Author's Note: I hope this chapter lives up to expectations….

Nothing Lost

Chapter 50

Afterwards, Kate always thought it was both surprising and yet not at all surprising just how happy the next few days were.

Her physical therapy appointments on Monday and Wednesday were the only real intrusions of less than pleasant reality, along with the consequent achiness and tiredness she felt. But Castle was, true to his word, very good at distracting her and while she was still not entirely recovered, they were still able to keep up with their new physical relationship and that part was, still, wonderful, even amazing.

Castle was cautious and loving and very dedicated to learning all the ways to touch her to make her tremble and whimper and in turn, she set herself to learning how to pleasure him just as thoroughly even with her lingering restrictions.

It was a perfect, halcyon few days.

Until it all came crashing to a halt on Thursday.

It started with a phone call, the call she'd been expecting for at least a week now. From Agent Shaw. She saw the caller ID and her heart immediately leaped into her throat before starting to clatter around in her chest. This was it. Oh god, this was it. She almost fumbled with her phone with fingers that seemed to have gone numb before she managed to answer the call. "Beckett."

"Beckett, it's Jordan Shaw. Is there any chance you and Mr. Castle can make it back into the City tomorrow morning so you can be there for Bracken's arrest?" Agent Shaw asked without preamble, her voice crisp, a little rushed.

Kate reeled, stumbling up out of her chair and to her feet. "What?!"

"Was that too abrupt? Sorry," Agent Shaw said in a perfunctory fashion. "Things are happening fast and I don't have a lot of time. I just wanted to reach out because I thought you'd want to be there when we arrest Bracken. You of all people have the right to be there."

"Yes," she blurted out, not needing to think about it. "But what—how—"

"Right, I'll make this quick. My team and I have been putting together the last pieces of the case together and were planning to go to D.C. to arrest him early next week. But then one of my team just heard today that Bracken's actually going to be in New York tomorrow. There's a conference of trial lawyers in town starting tomorrow and Bracken's going to be the keynote speaker over the lunch banquet. It's short notice but if he's going to save us a trip, I won't complain. I called in a favor with a judge I know and she agreed to sign off on a warrant. We'll have it first thing tomorrow morning. So, can you make it?"

"Yes. Just tell me when and where." She had a physical therapy appointment scheduled but she would cancel. This came first, would have to come first.

"My team and I—along with your Detectives Ryan and Esposito—will meet you in front of the Willard Hotel in Midtown at noon tomorrow." Her voice softened slightly. "It won't officially be your collar because you haven't been cleared for active duty yet but if you agree, I've arranged to have your detectives, along with Agent Avery and another member of my team, be the ones to take Bracken in after I make the arrest. We'd never have made it this far without their help and yours. I appreciate it."

She could barely hear Agent Shaw's words through an odd buzzing that seemed to have started in her ears or maybe that was the rushing of her blood, the pounding of her heart. Bracken, arrested tomorrow. Oh god oh god. This was it. "I'll be there," she managed to say, her own voice sounding strange and distant to her own ears.

"Good. This time tomorrow, it'll be over, Beckett. I have to go, there's a lot to take care of between now and tomorrow, but I wanted to let you know first thing. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," she echoed.

"Take care. Bye."

She vaguely heard the beep that indicated Agent Shaw had ended the call and dropped her phone back onto the table. How something she'd been expecting and waiting for, hoping for, for weeks could also be such a shock she didn't know but somehow, it was. Tomorrow, her mom's killer would be arrested tomorrow. The truth would come out tomorrow. She was almost dizzy, felt as if her chest had caved in. She couldn't quite think, could barely move.

Castle. She needed Castle.

It took effort but she stumbled the few shaky steps from the living room to the kitchen, reeling up against the frame of the entrance as her vision seemed to go hazy. Oh god, not now! She couldn't breathe, her lungs had collapsed, her heart pounding madly. As if from a great distance, she heard a voice—his voice—and then he was there and she half-sagged, half-collapsed forward into his chest.

She clutched at him, needing the solid reassurance of his warmth, felt his hands on her arms and then her back, heard his voice.

"...Breathe, Beckett. In and out, come on, just try to match my breaths. In and out… Breathe, you can do it. Easy now, don't fight it, just in and out. It's going to be okay. I'm here. Just breathe…"

She wasn't sure how long it was before she gradually became conscious of Castle's soothing litany, awareness of her surroundings returning to her. Her breathing was still shaky and uneven, her pulse leaping, but her vision had cleared and she no longer felt quite so unsteady on her legs.

"Castle," she managed, her voice a little unsteady.

"I'm right here. Come on, let's sit down, okay?"

She nodded and he shepherded her back into the living room, sinking down onto the couch while she curled up against his side, leaning against him, as he wrapped his arms around her. She knew he had to be wondering what had happened. They'd had such a pleasant day, had spent some more time in the pool and then settled in the living room to read, on his part, and rest, dozing on and off, on hers. It had only been a few minutes ago that he had gone into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

"Jordan Shaw called," she finally said, her voice not entirely steady.

She felt him stiffen and straighten up. "Jordan—what happened? Is it over?"

"She's going to arrest him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he repeated.

"In New York and she asked if we could be there." Technically, Agent Shaw had only mentioned her and it would be unorthodox to have Castle, a civilian, along for such a high-profile arrest but Kate couldn't imagine not having Castle with her. She only hoped Agent Shaw understood that she and Castle would be there together.

She summarized what Agent Shaw had told her as briefly as she could and was unsurprised but also amazingly grateful when he immediately agreed that they could return to the city first thing in the morning. "Thanks." She had known he wouldn't even need to be asked to return to the City with her. It still felt a little… novel and odd to trust someone to do what she needed, to be able to depend on someone like this. When she was at work, she had learned to rely on the boys to have her back but she was still technically their superior too; it wasn't quite the same. And outside of work, she was used to being alone, but not anymore. Now, she had a partner, someone she trusted. The knowledge still felt new but it was also… good.

"Of course." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I can call Todd to cancel your physical therapy appointment tomorrow, tell him a family emergency came up, if you want to call your dad."

"Oh god, my dad." Guilt and apprehension stabbed through her. "I didn't even think about my dad. God, what is wrong with me? How could I do that, just forget about my dad like that? I just—I'm not thinking straight. It's stupid to freak out like this. I've been waiting for this, expecting it, and now, I just… I don't—"

"Beckett!" he interrupted her rush of words. "It's okay, we have time. You can take a few minutes to breathe. And it's not stupid, not at all stupid. It's natural. You have been waiting for this a long time but that doesn't make it any less of a shock when something like this finally happens. It's a big deal. This is what you've been waiting for, for years."

"Years," she repeated slowly and of course, he was right. She might have only been waiting to hear from Agent Shaw specifically for weeks but to have her mom's case closed, her mom's killer arrested—she had been waiting years. 12 long years… A shudder went through her at the thought of all those years…

He tightened his arms around her and she nestled in even closer as she tried to steady her breathing again, get her rioting emotions under some semblance of control, but the effort backfired as her breathing hitched on something like a sob and then before she'd realized she was going to, she started to cry.

All those years but more than that, the memory of all the late nights she'd spent curled up on the floor of the precinct records room poring over every word of her mom's case file until she'd been found by Captain Montgomery, even more nights spent in her apartment going over her own copies of her mom's file. All the times she'd woken up chilled and cramped after falling asleep over her mom's file. All the guilt, all the blame she'd reproached herself with for not finding more in the file and then for setting her mom's case aside before it could drag her under the way alcohol had done to her dad. Her mom's case had consumed her entire adult life and now, she felt as if that life, her entire world, was crumbling around her.

She was only vaguely aware of Castle lifting her up and pulling her onto his lap. At another time, she might have protested his taking charge and manhandling her but at that moment, she didn't have the energy to do so. She leaned against his solid chest, burying her face in the curve of his neck, as she cried. Cried for herself, cried for her dad and what finding out the truth would after all this time would do to him, cried for her mom who was still gone…

She had no idea how long it was before her sobs slowed and her tears stopped but she gradually became aware of his quiet voice crooning soothing words by her ear. "...sshh… it's okay. I'm right here, sweetheart… Just let it out, it's okay… I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. We're going to be okay, you, your dad… It'll be over tomorrow and we're okay…"

She rested against him, spent and drained after her bout of tears. She wasn't sure she remembered the last time she had cried like this and she was very sure that her dad was the last person whom she had let see her cry like this. Castle was different; he was… her one person. The person she would turn to first.

He rubbed a hand gently up and down her back, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Better now?" he asked quietly after a few moments.

She sniffed and nodded. "Yeah," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his shirt "Sorry for falling apart like that."

"You don't have to apologize, Kate."

"I got you wet."

He pressed another kiss to her hair. "I'm not the Wicked Witch of the West; I won't melt."

A watery huff of breath, not quite a laugh, escaped her as she relaxed against him again. It was another long moment before her thoughts cleared a little more. "You called me sweetheart."

"I did, didn't I? Do you mind?"

Put like that, it seemed rather silly and while she'd never been one for endearments or pet names, from Castle, well, she didn't seem to mind. "I suppose not." She paused. "But not in front of the boys or anyone else at the precinct or I'll call you 'kitten.'"

She sensed rather than saw his small smile. "Duly noted," he promised, kissing her temple, before he tightened his arms around her again.

She nestled against him, let herself enjoy being surrounded by his warmth and his strength like this. It was surprising how comfortable, how content, she felt to be sitting on his lap and held like this. She didn't know how long this uncharacteristic quiescent state might last but for now, she felt no desire to move.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before the silence—and the mood—was broken by his stomach grumbling and he coughed rather awkwardly. "Okay, I think that's a sign it's time for dinner."

She felt the faint beginnings of a smile curve her lips and then she choked a little as her own stomach chose that moment to rumble, as if in answer to Castle's words.

She felt herself flush as she scooted off his lap and he had the nerve to chuckle and she found herself laughing a little too and somehow, things felt… normal again, or at least reasonably so.

She helped Castle make dinner, at least as much as he allowed her to, which wasn't much, as he threw together a quick stir-fry. As they ate, he kept up a steady stream of light conversation, sticking to easy, undemanding topics, and she responded at intervals but mostly allowed his stream of words to flow around her, calming her in some indefinable way.

It wasn't until after they were finished eating and were cleaning up after dinner that they returned to the subject of the next day, a brief exchange where they easily agreed to leave the house just after breakfast which would allow them plenty of time to get into the City before the noon meeting with Agent Shaw.

After dinner, Castle stepped into his office to call Todd, her physical therapist, to cancel her session for tomorrow leaving her in the privacy of the living room to call her dad. She could not tell her dad the truth about her mom's case over the phone so she limited the call to telling him only that she and Castle were going to be coming into the City to deal with some things and asking if her dad could meet her in his apartment shortly after noon so they could talk. She knew her dad was curious and a little worried but she assured him as best she could that she was fine and nothing was wrong and she would see him tomorrow. He agreed, volunteering to work from home tomorrow, so he would be home whenever she and Castle were able to come by.

"Okay, Dad, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow. And Dad?"

"What is it, Katie?"

She swallowed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Katie-bug. You and Rick drive safely tomorrow and have a good night."

"Good night, Dad."

She ended the call and set her phone down, resting her elbows on her knees and covering her face with her hands as she thought about telling her dad the truth about her mom's case. It would not be easy—talking about her mom's death, her mom's case, with her dad always hurt, seemed to open up all the old hurts—but it would be, she hoped, the final step for them both to heal from the wound her mom's death had inflicted on them both. But then Castle was there, sinking down onto the couch beside her and wrapping his arms around her as she willingly curled into his embrace and she felt better.

And later, she drifted to sleep in their bed, nestled against him, her head pillowed on his chest and his arms holding her. For the first time in the nights since they'd started sleeping together, she jerked awake with a sharp gasp, nightmare images of her mom's body in the alley haunting her mind, but he was there, still, always, to tighten his arms around her and soothe her back to sleep with soft, reassuring words and his warmth and his strength surrounding her, cosseting her.

The drive back to the city the next morning was quiet, tense. For once, Castle drove with the radio off and she grasped one of his hands with hers even as he drove, needing the physical connection with him as she steeled herself for what lay ahead.

Once back in the City, they stopped off at her apartment first because she needed to change. Castle had enough clothes at the Hamptons so he was dressed more formally than she had become accustomed to seeing this summer, in slacks, a button down, and a blazer, but she didn't have anything remotely resembling professional attire with her. And while she might not officially be the one arresting Bracken today, she would still be there as part of Agent Shaw's team and when she faced Bracken, she needed to look professional. Besides, she hoped that dressing professionally would also help her stay in her Detective Beckett persona, providing a form of armor against the emotional turmoil of the day.

She dressed the way she would for an interview, choosing a navy blue suit with a gray blouse, subdued colors that suited the solemnity of the moment, and pulling her hair back into a neat bun. Surveying herself in her mirror, she nodded a little. At least, no one looking at her could see how far from calm she felt.

But she did remember to pack a small bag of additional clothes, including some of the sexier items of lingerie she owned, to bring back to the Hamptons later. The thought of Castle's reaction gave her something to look forward to.

When she emerged from her room, Castle glanced up and then immediately shot to his feet, his eyes widening a little as he took her in. "Beckett!" Something like baffled desire flickered across his face and he hesitated for a moment, as if not quite daring to approach her. As if for just a moment, it was almost as if now that she was dressed once more like Detective Beckett, they were again divided, on either side of the barriers she'd deliberately put into place between them when they'd first met in an attempt to deny and shield herself from her own attraction to him.

But then she managed a small teasing smile for him. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

He blinked and seemed to shake himself a little as he closed the distance between them. "You look amazing and so hot and you know it. I was just surprised. I've gotten so used to seeing you dressed casually."

She reached up a hand to smooth the lapel of his jacket unnecessarily before letting her hand rest against his chest for a moment.

His eyes softened. "You ready for this?"

She met his eyes, finding additional strength in the unwavering faith and support in his expression. "I think so."

"Once more unto the breach," he declaimed dramatically.

She rolled her eyes a little but a small smile escaped her almost in spite of herself. He was irrepressible—and she loved that about him.

They arrived at the Willard Hotel about 15 minutes before the appointed meeting time of noon and she was unsurprised when the boys showed up just a few minutes later. It was her first time seeing them in more than a month since she'd been discharged from the hospital and with any other profession, they would no doubt have exchanged hugs and expressions of friendly concern. But being cops, neither she nor the boys did any such thing.

Ryan was un-cop-like enough to smile at Castle in greeting. "Hey, Castle. Beckett, you don't look half-bad for someone who looked like death warmed over when we last saw you."

Castle flinched almost imperceptibly at the phrase but managed a smile while Beckett grinned. Oh, it was good to see her boys again.

"Too bad I can't say the same for you," she jibed back. "An argyle vest, really?" It was a subtle argyle, more of a plaid really, and not that bad but that wasn't the point.

Esposito snickered. "You know Honey-milk here has all the sense of style of an 80-year-old grandpa."

Ryan threw them both scowls of mock disgruntlement. "Don't knock the vest. Jenny gave it to me."

"That explains a lot. A gift from a fiancée is probably the only acceptable excuse for that vest," Castle interjected.

"Say, Beckett, how much longer are you going to play hooky from work anyway?" Espo inserted, his eyes swiftly assessing her.

"I'm just watching to see how badly you two mess everything up without me to keep you in line," she shot back.

"We've been doing just fine, thank you, closed a case just yesterday," Ryan chimed in.

"Yeah, some of us still have to work," Espo retorted.

"Hey, we have been working," Castle huffed.

"Working on our tans," she quipped, exchanging a small smile with Castle, as both the boys made rude noises.

Any further exchange of pleasantries was cut short, the mood immediately shifting as the federal contingent showed up, two of their trademark black SUVs pulling up to the curb.

Agent Shaw appeared out of one, along with Agent Avery, Kate recognized from the case last year, and two agents she didn't recognize, who Agent Shaw briskly introduced as Agents Matsui and Valdez. They all exchanged nods and a few handshakes of greeting but no one was inclined to chat and Kate felt her tension ratcheting up as she noted the passersby shooting curious glances at them, the FBI contingent not being inconspicuous at all, in spite of the fact that with a conference of lawyers at the hotel, most people going in and out were in suits as well. They were already garnering attention and she could only imagine the onslaught of publicity when it became clear they were there to arrest a sitting Senator. She was suddenly, terrifyingly aware of how… vulnerable they were, standing out in the open like this, felt as if she were being bombarded on all sides by the noise, the crowd, sunlight flashing off the metal and glass. Oh god, not here, not now.

A hand grasped hers—Castle's—and she gripped his hand tightly, gratefully, glancing at him to catch his concerned gaze. She focused on him, on his eyes, on the touch of his hand, and slowly felt some of the rising panic recede.

Agent Shaw had sent Agents Avery and Matsui into the hotel and they returned now, giving a nod in what must have been a pre-arranged signal to Agent Shaw, who immediately straightened up. "Okay, Bracken's already inside the hotel, about to go onto the dais to be introduced. It's time. Beckett, Mr. Castle, Avery, Valdez, with me. Matsui, wait here with Detectives Esposito and Ryan and be ready to take Bracken into custody." To their credit, none of the FBI agents blinked an eye at Agent Shaw so readily including Castle, a civilian, as part of her entourage to go in to make the arrest.

Kate and Castle fell into step behind Agents Shaw, Avery, and Valdez, Kate taking in a deep breath and steeling herself. Now, finally, after all these years, she would be face to face with her mother's murderer. She gave Castle's hand a last squeeze before releasing his hand as they swept into the hotel lobby like a small invading force.

Agent Valdez broke off from the group to intercept a man, likely the hotel manager, no doubt recognizing trouble in the form of law enforcement when he saw it, while the rest of them, led by Agent Shaw continued on to one of the doors at the front of the hotel ballroom, pulling open the door to reveal a dais with a podium set up and a small group of people on the dais, including—Kate's gaze arrowed in on the recognizable face of Senator William Bracken. She sucked in a trembling breath, feeling her insides seem to quiver. Her mom's killer. Her field of vision seemed to narrow as she focused on him, this man who had destroyed her family, wrecked her happiness.

She was only vaguely aware of Agent Shaw's voice ringing out in clear, commanding tones that cut across the speaker who was introducing Senator Bracken with a concise—and admiring—synopsis of his career, speaking of his record as the DA. "Excuse the interruption. FBI. Here on official business."

The entire room's attention focused on Agent Shaw but Kate was only conscious of Bracken, who had immediately swiveled to face them, his gaze flitting over their group with haughty indifference before snapping back to her. Even from that distance, she sensed the focusing of his attention, noted the slight stiffening of his frame, the flicker of some expression across his face. And she knew. He knew exactly who she was. He knew she was the daughter of Johanna Beckett—she felt a phantom burn in her chest—knew she was the cop he had hired a sniper to shoot a couple months ago.

And he knew why they were here.

She had seen it before, the look a killer got when he realized he'd been found out, the look of a cornered animal. She noted the quick flickering glance around, the flash of desperate planning—the moment where some might break, some might panic and try to flee, and some decide to tough it out, the defiant ones.

Agents Shaw and Avery stepped up onto the dais while Kate and Castle stayed back, Kate forcing herself to step off the step up she'd been about to take. This wasn't her collar; she wasn't on active duty yet. The thought stung but she also dimly recognized it was probably better. To make this too personal would potentially make the whole investigation and arrest seem biased. This wasn't about her.

But she was there to see, to witness it. It was enough.

Bracken was not a short man and though Agent Shaw was tall, she was not as tall as Bracken, but it didn't matter. At that moment, Agent Shaw was, clearly, the one with power. "William Bracken, I have a warrant signed by a federal judge. You are under arrest, for conspiracy, racketeering, blackmail, drug trafficking, money laundering, and multiple counts of murder." She briefly held up the warrant before Bracken's eyes, her voice lowering. "Take a good look, Bracken. Whatever you might have thought, no one is above the law, not even you."

A ripple of noise, the reaction of the riveted audience, grew with every charge and increased exponentially at the mention of murder. Kate was peripherally aware of the number of cell phones out, no doubt taking pictures and videos that would likely go viral.

Agent Avery snapped the handcuffs on Bracken's wrists and recited Bracken his Miranda rights in an impassive voice, as if Bracken were just any other criminal. And at that moment, he was.

Avery prodded Bracken forward and Bracken started walking, head still high, staring straight ahead.

It wasn't until they were off the steps that Bracken's steps slowed and he turned his head deliberately to look at her, his eyes meeting hers. He definitely knew who she was. Through the rushing of blood in her veins, her thundering heart rate, she heard again his voice talking about "that bitch lawyer Johanna Beckett" and how he would "have them killed." He had killed her mother! She felt a scream building in her throat, a surge of blinding, murderous rage. She wanted to rip his eyes out, wanted to stab him the way he'd had Coonan stab her mom…

Bracken turned away, continued to walk out of the ballroom with Agent Avery gripping his arm.

She felt a hand grasp her wrist and blindly turned her hand to grip Castle's hand as they watched Bracken walk away, handcuffed like the criminal he was, the criminal the world now knew him to be.

"Detective Beckett."

Kate blinked to see Agent Shaw had paused beside them, was giving her a small, understanding smile.

"Let's get away from all these eyes, shall we?" Agent Shaw suggested and then turned to walk out of the ballroom. Kate released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and managed to force her suddenly-tired legs to propel her forward.

Behind them, she was peripherally aware of the ballroom exploding into a babble of voices, no doubt only a small fraction of all the publicity and speculation and gossip that was to come in the next days and weeks, as the news broke, but she tuned it out. It was done. Bracken had been arrested. The prosecution of his case would be handled by the FBI and its lawyers. Her part in this was over. She could move on.

As if he sensed her thought, Castle squeezed her hand briefly, a pressure she returned, as she stepped closer to him until their arms brushed. Yes, she could move on now—with Castle.

They stepped outside the hotel and stopped in unspoken agreement to watch as Avery handed custody of Bracken over to Agent Matsui, flanked on either side by Esposito and Ryan, who looked grimmer and more forbidding than she'd ever seen them. But then, as they also knew, Bracken was the man behind her own shooting, behind Captain Montgomery's death. This was personal for Esposito and Ryan too.

Neither Esposito nor Ryan bothered to take care as they shoved Bracken into the FBI vehicle so he floundered, had to struggle awkwardly upright with his hands bound as they were. Agent Matsui got in beside him and in the moment before the door was shut, Bracken turned, looked up, and his gaze found Kate, again. In that split second, she saw his expression change, his lips setting, his jaw tightening. The car door closed, blocking her view. She doubted she would ever see Bracken in person again but she knew what she'd seen in his expression in that last moment. It was defeat. The power he had literally killed for was finished, gone now, and he had lost. He knew it.

And her mom, who had started looking into his crimes all those years ago, had won in the end.

She felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes but blinked them back as she managed a smile for Agent Shaw, who had turned to her after watching the FBI vehicle carrying Bracken drive away, followed by the boys in their car as a police escort. "Well, Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle, I guess this is it."

Kate shook Agent Shaw's hand. "Thank you, Jordan, for everything."

Agent Shaw nodded. "It was my pleasure, honestly." Her smile changed, became tinged with some humor. "I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed getting to arrest Bracken in public like that. More fun this way with an audience for his getting his just deserts since he cares so much about his public appearance."

Beside Kate, Castle chuckled and Agent Shaw turned to him, shaking his hand as well. "Mr. Castle, it's been a pleasure."

"Likewise, Agent Shaw. This was awesome, the way you just marched in there and arrested him. Just awesome."

Kate rolled her eyes—well, Castle was himself again—and Agent Shaw met her eyes, her expression turning wry. "I can see what you meant about him being like a 9-year-old, Beckett. Is he always like this?"

"Yes," Kate answered, her word overlapping with Castle's half-sheepish response of "guilty as charged."

Agent Shaw laughed a little and Kate had to smile. "Well, on that note, I need to get back to the office. There's a press conference scheduled to talk about Bracken and this case and I need to be there for it."

"Of course. Thank you again."

Agent Shaw nodded at Castle and then at Kate, briefly touching Kate's arm. "Mr. Castle. Take care, Kate."

Agents Shaw and Valdez left and Kate turned to face Castle, reaching out to take his hand in hers again.

He met her eyes, his expression sober but with a small, thoughtful curve of his lips. "She's proud of you. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's proud of you." There was no doubt who he meant by 'she.' Kate felt tears threatening, again, and stepped into his arms, resting her cheek on his shoulder and breathing in his familiar scent.

He wrapped his arms around her and she felt him press a kiss to her hair. "And I'm proud of you too," he whispered.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Thank you for being here, Rick." Somehow, his first name came to her lips without thinking about it. "I don't think I could have done this without you."

His smile deepened at the corners of his lips, his eyes soft and so warm. "Yes, you could have," he contradicted without a trace of doubt. "But it wouldn't have been as much fun."

She choked on a small watery laugh. "That pretty much sums up our lives, doesn't it?"

"You're right, it does."

She needed to see her dad, tell him what had happened, she knew. Her dad was, no doubt, waiting for her even now at his apartment. But she stepped in closer to Castle, nestling her head against his shoulder again, letting her eyes close. She would give herself another minute or so just to be held like this, finding strength for the coming conversation with her dad in his arms. Just another minute in Castle's embrace and that was all she needed.

~To be continued…~

A/N 2: I will leave it to you to decide how well this chapter turned out. One more chapter and an epilogue to go and then this epic story will finally be over. Thank you to everyone for sticking with me for so long.