Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill...
A/N: This is basically my take on if Castle had left after Kate had told him they were over. May contain spoilers. Thanks to all who have continued to encourage me to write.
Note: Kate was never shot nor was Montgomery. He's still very much alive (I like him better than Gates anyhow). Alexis is in college at Stanford and Martha is off being Martha (She doesn't make an appearance in this story).
Originally inspired by the song Center Of Attention by Jackson Waters.
You want your independence
But you won't let me let you go
You wanna test the waters
And leavin' on the empty shores.
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll way down life time to give in to you
Give in to you.
Life Hangs On
Prologue
He stares down at the photograph in his hands. It's one them together, barely inches apart, having one of their silent conversations with their eyes. He figured it was probably Lanie who took the photo, the boys having been too intent on their game of poker.
He remembers this one clearly. A little girl, no more than five or six had been murdered. Her step-mother had led them on a wild-goose chase, until she'd finally slipped up when she flew into a rage at her youngest step daughter. The case had taken its toll on all of them, and they'd all been glad when the case-closed get-together had been postponed in favor of a good night's sleep.
They'd caught up the next evening after a half day (for most; he had spent the day with Alexis) of paperwork. Even the captain and Lanie had joined in. Montgomery, never one to pass up a poker game with Castle, and Lanie, because, as she put it, "Beckett is around testosterone all day. Why let her deal with it after work too?" He'd suspected it was because Esposito was there, not that he'd ever admit it out loud. He wanted to live, thank you.
He glances back down. There are four other photographs in a neat stack on the table top. Kate glaring. Kate blushing. Kate smirking. He liked that one. But his favorite was the very last one. Kate with her head thrown back in laughter. Her eyes were shining, her cheeks rosy, but he could still see the shadows beneath her eyes, reminiscent from the toll the case took.
He places the photos back in a neat pile, the one of them together on top. At the last minute, he pulls the one of her laughing from the stack, slipping it into his jacket pocket. A letter lays folded in his hands. A silent tear trails down his face, landing with a soft plop on the paper and he hasn't the heart to wipe it away. He props it up against the river-stone-filled jar in the center of the table.
He takes one last look at the loft behind him, then shuts the door, effectively closing off his life here. Downstairs, he loads the suitcases into the back of the taxi, instructing the driver to JFK airport. He takes the ride in silence, his mind wandering elsewhere.
Flashing his passport, ticket and following other airport protocol, he is soon standing outside the gateway to ride out of New York. He refuses to look back, knowing she'd made her decision, and now he was making his.
XXXXX
I know it's short but thoughts?
Monkeywand