Title: Therapy In A Box

Summary: You can't hide from each other in a elevator.

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.

Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!

The grinding of brakes filled their ears and the floor below them stilled.

"What did you do that for?" Castle demanded.

"I'm not done talking." Kate replied simply.

"So you trapped us in here?"

"Yes. I'm through playing games. We are going to work this out."

"I told you I didn't want to talk right now."

"Well, we're going to anyway." She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Why is it when I want to talk, it's no dice but when you want to talk, I have no choice?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just can't let this go on any longer."

"Who's being selfish now?" Castle said, his tone harsh.

"Castle, I'm sorry." Beckett dropped her arms back to her sides. "I'm truly sorry. For lying, for getting mad at you, for shutting you out, for everything."

Castle sighed and leaned against the wall. He studied her for several moments before speaking.

"I knew."

"Knew what?" Beckett asked.

"That you remembered."

Beckett mirrored Castle's position, leaning back against the wall opposite from him.

"How?" She whispered.

"I mean, I assumed." Castle elaborated. "You never forget things about the victim. At least, not while an investigation is open. That's another reason you're so good at your job. You focus on the victim, you fight for them. You remember them. So why would that be any different when you're the victim?" He stopped, but just as Beckett was about to speak, he continued. "And you can't tell me that you didn't at least suspect that I was still looking into your mother's case. You know me too well."

Before Beckett could reply a woman's voice came through the speaker located beneath the panel of buttons.

"Hello, is anyone in the elevator?"

"Yes. This is NYPD Detective Kate Beckett. My partner and I are in here."

"Are you both okay?" The voice crackled.

"We're fine." Beckett answered.

"Good. We have mechanics on the way. They should have you out of there soon."

"Thank you." Castle said.

"My name is Patsy. If you need to talk to me, press the call button."

"Will do." Beckett responded. She heard a click and waited a few seconds. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Castle replied.

"I was talking to Patsy." Beckett said with an eye-roll.

"Oh. I guess she can't hear you."

"I guess not."

"So, are you going to answer my question?" He asked as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Which question?"

"Did you seriously not have even the slightest idea that I was still investigating your mothers case?"

"Oh. That question."

"Yeah. That one."

Beckett took in a slow, deep breath and held it in for several moments before letting the air flow out silently.

"I hadn't really thought about it." She began. "But deep down I knew. I may have chosen to ignore that knowledge, but honestly you're right. I know you too well to think you'd ever stop."

"Then why are you so mad?" Castle asked.

"I'm not mad." She bit her lip. "I'm just...I don't know...overwhelmed."

"What is so overwhelming about it? You need answers to be happy, I want you to be happy, so I'm looking for answers."

"Why do you do it?" Her voice was so low that he almost didn't hear her.

"I just told you. So you can have answers. So justice can be served."

"Not the investigation, Castle."

"What then?"

"Why do you still love me?"

Castle's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I push you away, I make you wait, I lie to you. How could you still love me? Doesn't it frustrate you? Make you want to move on?"

Castle pulled his hands from his pockets and sighed. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and show her just how much he loved her, but he didn't know how she would react.

"Kate, I wish it hadn't taken the fear of losing you to make me say it, but I meant it. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you for the rest of my days. No matter what." He didn't give her a chance to speak as he continued. "Am I frustrated? Yes. I want to be the one you come to with your burdens. I want to stop hiding my love for you. I want to be your one and done, and I don't care how cheesy that sounds." He paused for a quick breath. "But with regards to your last question, I don't want to move on. I will never want to move on. I love you, Kate. I love everything about you."

Beckett's eyes were filled with all sorts of tears. Happy tears, from hearing Castle reconfirm his love. Sad tears, for the hurt she'd caused him. Hopeful tears, for where this was going to take them. Frustrated tears, for the fear still lingering in her mind. She reached up and wiped them all away, delaying their escape for the time being.

"I love you too."

It was all she could say without choking up, but it was all that was needed. They both took two steps forward and found their way into each other's arms.

Beckett put her forehead to Castle's neck and she could feel his pulse tapping out a frenzied rhythm that matched her own racing heartbeat. Her arms snaked around his sides and she spread out her fingers to cover as much of his back as she could reach.

Castle wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. He laid his head on top of hers, desperate to be touching as much of her as he could. He pulled her to him gently, erasing the little remaining space between them.

A few minutes passed in silence as they simply enjoyed their close proximity. Beckett was the first to move, but she didn't go far. She angled her head just enough to be able to press her lips to Castle's slightly stubbled jawline. Two feather-light kisses later, Castle couldn't stand it any longer. He turned and met her lips with his own, and wasted no time asking for entry with the tip of his tongue. Beckett happily obliged.

Beckett may have smelled like cherries, but she didn't taste like them. She tasted like coffee and jellybeans, and Castle couldn't get enough. He brought the hand that was on her shoulder up to the back of her head and wove his fingers through her gloriously soft hair. Using the silky strands, he tilted her head even more and deepened the kiss. He ran his tongue over the roof of her mouth, delighting in the full body shudder he felt from her as he did so.

The last time they'd kissed, Beckett had enjoyed it much more than she would ever admit. But she had been distracted and unable to fully take in the glory that was Castle's mouth. She was making up for that now by taking note of every lip touch and tongue scrape. When he stroked the roof of her mouth, she nearly threw him to the ground right then and there. He was just plain delicious, and she never wanted to stop kissing him.

They both felt a jolt and their eyes flew open.

"We're moving." Castle said without removing his lips from hers.

Beckett chuckled and pulled back a few inches.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"You're welcome." He grinned.

He let go of her and grabbed her hands, guiding them off of him so he could step away. He moved around her, and she turned to watch him, unaware of his intentions. As suddenly as the elevator had started back up, it stopped again. He turned so that she could see his finger still on the emergency stop button. She couldn't have stopped the laugh that burst from her lips if she'd wanted to. He returned to her, standing as close to her as he could without touching her.

"So." He waggled his eyebrows. "Where were we?"

Beckett bit her lip and leaned into him.

"Right about here, if memory serves me right." She said.

He put his arms around her and smiled.

"More like here."

"Yeah. Here is good." She replied as she placed her arms around his neck.

She kissed him first, but then they became one. Neither could tell where they stopped and the other began. Castle slowly walked her backwards until she bumped into the wall. She hissed in pain and he pulled away and locked his eyes to hers.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"There's a bar here. It's digging into my hips." She told him.

Without a word Castle reached down to her thighs and lifted. She jumped instinctively and wrapped her legs around his waist. He leaned her back into the wall so it was supporting some of her weight.

"Better?"

"Much." She replied. "But I may have a bruise back there later."

"Well, I suppose I'll have to kiss it and make it better then, won't I?"

"I suppose you will."

This time Castle initiated the kiss, but he left her lips far too quickly for her liking. He immediately found a spot on her neck that made her squirm, and he used her trapped position to his advantage. He took her skin between his teeth then soothed it with a kiss. He sucked, hard, and she bucked her hips involuntarily against him.

"Did you just give me a hickey?" She asked breathlessly.

"Yes."

"You'll pay for that."

"Good."

He didn't say anything else. He couldn't. He'd lost all coherent thought when she leaned down and took his earlobe between her teeth, mimicking his recent actions on her neck. He grunted when the soft sucking became too much and forced his lips back onto hers. His hands gripped her thighs a little tighter and she moaned into his mouth. The sound was music to his ears and he kissed her even harder. She pulled his bottom lip into her mouth and bit down. It was his turn to moan.

"Are you two okay?"

Castle and Beckett froze, neither sure where the voice had come from.

"Hello?" Patsy crackled again. "Detectives? Are you okay?"

Castle huffed out a quiet laugh.

"Yes. We're fine." He said.

"Good. I heard moaning. I thought you'd been hurt."

"Oh." Castle winked at Beckett. "I bit my lip when the elevator stopped."

Beckett buried her face into Castle's chest so Patsy wouldn't hear her laugh.

"Okay. I'm sorry it stopped again. It should be running again momentarily."

"Thank you." Beckett said after lifting her head.

"Sure thing." Patsy said.

They heard the tell-tale click that signaled they were alone again. Castle put his forehead to Beckett's and they both smiled. Just as Patsy had promised, the elevator came to life again a few seconds later.

"Castle?"

"Yes?"

"Wanna put me down now?"

"No."

"Fair enough." Beckett laughed. "I rather like it here. But I think you should put me down anyway."

Castle stepped back and removed his hands from her thighs so she could lower her feet to the ground. He stuck his bottom lip out and she kissed it. He pulled back and glanced over his shoulder at the panel. Beckett reached for his hand and let him wrap his large fingers around her long, thin ones.

"No." She said softly, making him look back at her. "Don't press that button again. I want to get out of here."

"Tired of me already?" He joked.

"I'm tired of you being in all those clothes."

She laughed again at the goofy expression that came across his face. The way he ran his thumb over her hand told her it was a mutual feeling.

"I came here in a cab." He stated. "You?"

"I drove."

"Okay."

"So. Your place or mine?" Beckett asked.

"Alexis and Mother will both be home."

"My place it is then."

"Kate." He squeezed her hand and his face grew solemn. "We don't have to jump into bed right away. I want you to be ready for the long haul, because that's what I want. I've waited this long. I can keep waiting."

She smiled at him and lifted her free hand to cradle his cheek.

"Castle. I am ready. I've been ready for a while now. I just wouldn't let myself admit that. I love you. And I can't keep waiting."

Her gentle kiss told him that she was telling him the truth. When the bell dinged to announce their arrival at the first floor they separated their lips and Castle led her out of the elevator.

"Detectives?"

Beckett looked towards the less mechanical yet familiar voice. A white haired, rotund woman was making her way towards them.

"She's the detective." Castle said, pointing at Beckett.

"Oh." Patsy replied. "When she said she was stuck with her partner, I just assumed you were a detective too."

"Nope." Beckett said. "He's no cop. But he's definitely my partner." She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"How sweet." Patsy cooed. "I just wanted to apologize again for the elevator. We still don't know what happened, but I'm glad you're both okay."

"Nothing to fret over, Patsy." Castle said in a calming tone. "We are more than okay."

"Good." The older woman said happily. "You two have a nice afternoon then."

"We will." Beckett replied. "Thank you for all your help."

With that Patsy smiled and left the way she came. Beckett started for the exit, pulling Castle behind her. Her car was parked halfway down the block, and it didn't take them long to get to it and climb in.

Beckett put her key in the ignition and cranked the car. It had never had problems before going into the river, but ever since the CIA guys had worked their magic on it it seemed to start up almost too fast. She smiled at Castle, released the parking brake, and shifted into drive.

As she looked over her shoulder to check the traffic her cell phone rang. Both of them groaned as they recognized the opening chords of 'Every Breath You Take' as Gates' ring-tone. Castle had set the song as her ring-tone and even though Beckett had pretended to be mad, she thought it was hilarious. She picked up the phone and answered it, putting it on speaker so Castle could hear.

"Beckett."

"We have a new body, Detective. I've already sent Ryan and Esposito. I'll text you the address after we hang up."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

They hung up and a few moments later the text came through. Beckett sighed and looked at Castle.

"I guess I forgot to mention I was on call."

"That's okay. I can take a cab home."

"You don't want to come with me?" Beckett asked.

"Can I?"

"Of course you can." She grabbed his hand. "I've really missed you and if you want to come back, I want you to."

"What about Gates? I bet she likes me gone."

"I think even she misses you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Without you there she doesn't have anyone to be mad at all day."

Castle laughed and kissed Beckett's hand.

"Well we can't have that. Let's go."

Beckett nodded and let go of his hand so she could concentrate on making her way into the heavy flow of vehicles. After several minutes of waiting to leave her parking space, she grew frustrated. She reached out for the siren, creating a tweeting effect by flipping it on and off. Several more taxis passed by before a woman in a gray van saw that she was trying to get out and stopped. She pulled out in front of it and threw a thankful wave over her shoulder, then set off towards the crime scene.