Alright, so here is the part 2! In a small way, this is sort of how I would like this to be addressed on the show. (The whole resolution of feelings towards one another deal.) However at the same time, I love whatever the writers and producers of this show do, and so I will leave the fate of Caskett in their capable hands :P

**There are spoilers for 3x24 and 4x01 slightly in this one**

Anything you recognize here, is not mine; it all belongs to the show!

Enjoy!


Previously...

"Kate," He somehow forced her to look right into his eyes that held nothing but pure honesty – she could clearly see it, "I am deeply in love with you."


She could hardly stop the small gasp that escaped her lips, the sudden aching in her chest, even though she saw it coming the moment he stopped her, even though she'd already hear him say it before.

So there it was, out in the open; this time with no excuses, nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. It was officially time to deal with those words. To deal with those feelings.

Without breaking the eye contact they held so preciously, she took a deep breath feeling the chill of the bitter cold air enter her lungs, "I know" she barely whispered, terrified to know his response; fearing it would be anger.

But his reaction wasn't one of anger…or hate, or even much surprise for that matter.

His only response was to nod his head slightly, "You heard" he muttered. Suddenly this conversation was being spoken in the softest of tones; perhaps because they were both terrified since they had been here before. Never opening discussed something that could so easily break them.

It was her turn to barely nod her head now. Of course he knew that she knew… this was Castle, he always had an explanation for things. Always paying attention. It's why she lov-

"But Rick," At this moment she took a step closer and desperately reached for his other hand, "I need you to understand that I was not at all in the right place to deal with that when I was still in the hospital – mentally or physically. I'm so sorry I didn't call for the whole summer and that I had to put you through that-"

He took another half step closer, silencing her mid-sentence, "Kate, we had this conversation already." she heard him say. It was hard to focus since she was just close enough to feel the heat from his body in the winter night. "And yes I do understand why you pretended to not hear me. It may have taken me some time to realize that you did in fact hear me, but I get that you were trying to protect yourself. I understand you were going through so much – physically, and emotionally. It was far too much of me to ask you to deal with that when I first saw you at the hospital."

Castle stopped talking giving her a moment to…reply or say anything. She pursed her lips and momentarily broke eye contact when she looked down. After a few moments of silence she looked back to him.

"I have only one question" she started, with hope in her eyes.

"I'll tell you anything" He vowed.

Suddenly she went back to whispering, like she was keeping a secret, "Did you mean it?"

What she said nearly brought tears to his eyes. She had to know this was about more than just the books… she had to know! There was a deeper meaning for him staying around. They were far past the point about it being just about the books and research.

He sighed and smiled, almost painfully she realized, "Oh Kate. What will it take to make you truly believe that I do? If I didn't mean it, then why am I still here?" He took another half step closer to her, their hands still held together, "I'm here for you, no matter what we-"

But the rest of the writers words never left his mouth as the detective silenced him with her own, her lips eagerly searching for his, as if they were the only way to her survival. She let go of their joined hands only to close the remaining distance between their bodies, the warmth of each other in the cold night invigorating as he wrapped his arms around her.

His lips were so soft against hers and yet so eager at the same time, almost trying to make up for lost time. It was not very long before she tilted her head and pressed up further to deepen their kiss, or before he lightly dragged his tongue across her bottom lip; a small gasp escaping her mouth as he did so. As they both reluctantly pulled back from each other, in an attempt to remember to breathe, he didn't go very far, only to place a delicate kiss on her cheek. For reasons she could not explain it sent a marvelous shiver through her whole body. Perhaps her that was the reason she was the first one to speak.

"I love you." She murmured in response to his words nearly eight months before.

He pulled back a few inches to look in her eyes, wondering if he had heard actually heard her say it, or his imagination was beginning to betray him. He couldn't believe it did she really just say that?

"Say it again." He whispered to her, his warm breath washing over her face.

She leaned back in to regain the inches he had just taken away. She was so close to him when she spoke, her lips brushed right into his, smiling all the while, "I love you."

He swore he was never going to let go. He had fought too long for this.


Ta-Dah!

Please leave your thoughts =) they mean so very much!

Thank you for reading, and sticking through with the story thus far!

I've gotten a BUNCH of inspiration lately, so I'll post some more soon.