A/N: Hey everybody, it's Castle Monday so here's the penultimate chapter in celebration! I hope it's satisfying enough for you. Also, I apologize to a lovely reader, Sarahannedaisyblakeley, because this is far too late, and I hope it answers all your questions. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

She woke up on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. Outside police lights flashed in the school parking lot. Her ankle was tightly wrapped, though no one seemed to be in the vehicle. She propped herself up on her elbows to look for someone familiar to tell her what had happened.

"Oh hello." Her head swung around quickly, causing a pounding against her temple. She winced and brought one hand up to massage the pain away. "Sorry, I'm right here."

Rick sat on the bench of the ambulance just behind her head where she hadn't seen him. "What happened?"

"Oh, they caught her, don't worry, since you almost got yourself killed trying to stop her," he said lightly, though there was a steely undertone to his voice. "You passed out because all the blood rushed to your foot, which took care of the bloody nose, lucky for you."

"Cameras, did they find the cameras above the stage?"

"Yeah, Mr. Anthony showed up like twenty minutes ago, he told them how to get to them. How'd you know they'd be filming still?"

"I didn't," Kate admitted.

Rick dropped any pretense of his casual demeanor. "My god, Kate, were you planning on killing yourself to catch this girl?"

"She's a psychopath, I couldn't let her get away!"

"What kind of idiot engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with a psychopath? That girl was insane! I hit her with that thing and she started laughing!"

"She would've gotten away!" Kate protested.

"No she wouldn't have!" Rick snapped. "It would've been fine!"

She turned to look back outside. "So Josh..."

"They released him," Rick nodded. "Good lord, Kate, honestly though! Why?"

"I couldn't let her get away with it!"

"You are so stupid!"

"I caught her and I'm fine!"

"You are not fine, you're going to be in a cast for six weeks!"

"So? I caught her, didn't I?"

"She was going to kill you, Kate!"

"Yeah, and you stopped her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts! I'm fine!"

Rick considered her for a moment, a strange look of fury, panic, and awe on his face, before he bent over and pressed his lips to hers quickly before pulling away again.

She gaped at him. "Rick..." she breathed, the only sound she could manage through her shock.

"Yes?" he asked expectantly, no discernible expression on his face.

"Are you not dating Maddie?"

"As it turns out, not any more."

"Really? How'd that happen? Messy breakup?" she grinned, teasing arising as a defense.

"Oh, she showed up the moment she heard about this—you've been out for like half an hour or something—and—can you believe this—she walks up to where I'm sitting on the curb before they'd let me in here and goes, 'Rick, you need to kiss Kate, because you two are obviously in love with each other.'"

She pushed herself up farther. "She did not," Kate snapped.

"She's outside—yelling at Detective Harding for not arresting the right person, I think she's blaming him for you getting hurt—so you can ask her when she gets in here," Rick replied.

"But just because she said it doesn't make it true though."

Rick folded his arms and shrugged, leaning back against the side of the truck. "Does it? You tell me."

"Well, don't you like Maddie?"

"I asked you out first, if you remember. But the question was about you. Is it true for you?"

She didn't reply as the blonde appeared in the opening, flanked by two paramedics who were either carting her off to a mental ward or checking on Kate. Unfortunately it was the latter, and Maddie was allowed to talk. "Did be kiss you yet?"

"Yes, he did," Kate said, rolling her eyes as Rick gave her a look that said , 'I told you so'.

"Good," Maddie snorted. "And if you don't admit you like him, and I know you haven't, I will break your other ankle!"

The paramedics gave her alarmed looks, and she threw up her arms. "Not seriously, god! Aren't doctors supposed to be smart?"

Rick and Kate glanced at each other and laughed. Trust Maddie to alienate anyone in sight.

"What?" Maddie asked. When neither elaborated, she rolled her eyes. "You two fit every couple cliché in the book!"

"Excuse me, Kate," Detective Harding called, walking up next to Maddie. "Your parents are here to get you, and these guys said you can go."

She stood immediately, stepping gently onto her injured ankle. "Great, where are they?"

"You need crutches," Rick insisted.

"No I don't, I can walk!"

"No, ma'am, you actually do need crutches," one of the paramedics said, holding out a pair that had apparently been brought from the hospital. She scowled but took them as she stepped down.

Her parents hurried over from where they stood talking to some officers in uniforms, brows knit anxiously. "Oh my god, Kate, are you okay?" Her mom immediately began hovering over her, though she really didn't think it was necessary.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just have a broken ankle, but they said it's fine and it'll be healed in six weeks," she said, trying not to brush them away too much to hurt their feelings.

"Um, we'll leave you to it, then," Maddie said, pulling Rick away. Once they were out of earshot she snapped, "You better ask her out. Like now."

Rick panicked. "Her parents are standing right there!"

"Hey!" They both turned to look at their friend, who was yelling over at them. "Fine, okay, fine! I have to go get a cast tomorrow morning, but you want to go out tomorrow night, Rick?"

"Sure you're up for walking anywhere?" he laughed, covering his shock.

"I'm always up for anything, broken ankle or not!"

"I'll pick you up at seven then!"

She climbed into her parents' car, pushing the crutches onto the floor. "Hey Kate!" She turned back to look. Maddie yelled, "Make sure you get a blue cast!"

"Why?"

"To match your boyfriend's eyes!"

Kate snorted and waved, disappearing into the car.

"So when are you proposing?" Maddie asked, smirking and nudging him with her elbow.

"You do realize we're sophomores in high school, right?" he replied, raising an eyebrow

Maddie grinned, and maybe it was his imagination but she looked a little bit evil. "You're turning sixteen next week. There's always Vegas."

A/N: Well that's it! That's the end of the story itself...there's still the epilogue though, so look out for that. And since everyone's seen it now, most likely, how about that episode? :)