A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken me a bit longer. I promised it'd be here later this week and I'm glad to have managed to get it up today. It's just a bit longer than I originally anticipated, and I've had a reasonably busy week even though I don't really feel like I've actually done anything.


With Kate enjoying an evening with Lanie, Castle decided it was time he called Paula.

His fingers hit the speed dial and he waited patiently for the line to connect.

"Hello, you have reached the voicemail of Paula Haas. If this phone call is in regards to a manuscript, please phone my assistant on this number…"

Rick paid little heed to Paula's recorded message, having heard it so many times in his career that he probably knew it off by heart anyway. Figuring she was probably a little busy and he could just try again in a few minutes time, Rick disconnected the call without leaving a message and set about finding something to eat in his woefully under-stocked kitchen. He really needed to find some time to go grocery shopping. In the back of the fridge he found some leftover chili, which he sniffed suspiciously before shrugging and spooning it into a pan to heat over the stove.

As soon as he ate a mouthful, he remembered that it was the chili he and Kate had made together the night before Alexis' homecoming and grinned as his brain was flooded with images of Kate quietly singing as she stirred a wooden spoon around the pan. If only he'd managed to sneak a video of her. He'd tried to surreptitiously pull his phone from his pocket, making it look like he'd received a text and was replying, but apparently his little act hadn't been very convincing.

"Don't even think about it, Castle," she'd said, turning away from him just in case the camera was already rolling. How exactly that comment had turned the night into a miniature food fight, he had no idea. He just knew that Kate had definitely not appreciated him swiping a finger dunked in their chili sauce down her nose. And she'd given him her meanest stare when a splatter of chili on her neck had run down onto the collar of her shirt.

"Maybe you should take that off so you don't get more chili on it," he'd suggested innocently, expecting her to shoot him down and ending up pleasantly surprised when she slipped the first button out. He hadn't known what had hit him, until he focused on Kate's smirking face as chili rained down his cheek.

When it started to sting, burning his skin, she'd told him, "Stop being such a wimp, Castle." But she'd wiped away the offending chili anyway and towed him towards his bathroom anyway, both of them scrubbing furiously before he held her up against the cold tiled wall with her legs wrapped tightly around him.

A satisfied smirk spread across Rick's face as he took the first bite, hoping it tasted as good as when he had licked it off Kate's neck, only to be slightly disappointed. When he was done, he set the bowl aside on the coffee table and dialled Paula again only to get her voicemail for the second time.

After getting her voicemail for the fifth time, he grabbed the jacket he had flung over the back of the couch before throwing himself down on the cushions upon entering the loft, and left, locking the door behind him. His town car took him right to Black Pawn's offices, the air conditioning keeping him cool in the muggy air despite his hot temper. Arriving outside, he asked his driver to wait and walked in through the revolving doors, marching straight past the reception desk and jabbing at the button for the seventh floor.

His fist was heavy as he knocked on Paula's door.

"Come in," she called, though Castle had already twisted the knob and pushed the door open. "Rick." For once her face showed emotion. She was surprised to see him. "I wasn't expecting to see you till Monday. Is there a problem? I hope you haven't changed your mind about-"

"I'm still doing the damn book tour, Paula," he growled, completely forgetting to shut the door, still gripping the handle.

"Then what exactly is it I can do for you, Richard?" she asked, picking up one of the many pieces of paper on her desk to survey it for a brief second before looking down at the one underneath, scribbling a few notes down the side of it.

Only more aggravated by her lack of attention to him, Rick released the door, letting it slam behind him as he approached the desk. "You can stop interfering with my wedding for one."

"I haven't been interfering, Rick." It was a quiet, assured response. "I've left everything to Rachel to sort out. If you don't like her, I assure you, she's the best – came highly recommended by Kim Kardashian's assistant."

"Kate and I don't have a problem with Rachel. What we have a problem with is you telling her to book the Plaza without even consulting us. And since when have you been able to authorise payments from my credit card?"

Finally Paula dropped her pen and paperwork she was scrutinising, turning her gaze instead to study Rick.

"When you married Gina, you tried to get the Plaza but it was booked. I just assumed that you'd want the venue again this time around and booked one of their cancellations before it was snapped. Sorry, for trying to do be helpful, Richard." He didn't miss her reverting to calling him Richard, a sign that she wasn't pleased with him.

"That was different, I was different back then. And it was Gina who wanted the Plaza. I know you don't know Kate well, but surely even you can tell that she's not the kind of person who would want the big, white, fairytale wedding."

"You sure she's not just another of your-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Rick said, his voice dropping a few octaves until its gravelly tone sounded like he had crawled right out of hell itself. "Kate is anything but a bimbo only after my money. You know that. At least I thought you did. And if you can't be supportive of our personal choices, then you know it's not too late for me to find another publisher. It's not like I haven't had offers."

Rick's threat hung in the air between them whilst Paula simply surveyed him, trying to determine how much truth there was in his statement.

"I haven't had any problems with you or Black Pawn until now, Paula. I don't want to do this, but I will if I have to, if you can't respect mine and Kate's autonomy. You control my professional life, but you have no place in my personal life except as a friend."

Paula's poker face held for a few torturous seconds before falling with her sigh. "Sorry, Rick, the orders came from above. Mr Wilson requested a public wedding to boost your book sales – not that they need it," Paula muttered, referring to Black Pawn's CEO. "I was just as blindsided by this as you were."


Slightly tipsy from wine consumption, Kate giggled as she fell through the loft door and into Castle's surprised arms after rather stupidly leaning against the entrance whilst she pushed her key into the lock. Usually she wouldn't have drunk more than a glass, and definitely not whilst she was in the middle of an unsolved case and would be required to work the next day, but Lanie had been insistent on refilling her glass and eventually she'd just lost track of how many times Lanie had opened a new bottle.

"Hey Castle," she slurred.

"Miss Beckett, I'm shocked. Are you drunk?"

"No." He couldn't help chuckling quietly in her ear at that answer whilst his arms held all her weight. "I rang Reverend Green," she declared.

"Not in this state, I hope." He'd muttered the words, but Kate still heard and aimed a swat at the back of his head though her hand barely touched him. "Am I allowed to know why you had to speak to a reverend so desperately?"

"Well I had to speak to him about the church."

"Still not quite getting it over here, Kate," Castle said, shifting her forwards so she was resting against his shoulder instead of looking up at him from where she had been hovering above the floor in the cradle of his arms.

He was shuffling her forwards in the direction of their bedroom when she finally replied, speaking around a yawn, "Reverend Green is gonna marry us, Castle." Her head dropped back and a soft snore passed through her lips, his sleeping fiancée completely oblivious to his shock. Shaking aside the stupor, he ducked down and grabbed Kate's legs, lifting her bodily from the floor and into his arms.

"Come on," he murmured. "Let's get you to bed."

When Kate woke up the next morning, and shuffled into the kitchen at six, she found Alexis pouring a cup of coffee that was soon pressed into her hands.

"Dad's orders," Alexis said at Kate's questioning glance, before turning to the hob and placing a few rashers of bacon in the frying pan she had out. "He's also instructed that you have a greasy breakfast-"

"-Alexis, I can make my own breakfast," Kate interrupted softly; keeping her voice quiet to avoid igniting the headache she knew was just waiting to roar to life. When she stood up to help, she just received a push on the shoulders from Alexis that sent her right back onto her stool.

"I haven't been at college long, Kate, but even I know what a hangover looks like. I have been on the receiving end of a few."

"I'm fine, I don't have a-" Alexis silenced her with a look Lanie would have been proud of and Kate dropped her chin onto her folded arms on the top of the counter, trying not to be embarrassed. "You'd better not let your dad hear you say that. Actually, on second thoughts, he'd probably be proud you were finally showing some of his personality traits."

Alexis laughed as she cracked the first of the eggs into the frying pan. A few minutes later, she slid a plate bearing Kate's breakfast onto the table in front of her before grabbing a box of cereal and a bowl for herself from one of the cupboards.

"Where is Castle then? He didn't get you out of bed early just to make me breakfast, did he?"

"He's gone to Black Pawn for an early meeting to go through final plans for the book tour with Paula and Gina. And, no, he didn't even wake me up. I got up early so I could phone Pi, not that Dad knows that, of course."

"Relax," Kate said as she heard the panicked cadence to Alexis' voice. "I haven't said a word."

"Thanks," Alexis breathed, sighing in relief.

"You know, if you just talked to your dad, I'm sure he would be okay with you seeing Pi." Alexis raised her eyebrows. "You know, eventually."

"He's just so protective. I mean, I get it, after Paris and everything and in a way it's good; but it's also suffocating. He was so close to jumping on a plane and coming with me to Costa Rica when I was completely safe with my professors and classmates."

"He knows how you feel," Kate replied, laying a reassuring hand over Alexis' and giving it a squeeze. "He's trying." Changing the topic, she asked, "So what are you doing today?"

"Paige has invited me to stay with her for the week. Her parents have gone away to the Maldives and she's just got the Fringe boxset. She's been begging me for days to have a marathon with her."

The pair lapsed into comfortable silence as they ate, before Kate checked the time on her Dad's old watch and almost scalded her throat as she choked on coffee. "Is that the time? Shit! I'm gonna be late!" Abandoning the meagre remains of her breakfast, Kate jumped up and rushed back to Castle's bedroom, shimmying out of her shorts and pulling her top over her head. She grabbed the first clean pair of jeans she could lay her hands on and the turquoise shirt Castle had apparently hung out for her and once she was dressed, she grabbed her holstered gun from the nightstand and skidded to a stop by the wardrobe once more to fish out a pair of ankle boots. "Keys! I need my keys!" Kate exclaimed as soon as she made it to the front door, mentally slapping herself.

"Have a nice day!" Alexis called, reeling in laughter at watching Detective Beckett flurry around the loft, collecting her keys, purse and badge.

Kate opened the door, poked her head back through and yelled, "Bye! Have fun with Paige!" before dashing down the stairs of Castle's building and into the garage.

When she finally made it up to the fourth floor of the precinct and sat down at her desk, Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yo, Beckett, what happened to you this morning?"

"Yeah, you look a little flustered…"

"Know who else looks like they haven't slept well?" Javi asked, sharing an amused look with Ryan. "Lanie. I just popped down to the morgue, and she does not look well this morning. Know what it is? You've both got those bloodshot eyes. You didn't get drunk last night, did you, Beckett?"

"Yeah, yeah, you've had your fun, now let's just get back to work," Kate replied, rolling her eyes at her partners' razzing. Since she wasn't anywhere close to being in the sixth stage of hangover hell, she would gladly take their teasing. "Where are we with finding Kathleen Everson?"

"Still no sign of her at her apartment," Ryan replied.

"We'll have to keep it under surveillance."

"We're just about to head over to the school and interview her colleagues."

"Okay, let me know what you find out," Kate said, pulling the folder of information on their suspect towards her. Esposito nodded, though this went unseen as Kate was already focused on trying to find an address for Kathleen's parents. Her eyes were trained on the paper, but she still heard the elevator ding half an hour later and someone begin walking across the bullpen.

"Hey Castle," she greeted without looking up.

He placed a tall coffee cup in front of her and demanded, "How did you know it was me?"

She smirked as she replied, "Well who else would it be? Besides, I know how you walk, the smell of your aftershave and you're the only person who ever brings me coffee. Detective, remember?"

"Like I could ever forget. So, are you going to tell me who Reverend Green is?"

"Who?"

Castle could hear just how distracted Kate was, even if he wasn't watching her refuse to look up from the folder lying on her desk.

"Reverend Green? The man, well I assume he's a man, you apparently rang last night after you'd been drinking? I did a little research. Apparently he preaches at Trinity Church. So what did you talk to him about?"

Kate frowned as she tried to remember. Slowly it came back to her. "I think I may have booked our wedding ceremony…" She flicked her eyes up to Castle's face, wincing internally and hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for making such a big decision about their wedding on her own. "My parents got married in Trinity Church."

"Are you sure you want to get married there?"

Hesitantly Kate nodded. "If that's okay with you, of course?" She couldn't help sounding hopeful.

"It sounds perfect to me," he reassured her, taking one of her hands and squeezing tight.

Kate smiled softly, clutching his fingers for a moment before untangling her hand and grabbing her coffee cup instead and standing.

"Are you…going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we've got an address for Kathleen Everson's parents. Come on." She offered him her free hand and tugged him up out of her seat, bumping shoulders with him as they walked hand in hand to the elevator.


"Gina wants this to be the biggest tour yet. We're hitting Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, DC, Columbia, Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Madison, Phoenix, Vegas and LA. And all in just three weeks."

Kate listened as they walked up the pathway leading to the house in White Plains purchased by Brian and Suzanne Everson after their retirement, hoping her eyes didn't show sadness at the thought of just how long Castle was going to be gone for. She smiled briefly as she knocked on the front door.

"Maybe no-one's home," Castle suggested when her knock went unanswered.

Kate's eyes flicked to him for a moment before returning to the window into the living room on the right side of the door where the net curtain had been peeled away a few inches and an elderly face peered out. "Somehow I don't think so, Castle." She pulled her badge from her pocket and flashed it in the direction of Brian Everson. A few seconds later the front door swung inwards, a spritely, white haired woman in the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Mrs Everson, I'm Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD and this is Richard Castle. May we come in?"

Suzanne Everson looked uncertain, glancing back down the hallway at her husband, who nodded discreetly.

"What's this about Detective?" Mrs Everson asked as she showed both Kate and Rick into the sitting room.

"I was hoping you might be able to help me with something. I need your daughter's help with a current investigation I'm running."

"Lizzie? What's happened this time?" Brian sighed, straightening up from where he had been leaning forwards against the back of the couch behind his wife.

Before Beckett could answer, her cell rang out. After checking the caller ID, and seeing Rachel's name, she ignored the call and returned her attention to their suspect's parents. "Sorry about that. I was actually referring to your other daughter, Mr Everson. Kathleen. She hasn't been in to work in two days and there's no sign of her at her apartment. Is there anywhere else she might go?" Kate kept her voice level, doing her best to portray concern for the safety of the Eversons' daughter rather than her desire to interview her as a suspect in their murder case.

Both Suzanne and Brian frowned. "I'm sorry; I don't think we can be of much help to you. Kathy doesn't talk about her friends, she's so focused on her work and those kids it's all we ever hear about."

Kate nodded, taking their cue that it was time for she and Castle to leave. "If you do hear from her, I'd be very grateful if you could get in touch. You can contact either me or the 12th Precinct on these numbers," she replied, standing and handing Brian Everson one of her cards as he rose to show them out.

As soon as the front door shut behind them, Castle declared, "They're lying. Nobody can like or talk about tenth grade kids that much."

"I know. Did you notice the cellar doorway underneath the stairs? I'd bet there are quite a few places Kathleen would be able to hide in that house. And the pictures on the mantelpiece? They were nearly all of Kathleen. Her parents would do anything for her."

"Including helping her to evade arrest, it would seem."

"Unfortunately, we need evidence that she could be there in order to get a warrant to search the house," Kate sighed before stopping at her car and pulling out her phone to dial Ryan. "It's Beckett. How's your end of the search going? Yeah, same here. If they have seen her, they're determined to protect her. Alright, we're heading back now. We'll regroup at the precinct, take a look at Kathleen's financials, and see if we can find a link to Westchester County."

As they were driving, Kate's cell rang again. Another call from Rachel that went unanswered because she was too busy driving. When she pulled up outside the precinct, she sent a quick, apologetic text to their planner, explaining that it was a busy day and she'd ring her when she could.

Ryan and Esposito were already seated at their desks in the bullpen when Beckett and Castle walked out the elevator, but Ryan leapt up to meet them with a large stack of paper in one hand.

"Kathleen Everson's financials. The last six months. We can go further back if need be."

"She's a real big spender," Espo commented. "Makes you look frugal, Castle."

Kate took the pile of paper from Ryan and halved it. "We'll split it. Start with the most recent stuff and work backwards." After dividing the papers into four, they all sat down and began reading, searching for any reference to properties, places outside of the city or unusually far away from her apartment and school, and money spent on transportation.

"Got something!" Ryan exclaimed, just over forty five minutes later, highlighting a row on the pages he had been allotted when they split the last six months of Kathleen Everson's financials between the four of them. "Activity on one of Kathleen Everson's credit cards at an ATM late last night by Grand Central Station!" The phone was cradled between his ear and neck as he dialled. Esposito, Castle and Beckett, stood around his desk, waiting. Even Captain Gates opened her office door and peered out into the bullpen. "Uh huh. Got it, thanks."

"Well?"

Ryan gave them all a cocky smirk. "She used cash to buy a one-way ticket to White Plains."

"Requsition CCTV from both stations. We need to make sure she boarded that train," Gates ordered. "Beckett, get on the phone with the Judge.

Ryan and Esposito leapt up, nodding at Beckett already back at her own desk and picking up her phone. "Judge Wilson, please. It's Detective Beckett from the 12th Precinct. I need a search warrant for an address in White Plains, Westchester County."

Castle slumped down into his chair, fiddling with his phone in boredom while waiting for Beckett to finish on the phone. Stuck on his current level of Angry Birds and having encountered a glitch in Temple Run 2, he had nothing to occupy his attention. Apparently though, his tossing and catching of his iPhone was annoying. Beckett snatched the phone from the air and held it out of Castle's reach, all whilst still conferring with the Judge over the phone.

"Yeah, we have evidence that places her in Westchester County. Yes, a train ticket from Grand Central Station. We're just looking for CCTV footage now, but there's no guarantee-" While either the Judge or his secretary interrupted her, Kate glanced at Castle and relinquished her hold on his phone.

As soon as she had replaced the receiver on the base, Gates demanded, "Well?"

"No warrant until we can definitively say Kathleen Everson boarded that train and got off in Westchester County."

Gate didn't look happy, but she nodded anyway. "Keep me posted, Beckett."

"Of course." Kate watched Gates return to her office before turning to Castle. "Hey, why don't you go on home and pack? You're leaving tonight and I want to get going the second I get back or we'll be in traffic and you'll miss your flight." She didn't look forward to another airport run so soon after the last one, but she wanted the chance to spend as much time with Castle as possible before he had to leave.

He shook his head. "We're just about to close the case."

"Castle, I can tell you're bored. We've got nothing to do until Ryan and Espo get back with the CCTV."

After a moment's thought, he agreed. "I'll see you at home then."

She nodded, accepting his kiss on the forehead and watching him leave, unable to not smile as he turned to wave at the last minute before getting into the elevator and then kept his eyes trained on hers, right up until the doors closed. Shaking her head and still smiling, Kate abandoned her desk and stopped in the break room. The fridge didn't always have much in it, but Castle usually managed to stock it with something for her. Sure enough, there was a box labelled 'Beckett' on the middle shelf. As soon as she had the box in her hands, Kate could see Castle had left her chocolates, along with a note.

Miss you already.

X

Kate laughed to herself before opening the box and popping a strawberry cream into her mouth. Chocolate melting on her tongue, she sent a quick thank you text to her fiancé before making an attempt at working his cappuccino machine. The trilling of her phone didn't really surprise her. She just carefully set down the bubbling milk with the expectation that Castle would be talking with her for at least ten minutes, probably asking her what he should pack. What did surprise her was that when she unlocked her phone, it wasn't Castle's picture staring up at her.

"Beckett," she answered.

"Detective Beckett, I've finally caught you. You're not still busy are you?"

Kate glanced around the breakroom and looked out the window at the almost deserted bullpen. "No, Rachel, now's fine. What can I do for you?"

"I just wondered whether you'd had any more time to talk about things with Rick."

"There's been some progress-"

"-Oh, how wonderful! So tell me all the juicy details." Now that they had established some boundaries with Rachel, Kate couldn't help beginning to like her, even if she was more than a bit excitable at times and had a habit of interrupting.

"We've decided to get married in Trinity Church. I already spoke to Reverend Green."

"You did? How marvellous! I've been negotiating with the Plaza, and they've agreed to waive their regulation regarding the minimum number of guests. Isn't that great?" Before Kate could answer, Rachel was continuing, "Now, how about a colour scheme?"

Kate noticed Ryan and Esposito exit the elevator and gave them a wave. "Could I have a few more days to think about it, Rachel?"

"Of course, I'll have some sample booklets sent over to you, shall I?"

"Sure. I'm going to have to get back to work now, Rachel-"

"-Of course. I won't keep you. Goodbye, Kate."

"Bye," Kate said before hanging up. Before joining Ryan and Esposito, she made a quick detour to Captain Gates' office. "Sir, we've got the CCTV."

Gates nodded, instantly dropping her pen and stepping away from her desk to join her detectives in the bullpen.

"Okay, according to the guys at Grand Central, she bought her ticket at six thirty AM yesterday. The train was leaving from platform 10, but they gave us discs from cameras covering the others just in case the ticket to Westchester was to distract us," Ryan explained, loading the disc from the camera on platform 10 into his computer and fast-forwarding to six-thirty. The Captain and three detectives squinted, scrutinising every person on the platform. "Got her," Ryan said after a few minutes, pausing the video and pointing out Kathleen Everson by her blonde hair with his finger.

"Detective Esposito, hand me that phone," Captain Gates requested, snapping her fingers. Finally tearing her gaze from the computer screen, Gates dialled and began speaking. "We've got your CCTV evidence, Judge Wilson." Beckett, Ryan and Esposito waited patiently while their Captain murmured assents. Finally she returned the phone to Esposito and declared, "We've got our search and arrest warrant. Let's get Kathleen Everson."


It had to be one of the simplest cases to have come across Kate's desk. She and Castle had been right about their hunch. Kathleen had been hiding in her parents' basement. The second they got her in the interrogation room, she had confessed to killing Jason Robinson.

Before going to pick up Castle, Kate was caught by Gates.

"Well done, Detective. I trust you'll pass my thanks on to Mr Castle for his help with this investigation and wish him a good trip."

Kate nodded and called a goodbye to the boys. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Say goodbye to Castle for us," Ryan hollered back.

"Sure," she promised, giving her desk one last check to make sure she wasn't leaving anything behind. Before she knew it, Kate was opening the door to the loft and yelling, "Castle, I'm just getting a bag of stuff together. When I'm done you'd better be ready!" He came prancing down the stairs; a holdall slung over one shoulder.

"I'm here, and I'm packed and ready," he replied, catching his suitcase by the handle on the way past as he followed Kate into his bedroom and pressed a kiss to her nose before she grabbed one of her larger handbags and began pushing some of the more important stuff that had migrated from her apartment to Rick's into it. "What's with the bag?"

"I'm just packing some stuff I'm going to need to go back to my place," she answered from the bathroom where she was collecting her toothbrush.

"You're not staying here?"

"Castle, the place is going to be empty for a week. I'll come back when Alexis is back, but it's too big for me to be here by myself. Plus, it's been so long since I've been in my own apartment, I've probably got a tonne of mail to sort through and a ridiculous amount of cleaning to do."

He looked like he still want to argue, but wisely kept his mouth shut whilst Kate grabbed a few last things before zipping the bag shut and pulling it over her shoulder.

"Come on then. Gina will have your head if you're late meeting her at the airport." As she shut and locked the front door behind him, not even bothering to leave her badge and gun in the loft, she felt his gaze on her and looked sidelong at him. "What were you doing upstairs anyway?"

"Nothing…"

"Oh come on, Castle, you really expect me to believe that?"

Not only was the elevator ride down to the garage filled with their bickering banter, but so was the journey to the airport. When Kate finally cut the engine, the mood in the car had turned somewhat sombre. She carried his holdall as they entered the airport and he checked in his suitcase.

Standing in the middle of the terminal building, she handed him the holdall. "You've got everything right? Your phone charger?"

"Yeah, Kate, I've got everything. I'll call you when I land." He slid a hand down her arm and twisted his fingers through hers. "I'll keep you posted." He smoothed his thumb across the back of her hand, the gesture so natural that he didn't even need to look whilst he was doing it. Instead, he stared so deep into Kate's eyes that she was convinced he was looking into her soul. And she knew how clichéd that sounded. "And I promise to tell you all about the crazy fans, even though none of them are as big a mega-fan as you are," he finished, doing his best to bring a smile to her face. He chuckled when he was rewarded with a smile so bright it made his chest ache. Dropping his forehead onto hers, he whispered, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too."

"Don't solve too many murders without me."

"Don't get arrested where I can't break you out," she countered, knowing that Gina always arranged a few publicity parties during Castle's book tours, and they didn't always end well.

"Well, you know me, can't promise there won't be any mishaps with police horses."

Kate rolled her eyes, his stupid joke breaking the melancholy atmosphere. Grabbing the front of his tan jacket, she pushed herself onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. Castle's response was instantaneous, his tongue pushing through her lips to tangle with hers. The leather holdall dropped from his hand before his arms swept around her, one hand rushing underneath her blazer and kneading her waist through the material of her shirt as the other moved up her spine, leaving a trail of fire in its wake until his fingers were buried in the curls of glorious hair hanging around her neck.

They broke apart breathless as someone beside them cleared their throat.

"Gina, hi." Kate was panting. She knew her cheeks were flushed. And she was just beginning to realise that probably half the people at the check in gates had stopped what they were doing to watch her and Castle.

"I'll give you two another minute," Gina finally said, when it was clear Rick was still too distracted to greet her.

Kate laughed nervously, glancing between Rick and Gina's retreating figure. If she didn't say goodbye now, she knew she never would.

"I'll see you in three weeks, Castle."

His hand had moved again, now caressing one of her cheeks. He really wasn't helping things.

"It'll fly by and you'll be back in New York in no time."

"You'll barely have any time to miss me," he replied, finally speaking, though his voice was much softer than usual.

"And you'll have a great time."

He nodded, putting on a smile for her before quickly pressing his lips against hers once, twice and then again because he just couldn't get enough of her. "I love you."

"I love you," she breathed, pushing the words into his mouth. "Have fun, Rick."

Before he could pull her back, she moved out of his arms and waved goodbye. He watched her, waving back whilst Gina stood at his side again. "Let's get to the departure lounge," she suggested, steering Rick out of Kate's sight. With Rick finally gone, Kate forced her muscles to turn her around and begin her journey back to her apartment.


A/N: I really hope you guys enjoyed this one. I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts on it. Also, have any of you seen the season 6 promo pictures?! The one of Beckett and Castle is so cute! I can't stop looking at it. Only 2 weeks to go now!