Who Can She Trust?
Chapter Two
AN: Thanks so much for all of the positive feedback for chapter one! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! I'm sorry for the long wait. Note To Self: Don't post a chapter right before leaving on vacation. :/ Updates to come should be more frequent.
"Maybe I should go check on her." Johanna whispered, pulling away from her husband's embrace and walking toward the door.
"No," Jim said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back toward him. He looked into her eyes and say the hurt there; the hurt of just being reunited with your daughter after over a decade only to have her flee the room as if it were on fire. "Let Castle handle it."
Johanna hesitated before nodding. "Is he going to be able to?" She asked.
"He may be the only person able to."
"We haven't talked about them in a while." Johanna said, quietly. "What's happened?"
"They're together, Jo." Jim said with a small smile. "In love."
Johanna couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at the sight of her husband's happiness. "I take it you approve?"
"There's no way I couldn't. Just wait until you see them together."
Kate took deep breaths as her face was buried in the crook of Castle's neck. He still held onto her tightly, although her tears had ceased minutes ago. Castle rubbed his hand slowly up and down her back. "Kate," He whispered.
Kate nodded into his shirt. She knew what he was getting at. She pulled away and looked at him. "I know." She said. "I need to go up there."
Castle slowly nodded as he reached out to wipe the remaining tears that still clung to her skin.
She rolled her eyes with a nervous laugh at his action. "I'm acting…ridiculous, right? I'm a grown woman…crying in the middle of the lobby…"
Castle shook his head. "No, Kate. God, you're handling it better than I would be."
Kate forced a smile at him. "Rick," She said, seriously. "How is this happening? She-she's dead…Dick Coonan killed her…I-" More tears surfacing interrupted her.
Castle pulled her back in for a hug, but before he could get his arms around her she pulled away from him, wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"I need to go back up there." She said.
Castle noticed that she only said 'I'. "Do you want me to wait down-"
"No!" She said quickly. "I-I need…want you up there." She grabbed his arm. "Please."
Castle stared at her. He'd never known her to act like this. To…need him as much as she did in that moment.
Castle nodded. "Of course."
Kate smiled a small, fake smile and leaned up to kiss him quickly on the lips. "Thank you."
Castle nodded as she led him back up to her parents.
Kate slowly reached a shaking hand out to the doorknob, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Castle who gave her a small head nod as reassurance. She nodded back and turned the knob, pushed the door open, and still wasn't prepared for the sight in front of her. Her mother and father sitting hand in hand on the couch, just as they has so many times before.
With Castle behind her she took a small step forward until Johanna looked up and made eye contact with her daughter. Green met green and Kate froze.
Castle noticed her stop and squeezed her hand.
Kate tore her eyes away from her mother and met his.
"You can do this." He whispered.
What exactly she was doing, she didn't know. But she nodded. She pushed the door open and walked inside. Her father quickly stood while her mother remained seated.
Kate looked past her father and caught her Mom's eyes, before grabbing Castle's hand and quickly looking away.
Johanna watched the couple. Jim had told her that Kate was in love with Richard Castle.
"The author?" She had asked. "The one that I read?"
Jim had chuckled over the phone. "Yeah, didn't you read the Nikki Heat series?"
Of course she had. Richard Castle was one of her favorite authors. And the series was based on her Katie. Anything to bring her daughter closer to her when she couldn't be with her.
After reading the Nikki Heat series, Johanna was certain that Richard Castle had feelings for her daughter. Looking at the couple now she had absolutely no doubt that Richard Castle loved her daughter.
But now, she believed her husband when he said that Katie loved him. The way she needed him to help her; the fact that she let him in. She knew that her daughter wasn't the same person as she was over a decade ago, in fact, looking at the gorgeous woman in front of her she found it hard to believe that she was every her sweet little girl.
Johanna took a moment to scan her from head to toe. The last picture Jim had sent her was of the two of them in the cabin after Kate's shooting. Jim and Kate were sitting together on the couch. Jim held the camera away from them. Kate smiled a small smile as her head rested on Jim's shoulder.
The Kate she was looking at now looked better, healthier. She had more color to her cheeks. Her eyes were brighter. She had gained some weight; she didn't look as deathly skinny. Her cheekbones were less prominent and the dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. She looked…happy.
The voice of her husband brought Johanna from her thoughts.
"Katie. Rick. Please sit." Jim all but pleaded, gesturing for the loveseat across from him and Johanna.
Kate nodded and led Castle by the hand to the loveseat. Once seated she released his hand so she could place both of hers in her lap. She stared down at them, avoiding eye contact with her parents.
Castle's eyes drifted from Kate to her parents and then back to her.
Johanna and Jim shared a silent look, not knowing where to begin what they had to say.
"I don't know where to start." Jim said.
Kate's eyes shot up to her father. "How about explaining how the hell she's here." She said.
Castle's eyes widened in surprise, as did her parents. Tears gathered in Johanna's eyes but she quickly blinked them away. Castle noticed Johanna fighting off tears. He didn't know what to think. A part of him wanted Kate to stop and realize that her mother was alive; but another part of him didn't blame Kate. He wanted to grab her hand and pull her back to the loft so they could curl up on the couch and watch movies all day.
"We saw her body, Dad! We went to her funeral…I…how?" She said loudly.
Johanna watched her daughter yell. She didn't blame her. She's thought her mother was dead for over a decade. She's been grieving…and now it's all a lie. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to make things right.
"Katie," She began slowly.
Kate didn't even look at her mother and she stood. "We have to go." She said, walking toward the door. She couldn't do this right now. She wanted to go home with Castle. Where she was happy; where things were normal.
"What?" Castle, Jim, and Johanna said simultaneously. They all stood and followed Kate to the door.
Kate turned and shot Castle a look over her shoulder before looking back at her dad. "We're having dinner with Alexis and Martha later and I need to get things at the store and clean up my apartment."
"It's only 12:30!" Jim said.
"Kate," Castle said, grabbing her elbow as she reached to open the door. "We can cancel. I'm sure they'll understand."
Kate shook his hand away and opened the door. "No, no. Alexis is really busy and who knows when Martha can get away from her school…" She trailed off.
"Really, Kate. It's fine I promise-"
"No!" Kate said, cutting him off. "They never cancel on us. They're always there for us. How long has it been since we've all been together for dinner? I want to have a nice family evening tonight." Kate said, looking up at Castle. "Please, Rick."
Castle looked back at her parents and then back to her. She couldn't do this right now. He knew it. She needed to leave; to think this through; to process it. It would be best for her if they left.
He nodded. Kate walked out of her parents' apartment. Castle turned and looked at the heartbroken expressions of her parents' faces. "I'm sorry…I really am." He said, gently. "She needs time. She's going to need a lot of time."
Jim nodded at Castle.
Johanna reached out and touched Castle's forearm gently. "Just make sure she knows we love her and none of this was to hurt her."
Castle nodded.
A crappy place to end you might say? I had to end it here because the next one will be long.. Review please? I really want to know what you think.
And again. I'm so sorry about the wait.
