Here's the final chapter everyone. I want to thank you all for your ideas and thoughts throughout the course of this story. You've all been wonderful. I hope you enjoy reading this final installment of my first story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

"Lanie, I'm telling you, I can't get them out of my head! It's some sort of curse. I mean, she's like my sister and Castle is one of my best friends. I can't believe this is still getting under my skin, it's been a week!" Esposito ranted to his on again, off again girlfriend as he paced back and forth in the dark confines of the morgue.

"Well what about Ryan? How is he handling all of this?" she asks, watching him with an amused smirk.

"Ryan didn't see it first-hand like I did. He only saw the video tape. I was right there Lanie. They were right in front of me, and it was so hot, but now I can't take it anymore. Besides, he's all over-the-moon since he found out that he and Jenny are pregnant the other day."

"Well, maybe you need a distraction to take your mind off of it too?"

"How do you expect me to forget that? Every time I look at Beckett I can't help but remember what she looks like naked, and it does things to me Lanie. I can't tell them that!"

"I'm going to do you a favor Javier Esposito and not let Kate know exactly where you were when that tape was made, but baby, you really need to calm down. This will pass and you'll forget in time and then you guys will go back to how everything was before. You just need to be patient. "

"Yeah, I guess you might be right." He conceded after a moment of thought.

"Maybe I'm right?! Honey, you know I'm right. Now if you let me finish my work, I can come over tonight and help you get started on that forgetting." Lanie suggested as she rounded the table to where Esposito had finally stopped his pacing.

"Mmm now you know I like the sound of that chica." He met her halfway, his hands coming to rest on her hips.

"Oh, and by the way. I'm going to need to see this video that has you so worked up. I love my girl to death but I could use some leverage to get details out of her on our next girls' night."

Lanie stood on tip-toe to connect her lips with Esposito's in a short kiss that was filled with promise.

"Now shoo, the sooner I get done here the sooner you can meet me back at my place tonight."

"Girl, you know you and writer-boy did quite the number on those boys over there." Lanie told Beckett with a conspiratorial whisper as they leaned up against the bar of the Old Haunt the next night.

"Although, I probably should be thanking you. Last night was one of the hottest nights I've had in a long time!" she continued, ignoring the way Beckett's eyes flitted towards Castle across the bar before returning back to the drink in her hand.

"Look Lanie, I told you. I didn't know the camera was on. I don't know how to fix them. They've both been acting strange all week!"

"Don't worry so much about it. You know how those two are, the next shiny new toy will appear soon and they'll forget all about it. From what I've been told, Ryan already has, and it's only a matter of time until Javi comes around as well."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just didn't really want everyone to find out this way. Castle and I wanted to keep things to ourselves for a while before we got everyone else involved."

"Well, I think it's safe to say we're all definitely involved now. Besides, you won me a nice amount of money in that pool that's been going."

Beckett huffed out a laugh and sent her best friend a half-hearted glare.

"Oh, don't tell me you didn't know what was going on Katherine Beckett! The entire city has been waiting for you two to get your act together for years now. You can't blame us for being excited for the both of you."

"No, I guess not… I just hope this all blows over and things can get back to normal around here."

"Girl, things are never normal around you and Castle. And you know as well as I do that you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Beckett admitted, her eyes lighting up as Castle finished his conversation with the boys and began making his way over to the ladies.

Castle leaned down to place a chaste kiss upon the brunette's lips upon his arrival, knowing Kate wasn't comfortable with more intimate displays of PDA.

"My apologies Lanie, but I was wondering if I could steal my girl away from you for a little while?" he said, taking Beckett's hand in his and leading her towards the open space that served as an impromptu dance floor, leaving their three friends behind with stunned looks on their faces.

"Did he just kiss her, in public?"

"Uh, huh."

"And he called her his girl."

"Yeah."

"And she didn't shoot him?"

"She didn't even threaten to shoot him, man."

"Fifty says they're engaged within six months."

"Deal"

"You're on."

"Castle, what are you doing? It isn't my birthday." Kate said, amused as she watched her boyfriend walk towards her with rectangular, gift wrapped package in his hand.

"Can't I give you a present without it being your birthday?" Castle asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed where she was propped up against the headboard, a book in her hand and a glass of wine on the table beside her.

"You know how I feel about you buying me things, which means you know that I don't like you spending a ton of money on me."

"Yes, but it's my money to spend. Besides, this isn't just for you. It's for both of us."

She looked at him in suspicion as she took the gift from him and began to unwrap it.

"Castle, what on earth do we need a video camera for?" Beckett asked, staring in confusion at the box in her hands.

He met her eyes, the apprehension shining in his own blue orbs only serving to heighten her confusion and suspicion.

"Look, I know we didn't mean to get taped having sex in the interrogation room but seeing that video got me to thinking. We're really good at it."

Seeing her look of disbelief directed at him he held up a hand to stay her fury and continued.

"What I meant to say is that we both enjoyed watching ourselves on film later that night, and I thought, maybe, that we could try it again. But planned this time. What do you think?"

The silence seemed to stretch on forever as Beckett looked at the video camera in her hands, and then up to her boyfriend, concentration causing her brow to furrow.

"Alright Castle, let's do it. But under one condition. These tapes never, and I mean never, see the light of day. Understand?"

"No, I mean yes, of course they will be just for us. Let me just get the camera set up and we can get started. Er, I mean if you want to tonight that is…" Castle trailed off, his excitement getting the better of him as he looked at Kate hopefully.

"Go Castle, get the camera set up while I change into something more comfortable." She laughed, leaning forward to kiss him quickly before they both scrambled out of the bed to get ready.

"Kate, I'm ready whenever you are." Castle called out several minutes later, sitting down on the end of the bed. His eyes flickered to the camera in the corner of the room pointed towards his position on the bed before he turned to stare hard at the door to his ensuite bathroom, as if expecting his girlfriend to appear through it at will.

No amount of preparation could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him when the door did finally open to reveal Kate Beckett in a set of silky black negligee. His eyes took in the lacy top of her ensemble which left little to the imagination where it covered her pert nipples and breasts that fit perfectly into the palm of his hand. They landed on the bright pink flowers etched into the material at the top of her breasts and the delicate pink bow set squarely between her breasts, right below the scar from the gunshot wound that had nearly taken her from him. He continued on down her body to the matching panties with similar pink ties on either side of her jutting hipbones and his fingers itched to pull on those bows to reveal her body to him in all its glory.

"Kate, when did you get this and why haven't I seen it before?" he croaked as he completed the circuit and met her gaze once again, taken aback by the hunger in her eyes.

"Does it really matter Castle?" she asked as she reached him and placed her hands on his shoulders, lifting first one knee onto the mattress and then the other until she is straddling him, her pelvis just barely touching his.

"Mmm I guess not, as long as I get to take it off of you." He acquiesced, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her down onto him. A gasp escaped Beckett's mouth as she felt the evidence of Castle's arousal through his boxers and she couldn't help but grind down onto him.

"Ahh Kate, you have to stop that." Castle warned her and pulling her off to the side so he could lay her out on the bed in front of him, looking every bit the Greek Goddess with her hair pillowed out around her head on his sheets.

He started by placing a kiss at the joint on her right ankle before beginning to lick and suck at her skin, slowly working his way up her leg. Pausing to nip at the spot her knew she loved on the back of her knee and being rewarded by her groan of anticipation which quickly turned into irritation as he left her skin and started the process over again at her other leg.

This time though, he didn't stop as his lips passed her left knee and continued on to her inner thigh, kissing, nipping, and sucking at her skin, marking her as his.

Kate's back arched up as he got closer and closer to where she wanted him, not paying attention to his hands until she felt his fingers untying the bows holding her panties to her body.

She lifted her hips off the bed to allow him to toss her underwear to the side, soon followed by the rest of her negligee as his mouth finally reached its destination.

Castle slipped his tongue through her slick, wet folds, sampling her essence, feeling her fingers tangle in his hair. He slid a finger into her entrance, feeling her wet heat surrounding him only serving to heighten the anticipation for when it's more than his fingers stretching her inner muscles.

"Oh, Castle, more" she begged him as she felt the first tingling sensations beginning in the pit of her stomach, a precursor to the pleasure that is to come.

He obliged her, placing his free hand across her hips to try to hold in in place as he sinks a second finger into her and flicks his tongue over her clit.

Kate's hands move to grip her own breasts, her fingers pinching and rolling her nipples into hardened peaks.

"Yes, yes, Oh" she ground out through clenched teeth as the wave of her orgasm grew and then broke over her, causing Beckett's body to tighten and release in rhythm with Castle's fingers still buried deep inside her.

She cupped his face and dragged him up her body, covered in a light sheen of sweat, to kiss him in a passionate thank you, tasting herself when he tongue swept through his mouth.

"I want you. Now Castle. I need you inside me now." She told him, reaching down to grab his hard member in her hand, rubbing her thumb across the head to spread the bead of moisture that had developed and stroking him in her palm.

Castle shifted until he was laying over her, supporting his weight on his forearms and allowing Beckett to guide him to her entrance, dripping wet from her arousal and earlier release.

"I love you" he whispered, his lips meeting hers as he pushed into her.

He stopped for a moment when he felt his pelvis come to rest against hers, allowing her body to adjust to his size, setting a slow, loving rhythm.

Even if she couldn't voice it yet, Kate's eyes reflected his feelings as they kissed languidly, taking their time.

When Beckett's hips began pushing up against his own more insistently he knew she was ready. Knew she wanted more without her evening having to say.

He pulled away from her at his original pace but paused when only the head of his cock was still inside her, surrounded by her tight, slick walls. Midnight blue eyes met darkened hazel ones and at her nearly imperceptible nod, Castle thrust back into her powerfully.

A cry was torn from Kate's lips as he established a new, punishing rhythm. She writhed beneath him, he hips rising to meet his every thrust, urging him onwards as they both climbed upwards towards release.

Beckett wrapped her legs around him, her heels digging into his ass and forcing him to remain close with short, sharp movements. Gasps and moans in ever increasing volume escaping the woman beneath him were quickly echoes by his own moans and labored breathing as he pushed ever onwards and upwards.

Kate released first, shattering into a million pieces around him with a strangled groan, her elastic inner muscles spasming around him where he continued to push into her body working both to prolong her own orgasm and achieve his own.

Both breathing hard, she began to come down from her high several long seconds later just as Castle reached his own. He thrust into her, hard, one final time before erupting. The feel of him twitching and releasing inside her causing Beckett to fly once again.

Long moments later, he rolled off away, knowing that his body weight must be crushing her. Castle gathered Kate into his arms and kissed her softly, languorously, reveling in her soft lips moving beneath his own.

"I love you too" she breathed, curling her body into his.

They held each other until the cooling sweat caused a chill to run across Beckett's skin.

"Let me take care of the camera and then we can get some rest." Castle told her, kissing her forehead before getting out of bed and pulling a sheet up over his girlfriend.

"We can sleep for a while and check out the tape later."

There's the man-child that I know and love. The woman thought to herself with a smile as he climbed back into bed, draping his body around hers. Their shared body heat lulled them both into a deep, sated sleep.