Hi there!

Prompt from Alieh: Kate has to explain her scars to her curious kids.

I have prompts before this that I still have to do, but I had to get this idea out of my head nad onto the screen before it left my brain. I promise, if you request a prompt, I will get to it ASAP.

Enjoy!

Kate rarely ever gave a second thought about her scars. She had accepted the pain and torment that had accompanied them, but now, she had a life and a family that meant more to her than a couple of patches of wrinkled skin.

But every once in a while, while she was changing and they were exposed, she couldn't help but examine them, touch them, remember what she had gone through to carry these with her.

It was on this day in particular that she found herself standing in front of the full length mirror, fascinated over the way they felt under a tender touch. They were older now, nearly eleven years had passed since that fateful day in the cemetery. The day that, in her opinion, changed her life for the better.

She had gotten as far as stripping from her t-shirt she had worn the night before, sporting a bra and her little, cotton briefs, when she stopped and stared at the long line down her side. She twisted her body to expose it to the light.

It hadn't aged, really, was as straight and tight as it had been all these years. Really, the doctors had done a phenomenal job stitching her up and making her whole.

Without thinking about it. She turned to stand parallel to the mirror, leaning in to give a careful look to her chest. The x marks the spot directly in the middle of her chest executed perfectly in an attempt to end her. She touched it delicately, breathing out as she did. This scar was deeper; she was able to feel the grooves of her sternum much more easily now.

"Mommy what is that?"

Kate turned her attention behind her, seeing the reflection of her two, young children standing in the doorway, watching Kate touch parts of her body that didn't make sense.

"It's nothing, honey." Kate grabbed her t-shirt up off the bed and threw it over her shoulders. She pulled at it quickly, trying to hide her imperfections from her kids.

Taylor, her spectacularly brilliant six year old tiptoed into the room, stepping right up to Kate's side and pointing at the spots she had just covered up. "But it looks different than the rest of you. Why is it so wrinkly?"

Kate blushed. As far as her children knew, she was perfect. She had to be perfect for them. And letting them know that their mom, the most important woman in their lives wasn't perfect, was harder for her to do than she ever imagined. "Mommy got an owie a long time ago."

"Why did it never get better? My owies always get better. Especially when you or daddy puts the medicine stuff on it and a bandaid. And eating Popsicles! Do you need a Popsicle?"

"Mommy have owie?" Rick and Kate's perfectly, curious and adorable three year old son mimicked his sister, trying to join in.

"Yes, Trevor, I got an owie a long time ago." Kate palmed the back of his head, offering him a smile.

"I kiss and it get better?" Trevor asked, a hopefully look on his chubby, little cheeks.

"No, I'm afraid it won't help." Kate shook her head. "Here, I'll try and help you two understand." She picked each of her children up, placing them neatly on the bed. She climbed in with them, sitting criss-cross. "You both know that mommy is a cop, right?"

"Mommy hunts bad guys." Trevor announced, puffing out his cheeks with pride.

"That's right, I get the bad guys and I lock them all up. And you both know that I have a gun that I use only if I'm in trouble with a bad guy."

Taylor threw her palms out into the air, her eyes big and wide. "Yeah, we aren't allowed to ever touch a gun. Those are only for police like you and for daddy."

"Yes, for police like me and for daddy." Kate chuckled at that. Ever since Castle had gotten his concealed carry permit, he made sure his kids, the real ones and Ryan and Esposito, knew that he was just like mommy. "Well one day mommy missed one of the bad guys and wasn't ready with her gun." She lifted her shirt to expose the scar on her chest. "Do you see this circle?" Both nodded, oogling over it. "A very bad guy shot me right there."

Taylor covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my goodness."

Kate took each of their little hands and placed them over the scar, and then moved them down to her side. "And this one, the one that you saw, happened later." She twisted some, to let them see the length of it. "After the bad guy shot me, the doctors at the hospital had to help me. So they did surgery and saved my life by cutting me open right here."

Taylor touched Kate's side lightly and carefully. "I'm all better, but my skin is just a little bit different now."

"It's okay, mommy, you are still so so pretty." Taylor stood on the bed and wrapped her arms around Kate's neck.

"Thank you, sweet girl." Kate held her tight, tears coming to her eyes. They didn't care that she wasn't perfect. A couple of wrinkly patches meant nothing to them. Because in their eyes, she and Castle were the most perfect people to them right now. They were happy; scars or no scars.

"Mommy, all better?" Trevor came up and threw his arms around Kate and Taylor.

She kissed them both. "I'm all better."

"Good!" Taylor squealed.

"Mommy catch all the bad guys!"

"I'm gonna catch them all, little man!" Kate laughed, pulling them back into her. She glanced past their little, tousled heads to see Castle standing in the doorway, a huge smile on his face. She turned them around to face the door. "Look who's back from his book tour."

The two jumped off the bed and ran towards him. "Daddy!"

Castle scooped one up in each arm, basking in the hugs and kissing each of them. "Hey you two! How are you?"

"Mommy told us about her owies!" Taylor pointed towards were Kate was sitting.

Trevor opened up his hands to reassure his dad. "Mommy all better though."

"Yeah? Mommy is pretty great, huh? I think so too." Both of his children nodded and snuggled into him. "Go sit in your seats and we'll get breakfast ready, okay?" He lowered them to the ground and waited until he heard them pitter-patter on the hardwood before he moved to greet his wife.

"Hey." He smirked, gathering her in his arms.

She breathed in his scent, closing her eyes. "Hi."

"Ready to go catch more bad guys?" He leaned back to kiss her forehead, and then her lips. He lowered his hand to her side, tracing her scar.

She smiled and kissed him once more. "Absolutely."

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xoxo