A/N: This idea came to me in the very wee hours of the morning and will be a twoshot. Many thanks to my beta 14ulysse for support, encouragement, and corrections. Please read, enjoy, and review! :-)

To say that the summer had been long and frustrating was the biggest understatement the author had ever made. Once Kate had been released from the hospital, she didn't want anyone taking pity on her, much less catering to her every whim. Her moods ranged from quiet and irreverent to brooding and hostile. Rick Castle had all but forgotten the closeness they had briefly enjoyed before the accident.

By the end of June, Castle was near breakdown. He had told her he loved her, she'd nearly died, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around and tell her how grateful he was that she was alive. Instead, on that particular day-at the end of the hottest June on record—he decided he had had enough.

He knocked briefly on her apartment door and was met with the same grumble he received everyday telling him to come in. As usual, she was lying on her sofa watching television with a slight scowl on her face.

"I brought coffee...and bagels."

"Okay," she replied impassively.

"Listen, I was thinking maybe we could try walking around the block again. It's still early and the sun hasn't quite reached scorching level yet. The doct-"

"No," she interrupted. Her tone was hostile. He sighed because he knew it was going to be one of those days and he was fresh out of patience. Love or not, he couldn't deal with her attitude anymore.

"Kate, I-" he tried again, speaking slowly, trying to force his voice to portray the calmness his mind didn't reflect.

"I said no." She hadn't bothered to avert her eyes once from the television since his arrival.

"Did Lanie call this morning?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yup," she answered, not caring to elaborate.

He had heard that same "yup" about and a million times since she had gotten home and even now, he wasn't quite sure why that particular one made him lose it.

"Kate," he said sternly, "look at me when I am talking to you."

She continued watching television, ignoring his request.

"Kate!"

She finally flicked her eyes away from the television and slowly panned from the kitchen to the chair beside the sofa as he made his way into the living room.

"I am so sick of this!" he yelled, not bothering to sit down.

"Everyday the same nasty attitude and passive behavior. Bad things happen, Kate, you of all people should know that. It doesn't mean that we get to stop living and treat the people that love and care about us like garbage!"

His tone was harsh and his voice was loud. She could do nothing but watch as the pent up rage overtook him.

"I care about you, Kate, you know I do! And I am sick and tired of you pretending you don't know that-sick and tired of you treating my feelings like they don't matter. Everyday I come here to check on you, bring you food, attempt to make conversation, and every single day you are ungrateful. I'm so sick of it, Kate!"

"I never asked you to come," she muttered.

"That is exactly what I mean! Of course you didn't ask me to come or attempt to take care of you. Or your father, Lanie, or anyone else that's stopped by and you've treated with utter disregard. We all love you and want to help you recover. We want things back to normal and we're trying to help you get there!"

"I don't need anyone's help," she commented, still mumbling.

"And you're not going to get mine anymore! I won't be back tomorrow, Kate. I've got better things to do with my time than be treated like shit by the woman I love."

She sat on the couch, stunned, her eyes hazed over but no words came out of her mouth.

He walked over to her, defeated, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"When you decide I'm worth your time, call me. Otherwise, don't bother. Goodbye Kate."

Before she could even begin to process what had happened, he was out the door. For the first time since the accident she allowed herself to cry.

Hard.