A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. This is a huge chapter - I heard from someone that chapters over 4000 words don't work on mobile? This one is a few hundred words over - if it doesn't work, let me know and I'll cut it into two. Thanks for reading, love you, please review. And I apologise in advance for not being very good or experienced at writing fight scenes...


35

Kate pulled her belt tight, a grim look on her face. Richard dressed beside her with an equally sombre demeanour.

"Thank you," Kate said a little absently.

"What?" Richard asked, surprised that she had spoken.

"For today." She turned to him and flashed him a smile. He chuckled.

"I should be thanking you."

"No... Castle... If we survive today... There's something I need to talk to you about."

He stepped in front of her and put his hands on his shoulders, looking straight into her shiny green eyes.

"We are not going to die."

He slid his hands down her body, bending down, until he was on one knee in front of her and his hands were on her hips. He reached back with his right hand and took something out of his pocket.

"So. Since you are going to live, Lady Katherine Beckett, will you marry me?"

Kate bit her lip, feeling tears form in her eyes. He had asked and she hadn't even told him. He had asked and he didn't know.

"Lanie, how can you be sure?"

"My mother taught me. If the mixture turns it red, you are with child. You must suspect, anyway."

"It can only have been a week, maybe two... I just feel..."

"You feel it. You would. Your insides are a little different, anyway."

"I can't be. I mean, I was sure I couldn't be. I thought-"

"You assumed the worst. As usual."

"Is it really the worst. Bringing a child into this world, is that really such a good thing?"

Lanie handed her the bowl of powder. Kate went back into her room and tipped it into the chamber pot.

"It'll take a while," Lanie warned her. Kate stared into the pot, watching the powder, watching for what seemed like forever, until she saw the liquid begin to turn red. She gasped, and instinctively put a hand down to her flat stomach, marvelling at the thought of a person growing inside there. There was a tap on her bedroom door.

"So?" Lanie asked. "You've been quiet for near a half hour."

"I... I am having his baby."

"Yes," she whispered. Richard's face broke into a huge smile.

"Yes?"

Kate laughed through the tears that now trickled down her face. "Yes. Yes, Richard Castle, I will marry you."

Still in shock, he opened the little box with shaking hands and slid the ring onto her finger. Kate took his hands and pulled him to his feet and into a long, passionate kiss. She would tell him tomorrow. When they were through this, when they were safe. She hoped it was possible for him to be as happy as she was. She had never seen herself as a mother before meeting him, but now... The idea of a part of him, a part of them, growing inside her into a child was the most beautiful thing she could think of.

He had gone home for most of the morning. That was when she had spoken to Lanie. He'd sent Alexis and Martha back to the Manor. Whatever he said to her, Kate knew he was not stupid. He knew there was a risk, a huge risk...

They broke apart and adjusted their clothes. There was a tap on the door. Kate looked at her ring. It wasn't flashy, it was small and neat, but the diamond shone with a brightness that she had only seen matched in Richard's eyes.

"Come in," she said to Lanie. Lanie entered, and at once caught sight of the ring, probably because Kate was still admiring it.

"I can't say I'm surprised," she said. She almost spoke again, until she realised Kate couldn't have told Richard before he left, so he couldn't have known to propose... So he didn't know. She raised her eyebrows at Kate. Kate shrugged and made a 'talk-about-it-later' face.

Richard handed Kate her sword; Lanie smiled at the bitter-sweet feeling that always flooded through her at the thought of her dead lover and what he had left them. Kate strapped Javier to her belt. Lanie carried a much smaller blade; it took a lot of strength to wield a full sized sword. Richard had one, of course. Roy had one too, Kate knew. He kept it with his musket under the counter. Kate wasn't sure who would want to rob a bookshop, but she knew Roy was good with a blade.

Charlie was in the bookshop too, and Sally. Sally was sitting down, her face unreadable. Her arms curled protectively around her belly. Kate finally understood how she could love a thing that was half evil. Nothing would stop her loving the person growing inside her; she was sure Sally felt the same.

Sally caught her staring.

"Are you ready?" the girl asked. Kate nodded.

"We are."

Charlie winked at her. "See ya later, M'Lady. It's gettin' dark; me an' the kids'll be goin' now."

Kate nodded again. "You watch yourself," she said. Her tone was joking, but it hid more fear than she'd felt in a long time. She rubbed her scar; Richard saw this and his hand slid around her waist, holding her to him. She could feel the heat and strength of his body. It was almost as if he was sending it into her, helping her to be brave. Even though she was supposed to be the brave one.

"I'm so sorry I got you caught up in this-" she began quietly, but he silenced her with a look. A look that said 'I love you'. He did not need to do anything else.

"Then... Let's go," she said. Roy helped Sally up, but she seemed much stronger than she had been. They slipped out into the night. Kate ran the way she knew Charlie had gone, but there was no trace of him or the other children. They were good. She was glad.

Night had fallen completely; the dark and smog engulfed London. There was not even a moon; no stars were visible to guide them. Or to give them hope. Kate felt a hand take hers as she ran and the chill of the air disappeared from her body.

Richard squeezed Kate's hand and prayed to all the Gods there ever had been that he really would marry her one day. Kate bit her lip. She did not know what sort of person she was. Not really. She finally knew what it was like to love, and while it was as powerful and magical as everything she had ever read had told her, it was also dark. Love was a monster.

And what she was doing, tonight. Risking all these lives, putting them all in so much danger... Javier banged against her hip. She would kill tonight. If Kate searched her soul, she was not doing this to save lives. She was doing it to avenge her mother, and herself. She was doing it because she hated to live in fear. She was doing it because she wanted to be free.

Her reasoning was wickedly selfish. She was letting all these people risk their lives... for nothing more than her own.

They reached the house; it was in uproar. Kate wished Sally good luck and she walked around to the back door. Kate heard screaming and yelling as the children turned the house upside down. Children. She was risking the lives of children. Roy and Lanie ran towards the house, but Richard pinned Kate to the wall before she could follow them.

"You may have your own reasons for doing this. But stopping the dragon will save so many lives, prevent so much evil. You cannot think of yourself as selfish. You cannot think of anything you have done, anything you have done since he took you and tortured you, as selfish."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Because I know you. You will not fight if you are worrying. Everyone here wants to be here. They all have their own reasons, I am sure. And why should you not be one of them?"

"Why? Because-"

He put a finger over her lips.

"What are you worth, Kate Beckett?"

Kate smiled at the recollection, the memory of what had followed when they'd had a conversation a bit like this before...

"Tell me," he said gently. He made it so tempting. So reasonable.

"I... You're too good for me," she whispered.

He shoved her off him roughly. She had not been expecting that. Neither had he, from the look on his face. Definitely not innocent. He took hold of her upper arms and pushed her up the bed then looked down at her, very close to angry. Yet another layer. Another side she hadn't seen. Another side to cherish.

"Don't ever say that again," he said, his voice low and dangerous. She blinked and narrowed her eyes. He might be good, but she wasn't giving in that easily.

"You are," she said firmly.

He kissed her hard, holding nothing back, not gentle, certainly not playful. She moaned softly and felt her insides turn to jelly. He took his mouth off hers.

"Far too good..."

He got off the bed and began getting dressed. She sat up, confused.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," he said shortly.

"What? I thought you were staying."

"I won't make you uncomfortable."

"You don't."

"I was. You have some messed up idea about me being too good for you which is not only absurd but-"

"You're really angry?"

"Yes! I'm really angry!"

"But I... I just meant-"

"How can you be so strong and yet so clueless at the same time?"

"I'm not clueless."

"You are. You have no idea... no idea. How good you are. You're... brilliant. You do more than anyone, you help so many people. No one is too good for you."

"If you don't like what I think I don't have to tell you."

"You should tell someone. You should tell them so they can tell you that sometimes, you're wrong."

He had stopped getting dressed. She was standing in front of him, wearing nothing, staring him down, stubborn and proud.

"What makes you right and me wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "But I am right."

"I know what I am."

"Then you must have a bizarre idea of what I am."

Kate continued to stare. She knew he would break. She took a step forward, closing the gap between them; she put her hands on his chest, keeping her focus on his eyes. He put his hands on her hips.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

"You know I do."

"Want to know how to make me?"

"I already know," she said.

"You going to do it?"

"Not sure yet."

"Let me persuade you."

"You think you will?"

"Oh, I can be very persuasive," he said, guiding her back to the bed. He nudged her knees apart with his and sat her down on the edge of the bed. She blushed.

"What?"

"Just... might have done this before."

"Was he good?"

"It was you."

"Kate, I, ah, think I would remem- wait – you mean you..?"

Kate grinned. "Might have been."

"Was I good?"

"Excellent."

"Remind me to ask you afterwards if this me is better."

"I think you'll remember."

"I think so too."

He waited. She lay back and thought. Or rather, tried not to think. It was funny how effective he could be by doing nothing. He saw her tense and put his hands on her knees, using them to push himself up to catch her eye.

"Magic words, Kate."

Kate looked him up and down.

"Priceless."

He smiled. "Who?"

"Everyone."

"And who in particular?"

Kate bit her lip. He really thought it. He really did. She wanted him so badly. Not just in that way... She wanted him to be pleased with her. She wanted him to smile at her, to praise her, to be proud of her, to feel like he had helped her...

"Me."

"I'm priceless," she said softly. Richard smiled at her.

"Do you mean that?"

Kate thought about it. She had to answer him honestly. She thought about how she felt when he was with her, when he looked at her. And how she felt when she thought about carrying his child, about marrying him, about their future, about her future. She wasn't sure how she felt about feeling it, but she did feel it. She was no worse than anyone else. Not even the dragon could make her feel that way any more.

"Yes."

He took her hand and they ran towards the house. They joined Roy and Lanie, who were watching Sally as she tapped on the back door. It didn't open, which was understandable. Sally gestured for them to come in behind her.

Kate felt slightly uncomfortable at Sally having to lead, but she was the only one of them who had been in the house before. It was huge. She led them through a large, clean kitchen. It was deserted, but they could hear shouting and fighting going on in another part of the house. Sally took them to a door leading to the servant's staircase. Lanie and Roy went to help the children. Kate and Richard followed Sally up the stairs.

They stayed silent, not speaking. It was too quiet. Surely there would be guards, servants? Kate couldn't believe there was no one in this part of the-

There was a crash behind her as Richard slammed his sword into the sword of a man dressed in black. A man who looked all too familiar... Richard seemed only to be planning to knock the man unconscious – until he lunged for Kate, and Richard's sword pierced his heart. There was a lot of blood in a man. Richard shuddered; Kate wiped her face.

"Come on," she whispered. Richard followed her and she followed Sally. They were in a main passageway now; Kate did her best to remember their route so she could take it to get out again, but it was not of utmost importance – the house had windows; they could break one and climb out.

Now that the first guard had appeared, there seemed to be an endless flow of them. Sally was much more of a fighter than Kate had anticipated, stabbing men twice her size with impressive speed and power. Kate was already slightly mistrustful of the girl, and her skill at... well, killing, did not do anything to change her mind.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"His room. Bracken's. When I was in there... It has a reinforced door, and a lot more than just a bed. As if he's prepared for his house being attacked. It's just down here..."

Kate nodded, but as they rounded the corner they were greeted by ten more guards.

"At least we're in the right place," Richard muttered in her ear.

"You joke now too?" she asked him.

"I always joke. It's easy."

"You are insane," Kate said, but she was smiling. She couldn't help it; he banished her fear, replacing it with a whole mixture of other things. She had discovered that there was darkness in love... But there did not seem to be much darkness in Richard Castle. Even when he swung his sword to send the head of the first guard rolling, something in his eyes, the way he held his shoulders, the way his mouth fell into a firm, regretful line... This was a good man. Such a good man...

The fight was heating up more and more. Kate found herself separated from Richard; Sally stayed by the door, not getting involved unless she had to. While Kate did not blame her, it made her all the more sure that Sally was not being entirely honest with them.

She whirled Javi around her head. More guards were appearing, but none of them had anything like the skill that she or Richard possessed. She hated to kill them; every blow she delivered sent a pang to her heart, but it moved so quickly she hardly had time to think about what she was doing before someone else attacked her and she moved on to fight them.

Her body seemed to become more and more agile; she twisted and danced, getting barely a scratch as she overpowered her opponents. Her heart almost stopped when she heard a yell from Richard, but he was still standing; he had a small cut on his arm.

They were both tired by the time the guards were all dealt with. Sally was tapping on the door.

"It is no use, William," she said quietly. "Your home is overrun."

To Kate's surprise, the door began to open. She looked at Richard, but he had no answer to the question in her eyes. She gripped Javi more tightly and hoped Lanie, Roy, and the children were as unhurt as they were. The cut on Richard's left arm had stopped bleeding; she wished there was time for her to examine it, but the door was still opening. Sally stood before it confidently-

-as four more guards ran out and grabbed hold of Richard. Kate heard a terrifyingly familiar voice from inside the bedroom.

"Bring them in," it called. One of the guards held a knife to Richard's throat; it took nothing else to persuade Kate to follow them into the room.

"Good evening, Lady Beckett. How you have changed..."

It was him. It was the man who had held her captive, the man who had stabbed her. She had been kept in the dark, he hadn't shown her his face, but now he was speaking she could not mistake him. Richard struggled, but to no avail. He was strong, but he was not stronger than four men.

"Drop your sword, please," Bracken said. "He is a handsome man. It would be a great shame if anything were to happen to him."

Kate let Javi clatter to the floor. She felt strong arms grab her from behind, and was not entirely surprised when she realised they belonged to Sally. The girl's blood stained knife was at her throat.

"I am sorry," Sally muttered. "But 'e offered so much money."

"You're not carrying his child," Kate said. She should never have trusted her. Never. Looking back on it, it was clearly a trap. Everything, the threat... it was just what would lure her in, and the dragon knew it. Sally was just another girl from the gutter. She had still been used, she was still a pawn... But she was not an ally. She needed the money. Kate did not blame her. And she would do all she could not to kill her or the baby.

Kate could see the horror in Richard's eyes, and wished there was something she could do. Bracken approached him. Kate scanned the room. There were four more guards, and another door to a side room which could have any number more.

Richard watched the tall, strong man walk towards him. This was not a man who liked to hide in a bedroom. He wondered what had made the other man not partake in the fight sooner. He had a feeling he knew. He had a feeling that reason was standing on the other side of the room, wearing a ring he had given her only hours before.

The first punch to his gut was a surprise. By the second, he had realised what was happening. Kate was being punished. He should never have come. He did not want her to see this. He would die for her, gladly, but he would never let her see. She was strong, the strongest person he knew. But her heart was far from made of stone. Her scream when Bracken hit him hurt him more than the fist to the gut.

Bracken turned to Kate.

"Let her go," he said to Sally. He turned back to his guards.

"Kill him if she moves."

Bracken took Kate's left hand and smiled. "I thought I saw a diamond here. So the iron Lady finally fell in love?"

Kate forced herself to say nothing, to keep still.

"Answer me."

Kate said nothing. Bracken waved a hand at his guard; the guard delivered a blow to Richard's kidney which buckled his knees; he slammed into the floor.

"Answer me," Bracken said again.

"Yes," Kate said, staring at Richard, willing him to be strong, willing him to be strong until she could think of a way to save him.

"A shame. A great shame. Love is such a weakness, my dear. You make it so easy for me to remind you who is in control."

He walked back towards Richard and took a knife from one of the guards. He grabbed hold of Richard's hair and tipped his head back, then ran the knife along his exposed throat.

"You do a good job in this city," Bracken said to Kate. "It will not do for your focus to be compromised. And that is what this man is doing, is it not? You feel so free. You feel worth something. He makes you scream with ecstasy, you allow him to make love to you, you let him in in every way. You let him know you. All of you."

He took the knife away from Richard's neck and walked back to Kate, agonisingly slowly.

"I find myself rather jealous," Bracken said to Kate. "I never knew you like he does. Watching you, seeing that..." he took hold of her shoulders and pushed her down to pin her against the bed.

"Oh, bring them out," he added. "They should see this. They should see what their leader truly is. And the most interesting part is, Kate, I think a part of you, perhaps small, but a part of you will enjoy this."

Kate turned her head to see Lanie, Roy, and Charlie being led out of the side room, held by two guards each. Charlie yelled and struggled when he saw her; Roy was almost too injured to stand. Kate couldn't see Lanie's face, but her head was bowed. Broken. They might be alive, but she had killed them nonetheless.

Bracken took hold of her chin and forced her to look back at him.

"Look at me, Katherine," he said softly. A tear trickled down Kate's cheek. It had all been for nothing. She had worked it out, but it was still all for nothing.

"There is no dragon," she whispered. "It was you all along."

"Very good," he said, smiling. "At least you can die with the puzzle solved. Clever girl."

His hands ripped at her shirt. Though her eyes were open, her mind paid no attention to what they saw. She thought of another time, standing in her room, the sun peeping through the drapes onto the figure of the man she loved, lying in her bed-

"GO TO HELL," Richard screamed, grabbing the knife and stabbing it into its owner's throat. The other guards were too stunned for a moment to move; he used this time to kill another and break away from them, then throw Bracken off Kate. She picked up her sword and somehow found the strength to fight. Lanie broke away from her captors; Charlie too. Roy was too weak, but they dealt with the guards. Blood and screams and steel flew about the room.

Kate found herself face to face with Bracken; he was strong and powerful, a brilliant fighter. Javi fitted in her hands as well as ever, she was just as agile, but he was stronger, and he was not tired like she was. Kate had a horrible feeling, from what little she could make out in the rest of the room, that even Richard's strength and bravery would not be enough to save them.

Another blow and Javi was on the floor. She was on her knees in front of him; his sword was at her throat.

"I had hoped it would not come to this," Bracken said a little sadly. "But-"

Blood bubbled out of his mouth and he fell to the floor. Richard had stabbed him in the back. He held out a bloodstained hand to Kate; she took it, stunned to be alive.

"You are not alone this time," Richard said to her. Kate fell into his embrace and he held her for a moment, but had to let her go.

The guards were dead. Sally too. Lanie nursed a wounded leg; Roy was lying on the floor, alive but unconscious. And-

"Charlie!"

Kate ran to the limp, small body, but she could not rouse him. She felt for a pulse, but there was nothing. She let out a wail of agony, this little boy, this little boy had died, just so that she could live. She cradled him in her arms, and felt Richard's hand on her shoulder. Her clothes and hair were soaked with blood; the stench of death was so strong she almost had to hold her breath-

There was a shout from behind her, she whirled around instantly and plunged Javi into the heart of the man... The man who had just stabbed Richard in the stomach. Richard groaned as he stumbled to the floor; Kate grabbed a sheet from the bed and pressed it to his wound. She put her ear to his mouth. He was still breathing, just. She moaned with pain of her own as Lanie forced her to get up.

"We must go, burn the place before the watch get here."

Kate nodded, and began to break the gas lamps, shaking the fuel around the house. She forced herself not to think of the man lying on Bracken's bedroom floor as she went from room to to room. Kate lifted Richard; Lanie helped Roy. They had to leave Charlie inside. They left through the door they had entered by; Kate threw in a burning, fuel soaked cloth.

She watched the house erupt into flames; houses were built mostly of wood. Perhaps blood was easy to burn too. She staggered into the night and into Richard's waiting carriage; he was becoming heavier and heavier on her shoulder. But he was going to live. He had to live.

"You can't," she said to him, pressing on the cloth. "You can't die now, not now, not when I'm free, not when..."

Richard slowly moved his hand to take hers.

"I won't," he promised. "I'm here with you. Always."

Tears poured down Kate's cheeks as she listened to his even fainter breathing, and she wished she could believe him.


A/N: So... thoughts? As I said, love you, please review! (A few people have messaged me saying they don't like me asking for reviews. I don't want to argue with you - but I will say this. I only ask for reviews because it is my dream to be a 'real' writer, and it means a lot to me what people think of my writing. I love writing, and I would do it anyway, but your opinions are important to me. Even if you're Serena and your opinion is every chapter should be sex! xxx)