Author's note:

I have noticed a rather emo like trend in the AU concept of Caskett and not to say I can do better because right now it appears the same thing is happening with mine in a roundabout's way so I'm going to wrap this up soonish since I had originally wanted to do this season by season and season one ended on a punch to the stomach of one of the main characters I'll try and do something respectable.

That and my 2nd book is haunting me in my sleep - The first one 'The Chronicles of Valdez' is on sale at Barnes and Noble dot com and amazon dot com. I hope you guys buy a copy on line. It's a sci fi horror with a theological twist. X-men vs. the book of Revelations. It's not perfect but hey if '50 shades…' can do it … why can't I? $3.99 on kindle or ebook whatever you have. Hey you'd buy your friends book wouldn't you? Let's be friends! arsimckhoi twitter handle and Arsi Mckhoi on fb. Give me a holler. I promise there's significantly less typos per chapter in it than this, sensical transitions and of course tortured characters still trying to do the right thing. I generally don't proofread these or edit too much. It's more or less a venting. Like Old Faithful letting off some steam before the creative explosion.

Anyone want to collaborate on a story? Trade off on chapters or what not? PM ME!

Haven't been up dating at too fast a rate b/c well … I have kids and they suck the life out of me even though I love them.

Anyway I here's my attempt at setting the stage for the final few chapters.

FADE IN –

They were making good time and Kate wanted to go faster but in real life the police lights and sounds do all the work. The only time officers really do go above the speed limit is in car chases and even then a helicopter follows while the police fall back and wait for a roadblock or for the driver to stop. Only in truly life or death situation do they intentionally do things like clip a pursuants car or start shooting.

Firing a gun by police was considered irresponsible by the local media in most cases. At times it seemed the media would rather see a dead officer than a murderer behind bars.

Of course the mere threat of firing a gun was enough to sway most from criminal behavior and to give up. Heading into combat as often as Richard had their was a significant difference between apprehending a criminal and taking a target. The latter of course had a "shoot the guys shooting at you" feel to it. The former involved long stakeouts and –

The car turned left.

-holdouts. Negotiations. Snipers. Warrants. Judges.

He respected the organization of the system. It had a structure. A way.

Not like conflict he'd seen as a Marine. Well mostly. There was a command structure. A way. Orders. Uniforms. All that stuff.

You can't call in an airstrike as detective in NYC.

The humor in his head not loud enough to be heard he looked to see Kate on her phone with her mother.

"Yes. Castle had the two cops come by to pick you guys up. Yes. I'll explain when I get home."

Kate hung up and it was transparent as to how she felt.

They had ten minutes if traffic held and he'd been through enough situations to know he had to keep her engaged at least until they go to her loft or she'd be a guilty mess.

"It's not your fault." His words falling on deaf ears.

"It's not your f-"

"I know it's not." She interrupted.

Silence again. Not just any silence. Her silence.

"If it wasn't you he would have found someone else –"

"To use as an excuse. I know."

She sat dead eyes looking forward as the traffic parted making way for them to get to her loft. Last time she was this silent he folded for a game of '3 questions' but he didn't think it would help. He wanted to comfort her. Hold her. Cuddle even.

He reached out and covered her hand with his and the initial sensation surprised her. She kept herself calm but her eyes widened with the change in sensation.

She looked over and her eyes looked into his.

Blue. That interesting face of his, chiseled yet soft. She rewarded him with a smile that seemed more like a thank you than anything else though partly did it because she thought that was what he wanted to see.

"We still haven't played 3 questions today." He started.

No response.

"Ask me Kate. Go ahead."

"I know what you're doing."

"So do it anyway. We'll be there soon and this'll help."

She wasn't responding.

"Okay how about I ask you three?"

Interesting. What questions could he ask?

"Do you believe in soulmates?" His first question caught her off guard. Only completely.

"No. I don't. I want to believe just don't don't think I can."

"I don't get what you mean." Of course he did but anything would be better than stewing in a pot of guilt.

"Gravity. Absolutes. I like those because you can count on them. When you write a character or start creating … " She began to measure her words carefully.

"You rely on them to be unpredictable as possible because of editing you can fix any problems. I want soulmates to be real so I decide to make them real. I haven't had it happen to me though so I just like it as a story device I guess."

"Maybe your story isn't done yet?"

"Maybe." Her mind wondered a bit

"My turn now."

"Okay g'head."

"Why'd you ask me that question?"

"Because Beckett I believe we live our lives with several choices we have to make that determine the course of things. Everything else would happen regardless but these five or six moments in our lives we get that one chance to choose. I believe our tooth fairy was going to kill no matter what but maybe if one or two things happened differently he'd chosen Shel Silverstein books instead of yours."

She smirked a bit and listened.

"I believe in soulmates because the Universe just brings things together some times."

"Sooo some things are just too good to keep apart?"

"Eh … maybe. Like –"

His turn to measure his words.

"Take movie reboots for example. Hollywood remakes classics all the time. Sure there's money in it but it's more the Producers trying to recapture something from the original that wasn't even there in the first place. Like life isn't a cycle but more of a odd Mobius strip that is constantly getting recolored by the same four year old."

Intrigued she followed up.

"You don't think it's just laziness?"

"Maybe that's part of it sure but if you look at the scale of these things and money their putting into it. CG isn't cheap. Take Oz for example. A prequel of a movie that tanked when it was released way back in the 30's or whenever."

It was a theory that needed more work definitely to prove any validity but she liked the fanboy essence of it.

Hollywood's unoriginality as evidence of fatalism. Interesting.

He did have an imagination. A critical side too. She imagined him as a child. Playing GI Joe's and Thundercat figures together. The Transformers in the corner in action poses fighting against Darth Vadar who was commanding dinosaurs.

Not nearly as cute as Alex plaing in couch forts and defending against imaginary pirates and armada's but she imagined they would get along well.

Alex.

She really needed to get back to the loft.

THE LOFT

Kate burst through the door and immediately heard "Mom!" and was crushed by her son's hug by his teenage strength.

"Kate, dear! What the hell is going on?"

"I-"

Rick stopped her.

"We received a death threat on Alex's life while investigating a double homicide."

"Oh please! Some maniac shouts something as he's put in 'cuffs and you do all of this?"

Kate interceded. "Mom. It was a letter found at the scene. We wouldn't be here from someone spraying graffiti."

The moment of dread washed over Johanna.

Two officers stood in the sipping on coffee and Castle addressed them.

"We got it here. Wait outside for a minute."

The cops left and it was just the Beckett's and Rick.

It wasn't long before Alex went to him.

"Detective? Can we talk now?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Not here. Can we talk in the study?"

Rick looked to Kate.

"Go ahead and have your talk. Tell him what's going on."

Rick wanted to object but found his courage and went to the study.

Kate turned to Johanna as the door closed and they were quick to hug before her mother spoke.

"Okay we've dealt with crazy fans before. We can handle this. Remember that man who hid in the bushes when Alex was eight?"

"I-" Kate corrected, "I've dealt with crazed fans."

Then Kate had an idea. Crazed fans.

Crazed fans write crazed letters.

Now that she was at home she had acces to her accounts. To her fan mail. Some written but most emailed. She just needed to get to her computer in the –

Oh. In the study.

It was then she got the text from Javier Esposito and she saw –

Omw brt in 5. I found something you have to see!

STUDY

Alex was pacing.

"Please have a seat."

Rick did.

"In light of recent events detective I think I should get to the point so you can go do your – detective y stuff."

"Okay."

"Please don't interrupt." Alex stated. "You asked my mom to help on a case and you got the bad guy which is good but now she follows you around and then this person is wanting to kill me so I think it would be best if you just stop seeing my mom."

Rick was impressed with the clarity the young man communicated his thoughts and certainly figured talking down to him wouldn't help matters.

"Well, Alex is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No but I think once we are safe and certainly don't let me stop you from that since, ya' know, it is me he wants to kill now, I think it would be maybe, possibly –"

Alex stopped and emotionally Richard could see him start to fall back to the young man he was and reveal his age. Tears began to show.

"-best if you just stop seeing my mom."

Rick was slightly stunned. He didn't think he'd be having this talk so soon yet here it was. Time to face the music.

Alex had just received the information about the threat so this wasn't coming from a knee jerk reaction. Alex had some time to think about this. He must suspect something is going on between – oh. Now you've done it Rick.

"I know what's going on Alex and I just want to let you know I don't want to hurt your mother."

"It's just … after the divorce she was such a wreck and she barely left and then she started seeing a few guys and dated a bit but if you're just trying to get your fun then leave then-"

Feeling about as bad as a slug tossed in a salt bath Rick had stop him.

"I don't know what's going on with me and your mother. I'm not going to lie. I do like her and I hope I can keep seeing her –" What are you doing Richard? "- but if you don't want me to see her I can't promise that."

"I know you two were having sex last night and hey! Great! My mom needs some attention I guess."

Rick instantly became uncomfortable about talking sex to her son.

"I hear my friends at school call her MILF, I get it. My mom's hot but if it's just sex you're after with her then you need to leave her alone or so help me god!"

Richard wasn't scared. He wouldn't fight back but he could definitely take whatever this kid could throw.

"If you're serious about my mom I need to know. I can't see go through what she went through."

Richard leaned in and looked down.

Well Rick? What are you going to tell the boy?

He spoke.

"I've never met anyone like you're mother before. I want to see where it goes." He paused.

"I'll make you a deal. Man to man. If you think I'm doing something to hurt your mother and you want me to stop seeing her I will."

Alex wiped the few tears from his eyes.

Richard extended his hand to shake.

Alex grabbed it and shook back. Firm. A promise had been made. Shit Richard. You're actually doing this aren't you?

The tiny man in his head again threw up his arms in frustration. Opened a door and left.

"Now get yourself together because we're going out there and we can't have your mother see you like this."

Alex nodded. "So how about that local sports team doing that thing during the game?"

Richard smiled. "I know that was something wasn't it?"

They both laughed lightly and left the study.

Think I can get this 'verse season 1 done in 5 more chapters. Closing in …