I know that this differs to how Gates 'finds out' about Castle and Beckett's relationship in the show, but I am writing this story as AU after the 100th episode, so I thought that this was a good place to show how it happens in my little world of fanfiction.
I hope you enjoy...


Seven
Telling Gates

The smoky sweetness of blown out candles still hung faintly in the air as Kate woke up that morning, gently brought back to the waking world by the weekend symphony of the city below and all that she hoped the hours ahead of them would hold.

She had expected to find her morning littered with butterflies and nerves; an uncertainty that had all too often raised its ugly head and tainted her happiness in the past, but was instead welcomed by a contentment that took her beautifully by surprise. The wonderful man sleeping soundly by her side and the invitation to make his house a home for them both offering a calmness that Kate had so little experience of. For years she had been running, hiding, living in the shadows of her own life, fooling herself into believing that a suffocating reverie of numbness was the only way to survive, but that was something which she had vowed to be done with. Castle had taken her by the hand and lead her steadily into the light - slowly, painfully, lovingly – he had taught her how to breathe; how to feel, and she wasn't afraid anymore. She wasn't afraid.

Turning to face Castle with heavy limbs and a tickled warmth in her belly that sung of their night before, Kate couldn't resist the draw of his sleepy handsomeness, sweeping his mussed hair softly to the side and watching the golden light as it danced between the long lashes that curtained his opal eyes, she planted kisses like tiny daisies against his skin.

"Good morning," he whispered, pulling her close and pressing his words to her unsuspecting lips.

"Sorry," she murmured, reluctant to break away for even a second "I didn't mean to wake you."

"But I am very, very glad that you did," he replied, words sparking fire within them both and his palms sliding along the tantalising curve of her spine.

"Oh, you are?" she questioned, her tone flooded with knowing.

"I am," he agreed, mesmerised by the curls of chestnut hair that tickled his chest as Kate settled across his lap, teasing him just a little.

Unable to hold back any longer, she parted his lips with her tongue, kisses bold and brave, hips rolling against Castle's and aching to have him so much closer. They didn't need words or explanation, just the certainty of their love – the future was messy and unpredictable, but, together, it was exactly where they were supposed to be.


Later that morning, as she lay cuddled to the salted warmth of Castle's chest, Kate found herself lost to day dreams of what it would mean to live together. To wake up to coffee each morning and to sleep in Castle's arms each night. To feel his fingers slip between her own as they leisurely wandered the grocery store aisles on Sunday afternoons, playfully pulling his ear as he tries to sneak smorelette ingredients into their basket. To invite their family and friends over for dinner parties and poker games and celebrating special occasions. To slam their bedroom door in anger and frustration, knowing that Castle will be waiting on the other side until she is ready to forgive him. To kiss him deeply when she does. To line up their books beside each other, neither quite remembering who they belonged to first. To go home together at the end of each day... oh!

"We have to tell Gates," she said, words hurried and shocking herself away from blissful imaginings.

"Huh?" mumbled Castle, utterly adorable and half asleep.

"We have to tell Gates about us," she clarified, sitting up and taking a hold of the hand that had been wrapped tightly around her waist, "before I move in, we need to tell her."

"Kate," he breathed, not quite sure if he had the courage to say all that needed to be said.

"I know," she replied, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against his strong palms, allowing them both a quiet moment to soak in the familiar comfort before continuing, "I know what telling Gates means, but, we always knew that it was something we would have to face eventually."

"But..." he tried, not wanting to ever let go of their partnership.

Kate stopped him before he could protest any further, needing to finish her explanation before she lost her nerve entirely. "I am terrified of doing this; not because everybody will know, but because it might mean that I lose you from the precinct. Going to work each morning and knowing that you aren't going to be there with ridiculous theories to brighten our day and a smile made especially for me would be excruciating, but we would survive it. We're moving in together, and I want that to be a change for every part of our life. I want to walk into work with you at the beginning of the day and leave with you at its end. I want to take your hand without checking around the corner first. I want you to hold me when the monsters of this world have stolen all of its goodness and I want to kiss you when we bring them to justice. I don't want to hide anymore, Rick."

"I want that, too," he smiled, words catching with all that he felt for the woman sat before him; love and awe and sheer admiration for how far she had come - how far they had come.

"We're telling Gates?" she asked, voice shaken, but eyes bright with the pure thrill of life.

"We're telling Gates," he replied, worry dissipating with the kiss of her lips; his extraordinary Kate Beckett, fierce and determined and unafraid.


Castle couldn't take his eyes off of her as the elevator climbed slowly towards the 12th precinct, absorbing every detail as if it was his last chance to do so, cherishing the final seconds of their working world as they had known it for the past five years. In that moment she was everything that he so dearly loved; she was Katherine, she was Detective Kate Beckett, and she was every exquisite colour of the spectrum which ran between the two. Truly a force to be reckoned with.

He caught her attention just before the bell rang to indicate their floor, squeezing tightly to her hand and searching the depths of her eyes; a delicate glimmer of fear telling him Kate was suddenly feeling as nervous as he was, a looking glass to her soul if only you had the patience to learn how to read their enchanting beauty. "Whatever happens, you will always be my partner."

"Thank you," she spoke, wanting so desperately to kiss him, but knowing that she couldn't. They had mere fractions of seconds before those doors slid open and their fate was passed into the hands of Captain Victoria Gates. To kiss him now would unravel the last, tenuous strings of her already faltering resolve, and she needed to be prepared, ready to fight for the man she loved and the partnership she believed in. They had been through so much, survived the impossible, overcome the unbeatable, and they deserved much more than to be torn apart by the pettiness of office rules and regulations.

And then the doors they had stood before a thousand times opened once more and their fingers fell painfully by their sides, a deep breath and a shared smile all that they had to prepare themselves for what lay ahead, feet stepped perfectly in time as they walked towards the lion's den...


Kate knocked confidentially on the door to Gates' office, waiting for the familiar call of "come in" before they entered, Castle so close that she could feel the sticky heat of his breath against the back of her neck, every cell in her body tuned to the addictive attraction that reverberated between them.

"Detective Beckett," she greeted, the obvious omission of Castle not missed by anyone in the room, "isn't this your weekend off?"

"Yes, Sir, it is," answered Kate, wondering if there was still time to change her mind.

"And yet here you are, stood in my office. I presume whatever it is couldn't wait until Monday morning?" she replied, straightening out the paperwork that she had clearly been in the middle of.

"Castle and I... errrm... we, we have something that we need to tell you."

"Well?" she questioned, taking perhaps a little too much pleasure in watching the couple stood before her squirm under the intensity of her gaze.

"We have been... no, we are. We are in..."

"You are in a romantic relationship?" suggested Gates, unable to watch her struggle so helplessly for any longer. In truth, she had been expecting this conversation for a while, having come to know Kate Beckett well enough throughout her years at the 12th to trust that she would be informed of their relationship when the time to do so arose.

"You knew?" spluttered Castle, the first to find his voice.

"I am the Captain; I know everything that goes on within my precinct," she replied, flexing the arms of her reading glasses before placing them purposefully on her desk, "which also means that I know how well the two of you have worked together during the past five years. That is not to say that this is an arrangement that I agree with, but it is one that I support in the name of the outstanding reputation that the 12th precinct prides itself on, as I believe your partnership to be an integral part of that."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" asked Kate, unable to hide the elation from her voice.

"I needed to maintain plausible deniability, which I can continue to do, as long as you both act professionally in all areas of your work."

"Yes – Absolutely," they replied, speaking over each other in their rush to agree with all that Gates had asked of them, neither wanting to do anything that could jeopardise the opportunity they had been given.

Gates dismissed them with a nod towards the door, using her earlier paperwork to distract from the smile that tugged at her lips and threatened to expose her cautiously concealed joy for her most promising detective and her plucky sidekick; theirs was a love story to rival the greatest of tragedies, and everyone, herself included, had breathed a sigh of relief when they had finally realised that their happily ever after had been right in front of them all along.

"Detective, Mr. Castle?" she called, stopping them just before they let themselves out, allowing her iron mask to be lifted for a just a moment, "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Sir," smiled Kate, fingers bravely entwining with Castle's as they said goodbye, knowing that the strict barriers of professionalism would be fully raised come Monday morning.


Stepping back onto the elevator, hearts lifted with joy and neither quite certain of what had just happened, Kate didn't waste another second of their weekend, wrapping her arms around Castle's shoulders and letting her body fall into his awaiting embrace, both bubbled with stunned laughter as they shared in their secret celebration.

"You will always be my partner," she whispered, an echo of the love that Castle had spoken not half an hour before, lips capturing his own with a kiss that turned her words into a promise.


To be continued...

I just wanted to say congratulations to everyone who received their A Level results this week! (I know that exam results will be happening all summer - but I was sharing in the nerves of A Levels).
Just in case anyone was wondering, I am off to uni in September to study Biomedicine.. which is a little step close to becoming my very own Lanie Parish :)

Thank you all very much for reading!
Please do let me know what you thought.

With love,
Katie x