All's Well That Ends Well

A/N: I honestly didn't think this story would be this long, yet here we are. I think I just got really caught up in the fluff! Haha. I wanna live in this world – where they get their happily ever after – forever. It might be my new headcanon. But anyway– this chapter gets a bit mature so skip around if that's not really your thing! Hope you enjoy!

—-

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

Taylor Swift, Lover

—-

The house was dark as Kate pulled him through the back door. She was glad for it; she didn't want them to get caught by any stray party guests.

"Where are we going?" Castle whispered, and Kate simply grinned to herself before squeezing his hand reassuringly.

They stopped just inside Castle's office on the ground floor, the room furthest from the party, when Kate leaned against the door, closing it with her weight. She said nothing, merely flashed a goofy, conspiratorial grin up at him, before biting her lip and wiggling her eyebrows.

"You can't be serious," he breathed, his tone like a child discovering their presents on Christmas morning. Though the room was dark, his eyes were alight and shining, his whole face transformed into one of delight.

Kate nodded and stalked toward him. She reached her hands up, threading them through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I couldn't wait," she murmured, and focused her attention on his sheepish, yet playful smile.

"It was all that spy-talk, wasn't it?" He brushed aside a loose curl before lowering his lips to her jaw. He tasted the column of her throat, and Kate felt her legs wobble.

"Something like that."

It had been him, plain and simple. Choosing her. Being the kind of brave she'd never been. Kate was always the first to run headfirst into danger, to do anything to save lives, but never the one to say no just because she wanted to. And though she wondered if Castle's choice had been the right one or if they'd live to regret it, in the moment she felt… pleased. Humbled. Adored. He'd all but shouted his love for her to the world, and it felt better to focus on that and not the what-ifs of any potential ramifications of his decision to stay. After all, what he'd said had been fair: 'I can consult, but I am not qualified for what is being asked of me.' Sense overruled the quest for justice, at least just this once.

His warm hands stroked down her sides before landing on her hips. Her body tingled everywhere; either because of the fact that they were hiding from their wedding guests or because they were finally now husband and wife - Kate wasn't sure. But she needed him, and they needed to be quick if they were to remain unnoticed.

Her mouth assailed his. She tasted the champagne on his tongue and felt drunk with the way it sent shivers up and down her spine. And then the world tilted, and Castle's hands were directing her to the arm of the loveseat.

"I love you," he said, and it sounded like he was in pain. Like the weight of his love was suffocating, strangling him. "I've wanted to make you mine for so long, Beckett."

His hands wrapped around her calves and Kate leaned her ass onto the edge of the armrest. Her arms were around his shoulders, clawing at his back, his hair. She wanted to devour any inch of him she could get.

"I know," she moaned through gasping breaths, and now Castle's hands were at her thighs beneath her dress. He spread her apart and stepped forward, keeping her from falling backward with his strong, bruising grip.

She could feel the length of him straining against his tux trousers, so she let go of his neck long enough to reach down and free him. It took a couple tries; her fingers were shaking while she tried to maintain her balance, all while Castle's mouth had trailed from her lips to her neck to her shoulder. Ugh god, the curve where the two met… He was making it harder and harder for her to stay quiet.

But then he sprang free, and the growl he emitted was enough to set her skin ablaze.

He reached around with both hands to tug on the lace fabric of her underwear, and she wiggled just enough for him to pry them loose. They slid down her legs and she kicked her feet to help them fall to the floor.

With one arm wrapped around Castle's neck and the other slowly pumping him, she leaned back so Castle could pull her to the edge of the armrest. They locked eyes, both breathing rapidly, mouths hanging open, before she moved him to align with her entrance.

"I love you so much, Rick," she sighed, and it truly didn't feel like enough. Once upon a time, Kate had been scared to death of saying those words - to anyone - and now she realized they couldn't possibly encapsulate how she really felt about him. They weren't enough.

He was her soulmate. Her better half. The very essence of her being.

He was her entire world.

Kate gasped when Castle finally embedded himself inside her. Whether it was the angle or the lack of true foreplay, she felt like he filled her to the brim and then some. She was dizzy with the fullness, and deliriously in love.

"I'm ready."

At her command, Castle began to move, keeping his hands steady on her hips. He braced himself against the couch, angling up while Kate clung to him.

"Harder," she whimpered, and once more he obeyed. Her arms tightened around his neck as Castle moved against her. She arched, and - oh god, that angle - he was right where she wanted him.

Kate couldn't help but think to herself that no man had ever matched her like this before. Had never been able to anticipate what she needed, know her so thoroughly inside and out that she was rendered speechless. But here he was, moving her in just the right way, at just the right speed, that her entire body was jerking at the anticipation of release.

She thought of how lucky she was, that he was here with her. She thought of their future, and how she'd die before she let anyone take him from her.

She was filled with him; filled with love.

And then she fractured. Her heart hammered and she let out a strangled cry against his shoulder as her inner walls clenched and spasmed around him. He kept going though, and soon she could feel his own release and the warmth that followed.

They breathed heavily, arms locked around each other. The room was silent, save for their panting, and though the party still raged on the other side of the house, Kate relished the little bubble they'd found themselves in. She almost didn't want to leave it.

"Jesus," Castle grunted, and swallowed audibly before pulling away to look down into her face. His pulsed jumped in his neck, and his eyes were dark and drooping with exertion.

"And we still have the rest of the night, too." Kate bit her bottom lip and gazed lovingly up at him.

He moved his hands out from under her dress and held both sides of her face. "Try the rest of our lives, Kate."

It was almost enough to bring her to tears.

And then the moment was broken, with Castle leaving to grab tissues from behind his desk. He passed her a wad of them before using a few on himself and tossing them in the trash can. He took hers when she was finished, and then helped her smooth down her dress once her underwear was back in place.

Then, he did something that surprised Kate. He looked skyward, cringing in a goofy, yet apologetic grimace, and said, "Sorry about the dress, Johanna."

It should have sent a pang through Kate's body, just like any mention of her mother did. But whether it was because of Castle's cheekiness, the post-coital haze, or the realization that she'd just done - what they'd done! - in her mother's dress…

Kate barked out a loud, obnoxious laugh. She doubled over, one hand over her heart, and cackled.

"Oh my god! I just… had sex… in my mother's wedding dress!" she gasped, and then Castle was laughing too.

"Oh god, what if she also…?"

Kate snorted and shook her head, tears beginning to cloud her vision. "No. No, oh my god, don't say it…"

"I'm sure we could ask your dad –" he teased.

"Castle!" Kate shrieked, and grabbed one of the cushions from the couch. She smacked him in the chest, then delicately wiped her fingers under her eyes. "We are not going to do that."

Castle grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "He may ask where we've been all this time…"

Kate wrapped her arms around Castle's middle, looking up into his glowing, peaceful face. "We'll say… that you were helping me pee. Holding my dress for me."

He cocked his head to the side. "Isn't that Lanie's job?"

Kate shrugged and placed another swift kiss to his red, almost-swollen lips. "I'll say it couldn't wait."

It was true enough, she figured.

Castle chuckled and ran his hands through his hair, trying to tame it back down. "How do I look?"

Kate inspected him. He didn't look any more disheveled than he had before coming in here. "Perfect. You look perfect."

She giggled as he held open the door, giving her a perfunctory bow, and then hand in hand they returned to the party.

—-

The party continued for almost an hour before guests started leaving in small groups. Kate gave her father and Aunt Teresa goodbye hugs, feeling more sentimental than she'd anticipated. Even Castle mustered the strength to hug Aunt Teresa, before giving her father a hearty handshake. Her father wished them well, and it laid unspoken between them that there was a missing piece to the Beckett family puzzle. But they nodded once, left a small gap of silence, and then the two were on their way.

When all that remained was the serving staff, who were rushing around clearing up trash and anything else that could blow over in the night, a clearly exhausted Castle turned to face his mother and Alexis. Kate remained beside him, her shoes dangling from the fingers on her left hand. She was tired too.

Castle approached Martha and Alexis, arms spread wide, and encompassed both women in one huge bear hug. He even groaned a little, like a proud papa bear. "Mother, Alexis… everything turned out wonderfully," he said, and squeezed them tightly. Alexis squealed in delight, Martha chuckled in mock annoyance.

"And you want to thank us by suffocating us?" she chastised. Castle dropped a kiss to each of their heads before begrudgingly letting them go.

"No, Mother, but - I did want to thank you. We both did." He tossed a look over his shoulder at Kate who nodded vehemently in agreement.

"Yes. Absolutely. We couldn't have asked for anything better."

"My beautiful, brilliant, bold women all did a wonderful job." Castle playfully ruffled Alexis's hair and Kate beamed. She'd had a small hand in planning the day too, though the change in venue had certainly thrown a wrench in her plans. (Now, she couldn't be more grateful it had worked out this way.)

Martha scoffed and waved a hand. "Oh it was nothing, dear. You two deserved it, and more."

"Seriously, dad. You guys have been through so much." Alexis then turned to Martha and smiled brightly. "Besides, Gram and I had a lot of fun!"

Kate looked at Castle, who was trying his best to contain his smile. His eyes sparkled with pride, and she knew how he must have been feeling in that moment, now that it was all over. She was feeling it. She loved her new family - so much. They'd made sure this had gone on without a hitch, and after the last few days… they'd needed that. They couldn't have had such a beautiful day without Martha and Alexis, and Kate was insurmountably grateful.

"The clean up crew looks just about done," Martha said, looking around. Kate wondered if she was uncomfortable with the sentiment bubbling between the four of them. "And then the larger equipment will be picked up in the morning. The speakers, chairs, arch, et cetera et cetera."

"And we will take care of it," Alexis chimed in. She wove her arm around Castle's lower back, and he dropped another affectionate kiss to her head.

Castle checked his watch before announcing to the group, "Our flight leaves at 4 tomorrow afternoon out of JFK. We have plenty of time to help in the morning with whatever needs doing."

Martha shook her head and held up her hands. "Nonsense. You have a honeymoon to get ready for!"

Kate grinned, the prospect of time on a beautiful beach with her husband (husband!) absolutely thrilling her. "But we're already packed. It really isn't a problem."

"Darlings, Alexis and I are good. No, we're the best. We will take care of everything and you two can sleep in, mosey around, do whatever you need to do before driving back to the city for your flight." Her sentence was notably punctuated with a wink.

Kate's cheeks flushed, reading between the lines of Martha's well-wishes. She thought of the master suite, the fireplace, the jetted tub… Luckily Martha continued talking before Kate's thoughts became evident on her face.

"Alexis and I are staying in the guest suite for now, but once you guys have left…" She turned conspiratorially to the younger girl. "We may just have ourselves a little girl time and stay a few extra days!"

Castle coughed, and blushed, eyes flicking briefly to Kate's. They'd wondered if Martha and Alexis would be staying in their usual rooms on the second floor. Now, it seemed that was not going to be the case. (She could hardly blame them. She wouldn't want to stay right next to a newly married couple, either.)

"Probably for the best," Castle muttered under his breath and Alexis leapt away from him.

"Dad!" she shrieked, mortified.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding. It's been a long day. We all need to get some sleep."

"Agreed," the young girl muttered back, and rested a heavy head on her grandmother's shoulders. Kate saw her shoot her father a dopey smile, her nose wrinkled.

"But first…" Castle announced with a heavy sigh, and then the next thing Kate knew, her legs were being swept up from under her.

"Castle!"

He adjusted her weight in his arms, and then turned to look at his family with a proud grin. "Gotta carry the missus across the threshold."

Kate gasped, mouth moving like a fish out of water, and watched as they waved them goodbye and bid them goodnight as Castle carried her across the yard.

"What are you doing!?"

He stopped just outside the back door, re-examining his predicament. Kate did him a solid and twisted open the doorknob.

"Thanks. And it's tradition, Kate. Surely you've heard of a groom carrying his wife across the threshold."

She couldn't help but giggle. "I have, but… this seems so unnecessary! It's only a few feet."

"Nope. It's very necessary. I already saw you before the ceremony. That, and with everything else that went awry the last few days…" He stopped when they got to the main living room. "I wanted to do something traditional." Gently, he put her down with her feet on the floor, then he turned to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?"

He put a finger to his lips. "I just need to take care of something. Wait there."

Practically squealing with joy, Kate did as she was told and plunked herself down on the plush sofa to wait. A couple minutes later, he came back with a seductive look on his ruggedly handsome face.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Castle?"

Kate's stomach jerked, a thrill running through her at the change. She wasn't quite sold on changing it legally, per se, but the implication that she was Mrs. All-His… It was as if their earlier tryst hadn't even happened. She felt an immediate longing she couldn't quite describe; she just needed to be close to him, now.

"Ready." She grinned back up at him and took his proffered hand. He led her up to the master bedroom, instructed her to close her eyes, and guided her through to the other side.

"Open," he whispered in her ear, so close that his lips brushed the shell. She did as he commanded, and the sight took her breath away.

Candles were lit all over the room, and the fireplace was on a low, just-flickering setting. Soft jazz music was playing through his speakers, romantic and smooth. The ambience warmed Kate's skin, but she couldn't fully process the spectacle because Castle put his hands on her shoulders and steered her into the master bathroom. Inside, he'd drawn up a bubble bath with rose petals, and lit more candles that he'd scattered around the flat surfaces of the room.

"What do you think?" he asked, and Kate could hear the slight edge of nervousness there. She didn't know why though. It was perfect.

"I love it," she exhaled, and sank her back against his chest.

"Then let's enjoy it before the water gets cold." He kissed the side of her neck and then moved to unbutton her dress.

Kate felt like she was in a dream. Like she was truly having an out of body experience here. His hands were so soft and light against her skin, nothing like the way he'd used his full, bruising grip on her earlier. The lighting, the steam from the hot water, the… intention of it all… Kate had never experienced love like this. And she doubted she ever would again. Yes, Castle would always treat her wonderfully and likely pamper her until she begged him to give her her space back, but this was their wedding night. There would be no other night quite like it in their lifetime. This was their time to celebrate their bond, to place the other on a pedestal and thank the universe for ensuring they found their way to one another. To privately solidify the vows they'd made publicly, only hours ago.

It was overwhelming. But it was everything she hadn't realized she'd been longing for her whole life.

"After being on our feet for so long, this is gonna feel sooo good," Castle groaned as he stepped into the water first. Then he held his hand out for her to take, to help her in.

She nodded her agreement. "Plus being naked together always helps." She winked as she stepped up beside him, earning a chuckle.

"Very true."

Together they submerged into the vanilla and sandalwood bathwater, eyes closing shut in overwhelming pleasure. She pressed her back to his front, and he wrapped his strong, protective arms around her belly.

And then… they didn't need words. They sat, languishing in the warm water and silken embrace of the other. They let the unsaid be conveyed through touches: a stroke of his arm, a kiss to the side of her head, a soft sigh on the back of her neck, or a nuzzle into his shoulder.

They were at peace. For a time, anyway. Until Kate's heart felt like it might burst out of her chest. She turned in place in order to face him. Then, she wrapped her legs around his hips and put her arms around his neck. She looked deep into his heavy-lidded, slightly confused eyes.

"This was the best day of my entire life," she whispered. She just needed him to know. She needed to give words to this feeling, this gratitude, filling her up inside. She felt damn near close to crying and honestly, she wasn't sure why. "I never imagined… I never thought I'd ever have this – what we have."

Her voice cracked at the end, and Castle moved his hands up from the soapy water to cup her cheeks. "I've never been this happy in my entire life," he agreed, and his reassurance only cracked Kate open even wider.

"I just… I didn't say it in my vows, but I wanted to thank you, Rick."

"For what?"

"For fighting for us, early on. I know I play along with you, about who was into whom first. But the truth is, we wouldn't be where we are if you hadn't been so unbelievably patient with me. If you hadn't held my hand through all my stumbles and done little things, here and there, to remind me that you were still there."

He grinned. "You know I'll always be there for you, Kate. I was never going to stop fighting for you."

She sucked in a shaky breath through a wide grin of her own. "And that's what I mean. You were patient with me when I needed it. You gave me anything I asked for – space, time, your unconditional flirting…" Castle chuckled and brought one of Kate's hands to his mouth to kiss her fingers.

"We do flirt, don't we."

"Like pros," Kate laughed. "But I just… we wouldn't be here, now, if it weren't for you. And I just wanted to thank you for giving me everything I've ever wanted, even if I didn't always realize how badly I wanted it."

He looked at her then, wonder in his eyes. "And thank you, for being brave. For coming to the loft that day, for letting me in. I know it's not easy for you. But you gave us a shot. You did. I can't take credit for that."

A stray tear leaked out of her eye, but Castle's deft fingers brushed it away. "If I can make you even half as happy as you make me, then we're going to be just fine, you and I," he continued, and Kate let out another shaky laugh. "You're the love of my life, and we are going to live long, and happy lives together."

Kate brushed her lips against his and pulled away just far enough to reply, "I can't wait."

—-

His hands had slid down her silken back, and it was all downhill from there. Before she knew it, their wet bodies were entangled in the bathtub, his fingers working absolute magic between her thighs.

They'd risen on shaky legs, pausing their assaults only long enough to pull the tub drain and grab towels before they were lying on the plush carpet in front of the fireplace. Kate straddled Castle with his back to the foot of the bed, and it wasn't long before they were both spent and shaking. They remained cuddled together in front of the fire until they were dry and exhausted, before begrudgingly moving to the bed for the remainder of the night.

Sleep came easily, and with the dawn of a new day, Kate found herself waking up to a very eager husband trailing warm kisses down her body. He waggled his eyebrows up at her as she squinted one sleepy eye down at him, and that was all it took. She slid her fingers through his hair, pushing him even lower, and sat back on the plush pillows to enjoy. It ended with an array of claw marks down Castle's back and a pair of hickeys between Kate's thighs, and then sleep overcame them once more.

Their alarm beeped at 10 am, later than Kate had slept in in what felt like years. She was gloriously sore, and sweaty where Castle's bare chest pressed against her back. She nudged back a little, to rouse him awake, and his resounding groan indicated he must be just as disillusioned with getting out of bed as she was.

After two snoozes, they finally rose, donned their pajamas they'd never bothered changing into the night before, and stepped out of their love den for coffee and sustenance.

Wonderful, incredible, so-damn-helpful Martha and Alexis had laid out the fixings for Belgian waffles - peanut butter, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and strawberries - along with a plate of bacon and a note that said coffee was prepped and ready for them whenever they arose.

They just barely remembered to cheers their steaming mugs to their new life together before digging into their glorious breakfast.

Later, once they were fully packed, showered, and ready to go, Kate took one last lingering look at the house.

"Something on your mind?" he asked her as he loaded up the final bag into the car. They had just enough time to stop and grab some lunch before heading to the airport, but they needed to go now.

Kate shook her head, lost in her thoughts. "Just… gonna miss it here."

He chuckled. "We were here less than 24 hours."

She shrugged but slid into the passenger side. "Yeah. I know. I just… want to come out here more."

"Feeling sentimental, are we?" He clicked his seatbelt on and gave her a teasing look.

She scoffed playfully. "Something like that, I guess."

In truth, this house had saved the day. It had hosted the most special day of their lives, and she was a little sad to leave it. Perhaps because it also meant leaving the day itself behind, too.

"Well, we'll come back soon. Promise." He gave her a quick kiss and then they headed off to lunch.

On the way, Kate's stomach began to tighten. Something didn't feel right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. There was a growing tension the further they got from the house. Had they forgotten their passports? Were they supposed to have done something before they left?

The answer to her niggling paranoia became evident when, on a narrow strip of road close to where Castle had been targeted, a black SUV pulled out into their path.

Her heart coated over with ice.

"Castle…" she half-moaned, and he began to slow down.

"I see it."

She gripped the armrest of the car and swallowed, taking five seconds to let fear threaten to overwhelm her before reaching for the gun she'd stashed in the glove compartment.

He stopped ten feet away from the vehicle, and a man in a dark suit and sunglasses exited from the passenger side.

"Stay in the car, Kate."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Fat chance."

Castle didn't bother cutting the engine, but both got out of the vehicle. Luckily, no one was behind them on the one lane road.

Kate flashed her badge clipped to the waistband of her jeans. "NYPD. You're blocking the road sir; you're going to need to move."

The man, tall, athletic-looking, and completely emotionless, ignored her and glared at Castle. "You're going to need to come with us, Mr. Castle."

"He's not going anywhere with you. Now move." She stepped closer, hand itching to reach for the gun tucked into the back of her jeans.

Finally, the suit looked at her. "We're not here for you."

"And you're not here for him, either. So, unless you'd like a local calling the police because of a blockage on a public street, I suggest we move this elsewhere."

The suit seemed to consider, then looked over his shoulder at the driver. After a few seconds, he turned back to the couple and nodded. "Follow us. And don't think about fleeing."

"Because then you'd have to kill us?" Castle snorted, and the corner of the suit's mouth quirked up.

"No. But your flight out of JFK will be grounded. No one wants a public scene, do they?"

Castle grit his teeth, rolled his eyes, and signaled Kate to go back to the car. Kate walked backward, keeping her eyes trained on the SUV.

"What's this about?" she hissed as she slid into her seat. "I thought this was over."

"Apparently not."

They drove another quarter mile before pulling into a convenience store parking lot. The SUV headed toward the back of the building, where there was an empty, dirt lot.

Before they got out, Kate murmured, more to herself than to him, "What the hell is this all about?"

Castle frowned. "Wish I knew."

They slowly approached the same man who was now standing with another agent, the driver, dressed similarly in black. But now, he was on the phone. Kate could hear him muttering, "Yes, I understand," every few seconds. After a few more "mhm's," he turned to look at Castle.

"It's for you."

Castle blanched, seemingly frozen in place. "I –" He chuckled awkwardly, searching for words. "But –"

The suit stepped forward and practically shoved the phone into Castle's hand.

"Hel-Hello?"

His mouth hung open in dismay, but then he immediately snapped it shut. His eyebrows rose, and Kate's curiosity was piqued. She couldn't hear the person on the other end of the call, but Castle's face spoke volumes. Whoever it was, Castle knew them.

It was all but confirmed when she heard him say, "No, yeah, I remember you." Then a long pause. His shoe scuffed the dirt at his feet. "Wait, hold on. You want me to what?" He looked over at Kate, his face a mask of confusion and dismay. "No, I can't. I'm not coming there, I told my…" Then he stopped talking. There was a crackling, awkward intensity between the four. The suits, standing straight and tall and on-edge, put Kate completely on-edge, too. She waffled between watching Castle's telling facial expressions and the reactions of the men standing before her. Only, they weren't making any expressions. They reminded her of Mr. Smith from the Matrix films - completely devoid of humanness.

She put her hand on Castle's arm, the only thing she could think of to lend him support through whatever this was. One of the suits, the driver, shot her a nasty glare.

He sighed, and continued, head bobbing. "No, I was going to say that I let my, erm, contact, with the CIA know… I'm really sorry Bilal. I either do this over the phone, or not at all." He listened intently, and Kate wondered who the hell Bilal was. Then Castle ran an aggravated hand through his hair. "I wish I could help you. I do. But I can't. I can, however, send someone else in my place. Yes, obviously someone I trust, and therefore someone you can trust. Yes. I know. Look, I promise you. He's your guy. He'll keep you safe, I swear." His words were growing softer and softer, more for Kate's ears than the suits. He even turned his body away from them, hoping they couldn't overhear.

He was quiet for another moment before nodding to himself. "I understand. Yeah. Look, I wish you well. It'll be fine, just… you'll know you have the right man by asking him what his favorite book is. If the answer is Casino Royale, you have the right guy." He was so quiet now even Kate strained to hear him. But the title sparked recognition in her, and she felt her jaw drop. He couldn't be serious. "Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You too."

Then Castle handed the phone back to the suits, expression even and unyielding. "It's done."

"Um, Castle…?"

"I need to make a call," he said to her, and turned his back on the three of them. He walked several yards away before pulling out his phone and calling, she suspected, his father. She couldn't hear what he said, but it was likely he was giving his dad a breakdown of everything he'd just learned. The curiosity was eating away at her stomach, and she had to resist biting her nails from the suspense. Was this… over now? For good?

When he was finally finished, he strode back over to the group. Facing toward the suits, Castle nodded once. "My proxy can be ready within the hour." He pulled out an old receipt from his pocket, asked for a pen (which one of the suits gave him) and he wrote down an address. "Be there, and he will help you."

The suits looked at each other, clearly having some kind of silent conversation about whether or not they could accept this, but Castle was clearly done. He took Kate's hand and turned back to their vehicle.

The driver asked, "And Khan will cooperate?"

Castle turned to him and nodded. "He will." He turned back to the car but stopped, shaking his head before turning back around. "Look, I haven't seen or talked to Bilal in ages. I don't know why he wanted me for this, but it's just not something I'm willing to sacrifice for right now." He put his arm around Kate's lower back, just high enough to clear the handle of the gun. "But my proxy is more than ready to help you achieve your goals. He's better than me, that's for sure. So just… be grateful."

With a half-hearted grin in the face of their twin sneers, Castle turned back around and together they walked back to the car.

Once inside, Kate asked, breathless from the anticipation, "What the hell was that?"

Castle frowned and started the car. "Someone I used to know was asking for my help. It's just like my dad said. But, obviously, I refused."

"And he just… accepted it?"

They pulled back onto the road, headed back toward the city. "Not at first. He said the same things about lives hanging in the balance… He was frustratingly vague." Castle sighed heavily and shook his head, his expression one of remorse and aggravation.

Kate put her hand on his thigh. "And Jackson is going to go in your place?"

Castle nodded. "He agreed to, yeah. Suspiciously without much convincing, actually. I wonder if he'd already decided before I called."

"This is good. He can handle it."

"I know. Better than me, that's for sure."

Kate tried to envision Castle off on some secret spy mission. He'd love it, obviously, but he didn't have her training. It was why she always asked him to stay behind during raids or other altercations with suspects. He may have the heart to save the world, but he didn't have the required skill set. Running into danger like that… It was unlikely he'd make it home unscathed.

"You did the right thing, you know."

"I know."

They drove in silence before Castle cleared his throat, declaring, "You know, I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Me either. Let's just eat when we get to our gate."

He wove his fingers through hers, and held her hand the rest of the way to the city.

—-

Kate awoke to a stiff neck. Castle was shaking her awake, excited looking back and forth between her and the window. "Look look look!" he exclaimed in the jittery kind of way that reminded her of a kid at a carnival.

She leaned across his lap and looked down, her breath catching in her throat at what was just beneath them. Water, bluer than she'd ever seen, and tiny specks of bungalows dotted out across the water. They were still pretty high up, but she could see several different resorts and cabanas jutting out from the mainland.

Her drowsiness evaporated. "Oh my god. Castle…"

"I know!"

She watched as the plane tilted to its side, preparing to line itself up with the landing strip she couldn't see. They were so close to their destination, she could practically taste the salt water and mai-tais on her tongue.

Castle leaned over and kissed her cheek. Stunned a little, she turned to look at him. "What was that for?"

He shrugged, still exuding pure giddiness. "Just happy to be here with you. Glad we're doing this."

He didn't mention the crazy kidnapping plot. He didn't have to. It hung over them like damp, musty air that just wouldn't clear.

But it would clear. Over time.

"Gives you some perspective, you know?" She pressed a hand to his cheek, knowing they were missing the descent and not quite caring. "We were so close to not being able to have this together. But we're here. And it's all because of you, babe."

He gave a bashful little shrug. "Eh. Fighting bad guys isn't quite as fun as sun, sand, and sex on my honeymoon."

Kate smacked his shoulder playfully, looking around to see if anyone had overheard him.

"I was being serious."

He took her hand and squeezed, all traces of previous goofiness gone. But the light in his eyes - that was still there. Nothing could dampen that.

"I'm serious too. And I promise, no matter what, I'm never going to take the ability to be with you for granted."

"Me either, Castle."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips just as the wheels touched down on the tarmac. They'd missed the view, but that was perfectly fine with them.