Another chapter :) I'm sad this story is coming to an end. But it's been a fun ride with all of you! A couple more chapters (I probably say that alot). I'll try to post on more before Saturday- but I'm leaving to Kenya on Saturday for two weeks, and I'll post ASAP when I return on the 26th :) thanks for reading! EnJoY!
Setting refreshment: Castle/Beckett shared another kiss :) *giggle* and this chapter takes place at Castle's apartment yet again, where the whole gang is invited at his house for dinner :):):):):):):)
Castle heard the faintest knock on the apartment door. "I'll get it!" he shouted, it echoed throughout the kitchen. Kate nodded slightly, cutting up the carrotts into tiny bits.
He opened the door, giving a smile to Lanie and Esposito. "Hey, guys!"
They smiled back, "Hey, Castle. Bro, what's up?"
"Come in." he chuckled, opening the door wide enough for the two of them to squeeze in. "Are you two traveling together now?"
Esposito and Lanie exchanged embarrassed glances, "No... not really." Lanie answered.
"Definitely not." their replies overlapped.
"Sure..." he smiled, not convinced.
"What about you two? I barely see Kate after her shifts over, she's not the working stiff she used to be. Are you two..."
Castle felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. What a perfect time for a witty remark. "Maybe... I don't know, do you want to answer that?" He spun around to face her with his 12 year old smile. Kate rolled her eyes with the every famous and intensely popular eye roll.
"No." she said short and sweet.
Castle's smile disappeared, "What? Since when?"
"Since never..."
"But what about the kiss?" he begged for her approval. Kate's head spun in his direction, shooting him a "don't-you-dare-mention-the-kiss-orI'll-break-BOTH-of-your-legs" look.
"You two have a thing?" Ryan and Jenny entered through the open door.
Castle turned to face him before bobbing his head with another smile. Kate didn't even bother to disagree, "Looks like a bullet hasn't damaged your personality." She quipped.
"I'll never change from the person I was before." he laughed.
"Clearly, you're going to stay the little immature boy you've always been." she gave a kinky smile.
Castle took a double take to her seductive face, "Well, I've never seen that face before." he stood dumbfounded.
"Why don't you just focus on inviting in your guests." she instructed, not letting go of her smile.
"Mhmm." he took their coats, hanging them on a rack nearby the door.
"So Castle, are you feeling better than before? Kate says you're feeling better now." Lanie explained.
"As a matter a fact, I'm thinking of returning to the precinct in a few weeks."
"Oh really? That's great, we miss you down there." Kate interrupted.
"I'm sorry, what? You're going to come back?" He nodded, smiling widely again. She didn't share his enthusiasm, "Well don't you think you should've talked to me about it first?"
"Well I talked to Montgomery, he thought it was okay. He said that because I was shot in a public parking spot off duty, it didn't affect what went on during work. And I thought you'd be... happy."
"It's MORE dangerous at work. I don't know what the hell you're thinking, sir, or how much Castle's paying you to side with him, but his life is threatened more when he's out on the streets."
Montgomery shrugged, "You two need to figure out what the final decision would be, I'm not getting into it."
Castle laughed, "Yes, Beckett, why don't we just figure this out after our guests leave. Sound good?" he loved to tease her.
"Fine. But there's no way out of it when they leave."
Castle smiled at everyone, "See how harsh she is on a wounded man? I mean, please... I'm still on medication!" he joked, everyone laughing along.
AFTER DINNER
"I'm going to go to bed. Thanks, detective." Castle headed upstairs to his room after he and Kate washed the dishes.
"Na ah ah..." she stopped him, "Not so fast. We still have a discussion to get to."
"Can't we do it tomorrow?" he begged, "I feel faint." his smile grew wider.
"Don't try to fool me, I am the eyes and ears of this institution. Now get your ass down here so we can figure out what's gonna happen."
Castle dropped his shoulders and trudged back down the stairs. "Okay, okay, you got me."
She parked herself on the couch, "Are you serious about returning to the precinct?"
Her eyes were so confusing, he didn't know how to answer, "I thought I was, but the look you're giving me and your tone of voice is starting to convince me otherwise."
"Rick, I don't think you realized how close you were to dying. Your heart stopped three times... that's not normal."
"I know that. But I wasn't shot while assisting you, it was just some freak accident. No biggie."
"No, BIG biggie." She argued, "You're around danger every time you help me out on a case. You can't be sure this won't happen again, Castle. It could have a worse outcome too, one involving a coffin."
"Like I said, I thought you wanted me to come back. I thought we were getting along."
"We are. All the more reason to keep you safe. You mean a lot more to me then I thought before. I can't loose that, and so I need you to be sure. What if you die, Rick? What then?"
"That's not going to happen." he said comfortingly.
"How can you be sure."
He paused, "'Cause..."
"That's exactly my point. You can't be sure that everything is gonna be alright. Neither can I. So if you are really, truly considering coming back to the precinct, then I need your word. I need you to promise me that no matter what, you won't die." she new it was ridiculous, but that's what was going to keep her from exploding. She needed to be sure he would keep his promise.
"Yeah, sure." he agreed without hesitation.
"No, Rick. You have to promise."
"Kate..." he glided towards her, "The only reason I would return would be for you."
She said nothing for a moment, but just gazed into his eyes full of life. Not too long ago, they were staring back at her, empty, lifeless. As if there was no hope. "Then I need you to promise."
"I promise I won't die." he gave her a satisfied smile, and she nodded, acknowledging his cooperation. "Pinky promise." he extended his pinky for her to grasp, and she did, " 'You can never break a pinky promise... or I'll break your pinky, promise.' " he giggled. She smiled as well.
"Okay then. As long as you keep your promise, then I'm fine with this. I've already lost you once. I can't loose you again."
"Not again. Don't worry, I think I've finally realized how painful it is to get shot. I think I'll steer clear of bullets from now on- you know, just cause."
She rolled her eyes, kissing him lightly on the cheek, "Goodnight Castle."
"Goodnight. And Kate?" she turned to face him, "Why won't you tell the others about us?"
"It's complicated. We'll tell them when their ready."
"I hope that's soon, I don't want to have to hide anything."
"Oh it'll be sooner than you expect." and with that, she closed the door, leaving Castle to ponder of what might be.
ONE MORE CHAPTER! This is making me sad that it's coming to an end. I hate having to write 'one more chapter' because it makes me feel like a journey is coming to an end. Anyways, I hope this chapter wasn't too sappy, I just wanted to put them together! Especially since Kate finally realized what Castle means to here.
OH! BTW, I made a YouTube video that goes along with this Fanfic- it doesn't really go along very well, in fact, the only thing that the video has in common with this fic is the fact that Castle gets shot, and Kate realizes that she loves him. Anyways, if you wanna check it out, it's called Castle/Beckett-{Alternate Universe} and my username is 1freckleface2
Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to hear from you guys when I come back on the 26th. Reviews are always EXTREMELY appreciated, nothing makes me happier than to hear what you have to say about my work. Love you all, and have a great day!
~Sarah