Ya, I figured she was in hiding for her protection but it's still terrible for her, horrific for everyone else with having to think she was murdered. I'm relieved that I was right, that they allowed her father to know; that really would have killed him but it's definitely going to kill Castle.

So are they torching her place again? Dear God, only fifteen minutes to pack all that she cherishes!

Beautiful segue from Kate thinking about them all tangled up in silky sheets to the stark reality of the scratchy bedding she's laying on now. It's a hard emotion to capture, that sinking feeling of being sucked back into the cold reality of her new life.
This story makes me sad :'(

This story is WAY old and I honestly don't even know if you still write or care about your reviews nowadays but here I go...
I'm so incredibly consumed with how painstakingly sad this is and if this wore a story where Beckett stayed dead, it would honestly be a no-go for me. I'm very nervous for how this will play out in future chapters, Castle is going through pure hell and the way you describe his pain is exquisite.

Castle hiding the picture away for Alexis' sake really could not be more true to how Castle would try to appease Alexis into thinking he's moving on in a healthy manner. Sigghhh, we all deal with grief differently, and he made me feel like he was ashamed he still needed to hold on to it. He can take baby steps, still have the picture out and I'm teary-eyed just writing that line thinking about him. I would hate to think what would become of him if he didn't have Alexis to keep him company.

Castle thoughts about Jim are a bit perplexing to me. There are some things in life you can never ever brace yourself for and he is way too laxed for my taste. He's about ready to tell Castle to "Keep a stiff upper lip" at any moment. He should be just as crushed as Castle ( obviously in a different way) but the devastation should be consuming him. Which leads me to believe he knows she's alive?

Wasn't expecting Kate to reappear so soon (lol, not complaining) I have yet to read about Kate's mindset but I can imagine they are both in some sort of emotional hell. Castle's shock is very much real but I was expecting a hug but he may think he's hallucinating/dreaming, perhaps?
Great prologue and it's a departure from what I usually read, hoping I can get my head out of my a** to fully read this.

Wow. Amazing story. Cried and laughed so often. Impressive writing. Really, really loved it. And the ending is just perfect. Thank you

It felt like it was all Castle's fault to not let Kate in and Kate is an angel. Oh my God! Shit.

Beautiful story... Thank you for sharing this lovely story with us.

You've been making my heart ache and making me cry these past few chapters. Real good stuff. Thanks for writing this!

So beautiful and painful, but I love how they slowly found their footing again as a couple. Beautiful storytelling, thank you so much for sharing it with us!

What a great story. I like the way they both found their way back to each other, how it was not easy because in reality it never is.

This story was such an emotional ride, I fell in love with it from the start, it satisfied a need I didn’t even know I had. Your writing is beautiful, so poetic at times, I never felt the characters were “out of character”, dialogue was so cleverly composed, the plot was very well crafted, there were never any loose ends, and it was coherent and relevant the entire time. And the angst. Oh my. My heart strings tugged in every chapter. I stayed up almost all night reading it and then decided to spend my morning finishing it instead of doing work! I know this is from a while ago but I hope this review somehow reaches you. Thank you for writing this story.

There is so much angst in this fanfic. Oh my god my heart. I don’t think even the creators allowed this poor couple to go through so much. I think the longest Castle was missing from Beckett’s life was 2 months. You’ve certainly pushed it to new boundaries and I love it even if I’ve cried so much already

Thought I’d leave a review before I passed out dead. It’s the middle of the night and I stumbled upon your fanfic after doing a Castle rewatch. I was so intrigued by the summary. I read the first chapter and I was hooked. Only on chapter 6 but holy shite. It’s so well written. It’s so morbid. And heartbreaking. And extremely well crafted and researched.

I am re-reading this story after 8 years since I read it the first time during the s4 hiatus and I remember crying all of my tears over it, to the point that I never forgot it and to this day I consider it one of the best Castle fics out there.

I find it very fascinating tho, how similar this version of Kate Beckett is to the character of Emily Byrne (Stana’s character in Absentia... but in this case the writing is definitely better here) idk I just think it’s cool xD

I love this chapter of this story so very much, Castle's legitimate anger at Jim and the paternal love for daughter and affection for Rick shown by Jim

I just read this and what a load of shit it most flashbacks what the fucking point of the 1st chapter crap this the worst I read and kate would never go in to safe house did u watch the fucking show. And rick would have found to bird after 8month go a fuck ur mum that what ur good at

good story. Castle is a bit to forgiving but it does fit with his character. He will always forgive her. She promises to call. then does not for months. She breaks her promise to him after getting married pushing him away and hurting him and once again forgives her. I wonder how damaged they both are for them to keep doing this to each other. Castle is not without his own flaws dont get me wrong but i wonder how much they have destroyed each other and if they would not have been better off healing their own damage before starting a relationship which just increases the damage