You guys are seriously epic - a simple thank you doesn't even begin to do justice to the amazing response I received on this piece. And yet, a thank you is all I can give. Well, that and the rest of the story! So, without further ado...

They were out of control, plummeting as one in the sheerest drop he'd ever known. And for the merest fraction of a second, he truly thought they'd continue falling forever.

And then, impact.

Her momentum splintered as she hit the door, her weight swinging it closed behind her with a crash as her back collided against unyielding metal, slamming every inch of her to a jagged halt. But his momentum was infinite, irrepressible, and the force of his body meeting hers was not nearly enough to arrest it. He broke over her, through her, surging up, around, and into every pore, flooding her now, as she had flooded him.

He heard a gasp escape her lips, felt the breath tear from her lungs, relished the reactions he was pulling from her body, and then insisted on more, so much more.

For four years he'd been completely and utterly aware of this woman, so wholly attuned to every aspect of her. Worked with her, watched her, lived and breathed her. He'd wanted her since he first laid eyes on her, needed her more and more with every coffee delivered, every smile exchanged. He'd loved her for years, long before he'd actually said the words. And now she wanted him back. And he'd thought he knew what this would be like. But he'd had no idea. No. Idea.

He was beyond words, beyond thought, beyond reason. His entire existence was her.

Their mouths fused together, hotly, urgently, possessively. Her hands on his cheeks drew him nearer as his palms grasped her waist, sliding under the wet leather of her jacket, over the damp fabric of her shirt, grip tightening, dragging her forward, pressing her closer, thighs, hips, chest, everything deliciously joined to him.

Her mouth parted beneath his, hungry, demanding, wanting more. He obliged, skating his fingers up her sides, snaring her face between them, twisting into her rain-soaked hair, holding her fast as his tongue sought hers and tangled, then slipped past her lips, mining the unbelievable taste of her. A jolt flashed through him then as she mimicked the motion, gliding her way into his mouth and exploring every corner of it. Jesus…

His blood boiled, body reacting, and he had to wrench himself away, had to chart the rest of her. Her back arched as his hands dropped again to her hips, securing her against him. His mouth trailed a hot path along her jaw, nose burrowing into her skin. He allowed himself one utterly essential moment to relish the pure, clean scent of her, then continued, tongue blazing down the wet, bare length of her neck, en route to her collarbone, which screamed for his attention.

He could feel her hands in his hair, nails scraping scalp, urging him on as his teeth grazed the line of her clavicle and his fingers traipsed a tantalizing path up her spine, settling firmly on her shoulders before pulling her body down hard, tighter into his, igniting them both with the delicious friction they created together.

Her gasp sounded against his ear, her hands intensified their grip on him, and her hot breath teased a path down his neck, coming louder and harder and faster. Her uncensored reaction to his touch spurred him on, whipping him into a frenzy. His mouth returned to hers, seeking blindly, almost desperately, finding her there at last, right there, waiting for him.

And as he tasted her yet again, devoured her mouth with his own, he realized that one thought had managed to linger, had clung to his mind tenaciously this entire time, refusing to let go. His utter need for her – and hers for him – had consumed everything else, but this one stark truth remained: she had almost died.

He recoiled at the veracity of that fact, urgently trying to shove it away and seek refuge in her, only her, running his lips and hands over every reachable inch of her body. But reality loomed, inescapable, and he was suddenly in a panic. He couldn't lose her. Not again. Not after everything. Thunder crashed outside then echoed, shifted, became the sharp report of a rifle, the impact of a bullet, and the stunned exhalation of air from lungs as metal pierced flesh.

Kate…

Her face filled his mind, shocked, terrified, tear-streaked, staring into his eyes as he held her to him and begged her to stay. But she was leaving him and he was watching as the blood spilled from her chest, hot and wet and red, and he knew there was nothing he could do, knew he couldn't stop it…

I love you. I love you, Kate.

The memory encompassed him, swallowed him whole, threatened to obliterate him…before her arms wrapped around him and drew him closer, returning him to her. Because she hadn't left him. She'd come back. She was here. She was right here.

And suddenly he just needed to know, needed to see, needed to feel. Her healed skin, her steady pulse, her heart, alive and well, beating with his. His mouth left hers, mind wholly focused on a single part of her, one destination. He felt the shift in her as she registered the shift in him. Her body trembled then, stiffened beneath him, muscles tensed, and for one frightening moment, he thought she was going to pull away.

But then she relaxed and softened, melting back into him as his mouth traveled down her chest. Her hands found his arms, resting lightly, encouraging his reach for the buttons of her shirt. Everything stilled around them, slowed and focused in as his forehead rose to hers and nestled there, craving the solid feel of her pressed against him, fingers shaking as he peeled back the wet fabric covering her heart and finally, finally saw.

He stared, couldn't tear his eyes away, unable to believe that something so small could be so incredibly significant. This faint mark on her body was responsible for so much pain, so much damage, so much absolute destruction. It had devastated him, besieged her, and stood between them for almost a year, spawning lies, betrayal, and deceit, shaking the foundations of everything they knew, threatening the essence of everything they were.

This tiny scar had almost ended them.

And then he felt her hands take his, guiding him forward, joined fingers sliding towards skin, and he breathed deeply, willing every nightmare to the surface in this moment: every flash of her face as she lay dying before him, every flutter of her eyelids as they slipped slowly shut, every jolt of the ambulance as it careened forward, every jump of the monitor as it mapped out her life, every beat of his heart as hers stopped completely, every second he was alive and she wasn't, every surge of electricity calling her back, every gasp of air when she finally returned.

He amassed it all, every terrifying, tormented, horrific detail of that day. And as his hand slipped into place against her heart – warm, beating, alive – he met her eyes, bared his soul…and let it go.

She was here, they were together, and it was time for both of them to move on from the past, loosen their hold and release it all, completely. His senses breathed her in, every part of her, eyes closing as his lips found solace in hers.

Their mouths united, softly, slowly, offering up all they had, all they were, erasing every wound, every wall, every betrayal and every lie, pure incandescence cleaning them out.

They parted only once it was done, opening their eyes together upon an entirely new existence. He watched in wonder as the purest smile he'd every seen graced her lips, and he knew with utter certainty that this was forever.

He felt her hand slip down his arm, her palm caress his, their fingers sliding home against each other. Hitched.

For a brief instant, they stood motionless. And then he was caught in the wake of her, swept along on a clear, surging swell of hope and certainty, green eyes and clasped hands, absolute love and the heart-stoppingly familiar bite of a lip.

And that's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This story - along with my other, 'Behind Green Eyes' - has been such a total joy to write, thanks in large part to all of you wonderful readers here. Again, you guys, thank you so much. I have absolutely no idea what I should write next (Ideas? I'm totally open to them!), but I'm already excited at the prospect of it! :)

Also: CASTLE AND BECKETT ARE OFFICIALLY TOGETHER! GAH!
Okay, sorry, just needed to get that out. ;)