I know there are a lot of wonderful post 6x23 fics out there right now, but I had this idea in my head and I had to get it out. I hope you are all recovering from that episode…I know I'm not over it. Thanks so much to the wonderful burningxredxcaskett for encouraging me to post this, for the read through and her amazing cover art! I hope you all enjoy!

As much as I wish they were mine, the characters belong to AWM.

She sank slowly to the ground, oblivious to the arms that tried to hold her up.

They weren't his. That was all she wanted.

His car was in flames. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. Not without him.

Someone pulled her up off of the ground and held her close, but the grip was suffocating. With renewed strength and energy, Kate pulled herself free and darted towards the car. She was caught around the middle, and when she screamed, she didn't recognize the sound as human. Her fiancé, her everything, her always, was in that wreckage and she had to get to him. She had to save him.

"Kate." The voice caught her by surprise. She wasn't used to Esposito using her first name. She paused long enough at his voice for him to grab her again.

When did he get there? Why wouldn't he let her get to Rick?

"Kate," Esposito repeated quietly as she continued to struggle. "He's - "

"No!" she screamed. "Don't say it. Don't you dare say it. He's not," Kate managed to get out before the uncontrollable sobs racked through her body and she collapsed against her friend.

Kate was shifted slightly and felt, rather than heard Lanie's presence. She turned, hoping to see something in her best friend's face that told her this was all a lie, that Rick was alive, waiting for her somewhere, but instead was met with teary eyes.

"Lanie," Kate's eyes and voice pleaded with her. Right now, she relied on Lanie more than anyone. "Lanie, please. I need you to see. I need you to be sure that he was in the car. Please."

Lanie's eyes told her she didn't believe he had escaped the wreckage, but she had to try. He had promised her always. He had opened up her heart in a way that no one ever could. It couldn't all be for nothing. They had solved her mother's case. This was the time for their fairy tale, not time for this. He couldn't be dead.

Kate repeated this to herself over and over again as she watched Lanie walk away. He couldn't be dead. She stood up to walk over to the side of the road to look for herself but stopped when she heard her name.

It was whispered so quietly she almost missed it. Kate turned around to see Alexis standing feet away from her. Her tear stained face looked back and forth between Kate and the still flaming car.

The moment Kate stepped forward, Alexis launched herself into her arms and clung to her almost stepmother. This girl, this woman who had organized a change of venues and all of the details just days before their wedding suddenly looked all of ten years old.

Kate wanted to be strong for the girl, she did. She just didn't know how. She couldn't bring herself to speak, so they clung to one another, both desperately hoping that this was a mistake. That they would hear Richard Castle's familiar, hearty laugh, and see him walk towards them.

He couldn't be dead. He wouldn't leave her like this. He wouldn't leave them like this.

She lost track of time as they stood together, both alternating between sobs and shocked silence, but neither woman broke contact. They needed each other.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lanie walked over to them. The fire had been extinguished, and there were more people on scene than Kate could count. Esposito and Ryan had given them space, but she could see them hovering nearby, the worry etched all over their faces.

Lanie looked down to the ground as though to compose herself, took a deep breath and her eyes found Kate's, then Alexis'.

"I'm so sorry. There was someone inside. Kate, he was in the car."

Kate shook her head violently. "No. No."

Alexis fell to her knees beside them as Martha rushed forward. The older woman joined her granddaughter on the ground and they sobbed together.

"It's not true. He wasn't in the car," Kate said. As much to reassure herself as the rest of their group.

Tears rolled down Lanie's cheeks and she quickly swiped them away. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

"No!" Kate screamed it this time. "He's not dead. Lanie, you have to run DNA. I can feel it, it's not him."

"Kate, honey, as much as I want to believe that, you know as well as I do that could just be your adrenaline from all of this. You want him to be alive, - "

Kate cut her friend off. "Yes. I want him to be alive. But I know he is. If Rick has taught me anything it's that there's always more to the story. Please Lanie. I'm begging you. I don't trust anyone else to run it."

Lanie nodded. She didn't think it was possible, but for Kate, for Alexis, for their piece of mind, she would run the DNA personally. Lanie nodded again, slowly, squeezed Kate's hand and walked over to the scene to do her job.

Martha stood up and drew Kate into her arms. She felt herself begin to tremble violently as Martha rubbed circles of comfort over her back. This woman might have lost her son and she was still concerned about Kate.

He couldn't be dead.

A sudden ringing pulled Kate out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized the phone was still in her hand. How had that even happened?

She looked down at the screen and saw it was a blocked number. Her heart raced as she swiped her unsteady thumb across the screen.

"Hello?"

That's when she heard it. The song that chilled her to the bone and sent a fresh wave of panic coursing through her body.

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again

Some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Till the blue skies

Drive the dark clouds far away

And the line went dead.

If you guys want me to, I'll continue, just let me know! Thanks so much for reading, please share your thoughts!