Hey guys ! three updates in four days ... you're really lucky ;-) don't get use to this rythm though. My days off work are over so back to the "normal" rythm of one or two a week.
another thing: i know that Johanna Beckett is supposed to have been killed in January but for the sake of my story, she will live a little longer, let's say she died in April...
"Kate!" Josh yelled, shaking her
Kate started awake, completely lost "What? What happened?" she asked, looking around to see why she had woken up so suddenly
"Kate, what's happening?" Josh asked seriously
"I don't know, you tell me. You're the one yelling and shaking me! What time is it?"
"9:30 why?" Josh asked, checking the clock on his phone
"Crap, I'm late!" she realized, jumping from the bed and running in the bathroom. When she saw that Josh was following her, she closed the door and locked it.
Josh had never been so angry so early in the morning. He had a bad feeling about this day. He was trying to find what he had done to get her to act like that. He was reaching for the manuscript when the bathroom door opened.
"Put that down, right now" Kate said with a threatening tone.
"Ok, you need to stop now. What is going on Kate?"
"I don't have time right now. I'm late"
"For work?"
"No, I took the day off …"
"So we have time to talk …"
"Are you deaf? I told you I'm late. I have to go now" she said, putting her coat on, taking her phone and her keys and disappearing through the door.
Josh was still stunned in the middle of the bedroom when she came back. She took the manuscript and ran outside. "Lock the door when you leave" she said to him.
About fifteen minutes later, Kate arrived at the cemetery. Rick was waiting for her, sitting on a bench, flowers in his hands. He got up and walked to her.
"Hey" he said, not really knowing what to tell her
"Hey" she smiled at him "I'm sorry I'm late, I didn't wake up"
"It's ok, don't worry. I was late too anyway, I had to take these for your mother" he said, giving her the flowers
"You didn't have to bring anything…" she started
"I know, I wanted to"
"Thanks" she said. Just as she was going to add something, her phone went off. She checked the caller ID and turned it off. "Wait just a second" she told Castle. She went to her car and put her phone in the door. She went back to him, without seeing Josh on his bike on the other side of the parking lot.
"You look tired" Rick said, studying Kate's face
"I didn't get much sleep last night"
"Oh …" Rick said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice
"It's not what you think" Kate blushed "I read your manuscript. It's really good…"
"You read the whole thing in one day?" he asked, surprised and flattered at the same time
"I did. I … to be honest, once I started it I just couldn't let go of it. I absolutely loved it" she said, taking his hand and pulling him inside the cemetery.
They walked in silence, still hand in hand, until they reached her gravestone. Kate gave the flower back to Castle and watch as he laid them on her mother's stone. She couldn't held back her tears anymore. She simply let them fall when she looked at Rick who was apparently talking to her mother, even if she couldn't hear what he was saying. When he turned around and saw her face, he simply took her in his arms. She cried like he had never seen her cry before. Josh, who was still watching them from a distance, didn't know what to do. What would she want to share a moment like that with Castle and not him? What were they even doing there? He was the boyfriend after all. Right?
"Are you ok?" Rick asked
"I'm fine" Kate answered, putting her arms around his waist "it's good not to be alone here"
"I'll always be there if you need someone, you know that right? Kate?"
"I know Rick, I know" she answered, burying her face in his neck and taking in his sent before drawing back and drying her tears.
Rick was handing her a tissue when someone she really didn't want to see right now called her.
"Kate? What is going on here?"
"Josh? What are you doing here?" she asked, unconsciously getting closer to Castle
"I want some answers, now more than ever before" he said, looking at Castle who had a hand on Kate's shoulder.
"Josh, now is not really the best time for …" Rick started
"For what? How do you know ?"
"Because he knows. You don't know. I don't even want you to know!" she nearly yelled
"Know what?" he asked. Suddenly, he seemed to realize where they were and his eyes fell on her gravestone. "Oh my God, why didn't you tell me before?" he asked more gently, wanting to hug her.
"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me Josh, things I don't want you to know" she said, getting even closer to Castle
"And he knows?" he asked with an air of dejection
"Yes, he knows. And I want him to know"
"You know what is going to happen now?" Josh asked, looking at her in the eyes
"I know"
"And you don't seem upset"
"Because I'm not" she answered simply. She presented her hand to him. Understanding what she wanted, he searched into his pocket and handed her the key to her apartment.
"Goodbye Kate" was all he said, turning around and leaving.
"Do you want to go home?" Rick asked, not really knowing what to do or say after the scene he just witnessed.
"No. I want to stay here for a while. Can we go for lunch later?"
"Sure, anything you want" he answered, turning with her to her mother's gravestone.
They left the cemetery about an hour later. Neither of them had spoken a word since Josh had left but the atmosphere seemed clearer between them. The main feeling, for both of them, was relief. Rick was relieved that Dr Motorcycle Boy was gone, for obvious reasons. He promised himself that he wouldn't miss his chance this time. Kate was relieved because it was over. She felt horrible to even think that but she was glad that nothing or no one was standing between Rick and her anymore. She promised herself that she wouldn't miss her chance this time. Neither of them wanted to start something right away. Without knowing the other's thoughts. They would just let things happen … except if someone was threatening their property.
On their way back to the car, they unconsciously reached for each other's hands. They didn't even notice it before arriving to the car.
"Where do you want to eat?" Castle asked, letting go reluctantly of Kate's hand
"I don't know. What are you in the mood for?" she said, fishing her car keys out of her purse
"I may have an idea" he answered enigmatically
"And what would that be?"
"A picnic in the park. What do you think?"
"Why not? The weather is clear for now…"
"Ok, let's go to the park then " Rick said, getting his seat in the car.
When they arrived in Central Park, they grabbed some hot dogs and went on a search for the 'perfect spot' as Castle called it. After fifteen minutes of following him, Kate decided to sat where she was. She let him continue to search. When he realized she was no longer behind he, he panicked. What if she had changed her mind? As he was retraced his steps he saw her, sitting on the grass, eating.
"What are you doing?" he asked, sitting down next to her
"I'm eating, isn't it obvious?" she laughed
"But what did you stop?"
"I was hungry. And you're never going to find the 'perfect spot'. Here is as good as anywhere else."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It was fun to see you look around. You know you looked exactly like a three-year-old who realized he lost his mother" she laughed.
"That's not funny" he answered, pouting "and you're not my mother"
"Good" she said, smiling. "I'm younger than you anyway and …"
"Are you saying I'm old?"
"Not old, older. Not the same thing."
"How old are you anyway? You never told me…"
"Your mother never told you it wasn't polite to ask her age to a woman Rick?" she asked, laughing
"No, my mother never talked to me about age … certainly because she didn't want to be reminded of her own age." He said, smiling. "So … how old are you?" he asked again
"Thirty two" she said, looking at him in the eyes, defying him to say something about it
"It's … cute" he said, noticing her look
"Cute?"
"Yes, cute"
"Do you think I'm cute?" she asked shyly
"No, you're gorgeous. Cute is for little girls, you're thirty two after all…"
"I should never had told you that" she said, throwing her paper napkin at his face. She lied down on the grass and yawned.
"See, old age is getting to you" he said, watching her with admiration. How on earth could a human being be so beautiful? And how could he be so lucky as to be here with her?
"If you hadn't kept me up all night I wouldn't be so tired" she told him, realizing immediately how that sounded. "Oh my God" she said, hiding her face in her hands.
"Revealing your deepest desires Detective?" he asked, laughing. When he didn't get any answer he looked at her. She was asleep, enjoying the sun, her head on her bag. He spent at least ten minutes just watching her. He knew it was probably more than creepy, but he didn't care. He just couldn't look away from her. After a while, he lied down next to her, thinking of what he could do to get her to accept him as her 'one and done'. After a few minutes of lying next to her, she rolled on her side and snuggled on his side. Maybe the task would be easier than he had first thought.