Castle: Beating the odds

Chapter 19

*5 weeks later*

They buried jack 4 weeks ago and it was still hard on all of them. Jacks resting place was right next to Johanna's and Kate made sure she visited once a week along with Rick. Usually it would make the grieving process harder, but it helped Kate. When she was there she felt whole and complete because she was near her son and mother. They tried to make the kids lives as easy as possible and as normal as possible but it was so hard.

Kate had found herself seeing Dr. Burke again and Rick would write hours into the night, and saved it all into a folder called 'jack.' As fort he kids, J.J. Knew she had lost her brother but at 3 years old it was confusing. It was hard on Anna for a while until she had opened up to Kate and Rick. She would talk to them every night how she felt and she was healing up well. Collin took it the hardest, Right behind his parents. He shut everybody out and stayed in his room mostly except for when she went to school, practice, or meals. Rick made an effort to talk to him, but he wasn't ready to open up yet.

Jack being gone has made a huge hole on the Castle family, but it made the, stronger and more reliable on each other.

-August 22nd 1:30 am-

Rick was fumbling with his keys trying to get in the loft. He was at a black pawn meeting and had a bit to drink. Ok, well more than a bit. The kids were sleeping over at Jim's house, because he was having a hard time with the loss too and being with the kids made it better.

When he finally got his drunk ass in the front door, he threw his keys in the side table and hung his jacket up. He kicked off his shoes and started towards the kitchen where Kate was cleaning up. She had Laine over that night for a girls night. Rick stumbled towards Kate and came behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist kissing her neck. She put the dishes down and dried her hands. "How was the meeting?" Kate asked dryly, he was 3 hours late.

"S'ok booorring." Kate sighed, he was drunk. Instead of picking a fight, Kate thought it be better if she just put him to bed. He didn't do this often, plus this was the first time he'd come home like this since jack had passed. She figured he needed the drinks, though in the morning he'd be hungover and act like a whining baby.

"Come on," Kate said pushing off the counter. "Let's get you to bed."

"But, baby, I wanna have some fun."

He said and tried bringing her closer by the waist but Kate pulled his hands off, "not tonight, babe, you need to go to bed." He huffed and Kate grabbed his hand. Pulling him to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and Kate got clean boxers out of his drawer, "stand up, pants off." He fumbled with his belt and Kate finally had no more patients, so she undid the belt and pulled his pants down along with his boxers. "Put these on." She handed him the clean pair and you'd think it was rocket science to put a pair of boxer shorts on.

He sat back on the bed with another huff and Kate began to unbutton his shirt. After he was free from the garment, she pulled the covers down and tucked him in. Kate dimmed the lights and went to get a glass of water and aspirin, shutting all the lights off before she went back to the bedroom.

She made him take the pills and as soon as he set the glass on the night stand, he was out. Kate half chuckled to herself and got ready for bed also. When she climbed in Rick sensed it and turned and wrapped his arms around her. The one thing that never changed, drunk or not, Rick always had to be touching her in their sleep, and she kinda liked it.

But her mind started to wonder. She started to think about Jack. Sometimes she expected to come home and have him run up to her for a hug, but ever time she opened the loft door it was empty. There was defiantly a hole in her heart that was being repaired just like when her mother was murdered, she knew it would heal, and she thought it wouldn't take years like it did her mother because she has Rick now and she has three kids to help with that.

Three kids not four, though they will always have four babies, but one just isn't with them. She'd always have that ache for missing Jack, it was the mother in her. But she was getting better, and it's easier to wake up in the morning now than it was five weeks ago. But she still needed more time. Kate turned to her side and buried herself into ricks chest, crying silently and softly until she finally drifted off.

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3am

Rick felt something damp on his chest, and he heard sniffling. Turning over, he reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. It took him a moment to adjust to the light, being he felt his hangover starting to settle in. Ignoring his aches and pains, he sat up against the headboard, Kate cradled to him. She was the one who was causing the dampness and sniffling. She had been crying. "Kate, sweetie?"

Rick ran a hand over her hair, her hands were fisted into his shirt and her head now rested on his stomach. Rick waited a moment before speaking again. "Honey, come on, sit up," he patted her back and she sat up, still leaning into his side. He whipped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs and tucked her hair behind her ears, "what's wrong?"

He knew the answer, "I miss him." Bingo, that was always the problem when Kate cried in the middle of the night. "I miss jack so much.." She trailed off and she pulled her head away from ricks hands to rest to head in the crook of his neck.

He planted a kiss on her head and pulled her closer, if that was even possible, "I miss him too, honey. We all do. I wish I could make it better for you, I really do." He held his tears back and kissed her head again. But all he could do was hold her while she grieved.

Kate started to calm down after Rick had started to rock her back and fourth. Her eyes were growing heavy, so Rick shut the light off and slid so they were laying back down, him oh his back and Kate on her side, curled into Rick.

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A/N- sad to say that next chapter will be the last chapter ):