I want to thank everyone who have reviewed and PM'd me. I have a difficult time responding to everyone due to my busy life. But I would like to acknowledge Norman1, txgal2015, BigKahuna, TORONTOSUN, Craspon and so many more. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

Again I own nothing.

Chapter 115

As Castle inserted the key into the loft's door lock he listened for sounds. He knew that Kate was home, he had seen her cruiser in "her" parking space. As the door opened he saw her handbag as well as another on the couch. He assumed it was Lanie's since he didn't really know how much Kate had to do with other females. 'Did Beckett do the normal things women do?'He wasn't sure but he needed to find out. 'Another layer to the Beckett onion!'

Castle slowly moved towards the office searching for Beckett. He dropped his keys on his desk and knocked on their bedroom door. Not getting an answer, he opened the door while calling out for Kate. After not getting a reply, he turned and headed for the kitchen, stopping along the way to pour himself a small scotch.

Upon reaching the kitchen he could hear muffled laughs from upstairs. He cleared his throat loudly and started up the stairs only to be met by Lanie. "No way writer-boy, you're not coming up here. You get dressed in your bedroom!"

Castle could hear a giggle from the guest room. "Lanie, how many times do I have to tell you its man writer-man?" Castle saw her peek out from behind Lanie. "Hey babe, give me about twenty minutes and I will be ready. And can you pour me one of those?" She pointed to the drink he had in his hand.

He would never get tired of hearing her call him that. But he decided to have fun with her. "Sure thing snookums!" That earned him one of Beckett's patented glares. "Too much?"

"Yeah, that one will be stricken from your vocabulary, understand?"

"Okay."

Castle walked into his bedroom, or was it their bedroom now, and saw some of his clothing laid out on the bed. 'Has Kate laid out what she wants me to wear tonight?'To say he was surprised would be an understatement. He smirked and headed for the shower.

After showering and shaving, he began to dress in what she had laid out for him. It was not at all what he had expected. She had chosen dark jeans that were rather tight on his legs, a black, short-sleeved Henley, and his worn motorcycle jacket, a jacket that he hadn't worn in years. He also saw his black boots set out beside the closet door. He could only imagine that she intended for him to wear them.

As Castle strolled into the kitchen he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Kate gliding down the stairs. She was wearing a black cocktail dress with most of her back exposed. There was just a three inch strip of material across her shoulders. The strip should hold the dress up, but with the way the dress adhered to her body, the strip was all but useless. To say the dress fit like a glove did not do it justice. It fitted more like a wetsuit.

Lanie stood at the top of the stairs taking in the sight. If anyone ever thought that Richard Castle did not absolutely adore Katherine Beckett, they should have seen the look on his face at that moment. She thought to herself, 'I would give anything for someone to look at me like that!'

"My God Kate, you look…indescribable. You're absolutely gorgeous! I am the luckiest guy in the world to have you as my wife."

Lanie chortled and said, "Un uh writer-boy! I don't see a ring on that finger, and until I do, she damn sure isn't your wife."

Kate snickered and replied, "It's writer-man Lanie, and I have my bread tie, what else do I need?"

Castle rubbed his face rapidly like the way Moe from the Three Stooges did and said, "Come on Kate. I think it's time we left."

"Okay babe. Let me get my purse and jacket."

A totally shocked Castle asked, "Babe?"

"Yep, do you have a problem with it?"

With a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat, he answered, "Nope, no problem at all."

"Good!"

All Lanie could do as they left the loft was snicker. She had never seen Kate Beckett act so in love. Hell, she couldn't remember the last time Kate really even liked a guy. Sure she had seen her with Demming, and Beckett seemed to be into him, but Lanie was sure she was just trying to hide from Castle. Lanie knew from the first time that Kate complained in the morgue about Castle that there was something more brewing between them. She just wanted Beckett to see it for herself. She knew that Kate Beckett was as hardheaded as anyone she had ever met and that it would take time for her to come to the conclusion that Castle was good for her. It seemed that she had.

Xx

As Castle pulled out of his parking garage in the SUV, he felt a hand reach over and grab his as it rested on the center console. He was amazed. If you had told him four years ago, hell even six months ago, that Kate Beckett would be holding his hand he would have laughed at you. But not only was she holding his hand, she was going to be his wife. He couldn't help but smile.

Beckett watched his face as she reached for his hand. When she grabbed it, she saw the moment it registered that she was holding his hand. The smile that came across his face had the ability to turn her into a puddle. She could also tell there was something on his mind. "What are you thinking about?"

Without taking his eyes off of the road he turned his hand over and interlaced his fingers with hers. "You, my love, just you. I can't believe that you and I are at this point. If you had told me six months ago I wouldn't have believed you. But here we are, and I am so grateful to the universe for this opportunity, because lord knows I don't deserve it."

"Oh Rick, you deserve it and so much more. I'm the one who doesn't deserve it. Just like you said, I always have one foot out the door, but not anymore. I want you, nothing more, and nothing less, just you."

"You have me, don't ever wonder if you do. And after this is all over and Gabriel is retired, you are going to get the full-on Richard Castle experience."

She giggled. "Really, the Richard Castle experience? Who are you Jimmy Hendrix?"

"Not even close. What you will get will be so much more. Just be ready to be swept off your feet."

"Already have been."

"Oh no Kate, just because we are engaged to be engaged to be married doesn't mean I won't wine and dine you. You are getting the full-on experience of a Castle courtship."

She leaned over and brushed a kiss to his ear allowing her breast to rub against his arm, using the most sultry, breathy voice she could muster, she purred, "Maybe you will get the full-on Beckett experience. If I think you can handle it, that is." She then moved back into her seat and adjusted her dress.

As they arrived at the club Castle found a parking spot half a block away. He pulled to a stop, cut the engine, and looked over at Beckett. "You ready for this?"

"I'm as ready as I will ever be," she said as she checked her purse for her Glock.

"Kate, you can't take that. We'll never get past the door if you do."

She looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "Surely you don't expect us to go in unarmed. What if we run across the guys we are looking for?"

"Kate, if you go in armed they'll be gone before we get our first drink. No, we go in unarmed, and if there is any trouble you will leave immediately and go get Cagney and Lacy back there." He motioned over his shoulder and Beckett saw Javi and Kevin in their cruiser about half a block away.

"How long have they been following us?"

Castle smiled and said, "They were waiting for us when we pulled out of the garage. I'm guessing that they are our backup tonight. By the way, this Tahoe has a remote entry that runs off an app. I took the time to add it to your phone when you were making our coffee today. If you are within fifty feet, open the app and enter your birthday. The doors will unlock. Hit it a second time and it will start the vehicle."

She had an incredulous look on her face. "You put an app on my phone?"

"Yes, I did. It operates all of my vehicles. If there's more than one with in fifty feet the app will ask you which one."

"Even the Ferrari?"

"Yes, even the Ferrari. What's mine is yours."

With that he turned back and stared at the club. "Kate, I need to know that you will listen to me when we go in. This isn't like anything you have done before. If there is trouble you have to promise me that you will get out and leave it to me."

"Rick I can handle myself. I've done undercover work before."

"I know you have, but you haven't done anything like this. If we run into who we are looking for and we're made, it's not going to be pretty. Please Kate, listen to what I say and do what I tell you to, no questions asked. If you can't, we'll head back home, because there is no way in hell I will let you go in there."

Beckett contemplated her fiancé and could see the sheer determination on his face. This was a far cry from the man-child he was just a few days ago...before she heard the name Gabriel. "Sure Rick, whatever you say. This is your world, I'm just along for the ride. But if you think all I am is eye candy, you have another thing coming."

"No babe, you're so much more than eye candy." He turned his gaze to her and said, "Let's go."

Beckett placed her Glock and badge in the glove compartment and exited the SUV, turning slightly to look at the unmarked police cruiser with her boys in it who were trying their best to melt into the seat.

As they reached the door to the club, Kate was waived through without so much as a second look while Castle was questioned before being allowed to enter. As they made their way across the crowded dance floor, Beckett couldn't stop thinking that this was eerily similar to the undercover operation that they ran a few months ago. The only difference was this place was much darker and the music was deafening.

Castle commandeered a table and motioned for the waitress. "Four vodkas. We're celebrating."

As the waitress returned with their drinks, Castle settled the bill and said "salute" in Russian. Beckett leaned over to Castle and whispered in his ear, "See anything?"

"No nothing yet. I think…" He was looking at six men who entered the club from the door behind the dee-jay's booth. "Oh shit, this isn't good."

"What do you mean this isn't good? What the hell are you talking about?"

As she turned to look over her shoulder, he grabbed her arm, all the while never taking his eyes off of the newcomers. He saw the moment that Mirov recognized him. "Slap me and make a scene. Then get the hell out of here! Find Gray and let him know Mirov is here."

She leaned back and looked into his eyes, hers showing disbelief. He pulled her forward and again whispered, "Slap me now Kate!"

Leaning back, what he wanted registered and she complied. She took what was left of her vodka and threw it in his face. She then wrenched her arm away from him and slapped him with all of her might just as the music stopped. She turned for the door but not before saying in Russian, "I'm not that kind of girl!"

As she was leaving the table she was grabbed by one of Mirov's body guards. Mirov came closer, looked over Kate, and motioned for the guard to let her go. "I have no need for this whore. Gabriel, on the other hand, I have definite interest in."

For the second time in the past minute, Kate wrenched herself free and started for the door. She stopped at the entrance and looked back at Castle. She reached in her clutch for her phone and called Esposito for backup.

Xx

As Mirov's men circled the table, he sat down in the seat vacated by Kate. "Can you tell me how it is that you come to sit at a table in my club?"

Looking around at the thugs that have surrounded him, a smirk crossed his face. "Just lucky I guess."

"And can you tell me how it comes to be that you are even alive to be in my club?"

"Again, I guess you could say I'm lucky."

Mirov leaned forward and sneered, "I don't think you have any luck left in you."

There was a commotion at the front of the club and one of the bouncers called out, "Police!" With that distraction, Gabriel leapt to his feet and turned, slamming his fist into the bodyguard behind his left shoulder, knocking him unconscious. He spun and delivered a powerfully accurate kick to another guard's "family jewels."

As all that happened, Mirov began to head for the exit with his remaining guards in tow. Castle reached down and removed the MP 443 pistol from his last opponent as he writhed in pain. Castle kicked him in his jaw then returned to the first opponent, grabbing his pistol after slamming his head in the floor. He then turned and headed for the door where he saw Mirov exit.

Xx

When Ryan asked if Kate was alright, he only received one of her patented glares. She motioned for him to follow her. "We can't Kate. We don't control the scene. We can't go tear-assing after Castle and leave this mess."

Beckett was irate. "Give me you backup piece and I'll go."

Ryan grabbed her. "Not without support you won't."

He looked over at Esposito who nodded. "I got this Bro. You and Beckett follow our boy. It shouldn't be hard, just follow the carnage."

After Ryan and Beckett entered the hallway behind the dee-jay's booth, they began to clear rooms. They were working fast but efficiently when they heard gunshots from the rear of the club. As they exited the rear door, they found two guards on the ground holding their legs. Both had gunshot wounds through their knees.

Ryan stopped to secure the downed men with zip ties while Kate continued down the alley. What she found scared her. Castle had Mirov draped over a fence, holding a pistol in his mouth. "Kate why don't you head back and check on Esposito. I have everything under control. Me and my friend Mirov are going to get reacquainted, aren't we Mirov?"

"Rick, don't do this."

"Kate, this is the guy who sent Lockwood to kill you." Hearing that, Mirov's eyes widened. Castle turned back to him. "What? You didn't think I knew it was you? As soon as you walked in I knew it was you."

The way Mirov was looking between Kate and Castle let them know that he just put it together. "Yes, this is the woman you sent him to kill, but what you didn't know is she is my fiancée and I take great offense to someone trying to kill her." He pulled back the slide, chambering a round. "Who else did you send?"

"Rick, this isn't you! Don't do it!" She placed her hand on his arm.

"Yes, Rick, listen to your woman. This isn't you."

Kate snapped her head towards Mirov. "No, but it's me!" With that she laid the barrel of her pistol across Mirov's temple rendering him unconscious.

Castle looked down at Mirov and back at Beckett. "That was so hot!" Then he claimed her mouth for his own.

And the twelve year old she loved so much was back.

Thoughts?