A/N: This is my first fanfic; I've been a huge Castle fan for a while, but had never read any fanfic until recently. I've read a ton on here at this point and was inspired to come up with something that I hope you all enjoy. This is set at the end of Watershed. It clearly goes A/U since I have no clue what is actually going on in Andrew Marlowe's head. This will be multi-chapter. I've got the outline of the story done and know where I'm going (at least initially). I wanted to upload the prologue to see if anyone is interested in the story and to make sure I understood how to get the thing published to the site. :)

Prologue:

"We need to talk" Kate spoke with more confidence then she thought she could manage. They did need to talk, but it was not a talk she really wanted to have. Events were moving too fast and while she'd left him out of the loop in a foolish attempt to control it all, it had pretty much blown up in her face. As usual.

"Yeah, we do" he said tersely. He told her to meet at the swings. Their swings. This was going to be awful, but she had to get it over with. There was no more room for a holding pattern in this maelstrom of events.

Then she was there, sitting down and absorbing how he wouldn't look at her, wouldn't speak.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept secrets" she offered into the abyss that stretched between them. He finally spoke.

"It's who you are; you don't let people in. I've had to scratch and claw for every inch."

"Castle…"

"Please, let me finish. I've been doing a lot of thinking about us; about our relationship, what we have. Where we're headed. I've decided I want more. We both deserve more." His tone was so grim. She felt her soul splintering apart as he pronounced himself done with her, with their relationship. Suddenly everything she'd come to talk about dried up in her mouth. He was done with her and nothing she said would change that. Maybe this would end up being easier than she'd first thought. If he wanted nothing more to do with her, he wouldn't care what she decided about the job. Wouldn't care that their inability to actually communicate with each other was driving them apart.

"I agree" she finally got out. She was suddenly hit with the thought that if he left her she didn't care what job she had either. She'd been so nervous about convincing him that taking the job would be the right thing to do; she'd never imagined he wouldn't be taking part in the equation at all.

"So whatever happens, whatever you decide, Katherine Houghton Beckett will you marry me?"

As she stared in shock at the ring, her mind trying to catch up to what her eyes could see, she could not process what had just occurred. Castle had been breaking up with her, hadn't he? Where the hell had this beautiful diamond ring come from? Since when did a breakup include offering a piece of jewelry? Suddenly she couldn't rely on her normally logical mind; point a to point b in this case was not a straight line. As her entire being focused on the glint of light in his hand and the thoughts racing through her head, she finally realized he was waiting; always waiting for her. He seemed to expect her to say something.

"Kate? Kate, talk to me."

She sank down into the mud as she slid bonelessly off her perch on the swing. He grabbed her arms to keep her upright, his movement taking the ring (a RING!) out of her sight. Now all she could see was his face; anxiety radiating from him in almost visible waves. Touching him, seeing his face grounded her and helped smooth the jumble in her head. Able to speak again, she simply said "Yes."

He grabbed her left hand after making sure she was going to stay upright and slid the beautiful diamond band onto her trembling left hand. It felt so right sitting there. She reached for his face with her other hand and their lips met in a kiss full of love and marvel. Opening her lips slightly, she felt him deepen the kiss as his joy poured through. She met him equally, immune to any other living being in the world. As time stopped for them, she felt something so right, so true click into place in her heart. She loved him so much, knew he loved her. She'd never felt about anyone the way she felt about Richard Castle. He was her light, water, air and earth. She knew they still had a lot to discuss and determine, but for the first time in weeks she felt like anything was possible, as long as he was beside her.

As she finally broke the kiss, gulping in air, she realized they were both still on the ground.

"Rick, stand up" she laughed. He helped her up to a standing position and they kissed again, deeply and hungrily. When she needed air again, she broke the kiss and rested her forehead on his, noses nearly touching. The ring felt alien on her left hand, but not unwelcome in its weight. Just a weird sensation from a finger that had never had a ring on it before, never certain it ever would support the weight that a ring implied to the world.

"We need to talk" she repeated her message from earlier. "I wasn't expecting this at all" she sighed, but not unhappily.

"I know Kate" his voice rumbled, vibrations hitting her body. "I meant what I said about supporting you in whatever you decide. I just want to be a part of your life."

"I came here to tell you I wanted to take the job" she said. "I was so certain you were going to hate me, I thought you were breaking up with me."

He sighed deeply then moved his head to kiss the top of her hair. "We'll figure it out. You and me together. We can do this."

"I think maybe we can Rick. For the first time I really believe anything is possible" she said. He turned her, grabbing her hand and entwining her arm to support her they walked out of the park to her car.

They were going to break up. She was certain of it. She'd been watching for a very, very long time, lying in wait; waiting for him. She'd read about them in the paper when they first became a couple; couldn't believe he would be so foolish to think Kate Beckett was for him. Everyone knew their story from the tabloids; rich playboy writer finds a homicide detective as his muse, develops inspiration to create Nikki Heat and helps the homicide detective solve real life crimes for further plot lines. But, Detective Beckett had been so adamant with the press through the years that she was NOT to be confused with the character. Beckett was just the inspiration, not the person. Reading his books, she'd come to realize how true that was. Nikki's words, her actions all seemed to fit her so perfectly, it couldn't be a mistake. The universe meant for them to be together, forever. And she was determined to make him see that. If only he knew her, he'd realize that he belonged to her.

She'd taken a job to get closer to him only to watch him fall into a true relationship with Beckett. At first, she'd assumed it was just another fling, like the one with the blonde stewardess. She was patient, and continued to watch and make plans for the inevitable breakup. When after a nearly a year had elapsed, she'd begun to think she was going to have to take matters more directly into her own hands. She'd even started making some preparations for this contingency. Recently, however, the relationship had obviously soured. It was clear they were struggling even to people not in their immediate circle of family and friends. She'd begun watching more closely, ready to swoop in and pick him up, make him feel true love for the first time. She'd followed to the park, watching as she usually did from a distance. Hidden in some bushes, she'd felt secure enough to risk binoculars so she could see clearly. Beckett's body language on the swing was clear; body ramrod stiff, waves of despair pouring off of her. They were breaking up! Finally she'd have her Rook for her Heat. Then, unbelievably, he was dropping to his knees and holding up what appeared to be a ring. Neither she nor Beckett seemed to believe it, and she'd watched with incredulity and a rising tide of fury as Beckett appeared to accept his proposal; he'd slid the damn ring on her finger after all and they'd walked arm in arm out of the park after sharing some kisses. That did NOT appear to be a breakup. As her trembling limbs lowered the binoculars, she realized she was going to have to go back to plan A. She was going to take Kate Beckett out of the picture. Mind racing as she stalked away, she was thankful most of her preparations were complete. It would not be a long engagement for the writer and his muse.