Someone on CastleTV(Dot)net gave me this idea. I hope I did it well. And I hope you like it!

A Father's Love

The sound of butter sizzling in a pan greets her ears, drowning out the silence of the cabin life momentarily – along with the bubbling coffee brewing. While the butter coats the pan, out comes a carton of eggs, cheese and turkey bacon from the fridge. Kate sets them all out on the counter and cracks two eggs into the pan with the butter. On the other side of the counter she pulls out four slices of bread and plops them into the double toaster before setting out two plates to wait for them. She does all this with an expert like ease, a small smile playing on her lips at her easy actions. She never does this at home. It's always either takeout or out at Remy's for her meals.

With her attention back to the eggs that look just about ready to flip over, Kate places a few pieces of Bacon into the microwave, and then proceeds to flip the eggs over, She winces from the slight pain from her recent wound, breaking the yoke in the process. She pauses for a moment to gather herself, pushing it past her and puts all her focus into making dinner – Not wanting to think about anything else. Which has proven difficult since she only got here this morning. It is now heading closer to seven at night. She's been battling with herself all day, while also trying to keep herself composed for her father, who has been keeping a keen eye on her.

The toast pops up, and Kate lays cheese on each egg before rushing over to butter the toast, placing them on plates and bringing them over. On goes the eggs and cheese, out comes the bacon to lay on top. She shakes salt and pepper onto hers, just salt for her fathers, and places the last pieces of bread on top to sandwich it all together. She balances the plates on her arm, grabbing two cups of coffee now ready in her other hand. She walks to the backdoor and uses her hip to ease it open. The door shuts with a creek and a loud crack, echoing across the back lawn. It's dark outside, but a few tiki torches light her way to her father – He sits on a bench by a growing fire.

"Thank you Katie." The older man says, taking his plate and setting his coffee down beside him. He pats the other side of him.

Kate looks at the fire for a moment before taking a seat next to him, mirroring his actions but instead, tightens her jacket around herself and takes a hold of her coffee in two hands. Her egg sandwich most likely to be untouched. She gives him a sideways glance, offering a smile, and then hunches her shoulders, Giving into the dull ache in her chest. A flicker of castle enters and exits her mind briefly... She sighs with her elbows on her thighs and sets her attention ahead staring off past the fire at the lake. A light breeze sweeps in and she involuntarily shivers. She sips her coffee to warm herself.. The moon is high and she just realized how beautiful it is out here. Way different from the bustling city, making her feel both lonely, and in awe. Her father shifts next to her and clears his throat. It sounds loud over the crackling fire and she braces herself for the many questions she's sure will ensue, perhaps even a lecture... She just wishes it wasn't so soon in her stay.

"How's Rick?" Her father asks finally. He bites into his sandwich.

She shrugs. "Fine I'm sure." She responds, taking another sip of her coffee and staring down the flickering flames.

"You haven't called him?" Her father raises an eyebrow sounding surprised, he lowers his food from his mouth.

Whens she doesn't offer an answer he sighs.

"He blames himself you know." He waits for any kind of response but gets none, it's hard to see her in the darkness, with her hair in her face, something he is sure she's done on purpose. "Josh shoved him and accused him of getting you nearly killed." Her fathers words are drawn out, in an informative way, as if the sole purpose of a reaction.

Kate snaps her head towards her father.

"While you were in the hospital." He adds taking his last bite.

"He did!" Now she's angry. She remembers back to the hospital, she was awake talking with Josh and Castle came in. She sensed something, but just chalked it up to the jealousy Josh would sometimes try not to express about Castle, that and her partners over protectiveness. Now she knows better.

"Katie, I don't understand what roles these two men are supposed to be playing, but Rick cares about you, and although I do not know who this Josh is as a person, I know he's not blind." He states.

"Whats that supposed to mean?" She turns towards him fully, clutching her coffee in both hands, white knuckles.

"You know what it means." He watches her reaction. She purses her lips and looks away. "This partnership with Rick, I don't by it."

"That's all it is."

"Your not fooling me, and your not fooling Josh either."

Her walls go up. And he sees it right away. Her face grows taunt and she clenches her teeth and shakes her head in denial. Again he sighs, putting his plate on the ground. "Something has happened to you Katie. You were the happiest little girl I ever saw. And I want her back. I thought I saw a glimpse of her again when Rick came around, he's good for you, but something else happened."

Kate shoots up, dropping her half empty coffee cup onto the ground somewhere in the dark. "Who's fault do you think that is dad? When mom was murdered I had no one to go to! I couldn't pick myself back up because I was too busy making sure you weren't drowning!" She yells, casting a shadow over him as she stands with her back to the now blazing fire.

Jim sits stoned face for a moment. His daughter has never said anything like this to him before. And he can see that although she's stubborn and all fired up, she regrets it.. "I know I am not the greatest dad there ever was, but I'm here for you now. AndI just wish you'd let me in. Let down these walls you've seem to have built around yourself. Let Rick in...I want you to be happy Katie. Your mom would not want you to throw your life away over this.

"I buried it dad...I buried that case and Castle pushed me." She says, defeated, and surprised at herself. She didn't even know she still harbored those feelings.

"Don't blame him sweetie. You and I both know it would have come up again eventually." She looks down not wanting to meet his eyes because he's right.

"I know I Just-" She starts not sure what she was about so say and just leaves it at that. She paces again, stops and brings a hand up into her hair.

"I went to see Rick." Jim confesses, not being able to contain his secret anymore. Perhaps to see if Castle did any good at all. But his daughter is stubborn.

"What? When?" Kate drops her hand and her hair falls a mess around her shoulders.

" Before Roy was shot..." He lets that sink in. Kate stands before the fire, eyes wide and a little glassy with her fist covering her mouth. "I told him to convince you that your life is worth more than your mothers death. Because I feel he's the only one who can."

She frowns at this. "We had a fight." She then says almost a whisper.

"Katie please. Don't throw your life away." He echos from his serious conversation with Castle, realizing now that it was maybe too much to put on the man. But the damage has already been done.

"I'm not!" She concedes, pacing the fire.

"Yes you are!" He's getting more irritated now but remains seated. The area around the fire goes deathly silent. Not even the crickets chirp.

Kate stops pacing and stands looking off through the trees at nothing. She's breathing heavily from trying to hold back the tears. One slips out anyway and she looks towards her father, who seems to be sorry for bringing all this up.

"I'm sorry." He says solemnly. "I just want whats best for you Katie."

She nods, taking a seat next to him. She wipes at her eyes and leans into him, her head on his shoulder. Another silence falls over them, only this one is blanketed in a sort of understanding calm. Kate takes in another deep breath and wonders what more her father could be thinking about. He hit the mark that's for sure and she doesn't quite know what to do about it or what to think. It's almost like the fight she had with Castle, which incidentally was her father's fault because he sent him there. Not to say that Castle didn't have all those thoughts screaming to get out anyway. But to have her own father point out her miserable life? Well it's a wake up call and it certainly puts her own life into perspective.

"Hey Katie?" Her fathers voice rumbles in his shoulder.

"Yea?"

"That man loves you."

"I know."

I have been thinking that ending for a while and decided to stick it here. I don't know if it's all that in character but a I have said before Kate is more emotional these days and it just might be okay. Hope you liked it. Reviews are my favorite and enjoy tonights new episode of Castle!