With thanks to Prim-Rue94, APseudonimo, and theriseofthestorm (Tumblr) for their help and encouragement on this chapter. In particular to Sky, for prodding me repeatedly.
Your reviews keep me going, readers. You're all fantastic.
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Dark.
Cold.
Alone.
She can hear shuffling, a muffled cry of despair, a commanding bark. The noise scares her. She can't see it. Can't escape it.
So dark.
So cold.
So alone.
She is tired. She can feel the blissful void of sleep beckoning, and she reaches forward to take hold of slumber's claws.
Too dark.
Too cold.
Too alone.
When she wakes, it is quieter. Quieter, but no less terrifying. She wants to open her eyes. Instead all she can see is a figure in the distance, gliding, floating towards her with a familiar, gentle smile, arms outstretched to hold her as they had done for so many years, so long ago.
She wants to speak, but her jaw won't open. She wiggles her fingers in greeting as the woman pauses next to her side.
"Katie." The name, the voice, the embrace - everything about this woman is as familiar as her own name.
"Mom." The moment she thinks the word it springs from her lips. "Mom."
"She's dead?"
He takes a step back. This is not good. This is not what he had planned at all.
"Not - not quite - well, I wouldn't say dead sir - "
The dark, cold, lonely place is made so much more bearable by her mother's presence. They talk for hours, the comfortable hum of conversation warming her like a blanket.
She feels safe.
Johanna runs her hand through Katie's hair with a tender smile. "I'm so proud of you, Katie-bear."
"I'm glad," Katie whispers. Her fingers search for the soft skin of her mother's hand. "That's all I ever wanted."
"You've done so well," Johanna continues. "I'm sorry I had to leave. I never wanted to leave you alone."
A tear slides down Katie's cheek. Alone. Since her nineteenth birthday she had been alone, until she met Castle - but by then she had grown used to arriving to an empty apartment, having no personal contact with anyone outside work, being a one-woman-show. It was easier to be alone. You didn't have to care about anyone, because no one cared about you.
"It's time to let go, Katie."
"What?"
The tunnel behind her mother seems to grow and her voice starts to echo, becoming loud and booming as her features dissolve into nothingness. Katie reaches out but swipes thin air. She whimpers.
"No?" The deep voice takes on a sarcastic tone and he flinches.
"But I used the back-up - "
"Oh, you did?"
The face in front of him looks mildly interested, and he thanks the stars that they had a plan B.
"Yes." He nods vigorously. "The evidence is planted. They've already found the prints - it's only matter of time until the two of them meet."
There is a low chuckle, and he releases a high-pitched one of his own in relief.
"He doesn't know, does he?" His master is clearly delighting in his ability to play with their lives. "He doesn't realise that I still hold the reigns. Foolish boy," he sneers. "Thinking he was in control. No. He is a pawn. Just like the rest of them."
"Your friends are searching for the man who killed us, Katie. It's time to leave it alone."
"How - how long have I been here?" She ignores the command to stop chasing Bracken. The chase has become her life.
"No more than two weeks," Johanna soothes. She sees the instinctive panic in her daughter's eyes. A workaholic's eyes. The need to shut the investigation down rears in her stronger than ever and she fixes her child with a stern stare even as she fades away. "This case is consuming you, Katie. Listen to Castle. Stop hunting. Please."
"Mom." She is getting weaker, each word more of a struggle. "Mom, I've got to get him - for you. I'm doing this for you, to get justice because he - he took away the best thing in my life and - and I want to finish what you started - "
"Katie." She can barely hear Johanna's voice now. "Castle is the best thing in your life. He makes you happy – truly happy. This case is making you waste your life, and the way for me to be happy is for you to be happy, and that can only happen with the poor man you keep pushing away. But Katie - don't be too hard on him. Love is tough."
"What do you mean? What - why is love tough? What do you mean?"
"It's time to wake up, Katie." The lilting voice floats back to her. "It's time to wake up."
"Mom?"
"Wake up, Katie."
"Mom?"
"Wake up."
"Mom!"
The body in the bed begins to fight its restraints as her eyes edge open, only to slam shut against the bright white of the room, a hoarse cry tumbling from her parched lips, a forced mumble around the protruding tube.
"'om - 'om - 'ommy - "
Jim watches in grief-stricken silence. He battles with the urge to cover her mouth and stop the slew of her name, but also fights the instinct to wrap his child in his arms and cradle her until their trials are over, shielding her like he should have, loving her like he always had.
The beeping is driving him crazy. The machines have gone berserk in a bid to alert someone of the miracle - as far as he is concerned - happening right in front of him.
He is pushed politely out of the way to make room for the attending sister who dashes back and forth pressing buttons and checking charts, before stopping in a blur of hospital scrubs and serious smiles.
She confirms it, and his heart springs into a wild dance of sorrowful joy for what it will mean for her.
"She's waking up."
So. Another sort of cliffhanger. I promise last chapter's will be answered soon, once chapter 6 is finished and polished. May take a little more time (which I apologise for) but we're starting to get to the nitty-gritty on the case - so I need to make sure I get all my details sorted.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this, either in a review or a PM :)
Reviews get sneak peeks of the next chapter!