Disclaimer - I do not own castle
Castle Loft - 16:33 – Lounge Area
"I am in pain, physical pain because the women I love is lying in that hospital bed and there isn't a damn thing I can do. I watched her get shot. I watched her slip away in my arms after telling her to stay with me, telling her that I love her. I watched as her eyes closed. I watched as her heart temporally stopped on the way to the hospital," Rick confessed, pain in his voice and eyes. "And there is nothing I can do but wait until she opens her beautiful hazel-green eyes. I can only hope," Rick's voice echoed.
Kate's eyes shot open and she sat up in a start. Her heart beating a mile a minute, looking around the room, panting, slightly confused to where she was for a moment.
Alexis was at the other end of the couch, looking at her dad's partner concerned. Her phone in her hand, she was talking to her boyfriend. Kate and been taking a nap, well dozed off.
"Kate ... you okay?" the youngest Castle asked, concerned.
The older woman turned her attention to the teenage girl on the couch; a cushion down from her as recent events came flooding back to her mind, she was staying at Rick's loft. The brunette was just hoping that it was all a dream, Kate was surprised that she had dozed off. She had only sat down for a moment.
"Kate, Kate ... can you hear me?" the teen asked worried, placing her hand on the older woman's shoulder.
Kate felt the touch from Alexis and heard the concern in her voice. It was gentle just like her fathers. She managed to smile at the girl, assuring her. "I am fine Alexis, weird dream," Kate answered, not completely lying. It wasn't the first time she had heard those words when her eyes had been closed.
Alexis just nodded.
Kate looked around the opened space room, seeing nearly the entire bottom floor of the loft, not being the first time. Kate had been here a few times over the years and that didn't include the few weeks she stayed here after her apartment blew up.
"So where's your dad?" Kate asked, causally.
A smile twitched at the teen's lips, as she answered. "In his office with uncle Donavan, he came while you were resting."
Kate raised a curious eyebrow, since when did Rick have siblings? He was an only child. Before Kate knew it, she was standing up, a hand placed near her ribs. They still gave her trouble almost every time she moved.
As Kate was deep in thought trying to figure out the connection with this 'uncle' before she knew it, she was standing in front of the office door, raising her closed knuckle to it and began knocking four times.
Surveillance Room
Rick heard the knocking, knowing who it was thanks to the screens along the wall that showed all the room's in his loft except for bedrooms and bathrooms. It also showed all the entry and exited points of the building, a wall of screens.
As Rick walked out of the surveillance room, his old friend Donavan walking behind him, they walked out of the room and passed the bookcase. The bookcase slid across behind them, closing off the secret room.
Rick's Office
As the author walked towards the door, waiting a moment before opening it, Kate was standing on the other side, as expect. He smiled at her.
"Hey Kate, nice nap?" Rick asked.
Kate looked at the writer curious. He was hiding something. She could always tell when he was hiding something, that's when she spotted the guy sitting on the edge of his desk. The man was older, in his late fifties to early sixties at the most. He had pepper grey hair, deep blue eyes and for an older guy, a pretty decent toned body. He definitely kept in shape.
"I wasn't napping, I just closed my eyes for a second," she defended, stubbornly.
Rick smiled at her, a soft smiled. "For an hour," he teased. She shot him a glare.
From behind Rick, the older man asked in an accent. "You two sleeping together or something,"
The smile from Rick's face dropped, turning serious. Kate just glared at the older stranger, the 'uncle' she guessed.
Rick cleared his throat before making the introductions, turning to Kate. "Kate, this is my old friend, Donavan Storm."
Kate raised a curious eyebrow. "Storm?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes on the writer.
Rick knew she would pick up on that, because even though she denied it, He knew she was a big fan and he kind of liked that she constantly denied it. He still had to figure out her name she used on his fan sites.
"Yes, detective. I got the name Storm from my friend. He works in private security," the Author managed, adverting his eyes.
Kate knew there was a longer story here. She would find out eventually. The older male gave her a nod of the head
"So you're Ricky's new muse," he spoke up, revealing an Australian accent.
Kate glared at the older smartass. Is this where Rick got it from? If she wasn't injured she would kick him right in the gonads.
"Do you want to walk funny for a week," she threatened, still glaring at the older man.
Donavan let out a loud chuckle, pushing himself off the desk and walked towards Rick, standing beside him. "Got Balls, give her that much," the older man said to the younger one.
The author nodded, a smile stealing his lips.
Kate glared at the older male, until he extended his hand. "Donavan Storm."
She stared at his hand for a moment before shaking it, softly, since she didn't want to hurt her ribs anymore. The older man was gentle with his shake.
"Kate and if you call me his muse again, I'll break your legs." She promised.
Rick was speechless. He could see that Donavan was trying his hardest to keep his face straight, if only Kate knew what his old friends was capable of doing.
"Did you need something, Kate?" Rick asked concerned, maybe she was in pain?
She was finding it hard to stay mad at Rick too long when he looked at her like that. Kate wasn't actually sure why she had come to his office. He was just on her mind, his words still echoing through her head.
"Um, I just wondered if it was alright to take a bath, since I couldn't have one at the hospital and all," she lied, bitting down on her lip.
Rick looked at her curious, but nodded and led her out of the office and towards his bedroom.
Rick's Bedroom
As they entered the writer's bedroom, Kate was a little startled, nothing to what she imagined, it actually had a homely feeling to it. She noticed that the curtains were drawn and it had a dark glow to it, her duffle was on his bed along with two more of her suitcases.
That was weird; Kate turned and looked at Rick confused.
"Lanie dropped them off while you were 'resting," Rick explained as if he was reading her mind.
She just nodded. Kate noticed that Mr Storm was standing in the door way, watching them. She knew there was more to the older man then her partner was letting on. Something about him made her wonder what the story was, like where did they meet? He was from Australia, well his accent was.
"Um, why didn't you take them to the guest bedroom," Kate asked a little confused.
Rick had his arm folded across his chest, his stance almost mirror a bodyguard. He looked at her with compassion "You're using my room during you're stay, so you don't have to climb the stairs. I'll be on the couch," Rick stated.
Kate was flattered that he thought about her but she couldn't have him staying on the couch.
"What about the spare room?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.
He looked at her as if she had offended him. Shaking his head, he informed her. "I want to be close encase you need anything, plus that is a really comfy couch. Passed the pass out test," Rick answered smiling.
It was affectionate. The brunette found herself smiling. "The pass out test," Kate nodding, knowing what he meant.
Rick raised an eyebrow, surprised she knew what that meant. Then again the detective did have her wild days, but needing to confirmation he asked. "You know what the pass out test is?"
It was now Kate's turn to look assaulted, informing him a matter – a – factly. "It's when buying a couch, you flop down on it like you would when you pass out. If it's comfortable then you get it, if not then you move on to the next."
Rick had never been prouder of Kate, grinning at her. "Wow, I am impressed, Kate."
She smiled back at him, their eyes locking. This recent acceptance to the feelings she had for her partner mixed with the pain pills were missing with her head.
Rick was looking into those gorgeous hazel-green eyes that always run his heart into overdrive. Ever since he confessed his love to her when she was bleeding out at the cemetery, she was all he could think about, keeping her safe so they had that future he envisioned.
"Are you two gonna make eyes at one another all afternoon or is Kate gonna take her bath," Donavan's teased, his Aussie humour ringing through.
Rick shot a glare at his old friend, who was having way too much fun teasing them, Donavan knew all about Rick's past with Kate. He was just doing this to get a rise out of Rick. Donavan let out a chuckle and left the room.
Rick softened his smile and answered. "My bathroom is right through the door there, the spa bath is great. You might not want to turn the jets on though, they can get pretty strong, which is usually amazing but you ..." gesturing to her wound.
Kate nodded, walking towards the bathroom door.
"Towels are in the cupboard, music dock is set up and everything should be in reach," Rick called out behind her, watching Kate turn her head and nod before disappearing behind the door.
Holding back a groan, Katherine Beckett was going to be naked in his tub, his imagination started running wild.
Kitchen - 18:33
"Sometimes it hits like a car crash and it's too late to reverse. Sometimes you make me a better person, sometimes you bring out the worst. Sometimes we get on like fire, sometimes we're stubborn like rain. Just when I think it's over, over, you wave a white flag again. Aaa, aaa, we follow thing we fall back in, Aaa, aaa, we're always back where we begin..." the girls sang along to the mini CD player sitting on the kitchen island.
Kate and Alexis were preparing dinner. Kate had suggested cooking since there wasn't much else she could do at the moment. She did love to cook, never had the time but it was one of her favourite memories with her mother.
Kate had a chicken in the oven, roasting. She had put it in their a while ago, at the moment she was finishing chopping up vegetables and adding them to boiling water while Alexis was making homemade garlic bread.
"Everybody hurts just a little too much. Everybody hurts but it's never enough. It's wonderful to fall, it's worth of risking all. I'd rather love just a little too much..."
"This should be Dad and your theme song, Kate." Alexis answered, while the music played.
Kate placed a lid on the pot and turned to face the teenager to who was applying garlic butter to the silenced bread loaf, while swaying her hips to the music.
The older woman held back a chuckle. Alexis reminded Kate of a younger version of herself.
"Alexis," Kate began.
"Sometimes we're trapped in the circle, til we're digging holes in the ground. We're trying, but nothing is working but still I want you around. 'Cause if I'm lost in the desert, I know somehow you'll find me and if I drown in the oceans, you'll be the first to rescue me..."
The female teen turned and looked at the older brunette who was looking at her heartfelt, now she was slightly concerned.
"Remember the talk we had at the hospital, about your dad and ..." Kate began before the teen cut in.
"You being in love with him but it being complicated," Alexis answered, bluntly, watching Kate and waiting for her reaction.
Kate had one hand on the bench, using it for support to keep her standing, the other on her hip. Smiling at the girl, she answered. "Sometimes I forget that you're not that shy little fifteen-year-old anymore, that you're this young woman."
Alexis put the butter knife down and then walked closer to Kate until there was a metre between the two.
At first Kate wasn't sure what the teen was going to do because her expression was hard to read, but all of a sudden Alexis enclosed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Kate and hugged her. The older woman at first was stunned but after a short moment, relaxed and hugged the teen back.
"I know dad is willing to wait forever for you but please don't make him, Kate. You both deserve the great love story we know that is waiting to happen," Alexis answered in a low voice.
Kate wasn't the highly affectionate type like the Castle's were, but when she loved someone. She did let them know in her own little way. Kate placed a kiss onto of Alexis's forehead like she had seen Rick do so many times before, then pulling back and looking the teen in the eyes.
"I won't, I promise," Kate finally admitted.
Surveillance Room
Rick and Donavan were back in the Surveillance Room, Donavan was communicating with the guards that were at their post by wireless ear bugs.
The author was watching his girls in the kitchen, at first they had been cooking, they were singing to the songs and moving to the music but then they began talking.
Rick had turned the kitchen mic on so he could hear them, even though he shouldn't have listened to their conversation, the novelist in him was curious. He had been stunned with what he had heard both his daughter and Kate confess. She actually admitted to his daughter how she felt about him.
The younger man was lost in thought until he heard his old mentor speak. "So Rick, what are you going to do about that?" Donavan asked, looking at his old friend.
He was quiet for a few minutes before answering. "I'll leave it up to Kate. When she's ready, she'll let me know in her own way," Rick delivered, a moment later he felt a swift hit to the back of his head.
"Boss," Rick exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. It had been a few years since he had gotten a head slap from his old mentor, turning his gaze to the right.
Blue eyes locked on blue eyes, glaring at one another.
"Don't let the one that holds your heart slip through your fingers because you're both two damn stubborn or scared," the older man proclaimed.
Rick was slightly stunned because Donavan had always been a man of few words if any.
Dining Room - 19:11
Kate and Alexis sat the table and talked animatedly about Alexis and going to Uni next year, they heard the front door opening. Since the bottom floor of the loft was a pretty open area, they could see the door from the dining table.
As the older actress entered the loft, removing her coat and putting her purse down before heading towards them. "Evening Kiddo's, Kate is great to see you up and about," the older women announced.
Alexis greeted her grandmother with a warm hug; the way they always greeted one another even if they were gone for only an hour.
Kate was slowly warming up to this environment, it would take a bit to get use to the whole touchy feeling law they had. "Yeah it's great to finally be out of that hospital, even though Rick did make it a little fun," a smile graces her lips.
Martha and Alexis both smiled at one another.
Rick and Donavan entered the dining area.
Donavan locked his gaze on the oldest Castle. It had been a few years since the two had seen one another. Every time he saw her, she took his breath away.
"Mother, remember my old friend Donavan," Rick announced with smile.
All the diva could do was nod, he still manage to leave her lost for words, even after all of these years.
Kate stayed where she was and watched the two older adults. They're eyes one another, they were talking with their eyes. The detective knew it too well because Rick and herself did the same thing all the time. There was something between the two of them. She just couldn't put her finger on what at the moment. Had they been past lovers?
"Donavan is going to be staying in the spare room for a little while," Rick informed his mother.
Martha was confused. "I thought Kate was staying ..." she began.
Rick knew his mother would get the wrong idea, but answered anyway. "Kate is staying in my room so she doesn't have trot up and down the stairs," he finished. "I am sleeping on the couch."
"Whatever you say, darling," she mumbled, the disbelief in his mother's voice evident.
Lounge Area - 21:44
Diner had been fun. Alexis had supplied the table with stories of her father and some of his finer moments.
Kate was observing the two older adults throughout the entire dinner, watching the longing looks they gave one another.
Martha had excused herself after dinner, claiming a headache.
After helping with the dishes, Mr Storm disappeared into Rick's office and hasn't been seen since. Rick had disappeared in there not long after, which got Kate curious.
Kate and Alexis were snuggled up on the couch watching the kid's movie Cars, Pixar had some of the best movies, the detective thought. Alexis was curled up at the end of the couch, feet curled at the end, her head resting on the older woman's lap.
Kate was massaging the girl's head, absently, while her eyes were on the flat screen but her mind was elsewhere. Ever since getting shot and waking up from the coma, she had been thinking a lot, a lot about life, about what she wanted from life.
The lights in the loft had been dimmed and a comfortable silence had fallen in the atmosphere. As the movie came to an end, her thoughts were pulled back to reality when a feeling flushed over her, it was a feeling that she couldn't explain. Turning the television over to the radio station on it, and then looking down towards her lap, to where the teen's head lied.
A smile played at the detective's lips, as Richard Marx's filled the room.
Alexis looked angelic sleeping, more angelic than usual.
Ever since her mother's death, Kate never really thought about kids. But when Rick and Alexis came into her life and seeing the novelist with his daughter, her mind started to wonder what it would be like.
Kate gently removed the teenagers head and placed it on the cushion on the couch, slowly turned around and that's when she saw him. Rick was standing at a diagonal angle towards the large window off the lounge area, overlooking the city. His arms were crossed, looking out into the night. His face was still, his expression haunted.
"I took for granted all the times, that I thought would last somehow. I hear the laughter, I taste the tears. But I can't get near you now. Oh can't you see it baby, you got me going crazy."
Before she knew it, Kate's feet were moving and she was slowly making her way towards her partner. As soon as Kate left the couch, Rick had sensed her presence. He always could whenever she was in a room.
"Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. Whatever it take or how my heart breaks, I will be right here waiting for you." Richard pleated.
She stopped a few metres from him, and was just watching him.
Rick was finding it very hard not to smile and tease her about being creeping when watching somebody. But the thing was, he didn't find it creepy because when he was 'staring' at Kate. He wasn't just gawking; the writer in him was admiring her essence and taking in every little detail about her character.
"I wonder how we can survive this romance but in the end if I'm with you, I'll take the chance ... Oh can't you see it baby, you've got me going crazy."
Rick wasn't sure how long he was suppose to stand there looking out the window, pretending not knowing she was there. Would he embarrass her if he turned? Closing his eyes and letting the music flow throughout the room, listening to the soothing vocals of one of his favourite male singers.
"So what are you thinking?" she finally spoke.
Without thinking he answered in a deadpan tone. "A sniper can shoot from any surrounding building," he turned around and looked at her.
Stunned filled Kate, those were not what she expected would come from Rick's mouth, not in a million years. She was curious to where that came from when he opened his mouth again.
"But don't worry all the window's in this loft are bullet proof, and tinted. I made sure of that when I bought this place," Rick assured her in the same deadpanned tone.
Kate raised an eyebrow at him. Rick shrugged it off. "I am a writer, I am paranoid," he answered her curiosity, hoping she bought it.
A smile curved her lips as a warm chuckle escaped them. It was the only reaction Kate had at the moment, ever since he bought her home from the hospital; her partner had been acting a little odd, well odder than usual.
Rick's Office
Donavan was standing at the office door, watching the young author and his muse. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watches the two dance around the elephant in the room, the former marine knew all about missed opportunities. He had missed his almost forty years ago when he walked away from the best thing that ever happened to him.
Shaking his head, he turned and walked back into the office.
Lounge Area
A few minutes had passed and neither had said a word, they had fallen into a comfortable silence. Kate was now standing beside her partner as they both looked down at New York, just listening to the country music that flowed throughout the room.
"Better move Alexis from my bed," Rick finally spoke up, leaving his spot and walked towards the couch.
Kate was chewing on her bottom lip, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before answering. "Leave her Rick. You can share your bed with me. It's big enough for three people and we're both consenting adults," Kate explained, natural.
Rick stopped at the head of the couch. He was looking at his baby girl asleep when he heard Kate's voice. He was stunned. Was she being serious? His stony blues eyes lifted from his daughter and looked across the room, looking into her emotional hazel-greens.
"I'll be a perfect gentleman," Rick automatically replied after he got over the shock, walking back towards her.
Kate stepped forward, stopping in front of him and placing her hand on his cheek, smiling. "I know that Rick," she replied, turning and walked towards his bedroom.
He stood there, completely blown away. Did that just happened? And was Kate lowering her walls and actually letting him in? The writer pinched himself to make sure, yep, he felt that.