They had been officially in a relationship right now, Rick was Kate's boyfriend, and vice versa. And surprisingly time flew really fast, it's Christmas already. Unfortunately, crime doesn't know any holiday.
"Hey Espo, see you tomorrow. Merry Christmas."
"Yo Beckett, merry Christmas. So, you're heading to Castle's right?"
"Yeap, family dinner."
"Ha, you said family? Wow," said Esposito with a mischievous grin.
"Shut up man. So, you're going with Lanie?"
"Yep, right after I finish my last paperwork."
"Okay, have a good night. And Ryan, merry Christmas!"
"Thank you Beckett, send our best regards to Castle, will you?"
"Sure."
Rick invited Kate for a family Christmas dinner in his loft. She went straight from precinct to Rick's loft by cab. She didn't want to disappoint him by coming late, so she told the driver his address and asked him to drive fast.
Rick was preparing every details, so it would be as perfect as possible. He was putting utensils on table while singing Jingle Bells. He shrieked when doorbell rang, it startled him. He grinned, thinking that it must be Kate.
"Hi, Kate! And merry Christmas!"
"Hey, Rick. Merry Christmas to you too."
Although she tried to put her biggest smile, Rick saw it, the fake smile. She sounded bad, and awful. It's like she haven't been sleeping for more than a decade. He wasn't exaggerating, it's true.
"Kate, you looked extremely tired. Oh, come on. It is Christmas Eve, Kate! Cheer up."
Rick's effort to lighten her emotion was useless. He still saw her sad face, so he gestured his hand to let her come in. Thank God Martha and Alexis weren't home yet from shopping, and Jim hadn't arrived, so she would feel safe to talk to him about anything private. There were only two of them in his loft, no one could eavesdrop at them. At least, this made her felt safe.
Rick and Kate sat on his couch comfortably, facing each other. He met her gaze. She was always fascinated by his sparkling blue eyes, which looked so eager to help her with her problems. Rick saw thick bags right under her eye, even though they were concealed by her makeup. He didn't want to push her beyond the limit, so he just waited there whenever she's ready to tell her story.
"I haven't been sleeping, Rick. In fact, I couldn't."
"Are you working on a difficult case? You know you have someone here as your counselor."
She gave him a small smile, but her emotion didn't change a bit.
"No, This isn't about any case. I've solved all of them this afternoon."
If this wasn't about any case, he knew where this was leading to. This must be about her mother. He could see, her eyes were teary, her hands were trembling so bad, and her breathing was uncontrollable.
"Kate, you don't need to continue if you don't want too.." Rick told her as he held both of her shaking hands. He was her boyfriend, and it's his job to comfort her, not to make her mourn all day and night in Christmas eve.
"No, Rick. Let me finish this. You deserve to know. This is..about my mom's case."
He only nodded to let her continue.
"I don't want to sleep, Rick. Today is Christmas eve, and it reminds me on my last Christmas I spent with my mom. There were me, my mom, and my dad. We were sitting right next to a small, cheap Christmas tree. There was also not so many decorations, only some lights, but those little lamps radiated warmth. We don't need expensive gifts, because we loved each other so much, and we cherished all those beautiful moments. I still remember how she laughed, hugged me, and she gave me a simple Christmas gift, a kiss on my cheek, as simple as that. It's the only thing I got for Christmas, but I appreciate it a lot. I'm afraid that if I sleep, I will forget little things about it. And the more I sleep, the more I forget."
Her voice broke when she said the last sentence. Her face seem terrified. Teardrops fell on to her red cheeks.
Usually, Rick was the one who's good with words, but this time he couldn't figure out what to say to comfort her. He used his warm thumb to wipe her tears away. Then he gave her a comforting hug, which made her feel better. It felt like she shared her burden a little bit to someone and it's good to have someone beside you through tough times.
"Year after year after my mom was murdered, Christmas is not a happy event for me. When other family are gathering together sharing happiness, me and my dad will just sit and talk about our memories with mom.
"Thank you, Rick. For always being on my side whenever I need you."
He kissed her with his lips as a symbol of "you're welcome".
"Always," he murmured in her ears.
It was a deep kiss, but they were startled by Martha and Alexis who bustled in, bringing like ten or more paperbags into the loft.
"Are we interrupting something?" Alexis asked. But she didn't really care, seeing them kissing each other. She had used to see it for more than months.
"Bad timing, you guys," said Rick. But he really meant it. "nevermind, dinner is ready!"
All of them sat together, like a big family. Kate really didn't know how to thank the Castle for this. They were so kind to her. Although she had lost her mom, but she wasn't as lonely as before.
Thank you, Rick, this is the best Christmas gift ever.