AN: Hi guys! Firstly, I am so sorry for leaving you guys for so long :( I had some major stuff going on at college and then my exams came around and now they're finally over. my summer vacation has begun :)
yipeee. Okay, enough procrastination. Here's Chapter 21 :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

Chapter 21

"Come home with me tomorrow"

"no." she hesitated...

"Don't..."

"I can't just stroll into the loft that way"

"why not Kate? You're my girlfriend!"
"Castle."

"I won't take no for an answer. You're coming home"

"Castle!" she yelled and pushed his hand away from her face. She got up from the bed and walked to the window.

"Kate... Come back to bed.." he pleaded

She turned around
"I'm not coming to the loft tomorrow"

"why not?"

"I'm not going to just barge in on Alexis and make her feel obligated to accept me .. No. I can't do that. If Alexis doesn't want me home. I'm not one to upset her"

"You know what!? Fine"

Castle laid down quickly, pulled the cover over him and turned his back to her

"Castle?" her demeanour changed. She had no intention to upset him. A sudden pain arose in her heart to think that they were fighting again. No she wouldn't let that happen again.

She ran, ran back to bed and tapped him "Rick... Rick... Listen"

But he didn't respond.

She laid down close behind him and spoke, her voice shaky and broken.

"I... I'm scared... I'm scared that she won't let me see you... That she'll be completely against us getting back together."

He still didn't respond. He had turned as stubborn as her.
She kissed his back. "I want this Castle. I want us"

That's when he turned to her and said
"then come with me tomorrow."

She nodded. And he held her tight in his arms. "Don't worry. I promise you, I won't let you go"

It was morning, and Castle turned the key in the door of the loft and let Kate in through first. She seemed so hesitant and Castle hated it.

"Hey" he said softly to her, "It's going to be alright"
she smiled softly at him and nodded.

Castle then walked ahead into the loft to find Alexis cooking herself up some breakfast. He went up to her and kissed her on the forehead.
"Good morning pumpkin"

"hi dad" she said with a smile that wasn't really convincing.

"Kate's come home with me"

Alexis looked up and around but didn't see the detective.
"Alexis, I know we need to talk, and most of what we talk about involves her. And I just want that we include her in this 'talk'"

"I don't understand what we have to talk about. You've clearly already made a decision to throw your life away"

"That's unfair pumpkin. Why don't you just hear her out okay? I'm not throwing my life away. You're too precious to me."

Alexis said nothing.

"Just please honey…"

"Fine" she gave in. "I'll be right there"

Castle went back to the living room to find Kate seated on the couch browsing through something on her phone. He came and sat beside her and placed his hand on her knee. The warmth made her feel better.
Alexis walked in next and Kate said "hey"

"Hey Kate"

"It's nice to see you after so long"

"I'm not sure I can say the same thing"

"Alexis!" Castle scolded.

"No, Rick, its fine" Kate told him.

""What dad? I'm being frank"

"Alexis. I love your dad" Kate said, and Castle squeezed her hand lightly in his.

"Yea, we all saw just how much"

Kate was beginning to have a bad feeling about this. And she was already losing all hope that the young girl would accept her.

"You know what? You're right"

Alexis now looked at her directly.

"You're right. I don't deserve it. I don't know why I'm here" Kate said, as she stood up.

Castle panicked
"Kate? Wait? What?"

Alexis' demeanour seemed to change too. She was suddenly confused.

"I'm sorry Castle. I need to go" she began to walk away, towards the door.

"Wait!" said Alexis as stood.

Kate stopped. But didn't turn around.

"That's it? I thought you wanted to talk"

"I do. But I can't if you've already decided you don't want to hear me out, if you won't let me convince you that I've changed."

"Dad, can you leave us alone for a few minutes"
Alexis asked Castle out of the blue and he hesitated but then left to go to his study.

"Alexis, everything I did before this, every move I made that hurt your dad, I regret all of it. If I could turn back time and do it all over I would, because I've made some nasty mistakes in my life and he has had the brunt of it. I've hurt him severely and I will never forgive myself for that, even if he says he does."

She paused then, and came and sat beside Alexis. She carefully took her hand in hers and said,

"I can't undo the things I've said and done. But I'm asking for a chance to be better. I love your dad more than my life and now I'm comfortable admitting it to myself and moving forward from there. I've learned to stop running away from it, and I believe I can be a changed person now that I've come to accept that"

"What guarantee do I have that you won't hurt him again, that you won't leave him the way you did?"

"You don't. I can't guarantee that we won't fight or argue and hurt each other in the process. Because that's inevitable with the people you love the most. But what I can guarantee you is that I'm not letting him go. I'm not making that stupid mistake again.

Alexis just looked down at their hands. The girl was lost in her thoughts and Kate wished so much that she could read her mind.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

Alexis then looked up at her and spoke,

"He was so hurt. He would try to hide his drinks, but every time I would leave his room, he'd drink some more, I knew it. He was in pain, so much pain, and everything I tried; I just couldn't get him to get over you."
A tear rolled down her cheek and Kate's heart ached.

"I knew he was always thinking about you, and that was what caused him all that pain, and he was throwing his health away, mourning the fact that you guys were not together. So yes, I blame you for everything that he went through, and for everything you put me through…"

"Alexis... I'm so..."

"No Kate listen, even after all of this, even as I tried to get him to move on, I knew deep down that this could only be fixed by you. And when I came to see you that day, to apologize for my behaviour at the hospital, I saw that you were in almost the same state as my dad."

"I'm sorry you had to see me that way... I was..."

"I know..."

Alexis then quickly wiped at her cheeks that were decorated with tears and said,

"I guess I was really angry with you, but I've come to realize of late that he needs you so bad. He's just not the same without you. But my only fear, the only thing that stops me from letting you in, is the fact that you may leave again. So yes Kate, if you can promise me that you won't leave…"

"Alexis, without a doubt... I'm assuring you, I'm never leaving his side ever again. I've wasted so much time running and I'm tired. I just want to be here now."

There was a small smile on the younger woman's face now as she nodded, and it was contagious.

"So you forgive me?"

"I do" and her arms quickly embraced the detective.
"And I'm sorry I've been so rude to you. It was all purely a result of the angst in me since the explosion"

Kate was touched by the gesture. She truly loved Alexis and she hated that she had made the girl so unsure of her.

"Everything's alright now."

when Alexis pulled away she simply looked at the detective and said "The entire time that dad was recovering, every time things got hard for me to handle, or it all just became too much, there was a part in my mind that wanted me to call you. But then the part of me that was so angry with you would win over and I'd just hate you more.

But honestly Kate, I wish I had been more mature."

"Honey, no one expects you to think maturely in a situation like that. All of us need someone in times like these. And it hurts me to think that you did all of this on your own, I mean I know Martha was with you, but it's different to be a daughter after your father. Trust me, I've had that experience and I know how hard it can get. I wish I was here with you."

"That was my fault. I kept you away. And to think now, that dad's well-being was just a call away and I ignored that idea"

"You had every right to feel like shunning me out."

"Well, I'm not now." she said with a smile.

"Thank you. For this chance."

"No, please don't. Just don't leave us"

Kate didn't miss the use of 'us' and it awakened a love within her that she didn't know she had. She felt lighter now, like the entire world had been taken off her shoulders.

Reviews please :) would love to hear from you guys again :)