Everything Changes
(Adopted from Muse of Apollo by permission of author.)
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: Chapters 1-4 are loosely based on works of Courtesy of Muse of Apollo rewritten with permission. End of Season 2 AU, Everything Changes when Beckett leaves with Demming, Castle has had enough, Original concept based on abandoned story by Matt, Muse of Apollo. Rated M
I don't own Castle, I use the characters for amusement purposes only
Chapter 25
Previously
"I don't think I can make it through the service, and I don't want to lean on the girls, they have given so much, and their husbands will be here. They need to carry on with their lives.
"I'm going to be right by your side, all the way, I'm here to lean on when you need to, and I promised Erin I would go with you and the girls to the mountains, if you want me to that is,"
ONE YEAR LATER
Castle's Loft New York City
Kate had spent every wakening moment with Rick, including a wonderful week-long trip to the mountain Cabin, well more like palace, Rick never did anything small, that had brought the entire family, his girls and spouses, as well as her and Rick closer than they ever had been. One evening Nicky brought out a letter as they sat, and read the portion that Erin had instructed her too, that Kate was now the woman in Rick's life, and she was to be respected, loved, and treated just as they would Erin had she still been there.
Kate had tears in her eyes as Nicky read the letter, Rick held her hand gently in his lap looking lovingly at her, but the part that caused Kate to break down completely was when the 4 younger, well they weren't Castles, but Davenports, said in unison. Welcome to the family Mom, it's what she wanted so we're here for you and Dad no matter what happens. Kate turned into Rick who held her for a long time then each of the girls and finally her new boys hugged her sweetly, Eric whispering, "It'll be OK, just love Dad, that's all she wanted."
Kate didn't go to the house in Scarsdale when the trip was over, but the bond that had been built was something that would never be broken. Leave it to Erin to design the perfect plan to bring the family together, even when a new member was introduced. Kate returned to work, but calls, Skype and Rick coming into the city 2-3 times a week for nights together for dinner started becoming the norm.
She resisted the invitation to just retire and move to Scarsdale, somehow the house seemed like sacred ground for Erin and Ricks time together, much like why Erin chose not to live in the loft. She kept her apartment, although Rick visited often, it was almost 6 months before Rick did anything more than kiss her, but when he did the explosions erupted, and she knew she couldn't ever go back to just kissing.
A few days later she got a surprise visit to the precinct, he hadn't been there since that fateful day when she lost him, she thought forever. In his hand he held her favorite coffee, made just the way she liked it, and he was holding a small box with a pretty ribbon tied around it.
She panicked, yes she knew she loved him, but God don't let it be a diamond, she just thought it was too soon, "Kate, it's not a ring, well not like the one you're about to pass out thinking how do I tell him no", he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him, after all they had been through, he could still read her every thought.
"How do you do that, even now after all we have been through, you still read me like one of the books you have written,"
"Easy when you hold my heart, I just know you Kate, I always paid attention, even those days you thought I was playing on my phone," as he looks with a wistful look at the bullpen once manned by Espo, Ryan and Beckett with his ratty chair. Then he noticed, in the corner of Kates office, there it was with a Do Not Touch by Order of Capt Beckett boldly lettered on a sign sitting on it. His chair, she had kept his chair all these years.
"Kate, is that, it can't be, I mean Why?"
Kate smiles and blushes ever so slightly, "well when I moved in here after Roy retired, he suggested I take something that would keep me grounded, something to bring it back to reality when the whole world was turning to shit, and there was no relief anywhere. He had his flask, I brought your chair and there's been many times I looked at it and just asked what would Rick say?
It's weird I know but as long as the chair was here, I held the slimmest of hopes I would see you again, and I could make up for all the wrong I had done"
Now it was Rick's turn to blush and stammer, "you never gave up, even*"
"No, somedays I came close, but no I always held out some faint hope that we'd be together someday when things were right. I knew you were happy with Erin, and I wouldn't have hurt her or you for the world, it was just my piece of fantasy to go to when the world started closing in.
Erin told me that she knew how I felt at your wedding, she waited 17 years, but she said she would wait a lifetime for you, and then when she got sick, she asked me to love you for us both," tears were pooling in her eyes, "she knew I loved you and included me anyway, that's how much she loved you Rick, how much she loved us all."
"I know, she would bait me into talking about you, finally one day we went to the place where the cabin is now, and I told her everything, the good, bad and also words I am sure that hurt her deeply."
"Rick, I don't think you could hurt her, why do you say that?"
"Well when she asked me if I was still in love with you, I told her the truth,"
Kate looks shocked, and then Rick continued,
"I said yes, and I always would be, but that she owned a bigger piece of my heart, but the one you had, I would never get back, nor did I want to. Maybe that was my equivalent to you keeping the chair. She told me she knew already, and that she was happy that she had the bigger part, quite the woman, wasn't she?"
"Yes, Rick she was, and she made sure I knew that when you and I got together it would be with her blessing," Kate pulled out a laminated sheet of paper from her drawer, and handed it to Rick, it was a photo copy of Erin's permission letter as Kate had come to call it.
Rick eyes teared as he saw the familiar handwriting, then as he read, he broke out into a smile, "She had to get that favorite word Fucking in the letter, didn't she?" as he approached Kate and kissed her sweetly.
She stared in his eyes looking for signs of sadness, but all she saw was the blue embers burning with love for her, so she reached up and took him into a sweet kiss, longer than normal, and when she let him go, she whispered, "I love you Rick, Always have and Always will"
He smiled that big smile, and said "I love you too, and if you love me open the box, I promise it's not that"
Kate's hand trembled as she opened the ring box to find a key fob, and a small key chain, with "Babe" engraved on it. She smiled, what's this key FOB too Rick, I love the key chain Babe," as she smiles.
"Let's get out of here and I'll show you what the key is too, OK?"
"Sure, being Captain has some perks", as she reaches down and takes his hand in hers remembering all of the coffees and all of the times she had pretended, wanted, dreamed of the day she could do this, and now they were walking hand in hand out of the place where she fell madly in love with him.
As they reached the street, Rick's car pulled up, and the driver opened the door, and then they were alone in the back of the limo.
"I want you to know that I do love you Kate, not just because Erin told us to, but I built the cabin for her because she said what she did, she allowed my love for you to exist, and I had never experienced someone who was so giving. I think I went a little overboard, but when I built it,"
"You think" Kate kids,
"When it was finished, she came and immediately knew that it was really for the both of you, in fact she named the dinning room Kate's Room since it captured all your tastes. I thought she would be hurt but she just said there was love enough for us both, I just couldn't make love to you, well she used her favorite word," as he laughed the first real laugh Kate had heard since Erin had got sick.
They had arrived at the Loft, and tons of memories came flooding back to Kate, including the ones when she couldn't reach him,
"Hey, it's all over, we're OK now aren't we Babe?"
She kissed him and held him tight as she whispered, "we are more than OK Babe, I love you with all my heart."
When they entered the building, the chief of security called out to Rick, who replied "Good Morning Eduardo"
Kate looked puzzled, the young man behind the counter had found the fountain of youth if he were the Eduardo of the past, Rick smiled, "It's the son, Babe"
They reached the top floor, which formerly had housed two penthouses, but now there was a grand entrance to just one door, "Go ahead try your Babe Key Chain" Rick smiled
Kate held the FOB near the door and both doors swung open to a completely new Loft, Rick had kept the old part, including his office but had included the former penthouse, and remodeled it to a completely new design.
"Oh Rick, Wow, this is great, I love you kept the old Loft, it held so many memories for me, I can still see Martha and a young Alexis dressed for laser tag," Rick smiled and a tear came to his eye,
They walk a little further and Rick pressed the remote, down came a screen with a projector showing, Welcome Home Kate, PLEASE live with me, I can't stand the separation any longer"
She is crying and hugging his neck finally pulling back and kissing him till she can get out, YES Rick I'm Home.
Castle Loft
8 Months Later
All of her family including her grandchildren Nicky's set of twin boys, Alexis, set of twin girls, her Boys and Roy and Evelyn Montgomery, Lanie, Espo, Kevin, Jenny, and Maddie and her husband gathered as Kate finally became Mrs. Kate Castle in a simple ceremony.
Rick had convinced Kate to retire and go on a world tour with him for their honeymoon, any place Kate mentioned she would like to see, went on the itinerary. The travel lasted for almost two months, the actual honeymoon went of forever as two people continued to grow closer by each day.
The love never dimmed, 35 years later, with her family around her once again, she held her husbands hand for the last time on this earth as he breathed his last breath. Kate kissed her author, her hero, her husband Goodbye as the casket closed, she heard in her mind,
"Tomorrow Detective? Tomorrow is more hopeful" in that young cocky voice, as she smiled, Some things changed, but somethings went against the logic of Everything Changes.
"Always Rick, Always" She whispered, and kissed her two fingers and touched his casket, he had been right, it had been fun, a lot of fun. *******************
This ends this saga for our two lovers. It was written as real life happens through my eyes, and I hope it brought some comfort, a memory, or just a thought of someone in your life you have had an Always moment with.
I mention the reviews, and for all I say Thank You, I read and considered each and every one. To my Guests who ripped every chapter yet continued to read made me feel sad for you, what a small life you must live to have to exert your energy in doing this. For the messages from widows, or widowers that this helped I'm glad it touched a memory or brought a smile to you. To all I wish a very Happy New Year. I will be on vacation so there will be a break coming. Feel free to send me a message if there is something you think I could do justice; all ideas comments and reviews are welcome.