A/N: Okay, I wrote the first half of this chapter then got really busy and now I am back writing it again over a month later. Shout out to andy-ho13 who motivated me with a review I received a little while ago. So thank you! This was an extremely hard chapter to write during both periods of production.

Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine.

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Kate scratched her head and stared at her blank computer screen. She bit her thumb lightly out of nervousness and anticipation for Castle's arrival at the Precinct. It had been three days since she had tried to "casually" work the word love into a conversation and it had failed miserably.

After that one attempt, she consulted Lanie who hadn't really helped anyway.

When Castle came into the Precinct the next day, things weren't awkward or natural. Everything was just...as it was. Kate couldn't quite put her finger on it. So instead, she had decided to turn a blind eye to everything and basically forget it.

Kate jumped when her desk phone rang, attracting the attention of Ryan, who gave her sympathetic smile.

"Beckett," she said as she smiled back.

"Ka-ate," Lanie's voice came through the phone in a sing song tone.

"Lanie? What's up?" she ignored the tone of voice.

"You know what's up. Any updates on the...Castle situation?" Lanie said in a completely unsubtle manner.

"What situation, "Kate was trying to hold back a chuckle. She leaned back in her chair.

"Remember what I said?"

"What you said was actually really cheesy. Or corny." Beckett shrugged.

"Nuh-uh. Trisha Yearwood is neither one of those things," Lanie said playfully.

"Oh yeah, she writes very insightful country music," Kate rolled her eyes.

"What's meant to be will always find a way, Kate. Don't pressure yourself, it'll happen," Lanie said reassuringly.

"Thanks Lanie," Beckett replied, despite the fact Lanie was the one encouraging her to tell Castle this entire time. She was curious as to why Lanie had suddenly changed her tune.

"Bye Hun," Lanie hung up the phone.

Beckett sighed ad stretched her arms out. Quite frankly, she was bored of waiting for Castle to arrive and she figured instead of sitting here nervously, she should continue working.

Kate stood up to go and make herself coffee in the break room. When she came back, there he was.

Castle was standing next to Ryan, hiding two coffees in each of his hands. She sighed and looked at the fresh coffee she had just made for herself.

It'll happen. Lanie's voice echoed through her head, rather annoyingly.

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By the end of the day, one cups of coffee couldn't keep anyone in the Precinct at a normal functioning rate, so they called it a day. Kate was feeling tired and wasn't up for any heavy conversation topics.

"So…my apartment or yours?" Castle offered.

"Sure, then we can hold hands and skip after wards," she replied sarcastically. By now they were in the elevator and on their way down.

"Oh come on," he chuckled in realization of the fact that she wasn't in the mood to talk right now. However, he couldn't help wondering why.

"Sorry Castle, I'm just really-"

"Tired. I know. But are you sure there isn't anything bothering you? You can tell me," he nudged her lightly. She hesitated for a moment.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. Thanks," she said with a tired smile.

"Kate," he urged as they stepped out of the elevator and walked to her automobile.

"I'm fine. It's just something Lanie said earlier, that's all," she shrugged it off.

"No excuses, I'm driving," he smiled at her and motioned for the keys.

"Castle," she said with warning.

"You're tired and no offence but I would like to be…you know, alive by the end of this trip," he laughed and she looked out the window, not quite used to the idea of someone else driving her car.

"What's meant to be will always find a way," she said after a long period of silence.

"Sorry?" Castle looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

"What Lanie said to me. What is meant to be will always find a way," she scoffed at how this one phrase had stick with her after such a long day.

"Okay…why would this bother you? It is true you know," he tapped one finger against the steering wheel as if to emphasize the point.

"Wow, I never would have expected that from you Castle," Kate laughed and rested her head against her left hand.

"But hey, don't you think it's true? You weren't meant to die at Montgomery's funeral, and here you are,"

"No that wasn't fate, Castle," she laughed. She didn't follow up with anything else, because she knew there was no way of convincing him and she wasn't in the mood.

"Would you mind if I put the radio on?" he asked.

"Be my guest. I am so tired right now, I wouldn't care if you joined a circus," she said with an eye roll and a small smile. After about three minutes, Castle finally settled on one station.

Kate looked at Castle when she realized which song was now playing on her radio. When Castle started singing, things only became worse for her so she sunk down in her seat.

"Tarzan & Jane were swingin' on a vine," he sang in a raspy singing voice.

"Castle, please don't," she pleaded with one hand covering her mouth in shock.

"Okay, I won't," he laughed, "But you have to admit that Candyman is a catchy song!"

She merely looked at him without saying anything. He looked at her and turned away in feigned shame but she held her gaze on him a little while longer.

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A/N: Okay, I sincerely hope that nobody in this chapter is out of character. I wrote this last month but I never updated it because it wasn't finished. This is a kind of "to be continued" chapter, so the next one will pick up where this left off. My apologies to andy-ho13, sorry this took so long, think of this as a 'two-part' kind of thing :D Again, sorry!

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