"Hey Rick! How are you! We haven't talked in forever!" Rick hated situations like this. They were always so awkward,

"Hello Meredith. I'm really good actually. How about you?" Meredith always had the worst timing. The night when all Rick wanted to do was be with Kate and talk to Kate, she had to show up and ruin everything.

"I'm great! I got asked to do a play right here in New York! I'm staying here with a friend for a couple of days." Meredith smiled and moved closer to him, their chests touching. Rick tried to move away but she pinned him up against the wall. "You want to come up and maybe... roll around in the sheets a bit? It's been a long time since we last did that Mr. Castle..." she said in a low seductive voice as she trailed a finger down his chest. He looked down at the ground avoiding eye contact with her,

''No Meredith, I-I can't I umm I'm-"

"I've taken over that department Meredith." Rick's eyes shot up and his jaw dropped to the floor. He was shocked to see the beautiful woman who had just admitted she'd been sleeping with him even though he hadn't had sex in almost a year. Meredith turned around to find Kate closer to her than she had thought she was.

"Oh... I'm... I'm so sorry I didn't mean to..." She stammered as she walked away heading towards the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator.

Kate saw Rick's mouth hanging open and used her hand to close it. "Ya might want to close your mouth there, Rick. You might start catching flies." she said with a smirk. The elevator doors opened and Kate moved inside. When she realized Rick didn't move she called to him, "Rick, you going to stand there all night or are you going to come up and tell me why you can't stop thinking about me?"

Rick blinked a few times then moved into the elevator as her murmured "tease" under his breath.

After a minute of silence Rick spoke up, "are you really going to take over that department?" Kate rolled her eyes as they made it to her floor and walked out of the elevator.

Kate didn't reply because truthfully, she wanted to. She wanted to take over the sex department, the kissing department, the girlfriend department and hopefully one day the spousal department. But for now she's stuck with the partner department unless she gets up the guts to finally tell him.

"I have to... it's only fair right?" Kate said to herself softly, "I mean... he told me... I should tell him..."

Kate was standing outside her apartment door staring at it. Rick could tell that she was lost in thought but he was really curious about what she was talking about. "I told you what Kate?" Kate's eyes shot up to meet his, look of horror on her face.

"You... I said that out loud?" Rick nodded, "Shit!" Kate unlocked the door and led him in. She took off her and threw it the table next to her door along with her keys.

Kate walked into her kitchen acting as if Rick weren't even there and grabbed herself a glass of water.

Rick closed the door behind him and hung both their coats on the coat rack and then went to join her in the kitchen. He leaned on the counter watching her pace back and forth, taking a drink of water every few seconds. "Kate what were you talking about?" Kate didn't stop her pacing.

"N-nothing... it was nothing." Rick walked around the island and grabbed a hold of her arms to stop her from pacing.

"Kate we're best friends... partners. You can tell me." Kate tried but failed to resist looking into his eyes. His eyes were filled with concern, curiosity and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. Was that... Love? It was.

Kate put the glass down on the counter brushing his hands off her arms. Kate grabbed his hands and clasped their fingers together. She stared done at their hands knowing Rick was confused as hell. "Remember all the times you asked me if I remembered anything from the shooting? And I told you I didn't remember anything..." Rick squeezed her hand urging her to continue, "Well... it was a lie... I... I remember everything..." Kate let go of one of his hands and traced her scar with her fingers. "I remember... the bullet hitting me so goddamned hard... I remember you tackling me to the ground... I can't get that look that was on your face out of my head. And those words... I hear them every time I look at you... they just replay over and over and over again... But the worst thing is... I hear my reply screaming to get out... screaming to let you know I feel the same way and -" She was cut off by Rick lifting her chin with a finger and kissing her softly. The kiss turned heating in mere seconds.

Kate was the first to pull away. "So you're not mad?" she asked and she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"No Kate, I'm not mad. I'm just curious why you decided to say it or well think about it now." Kate wrapped her arms around him. Holding his body firmly to hers.

"After seeing Hastings and Whittaker in the elevator... Seeing them so happy... I could see that being us and I didn't want to waste anymore time."

"Okay I get that... but why were you thinking about that now? When we were on the way up?" Kate looked up at him and blushed slightly.

"I... I was thinking. After you asked if I was really taking over the sex department I couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted you..." Kate looked away from him. "I was seeing a future with you... I was seeing a family with you but I none of that could happen if it was all based on a lie. I couldn't do that to you. I've hurt you enough... I couldn't do it again." Castle kissed her forehead then leaned a cheek on the crown of her head.

"Well I'm glad you told me"