Chapter 4: Just a Talk
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.
"Okay. We'll I'm really busy. I'll call you." Rick said, slowly closing the door in her face.
Kate stood outside of Castle's door. He didn't want to talk to her, and she understood why. But she wasn't going anywhere until they talked. She knocked on the door again, waiting patiently for someone to come answer.
"Beckett, I'm busy." Castle said, opening the door quickly and closing it.
Kate stuck her foot in the door before he could close it again.
"Rick, please. Just let me explain what happened." Kate pleaded.
"There is nothing to explain, I know exactly what happened. I've move on."
Those words crushed her. I've moved on. She was on the verge of tears.
"No, Rick. You don't. Please, just give me a chance to explain what happened. Just…please."
"Fine." Castle said. Pulling the door all the way open and letting her in.
He was mad. He was mad that she was standing in his doorway begging for forgiveness. He was mad that she showed up out of the blue, without even a phone call in the last four years. He was mad that she was in his loft. And he was most mad at the fact that he wanted nothing more than to beg her to stay, forever. But he wasn't going to do that. Don't do it, Rick. He pleaded with himself. He wanted her here, but he did not want her to know that. Castle was beyond curious to know what she had been doing over the last four years; he wanted to hear the story of how she ended up at his doorstep. But seeing her was making it hard, he wanted to touch her, to feel her. He wanted to know that she was really here and this wasn't a dream. But for now, he was going to settle for sitting across from her.
"What are you doing here?" Rick asked, settling down onto the couch.
"Like I said, I moved back."
"Why?"
"Want the whole story?"
"Yes." Rick answered.
"Okay." Kate started, trying to word what she was going to say next. "As you know, I moved to California."
"Mhmm"
"I got married, quit my job as a detective, went back to school, became a professor at UCLA, and now I'm living with my dad in my old apartment and going through a divorce."
"What?" Rick asked. He was confused on everything she just said, but divorce rang through his head.
"What, what?"
"I guess I'm a little confused." Rick answered.
"What part?"
"You're getting divorced?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Last time I saw Josh, he was in our bed, with another woman."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I had a feeling it was coming." Kate mumbled.
"Why?"
"There were a few things that….happened that tore us apart. We should have dealt with them together but I went my way, like I always do, and he went his own way. We both became obsessed with our jobs, I would work from the early morning until night and Josh would work nights. We never saw each other."
"What were the 'things' that happened?"
"Can we save that story for a different day?" Kate asked with tears forming in her eyes.
Castle could see that something was wrong. She was vulnerable, unlike the strong detective that left four years ago. Something was different about her. He knew he was pushing his luck by asking her again, but he had to know. He had to know what was making her feel this way.
"Please, Kate. Tell me?"
Kate. He had called her Kate. He dropped Beckett and now he was talking to her. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.
"I found out last year that I couldn't have kids. My doctor said there was about a one in a million chance that I could ever stay pregnant for more than four months."
"I'm sorry." Castle said.
"I never told anyone that before. I knew something wasn't right the third time around, I went into my doctor and they ran some tests."
"How did Josh feel about those odds?"
"He didn't know either. He had just left for another trip to Africa when I found out. My doctor prescribed me fertility treatments and we tried in vitro fertilization, but nothing worked."
"Do you think that was the reason you're getting divorced now?" Castle asked her.
"No, I had a feeling about marrying Josh right from the beginning. He was a good guy and wanted the best for me, but he wasn't right for my 'one and done'." Kate said, running a hand through her hair. "But what about you, are you seeing anyone?"
"No, not at the moment I'm not." Rick answered. Before Kate could reply, Martha came barging through the door, singing a new show tune.
"Hello Richard." Martha sang out as she walked into the kitchen. "Detective Beckett?" Martha asked as she did a double take at the woman sitting on the couch.
"Hello, Martha."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, I just came to see Alexis before she went back to school." Martha said.
"No, you're not mother, Kate was just leaving."
Martha made her way up the stairs to Alexis' room. Leaving Rick and Kate standing at the door.
"I'll call you." Rick said opening the door.
"Okay," Kate replied. "Oh, and Rick? I read Distant Heat. And you'll never know how much that dedication meant to me."
And with that she was walking towards the elevator, leaving Rick standing in his doorway alone.
AN: Reviews are greatly appreciated