Chapter 22

They left the Hamptons before noon the next day, trying to get back to the city as early as possible to surprise Alexis, who had surprisingly left them alone most of the trip. Rick assumed that was Martha's doing which he greatly appreciated. He loved his daughter, but he was excited to be alone with Kate for two days.

"Are you going to drop me off at home?"

"I thought you told Alexis that you were going to spend the day with us?"

"I can, I just didn't know if maybe you wanted some alone time with her. I know she says she wants me there, but maybe she needs some alone time with her daddy."

"I think she'll be more excited to spend time with you then she will me, Kate,"

"Don't be silly Rick.."

"Silly?" he questioned, looking over to the passenger seat where she had been reclined most of the trip. "Have you seen the way that little girl follows you around at the loft Kate? She is borderline stalking you."

"Are you jealous over your own four year old daughters relationship with me? So what if she follows me around? She and I are pals, If you only knew all the secrets we keep from you," She teased. Reaching her hand over into his lap, massaging his thigh.

"HEY! Hands to yourself," he said grabbing her hand and placing it back in her own lap. "What kind of secrets is she keeping from me?"

Kate laughed at his curiousness, "Rick, she's four, it's not like she is sleeping with her much older, tall, handsome, boyfriend."

"Are you implying that I'm much older than you?"

"I mean seven years is quite a bit older."

"Kate, I'm 26 years old, it's not like im 40. Do your parents have a problem with us dating?"

"No." Kate shrugged, "I mean they wont."

"Won't? You mean they don't know about us?"

"I mean my mom knows about us in the past, but I haven't really talked about you much since we've really been together. She only knows because I bawled my eyes out to her after, well, you know."

"So she knows about that.."

"Yeah, she knows, I tell her everything."

"Except that you have a boyfriend, right?" he said with a sharp tone, annoyed that she would be the one hiding their relationship after all the shit she has given him.

"It's not that I'm hiding you Rick, I just want you to myself for a little bit longer, but if you want to meet them I'll take you and Alexis over anytime."

"Really?"

"Of course, I mean I plan on keeping you around for a while, they're going to want to know who has been holding me hostage eventually." She said, reaching over and grabbing his hand, lacing he fingers through his.

"Well, then I'd like to meet them." He brought her hand up to his mouth, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"Okay, I'll call my mom tonight and see when they're free."

"Are they going to like me?"

Kate let out a giggle that he wasn't sure about, "My mom will, my dad, he has never really liked any of my boyfriends, but you don't have tattoos, and you don't have a motorcycle so it wont be as bad as past boyfriends."

"Did he like Josh?" Castle question, his hand subconsciously squeezing hers tighter as her uttered his name.

"Yeah, they both loved Josh, but they were friends with his parents, and he was pre-med, so they had a picture of he and I married, with our 2.5 kid, and our picket fence."

"There are no picket fences in Manhattan."

"Castle, calm down, they will love you." She leaned over, placing a kiss on his cheek as they entered his parking garage.

As they entered the loft, Alexis flew towards the door, knocking her dads bag out of his hand as she jumped into his arms.

"DADDDDDDYYYYYY!"

"Oh, hi little munchkin, how was your weekend?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay?"

"Well," she began to whisper, "Gram made me watch stupid movies again."

He tickled her stomach, "Not again…"

"Hey, I heard that Alexis! I was just trying to show her the beauty of classic films."

The older red head made her way in from the kitchen, giving her son and Kate both hugs as she closed the door behind them, helping with the bags.

They made their way to the living room, Rick plopping on the couch, placing Alexis across his lap as Kate took a seat next to them.

They spent the evening cuddled on the couch, watching Disney movies and pigging out on junk food.

Kate decided to slip out early, leaving a little daughter, daddy time before Alexis had to go to bed. Promising to call Rick before she went to bed.

She made her way to her parents apartment, deciding that she'd rather tell them in person about her relationship, and it would give her time to spend with them, before their work week started.

"Katie bug, what do we owe this pleasure," her mother poked up as she saw Kate enter the kitchen.

"Just dropping by to see you guys, it's been a little while."

"A little while? Kate, I haven't seen you in almost two months, and you barely return my text and calls." They both made their way to the kitchen table, sitting across from one another.

Kate pulled an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it, "I've been a little busy?"

"With work?"

"No, with a boy, I mean a man."

"Kate…. Are you still seeing the author?"

"Maybe…"

Her mom laughed, "Maybe, huh? How long have you all been seeing each other again?"

"We started seeing each other in mid January, so about two months now."

"Two months, and you just haven't mentioned him."

"I didn't want you to judge me. I know how you both felt about me breaking up with Josh, so I decided to keep it to myself for a while."

"So how did he handle the Josh I situation?" her mother asked, having not heard from Kate since the day she told her mother about sleeping with Josh.

"Not well, but we are past that now, and we are happy." She smiled, the thought of how he made her feel bringing a blush to her cheeks.

"You sound happy."

"Oh, I am. We actually just got back from his Hamptons house today."

"Ohhh, his Hamptons house, how fancy." Her mom teased.

"Mom, stop it. It's not like that."

"Not like what?"

"He has money, so what? Its not an issue between us."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not an issue for you at all."

Kate glared up at her mom, "Are you implying that I'm just with him for his money? You don't even know him, or anything about our relationship!" she raised her voice to a shout.

"Kate, calm down. I wasn't implying anything. You're right I don't know anything about your relationship, but I know what a brat you've been in the past, especially with Josh."

"Mom, don't bring up my relationship with Josh, it was different and you know it. I was pressured to be with him by you and dad, and sure I loved him, or I thought I did, but you don't know how he really treated me and if you did you would never speak about him again, so drop him please."

"What do you mean how he treated you?"

"It's not important anymore. I have Rick now, who treats me amazing, I mean truly amazing, and I'm pretty sure he loves me."

"Loves you?"

"Yeah, I mean, I love him, and I've told him, but he hasn't quite returned the sentiment yet. Not that I can blame him, he definitely has his guard up after our rocky start."

Jim walked into the kitchen from the bedroom, having just took a shower. He walked over to Kate, pressing a kiss on her forehead and then taking a seat next to her.

"How's my little girl?"

"I'm good dad, how are you?"

"Now that you're here, a thousand times better." His statement earning a glare from her mother, one in which he returned.

"Is something going on I should know about?" Kate asked, sensing the tension in the room.

Her dad giving her mother a nod as their eyes never broke contact.

"We wanted to wait a little longer to tell you but your father and I," she paused, making eye contact with Kate as the tears began to fall from her eyes, "we are separating?"

"Excuse me, what?" Kate said, squeezing her eyes shut, almost as if she would open them and this would be a dream, "separating, what, why?"

Her dad chimed in now, taking over for her crying mother, "We just think that maybe we need some time apart, to see what we really want."

"What you really want? You've been married for over twenty years, you're just going to throw it away."

"Kate," her father reached out for her hand, Kate jerking hers away as they made contact.

"No! I don't believe you two, what is going on."

Her mother held her crying face in her hands, unable to look at Kate.

"Mom?"

She lifted her head, "Kate, I made a mistake."

"Mom… Are you… you didn't, " her eyes met her dad, whose were beginning to fill with tears, "Daddy?"

Her head was shooting from one parent to another, searching for an answer.

"Kate, I don't blame her, we haven't been happy for a while, we stayed together because of you, and now thing would be easier for us to live separately. We will still be your parents."

She stood up from her chair, running her hands down her sides to straighten her clothes out, "WELL, DUH DAD. YOU CANT DIVORCE ME." She began towards the door, her dad getting out of his seat and running after her. He caught her arm as she opened the front door.

"Katie, slow down."

"Dad, I'm not mad at you, she is the one that ruined this family, not you."

He ran his hand over her cheek, drying the tears from her face, "Kate, I am not mad at her, we are both adults, and we are going to move on from this and we will both be fine."

"Do you want this separation?"

"Of course it isn't ideal, but I feel it's necessary now."

"Of course you do, she cheated, I'd leave her ass too if she cheated on me after 20 plus years of marriage."

She walked out the door, closing it in his face behind her.

Before she knew it she had ended up in front of Castles loft, subconsciously seeking out the comfort only he could give her. She knocked on the door, switching her weight between her feet anxiously.

He flung the door open, "Kate, hey babe."

She ran into his body, throwing her arms around his torso and placing a kiss on his neck.

He pulled her in, rubbing his hand up and down her spine, "Hey, what's wrong."

"My parents, they're separating."

Her admission was met with momentary silence before he pulled back, grabbing her arm and pulling her into his bedroom, seeking privacy.

He sat down on the bed pulling her in to sit next to him, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. I don't remember the last time I saw them kiss, or even touch each other."

"They are still your parents babe, and I know you must be hurt by it, but it will all be okay, and maybe they will be happier this way."

"Happier? I thought when you married someone, it was suppose to be forever, my mom just strayed from her marriage after 20 years and I'm suppose to just accept it?"

"Kate, people make mistakes, you should know that better than anyone."

"Don't even bring up Josh, that is completely different?"

"You're right, it is different but it doesn't mean that it wasn't a mistake."

She paused, thinking about the accountability she held for herself and what she expected from her mother.

"Kate, your parents love you, that's not going to change, maybe they don't love each other anymore, maybe they do, maybe they are just going through a confusing time in their relationship. Every relationship has those, we are going to have those, maybe a year from now, maybe a month from now."

She pulled him into a kiss, a passionate one, throwing her right leg over his hips to straddle him, leaning down over his body she shoved her tongue into his mouth, seeking comfort, seeking passion. He returned her kiss, pulling her hips into his groin.

She pulled back from his mouth, laying her head on his chest, "Rick, you'll never cheat on me, right?"

"Never." He said, running his hands down her back, trying to calm her down.

She fell asleep on top of him, and he slid out from underneath her, placing her head on her pillow and pulling the covers up over her body.

Over the next month, Kate didn't speak to either of her parents, ignoring all of their attempts at contact.

Since Kate had found out about her parents separation she had only distanced herself from Rick, she still stayed at the loft most nights, but it had gotten to a point where Rick was afraid to initiate any sexual activity, fearing she would freak out on him. There was noticeable tension building in their own relationship and even though he had tried to be patient with her, he was beginning to lose hope that there was anything he could do to pull her out of her funk.

He decided that maybe he should plan a night for just the two of them, so he did, he sent her roses, and had a dress sent to her apartment for her to wear, but when he showed up, she wasn't dressed for a date, instead she was on her couch, wearing pajamas.

"Kate, are you going to get ready?" he asked, reaching for her arm to pull her up from the couch.

"Babe, I just don't feel like going out. I'm about to start my period, and I just want to lay on the couch and watch movies with you."

He dropped her hand, and placed both of his on his waist, staring at her, trying to figure out something, anything to get her out of her apartment.

"Kate, I know you've been in a funk lately, but I'm trying babe, I really am."

She met his eyes, and could sense his frustration with her, but she just couldn't understand why he wouldn't give her the time she needed to get past this.

"I know you're trying," she patted the couch cushion beside her, so that he would sit. "I know I have been a bitch lately, and not very pleasant to be around, but I'm emotional."

"Kate, I get it, you're upset about your parents, but you haven't even spoken to them since they told you. You don't even know how things are between them, instead you're moping around like you're the one getting a divorce."

"I am not moping."

"Babe, I sent roses and a dress, and planned a very expensive date tonight and your sitting on your couch in pajamas, you're definitely moping.

"Fine, I'll get ready, and we are going to go out and have an amazing dinner."

"It's not just about tonight Kate, I've done everything I know to do to try and get you out of this funk, and every time I make a suggestion you blow up on me. I can't handle it anymore. We might need to take a break until you figure this out. I can't spend all of my free time worrying about what's going to set you off next. It's not fair to me."

She couldn't even force the tear's, she was numb to everything he was saying, almost as if she didn't hear what he was saying to her.

"Rick, I'm sorry, I don't know why this is so hard for me, but it is. They are my parents."

"I know they are your parents, but I'm your boyfriend, who you use to tell you loved," he shook is head, "I don't even remember the last time we were intimate."

"It was like a week ago…" she paused, "Wasn't it?"

"Kate, it's been weeks, literally weeks, and I understand you haven't been in the mood, but we have to figure something out."

"It hasn't been weeks.."

"Kate, since we've been home from the Hamptons, which was in mid March, we haven't had sex, we didn't even have sex on my birthday, and that was almost two weeks ago."

She thought about it for a second, and he was right, they hadn't had sex since they were in the Hamptons.

"We can have sex tonight." She started to climb into his lap, reaching up to kiss him.

He pushed her away gently, "Kate, I don't want you to just have sex with me. This isn't just about sex, I need to be intimate with you, to be close to you. Do you know what it's like when the person you love, doesn't want you to touch them, to make love to them? It's a little frustrating."

She met his eyes, slowly running her hand up his chest, "You love me?"

He nodded, "Of course I love you."

"really?"

He ran his hands around her waist pulling her back onto his lap, "Yeah really,"

That's all it took, three little words and she was diving into him, kissing him with more passion than he had seen from her in weeks. He slid his hands under her butt, standing from the couch and carrying her to her bedroom.

He laid her on the bed, starting to untie her pajama pants, and in one swift movement he pulled them down along with her panties.

"anxious are we," she teased, reaching for his belt buckle, flicking it open and unbuttoning his pants.

"Like I said, it's been weeks."

He pushed her back on the bed, ridding himself of his clothes and then climbing up the bed, positioning himself between her legs. He ran his hands up her body, pulling all of the hair out of her face, and kissing her passionately as he slid his fingers through her already wet lips. After a few innocent strokes he slid two fingers into her, jerking them up into her, as his palm lay flat against her clit. She moaned into his mouth, urging him to make quicker moments. Within minutes his name was falling from her mouth as she came. He got a condom out of the bedside table, sliding it over his length and then lowering his body down over hers, positioning himself at her entrance, and in one swift movement he was inside her, he could still feel her muscles pulsating around him from her orgasm as he began to move slowly inside of her.

"It feels so good, don't stop," she urged him on, grabbing his ass and pushing him deeper into her as she held her legs wide.

He began to pump into her faster as he saw her eyes roll into the back of her head, it was what turned him on the most, watching the pleasure of their bodies together take over her.

"I love you, Kate," he whispered into her ear, her eyes shooting open to look into his.

"I love you too." She said, as her nails were scraping down his back as she slid them over his muscular body, seeking his closeness, "Harder," she screamed as she felt herself about to let go, and he did as she wanted, he thrust into her one last time, their pelvis meeting in almost a painful way as they both let go at the same time.

His body collapses on top of hers, immediately rolling off of her, trying to catch his breathe.

"Well, that's a first." She said, and he could hear tenseness in her voice, his head shot towards her.

"What?"

"You usually are a little more loving after we have sex, now you just roll off me. Guess you got your rocks off, huh? Isn't that what you needed."

'Kate, you're being silly."

"Silly? You just told me you love me for the first time, then you get what you wanted, and now you cant get away from me fast enough."

She slung her feet from the bed, standing up and grabbing her robe, heading out of the bedroom. He jumped up after her, grabbing his boxers and sliding them on as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Kate, I'm done. You're driving me crazy. I don't even know what to do anymore. We were just fine, we were absolutely fine, I just told you that I love you, and then we had amazing sex, and now you're mad again. I can not win with you, and I'm done trying. You are absolutely bat shit crazy right now, and I don't think it has anything to do with your parent's separating. Whatever it is, you need to figure it out."

"Fuck you, Rick. I can't help it that I've been down lately. You think I want to feel this way? You think I want to be fighting with my boyfriend every five minutes about things that shouldn't even matter."

He walked towards her, pulling her into a hug, one that she tried to fight from him.

"Babe, I'm gonna go home, I need space. I think you need some too. You need to figure out what's going on, and you need to fix it, because I have tried, and failed. I can't do this anymore. I cant fight with you, I cant sit back and let you pick fights with me over things I know are stupid."

She held on to him, unwilling to let him leave, "Rick, please."

He backed away from her, pulling her arms from his waist.

"Rick, are we breaking up?"

He shook his head, "No, we aren't breaking up, but we are going to take a couple of days apart, I think we need them. We can clear our heads about all of this and maybe sometime this weekend we can sit down and talk and figure out a plan to fix everything that is going on. We cant continue to live like this."

She nodded her head in agreement, "You're right, maybe a little time apart will be good for the two of us."

She leaned up, giving him a kiss on the lips, before they both went back to her room to get dressed.

Rick pulled his clothes back on, tucking her in on the couch and giving her a kiss on the forehead before he left.

"This isn't a no contact break, right?" she asked as he turned to walk out the door.

"If you need me you can call, but I think we should try to keep it to a minimum or we will never survive the week without one another."

"Yeah, you're right," she said, "Hey, I love you."

He turned the handle, pulling the door open, "I love you too, I'll talk to you later, k?"

"Okay."

One person reviewed last chapter, not cool.

I still wrote an extra long chapter this time, hope you enjoy.