Let me start off with this. I'm so sorry! This update has taken forever. Normally i'm not this bad, but I graduate high school in a few days and college and grades have been hanging over my head, so the last thing on my list has been computer time.
Anyhow, this chapter is OOC, and could be considered a slight trigger warning, but it isn't bad.
Both had many thoughts running through their minds.
What if she doesn't love me?
When if he still thinks that I'm a liar?
What if she still hates me?
What is he still hates me?
What if she doesn't believe I love her?
What if he doesn't love me?
"So… How's Alexis?"
"Good. She's at school now. Decided to go to NYU to study law."
Late smiled, her hand fumbling in the pocket of her sweatshirt. "That's good. That'll be good for her. She's a smart girl. Does she like it?"
"Yeah" he nodded. "She enjoys it."
They fell into silence once again, walking through the park to the swing set they had met at after she had been shot.
"So how about you? How's life been?" she asked, sitting down softly on one of the open swings.
"Not bad" he shrugged. "Did you ever go see the Nikki Heat movie?"
She shook her head, staring down at the green grass under her feet. "Nope. I never got a chance to. You know, with work and all."
"Oh" he sighed. "I didn't know because Espo, Ryan, and the girls were all at the premiere. I didn't see you there though."
"Shit" he thought to himself. "Shouldn't have brought that up."
Kate sighed and turned her swing some, looking at him. "Look, Castle, I didn't go to the premiere, okay? I couldn't. I couldn't be around people who just constantly asked about us. Everyone was up my ass about it, and I couldn't be around more people than I already had to deal with. I'm sorry" she retaliated quickly. Her face turned a bright crimson as she turned the swing back away from him. "I- I didn't mean it like that."
Rick turned to her, hurt obvious in his eyes. "Then how did you mean it?"
They both knew it meant more than how it seemed.
"I- Y- you don't get to pinpoint all of this on me Castle. You left. I tried, and I fought, and you walked out." Her bottom lip began trembling and tears pooled in her eyes. "All I wanted was you. Even if you banished me to friend zone for the rest of our lives because of how I had acted, I would have done it. I… Not having you in my life is… Why did you leave?"
"Why did I leave? You're really asking me this?"
"You lied to me too! Do you not remember that? You investigated my mother's case for a full year without telling me anything! What if I hadn't stopped searching, Castle? I could have gotten killed! Yeah, I know, I lied to you. But you held my life in your hands, and then you just go and walk away from everything!"
"I'm not going to sit here and let you throw this shit at me. I got hurt too Kate. Do you realize that? I can't sit here and let you yell at me when all I tried to do was help you."
"Well that's what I was doing!" she yelled, her head falling into her hands. Tears started to escape from her eyes and she sucked in a deep breath.
His heart lightened as he saw her cry. It wasn't his goal to make her cry. Hell, he hadn't the slightest inclination that he would ever see her again the day he walked out. "Kate" he whispered, laying his hand gently on her back. "Please don't cry."
"H-how am I supposed to not cry when I ruined everything?"
"You didn't ruin anything."
She shook her head and wiped the escaping tears, her hands trembling against her legs.
"Hey" he whispered, kneeling down on the grass in front of her. "Look at me."
"I'm mad at you."
"Is that why you're crying?"
"Yes… No… I don't know Castle, I'm just upset, okay!"
"Hey" he said as he ran his fingertips over her cheek. "Look, I'm upset too Kate. We both have reasons to be angry at one another. But w-"
The ringing of his phone cut him off. Though he would usually ignore it at a time like this, it was Alexis' new ringtone.
"Hold on" he whispered, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Hey kid, it rea… Alexis, why are you crying? What's wrong?"
Kate's head shot up and she looked at him. "Is she okay? Rick, what happened?"
"Hold on" he said to Kate. "No, Alexis, not you. You continue. What do you mean he tried to? Oh? Oh that son of a bitch. I'll kill him… Yes, I can kill him. I'll kill anyone who lays a hand on you."
Kate's face fell as she shook her head. "Rick, is she okay?"
"Alexis, honey, where are you? Okay, I'll be right there. Just sit tight, okay? I love you."
He hung up the phone and stood quickly, his hands shaking frantically.
"Castle… Rick, what's wrong?" Kate asked quickly, standing up the moment he did.
"Alexis is at college. Her boy- he… A… Kate, he tried to hurt her."
Rick was shaking, his eyes were wide with incredible anger, and he had a look in his eyes that Kate had only ever seen when she was in serious trouble.
"Rick, come on. Let's go get her." Kate collected his hands into hers and pulled him through the park toward her car. She forced him into the passenger seat, flicked her police lights on, and started driving. "Where is she?"
"Colombia" he said quietly. It was the only thing he said on the drive there.
She pulled up out front and hit the sirens, pulling her badge out of the glove compartment.
"What are you doing?" he asked, stepping out of the car.
"Castle, you aren't going in there alone. What happened between us happened, but I still love you and your daughter more than anything in this world, and if someone hurt her, then I'm going to hurt them."
"You- I- what?" he asked, stumbling along behind her as they ran into Alexis' dorm.
"I said I'm going to find the bastard and hurt him. You're in shock. Where is her room?"
"3rd floor, room 12."
She nodded and bolted up the steps with him following closely behind her. They made it to Alexis' room, where the door was ajar, and Alexis could be heard crying inside.
Before Kate could stop him, Rick burst through the door and pulled his daughter into a tight hug.
"Dad" she choked out, crying into his shirt and she clung to him, fear struck through her eyes.
"It's okay kiddo, I'm right here." As he soothed his crying daughter, Kate walked around the room and looked at the pictures lining the desks. She saw the normal pictures, Alexis with her friends, some of her and Rick, but the one that stood out and surprised her the most was a picture of the two of them. It had been taken some time ago while Alexis was working at the morgue with Lanie… Before everything went downhill.
Alexis looked up from Rick's shoulder and her eyes fell directly on Kate. "K-Kate. W-what are you… Were you two? Oh my god you're here" she exclaimed, practically throwing herself into the older woman's arms before breaking down again.
Kate wrapped her arms around Alexis' waist and held her close, comforting the frightened teen. "You're alright Lex. But sweetie, you need to tell me what he looked like."
She shook her head against Kate's shoulder. "It- It's fine. He w-won't come back."
"I need to make sure of that. What is his name Alexis?"
"Terrence."
Kate pressed a kiss to Alexis temple and shot a look at Rick, who walked over and claimed his daughter back into his arms.
"Thank you" he whispered to Kate as she hid her badge under her shirt.
She shook her head and smiled at him. "I'll be back soon."
Reviews please? I was asked to bring in the Alexis/Kate storyline, and this is my logical way of doing things.
