Title: Breakdown
Author: Sylvia
Disclaimer: I don't anything at all related to the series Castle.

Summary: Set near the end of the episode "Knockdown", when they go in to the warehouse to get Esposito and Ryan. Things go a bit differently, and someone ends up getting shot.

XX

Kate leaned against the pillar, hiding from the bullet. Every so often she'd lean out to take a shot, but quickly duck and cover once more to keep from getting hit. Castle watched from a distance, wishing he could do something to help. His eyes glanced over to where Esposito and Ryan were bound with rope around their necks and legs. He ran over, trying to remain unseen.

"Thank god." Esposito gasped as the author worked on freeing him.

"Thank me later." He smirked, finishing with letting him out. Esposito ran over to Ryan.

"Yeah, yeah. Get me out of here." He said from his position on the floor. Castle heard another shot ring out as the bullet sprung in to the pillar Beckett was at. He had to do something. The gunman looked in to his scope, positioning it accurately. Castle took this opportunity to jump on him, tackling him to the ground. Kate saw this and ran over to help her partner as they wrestled on the floor. She put her gun to the mans head, Castle climbing off of the man after this.

"Did I get him?" He said sarcastically. Looking tired, the gunman just lay collapsed on the ground, trying to breathe evenly. Kate bent down to grab his gun, and he took this chance to grab her wrist, flip her over on to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Before Castle could even react, the gun was pressed against her, and a loud shot went off. He jumped in surprise, the man standing up. He was about to aim the gun at Castle, but he saw Esposito and Ryan running over, and decided to make a run for it, turning and running out the door. The two detectives chased after him, determined to finally catch the son of a bitch.

"Beckett?" Castle's eyes were wide. He was in complete shock. He could barely move. The blood covering her shirt was slowly spreading out on to the ground. Finally willing his legs to move, he made his way over to her as quickly as possible, falling on to his knees by her side. "Kate?" He checked for a pulse, it was there. Lifting her on to his lap, he used one hand to support her head, the other trying desperately to stop the bleeding. But, he was shaking so hard, he didn't know if he was even doing it right. Her eyes slowly opened. They kept falling closed, but she kept trying.

"Hey, hey." He said, voice uneven, his worry obvious. "Don't you worry. You're gonna be just fine." He head to force himself to speak. It was so hard when he kept choking on his words. She let out a breath, as if trying to get some words out herself.

"Great kiss." She said softly, a smile on her lips. Castle smoothed her hair back away from her face, his other hand still lingering on her wound. He hated the copper scent that filled the air. He hated the feeling of the thick, warm substance coating his hand. "I-I..." She started.

"Shh... It's okay."

"I have to-to tell you..something.." She managed out, trying as hard as she could to get the words she needed to say out.

"Nothing that can't wait until later." His heart clenched in his chest, the pain he felt inside was unbearable. He looked down at the bullet wound, and knew the pain she felt. Because, he could feel the pain identicle to hers. But his was out of grief, fear, love.

"I don't.. have a later...you idiot." Kate breathed out, focusing her eyes on his face. The first tear finally fell from his eye, gliding down his cheek. It landed on to hers, causing her to flinch slightly. Castle brushed it away, rubbing her head, running his fingers through her hair in a comforting way.

"Don't say that." She didn't have to look at him to know he was crying. She could hear the waver in his voice, feel the shudder run through his body as he held her tightly to him.

"I-I.." She paused, swallowing down the blood she could feel in her mouth. "I think I..L.." She could barely speak.

"You what?" He asked softly, gently urging her to finish.

"Love you." Was all she could get out. "I think I..love you." She couldn't hold it in anymore, she started coughing up the blood she'd felt rising in her throat, coughing it in to his shirt. "Sorry." She whispered, once again coughing. She started choking, desperatley trying to breathe. Seeing this, he quickly sat her up, leaning her against his chest.

"Don't apologize." He wrapped his arms around her, one hand on the wound, the other just holding her tightly to him, not wanting to let go. Letting his mind wonder back to her confession, he wondered if it was true.

"You love me?" It was part question, part statement. She turned her head to look up at him. Castle stared back down at her, eyes tearing.

"Yes." She said, feeling a weight lift off of her at the admittance.

"I love you too." He said after a moments hesitation. She had to know. Before she – No. He couldn't think like that. She wasn't going to die. He wiped the blood off of her mouth, laying her back down in his arms.

Kate Beckett wanted to finally rest. Just to sleep. She let her eyes slip closed. Castle quickly swallowed the lump in his throat.

"No. No, please." He shook her, Kate's eyes opening slowly again. "Don't do that!" He panicked. "Don't close your eyes, okay?"

"You changed my life." She told him. "When I was younger.. I went to one of your book signings. I wanted to tell you about how your books helped me through my mothers death. I waited for an hour." Kate whispered, speaking slowly.

"You did?" He asked carefully.

"Yeah. The way you looked at me.. You were so much more then an author. You signed my book, and you were going to say something to me.. But, some blonde girl pushed me out of the way and started flirting with you.." Rick Castle frowned, tears brimming his eyes once again. He tried to blink them away like before, but this time they wouldn't go away. "I could see something else in you." Continued the woman in his arms. "I could see a life full of pain, but fulfillment. But, you were looking for something else. Something new."

"And then I met you." A smile aligned along his mouth, tears slowly dripping down, one after the other. "And you completed my life."

"I love you, Richard Castle." Kate said once more.

"And I love you, Katherine Beckett." He felt his chest contract, his heart felt as if it was going to explode. And once again, her eyes closed. But this time, they wouldn't open. "Kate?" He tried, shaking her in his arms. The blood from her wound began to flow freely, no stopping it now. "Kate?" He tried once more. She didn't answer. He didn't see those beautiful emerald eyes open. Castle buried his face in to her neck and sobbed. Arms wrapping around her limp figured, her head bobbed back against his arm, still. "KATE!" He shouted in to her shoulder.

The sirens of the ambulance were finally heard. Esposito and Ryan running in with the paramedics.

"Oh, god." Ryan gasped at the sight before them, taking a step back. Esposito shook his head, looking down.

XX

Richard Castle stood on bright green grass, the wind pushing his hair back, a chill running through him at the cold weather. The sun was high in the sky, early afternoon. He closed his eyes for a split second, letting the feeling wash over him. He turned to look down at the small stone in front of him. Slowly falling to his knees, he stared right at it.

Katherine Beckett

April 26th, 1978 – January 24th, 2011

Beloved daughter,

Brave Officer of the Law

Castle breathed in deeply, letting out an exasperated sigh. He wiped at his eyes before the tears even came, feeling them coming on from a mile away. The wind rustled his hair. He took notice of the pink flowers in his hand, remembering them. Placing them in front of her headstone, he licked his lips, not sure of what to do, to say.

"It's been.. hard. To say the least," He started, running his fingers along the hard stone. "You're beautiful even in death. Even though I can't even see you.." He let himself smile a bit. "I don't regret meeting you. Even if it means sparing this pain... What would I be if I'd never met you? Never fallen in love with you.." He persed his lips. "I'd just be an arrogant writer. Looking for the next big thing to write about. No Nikki Heat. No you. I hope you feel the same way."

He stood back up.

"I should be getting home.. I promised Alexis I'd cook tonight." He laughed gently. "I'll be back tomorow. I promise." Castle took another moment to stand there, the petals of the flowers brushing in the wind. "Until tomorow, Detective Beckett." And with that, he turned and walked out of the graveyard, and back in to his life.

The end.