Disclaimer: I don't own CASTLE ... unfortunately
This story starts when Kate is hanging on the roof. It doesn't take into account anything that happened after that on the show or this incredible promo that had all of us forgetingt to breathe.
She was going to die. She was sure of that. She was going to fall flat on the floor before she had a chance to tell Rick she loved him. He had walked away, now she knew why. He couldn't take it. Her getting in danger voluntarily. She couldn't keep doing that! She tried to get a better hold of the rooftop but her right hand slipped.
When you know you're about to die, they say your life flashes before your eyes. It's not entirely true. As far as Kate Beckett was concerned, she saw the life she wouldn't have. She saw her partner, she saw a wedding and babies. Beautiful Castle babies running everywhere. When she felt the tears running down her cheeks, she realized it was over. Her life was over. Just because she couldn't listen to people telling her she was wrong and obey orders.
"KATE!" she heard.
It was him. He had come! He was here to save her, like always. When he got her, she would kiss him senseless, she doesn't care if he wanted it or not. He wouldn't have a choice. She would kiss him like she'd never kissed anyone before.
"Castle! Castle I'm here!" she yelled, waiting for him to come and save her.
She got agitated yelling for him and she felt her left hand slip further. She didn't have any strength left in her fingers. It was already a miracle that she had held on as long as she had. She heard footsteps. They were running toward her but she couldn't do it anymore. She just couldn't. One by one, she saw her fingers give up. The tears were coming stronger, her heart was beating in her ears, she became even more agitated as she realized that this was it. It was going to be the end of Kate Beckett.
She saw the hands stretch over the edge but it was too late. She was too far down the side of the building to catch it. Her body going in full protection mode, she lost consciousness before hitting the ground.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Kevin Ryan had never run so fast in his entire life. He went up the stairs of the hotel at light speed until he found Esposito regaining consciousness. He went to him but he was cut short.
"Kate. Roof. Maddox." Javier said, panic clear in his eyes.
When Ryan got on the roof, he couldn't see anything. He called for her, praying to God that she would respond. And she did! He rushed to where the call was coming from. Then it all happened in a couple of seconds.
He got to the edge just as her hand let go. He dove on the ground to catch her but he was too late. He saw her face when she realized she was going to die. He would never get this image out of his mind. He saw her eyes go wide, panic filling them before she passed out.
"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE !" he yelled over the edge.
He heard a loud thump and looked carefully over the edge, terrified at the idea of what he was going to see. She had landed on the top of a delivery truck that was parked here. Given her position, he could tell that almost everything would be broken but there might be a slight chance that she was still alive.
He turned around, got back on his feet, pushed Gates out of his way and run back down the stairs, even faster than he had gone up.
Once he arrived in the street, he ran around the corner and found people gathering around the truck. He pushed them, yelling to call 911 and got up on the hood to get to her. She was not moving. He carefully walked around her and knelt. Her head was badly angled and he reached for neck, checking her pulse. She was breathing! Barely, but she was alive! When he heard the sirens, all his emotions broke loose and he sobbed, like a child, next to his friend's inanimate body.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Richard Castle was a bit depressed. He had left the woman he loved. He had just witness his daughter giving the most beautiful graduation speech of all. She was right. Everything was changing. And he had to move on.
He went to his office and turned on his smart board. Here she was, laughing, in the middle of the screen. He wanted to see her so bad. He wanted to go find her and kiss her senseless. Maybe then she would understand how much she means to him. Meant. How much she meant to him. Past tense. Oh who was he kidding! Of course it was present tense! How could it be otherwise? How could he just decide to stop loving her? He couldn't just switch his feelings off. He loved her. More than he had ever loved anyone before. But he needed her to understand that he just couldn't let her throw her life away. He understood her desire for justice but not at the cost of her life. He didn't know her but he was sure it was not what Johanna Beckett would have liked for her daughter.
He deleted the file concerning the case and sat down at his desk. He had asked her to stop. He would stop too. He was done with secrets. They had hurt too many people for far too long. He would go and see her tomorrow and make things clear. What he was feeling, what he wanted for the two of them.
Just as he was thinking about the way to bring it up, his cell phone rang. He was going to pick up when his home phone rang. At the same time, someone was pounding on his front door and yelling for him.
He ran to the door and came face to face with Captain Victoria Gates. He took a step back. This could not be a social call. This could not be a good thing for her to be here. She seemed shocked. Her face was … human. Not the mask she put on at the precinct.
"Richard ..."
Oh my God, this was really bad. She would never have called him by his first name for any reason. And he was sure he saw tears gathering in her eyes but she stubbornly pushed them back in.
"Kate?" he said.
There was only one reason why the Captain would show up at his door. Gates nodded and took him by the arm.
"Let's get going. She'll need you."
So, what do you think?