Chapter 9: What Has Been and What Shall Become
July 18th, 2005
"Come here." Rick laughed, pulling Kate closer to him.
He was so damn drunk. Too drunk to even tell Kate his name – though he really didn't have to – or even take off his pants properly. They were pulled down halfway down – he stopped trying to take them off after a little problem with the belt – and he had only one shoe on. The sight was rather pathetic, but there was no denying it. He really was ruggedly handsome.
Kate wasn't much better herself. Yes, she'd managed to tell him her name was Katherine, but that she normally went by Kate. She'd told him she was a detective –which fascinated him – and that she was a native New Yorker. She also told him she thought the Central Park was overrated. He'd laughed at that.
He'd told her two things. He was a Superman fan and that he didn't have any condoms. Back then, that didn't sound like enough reason to give up a fun night.
X-X-X-X-X-X
May 8th, 2012
Castle sat up on his bed, feeling very… light. He'd had a wonderful night, or at least he thought so. Maybe it had been a dream. Probably so. He and Kate doing this thing with ice cubes. And other things. With other accessories. And oh my god was he getting hard?
"Made you coffee." Kate said, walking inside the bedroom.
"So it wasn't a dream." He said, not necessarily speaking to her.
"No, you definitely…" she giggled "weren't dreaming."
He watched her sit on the bed, grabbing the coffee mug she handed him.
"You were right. I had no idea." He told her "It was… mind-blowing."
"So you liked it?" she asked, smiling at him.
"Yeah."
"Even the part where…"
"Especially that part. I loved that."
"Good. Me too." She said, allowing her mind to drift off from the first morning after they had. Or rather, didn't have, because she left in shame before the sun rose.
"So… you're on – on board with this, right? It's not some 'oh I just quit my job, I almost died, I'm in crisis' thing?"
"No. Not for me."
"Okay. Me neither." He smiled
"Okay. Good."
"Good."
"But I, uhm… I did just quit my job. And I do have the day off."
"I… I do, too." He said, as she unbuttoned the shirt she wore.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes"
"Huh."
"So what would you uhm... like to do today?"
"Uhm, I don't know." She said "We could read."
"We could watch TV."
"Yeah, we could get something to eat."
"We could do that."
She leaned forward and kissed him, indicating exactly what she wanted to do.
Damn Martha and her constant interruptions.
X-X-X-X-X-X
"What?" She asked, scooping Gabriel up and adjusting him on her hip. She really thought she'd misheard what he said.
"Marry me. Be my wife." He said, as calmly as one could.
"Castle…" she breathed "are you…?"
"Serious?" he asked "as a heart attack. I want to marry you. When things like this happen…" he said, motioning towards the now empty room "you realize that you just don't have as much time as you think. Things are fleeting."
"I…"
"Gather ye rosebuds while you may." He began "Old time is still a-flying. And this same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying."
"Robert Herrick." She said, putting Gabriel down "To the virgins."
He took her hands in his, and with Gabriel's watchful eyes glued to his, he got down on one knee and repeated:
"Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"
X-X-X-X-X-X
November 5th, 1994
It was an eventful day in Richard Castle's life. Ronald Regan announced that he had Alzheimer's. George Foreman won the WBA. Johan Heyns was assassinated. But none of these events mattered on that day. None of those events was as important to Richard Castle as the eight pound, twenty one inches person that entered the Earth on that day. She had big blue eyes and tuffs of red hair, and it was love at first sight. She was warm and tiny and she seemed to want to break free of the blanket they'd wrapped her in, and the loud cries hat echoed in the delivery room were the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. Right then, he didn't care that his marriage was falling apart. He didn't care that he dreaded seeing Meredith. He didn't care that he was just as messed up as he was five years prior. He didn't care about the fact that he didn't know the first thing about being a dad.
She was his. Alexis Harper Castle was his daughter, and he had just become a father. What the hell was he supposed to do?
"Let me hold her." Meredith demanded, stretching out her arms.
He didn't want to. He didn't want to let her go. But he did anyway, because his little girl was far too precious to hear any kind of spat between her parents.
"Hello, darling." Meredith said, in a nasally voice. "What's that white thing on her face?" she asked, giving Rick an odd stare.
"I don't know. Something from inside you that's still on her."
Alexis made a soft noise and indicated that she was about to cry, wiggling her little legs.
"What is she doing?" Meredith asked "Why's she doing that?"
"Just let me have her." Rick said, taking Alexis from Meredith's arms. "It's okay, baby girl. You're alright. Daddy's here."
Rick was pretty sure that moment was a linchpin to the divorce.
However, he was one hundred percent sure he'd give everything up to have that same moment with Gabriel.
X-X-X-X-X-X
"Yes." She said, a large grin appearing on her lips "Yes, I'll marry you."
"The glorious lamp of heaven!" Rick shouted "The sun! The higher he's a-getting! The sooner will is race be run, and nearer he's to setting!"
"Castle!" Kate reprehended "Stop it. This is still a post-shooting scenario, you know."
"The age is best which is the first." He continued, this time in a lower tone of voice "When youth and blood and warmer. But being spent, the worse, and worst times still succeed the former."
He wrapped an arm around Kate's waist and grabbed Gabriel by the hand, leading them both out of the room.
"Then be not coy, but use your time." Kate said "And while ye may go marry, for having lost but once you're prime. You may forever tarry." She finished, taking his arm off her waist.
She really wasn't one for public displays of affection.
X-X-X-X-X-X
Not two hours later, Rick, Kate, Alexis and Gabriel were standing in line at the Shake Shack in the Upper East Side, waiting for their turn to order. It was bound to become a tradition. 'Family Shakes', Rick had called them, meant a lot to them, and even though it wasn't a tear-free memory, Kate knew. She knew that even on the worst days, there's a possibility for joy.
"Welcome to Shake Shack, what can I get you?" A young woman said, with a large smile.
"I'll get a black and white." Rick said "Kate?"
"Strawberry." She said "Lex?"
"Handspun vanilla."
"Gabriel?"
The little boy looked at them quizzically, as if he was wondering if he should ask the question.
"Are you sure I can pay for all of that?"
"What are you talking about, Batman?" Rick, lowering himself to his level.
"I told you guys that I'd pay for our milkshakes if mommy got us out. She did. Now it's my turn to do what I said."
"No." Kate said, fighting the tears that threatened to come out of her eyes "You were a hero today, little guy. And heroes don't pay for their own milkshakes."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure daddy can confirm it. He knows everything about superheroes, doesn't he?"
"Daddy?"
"No, Mr. Wayne. Heroes don't pay for their own milkshakes."
"I want the same as Lex, then." He said "sounds funny." A giggle escaped his mouth, and Kate was sure it was the most amazing sound she'd ever heard in her life. She didn't know if she would ever be able to live without that laugh again.
Author's Note: Little meh, but all I could milk out of myself for now. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this and please do review. It's what all the cool people do!
