XX
Only Aiden and Clara were there, Leo somewhere else. Kate's eyes twitched back and forth between the two, taking careful steps backwards.
"Where's Leo?" She asked, suspiciously eyeing them.
"He got scared. Said he was going to the police," Clara narrowed her eyes. "So he took a nap. A long one."
"You killed him." She whispered in shock, the tension in the room thick and swelled. This was a surprise to the pair, considering how Leo had become part of their team dedicated to taking Rick and Kate down.
"A sacrifice had to be made." Clara shrugged, as if it was no big deal. She lifted her gun once more. Aidan went over to the side of the room to drag two chairs over to the middle of the room, placing them in a slanted stance beside each other, with space in between.
"Sit." He said gruffly. Castle and his muse looked at one another, trying to assess the situation. How the hell did they get out of this one? Cops were on their way, but they were inside the loft, with two armed psychopaths. "I said sit!" He shouted, this time making a move to grab Castle's arm. He practically threw the unwilling man in the chair, who put his hands up in defense as he seated himself. Aidan grabbed Kate's arm.
"I'll go!" She shook him off, and sat down. Clara handed Aidan the gun at this point.
"I'm sure you both know how russian roulette goes."
"I don't understand. Why do you keep trying? When we keep getting away? Why not just kill us?" The author mused, shaking his head in confusion.
"Don't give them any ideas." Kate snapped, eyeing the gun.
"Relax, Katie." Aidan grinned. "That night at the hospital, I really wanted to just off you both. But, after we got out of there it gave me some time to think. Some reconsidering was done. And I figured out something."
"What's that?" Castle grinded his teeth.
"I'm not done playing with you." A hyena's laugh escaped Aidan's lips and he pointed the gun at Castle. "You wanna go first?" The authors breathing was rapid and quick, his chest rising and falling in anger.
"They might not know the rules." Clara frowned.
"He's an author and she's a cop. Of course they do." At Clara's look, he sighed. "Why don't you explain it then?"
"Russian Roulette is not only one of my favorite games, but extremely suspenseful. It's a lethal game of chance where there is a single round in this revolver, and we spin the cylinder so it is completely random and we don't know which of six shots the bullet will come out in. You two will go back and forth, the trigger being pulled with the gun against your head, until one of you dies." She grinned wickedly. "Let's play."
"So, whose first?" Aidan asked, looking between the two of them. "Come on, Castle. I'm waiting to hear you say something about how you'd rather risk yourself than her. But, either way one of you will die." Pure silence from the couple. Aidan turned to his sister. "Why don't you choose?"
"Me? I'd love the honor!" While they were looking to each other, Castle reached across him and took Kate's hand. She bit her bottom lip but accepted his hand in hers, holding tightly. Her eyes burned in to his, unshed tears glistening in her emerald orbs. He then mouthed, 'I'm Sorry', to her. Kate just gave him a very confused look in return. Sorry for what?
"Okay!" Clara turned. "I've decided. Let's start with Castle. Or should I say, 'heartbreaking bastard who left his wife and children.'"
"We aren't married and we don't have children!" He shouted at her. Sometimes it seemed like she was slightly insane, out to kill her favorite author and his muse. Othertimes she seemed insane, out to kill something she made in her own twisted mind. She flinched at his shout and grabbed the gun from Aidan, pointing it right at Castle's head, stepping closer to him.
"Have fun in hell." She pulled the trigger. Kate and Castle jumped in their seats, his eyes still closed seconds after a soundless echo was present in the room. Clara stepped back, slightly dissapointed. "It's no matter. You still have two more turns." Slowly, he let his eyes open and blinked them rapidly. He was alive. Kate looked absolutely pale so he squeezed her hand in reassurance.
"Your turn, Barbie." Aidan took the gun back from Clara. She 'hmmph'ed, but allowed him to retrieve it.
"Wait. Can't you just give my two more turns now? Please."
"Let me think...No." He swiftly lifted his arm, gun pointed right against her forehead. Kate turned her head to the side, looking down at the floor, a few tears hitting the carpet. "Say goodnight." Castle swallowed hard, preparing himself for the worst. Aidan pulled the trigger. The couple jumped again at the sound of the click, but no bullet followed after. Kate let out a large breath of relief, finally able to breathe steadily again.
"Castle, your turn." Aidan tsked, walking back towards the other chair, a smirk on his lips.
"Please just stop." Kate whispered brokenly. "Haven't you done enough damage? I don't know why you bother so much.. You really just have fun putting us through hell, don't you?" Before he could respond, a sound interrupted the silence. The front door from the floor below swung open with force, hitting the wall. They vaguely heard a man call
"Clear!" From somewhere downstairs. They heard it a few more times.
"Shit." Aidan mumbled. "Grab them." He pointed the gun at the pair, swaying it towards the window. "Open it." Rick and Kate looked to each other, then he reluctantly moved towards the window and lifted it up. "Jump."
"What!" Kate exclaimed.
"We're running out of time. It ends here. The game has to end sooner than later."
"Go!" Aidan pushed Castle towards the window.
"No, Rick don't!" Kate grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"FBI, come out with your hands above your head or we will have to use force against you!" A voice shouted from the otherside of the door obviously having heard them. Clara's eyes flickered between the couple and her brother.
"Aidan.." She said roughly.
"I know." He groaned. "Go! Now." Aidan shoved Castle back towards the window. Castle shoved him back.
"Easy there, wouldn't wanna get a bullet in your head."
"I'm not jumping out of shit. Neither is she. Either way this will end in you going to prison so put your hands up and walk out of that door. You'll get more time if you kill us. Hell, you might even get the death sentence for killing a cop." He was trying to scare him, but it didn't seem to affect Aidan. Clara on the other hand, was shaking to her core.
"A-Aidan. He's right. There's only one way out of this mess."
"Clara, we can't give ourselves up."
"I know." She whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. Then she turned her head and ran at full speed towards the window, crashing through the remainder of the glass from it being partly open, and falling forward, down..down.. SPLAT! She hit the concrete hard, blood surrounding her head.
"CLARA!" Aidan screamed, looking down through the window. Castle made a move to push him through it, but Aidan snapped back around, eyes crazy. At this point the door slammed open, FBI standing there with guns raised. Aidan quickly grabbed Kate and put the gun to her head.
"Make any movements and she's dead!" Castle dove forwards and threw himself at Aidan, tackling him to the ground.
"Don't ever touch her!" His fists pounded in to Aidan's face until he was continuosly bleeding. Then, Aidan flipped them over and they began a wrestling match, throwing hits.
Then a bullet rang out, and both were still. Everyone was. The FBI didn't move right away, unsure of who'd been shot, if not them both. Kate stood there, eyes wide and in shock.
"R-Rick..." She fell to her knees and crawled towards them, shoving Aidan's body off Castle's. And she saw the most beautiful sight. He was breathing, blood covering his chest.
"Did I get 'em?" He grumbled.
"Yeah, you got him." Tears of relief flowed freely down her face, and she launched forward and wrapped her arms around his midsection, face pressed against his chest as she sobbed. He was exhausted and wrapped his own arms arond her back.
"It's okay." Rick whispered in to her ear. The FBI surrounded Aidan's corpse.
"He's dead." One pointed out. At this point Ryan and Esposito approached the couple.
"Looks like this whole thing is over." Neither of them said anything, just clinging to one another.
XX
Castle was at the precinct, watching Kate file a report on everything they went through. He'd just made his statement, and had suggested they go back to her apartment and get some rest, but she'd refused. She insisted on finishing the paperwork tonight, though everyone else was against it as well.
"Beckett, go home." Esposito grumbled. "It's late, everyone's leaving."
"I need to do this.." Castle shrugged but mouthed 'thanks for trying', to the man. Javier nodded and gestured towards Ryan that it was time to go. Once they left, Castle spoke up.
"I'm worried about you."
"Why? I'm fine, Rick. I just want this thing over with. Tomorow can be a new day."
"You went through a lot, Kate. We both did. He tortured you." She swallowed hard, pen stopping on the page.
"No, we're not talking about this." He swung her chair towards him and pulled her close.
"Kate, I love you." Her heart swelled.
"I love you, too."
"There's nothing we can't get past together. And if you'll let me in we'll be okay. I love you, and it feels amazing to say. No more Aidan and Clara. Just you and me."
"You killed him for me. I never wanted you to lose that innocence." He frowned.
"I did it for us. For you. So, I don't regret it. And I think I lost that innocence a long time ago, considering the amount of bodies I've seen. It affected me at first, more than I had realized. But, I've gotten past it." She sighed.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. As long as I've got you I'll be okay."
"I'm not that incredible." Kate scoffed, eyes looking down. Castle lifted her chin.
"Yes you are. You're brave, and strong, and killer beautiful." With that, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, hugging him. Castle pressed a kiss to her neck and accepted it.
"Thank you." She whispered, voice tearful. "At first I thought I'd never be okay with what happened. Like I'm afraid to sleep because if I do I'll dream. About them and everything that happened." Castle pulled away and presssed a kiss to her lips, one that lasted until his phone went off. He lifted it and smiled softly.
"What is it?"
"Alexis and Martha are back. They're at the house, the body is long gone though. I'll just sleep in the guest room tonight. Don't feel comfortable with.."
"I understand that."
"You're coming back with me, right?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"One more question." She grinned.
"Yeah?"
"What are we?" She furrowed her eyebrows and bit her bottom lip, wondering if he was asking the question she thought that he was.
"What do you mean?"
"Are we..together?" Castle winced at the word, feeling like it might set off an alarm. She gritted her teeth together, thinking about a proper answer.
"I don't know.. Do you want to be?"
"Of course.."
"Well, then I guess we are..boyfriend." She tested the word between her lips, smirking.
"I like the way that sounds, girlfriend." He felt like a teenager again. That warm feeling in your chest when you get your first girlfriend. The fire between them was higher than ever, and both of them were feeling the passion and results of it. He took her hand and they stood up, walking towards the elevator hand in hand. Rick pressed a gentle kiss to her hand, watching a blush pass over her cheeks. He spoke up, voice smooth and clear.
"Come on, let's go home." She loved the way that sounded.
Home.
XX
A/N: That's it! The story is finally complete. A pretty short chapter, but it tied up the loose ends I think.. I'm constantly writing Castlefics, so maybe check out my others ones, or look out for new ones! Thanks so much for the support, I love you guys!