Chapter 11: Always

A/N: Thank you all for the comments, suggestions and critiques. They've all been very helpful. Sorry the update took so long, big test week at school and the students were running me ragged; and I've been ill. This chapter isn't as long as the others, but it seemed like a natural stopping point. Update coming soon.

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Rick and Leo stepped out of the break room. Kate was relieved to see that although they weren't exactly friendly, they weren't fighting either. They seemed to have reached some sort of understanding.

Before they could make their way over to Kate's desk, Captain Gates stepped into their path. "Would someone care to explain what's going on here?" she asked. Her arms were crossed, her features stern.

Rick and Leo stood there, caught off guard by Gates' question.

Rick almost smiled in relief when Esposito came to the rescue. "Um…Detective Bocharov fell in the break room, Sir." Esposito's face was the picture of innocence.

"He fell… I see…and how did Mr. Castle's hand get damaged?" She was clearly not buying it.

Ryan spoke up, "Uh, he fell too, you know…while he was trying to help Leo up, Sir."

Castle was nodding in agreement. "Yes sir, it all happened very fast. Weird."

"I see," Gates said again. They were all obviously covering for each other. She had faced this particular blue wall of silence before. She turned to look at Kate, "Detective Beckett is this the way you remember it?"

Kate was busy staring at the floor, "Yes sir, that's what happened."

Finally, Captain Gates looked at Leo, "Detective Bocharov I will need you to file an On the Job Injury report."

Leo looked at Kate and her team, "Oh no sir, that isn't necessary. I was…clumsy and tripped. That's all."

Victoria Gates was no fool. They were all lying and she knew it. What's more, they knew she knew it. Secretly she was proud of her squads' dedication to each other…no one was willing to let the other take the blame. Whatever it was, they were obviously handling it in house. She would find out eventually.

Gates nodded her head slowly, looking over her glasses, "In that case, I want everyone's reports on my desk by the end of shift today."

Castle smiled and gave a short laugh, "Ahh, paper work…that is my cue to leave people!."

"Not so fast Mr. Castle," The Captain's sharp tones froze him in place." Since you specialize in fiction, I'm sure you can write an incident report …explaining the nature of this accident…you know…in case anyone asks about unexplained injuries in my squad room." She gave him an unpleasant smile and turned to go.

As she shut her office door, she could hear their snickers turn into laughter. Captain Gates smiled at their camradery as she turned her attention to the work piling up on her desk.

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Once their laughter died down a bit, Kate turned to Esposito, "Hey Javi, will you take Leo down to the morgue and see if Lanie will help him out with his nose?..No paperwork on this one."

"Nah, I don't mind. I need to holler at Lanie anyway."

Leo gathered up the folders he needed. He paused a moment and said, "Ryan, it's been a pleasure."

"Oh yeah, here too. Hope we get to work another one, someday." Kevin shook his hand as he spoke.

Leo turned to face Rick and Kate. As he looked at Kate he realized that a very important person from his life was about to make the most important decision of her life.

He felt the sudden urge to be completely honest with them. "I need to apologize to you both. I have been a complete ass over the last few days. Not only to you two, but to someone else. The truth is, I'm pretty fucked up,…personal demons… it's a long story…but I let it get out of control…I know that's no excuse."

"Kate, I will always care about you and want you to be happy. Rick is the right guy for you," his dark eyes were smiling with certainty. "I realize today he's a good man, and lucky to have you." With a quick nod, he said, "I apologize for my behavior."

She knew that for Leo to apologize was rare but she wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know whether to be cool or friendly towards him. What if she forgave him and Rick couldn't? She decided to follow Castle's lead. She looked over at Rick.

They had worked together long enough that he knew she was letting him decide. This was an important, personal decision and she was letting him choose for her. This was so unlike her…but he realized she was doing it for him.

Jealously or acceptance.

Friends or enemies.

She would back his move. Because she was his partner. Because she loved him.

He loved her so he offered Leo his hand, "We've all had those times where we make decisions we wish we could take back." Always the one to lighten the mood, Castle quipped, "Remind me to tell you about the trip to the geriatric nudist beach in Florida."

"Yes, I look forward to hearing that one." Leo chuckled as he shook Rick's hand. The two men seemed to have decided. They decided on acceptance... for her.

Kate smiled at Rick. She gave Leo a quick yet sincere hug, "Despite everything…it's been really good to see you again."

Leo turned to Esposito, "I'm ready when you are."

As they were getting on the elevator, Kate turned to Rick with a huge smile, "So, Castle, you better get started on that paper work. You wouldn't want to give Gates another reason not to like you, would you?"

Castle just sighed, "I'm wearing her down" as he took the desk across from Kate to start on his fictional essay.

They ordered pizza for lunch. Between them all, they managed to get their reports done, and everything boxed up ready to be handed off to sex crimes.

While Kate was handing in their reports to Captain Gates, Castle turned to the guys, "Hey, why don't we all go to The Haunt tonight for dinner and drinks?"

Ryan hesitated, "I don't know Castle, it's hard to get a babysitter on short notice."

Castle smiled, "Not a problem, bring Sarah with you. Besides she needs to see her Uncle Ricky more anyway."

"Okay, I'll call Jenny. She's been complaining about being cooped up." He was smiling as he pulled out his cell phone to call her.

Before Castle could say anything, Esposito put his phone in his pocket and said, "Lanie is up for it. She says she could do with some company tonight."

"Awesome," Rick grinned. "Now I just have to convince Kate."

"Convince Kate of what?" she asked as she came up beside him.

He slid his arm around her waist and said, "We are all going to The Haunt tonight for dinner and drinks. Jenny is even bringing my niece."

"Oh," Kate smiled, "That sounds like a great idea." She looked at Javier, "You know he and Lanie will be fighting over Sarah all night, right?"

They headed for the elevators still smiling and talking.

Javier gave Kate a sly smile, "I don't mind…playin with babies puts her in the mood to practice making 'em…and I do like it when she's in the mood to practice."

"Beckett you could do with some practice…it might put you in the mood for a baby, you never know," Ryan said in his most helpful tone.

"Oh no, don't you guys start on me." She pointed her finger at them, "It's bad enough Castle is doing it. I would like to get married, and then get pregnant…in that order…the old fashioned way."

Rick was smiling as the elevator doors shut. She didn't say 'I'll think about getting pregnant', or 'maybe one day'. She didn't qualify it at all…she was getting used to the idea! He rode the elevator down picturing happy little miniatures of him and her running around the loft.

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Dinner was a lively affair, the drinks were frequent and the food was filling. As predicted, Rick and Lanie spent the night holding and making goo goo noises to the baby. Even Kate got her turn to hold Sarah. Everyone else was dancing, leaving her and Rick alone with the baby. It was getting easier to imagine having Rick's child. She was feeling less awkward around this sweet little girl.

Rick was sitting with his elbows on the table, propping his head in his hands, just enjoying watching Kate with the baby. "You know, you will make an excellent mom one day."

She just rolled her eyes at him and ducked her head. "I don't know Rick, the concept…it's all so foreign to me. I never really thought I would ever fall in love or get married. The possibility of kids just hasn't been a real consideration

Rick reached out and gently took her free hand. "You know what? You did fall in love, and you are getting married…so maybe you could start considering the possibility of kids?" He was smiling, but he was also being sincere. "Besides, we already know we're gonna have three of them, Madam Senator, so you must be ok with it at some point." They grinned as they remembered the predictions made by the man who claimed to be from the future.

Lanie and Jenny returned out of breath and laughing, "Castle, the boys said to send you over for a game of darts", Jenny managed to say.

Rick laughed, "What, they didn't get enough ass kicking last time?" He grabbed his beer. "I hope they're ready to play for money tonight." He loved rubbing their noses in it when he beat them. "Ladies" he said with a nod as he headed for the dartboards.

As soon as Castle was out of earshot, Lanie reached over and took Sarah from Kate. "Yes baby, you just come over here and let Aunt Lanie hold you for a minute." She buried her nose in the soft red curls and inhaled that wonderful scent that babies have. Then she looked up at Kate and said, "Okay girlfriend, spill with the details! I can't believe Castle beat him up, much less broke his nose! All Javi would tell me is that it was complicated and he didn't know all the facts."

Jenny was just as eager as Lanie, "Yeah, hurry before the boys get back…Kevin hardly told me anything."

For the next twenty or thirty minutes Kate told them about the 'incident' with Lynette and how Leo had been taunting Rick. How he was trying to convince her to leave Castle because he would eventually cheat on her. She described how Leo had grabbed her and Castle had gotten all protective; how he had punched Leo and then stopped after several punches….How the two of them had talked for a while.

"What did they talk about?" Lanie asked.

"I don't know…he hasn't told me yet. To be fair we haven't had time to discuss it. But I will get it out of him tonight when we get home." She smiled at the girls, it was nice having girlfriends to talk and share with.

"Speaking of home," said Jenny, "Sarah is asleep…so I think that's our cue to leave. She waved at Kevin to let him know it was time to go.

All the men came back to the table. Kevin started gathering up all their baby gear and the Ryan family said their goodbyes and headed home.

Javier held Lanie's jacket for her and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. She smiled and batted her eyes up at him. "Good night you two." She called out.

Kate took Rick's hand and gently kissed his bruised knuckles, "Take me home."

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Rick stepped out of the bathroom with a black towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still damp from his shower, to find Kate sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. She had already showered and was dressed in a pair of black shorts and his Green Lantern T-shirt. "That shirt looks so much better on you," he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him shyly and ducked her head. "Thanks, it's kinda comfy and it smells like you."

"I smell like me. You could just wear me to bed," he offered playfully.

She smiled at his offer, "Maybe later. Can we talk for a second?" she was twisting the comforter in her hands.

"Sure," he pulled off his towel and laid across from her on the bed. "What do you want to talk about?" he kept a blank expression, but it was hard considering the look on her face.

Her mind had gone completely blank. She was too busy looking at his chest…and the sprinkling of chest hairs that he had…she loved to rake her fingernails through them. Then, of course, her eyes followed a trail down his abdomen to his manhood. 'Even unaroused, his size is still impressive,' she thought. Her eyes took in his muscular legs. She sighed. He was just beautiful.

"Kate, I thought you wanted to talk. If you keep staring at me like that, our window for conversation may close soon." He loved that she was as distracted by his nakedness as he would be by hers.

"Um, right…can you just cover up then? I can't talk to you like this." She began to blush as her thoughts turned lewd.

"Just look into my eyes while we talk and you should be fine," he teased.

"Castle!"

"Okay, okay…just for you." He took the black towel and spread it across his chest. "Is that better?"

Kate laughed, snatched the towel and laid it across his lap. "There, maybe now I can concentrate."

She took a deep breath…"I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna dive right in, okay?"

"Sure, sweetheart….you know you can talk to me about anything."

"It's about Leo." She looked a little unsure as she watched for his reaction to the subject.

Castle broke their eye contact and looked down at the bed. "Kate, about that…I'm sorry…but I just lost it for a minute. He was grabbing and shaking you…and trying to convince you that I'll never be faithful…and the next thing I knew I was pounding his face."

"Are you kidding me?" Her face lit up with laughter and surprise. "He was being a complete jackass…he totally had it coming." She leaned forward to kiss him, "Besides, it was a major turn on…watching you fight for me, for us. You were my sexy hero."

"Really?"

"Really." She kissed him again.

Castle kissed her back, "In that case…I'm not sorry," he said with a smug smile. His hand was curling gently around the nape of her neck, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss.

With some difficulty, Kate broke the kiss. "Rick…about Leo," she began again.

"Um um," he murmured against her mouth. "Too late, that window closed," he said as he sucked her lower lip into his mouth; letting his tongue slide back and forth over it.

Kate melted a little, feeling the heat of passion that only he stirred in her. "I need to tell you about him." Her hands pushed against his chest slightly.

Rick broke the kiss, sighed and ran his hand over his jaws. "Kate, I love you, but I'm naked and we are in our bed. This place…this is our place…like a shrine and only you and I are allowed." He tugged at the hem of her shirt. "I promise I will listen to you about Leo…but not in here. Not like this."

He looked to see if she understood what he was trying to say.

Kate thought about what he said for a moment. Would she want to hear about Meredith or Gina when they were naked in bed together? No, she wouldn't. "You're right. I'm sorry, bad timing." She raked her nails through his chest hairs.

He tugged on her shirt again, "Now either we go sit in the living room and talk, or the towel comes off."

Kate looked at the towel. It was beginning to look more like a tent. Kate crawled off the bed and stood there looking at Rick.

Mentally he was groaning. He couldn't believe she really wanted to stop and talk now. He started to sit up, as she started removing her clothes. Rick smiled at her as she crawled back into their king size bed.

Kate loved seeing him hard. Knowing that she was the one who had created it. She knew what she wanted to do with it too. She was aware many women didn't like giving head to their lovers, but she did. It turned her on to know she was pleasing him.

She reached out and gently squeezed him through the towel with her left hand. She smiled up at him, "Why don't you just lie back," she gave him a small push with her other hand. Slowly she pulled the towel away, exposing his growing hard-on. She knelt there for a moment, letting her hair fall in a cascade, letting the tips tickle his sensitive shaft.

It seemed like forever to Rick before she finally touched him. Her hands were warm and soft as she moved them up and down his length. As nice as her hands were…what he really wanted was her mouth on him. His eyes closed against the pleasure her hands were bringing him.

He felt one hand grab his balls. He moaned as she gently rubbed and twirled them…sometimes using her nails…but just to tickle them. Her other hand was still moving up and down on him. Her fingers exploring the head of his shaft, running her thumb up and down on the most sensitive underside of his tip.

"Oh my God, Kate." He groaned aloud, his hands clenching fistfuls of the linens.

He thought he was going to die from pleasure when her lips closed around a nipple. She teased him, flicking his nipple with her tongue back and forth. Just when he couldn't stand it anymore, she would stop to suck it into her mouth. All the while, her hand was busy on his erection, her thumb running slowly around his sensitive tip. She switched to his other nipple and showed it the same attention.

"Baby….please."

"Tell me what you want, Rick."

"Your mouth"

Swiftly Kate placed her lips over his in a gut wrenching kiss. He was getting so turned on and it was turning her on too. "There?" she asked even though she knew where he really wanted her mouth.

"No," he said.

She could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she kissed her way around his throat, his nipples, his sternum; she ran her tongue through his chest hair.

"There?" she teased. Her left hand was still busy stroking his erection and thumbing his tip.

"No…lower," his hand was gently pushing her head down towards his aching need.

She ran her tongue and lips all over his stomach and ribs; she could feel his muscles tighten involuntarily. "There?" she asked as she swirled her tongue in and around his belly button.

"Damn it, Kate….please," he couldn't take much more of this.

"Say it Rick, tell me what you want," her lips were kissing the inside of his thighs now, kissing and licking.

"Damn it Kate …...suck me...please, quit teasing." It was all he could manage.

"I thought you would never ask," she said right before her mouth closed over the very tip of him. She ran her tongue up and down his length; she gently sucked on his balls until he groaned.

Rick was pretty sure he had died and gone to heaven. This beautiful woman was loving every inch of him. He was so grateful she enjoyed this part of sex…and damn she was good at it. She seemed to know just what he wanted almost before he did.

He raised his head to watch her taking him into her mouth….damn but that was sexy. He watched her pleasure him for a moment, until her bare backside became too tempting. He began to rub the small of her back and her ass cheeks. He reached between her legs to tease her core with his fingers. He felt her gasp around him when his fingers found her wet center.

He hooked her leg with his arm to pull her to a better angle for his hands. He began stroking her…her tongue mimicked the movement of his fingers. When he went faster so would she. The deeper his fingers went inside her, the farther she would take him in her mouth.

Dear god….they were killing each other.

He hooked her leg again, this time pulling her until she was straddling him. He buried his face where his fingers were still toying. She shook so hard she had to stop what she was doing so she could breathe. When she could focus again, she continued loving him with her mouth as he was loving her.

Damn, she was about to come already. He was so good at this. Her mouth was full of him when she felt her orgasm starting. Since she couldn't scream, she sucked him as hard as she could while she was coming.

"Fuck, Kate!" He was about to come and he didn't want it to be in her mouth, but she wasn't letting him go. He managed to stop himself from ejaculating, but his body was shaking with his orgasm.

When it was over, he sat up and moved her hips to his side, then pulled her by the shoulders until she was sitting on top of him. He flipped them over so that he was on top. He penetrated her with small strokes until he was buried to the hilt.

He reached out and touched her face. "Kate, look at me" He pleaded.

Her eyes opened and she smiled up at him. He leaned in and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. "Only you sweetheart." He began to move, slowly at first then with more speed and force. "Only you Kate, only you. I swear. I love you Kate." He buried his face in her neck as he pumped into her. "Only you. Always."

Kate wrapped her arms and legs around Rick and held him close as she met his thrusts. "Rick, I love you too. Oh, god…I love you so much." She was running her hands through his hair, framing his face with her hands until his eyes met hers. "I will love you forever. Always, I promise."

This time when she climaxed he was with her, their mouths capturing each other's cries of release, he could feel her milking him. Their tongues dueling, both winning. Both feeling their souls connect for a brief moment.

For a time, their bedroom was filled with the sounds of their labored breathing and whispers of their love. Eventually shadows moved around the silent room as the moon and clouds made their way across the evening sky, unnoticed by the lovers who were sleeping, wrapped in each other's arms.

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A/N: Well? Let me know what you think. I think I can wrap it up in one more chapter….and maybe an epilogue as someone suggested please leave feedback. It really does help make writing easier.

I don't own any Castle characters, only the ones I make up.