A/N: You all wanted the talk, so I've written a talk. Hope you appreciate.

Thanks to all of you who support me and my stories, love you! :D

He stood in the doorway for a while, staring at the older man in front of him. Why had he come out here? Hadn't he made it clear he didn't want to see him? Was he here to serve him a restraining order? The thoughts ran through Castle's mind, until he took in the man's tired, worried, sunken eyes and his thoughts immediately flew to Kate.

When he left she wasn't conscious and he had heard nothing from her since then, had something bad happened? Was she still unresponsive? Was there lasting damage? Or worse, was she dead? He shook the thoughts out of his head and wordlessly stepped aside, inviting the man into the house.

He stepped inside and Castle locked the door after him, he led him into the main office, gesturing for him to have a seat, while he took a seat in the chair across from him. He watched as Mr. Beckett glanced around the room, waiting for him to say something, barely able to contain all the questions he had for him, regarding Kate. His heart was pounding in his chest as his brain supplied him with all the worst case scenarios and he just needed to man to say something, the silence was maddening.

Mr. Beckett finally met Castle's eyes and he swore he saw some hint of desperation and regret there, but not for long. He cleared his throat, the noise echoing through the quiet room and his nerves raged, the suspense was driving him mad.

"How are you?" The man spoke.

Castle stared at him dumbly, "I'm fine, how are you?" He responded, he didn't know what else to say.

The man sighed and glanced out the window, Castle narrowed his eyes, wondering exactly what this was about.

"I made a mistake Mr. Castle." He spoke, still looking out the window.

Castle didn't speak, he didn't know how to respond to such an admission from the man, so he waited for him to continue.

"My daughter is everything to me, she's all I have," He continued, bringing his eyes back to Castle's, "I only ever want what's best for her, you understand that."

Castle nodded, still not speaking.

"Ever since her mother died, it's just been the two of us and I've done my best for her, to try and understand her, but there are just something's a father can't see when it comes to their little girl. She's growing up Mr. Castle and as much as I hate to be losing my little girl, I have to accept that, accept the choices she makes. I can't dictate her life anymore." He paused and chuckled, a strange sound to Castle, "If her mother was here, I'm sure she'd be giving me so many lectures about teenaged girls turning into adults."

"Is she okay?" He couldn't help asking, he needed to know.

Her father sighed, "She hasn't spoken to me since she found out I sent you away." He admitted, gazing out the window again, leaning back into the chair.

"She hasn't spoken to me, she doesn't speak at all, she doesn't leave the house, she barely eats, she's lost so much wait, she's – " He paused, searching for the right word, shaking his head when he couldn't, "She's not okay and that's my fault."

Castle leaned forward in the chair, his heart breaking to hear about Kate, he could imagine her just sitting in her room, emotionless, he wasn't much different, until he remembered he had a little sister to take care of, but Kate didn't have that responsibility, so she let the depression consume her.

He couldn't help but blame himself too, he should have stayed, should have fought, maybe her father would have hated him and that's not what he wanted at all, but if it would have made Kate happy, hell he'd do anything.

"I've realized I have been unfair, only judging you by what I hear and I can feel her mother judging me for that, even from the grave." He told him, "But I see that you're not what people make you out to be, I understand what Katie sees in you and the respect she has for you, the way you care for your little sister and the way you try and make something of yourself."

He stopped talking and let the room fall silent, leaving Castle to wonder just where this was going, if it was going where he thinks it is.

"Do you love her?" He asked.

Castle's eyes met the older man's and with absolute clarity and sureness he responded, "More than anything."

He nodded, "I know she cares about you a lot, if the past weeks are any indication of that. I can't stand to see her like this anymore." Jim stood, "It was unfair of me to make you leave and I deeply regret it, I hope my actions haven't changed how you feel about her."

Castle shook his head and stood, "No. Never. I love her, I always will."

"Do you plan to come back to the city?" He asked.

He hadn't planned to return until it was time for them to go back to school, he couldn't face being in New York and not being able to see her, but if Jim was allowing him to see her again, he would be back in a heartbeat. He could leave Ari here, for the rest of summer, she was having fun and they would be happy to have her until she was ready to come back.

"Well, if you do, you know where to find her." He said when Castle didn't respond and moved towards the door.

Castle followed him, trying to process what he had just been told. Was this Jim Beckett in his own way apologizing and asking him to come back? Did he finally see that he made her happy? Because if it was, he'd pack up his things right now and be back in this very day.

He followed Jim to the door and watched as he walked down the drive and into the car, driving away. He stood there, staring after the car until it disappeared, until someone came up behind him.

"That her father?" They asked.

He nodded, "Yea."

"What'd he want?"

"For me to come back." He told them.

"I won't even ask if you're going or not."

"Of course I am."

"I said I wasn't asking."

"Of course you weren't" He rolled his eyes.

"It's the most obvious thing in the world how much you love her Rick."

"I'm going to get her back." He said quietly, letting it really sink in, that he'd get to see her again, hold her again, kiss her again, tell her that he loved her and never let her go, ever again.

He thought about the little black box that sat in his draw at home and wondered what she would say to it. He had to prove to her that he loved her, that he never wanted to leave her life, that he wanted to be hers forever and always, maybe that was the way to do it. He would have to talk to her father again about that one.

"Why are you still here?"

He turned and faced his grinning cousin and then sprinted past them and up the stairs, throwing his stuff into a bag, he could get the rest later, right now he just needed Kate. He needed to sort things out with her, he didn't know what her reaction would be, but he would take it if it meant just seeing her again.

He quickly found his sister and told her he was going back, that she could stay, but she told him she wanted to be where he was. He promised her he would come back for her in a few days, that he needed to just do this alone and being the mature girl she was, she understood and let him go with a big hug, slipping her bracelet onto his hand for luck.

He gave her a tight squeeze and told everyone he was going back, amidst the cheers and shouts of encouragements and "go get her"s.

He was going back to her. He was going to get Kate back.

End A/N: I've probably said this like ... 600 chapters ago, but for sure, this fic is coming to it's end soon, so I thank you for sticking with me through it.

Any mistakes are mine, I apologize.