The case was over. Serena Kaye was gone with a not-so-cryptic exclamation that she didn't take things that didn't belong to others anymore. Beckett knew what she meant but she wasn't ready to face the truth behind her words, so she put the whole thing to the side for the moment. Maybe she'd unpack it with Dr. Burke later on.

Besides, Castle was walking beside her with his usual silly smirk on his face and that was enough… for now. It kept her stable.

They had decided to walk to The Old Haunt for a drink and had been there for an hour. Even though she never told Castle, she loved that bar almost as much as he did. The history of the bar, the look of it, everything appealed to her inner nerd and history buff, but she'd never let Castle know that. At least, not right now.

It had become a place of comfort and refuge for her. The main reason behind that is because it was one of Castle's frequent haunts. Another fact she wasn't going to let him know for a long time. Seeing Castle at the Old Haunt, getting a drink with him, watching him in his natural habitat, she loved that she got to see that side of Castle.

Castle always got to see her cop side, but it was rare that Beckett got a glimpse into his life as a charismatic social animal and writer, so she treasured the few moments she did. Castle had apparently gotten a whirlwind of inspiration after their case and was sitting in the boss's chair, his chair, down in the cellar/office of The Old Haunt, typing away at the spare laptop that he kept in the office precisely for moments like these.

Seeing the brow on his face furrowed, his back ramrod straight, his fingers moving with quick yet practiced grace over the laptop's keyboard, his sharp, azure blue eyes scanning every word he wrote. It was rare to see Castle in the zone, but it was fascinating. And if he was paying attention to anything except his laptop right now, he'd probably playfully snipe at her for staring creepily as she accused him of doing at the precinct when he saw her in her element.

"Staring's creepy, Beckett. You're the one who's doled that lesson into my head." He spoke in a nearly toneless drone, his keys flying still across the keyboard at a pace that amazed her.

Beckett's cheeks were dusted with pink. Guess he was observing, after all. He was masterful at that, and it still surprised Beckett for some reason. The way he could multi-task and allocate so much of his brain space to so many things at once. It was one of his abilities that she highly appreciated as it helped them solve cases much more quickly than anyone else.

"Turnabout's fair play, Castle." She said in a playful voice that she only ever used with him on rare occasions and only outside the precinct. So rare that apparently, she saw the slightest flicker of surprise in Castle's eyes as they flicked up to her. Even in that split-second, the blue hue of his irises was able to see right through her. Another one of Castle's special abilities, one that terrified her.

Castle simply smiled slightly and went back to writing. She was content to sit there and sip at her ice-cold beer. She could go home but there was no point. She would be lonely and cold in her empty apartment. Whereas here, she could enjoy more time with Castle. Plus, she was waiting. They both were. Esposito had texted her that he, Lanie, Jenny, and Ryan were coming to the Old Haunt for an evening out. So, they were waiting for the group to arrive.

As Beckett watched Castle, she felt a spark of jealousy erupt inside her at the fact that he had been so inspired by Serena Kaye that he had decided to sit down and get the words out of his head as soon as possible. But she quelled that spark when she remembered how she was Nikki Heat.

Oh, Castle was always quick to explain that she wasn't really Nikki Heat because he always got a little scared of her when she glared at him when the topic would come up. The truth was, every time she remembered that she was Nikki Heat, Richard Castle's muse, her stomach would flutter a little bit. She was her favorite author's muse! The author who saved her with his words after her mother's death. It made her fangirl a little bit internally every time. But she'd never let the man know how much he and his books meant to her.

Richard Castle had the ability to single-handedly destroy her with just a few words or actions and it terrified her. And she did not want to give him any more ammo. Maybe one day… but not today. And not anytime soon.

But before she could spiral further into her own thoughts, she heard the basement door open and saw Esposito, Jenny, Ryan, and Lanie walk down the stairs that Castle had put in. After all, climbing a weird little ladder just to get into the office every time would be a huge pain.

Before she could get a word out, Castle looked up from his laptop and spoke, "Oh, hey, guys. Pull up a chair, I'll have the bartender get a few drinks down here," He said, as he picked up his phone and called the bartender.

Everybody said their hellos and settled in different places around the office that Castle had slightly remodeled. Ryan and Jenny took a seat in the huge armchair near the stairs, with Jenny half on the armrest and half on Ryan's lap.

Javier and Lanie took seats, separately, on the loveseat near the central wall opposite Castle's desk. Beckett was still seated in her very comfortable seat adjacent to Castle's desk, all warm and cozy.

As the bartender came down with a couple of bottles of wine and scotch, Castle announced that he was just finishing up a chapter. By the time the drinks got served, Castle had just saved his document and closed the laptop lid. He gave Beckett a warm smile and she smiled back. She shook her head imperceptibly after that. She was doing that too much these days, smiling that is.

Ever since she came back to the precinct, ever since he started shadowing her again after those regrettable and painful three months she kept him away, ever since she broke up with Josh and started seeing Dr. Burke, ever since that day in the park talking about her walls, she just felt different. Different about him, about herself, her walls, everything.

She knew why that was but she did not want to touch that realization just yet, especially with how much she'd hurt him over the summer with her no-contact absence and the secret she kept from him. It was too much for now and she tried to put those thoughts out of her mind by starting a conversation, "So, you guys done with the paperwork?" It was a lame question but nobody ever accused Kate Beckett of being a master of segues.

"Yeah, got it all done today, despite the fact that there was so much of it," Esposito answered, "Interesting case, and Serena was… wow." Esposito shook his head, missing the slight stink eye Lanie gave him.

Beckett smiled, her animosity with Serena nearly gone, "Yeah, she knew her stuff. And, in the end, she was straight. And we caught the real culprit, even if it was slightly cliche. So, another honest day's work."

"Except for Castle," Ryan piped up. Beckett gave him the stink eye. She liked teasing Castle as much as anyone but she was starting to dislike any comments about the honest work he did and the time he put in. Which was strange because she was pretty indignant about his and Serena's "rendezvous" that they planned for the sake of the case. Ryan caught her stink eye and backtracked, "I meant, the guy got stiffed despite the fact that he broke the case wide open."

Esposito chimed in, "Yeah, along with that display. The museum was gonna ask for something, especially since it was Castle."

Castle put on a faux-wistful expression on his face, "Ah, the curse of being me."

Everybody chuckled. Then Ryan asked, out of nowhere, "So, how much did they bill you, Castle?"

Lanie, Esposito, and Beckett all said, "Dude." At the same time. Jenny just lightly thumped him over the head with her palm.

Ryan put his hands up, "What? It was a simple question. If he doesn't want to tell us, he won't."

Castle stood up out of his chair and stretched lightly, "It's alright, Ryan," He walked over to the lamp table where the bill was lying, grabbed it, and walked over to where Ryan was sitting. He handed it over to Ryan and then went to pour a drink for himself.

Ryan unfolded the paper and read it for a second. Then his eyes bugged out. As did Jenny's, as she was peering at the bill from the side, "450,000!? Holy shit, man. You ok?" Ryan exclaimed.

Castle walked back to his seat as Esposito whistled low and Lanie made a face. Beckett shook her head, she'd had a similar reaction when she saw the bill. She wasn't lying when she said he could put Alexis through college and med school for that amount.

"As I told Beckett, I'm glad I'm rich," Castle said with a cocky smirk on his face that Beckett loved and hated at the same time.

"Yeah, but Rick, you didn't even flinch. Rich or not, 450,000$ is a big amount for anyone." Jenny said, the person least in the know about Castle's wealth and exploits. Although, the more Beckett thought about it, neither of them knew the true extent of Castle's wealth. They all knew he was rich, a millionaire no less. But how rich?

"What can I say? I'm blessed." Castle chuckled lightly, his smile becoming bashful, "Being a global best-selling novelist is pretty lucrative."

"Yeah, but how rich are you, Castle? I mean, if you don't want to answer it, I get it, It can be considered a rude question. But I mean, with all the things I've heard and seen about you, Castle, you spend money very freely." The question came from Lanie, which surprised her. But she still couldn't deny a spark of curiosity.

Castle sat back and took another sip of his scotch, "A privilege I could only dream of growing up, I assure you. I'm no James Patterson but I do alright." He proclaimed in a still secretive sort of way, "And I'm not that frivolous, guys. Come on."

Beckett could see there was no tension in Castle's face at these questions. Which was surprising, because most guys like him would never want to discuss their wealth at length. It was just considered taboo to talk about money at any level.

Exposition spoke, "Oh come on, Castle. Let's see some of the things you've done. You bought a luxurious coffee machine for the homicide department of the 12th precinct. I checked the price tag on that thing, it was mad expensive. And we drink from it every day, that coffee machine is the envy of all other departments of the 12th precinct and, dare I say, all other precincts in New York City, because those chumps are still drinking monkey piss in battery acid."

Beckett was in love with that coffee machine, although she kept quiet, and she loved that Castle had gotten it for them.

Esposito continued, "Two, you paid $100,000 cash, upfront, without repayment, to catch the guy who killed Beckett's mom. And you didn't even bat an eye. Three, You regularly give us the Ferrari, which, by the way, used to be a 360 Modena but you traded it in for a 458 Italia, which easily costs about $250,000, without any reservation. Fourth, you bought this ratty old bar for cash like it was chump change for you, and we know the price for this place easily ranges between $150,000 and $200,000. Five, you bought, sorry, donated for that bottle of vintage red whisky you loved, which set you back easily $25,000, Six, you broke an art piece for which you got billed $450,000 and you didn't even flinch at it? And let's not even mention your loft in SoHo and house in the Hamptons. You're blessed, bro, and I'd never be envious of my brother. But you've spent your fair share, let's not forget." By the time Esposito had counted out his major spending in just the time he had known them, everyone was a bit speechless.

"And let's not forget the donation to the NYPD Foundation that you-" Lanie started but was interrupted by Castle's throat clearing loudly.

Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito looked at each other in shock. While Lanie looked ashamed, "Sorry, I forgot." She said in a tiny voice.

"What donation?" Beckett asked quietly.

Castle looked down and sighed, "It's nothing. I just made a small donation to the NYPD Foundation after Roy's passing. As a tribute. And I set up a trust for Evelyn and their kids. Nothing big, just enough to ensure they never have to worry about money again."

"Castle, how much?" Beckett asked. Her throat choked up slightly.

"Well…" He hesitated, and she could see him contemplate whether to say the actual numbers, but she looked at him and he broke, "The donation was $1 Million to the foundation. And the trust is capped at $2 Million for the Montgomery Family. It's nothing big. Just a small contribution from my side."

Everybody was a bit choked up at that and took a moment.

Beckett had never really thought about the scale of Castle's wealth but now it was kind of maddening to even think about. She also felt a little ashamed. Beckett had never truly thanked Castle for the $100,000 he'd put on the line to find her mother's murderer. He'd basically flushed the money down the toilet when they discovered that Dick Coonan was really her mother's murderer and there was no secret assassin. At least, not there. He'd just flushed two years' worth of her salary down the toilet for her without any question or thank. And she'd waved it off back then as simply "sweet" but it was so much more than that. He'd also started that scholarship in Johanna Beckett's name but she had never told anyone about that. It was a dear secret to her heart and she'd kept it close.

And now she discovered he'd done all that for the Montgomery Family and donated to the NYPD as well and brushed it off as 'nothing big'. Oh, that stupid, chivalrous, noble man. She felt an immense rush of affection inside her for Castle that she was NOT ready for. She wanted to reach out and hug him for it, an urge she had never felt before. Not too much, at least. But she held her nerve.

She'd have to find a way to thank him for this. All of this.. But for now, she just let the discussion move on.

Castle shrugged ruefully, "Guys, I don't wanna discuss money. Come on, it never goes over well. And I'm not a braggart. At least, not that much of one. I'm blessed… a lot more than most, yes. But still."

Beckett decided to tease lightly instead, "Come on, Castle. You know we can just Google 'Richard Castle net worth' right? It's not that hard to do." She smirked lightly.

Castle trained his gaze on her, his voice low, "Oh really, detective. You've Googled my net worth, have you?"

Beckett's eyes widened at her slip-up, "I never said I did. I just said we could do it." She replied quickly.

Castle's smirk widened, "Oh, but you have, haven't you? What does the magical search engine with an answer to every question say about my net worth?"

Beckett stuttered and spluttered, "I- w- I mean, no, I haven't…" She trailed off and it sounded weak. She knew she was caught.

Castle continued with that damned teasing glint in his eyes that she found so adorable and irritating at the same time, "Come on, Beckett. We all know you're a Richard Castle fangirl. So, just cough it up already."

He had no idea how true that statement was and was just saying that to tease her, but she kept it to herself, "Fine. A couple of sites say you're worth around $20 Million, while other sites say the real number is closer to $50-60 Million. What do you say?"

Castle stared at her long enough for her to become self-conscious, was something stuck in her teeth? But then he started chuckling, which then turned into a full-bellied laugh. A laugh that she'd never heard from him before. It amazed her but it was all too brief before he got himself under control. Then he spoke, a smile still on his face but his demeanor a bit more serious, "Look, I don't like to discuss money. Nobody does. So, I don't want to step on any toes by mentioning any figures."

Ryan spoke up, "Come on, Castle. We're all curious by now and nobody's feelings are getting hurt. We're all big boys and girls here and we know you're filthy rich. Far richer than we'll ever become in our lifetimes. Just tell us."

Castle nodded, "Ok. But I want you guys to guess, and I'll tell you when you're close."

Jenny spoke suddenly, "Higher or lower than $20 Million?"

Castle nodded up.

Ryan spoke, "$60 Million?"

Castle shook his head.

"More than $60 Million? Esposito asked.

Castle nodded.

Lanie's eyes widened, "$100 Million?"

Castle nodded up.

"$150 Million?" Beckett exclaimed, flabbergasted at this point.

The shock reverberated through the room when Castle smiled slightly and nodded up.

"$200 MILLION DOLLARS?" They all exclaimed in accidental sync.

Castle suddenly looked thoughtful and Beckett got afraid he was going to nod up again. But he didn't, "Last I checked with my head accountant, my net worth stood at around $202 Million. I recently crossed the $200 Million mark when the first cheque for the Nikki Heat movie cleared. You know, the cheque they give you during pre-production when you give them permission to adapt your book. It was around $12 Million." He explained in layman's terms.

Beckett and everybody else stared at him in wide-eyed shock. She saw Castle sigh slightly, and then he spoke, "See, this is why I don't like to talk numbers. It always leads to this reaction."

Beckett's jaw snapped shut with an audible click and it seemed like the trigger for everyone to snap back to reality.

"Holy shit, Castle," Lanie whispered.

Esposito seemed to be doing numbers in his head, because the next words out of his mouth were, "200 Million? How even? Do writers make THAT much money? Maybe I should pump out a novel next."

Castle adjusted in his seat, "Well, it's not like I have $200 Million dollars lying in my bank account right now. Most of it is tied up in stocks, bonds, investments, properties, assets and more. The loft is worth $18 Million, the Hamptons home is worth easily $25 Million, all my cars measure in at around $3-4 Million, my private jet, Bombardier Challenger 300, is worth $15 Million, my other properties in Europe and Asia are worth around $30-32 Million, the rest is tied up in stocks, businesses, and investments."

Beckett's mind was spinning like a tabletop. He was mentioning multi-million dollar investments and assets like it was yesterday's dinner. She almost missed one little detail in the haze. In fact, it seemed Lanie caught it earlier.

"Richard Castle, you have a private jet? Your own jet ? And you never mentioned it? The hell?" She exclaimed.

Castle suddenly got that faux-innocent look on his face, "Well, you never asked. I could take you for a ride in it if you want. And if Espo doesn't mind, that is," He winked teasingly.

Lanie just scoffed and smiled.

They all stayed silent for a while after that. Before Beckett caught something, "Wait a second. You said you weren't James Patterson but you did alright? You call $200 Million alright? Are you joking?"

Castle answered very seriously, the tone switched so sharp it almost gave her whiplash, "James Patterson's net worth is nearing $500 Million. I don't even have half his net worth. Yet."

That silenced Beckett. But Esposito plucked up the courage to ask something, "Wait, what about 'all your cars', what does that mean?

Castle got a look on his face that basically said he wished Espo had forgotten about that little detail because she knew the boys were gonna be hounding him about it later, "Well, the Ferrari is a… daily driver? I guess. I mean, I have my Maybach, I have a Bentley Continental GT, I have a Porsche, I have an Aston Martin DB5 1964, and loads of other cars. I just rarely take them out for a drive."

Ryan and Esposito looked a little betrayed at that and Castle could only chuckle at that. But Beckett caught something in his words.

"An Aston Martin DB5 1964? Are you serious? The James Bond's car? You have one?" Beckett goggled.

Castle smiled proudly at that and his back straightened a little, "It was that certain British spy that got me into writing, it was that certain British spy who inspired my love for espionage. Why wouldn't I have his car?"

Beckett could only chuckle in shock.

"How do you think I afforded the alimony I paid to Gina? How do you think I afford my mother and Alexis's every whim and wish and shopping spree? My own sprees? When my mother and Alexis go shopping, they don't spend a few grand. Their shopping sprees go easily above $20,000 on a not-so-hot day." Castle explained. And It all suddenly made a little more sense.

Everybody sipped their drinks for a while after that.

After a bit, Castle started speaking, "Guys, I hope this changes nothing in how you see me. I mean. I like you guys. In fact, I like you guys so much because you guys don't focus on that stuff. Everybody else, my mother and Alexis notwithstanding, has only ever seen me as a coin purse or a means to an end. So, it was nice to be treated like an equal, even though I'm not a cop like you guys."

Beckett noticed a heavy touch of insecurity and hurt in his tone and her heart softened. It changed nothing for her, and if she knew her boys and Lanie, it didn't change anything for them either. Even though the boys might ask for a joyride in more than just a Ferrari now. And she knew Castle always felt a touch of insecurity at not being a cop like them. They teased him a bit for it. But, in Beckett's eyes, he was just as much a cop as any of them, he just didn't have a gun or a badge.

"Don't worry, Castle. You're still you. Annoying, irritating, goofy, and yet an incredible investigator. You're one of us. Never doubt that." She reached over and covered his hand with hers. He looked her in the eyes and she wanted to get lost in his blue eyes. She hoped she conveyed how true her statement was through her eyes, "And what you did for the Montgomery Family? Castle, I- we will never forget that. Thank you."

Lanie cleared her throat lightly and Beckett drew her hand back quickly.

Castle just looked at her with shining eyes. His eyes filled with something that looked suspiciously like love . She drew her eyes away from him because she was dangerously close to falling into them.

"It's nothing, guys. I have more money than I'll ever know what to do with. This was nothing. You guys weren't even supposed to know about the Montgomery Trust," With that, he pointed a look at Lanie, who smiled and looked ashamed at revealing his secret, "So, it's nothing. Just a drop in the bucket. I would've set up more for Evelyn and the kids but Evelyn would not budge. You know how proud she is."

Beckett nodded. She knew Evelyn was quite headstrong and not one to take kindly to stuff like this. The fact that Castle even managed to get her to agree to the amount he did was astounding and spoke to the charm of the man.

"Wait a second," Ryan exclaimed, "How did Lanie know about it and we didn't? The trust and donation and whatnot?"

Everybody pointed curious looks at Castle and Lanie. Lanie spoke first, "It was a couple of weeks after Beckett's shooting. She was gone with no contact. And uhh- you," She pointed to Ryan, "and Esposito were out late running down a lead. So, Castle came down to the Haunt for a drink. And he found me. I was drowning my sorrows, so he joined me. We talked about this and that, Beckett and Montgomery. And half a bottle of ol' Johnny down, he told me about the trust and donation. He also mentioned that he wanted to keep it secret. Which, my bad, Castle." Lanie raised her hands in apology.

Castle raised one hand back in a "it's alright" gesture.

Beckett felt latent shame at her actions during the summer. She knew she needed time away to heal from everyone but she still felt bad that she drove two of her best friends to the point where they were drowning their sorrows with each other in alcohol, simply because she couldn't pick up the phone and call. It was times like this that she felt she had a lot to make up for.

After that, they spent an hour or so just chatting and joking in general when suddenly Jenny spoke up out of nowhere, "Well, this was an enlightening discussion. And, wow, Rick. You really are something. But you've done good with that money and I'm proud of you."

Castle simply nodded with a quiet smile.

She continued, "But anyway, we should be going. It's getting late. Let's do this again, without such heavy talk." Jenny finished as she smiled.

There was a smattering of agreements as everyone got up.

Everyone cleared out of the bar for the night. Ryan and Jenny said their goodbyes, found a cab, and went home. Esposito and Lanie did the same. That left Beckett and Castle on the sidewalk, alone.

Castle turned to her, "So… until tomorrow, Kate." Then turned to walk away into the evening.

His use of her first name triggered something in her, "Rick!"

He turned towards her with a questioning look but was surprised when she crashed into his arms, giving him a tight hug. They stood there for a few seconds, savoring each other's warmth. Then Kate pulled her head back, not breaking the hug.

"What was that for?" Rick asked, a slight smile playing on his face and she had the urge to kiss it off. But she held back.

"For doing what you did for Montgomery's family. For flushing $100,000 down the toilet just for a shot at my mother's murderer. For starting a scholarship in my mother's name. For being so kind, generous, and noble. For just being there. For being you… For coming back after everything I've put you through." She spoke in one breath.

"Kate… You don-" Rick breathed out.

But she interrupted him, "No, Rick. Just let me finish. I never really said sorry to you for not calling those three months, for not even sending a text. I was dealing with stuff but I never should've left you hanging like that. And I could not be more thankful to you for all you've done for me and for my mother's case. And I realize I have a lot more apologies to make to the boys and Lanie as well, and I will make them. But for now, thank you for just coming back, for chipping away at my walls, for just being there." Kate finished and took a deep, stuttering breath.

Rick simply smiled down at her and said that one word that she hoped to hear for a long, long time, "Always."

Kate dared to stand on her tiptoes and pressed a feather-light kiss to his lips. The sensation of their lips touching sent electricity through her veins and she had to use all her strength to stop herself from making out with him on the sidewalk. When she pulled away, she saw the most brilliant smile on his face and knew the smile on her own face was just as radiant.

She was loath to pull away from him but the hug had become too long between them. So, she separated from him and immediately missed the warmth. But she was satisfied knowing that she had cleared the air between them and now they could move in one singular direction, together.

Kate flagged down a cab but before she got in, she turned to him, "And you better let me drive that DB5, Rick. Or I will haunt your dreams." She claimed boldly.

Rick turned playful, "What if I want you to haunt my dreams?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Kate rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Name the time and the place and I, and my DB5, will be at your service." Rick winked at her. She sat in the cab and asked him, "Until tomorrow, Rick?"

She knew there was a long way to go for them. Secrets and misgivings and other issues. But that all seemed so trivial right now. Because right now Rick looked at her in a way that she wanted to be looked at for the rest of her life. And for a moment in time, that thought didn't seem so bad.

"Until tomorrow, Kate." And then the cab drove away into the cold curtain of the night.