This prompt was given to me by a friend.
Kate gets pregnant on the night of the anniversary. Realizing that she will never be safe, she goes on the run. Leaving behind Castle and the rest of her family.
Positive. Looking down at the thin stick that she held in her right hand, Kate wondered how the hell she had gotten to this point in her life.
She was married, but living apart from the man that she loved. In fear of his life, but missing him so badly. So badly, that she had given into his request that they spend the night of the anniversary together. In a moment of weakness, she had allowed him to make love to her. More than once in fact.
Looking down at the test, she knew that there was only one thing that she could do. She had to run. Far away from New York and the man whose life she held so dear.
She opened the map of the United States and closed her eyes. She let her hands circle around a few times and she dropped her finger down hard. She smiled and nodded. It seemed as if she was headed to the Southern part of the United States.
Kate wouldn't fly. No she couldn't risk someone tracking her. She would draw out as much money as she could from her joint account with Castle and then she would buy a cheap car and drive to her destination. Somewhere that she could start a new life and maybe one day she could beg for Castle's forgiveness. She knew that she didn't deserve it, but she would ask for it.
Soon, Kate was on her way to Alabama. To start a new life for her and her baby. A life that didn't include the man that she loved with all of her heart.
Writing him a goodbye letter, she told him how much she loved him and asked him to understand why she had to leave. She didn't tell him about their baby or where she was going. She simply put the letter in the mail and headed off to start her new life.
The minute that Castle was done reading the letter, he hurried to the precinct and was surprised to find that there was a man sitting in the Captain's office. He looked at Ryan and Espo and asked, "Where is she?"
Ryan only looked at him, "She's gone. She submitted her resignation to One PP early this morning. We came in to find that we had a new Captain."
Espo asked, "What did you do to her Castle? What did you say?"
Castle held up his hands and told them, "I didn't do anything. I swear. I thought everything was going great. We were starting to reconnect. She was even talking about coming home for good. Are you sure that you don't know where she is?"
Ryan and Espo both shook their heads and Ryan said, "No. We are just as surprised as you are Castle. When we saw her yesterday she didn't say anything about leaving."
Castle sighed softly and shook his head as he left the precinct. He swore that he would never stop looking for his wife.
One Week Later
Kate settled into her new home in Alabama shortly after arriving. She found a small house to rent and she managed to stay off of the radar. She only went out to buy groceries and then came home. She kept to herself and had minimal contact with anyone.
She knew that her plan was working because no one had come after her and her life was very quiet. Her only wish was that Castle was there with her.
Castle hadn't given up trying to find his wife. He had used every resource as a PI to try and find her. To no avail. He hadn't gotten any closer to find his wife than he had when he started. He missed her so badly and just wanted her back with him.
He wasn't sure why she had run, but he would always be waiting for her to come back. He would be there with waiting arms. What he couldn't have known was that she had a secret she was hiding. A secret that could threaten to tear them apart for good.
Four Months Later
Waking up, Kate realized that she wasn't in the bedroom of her house. She had gotten a good deal and had managed to pay for it with the money she had taken from her joint account with Castle.
Feeling her stomach, Kate felt the baby move and she smiled. Then, she opened her eyes and she realized that she was in the hospital. She turned her head and saw a sight that chilled her to the bone. Her husband was sitting in the chair beside her bed.
Damn. What in the hell was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to have been able to find her. She had made sure to stay off of the radar. Apparently she hadn't done a good enough job. Because he was sitting in the room with her. He looked to have aged years. She could see a few grey hairs on his head. Hairs that hadn't been there a few months ago.
When she saw Castle's eyes open, she turned away from him. The last memory she had was of being at her doctor's office. Then she woke up here.
Kate whispered to no one in particular, "What are you doing here Rick?"
"I should be asking you that Katherine?"
Katherine? Fuck. If he was calling her that, then he was really mad at her. She knew that he had every reason to be. She was six months pregnant with his baby and she hadn't told him.
"I'm so sorry Rick. I…"
"You're sorry? You're sorry? Do you even know how inadequate that word is? I get a call from a doctor here in this very hospital. Telling me that my wife has been admitted to the hospital. I fly down here. Still not knowing that my wife is carrying my baby. A baby that she didn't even bother to tell me that she was having."
Kate felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. A small part of her knew that this day was coming. She knew that he would find out eventually. Find out about the baby. Then all of her secrets would come tumbling down.
Kate turned to him and took his hand. She placed it on her stomach and whispered, "This is your son Castle. I…."
Kate's eyes rolled back in her head and alarms started going off in her room. Nurses filled her hospital room and Castle found himself being pushed out of the room. Left to wonder what was happening to his wife and unborn baby. Wondering if he was going to lose her again so soon after finding her.