Moment in Time

Still

"Mr. Castle, It's worse than we thought. There's a timer," the Captain Mahoney said grimly.

"How long?" Castle asked.

"About thirty minutes. There is one more slim chance. "We're going to pump some liquid nitrogen in next to the bomb. With luck, we can freeze the timer and gain a little extra time."

"How much time?" Castle asked.

Mahoney shook his head. "I don't know."

"Castle!" Beckett called.

"Good news!" Castle announced to Beckett as he returned to the kitchen. "They have a new strategy for the bomb."

"Castle, I know when you're lying, like when you said you weren't attracted to me." Beckett told him. "What's really happening?"

"There's a timer on the bomb." Castle confessed.

"How long?" Beckett asked?

"About thirty minutes, but Beckett, they are going to try to buy you some time. It could be more."

"It's just as well. I've been standing here for hours. I can't do it much longer, but there is something I need to tell you."

"What?" Castle asked.

"Castle, I wasn't attracted to you when we first met on that first case."

"So you said before. I still don't believe you."

"That's not what I meant," Beckett explained. "We met before that and I already had a thing for you."

"What are you talking about?" Castle asked.

"My mother loved your books. After she died, reading them helped get me through her death. I adored you for that. We met the first time when I stood on line for an hour to get a book signed."

"I don't remember," Castle told her. "I can't imagine not remembering you."

"That's because I was only nineteen and I asked you to sign my book, not my chest. I don't think you even looked up. You probably never saw my face, and if you did, I don't think you would have been interested in a teenager, especially one as wrecked as I was then."

"Kate, why didn't you tell me?"

"Castle, you were a suspect when we met again. I couldn't be all over you like a groupie. Besides, I was disappointed. You were obnoxious. Then you figured things out about the case before I did. I was mad and a little embarrassed."

"Kate, I'm so sorry. Things could have been so different if I'd known."

"Hey, for a detective, there was a lot I didn't see. That person you showed to the world, the one I first saw at that party, that wasn't you. When I saw you with Alexis, with your mother, I realized that you aren't that selfish jerk. You're one of the least selfish people I've ever met. It just took me awhile to really understand how much I really liked you, despite your persona."

"When did that happen?" Castle asked.

Beckett closed her eyes and took a breath. "I think it was when you just put up a hundred thousand dollars to catch Rathborne without even a thought of getting it back. You did that for me! Who does that? Then when I thought Dick Coonan might shoot you, I couldn't live with that, even if it meant losing the best lead to who was behind my mother's murder."

"So that's why you told me you liked having me pull your pigtails."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But Beckett, why Tom Demming? If you wanted to be with me, why didn't you just tell me?"

Beckett shook her head and bit her lip. "I wasn't ready. I was so steeped in my mother's murder that I couldn't admit to my feelings for you, even to myself. When I was ready, when I finally did, I broke up with Demming. I was going to tell you, but Gina showed up and you went off to the Hamptons with her."

Castle put his head in his hands. "And then there was Josh. We lost so much time. If only I'd known."

Captain Mahoney entered the room. "Detective Beckett..."

"I know," Kate told him, "ten more minutes."

"Maybe a little more," Mahoney said, "we haven't shot the liquid nitrogen in yet, but Mr. Castle, you have to leave."

"Can we have a minute alone?" Beckett asked.

"Sure," Mahoney agreed, and left the room.

"Castle, this is goodbye," Beckett said.

"Beckett, no!" Castle exclaimed.

"Castle, you promised that when the time came, you'd help me with something. Well this is it."

Tears sprang to Castle's eyes. "I wish I could kiss you. I wish, so many things."

"No," Beckett soothed. "No regrets. We've had a good run." As Castle slowly walked away she called, "Rick, I love you."

Castle turned to see her, maybe for the last time."I love you too."

In the empty room Beckett carefully pulled out her cell phone to call her father. When he didn't answer, she left him a voice mail telling him she loved him. Beckett stood on the bomb, eyes closed, images swirling in her mind. She could see all the times she had been with Castle. She felt the bullet burn through her chest and heard his voice telling her that he loved her. She could see their times together and feel his mouth on her lips. Suddenly his voice intruded. "What are you, napping? I can come back later."

"Castle, what are you doing here? You promised."

"I promised I'd leave. I didn't promise I wouldn't come back. I brought coffee for when you're off that thing."

"Castle, I've made my peace with this and that didn't include leaving Alexis without a father or Martha without a son."

"I didn't come here to die," Castle told Beckett, showing her the disarming device he had gotten from the bomb disposal unit. They managed to slow down the timer. We have another ten minutes to figure out the code."

"Castle, the chances of that are a hundred thousand to one."

"Fine," Castle told her. "As long as there's a chance, I'm not leaving!"

"You have to!" Beckett insisted.

"What do you want me to do," Castle asked. "leave you standing all the way over there by yourself?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I want you to..."

"Wait, Castle interrupted. "Why are you standing all the way over there. If the bomb was set for the police, it would be by the door."

Beckett picked up Castle's train of thought. "Fosse wanted to get information out of someone."

"That kid, Diego, he worked for the education department!" Castle and Beckett looked at each other with sudden realization. Castle called Ryan and Esposito. "Did Fosse's girlfriend have a kid?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," Ryan answered. "He was born after Fosse was sent to prison."

"That's it!" Beckett and Castle exclaimed together. "The code, it's the kid's name!"

"Ryan," Castle said urgently, "we need the kid's name. We've got two minutes."

"William, the kid's name was William," Ryan answered after what seemed an eternity.

"Only five letters could be entered as a code. "Billy," Esposito suggested.

"Or Willy," Ryan put in.

"Willy," Esposito repeated with disgust. "What mother would hang that on a kid. They'd get beat up on the playground."

"Fifteen seconds," Castle said, looking at the timer he had set on his phone. Castle's eyes met Beckett's. "Your call," he told her.

"Billy," she decided. "Go!"

Castle keyed in the code with no time to spare. His timer hit zero and nothing happened. Then a familiar click emanated from the floorboards. Beckett stepped off and fell into Castle's arms.

"She's off!" Castle's words emanated through the speaker of Esposito's phone and a cheer rose at the 12th.

Beckett sagged against Castle, wincing in pain. "What's the matter?" Castle asked.

"My legs are cramped."

Castle lifted her up onto one of the high stools at the counter to message her protesting calf muscles. Slowly they relaxed under his fingers. "You won't tell anyone about this?" Beckett asked.

Castle smiled. "That you're not invulnerable? My lips are sealed. Can you walk now?"

"I think so," Beckett answered.

With Beckett leaning on Castle's arm, they walked out into the sunlight. "Castle, thank you," Beckett said. "I couldn't have made it without you."

"Always," Castle assured her.

As the warming rays of the sun engulfed them, Castle drew Beckett to him. Their lips had almost met when an unmarked police car noisily announced itself.

"Gates," Castle muttered, pulling away from Beckett.

The car contained not only Captain Gates but Ryan and Esposito. Ryan hugged Castle while Esposito embraced Beckett, assuring her that Gate's hadn't seen her intimate moment with Castle.

"I'm glad to see you, Detective," Gates greeted Beckett. "And you too, Mr. Castle. I don't know many men who would have done what you did."

"I don't either," Beckett agreed, looking around uncomfortably, trying to decide what to do next.

Gates looked disgusted. "Oh for Heaven's sake, Detective," she exclaimed to the total shock of the assembly, "just kiss the man!"

"Sir, you know?" Beckett asked.

"What," Gates asked, "do you think I'm an idiot? I needed to maintain plausible deniability, which I can continue to do, as long as you two behave professionally."

"Captain, I know I can," Castle said, "but she has a long history of..."

"I don't think it will be a problem," Beckett interrupted.

"Well as long as we're on neutral territory, I think he deserves it," Gates told Beckett in a stage whisper. Don't you?"

Beckett smiled. "Yes sir, I do."

Gates, Ryan and Esposito retreated. Castle smiled, readying himself for Beckett's attentions. As Castle's lips approached hers, Beckett pulled back. "You know, Castle," she said, "when I was standing there, I thought of all the times we kissed. I was trying to decide which was the best one."

"And what did you decide?" Castle asked.

"I think we're just starting," Beckett told him.

Their lips finally met. The sky spun, the ground tilted, and Beckett's knees began to buckle. "I know my kisses are powerful," Castle told her, "but are you all right?"

"I think my legs are just giving out," Beckett explained as she leaned against Castle for support.

"Well, you did miss breakfast," Castle mused. "Do you want to go now? I bet the Captain would give us a ride. For once, she likes me."

Beckett smiled. "I'm sure that won't last. But," she suggested, consulting her father's watch, "while it does, let's make it dinner."

Castle held Beckett tightly to him for one more kiss, then linking arms they strode toward the Captain's car and the future.

A/N I know everyone liked this episode a lot, but I thought that if Beckett thought she was dying, she might want to tell Castle the truth. Also, the timing for his coming back in the original was a bit shaky. So here is your daily reminder for Charity Water. Nathan's birthday is less than a week away. Also, Nerd HQ still really needs help. If you need URLs tweet me CheerfulChemist.