Hey guys, thanks so much for the wonderful feedback! Sorry to leave you guys hanging for a few days, had the hurricane going on here on the east coast and also tons of school work. But here is the next chapter, hope you like it! xo Ashley

Beckett could still feel the feeling of Castle's arms around her as she entered her apartment. She tossed her keys on a nearby end table and hung up her leather jacket. She went into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. As she did there was a knock on the door.

"It's me." Lanie yelled through the door. Beckett walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey Lanie." Beckett said, as her friend gave her a hug.

"Hungry?" Lanie asked, as she walked into the kitchen with some take-out. Beckett nodded her head, and followed her to the kitchen island. Lanie began pulling out the white take out cartons and stopped when she the book lying on the counter. Beckett noticed her looking at it.

"When did you get that?" Lanie asked, looking at the Heat Rises book still.

"Oh..um Castle gave it to me." Beckett said. She hadn't told Lanie about seeing Castle.

"Today?" she asked, looking at Beckett now.

"Yep. Why?"

"I didn't know you guys were seeing each other today, I could've come over later and gave you two more time to dance around your feelings." Lanie smirked. Everyone could see it between Castle and Beckett. In fact Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan still had bets placed on when and who was going to confront their feelings first, so far no one was winning. Beckett grabbed the book and flipped through it, acting like she didn't hear Lanie's last remark. Lanie shook her head at this.

"Girl, you need to say it already." Lanie pleaded. Beckett put the book down again and crossed her arms.

"What?" Beckett asked, playing dumb. Lanie tilted her head, with a 'girl please' look on her face.

"Lanie, it's…" Beckett went.

"If you say complicated I'm a smack you." Lanie said with an attitude. Beckett reached for the white carton of fried rice to pour onto her plate, but Lanie put a chopstick on her hand blocking her. Beckett looked at her and sighed.

"What do you want me to say? I like him? Fine I like Castle." Beckett admitted in a sarcastic but unconvincing tone.

"Like, like?" Lanie asked like a high school girl. Beckett smirked.

"What is this junior high? Can I please have some rice now?" Beckett demanded, and Lanie moved her chopstick away. Beckett began pouring some rice and then some chicken and broccoli onto her plate. Lanie began eating, and she wasn't finished with the subject yet.

Castle's apartment…

Castle walked into his apartment feeling so happy and light. He took off his jacket and laid it on the couch. He walked over to the kitchen to find something to eat. He pulled out some lunchmeat, mayo, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. He walked over to the cabinet to get some bread when the door went off. He placed the bread on the marble countertop and he creased his brow curious who it could be.

"Hello Mr. Castle, this was delivered downstairs for you." The doorman said, handing Castle a thick envelope. Castle looked at it curiously and accepted it.

"Thank you Ed." He said to the doorman with a smile. And he shut the door. He saw no return address on it, just a few stamps and his name and address. He placed it on the coffee table and returned to making his sandwich, before opening it.

"Richard?" Martha asked walking into the apartment. She was carrying a few shopping bags, and dropped them by the couch.

"In here, mother." Castle replied, as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Oh, so how did it go with Kate?" she asked, rolling up her sleeves of her dark purple top.

"Good." Castle managed to say with a big chunk of his sandwich still in his mouth. Martha smiled.

"What did you discuss?" Martha asked. She, just like Lanie, was hoping that he and Beckett had talked about their feelings.

"I know where you headed with this mother…" Castle said, squinting his blue eyes.

"Hey dad, gram!" Alexis said as she tossed her backpack onto the couch and set her schoolbooks down on the table.

"Hey sweetie, how was your day? I thought you were with Ash?" Castle asked, taking another bite.

"He's going to pick me up in a little while, he had some errands to run before we left. What are we talking about?" Alexis replied, walking to the kitchen island.

"Your father was just telling me about Beckett, when he saw her today." Martha replied smiling at Castle. He was chewing his food, and had a creased brow.

"Oh! Did you guys finally talk?" Alexis asked hopefully, as she sat in a stool.

"You too, huh?" Castle nodded. He felt like he was being interrogated by his own family about his feelings for Beckett.

The next night….

Beckett took a shower, being careful not to get her stitches wet on her chest. She put some make-up on her face, she always looked natural and never wore her make-up dark. She added a light lipstick to her soft lips and then sprayed some perfume on herself before drying her hair. She got dressed into a white t-shirt, and dark denim skinny jeans. She sat on the edge of her bed zipping the sides of her dark brown boots. That she wore over her jeans. She went into the bathroom once again fixing her hair, making it wavy. Her hair was grown out to the middle of her back now. When she had first met Castle it was a cute short cut, but it had taken almost three years to get it to this long wavy length- anyway she had it she looked beautiful. She grabbed her jacket in the living room and walked over to the kitchen counter to grab the book. She smiled at it. Castle had written three books based on their partnership. He had one more book to write in his contract, and she began to wonder if he would write more after the next one. She shut off the lights and opened her door to leave, she turned around making sure to lock it.

As she walked outside onto the front steps of her building her cell phone went off.

"Beckett." She answered.

"Hey, boss what are you up too?" Esposito asked.

"I don't know, you tell me." Beckett said smiling, as she waved across the street to Esposito and Ryan. They stayed outside her apartment making sure she was safe. The two of them looked at each other with surprised looks, they thought they had been careful.

"Your protective detail is on a break. We were gonna knock and come up, but then you came out." Ryan said, grabbing the phone from Esposito. Beckett hung up her cell phone and walked to their now very visible car. Esposito rolled down his window.

"I'm going to Castle's book signing a few blocks away, and no I don't want or need a ride boys before you ask." She ordered, smiling. They didn't like that idea.

"Well then we'll just walk with you." Ryan insisted, as the two guys got out of the car. She tilted her head, she wasn't going to win this. She smiled and rolled her eyes in a cute way. She loved how they protected her like a sister. They began walking up the street on the quiet street of Beckett's neighborhood towards the bookstore.