Chapter Twenty-Six

A/N: Well we are quickly nearing the end. I will have the rest of the story posted by Wedensday morning because I'm leaving that afternoon and going out of town until school starts and will only have internet occasionally.

Hope you enjoy this chapter,

~Rose

"And I"

Castle:

It was all over. The man who had hired Dick Coonan to kill Johanna Beckett was dead. I felt like shit knowing I had to kill a man, my father, but at least it was over. Kate was safe now. It would be a huge scandal when the press found out that the ex chief of police and the mayor were behind the murders of a lawyer, her associates, a courthouse document clerk, an ME, and three cops. Kate and myself would probably be in the news for weeks. I was used to the press hounding me but Kate was going to hate it.

Kate. I still couldn't believe the passion she had kissed me with. I wanted to hold on to her and never let her go but I was afraid she had only kissed me because she was upset. I couldn't let her do something she would regret later. Letting her go again was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do; but I did it because I love her.

Ryan:

Esposito and I were filling out the last of the paperwork on Johanna Beckett's case when Kate Beckett herself walked in. She looked like crap. She had a lost expression and her eyes were puffy, like she had been crying. It was actually kind of scary to see Beckett like this because she was always so put together, physically and emotionally.

"How're doing Beckett?" I asked her, slightly afraid she'd yell at me.

"Exhausted," she admitted.

I knew she was more than just exhausted, but I wasn't going to press the matter.

"How's Castle?" my partner asked.

Beckett's face changed into a partial grimace. "Fine," she answered too quickly.

"Kate," I started, using her first name, which I rarely do, "is everything okay between you and Castle?"

"Yes. Just fine," she answered probably stiffer than she meant too.

"I've tried to stay out of it—," I started.

"Except for the bet," Esposito murmured under his breath, interrupting me.

I gave him a glare before I continued, "But this has gone on long enough. He's in love with you. He said it when he thought you were dying, but we could all see it before that. Knowing you, you won't admit it, but you clearly love him too. One of you better do something about it before it's too late. You've both almost died in the past few months. Need I remind you that you were shot, he was almost sent up in flames, and then you were both almost shot again? Are you guys going to wait until one of you is dead and it's too late?"

For the first time in all the years I have worked with Beckett, she didn't have a sarcastic comeback. I looked at my partner and gave him a slight nod that told him to go through with our plan. He left the room and I was left with a slightly stunned but pissed Beckett.

"When will you guys learn to stay out of my personal business? What happens between me and Castle is none of your concern."

"Castle and I," I corrected under my breath sounding un-necessarily like Castle.

"What?"

"Never mind," I mumbled.

What could I possibly say to this woman that would make a difference?

Esposito:

It was unbelievable how much sneaking around I had to do lately. Between hiding things from Beckett and hiding things from Lanie, I could become a professional sneaker (which I guess I am considering I'm a detective). I had gotten Ryan's hint when he nodded at me so I left to call someone who could fix everything. The phone rang and rang and I tapped my foot impatiently.

Finally the man on the other end picked up. "Castle," he answered.

"Castle, it's Esposito. You better get down to the precinct."

"Be right there," he answered without even asking why. Mission accomplished.

Joining Beckett and Ryan again was awkward. They were both sitting at their desks, staring at their paperwork, and not speaking. I sat down at my own desk and waited for Castle to get there.

Beckett:

Kevin Ryan was like a brother to me. Esposito and I had taken him under our wings as soon as he joined our precinct. It didn't take long for him and Esposito to become best friends, and for him to become a younger brother to me. I knew all he was doing was trying to look out for both Castle and I but it pissed me off that he was trying to play matchmaker. Castle and I were never going to work. Sure attraction was there. Actually there was more than just attraction; he understood me, he was always there when I needed him (except for the two months he was gone), and I loved him in a way I had never loved a man before. Castle and I should have been perfect together, but we weren't. The man drove me crazy! Between his crazy theories and his child-like behavior he was enough to make me scream some days. Then again, that was all a part of his charm. We could be great together but something within both of us always stopped it.

I heard someone walk in so I looked up from my paperwork and stared into the blue eyes I hadn't seen since my mom's killer was caught. The last time I saw those eyes they had been filled with tears.

"What are you doing here Castle?" I asked harshly.

If he was hurt by my tone he didn't show it. "Esposito called me and told me to come," Castle said looking over at said detective.

"I forgot I was supposed to meet Lanie," Esposito said lamely, "I'll see you guys later.

Both Castle and I looked over to Ryan, who suddenly started pretending he was talking to Jenny on the phone, even though neither one of us heard his phone ring. He scrambled out after Esposito while gesturing that he was talking on the phone.

"Castle you wanna tell me what's going on?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"I have just as much of an idea as you do. Like I said Esposito called me and told me to come here."

I was wired by this point. "When will those two stop meddling in our private lives?"

"What are you talking about Kate?'

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. They've been meddling with us for three years!" I yelled.

"Us? There is no us! You made damn sure of that ages ago!" he screamed right back at me.

"Me? I broke up with Tom when I realized it wasn't him I wanted to be with; it was you! I was about to tell you that until your ex-wife walked in and wrapped her arm around you."

"I only asked her to go to the Hamptons with me because you were with Demming. By the time I came back you were with Josh so I stayed with Gina hoping it would make you jealous."

"So you're blaming me for all this?"

"No. I should have told you how I felt about you a long time ago."

"Why didn't you?" I asked, my heart leaping.

"I didn't want to scare you off. I didn't know if you could feel the same way I feel about you." he took a step closer to me. He was no longer yelling like we had been. His voice was much softer as he put his hand on my face and said, "I almost told you so many times. When we first kissed, in the freezer, when the bomb was about to go off, in your apartment when you asked what we were, at the hangar, when you were in the hospital, when I was in the hospital, after I shot Callahan and Esposito shot Bob. So many times Kate."

"You told me when you thought I was dying."

"Yes. You had to know. If you were going to die in my arms, you had to know how I feel about you."

I could barely breathe. I couldn't do this now. "You left Rick," I said taking a step back away from him.

"I did it to prove the man who had your mother killed was guilty."

Some pathetic part of me had wished he said something else. That part of me couldn't keep quiet. "Is that the only reason you left?"

"No," he admitted, "When you first asked me why I had left, I told you it was because I had to get away. I wasn't entirely lying about that. I did have to get away; I couldn't see you with Josh."

"I had broken up with Josh before you left."

"Even if I had known that I still would have left. I had to. I had to protect you. I care about you and I-" he stopped and looked up at something behind me.

I turned around to see what he was looking at and saw Ryan and Esposito standing there with silly grins. I suddenly didn't care if they heard what Castle was about to say. "And you…?" I pressed.

He looked into my eyes and said the words. "And I love you."

I turned around again to see how the boys had reacted. Ryan had a smug smile as Esposito practically threw a twenty-dollar bill at him. I turned around again to see Castle walking out the door.