In My Veins

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-One

“No, I cannot get you out”

            A silence seemed to sweep over everything in the long hours following the arrest of Senator James Kurt. No one seemed to know what to say. Castle was especially at a loss for words; what do you say to the woman you love after she arrests the man who was behind the deaths of her mother and mentor?

Beckett filled out her paperwork quickly. The boys offered to finish up the rest and told her to go home. Kate argued saying that she wanted—needed—to stay and help but Gates backed up the boys and told her that she needed to get out of there.

They were still silent when they got back to the loft. Now that Castle and Beckett were out of danger they decided it was safe to go back to Castle’s place.

The silence wasn’t awkward, words just weren’t needed. Right now the important thing was just being together.

~O.o.O.o.O~

It was all over the news. “Senator James Kurt was arrested today on several accounts of homicide,” the news reporter began, “It turns out the senator had hired ex military snipers and special forces to kill seven different, three of which were cops. The motive behind these murders are still unknown. More on this story later.”

Castle walked over and shut off the television. He didn’t know how many more times he could watch picture after picture of the senator come on the screen while some reporter who had no clue what they were talking about say that the senator was responsible for multiple deaths for unknown reasons. Luckily Montgomery’s involvement had been left out as had the fact that Kate had been the one to arrest the senator and that he had been responsible for the death of her mother.

“What do we do now?” Kate finally asked. It was the first thing Castle heard her say since they left the precinct.

He walked over to the couch where she was sitting and sat down next to her. Her eyes, her beautiful hazel eyes, were so full of emotion and it was overwhelming him as well. He had been so scared when she had been taken and relieved when he found her and she was alright. They had been through so many near death experiences and although those weren’t going to stop any time soon maybe they would slow down for a while now that the dragon was going to be locked away. More than enough information had been found to prove him guilty, now they just had to wait for the trial.

After everything they had been through there was only one more thing they could do. “Live,” he told her, “now we live.”

Live. Breathe. Live. For the first time in fourteen years Kate Beckett could truly do these things. It was overwhelming. It was utterly freeing. So much heartbreak, too many years being so broken, so many mistakes made—it was all over. For the first time they found out who the dragon was, Kate allowed herself to cry.

Tears turned into sobs as Rick just held her to him. He alternated between rubbing her back and stroking her hair. When she was calm enough to speak again she looked Castle in the eyes and whispered, “I want to live Rick.”

“And you will,” he told her.

“I’m not sure how.”