Back and Forth (A Castle Fanfiction)

Darkness and Light

A.N: For anyone who would be interested in a new fanfiction, I've just started writing Beyond Hope (A Castle Fanfiction). I generally try not to do these things and I know I've now done this stuff in this book twice, but I'm really excited about this new project. I hope you all enjoy this book and maybe give the other a look. Thanks for reading :)
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"Rick," Kate questioned in a soft voice, her vision not fully returned.

His lips instantly rose into the largest smile he could hold. "I'm right here, Kate. You're alright. I'm right here."

In a haze, the woman questioned, "Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital. You- you were in an accident," Rick answered, his hand slipping into hers, holding it softly, revealing to her the necklace wrapped around her wrist. It was then, when the ring and gemstones came into view that she looked down. Instantly she took notice of the lack of a near full term baby bump in her stomach. Before she could even ask the question, Rick explained, "They had to deliver Henry. He's all right. You both are. But they had to preform a C-section to make sure he was alright."

She then realized, as her eyes combed back up to her writer, that there was a small, clear, box-like hospital crib behind him, and from where she laid, she could see the white and blue blanket bundling the child up. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of it and the thought. She then, without removing her eyes from the crib, asked, "Is that-...him?"

Rick looked over his shoulder toward the bed, his smile lightening before he turned back toward his lover and repied, "Yeah, that's- that's him."

"Can I see him," she questioned, somehow knowing she was far too weak to hold him. The writer had zero objection, lifting his son for the twentith time, feeling that same rush of adoration and fear, and carrying him toward his fiancé. When he was close enough, Rick bent down a bit, holding Henry in a way that Kate could see him, and then watched her.

Instantly, Kate's eyes lit up. Her smile seemed radiant on her lips. She was in love from the very moment she laid eyes on him. So much in love in fact that she could feel her heart pounding as the intense feeling smashed into her and she was just absolutely in awe of her son. With tears lining her eyes in glass, she looked at the fragile newborn, lifting her hand to his stomach gently, and saying to him in the most adoring tone, "Hi Henry. Hi. I'm your mommy."

The child then began to fuss a bit, his mother continuing, "Oh, buddy, it's okay. It's okay. Sh, sh, daddy's got you. You're okay." While Henry slowly stopped writhing, Kate and Rick looked at each other for only a split second before she looked back down to her son. "You're safe, Henry. I promise, you're safe."

For a short while, the two of them were content like this, waiting a moment before a nurse realized Kate was awake and the doctor showed up. Even though they were confident in saying Kate would be alright, it was a relief to see that she truly was for both the writer and the doctors. While they examined Kate a bit, Rick stepped out to call his mother to ask her to bring Alexis to the hospital. Once they got back inside, the doctor talked to them for a short while and then left, having made them both completely thrilled that she would be home bound in a day or so, and so was Henry.

When the doctor finally stepped out, Kate looked to the writer who was once again holding his son and asked, "So... what happened?"

"Do you not remember," Rick questioned.

She sighed and tried to think back, telling him, "I remember leaving the apartment... but I couldn't tell you where I was going or whether I was driving or if I took a cab..." Rick then swallowed. His heart fell into his stomach as he watched her eyes, and his fear instantly spread to her. "Whatever it is, Rick, I need to know."

He then nodded and breathed. Before he could speak, however, he had to put Henry back in his crib. As he laid his son down, that utter amazement in how much he adored Henry hit him strangely as he wondered how Jim could hold his child in his arms, see her face, and then do to her everything he's done. Without an answer, the writer turned to his lover, sat down and took her hand with his own. "You went to go see your dad. You were just going to check on him, and- you took a cab."

"Alright," she said when he paused in remorse.

"When you got there, aparently you told the taxi driver that something didn't seem right. He stepped out with you, and then walked with you halfway up the path. Aparently you had the only polite driver in America, and when you got to the door, it opened on its own, so he stopped you and had you step back so that he could go in first. He then went in and caught your father passed out on the couch. He- he had been drinking, Kate."

That alone caused Kate's heart to ache, and Rick saw that, pausing a moment to let her process it. Finally, she said, "He- he had been drinking, and-... I remember this." Rick watched her eyes bend in pain. "He had been drinking, so- I went to wake him up. He- he wouldn't wake up at first, so- I stood in front of him. When he woke up, he was... terrified. He was screaming at me to get off his wife, and- he managed to backhand me. I fell onto my side, hard, and- and my stomach smashed into the fire place. I remember the- the blood soaking my shirt. My head hit the wall.

"My dad seemed to sober up instantly, but- the taxi driver pulled him off me and threw him to the side. He then came and put some pressure over the scraping, but- the brick had badly mangled the skin. Next thing I knew, I was in an ambulence with my father, and then-... I was here."

The writer swallowed hard, watching his future wife process everything she was saying. She seemed to be in shock from her words, from the memories. He watcher her and her eyes were stuck on her mother's ring. For a while, he didn't say a word. She was processing, and that was important. But- after a short while, he did ask, "Kate, are- are you alright?"

"Huh?" She looked up at him. "Oh. Yeah, yes, I'm- I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said with a softness, "Or- I- I will be."

He then sighed and nodded. "Is there anything I can get for you, anything I can do?"

She swallowed and then faked a smile, "Yeah, you could- hand me my son."

Before the writer even stood, however, the doors to Kate's room opened and Alexis and Martha came rushing in, Alexis calling, "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Alexis, pumpkin, oh, I missed you," Kate said as Rick lifted Alexis up and allowed her room enough that her mom could hug her decently.

"I missed you too, mommy," Alexis said.

When Alexis pulled away ever so slightly, Kate held her hands and looked closely into her eyes and told her, "I love you so much," before giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Love you, mommy," Alexis returned with a smile. Kate then took the girl into another hug before the writer had to put her down. Looking at her soon-to-be step-daughter and her son, her world stayed steady, every emotion in her body completely shut down. On the outside, she smiled, and looking at the kids made that part a bit easier, but on the inside, Kate had been heartbroken by everything, and Rick could see it plain as day. Still, neither said anything. They did what they were supposed to do as parents. They protected their kids from the darkness and showed them only the light.