A/N: Well, here it is, FINALLY! I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter - I have been madly marking the what felt like thousands of year-end essays for my students (I so hate the month of May!). I appreciate your patience and hope that this chapter is worth the wait. I promise the next chapter will come much more swiftly...it's actually almost done, as is all my marking, so I have a lot more free time to write (I so LOVE June, July and August!). As always, I truly appreciate all your feedback so please review! And, thanks to ms_TRG for unending support and for helping me get Kate's thought process just right. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. I can't believe we still have three months to wait, but at least I can play around with my own version of their stories to tide me over!

Finally discharged, the three walked together out of the hospital. Jones greeted them at the door to say his goodbyes.
"Trooper Jones, thank you so much for everything." Kate said, a wide smile beaming at him.

"Please, call me Alex." Jones replied. "I think after all we've been through, we can drop the formalities."

Castle and Beckett stared at him, jaws slack, then looked at each other curiously.

"What?" Jones asked, unsure of what the joke was.

"Your name is Alex?" Rick asked surprised.

"Yes. Why? What am I missing?"

"Well, clearly not a fan I guess," Castle muttered under his breath as Kate rolled her eyes at him.

"Castle wrote a book who's main character is Alexandra Jones. Alex. We talked about her a few times this week. She's kind of my favorite of his characters." Castle now turned his look of surprise on Kate.

"Really? You didn't tell me that."

"Well, I thought maybe you would have guessed by now. Plus she's pretty much awesome," Kate said.

She had told him that Kissed and Killed, the story that featured Alexandra Jones, had been the first of his books that she had read after her mother was killed. He knew that it inspired her to buy the rest of his books, to wait in line at one of his book signings, but he hadn't realized how much she must identify with the character. Although, now thinking back on it, Kate had mentioned her a couple of times, and the character had definitely been in his head since meeting Beckett. He could see a lot of similarities in them.

"Well, I'm sorry I haven't read the book," Jones said.

"I'll send you a copy," Castle replied smiling. "In fact, after everything you've done for us, I'll send you a copy of all my books."

Jones and Castle shook hands and said their goodbyes while Alexis climbed into the waiting car. Kate was initially shocked to see the long black stretch limo waiting for them, but really she was so tired, she just didn't have the energy to think about the reality of Castle's wealth and what it meant for her now that they were...dating? Well, involved maybe? Ugh! Too much to think about now.

"Kate, could I have a word before you get on your way?" When Kate looked up at Jones, she realized that there was something about the tension in his eyes that suggested she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her. He glanced at Castle and back at her, signalling he wanted to talk to her in private.

"Sure. Castle, why don't you get Alexis settled and I'll be right there." She tried to cover the tension in her eyes with a smile, but she figured by the look on Castle's face that she really wasn't hiding it that well. When he hesitated to leave, she took his hand and squeezed.

Castle recognized the look between Jones and Beckett and knew that there was something important that they weren't telling him. He was a little disappointed that they weren't willing to share whatever it was with him. After all that they had been through today, he felt like he deserved to know what was going on. But, when Kate squeezed his hand, he realized that no matter how much he had been involved in the case today, it didn't make him a cop, and he needed to let her do her job. After today, all he wanted to do was protect her, but if things were going to really work between them, no matter how much he hated it, Castle had to give her space. And who knew? Maybe she would fill him in later. Either way, he had to trust her. Finally he relented and joined Alexis in the car.

Turning back to Jones, Beckett's smile dropped from her face. "Okay, what's up?"

Jones shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's still early. We've only had divers in the water for a short time, but..."

"What?" Kate suddenly felt a knot growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, we haven't found anything yet. We haven't found Johnson." Jones looked at her nervously.

As she processed the information, Kate tried to come up with a rational explanation. "Well, like you said, it's still early. I'm sure with the current, maybe he just drifted farther along the river than the divers thought."

"Well, it's possible."

"So why do you sound so worried?"

"It's just that the current in that spot is pretty fast, but there's a bend in the river not far from Parker's Peak. And, with the speed of the water and the rocky shore there, usually things wash up on the beach in that area. Happens all the time. Things just seem to get pushed ashore - backpacks, tires, lost clothing, heck, we even found a toilet seat there once. Thing is, we're not really sure why Johnson didn't wash up there."

Kate swallowed hard, not liking what she was hearing. "Jones, there's no way he survived. I shot him with the tranquilizer gun. And when he fell into the river," Kate swallowed hard again, blinking back the image of Johnson's limp, lifeless body crashing into the water below her while she hung on for dear life. "When he fell into the river, he was unconscious. I know he was. They'll just have to keep looking. He's there; they just have to keep looking."

Jones shifted again, trying to figure out what the best thing was to say. He didn't want to get her upset. Beckett clearly needed to get some rest, and maybe she was right, maybe they just needed to keep looking.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll find him. I'm heading back out there now. Maybe they've found him already."

"Kate? You ready?" Castle called from the open back door of the limo. He didn't want to interrupt, but he could tell from the shift in her body language that whatever Jones was telling her was weighing her down. And he knew that she needed to rest. Whatever they were talking about could wait, at least until she'd gotten a good night's sleep.

Kate turned around, distracted both by Castle's voice and by the new information she was still processing. "Well, I should go. Thanks again for everything Jones...Alex." She reached out and gave him a tentative hug, not sure of what the etiquette was. But she owed him her life and a simple handshake just didn't feel like enough. As she pulled back, she lingered a moment with her hand still on his shoulder. Looking up into his eyes, she quietly added, "You'll let me know what you find?"

Jones smiled softly and nodded. "Of course."

Giving him one last smile of thanks, Beckett got into the car. As they waved goodbye to the trooper, Kate worried about the news he had just given her and wondered how long it would be before they managed to find Johnson's body. She knew she would see Jones again - he would have to come down to the station at some point to give his statement. She was hoping by then that they would have found Johnson and that they could finally close the case on him. But something nagging in the back of her mind made her wonder if that would actually happen.

"Hey, everything okay?" Castle asked quietly taking her hand in his.

"Hmm? Yeah, everything's fine."

"What did Jones say?"

Kate wondered for a moment how much she should share with Castle. She knew he deserved to know what Jones had told her after all he'd been through today. But she didn't want to worry him, when it was likely that Jones would call her in a couple of hours and say they had found the body. "Nothing really, just wanted to thank me again for getting Paige back safely." She wanted to protect him as much as he wanted to protect her.

Castle suspected that she wasn't being fully honest with him. A number of thoughts floated through his mind, but he settled on the same one he had before. If they were going to work, he couldn't push her too hard. Kate was a woman who took time to process things, she weighed the evidence before making decisions. If she was keeping something from him now, Castle had to believe that she had a good reason for it. He had to trust her.

Once she finally sat back in the seat, Kate was pleasantly surprised to find some snacks, bottles of water, and pillows and blankets. Someone had thought of everything.

Castle had tucked Alexis in to the bench seat along the side of the car and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. She seemed to be fighting it, not wanting to take her eyes off them, but it wasn't going to be a fight she would win. Within just a few minutes, the rocking of the car soothed her to sleep. Alexis rolled away from them, snoring quietly into the pillow, her bright red hair streaming out behind her.

"Kate?" Castle started hesitantly. She looked up at him and smiled. "I just...well...I just..." he was unsure of really what he wanted to say to her. He was suddenly so filled with emotion that he didn't know how to get it all out, or whether he even should. He looked down at her hand, still linked with his, and blinked back the sting of tears in his eyes.

"Hey, Castle," Kate pulled their hands to her lips and kissed his fingers. He didn't raise his eyes to meet hers and she wondered why until she saw two perfect tears roll down his cheeks. Silently, Beckett put her fingers lightly under Castle's chin and lifted until his eyes met hers. She smiled at him as she brushed the moisture from his face. "Tell me," she said simply.

Continuing to stare deeply into her eyes and taking strength from her, he started, "Kate, I don't even know where to begin. I want to...there's something I..." Castle huffed out in frustration. Kate noted he looked like a little boy, with his hair flopped down over his forehead, his brow furrowed, his lips forming a stubborn frown. He was rarely at a loss for words, but there were so many things he wanted to say to the incredible woman sitting beside him. And there was so much emotion billowing up in him that he was afraid if he didn't get it out he might just explode. But it was all trying to rush from him at once causing a log jam between his head and his mouth.

Kate sat patiently as Castle tried to corral the jumbled thoughts in his head. He was a writer, a master of words, and she knew he would eventually find his voice. With everything he had been through today, it was no wonder he was having trouble. After all, he wasn't Shakespeare, and today had not been much ado about nothing.

When after a few more moments of silence Castle's eyes fell to the floor, Kate reached over, pulling him gently to her and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened in surprise, but quickly fell into her kiss and returned it. He raised his hands to either side of her face and kissed her hungrily. He couldn't yet form the words he wanted to say, but he could show her at least part of how he was feeling.

Castle relished the contact, the feel of her lips against his, the softness of her hair through his fingers, and the way she almost clung to the back of his neck. He couldn't help but pour everything he was feeling into that moment, into that one passionate kiss. He didn't even, couldn't even, think about whether it all might overwhelm her. He absolutely needed to get as close to her as he could, to feel every part of her, to feel her warm and solid and real in his arms. His hand dropped to her waist and he pulled her closer to him.

At first, Kate gave in to him. She had kissed him in the hopes that it might help him clear his mind of all the words cluttered in his head, to refocus his thoughts. But very quickly she realized that it really only clouded both of their minds, and their judgement, even more. She relaxed into the pleasure and passion of the moment and without even realizing, she let herself get lost in him. She reveled in his touch every bit as much as he did in hers, and when his hand grazed her hip, she felt an electric shock bolt through her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. Kate too felt a desire to touch every part of him, to release all her pent up energy and emotion, to burn through some of the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. But the intensity building between them was like a fire burning wild. Kate knew she needed to calm the flames before things got out of control.

"Castle..." she whispered, coming up for air. Their chests heaved wildly, yet somehow in sync. "Castle, wait..."

Before she could say anything more, Castle scooped her up onto his lap and hugged her close to his chest. He clung to her tightly, not saying a word, breath coming ragged against her neck. He squeezed so forcefully, melding their bodies together, that Kate was surprised that she wasn't feeling any pain. She just hung on to him as tightly as she could and tried to steady her own breathing.

After a few moments, Kate started to run through the day in her mind. It wasn't long before she too started to cry, tears releasing all of the panic and fear and stress. She clutched onto Castle even tighter as the crying turned to sobbing. Her chest heaved as she struggled to take in air.

Castle could feel the change in her right away. It was as though she was hanging from the cliff again, holding on to him for fear that she would fall into oblivion.

"Hey, Kate..." Castle smoothed her hair and nuzzled into her neck. "Kate, I've got you now. It's going to be okay. We're going to get through this, okay?" He continued kissing her neck, until his lips found her ear. He sucked gently on the lobe, his breath tickling her neck, his quiet deep voice sending chills up and down her spine. He moved his lips along her jaw and her cheek, and finding her tears, he kissed them away. He kissed her lips, her nose, her forehead, her temples, haphazardly moving from one to the next, never lingering for more than a heartbeat, until finally they stilled, cheek to cheek, hands still holding each other firmly.

"Kate," Castle whispered, his voice penetrating to the depths of her soul, "Kate, I think I love you."

Slowly, she pulled away from him and found his eyes. When she didn't say anything, he started to form the words to retract his statement, to take back what couldn't ever be unsaid, but the look on her face stopped him from speaking. If he had a thousand days, Castle wasn't sure he would be able to describe the look on her face. He swallowed thickly as saw what looked like flickers of every possible emotion, all struggling to take over her features.

Disbelief, pain, fear, and confusion, mixed in equal parts, as Kate tried to pinpoint exactly how she felt. She heard the words echoing in her head. I love you. I love you. I love you. As she stared at him she wondered, are those his words or mine?

Over the last few days Kate had experienced a kaleidoscope of emotions and surprisingly, she hadn't run from the enormity of them. In the past Kate had always allowed herself to keep one foot out the door. She knew in the back of her mind that her relationships wouldn't work anyways so she got her fun from them and when things got too heavy she split.

But since she met Richard Castle, she never even had the chance to try to keep one foot out. Everything they had done over the last few days had brought her step by step closer to him, and she hadn't even realized it was happening. Or maybe she had but she just didn't mind.

She thought back to the trust falls, designed to help the participants learn to trust each other. Kate realized now that part of her problem in previous relationships was that she never really trusted the men she was with. She never trusted them not to leave her. Her go-to defense mechanism was always to make the first move and leave them before they could leave her. Not very productive, not conducive to longevity.

But there was something about Rick, about them, that she realized very early on was different. Something about the way he looked at her made her trust him unconditionally. There was an openness in his manner that set her mind at ease, prevented all her many hang-ups from taking hold and making her run. What was that? How did he do that?

It didn't seem to matter which part of the roller coaster of their last three days she was on, he was there, catching her. And she, for a change, was letting him. She wasn't questioning if he would be there. She knew he would be. Over the last three days he had saved her more times than should have been possible in such a short time. But more importantly than the imminent dangers she had faced, he was saving her from something bigger. He was saving her from herself.

And it was as she came to this realization, with the knowledge that he would do everything in his power to keep her from falling, that she understood truly what she was feeling and she knew exactly what she needed to say to him.

Finally she looked up and stared into his eyes. She saw the nervous expression on his face and she felt a small bit of regret for making him wait so long while she considered his words. Slowly, the corners of her mouth crept up ever so slightly. Her eyes softened and a light glistened in them like nothing Castle had ever seen.

"Castle," her smile slowly grew until it was beaming across her face. She placed her hands gently on his cheeks, giggled as she took her bottom lip between her teeth, and pulled him into a kiss. It was one of the sweetest, purest, most honest kisses that Castle could remember ever receiving and he returned it in kind.

Finally pulling away just a fraction, Kate whispered into his ear, "I think I love you too."

Rick snapped back and stared at her in shock. "You do?" he asked solemnly.

Kate laughed lightly. "Yeah," she said, a little surprised at how easy it felt to say it. Her nose crinkled adorably as she continued, "Yeah, I really do."

"Oh, Kate." Castle kissed her again and she could feel his smile against her lips.

When he finally broke away, Castle reached over to grab a pillow and propped it up behind him against the door. Leaning back, he pulled her head to his shoulder so they could stretch out on the wide plush seat of the limo. As they settled in, content in just holding each other, Castle looked over at Alexis, still sound asleep, her face mashed into the back of the seat. He pushed away all of his memories of the day and allowed himself to simply enjoy the peace of this moment. He reveled in the warmth growing between him and Kate. There were still so many things to say, but for now, he was happy to just live in the knowledge that Kate felt the same way he did. For now, that was enough.

"Mr. Castle?" Rick could hear a voice in the distance, but he couldn't place it. His mind was clouded with the need for more sleep and the heavy weight on his chest. "Mr. Castle? Sir? We're here."

Castle blinked his eyes several times as he struggled to regain consciousness. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was, and just who was talking to him. Everything seemed so foggy.

"What?" he managed to ask, his voice gravelly from slumber.

"Sir, we're here. At your destination."

Slowly Castle's eyes followed the voice until he settled on the limo driver turned to face him from the front seat. The man, whose name could be Roger, or was it Robert, smiled and waited while Castle gained his bearings.

"We're here already? What time is it?" Castle looked around, stalling for time as the cobwebs slowly cleared from his head.

"It's just after midnight sir. Shall I give you a moment? I could take your bags inside while you rouse the ladies?" the driver's softened English accent gave him an air of proper etiquette that seemed fitting for a limo driver.

"Um, yes, sure, that would be great. Thank you." It was the first time all day that Castle had a real grasp of the hour. He couldn't remember ever actually looking at his watch once before now.

Rubbing his face with his free hand, Castle could feel the weight of Kate's sleeping body pressing down on him. It felt good. It felt right. He wished they could just lay there together forever. But the real world was calling, and apparently it needed its car back, so he was going to have to get up.

"Kate?" he gently kissed her forehead and rubbed her back. "Kate, honey, wake up. We're here."

The weight on his chest shifted slightly. "Honey?" she asked groggily, but he could tell she was smiling.

"Yeah, um, just trying it out. What do you think?"

Looking up at him, she crinkled her nose and laughed, shaking her head.

"No, it didn't feel right when I said it either. I'll keep working on it. Anyways, we're here. It's time to get up."

Kate slowly eased herself up on her good arm and looked out the window at a building she didn't recognize. "Where are we?"

"My place. Don't you remember? You're staying here for a few days until you get better. Doctor's orders." He smiled back at her, hoping she wouldn't back out.

"Yes, I remember. I just thought maybe we'd go to my place first so I could pick up a few things."

"Ah, well, we could have, if you'd ever mentioned exactly where you live, and if we hadn't been sleeping. Plus it's after midnight. Do you have enough for the night? Maybe we can take a drive to your place tomorrow."

"After midnight? Huh, yeah I guess we can go to my place tomorrow. We should probably get Alexis up to bed, and I am still feeling pretty tired. It would be nice to just go up and get a good night's sleep." Kate was suddenly curious about Castle's place. She wondered what it would be like, the apartment of a millionaire. Her breath caught in her throat.

A millionaire.

Some months she struggled just to pay her rent and now she was in love with a millionaire? A whole new flutter of thoughts rushed through her mind.

In love with? Holy shit, I'm in love with a millionaire?

Kate let out a self-conscious laugh as she realized just how drastically her life had changed in just three days.

"What?" Castle asked looking at her curiously.

"What?" Kate looked up at him, not realizing that she had laughed out loud.

"You're laughing. Was it the 'honey'? I told you I'll keep working on it." He smiled back at her wanting to be let in on the joke.

A wave of pink rushed to her cheeks. "I...um...was just thinking...well..." she laughed again at her ridiculousness and now, embarrassment. "Just...it's weird you know?"

"No, what's weird?"

"Well, three days ago, I was just...well, I was just Kate. But now..."

"Now, you're Kate and Rick?" he raised his eyebrows a fraction as he realized what she was getting at.

"Well, yeah, I guess. It's just...when Montgomery gave me this assignment I was pissed. I thought I'd done something wrong. But he insisted it was just a way to give me a break, insisted it would be good for me. I guess I just never saw this coming." Kate looked up at him hoping she didn't sound as foolish as she was feeling.

"I know what you mean, Kate. When I came on this trip, I was just a dad, avoiding the writer's block that had been nagging me for months. I think I just didn't want to write the same characters anymore. I never knew what I'd find either."

"Yeah? What did you find?" Kate chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

"Inspiration."

"I told you Kate..." a quiet groggy voice interrupted them from the other side of the car. Alexis had roused herself and was staring at them.

Kate looked over at the girl and realized that when Alexis had first suggested that her dad might be finding his inspiration in her, she had been shocked at the implication. But now, sitting in the car, his hands resting lightly on her leg, she realized that it didn't scare her so much any more. It was still huge, really, really huge, in fact. But now that she knew how she felt about him too, it wasn't so daunting. And it made sense. He wrote mystery novels, she solved mysteries.

"Told her what?" Castle looked from Kate to Alexis trying to figure out what little inside joke was being passed between them.

"It's nothing Castle." Kate shared a knowing wink with Alexis. "Maybe we should go inside?" Kate didn't want to have that conversation right now, and especially not in front of Alexis. He would want to know everything. He loved the details. She knew she would tell him what she and Alexis had talked about but right now she was too tired and her shoulder was starting to ache and she just wanted to find a soft place to lie down again. She would tell him. Later.