The Reason

Chapter 3

When Rick woke up that morning, he couldn't stop thinking about Kate. He hadn't seen her in over five years. Now it was just yesterday when she just appeared standing in front of him. She looked even better than she did when they were still together. He still didn't know why she left or where she went. He was broken at that time. He thought he did something wrong or it was his fault that she left. He had made a lot of mistakes in that time immediately after she left. He got drunk at bars and went home with girls at least once a week.

They have been together for two whole years. They admitted that they were in love with each other. He was planning a proposal. He already had a ring. Well, he still does. One the day he planned to propose she left. She just left behind only a scrambled note on a sheet of paper. It was shoved under his door.

It said, "I can't do this anymore. I need to go. I love you, Kate".

That note was the last thing he ever heard of her 'til yesterday.

He got up then entered the kitchen. He turned on the coffee machine. He got out the ingredients to make a smorlette.

He heard the front door click open. Looking over at the door he saw his Mother enter doing her walk of shame.

"Good morning Mother." He called as she walked into the kitchen.

He walked over to her then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Gotten late last night, huh?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah... well kinda...." She answered as she turned away to walk up the stairs.

"I am going to get a few hours of sleep." She announced.

Rick watched his Mother ascend the stairs then disappear from view. His Mother was left in a bind a few months ago. Her husband had disappeared with all her money. Rick was offered her a place to stay. So she moved in with him. Normally a man would not be caught dead living with his Mother but Rick Castle was no ordinary man. He did not think twice about the stigma.

Rick needed to write. He was nearing a deadline. If he was not ready with the next chapter his publisher is going to be really upset. He certainly didn't want that to happen. He sat down to eat after preparing the smorlette. While he ate his mind drifted off to recall yesterday afternoon. It was when he bumped into Kate. She was beautiful like she had always been. She hadn't change at all and once he recognized her he thought he had seen a ghost.

He had loved Kate Beckett from the bottom of his heart. He was sure she loved him too. They had an amazing time together. They have been together for almost a year. He already had a ring in his night stand. It was there ready for him to propose to her on the day she left. Without a word she just disappeared.

He thought about what would have happened if she didn't go. What if he had proposed? What would have been her answer? What would they have now? Maybe they would be married and had a little house with their children running around in the garden? Possibly they would be a perfect little family? They would have had everything... if she hadn't disappeared.

When he thought about it he realized he had never stopped loving her. She had hurt him. True he was angry that she left without a word but he couldn't stop thinking about her let alone stop loving her.

He wanted to know. Why had she left? Why she didn't say at least a good bye? He needed answers. So he decided he would call her later after he had some chapters done.

~Break~

It was nine PM when Kate, Phoebe and Johanna were done with clean up and were relaxing before Kate needed to put her Daughter to bed. Phoebe was playing on the floor with her toys aka her Mom's phone. Johanna and her Daughter sat on the couch talking about how Kate could tell Rick that they had a daughter.

Phoebe saw a number come up on her mom's phone and just hit the green button. She thought it was part of the game she was playing.

Kate and her Mom continued to talk so neither noticed that her Daughter had picked up the phone.

"When did he say he would call?" Johanna asked her daughter.

"He said he would call today. It seems like he already forgot about it. At least I hope so. I have no idea how to face him or how to tell him." Kate said.

She was desperate and didn't know what she could tell him or how.

"You should have thought about it before you decided not to tell him when you found out. We told you at that time you should have told him and not just go. We said to you he had a right back then and he still has that right. You need to tell him even if he won't call you. You should never forget he is the Father of your Daughter. He has the right to know everything. I still don't know why but at least you should tell him why." Johanna stated.

"You want to know why? Because I was afraid he would hate me that he would want me to have an abortion or that he would leave me." The tears streamed down her cheeks and Johanna pulled her into her arms.

"So you left him? What kind of sense makes that?" she said with a sad smile.

"I don't know it just seemed right at the time. I loved the baby already too much to have an abortion. I loved Rick, I still do actually but I couldn't risk losing both of them. Boys come and go but babies don't. So I thought why should I let my baby go when he would leave me anyway? I know it makes no sense now but it felt right when I thought it. It was hard leaving him but it would have been harder leaving my baby." She sobbed into her mother shoulder.

~Break~

After two rings someone picked up the phone. "Hello?" no one replied he only heard two voices talking in the background plus a few unusual sounds in the foreground.

"When did he say he would call?" he knew the voice it seemed familiar to him.

"He said he would call today, but it seems like he already forgot about it, at least I hope so. I have no idea how to face him, how to tell him." He figured out whose voice was talking now. It was Kate's.

Rick listened intently to the background voices. He recognized Kate and her Mother. As he listened he heard the real reason why Kate abandoned him. He had a Daughter. She was afraid he would not want her. So much that she feared he would have made her have an abortion. Kate truly wanted this child so she ran. Rick being dumbfounded ended the call. There was much he needed to discuss. Her being pregnant was never in his mind for the reason she left.

His mind was now filled with many new questions. How could she do this? What did I say to make her doubt I wanted become a father? I loved her. Why didn't she tell me she was pregnant instead of leaving me? We would have worked it out together. We would have been a family, married, maybe even another child by now. He was shocked and had no idea what to do now.

He got a bottle of scotch then a glass. He emptied the bottle then he fell asleep while crying. He wished he could turn back time. He hoped she would have a good explanation.

~Break~

Kate heard her phone making a noise. She just now noticed that her daughter has her phone. She took the phone from her daughter softly then looked at the display. It showed that someone called a few minutes ago and a call length. She looked at her daughter

"Honey, did you hit any buttons on my phone?" She asked.

Her daughter looked up at her with wet eyes.

"Did I do something wrong mommy?" the little one asked.

"No, it's okay you didn't do anything wrong." She pulled her daughter into a hug. Kate looked at her mother with worried eyes.

"What is it?" Johanna asked confused.

"I think Rick just called and Phoebe picked it up. I think he heard us. Oh g-d. What if he heard us? What if he heard you saying Phoebe was his daughter? Oh g-d he is going to flip out. I need to call him tomorrow. If he really heard us I have a HUGE problem." Kate said worriedly.

Worry was written all over Kate's and Johanna's faces. She needed to call him ASAP. It was way too late tonight. Then first thing in the morning she had to find out if he heard them. Only then would she plan on what to do next.

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