In case you missed it, I posted an outtake to chapter 68 as a separate one-shot. It's called 'Sweetest Words' and can be found on my profile.

A Dance with Death

"Dude, what do you mean, you can't tell us? You've been avoiding the question for weeks."

Castle shrugged. "I just... can't."

"That's code for they were naked in bed, bro," Ryan stage whispered.

"What? No we weren't," he denied, louder than strictly necessary.

Kate's head whipped around, eyes meeting Castle's, silently pleading him to keep his voice down. It was a Thursday afternoon and the bullpen was buzzing with activity. Which also meant that everyone was milling around, and all too eager to overhear every conversation.

She didn't even have to be there to know what they were talking about, because Ryan and Espo's mission for this entire week had been to find out the story of the proposal. They'd pressed for it initially, given up after Castle and Kate refused to divulge. But now that Lanie knew – and 'accidentally' let it slip to Esposito that she knew the whole story – they'd redoubled their efforts, even going so far as to bet on who would find out first.

Thus far, though, they remained unsuccessful, despite promises of pizza and alcohol and video games, and numerous other offers.

Kate wasn't averse to them finding out, per se, though she knew she'd have to endure a requisite amount of teasing once they learned she'd done the asking. In fact, it was Castle who was purposely holding back, and the only explanation Kate had surmised was that he didn't want to admit he hadn't actually been the one to do the proposing.

"They were," Esposito agreed, drawing Castle's focus back to the conversation.

"We were both fully clothed, thank you very much."

Ryan shook his head. "I don't believe him."

"Me neither, bro. Why else would he be holding out on us?"

"Guys, seriously."

"Come on, man, you were full of advice when I was getting ready to propose to Jenny."

"You're not asking for advice."

"Well, no..."

"Maybe he's embarrassed," Esposito interrupted.

Ryan turned to his partner, pointing a finger in the air. "That could be. Maybe he stumbled over his words."

"Maybe she freaked out at first."

"Maybe he cried."

"Oooh, I bet tha..."

"Guys," Castle cut in, waving his arms. "I'm right here."

"Yes, but you're not giving us any answers, so we're figuring it out on our own," Ryan pointed out.

"You know, using our skills as Detectives."

"Wow," came a voice from behind Castle. He swiveled his head around just in time to see Kate step up next to him in their small circle. She had a coffee mug in her right hand, pad of paper tucked under her right arm, but she made no secret of reaching out to brush her left hand over Castle's arm and smiling up at him. He offered a weak smile back, relief that she was here to most likely put an end to this pathetic attempt of an interrogation. "Is this really the only thing you guys have to do?"

"Not exactly," Esposito began.

"We're just – waiting on a lead from..." Ryan threw a thumb over his shoulder. "From those guys. They're checking into it for us."

"Right," she drawled. "So you thought you'd corner my partner and leave me to do all the work?"

"I..."

"No..."

"Yeah, come on," Castle spoke up, only to be met by three identical glares. "I mean... did you find something?" he asked suddenly, turning his attention to Beckett.

"Yeah, two guys who seem to have forgotten their interrogation skills and a third who should be helping his partner," she replied sardonically.

"Awww, come on, Beckett. We just want to know the story of his grand proposal."

"There was no grand proposal," she replied straight-forwardly.

"Fine then, his not-grand proposal."

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Kate questioned. "We're engaged. Doesn't that speak for itself."

"Yeah but..."

"We just..."

"Wanted to know..."

"How he asked you..."

She rolled her eyes, though she had to admit she wasn't really all that annoyed by their antics. And maybe, just maybe, she could put them out of their misery.

"He didn't," Kate replied, watching in amusement as they reacted to her words. "It was me."

And with that, she turned on her heel and crossed to the break room, Castle hurriedly trailing behind her as Ryan and Esposito stood frozen in place, staring at their disappearing backs.

"I..."

"She..."

"What?"

"Right?"

Esposito pulled out his phone, began tapping away at the screen.

"Who you texting?" Ryan asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Lanie," he answered as though it was obvious. "I gotta make sure that means what I think it means."

"Geez," Castle breathed as he stepped into the break room on her heels, pushed the door part way shut behind him. "They're relentless."

Kate glanced through the slats of the blinds, shook her head as she took in the two of them, engaged in an animated discussion. "Yeah well, now they've got something to puzzle over."

"Temporarily."

"Is it really such a bad thing that they want to know?" she asked.

Castle turned to her. "No, I just wasn't sure I really wanted to explain it all to them. You know, about the journal."

Kate reached for two coffee mugs as Castle began to operate the espresso machine, the scent of fresh caffeine swirling into the air between them. "I guess that might be a little strange."

Martha and Jim knowing was one thing. Ryan and Esposito was another entirely. And she wasn't sure she really wanted to explain that Castle had essentially written her a book of love letters for the last six years, ranging from 'I want to sleep with you' to 'I care about you' to 'I wish I didn't care about you' to 'I'm so madly in love with you.'

She smiled at that thought as it brought back memories of last night, the letter they'd read just before falling asleep. One that was very much an 'I'm so madly in love with you' letter.

Dear Kate,

I want you to know that even if you weren't a cop, even if you someday decide you no longer wanted to be a cop, I'll still love you. No matter what. I love you exactly the way you are, and having a different job wouldn't change that. Yes, I love watching you run down bad guys, and you're hot as hell in the interrogation room. I love seeing you all dressed up for the job, and watching you work is such a turn-on. The way your mind works is so sexy. Everything about you is sexy. But there is much more to you than that, and even if you weren't a cop, those qualities would never change.

And, well, if you someday decide you still really want to be the first female chief justice, I'll be right there beside you supporting you the whole way. Helping your dreams come true. And loving you as much as ever.

Hopefully somewhere along the way, you'll be able to finish knocking down that wall and make my biggest dream come true as well.

Love,

Rick

"Hey." Castle nudged her hand with a mug of steaming hot coffee, tearing her from her trance.

"Sorry," she murmured, turned her hand to take the mug from him, lifting it in his direction. "Thanks."

"You doing okay?"

She smiled. "Yeah, just thinking."

Castle took a drink of his own coffee, lifted a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Anything good?"

Kate's eyes flicked to the bullpen, where Ryan and Esposito had stopped their conversation and were now fixed on the two of them. They looked away quickly when Kate caught their eye, busied themselves with an imaginary pile of papers on Esposito's desk. She shook her head, smiled softly.

"Come on, Castle. Let's get back to work."

Thoughts?