Wake Up
'I feel like I'm being watched. I hate that feeling.'
One hazel eye popped opened and was met by a bright blueone that was smiling.
"You know I hate it when you watch me."
"Yes, but I love it. Plus I have to make sure this is real."
"Really Castle, you would think that after five years you would know that it was really, and could stop watching me sleep."
With a smirk Richard Castle reached over and grabbed the woman in bed next to him.
"Well, I guess that you will have to just help me out with that Beckett,"
This caused kate to laugh. Five years together and the play was still the same. He still annoyed her and she still drove him crazy. The difference was that now when they drove each other to the point of murder, they would fall into bed and take it out on each other in a whole different way.
"So Castle, what's the plan for today?"
"Well, I was thinking that we would stay in bed. I can order a bunch of food, and… yeah, that's about all I had planned so far."
Kate looked at the man in the bed with her. Even if she weren't the Captain of the homicide division, she could always read him like one of his books.
"What's in that mind of yours?"
A look of fake shock graced Castle's face. "What? There is nothing in my head. I'm a blank slate."
Kate gave Richard a look that he knew all too well. The look told him that she wasn't buying it for a minute.
"Okay writer-boy. You might as well cough up whatever it is now and save yourself. You know that I'll figure it out just like I always do."
Castle looked up at Kate, who had by then, climbed on top of him and was straddling his waist.
"Oh yeah? And what form of torture do you have in mind if I don't confess?"
Beckett looked down at Rick with a smirk of her own. "I'll call your mother and daughter over and have them drag us shopping. Then I'll ask them to spend the weekend."
Rick looked up at the woman he loved. "You wouldn't do that to me."
"You know that I would. So tell me, what do you have up your sleeve?"
Richard looked into Kate's eyes and sat up. With her still sitting on his lap he reached over in his drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside that box was what he had been thinking of.
"This Kate, this is what I have been thinking. I've been thinking of this for a long time. I just haven't been able to bring myself to risk giving it to you."
Kate looked down just as Castle opened the box to reveal a beautiful cut diamond. It was perfectly simple. Not too big or flashy. It was elegant and something that was very Kate.
"Oh Castle! It's beautiful!"
"Not anywhere near as beautiful as you. So what do you say Kate? Can I be your 'One and done'?"
"Yes. Yes Rick! You are already my 'One and done'. I love you so much!"
Kate leaned over and kissed Rick. This was not a kiss of passion. No this was a kiss of promise. Promise of a life that would be full of more than either of them had ever hoped for.
After minutes that felt like years, they pulled back and looked at each other. The love that showed on their faces was more than the happiness of the moment. It was for all the moments that would go on forever.
"You do know that this means we HAVE to call you mother and Alexis now? And my father too."
"No, but I do know that it means we have to call them sometime today. But first, I thought we had plans to gather large quantities of food and to stay in bed?"
"Yes, that was the plan wasn't it?"
Kate looked at Castle. She couldn't believe that he had finally asked her. She had found the ring a year ago. Then six months ago Alexis told her about it cause she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. Then two months ago Martha had stumbled upon the ring and called her in an excited haze.
Kate was starting to wonder if Rick was ever going to actually use that diamond of his.
"So Kate, I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Exactly how long have you known about the ring?"
Kate just smiled at her writer-boy.
"I knew it. Who told you? It was my mother wasn't it?" Castle was only a little mad.
"Actually, it was Alexis, and then your mother. But you can't be mad at them. I found it over a year ago. You didn't hide it very well. Do you forget that I live here too?"
Rick just shook his head. "Never try to hide anything from Katherine Beckett."
"Well now you won't be able to hide anything from Kate Castle."
Kate Castle. They took a second to let the name sink in. They both loved the way that it sounded. The way that it was just a perfect fit.
"You do know that once those 'I do's' are said, you are done for. I mean it when I say one and done.
Rick just smiled a longing smile. "So am I Kate. You just took too long to show up. The others don't count for me. You are who I truly love. I will never regret Alexis, but I wish I would have waited for you."
Tears were fighting to make themselves known in Kate's eyes. This was going to be the best day of her life so far.
"Castle, I think we should go back to bed."
"Why?"
"Because, I want to wake up and do this all over to make sure it's not a dream."
With that said, the two went back to bed. Though it was several hours before, exhausted and satisfied several times over, they both fell back to sleep.
THE END