Author's Note: I penned this quickly in class because I simply couldn't get last night's episode out of my head. How brilliant! I've honestly not even read through this so mistakes are probably evident. Thanks always for reading and reviewing!

Richard Castle was sleeping lightly during the plane ride back to New York when a slight bump of turbulence jolted him awake. He rubbed his eyes, stretched his legs out in front of him, and turned to look at the girl beside him.

Detective Kate Beckett was dozing in her seat. Her eyes appeared slightly red and puffy and Castle wondered if she had quietly shed tears while he'd been sleeping. The thought made him feel inexplicably guilty.

He hadn't been awake to comfort her. To hold her. To tell her that everything, no matter how bad it seemed, would be alright. Even if he knew that she was much too tough to ever let him see her upset over this, he wished he had been awake to try to help.

Royce had always been a sensitive topic. Talking about Royce was almost like talking about his ex-wives… It was just something that wasn't enjoyable for anyone. They avoided the topic altogether. Castle knew that Kate had cared deeply about the man and no matter how badly of terms they'd left off on, she was obviously upset.

Trying to push his guilt out of his mind and fighting the urge to brush Beckett's falling hair out of her face, Castle leaned down under his seat to grab a book to read. Hopefully reading could take his mind of everything, at least for a little while.

As he swept the ground in search of his book, his fingers brushed against a slip of paper. Grabbing the folded note, he pulled it up to examine it.

Instantly the writer realized exactly what he was holding. This paper was the note Royce had left for Kate. These were his final words to her. The last message she would ever recieve from her old friend...

Castle found himself severely conflicted. On one hand, he trusted Kate Beckett with every fiber of his being. He had always hoped that she felt the same way. Reading this note would mean taking a sneaky look into her personal life. This was Beckett's business. Also, Castle knew that she did have a gun. He had seen her use it. She might get angry about this...

On the other hand, Castle was really, really curious and Kate was asleep. She would never know the difference, right?

In his mind Rick imagined all the mysterious things the note could say. Maybe Royce was simply apologizing? Maybe there was some great conspiracy going on? Maybe Royce confessed his love for Beckett? In a rush of strange jealousy of a dead man, Castle unfolded the note and drew it closer to his eyes.

He checked that Kate was still sound asleep before beginning to read. The note was nearly a page long and Castle was paranoid, so he skimmed over it with as much speed as possible.

An apology... so that's what Royce had left her. She deserved it, Castle knew. She deserved it more than anything in the world. For what seemed like the hundredth time, Castle felt burning anger towards the man Kate had trusted so much, but he forgot his feelings altogether when he reached the end of the note.

And now for the hard part, kid. It's clear that you and Castle have something real and you're fighting it.

Castle could feel his jaw physically drop. He looked from the note to Kate rapidly and then continued reading.

But trust me, putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake. Risking our hearts is why we're alive. The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and wonder, if only.

The usually cool and collected writer found that not only was he at a loss for words, he was at a loss for thoughts. His head was swimming as he reread the end of the note over and over again. He wanted to ask Kate about this. Wanted to know how she felt.

Royce had said it all. In a few simple words he had voiced the issue that he'd been dancing around for years now. He had put it all down on paper perfectly. Castle could certainly respect that.

It's clear you and Castle have something real.

Castle read the words yet again and stared at the seat in front of him. Something real. He had known how much he cared about the detective for a long time now, but seeing it written before him just concreted his feelings.

They were complicated and dysfunctional and completely unexpected, but they were real. The feelings Rick Castle had for Kate Beckett were more real than anything he'd ever experienced.

He sighed to himself, folded the note back up, and placed it gently under Beckett's seat.

It was her move now. Castle would never be the man she cheated on Josh with. He just wasn't that person. If she wanted a relationship, she would have to dispose of the Doctor Motorcycle Boy.

If Kate wanted a relationship, Castle would jump in headfirst. They could work everything out together.

And if she didn't, well, he would do precisely what he was doing now. He would wait.

No matter how frustrating it was to see her with someone else, and how it hurt like hell to know that he wasn't the one holding her at night, Richard Castle would wait.

He was too far gone now. Too invested.

So he would wait.