Reborn in Castle (TV show)

[Two Months Later]

Travis had been fully healed since Bali, and hiding it had become easier after Kate learned the truth about his powers. Around everyone else, he still avoided showing too much strength or speed, though he no longer needed to pretend he was in pain inside their apartment.

Kate had moved in with him shortly after they returned to New York. Her clothes now occupied half his wardrobe, her books had appeared on shelves throughout the apartment, and her coffee mug somehow became the one he reached for every morning before remembering it belonged to her.

Living together made the evenings enjoyable, especially after Kate returned from work. The problem was everything that happened between breakfast and the moment she came home.

Kate had returned to active duty after completing more therapy sessions and passing the department's evaluation. Her first few weeks had been carefully monitored, though she slowly settled back into the job without another serious incident.

Travis remained home while she worked.

At first, he enjoyed the break. He handled business related to The Old Haunt, finished several things he had kept delaying, and spent more time reading through old cases. He also trained whenever he had the apartment to himself, though he kept his speed and strength under control because the building didn't need unexplained holes appearing in the walls.

After a while, the quiet started getting on his nerves.

Most mornings, Kate left around eight. Travis would make breakfast, watch her get ready, kiss her goodbye, and then stand inside an apartment that suddenly felt much larger after the door closed behind her.

He considered taking a longer break from police work. After everything that happened, nobody would've blamed him for staying away from active duty for a few more months.

However, he wasn't interested in sitting around while everyone else worked.

One afternoon, Travis lay across the couch while some terrible daytime program played on television. He had already answered three calls related to stocking up The Old Haunt, finished the book he started the previous night, cleaned the kitchen, and checked the time often enough to become annoyed with himself.

Kate wouldn't be home for another five hours.

Travis stared at the ceiling for a while before sitting up.

"Fuck it," he muttered as he reached for his phone.

He called the department medical office and requested every evaluation needed to return to active duty.

The medical examination came first.

The doctor reviewed his condition, checked his old injuries, and ran every standard test required for an officer returning after severe trauma. Travis passed without difficulty, though he made sure his results remained within believable human limits.

The doctor still looked surprised.

Based on the original hospital reports, Travis should've needed at least another three months before anyone considered clearing him. Instead, every result showed that he was ready to return.

Travis accepted the confusion without explaining anything.

He was also glad nobody suggested locking him inside a laboratory to figure out how he had recovered so quickly. The department physician asked several questions, but strong genetics, excellent conditioning, and an unusual recovery became the official explanation.

Travis had no problem letting them believe it.

The physical evaluation came next.

He completed the endurance course, defensive tactics assessment, balance tests, strength requirements, and firearms qualification. He held back during every section, though he still scored high enough to surprise the instructors.

The psychological evaluation took longer.

The department psychologist questioned him about the tunnel, the explosion, Adrian March, Kate's injuries, and the men Travis killed during the fight.

Travis answered without hiding behind jokes.

He explained that he remembered the explosion clearly and sometimes thought about how close Kate came to dying. He admitted that the memory still made him angry, though it didn't control his decisions or prevent him from doing his job.

The psychologist asked whether he regretted going into the tunnel after Kate.

Travis shook his head. "No, I don't regret my decision. I just wish I could have reached her faster. If I had arrived a couple of minutes earlier, she wouldn't have been shot."

The psychologist studied him before asking whether he would make the same decision again.

"I'd handle parts of it differently," Travis replied. "But I'd never leave her down there."

After several sessions and another review, Travis received the final approval.

He was cleared for active duty.

The news spread through the 12th Precinct before he arrived.

Most of the department had expected him to remain away until December. Some officers had quietly wondered whether the damage would force him to leave field work permanently.

Instead, Travis stepped out of the elevator on a rainy Monday morning wearing a dark suit, carrying a coffee, and looking completely comfortable inside the precinct again.

Several conversations slowed when people noticed him.

Ryan stopped halfway through reading a report. Esposito looked up from his computer and stared for several seconds. Even a few uniforms near the elevators turned around to make sure they had seen him correctly.

Travis walked toward his desk without reacting to the attention.

Kate stood near the murder board with a file in one hand. She already knew he had been cleared because they had celebrated together the night before, though watching him return still brought a smile to her face.

Ryan got up from his chair and walked to him. "You're really back, huh?"

Travis placed his coffee on the desk. "Oh yeah. I'm back."

Ryan shook his head slowly. "Everyone thought you'd need another three months."

"I got bored." Travis shrugged.

"Yeah, bored of watching Outlaw," Kate chimed in.

"You watch Outlaw?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, it was bad. Had to drop it for The Walking Dead. Well, atleast the show is somewhat watchable, although the dialogue feels clunky at times," Travis replied.

Esposito walked over and held out his hand, and Travis gripped it firmly. "It's good to see you back," He said. "The place has been too quiet without you making everyone question their career choices."

Ryan stepped forward next and shook Travis's hand. "It's seriously good to have you back."

Travis nodded, appreciating the concern beneath both welcomes. "It's good to be back."

Captain Montgomery's office door opened before the conversation could continue.

Montgomery stood in the doorway with Travis's clearance file tucked beneath one arm.

"Wilson, get inside my office."

Travis picked up his coffee and glanced toward Kate.

She gave him an innocent smile and returned to the murder board.

He walked toward Montgomery's office and closed the door behind him.

...

[Captain Montgomery's Office]

Travis stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Montgomery sat behind his desk with Travis's clearance file open in front of him. He pointed toward the chair across from the desk, and Travis sat down while placing his coffee near the edge.

The captain looked through the final page once more before closing the file.

"You cleared every evaluation," Montgomery said. "Medical, physical, psychological, firearms, and everything else they put in front of you."

Travis nodded. "Yeah."

Montgomery leaned back and studied him for a moment. Travis looked healthy, rested, and completely different from the man who had been carried out of the tunnel beneath broken concrete and twisted metal.

"I'll be honest," Montgomery said. "I didn't expect to see you back this soon. Nobody did."

"I got tired of sitting at home."

"I heard," Montgomery replied. "Beckett said you were slowly losing your mind."

Travis gave him a faint smile. "She might've exaggerated a little."

"I doubt it."

Montgomery opened the top drawer of his desk and took out Travis's badge and service weapon. He placed both on the desk between them.

Travis looked down at them, and the sight made the moment feel real.

Montgomery rested his hands on the desk. "Your recovery doesn't make much sense to me, but you passed every test required by the department. That's enough for me."

Travis nodded once. "I appreciate that."

The captain looked at him more seriously. "I'd normally tell you not to do anything reckless, but we both know that would be a waste of breath."

Travis almost smiled. "Probably."

"So I'll keep it simple," Montgomery continued. "Be careful. You survived that tunnel once, and I don't want to see you test whether you can survive something worse."

"I'm not planning to."

"You never plan to," Montgomery replied. "Trouble just finds you, and then you decide the smartest option is running directly toward it."

Travis couldn't argue with that.

Montgomery pushed the badge and weapon across the desk.

Travis picked up the badge and clipped it back onto his belt. Then he checked the weapon before returning it to his holster.

Montgomery watched him for a moment before speaking again. "Beckett's doing better, but she's still working through what happened. Keep an eye on her."

"I will."

"And let her keep an eye on you too," Montgomery added. "She's been worried about you for months, even when she tried pretending otherwise."

Travis gave a small nod. "That goes both ways."

Montgomery leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the answer.

"Good. Then welcome back, Detective Wilson."

Travis stood and picked up his coffee. "Thank you, Captain."

He reached the door before Montgomery called after him.

"Wilson."

Travis looked back.

Montgomery's expression softened slightly. "It's good to see you walking around again."

Travis held his gaze for a second before nodding.

"It's good to be back, Sir."

He opened the door and stepped into the bullpen, where Kate was already waiting beside his desk with a case file in her hand.

--[AN: I'll take the week off to stock up. Been really busy with IRL. So, didn't get the chance to write much.] [See you on Sunday]

Find me in the link below for advance chapters: https://unknownmaster.carrd.co/

[19 advance chs] + [Modern Family: 37 chs Early access]