"Did you hear me this time? Yes or no."

"Yes," Kate said faintly. Her hands moved without her volition and grasped Rick's, on the seat between them.

"A couple of hours ago that was the last thing I would ever have bet I'd telling you. Being angry with you and being let down, it sucks. It's — yeah, I have made you into an archetype, and I'll do it again and I hope you can break it more gently. Because, ah, God, you make me feel like one too. A better Ricky, more heroic. Sometimes better. Sometimes probably more dumb."

"A bulletproof vest that says 'Writer.'"

"Truth in advertising. But I told you — sometimes the Warrior Goddess is as close as I can get, all you'll let me have. Like when when you get remote. I know you aren't completely in control when you go off into your cave, your —"

"Into 'Poor Damaged Kate', you mean?"

"Into 'Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't ask me how I am. Don't call me for three months while I get back my invulnerability.' Into someone who doesn't have time for friendship. You also have bona fide PSTD—"

"But that's a not good excuse to—"

"But no one except you thinks that's the whole story. All right, try this: I know you can't be all here yet, not all the time. I know you have demons on the inside whom you'd rather ignore, and you go after demons on the outside. I don't want to tell you who to be, or make you someone you're not. Most of all, I don't want to lose the real you, even if she's damaged, and scarred, and messed up, and chickens out sometimes. Even when you're angry with me, even when I'm angry with you — I want to be around when you want me. I want to be around when you need me, even when you tell me to get lost. Maybe you'd do better without me, but I need you to know — Rick's words failed. Kate took his hand to hold against her cheek. This much of you I can hold really close, and still think straight.

Rick took a deep breath and went on. "I need you to know, that what I love most about you? is real, and I want a chance to know you better. A real chance." They were holding each other's eyes now. He still looks like hell. Like sad. "But I'm not sure either of us is in all that much better shape than we were the last time I told you that I loved you. That I love you." He carried her hand from her cheek to his lips, just a brush; then not clutching her hand, just holding it. I'm tireder than I thought. But not dead. Some of my body noticed that. At least I can think straight, anyhow. She squeezed back.

"I'm sorry, so very sorry, I made you wait this long, to hear me answer. When I said I loved you, too, earlier? I meant it, and your friendship — no, don't look stricken, shut up and listen — having you for my friend means everything to me."

He loved you more than Alexis or me, Martha's voice reminded her.

"I wasn't friends with Josh, or Tom. Or Will. I think that's what was missing from being their lover. Being friends with you is more serious than what I had with them, and it does frighten me, not about dying but, yes, about living, and doing— and being your friend in return. I don't want to disappoint you again."

"You will, you know," Rick said. "And I will. Disappoint you, I mean. I'll try not to have stupid expectations— but, Kate, it's not about disappointment. It's getting over it that's important. I've heard."

"You've 'heard'?"

"Well, I'm a Big Damn Hero. I wouldn't know, myself." We might make it through this after all, Kate thought with a rush of fresh hope. He's being an idiot again. She punched him gently with her free hand and Rick smiled at her. Still battered, but more than she had feared she's ever see again. "So — friends again?"

"I thought that was your call."

"It was, but then I told you about Deep Throat. Mr. Smith. And you didn't react as badly as I expected."

"I yelled at you some. It's not as bad as the first time. And maybe if I'm not an archetype I can learn something." Castle—her Castle— stifled something. "What?"

"You had any head injuries I missed?" he asked.

"No. But if it's bigger than my city — maybe I want to make a Federal case out of it."

"Not Will. Please —"

"No. It's not his style."

"Subtlety of a brick in the head."

"I was thinking of Jordan Shaw. You remember, when my apartment blew up?"

"The profiler. She is really cool, maybe… you sure she's not a dispossessed Soviet sleeper agent?"

"In the FBI?" She wanted to make a remark about how much of a fanboy he had been toward Special Agent Shaw, but Sophia Turner's ghost was still around.

"They have their bad seeds—"

Kate interrupted before he could detail the career of Robert Hanssen or anyone else. "I think… she could be discreet. I think she'd believe us."

Rick was staring off into the darkness. "I don't want to get her killed. But .. if it all goes wrong… it would be nice to know somebody knew what we know. Just — only give her hard copy, Kate, please? There are bots out there keeping track of everything."

"You have electronic files—"

"I have a hacker I know try to break into them every few months, too. And he's all over, umm, other people's-"

"NYPD?"

"No, but if you want industrial secrets—"

"They'd be inadmissible in court."

"Hell yeah." Kate saw Rick's mind was off again, plotting. Not yelling at her about whose life it was to lose — no, that was her line — I can do this. "So— friends again?"

Rick's attention was focussed back on her in an instant. "Always. As long as you'll let me. And sometimes when you think I'm attacking you, well— tell me. But mostly it'll be because I have your back."

The car seemed too small for the depth of the sigh as they both took a deep breath.

"That was just awful," Rick said.

"Yeah. But I lived through it. I need a stretch before I drive you home." They each opened the car doors and moved around. Castle reached toward a streetlight.

"Did I say that was awful?"

"You mentioned it." Kate came around to the front of the car. "Hey, a couple weeks ago? You pulled me out of a sinking car? How about a hug?" Her voice shook again. Rick was there faster than she'd ever seen him move.

"A hug?"

"Alexis asked me, but you never have." By that time they were holding one another. "This is about as much intensity as I can take right now… But I'm not going to break, you know." Kate rested her forehead on Rick's shoulder again. It was still a little damp." She could feel his arms surrounding her as though he were holding a bird, and tightened her own grip.

"You have," he said. "But I know you'll heal stronger."