Apotropaic was the word for 4/8/12 and Cumshaw was the word for 4/9/12, so I just decided to combine them into one chapter. I think it works. :)
Apotropaic
\ ap-uh-truh-PEY-ik \ , adjective;
1. Intended to ward off evil.
Cumshaw
\ KUHM-shaw \ , noun;
1. A present; gratuity; tip.
When Castle tells her that he's been investigating her mother's murder without her, Kate is understandably shocked. After everything they've been through, the last thing she expects to hear is that he's been lying to her. She sits in silence, tears welling up in her eyes, as he explains about the mysterious phone calls and secret meetings. About how they'll come after her if she continues to look into the case. About how he lied to keep her safe...
She should be mad. No, more than that, she should be furious. He lied to her. He touched her mom's case without her permission. Again! She should livid with a white hot rage. She should kick him out of her life forever.
But she can't.
He did all this to save her. How can she fault him for that? He loves her, she loves him, and if the roles were reversed, she knows that she would have done exactly the same thing.
If he hadn't come into her life four years ago, she would probably be dead now. She would have gone down that rabbit hole again and never recovered. He's an angel sent down from Heaven to save her from herself, and he's doing a damn good job.
Castle continues to ramble, justifying his actions, apologizing profusely, trying so hard to get her to understand when she already does. She understands why he lied and loves him even more for it. He'll always be there for her, no matter what.
To shut him up, Kate puts her hands on either side of his face and looks deep into his eyes. She leans forward, and in those few seconds just before their lips touch, she sees surprise flash across his face. She smiles and lets her eyes flutter shut, and then their lips meet. The kiss is soft and tender and perfect, conveying every emotion she can't convey with words.
He's her angel, and she's his. Always.
Random, completely off-topic, personal A/N – Tonight I had my first Statistics class of the quarter... My professor looks so much like David Tennant! It's amazing. :)