AN: Thank you, as always, for the reviews. For my newer reader that left a review, sadly Kardashins were around at the time, but you did catch my Disney+ mistake. This is what happens when I start a fanfic one year, take a break, and finish it in another haha. But since it's AU we can pretend this is a universe where Disney becomes richer a few years earlier. Anyways, enjoy!
CH14
They were planning on going to his loft after they discovered that Sal was the mastermind behind today's events, but she needed to stop at Johanna's first. She had a long day, but she needed to go. She almost lost Castle today and it had brought back memories of the night that she was told that her mother was gone. She told the girls working there, finishing up and prepping for tomorrow, that they could go home and she'd take it from here. Castle flipped the sign from open to closed and locked up before taking the broom from the storage closet (as if they still did this every night). She just looked at him, taking him in, reminding herself that he was okay.
"You know, you tell me it's creepy when I stare."
"Just enjoying the fact that you're actually doing the boring work for a change."
He smiled, which of course made her heart flutter and made her smile. She knew they had to talk about today, but first, she thought some coffee was needed. She made them two cups of coffee and finished just as he was done sweeping. She handed him his cup of coffee, which he gladly took.
"It's on the house today."
"Just today?"
"Well, obviously I'm only dating you for your money," she teased. "But you were involved in a bank robbery today and…"
He took her hand in his. "And we're both still here." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You know, when I was in there, all I could think about was you." When he knew he had her attention, he kept speaking. "At first it was that I may never see you again, but when Trapper John called you a hellcat after getting off the phone with you, I knew you wouldn't let that happen. So then I started thinking of what you would do, how would you get out of this. Then you walked in, to get Sal, and my thoughts went back to how much I wanted to hold you because what if this was it. Then you looked at me and that small hand touch was enough to snap me back out of those thoughts. When our hands were being tied, I still knew that you'd come and save us….and then the bomb went off. I remember bracing for the worst, but nothing happened. It wasn't long after that that I knew I had to find the way to get up, to get to you and let you know everything was okay….that's when I heard your voice."
He placed his coffee down on the counter and cupped the side of her face with his palm. She leaned into it, which prompted him to move his hand that was holding hers to her waist. He wrapped his arm around her waist before continuing to speak.
"The way you called out my name, I knew you were scared, not sure what you were going to find. I would have been too if the roles were reversed. But the way you looked at me when you knelt in front of me, well that look made the day worth it. No one has ever looked at me like that before. Now granted, I've never been involved in a bank robbery gone wrong, but I still know no one would have looked at me like that if I had done this before. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you Katherine Beckett, are extraordinary and you will continue to amaze me by the depths of your strength and your heart….and your hotness."
She couldn't help but laugh at his final remark. "You're not so bad yourself, Castle." She knew it was her turn. She pressed a soft kiss to his palm before she did so. "You're right, I was scared. I tried not to show it, but knowing that this morning could have been the last time I saw you didn't sit well with me. You've been one of the best partners I've ever had, both in the professional and non-professional sense, and I wasn't ready to give that up. I'm glad I have you, to stand by me, that believes in me. I believe in you, in us, and I'm grateful that I can still tell you that." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, letting them linger there and whispering, "And I'm grateful that I can tell you that I love you."
Oh, he was wrong, that look wasn't the best part of today, this was. He captured her lips in a passionate kiss, letting her know that he loved her too and believed in them. He didn't let the kiss last for as long as both of them would have liked, but he had to return her words. She let out a sound of disapproval, when their lips parted, which he couldn't help but smile at. "I love you too and I'm grateful to be your partner in crime, but also in life."
"Yet, you still won't do paperwork."
"Again, I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't let your talent for paperwork shine." She shook her head as she smiled. "How about I make it up to you?" She looked into his eyes and saw that they had gotten slightly darker.
"Oh?"
He backed her up to the counter. "Well, after all, you did save my life today." He leaned in, pressing soft kisses to her neck, trailing them up to her ear. "And I have to make sure you're thanked properly."
They made it back to the loft, still right on time to meet his mother for dinner. She insisted that they "celebrate life". Kate had set aside some cream puffs and eclairs to bring with them from Johanna's before they left. She also checked her jeans to make sure that, unlike the last time, there wasn't flour on her ass.
She opened the door when Marta arrived and was immediately wrapped in her arms. "Oh, darling, you came to join us! You beautiful creature."
Kate smiled. She was getting used to Martha's personality and was glad that Martha was so welcoming to her. "Come on in, Martha." Kate shut the door behind her and realized how at home she was feeling here. She couldn't remember if she was ever comfortable enough to answer the door like it was her own house (especially one of her exes). I mean, there were a lot of things that she hadn't felt or done in a relationship before. She hadn't said I love you before 6 months, if that. She hadn't opened up as she had to Castle to…well anyone besides maybe her therapist.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Martha asking her if she'd like a glass of wine. "Sure, thank you."
"Where's Richard?"
"Oh, he's just on the phone with Alexis. Letting her know that you two are okay." She was glad that the roles weren't reversed, that she was calling Alexis to tell them that everything was not okay. Alexis was just about the age that Kate was when she lost her mother and she didn't want Alexis to experience that kind of pain.
Martha sensed that Kate's thoughts were going down a path that wasn't necessary, since they were still alive. She placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Facing death demands celebrating life." She handed Kate her wine glass and clinked her glass with hers.
Kate gave her a soft smile before she took a sip of her wine. Castle emerged from his office a few seconds later, with his phone still in his hand. "Alexis would like to speak with you, Mother." He handed the phone off to her and picked up his wine glass as he heard his mother say "Darling! You'll never believe what happened."
He moved his glass to Kate's, clinking with hers before taking a sip. "You know, maybe next time I'll save your life."
"Next time? You do know it's my job to protect others?"
"Yea, but then we can keep score."
"I can't believe you want to keep score."
"Ryan told me he and Espositio used to. Ryan told me about the time that they saved you from the serial killer that blew up your apartment."
"They'd tell you I was naked too?" He choked on his wine and she let a small smirk grace her face. "I'll take that as a no."
