Forbidden Angel

by Castlefan6

Authors Note: Pre series Castle, Rick has graduated and served time in the USMC, fulfilling his ROTC commitment, Beckett has gone on to become a lawyer, Johanna is alive, BOTH are in relationships when they meet, what will happen, For sake of this story the age difference has been adjusted, GO with it, and also I'm sure many military protocols will be broken again IT'S FICTION. NOTE: AU not canon

I don't own Castle, I use the characters for amusement purposes only

Chapter 9

Previously

"Castle here"

Again, more silence, growing agitated Rick responded once again, he flipped the speaker to on,

"Look I don't know who this is or what game you are playing but I'm not interested, either speak up or I'm hanging up."

Just as he was about to end the call, a tiny voice, barely audible came across the phone,

"Rick, don't hang up please, It's Kyra Blane"

Castle's Loft

10:15 PM Christmas Eve

To say Rick was speechless was an understatement. He felt the probing eyes of 3 women probe him, waiting for his response. Two had sworn to subject her to a fate worse than death if she ever showed her face, and Kate, watched as she felt, what was it she was feeling? It felt like she was dying, her heart breaking into shattered pieces just like Rick's had been that night 2 ½ years before.

Rick finally regained enough composure to say, not in a friendly way, but not rude, more matter of fact.

"Kyra, why are you calling me? The last time I heard your voice your Mother was waiting in the wings to ship you off to London as I reported to duty. That was almost 3 years ago, why call now?"

"Rick, can we not do this over the phone, I know a lot of things have happened, and I really would just like a chance to explain myself, I know things were left unclear when I left."

"Kyra, everything was crystal clear from my perspective, I was a Marine, your Mom wanted to break us up, so she came up with this wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity for you, in London, knowing that would kill anything that we ever had.

You apparently agreed with her, so you never said a word about leaving, and you never even kissed me Goodbye after all we were to each other". His voice chokes a bit, then he continues, "and then I had to report to duty overseas, so yeah, I was clear on what you said and didn't say."

"Rick, Please, I'm just asking to see you for an hour, to explain, one hour can't you spare me that? I mean I told you I loved you when I left,"

"Yeah, I caught that over your shoulder by the way remark, so if that's love to you, no thanks. My heart wasn't that strong, and I almost got me and some of my men killed because of you, because of your Mom and the way you set it up.

You know I always knew that your Mom hated me, for what I don't know, but what hurt the most was you bought her line, never thinking of the heart you were breaking. I could have never done that to you,"

"Rick, I know you have found someone new, I know all about Kate, and I did follow you through your service, although they wouldn't tell me much thanks to Paula and Gina who shut me out*"

"You're lucky you're not here Bitch, I wouldn't be shutting you out, I would be looking to hide your fucking body, What the hell did you come back for, haven't you hurt Ricky enough?" Paula spews in anger, so angry tear drops are pooling in her eyes.

"Rick, am I on speaker? I thought I deserved more privacy than that?"

This time it was Gina, "What you deserve is a good Ass Beating you selfish little bitch, it took Paula and I over 2 years to clean up your mess, and Rick almost got killed not once but twice trying to forget you"

At the mention of almost getting killed, not once but twice, Kate grows weak in the knees, and slumps to the floor.

"Nothing's changed Kyra, it's always what you want, well guess what Rick has three women who love him, and he is in love with Kate so why don't you get back on your Plane or Ship and head back to England, and leave this poor man alone."

"Kyra, I think you heard what those closest to me think, all but Kate, but I have a future, one that hasn't had you in it since you walked away. Please don't call again, and if your Mom is there, tell her Thanks, I could have been spending this holiday with her hating my guts if you had any back then, Goodbye"

Gina had rushed over to Kate with smelling salts and a cold cloth to revive her, and it only took one quick whiff of the salts and she was back.

"Hey you OK Kate? Sorry about that, we just got carried away when we knew she was trying to sneak back in, Rick loves you now, it's so easy to see, and we won't let that little bitch come back and destroy him again."

Rick was right beside her, gently picking her up and laying her on the couch, deep concern and that sadness Kate had saw the first night had now covered those sparkling blue eyes that only minutes ago were sparkling pools of blue.

"Kate, are you OK? I'm sorry, God I seem to be saying that all the time lately, I swear, I didn't know that she was even in the country, it's the first time, eh in a long time since I even heard her voice, I'm sorry, so so Sorry,"

"Rick, shut up and kiss me, will you?" Kate smiles through her tears, she knows now just how badly Rick's heart had been crushed.

Gina smiled, and Paula even slapped Rick on the back as she said,

"Well Ricky, I love her, so if she's your one and done, I'm happy for you, I just can't standby and see you hurt anymore.

Kate Beckett's Apartment

Christmas Eve, 11:45 PM

Kate decided she needed to have a really long talk with Rick, and to be honest of her knowledge and exposure to his prior life, God she just hoped he didn't revert back to the hurt, shy Military Officer she had seen a few weeks ago. She had rented her own apartment, and split time between there and her parents' home, mostly to keep her Dad appeased.

This was serious business, that only she and Rick needed to know so when she gave the driver her address, Rick was shocked, but remained quiet, perhaps too quiet. One it was 5 blocks from his home, and two, he didn't even know she had her own place, he hadn't asked, but isn't that something that should have come out by now?

As they existed the cab, Rick paid the Cabby and refused the change from a $50 bill, just by shaking his head and holding his hand up, he was yet to utter a word since entering the cab. She took his hand, he jumped shyly but didn't pull away, as she led him to the elevator and her flat on the second floor. As she opened the door to a very nicely decorated suite, just the right size for one perhaps two people, with the basics displayed.

The awkward silence filled the room, till finally Kate spoke

"Rick, you haven't said a word since we left your place, did I upset you, I know I didn't tell you about my apartment, but that was on my agenda tonight when we were supposed to talk about our relationship, if you still feel the same."

"Well it was a bit of a shock to find out you had your own place, I know I never asked, but I have tried to be as forthcoming with you as I could. I really would have thought that I meant more to you than just a casual date, and I understand your need for privacy, but it brought back some old feelings. I told you about the time with Kyra, not the breakup but it was really tough for me to discuss, even now."

"Rick, I have to confess something, and please hear me out before you say anything, Please? She takes both his hands in hers and leads him to the couch, as they sit, she looks deeply into his eyes.

"I transferred from Stanford to Columbia, then to Law School after the first three years in California, which would be 4 years ago tonight. My first stop when I arrived in New York was the clock in Times Square, and Rick, I saw and heard you and Kyra, I swear I wasn't trying to listen, but my heart broke for you when she walked away.

I wanted to tell you but, I wasn't sure how you would feel, and since she hadn't been in your life for this long, I didn't want to bring up an old wound to re-open it."

Rick sat with a very sad and hurt look on his face, almost like he were re-living the entire conversation once again in his head, yet he said nothing.

Kate figured she owed him the entire truth, "Rick, when my parents and I saw you, the night you arrived home in the back of the truck a few weeks ago, after being gone for two years, I recognized you then. Your blue eyes were sad, and your face had worry and stress on it, but your eyes looked deep into my soul and I knew it was you. I slipped in a conversation, when all I knew you by was Rick Rogers, and as I called you, my Blue Eyes, I tripped up and Mom caught me, so she knows as well Rick."

Rick continued to sit, staring out the window, almost like the worst of his life had just been opened for everyone to see, on a giant screen, and he was hurt, angry, hell he didn't know what he felt but it sure wasn't loved by Kate.

"Rick, please say something, I know this has got to be tearing you apart, especially after the call from her earlier, that had to be so hard especially with the audience you had."

Just then the clock in the kitchen chimed midnight, and fireworks went off in the distance, marking the official arrival of Christmas, it also triggered a flashback for Rick, from the two previous Christmas's where when you heard gun fire you hit the deck, and then asked questions,

Rick was on the floor, reaching for where would have been his weapon had he been in uniform, completely out of touch where he was in present day, until Kate knelt beside him, whispering, and gently stroking his brow, she wrapped her arms around him and rocked him as she would a child who had a nightmare, and as she did her tears fell.

My God, what had she done, she knew Kyra was the love of his life, the one that got away, and one that had hurt him so badly? Here she sat, Christmas Day with him in her arms rocking him back to reality, a reality she wasn't sure she was ready to, or wanted to face.

She rocked him for what seemed like hours, in reality 25 minutes had passed when he made a gesture to stop. "Rick, please talk to me, you had a flashback, a very bad one but you're OK now, I've got you and I won't let anything or anyone hurt you as she hugged him tighter.

He felt his shirt grow wet from her tears, and slowly things began to come back into focus, he had dove for cover when he heard a fire cracker, for God's sake, Big tough fucking Marine now I bet she's thinking. He was embarrassed, confused, conflicted from the day's activities, and what had started out to be one of his best Christmases in years was turning out to be quite the opposite.

He pulled back from Kate after giving her a long hug to let her know he was back, and she brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Babe, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, I should have thought, I should have stayed at the loft where it's sound proof, "

"It's not your fault Kate, it is what it is, we all came home with something, I'm going to head home now, and let you spend Christmas with your family, sorry it was such a lousy ending to what started out to be a great day."

"Rick, please don't go, just spend the night here, I mean I'm worried about you. You've been through so much and it seemed like you relived some of the worst times of your life in the last few hours, Please, let me stay with you."

"Kate, that's sweet but you don't have to say it because you feel sorry for me, I mean, I've had these before and I always got home OK, I'm sorry to mess up your Christmas, so I'm just going now."

Kate turns his face and pulls him into a deep passionate kiss, "I don't feel sorry for you Jackass, I love you, at least I think I do since I've never been in love before. What I know is you complete a part of my life that was empty till I met you, that I would do anything to keep you safe, and that I want to be with you every minute of the day, I want to wake up next to you, and I want you to be the last thing when I close my eyes, so yes, yes Damn it, I love you. I only hope I didn't kill any hope of you loving me, but the only way I'll know for sure Rick is if you tell me, Please?"

Rick looks at her, and then in a moment, he's back, her Blue Eyes is back, and he is kissing her like he has never kissed her before. She leads them to the Bedroom, and slowly and seductively undress each other, before the last thing Rick hears, is,

"I hope you like your present Rick, I love you"

"Love you too"

TBC