A/N: Your reviews for the previous chapter were amazing. Thank you so much, seriously :D
Disclaimer: Not mine...
Chapter Twelve
Rick sat in the chair, staring at Alexis' pale face. She was sleeping, and she looked so peaceful.
It was all his fault. He already had two failed marriages, and couldn't provide her with a halfway decent mother. The least he could do was be an amazing father for her. He had one job – to protect his little girl.
And he had failed her.
What hurts worse was that she went to Kate and not him. To add salt to the wound, she told Kate to keep it from him. Had he failed so badly as a father that his own daughter didn't trust him? That even in her moment of need, she ensured he wouldn't know.
Back when the doctor was going to carry out the exam, he couldn't even hold it together long enough to be strong for Alexis. He had let her down so badly. Thank goodness Kate was there.
Kate. He was so confused when it came to Kate. On one hand he's thankful she was there to be his pillar. But on the other hand he's pissed at her. He's furious actually, raving angry; stark mad. There were so many things that she had done that day that were wrong - where could he even begin?!
He didn't even remember half the things he said to her. He was terrified, and he didn't know what to do. So he lashed out, and Kate resulted as one of the casualties. She was someone innocent who got caught in the crossfire. In other words, Kate Beckett was collateral damage. She probably didn't deserve half of what he said, but he was just seeing red and couldn't bring himself to be sorry to her just yet. Right?
He vaguely remembered that Kate had been crying just now, right before she left. God, what had he done to make her cry? He must have been horrendous to her to warrant someone as strong and tough as Kate Beckett to break down in tears.
And now he didn't even know where she was. When Jim Beckett dropped by with Arriana earlier, he was in shock seeing them there. He remembered Jim saying a few words for Alexis and Arriana said something to him.
Jim was carrying her, so she just had to stretch a little to put both her little hands on his cheeks. Castle was trying to remember what she had said. It was something important. Racking his brains, Castle fuzzily pieced the memory together.
She told him in that calm and self-assured voice of hers, "Don't be sad, Uncle Rick. Everything will be shining like the son tomorrow."
Was that right? His head was getting more and more fuzzy. Time to focus.
Arriana had continued, "You will be okay, Uncle Rick. And I will come make you all better, but right now my mommy needs me. You need me too, but you have Lexie, and grandpa says that she sick now, but she get all better like me.
"You two is family so you take care of each other. Mommy and Grandpa Jim and I take care of you too, even if we're not family. But mommy all alone, and she sound all wrong.
"She needs me more. She got nobody now, so I go to her with grandpa. She wont say, but I know it secretly. I know in my heart because it say so. It says so softly, but I hear it. That's why I go see her now. Bye bye Uncle Rick."
She kissed him on the cheek before leaving with Jim Beckett who had pulled out his phone to presumably call Kate.
Even the small girl had been intuitive enough to know her mother had needed her. His anger had blinded him. Kate probably didn't deserve half the things he'd said to her. He had been horrible to Kate.
What had he done?
A/N: Urgh i really don't like the way this chapter turned out, but i'll settle for this version. Review and lemme know your thoughts :) Pointers for this chapter would be really helpful too, in a constructive criticism kind of way... or just review :)