Disclaimer : Castle is not mine

Castle took a moment to look around the bedroom that Beckett and himself would be sharing, it was breathtaking. The windows gave a direct look out onto the beach and he imagined Beckett, stood out at the window the stars shining bright above, her delicate frame hidden by a white flowing dress and her love, curly hair tied back to cascade down her bare back. The definition of beauty. He was aware that he would have to tell her soon, she deserved to know, after all that he has asked from her in the past this was one of the few things he could give her. He was just so terrified, he knew she wasn't like so many others before, the women he almost told, all the what ifs. She was his always, the one person he could see growing old with, growing a family and going on so many adventures. They were an adventure. He knew she would only worry once she found out, the second glance before they go to a take down, the glance at his leg in any dangerous situation, the overwhelming urge to just protect. He knows this because this is how he feels when its her. He has the overwhelming urge to protect her, but to also love her.

He glanced up and saw her standing there admiring the view, her frame outlined by the beaming sun and his breath hitched. Now or never he thought to himself and decided to dive straight in, head first, no turning back. He slowly and quietly walked up to her, he didn't want to startle her, he wanted her to stay calm and in the moment. As he got closer he could sense that she knew he was there and he gentle wrapped his arms around her waist and she gently rested her arms atop him. A loving embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder, gently nudging his chin into the crook of her neck, fitting like a puzzle piece.

"What are you doing Rick?" She asked almost breathlessly, her head turning slightly to face him but not so much as to disturb the gentle atmosphere that he so deliberately created.

"I'm telling you the answers to all the questions I know you must have." He said back just as gently, softly whispering the words into her skin and watching absorb in the reflection of the glass. He saw her mover her eyes forward to connect with his in the glass and she gave the slightest nod of understanding, a queue to continue. He let out a deep sigh that ran down her neck to her spin, causing her to inhale deeply. "When I was a young boy I was in a car accident and I managed to get out with not much injury, however there was a deep cut on my leg, so deep that they had to put me under anesthesia and when I woke up it was gone." He heard her sharp gasp and her head tried to turn to face him but he didn't move, restricting her movement in the process. "I don't remember too much, apparently there was an infection, Necrotising fasciitis, or as you might know it, flesh eating bacteria." He saw her eyes saddened. "I found out a few years after that the surgeon who performed the amputation was a hack, wasn't very good at his job and also an ex lover of mothers, or otherwise known as dad." He saw the surprise then, the furrow of her brows, the widening of her eyes. "The Necrotising fasciitis infection was fairly small and located on my foot, and was caught early enough as to probably just need deep tissue removal, but good old dad never wanted a son, never wanted me to be born even and was drunk enough to make sure the child he never wanted suffered for the rest of his life. Above the knee amputation with a far from clean amputation site with nerve damage."

"Castle" She breathed out, he could see the tears in her eyes.

"When mother found out she was more than angry, she was murderous and she was devastated, because this man who had nothing to do with me beside DNA altered my life forever. We filed a law suit and he was found dead 2 months later, appeared to be suicide." He took a deep breath "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to treat me different, I'm fully capable of doing most things and I promise Kate it wasn't anything personal, I can count on one hand how many people I've told. But you, you meant the most."

She was still, absorbing the moment and all the information that came with it and suddenly it was all so clear, the subtle limp, the way he favours his left side and when he sits he stretches out his right leg. He takes off from his left foot and so many more things were suddenly making perfect sense. She turned in his arms and her eyes connected with his for a second before her arms came around his waist in a fierce hug, her head buried in his neck as she breathed him in. It was okay because this was her Castle and this was something that had always been there so it wouldn't change things now.

"Kate say something please." He begged and she heard the vulnerability in his voice.

"Cast-Rick, this doesn't change anything, you are still the goofy man I have known for the past 3 and a half years, you are still you. Will it take some getting used to and plenty of questions of course, but this doesn't change anything." She reassured him quickly. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, truly showing her feelings through their intense eye connection. Once she saw that he accepted and believed what she told him she leant up and slowly kissed his cheek. "Now if you will excuse me I am desperate for a pee" and with that she was running towards the toilet and he was left smiling behind her.

He walked over to the bed and sat down stretching out his leg. It was hurting today, and he wanted nothing more than to take off his prosthetic and have a nap. But he was scared that it might be too surreal for her but she said she was okay with it. At that moment the bathroom door opened and she stepped out and looked at him caught in an obvious struggle. "You alright there Rick?"

He looked up, startled, "I want to take a nap" She raised her eyebrows in question "I don't like sleeping with my prosthetic on" again she raised her eyebrows "and I didn't pack any pajama bottoms because for some reason I didn't think we would be sharing a bed and you'll see it."

"Does it bother you that I'll see it?" He shook his head "Then take a nap Rick and if it's okay with you I'd like to have a nap to." He smiled and nodded. She was trying to be reassuring for him and he was appreciating it as deep down he was self conscious and this was one of the few aspects of his life in which he wasn't confident.

He watched out of the corner of his eye and she performed a ninja move with a sleep shirt and bra which meant he couldn't see a thing and she removed her jeans so she would be comfortable to sleep. He looked at her long tanned legs and he continued to stare at them until she cleared her throat and smirked at him. He undone the top of his jeans as he felt her start to settle into the bed. He felt her eyes on his back and he stood up to remove his jeans past his hips and sat back down again so that he could remove them a leg at a time. When it came to his prosthetic he felt the bed shift a little and he looked back to see her kneeling slightly and staring obviously at his leg, he looked at her and she blushed and shrugged "sorry I am curious" he chuckled lightly and patted the section of bed beside him so that she could see more clearly. Once she was comfortable beside him he continued. He removed the jeans carefully over his prosthetic and put them on the floor. He unclipped the prosthetic leg and removed it, leaving the little bit of the leg that was left with a fabric sock over it. He looked at her and she placed her hand on his bare legs, electric shocks going through the both of them at the contact. "It doesn't change anything" she whispered reassuringly. He nodded and removed the last bit and revealed the amputation site, the uneven lines and surface. She could tell he was feeling self conscious and looked at him and smiled, squeezing his leg. "Still the same old goofy Rick." Kate kissed his cheek and then went back to her position on the bed, setting an alarm for 2 hours time whilst he got in the bed beside her.

"Hey Castle?"

"Yeah?" He asked turning his head to look at her.

"Can I ask a question"

"Of course"

"How does sex work?"

And with that he blushed bright red and choked on air, shocked that she asked such a question but greeatful as it broke the heavy tension in the room. He turned his head and saw her smirking at him.

Yeah, nothing has changed, he thought.