A:N: Just a sad little oneshot that came to me while listening to Paramore's song "Brick by Boring Brick" and one line got stuck in my head "bury the castle, bury the castle." Yeah that's how this story was born.
I know I need to update "Ways", "Handcuffed" and "They know it's true" and I am working on my next "Ways" chapter and have started the next "They know it's true" one as well but if you like them I suggest you put them on story alerts because it could be a while.
I actually had to stop writing this a couple of times because I was tearing up and I hope it affects you guys the same.
Anyway, please read and reveiew.
Bec.x.
If he was gone from this world then she may as well be.
He died the way any mystery writer worth his story should: a single shot to the chest.
It still amazed her that such a tiny object could do so much damage.
And the blood, oh the blood; there was just so much blood.
She remembers that she could hear an ambulance in the distance and though she wasn't religious she prayed that it would get here soon. Very soon.
Dead on arrival.
For two hours after they had arrived at the hospital; these were the only words she could think.
Ryan and Esposito arrived about ten minutes after she did and Lanie half an hour after them.
After an hour Martha and Alexis got there with Emily.
It wasn't until Emily ran into her arms asking where Daddy was that she finally began to cry. She couldn't explain to her four year old where Daddy was so Emily turned to her big sister for answers.
"Daddy's in heaven, Em." Alexis told her.
"When will we see him again?"
"I don't know Em, I wish I could tell you but I just don't know."
At this Kate got up and scooped Emily into her arms; embracing Alexis whispering in her ear "So do I."
After a minute they were all standing there, wrapped in each others arms looking for something to cling to and finding solace in one another.
She had once been told that you die three times.
The first when you physically die.
The second when your soul leaves this world.
And the third when your name is spoken for the last time.
Beckett knew that she could no longer do anything about his first death;
His second was out of her control and as much as she liked the idea of him still being on this earth with her in any form; she hoped he had moved on to somewhere better.
But the third was up to her. There was no way he was going to die his third death while she still had air in her lungs and she was going to make sure that their little girl knew exactly who her Daddy was and that she always remembered him.
One week later they buried him.
It was a simple service, just close friends and immediate family.
Dark mahogany casket with white roses.
Kate gave the eulogy.
"Richard Castle was many things: A loving husband, an amazing father to two beautiful daughters and a devoted son. He taught me that if you never look for magic then you may never find it and that the heart wants what the heart wants and nothing you do can change that. We should all stop to smell the roses and pause to look at that double rainbow because we never truly know when we may see another. He will always be in our hearts and we will never forget the impression he made on our lives."
She knew in that moment that it wasn't just up to her to keep him alive in the only way they could; everyone there would be doing the same thing.
Two weeks later they caught the guy. He was arrested and it was treated as if it were a cop killing.
Three months later he went on trial and was sentenced to life in prison with no bail and no parole for 25 years. There was an appeal for parole in 10 years but it was dismissed.
One year later and Kate, Alexis, Martha and Emily still made monthly trips to his grave to lay down new flowers and clear away the dead ones. They would speak in whispers; if at all and they just told him that they loved him and they remembered.
When the others turned to head back to the car; Kate bent down to straighten the flowers and whispered "Always" knowing that if he could hear her then he knew it's true meaning and that she would never forget. He was truly her one and done.