Based on tumblr prompt from anon: 4x01- What if Castle visited Kate at the cabin. What if she did call him after a few days?.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ABC and the creators of Castle
His heart pounds in his chest as he focuses on the road as he makes his way out to the cabin. He can still hear her voice in his ear when she asked him to come, soft and hesitant as if she was afraid he would say no. But how could he ever say no to her?
He had been so relieved when the phone rang at around 10pm that night and her name was displayed on the screen. It had been a week since she sent him away from the hospital, and he was about to believe that she never would. Of course he understood why she sent him away and even though it hurt, he couldn't be mad at her for it.
So as soon as she asked if he would come, saying that she sent her dad away earlier that morning and that the cabin was lonely, he had thrown his stuff in a bag and headed out the door. She had told him that he could wait until morning but one week was long enough and he wanted, no, needed, to see her as soon as possible. As soon as the bag was packed he was rushing out the door.
He's nervous as he approaches the cabin, not sure how he should react once he sees her. But when he climbs out of the car and he sees her standing in the doorway, hair pulled up and barefoot with a blanket wrapped around her and a soft smile playing on her lips, he can't help but wrap his arms around her and pull her into his chest, her head tucked perfectly under his chin.
She comes willingly and seems to relax into his embrace and its the first time in a week that he feels any semblance of peace. After a few moments, she pulls back and looks up at him with that same soft smile. "Thanks for coming, Castle. I know its late."
"I'll always come for you, Kate." is his immediate response. She ducks her head at that but he can see behind the curtain of hair that the smile is still there.
She quickly shows him to the spare room so he can put his bag down and then he follows her back out to the living room. She moves slowly, shuffling her feet and he can see the way she tries to hide the winces of pain from him. He wants to say something, but he understands her need to be strong and he knows how much it took for her to call him in the first place. So he takes the small victory and lets her be.
They sit down on the small couch and he takes a moment to examine his surroundings. It's a quaint little cabin with wood floors and walls and there is a small fire place directly across from the couch. The shelves are lined with what looks like well-loved books and he can't help but notice how a whole entire row is filled with his own works.
He snaps out of his thoughts as he hears Kate shifting next to him and he glances over to find her curled into the back of the couch with her feel pulled up, eyes studying his face with a look he couldn't quiet read. As much as he wanted to ask how she was doing, he waited to let her speak first. What she said he didn't expect.
"I have something I need tell you."
His eyes flick to hers and they show a certainty to them. For what he isn't sure.
"Okay," he says "I'm all ears."
She pauses for a moment, probably figuring out how she's going to say it.
"Can you promise me you won't be mad?""
He nods slowly. "I promise." He's not sure how he feels about this.
That day in the hospital, the day I sent you away…I lied. I do remember what happened the day I was shot. I remember all of it." she closes her eyes like she's expecting him to react angrily, but it never comes.
And his first reaction is anger. But he quickly tampers it down, waits her out. But, God that hurt. She lied. But he doesn't say anything, simply looks back at her and nods for her to continue.
"I'm so sorry, Castle. I'm so sorry for lying and pushing you away. I was just so disoriented when I woke up and I didn't know how to deal with it. But the second I sent you away I regretted it and I was just too tired to admit it and call you back. But this past week has been hell for meand through it all I realized that there was only one thing that I wanted, one thing that could make this all better - and that was you.
Castle can't help but feel a sense of elation at those last words a newfound joy that had been so absent for the past 7 days.
"So what does that mean, Kate?" he asks and he is filled with such hope he doesn't know if he can contain it.
She meets his eyes then as a wide grin blooms across her face. "It means I love you too."
The kiss that followed was more than anything he could have ever dreamed of.