Disclaimer: I don't own these crazy kids; alas, they belong to another. This is simply an addiction I get heavily medicated for.

Team Caskett

Chapter 11

The Surprise Party, Conclusion

7:30pm

THE OLD HAUNT…

The party was in full swing, both Castle and Beckett still hadn't arrived, yet you could feel the excitement in the air. The music was playing, drinks were flowing and guests were dressed up in their finest, either mingling or bellied up to the bar. The aroma from the catered buffet and the laughter of the guests drifted idly through the room. The Old Haunt was decorated with streamers and balloons and a huge Happy Belated Birthday Castle banner hung along the far wall that had been signed by everyone. Gifts were piled high upon one of the tables and bets were being taken as to the time of the first public kiss.

Martha and Alexis had reserved the entire bar for the night to ensure enough room for all of the people invited which worked out well since half the precinct was in attendance, including quite a few higher-ups, a couple of famous authors, and a few mystery guests. Oh, and the guy Castle always buys Kate's coffee from. (What? He sees the guy everyday for four years, of course he's invited.)

Alexis greeted people as they arrived. She looked gorgeous, very grown up in her red flowing dress despite stifling the desire to squeee every ten minutes. She was excited Kate and her Dad were finally getting together, but a little concerned that he'd been less than forthcoming when she'd spoken to him earlier on the phone. If something magical happened between him and Kate, she'd have thought he'd be in a better mood. She talked animatedly with newlyweds Jenny and Kevin, but couldn't help herself from checking the door every thirty seconds.

"I wish they would get here already." She was going to burst out of her skin if they didn't arrive soon. The suspense was killing her.

"How was your Dad when you talked to him earlier?" Jenny asked.

"Fine. Good. He was good." Alexis replied. They thought she didn't sound entirely convinced and they'd be right. Alexis replayed the conversation she had with her Dad over again her head. "It's just that I expected he'd be on top of the world – but he wasn't. You don't think something went wrong do you? Oh my God! What if he's not coming?"

"I'm sure everything's fine Alexis." Jenny said trying to remain calm. It was getting late, and Kate should have been here by now. "Did he say he was coming?"

"Yes."

Kevin checked his watch. "Well, it's only seven-thirty..." He assured her. "…so it's still early. You're worrying too much."

"You're right." She told them, forcing a smile back on her face. She was probably just having a case of the jitters. "I'm being silly. If he said he'll be here, then he'll be here…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four hours earlier…

2:30pm Kate Beckett

Kate was still seeing red as she flagged down the cab and got in. Angry as she was, a part of her knew she was running, and most likely in the wrong direction, that Castle would have every right to view her as irrational, stubborn, obstinate even, but still the pull of her fears led her home; miles away from the man she loved.

As she stared out the window, her thoughts raced with traffic; twisted strains of logic clashing with emotion…

How could he do this? He was trying to protect you. I trusted him. He may have lied, but you lied to him too - for an entire year. You're a hypocrite. I wasn't sure he meant it. He thought I was dying. Don't be obtuse. You've known for awhile he was in love with you. I was scared. You were chicken-shit. You let him go on thinking you didn't love him back and he had every right to be furious with you.

By the time she got out of the cab and her feet hit the pavement again, she'd thought about turning around. Maybe she should call him? You love him and you should have told him so the minute you saw his face when you woke up in the hospital, but you didn't. What the hell were you waiting for? I had my reasons. And he had his. I needed time. He gave you time. You ran, you took three whole months, and never even called him and yet he forgave you. I should have stayed and heard him out. But you didn't Kate, and look at you now - you're still running.

She let herself in to her apartment, checked around to make sure it was safe, and then sat down on the couch with an exhausted sigh, remnants of anger fading quickly into the background. Despite the fact he was angry with you for ignoring him for three months and wasn't sure you felt the same way; he still showed up to work cases with you day in and day out. Because he's your friend. He's my best friend. He's more than just your friend. He loves you. He found out I lied, which explained his behavior for the last few weeks, and yet…he forgave me again, or we wouldn't have made love this morning. He tried to tell you beforehand, but you didn't want to listen. You were too busy trying to get in his pants.

Damn hormones!

With her elbows on her knees and hands covering her face, she sat there and cried for what felt like hours. Put yourself in his place. He was only trying to protect you. She missed him. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to keep him safe if you thought he was in danger? Yes, of course, I'd do anything. You over-reacted. This morning was amazing. We should be together right now. You need to stop running.

As bad as she'd messed things up, Doctor Burke would be proud. It appeared her therapy was helping; although she still ran, at least now she recognized it for what it was. That was progress; however, she'd be making another appointment on Monday.

Her cell phone rang and she jumped up to answer it. It wasn't Castle though, it was her father. She tried to hide her disappointment.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Katie. I know you said to meet around six-thirty, but I had some business to take care of in town so I came in early. I thought maybe you'd want to grab a cup of coffee with me before we went to the party."

Her mind was spinning. She had to talk to Castle before she ruined everything. She had to fix this – if it wasn't already too late. She must have hesitated too long because her father asked if she was okay.

"I'm fine Dad. It's nothing." She hedged, but Jim knew his daughter; she was off-kilter.

"Actually Katie, I'm downstairs."

"Come on up Dad and I'll make you coffee. To tell you the truth, I'm glad you're here early. I could really use your perspective on something…"

XXXXXXXXXX

CASTLE'S LOFT

2:45pm Rick Castle

I can't believe she left me here. Actually, yes I can. I should have known better. Of course she'd run. It's what she does. I should have barricaded the door. As much as he loved her, she was driving him insane. He plopped himself on the couch. At this rate, he'd never be able to figure women out. The rollercoaster ride they were on made him want to scream. Everything had been so perfect. They were perfect for each other – in and out of the bedroom. How can she not see this? She said she loved me. Eventually she'd come to her senses, he knew it. Until then he'd just have to live with it and be patient. Once she calmed down they'd talk.

The longer he sat there, the madder he got, and he started pacing the room.

No damnit! Not whenever she was ready. They were going to talk tonight. She doesn't get to call all the shots. He had dinner with his mother and Alexis tonight then he was going to find her and make her talk to him – whether she wanted to or not. He wasn't letting this go on any longer. Damnit, she makes me nuts. She's so fucking stubborn, and exasperating, and infuriating, and amazing. Scratch that last one – I'm still mad at her…thick-headed, hypocritical, uncompromising, beautiful, challenging. "Aaahhhh!" he cried. "She lied too. What the hell?"

His cell phone rang and he froze. Maybe it was her. He grabbed it, quickly checking the display. It wasn't Kate though - it was Alexis.

"Hi honey." He said.

"Hey Dad. Did you get my note? You're still meeting us, right?"

"Yes. Thanks. I miss you too pumpkin and I'll be there. I promise. Eight pm. You having fun with your grandmother?"

"Definitely. She's keeping me busy, busy, busy." Maybe she'd try a little digging. "You know Grams and I were talking earlier Dad. You should ask Detective Beckett to join us tonight. You know, if you want to that is."

"I believe Detective Beckett mentioned she already has plans this evening Alexis." He replied, trying hard not to clench his teeth.

Other plans? Oh, right, Kate couldn't very well tell him about the party. "Maybe another time then. Okay, well, I just wanted to check in with you. I'll see you later at the Old Haunt, eight pm – don't be late! Grams is calling me, so I have to go. Love you Dad."

"Love you too Alexis."

He was going to take a shower, get dressed and then relax. And while he was undergoing this forced relaxation, he was going to think long and hard about how best to handle his upcoming conversation with Beckett tonight.

XXXXXXXXXX

KATE'S APARTMENT

4:30pm

Kate let her father in and the first thing she did was give him a big hug. This was not unusual in and of itself; however, this time she was gripping him so tightly he couldn't breathe. She wasn't letting go, she was shaking, and if he wasn't mistaken, she'd been crying. He hadn't seen his daughter cry since his wife had died.

"What's wrong Katie? Are you okay?"

She could give him her standard answer again; she was fine, but she didn't want to. She wanted her Daddy. How ridiculous was that at her age? "Oh, Dad, I did something incredibly stupid and I'm not sure I can fix it, so no, I'm not okay." She released him, wiped at her eyes and then took a seat on the couch. He sat down next to her.

"What happened?"

"It's Castle. I screwed up."

"Ah. Rick Castle." Now he understood.

"Why did you say his name like that?" She asked. "It's almost like you expected this."

Always the detective, his daughter. He'd better tread lightly. "It's just that you haven't come to me with boy troubles in eighteen years Katie. Allow your old Dad to savor the moment would you? And the reason you haven't is because those men weren't important enough to you. This one? This one you're in love with. Or as your mom would say "he's your one and done." She looked at him with her mouth hanging open and then burst into tears. Jim had been trying to help, but it seemed he'd caused more damage.

Her father was right about Castle. He was her one and done. And she just blew her chance with him. What in the hell was she thinking? She wiped her eyes and forced herself to stop crying.

"Katie, tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."

How do you tell your father you slept with a man you'd been lying to, then afterwards found out he lied to you about your mother's murder investigation, causing you to run home like a scared kitten?

She got up and started pacing the living room. She hated bringing up her mother's case to her Dad. He's been through so much already, but he deserved to know. "Castle's been lying to me Dad. As leverage for my safety, Roy sent a package with incriminating evidence on Mom's case to a mystery man named "Mr. Smith". Castle even met with him. He's been keeping me from digging any deeper into mom's case because the mystery man told him they'd kill me if I didn't stop investigating. He should have told me. He's known for about a year now, but he just told me today. How can I ever trust him again?"

"I see." Jim said, taking a seat on the couch. "Is that it? He should have told you the truth, you're right, but apparently you can trust him - with your life. His heart was in the right place. Don't make this something it's not. You know he was only trying to protect you Katie. Awhile back, I even went to Castle myself to ask him to make you stop investigating - to knock some sense into your head. You wouldn't listen to reason. Katie, this isn't what your mother would want for you. You've already spent over thirteen years on this quest of yours. Your mother wouldn't want you to waste your life away – she'd want you to live it. As for me, I've already lost my wife, no way in hell I want to lose my daughter. Rick's right. I don't care what's in the package Roy sent that man. You need to let this go."

"I know Dad. I know it's time." She said. "And I think I'm finally ready." She was amazed by how much she meant it. She felt freer and was able to breathe easier, just saying the words out loud.

"Thank God."

"There's more." She said. "I may have over-reacted to his news. I'm not proud of it, but when he told me I sort of went ballistic. You see, his timing was…inopportune." She closed her eyes tightly and forced the words out, squelching down her embarrassment – this was her father. "We'd already gotten together, and then he told me. He tried to tell me before, but I never gave him the chance."

She waited; mortified, watching her father's face and could see the moment it clicked. "Ah. Okay, so his timing leaves something to be desired. It doesn't change the fact that you both love each other. You do love him, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." It felt amazing to admit it.

"So then it doesn't really matter. Now go make things right with him. Apologize. I'm sure he'll forgive you."

Kate hoped her father was right, but knew Castle had every reason to stay mad at her. After all, she'd just left the man she proclaimed to love standing in his hallway with nothing on but his underwear. She had a listening disorder.

"I'm such an idiot!" she cried covering her face with her hands. Oh, no. He must hate me right now. She's going to beg for his forgiveness.

Her father just chuckled. "No, honey you're not. You just finally took the blinders off, is all."

"Oh, God, Dad -there's more." Might as well fess up the rest of it. She lied to Castle too. She cringed and then blurted it out.

"Did I mention he told me he loved me the day I was shot, but I never acknowledged it?" She felt stupid even hearing herself say it. She closed her eyes tight, bracing herself for his response.

"No. In the three months you spent with me while you recovered, not once, did you ever mention that."

"I wasn't ready then Dad. And when I woke up I was technically still dating Josh. Also, I wasn't positive Castle didn't say it because he thought I was on the verge of dying." She waited as her father rolled his eyes at her. She could hardly blame him. Then she defended herself. "I realize now I was wrong. I've been seeing a shrink for the past year – Dr. Burke. He's been helping me deal with my issues, and I can honestly say I wasn't ready until now to face everything."

"Well, then. You'd better make it a really good apology Katie, and perhaps another appointment with Dr. Burke wouldn't hurt anyone." He said making her smile. "Come here honey." He said opening his arms, and embracing her in the kind of bear hug only a father can give. "It'll all work out."

"Thanks Dad." And as her Dad held her tight, she prayed he was right.

"You're welcome. Now get going, and put on a pretty dress. The clock's ticking..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

7:35pm

THE OLD HAUNT…

Lanie and Esposito cuddled in a corner booth, their heads intimately pressed together, the aura of romance in the air apparently contagious. Since they'd founded Team Caskett he'd found Lanie much more susceptible to the possibility of moving their relationship to the next level. He wasn't satisfied with just casually dating her anymore. He was in love with her and he wanted more. He wanted… what Beckett and Castle had. If only he could convince Lanie.

Since Lanie and Kate were a lot alike his hope was Lanie would see how happy Castle and Beckett were together and then in turn, give their own relationship a chance. All this match-making stuff had given him a few ideas on how to help things along, and he was currently working on a plan to knock Lanie's socks off. He noticed his lady love amused by something at the bar and turned to see what was so funny. She'd been watching Madison up at the bar entertaining the masses.

Madison was in her element, and the center of attention surrounded by at least a dozen off-duty cops. She was having herself a very good time.

Roselyn Karpowski worked her way through the room, pen and paper in hand, taking everyone's wagers on the time of the first public kiss.

The Mayor himself was present and seated at a booth along with Martha, Gates and her husband, while Martha played the charming hostess. Even Victoria Gates was laughing at Martha's antidotes, the foreign sound catching the surprised eye of many a partygoer. Her husband was surprisingly friendly and cordial.

The door opened, and everyone turned to look holding their breath. It turned out only to be Judge Markway, his wife and a young couple in their party nobody seemed to recognize except for Martha who made her way up to the entrance to greet them all fondly. Behind them stood Esposito's new BFF or as Castle had officially dubbed him Fucking Paul from Vice.

"Uh, oh." Esposito said aloud when he saw who came through the door.

"Who's that?" Lanie asked Esposito, following his line of vision. She had no idea who the man was standing in the doorway.

"Don't freak out Chica, but that would be Fucking Paul. What the hell is he doing here? I left him a voicemail."

"Fucking Paul!" Lanie said quite loudly, making quite a few heads turn. She lowered her voice and whisper yelled at him. "You told me you cancelled on him. Javier Esposito I am going to kill you. You go on over there right now and get rid of him before Castle shows."

"I'm on it." He said, rising from the table, headed towards the entrance. He had to remain calm. Javier nudged Ryan's arm as he passed by garnering his partner's attention. He nodded to the door and mouthed to him that it was Fucking Paul and Ryan's eyes went wide.

"Be right back ladies." Ryan told his wife and Alexis who both looked confused by the sudden interruption. "Little emergency. Nothing to worry about. Everything's fine." He left them and hurried to catch up with Javier who was headed straight for the door. Ryan grabbed Javier's arm before he got there.

"I thought you called him?" Ryan asked.

"I did. Now help me get rid of him before my butt's in a sling with Lanie. I hate it when my butt's in a sling with Lanie. Totally kills my mojo." Javier told him. He pulled away and approached Fucking Paul.

"Paul, my man. How you doing?" Javier says shaking his hand, fake smile and chuckle at the ready.

"Good Javier. How are you? I'm not late am I? I came straight from work." He told them. "Hi." He said to extending his hand to Ryan. "Nice to meet you. I'm Paul."

"Nice to meet you." Ryan replied with a smile, shaking his hand. Actually you're Fucking Paul, buddy.

"No, no, you're not late." Javier said nervously while continuously checking the front door. "But I'm guessing you didn't get my message."

"No, I didn't actually." Fucking Paul said as he pulled out his cell phone to check it. "The battery's dead. Would you look at that! You look nice by the way Javier. Great suit."

"Thanks." Javier said hastily. "I know this guy…excellent tailor. Does great work...I'll give you his number."

Ryan watched in amusement as Fucking Paul checked out an oblivious Javier, who was completely unaware of the eyes being made at him. Ryan was going to get a lot of mileage out of this one.

"Well, thanks for coming by tonight bro, but there's been a bit of a mix-up." Javier told him. "You see, Castle and Beckett, they finally got their act together so you don't have to do anything now. We don't need you to pretend to be the one who sent all those gifts and flowers to her anymore. There's no need to keep making Castle jealous if they're already together."

"Oh, sure. I understand. That's nice, they finally figured things out. Who doesn't like a good love story? It's sweet." Fucking Paul said. "So I guess you don't need me to stay then." He scanned the room, slightly embarrassed, trying not to look downtrodden. Awkward… And too bad, since he'd been looking forward to getting to know Detective Esposito more.

"You know, Paul…" Ryan said, interrupting the exchange and ignoring Javier's darting eyes. "I was thinking…there's no reason why you still can't stay and hang out. The party's going to be great. Castle and Beckett should be here soon. It's a celebration, the night is young, there's plenty of food and drink…you should stay. Hang out. Isn't that right Javier?"

"Sure." He told Fucking Paul who perked up immediately. Javier reflected on a hundred different ways to kill Ryan – if Lanie didn't kill him first. "I need a drink." Javier said. "I mean, who needs a drink?" He corrected, leading them to the bar.

"Great! If you're sure?" Fucking Paul said, grinning ear to ear.

"Absolutely!" Ryan said, grinning even wider.

XXXXXXXXXX

7:40pm

The door opened and in walks a Beckett, only it's Jim Beckett and he's alone. Martha made a b-line straight to him, gave him a hug and welcome, and looked around for Kate.

"Where's Kate? I thought you were coming together."

"I thought so too, but she's running a little late." Jim told her. "She'll be here soon though, don't worry."

She pulled him aside to privately discuss their children.

"How did she sound? Was she positively floating on a cloud?" Martha asked smiling. She was so happy for them.

"Um, no….actually, they'd had a fight. But everything's fine now. I think I may have talked her off the ledge. Jim added, trying not to alarm her. "I have to say Martha…it was a good thing you gave me a heads up about this Team Caskett business before I went over there. I was armed and ready just in case something like this happened. I love my daughter very much. She is a highly intelligent young woman, but when it comes to matters of the heart…well, let's just say it was touch and go there for awhile. She only told me what she thought I could handle, but I'm not so old that I couldn't figure out the rest of it."

"Uh, oh." Martha said nervously. You know what the fight was about then?"

"He told her."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"Finally." Martha said breathing a sigh of relief. She thought her son should have come clean about Johanna Beckett's murder case months ago. "Well, good but I'm guessing she didn't take it too well? Yes, well of course she didn't. That's to be expected. She'd be furious at first, but then they'd make up. Are you saying they didn't make up? That doesn't make any sense Jim. I just assumed… since they were together…Alexis said she saw them…" Jim watches Martha as the light slowly dawns.

"Oh, good lord. He told her after they got together didn't he?" She said before looking skyward. "Oh Richard! Richard. Richard. Richard. Where did I go wrong?" She added with dramatic flair.

He nodded, but quickly set her straight. "Yes, but believe it or not, your son was Not at fault here Martha. And Kate knows that. At least she realizes it now – once she calmed down and came to her senses. Apparently, Rick tried to tell her beforehand but she wasn't listening. Here's the abbreviated version…they got together, he confessed all, she didn't handle the truth very well, they fought, she bolted, and now she's going to apologize. That's the gist of it anyway. I'm her father so those are all the details I really care to know, thank you very much. She's going to apologize to him as soon as she sees him. She would have earlier, but she ran out of time and didn't want to do it over the phone. She promised me she would face this head on."

"So, they fought and didn't talk it out. Shocking." She said sarcastically. "You know it's possible they may have a few…communication issues." He chuckled at that. "I know my son, and he has on occasion been known to put his foot in his mouth. I blame myself; taught him too many words."

"Come to think of it, Johanna and I had a few of those communication issues time and again too. I'm afraid Kate may have inherited my stubbornness and also her mother's strong will. Just how tough is your son?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Don't worry Jim – Richard can take it. He's tougher than he looks. And she'll need a strong will if she's going to be with him – he's quite a handful. But let's think positive. Hopefully, their shortcomings will skip a generation completely and we'll have perfect grandchildren. I got lucky with Alexis."

"They're good for each other. Johanna would have loved Rick, you know." He said wistfully. "He's brought the light back into Kate's life. Not that you'll tell him that anytime soon, I hope. Oh, God, he'd just love that, wouldn't he?" He laughed.

"Of course not darling. Do I look mad? I love my son dearly, but his ego has to fit through doors. There are building codes. Your secret is safe with me." She said grinning. "So, you're sure they'll be alright?"

"Unless something unforeseeable happens, I don't think there's reason to worry. I think I may have talked some sense into her."

"Thank God. I hope Richard's okay." She said looking at her watch again. It was nearing eight pm. "Maybe I should call and check on him?" She tried calling him from her cell, but there was no answer.

"He's probably already on his way over here and didn't hear the phone ringing." Jim tried to assure her.

She'd give Richard ten minutes and then she was trying him again. In the meantime, she refused to panic. They were meant to be and it would all work out. "So what do you really think of all this Jim? Do you think our children will be angry when they discover we've all been meddling in their affairs?"

"Maybe, knowing my Kate, but she'll get over it. Rick on the other hand I imagine will think it's hilarious." He laughed. "It's a nice thing what you've done here, trying to get them to come to their collective senses. They've got a lot of very good friends and Kate's going to need each and every one of them if she's going to remain safe."

"You know, I've tried on my own with Kate over the years to nudge those two together, but she always gave me the good friends line. Kids. Just how stupid do they think we are?" They both shook their heads. "I've talked Rick up whenever I could, believe me. I want them together probably as much as you do. He's got her best interests at heart and any fool can see they're in love. I've known that since I'd met him. And if anyone can keep her safe, and convince her to stop pursuing her mother's case, it's your son. They've got my blessing."

"Good. Then you and I are in complete agreement because I adore your daughter. She's the best thing that ever happened to him, besides Alexis of course." Martha said, looking at her watch. "They should be here soon. How about I buy you a soda Jim?"

"Why I'd love one Martha." He said, offering his arm to escort her across the room.

"Oh Jim, have you met the mayor?"

XXXXXXXXXX

7:50pm

The door opened and everyone turned around. It was Kate and she was carrying a big box, presumably Castle's birthday cake. The room went quiet as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her entrance. She was alone, but turned around to see if anyone was behind her because she wasn't sure what they were all gaping at. From the looks she received you'd think she forgot to take the curlers out of her hair.

"Hi." She said, hoping someone would come to her rescue and help her with the huge box. It was getting pretty heavy. "Little help?" She asked the room.

Ryan nervously jumped to her aid and took the cake from her. "Sure. Hey Beckett! Here, let me get that for you." He said, and she thanked him. He left with the cake and she quickly ran her fingers through her hair just in case. Nope. Nothing.

Everyone turned back to what they were doing, tried to act natural and the noise level rose again as Kate surveyed the room. She knew most of the people there, but still something felt off. And unless it was her imagination, now people were intentionally trying -not- to look her way. And was that Perlmutter?

Lanie, Jenny, Alexis, and Madison jumped into action and came running over to say hello to Kate. Hugs and greetings were exchanged. "It's so good to see you Maddy. What a nice surprise. I didn't even know you were coming tonight."

"Oh, I called everyone in my Dad's cell phone." Alexis quickly covered. "We figured you'd like having Madison join in the fun. Isn't that right Madison?"

"Yup. Absolutely." Madison agreed with a smile. "Fun is practically my middle name. I go where the fun is."

Panic set in as Kate did a mental roll-call of women over twenty, possibly on his contact list.

"Yes you certainly do Maddie, and I'm happy to see you too, but Alexis…" Kate continued, amazed at her ability to still speak, "…you realize there are probably a lot of numbers in his phone for people he might not want to see here tonight, right. I mean, some might just be business acquaintances. You could have called me. I would have been happy to help you figure out who was who." The image of hordes of women fighting over cabs to get to The Old Haunt flashed through Kate's mind.

"I guess you're right, I probably should have, but I know how busy you are."

"You can call me anytime Alexis. I'm never too busy for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Alexis smiled. "Hopefully, I called all the right people. And if not, like Dad always says, the more the merrier."

"The man does like a big party." Kate smiled. She may have had too much coffee with her Dad earlier. "Especially, when it's for him." God knows who's going to show up here tonight.

"So, Kate…" Lanie said. "…you look nice tonight. That's some dress you've got on there, girlfriend."

"Thanks, so do you Lanie. Actually, all you ladies are looking especially gorgeous tonight. All this for Castle? He's going to be beside himself. And look at the place. It looks fantastic! How come no one called me for help decorating? I told Martha I would be happy to help."

"Oh, this?" Alexis said, gesturing to the room. "This was nothing. It took no time at all to decorate. We had it covered. And you did help – you brought the cake. Thanks. Your Dad is here, by the way, over there with Grams."

"Oh, good." Kate said spotting him with Martha across the room. She waved to them. "I'll go over and say hello in a minute. So, what's the ETA on your father Alexis?"

"He should be here soon."

"We thought maybe he'd be coming with you to the party." Lanie said casually.

"Um, no. We were out pretty late last night on the stake-out then we…went our separate ways. I had some things to take care of today. This place is packed! Castle's going to be so surprised." Kate said, trying to change the subject. Lanie eyed her friend suspiciously. Kate was nervous. Kate Beckett was never nervous. Something was up.

"You okay?" Lanie asked.

"Oh, sure. I'm fine." She tried to smile and not fidget, but the girls were all observing her. It was more than a little unnerving. She checked her watch. It was eight o'clock on the nose. Saved by the bell. "It's eight o'clock. He should be here any minute. Let's step away from the entrance." They all seemed to go with that except for Lanie. As they all moved into the room to watch in unison for Castle to arrive, Lanie tugged her on the arm, looked her in the eyes and asked again if she was okay. "Tell you later." She whispered.

8:10pm

"SURPRISE!" They all yelled when he came through the door.

Surprise? Surprise for what? He was completely floored; and confused. What am I supposed to be surprised about? He didn't have a minute to think more on it because Alexis nearly barreled him over, embracing him in a huge hug as his mother planted a kiss on his cheek. Martha could tell he was clueless so helped him out. "Happy Belated Birthday, darling." She whispered in his ear. She nodded to the banner across the wall. He smiled broadly, flashing his pearly whites around the room, and then whispered back to his mother, "You know my birthday was weeks ago, right Mother?"

"Yes, thank you Richard. I still have the stretch marks. Go with it darling. Kate's here by the way, in case you're interested." That got his attention. So this is what her plans were for tonight. He was feeling better already.

"Were you surprised Dad?" Alexis asked beaming.

"You got me, kiddo. That's for sure. I never saw it coming." He replied hugging her back.

He looked around the room, amazed to find so many friends, but there was one he didn't see, his eyes searching her out. He could feel her presence though; she was watching him, he knew it.

In an instant, he was surrounded. It was chaos. Everyone came up to greet him. The ladies all kissed him, the men shook his hand, hugged him, and patted him on the back. There were congratulations, joking and laughing, but still no Kate.

"Alexis, how on earth did you get all these people here?"

"Easy. I copied your contact list from your cell phone."

"You stole my cell phone?"

"I prefer to think of it as borrowing, but technically yes. I'm stealthy that way."

"You certainly are."

Meanwhile, Kate watched from afar, trying to get up her nerve to go over there.

"This is the part where you go over and say hello, Happy Birthday." Perlmutter droned in her ear from his perch on the barstool. His voice pulled her out of her reverie and she started to breathe again.

"Yeah. Thanks Perlmutter." She replied, to his already retreating back.

She moved up closer but kept her distance as he worked the crowd until it finally, slowly started to dissipate, with most people headed to the bar, buffet or to mingle. He still hadn't spotted her yet. She asked the bartender for a little liquid courage then turned around. The noise level in the room rose exponentially.

Someone tapped Castle on the shoulder and the next thing he knew he was being pulled into a smothering kiss. He tried to pull away, but she over-powered him, took him by surprise. He found his bearings again, removed himself from her clutches and looked directly into the eyes of a smiling Jacinda. Oh, no. No. No. No. Are you kidding me?

"Hi Ricky. Happy birthday." She exclaimed, still clutching his face. He could feel a thick layer of her lipstick on his mouth and he wiped it away with his sleeve.

"Jacinda! What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, shocked to see her.

"I had a layover so I thought I'd pop in and say hello." She said. "I took a chance you'd be here. And look at my good luck - there's a party going on. I didn't think you'd mind if I crashed your party Ricky." She said seductively pulling at his tie, as she made a move to kiss him again.

"Jacinda. No." He said moving away as if she'd burned him. He put as much distance between them as he could, with one hand on her shoulder, making space between them. She started pouting immediately. He needed to get rid of her – now. He caught Esposito's eye from behind Jacinda and mouthed help. Esposito's eyes went wide. Rick could feel Kate's eyes upon him. I'm a dead man. "She's right behind me isn't she?" He asked Esposito, who simply nodded. "Of course she is."

He slowly turned around and as he'd expected there she was, leaning against the bar, staring straight at him, Kate Beckett. They both stopped breathing for a second the moment their eyes met. His eyes went wide while hers were on fire. She was clenching the glass she was holding so tight he was surprised it didn't shatter. Her lips were pursed and her face was red, but she didn't utter a word.

"Holy crap." Jenny said.

"That so, did not just happen." Lanie added, turning to Kate who was still staring at Castle.

"Let's get the bitch!" Madison exclaimed loud enough for him to hear.

Oh, my God, it was about to get ugly. He had to get rid of Jacinda and fast. No good could come of this. He shook his head at Kate and tried to convey with his eyes that it wasn't what it looked like, although he knew exactly what it looked like. Kate calmly put her glass down on the bar and turned on her heel with Lanie following closely behind her.

"Well now, that was unforeseeable" Jim Beckett said to Martha as he watched his daughter storm off.

Jacinda was still waiting on an explanation. Someone put a drink in his hand, probably Esposito. He downed it quickly and put the glass on a table before turning back to Jacinda.

"Jacinda. I'm sorry. But you have to leave. Now. There has been a recent development, occurring after I met you, and there is a woman in here, one that I love very much, who would not be pleased by your presence. You need to leave. I'm sorry."

"Oh. I see. It's that police detective, isn't it? The one you work with. The one you write the books about. I saw the way she looked at you." She said, turning angry. Sure, they'd been together just for fun, but she didn't like being tossed aside.

"Yes. And she has very good aim."

"Okay. Fine. I'm leaving. But Rick, do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Next time…" She told him before storming out. "…fly United."

"Humph, I would have had the blonde throw the drink in his face." Michael Connelly said to James Patterson.

"Nah, too cliché." he replied.

"Still…I would have made it work."

Castle was left staring at the door not knowing what to say or what to do next. He was pretty confident he'd just passed into the fifth dimension of hell – and this on his belated birthday, of all days. Where does one go from there? He did the first thing that came to mind, and walked over to the bar to order another drink.

He suspected recent events had not gone unnoticed since most of the guests flocking him earlier had left him alone to suffer in silence. He looked to his left and did a double-take. Will Sorenson was leaning up against the bar next to him. He turned to his right and found Tom Demming flanked on his other side. So much for solitude. "What the hell are you two doing here?" He asked them, praying the surprises would stop soon.

"We were invited, dude. Wouldn't miss this for the world." Tom said with a smirk, before popping some peanuts in his mouth. The bartender handed Castle his drink, which he then downed.

"So, I'm guessing you both witnessed that?" He asked.

"Castle, everyone witnessed that." Will said taking a swig of his beer. "But, hey, you were ambushed. Wasn't your fault." He shrugged.

"Sure. Kate will understand." Tom told him.

"You think?" Castle asked them hopefully.

"No."

"Not really."

"You're fucked."

"Royally."

"Oh God." He cried, hanging his head down low and smacking it on the bar. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but you're both probably right." He told them picking up his head, which was now pounding.

"Wanna play darts?" Tom asked him cheerfully.

"Thanks, but no." He told them picking his head up again. "I'd better stay here and face the music. She can't stay in there forever."

"K. Happy birthday." Tom said, walking away.

"Good luck Castle." Will said slapping him on the back, before following Demming for a game of darts.

"Don't worry. These things have a way of working themselves out." The guy now sitting next to him said. "Anyone can see you two are soul mates."

"I always thought so." Rick answered, perking up a bit. He had no idea who this kind soul was, but prayed he was right.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Castle asked, offering his hand. "Rick Castle."

"Pleasure to finally meet you and no, we've never actually met, although I feel like I know you. I'm Paul…" He said shaking his hand. "…from Vice. My you've got quite a grip there big guy."

Castle just stared at him, pretty sure he was being Punk'd. He looked around for cameras. He was about to ask Fucking Paul what he was doing at his belated surprise birthday party and demand he stop sending gifts to his girlfriend when they were interrupted.

"Hey!" Ryan said slapping Castle on the back, and snapping him out of his daze. "I see you've met Paul. Hey Paul. Having fun?" Fucking Paul nodded and smiled. "Paul, I was wondering… would you mind giving me and Castle here a minute? I've got something kind of personal I need to talk to him about."

"Oh, sure. No problem." He said amiably. "It was nice to meet you Rick. Happy Birthday." He said before grabbing his drink and walking away.

"Ryan? That was Fucking Paul, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it kind of was."

Castle poked Ryan in the chest with his pointer finger causing him to look down at the intrusive digit. Castle then trailed his finger straight up, hitting Ryan's nose. He used to do it to make Alexis laugh when she was little. Ryan was more than a little worried his friend might be on the verge of losing it.

"Why'd you do that?" Ryan asked.

"Just checking to see if you were real. Am I being Punk'd Ryan?"

"How many of those have you had?" He asked pointing to the drink Castle was holding.

"Not enough, believe me."

Alexis came over and handed him a plate of food. "Here Dad. Eat." Nothing was going right. That blonde ruined everything. Kate was mad at Dad and now he was drinking too much. She should at least make sure he ate something. "You need to keep up your strength. Don't worry Dad. You can fix this. That one wasn't your fault." She kissed him on the cheek and scooted away.

"Thanks honey. Hey! Wait! What do you mean that one wasn't my fault?" She only smiled enigmatically and kept on walking.

XXXXX

Lanie followed Kate into the Ladies Room, prepared to allow her friend a moment to compose herself. Kate hadn't said a word since they went in there and Lanie was starting to become alarmed. She looked about ready to explode.

Kate stood in front mirror, braced herself on the vanity and tried to get her temper in check. She knew she shouldn't be shocked. There were always going to be other women who would want Castle for themselves, but his flight attendant days were over, she'd see to that. The only friendly skies he'd be flying from now on were hers. And after this morning's activities Kate wasn't overly concerned about her competition. What bothered her most was she'd come way too close just now to making a scene in front of all of their friends and family which was decidedly not her style, and she'd be damned if she was going to lose her temper in front of two hundred of their closest friends. She saw him push the blonde away, and that was all the confirmation she really needed to know he wasn't interested in that woman, but the bitch had better be gone by the time she got back out there.

Lanie couldn't take it any longer and jumped to Castle's defense. Kate's silence was killing her. "You can't blame him for that kiss. The hussy took him by surprise. She kissed him and then he pushed her away. Tell me you saw that Kate? Come on, you know the only one he wants is you."

"I know Lanie. I just need another minute." Kate looked up at herself in the mirror not liking what she saw. It appeared she was running again. The first sign of trouble and she was holed up in the Ladies Room. This had to stop. She had to march back out there, not care who was listening, apologize, and then she needed to shoot the blonde harlot. Or maybe she'd shoot the blonde harlot first, face him and then apologize. She was still working out the time-line.

Kate had a strange look on her face and Lanie couldn't read her. Not for the first time tonight she kicked herself for not hiring a bouncer at the door. "What are you going to do?" Lanie asked cautiously.

Kate realized she was starting to freak Lanie out by not answering but as long as they were alone in there, she had a few questions for her good friend. She might as well take advantage of their privacy and catch her off guard. Lanie had some explaining to do. Kate took out her lipstick, and carefully re-applied it as Lanie patiently waited for the question.

"Lanie? Kate said sweetly. You wouldn't happen to know why almost all of my ex-boyfriends are here tonight, would you?" Kate asked casually. The only ones not here are Josh and the guy she went to prom with.

"Josh was out of town. I mean, Castle must have had their numbers in his phone."

"You're sticking with that story?" She said, eyeing Lanie suspiciously. Kate didn't believe a word of it.

"Yes. Why yes, I am."

"Anyone else I need to worry about running into tonight? The twinkie, the publisher, more flight attendants, the Rockettes?"

"Hey! The flight attendant was not invited. Wives one and two had other plans. And as for the Rocketttes – they're on tour."

"Okay then." She said "You going to tell me what's going on Lanie?"

"No." Lanie said with a challenge in her eyes and crossing her arms. Lanie knew from the start they'd come down to this moment. Kate and Castle were bound to find out they'd been interfering, but before she spilled, they'd be 100% together first.

It appeared they were at a standstill…

Kate's spidey senses were tingling and she vowed sooner or later she'd get to the bottom of it. This week was getting weirder by the minute - what with her secret admirer, the crazy stake-out – wedding included, the declarations and confessions, love-making and fighting, and now this party with nearly everyone they both know in attendance acting as if they were waiting for something to happen. Kate wanted off the merry-go-round and was pretty sure Castle felt the same way. Too many things this week didn't make any sense and their friends were all acting nervous as cats. Something was definitely up, but whatever it was would have to wait. Only one thing mattered right now and that was fixing things with Castle.

"Fine…bring 'em all on, Lanie. I'm done running. I'm in love with Castle, he's in love with me and I've been an idiot." She declared. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go apologize and beg his forgiveness."

"Well, alright! Go get 'em tiger!" Lanie beamed, following her friend out. She was relieved Kate appeared to be letting her suspicions go – for now anyway. She was pretty sure the proverbial jig was about to be up.

She and Lanie made their way through the room, ignoring watchful eyes, and proceeded towards where Castle, Esposito, and Ryan were standing at the bar. Thankfully, there was no sign of the harlot. Castle braced himself as she moved determinedly closer. She looked amazing. Her short black dress clung to every one of the curves he'd come to recently know so well and it was hard not to stare at the sight of her long bare legs knowing they'd been wrapped around him hours earlier. He straightened his posture and tampered down his usual show of appreciation.

So what, if she was the most beautiful woman in the room? So what, if she was in his bed only hours ago and that he was completely in love with her. She was about to ream him a new asshole, in front of everyone, for kissing Jacinda, which was - Not His Fault - not that she'll believe him. She said so herself - she doesn't trust him anymore. Besides, he was still mad at her. Ms. Self-righteous; she'd lied to him too. And after everything they've been through together, four freaking years, how could she possibly not forgive him, when she knows damn well he was only trying to protect her? But now here she was, the woman of his dreams, not ten feet away and he had no idea how to fix any of it.

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle? A word please." Everyone froze at the sound of Gates voice and they all turned to look at her. "Mr. Castle? Do you have an office here?"

"Uh, yes Captain, I do." He said, becoming alarmed. Gates looked pissed, although didn't she always? "Do you need to use it?"

"Not me, Mr. Castle...WE. I need to talk to you and Detective Beckett in private, immediately." She told them in her no nonsense tone. She turned around to the swarm of people who were pretending they weren't eavesdropping. "And someone please bring me the damn box." She yelled, stunning the place into silence.

"You heard the lady." Mayor Weldon said loudly. "Bring her the box!"

Karpowski came running over with a large black velvet box and handed it over to Gates. "Thank you." She said taking it from her.

"Okay. You two..." She said pointing at Castle and Beckett. "Let's go. Show me this office of yours."

They looked at each other, silently questioning with their eyes if the other knew what Gates could possibly want. Kate gave a slight shrug and Castle shook his head a bit in answer. They both hadn't a clue.

The crowd moved closer to watch the exchange, most of them nodding and grinning at each other, which did not go unnoticed by Castle and Beckett. It seemed they were not in on the joke.

Castle dutifully led them to the basement office door and they went down the stairs. Castle and Beckett both jumped when they heard someone close the lid behind them, and shared the same three thoughts…

What the hell was going on here?

What could possibly be in the box Gates was carrying that apparently everyone but them knew about?

And – was that cheering?...

Gates looked around the office taking in the desk and chairs and motioned for them to both sit. "Have a seat, get comfortable, we're going to be here for a while."

Although Castle didn't appreciate being ordered around in his very own office, he could tell the Captain obviously had something pretty important to discuss by her no nonsense tone. He begrudgingly took one of the chairs in front of his desk, as did Beckett. Maybe their esteemed Captain would have some answers as to what the hell was going on upstairs and why everyone they knew was acting so strangely. Then again, maybe they were both about to yell at him. Oh, joy.

Beckett had to work to pay attention to Gates, as she was busy watching Castle in her peripheral vision. He looked angry, confused and he refused to look her way. He kept his focus strictly on the Captain who was watching them both intently, and contemplating her next words.

"I suppose you're both wondering why I've asked you down here?" Gates said, watching as they both nodded in the affirmative. They both assumed she wanted to talk to them about the case they'd just worked and the stake-out she'd sent them on.

They would be wrong.

She assessed her captive audience carefully, not sure how to proceed. She'd come to the conclusion they were either very good actors or both entirely clueless, which would be the understatement of the year. She was leaning greatly towards the latter. She decided to handle her next words the way she always does….

"This has gone on long enough!" Gates exclaimed with blunt force. It was as she'd suspected… they hadn't a clue. Too bad.

"Never in my life have I witnessed two seemingly intelligent adults take something so simple and make it so difficult. Frankly, it's pathetic, and I find myself unable to sit by and watch any longer. It's too distracting, and I have other things to do. So I'm here as the voice of reason." She said. "Lord knows someone has to be." She added under her breath.

"During my time here at the twelfth, I've made some interesting observations. Allow me to share them with you both." She said, not really asking. Her tone left them no choice but to shut up and listen whether they wanted to hear it or not.

"Detective Beckett?" She said, causing Kate to jump. "Before I even met you, I met Mr. Castle. Would you like to know my first impression?" She asked Kate, who nodded. Castle braced himself for the worst.

"I thought who is this man, this writer, who thinks he's a cop? And better yet, what the hell is he doing in my precinct? That's what I thought." She turned to Castle, who started to fidget in his chair. "Then I did a little digging. The grapevine was more than informative and I quickly found myself thoroughly….impressed …at his dedication to you and your unit. Shock clearly registered on Castle's face. That had so not been what he'd expected the Captain to say. "Although his ass still had to go." She added quickly, giving him another look. "Pesky little rules, and all." That was more like it.

"Nevertheless, I was still impressed." She said turning back to Kate. "I'd learned through my sources that from the time you'd been shot, he'd been working day in and day out attempting to solve the crime committed against you, Detective. He hardly slept or ate, and was glued to your chair, nearly to the point of collapse from working your case, worried sick over you."

"His actions and the depths of despair over your condition led me to speculate as to the true status of your relationship. I was assured you were just friends, partners, you worked together, and he shadowed you on cases for research on his books, nothing more."

"I'm not a stupid woman." She said. "His grief was more than distress over a work partner or friend being injured. He was devastated. And too close to you to be of any real use to anyone working the case. So I showed him the door. Got some grief over that one, I don't mind sayin', but his place was by your side - surely he could see that? I assumed that's where he went." The guilt shone on Kate's face. He did come to my side, but I sent him away. Rick tried not to notice, but Kate did appear remorseful.

Gates was still talking…

"We continued to investigate your shooting relentlessly, but after months still came up cold. Mr. Castle dropped out of site, during which time I assumed he was helping you with your recovery. Then you came back to work. Alone. I didn't think any more of it, figured it to be a passing phase. Oh, but my, how wrong was I, because he showed up again one day out of the blue – Isn't that right Mr. Castle? – and I haven't been able to get rid of him since." He recoiled in his chair from the evil eye she shot him. He did have a way with women…just not the two in this room apparently.

Satisfied they both were listening, she continued… "I've watched you together." She said, noting their surprise and nervousness. "It's obvious you're more than just partners." Kate started to open her mouth to deny they'd ever acted anything but professional, and Gates raised one hand, effectively cutting her off. "I'm not accusing you of acting unprofessional; I'm just saying you're more than just partners. Don't get your panties in a knot Detective." Kate closed her mouth.

"The thing is…to my chagrin…I've found myself wondering why."

"It's obvious you're both crazy about each other..." Kate ventured a look at Rick and wondered if he still was.

"You work well together, feed off each other, challenge each other and it's led to your tremendous success in solving cases." Rick felt Kate's eyes on him and risked turning to her. They locked eyes as Gates continued seemingly unaware of their silent communication.

"You're continuously saving each other's asses like it's some sort of contest. And when you're not arguing, you spend the other half your time flirting shamelessly. Everyone that comes into contact with you thinks you're a couple. Don't even get me started on that weird little thing you do where you finish each other's sentences. It's like you're already married."

That last word got a reaction from Caskett as they raised their eyebrows at one another. They didn't bother denying the Captain's observations. She had them dead to rights.

Gates was on a roll now, basically ignoring them both as she spoke. She seemed to need to get this off her chest or she'd self combust, so they didn't interrupt. At this point they were only half listening anyway, more focused on each other and their mind-meld.

Kate couldn't help it and grinned at him. He tilted his head at her and grinned back. They both wished Gates would leave.

Kate was on the verge of flinging herself at him, whether her boss was in the room or not. Her plan was to beg Castle's forgiveness and promise to stop running for the rest of her life, if he'd have her. His consisted of promising never to keep secrets from her again while he reacquainted himself with every inch of Kate's body.

"Oh, for God's sake! Get a room already!" Gates yelled, causing the trance to break and Kate to blush. You'd think they'd been caught necking in the break room. Now there's a thought…

Gates muttered something about them not being contestants on The Dating Game, rambled on about disruptions in the work place, how love lives needed to come second while on the job, and how all of this Team Caskett nonsense had driven her crazy.

"Wait a minute, what was that last part Sir?" Kate said aloud.

"What?" Gates replied.

"You said Team Caskett and how it's been driving you crazy." Kate answered. "What exactly is Team Caskett, Sir?"

Whoops. Cat's out of the bag. Gates hadn't meant to divulge what their friends had been up to. Too late now. She assessed the two of them, noting the hostility had dissipated and figured what the hell…

"Team Caskett is a group, consisting of your friends and families," Gates said. "Created for the sole purpose of getting you both together. In other words, it was designed to get your heads out of your asses." Both Castle and Beckett had their mouths hanging open. "For more information, you'll have to ask them yourselves."

"COOL!", "WHAT?" Rick and Kate exclaimed simultaneously and both rising from their chairs.

Kate had known something was going on since she walked in the door tonight, but had no idea they'd formed a team. She wondered briefly if they had a union.

"Why those little devils!"Rick exclaimed, smiling. "Hey Kate, you know what this means, right?" She shook her head still looking somewhat stunned. "We have a shipper name!" Castle said beaming, his hundred-watt smile aimed at Beckett. "That's so awesome!"

Kate smiled in return, but started to seriously re-think the events of the week. How could she and Castle have been so blind? All of the strange happenings were starting to make sense now. The secret admirer! Their little band of misfits had some explaining to do.

"We've been had!" Kate exclaimed.

"Now don't be mad at them." Gates told Kate. "They only did this because they care for you both, and although their actions were considerably unorthodox, their intentions were good. And if you tell them I said that I will have you doing extra paperwork for a year." Gates still couldn't believe she'd been dragged into this ridiculous dramady and wished she'd had the foresight to have brought her cocktail downstairs with her. Well, it was time she left them to it; her work here was done. She turned to leave, headed for the stairs.

"Captain?" Castle asked.

"Yes, Mr. Castle?"

"First, thank you – for your observations. We'll be sure to take them…under advisement, won't we Kate." He looked to Kate and grinned lustfully at her, making her blush again.

"You're welcome." She replied, and although her lips may not have formed a smile, her eyes did.

"But one more question…" Castle said.

"What is it, Mr. Castle?" She replied, anxious to get out of there before they jumped one another.

"Aren't you going to tell us what's in the box you brought down?" he asked.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot. It may be your belated surprise birthday party Mr. Castle, but the box is a gift for both of you - from all those people waiting upstairs and some that couldn't make it. Go on, open it. Come up when you're ready." She smirked before disappearing up the stairs, opening and shutting the lid again.

They were finally alone. Kate was the first to speak. "Okay. I'm not sure what freaks me out more…being bamboozled by our friends and family or the fact that Gates has been watching us that closely and is rooting for us." She joked to hide her nervousness.

"Yeah, the Gates watching us thing... little creepy." He said watching her.

She looked back. Judgment Day had arrived. They both looked up at the sound of more cheering and smiled. They were standing way too far apart for Kate's liking. His smile faded as she moved closer and closer towards him, coming to stand in front of him, but still not touching him. She needed to apologize.

"Castle…I'm so sorry. Please, you have to forgive me for running out on you, for flying off the handle like that earlier. I was just so shocked when you told me, and then I acted so horribly to you. I realized you tried to tell me before we…you know...made love."

She wanted so badly to touch him, but he wasn't saying anything. She was afraid he was weighing the good and bad of being with her, and she still had a long road to travel before she'd reach fun and uncomplicated. She fought back the tears.

"I'm so sorry Castle, for lying to you about…what you said to me when I got shot…for not telling you how I've felt about you until today…for making you wait all this time for me to finally see you've been right here all along. I know you were only trying to protect me. And whether you forgive me or not, I'm done with pursuing my mother's case. I've wasted too much time already…thirteen years…I'm done with it. The wall I once had? You drove a bulldozer through it. There are other things more important – you're more important. I love you Castle…Will you ever be able to forgive…"

He grabbed her and his lips came crashing down upon hers. He kissed her with everything he was worth and she responded with even greater passion. Hands, and lips, roamed everywhere – they were starving for each other. He walked her backwards pressing her up against the wall, knocking over a chair or two in their way, not caring about anything but the feel of being back in each other's arms again, back where they belonged.

"Kate?" he muttered as he attacked the side of her neck with his lips, nibbling gently along the side and then kissing his way down the front of her chest. Her moans drowned out his words.

How is he expecting me to talk when he's doing that to me? Her hands were in his hair, his body was up against hers and his tongue was in her mouth again. God, he was a great kisser.

"aaatte." He said again, pulling his lips from hers. He was making her dizzy. And she liked it. Didn't matter how dizzy she got, he'd catch her. She needed him naked and horizontal. The couch would do. "About before, with Jacinda…I want you to know, that was not my fault."

She stopped him before he went any further. "I know Castle. I saw the whole thing. She's lucky I didn't shoot her." She grabbed him by the tie and started walking him backwards in the direction of the couch. She's never wanted anyone so much in her life. "But let's play a game, okay? You promise never to say that woman's name to me again, and I promise to make you forget yours right now. Doesn't that sound like a fun game?"

"Yes, it really does. I'm in. I love game night."

"Good boy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Half hour later

They could hear the party still going on upstairs. It sounded like everyone was having an excellent time. Not as good a time as they were having, but then again, that wasn't possible.

After getting dressed again Kate and Rick sat down on the couch and opened the box. It was filled with cards, notes, and letters from everyone they knew along with a scrapbook filled with photos taken of the two of them over the course of the last four years.

"This is incredible." Rick said flipping through the scrapbook.

"I know. How did they do all of this?" Kate seconded. "It's amazing."

"They've been very, very busy." Rick said. "The rascals."

"Tell me about it. I don't know about you, but I've started putting all the pieces together. This has been one wild week."

"I know. You're secret admirer is upstairs, by the way." Rick told her.

"You mean Paul, from Vice?"

"No. I mean Fucking Paul from Vice."

"You do know Paul is gay, right?" She said.

"No, actually, I didn't, but I did figure out after meeting him, he was the red herring."

They sat there for a while and compared notes on what they thought happened all week.

"Alexis adores teddy bears." Rick told her. "Especially great big ones. Her room is filled with them. And she and my mother had access to my credit card."

"All the photos in your loft have her holding them – the bears, not the credit cards."

"Ryan and Esposito getting stuck in the elevator…lay you odds they were planning to lock us up in there."

"Lanie knows I love purple roses."

"My angelic daughter stole my phone to invite all of these people."

"There's only one person I know who would send me a big purple vibrator with your name on it." Kate said.

"Madison." They said in unison.

"The boys gave me more than a few pep-talks."

"Lanie did the same with me."

"Oh, my God, Castle! I bet the stake-out was a fake-out. It was way too bizarre. Do you think they staged it, or was it a coincidence?"

"I think anything's possible with Team Caskett on the job." He said. "But if they did stage that, then we'll have to thank my mother, Judge Markway, Karpowski, and…."

"Gates!" They said together, smiling.

"I did leave there believing if Sammy and Sammy Saverese could be happy, well then, so could we." Kate told him.

"Me too." Rick agreed pulling her close and placing a kiss on her head. "Team Caskett - gotta love it."

"You're going to be calling us that from now on, aren't you?"

"What Caskett? I like it. It's our shipper name. And it has a nice ring to it." Won't be as nice as the ring he plans to put on her finger…

"Whatever you say Rigid Ricky."

"You still have that, right?"

"Oh, yeah. And now I've got the real thing too."

"I think Gates secretly likes me."

"Now, you're reaching."

They read some of the cards aloud to each other. There were over a hundred of them, each more cherished than the next, all sending wishes, love, and congratulations their way.

Just a few…

I told you he was all yours! Congratulations! Love, Kyra

Congratulations! Now keep it out of my precinct. From Sir, with love.

Let's see how he observes you now. Congrats! It's about damn time. Jordan Shaw

It was getting late and they needed to put in an appearance upstairs or they'd never hear the end of it, so they'd read the notes together later, and probably a hundred times over, after that.

"You ready to face the crazies?" He asked her.

"Yes. Let's do this." She said taking his hand in hers.

They made their way upstairs but the lid wouldn't open. They actually had to bang on it a bunch of times before they heard it being opened from the other side.

"Hey! Lookie here!" Ryan yelled to the room as he smiled at Rick and Kate. "It's Caskett!"

The crowd swarmed in on them, and the applause, hooting and hollering erupted. Family and friends made their way over to congratulate them on their new relationship. Everyone hugged basically… well, everyone.

The party was just getting started.

Kate and Rick had the pleasure of meeting the actors who portrayed Sammy and Sammy Saverese. They both attended his mother's school. She gave them an "A". Samantha was coincidentally, the daughter of Judge Markway's wife's second cousin Ellen.

Fucking Paul and Perlmutter seemed to be really hitting it off.

About an hour later, once things settled down, and after they'd been able to have some food and drink, Rick and Kate were hanging out at the bar surrounded by their friends. Rick looked Kate in the eyes, and her smile lit up her face. He couldn't stop himself. He grabbed her, and in front of two hundred of their closest family and friends, kissed the stuffing out of her.

"10:50." Ryan yelled out after checking his watch.

"Who had 10:50?" Esposito, who was holding an envelope filled with cash, yelled to the crowd.

"I did." Called a voice from down a ways. "Step aside. Step aside people." Captain Victoria Gates demanded as she came forward to accept her winnings. Maybe running things at the twelfth wasn't such a bad gig after all.

"Hey, Dad!" Alexis hollered. "You should open your gifts now!"

"Yes! Finally!" Said Madison. "Open mine first! You guys are going to love it!" She said to Rick and Kate.

"NO!" Yelled…well, everyone before they all burst out laughing.

The End…

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of Team Caskett. I'm sad to see it end. Thanks for reading and for all your reviews and alerts. I had a lot of fun writing this! I was thinking of doing an Epilogue, but not sure yet. I'd like to think I could come up with some more notes from those who couldn't make it to the party and I was also thinking of spinning off to a Lanie/Esposito fic. I would love to hear your comments. Thanks, Karen