So, this happened. Please note the rating change, although this chapter is only slightly M-ish.

Sweat clung to her back, cooling her bare skin as she settled on her stomach, her right arm curling under the pillow. She closed her eyes and hummed a sigh of contentment, feeling Castle settle himself beside her. When the movement stopped, her eyes slipped open, finding his in the muted darkness.

She blinked shyly before speaking. "Hi."

He smiled, cautious yet content, and reached a hand out to stroke the damp hair from her cheek. "Hi."

"Castle, I…"

"Not now, Kate, please," sighing, he rolled to his back and ran a hand down his face. "I just want to have you here now. You can freak out in the morning."

"I'm not freaking out. That's not what I was going to say," Kate propped herself up on her arm, but made no move to cover herself, reaching instead, for his hand. Twining her slender fingers in his, she marvelled briefly at his quiet strength, the breadth of his palm, and how thoroughly he could encompass her body with his. "Castle, I've never done this before. I've never even come close, and it's overwhelming."

Rick looked at her, confusion etched in his features, as the lightning split the sky. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, 'cause we just had mind blowing sex, and I'm pretty sure it's not the first time for either of us."

Kate chuffed out a laugh, and bowed her head slightly. "That's not what I mean." She paused, collecting her words. "It wasn't just sex, it felt different, like more. It's never been more before. No one has ever…" she paused and hid behind the drape of her curls. "No one has ever made love to me before. I never believed it was more than just some romantic sentiment people spewed out to make it more than just sex. But this was more."

Castle nodded in the darkness, rolling his body back towards her, and pulled the fingertips of her free hand to his lips. "For me too, Kate. It felt different for me too. Because it is different."

Kate took a deep breath, and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "Because you love me." It wasn't a question, just a simple statement, and Rick closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotion that washed over him.

"Yeah, Kate. Because I love you. I've loved you for a long time, I think you know that already, and because you are more than I ever imagined I could have."

She blinked in surprise, and leaned forward slightly, tenderly kissing his lips. "I'm not some unattainable princess, Castle. You have me on this insanely high pedestal that I don't belong on. I'm just a woman; a regular woman who hides from her emotions, and sometimes gets scared of being alone in the dark, but I'm not some prize to be won. You haven't had to prove yourself to me for a very long time, and I think you know that." She traced the lines on his face, ones she had memorized long ago, and leaned in for another soft kiss. Pulling back slightly, she slipped down the bed, into his arms, sighing as she settled her head against his broad chest, and slid her knee between his. "We've made such a mess of things, and I want to fix it. I want to get this right."

"And by this you mean…"

Kate pulled her head back and smirked. "Are you always this dense after sex? Us Castle, you and me, a relationship."

Castle tugged her toward him roughly, capturing her mouth with his. His kiss seared her flesh, and she moaned into the press of his hands at her back. He was relentless. Teeth and lips and tongues tangled together, passionate, and brutal all at once, until he simply stopped, and pulled away. Kate's chest heaved breathlessly, and she stared at him in shock as he settled back against his pillow.

"Can I just say that I really like this new talking thing we're doing here. I'm going to buy your therapist a Ferrari."

Kate laughed and settled back in beside him, swatting his chest gently. "Ass."

"In all seriousness, though, I know how hard it must have been for you to come to me. To let go of the control and tell me any of this."

"You're worth it, Rick," she responded quietly, kissing a spot above his heart. "I should have done it a long time ago. I was just so afraid we'd lose what we already have, and as much as I wished we were more, you are my best friend. My life would be less without you in it at all."

"I think we've both let ourselves get too comfortable with that fear. We've both let ourselves get trapped behind it and watch the past four years go by without us, but maybe we needed that time to get us here." Castle skimmed his fingertips gently over the curve of Kate's spine, and she hummed at the sparks his touch elicited over her flesh.

"Here is good," she agreed, fingers seeking their own exploration of his body. "I like here." He yelped slightly as she squeezed the firm roundness of his ass, giggling into his shoulder.

"Oh, you want to play that game, do you?" he growled, shifting them quickly, pinning her to the mattress beneath his solid bulk. Kate gasped with arousal, submitting to the physical power he exerted over her. The bedroom lights flickered slightly, and finally sprang to life, the storm, she noticed, no longer raging outside. For the first time since she took his hand to lead him inside, they saw each other clearly.

Her brows knit with confusion at the frown that overtook his face. "Kate, what…" he pulled away slightly, and slid his gaze down her body. "What the hell happened to you? God, did I?"

"No," she shouted, heaving herself up the mattress to grab hold of his shoulders as he kneeled in front of her. "You didn't hurt me. You could never hurt me."

Rick stuttered out a ragged breath and ran his fingertips over the bruises adorning her throat, the cage of her ribs. "Is this from…" he didn't continue, and Kate simply nodded, leaning forward to join their foreheads.

"Maddox. He took me down like I was nothing. Tossed me around for a bit before he threw me off the roof."

"Wait, what?" Castle recoiled in horror. "You fell off a roof? Jesus!" He dropped to his haunches and ran a hand over his face again. "I need pants. I think we both need clothes on for this conversation." He rose from the bed and retrieved the silk boxers from the floor. Kate drew her knees to her chest, and simply watched, overwhelmed by the sight of him, bare before her. She watched the ripple of his back as he ran a hand through his hair, and yanked open a dresser drawer. He pulled something out and turned back towards her, catching sight of her eyes on him. "What?"

She smiled and shook her head softly, as he approached her, reaching out for the shirt he offered her. She felt the bed dip beside her, as she slipped the soft cotton over her head, and sighed at the touch of his fingers on the back of her neck, freeing the damp tangle of her hair from under the material. Mumbling her thanks, she drew her legs in, and slid backwards, toward the headboard, making herself as comfortable as possible, in the wake of what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation. Castle made no attempts to speak, so she took a moment to gather her thoughts and began.

"Espo and I went to find Maddox. He was holed up in a hotel on the lower-east side. He got the drop on us and knocked Javi out before taking off for the roof. I followed him up and…"

"Wait!" Castle interrupted, angrily. "YOU followed him up? Where the hell was your backup, Beckett? Please don't tell me went without backup."

Beckett closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, hearing his muttered curse as her silence confirmed his suspicions. She turned her head to watch him, pain in her chest blooming at his misery, as his head hit the wall behind him with a dull thunk. His eyes slid closed and he waited for her to continue.

"I followed Maddox up to the roof, and we fought. He dropped me, eventually, he was too strong, and he landed some kicks in before he started taunting me." Beckett watched Castle closely, gauging his reaction. He remained still beside her. "He told me I'd never find the man he worked for, that I'd die for nothing, and he just tossed me off the roof like I was some broken doll." Castle flinched slightly, and Kate reached for his hand before continuing. "I grabbed the side, and I held on. I heard your voice and I fought to keep my hold on the edge."

Castle finally opened his eyes, turning his head to the side, meeting her watery gaze with the crystal blue of his resignation. Kate stroked his fingers, entwined with hers, and lowered her head, ashamed.

"I heard you calling for me, telling me to hang on, and I wanted so badly to just tell you everything. How sorry I was for hurting you, for getting stuck in my mother's case, and how much I wanted you. How in love with you I am." She released his hand to caress the smooth skin of his cheek. "I am you know. So much in love with you."

Castle lunged for her, hauling her into his lap as their lips fused. The sensations were overwhelming. His hands were everywhere, burning their way across her body, up her back as he rid her of his shirt, her hips as he gripped her tightly, and her hair as they tangled in her locks and tugged roughly, exposing the mottled flesh of her throat for his taking. His mouth thoroughly claimed her, his passion almost bruising, and she cried out from the intensity of his lips on her skin. She was burning. Every touch of him on her body, tattooing her with an invisible mark.

Mine.

She was forever ruined for anyone else; utterly his, mind, body, and soul.

While their first time had been slow and exploratory, blind in the darkness, this time was emboldened and fierce. They took from each other as much as they offered, their bodies synchronized in the rhythm they had long since perfected. Kate rose and fell above him, his arms banded tightly around her back, never getting close enough. Tears leaked from her eyes as she poured out her love for him, whispers, moans, and the press of her lips against his. She cried out against his mouth, as she fell over the edge, and the stuttering rhythm of his hips beneath hers, answered her release. The kisses gentled, as her body draped heavily against him, and the sweat tickled as it traced a path down her aching spine. She dropped her forehead to his shoulder as her breathing slowed, and steadied.

"Wow," the husk of Castle's voice rumbled through her, as she lay, entwined, over him. She laughed softly, and he gasped at the sensation, before shifting and withdrawing from her body, rolling them gently to the mattress. She hummed against his chest, pressing gentle kisses to his sweat slicked skin, as he drew the sheets up and around her.

"I love this," she sighed, entirely content.

"Which part?" Castle finally quieted his fussing, kissing the top of her head. "Because, damn Beckett."

Kate barked out a laugh and pulled back to look at him, once again. "While I completely agree with that sentiment, I meant just being here like this." She snuggled back into his chest, and continued. "You're the writer, not me, but I love the way your skin feels against mine." Castle's agreement rumbled through his chest as she traced invisible patterns across his body. "I love how small you make me feel, does that sound weird?" He didn't answer, and the slowing pound of his heart made her think maybe he had fallen asleep. "You can completely surround me, and it makes me feel safe. I haven't felt like that in a long time."

"Pretty good for not-a-writer," his words startled her slightly. He hummed an apology into her hair, and she melted, once again, into his embrace. "Now, I believe we left off with you hanging onto the edge of a roof."

"Castle…" she groaned, burying her face in his chest. "Do we have to do this now? It's been a really long day and I just don't want to hash it out anymore tonight."

"Yeah, Kate, we need to do this now," his voice was hard and insistent. "I want a new day tomorrow, not more of this. I want this all over and out in the open tonight, and tomorrow I want to be able to wake up beside you with nothing between us. Literally. No secrets, no revelations, and preferably, no clothes."

Kate sighed in resignation, but made no move to pull away from the comfort of his embrace. "Fine. Long story short, Ryan showed up and pulled me back up, Gates was with him, and pissed. She suspended Javi and I, and…" she hesitated slightly, unsure how to continue. "And I quit."

"You quit. As in your job, Kate? You quit your job? Why?" The desperate surprise in his voice was almost laughable, but she pushed down what she knew would end up as hysterical crying, and snuggled closer in his arms.

"Yes, I quit my job. I realized that everything you said to me this morning was true. My life isn't worth my job, and if my mother was here, she'd murder me herself for letting it rule my life so completely. I became a cop to catch my mom's killer, and I want to be more than that. I want to have a life with you, and I want to be free from this weight I've been carrying around for almost fifteen years."

"It's not an either or, Kate. I don't need you to quit your job for me, I fell in love with you knowing full well who you are, and you are the best cop in this city. You love your job."

"I love you more," she stated, easily. "If I had to choose, it would be you, every time."

"I'm not asking you to choose," he half-shouted, his arms rigid around her.

Beckett could feel the tension radiating through his body, and she pulled herself away from the warmth of his arms, to give him room to process her words.

"You can still be a cop and have this," Rick gestured between the two of them wildly. "I couldn't live with myself if you stop doing what you love because of me."

"Oh Castle," Kate sighed, cradling his face in her hands. "I do love my job, I love the puzzle, and being able to get justice for people who are hurting, but from the very beginning, and every day since, my job is death. I don't want to be mired in death anymore. I want to live."

Rick leaned forward, their foreheads touching softly. "If you're sure, about this, then I'll support you one-hundred percent."

"I'm sure," she kissed the tip of his nose before brushing it gently with her own. "Now, I don't want you to freak out, but I kind of got a beat-down, and now that the adrenaline has worn off, I hurt like hell."

"God, Kate," Castle recoiled as if he'd been burned. "Shit, I am so sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I? I'll get you some Ibuprofen." He tossed the blankets away and threw his legs over the edge of the bed, but was slowed by the soft wrap of her hand, around his bicep.

"Castle," she soothed. "I would love a few painkillers, but I'll be fine. What I would really like, is for you to take me into your ridiculously large shower, help me wash my hair, maybe toss my clothes in the dryer, and spend the rest of the night loving me. Can we do that?"

He smiled gently, and leaned back across the bed for a sweet kiss. "I think I can work with that."

Thanks again for hanging in there, and for the great reviews. They are my nerd-crack. I have been bitten by the bug and literally, have seven or eight documents with just a plot point saved, waiting for a spare moment to get them all down. They're coming at me faster than I can write them. I promise, I'll get better. Only a few more weeks until school starts again, and I become an aimless and unemployed lump on my couch, with nothing to do but write. There is nothing I'd rather be doing. Show may be over, but Castle and Beckett are still my happy place, and I'll write them until the day they run out of things to say. You are all awesome, and I appreciate every single one of you reading their story.