AN: Hey guys, this is my first ever fanfic, so i cant guarantee it will be as amazing as the stories ive been reading here for the last while but reviews and opinions are greatly appreciated! Its also un beta'd so could be a bit dicey!
Takes place at the start of season 3.
DISCLAIMER: I dont own Castle or any of the cast, as much as i want to :)
Kate sat in the cab and looked at her cell again. Still no call. Why hadn't he called? Stop it Kate he clearly doesn't care about what happened. Stupid writer boy and his stupid ex wife. As she approached her apartment she spotted a shadow sitting at her door. could it be? She got out of the car and approached her door only to see that it was Rick sitting there waiting for her. While he was in The Hamptons finishing Naked Heat, she and Rick had kept in touch, almost falling back into their comfort zone with each other only by phone and email instead of in person. They kept each other up until all hours of the morning talking about everything but the big elephant in the room, Gina. Kate did not want to know the details but she knew once Gina turned up at the precinct that her chance with Rick was gone. But as she looked at him standing at her door at 2 a.m in the morning she wondered whether the old Rick was back, her Rick."Hi Kate" Rick said with a bright smile. He had missed her over those few weeks, even though they stayed in touch he missed her smile. While he was away, she occupied his thoughts every day, and it was as he was leaving for The Hamptons that Rick came to realise that she had become more important to him than any woman ever had, Alexis and his mother aside of course. Rick decided he had enough drama with Gina and did not want it with Kate. He needed to be honest and tell her everything, but first he needed to tell her something she needed to hear. His only problem? It was 2 in the morning and Kate was not a morning person, at least not without her coffee.
"Hey Castle, your the last person i expected to see, won't Gina have a mental breakdown if she finds out you're here?" Kate replied trying to ignore the stirring inside as he smiled at her. Damn smile, why does he always do that?
"Funny Kate but no she wont, and if she did it wouldn't matter. I'd still be here" he said with an unreadable expression on his face. Why does she have to bring Gina up every time I want to talk to her? Stubborn woman.
"Whoa Castle you sound awfully serious, for a second there you almost sounded as if you were over her!" Kate dared to hope despite her teasing tone. When Rick didn't reply she took that as her answer and opened her door. When she turned to say goodnight to Castle she faced the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and for a brief moment she thought she saw a hint of regret. Focus Beckett! You are too tired to keep this witty banter up without saying something you'll regret...CLOSE THE DOOR!
"Well I should really get some sleep, you know im not a morning person Castle" as she playfully smiled at him. She was just about to say goodnight when Rick abruptly stood up tall, almost as if he were gathering up courage to do something.
"Kate are you going to Mayor's benefit tomorrow?" He had the unmistakeable look of hope in his eyes, one she couldn't help but drown in. She hadn't planned on going but between the look in his eyes and the memory of the last time they danced together, she couldn't help but change her mind.
"Um I guess so, a night out with New York's rich and famous sounds like a good distraction, and hey we might even get a body" she said trying not to sound as happy as she did, after all Gina was going, Castle had mentioned to Esposito on the phone in one of their weekly conversations over the past month.
"Can't you take one night off work Kate?" he asked knowing well what she was going to say, but he did not expect her to reply.
"Well i suppose it wouldn't hurt to enjoy myself, but only if your going, I can't be left alone with people who call me Nikki it will kill me!" she said with a dramatic smile, while Rick stood there stunned at her honest response. Kate Beckett never relied on anyone, but maybe, just maybe, the summer had changed her.
"Great, i'll meet you there so, say 9 pm?" Rick asked, looking like a child on Christmas morning.
"Perfect, now you better go home Castle before I start to get snappy from my lack of sleep"
"Nothing different to usual so" he retorted with a smirk.
"Watch it Castle or I'll leave you all alone with Esposito for the night!"
"You wouldn't!" he said smiling, shocked that Kate would even threaten such a thing, but then again this was Kate, his Kate. Or at least she will be after tomorrow night.
"Ok, until tomorrow Detective" he said as he walked to his car, unaware of the dreamy smile he had left on her face at his last comment.
"Night Castle, i'll be dreaming of you" she whispered back, not knowing a goofy grinned Castle was sitting in his truck thanking god for his good hearing.
"Tomorrow night will definitely be interesting! This is my chance to make up for the summer, I won't lose her, I can't. Gina is my past, and nothing will stop me from my future with Kate " he said with a determined voice as he drove off. If he learned anything over the past few years, it was that love, even the strongest kind of love, can be taken away in an instant, how many inconsolable spouses had he watched Beckett break the news to? And he wasn't going to sit by and watch his life pass him. A future that undoubtedly featured Kate Beckett. He arrived home and went to bed, dreaming of Kate and how she had something he hoped she would never give back, his heart. This was it, no regrets.
"Why am i so nervous? Its a stupid ball, an excuse for people to show off their money and get drunk. Well I don't mind the latter. This is my chance to show Rick what he's missing, I am NOT going to lose him to her, not again" she thought as she got ready for bed. If these past few weeks had done anything to her, It was confirm her feelings for Rick. She was going to forget about Demming, as nice a guy as he was, he wasn't Castle. She wanted her "one and done" It was him, she was sure of it and she was not going to sit by and watch Gina take him away, he was hers and tomorrow night she would make sure of it. So she fell asleep, dreaming of a certain immature writer boy who had the one thing she never thought she would give away again. Her heart. This was it, no regrets.