Chapter 12

Two days had passed since Castle and Beckett's big fight. Neither of them had contacted the other by any means of communication. It wasn't that they were still really mad at one another. Instead, they had individually decided it was best to take a few days to themselves before trying to fix the mess they had created.

Two days was enough for Castle. He needed to see her and hear her voice. Not only that but he couldn't go another day knowing they were on bad terms. Evidently, he was still upset that she had lied to him, but he was willing to let that go for the sake of a future with this woman.

He picked up his phone and called Kate. He knew she was working today, so he wasn't too keen on his chances of her picking up. That's when the ringing stopped, and he heard her voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey," Kate said.

"Hey," he responded surprised she answered.

There was a brief silence before Kate asked, "Is there something you want?"

"I'm…," he began, before realising now wasn't the time to apologise again. "Can you meet me in the park after work?"

"Castle, I don't think being in public right now is a good idea," she sighed.

"Please," he begged. "We need to talk, and we can't do it over the phone."

"Alright," she caved. "I get off work at six. Where in the park?"

"Meet me at seven p.m. in our spot."

"Okay," she said smiling to herself. "See you then."

The line went dead, and Castle was left with a gratified smile on his face. Just the sound of her voice sent shivers down his spine. He needed to apologise for the hurtful things he said to her and he needed to do it fast. Kate Beckett wasn't the type of woman to just forget something like that. When someone says something hurtful to you, it gets buried deep inside your head and only surfaces when triggered. That's why words hurt more than actions.

"Was that Katherine?" Martha asked lingering outside his office.

"Yeah, we're meeting this evening," he informed his mother. "I just hope she forgives me."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Martha exclaimed. "That woman is just as crazy about you as you are about her."

"You didn't hear what I said to her," he said self-deprecatingly.

"Oh Richard," she said taking his hand. "You've been chasing this woman for almost four years now and she just finally opened up to you. Was it what you wanted to hear? Not exactly, but she was honest and admitted her mistakes. That takes a lot of courage."

"The past two days have just shown me how much I need her," he confessed. "I don't want this to tear us apart."

"Nothing could ever break your bond, kid," Martha assured with a tap on the thigh.

Later That Evening at the Park

Castle was wrapped up in his dark cashmere jacket with a long scarf around his neck. Probably not the best idea to meet in the park in the middle of a New York winter. He had bought a single red rose from an old woman at a stall on the way here. He wasn't trying to bribe her, he was simply just being his charming, romantic self.

He could see her approaching from a distance. She wore a jacket that was certainly too light to be keeping any heat in, as well as a pair of black gloves and a woollen hat. Her curls dangled loosely from the hat, making her instantly recognisable to Castle.

"Hey," she greeted, rubbing her hands together.

"Hey." God, she looked gorgeous. "Oh. I, um… I got you this," he said handing her the rose.

She stopped in her actions and smiled, taking the rose. "Thank you, Castle. This is very…you."

Castle took her unoccupied glove-covered hand and began strolling through the park. The peacefulness, the serenity he felt was indescribable. Though there was still a slight tension in the air, this was enough to make either of them happy.

"I'm sorry about what happened," Kate said breaking the silence. "You had every right to be mad at me. I should've just told you I wasn't ready…."

He stopped walking and turned to look at her sorrowful expression. "You've admitted your mistakes. That's enough for me," he said.

"You're okay with this, right?" she asked insecurely. "You don't think we dived into this too quickly?"

"I'm more than okay with this," he said taking both hands. "Kate, I want to be with you. I can't imagine not being with you."

"Okay…good," she said relieved. "Because I want this too."

He brought one hand up to her cold cheek and stroked it, causing her to lean into it. She held his arm with her gloved hand and could feel the warmth of his breath against her chilly face. They were simultaneously leaning in wanting to close the gap. But then Kate remembered where they were.

"Castle," she said slowly pulling back. "Public…."

"Right," he said following her actions. "Come on, we've somewhere to be."

He took off ahead pulling her behind him. She had no choice but to give in to his antics and let him take her wherever he was heading.

"You planned something?" she asked surprised.

He unexpectedly stopped them outside the Wollman ice-rink. The flood lights reflected off the white ice completely lighting up this area of the park. The rink was quiet for this time of year, but there were a few families still skating when they arrived.

"What're we doing here?"

"I wanted to take you some place that had meaning to you," he confessed, watching as her eyes began to light up. "You told me you loved going ice-skating with your mom. So, here we are."

"Castle," she said staring at the rink in awe. "That's so sweet."

He stood silent observing every muscle on her face as they worked together to form a smile. He had never seen this look on her face before; it was peace. She had always said that doing things with her mother made her feel safe and joyful. He was glad he could deliver those same feelings.

"Come on, let me show you how it's done," she said cockily.

The two ran off and each grabbed a pair of skates. Kate had her laces tied neatly in a matter of seconds, while Castle was struggling to get them on comfortably. She stood up checking her balance before waddling over to see if he needed help. Being the stubborn man he is, he tried his best and eventually managed to get his feet in.

"Just to let you know, I haven't done this in years," he confessed tying his laces.

"Don't worry, I'll hold you hand," she chuckled degradingly. Pulling him up to stand, she asked, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he said.

Once they hobbled to the rink entrance, Kate didn't hesitate to get on the ice. She was a bit unsteady for a few seconds but quickly got her rhythm back. Castle, on the other hand, was gripping tightly onto the railing as he took one small step at a time. Praying that his legs wouldn't give in, he stopped in his movements and watched her.

"You okay?" she asked skating in a small circle in front of him.

He nodded affirmingly, yet unconvincingly while still clutching the barrier.

"Here," she said taking his hands. "Careful!"

Gently pulling him along at a slow, steady pace, Kate could see he was starting to feel a bit more confident. He was wobbly but managed to keep his balance the whole time she was helping him.

"You're skating!" she exclaimed.

He cheered as he glanced back at the railing which was long gone. The change in his line of sight caused him to trip, almost losing his footing. Kate sniggered, trying more than anything to hold back a laugh. Once he had steadied himself, he laughed.

"Mark my words, by the end of this I'll be skating even better than you," he said.

"You think so?" she asked. "Well, in that case…."

She let go of his hands and began skating away from him. Left standing in the middle of the ice rink unsure of how to move, Castle refused to move. Kate had done a full lap of the rink before he even turned to look at her.

"Come on, grandpa," she shouted as she skated past him.

"Grandpa?" he repeated in a higher voice than usual. "I'll show you grandpa."

He started skating in her direction, but she had circled around him before he could catch up. He managed to reach out and grab her by the waist and pull her into him before she could escape again. She spun around to face him as he stared lovingly at her. God, he was crazy about her.

So entranced by her beauty, he failed to noticed he was leaning towards her and that his feet were about to give way. He plummeted to the ground bringing Kate tumbling down with him.

"Jeez!" she yelped as her butt hit the cold ice. "That's going to leave a bruise."

"I'll kiss it better," he said with a sly grin.

Rolling her eyes, she lifted herself back up carefully. Castle took her helping hands and hoisted himself off the wet ground too. As she wiped the ice particles from her pants, Castle pressed himself against her back while resting his hands on her hips. He breathed in the scent of cherries from the hair escaping from under her woolly hat.

"Castle," she scolded. "Still in public."

"That can be easily changed," he whispered.

This caught Kate's attention. As much fun as she was having in the rink, she couldn't stop imagining the fun she could be having with Rick in a more private setting.

"Come on," she said skating to the exit.

"I was kidding," he laughed. "We can save the fun stuff for later."

"What if I don't want to wait?" she said with a glint of ambiguity in her eyes.

He took that as a 'go' signal and hastily took off his skates. She had never seen him move so fast in her life and couldn't help but laugh at how her words could make him act. After they handed the skates to the man behind the counter, Kate linked her arm with his.

"Your place or mine?"

"Alexis is with friends and mother is gone for the night," he said. "And the loft is closer."

"Then lead the way," she said suggestively biting her lip.

He couldn't keep his hands off her the duration of the walk to the loft. He held her close, pulling her in for some gentle kisses on her hat every few metres. She refused to stop smiling the whole time, occasionally shivering as he ran his hands up and down her back.

"I dare you to keep your hands off me until we get inside," she challenged, knowing it wouldn't happen.

"And what happens if I don't?"

"I won't give you what you want," she teased.

"Hmm," he hummed. "And what is it I want so bad?"

"Me."

She lengthened her strides now walking backwards while facing him. Taking off her hat and unbuttoning her coat, she grinned at him knowing it would drive him wild. When she saw his expression change into a state of astonishment, she turned back around and entered his building.