Frozen Love (A Castle Fanfiction)

Greater Good

The second Rick and Alexis came through that door, Martha had Alexis in her arms, and I was clinging to Rick, Brayden on my side as he too missed his father. "Don't you ever do anything like that without me again," I said in a hushed voice as he pulled me closer.

"I promise," Rick said with a false smile. He then loosened his grip on me and I handed Brayden over to him who was fussing to see daddy. While Rick talked to his son, I turned and traded Martha places, holding Alexis to my chest, resting my hand on the back of her head.

"Thank God you're alright," I whispered. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm alright," Alexis insisted. It didn't matter. I continued to hold her for a bit longer. Rick had not been the only one scared out of his mind for her, but unfortunately, I also had to be scared out of my mind for him.

Martha had made a copious amount of food for the four of us, so when we got to dinner, there was definitely plenty to go around. Rick and Alexis ate far more than I expected, however. Rick explained, "Airplane food is crap," but this seemed like neither had eaten in days. I couldn't help but wonder if Alexis had had much food or if Castle could have stomached more than a few bites here and there while she was missing. Had it not been that the twins gave me a reason to eat, I might have skipped a few meals myself.

When we were finished at the table, and we were all sitting in the viewing room, Alexis curled up next to her grandmother on one end of the couch while Rick held his hand over my stomach, Brayden resting on my chest. He leaned down and whispered softly, "How are you? How are the twins?"

"They're alright," I said softly. "We all just-... missed you two."

He breathed. "I know, but- I can't be sorry."

"I'm not asking you to be," I said, not defensively or aggressively, but in a tone that corrected myself. "I'm just glad you're alright. I'm glad you're both alright."

Martha then looked over at me and finally asked, "Katherine, did we ever... bring out that box?"

"What box," I questioned, in sync with Rick.

"The package that came this morning," Martha replied.

I suddenly knew what she was talking about. "Oh! No, it's still sitting in the bedroom with Brayden's birthday present and that envelope my dad left when he was here."

"What package," Rick asked a bit more firmly this time.

I told him, "Hang on, I'll go get it," as I rose off the couch, handing Brayden to his father. When I picked it up and brought it back, I told him, "This came by this morning with your name on it." As he took it, I caressed the cloth over my stomach to be slightly tighter, and sat down on the arm of the chair behind me, taking Brayden as Rick handed him to me. Rick then opened the box, and pulled out a copy of the book Casino Royal. At this, plus our questions, Rick told Martha and me the story of what happened in Paris, managing to shock us into silence.

When he was finished, neither Martha not I knew what to say. I was just... silent. Martha was... catatonic. Alexis' call to, "Gram," eventually snapped her grandmother out of it, but not enough to form coherent thoughts.

"Well, I think that's... quite enough surprises for one day. I- I think it's about time this lady takes herself to bed just to- process all of this."

Rick asked, "Are you alright, mother?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I just need some sleep, sweetheart."

"Alright," Castle answered.

Lex then said, "I think I'll come up with you, gram." The elder woman nodded and both girls started upstairs, but not before saying their goodnight, or in Alexis' case, being forced into another round of hugs from her father and me.

When the two girls left, I looked to Rick and stated, "So... you met your father..."

"Yep," the writer said.

"And he's a CIA agent..."

"Yep."

"Does that live up to your vision of him, or..." Rick shrugged. Finally, I could see this was tough for him too. "Castle, you know, he saved your lives."

"But he was the reason we were in danger in the first place."

I sighed. "Rick, he- he didn't know anyone knew about you. He did everything he could to make sure no one knew about you. And he did so without ever leaving your side and making sure you and your mother and Alexis were safe."

"And you," Rick said softly. I breathed. He fell onto the arm of the chair I'd stood from. "He- he did everything he could to make sure you and Brayden were safe too. But- he failed, Kate. He failed once. What's to keep him from failing again?"

"Rick, that's- that's not going to happen," I told him softly.

He looked into me with glass-covered eyes. "You can't know that, Kate, and- I can't- I can't lose any of you. I can't-..." His eyes fell from mine as he slumped down and looked into his lap.

I sighed and told him, "Rick, there's no chance in hell any of this is going to happen again, alright?" He didn't respond. "Castle, come on, look at me." He did as he was asked. "Nothing is going to happen. Not to Alexis. Not to me. Not to this little guy," I said, bouncing B lightly in my arms as the boy barried his head in my shoulder, "And not to our twins."

"How do you know," Rick questioned.

I replied, "I just- I do." He didn't seem to believe me. I told him, "Give me your hand."

"What," he questioned.

"Give me your hand." He did as he was told. I pulled him off of the chair and led him into our room where I laid Brayden down in his crib while Rick sat on the end of the bed. "Castle, you want to know how I know that, no matter what, we'll be alright?"

"How," he asked semi hopelessly.

In order to grab his attention, I pulled off my shirt. My finger then pointed to the scar in the dead center of my chest. "This is how I know." Rick just stared at me. "We survived this, Rick. You, me, Brayden, we all survived this." He wasn't believing me. I got closer and grabbed his hand, placing it over my heart. "We survived this." My hand then raised up, my fingers caressing his hair over the left side of his head. "You survived that," I told him, "While Brayden and I survived the broken ribs and the premature delivery. You survived you physical therapy. I survived the explosion with Bracken." He wouldn't look into my eyes, but stared into the scar on my chest. "We survived being drowned in my car. We survived the explosion at my apartment. We survived the bomb on the back of that van. We-," my voice caught as my mind reverted back to the memory. "We survived the freezer, Rick. We survived all of this. That's how I know nothing's going to happen, because- we survive."

Rick swallowed hard as he continued to watch my scar. Then, he finally raised his eyes which had a misted gleam about them. He breathed, staring into me, and finally his hands came around my waist. Without a word, he pulled me closer to him, and his eyes eventually closed as as he learned in and rested his forehead against my chest. I could feel his damp eyelashes against my skin as he breathed in everything he could. Finally, he found the stability to lay his lips softly against the mangled flesh just barely above my bra. My eyes closed as my hands slipped from his hair down to his upper back. He then pulled me in a bit and began to guide me down closer to him until I was lying on the bed and he was working his way to my neck, one hand working to unclasp the back of my bra (an easy task for him) while the other remained down on my stomach, brushing over the skin with a gentle caress. It wasn't until his lips finally met mine that he uttered a single syllable. "I love you, Kate."

Softly, I whispered back after teasing his lips again, "I love you too."