Hell of a Day

I felt so sorry for Castle at the end of Countdown last season. Just my thoughts on what might have been going on in Castle's mind after Josh (still hard to even type his name) showed up at the end of Countdown.

Disclaimer: nothings mine but the story.

"I was thinking…" a once energized Castle's words ground to a halt as he looked over her shoulder and saw the bane of his existence strolling towards them. The smile on his face faltered as he tried to go on as if his world hadn't just slammed to a stop. "I was thinking that I'll go home…get some rest." He stammered as he tried desperately to smile, turning away as quickly as he could. He just couldn't watch another man putting his arms around the woman he…oh God…the woman he…he loved. 'Don't go there. All I am to her is a work partner, nothing else. Just move it Ricky-boy. Don't look back. Keep your head facing forward and just keep walking'. Arriving at the elevator, he punched the button, only to have the doors slide open. 'At least something is going my way. Keep your eyes up stupid.' He groaned inwardly as he slid in and pressed the button to go down.

Leaning his head back against the elevator wall as the doors closed, Castle silently cursed himself for forgetting. 'She's not yours stupid. She doesn't love you' He was wishing at that moment that the Mayan curse was still on him and the elevator would just drop to the bottom and put him out of his misery. Or even better, how about punching that smug doctor so hard he ended up in Africa after all. Before his thoughts could go any further the doors swished open and he shook his head with a sigh as he quickly left the confines of the elevator and walked through the prescient lobby and out the door.

He stood still for a moment watching life go on around him, New Yorkers going about their everyday lives, not knowing what had almost happened to them today. 'I…we had almost died two times in the last 24 hours, real life, not a chapter in one of my books. I'm not stupid; I know the difference, know that I don't get to write us a fairy tale ending. Just a reminder to self, the good guy doesn't always get the girl. Hell, maybe I'm not even the good guy besides she's dating another man. She doesn't need me or want me. She's told me that enough.' His heart hurt and his soul felt frozen but he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. 'Man up Richard.' He thought as he fished his phone out of his pocket and hit speed dial number one. It only rang twice before he heard the voice of the one person he knew loved him without question.

"Dad, are you okay?" Alexis's breathy voice asked. "Is it over? How are Detective Beckett and the guys? Where…"

Warmth washed over him as he stopped her rant, "Wow, sweetie, everything is fine. It's all over. I am going to go home and get changed then head your way. I am so in need of one of your hugs." Castle replied as he threw up his hand to hail a cab. "As soon as I get off the phone with you, I am going to call the car service. I should be there in about three hours."

"Good, I'll order dinner." Alexis sighed, the relief evident in her voice. "I'll get your favorite. Calories won't count tonight."

He laughed quietly into the phone, "Great. Get something good for dessert. Hey, I'll see you soon, Pumpkin. Got to go, I see my ride coming."

He finished the call and slipped his phone into his back pocket as a yellow cab pulled up to the curb. Opening the door, he slid in, giving the driver his address. He leaned back in the seat and dropped his head into his hands with a sigh. Damn, it certainly was a hell of a day.

Next up No Hassle Castle