Disclaimer: in no way affiliated with Castle. SIGH.
Chapter Seven:
Castle checked his phone for the third time in as many minutes, and swore inwardly at its blank screen. Before descending into the subway, he had sent a quick text to both Esposito and Ryan, asking them to go to work early and check the evidence catalog for a ring. Castle did not need to explain; they would understand the importance of such a text, and he knew they would follow his suggestion without complaint. Nevertheless, there was not much of a chance that the two men would find anything worthwhile, so when Kate had asked him what he was doing, he lied and said he had contacted Alexis.
But now, as he watched Kate's hands shake as she went through the motions of making a pot of coffee, he found himself desperately pleading to a God he wasn't sure he believed in. If only she could get the ring back, he thought, if only she could be whole again… The plea was open-ended, because Castle knew he would do anything for her.
I love her, he thought. Please don't break her heart.
Sliding off the kitchen stool, he circled round the island, sliding his hand over Kate's. "Come on, let me do the work, okay?" She just nodded, before leaning against the counter and working him work. He deftly prepared the pot – how had he learned she kept her coffee beans there? – but the motions blurred into each other as Kate got lost in a memory of watching her mother prepare the morning coffee.
As a high schooler, Kate used to sit at their kitchen table, frantically reading the one chapter of reading she inevitably left to the morning before school. While she read, Johanna prepared the family's second pot of the day. Just before Kate would whisk out the door to catch the subway to school, a travel mug would be ready; payment was a kiss on the check and a quick, "I love you, Mom!"
The memory was bittersweet, but it brought a smile to Kate's face, before it fell as the present slammed back into focus. Her hand reaching for the comfort of the necklace, she received nothing. Castle shot a concerned look her way, and she forced her hand down, her face into an emotionless mask.
A knock on the door alarmed them both, but Castle recovered more quickly, heading to the door. Kate whispered, "Castle! Behind me." A visitor at six am never boded well. She shuffled to the door, looked through the peek hole.
"Esposito?" she asked as she pulled open the door.
"Hey boss," Ryan chimed up from further in the hallway.
"Uh, what are you guys doing here?" she asked, as both men entered the apartment. They seemed unsurprised by Castle's presence, but Kate was certain she'd be teased later that day.
Esposito wordlessly pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding an evidence package out in front of him.
A ring was inside.
Her mother's ring.
She swallowed hard against the emotion rushing forward, and reached forward to take the package from Esposito. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Ryan and Castle's heads bent towards each other, whispering lightly, but she could not pay attention to anything but the ring in her hands.
Tilting the package, the ring spilled onto her palm. She left it there for a moment, before sliding it onto her finger. It would remain there, where she could be certain of it, until she could get a chain she was certain could withstand any perp. Her finger twisted the ring around and around, as though uncertain that it was real, but after the fifth twist, Kate smiled.
It was really back.
All three men were standing in front of her then, and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat. The sound was embarrassingly girly, but the joy pure. "Thank you." She cleared her throat, searching for a more appropriate show of gratitude, but she was unable to speak anything else. "Thank you." Her gaze fell to her ring, before she made contact with each one of her boys.
Esposito looked back, his back proud, his eyes filled with respect. Kate had earned his respect as a strong female superior, but he was grateful for the opportunity to help her. Ryan smiled, Irish eyes twinkling. Joy was his forte; he wanted to spread smiles to all his favorite people.
And Castle? He had tears in his eyes, and Kate noticed him look to the ceiling for a moment and mouth "thank you." When he felt her eyes on him, he looked at her, a smile on his face. She knew he had to be somehow responsible for the discovery of her mother's ring. For a pause, she contemplated how to properly thank him, but everything seemed too little.
With a grin, she threw open her arms and wrapped them around him in a hug. It was, she realized, the perfect thank you, as he paused for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her, as though they naturally belonged there.
She noticed as Ryan and Esposito nudged each other, and shot them both a glare. They quickly stopped, but still smiled at the pair, and she swore Esposito even winked at Castle.
They stayed like that for a minute, before the coffee pot rang, announcing its completion. Pulling away, she shuffled into the kitchen. For a moment, she stood before the pot, smiling at the ring, before reaching to retrieve four coffee mugs. Sliding them across the island to the boys, she pulled out the pot, handing it first to Esposito, and grabbed a cartoon of milk from the fridge.
"Alright, Castle," she said as she poured her cup. "We've got an hour. So what's the story?"
He looked at her for a moment, before smiling. "So, when we were in the alley, I had this BRILLIANT thought, as I always do…"
"Right," Esposito countered, "Because you're just a certifiable genius."
"According to Mensa, I am quite talented. Now, never mind you. Anyway, as I was saying, I brilliantly deduced…" he recounted the tale, with a number of exaggerations. The boys frequently interjected to make fun of each other, but Kate stayed silent, smiling all the while, laughing at their antics.
She was incredibly lucky to have this family, she realized, and the thought was as comforting as the ring sparkling on her finger.
Author's Note: Well, it's the end of the road! Thank you guys so much for the positive comments and reviews; I so appreciate it. :)
I actually hate this chapter, but I tried out multiple endings, and this felt the most genuine to the story arc as a whole, as well as to the show's characters. At some point, I'd ideally like to come back and revise it, but for now, I wanted to post an ending rather than leaving this story in hiatus.
I hope you will enjoy it more than I do.
As always, reviews are much appreciated. Please also check out my other stories if you like... I promise they are ALL better than this chapter. Honestly.
(I hate this chapter.)
