One season down, three to go! And, because I haven't said it in a while, thanks to Andy for reading through every single chapter and convincing me that they're good enough to post!

Deep in Death

The day was still young, the sun having warmed the landscape to a very comfortable temperature, and though the letters were becoming more emotional, the conversations deeper, neither had any desire to break the mood.

In the last half hour they'd talked about everything from future children to the scar on her chest, but as they sat here now, curled up together with the journal on Kate's lap, a sense of calm settled over them. She was still snuggled between his legs, his strong biceps embracing her tightly, and on a Friday morning in the Hamptons with the whole day to themselves, there was nowhere they'd rather be.

Castle pressed a kiss to the skin behind her ear, felt Kate sigh and melt into him in response. For someone typically so hands-off at the precinct and in public, it always amazed him how touchy-feely she was in the privacy of their home. Not that he was complaining. He could never – would never – complain about anything involving physical contact with her.

His hand continued to absently trace patterns on her stomach, slipping beneath the waistband of her boxers – his boxers, actually – fingering the small patch of ink on her right hipbone. Not arousing, merely comforting.

She dipped her head, left a lingering kiss on his bicep, tongue peeking out to taste his skin. His breathing stuttered momentarily and Kate smiled against him. There was something so powerful about knowing that a single brush of lips could do that to him, even after all this time.

His left arm dropped to her lap, fingers toying with the well-worn corners of the journal.

"Want to read some more?"

She hummed her agreement and his hand twined with hers as they re-settled the book, looked to the next page. September 2010. Their first case back together after their first fight. After all they'd been through since then, that moment in the hospital hallway seemed a lifetime ago.

Kate,

I'm so sorry. I know I already apologized once but I'm doing it again, because you deserve to hear it. I was wrong. I went behind your back without your permission and when you got upset, I stubbornly refused to see things from your point of view.

I have Alexis to thank for this letter, actually. She's having boy troubles... long story short, she was supposed to have a date but he didn't show. She came to me wondering why boys always have to justify their actions rather than just apologizing, and that was when it hit me; I'd done the exact same thing as her teenaged-almost-movie-date. I'd convinced myself there was nothing wrong with my actions, regardless of how you felt.

Never once did I think to apologize.

I can see now I was selfish. I guess sometimes I have to have things spelled out for me. I wanted to help. I wanted to give you the closure you deserve. But I never once stopped to think about your feelings, and for that, I'm truly sorry. It won't happen again.

I also want to say thank you for letting me come back as your partner, for once again giving me a place at the Twelfth. I've really grown to enjoy being there, not just for research purposes, but because I'm discovering the true meaning of what it is to be a cop, why you all work so hard every day. Your jobs are important, and when I'm with you, I feel like I'm making a difference. I've never felt like that before.

Oh, and one last thing... thank you for saving my life. In that dress that barely counted as a dress, with sky high heels and a sexy Russian accent. I don't know what I was expecting to happen when that guy dragged me off at gunpoint, but it certainly wasn't that.

It did, however, make my night much better. It also gave me a whole slew of new ideas for Nikki Heat. Maybe you're more like her than I thought.

(Don't worry, I have absolutely no problem with that.)

-Castle

"Your job makes a difference too, you know," she murmured when they finished.

"It does?" he asked, intrigued.

"Mmhmm."

His right arm held her tighter. "How?"

"Some people read books for an escape. To disappear into another world where things are different. Better."

"Hmmm."

"You provide that, Castle. Your books do."

He nodded against her, overwhelmed with pride at her words. He had a feeling there was more to this story, had to bite his tongue to stop himself from probing for the whens and whys and hows. Given that she loved to read and that she'd been haunted by her mother's death for most of her adult life, Castle surmised that the two were connected in some way.

But her trusted her to tell him when she was ready. She always did.

For now, just knowing was enough.

Thoughts?