Characters: Beckett/Castle

Rating: K

Genre: Romance/Dramaish

Summary: Yet another Countdown fic. Another take on what could have happened.

I do NOT own Castle.

Freaking internet! GAAAAH! *bashes head against the wall. Repeatedly.* This is what I get for deciding it was time to get a new router. I think my old one is jinxing the new one.

So yeah, sorry for yet another Countdown fic, but it's all I could think of after spending pretty much literally all day trying to get the new router set up. (Only to find out that for some reason my old computer and my new and totally awesome iPad will connect to it, but my new (to me, though its actually my mom's old one) will not. I'm about ready to throw it out the window.

Or take a flame thrower to it...

Or put it in a blender...

Or...Eh, I should stop now...


One A Day Doesn't Keep The Inevitable Away...

She watched as Castle walked away, but didn't have a chance to say anything else before Josh wrapped his arms around her from behind. She turned around and hugged him back but there was something that had been bugging her for a while now.

Even though now probably wasnt the best time to bring it up, she did it anyway.

"You're going to have to go to Haiti, aren't you? Maybe not right now, but soon right? It doesn't seem right that they would let you get off that easily, especially with such short notice."

Josh pulled back from her and looked at her guiltily.

"I'm sorry, you're right. They want me to fly out next week instead. I was hoping things would be better for the both of us by then." Beckett sighed and pulled out of his embrace.

"I don't want you to go."

"Kate..."

"I know, I know I can't ask you to give up your job just for me. You have lives to save, and you're good at it. Really good. But... I need someone who is going to be there for me, and I can be there for him. You are wonderful Josh, really, but how much do you really know about what I deal with everyday? And for that matter, I know next to nothing about what your life is like at work."

He tried to step towards her, but she stepped back to keep some space between them.

"Kate please, don't do this."

"I'm sorry, but it's not just about me either. We both work hectic jobs, and rarely do our schedules match up so we can be together. You need someone who will be there for you when you are off work, not someone who regularly forgets about dates because she gets too wrapped up in a case. I loved you, Josh, but we can't do this to each other anymore."

"I dont like it, but I understand what you mean. Honestly I'm surprised this didnt come up sooner." Josh leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Promise me one thing though?"

"What?"

"Don't be alone tonight. It's hard enough to deal with the fact that you are breaking up with me, I couldn't stand knowing that you were trying to deal with everything that happened today alone."

She gave him a small smile and a nod, but he could tell she wasn't really going to do that.

"Kate, promise me. If you don't I'll-"

"You'll what?" She cut him off, causing him to smirk.

"I'll get ahold of your 'partner' and tell him that you need company. If I'm out of the picture, he'll be over here in a heartbeat. Did you know that the first thing he wanted to know was where you were? The paramedic was trying to tell him about what had happened, but he wasn't having any of it. I bet if I hadn't came to check on him when I did, he would have jumped right out of that ambulance and started looking for you."

Stunned at the fact that he had asked for her first thing after a near death experience like that, she could only nod her head.

This time, Josh could tell that her mind was already headed in the right direction so he said his goodbyes and left.

He didn't like it at all but deep inside, he knew it was for the best and would have happened eventually anyway.
He had known from the moment he had seen the guy, and how they looked at each other, that this moment would happen.
He loved her, so he was willing to let her go as long as it meant she was happy.

A few minutes later, Beckett gathered up her purse and jacket and headed into the elevator, not exactly sure what to do yet.

But when she got down to the lobby and found Castle just getting off the phone, heading for a cab, she knew what she wanted- needed- to do.

Castle had just slid into the cab, and shut the door behind him, when it was pulled open and a familiar female voice told him to move over.

He complied, with no small amount of surprise, as Beckett slid into the space he had just vacated.

"Where to?" The cab asked before he could question the detective and Castle looked at her, not knowing what she had planned.
Beckett gave the cabby Castle's address and with a small lurch, they were on there way.

"Uh, Beckett?"

"You still got that shower curtain hanging up? I think a mind-numbing movie marathon is exactly what we need right now."

He answered her question with a grin and soon they were trying to figure out what movies they should watch.

Castle had a million and one questions, but she was here with him now.

That's all that mattered, his questions could wait.