Mother Knows Best

Kate sat in the swing in shock, looking down at Richard Castle and the ring in his hand; and the tears she was fighting as he talked about deserving more finally fell. When she regained her senses, she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.

Her voice caught as she said, "You looked so angry…so serious. I thought you were telling me you didn't want me anymore, that you deserved better…and I can't say you'd be wrong."

"More terrified than angry. I love you, Kate. I don't know how to not want you." He slipped the ring on the first joint of his little finger and stood, pulling her up with him and holding her. "Do I get an answer?" he asked, wiping her tears with his thumbs and touching their foreheads together again as he slid his arms around her waist.

She rested her hands on his chest. "Rick…"

When there was a pause rather than an answer, he didn't let her go, simply lifted his head and looked across her shoulder at the sky. Without even glancing back at her, he responded, "Maybe I asked the wrong question. You've said you love me. Maybe I should have asked if you love me enough to marry me."

"I do love you that much."

"But I still don't hear a yes. Are you trying to decide how to say no?"

"I'm not saying no. I do want to marry you…"

"But not now? I know this came out of left field, but I meant what I said. Whatever you decide, I'll be there. It won't be easy, but we're two intelligent people. We can figure it out." He finally looked at her again. "Did you get the job?"

"I got the offer about an hour ago. I had to interrogate our suspect before I could leave."

"I knew you'd get it. And you accepted?"

"I asked for a day to decide. I have until closing time tomorrow to let him know."

"You deserve that position. They'd be lucky to have you."

"Maybe." She looked down, thoughts obviously in motion. "This job is close to the top for my career, and what I'd do…it affects so many more lives."

"For me, it would be like the difference between writing a book that gets a little attention and writing a best-seller?"

"Something like that."

"Derrick Storm and Nikki Heat aren't likely to win me any Pulitzers, so I'm probably already at the top of my career. I shouldn't expect you to give up wanting the same thing for yourself. I just need to know we'll work it out together, that I'll be included in the decisions."

"I love you so much, Castle. I don't know how you put up with me," she answered, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt as they both began to relax a little bit.

"Well, I present some challenges of my own, and you've put up with that." He paused for a moment and kissed her forehead, nuzzling her hair.

"You're still angry, aren't you?" she asked. "You should be."

"I've worked through angry. More disappointed now. When I was bemoaning all this, my mother found an opening and gave me a stiff talking to. She has a way of presenting me with enough facts to make me think and then leaving me to stew over it on my own…and an annoying way of being right most of the time. I did a lot of thinking."

"Does she hate me? Does Alexis know? She's definitely going to hate me. What did Martha say?"

"Alexis doesn't know, and Mother doesn't hate you. She pointed out that you're bright and ambitious and should be interviewing for this job. And I finally realized that, long before I could have her, I fell in love with that exact same bright, ambitious, strong, capable woman, who doesn't let people in. I waited her out and got past way more walls than I ever expected. We've had a year together to be closer, and I don't want to lose her now just because I can still see the woman I fell in love with. We've come a long way, and I don't want to miss our chance for a life together. But I don't want to hold you back. I can't say the changes don't worry me, but I'm willing to try if you are."

"I'm willing to try. I don't want to lose you, either."

"If you decide to take the job, I'll do what I can to help. Moving isn't a quick, easy job. You'll need a place to live...a place I'm counting on inhabiting with you some of the time. We'll need utilities connected, furniture... I can do the groundwork for us for that sort of thing. You'll have enough on your plate."

Kate leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "I really don't deserve you, Rick. But I'm so glad you haven't given up on me."

"If you love me enough to want to marry me, keep the ring. Wear it on your right hand, hang it on the chain with your mother's, put it in the box and keep it in a drawer until you're ready…just keep it. Will you try it on, though…see how it looks…just for now?" He hopefully handed her the ring.

Kate quietly put the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful," she said softly. "Can we give this another day, too…have time to talk? These are big decisions for both of us."

"Including the ring?" He showed a bare hint of his teasing smile. "It looks good on you."

"Including whatever you want." He got a tiny smile in return.

"I could mention that we can still talk…still make plans while we're betrothed."

"Betrothed, huh?"

"You'd be betrothed to a writer. Deal with it." The general atmosphere was still serious, but their smiles were getting easier. "Where would you like to talk?"

"Take me home?" It was almost a plea. "And help me make a list of pros and cons for all these changes? The breakfast bar in the kitchen…with lots of coffee. That sounds like a good place."

"And we're working this out together?" he asked.

"About time, don't you think?"

"Together, however we can make it work. That's what I want, Kate."

"Me, too." She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him directly and placed a quick kiss to his lips. "Remind me to thank your mother."

He kissed her back and then really smiled for the first time since he arrived at the swings. Guiding her back toward her car with his arm around her waist, he said, "Let's go home."