Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, I had a big problem with my connection and, well. I couldn't post.
So, on to the chapter. I'm not guilty! The characters took on a life of their own so I'm not to blame! I think I'm being hard on Kate (yeah, I'm a mean person).
By the way, I think I will also label this story as angst since it now seems inevitable. I will do my best to still be light, but just to be sure...
Anyway, enjoy!
"Hey, Katie." her father greeted her. "How are you?"
She opened her eyes. Okay, so maybe she did seed to rest. Later.
"Hey dad" she answered with a smile for the first time of the day.
Jim Beckett sat on the chair at her bedside and took her hand, which oddly, left her with a strange feeling.
"So, looks like Sleeping Beauty finally left your body" her dad joked. "Good to see you."
"Dad!" she reprimanded him with a slight smile. "But since you asked, I'm fine. Sort of." she added hesitantly.
Her father looked at her and immediately became serious. He had talked with Rick, so he knew that his daughter was amnesic. And he had an idea about what was going on in his Katie's head.
"What's on your mind, Katie Bug?" he asked gently.
"What's going on, dad?" she asked, looking desperate.
"You saw Rick, huh?"
"Yeah, he was here when I woke up." Instinctively, she looked at her left hand. She thought it was funny since she had been awake for about 2 hours.
"Is it true?"
"Have you talked with him? Because I think that I'm not the best person to tell you about it."
"He told me dad. I think I'm smart enough to figure out what this" she said, showing her ring "means, but my mind is not twisted enough to make this up. So, yeah, I talked with him, but I... I can't believe it, it's just. What happened? How could I let it happen?! Did he trick me into bed and knock me up?"
Jim couldn't help but smile. Her daughter may think that she had only known her writer for a few months, but he was definitely already rubbing off on her. Eww, he thought. He did NOT want to think like that when it came to his daughter!
"What's so funny dad?"
"Nothing." he lied.
"Right" she said, rolling her eyes. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"Actually, I was thinking that you were wrong."
She looked at him, puzzled.
"But you'll see what I mean later."
She eyed him for a minute or two, hoping to get him to answer her questions, but she had to accept that he wouldn't.
"So... I'm married?" Her father nodded. "And... in love? With Castle?"
"Don't look so disgusted sweetheart. You admitted yourself that he was quite something."
"It can be negative, you know." she pointed.
"Yeah, but it wasn't, we both know that. Or at least, that's what your blushing indicated."
"I did not..." she started. But then she stopped, realizing that her dad was just teasing her. "It's not funny" she pouted.
"Oh, yes it is."
He felt a little bad for teasing his daughter and making fun of her while she was lying in a hospital bed, struggling to figure out what had happened in the last ten years, but he didn't know what else to do. There were so many things that he was in no position to tell her and that she wasn't ready nor willing to hear. Besides, if the light smile on her face was anything to go by, he couls tell that she enjoyed the break.
"So you must be retired now" she said, thinking.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm not that old!" he said.
She raised an eyebrow.
"But yes, I'm retired."
She smirked at him and then, the room fell silent again. She seemed more relaxed.
"Do I still work at the 12th?" she asked pensively.
"Yeah you do. I don't think you could imagine yourself do something else that that. Although, there was this one time when you were given an opportunity in DC, a job at the Attorney General's office."
Her eyes sparked. "The Attorney General? You mean, like the FBI? Why did I say no?!"
"You didn't."
"Then why am I still in New-York?"
"Actually, you got fired?" he said, looking for her reaction.
"Fired? What do you mean, fired?!"
"Apparently, you didn't like the way the FBI works. You've always cared about justice and, well... These guys never attack important people, you know."
"Ughhh. So I'm back at being Detective?"
"Yeah, and you love it."
"Does Castle still follow me around? I mean, he shouldn't if we are..." she stopped, unable to say the word.
Jim decided not to push. "No, he stopped two years ago. He had a lot of work and he didn't have time anymore."
Kate tried to process all that. So she had indeed taken Castle back. She would have to ask him why.
"And Montgomery let him stay even when we were... together?" she forced the word out. It just didn't sound normal. "I mean, I knew that he likes Castle, but..."
"Katie... Montgomery is dead..."
"What?!"
"He was killed 7 years ago..."
"Oh my God" Kate muttered. "How?"
"Look, I'm not the good person to tell you this, you should really discuss it with Rick."
They remained silent for a while.
"Dad? Could you...?"
"What is it Katie?" he asked worried.
"Look, I'm getting tired, could you..."
"Of course, don't worry. Do you want me to come back tomorrow?"
Kate nodded and said. "Could you call Castle? Tell him that I'd like to see him in, let's say an hour so that I can get some sleep before? I have a feeling I am going to need energy for what he has to tell me."
Jim kissed his daughter on the forehead and said "Don't worry, I'll tell him. See you tomorrow" before leaving. "Oh and Katie? He cares about you you know. Just... don't push away, he needs you, your family needs you..."
Two hours later, Kate woke up. Castle was at her bedside.
"How long have you been here staring?" she asked, too sleepy to even bother.
"I just got in. I know you asked me to leave you an hour, but I figured you might need more so I came later."
"Thanks."
When she said nothing else, Rick started to hover around in the room, holding his bag.
"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised.
"You know, I like this room, it's not bad, but it's too empty."
He turned around and she could see what he was doing. He was hanging frames. Pictures. Of them. Not wanting to discuss this just yet, she asked.
"So, that's what you came here for? Hanging photos? Or you just wanted to see me?" she knew that teasing could be seen as stalling, but she didn't know what else to do.
"Well, of course I wanted to see you, what do you think?" he asked, serious. "Never doubt that. But... I know why I'm here and... You haven't asked any question yet, so I'd rather wait than say the wrong thing. But if you're still tired..."
"No, I'm fine..." She said nothing for a while then she surprised him with her question. "Castle, how big is... our family?"
Castle looked at her, surprised. Now how was he supposed to answer to that?
"Kate, you sure you want to know?"
"No, but yes!"
"Well, the loft now has four inhabitants" he started cautioulsy.
"You mean, you, Alexis, your mother and I?" she asked, almost hopeful.
Rick wasn't looking at her, but she was sure he was red as a tomato. "Castle?"
"Alexis has her own appartement and my mother dedided to leave when we got married..."
"So... You mean that..."
Instead of answering, he took his bag and took another photo out and showed it to her. She gasped. Two. There were two kids. And they were the same age. Her face went blank.
"Please tell me this is a joke..."
"Kate, I swear to you that it's not. I'm not a monster, you know."
Kate thought about it for a moment, over and over, but she could only think of one thing to say.
"I want to meet them."
"Are you sure?"
"Castle, if they are my kids, I want to see them." she said almost fiercely.
"So you're okay with all this?" he asked, unsure.
She looked up at him, right into his eyes, and he could see something in them, something reassuring.
"I don't know. But by the looks of it, you managed to make me be okay with it once. Do you think you could do it again?"
"Always" he said, knowing that the word probably meant nothing to her right now. But hey, she was willing to try, and that was more than he could ever have hoped for.
So? Can I come out of my hiding place? :)
Next update should be on Friday. Have a nice week!
XOXO,
ChairCaskett