Author's Note: I'd like to thank phnxgrl, TORONTOSUN, and Guest for their reviews. phnxgrl: Alex is a slippery one. TORONTOSUN: Alex hasn't broken her promises to Kate yet. She will turn herself in. When that will be is the real question. Guest: I wish you had a profile on here so the responses could be a little more personal. :) I am a very detail-oriented person, so I always think of what would be needed to pull something off. Glad you enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes bits. As for what Alex needs to do, we'll find out. This chapter starts in Shaw's perspective. Enjoy!

Chapter 47

Today had been a good day. While Volkert wasn't available for prosecution anymore, Shaw was happy with the results. Beckett and Castle had survived, just as Stevens had promised. Not only that, but Stevens was also in custody and many of Volkert's mercenaries had been arrested in the raid. Shaw exited the warehouse after the last thug was escorted to the prisoner transport bus and headed toward the squad car where Stevens was being held. To her surprise, Stevens was nowhere in sight.

"Was Stevens already taken away?"

The nearest agent shrugged. "I don't know. I just got here."

Another agent came over. "She was here when I last saw her." He glanced around. "Where's my jacket? It was hanging right there."

Shaw closed her eyes briefly in disbelief. "Are you telling me that Alexandra Stevens, a.k.a. The Shadow Fox, was left here, unattended, and you hung your jacket a few feet from her without even thinking about the kind of opportunity it would give her?"

"She was handcuffed and the keys weren't in my jacket. I didn't think anything of it."

"She wouldn't be the first to pick the lock on a pair of handcuffs, would she?" The agent shook his head in shame and Shaw turned around. "Listen up, people! Alex Stevens has escaped! Fan out and search everywhere! Let's find her before she gets too far away!"

The Feds jumped into action and scattered, breaking up into groups to search. Shaw headed back inside the warehouse to talk to Beckett and her group. Beckett was just finishing up her explanation of what had really happened. Shaw gave them a final few minutes to wrap up and then interrupted.

"Stevens just escaped. I thought you said she'd never broken a promise yet?"

Beckett looked up in confusion. "She's gone? I thought SWAT had arrested her."

"They had, but it looks like there was a lack of communication and she was left unattended for just enough time to escape. Any idea where she went or why she left in the first place?"

Beckett shook her head. "I don't know where she'd go."

Castle relaxed his grip on his fiancée enough so he could look at her. "Do you remember what she said when she promised to turn herself in?"

A thought struck Beckett. "She said she would turn herself in to me. She was arrested by the SWAT team, not me. That's why she escaped. I wasn't the arresting officer."

Shaw smirked in disbelief and shook her head. "Well, that's just great. That could mean tomorrow or twenty years from now." She turned as the paramedics finally were allowed in. "We'll talk again later. In the meantime, your ride is here. Let's see what those drugs did to you."

Kate was released from the hospital within hours. The drug Alex had injected her with had already worked its way through her system and her vital signs were all stable. Kate was concerned with how weak she was feeling, but the doctor told her that a week off of work and a lot of rest should take care of that. Rick was also released quickly. He had a few bruises from the kidnapping and his wrists were treated for the minor cuts from his restraints, but other than that, he was perfectly fine. Shaw had an agent drive them home as soon as they were released, promising to keep them in the loop on the FBI's search for Alex.

Martha and Alexis were beyond relieved to see that both of them were fine and home. Alexis hugged her dad for several minutes without letting go, her face buried in his shoulder. Martha helped Kate to the couch and then sat by her side, asking all the questions Ryan and Esposito had asked back at the warehouse. Alexis took a seat as soon as she let go of her father and everyone listened as Kate recounted what had happened again. While she talked, she glanced at Rick and noticed a wet patch on his shoulder where Alexis had buried her face. She'd been crying while she hugged her father. When Kate finished her side of the story, Alexis told her about the television in Rick's office turning on and how they had watched her die.

"I didn't know. Everyone saw me die?"

Rick nodded. "While you were being checked out, Esposito told me that Volkert managed to broadcast the video of your death to the precinct. Everyone at work probably thought you were dead, though I would imagine they know about the ruse by now. You were very convincing."

Alexis threw her arms around Kate. "I'm glad you're not dead. Don't you ever do that again."

Kate returned the hug. "I promise. I will never fake my death again. I'm so sorry I had to do that." She looked at her fiancé. "I had to though. Your dad's life depended on it."

Martha looked from Kate to Rick and then stood. "Well Alexis, I think your father and Kate would like to spend some time alone. They've been separated for far too long. Let's give them some privacy."

The young girl started to protest. "But…"

"No buts. You're spending the night at my place. Grab a few things, quickly."

Alexis sighed. "Fine." She gave Kate and Rick quick hugs. "I'll be back tomorrow. We're doing lunch together, no excuses."

Kate smiled. "It's a date."

Rick stood. "Help you to the bedroom?"

Kate nodded. "Please."

He helped her to stand and then supported most of her weight for the short trip from the couch to their bedroom. Kate hated that she was still so weak, but if this was the price she had to pay to have Rick back at her side, she would pay that price again in a heartbeat. He gently set her down on the bed and then sat next to her, holding her tight as he captured her mouth in a long, slow kiss. She returned the embrace, though she could tell her grip wasn't strong enough to express the depth of her emotions.

Eventually they broke apart to breathe and Rick stood to help Kate undress before stripping down himself. Tonight he planned to worship her for everything she'd had to endure to save him. If it hadn't been for her willingness to do what she'd done, he would have died. Because of Kate and Alex's efforts, he'd been saved. He helped his love under the covers and then pulled her into his arms, kissing her mouth, her cheeks, her throat; anything he could reach. Kate had wrapped her arms around him, holding him as close as her weakened arms could. For several minutes, they stayed like that, just reveling in the intimacy of the moment.

One of Rick's hands eventually started to migrate over Kate's body, the other holding her close. He gently caressed every inch of her, still kissing her and thanking the heavens that she was still in his arms. Her hands were also exploring; touching every inch she could reach, celebrating his safe return to her. His hand migrated further south, over her hip to her leg and back again, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. She moaned with pleasure and guided his lips back to hers. Their tongues silently battled for dominance until his fingers found her center and she threw her head back with pleasure. He latched his mouth on her pulse point, sucking on it, marking her as his and only his. She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding his head in place.

With slow, tender movements, he teased her till she brought his head up to her mouth again. Rick obliged and repositioned himself over her, pressing his body to hers. She wrapped her arms around him and held him there, savoring the feel of him hovering over her while they kissed passionately. She had come so close to losing him and she knew that if she had, it would have been her undoing. She'd lost so many people in the past; the death of this man would have destroyed her even more than the others had. Now he was safe and home and here with her. Tears silently trickled out of the corners of her eyes.

He broke off the kiss and lifted himself enough to look in her eyes, noticing, with surprise, the tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm happy. These are tears of joy."

His eyes softened even more. "I know the feeling."

"Rick, I need to feel you, all of you."

"Me too."

Slowly, gently, he entered her until he was buried deep within her. For a moment he stayed that way, allowing her body to adjust before withdrawing just as slowly. In and out, in and out, slowly, tenderly; they settled into a gentle rhythm, only breaking contact with their lips to kiss a different body part. Time and place disappeared. All that mattered was the two of them tangled together, worshiping the other, never wanting it to stop. Slowly, without any conscious thought, the tempo began to speed up. Kisses were interspersed with gasps, sighs, moans, and whispers. Rick nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, lips kissing, teeth nipping, and tongue soothing. Kate held his head there, reveling in the sensations.

The tempo continued to increase until they reached their climax, calling each other's names into the dark. Rick's arms gave out and he collapsed into Kate's arms, completely spent. She held him close, running her fingers through his hair until he gathered enough strength to roll off of her and pull her onto his chest, still caressing every inch he could reach. She settled into his embrace, running her fingers over his chest, and tangling her legs with his.

He spoke first. "I think that was the best I've ever had."

She smiled sleepily into his chest. "Me too."

"I'm so glad you're still alive. I don't know what I would do if I had really lost you."

"If you had been killed, I would have lost my mind. I've lost too many people I care about to handle one more. You were the one to rescue me from the hole I'd dug for myself. You were the one who helped me get through Montgomery's death and my father's. I wouldn't have survived losing you too."

He tightened his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere. I will be there for you, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"Always."

Lunch with Alexis was just wrapping up when her phone started ringing. Alexis pulled it out of her purse and stared at it in surprise. "That's weird; I'm not expecting anyone to call."

Rick shrugged. "Just find out who it is."

"Hello?" She froze, then held the phone out to Kate. "It's for you."

Kate's brow contracted in confusion as she took the phone. "Hello?"

"Kate, it's me. I couldn't call your number because the Feds are tapping it. I want to talk to you in private, alone. Are you available to meet?"

"Where?"

"First you have to promise that the Feds and Castle will be left out of this. I made you a promise, but I need to take care of some things before that happens. So, do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Marymount Cemetery, D21. One hour." The line went dead.

"Who was that?"

"Alex. She wants to meet."

Rick choked on his water in surprise, coughing for a minute before he could talk. "And you're actually going to go?"

"Rick, if it hadn't been for her, you would be at the morgue right now. I know she's a trained killer, but after everything she risked to help us, I trust her."

Rick looked down in thought. "And I trust your judgment. Where are we going?"

Kate shook her head. "She was specific. I'm to meet her alone." She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll come home; I promise."

Kate found Alex sitting on a bench under a tree near a grave marker. The name on the headstone made her pause before she took the open seat. Sloan Linklater, Alex's fiancé. That's why she wanted to meet here. She sat next to Alex in silence, waiting for the younger woman to speak first. This was, after all, her meeting.

Finally, Alex spoke. "I'm sorry for what I've put you through the past couple months. I was still trying to protect you. I just had to put on a mask and pretend I'd truly become a monster. It was the only way for me to keep you safe."

"You do realize that the Feds will start to stake out this place when they find it."

Alex chuckled. "Hopefully by the time they find it, I'll already be in your custody. Electronically, this plot belongs to a Steven C. LaQuensy. It was one of Sloan's aliases. And besides, even if they did figure it out early, they're not very subtle. I'll get away."

"I'm sure you will." Kate looked around. "What did you want to tell me?"

Alex didn't speak for several minutes. "I remember meeting your mom a couple times; when I was little. My dad used to bring me down to the courthouse after I got out of school. He'd let me help him find court documents or file boxes when I was done with my homework. I was never allowed to touch the files or boxes, but he'd give me a little slip of paper with the number on it. I'd go one way, he'd go the other. If I found it, I was supposed to call him over and he'd take it down. I think I was like eight when he started letting me help."

Kate smiled, letting Alex relive one of her happier memories. "What if he found it first?"

Alex smiled. "He'd call me over and have me check his work. It made me feel important. And for a little girl who'd grown up without her mom, letting me help out just showed how much he loved me. And the lawyers and cops that came to him seemed to think I was cute. That's how I met your mom. She'd come down a lot, asking for various cold case files. I'm guessing that it was for her pro bono work. And I think I met you back then too. If I remember correctly, you had your nose buried in a Shakespearean play or something like that."

Kate smiled. She remembered that day. Her mom had dragged her down to the courthouse because the night before, young Kate said something about not wanting to be a snaky lawyer. Her parents had insisted that not all lawyers were snakes and thieves. Young Kate had rolled her eyes and said prove it. And so her mother had set about proving it, teaching Kate that there were lawyers out there who actually tried to be the good guys. She'd spent every after-school moment that week helping her mother look into her pro bono cases. By the end of the week, Kate had decided that she wanted to be a lawyer after all, as long as she could be like her mom.

Alex watched as the memory came to Kate. "I was probably nine by then. You were reading this book with a title I didn't understand. I remember thinking, 'I want to be smart like her.' Your mom thanked my dad for the files and then she asked you to help her carry them back to her office. You rolled your eyes and were grabbing the box when you caught me staring. And I remember that you smiled."

"I never realized that was you. I just remembered a little girl looking up at me with big eyes. You looked like you were scared of me."

"More like I was in awe. Who knew both of us would lose a parent in two years." They sat in silence for a few more minutes. "I almost killed you a few years ago."

Kate was surprised and a little afraid. "When?"

"Right after you had killed Rathborne. One of the reasons I was so happy to be back in New York was that I knew my adoptive 'father' had taken refuge here. I'd worked on tracking him down; had a plan to kill him and everything. But then he killed his brother, you got involved in the case, and all of the sudden he was dead. I was so mad. A few weeks later, I knew where you lived and had a plan."

Kate remembered that period of her life. "And then my place blew up."

Alex nodded. "Took you four months to find a new place and get yourself set up again. That's when I broke into your apartment to wait for you to come home. You'd come inside, put your gun and badge away, kick off your shoes; whatever your after-work routine was. While I waited for you to come home, I poked around a bit. I found the little murder board you'd set up. Saw the picture of your mom in that alley, saw the picture of my dad," Alex cleared her throat, "and that's when I realized that if anyone had as much of a right as I did to kill Rathborne, it was you. So I left." Alex was looking down at her hands. "I met Sloan a little after that. He helped me to be less angry, helped me to realize that I could still have a life. He was the best thing that happened to me."

Kate shivered as a chill ran up her back and decided to change the direction of the conversation. "How much longer am I going to feel shaky?"

"It should wear off in a couple days. I was actually planning on using the same drug on your dad to get him out of harm's way. I really was trying to protect him too."

Kate sniffed. "I know you were. Thanks for at least trying. I'm sorry I shot you over that."

Alex nodded, accepting the apology. "I was going to fake his death to fool The Gentleman and then find a way to get the two of you in contact with each other. Once I'd found a way to get rid of Volkert, your dad could return home. I just didn't get there in time." Alex sighed and stood up. "I'd better get going. When do you return to the precinct?"

Kate shrugged. "Probably the beginning of next week. Why?"

"So I know when to turn myself in. It's time I stopped running from my fate."

Kate stood. "Alex, you know I'm going to have to turn you over to the FBI."

Alex nodded. "I know. But I'm going to keep my promise. That's one of the reasons why I escaped when you and Castle were rescued. I'd said I was going to turn myself in to you. Not Shaw, you. That's what I'm going to do. What happens after that is beyond my control."

"Try to get into WitSec." Alex looked confused by Beckett's suggestion. "I'd imagine that after years living among the killers and crooks of this world, you have a lot of information that could help the Feds track down and arrest quite a few of them. That information might be enough to get you into protective custody, maybe even Witness Protection."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Kate smiled a sad smile. "You were eleven when you were adopted by a killer and trained to be his replacement. I personally don't feel like you've been given a chance at a real life. If you can get into WitSec, you just might get that chance."

Alex shook Kate's hand. "Thanks. I'll see what I can do." She turned to go.

"Wait." Alex turned back to the detective. "You said there was something you needed to do before you could turn yourself in. What is it?"

Alex put one hand on the headstone, and the other on her necklace. "I needed to say goodbye to him. Volkert didn't let me off the leash for any amount of real personal time after Sloan's death, so I never got the chance to say goodbye. And the Feds aren't likely to allow me to do so once I'm turned over to them, so this was my only chance." She took a couple steps back. "I'll see you soon. Have a pair of handcuffs ready."

With that, Alex turned and walked away. Kate sat back down, still shaky from the drug. Standing or walking for very long made her feel weak. Kate looked at the headstone for Sloan Linklater. Alex must have been the one to pick out the headstone. Underneath the name and date was an inscription.

"Here rests the love of my life,
whose time on Earth was cut short by cruel hands.
Rest in peace, until we meet again."

Suddenly, sirens could be heard barreling toward her. Kate turned around on the bench as three "Fed-mobiles" skidded to a stop. Agent Shaw got out of the front one and stalked over to Kate, anger clear on her face.

"Please tell me you didn't tell her to get out of town!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Detective Beckett, don't give me that. Half an hour ago, we determined that Steven C. LaQuensy was an alias used by Sloan Linklater eight years ago in Atlanta, Georgia. Twenty minutes ago, we were able pull a satellite image of this headstone. Two women were sitting on this bench. Now you're the only one. What did you tell her?"

"I was trying to convince her to turn herself into you. She didn't want to."

Shaw shook her head. "Why didn't you detain her?"

Kate held out one of her hands; it was trembling slightly. "I'm still shaky from the drug she gave me. Plus, right now I'm on medical leave, so I don't really have any authority. Look, Shaw, she said she'll turn herself into me. I trust her to keep her word."

"Why is that?"

"She hasn't broken it yet. And don't bother staking out this location. She said her goodbyes. She won't be returning anytime soon." She slowly stood up. "Any chance I could catch a ride back to the loft?"

Shaw finally sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Hop in."

A/N: This is the last chapter. There might be a couple more chapters coming, but those will be part of the epilogue if I do end up writing them. Thank you all so much for reading this story! It means so much to me that some of you would stick with it and comment on it for three years. (Hard to believe it took that long to complete sometimes) Thank you! Stay tuned for more.