Author Note:

I know everyone is probably getting a little sick of seeing stories based around the '47 Seconds' promo, but I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and add my own to the mix. This is solely based on certain lines of the promo, which are italicized. It is more about Rick's mindset, and I'm currently writing a companion piece to this, which is Kate's POV. Rated T for minor language. There may be a further chapter, if anyone wants it.

Disclaimer: I make no money from the writing of this piece, therefore you can assume, correctly that I am not Andrew Marlowe ;)

I hope you guys enjoy; this is my first story for the fandom I'm posting and I hope you'll let me know what you think, particularly with regard to my characterizations. Constructive criticism is welcomed!

Oh, and a Happy Castle Monday :3 This next hour is going to drag.

-Leigh

Epicenter

"Why did you plant that bomb?" Detective Beckett demanded. He was watching her pace the floor in the interrogation room from behind the glass in observation, and it never ceased to amaze him that he could hear what was going on as clearly as if he was stood next to her. An angry fire burned steadily behind the expression she wore and Castle had been working alongside her long enough now to recognize the warning signs. Her lips were drawn together and even though the walls separated them, Kate radiated cold fury. It meant the case was affecting her more than she'd allow anyone else to believe.

It meant she was this close to losing control.

"I don't remember." Answers like that wouldn't do anything for her fury, and Castle watched with bated breath for her to respond. Despite how inappropriate the situations often were, he found watching her when she was angry fascinating. She, of course, found it creepy.

"Not good enough," Kate said sharply. Her hand slammed down on the table, making her point and reverberating loudly throughout the room and into the next. Rick winced - willing to bet that when her adrenaline rush had worn off she'd feel that.

Kate stalked towards him, and perched herself on the edge of the table, right next to their suspect. Castle snorted derisively as the guy mumbled something about traumatic events, knowing there was no way his Detective would buy into that. He could tell her proximity was making the guy lose his cool, and couldn't help but to lean forward in anticipation of her next words because he'd been on the receiving end of that hard stare himself, right before she furiously told him they were done.

"I was shot in the chest, and I remember every second of it!" Her eyes flashed dangerously as she finally snapped, clenching her fist tightly as if to prevent herself from exercising a heavy dose of police brutality. Not that the son of a bitch wouldn't have deserved it. Castle was oblivious to this though, as whatever he'd been expecting to hear – it wasn't this. "So don't you dare try and use trauma as an excuse," Kate pushed herself up off of the desk, and livid, began pacing again, her hands balled up next to her, "Because there's no excuse for what you did."

Castle had stopped consciously listening now and her words sounded like a distant echo to his ears. An unpleasant feeling washed over him and he could feel bile starting to rise in his throat. 'I was shot in the chest,' Her words chased themselves through the chambers of his brain as he stood, rooted in the same spot, fixated on the scene playing out before him; though at the same time he had no idea what was going on. 'I remember every second of it'. Ironically, hearing her words felt like taking a bullet.

She remembered.

Every second of it, she said.

'I love you, Kate' She'd heard him.

And yet she'd said nothing- no, worse- she'd lied to him.

In the seconds that followed, he'd start to make excuses for her; convince himself that the memories hadn't been there all along, that she'd just started remembering, that there was a perfectly logical explanation for what she'd just said in there. Hell, she could have even been lying, and still have no recollection - it wouldn't be the first time she'd taken liberties with the truth in order to get a confession.

Except he knows that it's different this time.

He's a writer and reading people is one of many occupational hazards. It's written all over Kate's- Beckett's face and the pain in her eyes tells him more than words ever could and confirms she has been lying to him for the past seven months. Suddenly the little things start to make sense; the way he has a feeling sometimes, there's more she wants to say (because there is) and the look in her eye, that he can never quite place but now the truth is out he knows exactly what he's been seeing; guilt.

"You remembered?" The words were hollow, catching in his throat and carrying no weight. "Oh God-"He muttered desperately, leaning against the wall because he wasn't sure he could trust his legs not to give way beneath him. "You remembered." Castle was still staring mindlessly into the interview room, and as he looked on, Kate's form started to become blurred and his eyes started to sting. He needed to leave. With that conscious thought overriding every other emotion, he forced himself to turn and walk away.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Castle composed himself and headed for the bullpen, hoping that the familiarity would calm him down. In there they were Castle and Beckett; writer and cop. Anything else was irrelevant. He quickly realized that it had been a bad idea. Who was he trying to kid? How was he supposed to forget what he'd heard, when everything here reminded him of her? This was Detective Beckett's domain and when she'd been off recovering, being here made him feel close to him again. But now he just couldn't handle it. It made his heart ache.

Castle was dimly aware that Ryan was speaking to him and tried to focus on the conversation at hand, but it was no use. He stood up, "I'll be back in a while- there's something I gotta do." He answered, forcing a smile.

He turned to leave. Just as she walked through the door.

"Can I talk to you for a second Castle?" Kate moved over to him, reaching for the coffee he'd left on her desk and taking an appreciative sip, she threw him one of the smiles

Castle took a step back from her, because the familiar scent of cherries was in danger of overwhelming him, and caused a painful ache to settle somewhere between his chest and his stomach. "About the case?" He questioned guardedly, forcing himself to meet her eyes, because she'd know straight away that something was wrong.

Ryan and Esposito seemed to have sensed that this wasn't a conversation they needed to be privy too, so – with mumbled excuses of going to get coffee – left them too it. Beckett bit down on her bottom lip, in a way that usually Castle would have found endearing, but today it just made him feel emptier, if that was possible. "Not about the case," She answered softly, "I want to talk about us." Her voice became quieter still, but he didn't have to strain himself to hear her.

Castle just stared at her for what felt like an age – but in reality – couldn't have been more than a few seconds. His jaw twitched, and his eyes glassed over. "Oh, so now you want to talk about us?" By contrast, his voice seemed to rise in volume; so much for not letting on that he was angry. "Have you ever considered that maybe it's too little, much too late?" The bitterness that laced his words was unintentional but even as he saw the hurt pass across her face, he couldn't bring himself to care. Because he was hurting too. Because she'd done that to him. He knew, or at least could hazard a guess at why she'd lied but it didn't make the sting in his heart any less painful.

He watched Kate's brow furrow in confusion as she tried to understand what he was talking about, "You're gonna need to give me more to go on than that- I'm not a mind reader, Castle." Her words came out louder this time, more defensive but judging by the look on her face, she hadn't expected that reaction either.

He tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat, "Sorry Detective, I need to go, there's something I have to take care of." He could feel Kate's hurt expression burning holes in him as he walked away and it took every ounce of the will power he possessed, not to turn around and meet her gaze. Castle knew if he did, he wouldn't have the strength to walk away and he couldn't be around her right now. If he looked at her, he knew he could (and would) forgive her anything. It's his biggest downfall. She is his biggest downfall and she'd had him hooked ever since she knocked him back that very first time. Most of the time he doesn't mind, but today she's at the epicenter of his broken heart.

Castle looked up as the elevator doors started to close, and he knew as soon as he did it was a mistake. In his direct line of vision, there she stood. He drew a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding as she lifted her hair from beneath her coat, he felt his eyes sting painfully as Kate felt him watching her and looked up. The doors shut completely and Castle squeezed his eyes tightly shut, sliding leaning heavily against the wall. 'I'm a fool' He muttered darkly, as the elevator stopped moving. Roughly scrubbing his eyes he headed for the doors of the 12th, without looking back.