Together Again

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I own none of this and there's a lot I don't own here. Rating: K Time: After Infinite Kates, which is here on FF dot net.

Simone picked up the woman and disappeared, reappearing beside an ambulance parked inconspicuously nearby. Simone pounded on the side of the ambulance. Doctors jumped out of the ambulance and took Staysa. Simone ran into an alley so that the doctors wouldn't see her highly unorthodox departure.

When she returned, she found Hunt casually talking to a man from his team.

"Everything go okay, Simone?"

"Of course."

"I have a car outside for us and Konev."

"Why keep him alive?" Simone was sure that all of his men were dead.

"I have plans for him. A moving van will get here later to remove the bodies and all evidence there was a battle here."

"What kind of plans?"

"It's a surprise."

A long limo pulled up outside. If there were any neighbors watching, they saw an attractive, but somewhat tipsy, young lady helping an obviously drunk man to the limo with the help of an older man. They drove off into the night.

They took Konev to the same CIA medical facility that Staysa had been sent to. The staff was not inclined to ask about the young woman they were treating, the unconscious man who was put into a medically induced coma, or the number of identical women at the facility.

While the doctors checked out Staysa, a crying Raina went back and forth, hugging everyone who was involved and thanking them profusely.

Finally, a doctor went to talk to Raina.

"Ma'am? Your sister isn't any the worse from her ordeal, but she's a bit dehydrated. We'd like to keep her here for twenty-four hours just to be sure." Raina hugged the doctor and thanked him, lapsing into Russian in her joy.

"If it's all right with you, Ms. Mavias, we'll pick Staysa and Konev up tomorrow night. With the help of Mr. Carsen, we have a plan for them both." Hunt said.

Raina was allowed to see her sister, then she went back to the hotel with Rita and Colette.

The next day, a limo arrived to take them to Castle's loft where Rick and Kate, Simone and Flynn, as well as Officer Morgenstern and Corinne Veneau were waiting for them.

Hunt wasn't there, so Raina went at once to Simone and Flynn.

"What's this plan you have for Staysa? And why does it involve that bastard Konev?" She demanded.

Simone put her arm around Raina.

"Please be patient, Raina. Hunt and the people at The Library have a few things to work out. But I'm sure everything will work out."

Both Rita and Colette came over to comfort Raina.

"Honey," Rita said, letting her Southern accent take over, "these folks have been really good to us, from day one. Don't you worry now. We'll get Staysa back to Mexico with us. We have enough money now to hire the very best of help for her. You'll be together."

Castle interrupted to say that lunch was now ready. From the looks of it, Castle had called every place in Manhattan to order their food. There seemed to be at least one plate of every kind of food you could think of there.

As they sat at the table and ate lunch, Colette, Rita and Raina were suddenly aware that they were sitting with two police officers, two unpaid, honorary, volunteer homicide detectives in Rick and Simone and one Canadian intelligence agent.

Corinne Veneau sensed that Colette especially was uneasy.

"Colette, we all know who you were, and now we all know who you are. So, relax." Corinne smiled. "Hey did you ever hear about the time I got beaten by the number one British spy? I was after this asshole called Kabira. I had convinced him that I was madly in love with him. I'm about to make my move, and we walk in on this Brit with an attitude and gun. So, I'm trying to figure out what's going on and…"

Corinne was interrupted by a phone call.

"They're ready for Staysa at The Library." Castle said, putting down his phone. "We should go now."

"What can they possibly do for Staysa at The Library?" Raina asked. "I know it's a famous library and all, but what can they do?"

Simone smiled at her. "They helped a vampire become human, so who knows what they can do?"

Kate interrupted again. "Simone, you've always been human. More human than a lot of people I've known."

Simone laughed. "A human with slight case of vampirism?"

Castle had a stretch limo waiting outside that took them to The Library. Once there, Simone and Flynn led them to an elevator to the basement and then through a seemingly endless series of corridors. Finally, they turned a corner and found a slight, elderly balding man waiting.

"Everyone, this is Mr. Judson." Flynn said. "He's sort of in charge of The Library."

"Not exactly in charge." Judson muttered. "Just sort of, well…Shall we say…. We should get going."

Judson turned and walked through what appeared to be a solid wall, followed by Simone and Flynn. Colette took a step forward, then stopped.

Simone's head poked out of the wall. "Hurry, hurry. We don't want to be late."

Colette took a step forward and went through the wall and was followed by everyone else.

"It's a hologram." Colette said, reaching out to put her hand through the hologram. However, her hand met a solid wall. "What is this place? "

"It's The Library." Kate answered, as if that explained everything.

Except for Kate and Rick, Simone and Flynn, who had been to The Library many times before, everyone was amazed.

"What are those?" Corinne asked, certain that what she was seeing could not be.

"Those?" Judson replied. "Our flock dodos."

"Dodos are extinct."

Judson shrugged. "We'd better not tell them then. Or the Tasmanian tigers or the great auks. Probably shouldn't mention that to…"

"What's that?" Rita yelled, looking down into a vast tank of water.

"Nessie."

"What's a nessie?''

"The Loch Ness monster, although she's really quite sweet."

"Here comes Excalibur." Flynn warned.

A shining sword flew through the air and seemed to dance around Flynn, then Simone and then everyone else.

"As in King Arthur's sword, Excalibur?" Colette asked.

Flynn nodded. "That Merlin had a hell of an odd sense of humor."

Judson suddenly stopped. "We haven't passed the Holy Grail have we?"

"No." Said Flynn.

Judson pointed to his right. "Sorry. We made a wrong turn at the Golden Fleece. This way." In minutes they were at another room.

"Staysa." Raina yelled, running to her younger sister. Staysa was still in a coma on a hospital bed. In front of her was Konev, unconscious and on a gurney. Beside Konev was a large pole with two carved green snakes wrapped around it, topped with a pair of wings.

"What is that thing?" Raina demanded.

"The original caduceus, the ancient symbol for medicine. This is between five and six thousand years old."

"What does it do?" Raina demanded.

"It heals people." Judson said. Then added. "Sort of."

"Sort of? What the hell do you mean by sort of?"

"It will heal one person, but transfer their afflictions to another."

"And it works? You've tested it?" Raina could hardly believe it, but considering what she'd seen, she wasn't sure what to think.

"We've tested it on animals and on humans with very minor injuries. However, we'd like a more thorough test." He turned to Marianne. "Um, Ms. Smith? I believe you lost the vision in your right eye?"

Marianne nodded. "Yes. I was shot."

"Would you please step to the other side of the caduceus, please. About three feet away and facing us?"

Marianne did as he was told. As she did so, Judson began mumbling in a language that had been dead for millennia. At first nothing happened. Then the seemingly carved snakes began to writhe and the wings flapped gently. Suddenly Marianne screamed.

"Oh my god! I can see out of my right eye!"

She ran to Judson and began hugging him. Judson blushed and pushed her away.

"There's no need for that, young lady. We must continue."

Judson, Flynn and Simone examined Konev.

"His right eye isn't reacting to light. I'd say he's blind."

"Can someone push Staysa's bed to the other side of Konev, please?"

Raina rushed to do Judson's bidding.

Again, Judson mumbled and the snakes writhed, this time with much more vigor. In addition, the wings beat so hard that the caduceus rose nearly a foot off the floor. Then Staysa sat up and screamed.

"Raina! We have to get out of here. The men will be back…." She stopped, realizing that she didn't have any idea where she was. She also saw that there were quite a number of women there who looked much like her sister. She looked around. The surroundings were completely unfamiliar.

"Raina? Is that you? Where are we? Who are these people?"

Raina ran to Staysa and hugged her fiercely, crying with joy.

"It's a very, very long story, little sister, but it has a happy ending."

Konev, now with permanent brain damage, was left in a park at night. When the NYPD found him the next morning, they found a Russian diplomatic passport in his pocket. The Russian Consulate was notified and an ambulance was sent to start Konev on his long journey back to Russia.

A Detective Lieutenant Ryan advised the Russians that a man very closely matching Konev's description had been seen hanging around an outlaw motorcycle gang called the Devil's Vampires. After that, several high ranking members of the Devil's Vampires disappeared, never to be seen again.

The Russians displayed no interest in vampires after that.

Several months later, Colette Stenger was laying in the hot Mexican sunshine by the pool at her and her friend's home just north of Cabo San Lucas. She reached out for her margarita and took a long sip. She sat up and took a look at the friends who were more like family now.

She had invited her friends from New York to come to Mexico for a short vacation. It was a shame, Colette thought, that they couldn't do more together, but four women who looked alike had caused enough of a stir in Cabo San Lucas. Eight such women would have been impossible to keep quiet all over Mexico and far beyond.

Raina and Staysa had been inseparable ever since Staysa had come out of the coma. Now they sat at a table, chatting in Russian and planning Staysa's future. Thanks to Jackson Hunt, Staysa was a US citizen and hoped to go to college in San Diego so she'd be close to her sister. Raina hated the idea of having her sister move, but realized the girl had her own life to live.

Rita and Officer Morgenstern were playing chess together. As usual, Rita was losing, but not badly as she had when she first began. Morgenstern had aced both the NYPD detective's written exam and the interview. Now she was waiting for a detective position to open up. Rita was hoping to find a good man and begin another family. So far, without luck.

Marianne was laying on a chaise longue listening to music on her headphones, singing softly along with the songs. No longer self conscious about her right eye, she had begun singing in Las Tres Virgenes, the bar, restaurant and hotel that she was now part owner of.

Corinne Veneau, the Canadian intelligence agent, was reading a dense book on computer security. She was planning for her next meeting with the British spy who'd beaten her to her last target. "He'll be the one walking away this time." She had sworn to herself.

Simone Renoir was lying face down while her husband slathered more sunscreen on her. Colette thought it was funny that she not only knew a vampire, but that she had had to send to the US for some heavy duty sunscreen for Simone. Who would believe a vampire who could get sunburned?

Kate Beckett and her husband were lying side by side touching each other gently. If things ran true to form, the two would excuse themselves and head for their bedroom. They'd probably soon be followed by Simone and Flynn.

Colette was interrupted by her cell phone. Checking the caller ID, she saw it was Carlos, the manager of the bar and restaurant.

"Yes, Carlos. What is it?"

"Senorita Colette, could you come right away, please?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No. Not exactly a problem."

"Then what is it?"

"A doctor and her husband from LA have checked into the hotel and are having lunch in the restaurant. You need to come see her. Por favor?"

Colette sighed and agreed to come, wondering what the problem was.

Author's note: It wouldn't surprise me at all if there were more stories about these ladies in the future. Don't you think it odd that Jackson Hunt asked for nothing in return for all he did?

Next up is a short two parter, After The Time of Their Lives, in which Meredith finally gets her big break. What could possibly go wrong?

And now I will have to start working on After Much Ado About Murder, Part Three to bring the story of Sir Richard and Lady Katherine to a fitting conclusion. Unless I decide to do another one.