A/N: Hello everyone! Merry Christmas! I hope you're all having happy holidays and are enjoying the time with your families and friends. I've been really busy these days. I have a lot of family visiting and my grandma is still a little weak, so I have to take care of her and care for my visits and I don't have much time to write.

WARNING: The F word makes it's appearance on this one. Just once and it was needed so, well, sue me :P

I'm really sorry I've had you waiting for so long. My plan was to have this finished before Christmas but I guess I'm a 'little' out of my deadline… Anyway, this is the last chapter but I already have an epilogue planed which I hope I'll be able to post tomorrow. And after this loooong note I'll let you read the chapter. Enjoy!


MAKING UP TO R.C.

"What I want is…" She blushed a little and tried to hide it laying her head on his shoulder again. "I want you to kiss me, Rick."

He moved one of his hands to caress her head, snagging his fingers on her hair and pulling her head up and away from the crook of his neck. He untangled his fingers off her hair and moved his hand to cup her cheek, brushing it a little with his thumb. His other hand reached the other side of her face mimicking its twin's movements, tilting her head so he could look into her eyes. " Just so you know, I've never been happier to pay a debt." He said, before moving closer to her and brushing his lips to hers softly.

It was the softest kiss ever and yet, she felt her legs become jello. She had to wrap her arms around his neck to support herself, which helped to bring him closer and deepen the kiss. His tongue found the way inside her mouth and she couldn't fight letting out a soft moan. He felt so good on her lips.

After long minutes he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. He was happy and surprised and confused, all mixed up with arousal and hope.

"Well, I think I've paid my debt. Always glad to make business with you, detective." He said a little out of air.

"Hmmm. It's been good but I don't think that's enough payment. I need more. You can do it much better, writer-boy." She told him, with her most mischievous look.

He gave her a grin and talked. "You need more? It was just a little carnival, Kate. I can't believe you're this greedy. I ask for a little favor and now you're trying to get back more than you should… tsk tsk tsk." He tried to look offended.

"Oh, so I understand you don't want to pay properly?" She was enjoying their little banter.

"I already paid. You said you wanted a kiss and I gave it to you." He looked at her serious and expectant.

"I said I wanted you to kiss me, Ricky. I never said how many times…" She looked at him through her eyelashes giving him a naughty smile.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist again. "I've always been a good payer. I can't let you smear my good name, can I?" he said leaning down and kissing her more forcefully this time.

She let herself go and deepened the kiss holding him as closer as she could. They were moving to the music as they kissed and his hands started to move along her sides and back. One of his hands got tangled on the little strands of hair she had left down on her nape, massaging her skull and angling her head to give him better access.

She was the one to break the kiss this time, trying to get some air on her lungs. She leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him.

"I think I should tell you what I have to tell you now, before things go out of control." She said, fighting with the fear reflecting on her face.

"Ok. Just relax, Kate. You look worried." He said, sounding very concerned.

"I am, Rick. What I have to tell you is probably going to hurt you, but I have to do it. If I want this to work for us, I need to do it." She paused trying to find the words. "Just promise me you're not going to hate me."

He looked at her with his loving eyes "I could never hate you, Kate. Ever." He reached for one of her hands and entwined their fingers, moving it to his lips to kiss the back of it. "Just say it."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Ok." Another deep breath. "The day I was shot, when I was lying on the ground…" She paused, trying to regain some strength. "I heard you, Rick. I heard you say 'I love you'." She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't face his gaze right now.

"You heard me?" He felt his heart tear into pieces. "You lied to me. You lied to me and then you pushed me away?" He couldn't believe it. He had always suspected she had heard him, but he also had been hoping it to be just that, a suspicion.

"I'm so sorry, Rick! I just didn't know what to do back then. I was scared and hurt and I didn't feel strong enough to face something that big." Her eyes were filling with tears. "I knew I wasn't doing the right thing but, after I told you I didn't remember, I didn't know how to go back."

He realized he was still embracing her and moved his arms off her. "I can't believe you did that, Kate. All I wanted was to be there for you. You knew how I felt and yet you pushed me away. How could you?"

Her heart had fallen to her feet when he let go of her, but she hadn't moved from his chest, her head lying on his shoulder, her face hidden from him. "I don't know. I never meant to hurt you, Rick. Now I understand how you felt. Now I know I shouldn't have done that. I should have let you in. I should have shattered that stupid wall for you and let you inside, because I needed you, I really did, Rick. I still do." She was crying now.

His heart was aching so bad. He couldn't stand her crying, he didn't want to be the one making her cry, but he was hurting too. "You should have thought it first, Kate. You can not pretend that I stay here waiting willingly until you think I'm worthy of your… Whatever. Now that you think it's safe, now I have to be ok with you lying to me and hurting me? Do you have any idea of how it was when you left? I know you were strugling with your life but so was I, Kate. You were gone and I didn't know how to go on. I had lost all hope of ever seeing you again." He pulled her from his shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "I need to go. I need to think about this and calm down." And he walked out and left her there.

She couldn't believe he had left. She was crying violently now trying to keep panic away but failing. Rick, the man who said he loved her, had left her there alone, on their very first date. He had the right to be mad at her, she couldn't blame him, but she never thought he would run and leave her there.

She put on her shawl and walked out the restaurant through the same corridor they had walked in a couple of hours ago. When she reached the door, she saw the white limo waiting for her outside. That was so Castle. He wouldn't dump her like that. The chauffeur opened the door for her and handed her a note.

"Thank you." She said to the man. She opened the folded paper and read:

'I'm sorry I left like this, Kate. I just need some time to think about what's happened. We will talk about this.

P.S.: I DO, Kate. I really DO. Just gime me time.

R.C.'

She clenched the note against her chest and tried to hold the tears forming in her eyes. She gave an address to the chauffeur and leaned against the seat, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, trying to calm down a little.


Twenty minutes later the car was pulling over at her best friend's apartment. She got down of the limo and dialed Lanie's number.

"Please, Kate. Tell me you didn't do it." Lanie said when she answered the phone.

"I did it. He left, Lanie. Gosh, I fucked it up! I'm here. Do you mind if I come up?" Kate asked.

"Sure, girl! You don't have to ask." Lanie hung up the phone and moved to open the door for her friend.

Kate walked on auto-pilot, not paying attention to any of her moves, reaching Lanie's door by inertia.

"Hey! You look like hell, girl." Lanie greeted her.

Kate looked at her with a sad smile. "Yeah, I can imagine."

Lanie pulled her inside by her arm and walked her to her couch handing her a glass of vodka.

"And now you want to get me drunk? Said Kate rising her eyebrow and giving her a curios look.

"Well, from my experience, these things are easier when you have a distorted view of reality." Lanie tried to smile but her friend looked devastated.

Kate looked at her "Ok, I guess it won't hurt." And drank the vodka on a single gulp.

"Wow, easy, Wonder Woman. Do you want to creep your way back home?" Lanie took the glass from her and made a little sign to make her talk.

"I ruined it. I had to tell him, Lane. I couldn't keep lying to him." She closed her eyes and breathed trying to collect her thoughts and tell her friend the story from the very begining. "Everything was going just perfect. He took me to this restaurant, 'Chez Louie', he knows the chef. The place is amazing. Louie's mother was Martha's friend and he really admired her. She used to go there with her dates all the time when he opened, so he named his private dining room after her. It's a little room with just one table and it's own waiter. It was beautifully decorated, hundreds of tiny candles everywhere lighting the room. Roses on he table, music… So romantic." Lanie was handing her a glass of water now and she took it. "Dinner was delicious and he was too. We talked and laughed and flirted all the time. After dinner he asked me to dance and while we were dancing I told him that I wanted him to pay back the favor I did him. I asked him to kiss me." Kate blushed furiously and Lanie gave her a knowing look. "I needed to know. I needed to feel it again, cause it could be the last time and… well… I wasn't that wrong." She didn't know how to go on.

"So he kissed you and you told him? How?" Lanie asked, trying to encourage her to talk.

"I just told him that I heard him. That I knew I did wrong but I wanted to do things right now. He said he couldn't believe I did that, he was so hurt… and then…" Tears reached her eyes again. "He just left." She covered her face with her hands. "He left me there, Lanie. You should have seen his face."

"Well, you should have expected this to happen, Kate. You've been hiding this from him for 8 months." Lanie wanted to comfort her but she couldn't lie to her.

"I know. I thought he would be mad at me, that we would have a fight or something but he left. When I got out of the restaurant the limo was waiting for me-"

"The limo? Wow! The man has stile."Lanie jocked.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he had left me a note." She handed the paper to Lanie, who read it very quickly.

"So he needs time. Give it to him. He's done that for you."

"I know. I want to, but… It's been very hard coming to terms with myself, Lane. I don't want to back down and if I have too much time to think about it, I now I will." Kate looked at her friend with a worried look.

Lanie was thinking. "Maybe you could give him time but remind him you're waiting at the same time. You could use the 'forgive Castle' game. It worked wonders with you."

"The 'forgive Castle' game?" Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yes, the gifts, the notes, all that paraphernalia he used to make you forgive him for making that stupid bet. That's what Javi called it."

"Oh. How would that help me?" She asked a little confused.

"Use his powers against him, girl. Do the same. He'll get it. It's Castle." Lanie wincked at her.

Kate was pondering it. "You really think that could work? I mean, this is not a stupid bet, Lanie. This is serious. I really hurt him." She wasn't that sure that a couple of silly gifts and notes would make him forgive her.

"Just try it! You have nothing to loose, have you? He's told you, Kate. He loves you. He won't be mad forever."


Kate got home a little after midnight. She was a mess, her make up was ruined from crying, her hair had fallen down – Castle had been pulling on it while he kissed her – and her feet hurt like hell. She thought about five hours ago, when she opened that same door to Castle. His amazed look when he saw her, the way his eyes had roamed along her body, how he couldn't say anything. She had thought then, that this would be a wonderful night. She had been so wrong.

She got rid of her clothing and got into bed trying to forget about the kisses they had shared that night. She could still feel him of her lips. His taste on her tongue, reminding her what she was missing.

She started thinking about what Lanie said. Maybe it was not such a bad idea. Even if he didn't forgive her right away and he needed more time, she could make him feel a little better. Her mind tried to find out what could she give Rick Castle that he didn't already have.


The morning of December 22nd, Alexis Castle, opened the door to a very rushed delivery boy, handing her a little package addressed to her dad. She signed the paper and left the package on the kitchen bar for her father to see it and she left for school.

When Rick got up from his sleepless night he saw the package lying on the bar. He noticed the hand-writing. It was from her. His heart ached at the thought of Beckett. He had spent most of the night hitting the keys of his laptop, trying to type his anger and frustration away. He was mad at her, he was disappointed and sad and somehow a little proud that she had the courage to tell him.

He reached for the package and opened it. He found a little silver bell, a tree ornament. There was a note too:

'Ring the bell when you're ready to come back. I promise I'll be waiting.

I'm going to miss you.

K.B.'

Wow, he would have never expected something like that from her. That was a lot, coming from Kate Beckett. Too much. He needed some time to think. He loved her, that was not to be discussed, but he needed time to think about what she had done, to understand why she had done it. As a writer, he was an expert putting himself on someone else's shoes, but with Kate it was hard. She really was an enigma.

He took the bell and hung it on his tree, giving it a little shake and making it ring. It was a cute gift.

The day felt like a month to Kate. She had sent the bell to Rick. A little silver bell that had been hanging on her Christmas tree for over a decade. It was one of the last ornaments she had bought before her mother's death.

She hadn't got any a phone call or even an email. Not even a text. Nothing. She didn't know what to think. Maybe he hated it. Maybe he thought she was pushing.

She left the precinct a little after 9 pm and shen she was walking out of the elevator at the lobby, her phone chimed in. It was a text from Castle:

'Thank you. It's pretty.' And that was all. It had taken him twelve hours to write her four words, a dot and an apostrophe. At least it was something.


Next day –almost- she sent him a picture of her new crime scene. The body was lying on a weird way and Espo and Ryan were talking to Lanie on the background. She added a text:

'The three musketeers can't give me any crazy theories. Any suggestions?'

It was 4:57 am. When Rick got it he almost laughed. He wrote back:

'Thanks for waking me up… It's too early for crazy theories. Maybe I'll come up with something after I sleep on it.'

She was very disappointed with that response but she knew he was not helpful when he didn't have his sleep. Anyway, she had something more for him.


When the day had reached a more decent hour he got her next gift. It came on a rectangular box, he opened it. He was really surprised to find what was on it and reached for the white folded paper lying on top and read:

'I want you to keep it until I can wear it for you again.'

He touched the blue fabric, thinking about how beautiful she was on it. How wonderfully adorable and hot she was that night. He smiled and took his phone out to send her a text:

'I'll keep it like a treasure. It still smells like you.'

He got a response almots inmediatly:

'Will you keep it hostage for long? I really love that dress.'

He wrote back:

'You of all people should know I've never been good with the hostage thing. Don't worry, you'll have it back soon.'


It was Christmas Eve. She had to work that day because they had lost a bet and she had to do it alone, because she had lost her partner for being a coward eight months ago. The worst thing was having to explain Gates why her annoying partner was MIA lately. She had to make up a story about his daughter being sick and him having to take care of her personally. Everybody knew Castle was a concerned father, it wasn't that hard to believe he would leave his research to take care of his daughter. Gates was a little suspicious but she let it go.

The day was crazy, Espo and Ryan only were there for the morning and she had a case going on and no clues.

After everyone had left and having had like a million coffees to clear her mind she remembered she hadn't sent her gift to Castle that day.

She took the smallest of the elephants she had on her desk and put it on a little box with another note. She called a messeger and got it delivered to Castle's loft.


Rick was trying to fight his desire of getting dressed and make a casual visit to the precinct. He knew she would be there on her own, the Ball had already started and she had to be there for at least a couple more hours. Then someone knocked on his door. He went to open it and found a messenger holding a little box for him.

He got inside with the box and sat on the couch to open it. He smiled when he saw the little piece of ceramic. He took it out and held it onto his hand. There was a note too and he read it:

'I know you've always liked these. My little friend is part of a full set so this is just another reason for you to come back and put it right where it belongs.'

He was touched. She really wanted to see him and that was kind of new. She had never been that expresive of her wants and her feelings. He knew doing this had to be really hard for her.

That little elephant did it. He got up of the couch and went to his bedroom. He put the little piece on his bedside table and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He was going to see her. He had to tell her he couldn't be away from her any longer. He wanted to kiss her again, have her on his arms forever.


Things had gotten a little busy before he could leave. Alexis got home with a terrible anger. She had gone to a Christmas Eve party and had a fight with her friend Page and she was crying and talking very fast and he coulnd't left her like that.

When the girl was feeling a little better he told her he had to go out for a while. He would be at the precinct if she needed anything. He wouldn't be out for long.


It was a little before 10 pm when Kate left the precinct. She hadn't got any response from Castle after she sent him the elephant. That was weird. She knew she shouldn't but she wanted to go to his loft and see if he had gotten it. She needed to see him.

She got to her car and drove to his place. A possible Christmas Eve dinner with his family crossed her mind, but she remembered he told her that his mom and Alexis were both attending Christmas parties and he would be alone so there was not a problem for him to work that night.

She pulled over at his front door and got out of her car. His doorman said hello to her and she started feeling very nervous when the elevator started it's way up. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Detective Beckett."Said a very surprised Alexis. "What are you doing here?"

"I um… I wanted to see you dad, Alexis. Is he home?" Kate asked a little confused by the surprise on the girl's face. She visited a lot lately.

"No, he's not here. In fact he left a while ago, He said he was going to the precinct. I guess you left before he got there." Alexis smiled at her with those gorgeous Castle eyes.

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess it won't be long until he gets back. Do you mind if I wait for him here?" Kate asked a little relieved.

"Sure, make yourself at home." Alexis waved her arm to make her come in. "I was watching a movie. Do you want to join me?"

Kate smiled and took of her coat."Thanks, I'd love to."


Castle got to the precinct to find Beckett gone. He was very disappointed. He really wanted to see her so he decided to go to her apartment. It took him 20 minutes to get there to find it empty too. He was starting to worry. He tought that maybe Gates had grown a heart for Christmas and had let her go to the Ball anyway, so he went to the Wellington Pavilion to see if she was there. Nothing, she had vanished. He tried to reach her phone but it was turned off and it sent him to voice mail all the time. It seemed he wouldn't be able to see her that night. He accepted defeat and headed home.


It was way after midnight when Rick got home. Kate was lying on the carpeted floor, asleep and holding a couch pillow under her head. The movie Alexis and her had been watching had ended a while ago. She had fallen asleep and the girl didn't want to disturb her, so she covered her with a blanket and left her there. She didn't hear the door closing and the footsteps coming closer to her. She didn't realize someone was watching her from the couch with a tender smile on is face.

Rick extended his hand to reach her face, he brushed his thumb along her jawline and she blinked. He watched her as she came back to life.

"Hey." She said. She looked embarrased and sleepy and amazingly beautiful.

"Hey." He said back. He smiled, staring at her like he hadn't seen her before.

Her brows furrowed a little and she asked "What are you looking at?"

He gave her a funny grin. "Nothing, I'm just admiring what Santa left for me under the tree. It's just what I wanted."

She turned her head to look behind her, realizing she had been sleeping right by the Christmas tree. She smiled at him and got up to her knees. She moved her hands to hold his and was a little surprised when he pulled her to a crushing hug.

"I missed you." He said. "I shaked that bell the moment I got it. Your dress in resting on my bed for you to wear it right now if you want and I left your elephant on it's place a couple of hours ago. I won't leave again. Ever. You're stuck with me, Katherine Beckett."

"Good. Because I want you here." She said before pressing her lips to his on a sweet and longing kiss.

The morning arrived and Alexis came down to wake up her dad for their Christmas morning ritual. When she got to the living room she couldn't repress a grin. Under the tree she found the best present of all. Kate Beckett and her dad wrapped up on a blanket, holding onto each other, both asleep with a happy smile on their faces.

THE END.


A/N: I don't know about this chapter. Too much sugar on my sistem and I had to let it out somehow. Please let me know if this is too cheesy.

There is an epilogue to this story. I hope I can post it tomorrow, but I can't promise anything.

I'm sorry if my grammar or whatever is affected. It's almost 6 am and I couldn't sleep so I used my insomnia for something useful. I don't know if it turned out right or if it's going to blow in my face.

Please review, tell me what you like, what you don't, what you think I could do better, what ever crosses your mind will be fine with me :)