A/N: This is set after 'The Blue Butterfly' (Ep. 4x14)

Jim had just turned off the television when Kate called on a Saturday night. After their usual greetings and updates, she asked what he'd been doing when she called.

"Just finished an old movie," Jim said. "One of my favorites, actually."

"When it comes to old movies, your favorites list is pretty long, Dad," Kate said.

Jim chuckled. "True, I've always been a classic movie buff. Your mom liked them too, but then she also had more contemporary tastes, especially the sci-fi stuff."

He laughed again, recalling one memorable evening. "We had one of our biggest fights one night – you must have been about five. You'd just gone to sleep, and we decided to make some popcorn and have a movie night. But she wanted Star Wars, and I wanted North by Northwest. We spent at least an hour arguing over which movie to choose. Usually we took turns deciding what to watch, but for some reason, we couldn't seem to remember who'd had the last pick."

"Then the choice should have gone to the movie you hadn't seen yet," Kate said sensibly.

"Katie, we'd seen both those movies about a hundred times over. We could practically recite them line for line."

Kate laughed. "Okay, so who won in the end?"

"Well," Jim said, smiling to himself, "let's just call it a draw."

"You watched them both?"

"No," Jim replied. "After the fight had gone on for a while, with both of us wielding our VHS video cassettes like they were magic scrolls or something, we just stopped and stared at each other, realizing how ridiculous it was to get so riled up over a couple of movies. And then we uh, we got distracted."

"Dad!"

Jim shrugged, unmoved by her protest. "Hey, you were the one who asked who won. I'm just being honest – we both did, although the tapes stayed in their boxes until the next movie night."

Kate laughed. "So," she asked, "which of your classic favorites was on tonight?"

"Laura."

"With Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews?" Kate sighed. "I love that movie."

Jim nodded. "Still a great watch, almost seventy years after it was made."

"I know," Kate said. "It's got everything – a great murder mystery, intrigue, snappy dialogue, memorable characters, and that gorgeous noir feel. They don't make 'em like that anymore."

"It's a different world now," Jim agreed.

"Yeah," Kate said softly. "And I'm glad the world has changed, that there's all this scientific advancement, more equality, a better standard of living for so many people in so many ways."

Listening to her, Jim could tell that there was a 'but' coming. And he was right.

"But Dad," she said, "sometimes you watch those old movies and you get so swept up in the romance of that era. That kind of romance seems to be gone now... the great, passionate love stories, the way people used to fall in love and stay in love, against all the odds, in spite of all the obstacles."

"How much of that was an illusion, though?" Jim wondered aloud. "It might seem like there was more romance in the good old days, and certainly they were good at portraying it in the movies, but what was the reality?"

"Very different," Kate acknowledged.

Jim nodded. "The divorce rate may have been lower, but how many 'happy couples' really were in love? How many of them were unfaithful to their spouses? How many of them were miserable, feeling trapped, but reluctant to end things because divorce was still considered socially unacceptable? I'm not saying that there weren't plenty of genuinely happy couples, but sometimes the picture behind the wholesome Rockwell-esque façade just wasn't that pretty."

"Way to shatter the illusion, Dad," Kate said dryly, and they both laughed.

"You're right, of course," Kate continued, "and I wouldn't trade the freedoms we have now for anything. But sometimes I can't help but wonder if that kind of lasting love still exists. I mean, I know you and Mom had it, and I recently met this amazing couple who've been together since the late forties and are still so in love, still wrapped up in each other after children, grandchildren and decades of joy and pain."

She sighed. "But sometimes I wonder if only a few lucky people get to have that… if it isn't just wishful thinking for the rest of us mere mortals."

"Katie," Jim said fondly, "it's not wishful thinking. It's not some sort of mythical grail – it's real. It's about friendship and communication as much as it is about passion and excitement. But it doesn't come easy. It needs to be nurtured over time, and it thrives on mutual trust and respect."

Jim couldn't help but add a few pointed words. "The kind of mutual trust and respect that you've built with Castle."

Jim knew how much Kate wanted the kind of lasting love she'd just described. He could hear it in her voice. And he knew that she wanted it with Castle. She didn't think she was ready for it yet, but Jim knew that she was probably much closer to being ready than she realized.

And he didn't want to see her held captive by her own fears and doubts. Jim knew from experience that in matters of the heart, there are no guarantees. There are only risks, some far more worthwhile than others. At some point, Kate would just have to take a leap of faith, hoping that the risk would be worth it.

Kate paused for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then she asked a question that Jim was not expecting. "Speaking of trust, Dad, do you think one lie is enough to break it?"

Jim pondered her query. "I think that depends on what the lie is, Katie, and more important, why it was told. Finding out you've been deceived is never easy, but it's a wound that can be healed. In law, an offense isn't complete unless the mental element is present. And I think that's true in life too."

Kate was silent, and Jim continued. "It's much easier to forgive when you know the other person made a mistake, that they didn't intend to cause you pain. What really shatters trust is the knowledge that someone has deliberately set out to hurt you."

There was still no response from Kate, and Jim's curiosity got the better of him. "Why do you ask?" he said.

Kate paused before answering. "It's just… I've seen what it does to Castle when his trust is betrayed."

"Damien Westlake," Jim recalled.

"Yeah," Kate confirmed, "and one or two others. I'd hate to ever be the one to put him through that."

Jim was puzzled by her words. Kate was a straight arrow, and she knew what the sting of betrayal felt like. She would never deliberately deceive Castle. "But you would never do that, Katie. You –"

"He doesn't know that I remember the shooting," she admitted, interrupting him.

Jim nodded slowly, remembering how she'd told him that she'd deceived everyone. Only Jim and her therapist knew the truth, and Jim could understand why this was weighing on Kate's conscience. Her partner had risked his life trying to save hers on that day. Castle would probably be hurt if he knew that Kate had lied to him about not remembering those desperate, agonizing moments.

But Jim believed strongly that Castle would forgive Kate if she would just tell him why she'd lied. "Katie, I'm sure he wouldn't hold it against you if he knew why."

"But that's just it, Dad. He doesn't know why. He doesn't even know I lied. He doesn't know that I know how he…." Jim thought she was about to say more, but then her voice trailed off.

"He just doesn't know," she concluded.

"Have you considered telling him the truth?" Jim asked.

"Yeah," she said slowly, "but… it's… it's complicated."

"I know it's traumatic to talk about that day," Jim said gently, "but you should tell him, Katie. You'll feel better once it's off your chest."

Kate sighed. "I know. I mean, I don't think he has any idea that I remember. And sometimes I really want to tell him. But it just feels like the longer I go without saying it, the harder it gets."

"That's usually the way it goes," Jim said, sympathetically. "It doesn't get any easier. You just have to find a moment, take a deep breath and say the words."

"Thanks Dad," Kate said. "I'll… I'll think about it."

They talked some more, but Kate seemed preoccupied during the rest of their conversation. As he turned out the lights in his living room, Jim's mind stayed on Kate. He was concerned about her. It had been a while since the shooting, but she was clearly still struggling with its ramifications. Jim could only hope that as she continued to face difficult issues and choices, she would find peace and acceptance – from herself more than anyone else. And he would continue to love and support her through it all.

A/N: Guys, what did you make of that Season 6 finale… and that cliff-hanger? I don't even know what to say – except that I'm already looking forward to the end of the hiatus, even though it's just begun. I hope you'll stick with me as we continue on this journey with Kate and Jim. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing.