AN: This story started as a one-shot, but then grew into something more. I decided to run with the idea that Kate choosing to follow a LocSat lead rather than meet with her husband for their anniversary was the straw that broke the camel's back... It follows the canon up through 8-06 and parts of 8-07 but goes AU after that.
It goes without saying that Castle and all of its characters belong to ABC and I own nothing other than the time I spent writing this...
Chapter One:
Rodger Richards took another sip from from his beer as he watches the sun set on the western horizon. Today was a special day - anniversaries of the best and worst days of his life. The best was marrying the woman that he was sure was his soul mate. The worst was accepting the fact that exactly one year later it was all an illusion that he would never be important enough to her to take priority over her quest for justice.
The day of their first anniversary started with an unusually heated argument about him not respecting her request to give her the space she asked for from him. If he was honest with himself, their marriage ended the moment she received the mysterious phone call and she reverted to lying to him. Her moving out without an explanation as to why only hours after promising no more secrets between them should have sealed the deal.
But Richard Castle wasn't one to give up without a fight. For two months he had to sneak around finding any excuse he could to see her and try to find out why she left. Every time she told the same lie, that she needed time to sort things out, but that she'd be back 'someday'. With each passing day, Rick knew that someday really meant never. Finding that she had returned to the loft to take her belongings should have been enough, but still he held out hope.
The day of their anniversary Rick decided was D-day. If she showed for their dinner celebration, he'd continue to wait. If she didn't, he'd give her the space she asked for - permanently. He was so tired of it all. Of her lies and secrets, of the accusing looks from Lanie, Ryan and Esposito, sure that he was the reason for her moving out and strange behavior. Hell, even his mother and daughter seemed to take her side without knowing why and that hurt more than anything.
Richard Castle, the three time loser, would cease to exist. Rodger Richards would take his place. He was never as grateful for having the contacts that he did until he started to put his plan into play the following day. Paula and Gina were loyal to him and would never betray his trust. He would leave New York for Los Angeles on 'business' later today. He would stay there until his new identity was complete and a few other legal matters were attended to. He had already signed the necessary paperwork required to officially end the sad joke that his marriage had become.
He called both Martha and Alexis to tell them he was flying out to LA for business and to not expect to see him back in New York for a while. Given their ability to take Kate's side without question, he couldn't trust either of them to keep his plan a secret.
In what had to be considered an ironic twist, his flight attendant was Jacinda, who was more than interested in picking up where they left off nearly four years earlier. He didn't know why, but he told her that he was married. Well technically he still was. She looked at his left hand to see a wedding band and frowned to find none. He'd left that in New York also with his attorney.
After arriving in Los Angeles, he took his usual suite in the Beverly Hills Hilton. He wanted to stay someplace familiar where he would be remembered before he drops off of the grid. It would make anyone that may be looking for him have a more difficult task of tracking him down. Not that he honestly expected anyone to come looking for him.
Rick still hadn't figured out how much he would tell Alexis or Martha. Both were more than capable of taking care of themselves and maybe with time, he'll let them know where he is planning on going to. For the immediate future, they'll be assured that he is alive and well, nothing more.
It was three days after his arrival that the package containing his new identity arrived. This was a first rate job and came at a hefty price tag. Complete with credit cards, birth certificate, driver's license and passport, he could travel anywhere in the world without question. Taking all of his Richard Castle documents, he stored them away in a hidden compartment inside his suitcase.
The following morning, he checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport for his first test of his new identity. After making it through airport security, he boarded his flight for San Francisco. Rick thought that he'd spend a couple of days there and work on changes to his appearance. A trip to one of the better hair salons in the city, and a blonde haired Rodger Richards emerged. Combined with the beard he was trying to grow and horn rimmed glasses, the changes were enough to throw most people off of his scent.
Two days later, he boards the flight for Miami. Dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, he looked like a native returning home. He's pleased that no one pays any attention to him and hopes that it holds out for as long as he needs it to. Rick, now Rodger, had a million things to do upon arrival in Miami. He hoped that he could stay busy enough to not have time to wonder about her.
He arrives in Miami and books a room in one of the nicer hotels there. Connecting to the hotel's internet with his laptop, he checks the new email account that he setup before leaving LA. Only Gina, Paula and his lawyer had access to it for now. Depending on how things went with Alexis and Martha over the next few days, they might be granted access also.
He had purchased a couple of disposable phones when he first arrived in Los Angeles. He drained the battery in his iPhone so that it couldn't be turned on remotely to activate the GPS unit and tucked it inside of his suitcase with his papers. It was one thing to plan out something like this for a character in a novel and another thing to do it in reality.
The following day, Rodger Richards purchases a used Lexus SC430 coupe from a local dealer and checked out of his hotel. He was out of the city an hour later and on his way to Key West. Rodger had contacted a realtor there about leasing a beachfront property and would meet her the next morning.
He spent the night in one of the better hotels in the city and met the realtor after a light breakfast. His cover story is that he was a successful broker on Wall Street that grew tired of the life, leaving the big city for the Keyes. She never questioned his story and proceeded to show him several of the more expensive properties, hoping for a big commission.
He finally settled for one of the smaller homes on a secluded stretch of beach on the gulf side. Rick/Rodger liked the idea of watching the sunset on the water. The lease had an option to buy after the first year which appealed to him as he had promised himself to give this change a full year before exploring any options.
The next twelve months were spent in what had become a familiar routine. An early morning run along the beach followed by breakfast, followed by several hours alone in his office writing. He hadn't cut his hair since arriving and thanks to the sunshine, it was blonde streaked naturally. Rodger never realized just how out of shape he was until he started running to kill time. Not only had he managed to drop thirty pounds since he started, he hadn't felt this good physically in years.
The designer clothes were nothing more than a fond memory, replaced with khaki shorts and loud print shirts that made him look every bit the native. His evenings were usually spent in one of the many popular watering holes in the area where he had become quite popular. No one questioned why he was there as many of them were hiding from their past also. Richards was quite popular with the female tourists that were looking for a fond memory of their time there.
Every once in a while, he would give in to their advances. They always seemed to be the same type, tall, thin, with long brown hair. It was understood that nothing would come from it more than two people creating a memory together. Rodger shy'd away from the local woman stating that he would never enter a serious relationship again. He knew there was nothing holding him back. His dissolution had been finalized months ago. The prenup that Kate demanded before they married was quite clear on what she would receive if the marriage end based upon how long they were together.
He wondered if the prenup was a premonition on her part that she knew the marriage was doomed before it even began, as he took another sip from his beer and watched the sun set into the ocean.
His only hope was that Kate was happy with her choices.
