The Cat's Out Of The Bag

a "47 Seconds" story

Kate gritted her teeth and let out a sigh of frustration as she closed the interrogation room door behind her. That went nowhere. She was hoping that if she pushed him, Bobby would admit the truth. But it had failed. And all she got out of it was more questions and dead-end leads. Bobby wasn't their bomber.

"Hey," Castle's voice startled her out of her thoughts and she nearly jumped in surprise. She put her hand over her palpitating heart, just above the spot where a bullet wound marred her skin, and glanced up at him with large, saucer eyes. "Sorry," he ducked his head, almost sheepishly. "Didn't mean to startle you. I… I just wanted to tell you I thought you were really good in there. Amazing, really."

"You were watching?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Heard it all."

Kate's heart rate suddenly quadrupled. She hadn't known he was watching. If she had, she might have gone at it differently. Because hearing her admit to lying for months while interrogating a person of interest was not how Kate wanted Castle to find out the truth. She sucked in a deep breath, waiting for the blow up, for the burst of anger to come out over her lie, but nothing happened. Castle remained calm and relaxed. She cocked her head and looked at him questioningly.

He shrugged. "It was worth a shot, but maybe he honestly doesn't remember. A bomb can be just as traumatic as a bullet."

"Uh, yeah," she nodded dumbly, unable to do anything but agree as she realized that Castle had thought she'd been using an interrogation technique to get Bobby to talk. The guilt and shame hit her almost immediately. It consumed her, eating at her insides. Kate couldn't look at him, so she averted her gaze, feeling her face flush with the shame. Why, oh why had she thought lying to him was a good idea? Oh yeah… her walls.

Those walls she'd built up after her mom died, they'd been falling down, brick by brick. It had been hard and slow, but she'd been working at it. And she was doing well. She was close… so very close to finally dismantling those walls. But now… now Kate was just consumed with the guilt at lying to the man she loved, letting him think she hadn't heard his desperate declaration of love, when all she really wanted to do was tell him—to show him—just how mutual that love really was.

"So, what's next? Back to the drawing board?" he asked, oblivious to her internal battle.

Kate had to fix this, and soon. This whole case was a tragic reminder that life was too short. She was tired of walking around with this secret, when all she wanted was Castle, to have him as more than a partner. She wanted to love him openly, free and unashamed. No more secrets. No more lies. It was time for the truth. It was time to grab for what she wanted. Making a quick decision, Kate grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway, roughly shoving him into a supply closet, closing the door behind them as she flicked the single overhead light on.

"Um, Beckett—?" an understandably perplexed Castle started to ask, but before he could finish is question, Kate cut him off by grabbing his face in her hands and silencing him with a hungry and desperate kiss.

She curled her fingers into his perfectly stylized hair, tugging him closer as she angled her body into his. His hands flailed around uselessly for just a moment, but finding purchase on her hips, holding her close. Kate pushed up into him, moaning softly as their bodies melded together just right… so right. Castle groaned into her mouth, giving her an opening to deepen the kiss. Her tongue flicked out and made contact with his. Their bodies drew closer together as their arms snaked around one another, leaving no space between them as the kiss deepened, turning more hot and passionate with each tick of the clock. It was perfect. They fit together perfectly, and the sheer rightness of it just blew her mind away.

Gasping for air, Kate reluctantly pulled back. Castle gazed down at her, his hair adorably mussed and his lips swollen from kissing, a slack jawed expression on his face, in utter shock and awe at her actions.

"Kate?" he murmured out, baffled and confused, but not at all complaining. Just curious. His hot breath brushing across her face, sending shivers of arousal trickling down her spine.

Kate drew in a deep breath, fortifying herself for his inevitable reaction. "God, I'm so sorry, Castle," she declared softly. "It wasn't some interrogation technique or trick to get him to talk. It wasn't."

"What are you saying?" Castle inquired, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What… what I told Bobby, about remembering every second… it… it wasn't a lie."

Castle's eye went wide, and his mouth dropped in shock. The betrayal and hurt glistening in his eyes was hard to miss. Kate bit her lower lip and ducked her head, feeling the shame rise up again. But then, Castle's fingers coasted along her jaw, tilting her chin up until they're eyes locked.

"All this time… you remembered?"

She inclined her head in confirmation, trying to pour all the sorrow and love she had for him into her eyes, hoping and praying he could see it, that he could read her like he always had before. Kate did not want a repeat of that one summer. She wouldn't survive it this time around.

Castle swallowed, his gaze turning guarded as he looked down at her. He didn't ask her for an explanation, or a reason behind her lie. Instead, he asked, "And your reply?"

Kate let out a shaky breath of relief, knowing exactly how to answer his question. She looked him in the eye, more than ready to tell him the truth that she'd known for quite a while, with every fiber of her being. "I love you too."

Prompt from castlefanficprompts: What if when Castle heard Beckett in 47 seconds he thought she was lying to Bobby. And when she came out of interrogation he said "maybe he honestly doesn't remember. A bomb can be just as traumatic as a bullet." And then guilt consumes Beckett.