Summary:
(AU) What if Kate & Rick had gone to the Hamptons together at the end of S. 2? Would they have had the strong foundation needed to support a relationship? Would they be able to beat the odds?
Its May 2012, two years after they began dating, and a year after breaking up. Kate and Rick's lives cross unexpectedly once again. Will they have the courage & strength to look past their painful past and follow their hearts when fate leads them back to each other?
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Hello all, I'm back with another mutli-chapter fic.
I had fun with this, but it was a complex one to figure out.
To help you out, remember that italicized text is either a flashback or dream, but not current life. Also between each flash back or flash forward I put the character whose POV it is, and the date. I'm sure you'll all catch on immediately!
Because I have the first draft of the entire story completed, I hope to be able to post chapters 2-3 times per week as I get them edited and finalized... meaning this story should end right around the time the finale airs.
Hope you enjoy this one... and maybe find the little details from the show that I stuck throughout the fic in new (AU) scenarios. They're just little nods to all the OCD fans out there.
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DISCLAIMER: I in no way own anything Castle related. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun and then promise to put them back just as I found them!
"Back To You"
Chapter 1
Rick Castle: May 2010
"It was very emotional. There were a lot of tears." Rick sighed. "Um, Alexis was fine, by the way."
Montgomery, Lanie, Ryan and Esposito who sat around the table with him, all joined him in laughter. The amusement, though real, did nothing to mask the underlying melancholy of everyone attending the impromptu going away party.
Esposito caught his eye. "I gotta say Castle. We're going to miss you around here."
He took the moment to meet each of his friend's gazes.
"Yeah I'm going to miss you too."
What Rick couldn't miss, was the small meaningful looks and the flashes of sadness around the room. Each one mirrored his own.
Ryan thankfully broke the moment before it became too serious. "Still leaving the coffee machine though, right?"
"Can't have you suffer in my absence!" Rick clamped a reassuring hand on the smaller man's shoulder.
"Oh, we could really use one of those down in the morgue." Lanie interjected.
Montgomery spoke up. "With Castle gone, I just hope our clearance rate doesn't drop."
More laughter broke out.
Castle took a breath to respond, but Kate Beckett strolled into the room, stealing both his breath and his thoughts.
She shot him a bright, yet almost shy smile as she walked toward them and grabbed a beer.
The moment she entered the room, his eyes never left her. "Ohhhh, look who's off duty!"
"Yeah well Castle, I'm not all work," she teased.
Lanie jumped in, "Don't get into a drinking contest with her. She can take you."
"Thank you," he answered while silently noting that Kate came to his side.
"Oh, I don't need to drink to take him." Although the comment was directed at her best friend, all the flirtatious subtext was aimed at Castle. The somewhat out of character, unspoken, honesty was lost on no one, especially Rick.
"Oooooooooooo! What's gotten into you?" Lanie sassed.
Montgomery choked back another laugh, and had either Rick or Kate taken their eyes off each other, they would have noticed the amused raised eyebrows Ryan and Esposito shared.
Kate dropped her voice and head slightly, meeting Rick's curious blue eyes with her searching green ones.
"Castle, do you have a second?"
"Of course, yeah."
A smile that he couldn't stifle spread across his face, and he finally noticed the pleasant speculation his friends were watching them with.
He followed her out of the room and waited while she closed the door.
Damn, but she was beautiful.
"What's up?"
She was nervous, he could see it all over her, but why? He had no idea.
"Look, I know I'm not the easiest person to get to know. And, I don't always let on what's on my mind. But this past year, working with you... I've had a really good time."
He felt drawn to her, but through months of practiced restraint, held his place. "Yeah me too."
Her smile returned in full force.
"So, I'm just going to say this, and I hope it doesn't make things awkward, but..." Kate's voice trailed off.
"Rick reached out and lightly touched her elbow. "You can tell me."
She hesitated and looked past him, maybe hoping for an escape. When none came, she continued. "I was just wondering, if your invitation was still open?"
His hand slid from her elbow to her wrist, inviting her to take a small step toward him.
Neither one noticed, but behind the glass doors, separating them from their friends, all four of the others had moved just enough to obtrusively watch what was developing.
"You mean the Hamptons?"
"Yeah, I mean if you've made other plans or something, that's fine, I just...uh. My weekend is open now and I thought that maybe..."
"What happened to the beach house with Demming?"
Beckett flushed making Castle smile as her skin pinked up from the roots of her hair, across her cheeks and down through the deep V of her white blouse.
"We aren't going anymore."
"Ahhh, so I'm second best?"
He was teasing, but her face turned serious and she took another step closer, still not shaking off his fingers from her racing pulse at her wrist.
"No. It's not like that. We broke up. And trust me, you're not second best. I want to go."
"He dumped you? He's an idiot!" Rick threw his hands in the air and shook his head.
"I... I broke up with him."
Castle suddenly read through the confession to see the deeper truth. She'd dumped Demming to be with him.
He could hear his heart beat in his ears. Two, four, six beats pounded before he could speak, and in that brief time he could tell she was already pulling back emotionally.
"I was thinking about going up tonight, but if it's better, I could pick you up in the morning?" Rick threw the question out tentatively, not knowing exactly what to expect.
It stopped her from retreating any further.
"Are you sure I'm not intruding?"
"Intruding! I invited you because I wanted you."
Her eyes widened and he quickly finished his statement. "That is, I want you to come... to my place... to hang out." The awkward tension grew as they stared at each other.
She bit her bottom lip. "I could pack up and be ready tonight."
A breath of air that he didn't realize he was holding, escaped through his lips in a seemingly loud whoosh.
"Great, that's great!" He was nervous and well aware that he sounded like a half whit. "Um, after this little shindig is over, I need to go home and grab my stuff, think you could be ready by eight?"
A look of relief and maybe something else flooded Kate. Excitement?
"Yeah! That would be great. Should I bring anything or pack anything special?"
Several often imagined images came quickly to Rick's mind. Kate in a sundress, Kate in a bikini, Kate in lingerie, Kate in... nothing. With all the mental strength he possessed, he pushed the fantasies away. This wasn't like that, at least he didn't think so. And he'd be damned if he stuck his foot in his mouth now.
"Nah, keep it casual. Aside from your clothes and toothbrush, the house has everything else we'll need."
The darker blush of her cheeks made Rick wonder if Kate had been able to read his mind. But no, they knew each other well and they thought alike frequently, but he was sure she wasn't thinking along the same lines that he had been.
"Well, I guess that's settled then," she offered.
"Yeah. It'll be fun."
She nodded. Her eyes were wide, and fairly sparkled. Rick didn't remember a time when she'd looked so happy.
Finally she broke the stare and turned toward the room where the party was waiting for, and not surprisingly, watching them intently.
Rick reached for the door nob. "We have an audience. I'm assuming we're keeping this quiet?"
"Definitely. You know how they'd take it. What they'd assume was happening. We'd never hear the end."
Rick nodded and opened the door for her. Despite his joy at her acceptance, a bigger part of him than he cared to admit, fell with disappointment. Kate made it clear in her last statement that contrary to what their co-workers would believe, and to what he silently yearned for, this was clearly going to be a weekend between friends. Nothing more.
XXXXXXXXXX
That night as they drove out of the city, with the sun setting at their backs, they enjoyed some light conversation about his beach home before falling into a comfortable silence. When Kate dozed off next to him in the front seat, Rick allowed himself the luxury of watching her sleep. He'd only seen her sleep
once, maybe twice before, uncomfortable cat naps while on the job, but never so naturally at peace.
With each gentle breath, a small lock of hair that fell across her face, danced. Not being able to resist, he took a chance and tucked it behind her ear.
Her hair was silky, her skin, unbelievably soft. He wished on every star in the night sky that he could experience more of her, but for now, he'd just have to treasure the little gems that he did get.
After getting stuck in traffic, they arrived at the house much later than planned. Thankfully, Rick had arranged for his housekeeper, Greta, to come earlier and prep the house, so he didn't have to do anything more than go in, give Kate a quick tour and show her to her room.
He'd wondered if he would be able to sleep knowing she was sleeping a few feet away with only a wall between them, but the moment his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.
The next morning when Rick woke, it wasn't because his cell phone alerted him to a new text message, or because the late spring sunshine fell across his face, or even because he'd slept his fill. No, he woke to what he swore must be an angel singing in the shower. Kate's pure alto voice was soft and perfectly on key. Rick laid still, just listening, while she sang through Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me". When the song finished and he heard the water turn off, he hurriedly jumped from bed, grabbed his red terry cloth robe and hurried down to the kitchen. He wouldn't be able to sleep anymore after that, and the only way he could think of facing her without looking conspicuous was with hot coffee and breakfast.
The coffee was done and the eggs and bacon were well on their way by the time she came down the stairs in denim shorts and a gray fitted t-shirt with her hair in a pony tail.
"Good Morning!" Kate smiled.
"It is a good morning isn't it? How did you sleep?"
"Like a baby. You?"
"I always sleep well here." Rick was glad that the food needed his attention or otherwise he might just stand there staring at her until he made a fool of himself.
"Can I help with anything?"
"Well I'm almost done, but if you want to take the tray of coffee and juice out to the back porch, I thought we could enjoy our breakfast with a scenic ocean view.
Breakfast sped by on a wave of laughter and conversation, much like the rest of the day did. They took a long walk together, barefoot, on the beach, played a game of chess and rode bikes to the local fishmonger, for the catch of the day. After a dinner of surf and turf, Kate took a lounge chair out to the beach to read while there was still light, and Rick worked on his computer in a chair next to her.
After the sun dipped into the west, they built a bon fire, made s'mores and told ghost stories, something that he informed her was an absolute must. A neighbor several houses down was having a beach party and they could hear the music quite clearly. It killed the creepy ambiance that he was going for, but ended up working it's own brand of magic. When the music switched to something a bit slower, he saw an opportunity and made his move.
"Can I have this dance?"
Kate nodded and took his offered hand, allowing him to pull her into his arms. She raised her arms so they rested at the back of his neck and he resisted the urge to rest his hands on her hips, keeping his hands at the small of her back as they swayed first to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and then John Mayer's "Your Body Is a Wonderland".
Rick felt like he could hold her forever, so when the song ended and switched to something more upbeat, he was disappointed to see the moment end. Kate dropped her arms to his but didn't step away.
"Thanks for inviting me up here. It's been," her eyes met his and caught the shine from the moon above, "it's been, really, really nice."
His heart picked up a notch. Something in her tone hinted to deeper meaning.
"Thank you for coming. I can honestly say you've made this a very special trip."
They continued to stand in the cool sand, holding each other, staring at each other.
Rick watched as she nervously licked her lips. Temptation followed, a temptation he acted on.
Slowly, he closed his eyes and dipped his head. When their lips touched, his body ignited all over. Kate returned her hands to the back of his head, but this time she was pulling him toward her.
When he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss, she complied on a soft sigh, allowing him to taste the sweetness of chocolate and marshmallow and her.
Kate and Rick stood there for a long time, kissing, touching and exploring the feelings that were rushing to the surface. They were so engrossed in the moment, that neither heard the sound of the dune buggy quickly approaching from the direction of the party down the beach.
The small fire that had at one point glowed brightly near their feet, was now dead, leaving them in the dark. Only when the small vehicle rushed past them, missing them by inches, did they break away.
"What the hell!" Rick exclaimed.
"Are you OK? Kate asked at the same time.
It only took a few seconds to realize what had happened and that they were both fine, but the mood was now as dead as the pile of ash and embers inside the stone circle next to them.
Kate yawned and stretched, as they headed back to the house, but it was obviously just an attempt to put some distance between them. "It's getting pretty late, and maybe its this fresh sea air but I'm bushed. I think I'm going to shower and head to bed."
Rick was disappointed but understood. "I think I'm going to write a bit and then get some sleep myself."
He took her hand just as they stepped inside. She squeezed it gently, assuring him that she wasn't completely scared off.
"Goodnight Castle." she whispered.
He bent, quickly, giving her a soft peck on the lips. "Goodnight... Kate."
XXXXXXXXXX
Sleep did not come quickly for Rick that night. After hours of staring at the open document file on his laptop, with little to show for his time, he finally conceded literary defeat. The only thing he'd managed to write was a steamy love scene between Rook and Heat that he ended up deleting. After shutting down the computer and heading to his room, Rick tossed and turned until the the morning sun began its ascent.
It was almost noon when he awoke. Rick stretched, threw back the light covers and padded into the hall. The door to Kate's room was open and the bed was made, so he headed downstairs. The great room was completely empty, as was the kitchen. There were no signs that Kate had made an appearance except that a pink bakery box was now sitting on the counter next to the full coffee pot.
A post-it note on top of the box simply said "enjoy". He opened the box to find the largest cinnamon roll he'd ever seen. She really did know him.
"Kate!" Ricked called out.
No answer.
"You still here?" he tried again as he poured his mug of steaming caffeinated brew.
When he still heard no response, Rick grabbed his coffee and roll and headed out the back door to the porch.
It didn't take him long to find her, but the timing was rather unfortunate. Rick had just taken the first sip of his coffee as she dropped the towel she had wrapped around her and walked to the edge of the pool.
He choked and sputtered, but couldn't stop staring.
Kate hadn't noticed him yet, since the pool was at an odd angle to the house. So he was able to take in the entire view. He knew Kate was in good shape, her fitted clothes made that no secret, but the purple halter bikini she was wearing now, identified just how good that shape was.
Drawn to her, Rick moved forward into the sunlight. It was already a very warm day. Small beads of sweat pricked at his forehead and neck, but he knew it had more to do with the company than the weather.
Finally she noticed him and waved.
"Good morning!" he called, trying his best to sound casual.
"Morning! Is it OK if I go for a swim?"
"By all means, help yourself. Is the water warm enough? If not, I can adjust the thermostat. It won't take to long to heat up on a day like this."
"It's perfect. Thanks."
Kate checked the two small knots tied at her hips and then the larger one at the back of her neck, before diving into the water.
A moment passed before she bobbed up to the surface, smiling at him.
Rick had to swallow, the moisture clinging to her body suddenly made his mouth go dry.
Something about the way she looked at him made him think that she knew what she was doing. She floated to her back and kicked gently, teasing him him with her smile. "You know, I haven't been swimming in ages. I didn't realize how much I've missed it."
Rick was still staring; he couldn't help it. "You're right it has been forever since I took a dip either. Let me go throw on my trunks and I'll join you." He left his phone, coffee and breakfast on a table near by and headed in to change.
When he returned to the pool, Castle didn't announce his arrival. Instead he took a running jump and cannon-balled into the water, sufficiently covering Beckett with the spray.
When he popped up Kate slammed her palms against the surface, spraying him in the face.
"Oooooooh you think you're cute don't you?"
She smiled brightly and wagged her eyebrows. "You tell me."
He slicked his wet hair back over his head and gave her his most devilish grin. "This means war!"
When he dove under water the first time, she was able to evade his reach. But when he went under the second time, the glare off the water was just bright enough to loose him for a second. That's all it took for Rick to grab her by the ankles and pull her under.
As soon as he let go, she summer-salted , swam along the bottom and came up behind him so that she could put one hand on his shoulder, the other on his head, and her feet on his hips so that she could dunk him again.
This time they both went under and he turned in her arms so that when they came up they were facing each other.
The electricity between them was palpable. Skin pressed against skin, eyes locked, pulses raced.
Rick was pleasantly surprised when Kate initiated the kiss. He didn't mind taking the reigns but if she wanted control, he'd follow wherever she led.
When she repositioned so that she could wrap her long legs around his waist, he couldn't suppress the groan that erupted.
Encouraged by her forwardness, Rick let his hands roam up and down her exposed back.
When Kate pulled back a little, he took the cue and tried to relax. It was obvious to him that she was still a bit hesitant about what was going on, and he wouldn't press her into anything.
Before he could think of what to say, his phone began to ring.
"I, uh, should get that. It's Alexis."
The moment their bodies broke contact, Rick felt a distinct sense of loss.
By the time he returned to the water, Kate was gracefully swimming long laps back and forth across the pool. He joined her again, but the intensity and chemistry of before had faded into the background. Now instead of touching and kissing, they talked, laughed, raced and just enjoyed the afternoon as friends.
XXXXXXXXXX
Rick awoke that night with a start. Something had startled him from dead sleep to wide awake and it left his pulse pounding.
Suddenly his entire room lit up with an electric blue flash of light, followed immediately by a crack of thunder so loud and so close that the entire house shook.
Now that he knew it was a storm that woke him, Rick realized that he could clearly hear the pound of rain and whistle of wind as well.
Another simultaneous bolt of lighting and thunder ripped through the atmosphere, spurring him from bed. He wanted to go around the house and check that all the windows and doors were shut and locked, before going back to sleep.
After finding the house in good order Rick climbed back up the stairs. Just before reaching the final step, another lightning strike hit very close, this time with an additional pop, that plunged the mostly dark home into complete blackness.
"Rick? You OK?" Kate called softly from her room.
After his eyes adjusted, he could tell that her door was now open.
He approached her room and stuck his head in the doorway. "Yeah I'm fine. You?"
"Yeah, just couldn't sleep."
"Can't imagine why," he teased dryly, "It's just a little rain."
"Right."
Kate was standing at her window watching the storm rage outside.
"You know, if you want to watch the storm, I know of a fabulous view."
She turned toward him just as more light flashed behind her, revealing that she was dressed in short boxers and a fitted cami. The image distracted him so much that he missed her reply.
"Excuse me?"
"I said. I love to watch storms."
"Then right this way." Rick stretched out his hand and Kate willingly took it, allowing him to lead her through the hall and into his room.
When they passed his bed, a part of him wondered what she would do if he took her there instead, but he cared about her too much too mess things up with such a potentially stupid move. He lead her past a couple chairs and the fireplace of the master suite to the large French doors along the wall.
Before opening the door he turned a bit so that he was facing her. "When I bought the house, I had it completely renovated and had this balcony custom designed so that I could spend time out there enjoying the view and still stay fairly sheltered from the weather."
When he opened the doors wide, Kate gasped. The storm raged, violently, beautifully over them and over the churning ocean in front of them. Together they stepped out. The unique outcropping of the roof and the position of the house's walls kept them and most of the balcony safe from the onslaught of wind and rain, only occasionally reaching them with a cool but light mist.
"This is amazing!"
"Yeah it is," he answered honestly, but never took his eyes off of her.
A loud crack of thunder, ripped through the sky, making Kate jump slightly.
"You're not scared are you?"
She laughed but to his ears it sounded a bit nervous. "I'm not scared of a little storm, Castle."
"I didn't think so. Here, let me grab a couple chairs and we should be able to watch it from here and be fine.
An oversized patio lounger next to them was still dry, and Rick offered it to Kate. But when he started toward the other seat, which was out in the open and soaked, she stopped him.
"You're not planning to sit on that are you?"
"Yeah, I'll grab a towel or something and wipe it down."
"You'll still get wet. Here, sit with me."
"You sure?"
"Would I have offered if I wasn't?"
Rick slid on next to her. There was room for them to lie side by side, but not an inch to spare. Kate lifted her head so that Rick could put his arm behind her head and settle in to ride out the storm.
Castle didn't know when he dozed off, but when he woke up, the temperatures had dropped quite a bit. This skin of Kate's arm was cold, and she'd turned so that she was snuggled deep into his side.
Carefully so as not to wake her, he slid off the chair and stood to asses the situation. He was tired and cold and Kate was so sound asleep that she was snoring (something he made a mental note about so as to tease her later). He didn't want to stand there thinking about what to do, he just wanted to go back to sleep. So he scooped Kate up into his arms and carried her inside, placing her gently on his bed. Then after shutting the balcony doors, he crawled into bed with her, pulled up the blankets and fell sound asleep.
Rick Castle: May 2012
Rick hated himself for allowing the memories to have their lead. He was supposed to be moving on, not wallowing in the past. As is, he felt the guilt of cowardice by escaping once again to his private retreat. He'd been doing so well since Christmas. He'd actually been able to live full time again at the loft without feeling completely empty and alone. But as May moved forward, all that had happened over the last two years came to a head, haunting him until, according to his mother, he'd crawled back into his depressed little shell.
"A butterfly cannot spread it's wings until it's fully left it's cocoon, Richard." She'd chastised lovingly. "I know you miss her. But you have to move forward with your life."
His mother's advice had bolstered him, but only temporarily. He did have things to look forward to, like Alexis coming home for the summer. At least, that's what he'd thought at the time.
The summer that she'd had her experience at Princeton, the same summer he and Kate began dating, his little girl made a decision that rocked his world. She was going to graduate an entire year early. What should have been her junior year of high school would suddenly become her senior year as well. College was her goal and she was determined to achieve that as quickly as possible.
At first he didn't take her completely seriously, he figured it was just the excitement of the thought that inspired her. But by the time the school year began and she was handling an almost impossible load with grace and determination, he realized it was too late to change her mind. At least he held on to the comfort that the schools she was looking into, Princeton, NYU, Columbia, were all fairly near by. Then she met Ashley. He was a good kid, and as far as possible boyfriends for your teenage daughter go, Rick didn't have any real objections with him... until Alexis made her next big announcement. When she graduated in the spring, she planned to follow Ashley to Stanford, in California.
The news didn't go over well with him. Rick, for months, tried to dissuade her but she never changed her mind.
So needless to say, after an entire school year away, with only a couple of all too brief visits home, Rick had been ecstatic to welcome his baby home again. It was the light at the end of his tunnel... that was, until the light got snuffed out.
The day before Mother's day, only ten days before he was supposed to pick Alexis up from the airport, he got a call. Alexis had won a coveted six week internship with a pharmaceutical company in southern California. It was a chance of a lifetime and one he couldn't begrudge his child.
She'd still be home for a few weeks that summer, but not until July.
He was proud of Alexis, but felt sorry for himself. He was tired of being alone.
Rick looked at his watch, it was after midnight, meaning it was officially Thursday. He took a long draw from his glass of Scotch, and tipped his head back against the same lounger that he and Kate had slept on during the storm two years earlier. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend, a weekend that two years ago began the best relationship he'd even been in, and then last year ended it.
Remembering the look on Kate's face when she told him it was over, caused him to take another long drink from him tumbler. The fiery liquid didn't numb the pain or erase the memory so he refilled the glass. With a little luck maybe the next shot would.
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A/N:Well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Like I stated above, I won't leave you hanging long, because the next chapter will be posted in 2 or 3 days.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, so drop me a line or leave a review!
Thanks!
Until next time... DeBo81