Timing is Everything

CH1

Background: Kate never went to Castle's book launch party for the Tisdale murder. In fact no one did. They have each spent the next four years never knowing the other person. Kate only knows the books she reads and what she reads on page 6. Rick on the other hand has never even heard her name before.

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Kate was slowly waking up and started blinking her eyes open and started stretching her sleepy muscles and moved an arm to the other side of the bed and found it warm and empty. Telling her that it hadn't been that way for long.

Kate wasn't in the least bit worried about where he was. There was a time long ago when not finding the guy having stayed the night with her both a good thing and a lonely thing. It's just that she buried the lonely part deep inside herself and was usually happy that the bed was empty. However those times were gone now.

Now knowing that he was still around here somewhere brought a smile to her face. Something else that she hadn't done in a long, long time. SMILE! Kate didn't have much to smile about before.

It was only moments and she could hear people talking, and that got her smiling even wider, since it was obvious from the tone of the happy voices just who was doing the talking. It also brought to her mind what happened last night, that got her smiling even wider.

(Why did I wait so long? What we have is so special. Why couldn't I just have opened up earlier? I could have saved myself so much heartache. However I'm there now and I'm not giving it up. Not for any reason. Any reason at all.)

Kate started playing back what happened in her mind, while she swung her legs over the side of the bed throwing the thin bed sheet off of her. It was warm so they didn't need the comforter that was at the foot of the bed.

Hell it was always warm here, and it was almost always sunny too, unless one of the rain storms came through that they really needed to fill the fresh water cistern that was under the house.

Kate made her way to the bathroom buck naked and looked at herself in the mirror. The trip had shown that she was sore in places that she hadn't been sore in for a long time. This knowledge also brought a smile to her face. Because it was a good kind of sore, a kind of sore that with some more practice wouldn't ever be sore again. And there was going to be lots of practice in her future, lots and lots of practice.

Kate didn't even recognize the woman in the mirror. Her long hair was a mess, but there was a reason for that. However she also had a really deep tan. Actually everyone had a deep tan now. Her tan however was because of a different reason. Her breasts weren't as tanned as the rest of her, however they were tanned. Now under her bikini bottom was another question. That area was clearly white.

That reason had Kate smiling even wider and at this rate if she kept it up her face was going to break.

(If only Lanie could see me now!)

Lanie would likely break her ear drums with her scream and then break countless ribs as she hugged Kate.

Kate had stepped out of the shower and dried her hair and applied a minimal amount of make-up. Very minimal since neither of them had very much left, with not much chance of getting any more anytime soon.

Kate slipped into one of her bikinis and put on a wrap around her waist and slipped her feet into her flip flops. Flip flops and her bikini was one more thing that had changed in her life. It was the primary reason she had such a deep tan. Kate didn't even miss her high heel boots anymore, even if they were still around here somewhere.

Kate left her service weapon lying on the night stand. In different circumstances it would be locked up somewhere, but these were not normal circumstances. In fact they had weapons stored all over the place and all of them knew how to shoot, Kate had even helped all of them learn how to shoot better. Mildly surprised that the two of them already knew how to shoot, even Alexis. Alexis just wasn't as good at it as her father or herself.

Kate headed for the door to join the others, not caring anymore what it looked like with her coming out of his bedroom into the family room with the open kitchen just off to one side, with another kitchen out off the back patio. Kate's heart was flying and she was fairly certain her feet weren't touching the ground.

Kate knew today she was going to use the phone and get an update on everyone she had left behind and prayed that she would see all of them again, Kate just didn't know when that day would be. That phone was her one lifeline to her old life and all the friends she had been forced to leave behind.

It also took her back in time as she opened the bedroom door to the questions and looks that were going to come her way, not that she cared anymore, she was happy, so very damn happy and everyone in this room was responsible for that.

Nine months earlier:

"Beckett, my office." Roy calls out from his doorway.

Kate gets up from her desk and looks at the guys for a clue to what Roy wanted her for and quickly went over the open cases in her mind. They were still working all of them, they even had two white boards up.

Their closure rate hadn't dropped in a long time, certainly not since Kate took over. In fact the 12th had the highest closure rate in the city, it was something Kate was proud of. Roy's confidence in her wasn't something she took lightly.

"Sir?" Kate steps into his office.

"Close the door Beckett." Roy tells her from his seat behind his desk.

"Sit down Beckett." Kate wasn't sure she liked this. His tone sounded tired and sitting down in a closed office didn't bode well for what he had to say.

"I'm retiring Beckett, effective in two months. I want you to think about taking the captain's test and applying for my position. You've proven yourself over the years and I've taught you everything I know. You're the best detective this city has ever seen." Roy tells her, still sounding tired to her ears.

"You've been in overall command of the homicide floor as a lieutenant for over a year now. You'll have to learn about robbery, gangs and everything else that goes with running a precinct and I'll be here for the next two months helping you." Roy tells her. He really did want her to take this job. It was his one last thing he could do for her to help keep her safe.

"ME SIR!?" Kate was shocked. Sure she was in charge of every homicide detective in the 12th along with everyone on this floor, but an entire precinct?

"I'm aware that your first love is to be out in the field working as a homicide detective, taking this job will likely mean less of that. Not that you have to stop completely, how you run your precinct is up to you. If you want to keep your hand in homicides that would be up to you." Roy knew it wouldn't be easy on her to accomplish that, but he also knew she was a hard worker and not afraid of working the time.

"I, … I don't know what to say sir." Kate was being honest. When she came in here this was not what she was thinking.

"1PP is already aware of my intention to retire. I've heard rumors that a Victoria Gates is my likely replacement if you decide not to take the test." Roy tried to apply a little pressure.

"Cast Iron Gates from Internal Affairs? …. She hates cops sir. She would turn this precinct into hell. There would be massive transfer requests. We'd go from the best precinct to the worst. This place would be filled with people that didn't want to even come into work, let alone do their jobs to the best of their abilities." Kate hated this idea. She loved working here and if Gates took over it would be a boot camp from hell with a boss that hated your guts simply because you were a cop.

"Think about it Beckett, just don't think about it too long. … That's all Beckett, now get out of my office and get back to work." Roy dismisses her. He had given Beckett his best shot. He knew that if she stayed the lead detective Kate would eventually re-open her mother's case, and that it would likely get her killed.

The guys had their eyes glued on Kate as she made her way back to her desk and back to the open cases she had on her desk. What Kate really needed was some coffee and the sludge this place served couldn't be called coffee.

Maybe if she made it to captain she could get a real coffee maker into the break room. Something that didn't eat you from the inside out slowly. "I'm going for coffee." Kate informs Ryan and Espo, and grabs her weapon, shield, cuffs and her jacket since it was still cool outside.

"What do you think Montgomery wanted her for?" Espo asks turning back to look at his partner that he had, had for years now, only to see Ryan shake his head.

"Maybe its budget cuts." Espo offers up.

"Like they would get rid of Beckett, she's the best in the city and you know it." Ryan counters shooting his idea down.

"Maybe its new cruisers." Espo brightens.

"We just got all new Chargers a couple of years ago, and Beckett has one of the newer computers." Ryan points out before his partner can go there.

"Well it's something bro. Can't be more cases, we've already got more than we can handle." Espo and Ryan were already working overtime.

"They can if there are more." Ryan counters.

Kate was just about to the neighborhood coffee shop when she saw HIM come out of the coffee shop. Kate could see that he looked right at her for a moment and then turn and walk away from her. Kate knew it was him, she was sure she would recognize him from a mile away. The question was, did he recognize her?

Kate gave herself half a thought about chasing him down so she could talk to him. It would be more than a quick hi and telling him her name was Kate, like when she went to one of his book signings.

However she didn't know what to say that didn't come out sounding like some high school girl crush and the longer she delayed the farther and farther away he got, until he turned the corner at the intersection and was out of her sight.

Her favorite author, the man who's books had almost literally saved her life when it seemed like everything was just black. She had read every book he had written countless times, all except for the last one. Kate hadn't thrown it in the trash, but she had come close.

It really was trash and the critics hadn't been kind to him about it either. Kate hadn't seen him on page 6 for a while either, even his playboy bimbo on his arm at all the events he attended wasn't in the paper anymore either.

Kate may have liked his books but his image had thrown her off. Maybe it was a good thing she had just missed him as she stepped into the coffee shop to get her coffee.

Still he was dressed nicely enough and he was still handsome looking, maybe he had gotten married yet again and didn't have time to write anymore. He obviously couldn't stay married.

Still Kate didn't understand why he had killed of Derek Storm when he was at his peak. His books were selling and the Storm series was always in the top ten, then he had killed him off and disappeared. Kate was still reading his Storm series, she even had a copy of one at her desk that she would read during lunch, when she remembered to have lunch.

Kate had her coffee and was back in the precinct with the guys stealing glances at her. Kate knew it was likely because of what Roy hand called her into his office to talk to her about. It's just that if he wanted everyone to know that he was retiring he would have told them. So it was up to Kate to keep her mouth shut.

"Where are we on the girlfriend?" Kate asks, hoping to get their minds off of her conversation with Roy.

Rick had left a meeting that was finalizing the timing of the last thing he needed. What he needed was a coffee to keep him awake so he stopped at a little shop he had never before been in.

Rick didn't see anyone in the coffee shop that would cause him to play his little game to himself. Everyone looked plain and ordinary at least until he stepped out the door and saw a youngish woman walking his way.

High heeled boots, she was wearing a long coat that hid everything under it. Rick noticed that she was one of the more beautiful women he had seen for a while now. She might be worthy of staying and try and figure out her story. Problem was he had another appointment and he needed to stop at the bank first.

Rick was mildly annoyed that he didn't have the time, still he let the coffee shop door close and starting walking away from her, wondering just who she was.

Rick stepped into his bank that he had been using for years now, however today it was time to say goodbye to this bank. Rick was asked to wait till someone could help him.

"May I help you?" A lady walked up and asked him.

"Yes, I need to close my account and make a wire transfer." Rick explains.

"I see, if you'll follow me please." And takes Rick into her office.

"I'll need your account number and your ID." She tells him, and Rick hands over both of them.

She sees the remaining balance and is now suddenly concerned as to why he is closing his account. While losing this amount of money wasn't going to hurt the bank, it was still going to be noticed.

"May I ask why you want to close your account Mr. Castle?" She asks wondering if there was something she could do to change his mind.

"I'm relocating and I need a more local bank to work with." Rick tries explaining since he had no interest in explaining what he was doing.

"I see." Actually she didn't since they had branches in several international locations. Granted they were in several major cities in the States, but she didn't see a man like this moving to some small town in Nebraska or Kansas. He had big city written all over him.

"I need to know the name and address of the bank you want to send the money to." She explains.

Rick was ready for that too and hands over the paper.

RBC Royal Bank. "You know we have branches in several major cities in Canada." She tries again to keep the money in this bank.

"Yes I'm aware, however I'm not relocating to Canada, however they have a branch where I am relocating to." Rick shoots her down yet again, being aware at what she was trying to do.

"If you'll sign here this will complete your wire transfer, minus the fee required to make the transfer. … And if you'll sign here that will close your account.

I trust that you have no outstanding payments or automatic payments associated with this account." She reminds him to help him avoid any fees that her bank would charge or whoever was trying to receive payment.

"I have no more payments associated with this account." Rick assures her, which was correct, since he already had a fair amount of money in the account that he was transferring this money into.

"Here are your copies of all the transactions today. … I wish you luck in wherever you are going Mr. Castle." She tells him and offers her hand.

"Thanks, I'll take all the luck I can get." Rick smiles back at her, knowing that what he was doing had its risks.

Rick only had one more appointment to make and that was at his lawyer's office. It would likely be his last trip to here too.

Rick was stepping out of his taxi after paying the driver and looked up at the building his lawyer was in when his phone rang. Rick took a look at who was calling and frowned when he saw the caller ID.

Rick sighed and decided to get it over with one last time, hopefully. "What do you want Gina?"

"We still need to talk Richard. Black Pawn's contract for your next book is still in your hands. Just because your last book bombed doesn't mean you can't write. They are still willing to give you an advance on your next book." Gina tells him.

Rick only for a moment thought about their latest contract offer. Despite Gina's assurance that Black Pawn still had an interest in his next book, the contract terms and the amount of guaranteed money spoke volumes that they in fact had little to no faith.

Even Rick had little faith that his next book would be something even his daughter would read. He simply didn't have any inspiration to write anything, so he hadn't for months now and didn't intend to. He had other plans. It may be a sink or swim kind of choice, but at least he was making a choice instead of sitting around moping that his will to write hadn't returned after killing off Storm.

"Not interested Gina, I have other plans." Rick wasn't willing to discuss them with her. She may have been his wife once, however they were divorced for a reason, even if Gina couldn't accept or take responsibility for her own actions that lead them to being divorced.

"Richard, don't do something foolish. You should never have killed of Derek, he was your money ticket." Gina was still pissed that she had let Rich do that.

"I have my reasons Gina and they don't include Black Pawn anymore." Rick tells her. The 'Or you either' was left unsaid, however Gina heard it loud and clear, just like Rick intended she was sure.

"Don't call me again Gina, we have nothing to discuss." And Rick hangs up on her. His plans were in motion and he just needed another couple of months and he would leave New York and likely never see it again.

Rick steps into the building and takes the elevator up to his lawyer's office. "Hi Vicki, I think I'm about 10 minutes early."

"You can go right in Mr. Castle, he's expecting you." Vicki tells him.

"Henry, how are you?" Rick offers his hand.

"Doing fine Rick, I have all your paperwork here waiting for you." Henry offers a chair to Rick.

"You're sure this is what you want to do?" Henry knew what Rick had asked of him, and thought this just wasn't like the Rick he knew, or thought he knew.

"Positive. … Is it the most brilliant idea I've ever had? … Only time will tell." Rick was nervous about this, however it was a little late to back out now. He had spent a lot of money up to this point.

"The trust for Alexis remains unchanged. She has a set amount of money that she can access until she enters college, at which time the amount of money she has access to increases. The account itself continues to make money, how much depends on the will of the stock market.

The trust you have set up for Martha is also still stable and remains unchanged. I've worked with your real estate agent and all of your holdings have been sold and I have the papers ready to transfer ownership and make the wire transfer to finalize the payment of the purchases you have made.

As soon as that is complete and I receive the title to the properties I will have the originals messengered over to you at the loft. You have 60 days to vacate the loft since you have sold that property also." Henry runs down the list of everything Rick needed him for.

Rick had liquidated a lot of properties, most of which were here in New York City, while two were elsewhere. One of which was his house in the Hamptons.

Rick really did love that house. He had done a lot of his writing at that house. The fresh air, smell and sound of the ocean. Well he was going to get to know the ocean really well soon. He had no idea who one Roy Montgomery was, or his wife Evelyn. He did know they had two daughters. He hoped they enjoyed the house. They had bought it using cash which was an attraction to selling it to him instead of the other 3 offers. That and he knew a family would be living in it. He felt good about that.

Rick signed where Henry had all the little yellow stickers and yellow highlighted spaces.

"I hope you know what you are doing Rick." Henry gathered up all the papers and gave Rick his copies.

"So do I Henry, so do I." Rick took his hand, knowing this would likely be the last time he would see him. "Take good care of your family Henry."

"Bye Vicki, take good care of yourself." Rick mentions in passing on his way out the door.

It caught Vicki by surprise, Mr. Castle had never sounded like this in the past. "Thanks Mr. Castle." Vicki got out before the door closed.

Rick stepped outside and breathed in deeply, actually looking forward to the fresh air where he was going, and flagged down a taxi that would take him home. His temporary home that is, since he no longer owned it.

Rick unlocks the front door and closes it and re-locks it behind him. Rick finds Alexis in the kitchen getting something to drink out of the refrigerator. "How did everything go dad?" Alexis was curious.

"Everything went off without a hitch. Everything is sold and everything has been purchased. We are now proud owners of the next phase in our lives.

Not to worry, I made sure that your trust fund for college is still intact, as is my mother's" Rick beat her to the punch.

"That's not what I meant dad. … I'm just glad that you are happy. You sure you won't miss writing?" Alexis knew that what her dad had planned was going to keep him busy, and even if he did want to write, he might not find the time to.

"Everything will be fine. … You'll see." As Rick kisses the side of her head. "Interested in lunch?" Rick changes topics.

"That would be nice. I'm going over to see Paige later today. You're sure she can come out for a visit?" Alexis didn't want to lose complete touch with her friends.

"Of course she and your friends are welcome, you can even fly them out if we don't have anyone to fly out as part of their reservations." Rick assures her and starts pulling things out of the refrigerator.

They needed to start packing soon. Everything except the furniture since he sold the loft furnished.