This chapter picks up from the last one :)

She thought it would be awkward, figured he wouldn't want to talk about the amazing kiss they shared so she kept her hands to herself during the ride home. Didn't mention anything or ask any questions.

She said her goodnights when they walked into their hotel suite, fought the urge to give him a hug or something. Maybe he would stop her before she walked through her door? She slowly reached for her door handle and cast a glance back to see he was already in his room.

Don't cry Kate, he obviously wasn't ready for the kiss, hopefully he won't be to mad at her.

She strips her dress off and puts on some comfy sport shorts and a long sleeve night shirt. She's too tired to take her makeup off tonight, she'll get it in the morning. Kate puts her hair in a messy braid so she can still have her curls in the morning and brushes her teeth.

She slips in her bed, ready to get some rest but the knock on her door interrupts her.

"Kate? Can I come in?"

Since when had he ever asked for permission? She slowly sits up and slurs, "Come in." Her husband appears before her, gently sits down on the side of the bed next to her. She takes a silent gulp and prays he isn't here to yell at her even though he looks just as tired as she is.

Castle reaches for her limp hand with his good hand, and cups it with his, gently strokes her tender fingers and feels the pair of rings she refused to take off even when he told them they were done.

He had taken his ring off, had slipped it on a chain and worn it on his neck. Now he was re-thinking it, but if he slipped the ring back on it would make it seem like they were official again and as much as he wanted to be he just wasn't ready.

Eventually he finds his voice, "I'm sorry I made it seem like I was mad at you for earlier, I was just, I don't know..shocked?" he mumbles, still stroking her fingers.

Kate shakes her head, wants to reach for his other hand but remembers it's injured, so she places her other hand on their already joined hands. "No babe, it's my fault, I let my own want get the best of me; I knew you weren't ready and I'm sorry."

She takes a deep breath, looks into his blue eyes that are no longer drowning in pain. Her husband takes his hand out of their joined embrace and gently strokes her cheek, she can't help but lean into the touch.

Was he trying to entice her!?

"I'm not mad about that honest, I think I can handle a few kisses." He winks at her with a flirtatious smile.

Kate lets out a chuckle, buries her head in his chest. "I just didn't want you to think I was telling you I was ready to dive back in..I want to Kate, I want to get rid of the hurt and the pain. I've forgiven you, I just need a bit more time."

he doesn't want to hurt her, can't on purposely want to hurt her as she hurt him anymore but he needs her to know. He feels his wife nod with her head buried in his chest, knows she's crying. She sniffles, slowly brings her head up to look at him.

"I understand, and I promise I'm willing to wait."

She runs her hand across his cheek this time, brings it to his ear and rubs the tender spot. He gives her a gentle smile, squeezes her hand once more before sliding off the bed and standing on his feet.

"Get some rest, tomorrow I have a meeting with my new publisher, obviously I fired Gina." he scoffs, hating the thought of the woman.

Kate nods her acceptance, glad he' getting someone new, if only-

"His name's Adam, he's a few years older than me, married and I think has 3 kids." He says as if he's reading her mind.

Kate smiles internally, much better. "Anyway, I'll see you in the morning, goodnight Kate."

He gives her a tiny wave and slips out of her room, leaving her to her thoughts. She closes her eyes and recounts the day's events, eventually falling asleep with a smile on her face.

She can't stop scratching, it feels like someone poured itching powder in her clothes, how long would she have to be in here!?

She had been promised immunity if she simply attacked Kate Beckett and now she was being held in filthy prison somewhere. Gina growls in annoyance, why can't she stop-

"Itchy? Warm? A little drowsy?" A voice taunts, comes out of the shadows.

She already knows it's her 'Friend.' "

And? I probably just got a rash." She mumbles, unconsciously starts scratching her neck. Her friend lets out a mirthless laugh, comes an inch closer to the bars and she's not dressed in prison clothes!?

Gina gapes, "Your being released?"

The brunette hums, "Yea, pulled a few connections to get me out..can't fulfill my plan here in prison." She winks, begins to turn around.

Gina grabs the bars and whimpers, "What about me? You promised." She cries, begins itching her head.

The brunette turns to her and smirks, "Oh I've already taken care of you don't worry." She winks, reaches through the bars and pats Gina's hand.

She watches the recognition in the blonde's eyes, her eyes widen as she begins to fall to the floor, gasping for air. Eventually the gasping stops and Gina's eyes finish wide and teared, her mouth open and her head lolled to the side. The brunette sighs and makes her way out of the cell, now that liabilities are out of the way, she can get to work.

"Hi Mr. Castle, meetings where it was last time." Nora, the secretary gives him a friendly smile.

"Thanks Nora." Castle gives her a small wave and makes his way to the conference room. There's about 10 people in there, people simply chatting about stuff. Castle's eyes land on his new publisher, Adam.

He smiles and makes his way towards him, "Hi Rick! Good to see you." He smiles, gives his client a hug.

Rick chuckles, "You to, and thanks for flying out of New York on such short notice." Adam gives him a nod, "No problem, I was shocked to hear you had fired Gina but hey I'm more than happy to be Richard Castle's publisher." he winks, leading him to sit in a chair.

Castle snorts, "Believe me, I was already wanting to fire Gina, it was only a matter of time."

Adam snorts, "She always thought she was better than us since she got you." He rolls his eyes.

Rick laughs with amusement, he never figured people would be fighting over who got to be his publisher. A tall man with salt and pepper hair walks in the room and greets everyone, "Let's begin."

The brunette hums to herself as she wraps up her package in bubble wrap, she peels the shipping take off and smooths it along the bubble wrap. She moves to get wrapping paper and wraps her gift for Kate Beckett in it.

She's listening to some classical music, it always helps her relax before any mission or drop off. She loves the sound of all the instruments coming together in harmony.

Once her package is fully wrapped she straps her gun in it's holster and slips her knife in the the ankle holster she keeps on. The news hadn't talked about the death of Gina yet, she wonders why.

An american found dead in a British prison? That was golden for the newspapers.

The brunette gently puts the gift in a shipping package and seals it with more tape. She carefully puts it in the mailbox, she already calculated the time when the mail was picked up.

Now all she had to do was wait.

"Hey Ricky! Haven't seen you lately man." A short man walks up to Castle and shakes his hand. Castle furrows his brow but soon recongnizes the gentleman, "Hey Claude how've you been?"

The man shrugs, "Same old same old." Rick blows out a puff of air, He hadn't seen his old roommate in 10 years since they graduated high school, if he remembers he was a year older than him making his friend 31.

"Well it was good seeing you man." he says, pats his friends shoulder.

"Yea you to Ricky, take care." Castle gives him another wave and hails a cab.

Time to go home.

Kate steps out of the shower, wraps a towel around herself and lets her hair that she had put in a bun, down. Her shower had been heavenly, had been just the thing to get her knots out of her shoulders and relax.

She dries herself off and dresses in some sweatpants and a t-shirt. She brushes her hair out, puts all the hair that fell out in the toilet and flushes it.

Kate makes her way into the kitchen, ready to make herself a cup of coffee and a good breakfast. As she is brewing her coffee a knock on the door has her already walking towards it.

She knows Rick wasn't gonna be home for another hour at least. Maybe it's room service? She raises on her toes and looks through the peephole, she can't tell who it is. She carefully opens the door, a young teenager holds a mail package in his hands and gives her a warm smile.

"Morning Ma'am, package for Beckett."

He hands her the package and gives her one more smile before walking off. "Thank you." She calls out and closes the door behind her.

Kate is intrigued, how would someone know she was staying in this hotel? She hadn't told anyone. She slowly rips the seal off and pulls whatever is in there out.

It's wrapped in bubble wrap, was it really fragile? She takes the wrapping off and lets out a loud gasp, currently sitting in her hands is a bomb which she guesses has a timer from the loud ticking noise that it's letting out.

Why would anyone want to send her a bomb!? She feels a piece of paper taped to the bottom so she slowly takes it off, good thing it wasn't a sensor bomb.

She opens the note with one hand and takes a deep breath, all that's written in big letters is (HE'S MINE)

Kate let's out a whimper, what did that even mean!

She just hoped Rick would be home quickly.

The brunette let out a chuckle, her plan was in motion.

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