Yeah, yeah... I jumped on the 'Valkyrie' bandwagon. (*le blush*)

Got a few requests to write about certain keepsakes, but this poured out instead.

Forgive any inadvertent typos... Went beta-free on this one.

He removed the SkyNet magazine from the pocket in front of him, leg twitching slightly as his nerves got the better of him. He wasn't sure this was a good idea. She was so busy, trying to get her bearings, trying to get used to her new life, trying to prove herself. But he hadn't seen her in six weeks, and he longed for the sensation of her skin touching his, the taste of her lips and tongue, getting lost in her enchanting, bewitching hazel eyes.

He remembered staring into their depths as she accepted his proposal, his heart fluttering wildly as she spoke his name - 'Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle… Yes'. The moment seemed so surreal, ethereal even. How they managed to get to the loft, he doesn't quite remember, but he clearly recalled how they'd made love that night, whispering promises of love and passion and forever as they fell into the depths with each other. He smiled at the memory. Was it possible to die of happiness?

They agreed to not keep their engagement a secret. He clearly remembers how Esposito reacted to the news - 'Congrats, Bro! That's awesome!' - as Ryan, beaming, stood beside his partner, a huge, toothy grin adorning his face. Castle could still feel the sensation of her fingers entwined with his as she stared up at his face, gazing at him as if he was the only person in the room, a smile so genuine that he was certain his knees melted. God, she was gorgeous. He could not even begin to fathom how he got so lucky.

But the bubble burst too soon. Reality set in.

She would be moving to D.C.

And he'd be staying in New York.

They'd only had two weeks together before she left, yet they made the most of it. He remembers laying awake in bed one night as she lay naked by his side. He could do nothing but look at her, at this siren beside him. This heavenly goddess of love and beauty… Venus reborn. But she was so much more than that. Her beauty ran deep, infusing into her very core. She was passionate about everything she did, everything she was.

And she loved him.

He'd never imagined that he could love someone so vehemently, so fully. But she'd wrecked him. Left him undone. And he could not be happier.

He'd planned to visit her two weeks ago, but then Paula called him. His brash book agent had arranged for an intense, eleven day book tour of the West Coast… and she'd made it quite clear to him that not doing the tour was not an option.

Calling her to cancel their weekend together was a hard pill to swallow. But Kate took it in stride. She tried to assure him that it was okay, that she had paperwork to catch up on anyway, but she wasn't fooling anyone. He could hear it in the slight tremor of her voice. She was devastated.

So was he.

So when she called him early this afternoon to cancel their weekend, his heart sunk. He missed her. So much. And Alexis' new boyfriend - whose indifference towards the importance of spelling was not earning him any popularity points - well… that was the nail in the coffin.

He needed to see her. Now.

So there he sat, nervously bouncing his leg as he looked out of the window at the soft clouds passing over the wing of the airplane. His impulsive nature had won over, Castle really hadn't thought this through. He'd quickly changed his shirt, threw on some jeans, put his coat back on, grabbed his already packed carry-on from his previous trip and made his way back to JFK, having only come from there less than an hour before.

The forty-five minute flight had not provided him much time to really consider what he was doing.

Maybe he shouldn't have come, but it was too late now.

Passing by the baggage carousel in the Dulles Airport arrival area, Castle spotted a flower vendor. Perfect. Nothing says romance like unexpectedly showing up on the doorstep of the one you love, bouquet in hand.

Stepping out of the terminal, gripping a dozen crimson roses, he flagged down a taxi. The driver, however, would not allow the bouquet to be carried inside the car - 'It's got to go in the trunk. Too many people with allergies. Dunno what to tell you, man. It's company policy' - so Castle reluctantly placed the flower arrangement in the trunk with his suitcase, praying that they'd survive the trip.

They didn't.

'So much for romantic gestures', he sighed to himself.

Approaching the condo row housing, it was only at that moment that it occurred to him the only thing he had was an address - he did not have a key. He knocked on the door, but rolled his eyes. It was ridiculous to believe that Kate would be home; it was still mid-afternoon. He tried to peer through her window, but the blinds had been drawn.

'Waiting at her door is romantic too', he mused, plopping himself down, using his suitcase as a bench. He dug into his tan jacket to retrieve his cell, thinking he might pass the time by playing some "Angry Birds" (like Alexis, he liked to kick it old school sometimes).

However, Castle unexpectedly felt something else in the pocket.

A sly grin crossed his face when he realized he'd left his lock-pick tools in this coat months ago after he'd used them to break into the apartment across the street. In the midst of all the excitement of a fake murder and his birthday surprise, he'd completely forgot that he hadn't put them away.

Working his magic on the dead bolt, he had her door unlocked in a matter of seconds.

Entering the condo, Castle was immediately struck by a sensation of unfamiliarity. There was no warmth to this place. 'Uggh… Government housing,' he thought to himself, running his finger across a few of the boxes that were stacked in the living room.

Six weeks and she had hardly unpacked a thing. He knew her new job was keeping her extremely busy, but he mused at the idea that perhaps she hadn't unpacked because taking things out of those boxes would mean permanence. Perhaps she wasn't willing to settle here after all. His heart raced at even the slight possibility that this might be the case.

Turning around slowly, he took in his surroundings. Walls, rental apartment yellow. Clear glass table, bare. Book shelves, nor hers. Artwork, didn't recognized them. The Alex Gross painting was nowhere to be seen. Her Union Jack throw pillow was not on the couch. The furniture was without character. It just didn't feel… right. It didn't feel like home. It didn't feel like her.

Making his way towards the bedroom, finally Castle spotted something that did feel right. On the metal bookshelf just to the left of the door sat a framed photograph.

He saw familiar hazel eyes as well as his own blue eyes staring back at him. Seeing her dazzling smile sent waves of electricity coursing through his veins. His heart warmed at the memory of when the photo was taken. They'd been wrapped up in each others' arms, simply cuddling by the window in the loft, and in a moment of spontaneity, he pulled out his cell. Without a word, they'd both turned and smiled, his fingers tickling the inside of her palm, heads leaning together as he snapped the picture.

He gently traced his finger across the outline of her cheek, skimming the line of her lips. God, he loved that photo. All of a sudden a wave of emotion overwhelmed him. She hadn't unpacked much, but she'd ensured she could see what was most important to her: them.

He brought his two fingers to his own mouth, and after kissing them lightly, he brushed them against Beckett's image. He was here. He was in D.C. He was at her place. He would see her tonight.

Without warning, exhaustion slapped him across the face. He'd visited twelve cities in eleven days, and then turned around and flown to Washington. The relentless traveling had wiped him out. He glanced down at his watch - 4:38pm. Kate probably wouldn't be back for a while. 'Just a quick nap, only a few hours.' So he stretched out on her uncomfortable sofa and sleep quickly overtook him.

He awoke to the closing of a door and the sound of the faint clatter of metal.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he turned his head, he watched a dark figure toss something across the back of a chair. The curve of her thighs, the endless legs, the sexy pony tail - he knew that body intimately.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he dried. Six weeks of not seeing each other, just being in the same room as her rendered him speechless.

She didn't even turn on a light, crossing directly to the bathroom. Her movements, though, were heavy. He watched as she turned on the bathroom light. 'Stunning,' he reflected, smiling softly as he observed her. 'My fiancée is stunning.'

He opened his mouth to speak, but he paused. He saw pain, distress, exhaustion and sorrow in her eyes. Eyes that were staring into the depths of their reflection. His heart shattered. She was miserable. She was alone.

He continued to study her silently, watching her reflection as she started to open her blouse. And when he saw them, his breath caught in his throat. There, nestled between her breasts, resting against the now faint scar, lay the rings - his engagement ring and her mother's wedding ring. Together. Pressed close to her heart. He knew that she wore them everyday (jewelry was not permitted, but she bent the rules and kept the rings hidden) but seeing them there, seeing her wearing them, his heart skipped a beat.

He just wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her, be with her. He approached the bathroom slowly, mostly so that he wouldn't startle her. He knew - very well - how quick her reflexes were.

But it didn't matter.

She whirled around, gun drawn.

'Surprise?' he thought to himself.

"Ooh… can you at least finish taking that off before you shoot me?"

Apparently the surprise worked after all, because the look of complete shock on her face made his stomach twist.

"Cas… Castle?!" she exhaled. "Uuuh… What're you doin' here?"

He gaged astonishment written on her face. So far, so good… she wasn't mad. The magnetic pull of needing to be close to her was too much for him to deny as he continued on his path to join her in the soft light of the bathroom.

"I know I promised to respect your job," he pleaded, "but I couldn't go another week without seeing you."

"You know you shouldn't…" His insides relaxed as he noticed her eyes soften. "You shouldn't've come here."

Slightly confused, Castle briefly pondered what she was trying to say, because her face was glowing and her body language was telling him something quite the opposite. "So, you want me to leave?..."

He almost didn't hear her "Oh, immediately" response as she launched herself at him, trapping his face in her hands, open mouth colliding with his with intense desperation.

Hands were everywhere as she hugged him tighter, pressing his upper body flush with hers, his own tracing the lithe frame of her torso. He practically collapsed at the sensation as her warm palm eagerly smoothed its way across his shoulder and down his back. Fierce heat coursed through his body. He couldn't keep his hands in one place - waist, shoulder, neck, ass… he couldn't stop himself from touching her. And he didn't want to stop. Ever.

Tongues tangled together, battling for dominance, tasting zeal, fervor, ecstasy. The frenzied passion overwhelmed him as a frantic "Oh God" groaned from the back of her throat.

When he felt the intense pressure of her leg wrapping around his upper thigh, he gave into emotional flurry, enclosing her in his muscular arms, sweeping her legs out from underneath her as he carried her to the bedroom, her fingers twining through his hair, lips tracing the length of his jaw, the column of his neck.

Nope. Coming here wasn't a good idea at all.

It was a great idea.

END

So there you go... Judge away.