The End 2
Kate was sitting in her wheelchair watching what they had on TV, since she didn't want to stay alone in her room anymore. Now she was out here in the common room sitting all alone as she used the remote to flip through channels.
Kate could be doing this in her room since she had a TV too. Since where she lived now they served all your meals, her room didn't have much you could call a kitchen. Cooking in your room was forbidden. She didn't even have a microwave. Just a sink and a mini-fridge.
Her room had a dining room table that seated a whole 2 people, which was more than enough since there was just her, and had been for a long time now.
Living room with a sofa and a rocker. A bedroom with an open on both sides closet that lead to her bathroom. The entire place was handicap accessible for her.
Kate could move from her chair to bed or chair to sofa, and could even walk from her bed to the bathroom. It's just that walking any further than that was no longer possible. Well that wasn't completely accurate, since she could. It's just that if she did the pain quickly got to her and she ended up on her butt. Something she had done a few times after moving to here early on.
Now she had finally relented and didn't walk any further than was necessary, even if it did grate on her.
Kate watched Mark wheel in a new person to where he could see the TV too. "You good here?" Mark asks him, only getting a nod in return. Kate watched Mark walk away and went back to flipping channels.
Kate knew Mark had worked here for some time. He was only in his late 30's or maybe early 40's. He was the one person in this place that Kate liked.
"Is there something you want to watch?" Kate asks looking at him.
He was old looking, even to her. His hair, what there was left of it, was all gray. His face was all wrinkled, much like her own now. He looked to be a little over weight now.
Under it all Kate was guessing that he was likely handsome at one time. Well young and handsome. His eyes looked to be a dull blue. It gave her the idea that they were likely dazzling blue when he was younger.
"Nothing, thanks." He answered her question and continued to stare at Kate didn't know what. It wasn't her and it wasn't the TV or even the floor. It was kinda like he was looking through the wall to see outside.
Kate finally found a channel and settled on it, and kept her eyes on the TV and let him be.
Mark eventually returned. "Would you like something to drink miss? Maybe with a cookie perhaps?" Mark asked her.
Kate was tempted to say no, but a cold water bottle did sound nice. "Cold water and maybe that cookie." Kate answered.
"Coming right up. … How about you Mr. Castle, is there something I can get you?" Mark asks only to get him to shake his head.
Kate's heart started pounding in her chest. CASTLE! Was this her Castle? Kate unlocked her chair and wheeled it over till she was in front of him and looked right at him. "Castle?" Kate searched his eyes. Eyes that just didn't have the fire or light in them that they used to.
Kate reached out a hand to cover one of his. "Castle, Richard Castle?" Kate tried again.
This time he seemed to focus and look at her and even got a touch of a smile. "It is you, isn't it? … It's me Castle. … Kate, Kate Beckett." Kate smiled at him.
A little bit of light seemed to shine back at her. "Detective Beckett." Rick actually gave Kate a small smile.
"Castle!" Kate used both of her hands to take one of his in hers. "It's been a long time Castle." Kate was happy to see him. "And I haven't been a detective in a really long time."
"Law school." Rick offers up from memory.
"Yes, … Right after our fight I resigned and went back to law school. It took a long time but I finally made it. Not that it was as much fun as I thought it would be, but it was a living." Kate knew she hadn't done much as a lawyer. Just that even after she made it, it didn't have the appeal that it once had for her.
"Jim?" Rick asked.
"Dad died peacefully in his sleep years ago. It's just me now, has been for a long time." Kate admitted. "How's Samantha?" Kate remembered Samantha. Kate had even looked her up one time. Kate had wanted to see who had taken Rick from her. Though it was more like who it was that she had given Rick to.
"Sam died years ago. … Breast cancer. She was diagnosed and died a year later." Rick simply stated. Kate couldn't hear any sadness in his voice. Maybe it was a really long time ago.
"Alexis?" Kate asks.
Now Kate got a smile out of Rick. Kate knew he had always loved Alexis and would have done anything for her.
"Married with two boys. They have a house in St. Maarten, in the Caribbean. Leo works for a company that helps countries to add or expand harbor facilities for cruise ships. Warehouses, food storage, fuel storage, everything a cruise ship needs, deal with local laws and local developers. They have a house there, but they almost live on a cruise ship. Sailing from one country to another. They tell me that they love it." Rick appeared to tire quickly and the words he used came out harder for him.
Kate took it all in and thought about it. Alexis was sailing around the world as part of her husband's job. Kate had never pictured that for her, still it sounded like quite the adventure and that part of it did sound like Alexis. Alexis always did want to expand her knowledge and test herself.
"Husband, children?" Rick almost whispered out.
Kate shook her head. "Never married, no children." Kate sighed. "I never did learn to let people in. You were the last person who ever came close." Kate lied and hoped Castle didn't notice. Castle had gotten in, just that she had pushed him right back out just as fast.
"Seems you were right Castle. I'm old with no friends, no husband, no children and no one who will miss me. All I have left are my what if's and if only's." Kate hung her head low.
"Sorry Beckett." Rick was really sorry he had gone ballistic on her that day. He shouldn't have said those things.
"You're here Castle, we could talk." Kate had a lot to tell him still.
Rick however just shook his head. "I'm just passing through. They dropped me off here till my temporary room somewhere else was ready." Rick knew he would be leaving soon.
"Temporary?" Kate didn't like the way Rick had said that.
"Everything is shutting down. I just came from my dialysis treatment. Lost my kidneys a few months ago. My liver isn't processing anything correctly. I can't digest my food like I should and they found a heart murmur a month ago.
They tell me I've got maybe a month left. … Maybe less." Rick tells her without even an ounce of tears.
Kate was out of her chair and down on her knees and looking up at him. "CASTLE NO!" Kate had too much to tell him.
"My number is up Beckett. Time to punch my ticket." Rick tells her. His writers mind came up with a bunch of other sayings, but he kept them to himself. He was too sad to quote them.
"Castle!" Kate laid her head in his lap and started crying and could feel Rick stroking her hair.
Mark chose this moment to return. "Ready to go Mr. Castle? You're ride is here."
Kate lifted her head to look at Mark. "Where's he going? Tell me where he is going." Kate tried to put a commanding tone in her voice.
"MJHS Hospice." Mark tells her. "Time to go Mr. Castle." Mark tells both of them.
"Goodbye detective Beckett." Rick tells her.
Kate couldn't help but notice that Rick didn't say 'Until tomorrow'. Since Rick didn't think he had a tomorrow.
Rick reached out to stroke her cheek like what he had done countless years ago before Kate pushed him away. Kate took his hand in hers and held it against her cheek and than kissed his open palm.
Letting go of Rick and watching Mark wheel him away and out the front door. "I love you." Kate whispered out for the third time in her life.
Kate climbed back into her chair and wheeled herself down to her room and transferred herself into her bed and started sobbing all over again.
It is now one week later:
Kate had been after Mark and everyone else on the staff of her retirement home to take her over to MJHS Hospice so she could see Castle. Castle had said he had maybe a month and Kate had just lost a week of that time and she was running out of time. Kate had so much to tell him.
"Ready to go Miss Beckett?" Mark asks her after Kate opened the door when he knocked.
"VERY!" Kate all but ran him down getting out of her room and didn't wait for Mark to start pushing her down the hallway towards the front entrance.
Getting Kate into the big van was easy since she could still transfer herself.
Mark did however push Kate into the hospice and up to the front desk.
After asking for Rick's room this place had an aid escort both of them down to Rick's room.
Inside they found Rick in his bed since except for a couple of chairs for guests, that was all that was in the room. There wasn't even so much as a TV for him to watch.
"He should wake soon." The aid tells them.
"You can go Mark, I'll be fine." Kate tells him, and when Mark doesn't make any move to leave. "Honest, I'll be fine. … You can go." Kate tries again.
"I'll be back in about an hour and a half." Mark tells her and closes the door when he leaves.
Kate wastes no time in getting out of her chair and transferring to Rick's bed where she lies down next to him. "You finally got me into your bed Castle." Kate whispers and smiles while she watches Rick sleep.
It was only moments later that Kate was scratching his scalp with her one free hand while she was laying on her side facing him. "Castle?" Kate switched to stroking his cheek. "Castle, please!?" Kate leaned in and kissed his cheek.
It took a few minutes before Kate saw Rick start to blink his eyes open. "Hi Castle." Kate beamed at him.
"Detective Beckett?" Rick recognized her, but did smile. He was still a little sleepy and he was also really tired.
"Castle I really need to tell you something. Are you awake enough?" Kate stroked his face.
"Are you in my bed Beckett?" Rick was waking up.
That got Kate to chuckle. "Yeah, you finally got me Castle. I'm not an easy catch." Kate teased, even if she feared she didn't have time for this.
Rick however remained silent and blinked to try and keep his eyes open. "I'm sorry Castle, so very sorry. I should never have pushed you away. Our last fight was just stupid on my part, and I'm sorry Castle."
"Your mothers case." Rick whispered out.
"I never did solve it Castle. I resigned and gave up trying to find justice for her. I failed her Castle." Kate tells him.
"No." Rick tells her.
"I did Castle. It took me a really long time to understand that not living my life and being happy is all she would have wanted. I've lived my whole life all alone Castle. Except for you there was no one else in my life. … I failed her." It took Kate a really long time, but Kate finally understands.
"I should have told you Castle, but I was scared and foolish, and instead of talking to you I pushed you away. … I loved you then, I loved you when you married Samantha and I love you now. I know it's too late Rick, but I couldn't let you go without you knowing.
You don't have to love me back Rick, I know it's too late. … I've made a mess of my life. I've screwed up so badly Rick, so very badly. And I'm sorry Rick, so very sorry." Kate didn't try to stop the tears, since there was no longer any need to.
Kate felt Rick wipe away some of her tears. "I should have told you Rick, I should have told you." Kate laid her head down into Rick's shoulder and felt Rick stroking her hair.
"I need you to know that I loved you and still love you Rick, I should never have pushed you away." Kate didn't hear Rick say anything, but he didn't have to. It didn't matter anymore if he loved her or ever had loved her.
Still Kate did feel Rick kiss her head and it got her to smile as she rested up against Castle and soaked him up. It wasn't about sex anymore and Kate didn't care. Kate didn't have any interest in sex anymore and hadn't had much interest in a long time.
Kate had only ever had sex twice after she found out that Rick had married Samantha. It's just that her heart wasn't in it. Not that she had ever allowed her heart to tell her anything, till now.
"I screwed up Rick. I resigned and never talked to Ryan or Espo ever again. I haven't talked to or even heard from Lanie in years.
Last I heard from Lanie, Ryan and Jenny had, had another girl. Espo and Lanie kept having their on and then off again relationship. Lanie kept trying to get me to open my eyes, but I wouldn't do it. … She couldn't even take her own advice.
I don't know if she ever did get married or not or even where she lives. … I did read where Martha died. She had done so well with that play that she was involved with, that it made the news. I always did like Martha, she had such a vibrant personality, even if you did tease her a lot.
It would be nice to see Alexis again and her family, I always thought she was a very bright woman with an excellent future. You'll have to tell me their names, it would be nice to learn.
Rick?" Kate turned her head to look at him since she didn't feel his stroking her hair anymore, though his hand was still on her head.
Kate lifted up to look at him. "RICK!?" His eyes were closed and Kate started to panic. "RICK NO! … Not yet, I'm not ready."
Kate laid her head back down into his shoulder and started crying. "I love you Rick, please wait for me, please wait, …. PLEASE!"
"Hi, I'm here to take Kate Beckett back to her room. She's here visiting a Richard Castle." Mark tells the front desk.
"Wait one while I find an aid to help you to his room." Mark is told.
"Have you read any of Mr. Castle's books?" The lady who was escorting him asks.
"No, I don't recognize the name." Mark was forced to admit.
"Mr. Castle used to be well known. He wrote a number of murder mystery books. His Derek Storm books were his biggest sellers. … You should try reading one, one day." She tells him just as they reach his room.
Opening the door they both step inside. Mark however comes up short. He has been in this business for a while now and knew death when he saw it. These two were in Mr. Castle's bed and knew that he wouldn't be taking Kate Beckett back to her room.
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He was only eight years old with blonde hair that was almost gold in color that was shining in the sunlight and was watching his little boat sink as he sat on the dock. He turned his head to see a young girl with equally blonde hair giggling since she had thrown the rock that had just sunk his little boat.
He thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.
She thought he was handsome and cute in how he pouted that his little boat had sunk.
She and her parents had only just moved in just 2 days ago, and lived only 3 houses down from him.
After that the two of them became inseparable. Their parents were convinced that the two of them were joined at the hip.
They both went to the same grade school. He defended and stood up for her against the bullies. She always found a way to brighten his day whenever he was down and insisted on being his nurse when he got sick.
They both went to the same high school and both ended up on a state high school team for basketball. They both made all state and took their school to the state title.
They both went to the same college and the both took their teams to the final four for four straight years.
He proposed on the day before her final game of the final four of their third year, and were married immediately following their final game of the final four of their fourth year.
He was drafted into the NBA and she was drafted into the WNBA and they each took their team to the championship game their first year in the league.
Nine months later she gave birth to a beautiful little girl full of orange hair that he immediately started calling Pumpkin.
"She gorgeous, but just where did the hair color come from?" He asks his wife as she is nursing her for the first time.
"I don't know babe, no one in my family has red hair. It must be your family." She counters.
He didn't know of anyone, but would ask his parents when they showed up since they were flying in the same day hers were. One of them surely had an answer.
"We need a name babe." She asks him.
"I was thinking Alexis some how. I just can't seem to get that name out of my head for some reason, and don't ask me to explain." He offers.
"Alexis. … I like it. How about Alexis Harper after my great grandmother?" She offers.
"Alexis Harper Baker, … I like it." He tells her and leans down to kiss his wife while their daughter nursed at her mother's breast.
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It wasn't THE END after all. It was actually, ….
THE BEGINNING