I've kind of agonized over this chapter until I realised that this scene is one I could never do justice too. I hope that I have managed to somewhat pull it off.

Read and Enjoy, oh and I still don't own Castle, although I do now have the books. Aren't they brilliant, if a little short.

His footsteps seems to echo loudly in the quiet loft, as he makes his way into his office, the box still clutched in his hand. As he sits his thoughts are reeling as they contemplate what will happen when he sees the contents.

His divorces had been rough, really painful and the first was way worse that the second. There was some time when he feared that he wouldn't be able to keep Alexis. The weeks where she was away with her mother had nearly killed him. He had turned to drink and still has only vague memories of the time.

But he can remember a Halloween where he had handed over Alexis at a party. His mother had insisted that he dress up and had taken great delight in helping choose his outfit. Rick smiles as he begins to remember the memories that he had forgotten.

Somewhere in the night a sound blares, bringing him back to the future, back to his quest. Opening the box could answer tons of questions but create many more. Was he ready to face the possibilities that could arise? Could he handle the disappointment if he's wrong?

Fear clutches him but in the end his ever predominant curiosity drives him forward and with held breath he lifts the lid.

There is no poof of dust, no faint glow, not even a cobweb to wipe away.

It's anti-climatic.

He'd expected something more. His mind tells him it was foolish but his not so hidden inner child demanded it.

His inner child gets its wish as one look at the flash of blue within sends him flying into a flashback.

Dropping Alexis off had been bittersweet, nothing made him happier than seeing his little girl smile, even if it was at the sight of the one woman he didn't particularly want to see again. Ever.

He went into a new bar tonight, glad to see he wasn't the only one dressed up. The stools at the bar were taken but a woman sat in a booth nearby, nursing a drink and some sorrow of her own. He remembers asking her if he could sit with her.

He managed a weak smile when she let him. Together they sat in silence until she spoke, her voice quiet and uneasy.

"I haven't seen you here before, new to drowning sorrows or just needed a new haunt?"

"Just dropped by kid off with her evil mother, this was the nearest bar, she's just a baby and it's only two weeks but it I can't stand not having her, not knowing who'll win the custody war. I take it that this is your usual haunt then. Letting off steam or should I not ask?"

"Not ask, please. You must really love your daughter of you get this depressed after just a few hours apart. I take it she's the reason for your costume"

She looks him up and down, smiling sadly as she takes in his rather dodgy costume. He was supposed to be a knight, but despite his mother's reassurances, he doesn't really look the part.

"The reason behind my outfit would be my mother; she decided that I deeded to dress up as a strong and heroic knight. I don't think it worked."

"Yeah, I think you're more of a ruggedly handsome wannabe, to be honest but hey some people like spoofs, they'd love you."

Her smile is not so sad now but he finds himself wishing that he could just wash away her sadness but in her gorgeous green eyes he can see her heart is broken more than his. Gently he continues the conversation, slowing her drinking rate and staving off intoxication.

They talk for hours, usually by now he is drunk and trying not to pass out in a taxi home or back to his hotel but tonight he's only just beginning to feel the alcohol's effects. One look confirms that his companion is the same.

He thinks it's funny and laughs, her massive eyes staring at him through the blue mask that covers her face. She's questioning him, without words and he fully understands. The depth of their connection is totally lost to them both as he stutters out an answer.

"We've been here for hours and I've only just realised I don't know you're name. In my head I've been calling you Lois, cos of superman. An it's funny. An I neva gave u a name either."

He's totally out of it now, his speech is basically gone and he sounds like he's talking in what, several years later, will be called text talk. She laughs at him. Everything forgotten but remembered in their condition. The weight is still in her eyes but the drink makes her smile makes her laugh. She seems so young, so beautiful, and so extraordinary.

"I've been calling you Exc, for like Excalibur. I love those myths."

She giggles, falling into his side and as she looks up their lips touch.

Soon they are in a cab going to his hotel, transferring their pain with every kiss. They are passionate although drunk and thoughts stop as they move. When all is done she falls softly asleep beside him, he arms draped over him as he becomes a pillow. Gently as he watches her sleep deepens. In a random moment of sobriety he gently kisses her head and whispers into her ear.

"Sleep well my masked love, for you may call me Rook."

With the words he falls asleep, his own helmet still on, his contacts forgotten.

When he wakes in the morning she is gone leaving behind the mask that he keeps for the rest of his life.

Many times he has looked back on that night, when a sense of De Ja Vu hits him, or he sees a pair of big green eyes but over time he forgets the details until all that remains is the mask.

Tonight, the realisation hits him as he remembers the smile. How could he have forgotten it, how could he have not recognised it? He sits and stares at it longer trying to explain his own stupidity. How could he have fallen in love with a woman and not remembered meeting her before.

His musings are interrupted as arms creeps round him as his girlfriend seeks comfort from him. She freezes when she sees the mask. She remembers straight away. She had thought things about him familiar but the confident and child like man she knows is a far cry from the broken, retreating man she had made a child with.

They both are frozen, staring at the object until she finds her words.

"You kept it?"

"Couldn't let it go, even when all other memory was fading, I would never part with this."

"Rick, was it really you? Are you Gwen's father?"

"Yeah, if you were that reclosing and not very confident girl I met one Halloween after handing over Alexis to Meredith, then Yes, I am."

She kisses him, holding him tighter than ever before as tears overwhelm them both. Now they know they were meant to be but the child they made, that connected them both is out there, possibly dying. As they cry the phone goes but the third occupant of the loft answers before bringing a message to them.

Martha can see them, something big has just happened and as much as she is desperate to know she doesn't interfere until the phone rings. Swiftly moving across the room she answers it with her usual flare. The flare stops as she hears the voice of Javier Esposito on the other end.

"They need to get down here, another message just came in."

Shocked, she responds straight away. Speaking on instinct.

"Right, I'll tell them. Has someone contacted the boyfriend, Alexis is with him at the hospital."

"Yeah, Ryan's on his way there now, I'll see if I can get him to drop Alexis off with you. She doesn't need to know the details, but we'll tell her the basics."

"Good idea, also tell her that she needs to be here for my sake, or her fathers. It's the only way she'll listen."

"Ok, I'll go tell him. Hopefully the next time we speak she'll be safe."

"Yes, hopefully. Good luck detective, I will have the other two on their way in a second."

The phone disconnects and pulling up her courage she makes her way to the emotional couple in her son's office.

They look up as she enters, the blue in her son's hands does not go unnoticed but more important things must be said. She opens her mouth to do so when her son speaks first.

"Gwen's, my daughter. All those years ago and I didn't even recognise Kate."

Silence fills Martha at the news until she finds words.

"That was a long time ago; you are both very different people now. And Richard you went through that phase of wearing brown contacts at the time. They changed you so much; I had trouble recognising you sometimes."

A smile graces the woman's face as Martha defends her memory over Ricks. Glad that one half of Rick's family accepts this revelation, Kate begins to worry about Alexis' reaction. She has little chance to think as Martha reveals her reason for approaching the pair.

"Javier just called, they have a new message. Young Kevin is dropping Alexis off here when he picks up Ant. He sounded hopeful."

Each taking a turn to hug the woman, they race to get ready and leave the apartment.

Eek.

Don't kill me if you hated it. By all means tell me, I'd like that.

I had so many thoughts about how to do this, including having the teens figure it out first but I think this was the best way that I could come up with.

Please, PLEASE leave feedback. For this chapter if none else, I know I'm one to speak with my strange inability to review but put me out my misery.