You're Already Mine

You're Already Strong

Oh! you guys! *blushes furiously*

The reviews are too sweet! Just for that I have a surprise for you!

It'll be in the A/N at the bottom of the chapter

Enjoy!

Why did it never fail that Richard Castle was always the center of her life in someway?

Their first year working together, he was her charge for most of the year and then he was this biggest disappointment who dug up her past for selfish reasons. The second year of their partnership she spent the entire time fighting off feelings she knew she had for him, only to finally give and have her heart broken like never before. The third year of their partnership had been completely about avoiding the inevitable. She couldn't let herself get hurt again by him, but every moment away from him was spent aching for him with every sense she had.

Now, in this the fourth year of their partnership, and she can't seem to pry herself away from her.

Their weekend had been spent mostly in the cabin (in the bed) and the rare occasions they went out were purely for groceries or fresh air. Rick had been insistently gentle with her and whenever they had sex had made sure to restrain himself, so as not to hurt her. They usually tried to walk when she could, but never to far. Other than that, they stayed in and just enjoyed being together, in every sense of the word.

Because of this togetherness however, Rick had 5 pending death threats on his voice mail, 14 in his email, and 3 in his inbox. He was meant to have the the final cut of Frozen Heat handed in to them and he'd been avoiding them and managed to extend his stay through Monday and Tuesday with Kate under the pretense of 'car trouble'. He realized Tuesday night that he could no longer hide out, that at some point he'd have to face the outside, be home with his mother and daughter. Kate was very persuasive however and was trying out her 'persuasion' in the doorway of the cabin Wednesday morning.

Rick managed to steal ten seconds of air. "Kate, sweetie, it's only three days. Two and half really! I'll be back for the weekend and the week after that."

"Yeah, but that's three whole days! 72 hours of no Castle. I'm going to go crazy by myself. You know what? No, go ahead. Just leave your disabled, weak, and mentally unstable girlfriend to go crazy by herself. Maybe a nice family of bears will come pick me clean after I go on a psychotic rampage and end up naked in the middle of the forest." She threw him her best pair of puppy dog eyes and he almost caved right there. The woman had sunk to a new low: the guilt treatment.

"You have clearly been spending to much time with my mother," she huffed "Besides, you won't be alone. Your Dad will be here any minute."

"But, I can't go on romantic walks with him, or cuddle with him on the couch, or do," she walked to fingers up his chest "other things with him." She ended with a scorching kiss to his neck and while his guard was down, she slipped his bag from his hands and began to pull him inside. Unfortunately, a bird chose that exact moment to 'caw' in the distance and it brought Rick out of his trance.

"Kate... Kate come on. I have to go." He slipped her hands from below his shirt and held them firmly in his before catching the look of anguish in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He allowed her to gather herself and waited her out.

"What if... what if, once your gone, the dreams come back? What if the pain gets worse? What if you leaving means the little bubble we've built around ourselves, around our relationship, bursts?" He waned to interrupt, but she continued "I don't want to lose this, I don't want the pain to come back because I know if it does, it'll absorb me and I don't think I can manage all that alone and I know that's weak and I should be stronger than that being a detective and all, but-"

"No! No no no. You don't have to worry okay?" He pulls her into a hug "I'm literally a call away. You say the word and I'm right back here. And as far as you being weak? That couldn't be farther from the truth. Just being able to admit all of this to me, out loud? That makes you the strongest person I've ever encountered and I couldn't be prouder of you. You'll be hard ass Detective Beckett again soon, but right now," he pulls back to look into her now teary eyes " I'm fully happy just having Kate with me."

She gives him a watery chuckle and a warm kiss. The kiss isn't hot and furious, nor is it planned and passionate. It is a slow and deliberate kiss that portrays everything she wants to say, but can't just yet. He gives just as much as he gets and she knows at that moment, she'll be okay. They will be too. She has time to get back to where she was, but right now, just being where she is feels amazing enough for her.

They separate and embrace before he descends down the steps and heads to his car. Once he arrives there, Jim pulls in and the two have a conversation that appears light at some points and shaky at others. After about ten minutes, the two men part with warm greetings. Rick turns to Kate who blows him a kiss from the porch. She giggles when he catches it and places it 'on his heart' then waves until he's in his car and disappearing down the driveway. Jim goes up after Rick is gone.

He stops and takes in his daughters attire. She's clad in what appears to be Rick's white button down and a pair of his sky blue boxers with bare feet. Her wrist holds a familiar watch, but not because it is his. He'd seen the writer fiddling with it just after the funeral, alerting Jim that it must be Rick's. He give her a slow once over and raises his eyebrow once he meets her eyes. "You have something you want to tell me?"

"Do I?" She teased then pulled him into a hug and they entered the cabin.

Okay. Time for the surprise!

This chapter went longer than I wanted it to, so I'll be posting again tomorrow! We have a snow day, so I'll be inside all day. With nothing to do but write. And gorge myself on sugar cookies and hot chocolate.

Also, just in case Beckett seems a little OOC to any one (my friend thought that), we are dealing with a Beckett who believes that she and Rick have already broken past her emotional barriers. She doesn't mind being open and vulnerable around him when they're alone.

Alright, any questions? Feel free to ask, but if you do and your a guest, I'll most likely put it in an A/N so put a name down please

Love Always, XOXOX