A/N: I have no notes, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, in this realm or the next.

Two weeks later…..

"Rick, where do you keep your cookie sheets?" Kate asked as she searched his kitchen opening cabinets and drawers for the elusive cookie sheets. She groaned in frustration, I just want to make some freaking cookies, it should not be this hard.

It had been a few weeks since the boys had seen them kissing in the elevator. The boys didn't really give them any hassle, only saying that it was about time.

"Rick, cookie sheets," she yelled across the loft.

He stuck he head out of the office, "not that I'm complaining because I love cookies, but why are you baking?" he said walking over to the kitchen and pulling two sheets out of a drawer that she didn't even know existed.

"I bake when I'm nervous. This whole going out with Lanie thing is starting to really worry me. She puts us all to shame when it comes to interrogations. The boys thankfully didn't want too many details, but this is Lanie we are talking about. The things she's gonna ask me would make you blush Rick, and that's saying a lot."

Rick walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Everything is going to be okay," leaning down and giving her a quick kiss, "Just go out and have fun, whatever happens….happens."

"When did you become the voice of reason?" Kate looked up at him and smiled.

"I don't know. One day the reasonableness just kicked in. Now are you going to finish those cookies before you leave?" Rick asked with a smile, "because I would really like to have some while I sit in the peace and quiet of my office and write."

Kate looked at him and rolled her eyes, "you'd better watch yourself Mr. Castle or I'll take all of the cookies with me."

Rick's face dropped in mock hurt as he released her from his grasp and started to walk back to his office, "so mean."

-C/B-

Lanie sat across from Kate and placed a bottle of tequila and two glasses on the table. Kate's eyes got big with fear because she had an idea of what was going to happen. She completely lost her internal filter when she drank and Lanie knew that little fact all too well.

Lanie reached for the bottle and poured each of them a shot, "You my dear friend have been very elusive these past few weeks."

"Lanie I know…..", Kate started to say, but was cut off by a wave of Lanie's hand.

"Nope, first question Kate," Lanie said as she slid a glass towards Kate, "How long have you two been together?"

Kate looked down at the small offending glass, and then before she could think twice she picked up the glass and downed the contents. "Right after we were cuffed together and had the brush with the tiger."

Lanie seemed to process this information as she refilled Kate's glass, "and when exactly did you finally sleep with Writer Boy?"

Kate quickly downed another shot, "The night after Gates gave me two days leave."

"Okay girl, now for the important stuff. With Castle is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Big hands, big…." Lanie said with a smile.

Kate took a deep breath and another shot before answering, "Oh it is soooo….true, you have no idea."

Lanie proceeded to down a shot and then throw her arms up in the air, "Now we're getting somewhere."

An hour and way too many shots later found both women out on the dance floor. Moving to the music while every set of male eyes in the place were on them.

"Alright, I think we need a change of scenery," Lanie said as she started to dance her way off the floor.

Kate followed in her footsteps. She felt all floaty and was enjoying just letting go for a change. "Well where do you wanna go?"

"I dunno, maybe somewhere that's quiet, all this noise is starting to give me a headache."

"Oh come on Lanie, you're the one that wanted to get out and have some fun. After the eighty questions that you asked me we can't just bail on our night out."

"Well where do you suggest we go?"

Kate's eyes lit up as she decided where they would go. It probably wasn't the smartest idea especially with the amount of alcohol that they had already consumed, but she was all for living in the moment, "I know, let's go to the Haunt."

-C/B-

Rick opened the door of the loft and looked into the eyes of his sexy detective. Then he noticed that she was leaning heavily on her apparent partner in crime, Lanie.

"Castle are you just gonna stand there staring or are you gonna help a girl out?" Lanie barked at Rick. He jumped a little and proceeded to take Kate into his arms, relieving Lanie from the added weight of Kate.

"I take it you guys had a good time?" Rick asked. He was very curious to know exactly what they talked about, but he couldn't just come out and ask, Lanie would smack him.

"You think?" Lanie said giving him an exasperated look. "The girl had enough alcohol to put a small elephant down, there was the incident on the dance floor with the four guys trying to get in her pants, and once I pulled her off the bar before the rest of her clothes came off, well at that point I think it was time to call it a night. Well, I'm sure you'll hear all about it since we were at the Haunt for a good part of the night." Lanie mentally smiled as she looked at Castle. She had never seen the poor man so pale. It was slightly heartbreaking to witness because the man looked truly ashen and devastated at the news.

Rick looked from Kate to Lanie, and back to Kate again. What in the world happened tonight? He thought to himself.

"Oh please Castle! I was just kidding. Yes we had too much to drink, and yes there was dancing on bars. And don't fire Tony because we were very persuasive when we got him to let us in your office for the secret stash of scotch that you think no one knows about, but if any guys came near she didn't even give them the time of day. She kept on talking about how her boyfriend was a famous author and was going to come down there and kick their ass if they didn't go away. It's one of the funniest things I have seen in a while," Lanie said while propping herself up against the doorjam trying not to smile too big.

"Well, I knew that you were kidding" he said trying to shrug off the shock, but still mentally he was trying to process what Lanie had just said. He also made a quick mental note to give Tony a call tomorrow to find out just exactly what happened.

"Castle, that girl," she said motioning to Kate who was starting to come, "Loves you more than you will probably ever know. If you hurt her I will kill you. And with my connections your body will never be found," Lanie said with a deadly serious look that had Rick scared shitless.

"I would never hurt her intentionally," Rick told her in complete honesty.

"Night Castle," Lanie said as she stumbled towards the elevators.

Rick shut the door and looked down to see two glazed over eyes staring back up at him. "Hey there beautiful."

"Well hello there yourself you sexy man you."

"Well I do believe this is a first. Drunk Beckett." He said almost giddy.

"Yeah well don't get used to it. I'm swearing off alcohol after tonight."

"I'm just lucky were not in the ER, from what I hear you guys had a lot to drink. Not for sure how you're even still standing at the moment."

"Well you're still holding me upright, duh Rick."

"Ha ha Kate. Come on let's get you to bed," he said picking her up and carrying her to his room.

"Wait I need to change, where are my clothes?"

"Ummm….Kate they're at your apartment."

"Well why aren't they here? I'm here, why aren't they here?"

"Maybe one day," he said as he laid her down helping her out of her shoes and clothes and into one of his button down shirts, "maybe one day your clothes will be here on your side of the closet," he said as he tucked her into bed.

She was out cold within moments.

"Maybe one day," Rick said as he looked at her sleeping form and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead, "you'll move in and stay forever."

-C/B-

Kate woke up in darkness. She tried to take in her surroundings, and finally after a few moments she determined that she was in Rick's bed. She glanced over at the clock to see that it was four o'clock in the morning. Thankfully she did not work the next day because at the moment she had a splitting headache and somewhat felt like throwing up. Trying to get up to grab some ibuprofen she realized that a big strong arm was draped across her waist preventing her from going anywhere. In desperate need of something for the pain she tried to push him off.

"Go back to sleep, it's too early," he mumbled as he snuggled her even closer into his body.

"Rick, I need to get something for my headache. I might even need to throw up," Kate struggled to say.

Rick was up out of the bed within seconds, "I'll go get you some ibuprofen," he said as he ran into the bathroom. He came back within moments with a glass of water and two pills.

"You're too good to me Rick," Kate said as she took the medicine and downed the entire glass of water.

"Yes, I know, but I just can't help myself," he said as he gave her a little wink.

She slowly sat up and touched the side of his face, "I love you Rick."

"I love you too Kate."

"Still?"

Rick looked at her with complete love in his eyes and said the only thing that he knew would let her know that he was in it for the long haul, "Always."

A/N: And we have reached the end of this story. I ran through it real quick to I could post it before the episode tonight so if there are any errors please let me know. I should have ended it with the last chapter, but I wanted to write a small scene with Kate and Lanie that kind of went along with this story and I also had to incorporate our favorite word somehow. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has read and followed this story. The alerts, the favorites, the reviews…..you all have no idea how much that all means to me. When I began this story back in December I had no idea that it would garner the response that it did. This fic gave me hope that my writing isn't complete crap. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

PS: More than likely I will start a new fic in the weeks following the finale. I'm gonna just have to recover from what is sure to be an epic episode first.