Shall Not Tear Asunder
Disclaimer: I still don't own it, and they're way more evil than me
AN: This story is essentially a multi-chapter follow up to the oneshot story Inchoate by ColieMacKenzie. I highly recommend reading that first, because it sets up the narrative and it's wonderful.
For CB, who always makes the words make sense. And for Nic, who offered unbelievable support and encouragement in allowing me to climb into her sandbox and build a whole new...well, castle.
When she hears Castle's voice, it feels like she's swimming up from somewhere deep and heavy. She's definitely been sleeping hard lately, but with all the new job adjustments, and learning to balance family considerations with that, she's not really surprised.
"Kate, time to get up. The girls are coming in," he says, his voice close to her ear, as if he's been trying to rouse her as gently as he can, but having trouble.
She blinks her eyes open, tries to orient herself to the morning. The sun is already streaming in through the window of the bedroom, golden and warm. She has a quick flash of panic about why she didn't wake to an alarm, before it settles over. Saturday morning. In fact it's -
"Hey, Birthday girl," is all the warning that she gets before the door to the bedroom crashes open, and she hears the sound of rapidly moving bare feet on the flooring. "Happy Birthday, Mommy!" little Lizzie practically screeches with delight.
She shifts up to lean against the headboard of the bed, spots the younger of her two daughters just as she starts to hurl herself on top of the end of the bed and work her way up toward her. Josie, on the other hand, is carefully trying to maneuver through the doorway, after her little sister let the door swing closed on her in her haste.
It's only when Castle moves to help their daughter with the door that Kate realizes the girl is carrying a breakfast tray. Her heart trips. Thoughtful man. She knows he planned, probably for some time. He'd always made her birthday feel special, even when she had been insistent that he not make a fuss. Last year had felt strange. Empty. A workday, still a day away from her time with her children, and an empty apartment. Oh, she's so grateful for how much her life has changed.
She fights back the instinct of tears, and instead focuses on the smile that is just as easy to come by. "My girls made me breakfast?" she asks.
Castle leans down to steady Josie's tray, scoops the cup of coffee off from it before it can tip and become a casualty. He hands it to her with that look he always has when he brings her coffee, and she gives him another beaming smile, the special one she's kept just for this ritual, ever since he told her how much it meant to him.
"Lizzie did ALL the mixing, and I helped with some of the other stuff, like making the little fruit scoops," Josie says, "Daddy did all the cutting and the hot stuff."
"Daddy is very good at the hot stuff," Kate says, giving Castle a wink. Josie looks like she's trying to decide whether or not to be disgusted, as if she might know what that means, but isn't quite sure. Lizzie, however remains oblivious.
"We made a really good breakfast, Mommy," Lizzie says, clearly pleased with herself.
"I can see that," Kate acknowledges. "And big! Everyone come here and help me," she says, patting the bed for Josie to join in next to her sister, and then reaching out to snag Castle's wrist and pull him down beside her. They're a snug fit, the four of them. But she likes it that way. Their little family, close and warm.
After breakfast, their celebration of her birthday ends up being a movie marathon with everyone in their pajamas. She loves every moment of it, still feeling a bit worn out, and just savoring the closeness and quiet time with Castle & her girls.
By the time they all convinced themselves to get cleaned up, Castle starts on making her a birthday dinner. There's an ice cream cake for dessert, with trick candles of course - much to their daughters' delight. When the flames have been doused and the girls tucked in, she finds Castle waiting for her in the living room, nursing a drink.
"Hey," she stays with a smile, taking a seat next to him. "Thank you for a really wonderful day, Castle. It was perfect."
He smiles back, all the warmth in it that she's come to remember and love, but something serious hovering just around the edges of his face. "Can I get you something?" he asks, gesturing to his drink.
She shakes her head. "No, I'm good."
"Okay," he acknowledges. And then he clears his throat.
She raises an eyebrow as he suddenly reaches back and pulls out a package from behind his back, but with less flourish than she would have expected.
"One more present," he says. He places the object, longer and wider than her cellphone, in her hands. She examines the pearlized wrapping paper and silver ribbon, then slides her eyes to him.
"Castle, you gave me presents," she protests.
"One more," he repeats lightly. And then, less lightly, "Open it."
The diamond pendant on a slim silver chain is beautiful, elegant, and vaguely familiar. She stares for several long seconds before the realization strikes:
It matches her wedding set. "Rick," she breathes out.
But he's already taking the box from her hands, slipping the chain loose of it as he says, "I thought about what you said. You're right. We shouldn't replace your engagement ring, or our wedding rings. We aren't rewriting the story, just...moving on to a new chapter."
She smiles. It thrills her that he gets it, that he understands. There were so many good memories of their marriage, along with the bad. She doesn't want a do over, a clean slate. She just wants to go on. Forward.
"But," he says as he stands up and slips behind her, "even a new chapter needs a little something to mark its place."
"It's a very, very pretty bookmark," she tells him, her mouth going dry.
He slips the chain around her neck, closes the clasp. Leaning down, he presses his mouth to the spot at her neck between the chain and the top of her spine. "Marry me, Kate," he murmurs. It's half quiet question, half soft command.
She turns as his fingers dance lightly at her shoulders and his arms slip around her. She looks into his eyes, intent and so serious. Her simple affirmative is swallowed up in his kiss.
She spends the rest of the night saying it again. Over and over, pressed into his skin. Just so he will know.