I got a shocking amount of notices/favorites/alerts for this, I never thought it would get so much attention, so I really thank you all. Sorry this chapter is short, and more like a second prologue, but the main story will start soon, I just need to set all details right before I do. Thanks a lot again, don't forget to review too!

There was a package on the porch waiting for Beckett when she came back from her run.

Quickly picking it up and glancing at the clock as she made her way into the small cabin, she noted with a frustrated smile that she had lasted for over thirty minutes this time. She used to be able to run for hours without breaking a sweat, but now her new achievements had to be counted in mere minutes, something that the recovering detective had trouble dealing with.

Still, an achievement was an achievement, no matter what it was. Pushing away any negative thoughts out of her head, there was a small smile gracing Beckett's lips as she glanced down at the package, already knowing from whom it was. She brought it with her to her bedroom and left it on the bed while she changed, her movements still cautious but much more quicker than before.

Distracted by the package, Beckett didn't pay attention to her surroundings and she was about to put on a clean t-shirt when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was always so careful about not being in any proximity of any reflecting surface whenever she was undressed, but she had messed up this time.

Kate glared and silently cursed Castle for managing to distract her even if it only was in the form of a box and she sighed as her eyes lingered on her body. Everything was healing fine. Really fine even. That's what the doctors told her anyway when she was in town yesterday for her weekly physical therapy. Still, Beckett frowned at the dark and slightly puffy lines marring her ribcage, where they had to operate in order to save her life, and at the smaller but still present bullet scar.

They were already much better looking but she knew it would likely take several months and even years before they faded into a pale pink and become less apparent. But they'd always be there. They'd always be a painful reminder of what she had almost lost.

Tears pooled in her eyes but she refused to succumb to them and so Kate blinked repeatedly and hastily put her shirt on, the tugging of the scars a welcomed distraction from her restless state. The young woman sat on the bed and rubbed a tired hand over her face and her mind shifted its focus back on the package.

'It came in while you were out. I'll call you later, pumpkin. There's soup left in the fridge. Love you, dad.'

Kate put the note aside and stared at the box a few moments as she tried to guess at what would be in it this time.

The first box had arrived a little over a week after Castle's visit. Kate was having a bad day and was curled up in bed when her father had brought her the box. If she had been annoyed at first, curiosity got the best of her and soon she was going through the box, a stunned grin on her face. DVDs of movies she hadn't seen yet, her favorite cookies and fresh bear claws filled the small package, along with a small piece of paper.

'So you don't go crazy too fast in there. RC'

After that, care packages became a regular thing. She got one almost every week, give or take. Sometimes it would be DVDs, other times it would be books; last package contained one month worth of NY Times' crosswords, an insane assortment of various pens and pencils in many different colors, and too many freshly baked muffins.

This time was no exception, she thought as she brought a decent sized Tupperware container out of the box, and smiled at the sight of the mountain of homemade cookies inside. Beckett promptly opened the lid, grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and shamelessly moaned as she took a big bite. The woman almost choked on it though when she saw the short but very Castle-like post-it note stuck to the back of the lid. 'Small bites, detective. They're all yours so there's no need to hog them all.'

Glaring at the note but nevertheless taking a smaller bite of the cookie, she reached into the box again and pulled out the latest Steve Carrell movie, immediately followed by the Ice Age series. Kate smirked at the post-it taped on the one on top, Castle's writing deliberately child-like.

'You know you love them.'

She did love them, especially Scrat. He sort of reminded her of Castle, with his desperate quest to catch the acorn. Except that in real life, she was the acorn and she kept slipping out of Richard Castle's grip, whether it was consciously or not.

Kate had a lot of free time on her hands ever since that...day, and not a day had passed where she hadn't spent at least several hours pondering and questioning herself for lying to the writer. She still couldn't explain why she couldn't tell Castle the truth, but the worst part was that if she really thought about it, she had serious doubts about the man knowing more than he was letting on.

Still, Castle hadn't been nothing less than a gentleman so far. After his impromptu visit several weeks back, he had stay true to his promise and hadn't come back. Instead he had apparently came up with small, quirky yet surprisingly sweet ways to help her pass the time more quickly and to make sure she couldn't forget about him. As if she could, would ever forget about him.

She loved him. It had taken her a long time to realize it, and an even longer time to accept those feelings. She just hoped she hadn't taken too long to come to terms with how she felt about the man. He said he'd wait, but would he really?

Kate let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed at how her mind was over thinking things again. Castle wouldn't be sending him all of these packages if he didn't care. Or maybe he was sending them because he had met someone, or he got tired of waiting and he tried to buy some time before telling her he had changed his mind.

"Arghh!" This was stupid. Kate knew she was overreacting but she couldn't help it. Maybe she could talk to Lanie, to see what she thought of the whole thing, but as soon as she thought of her friend, Beckett knew it wouldn't be a good idea. She hadn't called the M.E. in weeks and she was doubtful the woman would appreciate being called about only to talk about writer boy.

She needed a distraction. Her father wouldn't be back before a couple of days and the cabin and the quietness of the place really was starting to drive her crazy. She grabbed the first Ice Age DVD and was about to get up when something at the bottom of the box caught her eye. She hadn't noticed it at first but she wondered, as she took the manuscrit out, how she could have missed it. The cover was bright yellow and black, not of the very subtle kind.

Kate cradled Heat Rises in her hands and felt an odd mix of excitement and dread as she stared at it. If she felt a small pang of disappointment at seeing that she wasn't mentioned in the dedication, it was quickly replaced by pride at the words Richard Castle had used to pay homage at Captain Roy Montgomery.

Surprisingly happy to be alone and to have the newest Heat novel in her possession, and smiling appreciatively at the fact that Castle had sent her a copy even though the book wasn't coming out before another few weeks, Beckett grinned and settled comfortably on her bed with it, everything else forgotten.

Question clear in her eyes, Kate flipped absently through the pages as she struggled to not take a peek at the ending. Did Castle used her...accident, or did he decide to go with something else? Curiosity got the best of her and she swiftly looked for the ending, her fingers dancing through the pages of the book. The victory of reaching the end was short lived and Kate scoffed, rolling her eyes at the giant post-it covering the whole page.

'No. This is not how you read a book, whether is it based on you or not. Go back to the beginning. Nuh-uh. Don't even try. Go! Katherine Beckett, go back to the first page.'

Kate burst out laughing and didn't even think of ignoring the note, instead doing what she was told and going back to the beginning. There was one final note there, one that brought a sad smile to the woman's lips.

Thank you. I hope you'll like it, we can talk about it when you get back in town. RC.

Suddenly Kate didn't feel like reading anymore, nor was she hungry. She dropped the cookie in the container and the book in her lap, a pensive frown darkening her features.

She never called him. Not before he came all the way down here to confront her, and not after. She never called and she felt awful for it. Was she really letting the man waste his personal life away to wait for her? He gave her time when she asked, he's always given her time or anything else she might have wanted and never asked anything in return.

She didn't want to wait anymore. She didn't want to be scared about her feelings for the novelist, just like she didn't want to hide the truth from him anymore. Kate knew that the longer she waited to reveal the truth about remembering the shooting, and Castle's love confession, the more she was likely to screw everything up between them.

Kate sighed; she was not meant to go back to work for another week, but she couldn't wait anymore. She had to take care of things.

It was time to face reality and embrace it.

She was going back home.