Post by Admin on Oct 2, 2015 2:50:33 GMT
Castle stood a moment, shocked by Kate's words, but he shook it off and chased her out the door.
Kate had reached a step and could go no further. She felt like she had during the sniper case, after she'd been shot the first time, combined with the knowledge of what it felt like to lose Castle. If anyone hurt him, hurt their family, she'd never forgive herself, but she'd waited too long to be with him, too long to be his wife, to throw it away without her heart shattering.
"Kate," said Castle softly behind her.
She turned and looked at him and it was obvious that she'd been crying. The last time, before she met him, she remembered crying was the night her mother died, and lately it seemed she did it more and more. Castle pulled her into his arms.
"I can't...I can't..." She whispered.
"No-one is making you. Stay here with us."
"I can't," she whispered. "If...If I lose you, because of this. Or Alexis." She felt like she couldn't breathe much less talk and she held on to him.
"We aren't going anywhere."
"You don't understand..."
"I understand perfectly."
She shook her head, but still held on to him, the ring that she hadn't been able to take off against his neck, the bag she'd been carrying on the floor.
"You can't leave."
"This isn't...this isn't the way this was supposed to go."
"Write us a happy ending, Rick. Make...make everything okay again."
"I will, but stay here." She finally nodded. "Come inside." She nodded again, letting him lead her inside. Castle led her to the couch where he cuddled her to him.
"Don't let go, Rick. Please." She whispered into his chest, trying to curl into a ball against him.
"I won't."
"I love you."
"I know it doesn't seem like it. This...this isn't what was supposed to be our next chapter."
"I love you too."
"My biggest fear was going through every day without you there. Now Bracken's back, I'm shot, McCord's dead, you and Alexis...Javi told me about the shooting."
"We're fine."
"I thought when we got him behind bars, it would be enough."
"He's gone now."
"What?" She looked up at him in confusion.
"Bracken's dead. He can't hurt you anymore."
"Really?" It was obvious she didn't know and more obvious that it was more than she'd ever dreamed could happen.
"Yeah. Someone murdered him in his cell."
"On one hand, it's no more than the bastard deserves." Kate never swore so this was extreme for her, but then again, he'd destroyed so much of her life. "On the other, whoever killed him..."
"Will be caught. By the guards."
"Is even more powerful than Bracken. What if she's right? What if by being here, I'm putting our family in danger?"
"It's no more than normal."
"This is not normal, Castle, and the fact that we now think it is scares the hell out of me. I always thought after I was out of the field, after Bracken was dead, maybe..."
"This will work out, Kate, believe me."
"I thought maybe we were getting to the place where we could have babies. But it's never going to stop, is it? And having one kid in the crossfire is bad enough."
"Kate, if you want kids, nothing will stop us."
"I don't think I do anymore, Castle. I mean, if the world was perfect, then yes, of course I would want to have your child, but...Losing you or Alexis would destroy me. Why on earth would I want to have another child that someone could hurt or use to hurt us? She's right."
"Who's right?"
She looked guilty for a minute and then told him the truth. "Your stepmother. Jackson's wife. She...she was helping us. She's the one that says she never even gets to see Jackson because they're so afraid that someone will use one against the other, sorta like they did Alexis against him."
"What are you talking about? He isn't married, at least not anymore. And when he was, they saw each other all the time."
"No. He's got another one. I'm sure of it. She knew so many details and no one but the four of us even knows Jackson's your father. Not even my father knows that, or the boys."
"What's her name?"
"Rita."
"I don't know anyone with that name, Kate. His last wife was Stephanie or something like that."
She grew pale. "Call him and ask, Rick. Please." Castle picked up his phone and dialed his dad's number.
She watched his face and felt like she couldn't breathe as he hung up. "Where's Alexis?" She managed to ask.
"The office. Why?"
"Rick, she knew too much. I want...I want to go get Alexis. And Martha. Please."
"Okay. I'll call Hayley. She was going to say goodbye to Alexis. I'll get her to wait there for us." She nodded, grabbing her gun, hurrying outside with him.
Castle called Hayley's phone, hoping she was at the office still. When she didn't respond, Kate grew even more concerned and tried calling Alexis' phone.
"Hi, Kate. Are you okay?" asked Alexis.
"I'm fine, honey. Are you still at the office?" She'd known about Alexis secret but had promised not to tell, something she didn't plan on revealing to Castle any time soon.
"Yes. Gram is too. Why?"
"Is Haley still there?"
"She just left."
"I want you to stay there and lock the doors. Don't let anyone in, except your dad and me, okay?"
"Uh, sure...I think. What's wrong?"
"I promise I'll explain when we get there. Just please be careful."
"Okay."
"Love you, bud." Kate hung up. "Martha's there, Haley's already left, she's gonna lock themselves in."
Castle sped up. "Is Rita there?"
"She didn't act like it. She kept asking what was wrong, but I figured it was easier to tell her in person."
"Thank you."
"I feel like the world's biggest idiot. I should have seen something was wrong. How could I have trusted her? What if..."
"Just cause she isn't who she said she is doesn't mean her intentions towards you were bad." It sounded stupid even to him.
She gave him an 'are you serious' look but it didn't come off as well as it usually did. Between no sleep and her bullet wound, she was exhausted and the emotions and worry were doing nothing to help.
Castle finally reached the office. A car was parked outside the building, one he didn't recognize, so he led Kate to the back entrance. Kate texted Alexis as they were on their way up.
Alexis opened the door as soon as she saw her dad. "Thank God. Tell us what happened."
"Katherine, darling, thank God you're safe," Martha said, hugging Kate carefully.
"Dad! Tell me what is going on!" Alexis looked scared.
Castle began to tell Alexis about the woman posing as Jackson's wife.
"She was just here, but she looked like she was lost. She didn't even knock."
"Where?" Kate asked, her eyes going wide.
"Not sure."
"Lock the door," she said to Castle, pulling her gun, going up since they hadn't seen her on the way down.
"I'm going with you."
"No. You're not."
"Please?"
"You're not a cop. You don't have a gun. Stay here."
"I have plenty of guns now."
"Damn it, Castle." Kate blurted out before becoming quiet, biting her lower lip. "Please. Please just stay here."
Kate had reached a step and could go no further. She felt like she had during the sniper case, after she'd been shot the first time, combined with the knowledge of what it felt like to lose Castle. If anyone hurt him, hurt their family, she'd never forgive herself, but she'd waited too long to be with him, too long to be his wife, to throw it away without her heart shattering.
"Kate," said Castle softly behind her.
She turned and looked at him and it was obvious that she'd been crying. The last time, before she met him, she remembered crying was the night her mother died, and lately it seemed she did it more and more. Castle pulled her into his arms.
"I can't...I can't..." She whispered.
"No-one is making you. Stay here with us."
"I can't," she whispered. "If...If I lose you, because of this. Or Alexis." She felt like she couldn't breathe much less talk and she held on to him.
"We aren't going anywhere."
"You don't understand..."
"I understand perfectly."
She shook her head, but still held on to him, the ring that she hadn't been able to take off against his neck, the bag she'd been carrying on the floor.
"You can't leave."
"This isn't...this isn't the way this was supposed to go."
"Write us a happy ending, Rick. Make...make everything okay again."
"I will, but stay here." She finally nodded. "Come inside." She nodded again, letting him lead her inside. Castle led her to the couch where he cuddled her to him.
"Don't let go, Rick. Please." She whispered into his chest, trying to curl into a ball against him.
"I won't."
"I love you."
"I know it doesn't seem like it. This...this isn't what was supposed to be our next chapter."
"I love you too."
"My biggest fear was going through every day without you there. Now Bracken's back, I'm shot, McCord's dead, you and Alexis...Javi told me about the shooting."
"We're fine."
"I thought when we got him behind bars, it would be enough."
"He's gone now."
"What?" She looked up at him in confusion.
"Bracken's dead. He can't hurt you anymore."
"Really?" It was obvious she didn't know and more obvious that it was more than she'd ever dreamed could happen.
"Yeah. Someone murdered him in his cell."
"On one hand, it's no more than the bastard deserves." Kate never swore so this was extreme for her, but then again, he'd destroyed so much of her life. "On the other, whoever killed him..."
"Will be caught. By the guards."
"Is even more powerful than Bracken. What if she's right? What if by being here, I'm putting our family in danger?"
"It's no more than normal."
"This is not normal, Castle, and the fact that we now think it is scares the hell out of me. I always thought after I was out of the field, after Bracken was dead, maybe..."
"This will work out, Kate, believe me."
"I thought maybe we were getting to the place where we could have babies. But it's never going to stop, is it? And having one kid in the crossfire is bad enough."
"Kate, if you want kids, nothing will stop us."
"I don't think I do anymore, Castle. I mean, if the world was perfect, then yes, of course I would want to have your child, but...Losing you or Alexis would destroy me. Why on earth would I want to have another child that someone could hurt or use to hurt us? She's right."
"Who's right?"
She looked guilty for a minute and then told him the truth. "Your stepmother. Jackson's wife. She...she was helping us. She's the one that says she never even gets to see Jackson because they're so afraid that someone will use one against the other, sorta like they did Alexis against him."
"What are you talking about? He isn't married, at least not anymore. And when he was, they saw each other all the time."
"No. He's got another one. I'm sure of it. She knew so many details and no one but the four of us even knows Jackson's your father. Not even my father knows that, or the boys."
"What's her name?"
"Rita."
"I don't know anyone with that name, Kate. His last wife was Stephanie or something like that."
She grew pale. "Call him and ask, Rick. Please." Castle picked up his phone and dialed his dad's number.
She watched his face and felt like she couldn't breathe as he hung up. "Where's Alexis?" She managed to ask.
"The office. Why?"
"Rick, she knew too much. I want...I want to go get Alexis. And Martha. Please."
"Okay. I'll call Hayley. She was going to say goodbye to Alexis. I'll get her to wait there for us." She nodded, grabbing her gun, hurrying outside with him.
Castle called Hayley's phone, hoping she was at the office still. When she didn't respond, Kate grew even more concerned and tried calling Alexis' phone.
"Hi, Kate. Are you okay?" asked Alexis.
"I'm fine, honey. Are you still at the office?" She'd known about Alexis secret but had promised not to tell, something she didn't plan on revealing to Castle any time soon.
"Yes. Gram is too. Why?"
"Is Haley still there?"
"She just left."
"I want you to stay there and lock the doors. Don't let anyone in, except your dad and me, okay?"
"Uh, sure...I think. What's wrong?"
"I promise I'll explain when we get there. Just please be careful."
"Okay."
"Love you, bud." Kate hung up. "Martha's there, Haley's already left, she's gonna lock themselves in."
Castle sped up. "Is Rita there?"
"She didn't act like it. She kept asking what was wrong, but I figured it was easier to tell her in person."
"Thank you."
"I feel like the world's biggest idiot. I should have seen something was wrong. How could I have trusted her? What if..."
"Just cause she isn't who she said she is doesn't mean her intentions towards you were bad." It sounded stupid even to him.
She gave him an 'are you serious' look but it didn't come off as well as it usually did. Between no sleep and her bullet wound, she was exhausted and the emotions and worry were doing nothing to help.
Castle finally reached the office. A car was parked outside the building, one he didn't recognize, so he led Kate to the back entrance. Kate texted Alexis as they were on their way up.
Alexis opened the door as soon as she saw her dad. "Thank God. Tell us what happened."
"Katherine, darling, thank God you're safe," Martha said, hugging Kate carefully.
"Dad! Tell me what is going on!" Alexis looked scared.
Castle began to tell Alexis about the woman posing as Jackson's wife.
"She was just here, but she looked like she was lost. She didn't even knock."
"Where?" Kate asked, her eyes going wide.
"Not sure."
"Lock the door," she said to Castle, pulling her gun, going up since they hadn't seen her on the way down.
"I'm going with you."
"No. You're not."
"Please?"
"You're not a cop. You don't have a gun. Stay here."
"I have plenty of guns now."
"Damn it, Castle." Kate blurted out before becoming quiet, biting her lower lip. "Please. Please just stay here."
