Spirit of the Season - Castle

Author's note: This is the Partner Piece to lms2457's "Spirit of the Season - Beckett" Funeral is over, and my life finds a new normal. From this day to the end of this piece, chapters should be on time. Thanks for your continued support. :)

Disclaimer: Castle is in AWM's capable hands. I just play around with the toys, and promise to eventually set them back as I found them.

For Li, again. I may be the one holding you up, but you've been doing the same for me.

DAY 21 - GREETINGS

December 20, 2012

"Really? You don't have a plan for the coming apocalypse?"

Castle was half-joking and half-serious. He liked bugging Kate about things like this, but this time, there really was a part of him that believed.

"No," she said. He knew she was only indulging him, but sometimes, she came up with the greatest answers. "I'm not concerned about the end of the world."

"I don't see why you can't at least acknowledge the possibility." He recalled the documentary he'd caught on the Discovery Channel several months back. "There has been some pretty far reaching research into the Mayan -"

Kate interrupted him, "Because, I am more concerned with my own calendar than the Mayan calendar. And according to that, there is very little chance that the world will actually end until at least January 1, 2038."

Where in the world did she get that idea? Was their some crazy ideology she was familiar with and didn't share with him? "Why 2038?"

She held up her iPhone. "That's how far the scroll window goes on date settings before New Year's gets dimmed out. They're there, but dimmed out. Of course, this same method also indicates that the world began on December 31, 1969, so I don't know what that says about you or anything."

He laughed, yeah, he loved her sense of humor. "Interesting methodology there."

She shrugged at him, but smiled a little. "About as solid as any other, when we're talking about the end of the world."

Castle nodded. He really couldn't argue with her logic, but it was still a weak theory. And still... what if the end is near? So much hasn't happened. He hasn't installed that zip line or punched a shark yet...

"Tomorrow is not the end of the world, Castle." She read his mind. Again. "Really, it's not. What is going to be the end of the world, though, is if I can't find a lead in this case. I need to go dig around in the records room a little. The boys have their hands full as it is. You coming down to the dust bowl with me?"

"I am where you are today," he said. There was no way he would leave her side. Just in case.

Kate seemed unsettled as they went to the records room. Come to think of it, she'd been a little off most of the day. Something about her changed last night, and it made him wonder. He was pretty sure it was a good change, but only time would tell.

Then, they finally walked through the doors and it was like a veil started to cover Kate. It was strange how she leaned in the direction Castle knew her mother's case file was stored.

Without thinking, he moved between her and the case, as he'd done at least twice already. Her eyes cleared, and it was like a moment of realization flashed across her eyes just before she walked toward the back, where they had intended to go in the first place.

Castle watched her for a few seconds, then let it go. It was best to leave things unsaid. Especially at times like this one.

"Ready to head for lunch?" Castle asked. He really wanted to get her out of the precinct for a little while, talk to Kate some. Alone, and away from here.

"Sure," she said, "As long as you don't mind a little side trip."

That was unexpected. "I'm good with anything. Why? Did something come back faster than expected?"

She shook her head. "No, it isn't case related. It's more of a personal side trip."

Kate then handed him an index card with the word "Greetings" written on it. It wasn't really surprising, because he had a feeling this was coming, but the word itself was... different.

"Greetings?" he asked.

She nodded, but said nothing, and he didn't ask either. For some reason, he wanted this mystery to uncover itself as the day progressed.

They got into her car and drove for a time through the city. After a little while, he recognized the streets, and had an idea of their destination. He'd made this trip several times before, last summer.

"Um... Kate? Where are we going... exactly?" he asked. It surprised him at how heavy the atmosphere became when he asked, but he wanted her to tell him.

Kate paled some and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. She cleared her throat and said, "I – I thought I could... introduce you to my mother."

It wasn't lost on him how she rushed through the end of her sentence. "I'd like that," he said softly.

"Good."

He took a deep breath and then a thought hit him. "Kate," he said, "I need you to pull over. Right here," he pointed to a spot ahead of them.

Castle earned the crazy look with that, and she asked just as she pulled to the curb, "Castle, what –"

"I'll be right back," he said, "I promise, I'm only going just around the corner. It'll only take a moment I promise." He had made a habit of bringing flowers to her mother's grave last summer, and it didn't feel right going there without some this time.

Before Kate could protest, he was out of the car and closing the door. He took off down the street and around the corner to a street side florist he'd stopped by a few times before and quickly bought a small bouquet.

Castle ran back around the corner and got into the car with Kate. He set the bag with the flowers on his lap, and could tell she was very curios about it, but refused to ask. Then, he realized she couldn't see what was inside the bag. Well, if she got curios enough to ask, he would tell her what was in there.

The thing was, she would have to ask.

It wasn't long before she pulled up and parked at the small cemetery. Castle waited on her to make the first move out of the car. He would definitely follow her out here. This was her side trip, and he wasn't about to take that away from her.

Slowly, Kate made her way through the maze of grave markers, and eventually, they walked up to her mother's grave. She was stoic as she brushed the layer of snow off the marker, then took a few steps back, stopped just by his side, and took his hand in hers.

"Hi Mom," she said softly. He could barely hear her voice and it shook a little as she spoke. "This is Rick. I think you'd really like him."

She stopped for a few seconds, and he took the moment to pull the flowers of out of the bag he was still holding on to. He leaned down in front of the marker and laid the bouquet of red carnations and lilies.

Castle could see the tears forming in her eyes and her voice was raw when she said his name.

"I figured the color would be right this week," he said. "Brighter. Before, just lilies."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Before?"

He squeezed her hand and said, "I should have asked, today, but that summer, well there was no one to ask."

Kate looked confused for a moments, then she asked, "You came here over the summer?"

He had to tell her now. No need to hold on to this secret any longer. "I - at first I was looking for you. Thought you might come back to the city to see your Mom. It felt wrong to come without flowers, so I stopped along the way. Then, I just kept coming. I figured you couldn't and it was something I could do."

Tears threatened to fall from her lashes and she let a shaky breath out as she said, "Castle. Castle, I l -"

He knew what she wanted to say, but he already knew, and now definitely wasn't the time for her to say it out loud. So, he gently laid a finger against her lips, "No, Kate. Not here."

The dam broke, and he wiped away her tears. She started to stop him, then she looked up into his eyes. He could see then, how she realized in that instant how much he knew - how much they were. Together.