A/N: Happy New Year! :) I've been super busy the past week so I'm sorry if I missed out on replying your reviews for the earlier chapters. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Beta was by Diana, without whom I would've given up on this story a long time ago.

Disclaimer: not mine.

An hour later, Alexis was finally done with giving her statement to Agent Grey. The Feds were meticulous to say the least, making her go through the events of the day over and over again. At this rate, she hypothesized that her dad's statement would take a whole day.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss. Castle," Agent Grey said, shutting his little notebook decisively.

"Sure, anything to help."

He walked away and Alexis was left to her own devices for the first time since Tyson's appearance at the safe house. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings.

They had been interviewed by Federal agents in front of the house – herself, Ryan, and Esposito, standing in small clusters around the yard. The number of federal agents entering and leaving the house seemed infinite. She hadn't been inside yet – it was sealed for tagging – but she saw a black bag being wheeled out earlier. It must've been Tyson's body.

Shuddering, Alexis unconsciously rubbed her arms, looking elsewhere. She settled upon the silhouette of Kate and her dad. They weren't that far off, just down the street, but due to the placement of the sun, she couldn't make out their expressions.

Alexis brought a hand up to shield the sun, squinting at the two figures in the distance. None of the federal agents had approached them either, so Agent Lee must have told them something. Had he been rooting for them all this while? Or did Kate leave him with specific instructions not to disturb them?

Either way, Alexis was glad they were finally talking. It was still too soon for her to decide if she wanted to forgive Kate - if she would ever be ready to forgive her. But whatever her father decided, she would come to accept his choice, because no matter what, the two of them always had each other and supported one another.

Us against the world, she thought wistfully.

But looking at their opened, relaxed posture, Alexis had to wonder if their duo would remain that way for long. Both Kate and her dad's body language weren't hostile; neither of them stood defensively. They were engaging in each other, both finally being given a chance to speak their minds and listen to one another.

At least, that was how Alexis perceived things as an outside observer.

A few minutes later, Rick and Kate began walking back toward the house, looking like they were still deep in thought. Both of them were understandably muted and quiet. They clearly had a lot on their minds.

They headed over to join Ryan, Esposito and Alexis who had once more come together. Alexis shot her dad a questioning glance. So what was his decision?

He shrugged at Alexis. Kate finally told him the full story, and he got to tell her his side of things as well, but there were still so many things to process and factor in before he could come to a decision.

They were done with making brash, emotional decisions. This time round, the both of them had agreed that they would let things simmer for however long it took before making up their minds.

"You guys all done with your statements?" Kate asked when they were within hearing distance.

They replied in the affirmative, trying to read the tells on either Castle or Beckett to gauge how their conversation had gone.

"Agent Beckett," a new voice interrupted.

Beckett whipped around in surprise. "Deputy Director Freedman, I didn't know you were in New York. We weren't expecting you, Sir," she said, clearly bewildered by his presence.

"I had other business in town, and when Agent Cooper called with the news, I came over. Why haven't you or Mr. Castle given your statement?"

She had ignored protocol and her boss was calling her out on it. Thinking fast on her feet, she answered, "Sir, I don't know if you're already aware of this, but Mr. Castle was involved in the shootout."

He raised his eyebrow slightly, not looking any more pleased than before. Right, she'd have to justify picking a civilian over an NYPD officer with experience as her partner while Lee was incapacitated.

"I'll explain my decision in my report, sir, but as I was saying, the situation got a little intense for a civilian," she continued quickly.

"She's right," Castle piped up from her side, adding, "Beckett was just talking me down. I didn't mean to get her into trouble."

She turned, fighting to keep the smile off her face. His mind was always in sync with hers and that writer's imagination of his came in very handy for theory building. Beckett noticed for the first time that Ryan and Esposito had stepped forward and were flanking her as well.

She was touched by the actions of her old team.

Freedman looked from one face to the other, realizing they would cover for each other.

"Fine. Who fired the shots at Tyson? Nobody around here seems to be able to tell me what happened," he continued, still displeased.

"It's not their fault Sir," Beckett quickly stepped up to the plate, protecting her own team. "Agent Lee had been taken out and only Mr. Castle and I were in the safe house when Tyson came in."

She quickly continued, unwilling to test her boss' patience.

"Tyson came in with a machine gun through the bedroom. He opened fire, but eventually I managed to disarm him with Castle's help. However, after the scuffle he held Castle hostage. Somehow he procured another gun, which we now know belonged to Lee. Castle distracted him and broke free. As soon as I had a clear shot, I took it."

"Mr. Castle's life wasn't in any real danger," Freedman told her. "The safety had still been on. I guess, one could theorize he neglected to release the safety because he was dealing with an unfamiliar gun."

"I saw him pulling the trigger and reacted, Sir," Beckett told him, justifying her reasons for shooting Tyson. She had purposely left out the fact that Castle had covertly informed her of it. An omission wasn't an outright lie.

Besides, if it meant that Castle could now sleep untroubled, she could learn to come to terms with shooting Tyson and taking his life.

Her boss eyed her, but he didn't comment on that any further. "Give your statement then take the rest of the day off. You can begin to write your report tomorrow, Agent Beckett. I'll see you in DC."

He turned to leave, but her next words stopped him in his tracks.

"I quit."

She repeated in a clear voice, "I'm quitting after this, sir. I've finally finished what I came on board to do."

Deputy Director Freedman raised his eyebrows. He looked at Castle, Ryan and Esposito, and then back at her. She had kept her attention solely on him, a poker face in place. There was a set in her jaw that indicated she meant what she'd said.

"Very well. A deal's a deal. You'll still need to come to DC to process your paperwork."

"Thank you, Sir. For- for everything."

The experience she had gained by spending three years with the federal task force was invaluable. It had come at a terrible price, but she was a better law enforcement officer for it.

"Sure. Just finish up here," he replied gruffly, upset over losing one of his best agents. Great, now he had to start looking for assets again.

"Sir, when I said I was going to quit after this case, I was referring to seeing it through till the end. I'd like to stay on until all loose ends have been tied up," she requested.

They still had to figure out how Tyson got to the second victim. Her job wasn't over until she could give closure to both victims' families. It was who she was; it was what she did.

Freedman nodded before he walked away.

They watched his retreating figure in silence, still reeling from what had just happened.

After a while, Esposito asked, "You coming back to the 12th?"

Turning to face him Kate looked lighter and at ease as she replied, "I don't know."

Smiling, she continued.

"After I'm done with this case, I think I'm going to take some time off, travel a little. I've always wanted to go to India. I think I need to be alone, to try to do a little soul searching."

She saw their faces fall, but Kate quickly reassured them, saying lightly, "I can't promise to call or write, but I'll try harder to keep in touch."

For some reason, they shifted their attention to Castle, watching for his reaction to this news.

He frowned, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Uhm… Ahh…"

The boys and Alexis made their excuses and quickly shuffled away, giving them some privacy.

Castle was rendered speechless, completely choked up by all the conflicting emotions inside him.

He understood why she felt like she needed the time alone. But at the same time he couldn't help but feel conflicted over her choice. Was she avoiding him again? Was she running away from him, or was she running to find herself? Was there a difference between the two?

To top it off, he was still overwhelmed by her earlier explanation. He was still bitter, resentful and infuriated, but those feelings would probably lessen over time.

Castle was also a little more forgiving and understanding, yet he couldn't help but remain reserved. But if that was the case, then why was he mildly disappointed that she wouldn't return to the 12th? That she couldn't make the promise right then and there?

The variety of emotions just served to confuse him further.

At length, he asked, "Will I see you again?"

"I honestly don't know, Castle. But I'm not running away," she told him, picking up intuitively on his biggest concern at present. She hesitantly reached out a hand to tilt his face up so he was now looking at her.

"I'm not running way, but we both have a lot of things to work through."

She dropped her hand awkwardly as they shifted their weight about. What she said was true.

They had three years of unresolved issues and today's events would surely take time to process as well. The ramifications of their actions today and what it stood for; what they meant for their future.

Kate cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

"Castle, I don't know what to do here, or what to tell you."

"Neither of us should be making decisions now," he said dejectedly. He ran a hand through his hair, something Kate noted he used to do only when he was frustrated – it would mess with his perfect hair – but recently it was an all too familiar gesture. Her return to New York was really messing with him.

He told her, "Tell you what. We both get some time to think things through, on our own, and we can meet up three months from today at JFK. I'm leaving it up to fate – if it's meant to be, we'll find each other."

"Will we keep in touch in the mean time?" she asked.

"I… I don't think we should. We can if you really want to, but we won't talk about us or our relationship. I want us to come to a decision by ourselves, without any influence. I think we both need some perspective when it comes to making this decision regarding our relationship. We should take a full break from each other, think long and hard what we want." Castle stuck his hands in his pockets, clenching and unclenching his fingers.

"You're right," she gave in, nodding slowly.

"But I can write to Alexis, right?" Kate had to ask, not wanting to walk out of her life once more, unless Alexis personally told her to stay away.

"Of course, Kate. You're both adults, the choice is up to the two of you."

Castle transferred his weight about uneasily before he took a deep breath and just decided to just do it. "Listen," he said before losing his courage, "I fell in love with an extraordinary woman. I think she's still somewhere in there if you're willing to dig deep enough. And no matter what happens six months from now, this ring was meant for her."

Castle pulled out the old engagement ring from his pocket, holding it out between them. His fingers trembled a little as he continued. "She deserves this ring regardless of what happens. If I decide that I don't want you in my life three months from now, I don't need this ring as a constant reminder. But keep it, Kate. Maybe it'll help you find yourself."

He pressed the ring into her palm and covered her fingers over it.

And then, Richard Castle turned and walked away, never looking back.

All this while, he had the ring with him.

A/N: Before you guys come after me with pitchforks, I think the Castle-Beckett conversation was better off left unwritten. Sorry if you felt cheated, but it's like the conversation between Alexis and Kate in "like father, like daughter." In a way, it's up to you to decide what they might have discussed.

Next up, from what I understand through the reviews and PMs, I've got two groups of readers: the first group never wants Castle to get back with Beckett, and the second group wants to see them together.

If you belong to the first group, then you can take this as the end of the story :)

If you belong to the second group, there's an epilogue coming up.

I'd just like to thank each and every one of you for reading my story, and sticking with me up till this point whether you've agreed with my decisions or not. Things didn't turn out the way I envisioned when I first started the story, but this was the direction it wanted to go.