New Beginings.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
AU: During and after Watershed Season 5 episode 24.
Look guys there is something I have to tell you, but there is someone I have to tell first.
"Beckett", Kate answered her phone curtly, not recognizing the number.
Espo and Ryan looked at her curiously as the look on her face went from bored to pokerface in 2 seconds flat. She had been acting weird all week and this phone call was not helping. There was a slight flush that went up her cheeks as she continued to listen intently.
She sat up straighter then and said, "thank you, I will let you know". She was lost deep in her own thoughts, visibly trying hard to keep her face neutral.
"Hey Beckett, you OK?" Esposito said cautiously, trying his best to not sound like he was prying. He was, though only out of concern for his good friend. "Was that about the case?" He was sure that would pull her out of her own mind.
"What?" She managed to focus on the two detectives, "Oh, no that was – uhm – personal." She sounded as if she wanted to tell them what the call was about but thought better of it.
Espo walked over, put his hand on her shoulder and asked her sincerely if she was all right. Looking into her eyes as he waited for a response, there was no way she would be able to fool him at this moment.
"Javi, I'm fine", she looked serenely into his eyes, not the slightest hint of panic in here body language. "There is something I want to tell you," she copied his gesture and place a hand on his shoulder, as a way to prove that she meant what she said, "but there is someone else that I need to tell first." She dropped her hands, and picked up her jacket, folded it over her arm and left the precinct, with Espo and Ryan both staring after her.
She decided that no matter what she had decided, he needed to be part of everything about where they would go from here. She was not going to force him to do this with her, no matter how much she wanted it.
This was going to be interesting, she thought as she pressed one on her speed dial. He answered on the second ring.
"Kate, I thought you were coming over later", he mused, "Is everything all right?"
He sounded a little nervous, and she couldn't blame him considering the fight they had the night before, about her interview with the FBI/AG task force. He had stormed out of her apartment in anger.
She knew what she wanted now and she needed to tell him, and she needed it to be at their special place. This was a place where so many big decisions were made, and conversations had. There was no place better for this news.
"We need to talk" She said, getting nervous herself. She wasn't sure if he had forgiven her for not telling him about DC, but they had to talk and she needed them to talk now, before she lost her nerve. "Can you meet me at the swings?"
"I'll head out right now", was all he said before the line disconnected.
When she arrived 20 minutes later, he was already there. She took a deep breath and walked towards the swing set trying her best to look her same fierce self, she sat on one of the swings next to Rick.
"Hey", he said. He looked very serious and all humor was put aside.
"I'm sorry", she didn't greet him, just continued with her apology. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the job in DC. I shouldn't have kept secrets and …" He cut her off
"It's who you are", he looked so upset, how could she fix this? He continued, "I've had to scratch and claw for every inch".
"Castle", she interrupted him.
"No wait, let me finish", his voice still monotonous. "I've been thinking a lot about us and our relationship, where we're headed", he took a deep breath and then added, "and I decided that I want more-".
SHIT, is this really happening, he breaking up with me now?
"We both deserve more", he stopped.
This is it, spit it out Castle. I need to be ready to walk away when this speech is over, I won't let him break my heart and see me cry in the same moment. I wouldn't be able to handle it.
We do deserve more, a happy family, a future – together . How can he not see that, that's all I want?
Mustering all the strength she had in her soul she said two little words, "I, agree". She did agree to an extent, the more that she wanted though was certainty and Rick Castle, always.
"So," he began, "whatever happens, whatever you decide".
Damn it, these tears really have a mind of their own. She tried to focus on something so she wouldn't have to look at him, knowing that as soon as she did, she wouldn't be able to keep it together. She was quickly realizing that this was really it, they really were about to be over and there was nothing she could do about it. This was all her fault, damn it, she never should have lied to him.
It was the slow purposeful movement that caught her eye, what was he doing?
"Katherine Houghton Beckett", He landed on his knee, pulled out a ring and looked her straight in the eyes. "Will you marry me?"
"Oh," her shock so complete, that it seemed that was the current extent of her vocabulary. "Oh my God", she was slowly gathering her thoughts and comprehending the scene before her. The love of her life was on one knee with a ring in his hand and a hopeful look on his face.
"You're proposing!?" She was not at all expecting this right now, or at all. She was madly in love, but still – she was sure that he was going to end things.
"Well, yes", he looked at Kate and then back at the ring, hoping for some feedback on the question he had just popped.
"I – ah – I thought you were breaking up with me", she was so emotional that her voice was all over the place with this confession.
"By offering you a ring?" He looked at her rather quizzical and starting to look nervous.
"You just seemed so serious," she was grinning now.
Thank GOD that he went with happily ever after rather than – well let's not go there.
"Of course I'm serious," he scoffed, "this is the most serious thing I've ever done".
As soon as she smiled at him, he looked a little more confident and said, "So, is that a yes?"
"Are you sure?" She asked. Kate had lived her whole life in the mental state of waiting for the other shoe to drop, what could possibly be the other shoe to this magnificent scenario.
"You do know how this works right?" He sounded like he was getting frustrated, so she knew she had to answer him.
"In that case," she put her arms around his neck as she continued," Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle, yes, I will marry you." She was so excited that she really hadn't paid much attention to the ring, until he put it on her finger.
"Wow, it's big", she mused as she looked it over.
"Or," the boyish charm back at once, relieved after she agreed to be his wife, "You just have remarkably tiny fingers."
She had no more restraint and flung her arms around her fiancé and kissed him a deep passionate kiss.
When she felt that she was ready to go home, she let her hands slide down his arms from his shoulders to his hands and kept her hold on to one as she let him guide her to her car. The reason for the initial phone call completely forgotten. She had gotten lost in her emotions and then the proposal.
After a night of pure bliss, they had completely forgotten the world around them as they celebrated the engagement in a very, very personal way.
It wasn't until the smell of breakfast made her stomach twist and she darted for the bathroom that she remembered.
Oh crap, I forgot to tell him the news.