It's About More than Trust: Chapter 1

She looked at him with a mix of shock and anger. How could he go against her wishes? She felt as though she was sucker punched. He opened her Mom's file after she said to do so would mean they were through. What could make him hurt her like this? She was just beginning to allow herself to let her guard down with him; to have fun again. Then he told her. She didn't even hear him anymore. Her mind was moving quickly, "leave, and get out of here before he sees you go to pieces." She turns to leave and feels his arm pull her back. "Kate, no, please listen to me. I already sought out a friend's advice on the autopsy when you said to drop it. I was going to just stop things until I could talk to you about this, but he called with information, Kate. Did you hear me? He had new information!" All she heard was herself scream, "No! I meant it when I said that Castle, I can't go back there."

Rick Castle knew he had to say something in the next few seconds that would give him more time, make her reconsider. He begins, "Kate, I trust you with my family, my mother and my daughter. They are my life and what keeps me grounded. I can't imagine anyone taking either of them away from me. I want to help you, Kate. Trust me with your family. Trust me enough to work with me. You would work around the clock until you solved the case if it were for anyone else. Tell me, Kate, would you give up and put it away if it were my Mother? If you knew something new that could help solve my mother's case, would you just walk away? You know the answer Kate. You know you would work tirelessly until you had a clue or a lead that you could work. How can I walk away?"

She looks at him for a long time saying nothing. He whispers, "Trust me Kate. I care about this and I care about you." She nods and walks away.

His chance was gone and so was Kate. He felt lost like someone picked him and placed him in the middle of a dark forest with no way out. He didn't know how long he stood there watching where she went when she walked away, but it felt like forever. He went home knowing Martha would be waiting up to hear how things went with Kate.

Kate entered her apartment and quickly closed the door behind her as if someone might run after her. He didn't. He let her walk out. He is right about trust she thought. "Will I ever be able to trust again?" With trust comes hurt she thought. She trusted that her parents had a solid marriage. That was proven wrong early in her investigation. She trusted that all her mother ever needed was her father and her. She found out differently. She found out that the one person who she thought loved them unconditionally, had a secret life, a life without her or her father. She trusted that her boyfriend Will loved her and she began to think they could be together forever, and then he chose his job and left her reeling as he quickly moved to Boston, MA. She trusted that her job was all that she might ever need to be happy again, and then he came into her life and proved her wrong. He showed her what was missing in her life and now she was having trouble thinking she may never have that fun and childlike happiness again. She would give this some time and see how she felt in the morning.

She was waiting just like he knew she would be when he opened the door. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes." Martha spoke.

"Thanks Mother, good that your life coaching skills are kicking in here", he quipped.

"I call em' how I see em'," she answers. "Is everything all right, Richard?"

"No, mother and I don't think they ever will be again" he says dejectedly.

"I take it she took it badly, huh?"

"That is an understatement, mother. She'll never forgive me, I just know it. We're through, and I can't blame her actually. I'm an idiot."

"Maybe so, kiddo, but a well intentioned idiot."

"Well, at least now that we've had this little chat, I feel so much better, Mother."

Alexis enters. She has been listening to the conversation as she came down the steps.

"Is this about the autopsy results for Det. Beckett's mother, Dad?"

"Yeah, I told her that I had new information, and she told me to take a hike!"

"Take a hike? That doesn't sound like Det. Beckett at all, Dad. Did she really say that?"

"Not in so many words, Alexis, but I knew she thought them."

"Geeze Dad, haven't you learned not to put words in her mouth? You always underestimate her, know that?"

"I don't underestimate Kate Beckett."

"Sure you do, Dad. She isn't fragile. She is independent and driven and any news you give her is not going to break her. Sure it may shock her and cause her pause. But Kate Beckett will get her second wind with the information and she'll be ready to tackle her Mom's case. You better be ready, that's all I have to say!"

Castle leans in to kiss Alexis. He wraps his arms around her and says to all standing in his kitchen, "Now you, kitten should be the life coach." Martha glares at him and says, "Yeah yeah, well you never did pay for the year package anyway!"

Castle responds, "I pay everyday, Mother. I pay everyday!"

Kate is readying for bed. She opens the dresser top drawer to place her gun, watch and necklace in their safe place. She sees her mother's picture. She slowly touches it and the tears begin to fall. "I promise Mother….I will."

(To be continued)