Chapter Seven

"Take me as you find me,

all my fears and failures

Fill my life again"

~ Mighty to Save by Hillsong

The end is nigh. The end is now.

Ryan appears out of the blackness of the far reaches of the alley. He notes the additional presence of Beckett and pauses. His jerky stopping-and-starting motion would be almost comical to the impartial observer. Beckett, however, feels the hesitation keenly. This is one of her team, her boys and he looks absolutely petrified to approach her – like even the thought of it is paining him immensely. She offers him a tentative smile. Apparently it's all the reassurance he needs. He takes measured steps towards them, stopping just a little further from her than normal. But it's okay, she'll smile, kiss Castle again and the air will clear. Surely. She needs it to. He's the closest thing she has to a brother – and Esposito, of course. Family doesn't quit on each other. No matter what circumstances wedge themselves ungraciously between them. Not this family anyway. This family, her family, they're one of the ones that makes it. Especially now. Ryan opens his mouth to speak, but Beckett can't stand the unspoken tension any longer, she needs to fix it, and now. She cuts him off before he can find words –

"Thank you. Thank you, Ryan. I owe you everything…" before she can continue, add more to the burning desire to make things right, to tell Ryan that she's proud of him and that he did exactly the right thing, Castle is butting in. He crushes Ryan in a fierce – admittedly, not very masculine – hug.

"We owe you everything. I…you, you are the a good man, Kevin. If there's anything at all I can do to thank you. A second honeymoon? A house? A car? A college fund for your first born child? Anything," for a man of words, he's certainly sounding like an incoherent, bumbling fool. Oh well, if the glossy look Beckett is giving him is any indication then maybe the message is getting across. Ryan, for his part, looks sufficiently stunned. He takes a moment, clears his throat. Beckett is honestly expecting him to brush it off, mention something about how he's just glad that she's okay. His actual words bring laughter bubbling to her throat –

"Are you two finally together?" he's probably aiming for detached debonair, but in all honesty he just sounds awestruck. His gaze fixated on Castle's fingers casually wrapping around hers once again. Beckett's laughter overflows and just like that the tension is blissfully broken and rest of them find themselves falling into fits of giggles. After a moment, they subside into comfortable silence. Beckett answers Ryan, though her eyes are locked determinedly with Castle's.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're finally together."

"Worth the wait," Castle murmurs softly, kneading her hand in his. She dips her head, part agreement and partly to hide the blush slowly creeping over her cheeks at the intensity of Castle's gaze tangled in his words. Ryan can't stop grinning, alternating between gawking at them and swinging his gaze to meet Lanie's eyes, sharing in the momentous occasion. Beckett and Castle are still too caught up in each other to really notice, but Lanie rolls her eyes at Ryan's antics. He's set to pass out if he keeps swaying back and forth with that intensity.

"I hate to be the one to jolt y'all back to reality… murdered sniper and all that…" she hedges, but there's a lightness to her tone, like she doesn't really mind that the case is being rejected in favour of heated glances and hand-holding. She truly doesn't. But the sooner they deal with this, the sooner Castle and Beckett can deal with a little more of their pent up sexual tension. If there is one thing Lanie ain't, it's blind to the fact that Castle and Beckett perpetually look like they want to jump each other. Considering right now that's an actual eventuality, it's probably for the best if they wrap this up quickly.

"Right," Beckett sighs, reluctantly pulling her eyes from their not-so-casual perusal of Castle's chest. The case. She should probably get onto that… She starts to tug her fingers from Castle's but he tightens his grip momentarily, looking her square in the eyes.

"This is reality, Kate," he asserts – yet it's soft, a caress of sorts. She beams.

"I know," she affirms, running her fingers over his jaw briefly before moving to kneel over Maddox's body.

"God, you are sappy," Lanie chuckles. Castle fixes her with a mock glare.

"Don't let me taint your crime scene with romance, Doctor Parish," he winks. He receives a pouty eye roll in response. Mission accomplished.

AN: The sun continues to shine and I still have a week with my best friend. I'm incapable of directing this story in an angst-like direction given my current mindset of utter joy. Oh well. Who knows where the next chapter will take us? (I certainly don't). Reviews are the icing on the cake that is my life… Thanks so much for reading!