Hi guys,

Sadly this is the last chapter of this story. As I said before, it really was meant to be a One Shot which I had to divide into four chapters due its length. I'd never have thought that it would get over 150 Story Followers! You guys are really awesome!

Normally I'd ask you now if I should continue, but I think I can save it. It's rather obvious with this response that I got. But if I'm really continuing this story, you have to give me some time to write a few (maybe even a lot of) chapters in advance. But I'm working on two other stories at the moment, so it could really take a while for an update, just bear with me.

Enjoy the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 4

Rick walked over to Captain Wayne. The captain would certainly want to hear his report, but Rick knew that Captain Wayne wouldn't be all too happy with him. After all, he had entered the building without back up or proper protection. Rick had gone completely against all he was trained for. He could already hear the lecture he was sure would come. His own captain, Captain Harper, would put his oar in too. The only difference was that Captain Harper's scolding him would be followed by telling him that he was proud of him, ending their conversation with a fake stern glance and the order for him not to do it again. However, both men would know that Rick would do it again, if something like this happened again.

Captain Harper was a good man and an even better fireman. Rick was proud to call him his Captain. Besides, he and Harper were really close. In his first year at the fire department, there had been an explosion while being inside the building. At that time Harper hadn't been his Captain yet, they had worked side by side watching each other's backs. The explosion caused the floor to collapse and Rick lost his footing, barely grabbing onto something to hold him up. He had hung directly over the raging fire.

Rick would never forget that night. He had slowly lost his hold, and he had thought that this would be his end. He'd die, falling into the flames and being burned alive. Just as he had completely lost his hold, two hands grabbed his arms and hauled him up again. Those hands had belonged to Harper. If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't be here today.

Since that night they had become really good friends, and Rick was still grateful for him. But it wasn't just him. His mother was also grateful that he saved her only son from dying that night. Harper and his family were often over for dinner, but Rick really had shown his gratitude when his daughter was born. She would've never known her dad if Harper wouldn't have saved him. Her name would always remind him of his heroic deed: Alexis Harper Rodgers.

Rick had found Captain Wayne faster than he had thought. He saw Beckett standing with her back to him a few feet away, talking to some people he hadn't seen before. But she somehow seemed to feel his gaze on her, because she turned around and smiled softly at him as she noticed him. She obviously had found some clothes to wear, but much to his surprised she still wore his shirt. He nodded at her before stepping over to Wayne.

"Lieutenant Rodgers." Wayne greeted him in a rather unfriendly tone, clearly not happy to see him. Just great.

Rick nodded, "Captain".

"I heard you were first at the scene?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes, sir. I was in the restaurant right opposite the apartment building as it happened."

"And then you entered the building. Without any protection gear or back up." Wayne continued, his glance cold as stone.

Rick knew the rules. But he'd never apologize for wanting to help safe a human life. "I've analyzed the situation and deemed it safe to enter and help with the evacuation while knowing that help was on the way, Sir."

"It's dangerous to enter critical buildings alone and unprotected. So many things could happen. You, as a lieutenant of the firehouse 55, should know this. Especially after what happened to you almost fourteen years ago." Reprimanded him the Captain angrily. Rick stayed silent, enduring this little lecture. "I'll exchange a few words with Captain Harper. You're dismissed, Lieutenant Rodgers."

Without spending any second longer with Wayne, Rick turned around and quickly walked away. However he didn't come far before someone put his arm around his neck and pulled him to the side. Rick knew that it could only be one person.

"Played the hero tonight, didn't you?" grinned Finn. Finn Garcia had only been working for the last five years as a fireman. But this job was his whole life. He had no family, besides his parents up in Chicago. Finn was the typical dream boy: Mid twenty, blond longish hair, an athletic body, tall and green eyes, and he was always ready to flirt with any woman he encountered. The women on his side changed regularly.

Finn reminded Rick of himself. In his College time he had been just like Finn. A womanizer, using his obvious attracting effect on the female students. Until he had met Meredith. They had had fun, but it hadn't been anything serious. It only had become serious when she had told him that she was pregnant. That had been the exact moment his life had changed. Changed for the better. He wanted to be a good father. Unfortunately Meredith hadn't taken this chance to change, to grow up.

Rick remembered that Finn had said something. "I only did what I thought was right."

"And I admire you for that, my friend."

"What do you know about the explosion?" Rick asked hoping Finn would know more.

Finn retrieved his arm from Rick's shoulder and he looked a little bit more serious than before, changing into work mode. "The apartments over and below are secured. The fire is extinguished. There aren't any seriously injured or dead people. The worst injury was a cut above the eye."

"Then it was at least not as bad as it had looked." Rick concluded, relieved that nothing too serious happened. Of course it was bothersome if one's apartment exploded, but it would've been worse if someone had actually died. A human life was certainly more worth than any furniture.

"Have you been on a hot date, or who was the woman you have talked to at the barrier?"

"Dan played Cupid again." Rick nodded confirming.

"Ouch. What happened to your shirt by the way?"

Rick shrugged. "I had to give it to the woman I've carried out of the building. She needed it more than I did."

"What do you mea – oh! She was naked?!" Finn exclaimed surprised. Rick nodded, but didn't comment any further. Ms. –Mrs.? – Beckett was certainly enough embarrassed by it. Finn seemed to realize this too and closed of that particular topic. He can be an ass sometimes, but only sometimes.

Somebody called for Finn, causing him to bid goodbye to Rick. But not before informing his friend that they had to stage a poker night again very soon.

Rick pulled the blanket off of him, baring his naked upper body to the cold night. He quickly put on his leather jacket and covered up himself with the blanket again.

"Sorry." Came a gentle voice from behind him. A voice that had sounded a little rougher when he heard it the last time. Rick thought that her voice sounded more and more like a melody. He turned around and smiled at her.

There she stood: Beckett. Black boots, black trousers and the rest of her body was still covered by his blue shirt. She had an apologetic smile on her lips, her cheeks slightly flushed, but that could be from the coolness. The blanket Sam had given her back at the ambulance must be laying somewhere long forgotten. But her eyes was still the one thing that fascinated him the most. There was a special gleam in them.

He tore himself out of his fascination. "What do you mean?"

"You're freezing because of me." She lowered her head a little, staring at the little piece of his skin that still was visible through the opening of his jacket.

"If this means that you're not freezing, then it's fine with me." he smiled.

Beckett bit onto her lower lip, looking everywhere but at him. "I just wanted to thank you. For fishing me out of my tub." She chuckled, probably thinking back to their time in her bathroom. Now he had to laugh too. "And I especially wanted to thank you for giving me your shirt. That was very nice of you."

"Your welcome. But you really don't have to thank me for all of that. I just did my job."This information made Beckett prick up her ears, looking curiously at him as if she wanted to know more about him.

"What are you doing for a living, Mr. …?"

"Rodgers. Rick Rodgers and I'm a fireman."Rick offered his hand to shake which she gladly took. There it was again. This little tingling feeling as soon as his hand touched his one.

"I'm Kate Beckett. I work for the NYPD."

"You're a cop?" he asked surprised, but he had already thought as much.

"Detective." She confirmed. "Homicide."

"Consider me throughout impressed." He replied and her cheeks flushed again, this time however he was sure it wasn't because of the coolness of the night. It almost seemed that she was a little uncomfortable with getting a compliment so openly.

"Beckett!" Ryan - probably her colleague - called for her.

"Well, I've got to go. So, thanks again." She said before she turned around and walked back to her colleagues.

Rodgers watched her walking away, memorizing every movement she made. He stored away every little detail, knowing that this was probably the last time he'd see her.

But he was sure that he would never forget about her.

She was unique.

I want to thank you guys for your lovely response. It was a pleasure reading your reviews, and seeing how more and more people read it and decided to follow and favorite it. It's been a short but wonderful journey and it's definitely the longest One Shot I've ever written.

That's it, the end – for now at least :)

Happy Easter!