Upload Date: October 23, 2012

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter Summary: He did so much for her with his words. It's her turn to return the favour.

#28

"Oh, crap," said Beckett, patting down her clothes.

"What?" asked Lanie.

"I think I left my phone at Castle's."

"Aw."

"What?"

"It's just – it's so normal. Leavin' stuff at each other's place; you're like a real couple."

"We are a real couple."

"I repeat: cute."

"Yeah, well, we can flail and giggle over it later. Right now, can I borrow your phone?"

"Ok, ok," she said as she handed it over. "You might want to be a little nicer when you're asking for a favour."

"I'm sorry," she said, taking it and sending Castle a quick message.

"That's better."

Castle -

Left phone at ur plce. I'm the morgue rite now. Can u meet me at the precinct w/phone in 20 mins?

- Love Kate

Castle's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the phone. He looked back at the message. Love. Love, Kate.

Was this her way of finally telling him she loved him? Did she even realise what she had written? Maybe she was just using a generic sign-off.

Yeah, but she's never written that before.

Ok, he needed to stop obsessing and text her back.

"Forget something?" he queried, phone in one hand, Coffee in the other.

"Oh, thanks Castle, you're a life'-saver," she said, taking both.

"It's what I do," he said, sitting across from her.

After a few moments of her doing paper-work, she looked up. "What?"

"What?"

"You're staring."

'I always stare at you."

"Not like this. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"So much for mister poker-face."

"It's... nothing."

"That means there's something."

Castle sighed. "It's not a big deal; it's just..."

"Hey, Castle, it's me. You can tell me anything."

Castle nodded slowly. "Ok, it's just... Like I said, it's no big deal but... before, when you texted me, you signed it Love Kate."

Beckett crinkled her nose. "Uh, yeah. So?"

"Well, you've never said it before. I'm just a bit taken aback you'd skip over such a monumental event in our relationship."

Beckett snickered.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, Castle; it's just... I tell you I love you all the time."

His heart skipped a beat at actually hearing the words from her mouth. "Uh, no, you don't. I would remember."

"Sure, I do; I told you the night we got together!"

"No, you said I want you; which, amazing, awesome, romantic, awesome, sexy and awesome as it was; is not the same thing."

Beckett shook her head. "Well, I still say it all the time. I said it just the other week during the children's entertainer case."

"Um, no."

"Yeah, yeah, you were sitting right there, playing with those ridiculous sock-puppets and that's when I said it."

Castle's lip curled but he didn't let himself smile. "No."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, then, when you saw my Dad at the Old Haunt and we thought he'd fallen off the wagon and you just held me? That – I said it then, didn't I?"

Castle was shaking his head now, unable to suppress a small smile.

She looked confused. "Really? What about when we were going through those photo-albums and you were telling me all those stories about Alexis and your face lit up - no?"

He was grinning now as he continued to shake his head.

"Well, hey, I know I said it when you figured out the link between that Drug-dealer and the investment banker!"

"No, but go on."

Beckett looked away.

"What? Kate, are you embarrassed?"

"No!" But even as she said it she turned red.

"Oh, it was ok when you thought you'd said it but now you know you haven't you're suddenly bashful."

"Not bashful just..." she peered back at him and looked away, shuffling papers. "You get me all muddled."

"Well, I assure you, Detective, the feelings are completely mutual."

She finally met his gaze again and held it as they grinned at each other like a couple of teenagers.

#29

Beckett returned to her desk to find two coffees, one with a post-it on it.

Had to use little boy's room. Back soon.

Beckett, shook her head, rolling her eyes, but also smiling. Smiling because he was just using the restroom but he still felt the need to leave a note because he felt bad about not giving her the coffee in person. So Castle.

She sat down to find that the pad of post-its and pen he used was still there. With out really thinking about it, she scribbled a message of her own and stuck it on his cup.

She was watching him from the corner of her eye, pretending to be doing paperwork, when he returned, watching for his reaction when he picked up the coffee and read the note. He didn't have one, instead just sitting down and taking a sip.

Really? No reaction? Did he think it was no big deal or was he just teasing her? She was starting to attempt to get actual work done when he finally spoke.

"You're the bravest person I've ever met."

She looked up.

"You're the most brazen-hearted, courageous person I have ever had the privilege to know – and you totally punk'd out on your "I love you".

"What?!"

"Come on, Kate, a post-it? I expected better of you."

"Fine." She took a deep breath. "I love you."

"Well, that didn't count. You didn't mean it."

"What?! Of course I meant it!"

"Well, maybe in general; but you were only saying it to prove a point. A guy needs to be romanced."

"You mean, a girl."

"That is a stereotype. Men need to feel special, too."

"What do you want, a sky-writer?"

"What is it with you; you can't say it out loud?"

"I just did!"

"That didn't count!"

Infuriated with him, she grabbed him by the face and kissed him in the middle of the precinct.

"Hey, Castle," she said when she broke off.

"Yeah?" he breathed, gasping for air.

"I love you. Well?"

He smirked. "Better."

"Typical Castle. Never satisfied."

"Oh ,that's not true, Kate. You know exactly what it takes to satisfy me."

She rolled her eyes.

#30

One of Castle's new years resolutions for 2012 was to reply to every single piece of hand-written fan-mail he had ever been sent – not including the death threats.

It was November and he hadn't even started.

So, finally, when he had a free moment, he started to sift through the mail.

It was extremely tedious until he came across some handwriting he recognised in a purple envelope.

Was this what he thought it was? Because if it was...

He chuckled with glee as he opened it. Oh, he had been waiting to find a piece of evidence like this. He was so going to tease Beckett. Oh, he should make copies and send them to everyone at the precinct.

Careful, Rick, don't get ahead of yourself.

Instead, he unfolded the letter, hand shaking slightly, and just read.

Dear Mr. Castle

I can't believe I'm writing this letter; but after reading your latest novel, I absolutely had to write to tell you how wonderful I think you are.

Castle shoved a fist in his mouth to suppress a little yelp of glee.

You're my favorite author. I suppose I could have sent you an e-mail; but I think hand-written letters are so much more personal. I hope they never go out of style because I think letters would mean less if we didn't put any effort into them; and what I have to tell you is pretty meaningful - at least to me. From the very first time I opened up "In A Hail of Bullets", I have been enamored with your writing. You have such a gift; your characters are so real, and you write with this intelligence, humour and depth that just clicks with me. You don't take the subject matter too seriously; but you never make light of it either. It's so real. Life is like that. There's pain, sadness and darkness; but there are also games and laughter and happiness. It's this beautiful twisted tapestry of emotions and situations; and your writing depicts that perfectly.

This was even better than he imagined. Oh, she really was a super-fan. He was going to have so much fun with this.

Lately, though, it's taken on a different meaning. You see, a couple years after I found your books, my mother was murdered in an alley-way. Her killer was never caught. My father reacted by turning to alcoholism and I changed.

He's sober now; but I'm still not the same person I was before she died. When I read your books, sometimes, I feel like, for a few moments, I'm that person again. I know it may seem weird that books about grizzly murders would help me get through my mother's death, especially considering the circumstances; but reading your words is like being comforted by an old friend. When I read your work, suddenly, I'm sixteen again, crawled up on my bed. I can hear the tv blaring sports and smell my mom's cooking; and I'm getting lost in this world you've created for us.

Castle smiled.. She had crossed out the word me and replaced it with us. He had to put the letter down. It was... wow. He'd known she was a bigger fan than she had let on; but it had never actually occurred to him that his books had meant this much to her. His chest coiled in emotion and he knew he was definitely not sharing this letter with anyone else. When he got himself together, he read on.

They say you're a play-boy, a scoff-law, an immature womanizer. Maybe that's the image you project; but I think when we write, we show who we really are. I think who you really are is the smart, funny, creative man who got me through my mother's death; a loving son; devoted father; at times annoying, frustrating, distracting nuisance; but fiercely loyal partner -

Castle froze. He had to read that line several times over. Wait a minute...

and overall; caring man. It is for these reasons and many others that can't be described in words that I love you. Not just as a reader or a fan but as a woman. I loved you the moment I met you. I tried so hard not to; but I knew even then I would eventually end up either killing you or being with you. Every moment I spent with you made me fall deeper; and that hasn't stopped. You still manage to surprise me with your capacity for love, compassion, kindness and blind-faith in the magic of the world and it's possibilities. By the time you actually get around to reading this, you'll probably be in your seventies. I may not even be in your life an more; or maybe we'll be reading this together on a bench under a tree somewhere. Sometimes I picture the two of us, older; still together; still sharing our love of words. We're still taking one day at a time; but I want that for us, Castle. As ridiculously cheesy as it is, I want always; and I want it with you. Perhaps you'll never read this; but I'm still glad I snuck it into one of your boxes of fan-mail; I like the possibility of you one day finding this hanging in the air; because I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you all of this to your face. I hope one day I can; I'm working on it.

Don't ever stop writing.

Love,

Kate

Castle stared down at the page in awe.

Beckett startled awake by the feel of Castle's lips on h hers.

"Mm... hmm– Castle," she laughed drowsily , "what's gotten into you?"

Buy then she spotted the letter in his hand and grinned.

"Oh, so, you found it."

He moved the hair out of her eyes, staring at her wondrously.

"When did you do this?"

"After I read Frozen Heat. It was just so... I mean, words can't... and I wanted to make you feel the same way; but I was scared – and then, I remembered how you told me about that resolution. So, you're the expert. Do I have potential?"

Castle kissed her gently and lovingly on the forehead.

"You're my favourite author," he said finally.

#31

She didn't mind getting dressed up, or having photographers snapping pictures and hounding her with their incessant questions.

It was the twenty-something bimbos throwing themselves at Castle that she had a problem with. At first, Castle had refused to sign their chests now that he was with her; but she insisted that he do what was necessary to sell the books.

Besides, they weren't the ones taking him home.

"So," said Castle, as they walked through her door. "Night-cap?"

He turned to see her shutting the door.

"Actually," she said, moving closer, "I have a better idea.

She reached into her purse and produced a sharpie, a predatory expression on her face.

Castle gulped.

She well-and-truly wore him out that night. He awoke a couple hours later to the sound of running water.

He rubbed his eyes and looked down. He was covered in black ink. He had been a little distracted while she was marking him and hadn't seen what she had written. Now, he had a chance to see what it was.

Castle smiled. It was her name, in various forms, all over his body.

Property of Kate Beckett on the back of his hand.

Nikki Heat on his left knee.

HRH Princess Kate on his thigh.

Kate Beckett, Esquire, just below his belly button.

Lady Katherine Sackett on his Left arm.

But what really caught his eye was in the centre-left of his chest, written upside down so he could read it easily: KB hearts RC.

Castle smiled and got up.

"I got your message," he said as he opened the shower-screen.

Beckett grinned.

"You want some help getting that off? I'm very thorough."