I saw this prompt on Tumblr and loved the idea! Thank you to the anon who asked for it. I will do my best to do it justice.
"Supposing that Caskett knew each other and kind of were in a relationship when Johanna died, Prompt: Kate comes to Castle after Jim beat her up in one of his alcoholic rages." (I will put it up on Tumblr for the asker after posting the second chapter.)
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters!
(In this story Kate goes to Columbia instead of Stanford for the sake of convenience! Rick does not have Alexis and has just written two books. Both of which were very successful, though he is not yet world famous.)
They had only been dating a few months when her mother died.
Everything had been going great. They were happy. He was waiting outside her classes every day, coffee in hand, just so that he could to walk her to the next class or grab a bite to eat if they both had a break. She fascinated him, challenged him, and brightened his day every time he got the chance to see her.
It happened the night he was set to meet her parents. To say he was nervous would have been an understatement. She talked about her parents as if they were gods. She adored her father and idolized her mother. He knew that this dinner could potentially make or break their relationship.
He had never been in a relationship like this before and he certainly wasn't ready to let her go so soon, if ever. He changed clothes at least three times to make sure he looked perfect for them and practiced his greeting in the mirror a few times just to get it right.
They arrived at the restaurant at about seven o'clock. Just in time. Her father, Jim, was waiting at the table for them and stuck out his hand in greeting. He was friendly enough after a small awkward pause in which he sized Rick up. Apparently he liked what he saw because the little group fell into easy conversation.
After thirty minutes, Johanna had still not arrived. Jim had tried to call her and break her from what was assumed to be a work-induced haze. Kate was getting more and more furious as the minutes wore on. Her mother had known how important this dinner was to her and she should have been there.
It was explained to Rick that Johanna was often so enraptured with her work that she lost track of the time. Of course, she never missed birthdays or holidays or ballet recitals (that one had him doing a double take), but she did have a tendency to be late for a dinner here and there.
Rick didn't mind much. He was more worried about Kate's mother than her father anyway. Especially after meeting Jim. What he didn't know was that he would never get to meet Johanna and his worrying was in vain.
They had their meal without Johanna and it was pleasant for the most part. Rick had to keep a hand on Kate's leg under the table to keep her from coming out of her skin in anger. She was glad that her father enjoyed Rick's company so much, but was still seething with anger at her mother. She tried to ignore it and decided to deal with it when she got home.
When they were finished with dinner Kate invited Rick to drive her home. Jim texted Johanna to tell them where they were headed, though he was sure that she was already waiting for them. Kate was to stay with her parents for the weekend and then head back to school on Monday so this would likely be the last time they saw each other for the next few days. He was already dreading it so he offered to drive her home and follow Jim.
In the car, Kate was pretty silent. Their fingers were twined and she told him all he needed to know in the stoking of her thumb. She was upset at her mother, but was grateful for him to have been there and also sorry.
"No need to be sorry, Kate. I had a lovely time and I'm sure your mother is waiting for us with a perfectly good explanation as to her missing dinner. It's really no big deal. We'll do a rain check later in a few weeks." She offered no response but the squeeze of a hand, but that was enough.
Even after only a few short months he felt like he had known her for a lifetime. He liked it that way and he couldn't even remember what life was without Kate Beckett in it.
How cheesy is that, Rick? She really has turned you into a sap.
When they pulled in the driveway both of their lives changed forever. It was like a nightmare. A detective got out of his car and began talking to Jim. Kate was to them in seconds and Rick didn't even need to hear the words. Their actions told him everything.
Jim stood with a look of complete shock on his face. Backing away from the detective a few steps and shaking his head. There were no tears or screams of injustice. Just shock and despair evident on his face.
Watching Kate broke his heart. She fell to the ground as if the life had been sucked right out of her. He could see her back shaking and her heavy breathing from the few feet he stood away. His heart broke for her and he could not stand there any longer.
Rick vaguely registered the detective waving them inside and Jim following like a lost puppy. He didn't care. All he cared about was getting to Kate.
He took a few running steps over to her and bent to her level. One look into her eyes and his heart shattered all over again. She was literally in pieces on the driveway. He wanted nothing more than to take all of her pain away, but all he could do was gather her into his arms and hold her through it.
It was freezing outside and she was shaking, from the crying or the cold he couldn't tell. He might not be able to do anything about the crying but the cold he could handle.
She tensed as soon as he touched her. It was as if she was a porcupine, trying to protect herself from him and from all the pain of the day. He didn't care and he didn't stop even as she slammed her fists into his chest when he stood up with her in his arms.
Her hits were weak and he didn't even feel them through his coat. He began walking toward the house and she struggled even harder. Flailing in his arms as if he was dragging her to prison, so he turned around and headed for the car.
He opened the door and finagled his way inside so that they were both sitting in the passenger seat. He situated her on his lap and she finally gave over to him and buried her nose into his neck.
He reached up and flipped the keys to start the heat and waited. It was then that he realized she wasn't crying. She was having a panic attack. Her breathing was erratic and she was not in control of herself.
He gently kissed her hair and whispered calm words into her ear. All the while praying to whoever would listen for her pain to be lessened somehow.
Eventually her breathing calmed and he felt her instantly tense against him once again. He pushed away just enough to look onto her face. It was pitiful. Her eyes were broken and sad. Darkened and heavy. She looked like she hadn't slept in three days and her makeup was all over the place. Shock and confusion and complete hopelessness covered her face. He wasn't even sure if she knew where she was or who she was with.
It was then that he realized that her father had left her. He had just lamely followed the detective inside. He didn't even glance back at Kate to see if she was going to follow or if Rick had her taken care of. Anger flared for the man for a moment and then immediately was gone.
He didn't know what it was like to lose a wife or a mother. He didn't understand how any of this was to go. He decided to let it go and not pass judgments. The man was going through a lot and he was sure that he would be there for Kate in the end once the initial shock wore off. He was just glad that he could be here for her in this and that she wasn't all alone.
She was a statue in his arms. She didn't make any moves or show any signs of change in her expression. He was so unsure of what to do. It was as if an instant wall had been erected around her and not even his touch or words could get through it. As much as he knew her and loved her, wow love, and wanted to protect her with his life, he couldn't think of how to fix this or even make it better.
He figured that there really wasn't a way. After an indefinite period of hair stroking and trying to make her relax in his arms he made a decision. It was late and she needed sleep. The next few days were bound to be rough on her, probably the hardest days of her life.
He turned off the car and opened the door again, hoisting her up with an arm around her back and one at the back of her knees. It was an awkward hold seeing as how her arms were in her lap and he was holding all of her weight. He was terrified of dropping her, but she was light, too light probably, and he had a job to do.
He got to the door and lowered her to the ground to open the door, keeping one arm around her for fear that she would be too weak to stand. Once opened he picked her up again and stepped inside.
He had never been inside her house before and had no idea where to go. He wracked his brain looking for a clue in all of the conversations they had ever had. He vaguely remembered something about "upstairs" so he figured that was his best bet.
He closed the door with his back and stepped into the foyer. He looked to the right and found Jim and the detective sitting in the living room. Jim had his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. His shoulders were slumped and he looked as if he were a hundred years old. The detective was asking questions, but Rick couldn't hear if he was getting any responses.
There were a few other cops milling around, when had they gotten here, but other than that the house was silent.
The staircase was on directly to the left and he braced himself for the unassisted climb. It wasn't too hard, but his arms were beginning to ache. As he reached the top he quickly honed in on the door with "Katie" written in wooden block letters across the top. If this were a very different situation he might make a comment about a much smaller Katie decorating her door, but today it did not even cross his mind.
Luckily, the door was already cracked so all he needed to do was bump it a bit and he gained access. Her room was the average teenage girl's. Boy bands and movie posters adorned the walls, a littering of family pictures on a dresser, and a queen sized bed with pillows and a few remaining stuffed animals who he was sure were sacred in some way. The only thing that was unordinary were the overflowing book shelves on the wall beside the bed. It was a smorgasbord of genres and sizes. Again, on any other night he would have taken the time to peruse, but not on this night.
His arms rejoiced as he gently set her down on the bed. She immediately curled in on herself and it was as if something inside her cracked. Sobs wracked her body and the whole bed shook with the force of it. He sat down and took her into his arms again.
This time she made no protests and allowed herself to be held. She gripped his shirt and tried to get as close to him as she possibly could. He even shed a few tears when she cried out in pain. This was quickly becoming the worst night of his life.
He stroked her back and hair alternating between comforting words and silence. He wasn't sure which if any were helping, but at least he felt useful.
After what seemed like a lifetime she quieted and went limp in his arms. She had cried herself to sleep. He shuttered with the thought.
He held her for a bit longer before deciding it was probably time to leave. He hated the thought of leaving her here all alone, but he knew that her father was here with her and what she really needed was family right now. The last thing he wanted was to be in the way. He would come back tomorrow to help with what he could.
He slipped out from under her and settled her back down. He removed her gloves, scarf, and coat, before pulling the covers up and over her. Her makeup was now completely gone and she looked so young in the peace of sleep. He was hoping it would last.
He wrote her out a note. Short and simple telling her to call him tomorrow and sooner if she needed anything at all. It seemed so inadequate, but there was nothing he could do. No amount of words or promises could change what happened.
He wrote another one for Jim saying that he was here for them with whatever they needed. He decided to put it on the small entryway table for him to see when all the officers had left.
He kissed her forehead and smoother her hair from her face.
"I love you, Kate." He knew that she couldn't hear him, and it was just as well. Tonight was not the time for that.
'Soon', he told himself as he stepped away and turned back to catch one last look at her sleeping peacefully.
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Back in his car he cried like a baby. It was so unfair. He cried for her and her mother, neither of them deserving what had happened tonight. He cried because he wanted nothing more in life than to take her pain away. He was blown away by how much he wished he were dead if only so that she would have her mother back.
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He didn't sleep a wink. No matter how many sheep he counted or what position he was in sleep would not come. At 4:30 he finally gave up and got ready for the day. Luckily, it was Saturday so his short list of responsibility was lessened even more for the day.
Before, Kate he wrote or played video games during the day and partied at night. The minute she knocked into him at Starbucks on the way to his publisher meeting all that had changed. Now he played his games while she was in class and spent all the time he could with her or planning to be with her. It was amazing how hard you could fall for a person in such a short amount of time. Of course, he acted nonchalant around her. He didn't want to seem like the clingy or creepy type.
But secretly, he was always looking for ways to make her smile and laugh. Trying to make her day better or easier. He wasn't sure that he succeeded all the time and she just shook her head at most of his efforts, but occasionally he succeeded. Sometimes he would hit the nail right on the head. Like the first time he brought her coffee.
"Is this going to be a regular thing with you? Showing up and annoying me to my next class?" He had laughed at that but she looked pretty serious.
"Well, you mentioned you had Professor Brown at 8:00 so I figured you could use a little caffeine fix after hearing him drag on about the Middle East for forty-five minutes, but if you don't want it then I guess I'll just…" He held the coffee above a trash can, swinging it precariously close over the top.
"Drop it and your dead!" She deadpanned as she reached out for the cup.
He smiled as he allowed her to take it from his hands and bring it to her lips. Her face lit up as the warm liquid touched her lips, though she tried to hide it, she just wasn't quick enough.
She began walking away, book bag slung over her shoulder and coffee in hand. He was genuinely conflicted as to what he should do when she stopped and called over her shoulder.
"You comin', Castle?"
Every day from then on he had brought her coffee or had a cup sent to her dorm if he had a signing or meeting that day. He was coming up in the ranks as a writer and that took a lot of publicity, though mainly from very small magazines. But, his publishers told him that one more best seller would likely be his big break.
He had already made a small fortune with his first two books. Enough to have a very nice apartment and car. It also meant security to spend time writing instead of going out and getting a "big boy job" as his mother would say.
Today was the one day he wished he had more to do. Something to take his mind off of his phone that was not ringing. He sat in his office chair for a good three hours just staring at the phone and that was after he had exhausted all other entertainment and mind busying options.
All he could think about was her. The picture of her alone and shaking on the concrete haunted him every time he closed his eyes. It was just about lunch time when he finally couldn't take it anymore. He decided to get lunch to take to her, and Jim. He needed to see her, touch her, to know that she was okay. Know that she was eating enough and taking care of herself.
He grabbed his wallet and his keys and marched to the door. He swung the door open and stepped out into the hall only to be met with a bruised and battered looking Kate laid out on the floor.
To be continued…
(Most likely a two-shot)