Epilogue

Because you guys rock and I needed something to keep me sane. Let it be Monday already!

She came rushing through his door a week later, alerted by his phone call. An emergency. She needed to come home. Now. And she had been too busy storming out of the precinct in the middle of the day to rush to his side to even contemplate the fact that home had already become his loft. After only a week and she hadn't even spent a single night at his place - yet. It all felt like she had taken a ride on the biggest roller coaster of the world. The first ride scaring you half to death. You don't want to do it. You want to get out again, but once you did it you can't get enough and you ask yourself what took you so long to do it in the first place.

And now she was standing in his door way, scanning the living room for a sign of him.

"Castle?" She called out moving forward, towards his study, not panicking but slightly irritated. Where was he?

She sensed something when she walked through the door into his study, but before she could react she found herself pinned against one of the bookshelves, slightly knocked out of breath and then she felt him pressed against her, his lips touching hers, taking them in a passionate kiss.

"Castle," she was going for stern, but it was coming out more like moan. "You said emergency," she panted when he abandoned her lips to kiss down her neck.

"It's an emergency," he growled, "I need you." And that's when she realised the difference, the two hands roaming her body. One at her side, while the other travelled up her front and Oh.

"Castle?" she breathed against his ear, made him shiver.

"All clear," he grinned, pulling away to see her face and by any means she couldn't be angry at him for tricking her out of work. She wanted this as badly as he did. She gently touched his arm, needing to be sure but he kept smiling. "Doesn't hurt. All good."

"Good," she nodded, lifting her eyes to his, smiling.

"Sent my mother and Alexis shopping and sponsored some Broadway tickets," he elaborated and watched her smile grew wider.

"You're so smart sometimes," she caressed his cheek, because although she was teasing she actually like his way of thinking. No interruptions. They sure had had enough of those.

"I know, right?" he beamed at her, placing a kiss on her nose. "So, are you ready for this?" He asked, suddenly a bit unsure if he might have been a bit too fast forward.

Her lips were on his before he could form another thought, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt until she finally gave up annoyed and just ripped it apart, sending buttons flying everywhere.

"So sexy," he growled, while attacking her neck, tucking on her shirt, silently asking her to lift her arms for him and she did. He pulled the shirt off and tossed it away, leaving her only in her bra, before he let her slide his button-down off his shoulders.

"I like your chest," she mumbled before placing feather light kisses on the now exposed skin.

"Kate," he whispered, because he loved saying her name and because he could and this all felt way too good not to. She kept her lips occupied on his upper body, while her hands travelled south on his back, sneaking under the waistband of his jeans and boxers, to place them firmly on his six, giving it a squeeze.

"Kate!" He shrieked this time, rather girly, gasping for air.

"Always wanted to do this," she laughed into his chest, before she grinned up at him, meeting his eyes in time to see his eyebrows wriggle.

"Now is that the case, Detective? Always?"

She nodded and he could swear she was blushing, "Ever since I left you standing in that alley after our first case."

"You told me, I had no idea." He remembered, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"I did," she confirmed, her eyes turning ever so tender.

"You were right, I had no idea," he breathed out, before taking her lips, kissing her like he had never kissed anyone before and never would kiss any other ever again, because despite their No-Guarantee-conversation a week ago, right here, right now, he knew they could make it work, they would make it work. "I love you," he finally panted, pulling away, touching his forehead to hers.

"Show me," she whispered into his ear, nibbling on his earlobe, soothing with her tongue. "Show me, how much you love me."

She was up in his arms, giggling, burying her head into the crook of his neck and carried into his bedroom all within the next five seconds. "I'll show you, just how much," he whispered into her ear. "You have no idea how much."

He felt her hand on his cheek and turned his head to look at her, stopping in front of his bed, now hesitating to drop her, "I do, Rick. I do know how much." She could feel him take a deep breath. "It's mutual." Her fingers caressed his cheek, a small smile playing around her lips and her eyes shining with tenderness and love. So much love. Something settled in him and he realised somewhere deep inside he had accepted he might just love her more than she did love him. But now, looking into her eyes he saw the truth. She loved him just as much, couldn't hide it anymore. He was beaming at her and then he let go, dropping her on top of his bed.

"Hey," she protested, laughing and then somehow got her legs around his, tugging, sending him flying down on top of her with an umpf.

"Hey yourself," he replied, bracing himself on his elbows not to crush her, before leaning down to kiss her again. Her hands sneaked around his neck, pulling him closer, pulling him towards her and then landed in his hair when he started trailing kisses down her neck. His hands reached behind her back, pulling her slightly off the bed to unclasp her bra and sending it flying across the room. He heard her laugh and frowned at her. "What?"

"It landed on your Firefly model," she explained.

"Good place then," he grinned before turning his attention back to her, continuing his path down her body, stopping at the scar between her breasts. His eyes clouded for a second until he remembered she had promised, No more. So instead of the sadness he usually felt when thinking about the horrible day that almost took her away from him he smiled, placing a kiss on this constant reminder that she was alive, breathing and here with him. His fingers tracing the line on her side and he looked up at her, "You're so beautiful."

She sighed, her face radiant as she watched him worshipping her, feeling loved, she'd had no idea it could feel like this. She lifted her hips when he started tugging on her jeans. No hesitation. And then she leaned up to work on his own pair until they had stripped them off him together, crushing back onto the mattress, a tangled mass of limbs and frenzy kisses. Heated, passionate. They managed to get rid of the last barriers between them and she clung to him, breathing his name, when he finally made them one.

They didn't need to find their rhythm. It was just there. They were in sync, always. He took her to the stratosphere more than once that night and when they finally collapsed, spent, happy and content, she held him close not wanting to lose contact, finally settling on his chest, because she loved it there, while he drew circles on her back.

"Rocket Man," she chuckled into his chest.

"Uh?" He had the feeling he had missed a part of what she said.

"You truly are a Rocket Man," she whispered tenderly.

And at those words he felt proud, for some stupid reason they made him feel insanely proud, "Your Rocket Man."

"Yeah," she smiled at him, moving closer and before she touched her lips to his she whispered, "My Rocket Man, always."

The End