AN: This story has sat around with several others that were in various stages of completion for over a year. Finally added an epilogue and decided to share. There are eight chapters and the epilogue which I will try to update daily.

The usual disclaimers apply as all characters are the property of ABC and Andrew Marlow.

Chapter One:

November 2015:

Kate Beckett growls in frustration as she reviews the report that Vikram had sent. For two months she and her tech analyst had been chasing one lead after another with all of them leading to dead ends. They had sat together until three in the morning in her cruiser waiting for one of LocSat's lieutenants to appear at a seedy nightclub not far from the equally seedy SRO that had served as her home since she decided to leave Rick.

She was so confident that she could discover who was behind the killings of Bracken, McCord and her team in a few weeks, a month at best, the idea of owing Rick an explanation as to why she was leaving him never crossed her mind. After all, she was doing this to protect him and his family, wasn't she? It's always easier to rationalize your reasons if you don't have to explain them to anyone. The only people that knew what she was really doing were Vikram and Rita. While Vikram seemed to be a willing coconspirator, Rita had been less than pleased to learn her decision.

With each passing day, the chances for her and Rick to ever be what they were before she took that call diminished little by little. Her steadfast belief in the righteousness of her quest had already done more damage that what even the strongest of marriages could withstand.

She had moved out the last of her personal items from the loft over a month ago and had chosen to pursue a lead with Vikram rather than meet with Rick on their anniversary. Missing what in hindsight was Castle's last ditch attempt to save their marriage resulted in the end of any communication with him. There were no calls, texts or emails after that night and Kate couldn't bring herself to reach out to him because she would feel obliged to explain her actions.

Kate remembered Martha's visit to the precinct not long after she had decided to collect her belongings from the loft and her warning that even a patient man like Rick could only hold out for so long. That love has its limits. Kate was sure that Martha was wrong about Rick.

A knock on her door pulls her attention away from review of past events. She looks up to see LT standing outside her door with a box of papers in hand. She frowns, remembering that she had to review her reports for a case she worked before her promotion to Captain. The case was finally going to trial and the DA wanted to make sure she was prepped before she testified next week. It was the last case she worked with Castle as his partner.

She is reading her reports from the case when her desk phone rings. She picks it up and answers in her usual manner. "Captain Beckett." There was an extended silence and Kate thought that the other side had either hung up, or was waiting to admit that they dialed the wrong number. "Hello? Is someone there?" Kate inquires, her annoyance at being interrupted apparent.

"Hello Captain Beckett… it's Richard Castle, remember me?"

Kate is stunned for a moment for several reasons. It had been almost a week since she had any contact with him and it was surprising to hear from him. But the way he addressed her as if she was a stranger, combined with emotionless tone of his voice immediately put her on the defensive. "What do you want Castle? I'm tired and i've got a million things to do." She replies reflexively, immediately regretting her choice of words and tone.

"I apologize Captain for interfering with your day, but I need a favor…" Rick replies, the defeat apparent in his voice.

Feeling guilty for the way she snapped at him, she replies. "I'm sorry for barking at you. What type of favor?"

"Well, the weekend is coming up and I was wondering if you could take a few days off to take care of a pressing issue?"

Puzzled by his request, her first instinct was to cite how busy she was, but there was something ominous regarding his call that piqued her curiosity. Instead she counters. "I suppose I could take a day off. What issue is so pressing?"

There was another extended silence as if he was working up the courage to ask for her help. "I want to know if you were willing to fly out to Guam with me? We could take the early flight out, take care of business and be back to the city on the last fight out."

"Why would I want to fly to Guam?" Kate asks without thinking.

"Because we can get a same day divorce there and end this sham of a marriage. I mean, isn't that what you want Beckett?" Castle calmly replies.

The impact of his remark hits her like a sledgehammer. Of all the reasons that Rick would call her, this one never crossed her mind. Not knowing how to respond, she turns the tables, asking him. "Is that what you want Rick?" The betrayal apparent in her voice.

"What I want has never been part of your considerations." Castle quickly responds, the resignation in his voice apparent. "You never told me why you left me, how long you would be gone, where or with whom you would be going. Only a vague promise that maybe someday you would return. You never asked me if I would wait, did you?"

Rick tries to reel in his emotions that were threatening to consume him at the moment. The time for accusations and blame is over. Only a quick end to another chapter of the failed love-life of Richard Castle, where Kate will take her place beside Kyra, Meredith, and Gina. The women who found him lacking in one way or another. "I kept thinking that if I just held on, you'd see that you belong here with me. We promised each other that we would be partners - in all things. You promised me that there would be no more secrets or lies between us only hours before you walked out on me."

Kate starts to say something in her defense, but Rick continues speaking as if this is his last chance. "I love you Kate. Hell, I'll always love you, but right now I don't like you and I'm not sure if I could ever trust you again. So could you do me one last favor and put an end to this marriage that you don't want to be part of anymore?"

Beckett has no idea how to respond to his request. Part of her wants to admit defeat and give in to his request. After all the things that had happened to them since she left the loft, it was the humane thing to do. Rick deserved to be happy, even if it wasn't with her.

But the Don Quixote in her, the person that takes on an organization like LocSat with nothing more than herself and tech analyst as her Sancho Panza would never surrender without a fight. "Why now? Why such a hurry to end things Castle?" Kate inquires, genuinely interested in the answer.

"Cancelling our anniversary dinner with no explanation as to why was an eye opener to me as to how little value you placed on our marriage... I just assumed that a quick and quiet end to this farce that our marriage has become was what you wanted Beckett. You'll be free to pursue whatever you found more important than us. It also keeps it out of press, which I'm sure you want."

Rick pauses to take a calming breath before continuing. A realization of the futility in clinging to someone that would never see you as an equal seemed to consume him at this moment. "In hindsight, our marriage ended that night you walked out. I wouldn't believe it then, but the evidence started to pile up. First you barred me from coming into the precinct, then you came and took the last of your belongings from the loft. The icing on the cake was your promise to meet me for our anniversary and subsequent cancellation due to something that you couldn't tell me about." Rick responds defeatedly.

"The worst part was you let everyone believe that your leaving was my fault. My own family turned on me until mother tried to talk to you. She's been your number one fan and convinced me on more than one occasion that if I truly loved you, I had to accept the things you did that hurt me…"

Rick didn't need to elaborate as Kate was keenly aware of the times she had put her wants and needs ahead of his. Still too stunned to give him a direct response, she deflects. "This is a lot to process Castle and I've got a meeting at 1PP in an hour that I can't miss. Can I call you back later?"

"You've had my number for the last two months Beckett." Rick replies with a sigh as if this was exactly the type of response that he expected. "I won't hold my breath this time." He comments and ends the call before she can respond.

Kate sits at her desk staring at the now silent phone, gobsmacked. The one constant that her hubris had assured her of was that Castle would wait on her however long her quest took. Sure she expected to have to endure a rough patch afterwards and she would make another round of promises to not repeat her actions, but she was positive that Rick would forgive her like he always did before.

She never considered that he would give up.

AN2: I don't know if you can get a same day divorce in Guam or not. I read that you could in a story years ago so bear with me if this isn't the case.