All the chapters can't be funny. So lets just make this one fluff. Ok?
A Saturday morning spent at the Metro Police Headquarters is not what Kate, Rick or Lanie had in mind this weekend. Trying to tell the detectives what happened between the three of them took some careful explaining. As Beckett well knew, police officers do not always see the humor in unplanned events like what this trio did.
But several hours of repeating the course of events, the local police decided that they were actually dealing with three close friends and lovers who were just caught up in an unfortunate sequence of events that could not have happened even if they had planned them
It is around noon when they finally get back to the apartment and go inside.
Lanie speaks up first "I think I need to go to a hotel since I believe you two might want to be alone this week end"
"No Lanie, you are staying right here" Kate comments
Rick looks over to his future and gives her a look of 'What?'
"We can close the door and you can just ignore the sounds coming from the bedroom. Right?" Kate snaps
"I don't think I could do that to you two. I will go to a hotel tonight"
"Actually Lanie, this building has a guest suite. Let me call down and see if it's available" Rick states as he takes out his phone
Kate and Lanie walk to the kitchen "I am so sorry this week end has been so crazy, Lanie. I really did think Rick would not be back until Monday"
"That's OK girlfriend. This way I got the scoop on your engagement. Now I need all the details. What happened? The last time you and I talked about this job you indicated you had to choose between the job and Castle and you were leaning to the job."
Kate looks off in the distance like she is trying to think up a good answer
"Lanie, when I talked to you I was scared. I mean really scared. Rick and I are in a relationship like I have never in my life had. I was always running away because I didn't want to be hurt ever again"
Kate starts looking up at Castle who is still on the phone "But he wouldn't let me run. I went to tell him I was taking the job here fully expecting for him to dump me right then and there because of it. But…He…"
She pauses "Lanie, he loves me. I mean really loves me even with all my faults. And I love him. So instead of telling me goodbye he proposed and I almost passed out from lack of oxygen. He said he wants me no matter what I did. No mater what I decided. So here I am and here he is and here is my ring"
She holds her hand up again as she looks at the band as if there were some magic power surrounding the gold on her hand.
"Have you talked about the official announcement of the engagement?"
"Only briefly. He had to leave for this European book tour almost immediately. So no, we have not scheduled any announcement yet Of course Martha and Alexis know and my dad knows" Kate chuckles again
"Now what is so funny?"
"I also talked to my dad before I took the job. I thought Castle would hate me and dad asked my why I always ran away into my job instead of a relationship. He knew how deep I really was in this one with Rick. Deeper than I have ever been in my life. But guess what? I love being in this deep now"
Castle walks back up to the girls "It's all set up. Lanie you can stay in the guest suite down on the first floor."
"Good, let me get my things together and go down there. I want to rest a little before we go anywhere. You kept me up way too late last night and I am sure you two would like to get some rest yourselves. HA!HA!" Lanie responds with a chuckle in her voice
After Lanie leave the apartment Kate and Rick are finally alone.
"So Mr. Mystery Writer, how was Europe?"
"Not too bad except I was lonely. Very lonely. I missed you so much" Rick puts his arms around Kate
"Yeah. Me too" She responds "Rick I never thought about what would have happened had I taken this job and left you behind but these last two weeks while you were gone showed me just how empty my life would have been. Please promise me you will never go away?"
"NO, no, Never, never"
Kate puts her head down on his shoulder as they walk toward the bedroom to rest (Yeah, Right)
Saturday evening Rick and the love of his life along with Kate's best friend travel the streets of Washington DC looking at the sights and taking in the monuments and attractions that make this city so beautiful.
The three return to the apartment after a nice dinner and spend a few hours consuming a bottle of wine and discussing the world and what they would do to fix it all. Long after the shadows of nightfall have passed and the moon has risen, Rick tells the two women that he is sill suffering from jet lag and that it is time from him to call it a night. He gives both of the ladies a kiss. One on the cheek and the other full and passionate.
"I will see you in the morning" Rick bids them good night
Lanie and Kate continue their visit until past midnight when both of them decide is time to retire for the evening.
After Lanie leaves the apartment to return to her guest suite, Kate walks thru the bedroom and into the bath where she changes into her shorts and comfy top. She steps up to the bed and acting like he always has, she stares down at the sleeping person in the bed before slipping in beside him. She feels the warmth under the covers that she has been missing for these last two weeks. She quickly passes into that deep slumber that this relationship has provided to her
Sunday morning breaks and the three go into Georgetown to have breakfast at a French themed café. They walk around for a few hours until the time arrives that Lanie has to catch her flight back to New York.
After returning to the apartment to gather her bag, Rick and Kate drive their visitor to the airport. At check-in the two women start planning a return trip from Kate to Lanie so these two can get started on planning a wedding.
"Lanie, please don't tell anyone yet. Rick and I have to do some other scheduling about this. Paula has to be involved since Rick is a little bit of a celebrity, she needs to work out an official announcement"
"You got it girlfriend" Lanie responds then she walks over to Castle
"You keep taking care of my girl. You hear me writer boy?" She gives Rick a kiss and a hug
"Loud and Clear!" Castle responds
As the pair drive off Rick looks over to his fiancé "So are we ready to announce to the world we are who we are?"
Kate still has a little of her old fears buried deep inside. Those fears that have in the past made her question the relationship she has with Castle. Those fears that she is not enough for him. Those questions of why, after all the other women he has known in his life, does he want her over all the others.
But when she looks at him she sees in his face the love for her that just fills every part of his being. This man that at one time said to her that "None of them were YOU!"