Disclaimer: As fore mentioned, I do not own Castle.

Author's Note: So, even though I only got a whopping FIVE reviews, I decided that it would be cruel to withhold it from those FIVE people who actually took time to review. I thank you all greatly. However, I have not even started writing the next chapter or picked an idea for it, yet. So, the more reviews I get, the more motivation for me to write. =) Just saying. Anyways, enjoy this chapter.

"Esposito, I already saw the body." Kate Beckett said as she was led down to the morgue for the second time.

"Lanie said she found something new."

"Then why didn't she just tell me that?"

Esposito smiled and opened the doors at the end of the hall. Kate walked through and saw Lanie standing in front of an empty table.

"Where's the body?" It was then that she saw Castle standing in the corner, hidden by the shadows. She flared. "Lanie, what the hell is this?"

"Kate, just hear him out."

Kate scoffed and turned to walk out the door only to find Esposito blocking it. "Espo, you'd better move if you know what's good for you."

"Sorry, Chica. Can't do that."

Kate narrowed her eyes at him and spun back around to Lanie. "Lanie, you better have a damn good reason for doing this."

Lanie smiled. "Trust me. Just keep an open mind." Lanie slowly started to walk towards the door, Kate eyeballing her the whole time. When she reached Esposito, she whispered, "I think she's about to snap. We should probably…"

Kate narrowed her eyes even further. "Go, go, go." Lanie ushered Esposito out the doors and quickly held them shut. Esposito barricaded it with the table in the hall and gave a short, smug smile to Kate through the window before rushing after Lanie.

Kate turned to Castle. "Alright. What do you want?"

"Kate, I owe you an apology."

"Pssh. Yea right. Did Lanie tell you to do this?"

Castle walked towards her. His eyes glued to hers, silently telling her his answer.

"Castle. There is nothing to apologize for all right? You're off the hook." Kate turned towards the door. Castle grabbed her arm.

"Kate. Please, just hear me out." Castle pleaded with her.

Kate looked into his eyes and subtly nodded.

With newfound confidence, Castle continued. "I knew it was wrong of me to invite Gina to the Hamptons with me when I already invited you. I was a jerk, and I am very sorry."

Kate waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, she simply said, "Alright."

"Alright?"

"Apology accepted." She spun towards the door once more.

"Kate." Castle begged.

She stopped, but didn't turn back around.

"Kate, what were you going to tell me yesterday?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Castle spun her around.

"The hell you don't."

"Castle. I told you. I just wanted to say have a great summer." She practically spat it at him. Castle stared into her bitter eyes, searching frantically for what to say next.

"Gina and I broke up."

"You what? You both seemed so happy yesterday," she said sarcastically.

"And I know you broke up with Demming," Castle continued.

Kate stopped and searched his eyes. How had he known that? There is no way. It just happened yesterday…Lanie. She was going to kill her.

"Why did you break up with him, Kate?" Castle knew it was cruel to ask her questions that he already knew the answers to just to test her, but he didn't want to show her all of his cards just yet.

"That is none of your business." Kate's face went stone cold.

"Fine. But I will tell you why Gina broke up with me." Castle took Kate's hand. She tried to pull away but he held his grasp. "She found out that I have feelings for someone else. That whole day, I did not write a single word even with her breathing down my neck. You know what I did, Kate?" He forced her to look at him. "I tormented myself thinking about what you were doing with Demming. I fantasized that you were there with me. I desperately wished that you were there instead of Gina."

"Are you trying to guilt-trip me, Castle? What was I supposed to do? Just drop all of my plans because you invited me to your house?"

"Kate, I am not guilt tripping you. I just want you to know how I feel about you."

"Yea, well. It's a little too late for that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that I sat around and watched you go out with girl after superficial girl, Castle. It means that I watched you laugh and gloat about it to the boys. And then you had the nerve to flirt with me and not expect me to fall for you. I didn't want to, you know. I knew you were dangerous. I knew you would hurt me. So I tried to mask it, and the one time I was attracted to a man other than you, you ruined it. I watched you date countless women and then you have the nerve to ruin my one perfectly healthy relationship!" She moved until her face was inches from his. "All because you wanted to have your cake and eat it, too."

Castle watched the unshed tears glisten in her eyes. He wanted to caress her cheek, to hold her and tell her that he wasn't going to leave her. Instead, he stood there, motionless, watching as her eyes bore into his soul.

"Kate. I had no idea." He spoke gently.

"I won't be hurt again, Castle."

"Kate. I won't-"

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Kate. I know it's cliché, but that isn't me anymore."

Kate scoffed and turned away.

"Kate, I promise I will do whatever it takes to show you how much you mean to me…I love yo-"

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to play the love card. Not like this. You think you can say those three little words and I will come running back to you?" She turned back around and gave him her death stare.

"Kate, that's not-"

"Castle. I don't want to hear it." She put her hand up to him, signaling him to go no further.

"Kate. Tell me what I can do."

Kate stared deep into his eyes.

"I'm sorry…Kate I am so sorry that I never saw how you felt before. I was insensitive. I was oblivious and ignorant." He grabbed her hand once more. "Kate, I never realized that I was hurting you. I was just so jealous of you and Demming. I wanted you to only have eyes for me. And it was stupid of me to think that you were always just going to be waiting there for me."

"Yea it was."

"I was just scared. Kate, the way I feel about you…it's intense and real. All of my other relationships have just been about lust. With you, I mean yea it was lust at first, but then you turned me down and it intrigued me. As I got to know you, I realized how different you were from any other girl I have ever met. I started falling for you. Hard. I didn't know what to make of it, so I hid from it. Although, I found myself having to work harder just to feel an attraction for another woman. You were-are- all I think about. I don't want to lose you, Kate. Please, just give me another chance."

Kate had been focused on his eyes and his body language, looking for any sign that he was lying or just spinning crap for her benefit. What she saw, though, frightened her. Sincerity. In every word. She didn't know what to make of it. She was used to their seemingly meaningless flirting and teasing, but this…this was pure, raw emotion and passion. She didn't know if she could let him back in. After all, what if he changed his mind? What if tomorrow he met a new gorgeous model or something and completely forgot about her? She didn't know if he was worth the risk.

But, then again. She knew exactly what he was saying, because she felt it, too. He was different, and that scared her as well. His name constantly popping up in her head; it annoyed her. Her heart fluttering every time she saw him; her stomach doing flip flops whenever he complimented her; her head spinning whenever he stunned her with one of his charming, flirtatious comments, even if he was just joking around.

She didn't know what to do. Was he worth getting hurt again?

She was about to answer when they heard the table being moved outside. Suddenly the doors burst open and Sidney Perlmutter, the other M.E., stood in the doorway. "What the hell is going on, here?"

"Sorry, Perlmutter. We were just leaving." Kate glanced at Castle before turning to walk out.

Castle reached out and grabbed her hand. She didn't turn around, but stopped. "Please. Just think about it, Kate."

Kate turned to look at him. She saw the desire in his eyes. She saw the hurt, regretful gleam in them. He was truly remorseful. She decided that if he wanted her back, he was going to have to win her back. She gave him a small smile, showing hope of a future. "See you tomorrow, Castle." And then she left, leaving him to wonder if she was really going to give him a shot. With his signature smirk, he followed after her.

"Twenty bucks says she totally chewed him out. I bet he will come out of there looking like a lost puppy." Esposito said to Lanie as they stood down the hall from the morgue.

"You're on. I know my girl. She does have somewhat of a heart." Lanie smirked back at him.

"I don't know. This seemed pretty serious. You really think she'll take him back." Esposito questioned.

Lanie shrugged.

At that moment, Kate came waltzing down the hallway like she owned the place, as usual, confidence written all over her face. Following closely behind was Castle with a tiny smirk on his face. Kate turned and winked at Lanie. "You coming Espo?" She asked as she and Castle walked towards the elevator.

"Oh he looks like a puppy alright, but he ain't lost. More like found." Lanie whispered to Esposito as he slipped her a twenty with a sideways scowl. He quickly followed them to the elevator.

Back in the precinct, Castle snuck up next to Kate, who was standing in front of the murder board, and handed her a coffee saying, "So, what do we got?"

Kate could only smirk at his not-so subtle launch into their normal routine.

Author's Note: So, I sincerely hope I get more reviews this time. And since I don't have a set in stone idea for the next chapter, review with some wants/desires/opinions for where you would like this story to go and they just might get put into the story. So please, please, please review!