Castle just stares at all the dried tear stains on the letter and knew it had to be difficult for her to write it. And now, his are added to hers. She loves him, she loves Rick Castle. She has loved him for awhile now. And she knows he loves her. He figured she remembered but thought best for her to come to him when she was ready, not to push her. She had been through so much lately and the seemed to be getting closer that he couldn't take the chance. He knew this day would come if he was patient enough. Of course, she was worth it, worth the wait for when the wall would be down enough for her to let him in. He lays the letter down in his lap and just stares at Beckett. He takes her hands in his. She has the look of anticipation on her face, worried, scared, relieved all at the same time. They just look at each other, gazing into each others eyes and both can see the love for the other. The want, the need, the desire from the years together, have all come to the surface.
After about ten minutes of just looking at each other, Kate can't take it anymore.
"Castle, Rick, please say something."
"Well, then Detective Katherine Beckett, does that mean that Richard Castle is your One and Done?", he asks with that boyish grin that she just adores, but she gives him a very deep concerned, disappointing look, the one that he always dreads. She drops her head, looks at the top of her desk. Slowly she lifts her head and he is scared, she has the look of "I love you, BUT", oh how he hates the buts.
"No Castle, I am afraid that your Detective Katherine Beckett is not ready for a One and Done. Oh, she loves you dearly Rick but she is not ready now nor will she ever be.
"I, Katherine Beckett, however, do consider you to be my ONE and DONE. I am no longer that detective Rick. SHE no longer is the one in charge of Kate, she is not the driving force of who she, who I am anymore and I won't let her be. I am Kate Beckett, NOT detective Beckett. Kate is who I am, detective is what I am. Who I am is defined as wanting, no NEEDING you, Rick Castle in my life. Rick, I have never admitted to needing anything or anyone, but that was the old me, the detective me. I admit that I do need you. Will you be my One and Done Mr. Castle?"
"Only if you promise that you take this gift."
He takes a small jewelry box from his pocket. He had been carrying it around since the bank, just in case because he felt that those walls were about to come crashing down and he wanted to be ready. A look of shock comes across her face. She was not expecting this. Well, she actually was, wishing even, but just not this soon.
"Rick, this is kind of fast, I thought we would take it slow."
"No, this is not an engagement ring, this is a ring of promise, that I will wait for you, and that you will wait for me. That we promise to help each other through this. You wear your mother's wedding ring as a reminder of the life you lost and your father's watch for the life you saved and now you have my ring to remind you of us. Read the inside of the ring and that is my answer."
"Well, then Mr. Castle, I have something to add to that. You must also consider me your One and Done."
Utter shock on his face.
"Kate, how can you ever accept that? I have had two failed marriages before you. "
"Because Rick, of that "F" word."
"WHAT? I never said the "F" word."
"You said failed Rick. With us, there will be no fail. So, I will be your ONE that succeeds and you will be DONE. Is that a deal?
"Just look at the ring Kate."
Kate turns the ring around in her fingers. She finally reads what's was on the inside of the ring, it says it all, just one little word, but it means the world to her, to them.
It simply reads-Always
