A/N: After this – only an epilogue to go . . .

Chapter Fourteen: Making it Count.

They are back at the stretch of beach directly behind Castle's home, seated on the sand behind the natural hump of a dune where the biting ocean wind cannot get to them. Here the sun warms them, allows them to remain outside and simply enjoy the gentle cry of the gulls overhead, the relaxing pounding of the waves surging against the shore – the peace they've finally found in each other.

"Castle."

His head is resting on her right shoulder as she sits within the vee of his thighs, he's all around her – and she doesn't think she's ever been as blessed as she feels right now.

"Hmmmmmmmm."

His reply is merely a hum that Kate can feel go right through her, the vibration of his voice sending a frisson of need straight down her spine. A small sound – nothing more and she suddenly wants him again – wants to retreat back inside to his huge comfortable bed and resume her exploration of every naked inch of him.

So good.

But she needs to ask him something first. It's not that she wants to ask – not really, but she wants to remain at peace. Wants to believe him when he tells her that he's free of it now – the secrets and the lies. Wants to be absolutely certain that she is too – that there isn't anything that remains that could possible taint what they're becoming. Because every moment passing new ties are growing, branching out from him and from her and entwining, binding them ever more tightly to each other – and Kate couldn't bear for anything to hinder that process – not when its taken them so very long to get here.

"I need you to promise me something." She begins, twisting around on the sand so that she can look up at him – at his handsome, untroubled face, those gorgeous blue eyes of his an ocean of honesty as they stare back her.

Castle studies her silently for moment – waiting for her to define 'something' but when she doesn't elaborate he gives her the only honest answer he can.

"I'll try." He says softly, one large hand reaching up to tuck her dark hair behind her left ear. He catches her lobe between his fingers, warms the cold shell with the heat of his palm, cups her face and brushes his thumb over her lower lip before he adds. "I can promise you pretty much anything Kate – anything but. . . "

She fills in where he trails off. "Anything that doesn't preclude you from doing whatever you feel is necessary to protect me."

Castle's face grows serious and he nods, brushes his thumb over her lip again. "Yes Kate – anything but that – that . . . is beyond me. Protecting you is as necessary as breathing – and I don't intend to give that up either." Wry humor colors his voice, but he hopes she can hear that there is a promise in his tone. He will protect her – with his life if necessary – it's as simple as that.

Beckett brings her hand up to cover his where it cradles her jaw. She tugs his fingers loose – snares them inside hers.

"I know you can't promise me that anymore than I could promise not to step in front of a bullet for you – I know that. You're my partner – I've accepted you into that role in every way Rick – but that's not where I was going with this. I just want you to promise me that you won't be mad – that you'll trust in me when I say I can hear this and it will all still be okay."

Castle looks puzzled. "Hear what . . . exactly?" He asks.

"Whatever it is that you know about my mother's case - that I still don't." She replies. "I stared at your 'murder board' all night the night we fought so badly Castle. All night I studied what you had there, the questions you were looking for answers too. For hours I went over and over it and I realized there isn't much that I don't know – but I do know there is something more, and all I'm asking is that you tell me now, let this be something we both know – even if I don't think we should do anything about it."

The writer's eyes narrow at her. "You told me I had to stay away from it. If I do then so do you." He says adamently.

Kate nods, squeezes his hand tightly, hugs it to her chest against her heart – tries to make him understand.

"I will. I can. But I still have to know Castle. I have to know that you haven't already put yourself at risk – that there isn't already a target on your back. If we both know all of it – we can be ready if you have." She beseeches.

Castle stares at her amazed.

"So this isn't about solving your mother's case – this is about . . . "

"You." The cop says definitely. "This is about you Rick. I meant it when I told you that I understand why you did it because it's the exact same reason I have to know. If we come across something in the future – if we can solve my mother's case without it costing either of us our lives then we will. Together we will Castle. But right now we are faced with the hard reality that we probably never will solve it – and I've finally made my peace with that. I've finally allowed myself to know that – and to let it go. I miss my Mom – Castle. I miss her everyday – and oh my God would she have loved you. But I know she'd rather I lived and loved you – than have either of us killed trying to get justice for her – and that's the truth."

Castle smiles and leans in to kiss her, frees his fingers from hers and cups her head in both of his hands, lets the kiss escalate until they're both breathless and needy, before he pulls back.

He studies the swirls of color within her irises – so beautiful, such a complicated mix of light and dark – the overall effect so stunning. But he's never seen her eyes look like they do today – so free of shadows – so full of joy. A wave of gratitude fills his heart because he's so lucky; they're both so lucky - they've almost lost the chance for this happiness so many times in the past. He can read in her eyes that she feels it too – this passionate need to protect what has grown between them, even as it means letting the past go – so he'll have to trust in what he sees – trust that she can handle knowing all he knows – and still do this with him.

"There isn't much to tell." He says quietly.

Kate's eyebrow rises. "But?"

"But what there is, I will share with you." He says.

The detective smiles in relief. "So what else is there Rick – aside from the information on the smart-board?"

She watches him hesitate for a split second, wrestling with his natural impulses that are probably still screaming at him to remain silent. Then his face relaxes and he gives up the remainder of the story.

"There's a man Kate. I don't know who he really is – or how he's connected, except to tell you that he was a friend of Roy Montgomery – he was someone Roy trusted. Before he was killed the Captain sent this man a package – it contained information – again I don't know what information – but whatever is it, the person behind your mother's murder doesn't want that information to come out. Its leverage Kate – it's everything Montgomery knew and used as a bargaining chip to keep himself, his family and you – safe."

Kate nods slowly, absorbing. "What does he call himself?" She asks.

There's a wry tilt to her partner's mouth when he responds. "Mr. Smith."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Yeah . . . so we don't know who he is and I'm merely guessing but if I know anything about Montgomery, he'd have chosen someone he trusted whose connection to him is almost unknown, for this mysterious 'Mr. Smith's' safety as well as our own. So how do you know about him Castle?"

"Shortly after you returned to the precinct . . . he called me. Told me he was friend of Roy's, told me I had to stop you from pursuing your case – and your mother's. And if I didn't pull you back, you'd be killed – with no mistakes this time."

Castle watches her intently, can see the wheels turning in her mind and all the while the fight they had the night she found out echoes inside his head. Strangely he's not worried about her anger coming back – not worried that she's still feeling betrayed by him – he's just concerned that she'll think of something he didn't and they'll be pulled right back in. The author doesn't want that – even as a part of him feels horribly guilty at the thought – because he should want this case solved, its important – but its really not.

Not in the big scheme of things, because he knows there is no punishment that can fit this orchestrator's crime. No term of imprisonment, or death sentence – no public accounting can compensate for all the lives lost – for all the lives destroyed. And the life he wants with Kate – the happiness he knows they deserve – nothing is important enough to detract from that – or important enough to risk it for.

"Do you know how to contact him?"

"Originally – no. But then at another point he gave me number to use - he's called me a couple of times Kate - he called me the second time when Mayor Wheldon was under suspicion of murder – somewhere behind the scenes he was trying to help get Wheldon exonerated." He tells her.

Kate's eyes narrow. "Why?"

The writer blows out a breath. "Robert wanted to run for Governor – eventually President – but he wouldn't play ball with the powers that really control this country and so they set out to take him down."

The cop looks baffled. "And this Mr. Smith was involved, but wanted to ensure Wheldon remained in office – why?"

"No Major Wheldon in office – no Richard Castle in the 12th Precinct – no-one to stop Kate Beckett from looking into things she shouldn't." He offers, putting it as concisely as he can.

Kate looks thoughtful. "I see." She says eventually. "You don't know how to contact him then – but let me guess – you've tried?' She asks.

Her partner nods. "The phone number he gave me to call him on was taken out of service the moment we closed that case. And this man isn't stupid Kate – even if we traced it we'd find it belonged to a burner phone with no connection to him. This man exists, the information that's protecting you exists, and as long as you stay away from your mother's case there's no reason to believe that you aren't safe."

Kate nods. "And so long as you do the same no reason to believe there's a risk to you either."

The cop looks skyward for a long while, finally closing her eyes it looks to Castle like she's saying a silent prayer, and he waits . . . she'll tell him when she's ready what they do next.

She's still and quiet so long though that he get nervous, brushing his fingers across her cheek he urges her to talk to him.

"Well? Talk to me Kate . . . you know everything now. I want to believe you can still walk away – please tell me we can – both of us – together – we can just get on with our lives. Be in love – be together – tell me your mother would understand." He pleads.

His partner's eyes don't open – at least not a first, but she does speak.

"Mom would understand Castle – like I said, she'd rather I lived, lived and loved you – than died for this."

Castle's heart swells. "So we walk away – truly Kate? We let this go now?

Now she does look at him. Eyes clear and bright – still full of joy – full of peace, he doesn't know how, he doesn't care why – but he does need her to say it . . . and finally she does.

"We let it all go Castle – not just my mother's case, but all the hurt, the misunderstandings, the truths we both kept hidden – its all gone – it's all history. And this Rick, you and me and all that's here in our hands right now – we build us a future from that. And we're happy Castle – can't you see?"

The writer get's up off the sand and hauls her up after him, tugging her into his arms – holding her tightly against him – right where she belongs.

"I can see it." He says roughly against her ear, emotions crowding in on him, "I can see it all – I've always been able to see it Kate . . . that the future was always you and me."