Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Life was blissful, considering where they were. Kate was amazed to find how much her confession of love, her honesty with Rick about her feelings, had freed her. She now was liberated to express herself as often as she wished and, at the moment, she yearned to do just that.
Late the evening before, after their emotionally intense love-making, the couple finally made their way upstairs and into bed. He had to coax her awake as they lay in front of the fire, afraid that they would both be sore if they slept the night on the floor. She shifted and moaned as she felt him plant kisses down her neck and across her bare arms, and shifted herself closer to where he rested behind her. Soon she felt his hand slip beneath the quilt and slide along her hip.
"Kate." He whispered to her softly. The heat from the fire, along with the warm and comforting presence she offered had completely warmed him from his time spent out in the storm, which had finally blown itself out.
"hmmmm." She contentedly acknowledged, not wanting to move from her current location.
"Kate, we should go upstairs and go to bed. If we sleep here we'll be stiff in the morning." She grinned evilly to herself as she pulled the hand that rested on her hip up to her mouth and gently licked and kissed his fingers.
"I don't know Rick," she replied to him, "the idea of stiff sounds pretty good right about now." He moaned to himself, pulling his fingers from her grip and planting them firmly back at her hip. Unable to stop himself, he grasped her tightly and pulled her backside into him. With a degree of satisfaction, Kate simply chuckled,
"I see you're already there." She commented on his stiffness. In attempt to bring him even closer to where she desperately wanted to feel him, she propped her leg up on his thigh, bent it slightly backwards, and created even more space for him as she urged him to enter her.
She groaned in frustration when he pushed her away from him and said, "no. Upstairs first." Castle stood, grabbed the blanket and reached down for her hand. When she took it he pulled her up quickly and lifted her against him. Taking his cue, she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.
"I love you Rick." She softly spoke to him.
"Yeah. You may have said that a couple of times." He teased before leaning in to place a kiss on her lips and whispering, "I love you too Kate." He set her down and they made their way to bed, Kate immediately taking control of things when they landed on the mattress.
She shifted herself on top of him, flattening her body and resting her legs outside of his. She shifted her hips just above where he knew they both wanted her. However, in contrast to a few minutes before in front of the fire, he was now the impatient one. She contented herself to leisurely place open-mouthed kisses along his jaw while he moved her hips down so that he could finally be inside of her.
Before he could push past her entrance she sat up, bringing her knees up to support her as she leaned over to grab the box below his side of the bed. She came back up to straddle him before speaking,
"I'm sure it would be a long shot, but let's not tempt fate again." She arched an eyebrow at him as she held the condom to him. He nodded to her and moved to grab it, but before he could a wicked grin crossed her face. She pushed his shoulders back and forced him to lie down on the bed once more before moving herself lower.
Rick Castle knew he was in over his head where she was concerned after their first case, when he watched her walk away from him. It became even more apparent that he was powerless against her when he realized how quickly she could tie him up in knots during their cases with a simple expression, or a few teasing words. After their first kiss in the dark alley he knew there was no going back, and after their first time together on that stormy night just a few months ago he knew he never wanted anyone else again.
However, it wasn't until that moment, when he witnessed Kate Beckett slide a condom onto him with nothing but her mouth, that he knew he was a dead man.
They'd allowed themselves to sleep in the following morning. She awakened first to find herself completely contented in his arms. Shifting to her side as she watched him sleep, she noted the intimate soreness she felt from the previous night's passion momentarily to herself.
She couldn't help but sigh as she lifted to ghost her fingers lightly across the side of his sleeping face, reflecting on the peacefulness that rested on his features. She was sure of two things in that moment. First that she'd never been so in love before and second, he was worth everything they'd been through since the day they met. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him and the assurance of that fact comforted her in the face of all of their uncertainties.
She allowed her fingers to brush softly up and down his chest as she continued to watch him sleep. However, Kate soon knew that he wasn't as dead to the world as she'd previously believed when she noted the smile sliding across his face. She leaned into him and placed soft kisses on his lips until he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"Best way to wake up ever." He spoke contentedly to her as she moved to lay the top part of her body across his chest, crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hands. She smiled as she felt his heartbeat with the palms of her hands and gazed at him peacefully and somewhat shyly. He was somewhat confused by her timid expression until she spoke, answering all of his questions about her shift in mood.
"You're the love of my life, you know."
He was at a loss for words. The tears built in his eyes as the emotion of the moment overtook him. He thought back to the first time he saw her, flashing her badge at him with an intensity in her eyes that was unmatched by any other. A different emotion, but the same fire was in her expression now. Kate Beckett never said things she wasn't sure of and in that moment he knew that she was his for the long haul.
"I've waited so long for you to say that Kate." He brushed his hands through her hair and pulled her shoulders to help her scoot up on the bed. She came to rest on top of him and they tenderly kissed once again.
Their routine continued as the pair grew accustomed to sustaining themselves in the wilderness. They both reasoned that they could save water by showering together, although showering was usually not a top priority when they were there.
Beckett managed to hunt some smaller game, exposing them both to the unpleasant task of preparing the small animals for dinner. Although they enjoyed the meat, both were somewhat glad when they had fish or freeze-dried food because they could avoid the process of skinning an animal. She imagined that if they remained out there too much longer their opinions would change, as they would grow tired of the limited selections.
Sometimes at night they would lay awake under the stars, bringing a blanket from inside out onto the open field. They would spend the evenings counting shooting stars and sharing memories. Often their conversations would turn into fantasizing about all the things they would do if they could return to city life. There was a long list of restaurants, shows and spas.
On one evening, Beckett spoke longingly about candle-lit bubble baths and reading favorite books. This prompted Castle, who knew many of those books were his, to start telling her stories. Her favorites were when he would make entire plots up and enthrall her with the latest adventures of Nikki and Rook.
For his part, Rick missed technology. He missed movie nights and games and being able to answer any random question that would cross his mind with an internet search engine. Most of all, he missed Alexis. At times when he was struggling particularly, she would tell him stories, non-wild stories, of her first year in college. They allowed him to imagine that his daughter was carrying on with her life and doing ok in his absence.
There were times when the isolation got to them and they would yell and scream, at other times they would cry. They both broke down on a number of occasions, allowing themselves to be put back together by the tenderness of one another. Their touches, their kisses, their intimacy was like a soothing balm that would ease the ache within them.
The partners had learned long ago how to trust one another and how to lean on eachother for protection and physical support when danger arose. In the recent months they were growing in their relationship when it came to drawing on eachother's strength for emotional support. However, it was during these times in the woods that they both learned how to completely let their guard down. They learned how to share their burdens, to carry each other, to truly confide in one another, and to completely let go and to loose themselves in the moments they created together.
The next few weeks were uneventful for them. There was no word from anyone and although they were growing increasingly nervous, they were too caught up in each other to dwell on it for long. The summer afternoons were hot and they often spent time in the springs to keep themselves cool.
On one particular afternoon she floated on her back as the sun shone down on her. There were no swimsuits, but neither bothered with cloths when they swam anyhow. She smiled to herself when she felt his hand on the small of her back under the water. Without opening her eyes she lightly teased,
"Can I help you with something?" He didn't answer right away, but when he finally did his words stunned her.
"Kate, I can't live without you anymore." He looked at her solemnly as she sat up and brought her feet to rest on the bottom of the springs. Her hair was soaking wet and fell down her back as she reached to cup his face with her hand.
"Castle, I'm not going anywhere. Where is this coming from?" She questioned.
"We won't be out here forever. One day we will return to the real world. When we do that I can't go back to living without you Kate." Understanding crossed her face as she realized what he was talking about. He continued to speak,
"I know we're not just together because there is no one else out here, but I've gotten used to waking up with you every morning Kate and I don't think I can go back." She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer to her.
"I promise that wherever in the world we live, we'll do it together." He smiled at her words and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. Soon scooped up the cool water, which came to rest at Kate's waist where they stood, and allowed it to cascade down her bare back. She smiled coyly at him before reaching down and scooping the water herself, letting it fall from her hands into his hair and onto his face.
As if she'd declared war, he narrowed his eyes at her and lightly splashed. Jumping back from him slightly she pushed the water back at him more forcefully and unleashing a full battle between them. They were both soaked before too long, water violently pushed in eachother's direction.
He clearly had her due to physical size, but she refused to give in to him. Venturing through Kate's splashes, he rushed her and grabbed around her waist. Lifting her into the air and tilting her further away from the water, he carried her into a deeper part of the spring where she couldn't get her footing.
By the time he placed her back in the water she was laughing hysterically. She wrapped both arms around his shoulders and took a deep breath as they both sunk beneath the surface and felt the cool, clear water on their faces.
Their complete lack of gravity forced them apart under the water, but he grabbed her wrist and kept them connected. They locked eyes for a moment in the quiet beneath the surface and he placed her palm over his beating heart, communicating his love wordlessly to her once again.
They stood in the kitchen that evening, preparing their dinner together as they chatted and teased about who was the better cook. He insisted that she ate out too much to have enough practice at it, and she argued that she'd been raised by a fantastic cook who taught her everything she knew.
They were also enjoying the strawberries that Rick had managed to grow. While small, they were extremely tasty and the fresh fruit was very welcome to both of them. She smiled at him sweetly as he fed her a strawberry, and as she reached for the bowl to do the same for him, she froze.
They both heard it at the same time, the unmistakable sound of a motor. It had been months since they'd heard one. It had been since Jordan had left them in isolation. They both looked at eachother intensely for a moment, Kate motioning for him to grab his gun as she did the same.
When she went to the window and looked out, peaking from the corner for a moment, the blood drained from her face. Their greatest hope was that it was agent Shaw, coming to take them home. Instead Kate beheld her greatest fear, as she looked upon three men stepping out of the car. One of them was clearly the man who had nearly killed Kate on the rooftop.
He looked around the property first, and upon seeing that there was no one outside, he stepped toward the cabin and spoke,
"Hello Kate! You and Mr. Castle have been quite difficult to find, but we know that you're in there. If you come out I promise we'll do this quick and easy."
She stumbled back from where she'd been standing next to the window and fell directly into Castle's arms. "How many are there?" He asked her quietly.
"Three, but I don't think we can fight them Castle." She spoke. "Help me move this." She motioned to the couch as she tried to push it against the door. She had to be sure that the men could not get in the cabin. The loud screeching of the furniture left no question that they were inside, as she knew it would.
"We've got a shot." He argued, "If we take them out through the window."
"No. I've got a better idea." She whispered. At that moment their attacker yelled again.
"Do you think a barricade will protect you? I'll give you another minute before we burn you both out Kate," came the man's threat. Castle paled considerably at the man's words and looked to Kate for a reaction.
Kate simply nodded to herself, as if satisfied by them. She grabbed Castle by the hand and led him to the trap door. They quickly and quietly lifted it and made their way down into the bunker below.
They found themselves completely in the dark, unaware of what was going on above them. "We've got to keep moving Castle." She spoke as she made her way through the dark and felt for the door she knew would be there. When she found it she opened it gently and led them into the tunnel once again.
They ran, hearts beating in their chests as they made their way as far from the cabin as possible. It was still completely dark, but they continued with the knowledge that the closer they came to the outside world, the brighter the tunnel would become.
When they finally reached the edge of the tunnel they crawled out silently, remaining close to the ground and covered from their attackers by the rocks and plants around them. When the pair finally looked up Castle gasped at what he saw, their cabin was going up in flames. The three men waited outside and watched as the wooden structure was eventually engulfed completely.
Castle, who was filled with rage, reached for his gun and prepared to move, but Beckett reached out to stop him. "Even if we manage to kill them, what do you think will happen when they don't return?" She whispered to him. "You know he'll just send more. If he thinks we're alive, it won't stop" He looked at her as the words sank in, "So you're making them think we're inside." He concluded.
She nodded to him, "If they think we're dead they will leave us alone. I purposely barricaded the door so they wouldn't question that we were in there."
Soon the cabin that they'd come to call home was unrecognizable. There was no way that anyone inside would find anywhere to survive. Seemingly satisfied after several more minutes, the men returned to their vehicle and left.
Castle and Beckett simply watched as what was left of the cabin fell apart, the structure eventually becoming undone by the flames. Neither of them were sure how many hours had passed before one of them spoke.
"I think it would be best if we stayed out of sight for at least a couple of days." Castle turned at her words and she clarified, "I know we're in the middle of nowhere, but we don't know who the smoke might draw."
Castle leaned his back against a tree and pulled Kate into his arms. The warm night breeze and the steadiness of the crickets chirping didn't offer much comfort to them. They only had eachother's physical presence to lighten the heaviness that settled in both of their chests as their future became even more unknown.
The partners were silent as they remained awake through the night, watching the as the glow from the embers darkened before finally going out on the wreckage of the only home they'd known for the past months.
Ahhhh! No roof over their head. What are they going to do! Ahhh! :)