A/N: This is my first every story so any reviews/feedback/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it!
The second Kate heard the explosion, her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. She hesitated before deciding whether or not to go out and inspect the scene. Her curiosity, more her worry took over and she opened the door and walked out of the dispatch command post. She froze as she looked at the bank. Dust and debris littered the street before it. Looking at the damage and noting where she'd last seen Castle and the other hostages, she knew there was no way any of them could've possibly survived. Kate couldn't help thinking back to the first time they met and their time together as partners. All those times he'd come up with ridiculous theories, brought her a morning coffee and never failed to make her smile, they were gone. Her hand closed around the paper he'd written C4 on to warn her and dispatch of the danger the hostages faced. She pulled it out of her pocket and reread the note he'd written just as she'd walked into the bank. "Stay strong, Kate. Don't worry." She looked up from the note, biting her lower lip and she desperately tried to fight back the tears now welling up in here eyes. How am I supposed to be strong when he's gone? She thought. He's all I have, he can't-
"Beckett?" She turned around to see Ryan and Esposito standing behind her, looking concerned. They took in the scene before them: The bank which now had a giant hole in it, Beckett who was obviously upset and the note she held in her hand which bore the unmistakable handwriting of their friend Rick Castle. They seemed to simultaneously understand what had happened. Esposito opened his mouth and looked as though he was going to say that it wasn't true, there was no way Castle could be dead, but then he shut his mouth. Kate closed her eyes and felt a tear roll down her cheek. To her, the words Castle and gone seemed like a cruel joke. In her heart, she knew he'd never truly be gone, not to her at least. She broke down crying, no longer caring who saw her, especially not Esposito or Ryan. One of them pulled her into a hug while the other rubbed her arm.
As upset as she was, Kate dreaded the confrontation with Alexis. She hadn't been too polite with her, yet Kate could understand the worry she felt for her father and grandmother. Kate had promised her that they would be okay and she had broken that promise. She had failed and knew there was no way Alexis would ever forgive her for it.
"Dead man walking," she heard Ryan say. If she hadn't been so heartbroken over what had happened, she would've smiled. It sounded so much like one of Castle's theories it was uncanny.
"Right, Castle Junior- no way." The mere mention of his name brought on a fresh wave of tears. This was going to take a lot longer to get over than her mothers death. The only reason Kate thought that was because her mother had known that she loved her. This was entirely different.
"Hey, save the tears for my funeral." Kate froze and slowly turned around, out of the comforting embrace of Esposito. She took notice of Ryan and Esposito's shocked faces and at once saw what they did. Standing before her, looking as ruggedly handsome as ever, even after nearly dying (again), was Castle. She nearly started crying again, but this time it would be from relief. She wiped her face as she walked over to him and folded him into a bear hug. It wasn't normally something she would do, but given the circumstances, she allowed herself to, just this once. She wanted to say something, anything, to him, but the words failed her. He's alive! He's really alive! He was unusually quiet, and as she released him from the embrace and watching Alexis run over to him and noticing Martha behind him, she realized how strong her feelings were for him. She smiled to herself, relishing the day when she'd tell him. As she turned back around, she noticed Ryan and Esposito giving her sly looks.
"Let's go, we still have a lot of paperwork to do." was all she said as she began walking back to her car. She knew she wouldn't hear the end of it, but as for right now, she didn't care.