Authors Note: I know, I should be updating my other stories, and I promise you, I will. But I just had to get this one outta my head. Hope you like it!
As always, thank you to my lovely alwayscastle2for reading this.
Reviews are love, leave some!
-Krystle
I heard you laughing in a crowd outside a restaurant we used to go to
I caught a glimpse that stopped me in my tracks
It took me back
You looked happy with that little girl on your shoulders, happy
I know where she got those crystal eyes of blue
Time's been sweet to you
It's been several years since she's been to New York. Everything still looks the same - the same busy streets, the same rush hour traffic, the same tall trees that surround Central Park. The city of her childhood and teenage years hasn't changed at all. Being back here, under these circumstances isn't exactly her idea of a good time. She's here to finalize her Mother's estate. No matter how crazy she's made her over the years, she was her mother, and she's going to do exactly what her final wishes were - no matter how over the top.
Stopping in her tracks, she listens intently. She knows that laugh. She turns slightly, and sure enough, there he is. Tall, dark, and still as handsome as ever. He may have a few more laugh lines around his eyes, but he's still the same. She watches as he embraces a small child, kissing her little face several times, before the little one exclaims excitedly, "Daddy, daddy, pick me up! I want up!"
Never one to let anyone down, Rick motions for the little girl to turn around and he lifts her under her arms and deposits her on top of his shoulders. He makes sure she's settled before he wraps his hands around her ankles, the child holding her arms out as if she were a plane. Smiling at what she's witnessing, she can see that the little girl has her fathers eyes, prominent cheek bones, and beautiful curly brown hair. If she's not mistaken she looks a lot like -
Ah, yes. Sure enough a tall brunette makes her way to where Rick and the little girl are, giving the man a kiss that causes the child to cover her eyes, and her parents to break away and chuckle.
Kate Beckett. Well, Kate Castle, she guesses now. She knew there was something between them, whether or not they wanted to admit it then or not. She's happy for them.
As bad as it was, as bad as it hurt
I thank God I didn't get what I thought that I deserved
Sometimes life leads you down a different road
When you're holding on to someone that you gotta let go
Someday you'll see the reason why
Sometimes, yeah sometimes, there's good in goodbye
She loved him. He was her everything. There wasn't a time when they were together that she ever thought he wouldn't be in her future. They fell hard and fast. Each other's first love, first serious relationship. He was her first, and she doesn't regret that at all. She wouldn't change a thing about their history.
Except for the way they ended.
He'd proposed. Every ounce of her wanted to say yes, and when she willed her mouth to speak, instead of saying yes, she heard herself say: I can't. She had never seen him so broken. There he was, down on one knee, asking her to be his future, and she couldn't do it.
She watched him rise, gulp, and close the ring box. He didn't say anything. Just shoved the ring into is pocket, picked up his jacket and left. She didn't try to stop him. She stared at the door for the longest time, silent tears streaming down her face, wondering what on earth made her answer that way.
Glancing over towards him and his family, she realized, that this is why. She loved him so much, that she wanted him to have everything, and she knew that she couldn't give him this. The sparkle in Kate's eyes when she looks at him, the blush rising to her cheeks as he whispers in her ear - something dirty for later at their home, if she knows him at all.
She couldn't be that.
I don't regret it
The time we had together
I won't forget it
But we both ended up where we belong
I guess goodbye made us strong
And yeah I'm happy
I found somebody too who makes me happy
And I knew one day I'll see you on the street
And it'd be bittersweet
They're walking towards her now, and she's got to go in the direction they're coming from. Her silent observation time is over. Taking a calming breath, she resumes her walk, stopping at the same time the little family does. Now she can see a small belly on Kate. Baby number two is on the way.
"Kyra?" Rick asks, smiling at her.
Smiling back, she nods, "Hey Rick, Kate."
Kate smiles at the woman from Rick's past. "Hi, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine, considering -"
Rick and Kate both nod, "We heard. We're so sorry."
"Ah, it's okay," she says with a wave of her hand. "And who is this?" she asks, nodding up to the little girl, still on her daddy's shoulders.
Kate smiles looking up at her daughter, "This is our little girl, Khloe Johanna. Say hi, Khlo."
The young girl smiles shyly and a mumbled 'hi' slips past her lips. Kyra chuckles, "Hello, Miss Khloe, you're a very pretty girl."
"Thank you," Khloe smiles, resting her cheek on her fathers head.
"How are you and Greg?" Kate asks, holding her arms out when she feels Khloe reaching for her her.
"We're doing great," Kyra answers with a smile, as Rick pulls Kate closer to him when she shivers. "I can see things are going well for you guys." She motions towards Kate's stomach.
Rick smiles, kissing Kate's temple, and reaches over to caress her swelling bump. "We're excited. She just reached week twenty."
Kate nods, and looks at her watch, "Babe, we have to get going if we're going to be on time," turning towards Kyra, "Not that we wouldn't love to chat longer, but we have a doctors appointment."
"Oh, it's no problem, I should be going too," she says honestly.
"If you're up for it, we should all do dinner before you and Greg leave," Rick suggests, looking down at Kate who nods in agreement. "Catch up."
"Yeah, I'll ask him and get back to you."
"Great," Rick smiles. "Again, we're very sorry about your mom."
"Thank you, both of you."
The couple, and little Khloe, wave goodbye to her, and she watches as they make their way down the street and around the corner.
A sense of happiness washes over her. She's happy with her life. She's happy that Rick's happy. She will always love him, but she knows that her time for being in love with him is in the past.
She feels an arm wrap around her, and she looks up into the eyes of her husband. She leans in to kiss him, and whispers, "I love you, baby."
"I love you, too."
There's good in goodbye, and looking up at her husband once more, she believes it.
Someday you'll see the reason why
Yeah someday you'll see the reason why
There's good in goodbye, yeah
There's good in goodbye
Fin
Song: Good in Goodbye
Artist: Carrie Underwood
Album: Blown Away