When Ryan and Esposito laid out the case file, the mystery writer and his muse expected to see a new lead. Some mug shots of an ex-con with a connection to Maddox. Probably living under a fake identity. Most likely an ex-military man who was connected to Johanna Beckett's murder. Maybe even some gruesome crime scene photos. But not this. Definitely not this.

It wasn't the faces of ex-cons looking back at them, but rather their own faces. "We started this a few days after you guys met", Ryan begins, "figured we would need to use it as proof when the time was right. Turns out four years allowed us time to gather a lot of evidence." As a trained detective, Beckett analyzed the file one piece at a time. In the corner where the last name of the deceased usually appears along with their date of death, the file said "Caskett; September 2008 to Present". Judging from her hairstyles in the photos, Beckett could tell some of these really did date all the way back to when they met.

There was a photo from the first case they ever solved together, where she whispered into Castle's ear at the crime scene before she had sauntered away, leaving him wanting more. There was a photo of her teaching him how to shoot at the range. Little did she know he was much better than she thought. There were several photos of him arriving at crime scenes with a cup of coffee for her during the first days of their partnership. Then there was a photo she recognized immediately, from the crime scene with the mad gunman Castle had distracted with the champagne bottle. The first day he saved her life. The photo was taken in the aftermath, when Castle had whispered in her ear. She can still feel his warm breath on her cheek, and the chill that ran up her spine that day. She was so sure he was going to kiss her. Looking back on that day, she begins to wonder if he actually wanted to kiss her, or if she just wanted him to so badly she led herself to believe it would happen. They had always had a connection after all. Even the slightest graze of his hand often made her feel more of a connection to him than she ever had with any other man, even in their most intimate moments. She always knew the connection was there, she just wasn't ready to see it.

Then there was a photo of her kissing Will in the break room. What catches her eye is the photo next to that, of Castle with a cup of coffee and a sad look on his face. Did he see them? Did I put that look on his face? The next photo she sees she recognizes from the book launch party. There is a photo of her entering in that low cut blue dress, then behind it, a photo of Castle, sitting at the bar, staring. Looks like it got his attention after all. The next photo was of her face as she read the dedication. She was still in shock that Ryan and Esposito somehow managed to take pictures of all these special moments they shared. She slid her hand to move some of the photos over, to get a glimpse at a few more. She saw one of them looking into each other's eyes before Ryan and Espo walked in and asked if they were interrupting. Then a photo of Castle and Kira, which she recognized as the surveillance photo of them kissing on the roof. Then there was a photo of her and Kira before she left the precinct. At the bottom three words were written, "He's all yours". She smiles to herself, knowing those words finally ring true.

She takes a moment to glance up at Castle, to see his reaction. He sends her a small smile and brushes his hand against hers before he returns his eyes to the photos. She sees a photo of Castle holding her back after she shot Dick Coonan at the precinct. Another of Castle carrying her out of her apartment after the explosion. One of Castle on the ground after she had removed the screws from his chair. Aka bad luck from the mummy's curse . Then she recognized a few photos of her laughing in front of the murder board with Demming. She remembered this, of course, but what she never remembered seeing is what she now can't miss in the background of the photo. A very sad Castle. She looks through several more similar photos, one where he looks just plain angry, and another where he is sitting on a desk and rolling his eyes at them. Could it be that he had feelings for her even that early on? That he was actually jealous?

She spotted a few photos of her and Royce, and several of Castle again looking a little jealous. There was one of them holding hands after the triple killer case. Then one of her along with Natalie Rhodes, the creepy Nikki lookalike. And one of Natalie kissing Rick in the elevator. Now there's a moment I don't care to relive. Then there was one of them smiling in the elevator as Beckett used her grandfather's trick to hand Rick a bouquet of flowers after his breakup with Gina. The next photo was of them having a beer with the gang after the bomb scare, and Castle is looking into her eyes as he admitted that he knows how lucky he is. Then of course there is a photo of her with Josh at the precinct, and she wonders if it hurt him when he saw them together.

The next few photos are within the last year. Him at her bedside in the hospital. Them together after the bank robbery. The two of them walking down the aisle at Ryan's wedding. Several of them laughing and enjoying each other's company at the precinct. One of them holding hands at Castle's loft, which makes her wonder if Alexis was in on all of this because who else could have taken this photo? When she looked at the photos from the past year, she couldn't help but notice she hasn't seen herself look so happy since her mother's death. Castle really had changed her, and she has had feelings for him for longer than she was willing to admit. She felt him brush his hand to hers again, because they both knew what kind of photos would follow these. Secrets had torn them apart this past year, and neither of them wanted to relive the pain they put each other through. But maybe it needed to be done. After all, their friends went through all this trouble to show them they belong together, right?

Castle edged the photos over to reveal the next set of photos underneath. This first one caused him to cringe. It was him and Jacinda, the flight attendant he had used to punish Beckett for breaking his heart. He saw a few small words written in the bottom corner of the photograph. Straining his eyes, he managed to make out the words, "He's pulling away". He looks up at Kate, and he can see tears beginning to well up in her eyes. He wants to hold her, and kiss her, and say he's sorry for the millionth time for hurting her like that. But he also wants to protect her privacy and her wishes. And if she doesn't want anyone to know about their relationship, he is not about to kiss her and tell her how much he loves her in the middle of the precinct, in front of all her friends. Instead, he settles upon slowly linking his fingers through hers, hoping his touch will soothe her somewhat. It seems to be working, because she smiles up at him and nods, giving her approval that he can continue revealing the photographs.

However, when he sees the final set of photographs in the file, it is him who begins to tear up. There were four snapshots taped to a piece of paper. One was of Castle and Jacinda leaving the room. The other, was of Beckett's face as she watched them go. She looked so broken. So hurt. And all because of me. But what really got to him was the other two photos. One was of him and Gina, and he recognized it from the day they left arm-in-arm for the Hamptons. And underneath that was one of Beckett, with the exact same heartbroken face she had made two years later when he left with Jacinda. That look on her face explains why she was so angry when he returned to the precinct after that summer. And why it seemed to bother her so much that he hadn't called. Had she changed her mind that day? And then he had left with Gina? Did she care about him, even back then?

Realizing he needs to say something, he begins, "Kate-", but she quickly silences him with her own words. "I know Castle, I should have told you", she begins softly. "I had changed my mind that day. I broke up with Demming, and I was going to tell you I wanted to come to the Hamptons with you, but then Gina showed up".

Castle stood there in shock. He couldn't believe that just yesterday he believed Kate didn't care about him, when in reality she had cared for years now, and he had hurt her without even knowing it. "Why didn't you tell me Kate? Why didn't you tell me then? And why didn't you tell me now? Were you ever going to tell me? Did you have feelings for me even back then? Did you break up with Demming because of me?". All the questions began to flow from his mouth, as if he couldn't control them. All the questions that Kate never had an answer for until now.

She couldn't stand listening to him doubt her feelings any longer. There were too many questions. Too many hurt feelings to relive. Too many missed opportunities. But she couldn't stand listening to him ask all the questions she had been afraid to answer herself for years.

She just wanted it to stop.

She wanted to shout.

So she shouted.

In the middle of the precinct. In front of all her friends.

She shouted those four words, giving him the only answer she can, the only answer that made any sense to her…

"Because I love you Castle!"

Thank you guys so much for reading I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm trying to keep the ideas original so please please please let me know what you think about this! I'm going on vacation this week but I am hoping to update as soon as possible! But feedback is always appreciated so please review! Thank you!