Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, which is probably a good thing because even though I love the show, I could never write mysteries well enough. This is yet another short scene continuation of the original story 'Swept Away,' but falls under the angst of the next portion of this tale 'Deal with the Devil.'. Sorry for the dark turn, I originally had a much brighter continuation idea but I felt this is a little more true to the show, and has more conflict which though hard to read is storytelling at its most basic.
The first rays of dawn tried to fight their way through the thick grey clouds blanketing the sky, threatening rain. The sound of rustling keys releasing the locks of the front door, echoed into the quiet of the open space, of Castle's loft, followed the slow rhythmic steps of two people trying their best not make a sound louder than whisper, and the light click of a door closing just as softly. Kate took in her surroundings, allowing the familiar sense of warm welcome to wash over her, and mix with new feelings of love finally expressed. She turned her attentions to Castle, and gave a small smile as she watched him continue up the stairs to his own room already shrugging off his wrinkled dress shirt; in that instant, in that image, it all fell into place and what was once a blurred vision became a clear picture, of a future spent right here.
She shifted her gaze away, and allowed it to room over the interior in a new light, as she slowly made her way towards his writing space, letting herself indulge in the small fancies of the mind. She could picture herself walking this very same path, on some morning such as this, heading for the same destination. Entering into Castle's work area, Kate rounded the desk and came to rest leaning over the top of the desk chair. The images in her mind's eye continued their slow dance, bringing a contented smile to her features, as she saw herself wrapping her arms around Rick's neck, as he sat his desk, and drawing her face close to his, watching him type away on some new story. Kate swept her eyes over the desk, noting the piles of checked and un-checked chapters next to the closed laptop, the several stacks of reference books, the pens and pencils and the many small notebooks filled with ideas. Listening for the distant sound of the shower, Kate bit her lip mischievously, and reached for the nearest chapter on the desk. I know curiosity can kill the cat, but—
The shower water cut off.
The sudden silence caused her to jolt.
The top half of the stack went flying to the floor.
Kate quickly bent down and began gathering the loose sheets of paper, returning them as neatly as possible to their original position. Piece by piece the pile of papers on the floor disappeared until only a small handful remained. Chancing a glance over the desk, she bent down for a final time, pushing the loose paper into a messy group, and raised up placing one hand on the edge of the desk for support. A small letter slipped loose from the center of the stack and glided to the wall behind her. Placing the stack in her hand rather hotly down, she turned and reached for the piece of paper, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
She halted, as she recognized Roy's handwriting. Felt a knot tighten in her stomach as her eyes barely grazed the first words. Instinct forced her to reach out tentatively for the paper with one hand, as if just touching it would burn her skin away. Nausea pushed its way forward, as shocked eyes continued to read what she wished she wasn't. Reaching out blindly for the arm of the desk chair, behind her, Kate finally pulled her way into a sitting position. Tears threatened to break free, as old memories surfaced with new wounds. The first line echoed in her head like a single drum beat: Do not let Kate have this under any circumstance, do what you can with it, and keep her safe.
"So are you ready to play some mind games on—
She had barely heard the footsteps, approaching. Kate raised her head to look up at Castle standing at the cusp between the office and living room, his own hands frozen on the last button at his collar, his features between silent horror and deep anguish. Her own she could only guess read in some similar fashion, as the feeling seemed to have left every part of her frame. She lowered the document down on top of the desk, trying her hardest to put life into the questions at the edge of her tongue. Un-able to take a solid breath, she placed both palms on the desk, and raised herself up. Her mind blank, she searched about her trying to find something, anything, nothing, in a blind stupor. Almost on a will of its own, she found herself moving out from behind the desk, and passed Castle, his "Kate, I can explain," heard from a distance, but still loud enough to draw out the second emotion hiding behind the first. She bit back the fire wanting to rage forward, if only to keep from waking the rest of the household.
Reaching the door, Kate fumbled to turn the handle to leave. The second the door closed behind her, the tears spilled out, leaving her stumbling down the hallway in a blurred haze. She could almost hear the haunting sound of her own heart being crushed beneath her flying feet, as it shattered and dropped from her chest. Gone were the images of calm serenity, of small ownership. She knew there would be fights, those were inevitable, but she could not have imagined this. Not this, not now, not this, not now, not this, now…
Author's note: I hope this scene came out okay. I had an idea of what would happen; I just didn't know how it would play out, so I don't know if everything reads true. It only gets worse from here, at least that is how I see it in my head, though whether it comes out that way only time will tell. Thanks, for sticking with me