AN: Thanks for the reviews (even the sarcastic/not that nice ones) , favorites, and follows. I hope you enjoy this chapter. There's only two more left, so I do hope you enjoy these final chapters.
She woke up draped in the white sheet that he had covered their bodies with the night before and her head resting against his chest. When she opened her eyes, she was a little confused as to where she was, but that confusion didn't last long. She remembered last night and the pleasurable soreness between her legs remembered last night as well. She stretched out a bit, trying not to wake him, but she wasn't successful.
"Stay in bed," he said as his hold on her tightened.
"Castle, we still have a case to solve."
"Knowing you though, it's probably 6am and I don't do anything after 8am."
Her tone turned seductive. "Even if it's showering with me."
His eyes opened. "I'm up."
The three men sat around the poker table, looking at their cards. None of them were speaking, until Bracken broke it.
"So, what's the update on Kate Beckett looking into her mother's case."
"She headed to LA. He mentor was murdered. She's busy with that. I saw the look in her eyes before she left. Her mother's murder is the last thing on her mind right now."
"Great. But just in case. I hired a new assassin. His name is Maddox. I will be contacting him if you two give me a reason why I should. I would much rather use Lockwood, but he does nothing for me in that cell and getting him out of there is going to cost too much. Maddox is good. Gets his target every time."
Josh and Demming glanced at each other, both hoping that it wouldn't come to that.
"Well, I don't know what you two have, but I have a royal flush. I'm pretty sure I'm the winner here."
They had caught the man that killed Royce and were now on their way home. Castle was sleeping next to her and she had her head resting against his shoulder. They had to stop the physical contact once they got back to New York, so she was taking advantage of the time that they had. She closed her eyes as she rested against him and wished that she could have this all the time. She wasn't sure how long she was going to have to pretend to be in a relationship with Josh. She was hoping that it wasn't going to be too much longer. One, being that she wanted to solve her mother's murder, and two, she wanted to be with Castle publicly.
"What's wrong?"
She looked up at him, seeing his eyes were still closed, but he pulled him closer to her the best he could. "How did you know I was thinking?"
"You might be a mystery that I'll never solve, but I do know you pretty well."
He did. He knew her better than anyone. "I'm just hoping that we find out who The Dragon is sooner rather than later. I don't want to keep us a secret too much longer and I just want to be with you."
"I do too, Kate, but I'd wait forever for you. Don't think that I'm just a mouse and you're teasing me with cheese that I'll never get. I know we'll be together someday and when it does, it will be the best day of my life."
She smiled as she placed her hand over his. "Mine too, Castle. Mine too."
When the plane landed, she saw that she had a message. She pulled Castle aside, so that she could listen to it, and when she did she wished she would have landed earlier. He saw the look in her eyes and he knew that the message that she had received was not good.
"Kate, what's wrong?"
"Lockwood. He escaped. His court hearing was pushed up and he escaped. He also killed Gary McCallister. He escaped on a helicopter."
He wrapped his arm around her. "We need to get you somewhere safe."
"Castle, I don't think he's after me. I mean, obviously if I get in his way, yea. But I think he's after the third cop that was involved with McCallister and Raglan."
"You want to go to the precinct and see what we can find?"
She nodded. "I think that would be best."
He turned on the T.V and saw the news about the former assassin that he hired had escaped. "Well well. Looks like someone got help from the inside."
"I did."
Bracken turned around, facing the now wanted Lockwood. "How'd you get in here?"
"Not that hard, but you have your secrets and I have mind."
"What do you want?"
"I'm going to kill Roy Montgomery and Kate Beckett. I'm not asking for permission here. I just thought you should know that your problem is going to be taken care of."
"How are you going to do that?"
"I'm going to give Roy an offer he can't refuse. It's either his family or it's Kate Beckett. Once he gives me her, I'm going to kill him as well. Or maybe him first and then her. I haven't decided yet on the order."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Cause since I didn't kill your target, I'm still under contract with you."
He laughed. "That ended when you went to prison. But I tell you what, I'm in a generous mood. I'll give you another shot. But if you fail, you won't be going to prison this time. You'll be dead."
"That's a lot of talk for a senator."
"Trust me, you have no idea what I'm capable of. But I'm only paying you for the detective. Montgomery is your own plan."
"Done. I'll be by tomorrow night to collect my payment."
The helicopter that Lockwood got away in was found, but no Lockwood. They also found out who helped Lockwood get out of jail...but the found him not breathing. She was at her desk, trying to figure out who this third cop was. Was he after him? Was this third cop helping him? She wasn't sure. She sent Ryan and Esposito to try and find out who this third cop was and how he was involved. Castle had gone home, so he wasn't there for her to talk to. As she was walking towards the elevator, Castle was walking in.
"Hey, did you think of something?"
"Um, no. I came here to talk to Montgomery. I'll meet you at your apartment, okay?"
She nodded. "Ok."
She walked into the elevator and watched him go into the captain's office. She had no idea that her dad had came to visit Castle to tell him to get her to back down and that he was going in there to ask Montgomery to get her off of this case.
She headed to her apartment and saw that Josh was waiting there for her. "Josh? What are you doing here?"
"Stop, Kate."
"Stop what?"
"Stop looking into Lockwood. Into your mother's murder. You're going to get yourself killed."
"Not if you or Demming don't tell The Dragon that I am."
"It's not about us anymore. He's after you. He wants to kill you, Kate. You put Lockwood in jail and I can't say anything that will help protect you."
"I'm not going to let that happen."
"Kate, you need to stand down."
"I'm not going to stand down. Lockwood needs to go to jail and this Dragon needs to be caught."
"Yea, cause Lockwood in jail worked out really well the last time."
Kate glared at him. "I need to get justice for everyone that they have killed."
"I know you do, but you need to stop. Kate, I can't protect you from this. You're the only one that can at this point. Run, go somewhere where they can't find you. Leave tonight, as soon as you can."
"I'm not running, Josh."
"Fine, throw your life away Kate Beckett. Think about Castle, think about your dad. Then decide if this is really worth it. I hope the next time I see you won't be in the morgue. I won't be coming back here, Kate."
"Goodbye, Josh."
With that, he left her apartment as soon as Castle was coming in.
"Everything okay?"
"Yea, he's trying to get to me stand down. I told him no and we "broke up"." Castle was silent for a little bit. "Castle..."
"I think it's a good idea."
"Castle..."
"Kate, you could die. You know what this guy is capable of and you know what The Dragon is capable of. I know you want justice, but everyone associated with this case is dead. You know they're coming for you."
"Montgomery has a protective detail on me," she cupped the side of his face. "I'm fine. I have my gun."
He moved her hand. "That's not going to be enough to stop Lockwood, you know that. Beckett, I don't think we're going to win this."
"Castle, they killed my mother. I can't let them get away with that."
"They're going to kill you Kate and if you don't care about that, think about how that's going to effect the people that love you. I am not going to let you throw your life away. I'm not going to let yourself get killed. I love you too much to do that. I don't know what I'd do without you. You and I, we deserve to be happy."
She closed her eyes for a few seconds before she opened them. "I love you too, Castle. I do. And you're right, we deserve to be happy...together. But I don't know if I can be happy if I can't get justice for my mother. Not when I'm so close."
"You can be, Kate. I promise you." He cupped the side of her face. "I will make sure you're happy every single day. I know we might get under each other's skins at time and it's not going to be perfect all the time, but I promise you, if bringing you a diamond necklace each day will make you happy, I'll do it. If getting you those cupcakes you liked in LA makes you happy, I'll do that. I will do anything to make you happy, Kate...but I won't let you throw your life away."
She was silent for a bit, thinking about what she should do. She loved Castle, but this was her mother's case. She looked at him. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay...I'll stand down. I want a life with you, Castle. And I have faith that someday, I'll find out who The Dragon is without putting myself in the line of fire." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "But most importantly, I have faith that you'll make me happy...cause you already do."
He captured her lips in a loving kiss. He kissed her like his life depended on it, making sure that this was real and he wasn't dreaming that Kate Beckett just said that she would stand down. When he broke away, he rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you. I know how much your mother's case means to you. I promise Kate, we'll get him one day...just not today."