Thanks to Kate Christie for looking over this one.

Now

She's all over him as soon as they step through the door. He grapples with the door, his ankle colliding with the edge as she attacks his mouth, her lips warm and pliant.

"God, I've missed you," she breathes against his mouth, her hands sliding under the cover of his coat, pushing it from his shoulders. He shrugs out of it, shaky fumbling hands that slip around her waist and cradle the back of her head, desperate and yearning.

They start the endless walk back to their bedroom, fingers slipping, gliding, touching. It can never be enough, he thinks, making up for all the time they've missed. She yanks his shirt from the confines of his pants, trapping his body between hers and the lip of the doorway to their room. His palms find her bottom, and he needs her closer, oh so closer.

He moans into her mouth as her smoldering hands slip under his shirt to roam his bare skin. His hand slides to her thigh and presses against her, lifting her leg to hook around his hip. She gasps, wet and hot against his cheek, her nails scraping his skin as he rolls his hips into hers.

"Oh, Castle—" She shudders against him, her hands faltering at his sides. He takes advantage of her weakened state and lifts her into his arms easily, kicking the door closed behind him.

She latches her mouth onto his neck, nipping softly at that spot under his ear that drives him crazy. He squeezes her thighs in response and she lets out a low, throaty chuckle.

"Payback for that little move back there, Buster," she rasps, her tongue curling around the shell of his ear. He smiles, a soft thing that wants to spill out of him, cloak them in the joy of their reunion. He lays her down on their bed, a mutter of protest escaping her mouth as their top halves separate.

His hands find their way to either side of her head, content to stare at her, swollen lips, mussed hair, the brightest eyes he's seen in months. She swallows, her eyes steady under his unflinching gaze, content to let him have his fill. She lifts a hand to his cheek, brushing the pads of her fingers against his stubble.

"I love you so much, Castle." Her mouth tips in a watery smile as her thumb smoothes over his bottom lip. His hand wraps around her wrist and he presses his lips to her palm before bowing his body over hers, kissing the sadness from her perfect pink mouth. His hands find the tie on her sweater, parting it with nimble fingers, pulling it from her chest.

His hand quests over her quivering stomach, sliding under her as she arches against him with a light oh.

And then she's impatient, flicking the buttons through his shirt with shaky fingers. His palm presses further into her spine, encouraging her as his mouth glides over her collar, nipping gently at her flushed skin. Her fingers tighten in his shirt, wrenching it from his body. He rumbles a laugh, pulling away long enough to remove the garment.

She narrows her eyes at him for his laughter, her mouth twitching in a teasing smirk as she slides out of her sweater and reaches for the clasp on her bra. He feels the smile fall from his face as her fingers smooth over her shoulders, the straps slipping from her small frame before she tosses it to the floor.

He lets out a stuttering breath, still in amazement that he's got her back and they're still them and this is really happening and—

His mouth collides with hers once again, his hands cradling her jaw as he sips from her willing mouth. Her fingers scrape through his hair, clenching and anxious. "Touch me, Castle," she pants, her mouth sliding across his jaw. "Please," she breathes against his ear.

He groans, his fingers slipping from her shoulders to palm her breasts. She gasps, her head snapping to the side at the sensation. He thumbs her nipples, squeezing gently as he kisses her clavicle. He swipes his tongue against her skin, tasting her as his mouth moves down her body to meet his fingers. He teases her, nipping at the underside of her breast as her hands roam over his back, hot, scalding, impatient.

"God," she breathes, hitching a leg over his thigh so she can rock her lower half into him. He growls at the contact, rewards her by finally wrapping his mouth around her hardened peak. She whimpers low in her throat, arching her back, giving herself to him. He suckles greedily, the tips of his fingers slipping down her stomach, goose bumps alive in their wake.

His hand finds the snap in her jeans and he releases the zipper from its teeth, his fingers slow and deliberate. He releases her breast, slipping his fingers under the snug denim, pressing against the cotton of her underwear as his mouth swallows her cries.

"Such a tease," she mumbles in a pant against his mouth.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" He barely gets the words out before she's cupping him through his jeans, true to her reputation. He groans, can't help but buck into her touch. She chuckles, victorious, but then his fingers are fast, slipping under the elastic of her underwear to glide into her wet heat. She lets out a low hiss, her teeth colliding with his shoulder as she rocks her pelvis into his hand, slow and demanding.

"Jesus." He cranes his head to press a kiss to her forehead. She cradles his head in her hands and coaxes his mouth to hers for a soft, tender kiss.

"So close," she gasps, "but I just want you, Castle." Her body bows in a shudder as she removes his hand. He watches, mesmerized by her red lips and penetrating gaze, as she removes the last of her clothing, slipping both garments from her body.

She lifts herself to her knees, sweeping kisses across his eyelids as her fingers go to work in removing his jeans.

"I love you, Kate," he rasps in a puff of breath against her cheek. He feels her lips widen in a broad smile, happiness radiating from her being.

He reaches down to shuck his clothing, but he's a little unsteady, rocked by her touch, and he ends up toppling against her and they land with a soft thud back onto the bed.

She laughs, full and rich, shaking with it and it's infectious, catches up to him. He grins, pressing his forehead against hers as he watches the light fill her face. He lets the backs of his fingers graze her cheek, overwhelmed by her, by this, them—

Everything.

Her laugh catches in her throat, settles in her chest as his eyes sweep the length of her face. Her hands smooth over his chest, slow and steady as she circles his neck, resting easily. She rests her nose against his, leaning in to kiss him softly.

"You're all I could ever need, Castle," she murmurs, her fingers stroking the fine hairs at the back of his neck. "You're everything."

"Forever," he breathes against her lips, hooking her leg around his thigh.

And then she's loving him, lips at his cheek, sweeping under his eye, shifting under him as he finally slides home.

It's still light out when he wakes, the sun barely setting in the sky. He reaches for her, to spoon her body into his once more, but his hands are left grasping the edges of the warm sheet.

He rubs at his bleary eyes, tries to focus his vision as he sits up, the sheet pooling around his waist. Sure enough, she's sitting at the edge of his bed, her spine curved as the sheet hangs off her back, wrapped around herself as she stares out the window.

"Kate?" He slides over to her, his hand coming up to rest on her back. She lets out a breath, leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder.

"Esposito called," she says roughly.

He swallows hard. "And?" he manages.

She lifts her head then, rests her nose against his cheek. He sucks in a breath and it seems like an eternity before she answers. "We got him, Castle," she rasps, choking on a breath. "We finally got him."

Finis

That's all she wrote. There were a lot of tears writing this, but I'm honestly sad that it's finished. Thanks again to everyone who's alerted, reviewed, prodded, and encouraged. You're all wonderful.

As I said in the last chapter, I'm finishing up Days of Summer and working on a collab with my dear friend FanficwriterGHC (and I'm putting this in writing to get my butt in gear on it).

I do think I will write a companion at some point (or continue Kate's), so if you're interested, might be wise to add me to your authors alerts. ;)

And, as always, dying to know what you think.

Liv