an: posted a few fics over the last few weeks, check them out. constructive criticism is welcome.
no auto-correct, apologies for errors. x
bold & italics are flashbacks.
Kate paced back and forth in front of the swing set, her eyes glued to her Emma and her phone pressed to her ear. "Yes- I kno- Javi I jus...Okay. Yes. Fi- Fine." She managed, shaking her head.
A chill breeze ruffled the navy blue coat Kate was wearing, the ice cold attempting to bite through the thin fabric of her dress shirt and wrap it's fingers around her exposed neck. Pulling the coat closer around her body, Kate watched as her daughter grabbed another young girls hand and sat down at the top of the slide.
Hanging up her mobile, she kept pacing, this time towards the mouth of the slide. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even blink. Of course it was safe; it was an enclosed plastic slide, but it was her child and whenever she was doing something somewhat reckless or seemingly dangerous, Kate always felt the need to protect her from it - and everything in between. She also felt like it was some kind of karma, payback for how she acted as a child and teenager.
I can already tell she's going to be a handful.
Shaking her head, Kate couldn't stop the brief smirk from hiking her lips upwards.
Twin screams started echoing through the hard plastic, interspersed with loud laughter as the two girls made their way down the slide.
Not being able to see either of the girls from the outside made Kate's heart beat rapidly and her feet move faster. Not watching where she was going as long as the direction was towards the mouth of the slide. She didn't see the solid object she suddenly collided into with a loud THUMP! Body turning rigid almost immediately from the impact and forcing her back onto her ass with an 'oof'. Oh God, that's going to bruise like a bitch.
"Oh sorry! I didn't mean to- Beckett?"
With a groan, Kate rubbed her hip, fingers attempting to soothe the creamy skin which will soon be speckled in bruised splotches; her index finger pressed concentric circles along her hip and underneath her thigh.
As a shadow started to cover her body, Kate looked up at the figure, it wasn't a solid object. Her breath stuttering in her chest once again as her mouth opened, eyes wide. "Castle..." She breathed, voice flaky.
She blamed it on having the wind knocked out of her but he knew better, and so did she.
"M-um! are you okay?" Emma's voice was loud, scratchy, worried.
Kate's heart ached. No, Emma. No.
Looking over towards the slide, Kate shook her head, effectively stopping her daughter in her tracks, forcing a reassuring smile on her face. "I'm okay, bug. Promise."
Physically.
Emma nodded, her brow still wrinkled in worry as she squeezed the girls hand beside her tightly, unknowingly seeking comfort. Alexis gasped loudly, shooting pains shot upwards from her wrist to her shoulder. Biting her lip, she tried to hold in a whimper. Emma felt her tense up and turned towards her left, immediately relinquishing her hold.
"I'm sorry!"
Alexis shook her head, tears in the backs of her eyes as the pain started to subside. "It's oka- I just...just hurt it." She finished, forcing a small smile before taking Emma's hand once more.
Rick offered his hand to Kate, his eyes soft and...no he doesn't get to look at me like that.
Looking over at the two girls, who were pre-occupied with their own conversation, Kate batted his hand away and stood up on shaking legs. Brushing off sand that was clinging to her dark jeans; covering them in blotches of powdered white and grey, her feet kicking up dust as she quickly made her way over to her daughter. Posture rigid, spine ramrod straight.
Tucking his hands into his back pockets, unsure what to do. He wanted to see her, so much. To talk, to explain - to get her to explain. But he couldn't force her.
She deserves to be happy.
Kate crouched down in front of Emma, smiling softly. "You ready to go?" She asked, playing with a loose curl that had fallen out of her daughters ponytail.
Shaking her head, a pout falling across her delicate features. "A little longer? Please?" She whispered, giving her mother her best puppy dog eyes.
Kate huffed a laugh, only then turning her eyes to the other little girl next to her. She felt her heart stop, the feeling of being doused with a bucket of ice cold water washed over her.
It couldn't be-
"No, I'm sorry, Bug. We have to go."
Emma folded her arms across her chest, squinting her eyes at her mother as she tried to understand what was going on. Kate's phone started to ring, a shrill tone that pierced the silence enveloping them. Emma's face fell, rubbing her shoulder as she looked at the redhead beside her.
"My mum has to go save lives..." Her daughter shrugged, eyes downcast as Kate went to pull the phone from her back pocket.
Biting her bottom lip, Kate squeezed her eyes shut. Heart racing as her index finger traced the edge of her iPhone screen. I really don't know what to do.
Rick came up behind Kate, giving Alexis a small little wave, she returned it with a big toothy grin before pointing at him. "My daddy has a room where he hurts people!" Releasing her new friends hand and rushing over to him, her eyes beaming proudly.
His eyes flashed in panic at her words. "I write mystery novels." He explains. "Sweetie, you can't go around saying that." Rick looks down at her, trying not to laugh.
Typing a quick message to somebody on her phone, she turned her attention back to her daughter who forced a small smile on her lips, her bottom lip twitching. Trying not to let the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside of her to show, standing up straight and placing the phone in her back pocket once again.
Rolling her eyes, Alexis tugged on his shirtsleeve "Daddy can- can we...have play date?" She garbled, excitedly. Her mind already skipping to another topic, her eyes wide in excitement.
Kate shot daggers over both of the girls heads, her eyebrow raised in challenge.
Just let it go Castle, let me go.
"Ask Ms. Beckett, honey."
Alexis spun around, half hopping-half walking the few steps in between them until she was standing in front of Kate and Emma once more. "Can we do play date? Please?"
Kate bit her lip, her eyes sliding up to Rick who was clearly avoiding her gaze. And then, it happened, the young girls eyes widened and her eyes, those eyes, gave Kate the exact same pleading look that Emma had perfected by the time she was 2.
"That sounds like a great idea, Alexis." Kate said softly, gently squeezing her cheek.
A week later.
Kate held tightly onto Emma's hand, as if afraid she might slip away at any moment. Everything could implode right now. Everything. Emma squeezed her hand back gently, as though she were the mother assuring a worried child.
Holding one bag filled with Emma's play date toys and trinkets and the other containing a few of the 'healthier' fast food choices - with wine, of course. Though, now that Kate thought about it. Wine and them were never a good combination.
Closing the text book, fingers drumming along the spine Kate reached for the dark blue mug in the center of the table, pouring fresh green tea into it. The winter air was bitterly cold against her skin, her cheeks blotched pink and eyes heavy.
"Katie? Can you come outside for a moment?" A voice echoed from the front door, reverberating down the hall and into the kitchen.
Hands clutching the mug close to her chest, Kate made her way outside and into the chilly morning air, her feet connecting with the damp wooden patio. Having dyed her hair over summer, the dark brown bangs fell into her eyes and light brown highlights enhanced her already soft features, rounding her cheek bones and brightening the specks of green in her eyes.
"Do you need a hand with setting up, dad?"
Another voice spoke this time, from her right spoke up. "I was just admiring your motorbike," He commented, voice deep and gravelly, deep blue eyes sparkling up at her. "And, I brought wine."
Looking down at Emma, she nodded at her, pointing at the door with her elbow because her hands are full. "Go ahead, bug. Knock away."
Emma smiled widely, raising both hands to the door and pounding her little fists a few times against the sleek-looking door. Please, please, let tonight go smoothly.
"Okay! Okay. That's enough." She said sharply, a laugh falling loosely from her chest.
Kate knew better than to expect things to go to plan and usually she wouldn't mind, as much, if it was just her. Things screw up, that's life. She messed up on a daily basis. But this was Emma. And she would give her life to protect her child from any kind of harm that may befall her.
Kate had known this day would come, countless nights spent drawing up the pros and cons of telling him, of telling her, why she listened to that one voice so long ago...
Had she just been looking for the easy way out?
Or the least painful?
It looks like neither of those were going to happen tonight.