Final Date
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Spoiler Warning: Possible spoilers up through the season 3 finale. Knockout episode did not happen in this universe.
Chapter One
This story takes place approximately 3 ½ months after 'the Second Official Date'. Its Labor Day and Rick and Kate are back in Cape May. It's been a great summer, and the tragic events in 'Knockout' never happened! Please enjoy, Once again, no beta reader, so all mistakes are mine. If anyone is interested in proofing future chapters, please let me know!
Kate Beckett sat relaxing in the passenger seat of Rick's Ferrari as he drove them along the Garden State Parkway, as happy and peaceful as she could ever remember being.
For the last three months, she and Rick had managed to balance working NYPD cases, finishing his latest novel for publishing, and taking several trips to Cape May and even once to the Hamptons.
Of course, they had also managed to include an incredible amount of personal, intimate time, or as Castle had insisted on labeling it, 'red hot, smoking sex'. Kate was no prude, but she was absolutely amazed at the frequency, intensity and sheer passion they continued to elicit in each other.
"Rick, do you know how crazy our lives have been? I think we just need to spend this weekend sleeping!" She laughed, but Kate knew that her body required some much needed rest this weekend.
He glanced over the top of his sunglasses at her, a disapproving scowl on his face. "No way, Beckett. I told you I was driving so you could relax. Once we get there I've got awesome things planned!"
"Castle, this whole summer has been awesome. I don't need anything more, honest. Let's just cuddle all Labor day weekend, pleeeaaase?" She leaned back in her seat, feeling the warm sun and the breeze on her face. She was a little disappointed that both Alexis and Lanie had declined to join them, but was also secretly relishing some alone, quiet time with Rick. Her Rick.
It had been an incredible, heart-stopping summer. She somehow knew that was what the rest of their lives would be like, as well. "Neither of us like to do things at half speed, including sex," she chuckled to herself, adding enthusiastically, "and I can't wait to spring my surprise on him."
"Detective, there will be plenty of cuddling, trust me," Rick replied devilishly, interrupting her thoughts while reaching for her hand. "Of course, if you're having trouble keeping up with me, I guess we could look into expanding my harem of women…"
It was Kate's turn to scowl. "If you so much as glance at another woman in a bikini this weekend, I will shoot you! Because Mr. Playboy author, you are officially off of the market." She squeezed his hand tight. "Forever," she added under her breath, wondering if he heard her over the roar of the seventy mph wind.
Rick Castle heard her. "If only she knew," he laughed contently to himself. "Rest, Beckett, rest," he implored as he floored the accelerator and effortlessly passed a string of vehicles.
Rick smiled contently as she closed her eyes while seated next to him. They had spent a wonderful summer together. And as he had promised Kate at the end of their second official date, now that their future intentions had been discussed, he had not pressured her about time lines.
It was a little over three months ago during that fateful walk on the beach where they had agreed on what they wanted for their future: a family of two or three more kids (Castle had started the bargaining at an even dozen, but Kate had worn him down); Kate would keep working, because it was her passion; Castle would be the one and only nanny their kids would know, with occasional relief from friends and family - absolutely no paid paramours for their children; and Kate's final ultimatum, from which she wouldn't budge: in order to allow Castle to focus on his childrearing duties and writing, she would use most of her detective salary to pay for a maid and a part-time chef.
For Rick Castle, the whole scenario sounded too good to be true, but then again, any scenario that ended with him in bed each night with this incredible woman was absolutely perfect.
"Know what I was thinking about, Beckett?" he asked mischievously.
She yawned in the seat next to him. "Five minutes! I knew you couldn't stop talking for very long and let me sleep." She sighed contentedly. Dear God, Mom, do I love this man.
She continued, an amusing tone in her voice. "What were you thinking, Castle? Please don't tell me about some fantasy of doing it in a filthy, disgusting rest stop, because I refuse to go there with your demented mind."
Castle feigned a look of horror on his face. "Why Beckett, you're the one with the dirty mind! I would never consider such a thing!"
He raised his eyebrows naughtily. "Actually, I was thinking about a quick roadside pullover somewhere private to see if we could have some red hot smoking sex in the driver's seat! Bet we could pull it off, although there's not a lot of room to maneuver…"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Castle."
"I was actually thinking about names." His mind tended to change gears at lightning speed, but by now Kate was used to it.
"Names?"
"Yes, names. Kids' names."
"Kids' names?"
"Is there an echo in here?" he teased.
"Explain yourself, Castle."
"Our kids' names! Or potential names. You know, what we would call them."
"That's generally what a name is."
"Funny."
"I'm here all week."
"Come on, Kate. You must have thought about it. What would you want to name our kids?"
She grew quiet. Rick always managed to get her to open up about things that she never dreamed of sharing with another person. How many of these intensely private conversations had they already had while driving in this car? Kate wondered to herself.
Rick drove in silence, waiting patiently for the Beckett onion to peel off another layer.
When she finally spoke, Rick could barely hear her somber voice over the wind. "Everyone just assumes I would want to name a girl after my Mom, you know, Johanna."
Kate looked ahead intently. "But I don't think I want that, Rick. It would hurt too much, hearing her name every day. Yet there's a part of me that loves that idea. To name our child in acknowledgement of her and what she meant to me." She sighed wearily. "So I guess the answer is I haven't a clue. I'm stuck, you know?"
They drove in silence for several minutes, as per their usual routine for these deep conversations.
"What about Hanna?" Rick asked sincerely.
"What?"
"Hanna. It's close to Johanna, so everyone would know, but it's not her name. She would be her own person, but each and every day our little girl would be a living tribute to her grandmother."
Kate looked across at Castle in total disbelief. "How did you do that?" she asked in wonder.
"Do what?"
"Come up with that idea so fast? I mean I've only struggled with this for like, I don't know, forever?"
"So you like my idea for a girl's name?" he beamed.
"Yes, I think I love your idea, Castle. Hanna. It sounds just right."
"Does this mean I get the pullover sex?" he asked anxiously.
"Castle."
"If I do well in coming up with our boy's name do I also get to have sex at a dirty rest stop?"
"Castle."
"We could put a blanket down, Beckett. I have a nice clean one in the back!'
"Castle!"
"Or standing up in a stall! Now that would be smokin'!"
"Castle!"
"Yes, Kate?"
"Wake me when we get to Cape May."
"Yes, Kate."
"Castle?"
"Yes, Kate?"
"I love you."
"I know."
Kate settled back in the leather seat and relaxed as best she could. She did need to rest. And she silently relished the notion that, once again, there would be very little sleep to be had in Cape May.
Two hours late the Ferrari pulled up in front of the Beckett home, a now familiar stop for the sports car. They had put more miles on it in the last three months than Rick had put on it in the two years he had owned it. Beckett liked her speed, especially on their frequent out of town jaunts. Whenever feasible, the Ferrari was always her vehicle of choice.
Kate looked at the house contently through her sleepy eyes, flooded with both special old and new memories. A quizzical look suddenly began to form on her face. Something was different. Were there extra rocking chairs on the porch?
A beaming Castle appeared in front, blocking her view. He opened the car door for her and said softly, "Are you ready for this final weekend to begin, Kate?"
"Castle, why are you making such a big deal about this? I know we haven't made it down in over a month but really, how many weekends have we managed to escape together…" Kate stopped short when she got a clear view of the house. She stared at it, back at Castle and then at the house again.
"Castle?" She finally managed to whisper.
On the front porch there were now two separate rows of rocking chairs. But what caught Kate's eye was who was coming out of the home's front door. Dressed in shorts, tee shirts and sunglasses with the customary beach towel wrapped around their necks, a parade of people playfully emerged to take their respective seat in a rocking chair - Alexis, Martha, Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny, each grinning and waving at her as if they were in a parade.
She leaned back against the car and stared at Rick. "Castle?" Her voice was still questioning but definitely more forceful.
"Kate, welcome to the official extended family of Johanna Beckett Labor day weekend gathering at the shore," he said softly, reaching for her hand.
Kate just stared. "I…I don't understand."
"You said our lives have been crazy and they have been. I wanted a special weekend with the people that mean the most to us, Kate. To close out this summer in style. Kind of a final date, if you will."
He grinned while taking her hand. "Come on, let's go greet our guests. And there's someone special that's been waiting for you," he added solemnly.
Kate walked toward the porch still in a daze. She started smiling and giggling at Alexis and Lanie, who waved at her furiously from their chairs, when suddenly the front door opened again.
Kate Beckett froze in place. What on earth had Castle done?