Title: Comes and Goes
Disclaimer: If I owned them, we wouldn't be waiting another week to watch Kill Shot. Or Cuffed.
"Coming, I'm coming," Kate yelled at the rude individual banging at her door. She glanced at the clock on the wall as she went through her living room. 7:26 am. Seriously, did this person not understand how valuable her days off were? This was the first morning in weeks she hadn't been in to work by 7.
She opened the door fast, ready to unleash her frustration but didn't get the chance as they barged right on in.
"Girl why aren't you answering your phone? I've been calling for the last hour."
Kate sighed as she shut the door and locked it back up. Of course Lanie would be the one ruining her day off.
"I've been sleeping Lanie. You know, what some people do when they don't have to be in to work."
Lanie waved her off and plopped down on her couch. "There are more important things to talk about than you sleeping." She stopped to reach down and pull something out of her purse. It was Rick's new novel. Lanie held it up and tapped the cover. "We need to discuss this ending."
Kate went over to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It didn't look like she was going to be getting any more sleep this morning. "Lanie, that book just came out yesterday. How are you already done with it?" She watched as her friend shifted nervously where she was sitting.
"Yeah, well, I currently have nothing better to do with my nights." She and Esposito were still iffy in their relationship, but with how sad it was making them Kate didn't give them much longer before they were back together.
The coffee beeped to signal it's completion. Kate poured two cups and took them over to sit next to Lanie, handing her a mug as she sat.
"Alright, so what's so special about this ending?"
Her friend raised an eyebrow over the rim of her mug as she took a sip. "You mean you haven't read it yet?"
"No. It just came out," she repeated. "I didn't have time to get it yesterday."
"But he didn't give you an advanced copy?"
Kate shook her head. "No, I never asked for one." She set her coffee on the table in front of her as Lanie practically forced the book into her lap.
"Well, you need to check this one out." She opened the cover and started flipping to the back.
"Seriously? You're going to ruin the ending."
"Trust me girl, you're going to want to read this."
Kate humored her and started reading at the page she had pointed to.
Rook took in the sight of gunmen who lay at their feet. How he and Nikki had been able to take them, he had no idea. Two against five wasn't exactly the best odds, but they'd managed.
He looked across the room at her, checking to see if she was harmed. She was putting her gun back in her holster and pulling out her cell, to call for backup he assumed. When she finished she searched the room until she found his gaze. She smiled before looking him over, probably doing the same thing he did to make sure there weren't any unnecessary holes in his body.
"You ok?"
"Yeah," he replied. "You?"
She nodded. "Perfect." He relaxed at her answer. Knowing that she was alright was all that mattered to him at that point. Sure, he didn't have any hand-to-hand combat training, and he wasn't that great with a gun, but he'd never forgive himself if anything happened to her with him so close. He'd die trying to make sure she was safe.
Rook froze when he saw something shift in the corner of his eye. Turning his head he saw one of the gunmen move, reaching out for the gun that had fallen out of his grasp. He gripped it tightly and pointed it straight at her. At Nikki.
"No!"
Rook took off running, jumping over the bodies acting as hurdles on his way to Nikki. She looked up to see what he was yelling about.
"Watch out!"
She had her hand on her gun before she even turned to see him. She brought it up, aimed, and fired two, maybe three, more shots in the man's direction, putting him down for good.
When Rook got to her he put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded, unable to shake the fear that had come back over her face. It bothered him that she looked so pale. Something was wrong. And she must've realized it too. Slowly they both looked down her body until they found it; the red stain slowly growing in her shirt over her lower abdomen. She looked up at him before falling to the ground.
"Nikki!"
Rook caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He laid her down and took off his jacket, pressing it to her side. He felt his own stab of pain as he put pressure on the wound. He knew it hurt her but he was going to do whatever it took to keep her alive.
"Nikki, stay with me. Help is on the way, ok?" He faintly heard sirens off in the distance. But they sounded too far away. They needed to get here faster.
She was staring at the ceiling, her eyes fluttering closed every few seconds. And each time they stayed closed for just a little longer.
He got up on his knees and leaned over her, trying to get her to focus on him. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Nikki? Come on, stay with me. Stay with me, Nikki." She brought a hand up to cover the one he had resting on the side of her cheek. He could feel her try to squeeze his hand reassuringly, but she had no strength left. He barely felt any pressure.
"Nikki, I love you. I love you Nikki. Stay with me. Please."
He saw her mouth start to open, like she was trying to respond. But then her eyes drifted away from his and closed. He felt her a breath leave her body as tears rolled down his cheeks and fell onto her shirt.
"Nikki, please."
Kate was surprised at how disappointed she was when she flipped the next page and saw it was blank. Rick had never ended a book with a cliffhanger before.
She set it on the table, trading it for her coffee which was still, thankfully, a little warm, and turned to see her friend watching her face, looking for any sign of emotion.
"What?" Lanie just shrugged. "Oh come on, you know she doesn't die. Castle still has, like, a dozen more books lined up."
"Really? That's all you took from that ending?"
"I guess. Why?" Kate was trying not to focus on the fact that Rook has professed his love for Nikki could be a parallel to her and Castle. Not could be. Is. It is a parallel to her and Castle. Kind of. But she didn't want Lanie to know that.
Lanie looked at her for a few more seconds before picking the book back up. "Maybe you should read the dedication too." She opened the book again and handed it back to Kate.
This part is for her, will she remember?
Kate's mouth opened, but no words came out. Most of the fans will probably look at this and think it was about Rook and Nikki. But she knew better. She knew what he was asking.
That's what was giving Lanie the smug look on her face. "Now are you going to tell me what that's all about?"
There was no getting around it. Lanie practically knew everything already, save the details. She took a minute to gather her thoughts, taking a few sips of her coffee. She knew Lanie would wait. She also knew Lanie would follow her around and pester her until she dished.
"I, um," she paused, still trying to figure out where to start. "Last spring, when I was shot and Castle was with me on the ground, he, he told me he loved me. And I, I told him, well I told everyone, that I didn't remember anything from that day. So he, he doesn't know that I know."
"And?"
Kate looked back up at Lanie. "And what?"
"Girl, Imma smack you. This guy is asking you if you love him. He's asking you if you remember him telling you how he felt. How he feels. He wrote this ending to try to jog your memory and get you to remember so that you guys can move on in your relationship."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Lanie, we don't have a relationship."
"Mmhmm." Lanie gave her a 'know-it-all' look. "Sure you don't."
"Look, it's just, things are complicated," she ended with a sigh.
"What's complicated? You're single, he's single. You like him, he obviously likes you." Lanie waited for Kate to jump in, but she had nothing more to say. "Ok, you care about him right?"
"Well yeah."
"And you enjoy seeing him every day?"
"Of course."
"Then please please explain to me why you two aren't going out already."
"I can't. It's com-"
"Girl if you say it's complicated one more time I'll gonna hurt you."
Kate had to laugh at that. Her best friend, never too gentle with words. "I just can't be with anyone until I solve my mom's case, ok? It's just something I have to do for myself."
"And I respect the hell out of that. But girl you can't just leave him hanging here." She waited a second before continuing. "Look, you don't have to tell him you love him. Just tell him that you care. And that you know. He's not going to leave you Kate."
Lanie put her book back in her purse and got up to head for the door. "Just promise me you'll talk to him, ok?"
Kate nodded.
"And please, please, for the love of God, call me after you do." Lanie gave her a wink before heading out the door. "Bye girl."
"See ya."
Kate closed the door, slid the lock back into place and leaned up against it, running her hands through her hair, trying to figure out what she should do.
She knew Rick loved her. He'd told her twice now, once in the cemetery and once in his new book. The problem wasn't that he loved her. It was that she had lied to him about knowing. And now, if she ever wanted to move on with him, she'd have to tell him about her lie. She didn't want to risk him leaving her. But would he give up and leave her if she never told him how she felt?
Kate slowly walked back to her bedroom to get her phone. Ignoring Lanie's 7 missed calls she pulled up Rick's number and, before she could change her mind, pressed call.
"Castle."
"Hey, it's me."
"Morning Kate." She could hear his smile on the other end. "Is everything ok?"
"I-I'm not sure. Can we meet somewhere for breakfast? We need to talk."
A/N: So I'm not sure where I was going with this. I had this idea for a few days and once I sat down to write it, I wasn't sure how to end it. So I hope this is alright. Review and let me know? :) Oh, and the line for the dedication is a line from the song "Comes and Goes" by Greg Laswell. Good song :)