Castle has hailed a cab and is en route to meet with the man who just sent him a text message.

The words of the message just sent to his phone is burned into his mind. How could this be? How could the words be real? Is this even possible?

Rick takes out his phone and dials a number. This number he has committed to his personal memory and is not entered in the history of his phone. When his contact at the other end answers Castle says "Have you seen her?"

"Yes, she came in about five minutes ago and went to the family room on the second floor. She entered in with the determination of someone on a mission. It appears that someone may have called her as if they wanted to notify her of a change in her father's condition. Something such as her father passing away. But he is doing very well actually"

"Do you know when they are doing the operation?"

"It is on the schedule for 7:00 AM tomorrow. He is stable but still critical"

"Do you know the prognosis?"

"He has less than a fifty-fifty chance of survival"

"OK. Thanks" Castle responds then hangs up the phone.

After Castle leaves the floor of the precinct Crystal Roberts has gone to her desk and picked up her cell phone. She walks into the women's rest room and looks around to make sure that she is alone. After entering a stall, she dials a phone number.

After a few seconds she speaks up "It's me. I can't get anywhere with him. He is not doing anything with me. I don't know. Its like I am not good enough to replace her."

She listens for a moment then responds to whoever is on the other end of the line "look I am doing everything I can to get him into bed, but he is rejecting all my advances"

Another pause "did you ever consider the fact that he is not interested in anyone else?"

After another pause "She must be some girl. He seems totally locked to her, so I hope you have another idea as to how to get his mind off Beckett because it looks to me like he is totally devoted to her still"

Richard Castle is more afraid now than he has ever been in his entire life. Everything in his life changed 6 months ago but it appears that is changing once again and he has no control of where today will land. He can do nothing but stare out the window wishing for this ride to hurry up and be over. He is wanting for this taxi to arrive at its destination so he can step over the line. The line between what his life contains now and what he really wants his life to be.

The cab arrives at its destination and Castle rushes into the building. Quickly arriving at the door, he pauses with his hand on the knob. Afraid of how the next 30 seconds go

Richard Castle looks down at his phone again to read the message one more time before walking into the room

'Come to the hospital second floor family room. Bracken forced Beckett to take the job and leave. I will explain and together we will fix this.'

Signed "Your Father"

He pushes the door open and quickly walks into the room closing the door behind him.

What happens next?

Acceptance or rejection?

Standing in the middle of the room is the love of Richard Castle's life.

Katherine Houghton Beckett was there watching the door as if were to be magical.

Both of them have tears and fears in their faces. Castle slowly cautiously takes a step closer to Beckett. She acts as if she is too afraid to move. She looks like she thinks this might be a trap.

He takes another slow step and reaches his hands up and out outward her as if to beg her to reach for him in return.

She looks at the hands reaching for her then up to the face. The face that is begging for her touch

He doesn't have to take a third step. She lurches for him and in one swift move the two of them are entangled with each other with no doubt how they both feel.

She finally pulls back from his kiss and with tears in both pairs of eyes she softly says "YES I will marry you"

After a moment of pause for both of them to savor the reunion of their bodies and souls, another voice from inside the room speaks.

"Son, I think it is time to put Bracken in his place for good"

Castle looks up to see his father standing nearby, then down to Kate's face

"What is going on? I thought you had Bracken backed into a corner?" Castle asks Kate

"He knew we had the account number to the bank where he deposited the blood money. But he has powerful enough connections to get that fixed"

Beckett steps away from Rick but holds a vice like grip on one of his hands pulling him along with her

"He got his name removed from the FDIC records on that bank account. That was the only piece of evidence we had. I was never able to piece together any thing else from the confetti we got after Maddox death."

"Kate, what did Bracken do to you?"

"He contacted me and said he no longer was afraid of me since he changed the bank records, but he did feel indebted to me for saving his life. So he made a new deal"

"What is the new deal he offered to you?"

"He said if I moved away to DC, actually closer to him so he could keep an eye on me, he would not have all of my friends killed" She chokes a little." My dad, Ryan, Esposito, you and even Alexis and Martha."

Tears grow in her eyes "Rick I knew I had no choice but to move there and leave everything and everyone I love behind" She looks deep into his eyes where she can see his pain is deep and real

"Then my dad had this heart attack and I had to come back. He has sent threatening messages to remind me of the deal"

"Kate. Your dad told me that on the night you left that there was something going on that forced you to move to DC and I should not be mad at you. That you had no choice"

"He did?"

"Yes Kate, I knew something was going on. I just didn't know what. He never gave me any details."

"How often did you two talk?"

Castle kisses her on the forehead "Every week, Kate. Your dad and I had dinner once a week. He would make sure I knew you were ok. Actually I was there when he had the heart attack"

"You were the on who saved his life?"

"I guess I did, I called 9-1-1 and did CPR until the paramedics arrived. Then I called your boss to get a message to you"

"Rick, you have still had my back. Even when you thought I abandoned you?"

"Kate, you didn't abandon me or anyone else. You were backed into a corner. Now we need to go on the attack"

Looking up to his father "How do you think we can fix this?"

"Richard, I have connections including one very important connection that you are in need of here"

Agent Hunt walks to the opposite side of the room and opens the door to reveal the other part of this plot

A man enters the room "Good morning Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett."

Beckett and Castle both are shocked to see Michael Smith is in fact still alive and well