Will You Marry Me

Chapter Two

All standard disclaimers apply

AN: Recently a reviewer pointed out that I never called this story complete originally. Since I didn't know how to complete it after the fact I thought I'd try something else I haven't tried to do yet. Add a chapter to one of my stories. So, I decided to write a second chapter to my original story to see if I could do it. If you don't see this, then it means I didn't do it right. If I did, yeahhh.

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Rick dragged himself out of bed reluctantly. The case had not been too difficult and the team had wrapped it up without much delay. The big event had been when Ryan had proposed to Jennie right there in the precinct. Kate had been very moved by the heartfelt proposal by Kevin.

Castle had looked over at Kate right then and saw her give him a raised brow. That was why he was so tired. He'd been rolling around all night. His mind was churning, and it wouldn't let him sleep.

A few days ago he'd been joking around with the engagement ring that Kevin had bought for Jennie. Ryan had been looking for some encouragement and compliments on his choice. Castle had been horrified that Kevin hadn't made some over the top plans for the big question. He'd made a mistake of telling Kevin he couldn't just say, 'will you marry me" while holding the ring out in front of him.

As fate would have it, Kate Beckett was standing right in front of him when he made that declaration. He looked up and saw a sparkle of mirth in her eyes as she, without the loss of a beat, responded with, 'oh what the hell, yes, yes I will marry you'. Then she whispered in his ear. Castle flinched a bit at the memory.

It was her reaction that had been keeping him awake. She hadn't said anything about what happened since then, but he'd get knowing nods, and winks, and raised brows like the other day every so often. He didn't know what to think.

She knew he had been joking around didn't she? She couldn't have thought that he had been serious… could she? Beckett?

Rick knew they'd been getting along much better since his coming back from the summer from hell. And what about this doctor she was supposedly going out with? Yeah, she was just going along with the joke. Now that a couple of days had gone by it had become a game of chicken. Who would break first.

Castle sat on the edge of his bed contemplating what he should do. When it came to a challenge Rick certainly didn't want to be the one to blink first. It was a good thing that he was rich, because he decided that he was going to be the one to back down the too sure of herself Kate Beckett. It was decided. On the way into the precinct he was going to stop at the jeweler's and get a ring for the smug Ms. Beckett.

Castle's knew someone everywhere. Maurice was his go to man when it came to jewelry. He understood Rick's tastes, and more importantly, he remembered all the pieces he'd purchased for his previous wives and girlfriends.

Castle patted the small box in his pocket as he left the jeweler's and headed for the precinct. He grinned as he tried to imagine the look on Beckett's face when he actually stuck a ring, her own ring, under her nose.

Detective Kate Beckett was getting grumpy sitting at her desk without a cup of coffee and a bear claw. Where was Castle? It was late, even for him? He wasn't still embarrassed by her little act in front of Ryan the other day, was he? Naw, he hadn't said anything more about it, and blithely ignored the boys when they tried to get him to talk about it. When they began to bother her about her response to his 'question', she just waved her left hand in their face and asked if they saw a ring yet.

Kate knew the Castle had just been horsing around with Ryan, but she couldn't help herself when he had practically shoved Kevin's ring in her face and said the words. It had been fun to stun Castle to immobility when she said yes, walked up and gave him a kiss and whispered in his ear she wanted her own ring. He stood there unable to speak as she walked off.

Now they were in the battle of wills part of the game. Who would be the one to burst the imaginary bubble? She knew Castle loved games, and the challenge they brought, but she was no slouch at games herself. It would be glorious to see Castle have to eat crow in front of everybody when he had to deny his actions.

She could wait him out, she was sure of it.

It was nearly an hour until the elevator rang and the doors opened to discharge her missing partner. He had a cardboard carrier and a bag. Finally, she thought to herself. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to last much longer.

"Thank you." She barely blurted out before inhaling half the cup of coffee he set on her desk. "So, where have you been? You're not usually this late?"

"Well…" Castle spread his hands. "I had to make a stop for that item you requested of me."

Kate's eyes grew big. He didn't. No, he wouldn't go that far just to hold the advantage on the joke. He wasn't that foolish with his money, was he?

Kate took a breath. "Oh, what would that be?"

He smirked. "Seriously, come on, Beckett, you haven't forgotten already, have you? You make me wonder as to your commitment."

Castle reached into his pocket and pulled out a black box. A small square velvet covered box. His grin was a bit feral.

Oh shit, he'd done it. He'd gone and actually bought a ring. To what lengths was he willing to go? She had to find a way out of this? Think Beckett, think.

Suddenly she had it. He wasn't a wasteful man, so he must have bought a basic ring. Something without much bling to it. A ring he can give his daughter as an arbor day gift or, whatever. She would reject it with a hurt attitude because it was so inappropriate for what it was supposed to represent. Yeah, that would work.

Kate got her emotions back under control and calmed her face, ready for the big reveal. Castle held the little box in his left hand as he pulled up the top with his right.

"Oh!" It involuntarily came out of her mouth along with a huge exhalation. It was beautiful. It wasn't gaudy, but it was light years away from plain. The ring itself was a gold and platinum amalgam. It was like thick threads of the platinum and the gold twisted around each other as they flowed seamlessly around the person's finger. There was a large, but not too large, round diamond with a myriad smaller facets. There were two smaller diamonds on either side of the center diamond, and two other smaller diamonds on either side of those diamonds. It had a lovely symmetry to it. A fleeting thought went through her brain. It was like the perfect ring to represent a family of five. Where that thought came from she didn't know.

Kate had trouble swallowing. "It's beautiful, Castle. I've never seen anything like it."

Castle smiled. "So it meets expectations?"

Kate shook her head, her hair swirling about her head. "Yeah, I'd say it meets expectations."

Just then they were interrupted by 'the boys' coming over and gawking at the two of them.

"Jeez, Castle! That must've cost you an arm and a leg." If Esposito was anything it was blunt. Ryan punched him in the arm.

"It's beautiful, Kate." Kevin smiled at her. She had her lower lip firmly between her teeth. She nodded.

"Yes, yes it is."

Even though he had a big smile on his face, Castle's mind was running through many scenarios. The look in Kate's face gave him pause. Was she going to cave now that she was confronted with what must look like reality? And why was it that his inner Castle was actually rooting for her to accept the ring rather than be the one to blink.

Kate found herself in a quandary. She knew his original proposal was a joke, but now she wasn't so sure. Did she want it to be real? She'd known Castle for three years now and every year they'd gotten closer. Was she crazy to even entertain the crazy notion that kept running through her head? If he asked, truly asked, what would she say?

"Well, Kate?"

Kate sucked in another deep breath. She'd made up her mind.

"If you really mean it, say it again Rick."

Castle stared into her eyes. They had gradually changed from her normal soft brown to the deep penetrating emerald. He knew what he had to say, what he wanted to say. Castle slid off 'his' chair and down on one knee and held out the ring in his hand.

"Katherine Houten Beckett, would you marry me?"

Tears began to steal down her cheeks. "Yes, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle, yes I will marry you."

He slipped the ring on her finger, then she threw herself into his arms and they locked their lips to the cheers of the whole precinct.

And they lived happily ever after… except for when Kate was shot in the heart, and when Rick was almost blown up in a bank, or when Kate was thrown off a building, or when Rick broke his knee, or when Kate was tortured by Simmons, or when Rick was missing for two months, or when… I think you get the idea.

Appreciate any and all readers, review if you wish.