I LOVED this. The jumping between scenes mirrored KB's own jumbled thoughts and experiences. Well-crafted.

You did it to me again (you know what I mean). Beautifully written!

Loved it! Thanks for writing it :)

I can feel the tension here. But I don't quite get the first 2 chapters though. Is this just after kate's shooting? And what happened then? So she was working on her PTSD? I don't understand.. The nights during the case, the takedowns, what is the story? I mean at the end, yes, you wrote about the visit to her theraphist and the time she gave the ring. But what happened to castle? What made him gave his pen? Sorry if this is too much. Thank you :)

beautiful, just beautifully written, and still plenty action and forward movement. well done!

Wow. How do you always get it so right?
I feel like this is different to your other pieces. Maybe my favourite.
Absolutely stunning, thank you.

Lovely, and different.

I have read ones about Castle's emotional trauma before, but this is better and different because I think it more perfectly captures the emotional give and take between them and all the threads of that relationship weaving through her job, her mother's case, all the danger and darkness in their lives.

I wish the show could go more in this direction. I know it can't and it won't, but I wish.

Interesting layers here.

I do wonder about all of their relationships with alcohol - how much should be explicitly stated, how much we should infer. His mother drinks a lot, gets "tipsy" a lot, but seems highly functional, and there is an association with theatre types.

Red wine features heavily in the show. Red wine in pleasant, over sized glasses. But I like it as a contrast to the American cliche of beer. And I also happen to like red wine a lot. Getting drunk with red wine takes longer, and the buzz is softer. Alcohol in a destructive context is only shown in relation to whiskey on the show. But, your concern may be justified since despite it's softness that kind of drunk can still become a crutch, a dependency.

It's interesting that you imply he has misgivings about continuing this work, or is it only that he's worried it's the only thing he'll ever have with her? I like your references to the summer apart. Of course, the summer apart after season 2 was a big deal too, for different reasons, but they were so much closer by the time season 3 ended, which was why it was his place and his right to ask, angrily, when they saw each other again "Josh help you with that?" and she recognised that right an didn't challenge it. However, the separation itself must have caused some hiccup in their connection. They do seem more uncomfortable with each other in 'Rise', only starting to re-establish that pattern in 'Head Case'.

Good chapter

The writing style of this piece really got to me and I just had to comment. It's beautiful and kind of different from some of the other things you've written and I wonder where you went when you wrote this. There's an elusiveness to the story, too and the things that aren't explained frustrated me at the beginning until I realized the effect it had which made it all make sense in the end... If that's even possible. (I need to learn from you!)

Anyway! Lovely lovely and thanks for sharing.

-Violet

another one of yours that i've read before but am reading again. I'm on a comfort-fic bender and i can't get enough. I love the depth of emotion in your portrayal of them; it's heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time.

I'd love to see more of this storyline, too.

Beautiful work. Please become a Castle writer because I'm in despair over the direction of the current season and only this could save it. The scene with the ring at the end was so breathtakingly beautiful. GAH.

This was just amazing! Well done! Happy Holidays! :D

FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!

Love this so much!