A/N: This little baby didn't want to leave me alone so I had to put it into words even if I haven't written anything for "Drop By Drop", yet, for which I apologize.

This oneshot takes please at the end of "A rose for everafter" because I genuinely loved what Alyssa Milano did with her last line and her little smile. The impact this little gesture had was huge and I thought it was so nicely done. I miss season 2 Castle and Beckett, I really do.

I own nothing, my iPad owns any mistakes. Thank you WriterLeigh for the encouragement. I love you :*

Kyra left Castle in the adjacent room and as soon as Beckett realized that Castle's former girlfriend and "the one that got away" made her way towards her desk, she hurried to busy herself with her paperwork. Anything as an excuse not to talk to Kyra Blaine.

'Please, just don't talk to me, just please ...' This inner monologue, almost a chant inside her mind, made her body tingle and her forehead wrinkle. She furrowed her brows in concentration as she stared at the pieces of paper in front of her. Words, figures, meanings, all blurred together in front of her eyes, an indistinguishable mush of black and white, intelligible for her. She blinked her eyes rapidly to clear her vision but failed spectacularly. The thoughts running through her mind blocked all capacity for concentration. She gave up. She just kept pretending to read whatever lay on her desk.

Sensing Kyra's approach she looked up to the other woman who now stood close to her desk and smiled down at her from her upright position. Her smile was genuine and open, her body relaxed and she seemed eager to deliver some sort of message to Beckett. Somehow, still, she made it seem urgent. Kyra opened her mouth, her voice soft and calm.

"He's all yours."

'He is all what?'

Kate stared at Kyra's slowly retreating figure and slack-jawed she tried to collect her running thoughts. Did she really suggest what she suggested or ... or ... ? What did she mean?

Beckett heard the elevator door close and looked at Castle who was still sitting in the adjacent room, lost deeply in his thoughts, too. It was a mystery to Beckett what he and his long lost love must have been discussing earlier but it must have been grave, given the state of mind her partner was in. His usual bubbly self had been replaced by a solemn one and seeing him like this, Beckett couldn't help but getting up from her chair and asking him how he felt. An invisible magnetic pull guided her towards the adjacent room and she went there, stopping in the doorframe and leaning against it, staring at Castle from this comfortable distance.

He didn't notice her at first, although he usually sensed her presence when she was near. Kate felt a twinge deep in her gut, an uncomfortable feeling which she forced away with her thoughts. She cleared her throat.

"Hey," she said, unsure whether to enter the room or not. She waited for him to signal her what to do. She was lost. She didn't know what Kyra had meant earlier. She only knew what they had spoken about during their elevator ride together, that Castle's dedications were for people he cared about. Did Kyra insinuate that she, Kate, cared about him as well? 'Nonsense', she scolded herself, 'that's not even true!'

At the same time the dialogue between her and Lanie rang in her ear.

"Apparently Castle has a history with the bride!" she gritted through her teeth, annoyance apparent. She shot Castle several glances that would have killed weaker men instantly with guilt. The writer didn't seem to notice. He was in his new happy place and didn't register anything else.

"Ancient, modern or sexual?" Lanie asked, her tone amused and her lips divided into a subtle smile.

"Seems like all of the above..." Kate said, still annoyed at the coincidence.

"You're okay with that?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Yeah, why wouldn't she be.

"Hey," Castle answered, startling her with his response and she quickly had to get back into the here and now.

"You okay?" she asked, unsure what else to ask him.

"Sort of," he mumbled, playing absentmindedly with a pen that he had found on the desk.

"Anything I can do?" She didn't even know why she just said that. She didn't really want to stay with him, didn't really want to help him with his issues. She had her own problems to solve. At the same time she couldn't leave him sitting there, sad, left, maybe a little shattered even. The familiar twinge in her gut was back.

"No, I don't think so, Kate."

Kate. He had used her first name. That was unusual. Why did she feel all shaky now?

"Okay," she mumbled and slowly turned around to gather her belongings and head off home when she heard his voice once again.

"Kate?" She turned back around only to find him standing there, sadness in his deep blue eyes.

"Yeah?" She asked again, her voice coated with hope. Hope for what? She didn't really know but something about him made her want to find out what it was.

"Ah, never mind," he mumbled, looking down again as if he had gathered up all his courage to call out her name and it had left him as soon as he had her attention. Kate's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Alright then, see you around, Castle," Kate said and finally turned fully around, the feeling of incompletion never leaving her as she made her way out of the precinct. She hurried home in her cruiser, lost in her thoughts.

'He's all yours. He's all yours. He's all yours.'
The chant never left her while she drove through the busy streets of New York City.

Later that night, as she tried to relax with a good book, Kate still heard Kyra's little voice in her head and at one point she threw her latest, half-finished Patterson book on the floor where it landed with a loud 'humpphh'. She sighed audibly and contemplated what she should do to make the voice disappear. Talking to Lanie about it was clearly no option. All that could possibly do would be to raise the issue of her possible jealously again and Kate didn't see the need for such a discussion. At least not so quickly after meeting 'the one that got away'.

Her head shot up when she heard a knock on the door. Who would be knocking at 9 pm at night? Grabbing her Glock she slowly went towards her door and quickly looked through the peek hole. Surprised, she opened her door to a mystery writer who held a bottle of red wine in his hand.

"I came to apologize," he said. He still looked rather sad but his eyes twinkled with mischief again, which overall was a good sign.

"What would you have to apologize for?" Kate asked and let him in.

"Oh, I can think of several reasons," he said and handed her the bottle so that he could hang his jacket.

"I am intrigued," Kate involuntarily teased him playfully and almost instantly regretted her move because it had increased the mischief that danced in his eyes.

"Really?" He challenged her to admit why she was intrigued but she retreated into her kitchen to get an opener for the expensive looking wine bottle she still clutched in her hand. She drew in a deep breath and hoped he wouldn't notice how nervous she was. That he had come to her apartment around this time of day, bringing a bottle of wine after a case that had clearly messed with his feelings ... She wasn't sure what to make of his behavior and decided to opt for the safe version. Keeping a distance.

But why?

Castle seemed to think the same, he followed her into the kitchen area and looked at her expectantly while she hurried to find her bottle opener. When she finally found it, his gaze had made her even more nervous and her hands were shaking a little bit when she attempted to open the bottle.

"Here, let me," he offered, his hands already stretched out toward her trembling hands. His warm hands brushed over hers and she involuntarily shivered and quickly pulled her hands away.

"Thanks," Kate mumbled and turned around so that he couldn't see her cheeks blushing furiously. She busied herself with finding two wine glasses when she heard the small noise of the bottle opening. Castle left the bottle open to 'let the wine breathe'.

"So," Kate started, "do I have to create a very Castle-ish story about why you're here, or will you tell me?"

"I would never make you guess, I know how much you hate it..."

'He does,' Kate thought, 'he really does know that I would hate it if he made me guess. I wonder...'

"I could really use some debriefing after this one, that's why I came here," Castle confessed, his vulnerability apparent in his voice, "I think I am still a little overwhelmed. And..."

"And?" Kate asked, unsure if she really wanted to know what his reason for coming truly was.

"And ... I need a date for Kyra's wedding."

"Me?" Kate asked, surprised to no extent by his reasons for coming.

"Who else..." He said non-chalantly and even if she knew exactly that there had to be some meaning behind his invitation, she let it go.

"I'll be there', Kate answered without thinking and scolded herself for her quick acceptance as soon as the words were out. If she was very honest to herself, she needed to witness Kyra Blaine get married to ... Yeah, to what exactly? Why did she need it, exactly?

'He's all yours. He's all yours. He's all yours.'

"Shall we get that wine now?" Kate asked and Castle took the hint to fetch the bottle and the glasses and join Kate on her comfy couch.

"Are you nervous?" Kate asked him the following day, mere moments before the ceremony would be starting.

"Me?" he answered her question with a question himself, "why would I be? I am not getting married today!"

"No," Kate said, testing the borders of their friendship, "but she is..."

Castle needed several moments to recover from the blow and then smiled. "She is marrying a good guy. Besides, this is not the first wedding I've ever been to..."

"Figures..." she smiled, happy that he had taken her remark so lightly.

"And correct me if I am wrong but didn't you mention that you've been a bridesmaid several times? You can't be unfamiliar with the setting then, too, am I right?"

She coughed at the recollection of her six absolutely hideous bridesmaid's dresses and he smiled down at her, knowingly.

"You really ought to show me pictures someday!" he beamed and she huffed.

"In your dreams..." she retorted.

"Oh, detective, I have some very vivid dreams..."

His comment made her blush again. Why did he have such a big influence on her? 'Because, he's all mine?' the little voice in the back of her head chirped and Kate shook her head.

"What's wrong? If you want to, I can even describe..."

"CASTLE!"

"Sorry..."

Thoughts?