Slipped Away One-Shot

First Castle fic so play nice. I watched a video on YouTube and it was so beautiful and I had the urge to write. I'm sorry if you guys don't like this but I'd appreciate any form of review.

BOLD - Present

Italics - Flashback

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Castle.

Alternate Universe

Kate stood at the cemetery, looking at the headstone of her late mother, Johanna Beckett. Her eye caught a glimpse of the headstone beside her mother's. It was her late husband, Richard Castle. A single teardrop fell. Her heart was sinking and her throat was caught. She tried her best holding her tears. She stood there, remembering the painful and sweet memories.

"Castle!" Kate giggled as he pulled her towards the break room.

"Kate... I love you. You know that, right?" he asked her.

"Of course I do. Castle, what's this about?" Kate asked, feeling a little worried.

"I.. I'm sorry, Kate. You may or may not hate me for this."

Kate took a step forward, looking worried and said,"Castle..."

"Hear me out, please, Kate."

"Fine."

"I've been thinking... About us lately. I know this may sound like a break up but it's not."

Kate let out a sigh of relief. Rick smiled slightly before continuing,"Well... We've been in serious relationship for a long while now and I can't love you anymore than I already do and it pains me that there isn't a word out there to describe my love for you."

Kate chuckled and smiled sweetly.

"I.. God.. I'm so nervous..."

"Castle, is this what I think it is?" Kate asked, surprised and happy.

"Well, you would know if you'd let me finish. So anyways... I wish to spend the rest of my life with you. So..." Rick got on one knee and continued,"I know that I'm not the most romantic person in the world, we're in the precinct for crying out loud. So.. I'm just gonna say it.. I love you, Katherine Houghton Beckett and will you do me the honour in being my partner for life?" He took out a small box and opened it to revealed a two carat diamond ring.

"Castle..."

"Will you marry me, Kate? Like you said.. Third times' the charm."

Kate chuckled and smiled from ear to ear.

"Of course I'll marry you! Yes! A million times yes!"

Rick slipped the ring on her finger and hugged her. They walked out of the break room as if nothing happened. Castle smiled at Beckett sweetly before sitting at his usual seat. Detective Ryan noticed something about the two. So, he and Detective Esposito went over.

"You two do know that you are staring at each other, right?" Javier Esposito pointed out.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate replied then began typing on the keyboard of the computer and that's when they saw.

"Whoa! Where did you get a rock like that on your finger?" Espo exclaimed.

"Well, if you must know.. My lovely boyfriend got it for me," Kate said calmly.

"Congratulations, Beckett," Kevin Ryan said to her with a smile and gave Castle a knowing look which Castle returned with a nod.

Another tear fell from her face. Kate looked down at the ring he had given her. Spinning it around her finger, she looked up and then wiped her tears.

As they exchange their vows at the wedding ceremony, Kate felt like the luckiest girl in the world. They then leaned in and kissed each other and the guests cheered. Finally, after almost five years, she was finally his, forever, till death do them apart. They looked at the crowd. Seeing an overjoyed Alexis, Martha and Jim. Then she saw her best friend, Lanie Parrish and blew her kiss. Esposito and Ryan did their best not to cry.

At the party, Captain Victoria Gates approached them and said,"I can't believe that you two manage to fool me for months."

"Well... We knew that you'd use regulations to kick me out of the precinct," Castle started.

"And with all due respect, sir.. but Castle has been really helpful to some of our cases and he has my back when we're out there," Kate then added,"He risk his life for me and saved me countless of time. It would be a great loss if you kick him out."

Kate reached out and held Rick's hand. Gates smiled at them and replied,"Well, okay then. You two enjoy your night." With that, she walked away.

Rick and Kate let out a sigh of relief.

Kate bent down over Rick's grave and put a red rose on it.

Mr and Mrs Castle had just arrived at the loft after there wedding day. They had the loft to themselves. It was a long day and they were exhausted. Kate flopped on the couch and let out a huge sigh of relief. She was about to reach and undo the strap of her heels but a hand stopped her. She looked at him as he undid the strap and removed her heels and once he was done, he began planting soft kisses on her ankle, trailing up to her knees. Kate moaned in pleasure of the tingling sensation.

Castle stopped at her knees because Beckett pushed him away by the shoulder with her toes. She stretched out her leg in from of his eyes. Rick softly touches her slim legs with his fingers. He then carried his wife bridal style to the bedroom. They sat down on the edge and just got lost in each other's eyes. Castle slid her dress down and kisses her shoulder softly. Beckett moaned and turned around, her back facing him. She got up and took a few steps away. Rick got up and followed her. Closing the gap between them, her kissed her shoulder again, trailing up to her neck. He pulled away and unzipped the zipper of her dress and kisses her bare back tenderly. Kate shivered at the touch. Who knew Richard Castle could be so tender and gentle? He softly and slowly touch her back and caress it. He kisses the back of her ear and whispers,"I love you, Kate."

Kate smiled as his fingers slide down her back, to her waist. He slid off her dress completely, leaving her bra and underwear on and kisses her neck. Kate moaned as he hit her sensitive spot and began sucking on it. He turned her around and finally, after all the teasing, he kissed her soft lips gently. The kiss soon became very heated as Kate kisses back ferociously and passionately. She pinned him up against the wall and ripped his shirt open. Her hand trailed his body as her kisses him. He flips over and they land on the bed. Rick then pulled the covers over them.

Kate stood up and walked away from the cemetery and met up with her father, Martha, Alexis and her three year old son.

"Oh, Mrs Castle. I'm waiting for your arrival," Rick said.

"Mrs Castle?"

"Yeah. Detective Kate Castle."

"Hmm.. I don't know, Writer boy. Detective Beckett has a nicer ring to it."

"Very well, my lovely wife. And it's Mr Castle."

"Really? Hm.. How about... Dad?"

"W-what?" Rick's eyes almost came out of their pockets.

Kate smiled. She took his hand and placed it gently over her belly. Her smiled widened when she saw his expression.

Kate walked up to them and smiled weakly. Alexis then gave her a tight hug. She hugged back and started to tremble as she tried to hold back her tears.

Kate was 6 weeks pregnant when there was a shooting. She had her vest on but her baby wasn't protected. A bullet was coming towards her and in the nick of time, Castle stepped in front of her, taking the bullet. Ryan and Esposito shot the shooter and wounded him so he can't run. Castle collapses on the ground. The bullet passed through the vest. Kate ripped the vest open and applied pressure on the wound. Ryan called for an ambulance. And Esposito cuffed the shooter.

"Castle, stay with me!"

"Kate..."

"No, Castle! Keep your eyes open!"

"I love you.. Kate.."

"No, Castle! NO!"

"Tell Alex..is.. I l..love.. her.."

"No! Castle, stay with me! Help is on the way! Listen, you're gonna be a great father. You'll teach him how to play catch and.. and you'll tell him all of your great stories.."

"I'll al..ways be with you.. Al..ways.."

"Rick.."

Castle's eyes began to close. Kate shouted and desperately held onto him. She burst into tears. Esposito handed the shooter to Ryan and pulled Beckett away from Richard Castle's corpse. She wailed loudly. He had to drag her out of the scene as paramedics came and took over.

"Let go of me!"

As he set her down, he held her by the shoulder and said,"Listen to me! Beckett!"

"No, I'm not leaving him!"

"I know it's hard. You've lost so many people in your life and it's not fair but that's how the universe works. And Castle would want you to be strong. Be strong for him. For his family. Now we have to wait for them to do their job."

She burst into tears and he just held her.

Kate walked into the 12th Precinct and sat at her desk. Her eyes wandered and landed on the empty chair beside her desk. It was where Castle usually sat. Another tear fell. Then a comforting hand touched Kate's shoulder. She looked up and saw Ryan and Esposito.

"Beckett.. I think you should head on home," Ryan said.

"Yeah, you look beat. You should rest," Esposito added.

Kate nodded in agreement, got up and made her way out. Instead of driving back, she decided to take a walk instead. While on her walk, she walked passed the swings. She started to remember about her shooting, then what happened afterwards. Kate looked away and continued walking with her hands in her pockets. When she reached the loft, she hesitated to open the door.

Beckett opened the door of the loft and shut it behind her.

"Kate? What's wrong?" Castle asked.

She sat beside him on the couch as she replied,"I'm worried, Castle. I'm worried for our baby's protection."

"What happened?"

"I.. I have a hard job, Castle. I haven't had enough to sleep or eat. It's not good for my health or the baby's. I know that you gave up your job because of Gates but.." Kate reached up and held his hand and continued,"I need my partner back. I need him to be there for me when I'm out there. I need the old Castle back. The annoying and yet brilliantly smart Richard Castle. The dummy who loves building theories with me."

Castle chuckled and squeezes her hand back and said,"Alright, Kate. I'll come back."

Beckett was pacing back and forth, waiting anxiously for news. Castle has been in surgery for the past hour. The gang came running in. Kate saw her father and ran and hugged him. She cried as he held her.

"I don't want to lose him, dad.." Kate manages to say.

"I know, Katie. I know..," her dad replied as he held her tighter.

Once they pulled away, Alexis spoke,"What happened, Kate?"

"He took a bullet for me. He took it to save me and the baby."

"You're pregnant?" Esposito asked in shock.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he added.

"I didn't want you guys to worry. That's why I had Castle come back. But never had I imagined that he'd take a bullet for me."

"He doesn't deserve this," Kate added.

Alexis just held on her step-mother. She understood her position. Kate lost so many people in her life. Another hour passed by and the doctor finally came out.

"How is he, doc?" Esposito asked.

"I.. We did the best that we could."

"Could we see him, doctor?" Alexis asked.

"Of course."

They went into the room where they placed Rick's body. Kate couldn't bare the thought of him, there, lying motionless, on the table. As soon as she saw the body, she burst into tears as she held on to his lifeless arm. Her knees went weak and she slid down to the ground. Alexis went to Kate and held her as both of them cried.

She opened the door of the loft to be greeted by Martha and Alexis. They knew the pain she was in. Kate had recently lived alone in her apartment after Rick's death. She needed time alone. She had Martha and Alexis, occasionally Lanie, take care of her son. She's been visiting her mother's, along with Rick's, grave every week for the past three years. She was right. Only Richard Castle could ever cause her so much grief.

"How are you, Kate?" Alexis asked.

"I've been better."

Martha walked towards Kate while holding the three year old and said,"He misses you."

"I miss him too," Kate said as she took her son. She then said,"Hey baby."

"Mama.." the three year old said.

"He looks just like Castle. Do you think he's watching? Castle, I mean," Kate asked the other Castles.

"Of course he is. He's dad. He's always watching," Alexis replied.

"It's sad that Ricky never met dad. He's a cool and awesome dad," Alexis added.

"Yeah... he was..." Kate trailed off.

Alexis then reached out and held Kate's hand. She then said,"Kate... I think it's time to move on. You can't keep moping. My dad would want you to be strong for Ricky."

"You're right..."

Alexis smiled and hugged her.

The End.

Thank you for reading. If you guys haven't watch the video, you should totally watch it. It'll blow your mind. The video is by CSImaja and it's called "Castle AU (Slipped Away)". Those of you whole already watched it, you would have noticed something different. I didn't want to copy everything so I wrote some parts differently. Most of this is actually different. Okay, I'll stop babbling. Bye.