Prompt: 3x24. What if Castle got to Beckett before she got shot? Then they left together to his/her loft.


"Roy Montgomery taught me what it meant to be a cop," Kate Beckett stated as she stood on the podium before her colleagues and the friends and family of her captain. "He taught me that we are bound by our choices, but we are more than our mistakes."

Richard Castle stood on her side, listening to her words. He'd never pegged her for a wordsmith, not since she herself claimed she was none, but the words she'd written for her captain's funeral were perfect. She'd even shown them to him before the event started in case there needed to be changes, then also stating she was no writer even though he told her it was absolutely perfect.

"Captain Montgomery once said to me that for us, there is no victory, there are only battles. And in the end, the best you could hope for, is to find a place to make your stand," her voice was strong, but also so deep with the loss he knew she felt. "And if you're very lucky, you find someone willing to stand with you," Kate threw a small glance towards him, and Castle could see how meaningly she looked at him before she continued.

When she turned around towards the people again, to continue with her speech his eyes followed out there. He thought he saw something glimpsing and at first he though it was nothing, maybe something someone had put on a grave stone to honor the dead, but then it glimpsed again and he quickly put the pieces together.

"Our captain would want us to carry on the fight. And even if there is..." Castle moved as fast as he could.

"Kate!" he yelled out and he heard the loud sound just as he pushed her to the ground.

He felt something sting in his arm but he was too busy covering her body with his to truly notice. That's when all hell broke loose around them. Cops were shouting orders, people were screaming and Castle couldn't stop thinking he was too late. Castle was waiting on that next shot but when he decided there would be none, because if there were it would've been heard already, he put his hands to the ground to move himself off of his partner. Only his left arm gave up on the try and even though he didn't really notice why he saw the blood on her.

"Kate! Where are you shot?" he asked, his words out in a hurry he hadn't heard before.

"Castle? Wha...?" her eyes looked at him widened with shock.

It didn't take long before the shock wore down though, her eyes immediately searching around them.

"Rick!" she suddenly gasped and he furrowed his eyebrows, why did she use his first name? "You're bleeding!" she said and pushed up with her arms on either side of herself only to gasp even louder when she hit the ground again. "Fuck!" she groaned and looked down at her right arm, seeing blood there too.

Before any of them could say more Lanie Parish was all over them, pushing Castle aside and ordering him to sit down. It didn't take long before he understood he'd been shot too, they'd both been shot! Lanie ripped off his arms to his shirt in order to tie them around the wounds, stopping the blood from sipping out. Everything went so fast that none of them could really comprehend what was happening. One moment Castle had pushed Kate down from the podium and in the other they were both in one ambulance each being driven towards the hospital.


"Can you believe this?! How the hell do you loose a sniper in a cemetery!?" Kate turned her head towards the door where her partners showed up not soon after Esposito's comment.

"The sniper's gone?!" Castle's voice was a bit higher than usual, probably due to the shock and the meds he'd gotten.

The two detectives looked at him before their eyes landed on Kate only to glance between their two arms. They'd gotten a few stitches and the wounds were now bandaged neatly in order to keep the stitches from going up, and to keep the dirt away from the wounds.

"Guys!" Kate raised her voice in her normal bossy tone which snapped them out of their trance.

"Yeah, they lost him," Esposito growled with irritation clear in his voice.

"We got the sniper but looks like the chances of getting any DNA are small," Ryan added disappointedly.

Castle almost looked frightened and Kate wondered why that was.

"Okay, we'll get back to the precinct and start with the investigation," she said and the two detectives shook their heads.

"No, we can handle this, you two should go home and rest. Getting shot requires some rest," Esposito gave them both meaningful looks, with his eyes telling them they would not let them get back to work tonight.

"Urgh, fine! But only because I'm too tired o argue," Kate groaned, wiping her face with her hands.

"Good, then you won't argue when I say we put a detail on both of you," Ryan said with a small victorious grin.

"Uhm, I'm not going home," Castle said with a determination Kate didn't think she'd seen that many times before.

"Yes you are, you're not going to the precinct if that's what you think," Esposito stared at the writer.

"You need to put the detail on Alexis and mother, but until that guy's caught I'm not putting them in danger by going home," Castle stated and Kate got an idea, besides they needed to talk.

"He can come home with me, that way we can keep an eye on our wounds," she suggested and they all agreed.

She tried not to remind herself of the fact that whoever shot them was after her and not him. If she'd think more about it she'd make him stay away from her, to keep him safe in case this whoever would come back for her. But she had full faith she would be able to protect him, and she'd have them both armed just in case.

Esposito and Ryan left after they made the call to the people who'd keep eyes on the Castle family and Kate. A few minutes after they'd gone the doctors cleared the two partners, if they promised to be careful and keep an eye on their wounds. Kate was surprised to find her partner completely silent during the whole taxi ride home to her apartment, he was rarely quiet, and so she wondered if he regretted not going home to his family instead. His family had followed them to the hospital and after a lot of ifs and buts they'd agreed on going home, at that time Castle had told them he would probably not be home until next day because of the case. She'd seen him sending a message to them during the ride as well, she figured he'd sent an update on where he would be and perhaps informing them of the detail that would be put on them. If she knew him right he would probably include that they should be careful and not open the door to anyone. She didn't know if she was right because she hadn't been able to read his message, not that she tried to, but that's just her guess due to what she knew about him. When the taxi stopped outside her apartment Kate reached inside her pocket to get the money for the driver he opened his mouth for the first time.

"I'll pay," Castle said, already handing the driver what the ride cost.

She didn't get to say anything more about it before he'd gotten out of the cab, so she followed him out.

"You didn't have to," Kate said as she joined his steps to the elevator in her building.

"I know, but it's the least I can do since you're letting me stay on the couch," he smiled towards her and she could feel the butterflies rise in her belly.

"Well, I figured it wouldn't hurt to give my partner somewhere to sleep, especially when it's my fault he's in danger in the first place," she only mumbled the last part, not really meaning for him to hear it.

But of course he heard it, heard every word. She knew he did by the look he was giving her once they were in the elevator.

"It's not your fault," he said determined and when she was about to disagree he gave her a look. "It's not. It's the one behind all this. The person behind your mom's murder, Montgomery's death. That's the one we should blame."

Kate bit her lower lip, suddenly recounting what had happened. It had all happened so fast and she still hadn't really processed everything that occurred. She'd stood on the podium, giving the speech she'd almost torn her hair out when writing it the night before, and then she'd shared a look with him. For those few seconds she knew she had to tell him what she felt, knew she couldn't suppress them anymore, but then all hell had broken loose. He'd shouted her name, and not her surname, so she had felt a bit confused as to why and then he'd been all over her. They'd fallen to the ground and the burn in her arm had almost knocked her out along with the impact of the ground to her back. When she'd seen the blood she'd not been worried about herself but about him, what if he'd gotten shot? She had felt terrified for a split second, because if he was shot and she lost him she wouldn't know what to do.

"Kate? Helloooo?"

Kate blinked a couple times as she registered Castle's hands gently squeezing her arms while trying to get contact with her. How long had he called for her?

"Hey, you looked like you were a million miles away," he said carefully, apparently scared she'd fade into thought again.

"Yeah, sorry," she half-whispered, offering a small smile before she gestured for them to exit the elevator which had stopped during her thinking.

She let them into her apartment, making sure to lock the door once they were inside.

"How are you feeling?" Castle asked when she turned away from her door.

Kate gave him a look, telling him she was everything but okay. She could see it shocked him that she was so open, but for what she was planning on discussing with him this was nothing. There was a need inside of her and she planned to stop ignoring it.

"I can't believe you dove to take a bullet for me," she said, much more accusingly than she wanted it to be.

Castle's eyes widened slight before he turned around to flee towards her couch.

"Just did what anyone would've done, didn't exactly plan for the bullet to hit us before I knocked you over," he defended with a shrug but she followed him.

"No, no one, not even Espo or Ryan, would do that," Kate pushed, she wanted him to confess what she already knew.

She wanted him to say it first, to make sure she wasn't just imagining things. He had after all been a playboy before they met, and even though she could see and sense his change, she needed to hear him confess it to be able to truly accept it.

"Sure they would! You're like a sister to them!" Castle's head snapped towards her and she scrunched her nose.

"Does that mean you see me like a sister?" she asked, faking a small disgust in her voice.

"What?! No! Of course not!" he exclaimed, as disgusted by the idea as she would've been if she truly had thought that's how he saw her.

"Then why would you dive in front of a bullet for me Rick?" she used his first name in order to get his attention that she honestly wanted his true answer.

She saw his eyes searching hers as hers was searching his. It looked as though something clicked in his, as if he finally understood her intentions, and she hoped to god he did.

"Because of the same reason I keep coming back, Kate. I can't imagine a world without you because I love you," he said and her belly flipped out.

It wasn't just the normal butterflies he had given her, but she was pretty sure the whole zoo had awoken inside her belly because god had she waited to hear those words.

"Finally," she breathed out, closed the few steps between them to crash her lips on his, her hands cupping his cheeks.

At first his lips stilled at the shock he probably felt, and to her shock she felt his hands land on her shoulders to push her away from him. She wasn't sure wether to hide and cry or bite her lip and ask why, because she doubted she could hold her voice steady from the way her heart was on the verge of shattering.

"What... Josh?" his voice stammered and she let out of a too relieved sigh.

How could she have forgotten? He didn't know! How could he? She had planned on telling him after the funeral had quieted down!

"I broke up with him," she told him, and when his eyes showed confusion she continued, "he was a great guy and I really did like him, but I realized I don't love him. And if I'm honest I don't think I've ever loved anyone else before either, you're the only one I have these feelings for that I can't... I can't explain them. But I know it's you Castle. I'm falling in love with you."

It didn't take a second of silence before his hands moved from her shoulders, careful down her arm, and gripped into her hips to pull her body flush towards him. She gasped but welcomed the sudden feeling of heat spreading through her body. Jeezus how could his body feel so good so close to hers? She let her hands slide from his cheeks to around his neck, closing the distance between their chests as she raised on her toes. When the tip of their noses touched she couldn't stop the radiant smile from taking over her lips.

"Say that again," he said, more of a request than a demand.

"Say what?" she asked with a teasing smirk because of course she knew what he was talking about.

"Oh you know," he tilted his head in order to tease her lips with the presence of his.

She tried kissing him but he kept his lips apart from hers, and a small irritated growl rumbled her throats because why couldn't he just kiss her already?!

"I. Love. You." she repeated and let go of a satisfied moan when his lips slanted onto hers finally.

His tongue so erotically slid across her bottom lip and she immediately opened up for him. The second she could taste him she wondered why the hell she'd denied herself this for so long. She'd known when they kissed those few weeks earlier, undercover, that it would be great but the way their lips moved together now was way more overwhelming than she could've imagined. Her hands wandered to his hair, fingers tangling in the softness. It stung in her arm, her bullet wound, but she didn't care, she didn't want them to stop. Sadly they needed to in order to not suffocate, both pulling away just the few inches needed in order to breath, their foreheads leaning together.

"Wow," she breathed out, because how could she not?

She was amazed, never had a kiss feeling like that, and she'd had plenty of kisses before. Castle hummed in agreement, and she felt his hands sneakily travel from her hips to above her bum.

"That was better than any sex I've ever had," he mumbled and by the stiffness suddenly entering his body she figured that was a thought not meant to come out loud.

"Yeah," she chuckled, "but why not make it even better."

She slipped out of his arms in order to grab his hand and carefully pull him with her towards her bedroom. His facial expression told her exactly how shocked he was by her suggestion, not used to her being so... open? Pushy? His eyes widened even more when she let go of his hand to pull her shirt over her head, and they darkened when he saw the black lace bra she had beneath. His hands were on her naked skin in seconds, gentle and electrifying. His lips found hers again and his body walked her backwards to her bed. She was falling, but not fast and not alone, onto the bed with her legs open to welcome his body on top of hers. Her fingers immediately started working on his buttons, stripping him off his shirt in order to let her hands roam his chest. His lips left hers in order to kiss between her breasts and when her body immediately arched at the touch he used the advantage to unclasp her bra. Once the material was out of the way his mouth latched onto her left breast and she gasped at the sensation it sent through her body. She needed his clothes off now. Working on his pants went a lot faster than she thought it would, probably because their bodies seemed to move in sync in a way she hadn't experienced before. She let her feet pull down his pants in a practiced move she'd mastered. He groaned when she palmed him through his boxers and he did something with his tongue that made her moan louder than she had anticipated. He let go of her breast and left a trail of wet kisses up her collarbone to get to her lips. The second their lips met she felt his fingers travel down to her pants. Without hesitation she helped him, helped him get the last clothes out of their way so they could finally be one.

"Oh god!" she gasped when he slipped inside her.

He caught her gasp with his mouth and waited for her to adjust to him before he started moving. None of them could keep quiet, moans leaving both their throats as they rocked together. Kate couldn't believe the things he made her feel. The way she kept yearning for more and how her body reacted to every small movement of his, it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. When his lips traveled to her neck once again she took the opportunity to let her own lips wander to his shoulder, leaving kisses. They were both reaching their high and Castle would've thought it was all a dream if it weren't for the feeling filling his whole body, because there was no way his mind could create that feeling. He felt her teeth carefully sink into his shoulder when she climaxed and he fell right over with her. He changed position in order to kiss her lips, it was a lazy and sloppy kiss but a kiss nonetheless. She moaned and he couldn't stop the smile from taking over his mouth.

"Mhmm, I love you," he chuckled against her lips, couldn't quite believe he was finally allowed to utter those three words he'd held back for so long.

She giggled, Kate Beckett giggled, under him and when he pulled away a bit to look at her he could see the blush that had settled on her cheeks. He got hypnotized by the beauty of her like he had so many times.

"Yeah, I love you too," she whispered before biting her lower lip.

He kissed her one more time before slipping out of her in order to lay down beside her. His eyes were still on her though, never leaving her because he was afraid that she would disappear if he closed them.

"Is this real?"

Kate chuckled, moving closer to him in order to snuggle into his body, and put her hand over his chest.

"Yes. At least I hope so," she answered, kissing his cheek.

Having her body that close, he put his arm around her to pull her even closer. God he couldn't believe he had her in his grasp.


"You have no idea how many times I've dreamed about this," Castle confessed with too much happiness in his voice.

After they'd regained their strengths they had headed for a shower which started with a deal of showering one and one but ended with them helping each other clean off. To Kate's defense she couldn't stand the thought of Castle being in her shower, without her. Castle hadn't seemed to mind though, only smirked when he saw her sneaking inside while saying something like 'couldn't resist could you?'. Kate had simply told him to shut up before she had started kissing him. When they'd finally gotten out of there they had put on their underwear and crawled back into bed because none of them could deny they were too tired after the long, long, day they'd had.

"Which part? Getting me into bed?" Kate questioned sleepy as she snuggled closer to his body.

"This part of course! Never figured it would happen though, didn't think you'd be a cuddler," his arm around her hugged her closer and she couldn't help but giggle.

She let her hair fall over her face in an attempt to hide the big smile forming her lips. God she had so fallen for this man. There had never been anyone who had made her feel as satisfied as he had, both physically and emotionally.

"Don't hide," Castle half complained, letting his fingers brush across her hair in order to get it out of her face.

"Just go to sleep Rick," she rolled her eyes at him but knew he saw right through her, because when had he ever not?

Castle chuckled, his eyes sparkling at the use of his first name, and she closed her eyes. It didn't take more than once second until she felt his lips on her forehead.

"Goodnight Kate."

"Night babe."


THE END