Like...

LOVE it. Heartbreaking but true to the characters and the storyline. I could see this happening.

heart. breaking. very. slowly.

This anticipates in so many ways the actual confrontation in Always, which goes to show you've got these characters down!

I really liked this:

She hears the truth in his voice but it doesn't matter. All her talk of being better, of living beyond her mother's death was hollow. Easily punctured by this knife in her back.

I don't think I had ever read a Castle story without a happy ending until now. This was supposed to be my last story before I went to bed, but this saddens me too much and I prefer to fall asleep happy. So I'm going to find some short fluff and then sleep, hopefully. I did like the writing though, just the not-so-happy ending surprised me.

Hey there. A simple LIKE then.:)

I just discovered your work (through dave), and I hope to showly make my way through.:)

For now, only this tiny review. I know what you mean feeling pressured by reviewers and sometimes simply want to go for the angst.I am a fan of angst as well, though i am also a sucker for happy endings. but i understand you fully. and sometimes, i feel like writing someting angsty or tragic just for the sake of feeling like it, despite how the audience might take it, being upset about it. yet its harder with multichapter, cause ppl get invested and the author doesnt wanna be a bitch to the readers, so yeah, asking for a happy ending is sometimes a type of the emotional blackmail.

Anyway, at least now *I* know that a certain story of yours will despite the angst end with a happy ending, so no need to bite my nails through . :) Anyway, have a good day and a grand finale!

So you hated yourself for changing the end or for caving to readers?

In any case, this was beautifully written no matter the ending.

It is so angsty that it is just wonderful. Makes my heart bleed for them. One of your best yet! So powerful. Love it.

Even tho I dont like angst and this is so freaking ANGSTY... i find your little fiction really good, speaking of literature level. I JUST LOVE it. :) I hope that angst monster leaves you alone and ... i like your fluff monster better :) But this... so . so . so . good :)

Tragic? That's like saying the atom bomb pack a punch. What happened Trojan Tuxedo Bird? Someone stole your eggs? And how could the rest of you let her do this? Dave? Foo? Trix? You should all be ashamed of yourselves? What if Marlowe was on a dare this morning to randomly read one fix and make it happen, huh? I sentence you to each write a romantic fluff piece to take the taste of this misery out of my mouth. That's it! Start typing now or else.

Ugh this made my heart hurt... Open your eyes, Kate! (heavy sigh)

Am I the only one who doesn't think either of their secrets are really a big deal?

I guess so.

I like angst. Like super duper heavy duty angst. But I also like happy endings. Gives me hope. So now go back and write another chapter or maybe story to follow this one.. where they get their happy ending.

:P

painful but beautiful. I totally get when you need to write it a certain way - the characters just take over..,

There really are some amazing lines in this angsty one-shot:

She points to the door and they both know it's more than just request to leave. It's a command – to stay away.

And it's cruel – so cruel – to have to choose. But she chooses her mother. She chooses her mother every time. It's a lonely choice. But it's hers. Her burden to bear. He should have known that by now. (This is exactly Kate)

He looks ready to beg. But he doesn't. Because he sees now. He sees that they were doomed from the start. (and she seems to always crush Castle's heart in the end)

No going back. No rewriting the story. It's finished. They're finished. Sad. Tragic. Over. (and the final nail is pounded into the coffin)

Really beautifully written.