Disclaimer: We do not own Castle.

Co-authored by HPFan1952 and JasmineBelle7.

"It was an unfortunate remark, for the dragon spouted terrific flames after him, and fast though he sped up the slope, he had not gone nearly far enough to be comfortable before the ghastly head of Smaug was thrust against the opening behind." -The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien.

Chapter One

The moon remained obscured by the ever growing cloud cover, leaving only a weak glow to illuminate the world below. A hushed wind gathered the small remaining tendril of leaves from the trees and dusted them across the clearing into the darkness. The shadowed outline of a creature of the night sped through the open space, disappearing into the dark void beyond as the sound of tires rolling upon stone echoed into woodland. A black car pulled into the clearing, parking alongside the cabin's porch, its headlights shining on the wood supports.

She killed the engine and removed the keys, keeping her attention focused on the darkness of the woods as she dropped them into his lap. "Bedrooms are upstairs," she said, removing her seat belt. "Pick whichever one you want." In one swift movement she exited the car, the slam of her door cutting off the sound of his words, and started around to the side of the cabin searching out the dirt path leading into the deep recesses of the forest beyond.

Kate navigated her way along the well worn path, memory keeping her from straying into the darkness, the sound of rushing water pulling her back towards the light. She exited the trees only a few feet of rough earth separating her from the currents of a wide stream racing its way to the sea. She continued on following the path upstream, the ache in her heart weaving its way forward until it consumed every fiber in her soul. Her footsteps slowed until the weight of the last few hours crushed down upon her forcing her to the damp ground.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she curled up against the wide roots of a tree, her forehead resting against her knees. Her sobs escaped her, shaking her frame. She could kill him; kill him and jump into the river, allow it to wash her away. I love you never stung more. She hugged her legs tighter, her nails digging into the fabric of her pants. She felt the thunder in her bones, heard the rain coming roaring down. She shivered against the gust of wind and curled closer to the root.

Castle remained motionless in the seat of the car, the downpour blinding his view beyond the corner of the cabin. He lowered his gaze to the keys in his lap, his mind still trying to process the last ten minutes, the last three hours, the last year. His hand reached for the keys of its own accord, his sub-conscious mind working to keep him from remaining a statue forever.

He closed the car door absentmindedly, the rain soaking him through in seconds. He trailed his eyes up along the gravel drive, tracing a path to the last place he had seen her. His heart begged him to follow. He bowed his head away, the rain washing away his tears as fast as they fell. He sloshed through the building mud and up onto the porch, fumbling through the keys until he found the one that worked with the lock and stepped inside, feeling as if he where invading a place he didn't belong.

Refusing to search for a light switch, he crossed the darkened rooms, the open floor design allowing him to go from family room to dining room to kitchen without shifting an inch from the straight line he was making. He halted at the sliding glass door, listening to the rain drumming on the roof far above him; the sound of his dripping cloths on the hard wood floor lost amongst the cacophony. A flash of lightening momentarily made the world stand in stark contrasts of light and dark, leaving a ghost of the outside world in his eyes. He blinked back against his tears and rested his forehead against the cold glass, reaching a hand up as if hoping to pass right through. I'm sorry, Kate.

Kate waited until she saw the lights go on and off in the room upstairs, then she waited a little longer. She waited until she was shivering and numb. She didn't want to think. She couldn't think anymore. She just wanted it to all go away. When she couldn't bear it any longer, she forced her arms to move, to push her stiff knees into standing up. She walked stiffly to the house and let herself in, locking the door behind her. She went through her routine of opening the house in a daze. The menial tasks completed, she climbed the stairs to the shower, let the steam fill the room and the water flow over her aching body.

The thoughts and questions tried to force themselves back into her mind but she pushed them away. It hurt too much and raised too much panic. Feeling dizzy, she turned off the water and climbed into her flannel pants and sweatshirt without bothering to dry off. She climbed into bed and forced herself to breathe, to concentrate on the beat of her heart and find her will to keep going, one heartbeat and one breath at a time.

She must have dozed off at some point in the night because she was awakened by the bright sun coming through the windows. Fresh dread settled in but she squashed it with determination. She was not going out without a fight. Kate could not remember when in the night she had decided this but she knew it was the only way. She headed for the door but she caught sight of herself in the mirror and saw her hair in a crazy tangled mess around her face. She needed complete control today and that included her hair. She had another quick shower, knowing her Dad would have killed her for wasting the precious, limited well water, before she made her way downstairs to face the days ahead. For now, she wished she had the strength to face the day ahead; she had to take it one day at a time.

The storm, the tension and the thoughts swirling in his mind kept Castle tossing and turning all night long. He replayed the day before in his mind like it was a film and it was enough to make Castle wonder if he had he even lived it? As the dark sky became streaked with the first wisps of pink light, he grew still. Maybe if he didn't move, the night would stay frozen in place too. So he lay in the room he had chosen, the quilt on the bed worn and the carpet faded, and stared out the window. He watched the sun come up, the night running away as he and Kate had hours before.

He heard the creak of the springs from next door and assumed that Kate was up as well. He showered and dressed before he made his way down to the kitchen. Kate appeared moments later, her hair wet from her own shower and dark circles under her eyes. Those eyes would not meet his but still he sensed something different in her today. She moved to make coffee and he joined her, silently. Anyone watching from outside would have seen their dance and would have guessed them a happy couple. Kate and Castle moved in harmony, moving perfectly together while performing the simple task. Anyone would have guessed until they saw the hurt looks on their faces and the terror and insecurity in their eyes.

Coffee made and mug in hand Castle stood at the same door that he had the night before. The rain had long since stopped. Now, the sun was shining bright and was burning off the fog. It was too bright, too stark, just too...Too much to handle and too hard to face each other. It was hard enough in the darkness and the storm that had surrounded them, but it was even harder in the harsh light of day. The light was so unforgiving, as unforgiving as the situation they were in now.

He worked himself up to speak those first tense words that were stuck inside him. He knew they had to talk about the phone call from Mr. Smith, the secret he had kept and their run together into the night. He steeled himself, taking hold of the sunlight and using it to warm the words forming on his tongue, but when he turned she was gone. He called out, panic rising inside him. "Kate!"