11

The town car had pulled up to Castle's loft minutes later. Tori gets out but she really has no idea about how to tell Kate what she overheard at Javi's room. Joe opens the door and Tori exits the car. She looks up at Rick's loft and realizes that he really is rich! She has really never noticed it before now. She lingers outside the entrance of the loft because it's still too early. So she tries to get her head right with how she needs to present her issue to Kate.

Joe just stands leaning against the car watching her walk back and fourth. He wants to help but even if he did offer her any kind of help, she more than likely not ever hear him talking to her since she looks to be in such a catatonic state. She looks like a walking mummy, a pretty one but a mummy just the same. Just as he was going to interject she had decided to go and talk to Kate. She threw Joe a bright smile and thanked him for the ride.

Walking through the lobby of Rick's building she approaches the elevator and calls it to the first floor. Entering she is still thinking about how to tell Kate that her and Javi are over. Tears start to flow as the doors close. She feels so alone now. Within a minute she is watching the doors slide open again. She exits and walks over to Rick's front door and hesitates before knocking. Thinking that she wants to get this over with she knocks and Kate answers the door.

She offers Tori a cup of coffee as they are walking towards the kitchen island. She takes a seat and gets ready for the inevitable. Kate places a steaming cup of hot coffee right in front of her and the aroma is heavenly. She takes a sip and it's perfect.

"So Tori can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Kate, what's on your mind?"

"Well I was just curious to know if you always jump to conclusions, or do you just save that jumping for matters of the heart?"

"What are you talking about Kate?"

"Listen Tori, I want to see you and Javi make it. I really do, but having a person in your corner pulling for you like me says something for the two of you. But I can't in my right mind figure out why you would do what you did this morning."

"Kate?"

"Javi called me about 15 minutes ago, woke me up from a great dream, and then I had to leave the warmth of my boyfriends very hot body to come out here and ask you if you have gone totally insane."

"Kate I'm sorry, but I had no where to go and Joe drove me here...Kate cuts her off mid-sentence.

"Tori, I don't really care about that. What I do care about is at 7:43 am on a Saturday morning so why you would only listen to half of a conversation?"

"I heard what was going to happen so I decided to leave before Javi could hurt me."

"That's just it Tori, he was not going to hurt you. He put Lanie in her place when she tried to get him into her bed. But he flat out refused, hell he doesn't even want to be friends with her. So what does that tell you?"

"That I misread the situation?" She said more of a statement then an answer.

"That you did. Now you get your skinny little butt back down to Joe and have him bring you back to the hospital and the two of you hash this out. No detours, no BS just get over there and fix this...NOW!"

Tori sees that she might have jumped the gun and she makes a quick exit from the loft. She knows that she had made a huge mistake. She had just hoped that Joe was still parked out in front of the loft. She needed to be there yesterday. Her heart soared when she saw the town car sitting parked when she left it earlier.

Rick having listened in at the door to his office open the door and walks out.

"Was that as hard to say as it was to hear babe?"

"You have no idea. I just wish that these two could get past their awkward phase and learn to be at ease with each other."

"Well maybe they will." Rick drops his hand to the small of her back and gently rubs her back. Feeling more at ease she takes his hand and gives him a seductive look.

"Why detective are you exercising your powers of arrest?"

"Why yes Mr. Castle I think I am."

He gently draws her into a full body hug and when she least expects it he sweeps her off her feet and tucks her into his chest and heads towards their bedroom. Soon after they are in bed together once again commencing a second round.

She needed to apologize to him. She had really misjudged what had happened. She walked towards the car as Joe held the back door open.

"Where to Miss Ellis?"

"Can you take me back to the hospital please Joe?"

"Sure thing, buckle up and then we're off."

Sitting back into the leather seat she wondered what excuse she could give him. She knew that he was calling her after she was seen by him running past his room. Damn when did these things become so complicated? So she had decided that she would come clean. Her little green monster had came out to play. Jealously, she thought that this was an emotion she would never have to deal with. After a short but safe ride Joe announced that they were here.

"Miss Ellis, will there be anything else today?"

"Joe, you have done more than enough already. I could not ask you to do any more. You have a family, right?"

"I do. My wife of two years and a baby boy who just turned 6 months old last week."

"Joe, then here is what I need. I need you to go home Joe. Be with your wife and son. Getting home from here will be easy for me. The subway stop is right over there." She points the subway entrance. "After that, I am two blocks away. So I'm good. Thanks for everything Joe."

"Good day Miss Ellis. I hope everything works out for you up there."

"So do I Joe, so do I."

Tori waits for the elevator and when it arrives she is rehearsing what she want's to say in her head. Finding out that she has to only lead with the love in her heart she has a plan. She exits the elevator and heads for his room. She spies him through the semi open door. He is sleeping and he must have had his first session of physical therapy because he has his thigh is covered with a gauze bandage. Probably from over use during his PT session. He is not a person to do something half assed. She quietly opens the door and slips in without him waking up.

She is so in awe of this man. He cares about her and he does want what is the best for them both. Her mind was made up now she would give her heart to him without any reservation. Tori takes the chair and places it towards the side of his bed. She sits and waits for him to wake. She will wait for him and tell him that she was jealous. She can hope only that he will understand and forgive her.