Surprise! I like you so much that I got you a next chapter within 2 days!

But here is the thing, in September my 2nd year of High School begins and I predict that my updates will be rather sporadic, but I hope you understand! School is important, right?

Thanks for reviews goes to someguyshere and Sandy. Maybe I'm being rude now, but you guys are pretty lazy (excluding this two). C'mon! How long it takes to write one or two words of judgment?

Mampher, like I said lately, you're the best Beta Reader! Good luck with your university and this story of yours! I really want to read it!

Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own Castle... Only in my dreams. Like you don't know that!

CHAPTER 4

"Confessions"

Martha Rodgers and Alexis Castle were sitting at the kitchen counter, deeply engrossed in their Scrabble game, when they heard the front door being opened. The younger woman jumped down off the barstool and rushed to the door.

"Finally! We thought that you two forget 'bout us!" Alexis exclaimed teasingly. Suddenly the girl stopped. Something was wrong. "Dad, where's Kate?"

"Oh… She had something to do, pumpkin. Couldn't make it." Castle answered hoping to be plausibly enough.

"Dad, don't lie to me. Seriously, what happened?" It seemed that his daughter knew him too well to fall for his crap. He sighed and flopped down on the couch. Alexis followed him. "Did you argue?"

"Yeah, you could say that, pumpkin. We decided to give each other some space." The writer said cautiously, not wanting her daughter to know what's really going on.

"What!? Dad… You've just… Kate said before…" Alexis started, but was fast cut off by Martha.

"Darling, let your father rest a bit. It was an exhausting few days for him…" The actress said calmly.

"But Grams! Kate promised… "

"Alexis…"

"Oh… Whatever! But for your information I'm not a child anymore and I can handle the truth!" The girl said as she began climbing the stairs.

Castle buried his face in hands. He wasn't up to any conversations. He felt exhausted and empty. His world torn apart. Again. Then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Mother, I really don't wanna talk right now…"

"Kiddo, sometimes it's better to get this out of the system." The redhead muttered and enveloped her son with her arm, giving him the side hug.

"I told her that we can't be together…" Castle whimpered into his hands.

"Oh Richard… Why in the world did you say that?" Martha wondered. She was shocked. If her son dream't of anything, it would be about being in a relationship with Kate Beckett.

"He's my father! How could I condemn her to be with the son of her mother's murderer?!" Castle implored, trying to keep his voice quiet enough so that Alexis couldn't hear him.

"Don't you dare say that, Richard! That monster was never your father! Do you hear me? Never! He rejected you before you came into this world. It was always you and me, kiddo and let's stick with that." Martha exclaimed fiercely. "I know that I'm not the best mother in the world Richard. You deserve so much more, but that decision was supposedly the best I've ever made…"

"Mother…" Castle started finally raising his head. "You're the best parent I could've ever asked for. I love you and I'm not mad at you for hiding my father's name, but… I just feel guilty."

"Did you tell Kate that?" He nodded. "What did she say?"

"That she doesn't care and can't blame me for what he did… That she loves me…" The writer trembled at the last sentence.

"I felt the same way you do kiddo. But then, this lovely creature came here and told me the same thing. And I believed her, Richard. You should do the same." Martha suggested. "You've waited so long for you end up together, why waste more time?"

"Mother, I can't do this to her. Maybe she doesn't blame me now, but what will happen when she changes her mind?"

"Richard, that's not going to happen, she loves you too much. Besides, even if it does, it doesn't change anything. You'd be able to beat all the odds. You're both stronger when you're together." The actress assured.

"I… I must think 'bout it. I need some time…"

"Don't linger too long, kiddo. You two have already wasted too much time…" The woman said, standing up and headed upstairs.

After a while, Castle affirmed he's not up to doing anything. He was too distracted by his thoughts to write. Sighing, the writer headed towards his bedroom and after taking a long shower got to bed. However, he knew that sleep won't reach him. Not tonight.

..::~::..

At the same time, Kate Beckett stood in front of the very familiar but long time not seen door. She still had tears in her eyes. The thought that Castle would be the one who need a time has never crossed her mind. But she loved him and she was willing to wait for him. Besides, now she had other things on her shoulders. She had to talk to her dad. The woman took a final deep breath and knocked on the door. After a moment the door opened showing surprised Jim Beckett.

"Katie? What are you doing here?" The man asked. He and his daughter have always met at the diner. She rarely came here. The house reminded her of Johanna too much.

"Hi, dad. I'm happy to see you too. Can I come in?" Beckett asked trying to keep herself together.

"Of course." The man answered moving out of the way so his daughter could entered the apartment. "Katie, tell me what happened? Something wrong with that writer of yours?" Kate blushed.

"Rick isn't my writer…" The detective protested, smiling lightly.

"Rick, huh?" He teased receiving a death glare. "Whatever you say… "

"Dad… I need to tell you something." Kate started, not knowing how break the news to her father in the least shocking way. "We should sit." She added, pointing to the couch.

"Katie… You're scaring me…" Jim said after they sat.

"I have no idea how to tell you this, dad. But…" Beckett took a deep breath before revealing the truth. "We found him."

"Found who, Katie?" The man asked with puzzled look.

"The man who had mom's killed…" Kate finally let herself break. The tears begin to fall. "Mom's case is closed, daddy." She sobbed.

"Oh, Katie…" The man gathered her in tight embrace, which caused more tears to spill. "Shhh… It's ok, baby. It's over…" Jim's heart ached for his little girl. He was relieved that they had found his wife's murderer, but he'd reconciled with Johanna's death long time ago. The closed case was only a final closure to him.

After what seemed to be a lifetime, the sobbing stopped. The detective stayed half-laid, cuddling into her father's chest. It felt good to have the comfort of being in someone else's embrace. But she hadn't finished her story yet.

"There is more, daddy…" She whispered, not recognizing her own voice. It sounded so small and weak.

"Kate, you don't have to tell me 'bout this. I'm going to hear everything during the trial anyway. Just don't think about this case… It's end. Everything's gonna be…"

"It's Castle's father…" Kate cut in, letting out another sob.

For a moment, heavy silence descended in the room.

"You said that he has only a mother…" Jim said confused.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't sound angry. The last thing she wanted then was her father being angry and blaming Rick.

"He found out the same moment I did. Beloved daddy informed us himself when I put a handcuffs on him…" Beckett snorted sarcastically, remembering this awful smile on Dragon's face and the lost look on Castle's.

"Oh God… How's Rick holding up?"

"He's blaming himself…" Kate whispered, closing her eyes in order to stop new tears from falling. "He says we can't be together…"

"Oh…" Jim didn't know what to do. He and Kate haven't talked 'bout things like that. In moments like this, he missed his wife even more. "Katie… I don't… You know that he's not to blame here, right?"

"Dad! Of course I do. I was trying to put that into his head, but… He said he need time."

"Well, I think I understand him. We men need to deal with stuff by ourselves, you know? Just give him what he's asking for and he'll come around sooner that you think." Jim concluded, hoping that his words soothed her a little.

"I guess I don't have much choice…" The woman sighed, smiling faintly. "You know what? I'm hungry. I'm taking you to Remy's. C'mon, dad." Beckett stood, taking her father with her.

Later, when they stood in the hallway, waiting for an elevator, Kate wrapped her arm around his and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Jim didn't say anything, just smiled. "Has anyone ever told you you're the best dad in the world?"

"Yeah, my wild daughter hassling me to give her an extra $200 lacking so she could buy a motorbike."

Thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

43 days to go!