Author's Note: see notes on chapter one for a complete explanation. Contains spoilers to episodes 3.11 Nikki Heat, 3.12 Poof, You're Dead and 3.13 Knockdown, so if you don't know what's about to happen and don't want to know, skip this story for now. I'm sticking with the musical theme since it seems to work with what's coming out of this story.

This chapter is about what I'm considering the real kiss—the promo piece we saw at the end of the last two Castle episodes. It's considerably shorter, but also looks "real."

I want to thank "Nathan fan" here: your review on the first chapter made me go back and watch for Castle's exact "light bulb moment." That part of the story stems from your comment. I hadn't been thinking in terms of a specific moment until then, but it's perfect and fit right in with this chapter! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Once again, Castle and its characters do not belong to me and no copyright infringement is intended. I'm just enjoying some time with a few of my favorite characters. The story is mine, however.

Exposition—a New Beginning

Now what? It had been a few days, and Kate gave absolutely no indication that the cover kiss had affected her in any way at all. Perhaps he was ruggedly handsome, but his kiss did nothing for her? She hadn't been awkward around him, and she wasn't warmer towards him; she wasn't anything other than herself. He allowed himself a small smile. At least she hadn't distanced herself from him.

"What's that look about, Castle?" Kate's voice broke into his reverie.

"Hmmm?" was his noncommittal response.

She already thought he'd been acting strange anyway, like when they worked together to figure out that Christian Dahl might still be alive. Come to think of it, it was later that same night that he'd taken Gina's phone call, too. He was probably just wondering if he'd made a mistake in ending things with Gina.

Well, thankfully the day was over. She could get away and be with her own thoughts for a while. It was a bit exhausting being with Rick all of the time, pretending that nothing was different after she had acknowledged in her heart just how deep her feelings ran. Actually, nothing was different; he still hadn't told her about Gina and she hadn't told him about Josh. Until that happened, it was status quo—just another day at the office. Well, life was never quite that mundane with Castle around. She stood from her chair and started putting on her coat.

"So, where has Dr. Motorcycle Boy been lately? I haven't seen him around for a while. I thought the late shift was what interns are for, but he seems to be pulling a lot of them."

Kate straightened some things on her desk. "I wouldn't know. We haven't been seeing each other for a while now."

Castle winced. "I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to be insensitive." Actually, he was only sorry if she was upset; he never liked to see her in pain and she'd had enough of that recently with closing her mother's case. Her smiles had returned, but they didn't quite reach her eyes and Rick feared it was the ended relationship with Josh that weighed heavily on her mind. It would be a lie, however, to say he was sorry she wasn't with Josh anymore. He was hard pressed not to leap into the air and kick his heels together in delight. Once she was over the good doctor, Rick would finally feel free to tell her the truth about how he felt about her. "Are you okay with it?"

"Yeah." She gave a soft smile, and then looked away, afraid that he could read in her eyes what she wouldn't say. "I realized that he wasn't really what I was looking for. It wasn't fair to him either, so we broke it off." Part of her wanted him to understand what she wasn't saying: you're what I'm looking for. I know that now. The other part of her was scared to death. He still had not told her about Gina.

"Hey, I know! How about we go for some hot chocolate? I could stand something warm myself."

She looked back up at him and replied, "I'd like that."

They stepped into the chilly January air and began walking briskly toward their destination, a small coffee shop a few blocks away from the precinct. Castle was searching for something to talk about to draw her out of her quietude. "I'm sorry," he began again.

"For what, Castle?"

"For making a joke about something serious. I didn't know."

"I know you didn't, Rick. There's nothing to be sorry for. I'm fine, really."

Rick. She called me Rick. Not Castle. What did that mean?

"I guess I'd meant to tell you for a while, but I didn't want an audience around. It's my fault for waiting so long." That was all she could bring herself to say at this point. She couldn't tell him everything that was on her mind; there was some kind of mental block keeping her from speaking the entirety of her feelings. It must be the memory of when she'd attempted to tell him she was ready to give them a try before, when Gina interrupted. Oh, that had been humiliating, knowing the others had seen him leave with someone else. Why hadn't he told her he and Gina had split, yet? She was still coming between them, even though he was free.

"It's hard, you know. I'm a writer but there are times when the words just won't come for whatever reason. Other times, I can't shut up."

Beckett chuckled, "Tell me about it."

"Hey! I'm serious, now. I've wanted to talk to you about something for a while, but never really found the right time, either."

"Really?" Her heart began beating erratically.

"Actually, it's related to your news. Well, not related, exactly, but similar. Gina and I ended it, too. The night I at last took her call, it was to tell her that we were over."

Finally! Did this mean that maybe they had a chance?

"I know," she stated simply.

"You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was giving you your space—you hadn't wanted to talk about the article and I figured I'd let you tell me in your own timing. You thanked me for staying out of it. I didn't want to follow that up by intruding on your privacy."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you that impression. I just got tired of everyone harassing me about my love life. You hadn't pried, so I wanted you to know I appreciated it. But that didn't mean your questions would have necessarily been unwelcome." He paused, looking for the right words. "Our friendship is a bit different; I'd like to think closer."

"Well if that's the case, do you mind if I ask why you ended it?"

Castle cleared his throat. How much should he tell her? "I realized that she wasn't who I wanted to be with."

Rick and Kate sat in the coffee shop for a long while. Thankfully, they were accustomed to taking care of the police officers and detectives down the street and as a result were open all night.

"That was a stroke of genius, by the way, to get him to confess. Very Banquo's ghost haunting Macbeth and all of that. Did you see the look on his face? I still can't believe that actually worked!" Castle slapped his hand down on the table, a huge grin splitting his face.

"It felt good to put him away. It's the arrogant ones that really frustrate me. He thought he had it all covered, and then using a trick of mirror and lights, he crumbled."

"That's one of the reasons why I love," his voice faltered, and he cleared his throat. He held up his index finger indicating he needed a moment and then took a sip of his third refill of hot chocolate. "Working with you. You're full of surprises."

She smiled. "I wouldn't want you to lose interest." She stammered, trying to get her brain and tongue in concert. "I-In Nikki Heat, that is. If I were boring, I might have her demise on my conscience, and I wouldn't want that." She felt a bit of a blush warming her cheeks. I'm not sixteen here! Get a grip!

"Nahhh. Not likely, Detective. Besides, I've got great side material. There is never a dull moment around that place. I could always create a couple like Lanie and Esposito—can you believe they think we're so clueless that he actually kissed her right after we left? Bold, man, bold. But to be fair, we might have missed that little lip lock if you hadn't gone back to ask a question about what she'd told us. Good thing they were too distracted to hear our footsteps returning; now that could have been awkward!"

For whatever reason, maybe talking about someone else's love life, Kate finally relaxed enough to laugh. She decided to enjoy the evening, the hot chocolate and Rick's company. Everything was out in the open about their respective relationships now. She resolved not to worry about their developing relationship; it would all work out eventually. She finally felt like herself again; better: she was whole once more. The cloud that had descended onto her life when she reopened her mother's case had dissipated at last.

Rick looked closely at Kate's face. The laugh was genuine, cleansing. That has to be one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. The smile was reaching her eyes once more. Watching her expression and the light in her eyes mesmerized him—Kate was absolutely breathtaking tonight. This was it, the opportunity he had been waiting for. There was no case and no audience, only the two of them. He could tell she was ready to hear his heart at last. Rick reached across the table and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear.

"What, Castle?"

"Nothing." He smiled. "Are you about ready to head out?" He didn't necessarily want to attract any spectators, either; someone they knew from the department could walk in at any time with their own craving for some hot chocolate.

She was a bit stunned by his sudden turn. "Yeah, sure."

As they exited the coffee shop, they drew their coats closer around them. The temperature had dropped. He grabbed a hold of her hand as they resumed their walk and said, "I haven't heard you do that in a while. Just let go and laugh. I'm glad you're getting back to yourself."

"You know, for the first time in a long time, I feel like myself. Thanks, Rick." Her voice softened. "I don't think I've ever told you that, 'thanks,' I mean. Did you know that before I met you, I had already read all of your books? I even have one that's autographed. They were one of the things that helped me get through my mom's death. Then there's everything you've done since we've been working together. I can't tell you what your help has meant to me. You stuck by me despite my rants and general irritableness, not just now but before, when I tried to push you away and even more than that, when I threatened you. I'm sorry."

He halted his steps but didn't release her hand, forcing her to stop and turn to face him. He looked directly into her eyes. He smiled and his entire face lit up; she loved that smile. "Don't be. You were working through it the only way you knew how. I'm just glad you finally allowed me to be your partner."

She relished the sound of the word partner. Yes, he was her partner, whether he carried a gun or not; after all, he had watched her back more times than she could count. The moment became magnetic. Neither one of them spoke and neither one could look away. Why did he have such a hard time finding the words that would tell her how he felt? Rick Castle, paid writer, speechless; what kind of crazy contradiction was that? He knew he had to say something, anything. Out of his mouth poured the most eloquent words he had at his disposal: "wow, it's getting late."

It was too much for Kate: the laughter she'd often thought she'd lost forever bubbled up from deep within her and she couldn't keep it in. Leave it to Castle to say something absurd in a moment like this. Watching her reaction, Rick forgot to breathe. She was absolutely stunning. The words still wouldn't come, though, so he finally gave up trying to speak. He closed the distance between them, brushed his fingers along her cheek and drew her in with a slight tug. He saw a moment of surprise register, and then knew she was ready as he felt her take a step closer to him, too.

The moment was so much more than he expected. Their lips met gently at first, then as they each sensed the other respond it increased in intensity. The cold air faded away and all that was left was for him to show her all that he couldn't yet say with words. He loved her. There was never anyone like her and no one could ever replace her. He put every ounce of emotion into this kiss; everything that had been held back in the cover, as well as the growth in his feelings for her since then; they were both free now and there was nothing to hold them back.

When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers and neither one of them moved. Suddenly the dam within him broke and he found his words once more. He couldn't keep silent now if he tried. Rick moved both hands up to cup her face and looked directly into her eyes—he wanted her to hear every word he had to say and make sure that she understood him. "It's always been you, you know. Since the first day I met you, there hasn't been a woman I've seen that hasn't been a mere shadow of you in some way. But I thought there was no possibility for the two of us to work out—you kept pushing me away, telling me you weren't interested with every other man you dated. So I tried seeing other people. It took Natalie for me to realize that an imitation wasn't what I wanted; she assumed your mannerisms, hair, and clothing, but she still wasn't you. When she kissed me, all I could think was that it wasn't you, and it had to be you or nothing. I was tired of the shadows.

"We're on the same wavelength. Remember that moment while we were solving the Drake case? We were finishing each other's sentences, playing ideas off of each other, totally in tune. We're a great team and I think that would be the case in more than just solving crimes. You asked what that look was about, but you should know it had nothing to do with the case: that was when I knew without a doubt that Gina and I were through; I'd decided that I needed to tell her we were done because I realized I was looking at my future, right there in front of me. Even if you weren't available, I'd wait as long as it took for the genuine article. I had to look away then, because I wanted to tell you all of this and kiss you without any other delays. I really couldn't have cared less about Dahl at that moment; my attention was mostly focused on you and the steps I needed to take in order to give us a chance."

She tried to speak, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Let me finish. You gave me hope, when we were talking about Lanie and Esposito with Ryan that night, saying that the bubble didn't ever have to burst, not if you're in it with the right person. I knew then that you might be open to trying a little bubble of our own, but first I had to be free to tell you all of this." He put his arms around her waist and drew her close once more. "What do you say, Kate? Can we give it a try?"

Her answer was a brilliant smile and a meeting of their lips once more. Slowly, she allowed her defenses to fall completely as she put the entirety of her heart into it: all of the resolved doubts and even her remaining fears. She was letting him see everything, absolutely vulnerable. But she realized that the barriers had to be removed entirely so that Rick would see she was all in: she loved him, and he needed to know that. Now Kate fully understood that her life was not what had happened to her in the past, but what was happening now and what the future could be with this man. It took them a long time to get here, but now it looked as if they were finally ready to move forward.