A/N: Another really long one guys, sorry. I hopefully promise that the next ones will be shorter. This is the chapter where we depart Knockdown's plot and into my own (insert evil laugh here). : ) Well, kinda. I mean, yes I begin my story in this chapter, but you've got a while to read first. And I start with the kiss, so don't worry. And I've gotta say, watching that sucker over and over and over again to make sure I got it right, yep, that was LOTS of fun : ). But if any of it is awful and doesn't live up to expectations, well I'm sorry. A girl can dream, but it's not like I've had much experience. Like almost at all. But that's not the point. On with the story! (And please don't hate me for the ending. This thing had to end somehow!)

Oh, I don't own Castle. And that's okay with me. Because then I get to play here. But I do own any mistakes. My bad guys, just skip over them : )

Chapter 4.

She looked into his eyes.

They were so serious with his intent.

Shock ran through her system, cutting off her laugh as she realized what he was about to do.

And then his lips were on hers.

The kiss was gentle, brief. Too brief. But it seared straight through her, heating her to her core. Kate couldn't think. Last night she'd dreamed about his lips, but this right now was so much better. Kate felt herself start to give way and so immediately retreated. She stared at him in shock, for while her body was screaming for more, she still couldn't believe they'd just kissed. Kate knew he read her face as an I-can't-believe-you-just-did-that-and-you're-going-to-pay-for-it-later face, but she didn't trust herself to tell him the truth. She didn't know what it would do to their relationship.

It was then that Kate caught the bodyguard still walking towards him and she suddenly remembered they were undercover. That dawning realization made her heart still. What if he'd only kissed her because he thought that's what the situation demanded? It was that fear, more than the fact that she felt colder without him wrapped around her, more than the fact that she so desperately wanted to taste him again, that made her dive back in. Kate had to know that he meant something more. Castle always meant something more. Always.

She tried her best to not get swept away by their kiss. She tried to keep an eye on the approaching bodyguard, but the moment Castle entwined his fingers in her hair and pulled her in deeper, she was gone. Everywhere he touched lit her on fire. And she pressed herself into him, molding her body with his. But still she couldn't get enough. She felt a moan escape her lips as she bit his top lip and he responded by pushing against her mouth harder, their lips moving together as if they'd done this all their lives. It felt so right Kate wondered why they hadn't done this before. She felt her defenses drop, one by one, and ran her fingers through his hair and down the side of his face.

But a small chuckle brought her back. Ryan and Esposito, her mind recalled with a jolt. She opened her eyes, when did I close them?, and saw the bodyguard walk away. Stealing one last kiss, Kate used Castle as an anchor and flipped around, bringing the butt of her gun down hard on the side of his head. Teach him to interrupt us, part of her mind said. Kate shivered in recollection, her toes curling for a brief instant in pleasure. Ryan and Esposito, she scolded back. But my God—

"That was amazing," Castle finished her thought out loud. Kate froze and turned slowly around. She wanted to agree and pull him towards her once again, but the weight of the world had decided to find its way back to her shoulders, rebuilding the walls of her defenses. But it didn't stop her from seeing on Castle's face the emotions she was trying so desperately to both hide and show.

But seeing her face, whatever was written on it, caused him to go through another door. "They way you knocked him out, I mean. That was…" He drifted off, catching sight of her now swollen lips. She looked away.

"Let's go," she said, but then couldn't help her response to what they both wished he'd said. "Yeah." Then she walked off. It took him a moment to reach her side once again, but where it would have once made her roll her eyes, the reaction she missed would have made her heart beat harder once again. After all, she couldn't believe she'd just made out with Richard Castle either. But her mind was elsewhere, somewhere between realizing it would be even harder to think of him as Castle instead of Rick and going through protocol on recovery of police officers.

The entranced cleared, Kate and Castle made their way into the building. She sent Castle to look for the boys while she called in for back up. Replacing her phone, she saw Castle motion her towards a door.

"Okay!" She heard Esposito shout. Some gurgling noise immediately stopped.

"Don't tell this jackhole anything," they heard Ryan say after a moment, coughing and sputtering. They're torturing him by drowning, Kate realized. One look at Castle confirmed he'd made the discovery, too.

"I'm sorry, bro, I can't watch this. Listen to me, you're too late. The cops already know all about…me and your mom."

Ryan's laughter was cut short when a new voice stated, "Shoot out one of his knee caps."

She and Castle barely heard Epsosito's shout "NO!" as they sprung into action. She motioned for Castle to stay behind her and then find somewhere out of the way as they quickly made their way down the steps. He nodded and then was out of site. Kate quickly took in the situation, Ryan on the ground, a man standing over him with a gun pointed to his knees, a second man, Lockwood, she realized, watching it all, and Esposito with a collar? around his neck being held by a third. Three men. She took out the first before he could fire. Then all hell broke loose.

Collar Man pulled a rifle from around his back and fired at her until he found cover behind a pillar. Kate took a few shots, but didn't hit. She saw Lockwood grab his rifle and go for cover as well. She'd take care of him last. Reaching cover herself, she waited for Collar Man to show himself and then fired. He fell down spinning.

Lockwood didn't waste any time and advanced on her, taking careful shots and forcing her from one hiding spot to another. Each shot he took missed, but then again so did hers. He took cover behind another pillar. She quickly unloaded and reloaded her gun. Her heart was pounding again, the adrenaline coursing through her system contrasting the pleasure she'd felt upstairs to the terror she felt now. She hoped Castle was safe. Turning slightly to try to get an angle, Kate prepared to resume the shootout. Only to hear a muffled cry, a shot, and the sound of two bodies hitting the floor. Her mind jumping wildly from one thought to another, Kate leapt up and spun around. Then she stood frozen for a moment as she took in the site of Castle straddling Lockwood, punching the man senseless. She ran over to Castle. He was gazing down at the unconscious Lockwood, his hand still clenched in a fist.

"You okay?" She asked for the second time in twenty-four hours.

"Huh?" He asked, almost startled to see her standing there. Then he looked back down. Back up. "Never better."

Kate let relief wash over her. Castle was unhurt. And he'd once again saved her life. But more than that, she hadn't had to shoot another link to her mother's murder. They would be taking Lockwood in alive.

x-x-x-x-x

Punching a guy's face was excruciatingly painful. There was nothing soft about a man's cheekbone or his nose. But Castle wouldn't trade that feeling for the world. Unless, of course, he could kiss Kate Beckett again. Maybe his heroic actions would solicit some kind of affection. But Castle knew better than to press his luck, even as those few precious moments washed over him again. He'd been afraid Beckett would slap him after the stunt he pulled. But instead her face had shown wonder, amazement, tenderness, and no small amount of shock. And then she'd pulled him in. And everywhere she'd touch had set him aflame, setting fire to parts of him he didn't know he'd had. He'd danced with her, exploring her lips, molding, meshing, leaving tantalizing messages all over. And much like her words and playful, sexy banter, he'd found her revealing a whole new side to herself. He drank it in and asked for more. Even after she broke it off to knock the bodyguard unconscious, he knew that what had started out as an undercover kiss (on her side) had turned into something more. Castle had found himself checking his lips to make sure it had really just happened as he'd raced to catch up with her. He had found something sexier than swordplay.

The bad wrapping job the EMT did brought Castle out of his reverie. He started to unlace the bandage when Beckett suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Hey there Chuck Norris," she greeted with a smile. God, he loved her smile. Every single one of them. "How's the hand?" She asked as she took it into her own and started fixing the bandage.

"Excruciating," he winced, shivers running up his arm at her touch. "How's Ryan and Esposito?" He asked. Her hands were so gentle.

"Hm, mild hypothermia, wounded pride." Kate looked up at him with a small smile. "Guess which one will heal first?" She tucked the bandage end in and stroked the bandage flat. Castle's heart thumped.

"Thank you," she murmured as she let go, "For having my back in there." Her eyes were serious, sincere, but they spoke to more than that. So Castle said what he couldn't before, one word that was truer than anything he'd said in his life. And in it he put everything he felt for her.

"Always."

x-x-x-x-x

Kate held his eyes for a moment and then looked away. She'd seen everything he wanted her to, but it didn't make sense. She'd forgiven him and they'd moved past it, if by moving past it meant they never talked about it, but if Castle meant what he didn't say, then why had he gone to the Hamptons with Gina? And why was he still with her? Gazing up to where the stars would be had blinking ambulance lights not outshined them, Kate let it go. Maybe she read him wrong, maybe it was just the adrenaline rush that made him think crazy things, maybe it was just residue from the kiss. For once she wished she had Josh to go home to. She didn't want to be alone again tonight.

Kate looked back to Castle and found him still watching her, a slight smile on his lips.

"What?" She asked.

"We caught him," he replied, his smile getting bigger. "We caught him and we are one step closer to the answers you need. We did it Beckett. You did it." He reached over and squeezed her hand.

A smile tugged at her own lips and the reality of it all really sunk in. "You're right. We caught him." Then she paused and gripped his hand harder. "No, you caught him. You caught him, Rick." Damn, there was that name again. But it was true. He'd come to her apartment and forced her to keep working, he'd snuck back into the precinct to get the files they needed, he'd found the phone bill to lead them to Lockwood. He'd taken out Lockwood and saved her life. He did it. "Not me. It was all you this time."

Castle sat back, but held her hand. "Never thought I'd hear you say something like that," he said wryly.

"Join the club," she responded. But the intensity in his gaze made her falter once again.

"But it really was all you, Beckett. I wouldn't have pushed like I did if it weren't for you. Even," he paused, debating something. Then he sighed and continued, "Even when I looked into your mother's case the first time, it was for you. No," he put a hand up to block her rebuttal. "I know you think it was just for the story, but it wasn't. Curiosity played a key part, yes, but only because I wanted to know you more. Not Nikki, you. It was the hardest thing I've ever done to tell you what I found." He reached out and grabbed her other hand, holding them in his. "And while I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm not sorry for what I did."

They sat there like that in the back of the ambulance for God only knows how long, communicating without words exactly how they were feeling. Kate wondered how he so easily wormed his way behind her defenses until she stood there, effectively naked in front of him. How was it that the one person she never wanted to share her soul with brought it forth anyway. When was it exactly that he came to mean the world to her?

Kate looked down at his hands, finally breaking eye contact. "If you hadn't done what you did," she began quietly, turning his hands in hers just to give herself something to do, "Then we wouldn't be here now. You've been the break in my mom's case that I've been waiting for. There's nothing for you to be sorry about." She looked back into his eyes as she said that last part and was met with an overwhelming desire to kiss him again.

"Why'd you go to the Hamptons with Gina?" The uncensored thought passed through her lips unexpectedly.

"I—what?" Clearly the same reaction on his part.

"I just want to know why. You told me once you couldn't stand the woman." She fumbled around for a reason.

"I told you," Castle had recovered, though a strange mask had slipped onto his face. "She's my publisher. When I told her I was going to the Hamptons she wheedled her way into coming with me so she could make sure I actually wrote while I was there."

"But that would have been after it turned from a weekend trip to an entire summer trip."

"Right, well Alexis was gone and you—" Castle stopped abruptly .

"I what." Kate wasn't about to let go of this one.

"You and Demming already had plans," he said lamely.

That isn't the real reason, Kate thought. "But just for that weekend, Castle. You went for the whole summer."

"Why does this suddenly matter to you, Kate?" There he was with her first name again. "So I went for the whole summer to the Hamptons with my ex-wife! Why do you care what my reasoning was?"

His outburst startled her. "I've always cared, Castle," she said at last quietly. "I just didn't ask until now."

"But why do you care, Kate? Why?" His blue eyes pierced right through her. She immediately tried to hide herself away again, but the intensity in his gaze made her stop. The walls are down now, she thought grimly, no point in trying to hide it anymore.

"I broke up with Demming before you left with Gina to the Hamptons," she said as an answer.

"Before?" His astonished eyes took her in. Then realization struck. "That's what you were going to tell me before Gina showed up."

"But then Gina showed up," she nodded.

"I am so daft. Kate," he began, but she shook her head, not wanting to let go of his hands, but starting to panic. Her mind was catching up with her. She'd revealed too much and now she felt the burning desire to run.

"It's fine, Castle. I don't even know why I brought it up."

"Because it's important!"

"No. It's not." She looked down again.

"Kate!"

"Are you two set and ready to go?" Captain Montgomery said as he walked up to them. Kate felt relief rush over her at his appearance. Awkward conversation averted.

"Yes."

"No!"

Kate rolled her eyes at Castle's exclamation. "Chuck Norris here still needs pain meds for his hand."

"No, I'm fine. I jus—"

"Well, I'm sure a paramedic can get you some, but you two should really head home. It's be a hell of a day. You two deserve to relax. Oh and Beckett," Montgomery motioned for her to follow him. With a relieved smile she jumped out of the ambulance and followed her Captain away from Castle. "Tomorrow we can start in on all the stupid stuff you pulled on this case, but right now, congratulations. You did good, Detective."

"Thanks Captain," Kate smiled as he walked away.

x-x-x-x-x

"Don't think this means our conversation is over," Castle said in her ear. He'd crept up behind her while she was talking to Montgomery so she couldn't run away again. She was such a challenge, but that was part of what made him love her so much. Kate jumped.

"Castle—"

"It is important," he interrupted. "You can't pretend that it isn't."

"Sure I can," Kate threw back. "Because it isn't."

"Then what about the kiss?"

"Undercover."

He decided to try a different angle. "Why did you break up with Demming?"

"I—because I…he wasn't…" She sighed. "I don't know," she said at last.

Castle put his hand on her shoulders, ignoring the bite of pain the emanated from his right hand. He decided he needed to push a little harder so he rested his forehead against hers. He heard her gasp and felt her tense against him. Let me in, he silently pleaded.

"Yes, you do," he whispered. Knowing she wouldn't, he forgot the world around him as he cupped her face with his hands. He tilted her face up to his and even the blinking lights of the remaining cop cars faded.

x-x-x-x-x

I know, I know you hate me just a whole lot right now. I can deal with that. But I just wanted to let you guys know that I know that I have no idea the difference between guns and rifles and all that stuff. So sorry if my ignorance took away from the story…then again, it isn't much about guns, is it? : ) More to come super soon, I promise!