20

Previously: They've been dating, it's all good. They're on the roof, with a candlelit picnic, and Rick just pulled out a Tiffany's ring box. Kate is already teary and nodding yes.

Rick grinned. "God, Kate, you're beautiful." It was barely a whisper, like he didn't even mean to say it. He was surprised that he wasn't nervous. He had no reason to be, but he had every reason to be. Beautiful irony.

He had a speech, a fancy proposal, that he'd been practicing for two weeks. She was smiling, waiting to hear it, eyes shining. She was expecting something wonderful from the best-selling world-famous author, the kind of proposal you tell your great-grandkids about.

But he had a lump in his throat. And his mind seemed to be blank. Breathe, Rick. She knew what he was asking with just the lead in and nodded yes, and his subconscious must have decided that was all he needed. I got nothin'.

He pulled the ribbon to untie the bow, slowly opening the ring box. Maybe he'd remember the words if he just started talking. "You amaze me. You're the strongest and bravest person I've ever known. You can't imagine how good it makes me feel to sometimes get to protect you." He caressed her face. "And I love watching you puzzle through a case, how smart you are, and how you want justice for the victims and how compassionate you are for their families." He still couldn't remember his speech, but she was smiling at what he was saying.

"I love sitting up here with you or, really, doing anything with you. I don't want anyone else at my side, ever. I want to take care of you. I want to have a family with you. I want to share my life with you. I want it all, everything, with you."

He opened the box and she took the ring out. He was pretty sure that what he actually said wasn't half as good as what he had planned to say. But she was happy and teary, so he figures it was good enough. She looked at the diamond, which was beautiful, but quickly went to look for the inscription. Her smile grew even larger when she found it.

She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Always."

xox

They were wrapped up in the sheets hours later. (He had wanted to make love on the rooftop - "We have a quilt and candles. What else do we need?" "Walls." - so she dragged him inside, kissing him all the way. The mother of the two teenaged neighbors scoffed at them making out as they moved from the elevator to her door, but Kate held up her left hand to let the ring sparkle, and the woman couldn't help but smile. "Congratulations," they heard before she closed her door.)

"Rick? Can I ask you something?" She was happy and satisfied, physically and emotionally. Her head laid on his shoulder while she watched how the diamond caught the light and he watched her.

"Anything."

"In the hospital, when you said that both gifts couldn't have the same inscription, had you already bought this ring?"

He laughed. "Your father asked the same question when I went to talk to him a few days ago. No, I hadn't bought it yet."

"Yet. Hmmm. But you were already planning to, weren't you?"

"You know, you'd make a pretty decent detective." That earned him a mock-slap across his abs.

"Can I ask when you bought it?"

"Why?"

"I'm just curious when you knew. For sure."

"Ah. Well, that's a different question."

She rolled over onto her stomach, halfway on top of him so she could look in his eyes. She smiled seductively. "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

He grinned. "You're irresistible, you know?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I knew I wanted you when I first met you. I liked you more and more, the better I got to know you. I knew I really wanted to date you when I wanted to punch out Demming. I knew I wanted only you during the magician case. I knew I wanted to marry you… I don't know, it kinda grew, but I was ready to try for it by the time we were in the radiation tent. When you said what was missing with Josh - I wanted to be that guy for you, and I was about to say so, too. Then that guy came in to say we could go."

She was stunned by his confession. He was running his fingers through her hair and up and down her smooth back.

"And I bought the ring after I left the bakery, before I went to the precinct."

"Wait, after our first date?"

He just grinned. "And now it's your turn."

Oh, wait, was she really willing to admit that much? But she started this, didn't she?

"OK, here goes. It crushed me to see you walk away with Gina. And again when you came back and you were still with Gina. I knew I wanted you around, even if you could break my heart, during your first case back. I knew how much I really wanted you when you kissed me. Then you saved me from Lockwood, and I almost took you home with me that night. I knew in the freezer that if I had to die in someone's arms, I was glad I was in yours. I think I even tried to say 'I love you,' before I passed out. I knew I couldn't resist you anymore in LA. And I knew I needed you to fight for me, because I was too scared, when we fought in my apartment."

She actually left out a lot in that confession, including thinking about making "little Castle babies" while she was dating Demming, that she broke up with him for Castle, and how she fantasized about him during the dominatrix case (especially after the 'sticky versus slippery' conversation), but it was enough for now. He was appropriately shocked.

Rick shook his head. "So you're saying we could have been together more than a year sooner? You need to work on that. You should really try to be less complicated. As much as we're on the same wavelength at work, I can't read your mind. Tell me what you want, Katherine. All you ever have to do is tell me, and it's yours."

She grinned, kissed him lightly, and let her fingers start to roam. "Well. Right now, I want you. And later, I'll want coffee. And then, I'll want to call my dad and Lanie. And by that time, I'll probably want you again. And then-"

He kissed that silly grin right off her face, happily giving her exactly what she wanted.

x

That was too cliché, but oh well. Hope you liked it. Reviews are like addictive like Belgian chocolate. They make me feel good, despite knowing I don't need them to survive. I just really like them.