Author's note: Wow. Just wow. Episode 6x22 - Veritas - had me glued to my seat the whole time. Probably one of the best episodes in the whole series. So I'm jumping on the bandwagon. This ficlet is an insert for the episode. Might do a tiny epilogue if the response is positive. English is still my third language (feel free to point out any mistakes you spot) and I still don't own Castle. And it's probably better that way. ;-)
Hope you enjoy your reading!

Also, for those of you who enjoy listening to music while reading, this one-shot was written to the sound of "The Fight Will Be" (Track 10 from the OST of "Transformers 3 : Dark Of The Moon). Never saw the movie but I love the music.

Ex Labore Sapientia. Ex Luce Veritas.

From Struggle, Knowledge. From Light, Truth.

The car simply wasn't fast enough. It didn't matter how much Kate willed it to go faster and faster, the stupid vehicle was never going to reach its destination as quickly as she wanted it to.
She had been waiting for this moment for fifteen years – one would think she'd be able to wait a couple hours longer but no, no, she just could not wait anymore. Today was the day she had been longing for ever since her mother's untimely death and every nerve in her entire being was alight with a single purpose: wrap her police cuffs around Senator Bracken's wrists as tightly as possible, once and for all.

And to think the one piece of evidence she had so desperately been searching for had been quite literally staring at her from right under her nose all this time, provided by Johanna Beckett herself. If Kate wasn't so intent on arresting Bracken as soon as she got near him, she would have found it slightly cruel.
Castle thought it was pure genius. And even though he was doing a rather good job of hiding it, Kate knew the writer in him was currently jumping up and down in delight at this unexpected, remarkable twist of fate. Thank Goodness he had only been joking about getting rid of the elephants, several months ago!

Just as she thought she was going to die from anticipation alone, the car finally stopped alongside the pavement and there, a few meters ahead of her, was the building where her target was being interviewed. Her heart raced wildly in her chest, even faster than it did while she had been listening to the recording in Captain Gates' office.

And then everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Castle – who had been sitting by her side during the entire ride, never letting go of her hand and drawing soft, mindless patterns across her knuckles – exited the car first and practically ran around the vehicle to open the door for her.
She took the time to look at him. He exuded pride and impatience and hope and just a little bit of smugness – smugness she knew was directed at the Dragon they were finally on the verge of slaying. Something in the way Castle smiled and held himself was silently screaming at Bracken that it was over, that Truth had won and basically that the Senator could go fuck himself.

Kate stepped outside the car. When her feet once again walked the streets of Washington D.C., she mentally noted how curious it was that the city which had fired her was now the one where her biggest victory would be achieved. This place was synonymous of trial and loneliness, of way too much time spent apart from the man she loved. Now, she and Castle were about to get married and she was back in the capital city to put an end to fifteen years of sorrow and fear and tireless, unaccountable efforts made to get justice.

She took a deep breath. In and out. Just once. Squared her shoulders and decidedly strode towards the building where Senator Bracken was still blissfully unaware of her survival, of the war he finally lost.
But then, something felt amiss. She stopped and turned around when she realized what exactly the problem was.
Her partner was not following her. In fact, he had not moved a muscle. He still stood tall and proud by the police car, and his hair was gently moving with the soft breeze that was blowing on the streets. He was watching every move she made with rapt attention but he was not following her. One of her eyebrows lifted in enquiry whilst she extended her hand towards him.

"You coming, Castle?"

And normally, that was the only incentive he needed. However, this day was anything but normal and for the first time in quite a while – actually, probably for the first time since the sniper case – and in spite of the way he was softly smiling at her, the writer shook his head no.

She hurried back to his side, Bracken be damned, and took both his hands in her own.

"You're not coming with me?" she asked him again, searching her fiancé's blue eyes for an explanation.

"No. I'm staying here."

To say she was flabbergasted would have been a huge understatement.

"But…Why?"

"Because this is your moment, Kate. Not mine. It's yours and yours only."

"That's not true," she instantly retorted, vehemently shaking her head in abrupt denial. "It's our moment. I want you to come with me. Rick, I need you to –

She could never finish her sentence. No matter how short it was, the passionate kiss he silenced her with made it impossible. When they broke apart, Castle cupped her face with both hands to make sure she was giving him all her attention and then proceeded to explain himself into further detail.

"Kate. I love you. You know I love you. I am with you - I will always be with you. I'm your shadow, remember?"

She nodded, the beginning of a smile curving the corners of her lips upwards. "I remember. I love you, too. So why won't you come with me?"

"Because, as your faithful shadow, this is exactly where I should be. In the shadow. Yes, we worked together to get this done but right now, Kate, you deserve to go in there and slap those cuffs of yours on his wrists by yourself. This is your moment to shine, to make him understand he attacked the one person he never should have. And I am not going to steal this moment from you. This is for you and your mother. As for me? Well, I'll be here, Kate. I promise. I'll be waiting for you. Without patting myself on the back, I dare say I am quite good at that."

A heartfelt chuckle escaped her clogged throat and she felt tears burning her eyes and it took all her willpower to prevent them from falling down her cheeks.

Still, she hesitated at the prospect of arresting Bracken without him.

He shot her his brightest grin and affectionately squeezed her hands in his. And then he spoke words she had never even dared to hope hearing for the past fifteen years.

"Go, Kate. It's time. Go. Be free."

So she went.