A/N: This is one shot based on if at the end of season 4 things were really over for Castkett and they run into each other years later. This is based on when Kate goes to see him at the end he turns her away.
/
He sat at a table outside at his favorite coffee house. The one he went to when he couldn't take trying to write in his office. He would grab his laptop and take it there. For some reason it gave him a different perspective. Sometimes just people watching would give him inspiration. After her writing changed for him. After her, inspiration was hard to come by. He's killed off Derek Storm then moved on to Nikki Heat. But it had ended baldy after trying to solve her mother's murder. He'd turned her away when she came to his loft. But he had kept up with her from afar. He had heard she'd made captain. Or rather saw it in the paper. Youngest woman ever to do so in the NYPD. As he stared at his laptop trying to come up with the next words in what now seemed like a waste of time he heard a familiar voice.
"Castle?" She questioned
He looked up and there she was, "Beckett?" He asked
She smiled, "How are you?"
He managed a smile back, "I'm good. How are you?" She looked different, her hair was lighter and wavy, but her eyes still drew him in
"Great." She said, "Just running in to grab a coffee. So, I guess you're working on your latest masterpiece?"
"I wouldn't call it a masterpiece but yeah." He replied, "So, I heard you made captain. I always knew you would."
This whole thing seemed awkward, "Thanks. But it's not all it's cracked up to be sometimes."
"I know the feeling." He said
Another awkward silence hung between them,something was different about him, too, the glint in his eyes, that always gave away that little boy inside him was gone, "Well, I guess you better get back to it. I know how your publisher is about you being late with your stuff."
"Yeah still same old Gina." He said with a wry smile
"So how are Martha and Alexis?" She asked
"Good. Alexis just graduated from law school and starts a job this week with a law firm and mother is as feisty as ever."
"I'm glad to hear that." She said, "And you? Are you?"
"No, I'm not." He said, "What about you?"
"Oh...well..."
"Mommy! Mommy!" A little girl squealed as she ran toward Kate practically throwing herself at her
Kate picked her up, "Hey, Peanut. Where's daddy?"
"Right here." A tall dark haired man came running up, "Don't run ahead of me like that, baby. It's dangerous."
"I'm sorry, Daddy." she said
"It's alright." He assured her, then gave Kate a kiss, "Hey Babe."
"Hey." She said, "Oh, I'm sorry this is Richard Castle. Castle, this is my husband Mark."
Castle stands up to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you."
"Castle?" Mark said, "Oh the mystery writer. You used to work with Kate?"
"That was a long time ago." He replied, "So, how long have you two been married?"
"Five years." He replied
"And this is our daughter, Maggie." Kate said, "Maggie, this is an old friend of mommy's Mr. Castle. Can you say hello?"
"Hi." She replied shyly
"Hi Maggie, it's nice to meet you."
"Kate, we should get going the childrens exhibit is about to start."
"Yeah." She said, "Well, it was good to see you Castle."
He smiled, "Always."
The way he said it made her heart skip a beat but she just smiled and walked away.
/
Later that day she met him at the swings, where they had met when she reappeared in his life after getting shot.
"That's for meeting me." He said
"When I got your text I almost didn't answer." She admitted
"I really didn't mean to..."
"What did you want?" She asked
"I'm sorry, Kate." He said
"For what, Castle?"
"For everything." He said, "For letting you go."
"Well, it's a little late for that."
"I shouldn't have turned you away when you came to see me that night." He said, "I was angry and tired of all the..."
"What, tired of what?"
"All the drama, Kate." He said, "When you said you wanted me I just couldn't let myself be sucked in."
"I get it. I do." She said, "So, is that all you wanted to say? That you're sorry."
"Letting you go was the biggest mistake I ever made. I never stopped loving you, Kate." he said
"What are you saying?" she asked, "That you want another chance?"
"I just wanted you to know." he said, "I had to say it. Look..."
"Castle, I'm married. I have a kid." She explained, "I can't...I won't."
"That doesn't sound like you don't feel the same way." He said
"I love my husband." She said, "I won't do that to him. I'm sorry but you should have just left well enough alone."
"Kate..."
"No, Castle. You turned me away. You can't just show up after all this time and expect to start up again. You made your choice and you have to live with it."
And with that she got up and walked away not letting him see her cry.
/
I could make this a multi chap if you all think you'd like that. I'm still wanting to finish my two other stories though before I try to do something else. This idea just got stuck in my head.