A/N: And so here we end this little story. Like I said, it would be short and sweet, and while this would never happen on the show, I had a bit of fun writing this. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as well. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 3

She had a plan. That was the only thing keeping her from canceling her idea and just letting everything simmer down. But that could be awhile and the risk of losing him was too great. She would stick to the plan. Just a sting op, nothing more. Castle was the target, she was the bait and, dammit, they were going to figure this out.

She closed her locker and sat down on a bench, her black tank-top tight across her back as she bent down and slipped off her shoes. Would he even show? She had given Ryan and Esposito specific directions on what to do when Castle came in but then, they could screw it up. They could tell him she was up to something, but that wouldn't stop him from showing, in fact it would probably put a spring in his step.

This could get ugly. He still might not want to talk to her, and if that was the case, she had something else in mind other than talking. This would be as much for her as him, because—Christ, she had some things she needed to get out too. Hopefully in the end neither of them would have broken bones, but she didn't discard the possibility.

Standing she looked around the locker room and found it empty, a small piece of grace, but she didn't expect it to last long. Second shift started in less than an hour, which should give her enough time. If not… well, they'd just have to deal with the show.

She finished taping up her hands and headed out into the training room. She stopped on one of the blue mats and turned her neck from side to side, shook out her limbs. He'd show. He had too.

Nerves were buzzing in every part of her and her stomach had started a nervous jitter that she tried to quell but failed. She needed to do something with the energy, so she went to the large hanging bag in the corner of the room and began to beat the thing into submission.

A hard, round-house kick left the muscles in her calf singing and her skin tingling. The bag's chain squeaked and the tapped the wall before it fell into a gentle sway. She took a step back, settled her stance and took a breath.

"Nice kick." She put her arms up for a moment as if to attack and then dropped them when Castle stepped into the ring of light that played over the mats. "Anyone I know?"

"Someone you know quiet well." She said and wiped a strand of hair back behind her ear. "You need something?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Ryan said you were up here and wanted to talk to me about something."

"I wasn't thinking of talking much." She said as she went to the bench and picked up a bottle, took a gulp of water into her mouth and while swallowing she picked up a pile of clothes. "But we may solve more this way." She tossed the pile at him and they hit him square in the chest. "Go change in there and then come out."

"What's going on, Beckett?"

"Just for once do as I ask, all right? Go change."

He seemed to want to say something more but an old fashioned glare had him turning and trudging toward the locker room. The door closed with a small bang and she had to sit down. This felt like the right way to get through this, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this would end badly. Hadn't it already? How much worse could this make it? They were already on the outs, at least this way they could get some hits in.

When he came back out she looked up and felt a pleasant twinge in her abdomen. He wore a dark blue t-shirt that was tucked into a pair of lose, dark red running pants. The sleeves were missing and she couldn't remember the last time she had seen his arms bare, but she sort of wished he'd do it more often. He looked down at himself, adjusted the shirt and then cocked his head to the side. "And I'm wearing my work-out clothes because…?"

She had talked Martha into getting them for her this morning. Apparently Castle really did have plans, a business meeting at the Old Haunt. She still wondered what kind of business, but that was a question for another time. "Obviously because we're going to be working out."

"I'm going to what? Spot you while you're on the weight-bench?"

She smiled slightly and stood, walked toward him with her hands on her hips. "I have something else in mind, Castle."

"What's that?" She couldn't help but grin at the surprise that filled up his face. She could almost see his mind going into overdrive, and she was glad she wasn't privy to what may be going inside it.

"We're going to spar."

"You're joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"I'm not fighting you, Beckett." He said and walked along the mat, careful to stay off it.

"It's sparring, not fighting. What's wrong, Castle? Afraid you'd get your ass handed to you?"

"Want me to be honest? A little bit, yeah."

"Come on, I'll take it easy on you."

"Why?"

"Because I could probably take you—"

"No, I mean: why do you want to spar? What is that going to do?"

Kate shrugged. "Who knows? Get in here, you wuss."

He seemed torn for a moment but his brows came down in a look of determination and he stepped up on the mat. "Rules?"

"Full contact," she said. "Though, I'll keep clear of the cheap shot. No hitting of the head, either. Don't want to mess up the ruggedly handsome thing you have going on."

"I'd appreciate that." He said and she grinned. It widened when he allowed a small smile. He took up a boxing stance a few feet from her and shifted his shoulders.

"Ready?"

Castle reached out with a gloved hand behind him and made a knocking motion, the smile wide for only a moment. "Ding. Ding."

They began to circle, their feet moving in concert to keep each other in view. Kate struck first with a quick instep and an elbow jab to his side. He blocked with a forearm, the motion not super fast, but surprising for him and she rolled with it, took a step back. "So, you're still mad?"

"Possibly." He said and blocked a kick from her with his shin. He missed the second one which sent him staggering back a few feet. He laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing," he moved forward again, this time keeping his hands a little more loose and down. "Is that the best you got, Detective?"

"Please." She jabbed at him again and he deflected her right hit and landed a punch of his own against her right side. She grunted and turned with it. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it should have and she realized he was pulling his punches. It annoyed her. They traded a number of blows, each one from him at probably half his strength. "Come on, Castle, I'm not fragile here."

"What are you talking about?" She stepped to his side when he dropped his hands for a moment and took hold of his arm, flipped him onto his back. The THWAP! his body made hitting the mat echoed through the room. She moved to stand over him as he twisted in pain, his eyes closed tightly.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't hold back."

"Fine," he said his eyes still closed. His quick movement surprised her and only by instinct was she able to soften her fall with a hand. It didn't matter because he was on her in an instant, pinning her arm behind her back, her shoulder screaming pain along her nerves. "Better?"

"Much." She shifted her hips, tried to find a way to get a leg up and against him. "You're not too bad at this."

"Research." He said, his tone still cold and she frowned at it.

"You're making an awfully big assumption, you know that, Castle?"

"About what?"

"About a lot of things." She got her legs bent and set her feet. "You overheard something but didn't get any details. That's not being a very good writer."

"I think we're done here." He went to stand and she helped him along as she shifted her hip into his thigh and pushed him over. It was a quick roll on the mat that had her ending up on top, straddling his waist with her feet hooked around his legs.

"We're not done until we get this figured out." She said and bent down so that their noses were inches away. Sweat had begun to glisten along his forehead and neck. She felt a drop of her own sweat run down her nose and collect at the tip. "We're going to talk about this."

"I thought we were going to spar?"

"We did, I won. Why do you think I didn't tell you I heard what you said?" He turned from her, flinched when a drop of her sweat fell onto his cheek. "Do you think I don't feel the same way?"

This time his eyes shot to her, fierce and dangerous. "Don't do this, Beckett."

"Do what? You're pulling away on an assumption, why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you ask why?"

"Would you have told me? When the hell has confronting you about anything worked out? You'd have deflected, and you know it." He moved his arms, but she held tight, shifted her weight so that she practically laid across him so she had more leverage.

"And if I had? At least then it would all be out in the open. Why haven't you told me that you still have feelings for me? Why keep it under wraps since last spring?"

She had never seen him so angry. His face was drawn up in a grimace that would have given a demon a run for its money in anger. "Why do you think?"

She sat up, placed her hands to his chest and waited. He propped himself up on his elbows, but didn't try to dislodge her from on top of him. He licked his lips and took a deep breath before he locked his eyes with hers and she wished she could look away from the broke shards she saw in them.

"You told me on that swing set-you know, the first time you'd seen me in three months-that you couldn't have a relationship. You said that until you put you mother's murder to rest that you couldn't have what you wanted. I thought I understood what you were say, but it seems not."

"You have a memory like a goddam elephant, you know that?" She said with a slight smile and he just shrugged. "Did you think I meant you?"

"I don't know what I thought." He said and she winced. That came out completely wrong.

"I did mean you," she said and reached out, touched his face to bring his gaze back to her. "I was talking about us."

"Then why did you lie?"

"I don't know, Rick, maybe because I had been shot and needed to deal with that? Maybe because I wasn't ready? Bringing up that I remembered would put that all out on the table, and I wasn't ready for that. I just… wasn't."

"I was willing to wait." He said slowly. She had really hurt him and to know that tore at her heart in a whole new way.

"I know and that's why I couldn't tell you. It isn't fair to ask you to wait for me, Rick."

He looked back to her and sat up completely. She went to get off him, but his hands took hold of her waist and held her there. "You wouldn't need to ask. I was waiting already. I've been waiting for a long time now, Kate. A long time, but you're worth it."

"Am I? What makes me worth it?"

"Because, for some reason, I love you." The words seemed to come out on their own and she could see the slight surprise crawl on his face for only an instant. She smiled, so hard that her cheeks began to hurt after a moment. She reached out and took his face into her hands and pulled him into a quick kiss that sent her insides tumbling over themselves.

She pulled away from him, her eyes hooded and lips tingling and wanted so much to just kiss him again. It took a concerted effort to not do it again and she turned away and looked out into the gym to gather herself some. When she looked back she saw the love he'd mentioned in his eyes and couldn't help but fall in to their pools of blue. "I love you, too."

"Is that so?" He asked, the grin so wide that she feared it might split his face. "Since when?"

"Since for a long time. I just wasn't ready… I'm still not, I don't think."

"I can wait."

"You shouldn't have to, but I'm glad to hear you will. I'm sorry, Rick."

"Nothing to be sorry about."

"I'm working on it all the best I can." She said and placed her arms on his shoulders and began to run her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I want this, though. I want us."

"You'll have us. You just need to tell me when."

"Even if it takes me another month? Another year?"

"I'll be here."

"You sure?"

"Positive." He moved forward and caught her lips, the kiss quick and sloppy, but oh so good. She could live a happy life with just getting a kiss from him once in awhile. She still wanted more than that.

"I guess I have to double my effort." She said when he broke off. "Because I don't think I can hold out much longer."

"Detective, are you saying you're weakened to my charm?"

"In your dreams, Castle."

"I don't think you want to know what happens in my dreams." She hit him square in the shoulder, but couldn't bite back the laugh.

"Uh, excuse me? Are you two done? Some of us would like to use the gym before out shift starts." The voice came from a corner of the room and Kate turned to see two men standing there in sweats and tank-tops, both with shit-eating grins. Well, at least everyone will know in an hour that she and Castle were back on track. She stood from him and then held out her hand, which he took.

"Sorry, was working some things out," Kate said. The men just nodded as she and Castle went toward the locker rooms. She stopped, turned on a heel and faced them both. "You tell anyone about this, and I will personally make your lives hell."

Their grins grew. She turned away, knowing that it wouldn't matter. They wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut, but at least she tried. She and Castle stopped in the hall that had two doors in it, one for each locker room, and faced each other.

"Are we okay?" She asked as her fingers began to tap against her leg. "Because if we're not, I want to know."

"We're okay, Kate. Better even." The smile made her heart flutter and she laughed.

"Good. Well, we should get changed. It's getting late." She turned to go through the door, but he called after her.

"Kate? I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not coming to you and shutting you out." He laughed and rubbed at the back of his head, his posture lax and tired. "I thought I could forget about how much I care about you. I thought I could bury my feelings. I couldn't. I tried so damn hard because it hurt too much, but I couldn't. I should have talked to you."

"We'll figure it out, Rick. We always do."

"Yeah. Always." He said and walked to her. "I can't put to words how much I love you."

"Don't get sappy on me." She said and he laughed and kissed her, his hands tight on her arms. She pushed him gently away, sadness filling her.

"I can't, not yet."

"Right, I know. I can wait. Just… throw me a hint once in awhile to let me know I'm still in the running."

"Running? You've already won, it's just going to take a bit more before you get it."

"Fair enough. Think I could get a ride home?"

"Sure." She said and went into the locker room and then placed her back against the door and let a breath escape. He loved her. She loved him. They loved each other. What more could she ask for? There was still fear, still worry, but she felt that she could overcome them soon enough. She had an honest to God reason to fix as much as she could. He'd wait, but she would make sure it wouldn't be long.

A giant thanks to ChrisS for beta reading this for me!