The idea for this is similar to my other fic, Just One Call but it will be different and they're not related at all. Set during the summer after Beckett was shot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the characters.
He called her. And the phone went straight to voicemail. He deflated, his strength leaving him as he dropped his phone onto his desk before burying his head in his hands.
She'd told him she'd call, had said she needed some time and she'd call him. But she hasn't, and it's been thirty-four days and Castle can't take the wait any more. He just wants to hear her voice, to know she's okay because he's been having nightmares where she certainly isn't.
It had taken him several days to build the strength up to call her, to convince himself it was the right thing to do, instead of waiting for her to call him like she'd said she would.
What should he do now? He still wants to hear from her, or at least hear from someone that she is okay.
He could call the boys? No, they'd promised that they'd call him if they heard anything from her the last time he was at the precinct.
Lanie? No, she was the same, he knew she'd call if she had any news about her.
Josh? He didn't want to call him either, didn't like the idea that they were off somewhere together, Josh looking after her when Castle wanted it to be him. Didn't like the idea that the reason she hadn't called was because she was too distracted by him and just didn't want to.
But Castle didn't think that was the case. He and Beckett had grown closer in the past year, forming a much more solid friendship than he'd ever imagined they could at the beginning and he didn't think she just wouldn't call because she didn't think he was worth the time.
That just left her father. He had his number, he could easily call him. But what would Beckett think? How would she feel about him going behind her back like that? But it wasn't even about that, he just wanted to know she was okay, because he had a really bad feeling that she wasn't.
Castle rubbed his hands over his face, lifting them and picking the phone back up from where he'd dropped it before. He found Jim Beckett's number in his phone but it took him another minute to gather the courage to call. He hit the call button and brought the phone to his ear, heart pounding as the phone started ringing.
Just as he was about to hang up, a voice came through the phone, "hello?"
His first attempt at replying was stopped by a lump in his throat so he cleared it before trying to speak again, "Hello, Mr Beckett? It's Rick Castle."
"What can I do for you?" her father replied, his voice sounding hesitant as he spoke and he wondered if Beckett was there with him. He realised that he didn't actually know if they were together or not but it was better than the alternative, that she really was with Josh.
He hadn't really planned what he was going to say, probably should have before he'd called but he'd originally thought he was going to be talking to Beckett herself, not her father. "I was wondering if you'd heard from Kate? Or if she's with you? I haven't heard from her and I just wanted to make sure she's okay."
There was silence on the other end of the line before Jim replied, voice full of hesitation now, like he wasn't entirely sure he should be telling him this, "she's with me, but she's not doing great."
"What do you mean?" Castle asked quickly, his voice full of panic, worst case scenarios flashing through his mind.
"Physically, she's fine," Jim replied immediately, not wanting Castle to panic, "she's healing just like the doctors expect but mentally, she's not doing great."
"What does that mean?" He'd meant this call as a way to reassure himself that she was okay, he needed to know that she was okay, but this wasn't doing a very good job of that.
Jim wasn't sure if he should be telling Castle all this but he knew how they man felt about his daughter and whether his daughter would admit it or not, he knew how she felt in return so he told him the complete truth. "The healing process is slow, she hates that she can't do much, that she's exhausted all the time and has to ask me for help which she isn't enjoying at all. She's also in a lot of pain, which is expected but it's making everything difficult for her. But the worst of it is the nightmares and the fear that they bring."
So she has them too? "Nightmares?"
"Every night she wakes up, upset from whatever she's dreamt about. She won't tell me about them but I can tell they're bad." He's often woken to her yelling out in her sleep and there's nothing he can do to help.
"Can I talk to her?" Castle asked, desperately needing to talk to her now, knowing that she wasn't okay, that she was worse than he'd thought. He knew that getting shot wasn't going to be something that was easy to go through but he'd hoped she was healing well, that she was doing alright despite everything that had happened.
"I don't know if that'd be the best idea." These were his daughter's words, not him, he'd tried to convince her to call someone but she wouldn't listen, had said she'd speak to her friends when she was better but maybe this was a way to get her to talk to someone and suddenly, he had an idea.
"Please," Castle said, not above pleading. He can't get the image of her lying underneath him on the ground, covered in blood, out of his mind. He saw her after that, when she was in the hospital, saw that she was alive, but that image is stuck in his mind and he needs to see her again or at least talk to her, to reassure himself that she really is alive.
"What if you came out here instead?" It was a crazy idea but suddenly it seemed like it might actually be the thing to do. Kate had told him that if anyone called, to tell them she didn't want to talk right now and he knew if he handed her the phone, she could easily hang up. But if Castle came here, his daughter would have no choice but to talk to him and she could tell that Rick needed to see Kate too.
Out here? Where were they? "Where are you?"
"We're out at my cabin, not far out of the city, and I think Kate would really benefit from seeing you," Jim said, knowing his daughter wouldn't be happy about what he was doing but he wanted her to get better and this was one way that he thought might actually help her.
"And you want me to come out there? To come see Kate?" Castle asked, making sure he was following what her father was saying, not letting the hope in his chest swell too much before he knew that he'd definitely get the chance to see her. When he got there, she may tell him to leave, that she doesn't want to see him and he would respect her wishes but at least he'd see her again.
"Yeah, what do you say? I think it'd be really good for her, and by the sounds of it, it'll be good for you too."
"Okay," Castle agreed, "will you tell her I'm coming to visit?"
"No, I don't want her to panic because you're coming," he said before quickly adding, not wanting to worry Castle any more than he already was, "not that it will make her panic, but I think it'll be better for her if she doesn't know until you're actually here."
"When do you want me to come then?"
"Today?" he asked. It was still wasn't even lunch time yet, he'd have plenty of time to reach here before night fall and the sooner his daughter saw Castle, the better. He hated seeing her in so much pain and he knew Castle couldn't help her with the physical pain but he may be able to help her with the emotional pain.
Castle's heart started pounding at the thought, his palms growing sweaty just at the idea that he could be seeing her very soon.
"Okay," he managed to choke out, panic suddenly clawing his chest, what if she really didn't want to see him?
"I'll see you later then," her father replied, already worried about how his daughter would react but it was done now, Castle was coming to visit and he'd just have to deal with her reaction when he got here.
"Thanks, I'll see you soon," Castle said before he hung up, dropping the phone back onto the desk in front of him again.
He leaned back in his chair, heart still beating wildly in his chest at the thought of what he was about to do. He sat there for a minute, going over the previous conversation in his mind, marveling at the fact that her father had thought it was a good idea that he come visit her.
At that thought, he quickly stood, rushing into his room to pack a bag. He didn't know if he'd need one, if he'd be staying there or not, but he would be leaving the city and he'd rather be prepared than not for whatever could happen out there.
He called Alexis next, telling her what was happening and where he was going, telling her to call him if she needed anything. And then he was making his way to his car, only fifteen minutes after ending the call with Jim Beckett, not wanting to waste any more time. He hadn't seen her in thirty-four days and he was desperate to see her again.
He was going to see Kate Beckett and he couldn't wait.
Thanks for reading. Thoughts?