Disclaimer: Not Mine.

AN: I wanted to see something similar to this, where Martha sees the pain Castle is in, and she tried to comfort him. I wrote this before 8x03, but I might have a follow up with Beckett's side after 8x03. Let me know if you guys are interested in that.

Please excuse any errors. Enjoy!

Martha walked hesitantly toward her son's study for the tenth time that afternoon.

Each time she was poised at knocking she would retreat her fisted hand back to her side and sigh. It had been years since she had seen her son so out of reach.

It ate at her to see him so heartbroken. To feel the life in his eyes and the smile on his face diminish with every solitary hour that passed.

Disconsolately she walked away from his door and back towards the kitchen. Her rather generously-filled wine glass called her name.

On the eleventh time, her heart would no longer allow her to walk away. Her history with his father allowed her to relate to the pain she was sure her son now felt.

Without knocking, she quietly twisted the knob in her hand to gain entry.

The space was dark and devoid of life. The usual light-hearted conversations that inhabited the room were gone, absorbed into the walls. Martha flinched the tiniest bit at the realization. Her mind's eye playing for her the last time she witnessed how alive Richard was. Katherine argued playfully with him over one of his outlandish theories, and he loved every second of it. She could see it in his eyes, and hear it in his voice.

"Kiddos?" Martha walked through the door to witness the exchange.

"Beck, he was killed by gnomes!" His eyes gleamed with victory.

"No." Beckett shook her head without looking up at him from her tablet. "He was not killed by gnomes, babe."

"It makes sense!" He stood from his seat behind his desk and approached her spot on the love seat. "The camera is set too high for it to capture any intruders under three feet tall." He paused to snap his fingers excitedly. "OH, oh, it's the invisible suits again!"

Beckett finally looked up to look at his childish grin. "Castle, it was not the invisible man. The suits were taken and placed under constant surveillance. And it was definitely not gnomes." She smiled at him.

"Come on Beckett, think about it…gnomes! They're like two feet tall, if that, and they protect treasure! If they sensed someone was breaking in to their master's stash, they came up out of the earth and collaborated on the world's most elaborate murder scheme. The perfect murder." He flashed her a puppy look.

Beckett chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "Really Castle? That's your story? Wow." She shook her head playfully at him.

"What? That's one of my best ones!" He finally acknowledged with a pout on his face.

"It was…a great STORY." She emphasized for finality.

Castle leaned down to kiss his wife with a smile. "It was gnomes." He was about to move in for one more peck when he was interrupted.

Martha cleared her throat. "If you two have some time to spare, how about we go out for dinner tonight?" She smiled as they bumped noses to turn and face her. Each with a small smile on their face.

Sadly she brought herself out of the vision to walk towards the heavy curtains that darkened the space.

The sun exposed the her son's current state, and she did not fight the sigh that escaped her.

Richard slept, uncomfortably so, with his head next to the laptop that sat open and ignored on his desk.

His phone was tightly held in one of his hands. Clinging to it like a lifeline.

She traipsed over to his sleeping form. "Richard?" Softly she touched his shoulder and hoped he would not panic at the intrusion. "Darling, would you please come out to have an early dinner with Alexis and me?"

The silence in the seconds that ticked by almost had her walking back out to leave him to himself. Eventually, his small groan forced her to stay put. "I'm not too hungry, mother." Richard spoke into his arm as it sheltered his face from the sunlight.

Martha nodded, knowing that she would get such a response from him. "I can bring you back something." She suggested.

He shook his head slowly into his arm. "I'll be alright." His voice was soft, but it was heavily laced with sadness.

She stood there, as moral support, for a few minutes. Unsure about whether she should begin her attempts at drawing him out or not. She chose the former.

"Has she called?" Was the simplest way to dive into it.

Richard turned one of his hands over to look hurriedly at his phone. He looked up dismally at Martha. "No." Her heart broke a little at seeing his reddened eyes.

Another rub on his shoulders made him smile sadly up at her. "I trust Katherine really is doing this because she feels she has to."

Richard shook his head firmly before sitting back fully into his leather chair. "No. There is no right reason for walking out on this marriage." He looked at his phone again.

"You don't believe that." She countered him.

"I believe she believes there is a justifiable reason." He closed his eyes before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I don't agree with her. Whatever the reason may be. I'm her husband. She's my wife. We agreed to go through life as partners…always." He dropped his hands into his lap as he sighed. "This doesn't feel like always."

"Surely she feels this was her only choice. I'm sure she's in the same pain you are." She paused. "Richard, Katherine would never walk away from you unless something or someone was forcing her to." She stated almost in revelation.

Richard looked up at his mother with wide eyes. "She never… she didn't say. I mean I have my suspicions." But just as soon as his face lit up, the light darkened once more. Replaced by the rawness of his heartache and anger. He shook his head again. "I need to know if I did something wrong…so I can fix it. And I don't need protecting."

"Richard…" Martha attempted to rebut, but he chimed in forcefully.

"I know I'm not a cop. I know I'm not skilled like she is. I know I'm just a writer. But I know I'm a man with resources…more than that I'm a man who would do everything in his power to protect his family." Richard stood, his chair crashing with the adorned table behind him. A picture frame teetered on the edge before gravity finished it off. Martha jumped a bit at the combined unusual outburst and sound of glass.

His eyes softened with sadness when he realized what photo had fallen. A moment captured so long ago. Before they both gave in to the feelings that consumed their hearts. Before they dove in whole-heartedly into their relationship. A fleeting moment of happiness, forever saved by Ryan outside of Remy's after a victory dinner.

Richard's heart fluttered at the memory. The way he had held out his arm for her to snuggle in close to him. How she willingly stepped into his space and smiled up at him before facing Ryan's phone. He had wanted to kiss her so badly that day- a few days after she had saved them from the hostage situation at the bank. Four or so years ago.

Four years ago.

Seemed like an eternity ago.

Especially now.

Carefully he walked over to retrieve it. His fingertips slowly traced the outline of her face.

Martha shook her head at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, darling. I know how it feels to hurt like this." She smiled sadly. "But luckily for you, Katherine will come back. I know she will."

Richard sighed heavily before he nodded. "I hope so, mother. I really do." He returned his gaze to the frame in his grip. "I just wish she would trust me enough to include me in whatever she is feeling. We can work anything out together."

Martha nodded at her son. "She will come around, honey."

Richard turned to face the window that opened up to the city below them while Martha smiled to herself.