A/N: Inspired by this picture: everlovingmind tumblr com/ post /94893706411
Two words was all it took for their whole world to start crashing down.
"It's cancer."
(...)
They had noticed an unusual amount of bruises on their four year old daughter. On her legs and arms, even some on her back. They talked to her preschool to see if kids were being mean to her or if she was just particularly clumsy lately but they hadn't noticed anything.
Then the nosebleeds and exhaustion started.
Bruises, nosebleeds and exhaustion. They couldn't help but think of the worst case scenario.
After hours of tests and what seemed like hundreds of questions their worst fear was confirmed.
(...)
When Kate heard those two words, she wrapped her arms tighter around Olivia, who was sitting in her lap, then rested her forehead on the top of her head, closing her eyes and willing the tears to stay where they belonged. Castle reached a hand over to them, resting it on Olivia's knee.
The doctor started talking about treatments and chemo and surgeries but Kate sensed Olivia getting nervous and scared so she left Castle to finish the conversation and they went to the car. Kate opened Netflix on her phone and let Olivia pick a show to watch while they waited for Castle.
She couldn't tear her eyes away from her little girl. She was sick, very sick and there wasn't anything she could do to take her potential pain away.
The only thing worse than having cancer is having a kid with cancer.
(...)
They spent the evening answering their daughter's questions and watching movies. No four year old should have to understand leukemia and chemo and radiation and bone marrow. Her childhood was taken in the blink of an eye.
Kate had done her best to keep it together and not let her daughter see how scared she was but the later it got, the harder it became. She let Castle put Olivia to bed and she went in their room and started changing into her pajamas, but she could only get her sweater off before the sobs took over and all she could do was crawl into bed and bury herself in the sheets and pillows, her body shaking as each sob escaped her lips.
It wasn't long before Castle returned and seeing her like this and knowing he was due for a good breakdown to, he rid himself of his shirt and pants and slowly climbed in behind her as tears started making their way down his face. He grazed his arm over her side but she didn't respond, her sobs just became harder. He rested his forehead against the back of her neck and they stayed like that for a few minutes, finally being able to be scared.
Kate turned toward him, her arms wrapping around his head, his around her shoulders. Finally when her sobs became softer and she was finally able to get some words out, "We can't let her die. She can't die."