A/N Dear Readers,

And so here we are. Thanks for reading! Your comments in your reviews have been very encouraging. Let me know what you think about the ending.

There will be an epilogue posted tomorrow.

Enjoy!

~GeekMom

The Possibility of Magic

Chapter 14

Metamorphosis

"Ow…ow...ow!" he grumbled. "Really?" His high-pitched complaint had his daughter rolling her eyes. "Do you have to?" Castle sat in the back of an open ambulance where the technician applied various antiseptics, balms and bandages to Castle's injuries. He'd been relieved of his tattered, Hulk-like remnants of his wet shirt and pants and sat wrapped up in a blanket, his daughter plastered as close to his side as the tech's treatments would allow.

"Dad, let her treat you," Alexis scolded.

He squeezed her under his arm as tightly as his broken ribs tolerated. "Okay, Pumpkin. I'll be fine as long as you're alright." He kissed her head and held her close. Alexis cautiously tightened her hug around his waist in response, but listened for any distress. He felt the pain, but wouldn't trade his daughter's affection and comfort for any of the best pain meds. Alexis sighed, happily absorbing her father's warmth and love, reveling in the fact that he was there with her. The technician finished, leaving them alone in the box. Castle closed his eyes and delighted in the moment, grateful to be able to hold his daughter in his arms still.

"Um…Castle?"

He opened his eyes to a very uncertain Beckett. She looked smaller somehow. He smiled and hugged his daughter. "Sweetheart, I need you to find a phone and call your grandmother. Let her know that we're all okay."

"And you need to speak to Detective Beckett," she sighed dramatically. "I get it, Dad."

As she slipped off the gurney, he snagged her back up for another hug. "Love you, Pumpkin."

Alexis kissed his cheek. "Love you, too, Dad."

He watched her go until she rounded the corner of the fire truck parked beside the ambulance, before he turned his attention to Kate.

After looking each other over he asked, "Are you okay?" at the same time that she asked, "Are you hurt?"

She dropped her head and he smiled.

"Kate?" Castle extended his hand, not the one with the splints. He was under strict orders not to walk around or even to think about leaving the back of the bus and for once he was listening without argument. The EMT looked like she could easily restrain him and take extreme pleasure while doing it. After he sarcastically pointed out that his forearm was not, in fact, a pincushion, he was sure he heard her threaten that she could save his ass or drop kick his ass; however he wanted to play it. He might have flinched…a bit…when she stuck him the first time, resulting in her poorly delivered needle to be reinserted.

Beckett looked up and tentatively smiled before taking his hand. Hauling her up into the ambulance he situated her next to him on the gurney. He didn't let go of her hand.

"I'm okay," he whispered to her, placing a kiss on her temple. She dropped her head again, curtaining her face and he could sense all the questions that she held back. "It's okay…you can ask," he said.

"There's so much."

Chuckling, he affirmed, "Yeah, I know. How about I start?"

She looked at him. He was still Castle, still looked like the same man she admired, still her favorite author, the same father to Alexis. She chickened out and nodded.

"Okay…I want to know if, after what you've seen, this changes things for you. I mean, I know you don't understand everything you might have seen and experienced and I know your sensible, pragmatic head is overloaded right now, but Kate…" he tipped her head to look at him. "I'm still me. I'm no different from the man who kissed you; God was that only a few hours ago?" He smiled, still the same cockeyed smile she loved. He raised an eyebrow. "If we truly examined the evidence closely, we'd have to find that you're the one who's different."

"Really," she scoffed.

He sighed with a grim grin, "Not including various broken bones and other minor injuries."

She placed a gentle kiss on his bruised cheek.

Castle gazed at her for a moment, before his brain was able to process anything beyond how amazing Kate Beckett was. He inhaled as deeply as the tape binding his ribs would allow.

"You have gained some rather bizarre knowledge about me and, more importantly, about the world and your universe and how it might not be exactly how you thought it was, but it's only new information. I hope, when you learn about what I can and can't do, it's not scary for you." He dropped his gaze to the scratchy dark blue blanket covering his knees.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Castle was sure he'd lost her and he wasn't at all surprised. It was a lot to take in for someone who could believe in the possibilities that we don't know everything, or believe in something having never experienced it or even known it was possible. He was sure it'd be damn near impossible for Kate. He expected her to shake his hand and tell him to have a nice life. He swallowed the bubble of grief that blocked his throat when he realized what this would mean to their partnership: not only the brand new more personal relationship, but also their partnership at the twelfth. He wouldn't be allowed back. It would be too hard for her. He pulled the blanket tighter around him as he shuddered, although it wasn't the winter air giving him chills.

Castle sat next to her, she was barely moving, just staring at the floor. He stayed quiet, waiting for her, his heart sinking deeper into a funk deeper and bluer than the blanket he wore, colder than the lake water.

"You said it wasn't magic," she breathed, brittle and fragile.

It was so quiet, even sitting next to her he almost missed it.

"What?" He jerked his head back, winced as his neck protested the sudden movement. "No, it's…no, it's not," he confirmed. A warm spot of hope kindled in his chest.

"What can you do?" He felt the shift: the universe aligning elements slamming fate into place. It was either that or his heart stumbled, stopping and restarting. Like an incendiary device; a rocket, his heart took flight as he described the basics of Aggregate history in general and then his abilities, specifically. It truly sounded stupid and rather banausic when he explained how he'd generally used his gifts: practical household tasks and practical or impractical jokes, really. Then he told her about the bomb, how the Aggregate, working together, saved them all.

"Who else can…you know."

He squeezed her hand. "I…I don't think it's my place to say. We've kept our abilities hidden for a reason, a good reason. Fear-based persecution and elimination are real things, Kate." He looked at her again and held her gaze. "I am literally trusting you to keep my secrets; my life is at stake."

Her breath hitched as she studied him.

Grinning, he elbowed her. "But that's not anything new, is it?"

"I guess not," Kate agreed. "I need time, Castle: time to take it all in. I didn't even know about the Agger…Agg…"

"Aggregate," he offered.

"Or your powers…"

Castle lifted his bandaged hand and interjected again. "Abilities. No super powers that I'm aware of, damn it."

Kate gawked at him for a second. "Okay," she huffed, "abilities…"

"Or gifts, if you like."

"Castle," she warned, becoming Beckett for a moment. He knew that he looked like an idiot. He felt the moment his jaw became unhinged and when his eyes became unfocused. He'd seen the attitude before in the box. She'd slipped into no-nonsense, badass Beckett as easily as she slipped into her fitted oxford blouses, those jeans that hugged her bits so well, and her leather jackets. The soft, black leather jacket with the mane of fringe practically killed him. He blinked and came back to the present when she snapped her fingers in front of his nose. "You okay? You kind of glazed over there for a minute."

Nodding, he sucked his lips between his teeth and mimicked locking his mouth up tight. His eyes were wide and intense on her, barely containing his delight. Kate smiled, but quickly schooled her features. "I'm not impressed," she stated, business-like, lifted her chin defiantly and shrewdly stated, "I have a feeling you can get out of most restraints."

Matching her earlier transitory smile, he opened his mouth to answer, because of all the things she'd ever said to him that deserved ad answer, this was definitely it, but she held him silent with two silken fingertips, tenderly grazing the swelling on his bottom lip ensued by Stryker's punch. "As long as you're okay, you can demonstrate your gifts for me later." She lowered her fingers and found his hand again, locking their palms together, intertwining their fingers. Looking back up at his incredulous expression, she chuckled and then sobering, she laid her head on his shoulder and whispered, "I'm open to the possibilities."

He reminded himself to breathe again before he cupped her jaw, leaned forward and kissed her and when they released each other, she asked, "Magic?"

He chuckled, nodded and leaned his forehead against hers. "Absolutely," he drunkenly confirmed, "The possibilities are endless."

"Dad? Oh, Detective Beckett: you're still here." Alexis rounded the corner of the ambulance quickly, stopping short before returning to her father's side: the place that was currently occupied by the detective. She inhaled deeply and loudly.

Moving off the gurney, Kate said, "I…I should go…"

"Kate," Castle murmured. He still held her hand, reluctant to lose the connection, but she was halfway out of the back of the ambulance.

"It's okay, Castle." She met his eyes, confidently. "I'm just going to check in with the boys. You're going to need to talk with them, too."

"I know, but not tonight. Tell them I'll catch up with them tomorrow," she nodded. "And Kate?" He pulled her back close and kissed her again. She ended it quickly, far more quickly than she wanted, but his daughter was right there. "Pass along my thanks for me?"

She smiled and finally climbed down and out of the door. Alexis smiled thinly and then rolled her eyes. Her dad saw her whole performance and fervently hoped Beckett missed it.

"Are you okay, Daddy?"

Castle chuckled to himself. Daddy was it. He opened his arms to his child. "I'm fine, Alexis. What about you?"

"I wasn't hurt, just scared."

"I know and I'm very thankful that you weren't hurt, but that's not what I was asking."

Alexis carefully applied her innocent face and smiled nervously at her father. "What do you mean, Daddy?" She sighed; the 'Daddy' was probably pushing it.

"I want to know why you just showed such blatant dis-respect for Detective Beckett."

Alexis gulped in a breath and hurriedly defending herself, she caustically whined, "She's…"

"Alexis," he said, using the 'Dad' voice. He hated bringing it out and was rarely necessary, but if he were to pursue a personal relationship with Kate, they had to clear the air and they wouldn't be able to if they began in a murky, hateful tone of voice.

Alexis worked to calm her chaotic emotions. "She's the one who puts you in danger," she blurted as her pale, porcelain complexion filled with a heated ruddiness, along with rouges of worry and confusion.

"Alexis, today wasn't about Detective Beckett or anyone else from the precinct."

"She was here."

Rick narrowed his eyes. "So were you," she looked up at him, shocked. He amended, "and me and dozens of others."

"It's just…the stuff you do with her, it could get you in…it could…you could get hurt," she finished.

"Alexis, I need you to listen to me carefully. No one is forcing me to do the things I do with the police. Matter of fact, Beckett has spent the better part of the last few years, trying to get rid of me."

"Then why do you keep going back? Why do you get pulled into things like this and whatever crisis happened yesterday? Stryker said there was a bomb?"

"Nice try, but I'm not going to tell you any details about yesterday." He pulled her close again. "Oh, Honey, I…I need you to understand that I feel like I'm contributing to something bigger than just myself, like I'm making a difference. I love writing and I'll never stop, but this is real and worthwhile."

"I can understand that. Do I have to like it?"

"No, not any more than I expect you to like Potato Chip Fudge." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "You're really missing out, you know," he whispered against her barely visible eyebrow. Sobering, he leaned back to see her face and added, "But, I do expect you to have and show respect for the detectives and for the work they do. They are incredibly hard-working, self-sacrificing individuals and I can't and won't have you churlish." Alexis opened her mouth and he could almost predict the dissent about to tumble-out. "Ah," he stopped her. "Unlike accepting your lack of good taste in ice cream flavors, I'm not flexible about this." He kissed her temple. "I'm serious, Pumpkin."

"Okay, Dad," she said quietly. She kept her head down and fiddled with the seam on the black plastic mattress cover next to her leg. "Will you…"

"What, Sweetheart?" He sent out a quick and dirty plea to the universe that she wouldn't ask him to forget about Kate or the twelfth, because he would. He'd walk away if she asked him to.

"Will you show me what you can do?"

"What do you mean?" He was in the dark, but saw the pinpoint of a light and began to breathe again.

She scowled at him. He recognized her well-practiced 'I have to explain something freakishly simple to Dad' expression. He'd seen the look too many times to count. "Your…stuff, Dad…the gifts."

"Oh?…oh," he sat back, astonished. "I thought you didn't want to see…"

"I've been thinking." Her voice was small and she fixed her gaze on her blanching knuckles. He wished he could relieve her anxiety, but she was like her mother in that regard. Meredith got more anxious and more unreasonable when she was up for a part. Ironically, helping his ex-wife to relax and relieve tension after an audition was when Alexis had been conceived.

He sat up, listening closely. "Yes?"

"Even before today. I've thought that I need to accept everything about you." He bit his lip, gnawed at the split with his incisors. "I've decided that it's silly to be afraid of your abilities. I want to know all about you and what you can do and how it works."

"Are you sure, Pumpkin?" His heart beat hard and fast.

"I am," she said, smiling and collapsed gratefully within his arms. She had so many questions given what she'd felt and seen that day. She knew it was crazy, but when the others were working to save her dad, she felt like she was doing something too: something other than worrying and praying: helping, somehow. Maybe she had just been swept up in it all; the metaphysical possibilities and the adrenaline she'd gone through that day, after all she'd been kidnapped, seen her father taunted and tortured and ultimately triumphant over the man responsible for it all.

Castle breathed easily for the first time that day. He was exactly where he wanted to be, wrapped in his daughter's loving embrace. It didn't matter if they were situated in their living room or under the t-rex at the Museum of Natural History in the city or in the back of an ambulance after having thwarted a madman's plans to rule the world. He smiled and shook his head because the day's ludicrousness was either going to make him laugh or make him cry. He decided he'd rather do neither and pulled his girl closer, still. He'd wait to break down and give the emotions free reign later. Inhaling, he smelled her: the rudimentary scent of his baby, imprinted on his olfactory cortex as the best smell in the universe from the first time he held her in his arms. He swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes, resting his head upon hers. He was content.

That was until someone cleared his throat a few moments later. He opened one eye and tensed.

"Rick? How are you doing?"

Castle inhaled sharply and lifted his head. "I'm okay." He turned his head and stared at Montgomery with cold eyes made of steel. "Alexis, I need to speak to the captain."

Alexis looked back and forth between her father and her father's close friend: a man so close to her dad that she had always referred to him as her uncle. Her dad was furious. "Okay." With one more hug she slipped off the gurney and out of the ambulance. She stopped and gave a quick, uncertain hug to her uncle Roy. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered.

Montgomery smiled. The two men watched her go.

There was silence for a beat before Roy turned back to Castle and remarked, "You look like hell."

Castle dropped his head into his hands and ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Well good: at least I look better than I feel."

"Rick…"

"What the hell, Roy," Castle narrowed his eyes. "Did you know about this? Did you know about Stryker or that he stole the orb?"

"I may have been privy to the theft of something powerful, but you know how it is," he implored. "You can never tell what is true and what isn't. I didn't know specifics. If I'd known it was the orb…"

"You still would have offered me up like a virgin sacrifice."

"Well, not virgin." His old friend offered a grin. "And not a sacrifice…a champion," he said smarmily.

Castle pursed his lips, which were still slightly shaded blue from his swim through the icy water and having none of it he swallowed and in a broken voice he uttered, "My daughter, Roy."

Montgomery put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, nobody knew who it was or what he was doing. He protected himself well. That's what the karmic well was used for, like a duck blind," squinting at something unseen across the lake, he turned his head back to Castle and added, "I guess, kind of. The universe is all about the bigger picture: the biggest, you know that."

"So a few deaths don't matter in the grand scheme?" Castle scoffed.

Suddenly serious, Roy stated, "No, but they matter to you and me, they're tragic: any death is, but the bottom line is that they're not to the universe and you know that. If Stryker had succeeded, right now, the world would be different and you've already figured that out, too." Roy narrowed his eyes, assessing. "You've seen it, too: that damn parachronal cognition."

"You have that gift as well."

Montgomery shook his head. "Not like you. I see murky outlines, maybe a face or location once in a while. But you saw how it could have been. Alexis, your mother, my wife and kids, Beckett, they'd all be our slaves in a new order where those with gifts would rule over those without. The universe couldn't act without someone, you, drawing him out. He used the karma to camouflage and protect the orb, kept it hidden until the alignment. Then you sent up that beacon. No gifted within three states could have ignored it. Like dogs and dog whistles."

Rick grimaced. "Eloquent," he commented drily.

"Brilliant, by the way: then the universe knew just where to find him, just like a neon sign. Then they eliminated the problem."

"You know I was still connected to the orb when they began eliminating, right?"

"You survived. You have a bunch of people who helped get you out of that tunnel." He nodded his head toward the former hostages, most of them giving statements to the state police.

Castle considered his rescuers. Their statements wouldn't be the truth, the whole truth anyway. The universe was already monitoring. He could sense it. They'd all leave out anything having to do with gifts or abilities, karmic wells, the universe, source or the alignment. They'd go about their lives, hiding who they truly were, but content to make that sacrifice for the people around them and for their own preservation.

"Jackass didn't even need all those people."

"What do you mean?"

"The fourteen intersections don't work together like a cog in machinery. It's only more supposition and myth. I honestly think that whoever designed the place just liked the shape. At any rate, I didn't feel the others while engaged with the orb, except for their worry and fear, and if it worked like that, I should have. Individually, the intersections can help you focus, but they wouldn't have an effect together, not unless everyone was focusing on the exact same thing at the exact same moment. There's no way anyone could organize people, let alone Aggregate on a singular task. No, I was all he really needed was me for balance and to focus on the opposite side of the orb. Hell, he didn't even need me, you could have…"

"No, I don't think so." Montgomery cut him off. "Stryker worked awfully hard to get you, specifically you. And who the hell do you think organized the Aggregate to a singular task yesterday?"

"That was the universe."

"No, man: that was you; that was all you. The universe was out. They don't care if we blow each other up. They were out today as well, until you sent up that beacon." Castle had focused some of the energy of the orb through Stryker, essentially making him glow, psychically and sent other energy pinging off of the Aggregate members held there, over and over again, creating a kind of psychic energy whirlwind, which permeated the rock and amplified by the minerals, essentially painting a target on Stryker's back.

Castle stared at his friend. That disclosure scared him to death. He'd never wanted the responsibility of leadership within the Aggregate. Stryker proved that together, they could be dangerous. If Castle had bought into Stryker's plan, they would be living in a new world with Castle cast as Göring to Stryker's Hitler. The universe couldn't or wouldn't act without Castle's targeting him. That was another thing altogether, he basically set Stryker up for death. His role made his stomach roil. He'd have to come to terms with that, as well.

'One thing at a time,' he told himself.

"What about the orb?" Castle asked, needing basic facts and less personal emotions.

"What about it? Except that we as an organization really need to name things better."

"No; we're not organized and we shouldn't be," he barked. Calming himself, Castle clarified, "Where did Stryker get the orb?"

If Montgomery was taken aback, he didn't let on. "I don't know," he mused and the chuckled as an idea struck him and his whole demeanor brightened. "Maybe from the aliens he wrote about."

Castle relaxed and accepted the gift of his friend's humor. "Nah, even he said they weren't real."

Montgomery drew his eyebrows together, as if in deep thought. "Maybe he just happened upon it, you know…lucky."

"Except…" Castle began his side of their life long argument and then looked at his smiling friend, who took more pleasure in baiting him than Beckett did and whose expression morphed to that of being highly amused before Castle caught on.

"Yes?" Roy prompted.

"Except this week," Castle sighed. "I must have used up all the luck in the world."

Montgomery smiled. "Like I've been saying all along, you are one lucky son of a bitch. I'm glad we finally agree."