Is Forever Possible
by RGoodfellow64
Chapter 25, Beginnings and Endings
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Disclaimer: I could say I own Castle but then I'd be fooling myself. ABC along with Andrew Marlow really own Castle, they just let me play with their characters every now and then. That didn't come out as innocent as I meant it. ;-)
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"Detective Beckett! Detective Beckett!"
Kate just walked out the door of the loft without acknowledging any of the reporters.
"Is Mr. Castle going to be ok?"
"Are his injuries worse than we've been told?"
"Why did the Mayor visit the other night?"
"Was Judge Markway there to revise Mr. Castle's will?"
"Are his injuries fatal Detective? Is that why we haven't seen him?"
"What will happen to the Castle empire when he's gone Detective?"
Kate didn't look left or right, didn't acknowledge any of the questions, even when they became disturbing, questioning whether Rick would survive or not. Kate noticed how the press seemed to feed off itself, from simple questions about Rick and trying to attract her attention, to the point where he is supposedly dying from his injuries and she will inherit the estate.
'Rick was so right,' she thought to herself. 'When they're not fed something, they'll immediately look for the worst, and it's best to just ignore them.' She arrived at her cruiser and was about to open the door when the last question came, "Detective, how does it feel to lose your fiancé before you got the chance to marry him?"
She stopped opening the door and looked up. All the questions ceased as the reporters realized that she was about to speak. Cameras were still taking photos as Kate continued to look over the press. "Richard Castle is not dying, his injuries are not life threatening. The Mayor and Judge Markway are friends of Rick's and visited him after regular visiting hours so not to disrupt other families visiting their loved one. Any other questions should be submitted to Paula Haas for consideration. Rick is enjoying some quiet and rest at home with his family and we really would appreciate if you let him heal in peace."
As the press digested what she said, and before they could ask any more questions, Kate opened the door to her cruiser, got in, turned on the ignition and then pulled away from the building. After spending lunch at home, she was going back to the precinct and more paperwork…lots and lots of paperwork. She didn't appreciate the press and their intrusive and ridiculous questions at all.
Stepping out of the elevator she saw Esposito running to his desk with a handful of paper towels. Nearing her desk she saw him trying to mop up a soda he'd spilled on his desk. On the floor she saw half of a sandwich and the remains of a bag of chips.
"What happened here?" she asked as she sat down in her chair.
Not looking up from his cleaning, Esposito said, "Ya know, I'm even willing to pay for him and Jenny to elope. Bet I can get a lot of folks here to chip in on that too."
Kate smiled and saw that Ryan wasn't at his desk. She immediately looked toward the breakroom and saw him standing there, phone in hand, nodding his head to whatever Jenny was probably telling him. Looking to the left, she saw a small line of officers waiting for Ryan to open the door so they could get their lunch.
"Doesn't look like he's making many friends here either," Kate replied.
"You got that right." Suddenly Esposito stopped, looked up at Kate and asked, "How's Castle?"
Kate noticed that several other officers in the bullpen lifted their heads to hear how Rick was, which made her almost choke up because she was so happy. 'Really! Who the heck is this woman who looks like me,' she thought. 'Choking up because I'm happy?'
None of that came out in words however, she simply smiled and said, "He's doing much better. Even though he's only been home for a couple of days, his headache is completely gone and he's able to walk with only a slight limp, which should stop once the pain of the stitches is gone."
"That's good to hear. I'll call later to see if he wants some company, play some Halo or Madden."
Kate turned back to her desk and said, "He'll like that."
She became engrossed in her paperwork, only marginally aware that Esposito was still cleaning up his desk, when Ryan walked up to her, held out his cell phone and said, "My future bride and I want to know how Castle is doing."
Kate reached out her hand and Ryan gave her his phone. "Jenny? Hi, it's Kate. Thank you. No, he's doing very well actually. I know, I know, the press is being ridiculous. They said what? I told them there was nothing wrong at all! Well don't believe everything you hear, he's walking with a slight limp and has actually put a lot of time into writing."
Her head tilted to the side and a smile on her face, Kate was silent for a few seconds while listening to Jenny, then quietly said, "Thank you, Jenny. Thank you. I hope it didn't take away from your wedding, after all it's less than a week away now."
There was another pause and Kate said, "Oh you can bet, we'll be there."
After a few more pleasantries, Kate said goodbye and handed the phone back to Ryan who said goodbye to Jenny and disconnected the call. He then leaned down near Kate and said, "Jenny was so worried when she heard what happened to Rick, and then was thrilled to hear how it all turned out."
Kate was glad to hear that Ryan was able to say so much but make it sound like nothing in case someone else was listening. Although it had only been three days, her marriage to Rick was still a secret.
Kate smiled back at Ryan and said, "I'm just so happy that everything worked out as well as it did, and Jenny isn't upset at all."
Ryan shook his head and replied, "No she wasn't, especially when she heard all the details you gave us. She can't wait to see you both on Sunday."
Esposito walked up, having just returned from throwing away all the food that had spilled earlier and asked, "How's Castle's naked head coming along?"
Kate chuckled and answered, "We're working on it. We may have to take away his internet though; he's trying to buy hair from China. Personally I think a little makeup on the scalp, mascara or eyebrow pencil will cover the small bare spots."
"Just get some black spray paint," Esposito said, chuckling.
"Ha. Ha. Big help there Esposito," Kate replied.
"Wait a minute," Ryan added, "There is some sort of spray stuff for bald heads. I saw it on an infomercial once when I couldn't sleep."
"Bro, I was joking!"
"But the stuff works," Ryan said.
Esposito shook his head but Kate asked, "What do you mean it worked? What is it, some kind of washable paint?"
"No, a kind of spray on powder that stays on the head. On the infomercial they used it on a guy with thinning hair and it looked like it worked."
Kate smiled and said, "That's ok guys, we'll think of something." Then turning to Ryan added, "We definitely will be there, don't worry."
Kate turned back to her desk and her paperwork, but she still heard Esposito ask Ryan, "Don't tell me you believe that stuff? Next thing you'll say is you've called those psychic hot lines."
Kate didn't hear what Ryan said, if anything, but she definitely did hear Esposito say, "Bro! I am so embarrassed."
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Kate did not run into any press when she went home at the end of her shift. She merely drove through the back entrance and into the secured parking garage. There was never any doubt about Kate having her own space, especially after the money talk with Chris when she found out Rick owned the building. Of course, his neighbors and the people who worked there didn't know that. He owned it through several dummy corporations, and everyone thought he was just another tenant. Kate decided that she liked it like that. The neighbors on the other floors were nice, quiet and unobtrusive, something she valued.
No one else entered the elevator and she had a quiet ride up to the loft and then a short walk to the door. After she entered and closed the door behind her she could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen. Putting down her bag and keys, she walked to the closet to hang up her coat when she heard Rick's voice exclaim, "Kate's home!"
She couldn't help but smile at the childlike joy in his voice as she heard Alexis say, "Dad you don't need to yell so loud. I'm trying to study."
"I want to tell the whole city, the whole country, that the most amazing woman in the world married me…and what are you studying for? You finished all your classes."
"Preparing for college Dad, just because I'm technically out of school doesn't mean I stop learning."
As Rick and Alexis continued to banter back and forth, Kate reflected on the difference between now and three days before, when she came 'home' while he was still in the hospital.
Kate walked into the loft and looked around, the feeling of 'home' almost complete…it was just missing Rick's presence. As she walked into the living room, she saw Alexis sitting on the couch, looking at a photo album, and she walked over to join her.
When Kate sat down, she looked at the book in Alexis' hands and saw photos of Rick and Alexis when she was first starting school. The big smile on Alexis' face contrasted with the pained look on Rick's, and Kate had to smile at the love he had for his little girl. His look showed how much he would miss her being around all day.
When Alexis spoke, it was so soft that Kate had to strain to hear. "This is what it's going to be like from now on, isn't it?"
"What do you mean Alexis?"
Alexis looked up from the album and said, "Dad and Gram."
"What about them?"
Alexis looked down at the photos again and said, "All my life it's been Dad who's taken care of me. Dad was there when I got hurt, and he's the one who always watched over me. Grams also helped, but it was always Dad who was there to hold my hand…"
Alexis' voice trailed off and Kate said, "Yes?"
"Seeing Dad in the hospital…it just brought things into focus. One day it will be me taking care of him.
Kate put her hand on the girl's arm and said, "Alexis…"
Alexis turned to look at Kate and interrupted, saying, "I know he's only in his 40's, and he's far from old, but…" Alexis paused a moment and said, "Although Grams is out and about on her own and is going to move into the apartment over her acting school, it dawned on me tonight that Dad has been taking care of her for the past few years. A reversal of what it was when he was young and she had to take care of him."
She paused and looked back at the photo album, "Even though you know something intellectually, doesn't mean you really know it. Tonight seeing Dad in the hospital, needing care, it just brought home the fact that some day he will be relying on me the way that I always relied on him."
Tears appeared in Alexis' eyes and Kate put her arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "Alexis, that's the joy and pain of life. It's only since I've known your dad that I understand what my mother used to tell me, and show me. From the moment we're born we start to die. It can be a long and drawn out process or like what I deal with day by day, quick and unexpected; but we are all mortal and we all need support and help. It's just so much better when it comes from those who love you."
"I don't want him to get old Kate, I don't want Grams to get old and I don't want you to get old either." Alexis laid her head on Kate's shoulder and said, "Sometimes I wish everything could just stay the same, forever. Know what I mean?"
Kate kissed the top of Alexis' head and said, "I do sweetie. There are so many days I wish I could relive, just for another moment to spend with someone, or to change something that happened, but that isn't part of what life is about, and as much as I wish and pray and hope, I can never go back and change anything."
Alexis touched a photo and said, "This is one of my favorites. I was looking forward to starting school and Dad wasn't happy about it at all. Grams told me he looked into home schooling, just to keep me home, but she talked him out of it…that what was best for him wasn't necessarily best for me."
As she caressed the photo Alexis said, "I can't picture him with grey hair Kate, not with wrinkles or arthritis or any other problems. To me he has always looked like this, young and strong and simply my dad. To see him in the hospital made me realize that as many years that I have with him, it will never be enough."
Kate needed to get Alexis out of her mood, it wasn't good to dwell on the future like that, so she shook the girl's shoulder and said, "You think he's going to change overnight? Sweetie, you're going to be stuck with him and with me for at least another fifty years or more!"
Alexis looked up with a small smile and Kate continued, "Just think of all the fun we'll have! Razing you about your boyfriends, embarrassing you at college graduation, threatening your fiancé, holding your children and when we baby sit, because I know you'll plan on us doing that, just think how much sugar you're dad will fill them up with before he hands them back to you!"
"Oh no! Children on a sugar high!" Alexis laughed.
Giving the girl, no, the young woman a kiss on her forehead, Kate said, "Don't worry about it Alexis. One day you will need to hold our hands when we need support, when we can't do the things we do now. That day is a long way away, but for now, let's just live and enjoy what life gives us, ok?"
Alexis nodded her head and softly said, "Have I told you how much I love you?"
Kate looked surprised and Alexis said, "Well I do Kate, very much." Then with a big smile added, "And if you and Dad are planning on needing a lot of taking care of when you get old, you'd better give me plenty of brothers and sisters to help."
Kate laughed and said, "We'll work on that kiddo, we'll work on that."
As the voices in the kitchen continued and Kate returned from her memory, the last things she and Alexis said to each other stood out in her mind, and she understood that she'd made the right decision. She would be seeing Lockwood next week for her scheduled appointment…her last appointment.
Taking off her shoes, she walked into the kitchen, gave Rick a kiss on the cheek and looked at the stove where she saw a pot and two pans. "What smells so good?"
"That, my dear wife, is for me to know and you to delight over later." He shook his head and struck a dramatic pose before saying, "I'm not telling!"
Kate smiled, turned from Rick, winked at Alexis and after walking past him, quickly turned back and put her arms around him. "Not even if I give you a backwards hug and tell you I love you?" she asked coyly.
As she kissed the back of his shirt he said, "Pork chops, couscous and sautéed vegetables."
"Mmmm, sounds as good as it smells."
He patted her hands, which were still around his waist, and said, "Go sit down and relax, I've got this."
She loosened her hold on him and he turned in her grasp to face her. Looking up she checked his face for any sign of his overdoing things and asked, "Are you sure?"
He lowered his head and gave her a soft kiss, then said, "I'm sure. I'm doing better every day. Go bother Alexis; she shouldn't be studying if she isn't in school."
"Dad!"
Kate walked out of the kitchen and around the island, took Alexis' hand and said, "Come on, we'll go in the living room to talk."
"Don't let her take her books Kate!" Rick called from the kitchen and Kate and Alexis, without her books, walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.
Before Kate could say a word Alexis asked, "Did you see Dr. Parish today?"
"Yes I did and before you ask, she had a nice talk with the Chief Medical Examiner this morning. Lanie believes that your application alone would get you an internship, the recommendations of several officers as well as the Captain was simply icing on the cake."
"Really!" Alexis squeaked? "Do you really think I'll get in?"
Kate smiled at Alexis, patted her hand and then said, "I should wait till you get the official letter tomorrow, but you have been accepted and you can start working with Lanie as early as Monday."
Alexis threw her arms around Kate and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She then put her head down and said, "Don't tell Dad, I want to surprise him!"
With a puzzled look on her face Kate asked, "Why did you lower your head to say that?"
With her head still lowered Alexis answered, "Because Dad is watching us and he can read lips."
"He can?"
"He learned how to do it for a character in one of his books. Gram and I used to talk to him all the time without actually saying the words."
Kate raised her eyebrows and said, "Really?" Then turning towards the kitchen, she saw Rick watching them with a smile on his face. Kate smiled at him and then mouthed the words, "Are you listening to us?"
Rick's eyes widened and he quickly turned back to the kitchen. Alexis laughed and Kate turned back to her with a smile. "Looks like he's pretty good at reading lips," she said.
Alexis replied, "When I was little we'd go to the park or to a café and Dad would watch the people and tell me what they were saying. Then we'd try to determine if they were spies or aliens."
"Spies or aliens?"
Alexis nodded her head and said solemnly, "You have no idea how many aliens there are in New York Kate, 'Men in Black' didn't even come close."
Kate shook her head in mock distress and said, "Oh no, don't tell me that I'm going to be the only adult in this family!"
With a big smile on her face Alexis said, "Don't worry Kate, we'll still love you."
Before Kate could respond, Rick called out from the kitchen, "Rub a dub dub, here comes the grub!"
Kate put her head in her hands and said, "I'm doomed," as Alexis patted her shoulder.
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It was Friday morning, and since Kate's team would be attending Ryan's wedding on Sunday, they had no case and were only assisting Karpowski with an investigation.
When Rick came in with Kate that morning, the first time since he was injured, everyone applauded his entrance. His protection of Kate was considered romantic by some, heroic by others, but everyone in the homicide division realized that Castle put his own life on the line for Beckett, and that was the ultimate expression of partnership. More than ever, Castle was considered one of their own.
Esposito and Ryan pretended not to look, but Kate saw as they checked out the back of Rick's head. She smiled when they couldn't see where his stitches were and recalled the experience this morning of covering them up.
"Hold still."
"But it tickles!"
Kate sighed and Rick could tell she was rolling her eyes as she said, "If you want to come in today, and you don't want your stitches to show, you either wear a hoodie or let me do this."
Rick squirmed in his seat and asked, "Are all eyebrow pencils this ticklish?"
"I once told Roy you were a nine year old on a sugar rush…I need to revise that down, don't I?"
"And this is a surprise?"
"I only have a little more to cover and then we can go, can you sit still for just another half a minute?"
He tipped his head to the side and said, "I'll try."
Kate hadn't even lifted the pencil to his head and he started to fidget. After a few moments of that, Kate turned him around so she could look him in the eyes and said, "You know, I just realized there's a simpler way to do this."
"Oh yeah? What's that? Anything is better than being tickled!"
Kate replied brightly, "Let's go down to maintenance and see if James has a vice! We can stick your head in it and no matter how much it tickles you won't be able to move!"
At the mention of the vice his eyes widened, then he narrowed them at her and said with a sigh, "Married only a few days and already the thrill is gone."
"Half a minute Rick, just half a minute."
Turning his head he said, "Ok Kate, whatever you need to do…but be warned that when I'm well enough, I fully intend to put the thrill back in this marriage!"
She bent down and kissed the top of his head, then smiled and said, "Silly man."
He put his hand up and covered the hand she had on his shoulder, "Love you," he said softly.
"Love you too," she replied. "Let me cover this last stitch and then we can leave."
"I can't wait to get back, it feels like forever!" Rick said.
Kate snorted, "It's been less than a week, and look how much you've been able to write."
Rick smirked and said, "Having my muse with me all the time really get's the juices flowing…in more ways than one."
"What did I tell you about calling me your muse?"
"Ahh, it was so long ago I forgot."
"You're just starting to get rid of that limp, you really don't want your legs broken now, do you?"
"But we're married!"
"Some things don't change, now be quiet and let me finish."
Kate smiled at the memory and soon they were all hard at work assisting Karpowski. A few hours later Rick and Kate were staring at the murder board, looking for anything that Karpowski may have missed, when Esposito walked up to them and said, "We've got a witness waiting. Name's kinda weird, like a combo of Chinese and French. LaFong."
Beckett asked, "LaFong?" Just as Castle asked in a delighted voice, "Carl LaFong?"
Ryan said, "Yeah, Carl LaFong," at the same time Esposito asked, "How did you know?"
Rubbing his hands together Castle said, "Oh, this is just too good!"
Looking a bit put out at his glee Kate asked, "What's so special about his name?" Just as Esposito asked, "Do you know him?"
With a smug look on his face Rick replied, "It's a phony name."
Looking unconvinced Kate asked, "What makes you think that? This is New York, Rick. When I started on the force one of the first people I ever brought in was named Imaleen Hamm."
Ryan nodded and said, "One of my first arrests was a guy actually named Rhett Butler."
Rick turned to Esposito who shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not me, I only ever got normal criminals."
Ryan mouthed the words, 'normal criminals?' at Kate when Rick said, "The name is from a 1934 W.C. Fields movie called 'It's a Gift,' and it's one of the funniest scenes in the film!"
"It's a Gift?" Kate asked.
"Oh it's a great film, Fields plays a guy named Bissonett but his wife pronounces it Bissonay. He owns a grocery store, or works in it, I can't remember…oh! And there's this great scene with a blind guy and some kumquats…"
"Rick, Carl LaFong?"
"Oh, right. There's a salesman who asks Fields if he knows a Carl LaFong. It's a classic Kate, the salesman asks 'Do you know Carl LaFong? Capital ell small ay, capital eff, small oh, small en…" Rick paused as he saw the faces of the three detectives, then said, "…and you really don't need to know that do you?"
Kate shook her head and said to Esposito, "Go get his real name."
As Esposito and Ryan went to question their witness, Rick turned to Kate and said, "I have an old VHS tape of it around somewhere Kate, we should watch it sometime."
Kate nodded her head as she stared at the murder board, and soon she and Rick were sitting on the edge of her desk, going over what they had so far. This was one of the things she enjoyed most with Rick, coming up with theories to build a case, it was the first thing that started to change her feelings of having Rick follow her around in that first year. She'd never had a partner who was so in tune with her own thinking, and whose mind could move as quickly as hers did. In fact, sometimes she had to catch up to Rick.
They were still looking over the murder board when Esposito and Ryan came back.
"What's his real name?" asked Kate.
Ryan sat on the edge of her desk next to Rick and said, "Peters."
Standing in front of the murder board and looking at Kate, Esposito added, "Yeah, Peter Peters."
Kate was about to say something when Rick exclaimed, "Peter P. Peters? No way!"
All three looked at Rick and Kate raised one eyebrow. Sitting on Castle's right side, Ryan saw Beckett's eyebrow go up and realized it was part of that secret language she and Castle shared. Sometimes it was down right spooky how they knew just what the other was thinking, or going to say. Thinking it was still some form of ESP, he almost missed when Castle began to explain.
"Peter P. Peters, aka Petrov."
"Petrov? He's Russian?" Kate asked.
Rick shook his head, "American. Actually he's Fred Astaire."
All three looked at him as if he grew another head, and Rick sighed, "Honestly, don't you people ever watch classic movies? 'Shall We Dance', 1937 Astaire, Rogers film with a fantastic Gershwin score."
Kate was about to say something when he said, "Oh the songs in that movie were classic Gershwin, 'They all Laughed at Christopher Columbus', 'They Can't Take That Away From Me'…what a wonderful song." He turned to Kate and said, "I think of you whenever I hear it. Oh! And don't forget 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off.'" Before they knew it he was singing, "You say tomato and I say tomahto, you say potato and I say potahto, tomato, tomahto, potato, po…" He paused when he saw their faces then said "…and you really don't need to hear that either, do you?"
Kate shook her head as Esposito went back to discover the real name of their witness. Kate watched with a mixture of affection and exasperation as Rick limped to the break room for a coffee. Ryan looked around the room and seeing no one nearby, leaned over to Beckett, tapped her shoulder and softly spoke in a tone that said this should explain everything, "You married him."
Kate turned to him and with a mixture of happiness and awe on her face said, "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"
As Ryan left to join Esposito, Kate followed her husband to the break room. 'My husband', she thought to herself, and she couldn't help but smile at the thought that she, Kate Beckett, was married. Married to a man who saved her life, in more ways than he, and she, would probably ever know.
At the door to the break room Kate stopped and simply looked at Rick as he made two coffees from the machine he'd bought for the homicide division. She found herself luxuriating in the fact that he was hers.
"For crying out loud Beckett, stop undressing him with your eyes!" Kate turned to see Karpowski next to her with a big smile on her face. "You practically live with the man; you've seen it all already."
Kate simply chuckled and looked back at Rick who was now standing with two cups of coffee in his hand. "Why do I suddenly feel like a side of beef?" he asked.
Walking in to take the cups from him, Kate replied, "Filet mignon Rick, only the filet mignon."
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They were sitting in the break room finishing their coffee when Rick turned to Kate and said, "I can't believe his name is really Smith."
Kate rolled her eyes and Ryan said, "We know Castle, believe me, hearing you say that a few dozen times makes it sink in, you know?"
As Ryan took another sip of the strange green substance, Kate asked, "Are you and Jenny still on that stuff?"
"Yep, right up till the wedding."
Kate shook her head and took another sip of her coffee as Esposito walked in, eating a donut. "I don't know what bakery these came from, but they're the best I've ever had!" he exclaimed as he stuffed the rest of it in his mouth.
Ryan gave him a dirty look and left the break room and Kate turned to Esposito, who was pouring himself a coffee and asked, "Why are you doing that?"
"I like coffee."
"Esposito!"
He gave Kate a quick smile, nodded his head at Castle and said, "Your boy over there is injured, so I can't tease him, and Ryan…well he just sets himself up for it, you know?" he said with a smug look.
Rick turned to Kate and said, "How quickly he forgets that Ryan always gets his revenge."
Kate turned to Rick, smiled and said, "I just hope that Lanie isn't caught in the cross fire, between her and Ryan, Esposito won't stand a chance."
Rick noticed that the smug look on Esposito's face suddenly changed to one of deep concern. "Uh, I better go talk to my partner," he said and quickly left the room.
As Rick watched Esposito hurry after Ryan, Kate asked, "You aren't planning on driving to the wedding on Sunday, are you?"
Rick shook his head and turned to face Kate and said, "Nope, I asked Paval and he'll drive."
"You're getting a limo?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Rick, we don't want to outshine Kevin and Jenny."
"But Kate, we can't depend on getting a taxi, and if we don't have a ride then one of us can't have anything to drink…and remember that I picked the wines. Don't you want to taste the wines I chose?"
"It is an Irish wedding, isn't it?" Kate asked.
"Oh yeah. And you always like to tell me how much you can handle…"
"Ok, but no limo!"
"But that's what Paval drives."
Kate reached into her pocket and took out her phone, "Let me call Yana. I'm sure they have a town car or something not so flashy."
As Rick watched, Kate tapped her screen a couple of times and then said, "Hi Yana, it's Kate."
Those were the only words he understood as they immediately started speaking in Russian. When Kate looked at him with a smirk on her face, he knew that the two of them were talking about him and it probably wasn't very good.
After a few more minutes, Kate disconnected the call and smiled at Rick. "Paval will have a town car for us."
"That's it? All that Russian was to simply say we have a town car?"
"Well that, and filling her in on the news."
"The…oh, that news."
With a slight smile on her face Kate said, "Yes, that news. And for your information, you are not the only one in trouble with Yana."
Rick smiled and said, "Oh good. It's always nice to have company when you're walking the plank."
Kate patted his knee and said, "It's not that bad Rick." Then standing up she said, "Come on, it's almost time to leave and I want to make sure Ryan hasn't done anything to Esposito yet."
Rick chuckled as he got up to follow her back to the bullpen.
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Sunday morning arrived and it was one of the warmest days in January, with a clear blue sky. Kate was sitting at the breakfast bar talking with Alexis and Martha when she looked up at the clock and saw it was 11am. "Honestly, how can he get dressed so quickly for a crime and take forever for a wedding?" she asked.
"Um, is that a rhetorical question Kate?" Alexis asked.
Unaware she'd spoken the question out loud, Kate said, "Yes? No? I really don't know Alexis," then got off the stool and headed to the bedroom calling out, "Rick! It's 11am, Paval will be here in fifteen minutes!"
As Kate disappeared into the office and from there to the master bedroom, Martha turned to Alexis and said, "It's so nice to have someone else in charge of your father."
Kate entered the bedroom to see Rick standing in front of the mirror, trying to decide what tie to wear.
"You still haven't made up your mind?"
He turned from the mirror and with both ties in front of him asked, "Which one should I wear?"
She quickly turned away and entered the master closet where she pulled out a tie and handed it to him, taking the other two from his hands. "This one."
Holding the new tie he had a puzzled look on his face and asked, "Why this one? Other times I wore this suit you told me to wear those ties."
Kate pointed to the tie in his hand and said, "Because this one brings out the color of your eyes, the others do absolutely nothing for you with that shirt and jacket."
As he was putting on the tie he asked, "Then why did you tell me to wear them?"
"You weren't mine then, and although we weren't dating I decided it wouldn't hurt to make sure you didn't look as good as you could."
He turned from the mirror and with a soft smile said, "You were jealous? You had no need to be you know."
Kate walked up to Rick, straightened his tie and then patted it on his chest. "I kinda knew, but I also didn't." At his raised eyebrow she added, "It's a complicated girl thing Rick, you'd never understand."
He leaned down, gave her a light kiss on the lips, and murmured, "Not smudging, your lipstick is still good."
She patted his chest one more time, said, "Smart man," then grabbed his hand and led him out of the bedroom.
As they went to the closet to get their coats, Alexis came over and said, "Ooo Dad, that tie is perfect." Then turned to Kate and said, "Good choice Kate."
Mumbling how quickly children turn on you, Rick and Kate gave Alexis and Martha hugs and kisses and then left for the parking garage to meet Paval.
Exiting the elevator Kate sighed happily, as Paval was just arriving. He pulled up in front of them, quickly got out of the car and opened the door before Rick could. Rick smiled meekly and shrugged his shoulders, forgetting that Paval never allows the passenger to open the door. Giving Rick a stern look, Paval invited them to enter the car.
Kate smirked and said, "Now you're in trouble," as she got in the car and Rick quickly followed. Paval closed the door and after getting back in the car said, "Good morning Mr. Castle, Mrs. Castle."
Rick and Kate looked at each other and huge grins came on their faces. Kate turned back to Paval and said good morning, and before she could say anything else, he spoke to her, "Yana and my Anna started talking on Friday after your telephone call, and they will contact you to finalize the time for the party."
Rick had a puzzled look on his face and he asked, "Party? What party?"
"The one that my sister and wife are planning to celebrate your wedding," Paval said.
Rick looked to Kate who shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yana said something about making arrangements, but she never said what for…although she was very happy to hear we were married, she wasn't happy that we hadn't had a traditional Russian celebration."
"It can't be this Thursday, Paval. We're going to a shindig for the mayor."
"Not to worry Mr. Castle, from what my Anna said we will need a weekend to celebrate properly."
Rick's eyes widened and he looked at Kate in alarm. She smiled and patted his arm then said, "I'll talk to Yana."
The rest of the trip to the church was uneventful and forty minutes later, Rick and Kate were standing by the entrance talking to Lanie when Ryan walked up to them.
When she saw him Kate said, "Oh look how happy he is," and snapped a photo.
As he came up to them Ryan said, "I'm so glad you're here."
Kate smiled and said, "Where else would we be?"
Ryan gave her a hug and a kiss before turning to shake Rick's hand. Kate said "You look fantastic" just as Esposito walked up and said, "Yeah, we clean up pretty good, don't we?"
Lanie said, "Speak for yourself Javi, I look good all the time!"
Just then, Rick looked over Ryan's shoulder to see Jenny and her bridesmaids on the stairs with her father: "Oh Jenny, you look amazing."
Jenny smiled and said, "Thank you Rick."
Ryan tried to turn around and Kate held him back saying, "No, no, no, no. You can't see the bride yet."
Esposito said, "You ready bro?"
"I guess so Javi, let's go."
Ryan and Esposito walked in with Lanie following, and finding themselves alone, Rick turned to Kate, offered her his arm and softly said, "Ready Mrs. Castle?"
Kate wrapped her arm in his and said, "Yeah, Rick, let's go in," and gave a little wave to Jenny as she and Rick entered the sanctuary.
Hours later, when the reception was winding down, Rick, Kate, Javier and Lanie were sitting at their table, tired, happy and a little worse for wear from all their partying. Rick looked down at Kate's feet and said, "So why did you bother with those heels if you didn't plan to wear them long?"
With her foot she nudged one of the shoes she'd taken off a couple of hours before. They were now sitting under the table along with Lanie's. "They're good for a lot of things Rick, but not for dancing."
Rick was going to say something when Lanie spoke up, with a slight slur in her voice, "Castle, you know what they're good for; I've been watching you ogle her legs for years!"
"Uh…"
Kate leaned over to Rick and said in a low voice, "Come on handsome, I like this song," then grabbed his hand and led him out to the dance floor. Kate immediately fell into the rhythm with him and the two once again made a striking couple on the floor, Kate's grey outfit matching perfectly with Rick's suit.
They'd danced almost every dance together, only three times dancing with others, Kevin and Jenny, Lanie and Javier and Roy and Evelyn. Otherwise, Rick and Kate didn't leave each other's side the entire afternoon.
As they danced to the romantic notes of 'Never my Love', Rick leaned down and whispered in Kate's ear, "Those shoes aren't good to walk in either."
Her head resting on his chest just below his shoulder, Kate murmured, "Shhh, I'm enjoying a dance with my husband."
"So I shouldn't mention how you tripped when we walked down the aisle after Esplanie?"
"Not if you have any thoughts of helping me out of this dress later."
"Hmmm, have I told you how wonderful you feel in my arms?"
He could feel her grin before she looked up and said, "Great answer." Then she put her head back down and they simply moved along with the music, totally lost in each other, and never seeing the smiles that were being sent their way.
.
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Monday morning found the team down by two. Ryan of course was on his honeymoon for two weeks, and Castle had been put on light duty by Captain Montgomery. When he tried to argue that he was perfectly fine, Montgomery simply said he was the captain and if Rick wanted to be in his precinct he had to follow his rules.
This elicited smiles from Kate and Esposito and a frown that pretty much stayed with Rick all day long. He was essentially tied to his chair for the rest of the week, but since the team was still supporting Karpowski, he stayed and assisted in every way he could other than doing paperwork.
The next two days went quickly by and Wednesday morning found Kate alone at her desk while Esposito was helping book a suspect and Rick had an appointment with Paula.
Kate was going over the latest information on the case they were following when she was interrupted.
"Beckett?" Montgomery asked, "What are you doing here?"
Kate looked up from her desk to see the Captain standing next to her, "Uh, sir? I work here?"
He tilted his head and gave her a look, "That's not what I mean; you're usually seeing Lockwood today."
Kate shook her head and said quietly, "I saw him briefly yesterday afternoon. I won't be seeing him again, Captain."
Captain Montgomery looked at her for a few seconds and said, "Let's continue this in my office Kate," then turned around and walked through his office door.
Kate got up from her desk and followed him, and at his nod, closed the door behind her before sitting down.
"What happened Kate," he asked softly.
She sighed and started to speak, then stopped. He could see the wheels turning in her head and she tried to put the words together and then she said, "Rick, Alexis, Mom, me," she looked down at her left hand and said, "This ring." She sighed again and said, "I don't know Roy, I guess life happened."
He was silent for a few moments then prompted her by softly saying, "Life?"
Her right hand caressed her engagement ring and she replied, "Life. My life," and she raised her eyes from the ring to look at him, "I guess you can say that my priorities have changed since Rick got hurt. I know…I've known that my life is not what my mother would have wanted for me Roy. It's not what I ever wanted for myself and for the first time since she died, I actually…I actually like my life now. I love my life and the way I'm living it."
He saw both sincerity and confusion in her eyes when she asked, "Am I making any sense, Roy?"
He nodded his head with a soft smile and said, "Perfect sense Kate. You're moving on."
She shook her head and said, "But it feels like I've failed her and I…"
Roy put up his hand and stopped her mid sentence, and in a stern voice said, "Detective Beckett…Kate, you did not fail your mother by moving on with your life. If anything you have been failing her all these years by trying to avenge her."
She looked at him in shock, shaking her head no, and said, "It isn't vengeance Roy, I want justice…"
He interrupted her and said, "No Kate. From that first day I found you in the records room looking at her case I knew you were looking for vengeance. That's why I agreed to Royce's request that you have therapy. I knew you needed to look forward, Kate, not backwards."
At the mention of Royce, Kate felt tears form in her eyes.
"He knew you had the potential to be a great cop, Kate. I knew you had it in you to be the best detective I'd ever have the honor to work with. And Kate, that's what you became. You were all cop. You were all about the case, and while that's a good thing, when it's taken too far it becomes your life and robs you of any chance at happiness. I saw that happen to you and didn't know how to help till Castle showed up."
"Rick?"
"Yeah, Rick. He challenged you. He tested you. He constantly prodded you and I saw you come alive when he was there. I could actually see a spark in your eyes where for years there was none. Not even when you were with Will did I ever see the spark that Rick put there."
Thinking back to those first few cases, especially the first, Kate smiled. Suddenly she saw him kneeling in front of Lanie during that first case, and how upset she was when she saw him there. "I thought I told you to stay over there," she'd said. Her smile grew recalling his reply, "I was lonely."
Roy saw the smile on her face and said, "That smile is what was missing from you Kate, and he put it there. You have a future ahead of you, a future with a man who loves you and is good for you. Hell, why do you think I ever allowed him to follow you in the first place? The Mayor? Bob only suggested it Kate, I was the one who made the decision."
She looked at him in surprise, "You did?"
"Yep, just me, Kate. Because I could see that Rick was good for you and over these past few years you've proven me right. He is good for you, but you are also good for him, and what the two of you have is so special, you should grab it with both hands and never let it go!"
As Kate sat and contemplated what Roy said, he added, "You can never fail your mother by being happy and having a fulfilling life Kate. On the contrary, you can only succeed in doing what would have made her very happy for you."
Kate sat for a moment then stood up, "Thank you Roy."
"You're welcome Kate." As she turned around and opened his office door he added, "You have no case so take the rest of the day off. Go visit your mom, think about her life and how thrilled she'd be that you found someone who made you happy. Then go back to him and live. Live your life to the fullest Kate.
She smiled, nodded her head, and walked out the door to follow her Captain's suggestion. As she walked to her desk, she didn't hear Montgomery when he took a huge sigh of relief.
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AUTHORS NOTE: This story has always been about Kate's growth. We've seen it with Rick, aside from his stupidity after 47 Seconds, oh, and with Demming and Gina…anyway, this story is about Kate and her journey to get back to being the person she should have been before her Mom was killed. I hope I'm bringing her there in a manner you enjoy reading.
By the way, I wrote the last scene with Roy months ago…maybe I can give Nostradamus a run for his money?