A/N: here we go, final chapter!
"Hey," Castle said quietly, tugging on Beckett's arm in order to gain her attention. "You okay?" Stupid question, he knew, but still..he had to ask.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered with a small smile, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Uh huh, and the truth?" He asked, amusement tugging at his lips - she never had been able to lie to him, and sometimes when she tried he let it go, like the time she had called Royce and then pretended it was all an act. He hadn't brought it but he'd left her alone..but this was different, this was the biggest part of her life and he'd be damned if he let her walk into that building without knowing she was up to it, no matter how much she hated him for it.
"I'm about to arrest the man who had my mother murdered, Castle," she snapped, "how the hell do you think I feel? It's been over thirteen years since my mother was snatched from us and only now do I have the answers I've been looking for for what feels like forever. Thirteen years ago, Alexis was what, five? And now she's at college. Think about that, how much she's achieved in all that time - she's at Stanford for crying out loud and she's spent the past thirteen years working for it and I..I've been.." She broke off, the emotion of it all threatening to spill over into tears, the normally reserved and collected detective about five seconds from bawling her eyes out on the street.
"I'm sorry," Castle whispered, pulling her into his arms and wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I know how much this means to you, okay? I just wanted to make sure you were ready for it, that's all."
"I've been ready since I was 19, Castle," she sniffled into his chest. "And I'm sorry for taking it out on you." He rally didn't deserve half the crap she gave him but he took it anyway, always willing to let her vent.
"What are partners for, hey?" He told her with a smile. "Now go in there and get that son of a bitch, goodness knows he deserves it."
And with one last kiss to his lips, Beckett walked away from her partner and towards the man who had made her life hell for the past thirteen years.
An hour later and it was over, the cold hearted son of a bitch who had had her mother killed to cover up his dirty work was in handcuffs in the back of a police car on his way to the station, where he would be torn apart by the detectives and then hopefully sent down for a very long time.
Beckett couldn't describe the feeling she had been overtaken with when she finally got the cuffs on Bracken, knowing that they had more than enough evidence to send him down and convict him of everything he'd done. The pure relief at finally having closure, finally solving the biggest mystery she'd ever faced..and all because her partner couldn't keep his excitement in check when it came to good news. She rolled her eyes at that, how it had been Castle acting like a child that had technically found the missing piece of evidence after so long..she had a feeling he'd never let her live that one down. But she didn't care, he could mention it everyday, use it against her in every single argument they ever had and it wouldn't bother her because without him, this case could have stayed unsolved forever.
"Can we talk?" She asked Castle raising her head from where it rested on his shoulder to look at him. "Later, I mean, once we've called my dad and everything's settled. Tonight, over dinner and a glass of wine or something?"
"I think we can stretch to a bottle of wine," he teased, "after the day you've had and everything. But sure, we can talk, what about?"
"Not here," she said as she spotted Esposito and Ryan heading towards them, "tonight, okay?"
"Sure," he agreed, a slight frown forming. It was strange, the two of them didn't talk, they ignored all of their feelings and thoughts until it all exploded in their faces..but even then they tended to run away instead of staying and facing the music, the fact that she actually wanted to talk could be a little worrying. What if she hadn't meant it, saying that she loved him? Or what if now that this part of her life could be put to rest, he wasn't a part of her future plans either? All of these thoughts flittered through his mind but glancing over to Beckett, he saw that he really was going to have to wait until tonight, as she was currently being hugged by Esposito, Ryan and Gates, all of them passing on how pleased they were for her to finally have closure. Castle was pulled out of his daydream state when Ryan moved over to speak to him, a huge grin plastered on his face. Noticing how happy and relieved Beckett looked, he suddenly didn't seem to care too much what it was she wanted to talk about later, he'd give her the moon if it put that look on her face.
It was dark by the time they were alone, empty pizza boxes scattered around the loft, accompanied by wine bottles too. The first person they'd called our had been Jim, Beckett hardly being able to wait until her father walked in the door before she exploded with the news, that after so long she had finally caught her mothers killer. If Castle knew one thing about tonight, it was that he would never, ever forget the look on Jim's face when the news finally sunk in, the moment he knew that they finally had justice for all the years of heartbreak they'd endured.
After Jim, Castle had called Alexis, he and Beckett both talking to her thanks to the speakerphone option and she too had been thrilled, offering her congratulations to Beckett. And that reminded Castle - he still needed to talk to his daughter about why she'd given Beckett his address in California, she had never been the most supportive of the relationship he shared with the detective. Nevertheless, it seemed that Alexis was happy now and that's all he wanted for her, no matter how she got there. Her being on board with his new relationship with Beckett was a huge relief to him..now he just had to hope Beckett still felt the same, he hadn't forgotten that she wanted to talk tonight.
The boys and Lanie had come over after wrapping up the case, sending Bracken off to Central booking where he would be highly unlikely to make bail, thank goodness. His mother had dropped by for a while, happy to see him back and looking so happy, and also to draw Beckett into her infamous hugs and words of..well, she called it wisdom, Castle wasn't so sure. Even Gates had popped by for a while, surprising everybody and staying for a glass of wine before heading home..today really was a strange day.
But now, everyone had gone, leaving Castle and Beckett alone to talk. Hell, Castle didn't even know if she would be staying tonight, she hadn't mentioned anything about stopping over and he might actually have to let her out of his sight once they'd talked. That wasn't something he even wanted to think about right now..or ever, actually.
"Are you tired?" He asked as she curled into his side on the couch, both of them silently agreeing to leave the tidying up for now.
"A little," she replied, fingers drawing patterns on his leg absentmindedly. "But I'm okay, I don't want to go to bed yet."
She still wanted to talk then.. "So uh, you wanted to talk?" He began hesitantly, he still wasn't sure he was going to like this.
"Yeah," she said, haulinng herself up so she could sit and face him on the sofa. Of all the conversations she'd had tonight about how relieved and happy she was at finally having the man behind it all, this would be the most important, the one she knew she had to say now before she never had the chance. "I guess what I want to say is..thank you," she began. "Without you..well, we wouldn't be here right now, that's for sure. The moment I interrupted your book party to bring you in for questioning, I never imagined I would be sitting here with you now like this, never in a million years would have thought that all I needed to solve my mothers murder was a nosy writer who wouldn't take no for an answer."
"Can we get back to the thanking me part?" He asked cheekily and she slapped him on the arm.
"No, but seriously Castle..if it wasn't for you then none of this would have happened. Over the past three years you have wormed your way into my life in more ways than one and yes, when I found out what you'd done, looking into my mothers case when I specifically asked you not to I was angry but I soon realised you weren't doing it for background on Nikki Heat, you were doing it for me, because behind the playboy womaniser, is the most incredible, caring and considerate man I have ever met."
"Kate.." He began but she stopped him.
"No," she said, "please just let me say all of this?" He nodded and she continued. "Without you poking your nose in and dragging up the past, my mothers case would have stayed unsolved and I would spent countless nights tossing and turning, raking through that file in my head, desperately trying to find something that somebody had missed and for that I will forever be grateful. I know it hasn't been easy and I can be a complete bitch to put up with but you stayed..sort of," she added, remembering how he'd disappeared to Cali-freaking-fornia for a while. "So um, thanks, Castle, for being you and not giving up or dropping it, for perservering and bringing me exactly what I've been searching for for longer than I remember."
What the hell did he say to that? Somehow he didn't think 'you're welcome' would cut it, she needed so much more than that right now. "I'd do it all over again if I needed to," he whispered, "I'd give you the moon if I thght it was what you wanted." That was the second time today that he'd thought about giving her moon, maybe he could buy her a plot next to his..
"Now you're just being sappy," she mumbled.
"You started it," he laughed. "But seriously, I mean it, every single day of working on that case, of dead ends and missed opportunities..all of it, I wouldn't change it for the world." He took a deep breath, now it was time for the more serious stuff..if that was even possible. "So um, where does that leave us?"
"Castle," she began in her best 'what the hell are you talking about voice'. "Which part of 'I love you so much don't you ever doubt that' did you not understand?" She was almost laughing at him now, damn ridiculous, adorable man.
"I..um.." Good question, it had been pretty self explanatory really. "Guess I just wanted to make sure you felt the same after...everything."
"Of course I do, you idi- wait, you still feel the same, right?"
"Yes, Beckett," he laughed, "I'm still absolutely crazy about you."
"Good," she said. "But er..I think we need to set some ground rules," she suggested and he looked a little confused. Was she going to give him a curfew or something? "We haven't exactly been..good at communicating in the past and uh.."
Oh. "Yeah, you're right and um, I think I should apologise..you know, for running away to California. It was childish and stupid and I should have just stayed and we could have sorted things out a long time ago."
"Castle..if it wasn't for me disappearing for three months after you watched me get shot and then telling you I lied about what I heard you never would heave had a reason to move to California in the first place," she counteracted. "I should be the one apologising and I really am sorry."
"I know you are," he replied, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "But can we agree that from this day forward no more secrets, we talk about everything that we need to?"
"Yeah," Beckett nodded, "that's a good idea because..I lost you once and I don't think I could survive it again." It had been hell knowing he'd moved to the other side of the country to get away from her and she knew without a doubt she never wanted to give him reason to leave ever again.
"But you never gave up on me," he whispered. That still amazed him, that the lengths he had gone to in order to push her away, how horrible he'd been to her when she finally found him again had done nothing to deter her in wanting a relationship with him.
"Never." How could she have, he hadn't given up on her while they were working together, not once. "God knows what it was, but something kept me holding on to.." She didn't know what, she didn't really have a shred of hope left once she knew he was gone but still, she hadn't dropped it, couldn't have even if she tried. "Well, nothing, I guess. Um...so talking, anything else?"
"Yeah," he replied, "promise me you'll never, ever leave me?" It was sappy and pathetic and he knew it but he needed her more than he'd ever needed anybody.
"Never," she told him with a grin, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing their faces closer. "You're stuck with me now, Rick, always."
A/N: and we're done! once again I'm super sorry for the slow update and not replying to you all personally but I've been so pressed for time lately! However this is now finished, yay! Thank you all so much for all of you reviews, favourites and following, tweeting about it and generally making my day with your wonderful comments. The response to this has been so much better than I ever anticipated and I will forever be grateful, thank you xoxo
fun fact: the title of this story is actually a song lyric from Haunted by Taylor Swift, but I think it fits perfectly!
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