CH50

Kate had a blast showing Lanie the pictures on the web site that had the listing. Kate was returning home in a good mood. Lanie had loved the home almost as much as she did. Kate couldn't wait to move in.

Kate unlocked the front door, closed it and re-locked it. "Kate where have you been? Are you alright?" Rick intercepts her.

"I went over to see Lanie, why wouldn't I be alright?"

"You're a cop with a dangerous job and you didn't call to say you would be late. I'm a writer, I get to sit here dreaming up countless scenarios where you're lying in some alley or building dying. And what do I have to stop all this? A self centered thoughtless wife that isn't really acting like a wife." Rick looks and is mad.

"I can't even go out in the field because of my injury, you know that, and of course I'm your wife." Kate is mad back at him.

"Then act like a wife, talk to me. If you don't call that next call might be the hospital telling me my wife is going to die soon and if I want to see her I better hurry. Or it's Espo at that door instead of you." Rick looks at her looking for something.

Not seeing what he wants. "Dinner is in the warmer." And goes to his bedroom and goes to bed.

Kate is left standing there wondering what happened. Part of Kate wants to follow and say she's sorry. Another part wants to follow him and put up a fight. However she decides on pulling her dinner out and eat alone.

Eating alone was getting to her though. She had been eating with Castle and Alexis for so long that eating alone was proving to be difficult. Mostly she just pushed her food around.

She got up and dumped what was left in the trash and went into the bedroom, finding Castle already in bed. Kate sat on the side of the bed. "Castle I'm a cop, there is always a chance you might get that phone call or open the door to someone else. I thought you knew that?"

Rick stays on his side with his back to her. "Of course I know that. It didn't stop me from falling in love with you or marrying you. But would it kill you to tell me, us, that you're going to be late and not to worry." Rick tells her.

Kate remains silent so Rick plows on. "I would never ask you to quit your job; we'll live with the fear. But you've never been on the other side have you?" Rick asks her still with his back turned to her.

"Other side?"

"Sitting at home waiting for word on someone you love. Are they going to walk in through that door? Or are you going to get a phone call or someone else at the door telling you that someone will never come home again. You've never been on the outside looking in, have you?" Rick asks her.

"No." Kate answers softly. "I've never loved anyone since my mom died. Not until you and Alexis. You two made it past my walls and filled up my heart. I didn't even know how empty it was until you started filling it. I'm not used to this Castle. I love you and somehow I thought that would be enough." Kate stops.

Rick gets up and sits on the bed. "It's not enough Kate, it'll never be enough. You can tell me you love me but if you don't act like you love me, it's just words."

"I'm trying Castle, I'm trying." Kate whispers to him.

Rick moves over and hugs her. "We're married Kate. That means where a team. A little different than the team you have at work maybe, but still a team. If you go off doing things all by yourself we're not a team anymore.

I told you I was going to DC for something. I included you so you knew where I was in case something happened and so you didn't worry. I'm only asking the same Kate." Rick explains.

Kate strokes his face. "I promise not to do it again Castle. I can do better." Kate tells him looking into his eyes.

Rick kisses her cheek. "Go take a shower and come to bed."

Kate did as she was told and slid in next to Castle who promptly wrapped his arms around her and held her close until they were both asleep.

Next morning Kate had the next two days off but didn't tell Castle. She didn't want him jetting her off to someplace again. Not that she didn't like the idea but she had something she needed to do.

Kate was up before Rick and was stepping out of the shower just as Rick was getting up. "I need to go out for a couple of hours. I have an errand that I have to take care of. …. All my clothes are down in Alexis's room. I'd move them but there is no where to put them. Your clothes take up the entire closet. Besides we will be moving almost the day we get back." Kate tells him with a towel wrapped around her yet again.

"It's ok Kate. I know you love her. Maybe you'll tell me why soon." Rick lets her off the hook.

"I promise, right after I get back, we'll talk." Kate leans down and gives him a quick kiss. Then heads for Alexis's room to find clothes to wear.

Kate started at one store but didn't find anything that caught her eye. So she moved on down the street to the next store. Here she found something she liked a lot. But the price was going to damage her bank account big time. Still she loved the look of it. It was unique looking.

Kate was bouncing on her way back to the apartment. "Hi Castle." Kate was happy and nervous. She found him putting things in boxes. She takes his hand and moves him to the sofa.

"Castle I love you, and I need to act more like your wife. Your partner in life. And your mine so I got you something." And Kate hands over her own little square box.

Rick takes it with his mouth hanging open and opens it.

Tacori Men's Satin Engraved Wedding Band

Old world charm and contemporary cool are united in this crescent Men's band featuring a classic engraved pattern on 18k rose gold and a sensual satin finish on 18k white gold - creating a modern yet sophisticated design. Eternity crescents and miligrain details complete the interior rim.

$3,500.00

Kate takes it out of the box for him and takes his hand and places it on his finger. "I love you Castle and I'm ever so happy you said yes. …. And I need all those other women out there to know that you're mine now." Kate tells him and leans in for a quick kiss.

"Getting possessive Kate?" Rick teases since the tone of his voice tells her he is.

"I'm not taking any chances Castle." Kate tells him with a light punch to his arm.

"Castle, …. about Alexis." Kate starts the next topic that he needs to understand. Please let him understand.

"After my mother died I went into a deep depression. My father disappeared into the bottom of a bottle. He says he's better, but he's said that before. We don't talk much anymore.

I decided to join the police force and try and make it to detective. I wanted to solve my mother's murder. I didn't believe what the cops told us.

I wasn't the same person after my mother was killed. I grew up after that pretty much alone. I had to do everything. The only person I could rely on was me.

However I had a lot of nightmares. Mostly watching my mother die or variation thereof. It got so it was almost a nightly occurrence.

I started adapting to having them. They were almost like they had become a part of me I got so used to having them.

Then you and Alexis came along. My first night sleeping here I found myself in the guest room with Alexis in my arms and that night was nightmare free. It felt really weird. I really didn't understand.

I kept waking up with Alexis in my arms and every time I did it was nightmare free." Kate's tears were starting.

"You two kept coming up with new excuses to get me to stay over. I was such a personal person that I didn't want to, but the nights free of nightmares was ever so appealing. And then Alexis started telling me that she loved me. And she wanted me to find love and magic so very badly." Kate's tears were falling down her face and Rick stayed silent letting her talk herself out.

"The showers I took with her were just, I don't know. If having her around made me feel like this then I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. And she had questions Castle. She wanted to know if her legs were going to be long like mine? Was she going to have breasts too? Did they hurt?

At first I didn't know what to say. I could remember taking showers with my mother once in a while, but I was usually sick then. It was all so different. I hadn't felt like this in a very long time.

They were just showers Castle, I didn't even help her wash herself. It just seemed a natural progression from sleeping in the same bed to make the nightmare's go away to taking showers with her.

I just wanted them to go away and stay away. I wanted to be whole again and not have this giant hole in my heart. Maybe it was shellfish of me and I was just using Alexis to achieve a dream. But you haven't seen my nightmares Castle.

I don't think she knows much about women Castle and it gave me a chance to teach her and talk to her. She is so amazing Castle.

Then you made love to me and the nights with you were equally free of nightmares. I haven't had a nightmare since I've been here.

And with my head clear I started to feel more like my old self before my mother died. And then I knew I was falling in love with both of you. It wasn't just not having nightmares anymore, but you both made your way into my heart." Kate was beginning to cry now to go with the tears and talking was becoming harder.

Now I don't know how to live without either of you. I can't lose you. I'm so much different now. I love you." Kate sits there crying wiping her nose.

Rick moves and wraps his arms around her and lets her cry. When she finally slows down. "I love you too Kate. And thanks for letting me in. I understand now why you are down there with Alexis. She taught you how to open your heart to us.

I think now I understand why she told me one time that she wanted you to stay because you needed to find magic and you weren't going to if you didn't stay.

It sounds like she is a good teacher. She taught you the magic of love." Rick tells her.

"Do you still need her to sleep nightmare free?" Rick asks.

Kate shakes her head. "I have you."

"We're going to need to talk with her." Rick tells her.

"How is she going to take it? Will she hate me now?" Kate fears what Alexis will think of her. Kate loves her.

Rick chuckles a little. "She would love you if you moved to the other side of the country and pester me every day trying to find out if we were going to go see you today. I think she loves you too much to worry about where you sleep or take showers.

And since I'm a guy I never really thought about her having questions."

Kate simply tries to melt into Castle and have him hold her. "I have today and tomorrow off." Kate tells him.

"Alexis has school so we're going to get to stay here this time." Rick tells her.

Kate just grins and stands up and offers her left hand. Rick places his left hand in hers and allows her to lift him from the sofa and follow her to their bedroom.

They didn't leave it until it was time for Rick to go pick up Alexis from school while Kate went into the kitchen to start dinner smiling the entire time.

They were sitting at the table eating off paper plates and drinking from plastic cups again. Pretty soon they wouldn't even be able to cook anymore.

"I'd like to arrange for us to go see my father tomorrow." Kate tells them.

"We get to see your dad?" Alexis sounds happy.

"You sure Kate? Do you know if he'll be, …." Rick leaves it unsaid.

"I don't know really. Last time we talked he said he was quitting, but he's said that before." Kate reminds him.

"My dad doesn't feel very well sweetie. He may not look or smell very good. You need to be careful around him." Kate tells her. Not sure she would understand her dad being an alcoholic. But maybe he's not anymore.

"You want to go get him and meet us at a restaurant? …. No bad idea. How about we wait right outside in case he's not feeling well enough to go out to eat with us somewhere." Rick offers. Trying to shield Alexis so she doesn't think badly of Kate's father with her first impression of him.

"I'll call him after dinner to set up a time." Kate tells them.

Rick looked concerned while Alexis looked excited. Kate just hoped this turned out to be a good idea.

Kate talked privately with her father in the bedroom. Kate eventually came back out into the living room.

"How did it go?" Rick asks hoping for the best.

"He sounded better at least. I told him I was bringing someone with me for him to meet. He's probably thinking some tattooed half naked fat biker guy." Kate smiles.

"Mom?" Alexis didn't understand.

"I had some questionable boyfriends in my past." Kate explains.

Alexis is still puzzled but says nothing while Rick glares at her.

Alexis talked them into playing 313 again. Getting a groan from Rick and an; I'm going to beat you this time smile from Kate.

Kate lost of course but she tucked Alexis into bed anyway. Then went back out to the living room with Castle.

"Richard there is something on the news I think you will be interested in." Jack speaks up while Rick and Kate were quietly cuddling on the sofa.

Rick finds the remote and turns on the TV, which will not be easily done in a few days.

The top story of the day was the sitting Senators for New Jersey and Massachusetts were stepping down due to health related issues. Abbreviated interviews indicated they came to realize they could not do their jobs properly having to go to the hospital every three days for dialysis.

"They both have renal failure?" Kate questions.

"Maybe it's something in the water?" Rick offers.

"The water? Really Castle?" Kate doesn't sound convinced.

"Maybe they have a history of it in their families. I don't know. Do I look like a doctor?" Rick asks her.

"Just seems weird is all." Kate comments.

"Maybe it's a political version of winning the power ball?" Rick makes a joke out of it instead.

"Remind me never to play." Kate waves it off. And Rick turns off the TV.

"Take me to bed Castle." Kate offers.

Rick just grins and picks her up and carries her to bed.

The next morning was spent quietly then getting ready for lunch with Kate's father.

Alexis was bouncing in the car practically the whole way while Kate spent it biting her lower lip.

"We'll wait down here." Rick tells her after they are parked and were inside his building. While Kate goes up the elevator to his apartment. "Why do I feel like I'm bringing my first boyfriend home to my parents? He's only my husband, …. and my daughter. ….. Please let this go well." Kate talks her herself on the way up.

Kate has made it to his front door. 'I've faced down killers with loaded weapons pointed at me. I can do this.' Kate thinks and pushes the button.

"Katie!" Jim opens the door.

"Hi dad." Kate is cautious.

"Come in, come in. Have a seat. It's good to see you. You look well. Is that a new hair style?" Jim sees something different just not sure what it is.

Kate runs her right hand threw her hair. "How have you been dad?"

"I've been doing pretty well mostly. It's been a struggle." Jim tells her then reaches into his pocket and pulls something out that he starts to play with.

"It's my three months chip. I've been sober for three months." Jim tells her while still rubbing it between his fingers.

"I'm glad." Kate is cautious, she's been down this road before.

"Were are your friends? Did they not make it?" Jim remembers Kate saying she was bringing someone with her.

"They're downstairs waiting." Kate tells him.

"Oh, … probably a good idea. I know you have no reason to trust me or believe me Katie." Jim looks downcast.

"I'm sorry dad, it's just. Well you'll see." Kate wanted to tell him about the child waiting down there but couldn't do it.

"They must be someone special if you brought them here." Jim offers up.

"They're very special dad." Kate perks up and sounds confident. And Jim has spotted this.

"Then maybe we shouldn't keep them waiting. You said something about lunch?" Jim gets up.

Kate follows him to the door. "Nothing too fancy I hope. I'm not dressed for it." Jim searches for a clue.

"No, nothing fancy. They would probably like it if we just went to a hot dog stand." Kate knows Castle doesn't do fancy stuffy places.

"Really? Maybe they would like a baseball game some time?" Jim offers, since he knows they both like baseball.

"They probably would. You can ask them." Kate perks up. So far this is going well. Now for the big shock.

They are both quiet in the elevator down. Once downstairs Kate sees Rick and Alexis standing right where she left them.

Kate walks over to them and kneels down and holds out her arms. And Alexis wastes no time in stepping into them. And Kate lifts her up and holds her.

"Dad, this is Alexis and this is Richard Castle. …. This is my father, Jim." Kate makes introductions and holding Alexis allows her to hide her ring just a little longer until she is ready to break that part of the news.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Rick holds out his hand.

Jim however is shocked. He recognized Rick the moment he saw him. Johanna had shown him the back covers of his books countless times.

It takes him a moment to recover and offer his hand back. "Johanna would never believe me." Jim is still shocked and partly staring.

"You're Kate's dad?" Alexis asks. While Kate notices she did not say mom this time. Silently thanking her.

"Yes I am. And you're about the cutest thing I've ever seen." Jim tells her and shakes her hand too.

Jim looks at Kate with a face that is screaming. 'Is there something you want to tell me Katie?' written all over it.

"How about lunch?" Rick asks trying to bail Kate out of this moment. "There is an Italian hole in the wall that I've read good things about a few blocks down." Rick offers.

And Rick opens the door and holds it open for everyone.

Kate lets Alexis down and holds her hand with her left hand to hide her ring a little longer.

They come up to it and Rick opens the door and holds it open.

"I've been down this way countless times, and I don't remember ever seeing this place." Jim has to tell them.

"You were probably looking for something else at the time." Rick offers.

"I don't know? I think I would have noticed by the smell alone." As Jim inhales deeply. Feeling his stomach rumble.

They all ask only for water to drink.

Rick sits next to Alexis while Kate sits next to her father on the other side of the booth.

Rick orders simple spaghetti with meat sauce and plans on sharing with Alexis. Jim had thought of getting something light but the smells talked him into ordering the same. Kate followed all of them, also thinking she would share with Alexis.

Kate is taking the menu from her father and adding it to hers to hand them to the waitress. However she was doing part of this with her left hand.

Kate can hear her father suck in his breath while her left hand is exposed.

"Katie?" Jim looks at her while Kate is noticing that he has spotted her ring.