I still love you guys, seriously this is amazing! Haha thank you all so much! I hope this chapter is good, I'm still debating whether or not to bump up the rating, I think I might need help making that decision.

Disclaimer: In my dreams maybe…

"I...I really do love you. I'm so in love with you Rick…it scares the crap out of me."

She stared right at him, her breath caught in her throat.

He shook his head and sighed.

"No you don't, you're just saying that to make me feel better." His response shocked her. After all this time, he was just going to reject her like that?

Anger quickly took place of the shock as her blood felt boiling hot.

"Make you feel better?" She stepped closer to him, her cop voice kicking in. He didn't back away though, just continued to stare her down. She didn't have heels on, and his height advantage was much more distinct, but it didn't scare her.

"Yes make me feel better. Don't think I don't know what you've been hiding Kate." The edge in his voice wasn't something she was used to, and she didn't like it one bit.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She was genuinely confused, and he wasn't making this any easier.

"Don't be like that Beckett." Ouch, last name basis. This conversation was definitely not going the way she wanted it to.

"Explain yourself Castle. Now." She crossed her arms, her steely gaze never wavering.

He clenched his fists and his eyes turned cold.

"You heard. You remembered, and you lied." Each word was dripping with a cold hatred, she could hear some of the pain in his voice.

Damnit.

Her eyes went wide, but she took a deep breath to try and steady herself.

"Castle I can explain."

"Forget it, don't waste your breath trying to convince me that being 'just friends' is our best option. I don't wanna hear it." If it was even possible, his tone of voice was even colder, and it made her skin crawl.

She was biting her lip out of anger, and the gears in her head started to work overtime, trying to figure out a way to explain this mess to him.

"You don't think I mean it." She whispered.

"I know you don't." He shot back, hurt now more evident in his tone.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." She stood her ground, her face inches from his.

"You just didn't want me to keep moping around the precinct. I get it. Don't worry about me Beckett, I'll be fine. I'm a big boy." He spat and turned on his heel, continuing his journey out of her apartment.

"Damnit Rick!" She sprinted towards him and grabbed his shoulders, effectively spinning him to face her.

"I love you goddamnit!" She held his t-shirt with a vice grip, her body pressed up against his.

"Bullshit." He huskily replied, and she only tightened her grip, her knuckles going white. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What the hell do I have to do to convince you?" She was genuinely confused, and her emotions were all out of wack. She was hurt, all she ever wanted was to let him know how she felt and now he wasn't going to take it?

This thought made her even angrier, and she pressed even more into him, his breath was hitting her face softly, their faces closer than they've ever been.

"Nothing." His tone was unwelcoming, and he put his hands over hers, trying to pry her grip off his shirt.

She was losing him.

She had no other option.

Her hold on him reinforced and she crashed her lips against his, the spark immediately traveling throughout their bodies. Her tongue slipped past his slightly parted lips and found his, a moan escaping her. After his initial shock wore off, he responded. His tongue fighting against hers, one hand on her waist and the other in her hair. Her grip loosened on his shirt and one of her hands found residence around his neck, playing with the hairs at the back of his neck. The other ran down his chest, feeling the firm muscles under her fingertips.

They pulled away eventually, the need for air far too strong for either to resist.

"Rick…" She breathed out, eyes searching his for some type of response.

If kissing him senseless was the only way to get him to believe her, then kiss him she would.

"Kate…Thank you." His thumb caressed her cheek and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"For what?" She asked, and a smile broke out onto his face.

"For not letting me walk away. For not giving up."

She chuckled and put her hand over his.

"I should be the one thanking you, I've been nothing but a pain in the ass. So stubborn, and emotionally out of touch." She bit her lip and looked down.

"Your worth waiting for." He whispered, making her heart flutter and her cheeks blush.

"I wouldn't mind an explanation for the lying though." His voice was firm again, and she sighed. No use in trying to hide it now.

"I was scared Rick, I wasn't ready for that. Especially after the shooting and my mom's case coming back up. I just…I needed that time. I wanted to tell you how I felt, but I just felt like all this shit had to be cleared up, I wanted my head to be clear. It hasn't been for the longest time, and right now…right now it is." He smiled, but then quickly frowned when she brought up her mother's case.

"Kate, before anything else happens, I need to tell you something." He grasped her hands and intertwined their fingers.

"I've…I've been looking into her case since your shooting." He closed his eyes and felt her grip loosen on his hands.

"You've been doing what?" Her tone was disbelieving, and it pained his heart to have to do this.

She'd thank him for his honesty later, she had to. She couldn't possibly be mad at him and forget their love…

Could she?

"I have a murder board and everything. I know you can protect yourself but damnit Kate if you didn't stop looking into the case they were going to kill you! I saw you die in that ambulance and I refuse to lose you again. I can't do that." He ran a hand through his hair as she pondered his explanation.

"Rick you had no right." She took a step back and stared at him.

"I know, trust me I do. But they were going to kill you Kate!" He looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to not make him leave.

"They could have come after you Castle!" She exclaimed, her headache returning full force.

"Better me than you." He calmly said, and she shook her head.

"No damnit, Castle I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend that losing you wouldn't be the worst thing since my mother got murdered, because it would be. Losing you scares me shitless, and I can't lose you. Neither can your family, your mother needs you, Alexis needs you." She stepped closer and put her hands back in his t-shirt.

"I need you Rick." He enveloped her in a hug and she took a deep breath, taking in the rich scent that surrounded her. His scent.

"I'm so sorry." He mumbled into her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry too, god we're so bad at communicating. You'd think we'd be better at this considering we're partners." She finished and looked up at him, both of them smiling.

"We can always make up for lost time you know." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she blushed, smacking him lightly on the chest.

"Now tell me, how exactly would we go about doing that?" She teased, running a hand through his soft hair.

"I can show you better than I can tell you." He replied, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

I thought this came out pretty good, I'd love to hear thoughts on it though. I felt like the fact that he was investigating her mother's murder was too big of a secret to just ignore. So…should I leave it here or bump it up to M?

REVIEW!

-Talar