Disclaimer- Castle will never be mine and belongs to ABC...I've come to terms...sort of...
A/N- I appreciate so much every person that has reviewed so far! I never realized how important reviews were until I started writing. They have definitely brought a smile to my face. Thank you! Also thanks to everyone who is reading, following or favoriting...You all are seriously the best! Special thanks to Joanna and Jan for their help.
Enjoy!
If You Want the Happy Ending
"Well maybe it is a sign. A sign that ours is a great love story. Cause what's a great love story without obstacles to overcome? Every fairy tale has them. Terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend but you can't give up. That's the deal. We want the happy ending, we can't give up. " - Castle
Chapter 3
An eerie silence almost rang through the loft; a deafening silence, which could be said to be normal in the early morning hour. However only moments before; laughter, happiness and love were all thundering through the space. One man, hell-bent on breaking them, ruined their moment. Even though most in attendance were law enforcement, the cops were called, statements were given and the package was inspected before it was taken into evidence. A lot to process at three in the morning before everyone slowly left Castle and his family to get some rest, but not before the promise of a protective detail outside. Not that it mattered…she knew he could get around that.
She found him in his office, sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. His shoulders slumped forward as his body slightly shook from the silent sobs that were ripping through his chest. To see her husband, her rock, completely and totally torn up from everything that had happened to them in the last month; it was devastating. Running her hand through his hair, Kate placed a supportive hand on his upper back and gently kissed the top of his head.
"Castle, its late… let's go to bed…" A long sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head in protest.
"He ruined it, Kate…" His mumbled, weak voice paused for a minute before he continued, "he took it, Kate. Our happy ending- He made sure we didn't get it…that we'll never get it…" She listened to her husband continue his depressed tirade of their future lost. And wept for his broken spirit. This wasn't him, this wasn't Castle. The man who believed in happy endings, fairy tales, and soul mates…the man who loved Christmas and all things magical.
That man was not sitting here. Sitting in front of her tear filled eyes was the shell of that man, a broken heartbroken little boy.
"It's not ruined. You've got me and I've got you. He's not going to take that away…" She tried to make her voice sound as confident as possible, but the insecurity wasn't lost on her ears, nor was it lost on Castle's. "We're going to be okay." She cradled his face by placing a hand on each side of his head and leaned forward to whisper a kiss onto his lips. "I promise."
"But…" He laced his arm around to set his hand protectively onto her stomach. Sensing his objection and disbelief, Kate shook her head again protesting his pessimistic thoughts.
"I promise…" She kissed him again, held his hand within hers, and led him slowly into their bedroom. Not quite the wedding night that she had imagined…
Blinking her eyes open while clearing the sleep haze that blurred her vision, Kate sat up in bed to find herself alone, again. It had become the norm. Whatever progress he made with Dr. Burke's sessions, were only a faint memory. The new threat from Tyson left him completely regressed in his healing. Two huge steps back. They had been married for one week now. It didn't seem like it though. She had never felt anymore helpless in her entire life. Tyson took her husband, took him and left her with a shadow. She still loved him fiercely, but she also mourned for the man that he was and the man that she knew he could be. Castle postponed their honeymoon to the private island in the Maldives again, canceled their flight for the second time in almost two months, and told her that he couldn't possibly go away with her until Tyson was permanently handled.
Walking out of their room, into his office, he was so focused on the computer screen that he didn't even hear her approach. If he was finally writing again, that was a good sign. Maybe things weren't as bleak as she thought. He hadn't written a single word since he had been home, but having this outlet could definitely improve things.
"So what is Nikki up to today?" She asked, causing him to jump when she startled him out of his concentration.
"She's not actually up to anything. I'm not writing…I'm finalizing things with the realtor." He said it so matter of fact…like he wasn't just dropping brand new information to her. Realtor?
"Um-real-realtor? What are you finalizing with a realtor?" He looked at her as her shock registered finally.
"Oh..Um…I put the loft on the market…"
"YOU WHAT? You are selling our home…a week after we got married and you didn't think that would be something you should run by me?" His eyes widen when he realized how upset she was.
"Kate, it's not safe here. Not for you or Alexis or my Mom and especially not safe for the baby. I'm doing this to protect us." He ran his hand down her arm, trying to comfort her. But this was too much. She flinched away from his touch and stormed into the kitchen with Castle following on her heels.
"You're not protecting us. You're running away. I'm a cop. I don't run away from danger and conflict. I run toward it. I solve the problems. It was my promise to the city when I took the badge…" She was furious with him. They should be on their honeymoon, but instead they were fighting. Fighting about the fact that her husband went behind her back and made a major life choice without her; this wasn't how things should be. "I don't want to raise our child someplace else. This is our home." She looked at him and saw the pain in his expression. He hadn't meant to hurt her.
"Look, Kate. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do. This is a secure building but it doesn't matter the amount of security we have here, he keeps finding a way around it…" He paused and dropped his head and repeated, "I don't know what else to do."
"We find him. We make him pay for what he did to us, but we don't let him do this…we don't let him make us run away." Beckett ran both of her hands up and down his arms before she pulled him into an embrace. "I love you. Please don't let him ruin our lives while you're still in my arms. Don't let him win."
"I won't let him win…" He looked down at her and gave a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I love you, too. The last thing I want to do is fight with you…maybe I should call Dr. Burke and see if he is available for a session." She returned his smile, turning her head slightly to place a kiss on his neck and nodded.
"I think that sounds like a great idea, Castle. Also, you may want to call the realtor back…" She gave him a look to show him how serious she was. They weren't going anywhere. Tyson would be taken care of; she would make sure of it.
The most recent body drop was just a simple GSW to the chest. Nothing crazy or Beckett flavored to the murder at all, so by the time Castle called her to see how the day was going; they were already close to a confession. The boyfriend; Esposito was about to break him in interrogation. Castle called to see how she was feeling and to let her know that his session with Dr. Burke went well. Unfortunately, she didn't hold much faith in a single session anymore. One session wasn't going to fix everything; she wasn't naïve. He needed time and Tyson behind bars or buried beneath six feet of bug infested soil.
"Do you need me to come in? Can I bring you coffee or lunch?"
"No. It's okay. Like I said, the case is pretty much closed so I should be home early for dinner. Just get some rest or maybe try to write? I know Gina's understanding of the situation will only last for so long…"
"Yeah, you're probably right," he chuckled through the phone. "Is there anything particular that you or the baby are craving for dinner?" She could hear his smile through the phone and that made her smile in return.
"Not really. Surprise me?"
"It'll be amazing!"
"Always is. Love you."
"Love you, too." She hung up the phone with a happy sigh. The little glimmers of the man he was poked through every so often. She knew he was still there, but the mental torment that Tyson had put them through…it was affecting him far more then she'd ever imagine.
"Hey girl. What are you doing down here? I didn't think one of these stiffs belonged to any of your cases…" Lanie looked at her friend, genuinely surprised. Kate smiled and walked a little closer while looking at her hands.
"No… not case related. Just needed to talk…"
"Okay…what's the problem?" The floodgates slowly started to open. She had been holding everything back…kept everything in. But…
"I just don't know what to do, Lanie." She had tried her best to be strong for Castle, but the truth was…she was struggling herself. "What if I'm not enough…"
"Not enough for what?"
"For him…to help him. What if I'm not enough? He's struggling, Lanie. His mood has been a continuous roller coaster ride since he's been back and I don't know if what I'm saying or doing is helping….I'm used to being the broken one and he's the constant. What if I can't be the constant for him? What if Tyson really did break him…break us?" Her rambling turned near hysterical pretty quickly. All the anxieties…all the worries she hadn't allowed herself to voice out loud; the fear fell out of her mouth in one massive ramble.
"First off…I'm gonna smack you. Second off, Kate, Castle has been crazy about you since day one. He knows you, as well as you know him. He's not expecting you to be a shrink. He just needs you to be there. Show up every day and love him. The way you always have and the way that you promised each other that you always will. That will be enough…" Lanie gave her a reassuring smile, but it didn't break through her hesitation. Her fear…
"I don't know…I still feel like I'm messing this up. And the hormones aren't helping." She sighed and rubbed her hand against her stomach. Their little person deserved so much more than what they had become. The wedding was a dream; it was magic and then it wasn't. Tainted by the nightmare…
"Honey, you have every right to be upset about things. That psycho has been messing with your lives, but at the end of the day you still have each other and you're having a baby together. You both still love one another…"
"Of course…that's never been a question." Her love for Castle was the only thing she knew for certain anymore.
"Then right now, let that carry you through it. Have you talked to Dr. Burke yourself lately?" She shook her head and avoided looking in Lanie's direction.
"No, I've just been worried about Castle…" Her friend laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a supportive smile.
"Well then this is me worrying about you. See Dr. Burke…talk to him. You need to take care of you and that baby or you won't be able to take of that man of yours..."
"I will. I promise…" Her train of thought was interrupted by her phone ringing. "Sorry, Lane. Looks like the boys closed the case…I've gotta take this…" Lanie motioned to her friend that she was okay, as Kate smiled and answered the phone. "Beckett…"
"Hey Beckett, its Esposito. We've got something…"
"On the case? I thought you were getting the confession in interrogation…"
"No…no…not that case. Yeah we got that confession…just paperwork left. We got something on your case…on Tyson…" She didn't even let him finish his thought before she was rushing out of the Morgue and toward the Homicide floor.
TBC
Thoughts?
