He said that she would hear from him in three days or less. Today was day three, and she had yet to receive Judge Markaway's phone call. The fear of not getting the job was growing, and she had hardly slept the night before, awakening at 5:30 AM. Kate's nerves were causing her to do all sorts of strange things, too. Already this morning, she'd dropped her hairbrush in the toilet, stood zoned out in the shower for fifteen minutes before snapping to, and washed her face with shampoo instead of soap.

She had to do something to keep herself occupied. That's why she was in the kitchen at 6:30 AM, scrambling eggs in her nonna's special pan and frying bacon in a large skillet. Kate was a terrible cook, but bacon and eggs were easy enough. It was about time she did something for Castle, anyway. He'd done so much for her over the past week, and she'd been unable to do anything in return. Yes, she'd gone grocery shopping for him yesterday, but because she still had no money, he'd paid for everything. She felt like she'd never be able to repay him for all the kindness that he'd shown her. Breakfast was just a small drop in the bucket, but it made her feel better nonetheless. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she began to carefully flip the bacon.

"Mmm, smells good in here." Kate jumped, surprised by Castle's sudden presence in the kitchen, and dropped the bacon fork with a squeal. Castle laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said, handing Kate a clean fork from the silverware drawer.

"Yeah, sure," Kate said sarcastically, a grin on her face, continuing to flip the bacon. Over the past three days, she'd begun to let her guard down with Castle, allowing the fun-loving, rebellious, and slightly sarcastic version of herself to begin to come through. From the moment she met Castle, she'd been keeping a lot suppressed, trying to appear casual and almost professional in front of him. Three days ago, though, when he'd taken her to Goodwill, she'd finally realized that she didn't have to be that way. He wanted to help her, to get to know her, and to be her friend.

Her friend. Not her lover, but her friend. Deep down, she'd been scared from the moment she met him that the only reason he'd chosen to talk to her that day in the park was because he thought she was pretty. Kate thought he was cute, no questions asked, but she was so scared his interest in her was romantic that she'd been holding herself back, going as far as calling him by his last name. Which, of course, was habit by now. Besides, at this point, it would have been a point of pride to begin regularly calling him by his first name. Although she was still hesitant at times, she was quickly growing much more comfortable with him.

"Hey, Kate, watch this!" Kate looked toward Castle, who had placed a cantaloupe on a cutting board on the countertop. A large knife was in his hand, and he gripped the knife's handle with both of his hands, dramatically raising it high above his head. With a raise of his eyebrows, he swiftly brought the knife down, slicing the melon in half in a single motion.

"Did you see that? I totally cut that cantaloupe ninja style." He set the knife down and grinned at Kate, who simply shook her head. Castle was like a nine-year-old on a sugar rush half the time. Sometimes, she wondered if he needed a babysitter as much as Alexis did.

Alexis finally awoke, joining the adults for breakfast. After the meal, Castle sent his daughter off to her room to play. Kate began to wash the dishes as Castle put away the leftovers. Suddenly, the home telephone rang, causing Kate to jump again. "You seem a bit nervous," Castle said as he walked toward the phone. He grinned as he picked it up from its base and lifted it to his ear.

"Hello?" He paused. "Oh, of course. Here she is." He held out the phone to Kate with a smile. "It's for you."

Oh, crap. This was it. This was Markaway, calling to tell her that they'd hired someone else; that she was still jobless. What would she tell Castle? That he'd done everything he could for her, but she still wasn't good enough to land a job? She'd have to move out, no questions asked. It would be way too embarrassing to stay here any longer. Crap, crap, crap…

She hesitantly took the phone from him, lifting it to her ear. "Hello?" she said weakly.

"Kate! This is Judge Markaway."

Yep, it was him. "What can I do for you?" she asked. God, what a stupid thing to say, Kate…

"You can say 'yes.' The job is yours!"

Wait. What?

It took everything in Kate's power not to drop the phone and scream in excitement. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I… wow. Thank you, sir," she said lamely.

"So, Kate? What do you say? Would you like to come work as my secretary?" Markaway asked.

"Oh, absolutely, sir. Yes." Kate's confidence had finally returned to her. She turned to face Castle, who was drying her nonna's pan. He met her eyes, asking a silent question. She nodded, grinning, and watched as a huge smile broke out onto his face.

"Wonderful!" Markaway said. "I know it's not much notice, but I'd like for you to start Monday. Will that work?"

Kate thought for a moment. Today was Thursday. She would absolutely be ready to start on Monday. She confirmed this with Markaway, and soon hung up the phone. After returning it to its base, she stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.

I have a job. I'm not homeless anymore. I have a freaking job. Oh my God.

"So," Castle's voice came from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. "Good things, I assume?" he asked, eyebrows raised knowingly.

Kate turned around, grinning. "I got the job!" Suddenly unable to contain her elation for a moment longer, she squealed, ran toward Castle, and threw her arms around him.

He chuckled. "I'm so proud of you, Kate," he said, gently patting her shoulder as she released him.

Kate began to jump excitedly around the kitchen. "Oh, this is so awesome. I've got to call my mom! I… oh..." She froze. She couldn't call her mom. Not now, and not ever. Sadness began to course through her veins, inundating and overwhelming her until she could hardly breathe. She felt her knees begin to buckle beneath her and gave in, letting herself fall to the floor.

Kate was collapsing. He reached out, trying to catch her, but he wasn't fast enough. She hit the floor, and Rick dove down, landing beside her trembling body. She was on her knees, face to the ground, and arms wrapped over her head. He gently lifted her up, pulling her into a sitting position and pressing her head into his chest as loud sobs began to wrack her body.

The sound was heartbreaking. His heart ached for her, even more knowing that there was nothing that he could do to fix what she was going through. He couldn't imagine how horrible it was to lose a parent. Kate had been coping amazingly well, especially for someone so young. She'd had a few minor breakdowns before, but he'd never seen her so completely and utterly broken like this.

Castle pulled her tighter into his sternum, rubbing her back as he began to gently rock from side to side. He lowered his head to meet hers, gently whispering assurances into her ear. Kate's sobs were unrelenting, though, and he wondered how long it had been since she'd allowed herself to grieve properly.

Considering he was holding someone as utterly heartbroken as Kate, Rick thought he was doing fairly well. But when Kate began to desperately cry out "Mama" between her sobs, he felt tears spring to his eyes. He had to hold himself together. So he began to speak.

"Once, there lived a beautiful princess," he started. "Her hair was the color of pumpkins; her eyes as blue as clear water. Everywhere she went, the people admired her, calling her the most beautiful lady in the land." Kate was still sobbing, but he continued, his head directly next to hers. "They didn't know, though, that this beautiful princess was hiding something. She had a great secret. The princess was a trained ninja, who disguised herself and protected the townspeople from all sorts of evil. Her name was Prinja."

He pressed on, describing Prinja's first encounter with a dragon, who was trying to destroy the town in a blaze of fire. Kate's sobs gradually decreased, and as he reached the climax of the story, she was merely sniffling. "And Prinja stood on the dragon's snout, defiantly looking him in the eyes," he regaled dramatically.

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, when she spoke. "Then what?" Kate whispered softly.

Kate had finally come around. Castle grinned, beginning to speak more animatedly. "Then, with an epic ninja kick, she hit him directly between the eyes, in his weak spot. He fell to the ground, dead. But as the dragon fell, Prinja also began to fall. She screamed as she fell through the air. She was terrified. But strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, and she realized that her father, the king, had just saved her life. He looked her in the eyes and said, 'I'll always be here to catch you, baby girl.'"

He paused, his story finished. "The dragon story is Alexis' favorite," he said slowly. Every detail about Prinja, from her looks to her adoring father, had been written with Alexis in mind. But there was a resemblance to Kate's story, too, and he wanted her to understand.

"Prinja doesn't have a mother, either," Kate whispered, making the connection.

Castle nodded. "Right," he affirmed. That had been the first meaning of his story. There was a second, very important thing that he wanted Kate to know, but he didn't trust her to make the connection on her own. He had to tell her.

He gently placed a hand under Kate's chin, lifting it up so that she was looking into his eyes. "I'll always be here to catch you, Kate," he said softly. "Always. I promise."

A smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, almost as if she were trying to judge his sincerity. When she spoke, her voice was clear and strong.

"I believe you," she said. Castle grinned, enveloping her in an embrace. They sat in silence for a few seconds, then Kate spoke again.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me another story?" she asked hopefully, a pleading look in her eyes.

Castle chuckled. "Those silly townspeople just didn't get it," he started. "They always managed to get themselves in trouble. Good thing they had Prinja to take care of them."

Kate grinned and lowered her head, snuggling herself into his chest, her ear pressed against his heart. He tightened his arms around her small frame, his palm protectively on her shoulder, and dove into the story.

Time escaped from them, and all that seemed to matter were each other and Prinja's latest adventure. He added wild embellishments, just to hear her laugh, and laugh she did, keeping her head continuously pressed against his chest. Only when Alexis came into the kitchen, asking about lunch, did Castle realize how much time had passed. Kate immediately sat up when she heard Alexis' voice, pulling herself away from Castle. He looked at her, a silent question in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she said quietly, a smile gradually appearing on her face.

She might be fine now, but Rick knew that she'd fall again. And he'd make sure that he was there to catch her.

It was 10:00 PM. Alexis was in bed, Castle was in his study, writing, and Kate was laying on the couch in the living room, alone with her thoughts. Today had been such a weird day. She had cycled through every possible emotion, from giddiness to apathy to bone-crushing sadness. The events and emotions of the day had left her completely exhausted, yet she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep yet. Her brain was still active, thoughts flying through it almost faster than she could keep up with.

She hadn't allowed herself to grieve her mother's death in so long. Today's breakdown had been a long time in the making. It was still hard for her to reconcile herself with the fact that she could never again have a conversation with her mom; that her mom would not get to be a part of all of the milestones that Kate had yet to reach in her adult life.

Her first job. Her college graduation. Her wedding. Her first child. Her mother wouldn't be there for any of it.

She missed her mom so much. She missed her dad, too… hell, she missed her family; her old life. And she'd gotten so comfortable here, with Rick, Alexis and Martha, that it made her feel almost as though she'd forgotten her parents. Guilt washed over her, threatening to overwhelm her, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Kate had not allowed herself to think of any of this before, pushing the thoughts away as quickly as they came. Earlier today, she'd been weak, allowing the thoughts to overwhelm her. When she'd broken down in front of Castle, he'd immediately pulled her into his arms, and the steadiness of his heartbeat and gentle rhythm of his voice had soothed her. This time, though, she was alone.

But maybe she didn't have to be alone. He said he'd be there to catch her when she fell. Maybe he could help prevent a fall, too.

A knock on his office door caused Rick to jump. He'd been so deep in his thoughts, writing a new chapter for Nikki Heat, that he'd completely lost track of time.

"Come in," he called, quickly saving and closing the open document on his desktop computer, just in case it was…

Kate. The moment she opened the door, he could tell that something was wrong. He stood and rushed to her, taking her in his arms and quickly leading her to one of the plush armchairs in front of his desk. He helped her sit, then knelt on the floor in front of her, grasping her hands in his.

"Tell me about it," he said gently, running his thumbs in small circles on her knuckles.

She was silent for a moment, her chin lowered, eyes closed. She finally opened her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"I just feel so guilty," she said, her voice breaking. She paused, but Castle remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I just miss them so much," she finally said, voice quiet. "Both of them. My mom and my dad. And I feel so guilty, because I'm just so happy here, and I feel so at home, and I don't want to forget them." She took a deep breath, then began to speak again, her pace gradually quickening.

"I mean, my dad's still here, and I tried to call him last week, but he didn't answer, and I haven't even thought about calling him again since. What kind of person does that make me? That I can just forget about my dad like that? He's still my family, and now you guys are my family, I think, and I have this new job, and everything is just changing so fast, and I just can't handle it. How am I supposed to have two families at once? How am I supposed to balance all of this? How?" She looked at Castle, and he could see the silent plea for help in her tear-filled eyes.

"Kate…" he started, gently squeezing her hands. "Listen to me. You've done so well. Remarkably well, in fact. You've had all of these terrible things happen to you, and you've not let them break you. Your strength amazes me." He paused, allowing the truth of his words sink in. "And it's okay to break down sometimes, or to feel happy. You're not desecrating your mom's memory, or disrespecting your dad, by being happy."

Kate sniffed. "Then why do I feel like I am?" she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"That's natural, Kate," Rick said gently. "It's a part of the grieving process."

"How would you know?" Kate asked bitterly, not meeting his eyes.

She was defensive, and rightfully so. He sighed. "My grandfather died when I was a kid," Castle admitted. "He and I were really close. I never knew who my dad was, so Gramps was like a father to me." Kate slowly raised her head, the look in her eyes softer as she met Castle's gaze.

"About a week after his death, I went to a friend's birthday party," Castle continued. "I had so much fun. I laughed and played and joked and completely forgot that I was supposed to be sad. And when I got home that night, I felt guilty, because I felt like I'd forgotten about Gramps. But you know what? It's been nearly twenty-five years, and I still haven't forgotten Gramps. And I never will."

Rick rarely talked about his grandfather, because it sometimes still hurt when he did. He would always miss his grandfather. He could relate to what Kate was going through, though, and he wanted her to know it. He raised one of his hands to her face, gently wiping the tears from her cheek.

"It's okay to be happy, Kate," he said softly. "From what you've told me about your mom, she was a wonderful, fun-loving woman. She'd want you to be happy."

Kate didn't respond immediately, but pressed her lips together tightly and tilted her chin slightly upward, her eyes looking to the ceiling. "My mom always said that if you look up, you won't cry," she said apologetically, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Castle smiled. "Does it work?" he asked.

Kate was silent for a moment, then finally lowered her chin. "Not really," she answered as she wiped a tear from her cheek, causing Castle to laugh.

"I promise you, she'd want you to be happy. And she'd be proud of you, Kate," Rick said gently. "You know that."

Kate looked at him, eyes filled with sorrow. "Yeah, maybe," she whispered.

"Maybe?" Rick said incredulously. "Come on, Kate. Give yourself some credit here. You got yourself off the streets and got a full-time job. I'm proud of you, and I've only known you about a week. So I know your mom would be proud of you."

Kate was silent, her lips pressed together again. She took a shaky breath. "You're right," she finally said with a small grin. "She probably would have said, 'You go, girl.'"

Castle smiled. "And your dad? What would he say?"

He watched as Kate's face crumbled. Damn, he'd said the wrong thing. "Kate, I'm sor—"

"He'd probably be too drunk to care," Kate interrupted, the bitterness in her voice almost palpable. "Just like he was when I told him I'd been evicted."

There was no good way to respond to that. She'd been hurt, and he could see the pain reflected in her eyes. Kate felt betrayed by her father, and his heart ached for her again.

"A father is never too drunk to love his daughter," he said gently. "Trust me, I would know… okay, well, it's not like I get drunk a lot," he added quickly, realizing how his statement had sounded. "But I like to drink on occasion, you know, and sometimes I just get caught up in the moment, and I'm just digging my own grave right now, aren't I?" he finished lamely, amused by the look Kate was shooting him. How a 19-year-old girl could scold him without saying a single word, he'd never know.

"Really, though," he said, feeling sheepish. "A father never stops loving his daughter, no matter how drunk he is. And it's never too late for a phone call from your daughter with good news," he added, gesturing toward the phone on his desk.

Kate thought for a moment. "Not tonight," she said quietly. "I don't think I could right now… I'm just exhausted."

Castle nodded, understanding. "You going to be okay?" he asked. "I can let Alexis keep you company tonight, if that would help. Just a warning, though—she's a sleep cuddler."

Kate grinned shyly. "So am I," she admitted. "And that would help a lot, actually."

Castle smiled, standing. "You go get ready for bed, and I'll bring Alexis to you when you're ready."

Twenty minutes later, Castle carried a semi-conscious Alexis into Kate's darkened room, where she laid waiting under the covers. Kate pulled the blanket back, and he laid Alexis on the bed beside her. Before he could pull the covers over Alexis, though, the child had found Kate, snuggling into her and wrapping an arm around Kate's waist.

Castle smiled knowingly. "Told you she's a cuddler," he whispered. Kate grinned, draping her arm over Alexis in response.

"Goodnight, Castle" she whispered. "And thank you."

"Always," he answered sincerely, smiling at her as he turned to leave the room.

Kate nodded and closed her eyes, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. He was reminding her that he'd always be there for her. She didn't need the reminder, though. He'd been there for her since the moment they'd met, and she trusted that he always would be.

Author's note: This chapter took a long time for me to write, so to make it up to you, it's extra long. :) Basically, I got stuck on the ending. I wrote and trashed three different endings of this chapter, because none of them went where I wanted them to go. I finally found something that worked, though (with the help of Cathey, who is amazing, as always).

Thank you all so much for reading, and I look forward to your reviews.