Title: I Undo
Author: TracyT
Rating: T
Category: Romance, Humor
Summary: Kate breaks off her engagement to Castle—but in a good way.
Spoilers: None
Archive: Yes, Please!
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Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were. No profit will be made on this. It is a labor of love.
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Kate leaned against her desk and watched through the break room door as Castle got himself a cup of coffee from the espresso machine. She looked down at her engagement ring, then back up at him and made her decision.
She went to him and surprised him by putting a hand on his side to lean in and give him a quick kiss. She usually was never one for PDA's at the precinct, and his face reflected his surprise at her gesture.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied, a smile on his face. "What's up?"
"Can we go out to supper tonight? I'm buying."
He had put his cup down and had placed a hand on her lower back. His thumb moved slowly up and down on her skin, under her shirt. She shivered.
"Absolutely. Where do you want to go?"
"Domani. I'm in the mood for Fettucini Alfredo."
"Domani it is, then."
Kate gave him a smile and returned to her desk, wondering how this was going to go.
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Three hours later they were seated at their table at their favorite Italian place, Domani, with glasses of wine and plates of antipasto in front of them.
Kate took a fortifying sip of her wine, put her glass down and covered his hand with hers.
That got his attention. He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "Kate?"
"I, uh, have a confession to make." She bit her lip.
"You do?"
"Yeah. I had an ulterior motive in wanting to come here tonight."
"Oh?"
She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "Yes, and I want you to hear me out before you react, okay? No freaking out on me. Promise?"
She could see his mind working, trying to figure out what she was going to say. Of course, he jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Eyes wide he said, "You're pregnant. Kate, are you pregnant?" He squeezed her hand tightly.
"Rick, no, I am not pregnant. Hear me out, okay?"
She felt bad when he looked a little disappointed. "All right." He looked at her expectantly.
Kate took a deep breath. "First I want you to know, I love you and nothing is going to change that. Got it?"
"Got it. Back atcha."
"Good," she extracted her hand out from under his and removed her ring.
"I want you to have this back."
He freaked.
Eyes bulging, he looked down at her hand holding the ring, then back up at her face, then back at the ring. "Wha? Kate, what are you saying?" He stood up so fast he knocked his chair over. Without his notice, one of the waiters came over and righted the chair just before Rick dropped back down into it.
"Why? What did I do? What didn't I do?" He sputtered.
Kate couldn't help it. She tried, but she couldn't help the laughter that escaped her. She put her napkin to her mouth, but couldn't stop giggling.
Rick looked at her, astounded. "This is funny? You brought me here, to a public place to dump me because you thought I wouldn't make a scene, right?" He stood up again, but the chair stayed in place this time.
Still grinning, she said, "Well, if that was my intention it sure as hell back-fired on me, didn't it? Would you pull yourself together and sit your butt down, please? I haven't finished."
He dropped back into the chair as if all the air had been let out of him and just looked at her with wounded eyes.
She took his hand again. "For the record? I am not dumping you. In fact, once we gorge ourselves on Italian food I fully intend to take you back to my place and have my wicked way with you." She raised an eyebrow at him.
He looked confused. "Then what…? I don't get it."
"Richard," she began. "Listen to me. I don't think you've noticed this, but I have. Ever since we got engaged, you've changed."
"Me? No, I haven't." But he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Yes, you have. You've tried, I know you have, but you haven't been happy, and the closer we get to the actual ceremony, the more plans I make for dresses and cakes and such, the more unhappy you get."
"Kate, I love you, I really do…"
"I know you do, but the idea of marriage again is making you miserable, isn't it? I hate that."
He looked at her silently for a few moments and sighed. "I have to admit, I've been feeling…a little anxious about it."
"A little?" She cocked her head to the side.
"Okay, a lot," he admitted. "Kate, I want to spend my life with you, I really do, but my first two marriages were such disasters, I have a hard time envisioning any marriage working out the way it should, I guess." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he added.
"Don't be sorry. I completely understand what you're saying. That's why I want to give you your ring back. As far as I'm concerned, we're fine the way we are, aren't we? Rick, we don't have to get married. Let's just be together as we are now. I would be very, very happy with that."
"You would?" He looked uncertain.
"Yes, I would. I love you, you love me. We're together, we're committed to each other, what else do we need? I want my Rick back, the Rick I fell in love with. You've been so stressed and distracted lately that guy has been seriously absent. Let's just take the pressure off and enjoy each other, okay?"
Just then their main courses arrived. They ate in silence for a few minutes and Kate could see Rick was lost in thought. She let him think things through without further comment, knowing he'd come to the same conclusion she had.
He surprised her by saying, "What about kids? We still want to have children together, don't we?"
"Yes, I still want to have your babies somewhere in the future." She returned the sudden grin he gave her. "And I don't want to have our children out of wedlock. When we decide it's time we will revisit the marriage thing, but not for a long time."
He nodded, forking some linguine into his mouth. He did some more thinking.
"You're not using reverse psychology on me, are you?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Excuse me?" She put her fork down and just looked at him.
"You know, saying you don't want to get married so I'll say I do want to get married, that kind of thing?"
"No," she said flatly, picking up her spoon and whacking him on the back of his hand with it. "I am definitely NOT using reverse psychology on you. I don't play games like that."
He grinned a little and rubbed the back of his hand absently. "I know you don't," he conceded. "Just asking."
He took a deep breath and finally said, "Okay, let's do it, or rather, not do it."
Kate picked up his hand and kissed the knuckles. "Richard Castle, would you do me the honor of becoming un-engaged to me?"
"Katherine Beckett, most definitely. Let's undo it."
They shared a smile.
"Now, what were you saying about having your wicked way with me?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
Fin