Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

A/N: - Kate might seem OOC, don't know, we'll have to wait 'till season 5 to see how she'll open up.
- This is my first Castle-fanfic. I've written some NCIS before, but never uploaded anything. So please, don't be too hard on me :). Remarks and reviews are always welcome.
- I'm sorry for my English. It's not my native language, but I try to make as little mistakes as possible. It feels awkward to write fanfic of American shows in Dutch. It just doesn't feek right, so that's why I write in English.
- Sentences in italic are thoughts by the characters.

Chapter 1

Castle led Kate towards his bedroom. He continued unbuttoning her shirt whilst she did the same with his. Her blouse fell on the floor and Castle hesitated a moment when he wanted to open her bra. "Are you sure you want to do this? There is no way back" said Castle.

Kate knew she would never be more ready for this than now. "You were able to break through my wall. I want you to show me why all the girls and women in town want to crawl in to bed with you. And Castle, don't be too gentle, I might need to be punished a bit for hurting you so much."

After a moment of astonishment, Castle stopped holding back and kissed Kate passionately. He opened her black bra and pushed her on the bed. "That's what I'm talking about" yelled Kate.

Kate started to wake up. Her head was lying on his chest. Listening to his breathing made her feel comforted and relaxed. His arms were wrapped around her back. She wondered why to hell she waited so long. For the first time in thirteen years it felt as if she had her life back. Not only had she experienced a magnificent night with the writer whose books she had devoured, but she had also found someone who cared about her like nobody had ever done before, someone who would give his life to save her.

Castle laid his hand under her chin and gently pushed her head upwards so their eyes would meet. What he saw in her eyes made him smile. They were sparkling, he saw that she was happy, in love. "That was awesome, you were awesome" he said and kissed her on the lips. "Well, you weren't bad either" was Kate's cheesy reply. When she saw the disappointment in his eyes, she reassured him. "Now I understand why you are in the top 10 of the most eligible bachelors. But when it's up to me, you won't be on next year's list".

Castle's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "You mean…" He usually is a master with words, but right now he didn't know what to say. Am I dreaming? Did the love of my life just say that I will be back on next year's list? Kate put him out of his misery. "Yes Rick, I meant what I said yesterday. I want you, I want you every minute for the rest of my life. You kept coming back even though I pushed you away every time. You kept trying to win my love and my trust, but you weren't obtrusive. You'd give your life for me and I would do the same for you. I trust you. I love you." She lay her head back on his chest and he gently stroke her head. "I love you too, Kate."

Castle was making pancakes when the door bell rang. He wasn't expecting Alexis yet and Martha was in the Hamptons and both had a key, so he had no idea who it was. He opened the door and was surprised to see Esposito.

"I'm sorry to drop by so early, and I know you aren't following Beckett anymore, but I'm worried about her. She doesn't answer her phone and she's not at her place either…"

Castle didn't know how to react, of course he knew where she was, but he was wondering if Kate would appreciate it if he said that she stayed with him.

"Look Castle, I know things have been rough between you two lately, but I'm afraid she did something extremely stupid after she resigned."

Did she resign? Why on earth didn't she tell me that? "I know she almost died yesterday, but why did she resign? The 12th is her life."

"We both got sent home on administrative leave because we acted behind Gates' back, but Beckett resigned. She'll keep pursuing her mother's murder and she will get herself killed is she doesn't back off. If Ryan had been a few minutes later, she would be lying on an autopsy table. You'd better help me find her instead of making pancakes for your latest conquest."

"You shouldn't worry too much about his latest conquest, Esposito" said Kate as she came out of Castle's bedroom. She was dressed in only his shirt.

Esposito's jaw fell open. Am I dreaming? Is Beckett wearing Castle's shirt? Yesterday they were fighting and now… What is going on here?

Beckett noticed Esposito was to shocked to say anything, so she continued. "Last night I felt happy again for the first time in thirteen years. I realized I had to let go. My mother would want me to get on with my life instead of pushing the man away who has had my back for four years, the man who brought me coffee every morning just to see a smile on my face. And she definitely would want me to follow my heart." Castle couldn't suppress a smile when he heard Kate talking so openly about her feelings.

Esposito clearly needed some time to process what he had seen and heard. "Does anyone want a pancake?" asked Castle to break the silence. All three burst out into laughter.

A/N: reviews are appreciated :). Thanks for reading! Working on the next chapter, should probably be ready by the end of the week since I'm a busy girl.