Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; they belong to the genius of AWM.

Overheard

Chapter 7

Rick stood with the front door open for a long time after the elevator departed. His mind was reeling from all the information Kate shared with him. In a short space of time, for the second time in a week, everything he thought he knew was flipped on its head. She loved him? But she lied? She didn't think she deserved him, and wanted him to find someone better to love? What a convoluted mess. He was still staring into space when his mother arrived onto the floor.

Martha had seen Kate departing, and silently thanked the bumbling cabby who took so long in giving her change for not having met up with the detective in the building foyer. She liked Katherine, but right now she was angry at how hurt her son was, and disappointed that the woman couldn't have let her son down gently if she really didn't want a relationship with him. Maybe in a couple of weeks she could greet her politely on the street, but right now it was best if she stayed away from the woman.

As Martha walked to the door of the loft, she saw her son frozen in place, and lost in his own thoughts. She touched his arm gently, bringing him back to the present, and then guided him inside and to the couch. Once she hung up her coat, she joined her son and debated internally if she should mention Katherine's presence, then decided it was best to get things out in the open.

"I saw Katherine leaving the building as I arrived. Did you see her?" She asked her son.

"Yes, she was here." Rick responded, although still seeming distracted. Martha knew there was more to come, so she sat quietly – something not easy for anyone in the Rogers-Castle family – and placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"She said she loves me." Rick spoke after a few moments, taking his mother totally by surprise.

"Really? Well! That is great news." Martha's immediate enthusiasm was lost on her son, so she moved to draw him out.

"So why do you still look like someone kicked your puppy? Shouldn't you be celebrating, having what you have wanted for a long time finally in your reach?"

Rick was silent for a while, debating on sharing this further detail with his mother. He recognised that having shared the first part of this situation with her, he needed to give her all the information if she was to give him good advice.

"Because I don't know what to believe anymore. I asked her repeatedly over the last year if she remembered the shooting, and she consistently denied it. Then, almost a year later, she admits to a suspect that she remembers every second of her shooting. A suspect, a petty thief under interrogation! And then, when I try to distance myself from her, force myself to get over her, she turns up and tells me she loves me, but didn't think she deserved me, and didn't want to lose our 'friendship' when she wasn't ready for more.

"She says she missed me this last week, missed me bringing her coffee, being by her side. Maybe all she misses is the plucky sidekick, her coffee delivery guy, and realising that I know about her lie, decided to tell me what she thinks I want to hear."

Rick exhausted himself with all those words, and slumped down against the couch.

"Do you really think Katherine is that shallow, that callous, Richard?" Martha asked. The detective was a lot of things, but she could never see her intentionally lying to her son about her feelings. What little Richard had shared of their conversation gave Martha a whole new view on the events of Kate's shooting and the aftermath.

Rick had not yet responded to her latest question, and so Martha decided to take charge of the conversation.

"OK, Richard, how about you tell me exactly what Katherine said to you today."

XXXXXXXX

After Rick had recited his conversation with Kate, Martha was quiet for a long time. Rick was also reviewing the conversation in his head, alternatively cursing and blessing his almost perfect recall. He deliberately didn't mention the phone call with Yolanda, however, just saying Kate had missed him and wanted to see if something was wrong.

Finally Martha patted his arm, and then having gotten his attention she shared her advice.

"Richard, I am sure you know Katherine better than I do, but I don't believe she would say anything just to get you back, to make you feel better, if she didn't really feel those things. I have seen the way she looks at you, especially when you are not looking. Do you remember the day in the bank, and the dinner afterwards? Those were not the actions of a 'friend'. I could swear that just before I asked for her to cut my restraints, she was about to kiss you.

"And how about when she came over to see my one-woman show? She was offering you comfort and I could see she was reluctant to leave afterwards. No, Richard, I think she is in love with you, and possibly she has only just admitted that to herself, when she thought she had lost you. Finally you can have what you have wanted for the last 4 years. You just need to decide if it's what you still want, and if you can get over the hurt of her lie. One thing to remember, though, is that you have been lying to her as well, not telling her about your investigation into her mother's murder and your conversations with that Mr. Smith."

"That's not a lie, Mother!" Rick defended quickly, although he knew it was just semantics.

"Well, an omission then, but you have been keeping important information from her, just as she did. I'm not saying they are equal, because they are not, but you are not blameless in this. And by continuing to dance around each other, and talking only in subtext, rather than coming out and asking the girl directly about her memories, or even asking her for a date, you are also partly to blame for the stalling this year. Now that she has confessed her lie, will you be telling her about yours?"

Rick was silent, considering yet another aspect of this convoluted situation. Perhaps that would be best, if he told her about Mr. Smith. She would probably be angry at him, and more than likely end their partnership, like she did the last time he interfered with her mother's case. Then they could both move on. He nodded to himself, thanked his mother, and headed out the door to Kate's apartment.

When Kate heard the knock on her door, she was at first confused and then ecstatic that Castle had come over, and so soon after their last conversation. Perhaps he didn't actually have a date, and they could continue working towards a relationship. When she opened the door, however, his facial expression wasn't encouraging, and she began to wonder if he had only come to say goodbye in person. Before she could ask him what was going on, he walked past her into the lounge, then turned around and said-

"I've got something to tell you too. It's about your mother."

TBC