A/N: Many, many moons ago I got a challenge from Lousiemcdoogle to write a fic about Cops & Robbers. Since this episode was both of our favourite episode, I decided to write a fic. Because I just LOVE Cops & Robbers. This is a slightly AU take on what happened there.

The title is inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's movie "Whisper of the heart". Because this fic has the similar feel.

I do hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

The bomb rips the bank apart. The dust is like a wall, swirling so thickly in the air, one could barely see through all of it. Beckett yells frantically for Castle.

It can't be.

A bomb.

Again.

Only instead of her apartment blowing up around her, it's he who's stuck inside with a bomb. And leaving her outside, fearing for his life.

She hangs on to her last thread of hope and prays he didn't blow up.

He couldn't. Not now, after all of she has survived … the bullet, the days in recovery. He can't be dead. She refuses to believe that.

"CASTLE!" she yells again, the panic rising in her voice.

This time she hears it. She hears him yelling back to her. Oh thank God! He's alive… He's alive.

She takes in a calming breath and rushes towards the voice.

And then she sees him, together with the other hostages, behind the bars of the room of safe deposit boxes. He's okay.

She yells back to the team, "They're here!"

She's through the doors and shouldering her way into the room quickly.

"I told you! Huh!" Castle laughs in relief.

Even in times like these, he can laugh at this. He can find the jokes in the tragedy. She drops to her knees in front of him. Pulling a knife from her vest, she can't keep away the bubble of happiness. The radiant smile shines on her face. He's okay. He's alive.

"Here we go. Ready? Okay," she looks down and cuts his restraints. And then she can't stop looking at him, oblivious to the rest of the hostages.

"How are you?" She reaches out, smoothing out his jacket. They don't break eye contact, energy flowing between them. She smiles at him, that special smile only meant for him. The one she only smiles in situations like these when her walls have crumbling down and she lets her love shine out. Castle can't do anything but smile back at her, because who can do anything else when she openly and lovingly stares at him.

"He's not the only one here, you know." Martha's voice breaks them both from their connection. The redhead starts wiggling her bound hands hopefully.

"I'm so– I'm so sorry, Martha," Beckett wakes up from her little daydream and is quick to apologize.

Castle lets his head fall back in frustration at their broken moment.

Interrupted again.

"How're you doing?" Beckett shifts her focus to Martha, helping her to get rid of the zip ties around of her hands.

"Oooh, don't you worry, I feel fine!" Martha smiles as Kate extends her arm to help Martha up from the floor. "Thank you, darling."

Castle is already up and smiling at the two women. "Let's get out of here. The service at this bank is terrible."

That pulls laughter out of both of them and eases the energy around them.

They are all alive and that's all that matters.

As they near the main lobby of the bank, Peterson debriefs Kate on the situation with the robbers.

It seems there is nothing left, other than a pile of broken body parts and ashes. C4 destroyed half of the room together with the offenders, dust and ash flying around the hostages who still are trying to find their way out of the bank.

"Let's go," Beckett mumbles and attaches her hand to Castle's sleeve. Martha has already grabbed the hand of the pregnant teller, Simone, and is slowly but surely leading her towards the front door.

Castle smiles and watches his mother take the lead. She always does that and he doesn't mind. It's one of the endearing qualities he likes about his mother.

Suddenly he feels a pull on his sleeve and looks down to see what is going on. Beckett's left hand is attached to his right arm and she is slightly pulling him away from the doorway.

She doesn't want to get out?

"Beckett?"

"Come with me, Castle. For a second. Please?" She whispers and looks up to him, her eyes full of awe and relief, shining back to him. "Please?"

He nods. He doesn't completely understand why she is doing this, but he wants to know.

Beckett lowers her hand to entwine her fingers with his. Then she pulls him again towards the shadowy hallway in front of them.

Castle arches eyebrows high up. Beckett has been avoiding his touch for months, ever since he came back to precinct to shadow her again. She doesn't do touching. Why is she suddenly doing this? He doesn't mind it though, on the contrary – he loves when she does that. He lives for moments like this – where Beckett reveals another layer of hers, even though they are just holding hands. But it's amazing.

Her fingers feel tiny between his bigger ones. He closes his eyes for a second to take in the moment - Beckett voluntarily touching him, dragging him to the dark corners of the bank. Then he opens his eyes to see where they are going.

As he starts wondering where they are headed, she takes a turn to the left and stops in her tracks, turning herself around.

Castle almost crashes into her. She places a hand on his chest to stop him and to help him gain his balance. He looks down into her eyes and realizes - nobody can see them in this little alcove, they are safely away from prying eyes.

"Castle," she whispers.

They stand there, frozen in time, looking at each other and taking in the moment. He feels the shiver run up his spine and he shudders. Before he can open his mouth to ask her what they are doing there, she has moved her hands to his face, rising to her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his.

He stands there, motionless for few seconds, too shocked to move or even breathe. Her lips move against his, soft like a whisper of a butterfly. And suddenly something snaps inside him. His hands move up to caress her cheeks, holding her in place as he finally joins in the kiss, his lips frantically searching hers. The connection is instant, hot flames licking his insides, creating havoc in his heart. He feels a moan reverberate somewhere from the depths of her lungs as he pulls her face closer to him. She opens her mouth and their tongues meet in a passionate dance. He releases her face from his grasp and brings his arms around her, his fingers caressing the edge of her bulletproof vest. Her hands close around his neck and she holds onto him with a tight grip. She feels too good against him.

Everything in his head is a mess. His mind is in overdrive while his senses are overheating. Only her. She is the only one who can do this to him. He loves her. He loves her so much. But she doesn't know it yet.

He wants to show his love to her. He grips her tighter, forcing her to open her lips even more, his tongue swirling in her mouth.

Suddenly Kate tears her lips away from his, breaking their connection. She takes a step back to create distance between them.

Castle opens his eyes and gulps in deep breaths as she is doing the same. His eyes meet hers and he can see panic in them.

She is blushing and tries to gather enough air to speak. In spite of her messy hair and now thoroughly kissed lips, she looks adorable.

He takes a step towards her.

She takes a step back.

"Castle, stop. We can't."

"But…" His eyebrows knit together. "... we just did."

"No, Castle… I … can't… I'm so sorry," she whispers and then she is gone, rushing from the building as fast as she can, leaving him breathless in the dark corner where she dragged him.

He watches her run away and draws in another lungful of dusty air. He can do nothing but shake his head as he is trying to gather his jumbled thoughts back together again.

What just happened?

A/N: So, how did you like it? Shall I continue?

Please let me know your thoughts. Review.