could fathom, and she was smiling.

That was the breaking point for Rick's heart. He hung his head dejected. Every inch the elevator dropped, so did his hopes, and dreams of being with Kate... How could this happen? Rick jabbed the button again. The pain was ripping him apart.

Kate wanted to scream, Rick was walking away-wait! Why was he walking away? She was taking the first step, she was about to start running toward the elevator to Rick. Kate felt herself being pulled back. She felt arms embrace her from behind.

Josh's scent gave him away. He was a little heavy handed on the after-shave. Kate had seen the commercials, advertised to drive the women into frenzy. The only thing it did was make her want to get as far away from the odor as possible. She wasn't opposed to cologne, for instance Rick's smell was warm, clean and earthy. His scent drew you in, complex, layered and sexy as hell…. Kate shook her head, "Josh, what are you doing here?"

"Surprised?" Josh was grinning from ear to ear. "There is another flight to Haiti tomorrow, now that you and writer boy," Josh nodded toward the elevator, "are finished protecting the city from undesirables. I thought it would be nice to spend one last night together before I leave." Josh attempted to waggle his eyebrows.

Please! Kate rubbed her forehead. This cant' be happening. I'm suposta be thankful he came back, not annoyed that my boyfriend wants to spend the night with me. Her head was about to explode from her conscience screaming You are not Castle, stop trying to pretend to be….. Kate froze...or am I the one pretending?

Kate squeezed her eyes closed, she felt this was only one last romp in the sack before Josh headed off to save the day. Rationally, she knew 'Doctors without borders' was a wonderful cause. Geez, I'm such a bitch.

Castle was right she didn't want to know where she stood, she was never going to be priority with Josh, just as he would never be with her. She knew as soon as he stepped on the plane and headed to Haiti, he would focus on his mission, she wouldn't even garner a second thought. Truth, she was looking forward to a break. Their *romance* was a couple of busy people who hooked up once in a while for sex, nothing more. They shared a love to ride. That was enough until- Why did Castle have to kiss me? I'd never known what I was missing. Josh wasn't the man who haunted her dreams. That was Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle.

How could I have been so blind? When faced with imminent death, one couldn't help to go over the life lived. Kate and Rick faced death twice in one day. When something wonderful or terrible happened. Castle was the person she wanted to talk to about it- because he is my partner she rationalized, bullshit he is more than your partner and you know it.

Kate was in the elevator riding down with Josh, this was not how she envisioned her evening. She was going to go home and take a hot bath. The chill from the freezer settled deep in her bones. Kate shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, she sucked in her bottom lip.

Rick would have whipped off his jacket and wrapped her up in it, at the first sign of a shiver. He watched her. He would also know she was stressed. The blood disappearing from her lip from her teeth being clamped on it, would give her away. He would pester her until he made her laugh or fess up to what ever was bothering her. Truth-it was him. Rick Castle was what was bothering her. She wanted to...Kate bit down harder until the distinct metallic coppery taste of blood reached her tongue.

She released her blood starved lip from the death grip of her teeth. The walls of the elevator seemed to move in closer. She felt trapped, she needed to get out of here. The air was gone, sucked out, her lungs were screaming for air. The doors thankfully slid open. Kate bolted from the elevator, sucking in the cool air. The familiar smells of the lobby calmed her.

Josh fanned his hand in front of his face, "How can you stand it? It stinks in here, sweat, stale coffee, he wasn't sure what that last smell was. His stride increased across the lobby, he was ready to get to the city street.

Kate inhaled deeper, to her the smell was comforting. She knew this place, it was her home and had been for many years, just as she imagined the hospital smell was comforting to Josh.

Kate paused before heading out the precinct doors. She closed her eyes and concentrated on slow deep breaths. She ran her sweaty hands down her shirt and smoothed the wrinkles as best she could. That simple act calmed her. Kate shook her head again, she thought of Castle. No-way he would leave her in the middle of a panic attack, not Rick. He would stand knee deep in a pile of steaming shit, and hold her until she calmed enough to move. This was-she was driving herself crazy. Richard Castle was driving her crazy. She dreamed of him, after he'd kissed her.

Her dreams wouldn't allow her to forget how soft and tender his lips felt on hers, how his tongue teased until she opened herself up to him, how her body responded to him. The bastard ruined her. It was as if her own body betrayed her. Deep in her core, she wanted him, desire burned through her. She wanted his hands and his lips pleasuring her. Stop it! That kiss was on the job. Castle kissed her to distract a guard, they needed a diversion to take him down. That's all it was.

Kate stamped down her traderious body's desires and marched over to the door, she slammed her palm against the bar, take that! And she was out of the door, she was joining her boyfriend, who was standing on the sidewalk.

Josh was talking on his cell. Kate waited as he spoke. She surmised he was talking to the hospital, he rattled off a list of things to check an undiagnosed patient for. Chest pains, but not having a heart attack. Josh was advising the ER team how to proceed. He hung up the phone and slid his arm around Kate. "Let's get out of here."

Rick inserted his key into the loft's front door. The events of the day were re-playing in his head. Kate's words echoed in his head "I wish this was one of your books and you could rewrite the ending." Rick would definitely re-write tonight's ending. Seeing her with Josh ripped his heart out.

Rick went to his office and poured himself a scotch, two fingers neat, he curled his large hand around the numbing agent. Dejected, he carried the tumbler and sat down at his desk. The only sound in the loft was a ticking clock and the beating of his broken heart. He stared at the amber liquid, and debated. He knew there wasn't enough scotch in the world to drown out this pain…. Hell of a day, locked in an isolation tent fearing radiation exposure. They were together, wrapped in each others arms freezing to death locked in the container, then standing hand in hand defusing a dirty bomb. Facing death, and each time they were together. When Kate leapt in his arms after he pulled the wires, he believed they had a real chance. He felt a shift today in the way she looked at him or that's what he believed he saw.

He loved being her partner, but he knew now it wasn't enough, he wanted more. They both deserved more. "Fuck, it" Rick picked up the glass and downed the scotch. He hardly noticed the burn, he threw the empty tumbler across the room, and it smashed into the bookcase.

'Heat Wave' was the only book dislodged, Rick watch it tumble from the shelf, it was as if it happened in slow motion, he watched as glass shards came to rest upon the naked silhouette. He felt as shattered as the tumbler.

Rick hung his head.

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