Back and Forth (A Castle Fanfiction)

Insult and Beyond

That night, when Kate got home, Rick had already dropped a scared, uncomfortable Alexis off at his mother's after explaining to her that her mommy didn't mean anything she told Alexis about Kate. He told her that mommy was just feeling upset because Kate got to spend more time with her than she did and that she didn't mean the things she said. This didn't seem to help much. Meredith had done a number on Alexis, getting her all worked up. The more he learned Meredith had said about Kate, the more he wanted to tear her throat out. But he told himself exactly what he had told Kate earlier. "Be the better person. Just be civil for Alexis' sake."

When he got to the restaurant, meeting Meredith there a short while before Kate was to show up, he sat down with her and politely told her, "Bad mouthing Kate does nothing but hurt Alexis, Meredith. She still loves Kate. You've just upset her."

"I wasn't bad mouthing her, Richard, I was simply informing Alexis of what she's done."

The writer scoffed. "Well, perhaps I should simply inform her of your many wrong doings, like for instance breaking up our marriage."

The woman looked at her ex, chewed her lip a moment and knew she had nothing left to say. She then adjusted and asked, "Where is the teenager anyways? Off sneaking drinks from her father's liquor cabinet?"

"She more mature than you are, Meredith," Rick replied, "I mean, throughout this entire stint, she's never once sunk to your petty methods."

Meredith then looked up, running her tongue over her teeth, replying, "Don't be so sure of that," as her eyes retreated from the sight at the other end of the restaurant. There, Kate stood in a tight, fire truck red dress which hugged every curve of her body, a low neckline that somehow still looked sophisticated, and a full length skirt which flowed loosely to the floor, a slit up her leg which proved, even at nearly seven months pregnant, she was still the most attractive woman in any room. In her universal black dress, Meredith definitely felt out dressed. Rick simply couldn't stop smiling as he rose to meet her at the table. When she joined them, Rick placed his hand softly on her side, gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek and asked how she was. She said fine, took a seat in the chair he'd pulled out for her, and waited to say anything to Meredith until someone else spoke first.

Rick was the first to speak up. "So, Meredith, you wanted to talk?"

"Yes, I wanted to know why my daughter is calling your... girlfriend 'mommy'."

In her head, Kate answered, "Because unlike you, I'm there for her," but she kept her mouth shut and let Rick answer.

"Because she wanted to, Meredith. No one told her to, and no one was going to stop her."

"So my baby girl calls your mistress 'mommy' and you didn't once stop to think, 'Hmm, is that really a good idea?'"

"Oh please. I never stop thinking about Alexis and what's best for her. And you know what? Having Kate in her life is what's best for her. She loves having her around and unlike you, I don't have to worry about whether she's ever coming home because she does so every night. She doesn't bring Alexis into fights the way you do. And best of all, she makes Alexis happy. So this little hissy-fit you're throwing is not going to put a stop to Kate being at the loft or Alexis calling her 'mommy'."

"Don't be so sure of that, Richard. You may have custody for now, but I can easily take you to court and tell them who she really is. Let's see if they'll let you keep Alexis with a nineteen year-old party girl whose drunken father can't even show enough restraint to keep from hitting her."

"Meredith. That's enough," Richard said sternly, seeing Kate tensing up. "Kate is nothing but good to Alexis. And any court would see that and see how much Alexis loves her and they would never take her from me after everything you've done."

"Like what? Getting a teenage girl pregnant?"

"I'm not a teenager," Kate spoke up with a calm, even tone. No anger in her words.

Meredith insisted, "You're nineteen. The word teen is literally right there."

"We got married at nineteen," Rick stated and shrugged.

"Exactly, Richard. We weren't old enough to be making that decision and I don't want my daughter having to suffer through your eventual break up. That will tear her heart to pieces."

"We aren't going to break up and since when do you care about Alexis' heart? You walked out on us time and time again and you broke up our marriage by sleeping with you director. And let's not forget here that I was even willing to move past that, but you couldn't leave because you were 'working'. Although, I'm not sure the work you were doing was anything more than a hard rub and some acting for his pleasure."

"Rick," Kate said, putting her hand on his thigh.

"Stay out of this, skank."

"She is not a skank," Richard finally broke, drawing the eyes of everyone after raising his voice from the easy level it was. He then looked around and saw everyone staring. He then lowered his voice, telling his ex, "She's not a skank. She is strong and smart and kind and she is everything to Alexis and me that you never were. I don't care if the whole world thinks I'm sick, but I love her, Meredith. I love her far more than I ever loved you. I love her and I know she loves me. And I know that I want to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out the mystery of who she is because even on my best day compared to her worst, she still has more strength, more heart, and more depth than I will ever have. She is everything you never were, Meredith, and Alexis and I both love her. I don't care if you don't like her, Meredith because your opinion of her doesn't matter. I love her, Alexis loves her, and I am going to spend the rest of my life with her with or without your support because that doesn't matter to me anymore. She's not a skank, Meredith. She's the love of my life and so much more."

For a moment, the world went silent. Meredith was silent. Kate was silent. Meredith had turned pale, beyond embarrassed, and trying not to let her wounded pride show. Kate's heart felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest, she so badly wanted to just smash her lips against the writer's. Rick had shocked himself into silence by suddenly realizing that his last marriage, his ex-wife was nothing like Kate and that she was so much more than Meredith ever was. He knew she was different, he knew she was better, but now he knew that there wasn't a chance in hell that anything he had with Kate could ever compare to what he had with Meredith because he wasn't caught up in some la-la land with Kate. He lover her inside and out for everything she was and everything she never would be.

When their eyes locked on each other's, Rick could hardly comprehend what he had just said and just realized. Kate couldn't believe she just heard all of that coming from his lips. He loved her, and she had always known that, but she had no idea how strongly he felt for her. With their eyes locked, Rick spoke to Kate by speaking to Meredith, "I love, and nothing, not you or the courts could tell me she is anything less than a good mother to Alexis, an extraordinary person, and everything that my daughter never had before she met Kate. I love her, and if you're here just simply to bash her, then leave. We're done here."

With an air of discomfort, Meredith stalked out the door as soon as she was able, her heart in her stomach, her mind frozen over and unsure of what to do. The moment she was gone,  Kate started, "I-... Thank you, Rick, for... Not letting me rip her throat out."

He smiled. "I didn't want you to get blood all over your gorgeous dress." Kate smirked, too focused on him to notice the tables beside them were staring. Rick then sighed and took the leap he didn't realize he desperately wanted to. "Kate, I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you are far too good for me. I love you and I would be honored if you would be my wife."

Kate smiled widely, questioning, "Is that a proposal, Mr. Castle?"

He grinned back, "Only if you'll say yes."

"How about always?"

He smiled. "Even better."