So, since I didn't see a box for author's notes anywhere, I'll just put it here 'til I discover the proper location for such comments. This is my first published fic on this site, although I've been writing for a couple of years now. I'm fairly new to the Castle fandom, and my Castle fics are a pretty recent thing; previously having only posted Prison Break fanfics over on PBfic, this is all pretty new to me. Well, I hope you enjoy my first foray into this great fandom, and all comments are very welcome!

"Castle, quit messing around," Beckett called over her shoulder, not even bothering to look back at the inquisitive novelist as he bounded over to an overflowing trash can with an exclamation of childlike excitement. Keeping her gun ready at her side, she continued to follow Ryan and Esposito as they advanced on the perp's reported location.

"Castle, this is serious. We've got a murderer to catch, remember?"

"Such a killjoy," Castle muttered from somewhere behind her, no doubt pocketing whatever piece of junk had caught his eye in this stinking, litter-strewn alleyway.

Beckett rolled her eyes and continued walking. Behind her, Castle glanced casually around, keeping a sharp eye out for any other interesting trinkets the alley had to offer. It was this offhand glance that alerted him to movement at the mouth of the alley, and he half-turned towards it, curious. In a single instant, his eyes registered three things:

Their perp was standing at the mouth of the alley.

He was holding a gun.

And that gun was aimed directly at Beckett's back.

"NO!"

Beckett jumped at Castle's sudden shout; but before she could turn around, several things happened at once. Someone– Castle– grabbed her roughly from behind, one arm over her shoulder and the other around her waist, forcing her spine to bend as he pulled her hard into the curve of his body.

At the exact same moment, the sharp crack of a gun punctured the air; Castle jolted as if struck, and she felt a sudden stab of red-hot pain pierce her right shoulder. To her horror, she felt Castle's grip go lax, his weight suddenly bearing down more heavily upon her. Completely oblivious to the shouts and running feet thundering all around her, she sank to her knees and slid out from beneath him, holding her breath as she carefully rolled him over onto his back.

Her worst fears were confirmed as she saw the dark crimson stain spreading across his chest, and the next moment she heard a tiny, agonized moan escape his lips. Suddenly, something inside her shattered. Her blank shock was replaced by frenzied action; barely noticing the tears that had begun streaming down her face, Beckett ripped off her jacket, tipping him carefully to search for the entry wound. Immediately spotting it just below his ribs, she hastily wadded up the jacket and pressed it to the wound, then eased him gently back onto the asphalt.

"I need medics! Tell them we have an officer down!" She shouted hoarsely, barely seeing the nearby uniform hurry to obey. As she'd spoken, she had yanked off her shirt and– now wearing only a singlet over her bra– swiftly straddled Castle, pressing the crumpled ball of shirt against the exit wound on his chest.

He moaned again, louder this time, his uninjured arm moving restlessly. Her eyes never leaving his face, she pleaded with him, her voice desperate.

"Talk to me, Castle, come on! I know you can hear me! Talk to me. I need you–" her voice broke slightly– "I need you to talk to me, Castle. Please. Please, Castle," she continued, the panic in her voice building. As she dragged in a ragged breath, Castle moaned again, his eyelids fluttering.

"Beckett…" he rasped, his voice laboured but clearly audible. Beckett felt her breath catch in her throat, joy and relief searing through her.

"That's great, Castle. Now I need you to open your eyes for me. Come on, you can do it, I know you can," she said breathlessly, her tears still falling unnoticed onto his chest. Watching him closely, she watched his eyelids flicker for a few moments more before he managed to force them open, his gaze slowly focusing on her face.

"Always – so – pushy," Castle said slowly, every word seeming to take considerable effort. Closing his eyes briefly, he took a deep breath, and when he opened them again his gaze seemed clearer, more focused.

"You know– all those times– I fantasized– about having you– on top of me," Castle began, his voice growing steadily stronger and a familiar smile forming on his lips, "I never pictured it– quite like this."

Beckett made a sound halfway between a chuckle and a sob, and wiped her eyes with the back of one hand, accidentally leaving a streak of blood across one cheek. Castle's eyes were on hers, his smile comforting and sympathetic.

"Kate…" he said quietly, his uninjured arm lifting so he could grasp her free hand. He squeezed her hand gently and she returned the pressure, suddenly struggling to breathe past the lump in her throat. The look he gave her was full of faith.

"It's going to be okay."

And with that, his eyes drooped shut, his hand going limp in hers. Terror stabbed at her heart, a barely-contained scream building in her throat. As the tears began to flow heavily once more, she quickly pressed two fingers just below his jaw, praying for a pulse.

She was trembling so much it took her a moment to feel it, but once she did, she felt relief flood through her entire body. Leaning forward, she put her face close to his, turning it to the side to try to hear his breathing. It was faint but steady, and she exhaled heavily, her whole body trembling.

Her eyes never leaving Castle's face, she called out, "Where are my medics?"

"Two minutes!" replied a strained voice nearby, and Beckett nodded slightly. The paramedics would be here soon; they would take him to the hospital and everything would be fine. Castle would be fine. Keeping both hands firmly on the blood-soaked wad of shirt, she took a deep breath and ignored the growing ache in her knees, trying to keep herself calm and controlled. Help was coming.

Still, it felt like much longer than two minutes before she heard a woman's voice behind her.

"Detective, you've done an excellent job, but we'll take over now."

Looking up, Beckett's eyes met those of the lady paramedic, and she nodded. With one last look at Castle's peaceful face, she forced her body to move, rolling sideways off him with more agility than she would have expected after the battering her body had taken. Within moments she was on her feet, watching silently as the paramedics efficiently moved Castle onto a stretcher and began wheeling him towards the ambulance.

"I'm going with him," she told them tersely, following in the stretcher's wake. The female paramedic turned to her, frowning slightly.

"We've called in another ambulance for you. You need treatment–" she began, but Beckett cut her off.

"I can get treatment when we get to the hospital," Beckett said dismissively, moving closer to the open doors of the ambulance.

"Detective, you've been shot–"

Beckett turned to her with a cold stare, her voice quiet and deadly. "So has my partner. He took that bullet to save my life."

Without another word she turned and climbed into the back of the ambulance, strapping herself in beside Castle. Wisely, the paramedic did not argue, simply pursed her lips and shut the doors on them. Seated across from her, the other paramedic gave her a sympathetic look before turning away, offering her what little privacy he could.

Shaking, Beckett reached out and clasped Castle's limp hand, trying to ignore the bandages and breathing tubes all over him. When they pulled into the hospital bay soon after, a horrible thought struck her. As Castle was unloaded and rushed away, she found a quiet spot and pulled out her phone.

And then, trembling, with dread weighing heavily in her stomach, Beckett made the worst phone call of her life.

###

By the time Martha and Alexis arrived, Beckett was already cleaned up and bandaged, wearing Esposito's jacket over her blood-smeared singlet. Thanks to Castle, she was going to be completely fine; the bullet had barely had the speed to penetrate her shoulder. Esposito and Ryan had joined her in Castle's room less than ten minutes before; looking grave, they ignored the spare chairs and leaned silently against the wall instead , their eyes– like hers– fixed on Castle's unconscious form.

They had caught the shooter, but any victory they might have felt was overshadowed by the utter seriousness of Castle's condition. Beckett sat close by Castle's side, holding tight onto his hand, hoping he could somehow feel her. She jumped slightly as she heard Martha's voice out in the hall, then quickly got to her feet. The door opened and Martha swept in, followed silently by Alexis, who stuck close to her grandmother like a shadow.

"We'll leave you in peace," Beckett said shakily, moving towards the doorway. "I'm sure you'll want some private family time."

Ryan and Esposito exited ahead of her, both giving Martha a sombre, respectful nod as they went. Beckett attempted to follow them, but was stopped short by Martha's hand on her arm.

"Where are you going?"

Avoiding Martha's gaze, Beckett mumbled, "We'll be just down the hall. This is a time for family–"

Martha cut her off. "Exactly, Kate. You are family."

Ignoring Beckett's shocked stammering, Martha closed the door, shutting her in. Sudden panic clutched at her insides; she could not bear to look at Alexis, to see the accusation in those eyes, knowing the words would come. The two words she had told herself over and over, ever since the moment she saw Castle bleeding on the ground. Your fault.

Alexis let out a choked sob and Beckett couldn't help it; she looked up, seeing Alexis' tearful blue eyes fixed upon her father. Then suddenly she turned and their eyes met, and Beckett tensed, fearing what was to come.

There was a flurry of movement and the next second Alexis' arms were wrapped tightly around her, her face buried in Beckett's shoulder as she sobbed. For a moment, Beckett stood frozen in stunned surprise, then tentatively put her arms around Alexis, her eyes meeting Martha's over Alexis' head.

For a few moments there was silence, before Martha gave a dramatic sigh and pulled the other two chairs over to where Beckett had been sitting by the bed.

"Come now girls, let's sit down," she said, and then as they slowly obeyed, she added, "Kate, I think it's time we heard the whole story. Start with what the doctor said, and then tell us how all this happened."

Taking a deep breath, Beckett looked at Castle's inert form, then turned her gaze to the two women before her and began to speak. She told them what the doctor had said; Castle's condition was serious, but stable. They'd performed inital treatment, including placing him under a coma to alleviate the pain and encourage healing. Her voice trembled as she briefly described the surgeries he would undergo, but she held herself together, her words radiating with quiet faith as she assured them that the doctors believed he would recover.

Once she had relayed everything the doctor had told her, she told them about the alleyway, about Castle saving her, and about keeping pressure on his wounds until the paramedics arrived. She made sure they knew that the man had been caught, and that he would be going to jail for a long time. It was little consolation to any of them, but it was something, at least. When she finished speaking she simply stared at her shoes, unable to meet their eyes. After a moment she felt a hand on her arm, and looked up slowly into Martha's understanding gaze.

"Thank you, Kate," Martha said softly, "for my son."

Beckett shook her head. "He's in that bed because he saved my life. I deserve your hatred, not your gratitude," she replied hoarsely, her throat tight with guilt and grief.

"He knew what he was doing when he chose to work with you, Kate," Martha said firmly, her hand tightening on Beckett's arm. "Just as I'm sure he knew what he was doing when he stepped in front of that bullet. You are not to blame, Kate. You have saved his life many times over, and we know that you would have done everything in your power to keep him alive until the paramedics got there. We're so thankful that he has you."

Fighting back tears, Beckett simply nodded, turning her eyes back to Castle. Now that all had been said, the three women made themselves as comfortable as possible, then settled in to wait.

###

It was close to one in the morning. The hospital staff had tried to throw them out hours ago, but when they had become insistent, Beckett simply pulled out her badge and fixed them with her coldest glare. They'd been left pretty much alone since then.

Alexis was asleep, her chair pulled as close as possible to the bed and her head pillowed on her father's arm. Beckett paced silently, glancing at Castle every few seconds. Martha was sitting on the chair close to the foot of the bed, her arm repeatedly slipping off the chair as she fell into a doze and then jerked awake again. After this happened for the 10th time, Martha stood.

"I think it's time to go," she said softly to Beckett, who stopped pacing and looked over at the bed with a sigh.

"You're probably right. Would you like me to call you and Alexis a cab?"

"That won't be necessary. I placed a call earlier to the Arlington, the hotel just down the street. I've booked us a room there," she said, pulling a hotel key from her pocket. At Beckett's questioning look, she explained, "they kindly sent a busboy over earlier to bring me the key. Now, if you'll help me with Alexis…"

Together, the two women woke Alexis, gently lifting her to her feet. Then, one by one, they each bent and kissed Castle's cheek before walking together out of the room. Despite the late hour, they reached the hotel without any difficulty, although Beckett was glad it was so close by. Pausing at the door to the lobby, she turned to the other two.

"I'll call my cab from here. Goodnight Martha, Alexis."

"Don't be silly, Kate," Martha said, her eyes reproachful. "I've booked the penthouse. There is plenty of room for the three of us, and it's close to the hospital. You're staying here."

Surprised, Beckett simply stared, at a loss for words. After giving her an intense look, Martha turned to Alexis.

"Come along, dear, time for bed."

"Isn't Kate coming?" Alexis said quietly, looking from one to the other.

"Of course she is," Martha assured her. "Now, come along."

Obediently Alexis followed along behind Martha, and Beckett caught up with them just a few seconds later. After a long elevator ride, Martha opened the door to the penthouse and ushered them all in. Had she been less tired and worried, Beckett would have been awed by the affluence of the huge space. But as it was, all she wanted to see was a place to sleep.

"Now," Martha said, stopping in the middle of the huge living area. "The room at the end of the hall has a king size bed, and through the door on the left are two singles."

"You take the king," Beckett said. "A single is fine with me."

With that settled, they said their goodnights, then Martha disappeared through the door at the end of the hall. Following Alexis into the other room, Beckett went directly to the bed, and fell into it, fully dressed. Alexis did the same, and after saying another tired goodnight, they both turned out the lights.

Some time later, Beckett was just bordering on sleep when she heard the small voice coming from the other bed.

"Kate?"

"Yes?" Beckett replied quietly, immediately alert.

"Are you in love with my dad?"

Stunned, Beckett lay silent, her mind racing. After a few moments, she opened her mouth to deny it, but stopped herself. She simply couldn't lie to Alexis.

"Yes," she finally replied, her voice barely audible.

"I knew it," Alexis whispered, sounding triumphant. There was silence for a few seconds before Alexis spoke again.

"Will you promise me something?"

"I'll try," Beckett said warily, wondering where this was going.

"When he wakes up, tell him," Alexis said, "Because I know he's not going to say it first. I've been trying for months to get him to man up and just tell you–"

"Tell me what?" Beckett interrupted breathlessly, her heart pounding.

"That he's been in love with you pretty much since you guys met, duh," Alexis said, as if it were exceptionally obvious. "Please will you just tell him? I'm so tired of him making excuses not to tell you. And especially after you broke up with Josh –"

"You know about Josh?"

"Well, yeah," Alexis said, sounding slightly embarrassed for the first time. "I hope you don't mind me knowing about your private life, but dad needed someone to talk to. Anyway," she continued, after a few moments of Beckett's stunned silence, "when you broke up with Josh, and he and Gina had been over for weeks, I really thought he would finally tell you. But he hasn't, and I know it's just because he's too scared you'll say no," Alexis finished, leaving Beckett even more stunned than before.

"So, will you promise?" Alexis prompted when Beckett had been silent too long.

Beckett took a deep breath. "I'll tell him. I promise."

###

Five days later, Beckett left the station early, having powered through all her paperwork in record time in order to spend more time with Castle. After she'd returned to work the day after the shooting, her every spare moment was spent at the hospital by his bedside, watching and waiting and hoping.

Often Martha and Alexis would be there too, and she had been surprised to find how much closer the three of them had become. After all, they understood how each other felt better than anyone else could, the three of them united by the simple fact that, to each of them, Richard Castle was their world.

Beckett could admit it to herself now, finally, thanks to her late-night discussion with Alexis and a lot of honest soul-searching. Castle was the most important person in her life, and as long as he remained in hospital, unconscious and unresponsive, she felt as if part of herself was missing, leaving her broken and incomplete.

As she walked the all-too-familiar path through the hospital corridors, she sent up a silent prayer, both for Castle, and for herself. Despite how hard she'd resisted, how intensely she'd fought to prevent it, their lives were now irrevocably linked. She could only hope that when he woke– when, not if – he would feel the same.

Pushing that worry aside–she would deal with it when the time came– she took a deep breath and slipped into Castle's room. She had already taken two steps towards the bed when her brain finally registered what she was seeing; stunned, she froze in mid-step, staring in open-mouthed shock at Castle. When she'd visited him just this morning, his condition had been unchanged, his body laying still and silent in the white bed. Now, he was sitting upright, chatting quietly with Alexis and looking so wonderfully, beautifully alive.

Catching sight of her, Castle grinned. "Hey, here she is!" he said warmly, his voice so lively and full of welcome that she finally allowed herself to believe what her eyes were telling her.

Castle was okay.

Suddenly, all the pain and fear and anguish of the last few days were gone, and she could breathe again. Crossing the room swiftly, she took his outstretched hand in hers, barely noticing as Alexis tactfully sidled out of the room. A sudden, persistent beeping caught her attention, and she tore her eyes from Castle's steady gaze, looking around in confusion.

"Your heart monitor just sped up," she said after a few moments, then looked down at him, a concerned frown creasing her forehead. "Are you okay?"

Castle grinned. "Oh, don't worry, that's pretty normal," he answered casually.

Beckett's head tilted slightly, her eyes just barely narrowing as she tried to decipher his meaning. Then, with a blink and a tiny shake of her head, she took a deep breath and asked the big question.

"So, what did the doctor say? You gonna live?" Despite her attempt to keep her tone light, she knew they both clearly heard the underlying fear beneath her words. Castle gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his serious eyes never leaving hers.

"They can't give me a definite answer, but they think I'm going to be fine," he gave her a small smile and Beckett silently let out the breath she'd been holding, feeling the prickle of relieved tears at the back of her eyes.

Blinking rapidly, she asked, "So, no lasting damage?"

"Well," Castle began, and she could see a wicked grin forming on his lips, "They suggested that I refrain from doing any strenuous activity for a while, which is definitely gonna be a problem…" still grinning, he waggled his eyebrows, and Beckett couldn't help but laugh.

"Castle, you are obscene!" she said playfully, whacking him lightly on the arm as he laughed. Smiling in spite of herself, Beckett rested her free hand atop their clasped ones, and Castle grinned up at her.

"Sorry. I would blame it on the pain meds, but we both know that would be a blatant lie."

"True." Beckett agreed, and for a few moments they were silent, their eyes locked. Then Beckett's smile faded slightly and her eyes grew serious.

"God, it's good to hear your voice," she said with a sigh. "I wasn't sure I ever would again."

His hand tightened fractionally on hers, but he kept his voice light. "Why, Detective, your lack of faith in me is hurtful. Surely you know it'd take more than a bullet to keep me from bugging you."

"You're right, I just– I thought I'd lost you," Beckett admitted in a whisper, as– to her horror– tears began to spill from her eyes, pouring silently down her face. Turning away, she tried to wipe her eyes with her free right hand, but Castle tugged at her other hand, pulling her to face him.

"Hey, it's okay. Come here."

"What?" she choked, watching in confusion as he shifted across on the bed, making room for her.

"Kate, get on the bed."

"No, Castle–" Beckett shook her head, trying to pull away, but Castle kept a firm grip on her hand.

"Kate, either you get on the bed or I get up, and in doing so who knows what kind of additional injuries I may suffer?"

Beckett knew what he was doing, but gave in anyway. "Fine." Releasing his hand, she crawled onto the bed beside him, curling up against his side, and he put an arm around her, gently stroking her hair. Burying her face in his neck, she let the silent tears come.

"It's okay, Kate. I'm fine and I'm not going anywhere. I promise," Castle said soothingly, his lips brushing gently against her hair as he spoke.

"Why did you do it?" she asked eventually, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Castle didn't pretend to misunderstand. "When I saw the gun, I knew that I had to make a choice. My life, or yours. So I chose."

"Why? Why choose me?"

Beckett felt Castle's chest expand beneath her cheek as he drew in a deep breath.

"Because you're more important to me."

"Wh –" Beckett began, but Castle interrupted.

"No, Kate, listen to me. Ever since Alexis was born, there have been only two people in the world that I cared about more than myself. Alexis, and my mother. And then I met you. I should have told you this a long time ago, but I…" sighing softly, he continued, "I was a coward. The truth is, I love you. I have been," he paused, and swallowed before continuing, "hopelessly in love with you for nearly two years. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I just… couldn't. I knew I never stood a chance with you– not with men like Sorenson, Demming and Doctor Josh falling at your feet…"

"Castle, please stop talking," Beckett said suddenly, pulling away to sit upright. She felt his body stiffen beside hers, and silently he removed his arm from around her. Looking away, he spoke quietly, unable to keep the hurt from his voice.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Clearing his throat, he added, "Let's just forget it. Pretend I never said anything."

"Castle, shut up and look at me."

He fell silent, but was unable to meet her eyes.

"Look at me, Castle."

He didn't move.

"Rick!"

Castle looked up in surprise, and she noticed his eyes were wet. Taking his face in her hands, she locked his gaze with hers, her heart pounding in her chest.

"You're a fool, Richard Castle," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his as she continued. "A blind fool. But I love you anyway."

She held his gaze for a moment longer, letting the truth of her words sink in. Then she was done with waiting. Her lips met his, soft and tentative. His response was immediate; his arm wrapped around her, pulling her close, and suddenly he was kissing her like she'd always wanted him to, his mouth moving over hers with both passion and tenderness. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she surrendered herself to him completely, moaning softly as she deepened the kiss.

After several moments, a shrill, frenzied beeping began to penetrate her consciousness, and reluctantly she pulled away, breathing hard as she looked at the heart monitor.

"We keep this up, that thing's gonna explode," Beckett observed wryly, watching the ragged peaks that were zigzagging across the screen at high speed.

"Tell me about it," Castle said, his voice equally wry. As she looked back at him he made a show of glancing a little way down the bed, then lifting an eyebrow playfully as his eyes met hers once more.

"Oh my god, Castle," Beckett said with a laugh. "What did I say? You are obscene."

"And you love me for it."

Beckett smiled, then pressed her lips briefly against his. "That I do."

Settling herself against him once more, she closed her eyes, then smiled as she felt his lips against her hair.

"Mother and Alexis will be pleased," Castle said softly, "They've been waiting for this since pretty much they day we met."

Beckett chuckled. "Oh, I know."

"You do?"

"Nothing like a loved one getting shot for bringing people closer together," Beckett joked, then added, "I wonder if this means someone won the pool."

"What pool?"

"Ask Lanie about it sometime," Beckett answered with a grin, absentmindedly trailing her fingers across his chest as she spoke. "Speaking of Lanie, we should let everyone at the precinct know that you're okay. They've been worried about you."

"Aw, I'm touched. So did I get lots of visitors while I was lying here, mortally wounded?"

"Only like the "Who's who" list of New York's elite. The mayor even made time to drop by a couple of times; I think there's a card from him over on the pile over there."

Castle glanced over at the table in the corner of the room, chuckling as he saw the stack of cards littered across the surface.

"Sure is nice to feel appreciated."

"Yeah, well there are plenty of very 'appreciative' cards in there, many of which are signed with an oh-so-tasteful lipstick kiss," Beckett said dryly, and Castle laughed.

"Maybe you'd better keep those ones."

"What?" Beckett said in confusion, her hand going still on his chest.

"So you can compare writing samples to the hate mail you'll be receiving."

Beckett laughed, whacking his shoulder lightly. "Could you be more egotistical?"

"I'd imagine not," Castle responded with a laugh, and Beckett grinned.

With a small sigh, she sat upright, leaning in for a brief kiss before slipping lithely off the bed. "I'd better call Ryan and Esposito. They've been moping around like abandoned puppies since you've been gone, and I did promise to let them know immediately if anything happened."

"Will you tell them everything?" Castle said, his hand covering hers as he looked up at her.

"I don't think we need to," Beckett said with a small, wry smile. "It seems like everyone else knew before we did."

Castle chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Good point."

"I'll be back soon. I'll send Alexis in if I see her on my way out."

Crossing the room, Beckett opened the door, pausing on the threshold to look back at him once more. Giving him a small smile, she turned and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Letting go of the handle, she leaned against the wall for a moment, letting her breath out in a rush. Unable to hold back the grin that spread across her face, she took a steadying breath, then pushed herself away from the wall.

As she walked down the corridor, she noticed Alexis sitting in one of the waiting chairs, absorbed in a magazine. Beckett carefully controlled her grin and strolled over to where Alexis sat.

"That was a pretty sneaky exit you pulled back there."

Alexis jumped, not having noticed her approach. "Kate!"

Immediately she was on her feet, the magazine tossed on the adjacent chair.

"So?" she said eagerly, almost vibrating with excitement.

Beckett shook her head, her expression sombre. "I'm sorry, Alexis."

"What?" Alexis looked dumbstruck.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't keep my promise," Beckett said seriously, then grinned, unable to hold it back any longer. "He beat me to it."

"Oh my god!" Alexis squealed, throwing her arms around Beckett, and Beckett returned the hug just as tightly. When they pulled away, Beckett spoke first.

"I'm going to go call the station now, let them know he's okay. I told him I'd send you in if I saw you."

"Sure, I'll go right in," Alexis said excitedly, then paused. "I'll see you soon though, right?"

"As soon as I finish the call," Beckett assured her with a smile.

"Good," Alexis said happily, then skipped towards Castle's room. Beckett grinned after her, then turned and strolled through the corridors, making her way towards the entrance to place her call.

###

Just as she flipped open her phone, it began to ring.

"Esposito. I was just about to call you."

"Hope your news is better than mine. We've got a body."

Murderers, thought Beckett with annoyance. Always so inconsiderate with their timing.

With a sigh, she switched into business mode. "Where?"

When she wrapped up the call two minutes later, she took a moment to leave a message at the reception to be passed on to Castle. Then, pulling on her gloves, she stepped out into the cool evening.

Her own happiness could wait.

Right now, she had a killer to catch.

So, I'm pretty sure this is a one-shot. But, I'm not saying there mightn't be some linked pieces showing up at some future date ;) Anyway, I love reviews more than cookies (and they're much healthier for me in general lol), so if you liked it even a little, let me know! Thanks :)