The beginning of the end….
Her world was coming to a screeching halt. This cannot be happening now just as she thought the standoff would be over and now this. She drew her gun and headed into the bank to search for any signs of life. The SWAT teams were alongside of her she called out his name "Castle" It now became clear to her that she needed to find him "Castle" She called again, but still no reply. Moving towards the vault she noticed that the wall opposite the counting room had a huge hole blown through it. Then she made the gruesome discovery. There were bodies strewn all over the small room. Most not moving, some with missing limbs and a couple of them had a look of dismay on their faces. Beckett called out to the other responding officers and let them know that she found the hostages.
She was making her way over to the collapsed wall and she noticed the look of fear on Simone's face. "Simone have you seen Richard Castle or his mother anywhere?" She was slow to answer but told Kate that they were both opposite her against the wall when the C-4 went off. Simone had a chunk of wall and other debris on her lower legs but Kate thought she would be alright. She turned and was almost struck down by what she was now seeing. There he was Rick Castle lying face down with rubble and debris covering him. If it wasn't her knowing what he was wearing that day when she got Sal Martino earlier she would have not given that body a second look. Then she noticed a smaller figure not too far away from him their hands holding each others lovingly. It was Martha. Quickly Kate moved to both of them Kate reached Maratha's arm first and felt for a pulse. She has to have a pulse…she has to….Kate felt her pulse this was a relief. After looking her over she looked to have a compound fracture of her femur, numerous cuts and bruises and second degree burns over 30 % of her back nothing that life threatening. Martha lets out a soft moan and rapidly blinks her eyes at Kate, she tries to speak but the words never leave her throat. Kate tells her that the medics are nearby and that she needs to see about Rick's condition. Martha grabs Kate's hand and stops her from moving over to him, "Kate darling" she says after finding her voice "there's no need to go over to him he is feeling no pain" Kate does not understand her meaning but moves over to him anyway. She uncovers a lot of rubble to expose most of his body grabs hold of his wrist and is frantically searching for a pulse. She tries three more locations and can't seem to find anything at all.
For Kate the rest of the recovery is a blur. Paramedics are moving around her getting Martha stable and all she can do is look at his lifeless body on the floor. Tears start to fall and they leave a wet trail on her face. They need to get his body removed from the scene but she will not move, she never told him how she felt about him and her body starts to shake uncontrollably. The paramedics finally get her away from his body long enough to put him into a body bag and place him on a stretcher. Walking slowly with his body holding on to the stretcher mostly for balance Kate and the medics they make their way out of the bank. Just as they get to the lobby doors it hits her….Alexis, oh shit what have I done. Alexis was glad when she saw grams being taken to the hospital now she just needed to see her dad in one piece as well. This sadly would not be the case. Kate was the first to exit the bank and when Alexis saw her she had the biggest smile on her face, now everything would be fine her dad would follow hurt and bruised but still be with them. Kate looked to Alexis and watched her smile fade replaced with fear, then anger. The medics rolled the stretcher almost right past her she ordered them to stop and open the body bag, Kate reached for her arm to keep her from looking but it was already too late. The medic unzipped the top of the bag and then Alexis lost it. Crying uncontrollably she now realized her worst fears had come full circle. Turning towards Kate, she tried to explain what had happened to her father. "Alexis I just wanted to tell- Alexis raised her hand and slapped Kate so hard that she felt it burn immediately "You Bitch, you made a promise to me and you told me that they would be fine" Alexis pointed to the body bag that her father was now in.
"Kate does he look fine?" She screamed at her with the emphasis on "fine"?
Kate was getting bombarded by Alexis like she was a pro she really could not blame her but she needed to understand that she was not to blame, it was the dam bank robbers. Alexis just stared at her father in the bag and when Kate went to console her she spun around and told Kate "What we had between us" her finger pointing at each other "is now over" "I don't ever want to know you exist after I leave here." "I trusted you and now that's all gone. But I just want to let you in on one little secret my father had told me about 2 weeks after you were shot that he had finally came to his senses and made up his mind that he was truly and madly in love with you. He told me that he was waiting for the right moment to tell you, but we both know that it will never happen now. So detective have a great life!" After Alexis left she rethought about the little fact she told Kate, not to be spiteful towards her but she felt she would want to know about it. Now thinking about it she might have made a huge mistake in telling her.
Kate was numb all over so much that she could not move from where she was. Her face still stung from where Alexis had slapped her but her mind was still reeling... Rick was going to tell her that he loved her. She was in shock and could not think straight. She needed to go to the hospital and see Martha to find out if there was anything Castle had said to her before he died. Because of the nature of this case and since Kate was involved in the negations in the bank robbery she had to file a preliminary report of the bank incident. Her visit with Martha would need to wait until tomorrow.
The ME concluded that the cause of death for Richard Castle was blunt force trauma a piece of concrete had acted like a projectile when the explosion occurred. A three foot piece of re-bar sticking out of the concrete ripped through Castles femoral artery on his right leg and along with other bodily damage he went into shock and bled out in about three minutes.
Lanie called Kate to the morgue and wanted to explain to her how Castle left this world knowing she wanted to how Castle died. Kate told her that she needed to keep their visit brief because of what happened with Alexis the other day. She really did not need to deal with a raging redhead again. Kate listened to Lanie as she described to her how Castle had died, by the end of Lanies account she looked over to see Kate with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Lanie "I loved him so much and now how will I make it through my days without him?" Lanie had no way to answer her best friend's question only to tell her that she was so sorry.
Upon reaching the hospital room of Martha Rodgers Kate noticed there was a commotion coming from her room. Coming closer to her room she saw Alexis tucked in the corner of the room she was unable to get around all the doctors in the room and was glad that Alexis could not see her. Moving back away from the doorway Kate listened to everything that was being said. One doctor stated that if her body could not fight off the infection she would not have a chance because her heart was not strong enough to survive something like this. Another doctor agreed and just as he finished his sentence the heart monitor sounded with a steady tone and not the customary beeps.
The room went crazy everyone shouting orders to get her heart beating again. Drugs were administered without really having any effect. A d-fib machine was used, and again after four shocks at different voltages was also no use. All of their efforts were in vain though, after four minutes of trying to resuscitate her, the order was clear everyone stopped what they were doing and the elder doctor reached in for a pulse finding nothing there he announced time of death at 1543.
Kate raised her hand to her mouth and quietly sobbed uncontrollably. Sinking to the floor and wondering how this was happening all over again. Yesterday she thought Martha was doing fine. Her thoughts then went to Alexis, not only now was she an orphan but she had now just probably lost the only mother figure she had in her life. She really could never count on Meredith to fill that bill. The room started to clear out and Kate realized that she should get moving before Alexis caught her in the hospital.
Heading to the elevator she pressed the down button and was in deep thought when she heard her name being called by a familiar voice. "Detective Beckett" she turned to see Alexis walking towards her and tried to make a break for the opening elevator doors. "Wait don't leave yet" Alexis grabbed for Kate's arm and she pulled her back off the elevator. Kate did not know what to expect from Alexis so she raised her hand to her face to ward off any type of slap that she thought was coming her way.
Alexis was totally unprepared for what she witnessed from Kate, but understood why she did what she did. "Kate I will not hurt you and I apologize for my actions and attitude the other day." She looked into the younger woman's eyes and saw that she meant what said. Alexis needed to have the comfort of someone her father loved and decided that that Kate needed it also. She wrapped her arms around Kate's body and hugged her. Kate could not hold it in any longer and started to cry. Her body was shaking so hard she was not sure if it was her or Alexis who was doing the shaking. Neither wanted their embrace to end but something needed to be said.
Kate "I am now all alone and I have no one left" "I don't know what to do now." Kate looked at Alexis a little hurt and thought about what she wanted to say to her. She started with saying "Alexis you will always have me and I love you like you were my own child even though I never gave birth to you". They moved to some seats across from the elevators. "Without them I don't have the drive to do anything anymore". Listening if she was done talking Kate started with "there's still school to go to". Alexis had decided that this was not the wisest path she needed to follow. Actually she had another idea in her mind one that would take a lot of planning and training and honor her father's memory of what he was doing before he died.
"I think that I am going to move in a different direction with my life" and "I will be traveling for quite some time". Kate did not like where this conversation was headed. She did not want to lose the only person that reminded her of Rick. "Are you sure about this" Kate asked? Alexis noticed the worry in Kate's face and tried to reassure her. I have a plan and I need to know if you will support me no matter what I decide to do. She was a little reluctant but agreed to her terms.
With that decided made, now Kate and Alexis had to plan two funerals. Alexis was amazed with the way Kate could get things done with the full support of the NYPD behind her. The funeral went off without a hitch but there were some nervous cops there remembering the last time there were all together in the cemetery. Bag pipes played and the service was presided over by a Catholic priest. When the time came for the people closest to Castle to say something there was no hesitation. Alexis spoke first and spoke from her heart. She will always remember her father and Grandmother no matter what. They were a driving force in her life and had made her want more from life. Turning away from the podium she placed a single white rose on each coffin. Next it was Kate's turn. She got up and faced the podium, and in her mind stumbled over what she wanted to say when she looked out at all the people there. I was in love with Rick Castle. Everyone in attendance could not believe what they had just heard. She continued telling everyone that he was more than her partner he was her savior in more ways than even he could ever imagine. His written word had gotten me though the hardest of times after her mother was murdered. Concluding her final comments she also placed a single red rose on the top of each coffin. The honor guard raised their rifles and shot 21 times, although Castle was not a cop, he had once saved the city from a certain "dirty bomb" thus deserving the salute. The mourners started to filter out of the cemetery and then the service was finished.