They didn't talk much as he drove back to her place but when he parked the car he turned to her.

"Do you want me to let you have some time to yourself?" he asked, well aware that she hadn't had any alone time since she'd been hurt. It was understandable to him that she'd want to be alone for a while.

Beckett shook her head, though.

"I'll have time to myself tomorrow," she told him. "When your mom and Alexis come home." She hesitated, looking concerned suddenly. "Unless you need a break from me?"

He hadn't really had any time to himself, after all, she knew, and he really did look tired now that she could see him. Maybe he wanted to go home and sleep in his own bed for a change.

Castle smiled, his expression telling her that she was way off the mark.

"Not at all."

Smiling, she got out of the car and waited for him to join her, then slid her hand into his belt as she'd become accustomed to doing. He put his arm around her, automatically, and they walked up to the apartment. The difference was that she wasn't hanging back and allowing him to guide her. Instead, she was secretly reveling in the relief that came with the knowledge that she didn't have to worry about being in the dark the rest of her life. She started to reach for her keys, realized that she wasn't carrying them, and waited for him to unlock the door with the key he'd been given by Lanie when he'd first started taking care of Kate. He unlocked the door, and offered her the key, knowing she wasn't going to need him to open it for her any more, but she waved it away.

"Keep it."

He grinned at all that that represented, and she rolled her eyes and gestured for him to precede her into the apartment, which he did.

"So?" he asked, when she'd closed the door behind her and he'd hung up both of their jackets. "It must be a relief to see this place again…"

She looked around, surprised that it looked exactly as it had a week ago. It felt so strange that she'd been living here without being able to see it that she'd just assumed it would look like another place, entirely. Castle had done a good job keeping it from being cluttered, and of course he'd made sure none of the furniture had been moved, so it looked exactly like it had. She felt a lump in her throat, and realized that she was almost ready to cry. Rather than try to talk, and let on that she was so close to the edge, she just nodded.

He must have been able to read her expression, though, because he reached for her.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't-"

She shook her head.

"It's not you," she told him, softly, taking his hand and sitting on the arm of the couch – the closest place she could find, since her knees were suddenly weak. "I just…" she trailed off, choking back a sob.

"I know," he murmured, kneeling down in front of her and pulling her into his arms. "I'm beside myself with relief, and I can't even imagine how you feel."

She gave herself up to his embrace and buried her face in his shirt, letting him hold her and comfort her and just be there for her as he had been all week. She didn't cry, but she knew she was close to it, and she trembled slightly in his arms with the release of it all.

Castle felt her shake and got to his feet, his arms still around her and urging her to hers as well.

"Come here," he whispered, guiding her over to the couch and pulling her down with him so they could sit more comfortably. Then, with his uninjured hand he reached for the blanket that had been thrown over the back of the sofa and draped it over her to keep her warm. "There," he murmured into her ear as he held her tightly. "Now you won't catch cold."

She chuckled, shakily, and relaxed against him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Not just for now," she clarified, pulling back just a little and looking up at him. "For taking care of me…"

His expression grew soft and his tired eyes gleamed with something she couldn't read – which was odd for her, since she was a detective, after all, and very good at reading people.

"I had to, Kate," he told her. "I love you."

She stared at him. Not so much surprised at what he said – because she was aware that he had strong feelings for her – but because he'd admitted it. As intimate as they'd been, neither of them had uttered those words, and she'd assumed it had been to keep things from going further than they already had. She couldn't believe that her being able to see was enough to make him cross that unmentioned line, but something had.

"I-"

"Don't panic," he interrupted, amused by her stunned expression. "I'm not asking you to marry me, or even date me. Really. I just wanted you to know."

His sincerity and honesty made her smile – as did the reference to her earlier comments about where their relationship was heading when they'd started sleeping together. At least he didn't seem to require anything more from her than she was willing to give – and with Castle there rarely were any ulterior motives. He was usually pretty blunt about what he wanted and how he felt, she'd learned. So she relaxed and tugged the blanket a little more securely around her – and him –and then rested her head against his shoulder again.

"You made it all a lot easier for me," she said after a long moment. "I don't think you know how much…" she trailed off again, but Castle chuckled and brushed his fingers against the bruise on her forehead – the one from her running into the cupboard he'd left open. The cut hadn't been bad, just a little bloody when it had occurred, but the bruising had definitely shown up against her fair skin.

"I could have done better," he replied.

"There is that."

"So what happens now?" he asked her. "You don't need me hovering around all the time taking care of you, after all…"

"True. But that doesn't mean I don't want you around."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It'll be different, now, of course. Things are different, after all."

"I'd rather you can see and not need me," he told her. "Believe me."

"Me too," she agreed, and then she changed the subject. "Do you have anything pressing to do today?"

He shook his head.

"I made sure I didn't have anything planned, since I didn't know… how things would turn out."

Meaning he wasn't as positive that her sight would return as he had been telling her he was. She didn't mind, though, because she'd been uncertain enough for all of them.

"Stay and keep me company, then?" she asked.

"Sure."

Like he'd say no to that? Castle relaxed a little more, knowing that she wasn't going to send him packing, and felt her relax as well. His arm around her, he leaned back against the soft cushions of the couch and closed his eyes, enjoying the way she felt against her. She certainly seemed to know what she wanted from him, and he was glad that things hadn't changed so much that she was uncomfortable being in contact with him. He didn't want to give up their relationship if she wasn't going to ask him to. Of course, the really physical side of that relationship hadn't been discussed, but there was time for that, too. Now that she could see again, there seemed to be time for anything and everything. His good arm was around her, holding her against him, and his casted hand tucked safely between his body and the arm of the couch. He found himself so comfortable that he knew he was in danger of falling asleep. And he knew she wouldn't care, which made him relax even further.

After a long moment where he hovered just at the brink of dozing off, her voice gently whispered into his ear.

"Rick?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you, too."

He smiled, and felt her lips brush against his, soft as a feather. Just like that, life was good. He thought for a moment that he'd wake up and talk to her, but she didn't seem to want him to. He could feel her head on his shoulder, right by his ear, and then her fingers caressed his cheek, his jaw and his forehead. She wanted to touch him, and he could understand that completely. He liked it. He drifted off while she was still sifting her fingers through his hair.