This is my version on the conversation Kate had with Josh when she broke up with him. Bookended with a bit of Castle
Is Josh helping you? Castle says snidely. Kate pauses as she thinks back on the conversation she had with Josh….
Kate moved stiffly as she packed her few belongings that she had with her at the hospital. She turned around as the door opened and Josh stepped into the room. "Hey."
"Hey." Josh leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "So I have to be on call for the next two days but after that I'm all yours"
"You don't need to." Kate continued packing. Josh pulled Kate in front of him. "Kate, you need help."
She shrugged out of his hands. "I'll be fine Josh." Josh sighed "Kate you were just shot and had surgery, you need help to recover."
"Leave it be. I'll be fine."
"What? Do you have WriterBoy taking care of you?" Kate shivered at the venom coming from him. "No, Josh, Castle is not helping me. I told him I would call him when I was ready, for your information." She tried to not let him hear the irritation in her voice. "Well that's good at least." Kate could tell he was definitely annoyed.
She turned back around toward him. "What does that mean?" She could feel that frustration starting to churn her stomach. "I mean all this is his fault, you being shot, the opening of your mother's murder case, you saying no to my proposal."
Kate could see the anger pulsing through him and let loose her own emotions, she had tried to hold on to them. She was just too tired to try anymore. "No Josh! It is not his fault, and what gives you the right to judge anyway?" Before she could continue Josh interrupted her.
"My right? I'm your boyfriend Kate. I'm the one you come home to, the one you supposedly love. I gave up Doctors without Boarders for you." Kate was stunned by his words. Two beats beats of her heart pounded in her chest. Her heart the one Castle had tried so hard to protect. First with his words of concern the night of their fight, his "I'm sorrys" as he pulled her away from the hanger the night Montgomery died. His words of love as she lay cradled in his arms bleeding to death in the cemetery.
That brief moment gave her the time to breathe and calm down. She wasn't willing to deal with her feelings for Castle at the moment, but she needed to face up to Josh.
She took his hands and led him over to the bed to sit down. "Josh, I like you... Please don't interrupt I need to get this out. No, I don't love you. That is why I said no to your proposal. I'm not ready for that step. You need to understand this, this has nothing to do with Castle. I repeat nothing to do with him." Josh tried to interrupt again. "No Josh. Even if Castle hadn't looked into my mothers case, this was coming. Do you honestly think I wouldn't have found anything with all the cases that have been linked to this? Do you honestly think I would want that SOB Coonan alive continuing to kill people, and be oblivious to the fact that he carried out the contract on my mother and the others? No Josh, he is a good friend who as helped me through some very hard times, and you just need to accept that he is a part of my life." Kate took a breath "I want you to go."
"What?" Josh couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I want you to go back to Doctors without Boarders. It is something you care about, and obviously you resent me because you stopped."
"No I don't." Kate placed her fingers gently over his lips.
"Your words a few moments ago say differently."
"But I love you."
"You have a great potential to help people." Kate could hear Castle putting some superhero comment in there. "Go. Do what you love." She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Go, Josh. I'm going up to my dad's cabin. I will be fine." Josh looked into her eyes and knew he had lost her. He got to his feet.
"Kate, I'm always here for you. Call me when you need me." He slowly walked out the door…
Kate pauses, looked at Castle and said. "We broke up." And walked away.