Disclaimer – they aren't mine – just borrowing them.

Author's note: Spoiler for finale..Yes I know this has been kind of done at least ten times already….though no one has quite taken it in this direction…the episode was sad but it was truly a work of genius

Castle shifted his weight, shielding Kate's limp body with his. He had been too late…just a split second but that was all it had taken for the bullet to strike her. His hand shook as he brushed a stray curl from her pale cheek, trailing his fingertips against her flawless skin. He let out a soft sob and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. The noise of the chaos that reigned around them faded as he fought to force his lungs to breathe.

He did not know how long he laid there…with her. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed…and yet he knew it could not have been more than minutes before he felt a pair of strong hands pulling him away, trying to separate him from Kate. He fought blindly, but he was no match for them as they were joined by another.

"Castle, relax man, we got him. We got him." He heard Esposito's voice whisper in his ear as the man held him back.

Castle nodded numbly as he watched Kate disappear into a crowd of paramedics. He allowed his partners to haul him to his feet and lead him toward the ambulance as Kate's body was placed on a gurney. He swallowed heavily as he watched the paramedic covered her face with the starched white sheet before moving toward them.

"I want to ride with her." He stated numbly as he watched them load her into the back of the vehicle. "Please." He whispered his eyes pleading as he met Esposito's concerned gaze. The man nodded, giving him a gentle push toward the vehicle.

"Go. We will meet you at the hospital."

Castle accepted the hand one of the paramedics offered him and climbed on board, turning to look back at his friends before the doors closed. "My mother. Alexis." He felt a wave of guilt that he had not considered them before.

Ryan nodded. "They're fine. On their way home."

Castle nodded tightly in thanks and slid onto the thin hard bench beside the head of the gurney as the doors closed, sealing them inside. He dimly heard a double slap to the outside of the metal, signaling the driver to move out, as his eyes settled on the silhouette of Kate's face beneath the sheet. He dropped his head and ran a rough hand through his hair as the ambulance eased out of the cemetery and out onto the main road where it began to pick up speed.

It had worked. He could not believe it but it had worked.

He raised his head as a faint groan sounded from the gurney, followed by the rustle of starched sheets as a small hand rose to tug them down. A watery smile graced his face as Kate opened her eyes slowly. She smiled faintly up at him.

"Did we get him?" she murmured.

A slightly hysterical laugh escaped his lips as he captured her hand in his and pressed a kiss to it. "Yeah." He sniffed. "Yeah, we got him." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead, breathing in her soft scent, cherishing the fact that she was alive.

They had won…but at what price.

He sat back as the paramedic moved in and began to loosen the straps on the bullet proof vest hidden beneath Kate's uniform shirt. Kate winced sharply as the medic helped her to remove the vest and began to gently probe her ribs. Castle turned his eyes away from the purpling bruises on her torso, moving them up to meet her eyes. It had been too close for comfort.

"Could you please give us a moment?" Kate asked.

The paramedic nodded in understanding and moved through the thin door into the front compartment of the vehicle, closing it behind him.

Kate raised a hand and gently brushed her fingertips along Castle's strong jaw. He closed his eyes at her touch, covering her hand with his as he fought to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. "Are you going to be alright?" He heard her ask softly.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm before folding her hand in his and opening his eyes. A stray tear escaped his control as he smiled. "You're alive. How could I be anything but?"

Kate raised an arm in invitation and Castle moved forward, carefully pulling her into his embrace. He felt her sigh against him as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck and hugged him back as hard as she could. "It'll be over before you know it." She murmured.

A few more tears joined the first to trace down his face as he buried his face against her hair, holding her as if he would never let go…and yet he knew he must. "Be safe." He whispered tightly. "Come back to me."

Kate pulled back enough to meet his eyes. She smiled sadly as she brushed his tears away with her thumb. "Always." she promised.

A sharp rap startled them apart as the door to the front compartment opened. "We are coming up on the hospital." The paramedic announced apologetically.

Kate nodded as Castle eased her back against the thin mattress of the gurney. "Showtime." She smiled thinly as the medic moved back into the compartment and began preparations.

Castle reached down and gathered the edges of the sheet in his trembling hands, pulling it up over her torso. Small hands closed over his, stilling them. He met her eyes with a brighter smile than he felt. "I love you, Kate." He murmured softly.

She smiled softly. "I love you too, Rick."

He leaned forward and captured her lips gently in a soft tender kiss. They pulled away reluctantly as the paramedic cleared his throat.

"We're here."

Castle nodded as he brushed one last chaste kiss against her lips and pulled away.

"Say something nice about me in my eulogy." She teased to lighten the tension as he moved to raise the sheet. Her face grew serious. "I'll see you soon."

He nodded, gracing her with a soft loving smile though his blue eyes radiated concern. "Be safe."

As he covered her face gently he heard her whisper.

"Always."

The silence was shattered as the doors opened and a small army of medical personnel wheeled her out of the vehicle. He followed, carefully schooling his face into a look of numb shock. Not that it was difficult as he watched her disappear through the doors, his imagination providing alternative scenarios where the ploy was real and not a fake. As long as she was believed to be dead, Montgomery's family was safe…they were all safe…and free to continue looking for the mysterious boss who had ruined so many lives.

She would be back…and when she returned she would be his.

Hope shone beneath the sorrow within the blue depths.

"Always."