AN: This author wishes to acknowledge all the people who have review, you guys are awesome. This author also profusely apologises that she hasn't had time to reply to reviews as she is coming up to the end of her last year of school…. Busy time all around to be had… much fun!

-Enjoy :D

Disclaimer the characters that you recognise are not mine, I just like to have fun with them.

Chapter 5

When Kate next realised what the time was it was almost five and Montgomery was telling her to leave. She was glad that Ryan ad Esposito were out somewhere chasing up some of Tom's business associates, because if they heard the Captain telling her to go home, and her actually listening to him, in the middle of a case, they would have known something was up. And she didn't need them knowing yet. They should find out about her and Castle first. Wait, she thought, Her and Castle? Surely her subconscious hadn't decided for her what she wanted, but then maybe she'd known it all along.

Kate quickly gathered her things, called a hurried goodbye to the Captain and left. She had been wondering all afternoon where Castle might be taking her for dinner, and the drive back to her apartment was no exception. She remembered Castle making a few mysterious phone calls, and then leaving around two in the afternoon saying vaguely that 'inspiration had struck' and that 'he needed to write'. She hadn't thought it strange at the time, she had been trying to contact Tom's parents, who were on a trip to Canada, but now that she thought about it, it seemed strange. Castle never left to write, either he would commandeer one of her pads of paper, or start typing into that iPhone of his. Never had he gone home to write in the middle of a case.

Kate continued her drive home thinking about what Castle could have been doing all afternoon, perhaps he was actually writing.

-!-!-!-

Kate, having no luck getting an answer from Castle about what 'nice' meant, decided on her black halter dress with the scoop back that hung to just below her knee. It hugged her figure in all the right places and enhanced her already plump breasts. She had washed and blow-dried her hair, and left to down because she knew how much Castle liked that way. She had applied a smattering of makeup, and had just found the black jacket that she was looking for when her doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was precisely seven. Kate pulled on her jacket, stepped into her black heels, grabbed her purse and walked towards the door.

Kate looked through the peephole and saw Castle's face smiling up at her, taking up the whole space that she could see. She opened the door and he was holding out a single red rose. Kate was suddenly thankful she didn't put on much makeup as her eyes started to tear up.

"Thanks Castle." She said, taking the rose and going to find a bud glass for it. She turned from the sink after filling it with water to find Castle still standing in the entrance to her apartment, looking slightly awkward, like he didn't quite know what the boundaries were. He even jumped slightly when she walked back up to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"We should get going." He said and they made their way out of her apartment building to his waiting town car. "You look stunning." He told her as they got into his car.

"Thanks Castle." Seemed to be the only words she could utter as she settled into the back seat with him and the driver pulled out into traffic.

"So Castle," Kate started, having found her voice. "Where are you taking me tonight?"

"That, my dear," He replied. "Is a surprise." He finished placing a tentative hand on her knee, and relaxed a little when she didn't object to it.

They sat in comfortable silence until they pulled up in front of what Kate thought was a very bland, nondescript building. Castle got out and offered her his hand, which she accepted and she noticed that he stopped to have clandestine conversation with his driver of which she only picked up the very last "thankyou" that Castle muttered.

"So Castle, now that we're here, can you tell me where 'here' is?" she asked coyly.

"If I told you-" He started, but never got to finish.

"Don't say you'd have to kill me." Kate stated blandly.

"Ok." Was all the reply she got, well that and his proffered elbow which she gladly took since she had no idea where she was going.

-!-!-!-

Kate had a hard time processing what was going on as they walked around the side of the building and a section of it seemingly opened when they walked up to it. Castle lead her into the building where the host appeared and took their jackets and led them further into the building through a series of hallways. There was no way she would be able to leave without some assistance.

They were lead through a doorway into a small, but elegant, room with a single table and a string quartet playing quietly in the corner. Kate was almost reduced to tears again by the sight.

Castle gently lead her to the table and pulled out her chair for her then made his way around the table to his own. He sat and poured them both a glass of water.

"Don't feel like you can't drink wine on my account Castle." Kate told him.

"It's fine." Castle replied. "It's not like I should drink a whole bottle of wine myself." He finished cheekily and out of nowhere the waiter appeared with their meals.

-!-!-!-

Dinner was divine, and desert was sickeningly sweet and thankfully Kate didn't have the slightest need to throw it up. After they were finished Castle stood from his chair and held his hand out to Kate.

"Dance with me?"

Kate placed her hand in his and got to her feet. He led her closer to the quartet and pulled her gently into his arms, and for quite some time they stayed like that, just swaying in each others embrace. That is until Kate felt the time had come to talk.

"Castle." She started, and then decided to correct herself. "Rick, I think we really need to talk about this."

"Surely." He replied, and led her to a small lounge that she hadn't even noticed was there.

Once seating she turned to him. She had been thinking about this all afternoon, and he was waiting for her to start.

"Rick," She began, and laid a soft hand on his thigh, and the carefully crafted script evaded her. "I don't really know how to put this, and I wouldn't put my heart out there for just any guy, I hope you know that." She paused and looked straight into his eyes and they were shinning at her. At that moment she knew she could do this. It was now or never. "Rick, you've been my partner for three years," and it was now time to bear her heart. "And for longer than that your books have been helping me cope with everything life could throw at me." Kate really didn't know where she was going, only what she wanted to end up saying. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've gotten more than used to you pulling my pigtails, and I think we could make this, us, work."

For the first time in his life Castle was lost for words, he really had no idea what to say, and now he could see Kate tearing up again.

"Kate, what's wrong?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

"What's wrong?" She mimicked sarcastically. "What's wrong? What's wrong is that I bare my heart to you and all you do is sit there and stare at me. You, the great bearer of words, just sits there and-" Kate was cut off mid rant by Castle's lips pressing softly to hers, in the gentlest kiss she had ever felt.

"Kate." Castle said softly once he had pulled back and placed his hand on her cheek. "The only reason I didn't respond is because I couldn't find the words, but let me try?" He asked pleadingly. In response Kate placed her hand over his, looked into his stunningly blue eyes, and nodded.

"Kate." He started. "I, the master of words, am stumped over what to say to you; except these three simple words. I love you. I haven't yet found another way to say it that would do my feelings for you justice and not sound corny, and you, my dear, deserve far more than corny."

Kate could feel the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. In her opinion he couldn't have worded it better. She leaned closer to him, and just before pressing her lips to his, she repeated his words back to him. "I love you, too."

A small while later the host came to show them back out to the door, and they made their way to the street where Castle's driver was waiting for them.

Kate stopped short of stepping into the car and turned to Castle. "One thing I couldn't figure out Rick." She said.

"What's that Kate?"

"How on earth did they know when to bring us out food?" She asked him.

"A magician never reveals his secrets." He replied with a laugh before dropping a light kiss on her lips and encouraging her into the car.

-!-!-!-

The drive back to Kate's apartment was full of their usual banter, that is until Kate turned to a slightly serious topic: what were they going to tell people, as Castle said, "We can keep it a secret forever, people are going to figure it out one day."

So it was decided, they would tell Alexis and Martha the following evening. Kate told him that Lanie already knew, but that the boys didn't. She also realised that she really did need to tell her dad and that they would make a time to have dinner with time, so time that week.

The car was soon pulling up in front of Kate's building and Castle was helping her out and walking her up to her door. He waited until she had unlocked her door, and then took her hand.

"Until tomorrow, Detective." He said quietly.

"Goodnight Rick." She replied and leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his lips before entering her apartment.

Kate sighed in contentment as she walked through her apartment towards her bedroom to ready herself for bed. She was exhausted; it had been a long day. She found the t-shirt she had been wearing the previous night, which still smelled like Castle's loft, and changed into it before falling into bed and succumbing to sleep.

-!-!-!-

Rick Castle walked into his loft across town in a very similar manor. He stepped inside with a huge smile on his face and was glad his menacing mother wasn't around. He was almost skipping when he poked his head inside his daughter's room to tell her he was home and goodnight. He then went and acquired one of the pillows from the guest room and took himself off to bed.

AN2: This author is not really sure how she feels about this chapter, really just the Kate/Rick conversation, but her critique again told her it was amazing.

Let me know what you think…?