Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

Chapter 5

Kate had reached the couch now... reading and re-readin the letter over and over… how had she forgotten!?

He had told her a month in advance... and he'd been bringing it up this entire last week... he had book signings and readings that he had to go to Canada for, and he'd have to be there for three days…

Three whole days.. Just the thought of it made Kate want to bang her head against a wall!

She tried dialling his number again… but to no avail. He was probably still on the flight…

"Mommy... daddy's not home?" her son asked.

She sighed... and said "Im sorry Alex... your daddy had… he had to be somewhere..."

she leaned in and kissed him. "but he said that he loves you and that he's going to bring you so many toys when he comes back.." she tried to smile to make her son feel better.. But

"I want daddy!" he exclaimed, and his eyes began to get moist... his lips pouting and Kate wanted so badly to tell him his daddy will be home soon.. But she wouldn't lie to him... three days was gonna be a long time.

She carried Alex and whispered soft nothings in his ear... rubbing his back and soothing him...

"Hey baby... daddys gonna call as soon as he can and then you can talk to him over the phone okay… and when he's back you can punish him for leaving without saying goodbye to you.."

'That's exactly why he may have come to her dads place that morning.' she thought to herself. 'He just wanted to see them before he left... and he didn't get to do that either… Kates heart ached to think that this was how all of this was happening… she never thought it would go this way…

This was all her fault!

Whenever Rick had to leave for a few days… she'd help him pack the night before... cause he loved watching her fuss about what he should wear and what he shoudnt while he'was away.. And eventually they'd end up making love and making the most of the night they had, before he had to leave…

but this time... because of the fight she had started... Rick must have had to pack all on his own and they hadn't even kissed since that morning before she left for the precinct... and it made her feel horrible… it made her feel empty.

Castle would say goodbye to Alex... promising him a bunch of goodies when he gets back.. And they'd go to drop him off at the airport... and he'd kiss her passionately before leaving... just so she'd have something to remember when he's away…

Kate looked at her watch… it'was still early to try caling him.. she decided to just call Gate's and take the day off and spend some time with Alex today.. She didn't want to leave Alex with his grandpa... he was already hurt that Rick left without saying good bye and that was not Rick's fault at all.

It was afternoon now and she was playing with Alex… he seemed pretty engrossed in the mechanics of his remote control car… and suddenly he looked at Kate and said

"Mommy... I want to talk to daddy"

Kate reached for her phone and while dialling his number she said
"I'm sure he's just as eager to hear you"

Kate put the phone to her ear and heard it ring on the other end.. She wondered how angry he must be... would he pick her call?
And right enough... after the fifth ring, he did…

"Kate?"

"Rick… i…"

"Kate… I'm glad you called…"

"Rick..."

"Are you home?"

"Yea... uhhh…."

Kate didn't know what to say... should she apologize for leaving last night? Should she apologize for forgetting about his trip?

For someone who couldn't keep her big angry mouth shut last night... she was suddenly at aloss of words now…

"Daddy!" Alex called out from behind…

"He's been waiting to talk to you" she said and then put the phone on speaker… "Here..."

"Hey there little guy..."

"Daddy... when are you coming back?"

"I'll be back before you can say the word 'Transformers'"

"Twansformers"

Kate chuckled at what he did there… her son and the 'R's... it was gonna take a while.

She heard Rick laugh on the other end too and that was all she needed. To know that even if she couldn't make him smile... atleast Alex could.

"I miss you daddy"

"I miss you too Alex... but promise me you won't worry mommy too much when I'm gone okay?"

Alex looked up at his mommy and said
"okay daddy... I won't"

"That's like my good boy... now give mommy a kiss from me and tell her u love her…"

Kate smiled... Rick didn't know he was on speaker... and it made her smile that Rick was sending her his love this way. Alex got up on his feet and onto his toes and Kate leaned down a little to help him reach her face and he planted a moist kiss on her cheek…

Kate then put the speaker off and took the phone to her ear… she ruffled her fingers through Alex's hair as he continued to play and stood up and walked into the kitchen to continue the call.

"Hey… so how was your flight?"

"It was... okay… what time did you come home?"

"It was late…"

"Yea…"

there was an awkward silence between them then... and Kate wanted to say so many things... but she didn't know where to start…

"Rick..."

"Kate..."

they spoke at the same time...

he chuckled lightly... and then continued...
"we'll talk it out when im home… I'm trying to get them to finish up all the signings in two days…"

"Okay… but Rick..."

"I'm alright Kate… I had a little trouble finding my lucky shirt though…" he laughed and Kate smiled too. It was the shirt she had gifted him... she loved how it looked on him… blue... brought out the blue of his eyes. And he'd call it his lucky shirt.

"I love you Rick… and I miss you"

"I'll be back before Alex says transformers"
he joked.

She laughed and wiped the tear that was forming in her eye… "You have got to stop teasing him Rick!" she playfully threatened.

"What will you do to me if I don't?"

"Why don't you come home soon and find out..." she teased.

"I'll look forward to it…"

she bit on her lip… what made her yell at this sweet man she had no idea... she was sooo wrong!

"You do have to make it up to me... we didn't get to have our night before I left..."

"Yea... I'll make it up to you... I promise..."

she smiled... she really would... she had a lot to make up for… the way she treated him that night was just not acceptable.

Castle knew that Kate would probably feel like hell when she came home to find him gone... and so he had decided that he wouldn't make it harder for her when he spoke to her after landing in Canada.

He could be the angry husband that taunts his wife from another country if he wanted to, but no. he wasn't that kind of guy.

Of course he was still upset... but they would deal with that when he got back home. For now... he'd talk to her, call her up, check on her... After all... he would honestly miss her.