This is making believe that Kate wasn't sitting on the swings in "Always" while the graduation was going on, but that Castle was free to roam around in his own fog of thoughts at that time. His thoughts lead him to that swing set.

I don't own Castle, but if I did I would have way more money and a flexible schedule.

All I Want is You

By TR

He wasn't surprised to see her there. Not really. Not when the visage of her followed him wherever he went. Not when the pull of her had always guided his steps forever in her direction, even when he tried to run the other way. She looked like Hell. The most beautiful Hell he'd ever seen. Soaked and exhausted and troubled and so completely alone. A solitary figure surrounded by a row of empty swings, in the gray blue mist of torrential rain. It seemed somehow fitting. That was always how she wanted it. To be the solitary figure. To be the strong one, even if she was alone in her principles, or rather her obsessions.

She had callously and so bravely risked her life once more to avenge the most important person to her. Her mother even in death, continued to be the driving force behind every significant decision Kate ever made. His heart squeezed as he remembered the last decision he'd ever seen her make. The decision to die for her cause, and in doing so to shove him out of her life. The decision to take his love for her and push it aside to pursue the very thing which once had threatened to ruin her.

He remembered the conversation like it was yesterday, telling him not to look into it, not to touch the poison, that addictive vice that was her mother's murder. One touch, one taste and she would be right back where she had been. He wondered what level of blame fell to him for giving her that taste. Tears threatened suddenly and unexpectedly at the thought that her life would soon end in violence because he had thrown her back into that case. She'd warned him what would happen. Could he blame her for drowning when he'd thrown her in the deep end? He willed backed the tears and refused to take all the blame, even in his own mind. Hadn't he done everything he could to protect her for as long as possible? Yes, he'd thrown her in the deep end, but hadn't he done his best to fish her back out again? Hadn't he done his best to be the one she could always count on, the one who had her back? Always…he heard his voice telling her this over and over that he would always be there, that he loved her. Whether she believed him or not, whether she was angry or not, whether she had hurt him or not, how could he walk away when he promised he would always be there? He loved her, and love meant staying. Love meant standing between her and a bullet if he had to.

Love was what drove her to do everything possible to bring her mother's killers to justice. His back straightened, he could take a lesson from her, he decided. A lesson about what it was to love someone enough to see it through to the very end. His steps slowed as he approached the swing set, he looked down to where she sat and wiped the water away from his eyes.

"I know I hurt you Castle." She didn't have to look up to know he was there. Her voice was raw and low. "I know why you kept it all from me. Now more than ever I understand."

She took a deep shaky breath. "You've just got to understand…" her voice broke as tears threatened. "You've got to understand that this thing with my mother…I can't have her anymore Castle. A man took a knife and took my mother away from me. I don't get to have her because he chose to kill her for money. For money! If she had died of a disease, in a car accident, in a plane…it would have been so much easier to swallow. But this, I don't know how to get over this. It's like a song incessantly playing in my head and if I can just get to the end of it, I can have some peace!"

The tear flowed freely now, as the truth emerged unfettered.

"I do understand. But you have to understand something Kate…you killed that man. I know you wanted more information out of him. I know he left you with more questions, but put that aside for a second. You had the man who murdered your mother standing in front of you, and you gave him what he gave her. You killed the man who killed your mother! Can you let the story end there? I would. I would let it end there. No matter who put him up to it, he made the decision to strike her down, and you did the same to him. He… that arrogant bastard, we took him down! I smashed his face in and you killed him. That's poetic justice. That's a perfect ending. Can't we leave it there?"

She let out a slow sigh. "I wish I could have left it there." This time she did look up at him, and he saw pain. He frowned as red flags rose in his mind. "I didn't leave it there. Javi and I, we went after him."

His eyes widened, as he moved to sit next to her ignoring the cold puddle that soaked through his pants. "What happened?"

"He got away. And I didn't care. I almost died and all I could think about was you."

"Kate…I…" He didn't get any further as she launched herself toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck, she landed in his lap. He planted his feet to keep them steady.

"I'm so sorry Castle," She whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to push you away. You DO mean something to me. More than this case. You'd think I'd find that hard to say, but I don't. It's not hard to say, because it's true." She pulled back, lifted his chin with tip of her finger, his eyes met hers. "You are the only thing that I have ever put above her."

She leaned in, ever so tentatively, and touched her lips to his. His mouth was warm despite the cold and rain. He kissed her softly, then threading his hands through her hair he drew her close. He wanted to take his time savoring the moment, but she had other plans. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled him in. Her tongue begged entrance and then delved deep stroking and tangling with his until he felt his temperature rise. Her hands moved down, over his chest where his nipples stood out from the cold and attention, around his back inside his jacket. His skin tingled with anticipation, even as he worked her jacket open and settled his large hands around her waist. When she cried out, he pulled back.

"Kate?" He struggled to find his breath. "What…? Are you hurt?"

When she looked away and shrugged he knew the answer. "Come on." It wasn't a request. He helped her to her feet and then stood.

"Castle I'm fine. Just have some battle scars."

"How bad? And don't play the hero. How bad is it?"

She sighed, and winced as the pain was waking up in a foul mood. "I probably have a few cracked ribs."

The color drained from his face. He'd left her to go it on her own, and a man had beaten her, tried to kill her. He remembered what it was like to hold her body as her life hung by a thread, and by God he never wanted to see that again. He knew then why it was so hard for her to let go of the case. If something like that had happened to her, he would never stop.

"I'm so sorry!" Pain and regret warred on his face. "I'm so sorry you went through all of that and I wasn't there for you." His jaw clenched. "That won't happen again."

"I didn't leave you a lot of choice in the matter." She took his hand and waited for him to look at her. "It's okay."

He gave her a grateful nod. "I know you hate hospitals, so I'll call my doctor to meet us at my place."

She wanted to protest, but she knew better, and besides she was feeling it from her head to her feet.

**Two Hours Later**

She stood in his bathroom as he wound the bandage around her ribs. They were indeed cracked. No other broken bones, but more bruises than could be counted and that included her pride. The boldness of her declaration had faded in the reality of her injuries and her vulnerability was back in full force. She didn't mind that she was standing in her bra and panties, she'd hoped, if he would have forgiven her, to be wearing even less than that by the end of the night, but she knew there was little hope of an all nighter love fest with this eye popping ace bandage number wrapped around the entire middle of her body. Part of her was thankful, in this condition there's no way she could bring him her A game.

"There, that should do it. How does it feel?"

"Like overkill," she deadpanned.

He pinned her with a look and then lifted his watch. "We should get some rest, we can talk more in the morning." He paused, and rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, looked away almost shyly. "Do you want me to make up the guest room for you?"

She took a step closer. "Do you want me to sleep in the guest room?"

He smiled with his eyes, and shook his head.

She grinned. "Me either."

He leaned down, and cupping her head in his hands kissed her forehead. Then her cheek. Then her chin. Then the bridge of her nose. Then her eyelids. Ever so softly he worshipped her face with his lips. Then finally let his mouth sink down over hers in a toe curling kiss designed to hold them both over. Saying nothing he took her hand and led her to the bed. Carefully she draped across his chest, and his hand came up to stroke her hair. She let out a sigh, and let the exhaustion take over. She had finally let go.

End of scene…Good? Bad? Dyspepsia? Let me know.