Hello everyone! Thanks SO much for reviewing and putting alerts on my story, it makes my day when I see that (I also can't help but grin from ear to ear when I read all your lovely reviews). Remember I write this just for you all to enjoy! Hope you like this chapter. Please do review, they are so addictive. Also wasn't the Paley Fest just amazing! I loved it

Emma

Martha's words churned over and over in Kate's mind: If Richard lost you we would lose him too… Like a ghost… Are you sure? Never seen him this happy before. Kate felt a horrible sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she felt like she was suffocating in the Castle's big lounge even though it was just her sitting there. What if… What if that did happen? Kate didn't even notice the single tear rolling down her check, or that Rick had walked back into the room to check up on her. "Kate?"

"Rick," Kate replied, a little startled.

"What's wrong, hun?" Rick asked wiping the tear away from Kate's check with his thumb.

"It's nothing Rick." Even Kate knew she was lying, she was a Detective, she was meant to be good at this.

"Kate, I know you're lying."

"Fine, it was something your Mother had just said to me. That's all."

"What did she say? I have told her not to medal with my relationships." Rick asked, rubbing Kate's tense shoulders. She relaxed immediately from his touch.

"It was nothing bad Rick, probably good. She said that if you lost me, they'd lose you as well. She asked if I was serious about you and I was sure I wanted to settle down with you eventually." Kate finished, looking into Rick's eyes. Searching for any sign to show what he was thinking or felt, she saw nothing. Just the glassiness of his eyes, his features almost set in stone. Who was this man?

"I see," Rick started, looking straight ahead. Purposely avoiding Kate's gaze. "It's true, Kate…"

"I assumed that, I highly doubted that your Mother would have made something like that up."

"Well, it is my Mother. I wouldn't entirely doubt it…" Rick trailed off, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. He was beginning to look more like himself again. "When you were shot Kate…. I just, I was here in presence, but I didn't feel like I was. I wanted to be with you Kate. When you shut me out at the hospital I was devastated. All I did was throw myself into overdrive on your case until Gates kicked me out. Then all I did was sit around home and stare into space. Paula would have to drag me to my book signings. I would plaster on a fake smile and happy attitude for my fans, but inside Kate, I felt like I was drowning. I lost perspective on life, I almost gave up on everything…. Until you turned up at one of the signings. I didn't know how to react. I don't think I could ever go through that or even make it again."

"Oh, Rick. I'm sorry." Was all Kate could manage, then she pulled Rick into a big hug. "I will never leave you. But you have to understand what I was going through at the time, I had just discovered Montgomery was the third cop, a big thing for my Mum's case, then him being shot, his funeral, me being shot, then having to deal with all that aftermath. Especially because Josh was still on the scene back then. I couldn't wait for you to visit me in the hospital, but when you came, hoping I'd heard I couldn't do it. I could not be around you and lie through my mouth, I loved you. But I just couldn't it was too complicated, I did that to save us Rick." Kate finished, her eyes all watery. She noticed that Rick's eyes were watery too.

"Kate, I love you." He said before plastering a great big kiss on Kate's lips.

"I love you too." Kate replied, resting her head on Rick's shoulder. "I promise not to do that to you again or shut you out."
"Good to hear, anyway dinner will be getting cold. Let's eat." Rick said standing up and helping Kate up off the couch, handing her the crutches.

"Thank you." Kate said.

"Always, Kate."

Just as Rick had started to dish up the dinner for him and Kate. Martha had disappeared somewhere, Alexis and Paige burst through the door. "Hey Dad, did you get my text?" The redhead asked.

"No, I haven't checked my phone, why?" Rick called back.

"Well, just saying that Paige is with me." Alexis replied as she and Paige walked into the kitchen.

Kate froze as she saw Alexis, she was at the kitchen counter and Rick was behind her hugging her.

"Detective Beckett." Alexis said, surprised.

"Alexis, hi." Kate replied, still frozen, with Rick hugging her from behind.

"Hey pumpkin, Kate is staying with us for a few days she sprained her ankle and the lift isn't working in her apartment." Was all Rick could come up with.

"Please tell me we don't have to listen to old people have sex. Otherwise we would've stayed at mine." Paige said to Alexis.

"Believe me it will be ages before they have sex. I mean I bet I'll end up married and pregnant before them." Alexis said, then going red after she realised what she said. She quickly turned on her heel and ushered Paige out of the kitchen.

Kate felt her checks burning too. "Well, that was awkward." Kate said.

"Tell me about it, anyway let's eat. I'll tell Alexis off after."

….

After dinner Rick excused himself to take a shower, leaving Kate to wander round for a bit. Kate decided to look in Rick's office, to see where all his 'inspiration' for his Nikki and Rookie scenes came from. His office was big and had a desk in the middle, with bookshelves surrounding it, all his book titles were on his walls. There was also a projector set up on the far wall. Kate hopped over to the desk and sat down on the chair, it was so comfy. She opened his laptop expecting to find his latest story. But what Kate found could possibly change her life, and definitely her and Rick's relationship. The screen was full of words, except it wasn't a story, it was her Mum's case. He had lied to her, gone behind her back with this case. She read what was on the screen, the words seemed jumbled, not making any sense to Kate. She sat there staring at the screen for quite some time. She then got up and limped across to the projector and switched it on. She knew it would have something to do with it. It did, in the centre in the screen was a picture of her smiling. Surrounded by other pictures, her Mum, and all the other victims.

Kate accidently knocked one of the crutches into the table. Causing some thick files to fall down. Kate carefully bent down to pick them up. They also had her name on them, and her mothers. The writing belonged to Montgomery, none of this made sense. She flicked through the pages, these were the missing documents to solving her Mother's murder. Rick and Roy and been trying to steer her away from the case, send her in the wrong direction. Kate didn't know what to do or think. She felt a pang in her heart, the one person she loved had been lying to her this whole time, but had been total okay with it. Kate felt betrayed. How could she ever truest Rick again. She heard him calling her name. She didn't even bother to turn off the projector as Rick walked into the room. "Kate, there you are." He said smiling, but as he noticed what was on the projector and what Kate was holding his face fell.

"Just when were you planning to tell me about this, Rick?" Kate asked waving the files in the air.

I hope you all liked this chapter, I know it's a bit of a cliff hanger! But if I get heaps of reviews I will update quicker. Have a nice rest of the day.