Disclaimers: I don't own 'Castle' or any aspects of the show. That honor belongs to Andrew W. Marlowe and his theme of creative geniuses.
Summary: On the first anniversary of Capt. Montgomery's death, the team gathers at The Old Haunt to celebrate his life. This chapter will contain spoilers from some past episodes, which will include my favorite Montgomery moment from 'Wrapped up in Death.'
A/N #1: The song for this chapter is 'Poems, Prayers and Promises' by John Denver. This is a wonderful song of love and friendship.
A/N #2: I want poignancy for this chapter, but also love and joy since this takes place just days after Castle and Kate gets together. I'm using the 5/16/11 date for 'Knockdown' and the 5/7/12 date for 'Always' as my reference points.
A/N #3: I want to thank my Twitter follower Klff_ for the opening line for this chapter.
Chapter 36: It's been a Good Life All in All
There were times when he thought they would never get out of here, and tonight he was cataloging yet another. Kevin Ryan was busy cataloging evidence with Richard Castle, since both his partner and Beckett were on suspension due to the two of them going rogue in their search for Beckett's shooter. Both of them were due back the next week, so in the meantime Ryan was partnered with Castle, who seemed to be in a hurry to finish up their work. "Dude, do you have a hot date tonight?" Ryan finally asked in irritation.
"No, why?" Castle answered, a little too quickly in Ryan's opinion.
"Because you're rushing. If we don't do this right, Gates will just send us back in here to do it all again just like Sister Mary Helen when I was in third grade," he shuddered at the memory.
"Ryan, I was thinking of throwing a memorial next week at The Old Haunt for Roy. Would you and Jenny come?"
"Oh, yeah. Have you talked to Evelyn?"
"Yeah, last night. She was really touched."
"Have you talked to Beckett? She might not be ready—"
"I was going to call her tonight when I got home. Have you talked to Esposito since his and Beckett's suspension?"
"He still won't take my calls. I just want him to understand that I did what I did to save his and Beckett's lives. Castle, Maddox threw her off of a rooftop. If Gates and I hadn't shown up, she would've fallen to her death."
Castle knew all about Kate's near brush with death. She had told him all about it the morning after she'd come to him soaking wet and extremely upset. The night that they'd slept together for the first time. Now she was like a drug that he couldn't get enough of. The past week since she'd first shown up at his door had been spent getting to know her in a way he'd never been able to before. They had learned that the man who had ordered her mother's murder was now a United Stated Senator, thus making him untouchable. The senator and Kate had come to some kind of an understanding, so things were at a stalemate for the time being. The four of them had worked together to try to put the pieces together, but Castle knew that Ryan and Espo were still at odds. "Maybe if we get enough drinks in him next week, he'll listen to you."
"Dude, there isn't enough alcohol on the planet."
An hour later, Castle walked out of the precinct, pulling out his phone as he walked toward his car. He sent a quick text to Kate. 'I'm on my way to your place. Will see you in about 20.'
I've been lately thinking about my life's time
All the things I've done and how it's been
And I can't help believing in my own mind
I know I'm going to hate to see it end
I've seen a lot of sunshine, slept out in the rain
Spent a night or two out on my own
I've known my lady's pleasures, had myself some friends
Spent a night or two in my own home
He couldn't get over how giddy he felt as he drove to Kate's apartment. Martha and Alexis were in Europe, celebrating Alexis' graduation, which gave him time to be alone with Kate. The past several days and nights had been spent getting to know each other in a whole new fashion. He had always known that sex with Kate would be special, but the last week had been beyond anything in his wildest fantasies. They would lay awake at night and talk for hours, about nothing and about everything. But when they weren't talking, they would touch and kiss; their fingertips and lips painting patterns on the other's bare skin. He was enjoying exploring the softer side of Kate Beckett very much.
He parked his car and entered her apartment building, taking the elevator up to her floor. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. After what seemed an eternity, but was actually only a minute or two, he heard the chain sliding back and the bolt being turned before it was opened by a broadly smiling Kate. He loved this new smile that she reserved only for him. It was so opened and so loving. Those were the best words to describe that smile. "Hey, Castle," she stepped back to allow him entrance into her apartment.
"Hey," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, his lips coming down on hers for a long, tender kiss. "I missed you today."
"I missed you, too. Did Gates have a problem with you working with Ryan?"
"No, not really. We inventoried the evidence room. As long as she didn't see me, she could pretend that I wasn't there. What did you do today without me?"
"I inventoried my CD collection," she smiled against him. "Then, I took a long bath and shaved my legs."
"Ooh, that sounds sexy. Can I check out your handiwork? I need to judge to make sure that you did a good job."
"Castle, I've been shaving my legs since I was 13. With the exception of an occasional knick, I always do a good job. Or, are you just using that as an excuse to get me naked and in bed?" She gave him a look as he managed to look sheepish.
"Guilty as charged," he hung his head as Kate threw back her head and started laughing. "Have I told you how much I love hearing you laugh?"
"You make me laugh," she reached down for his hand and grabbed it before tugging him toward her bedroom. "Come on, I want you to see if I missed any spots on my legs."
"You know as a writer, that I'm very heavy into my research, so I'll have to be extremely thorough."
"Castle, I expect nothing less."
***CCC***
I have to say it now, it's been a good life all in all
It's really fine to have a chance to hang around
Lie there by the fire and watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady sit and pass the pipe around
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
And what about tomorrow?
And what our dreams
And all the memories we've shared
Kate sighed in contentment, her skin still tingling. She had had good sex; she'd even had great sex; but with Castle she was experiencing something she'd never experienced before. Truly mind-blowing, toe curling, scream until she was hoarse sex. Her skin felt as if an electric current was coursing through it. She took his hand in hers, splaying her long thin fingers through his much larger ones. "Do you play piano? You have the fingers of a piano player."
"I play a little. My mother's the piano player," he kissed the skin between her neck and collar bone, feeling her shiver beside him. "Are you cold?"
"No, I'm perfect," she rolled over and propped herself against his chest.
"Yes, you are," he tangled his fingers into her hair and pulled her down for a long kiss, their tongues sliding against each other's. "You did a great job on your legs. You didn't miss a single spot."
"I told you," she grinned as their kiss deepened.
After making love a second time, they took a shower together. Kate then donned one of Castle's button-down shirts and he threw on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt before going into her living room. "I'm going to throw a memorial for Roy Montgomery on Friday night at The Old Haunt. I thought that we should do something to remember him on the first anniversary of his death. Are you okay with that?"
Kate's eyes always told him a million tales. Right now they were brimming with too many memories. Things that Castle knew she would rather forget. He watched her fingers unconsciously rise up to the scar beside her left breast, tracing the puckered texture of it. In just a few days, he'd also memorized both of the scars that she now bore, witness to what had happened on that awful May morning a year before. After the happiness of a short time before, it was hard for him to witness the sadness that now lurked in Kate's green eyes. The sadness that came from missing a dear friend; the sadness that came from almost dying. He longed to make that sadness go away. "I don't want to remember him the way that he was that last night, Castle," she finally said. "I want to remember the Roy Montgomery that he was before everything crashed down on top of him."
"I want to celebrate his life, Kate, not mourn his death. We didn't get a chance to celebrate after . . . I mean, we were all just praying that you'd survive. That was all any of us thought about for weeks."
"All celebrating? No sadness? You promise?" She stared at him, her eyes so wide and trusting that it instantly melted his heart.
"No sadness," he enfolded her into his arms, rubbing her back. "We'll swap some of the craziest Roy Montgomery stories that we can think of."
"I like that idea very much. Have you talked to the boys, Lanie, and Evelyn?"
"I've talked to Ryan and Evelyn. I'll let you talk to Lanie and Espo. Tell Espo that while Ryan is going to be there, this is important. We all should be there."
"Castle, we need to be careful . . . about you and me. No one can find out, so no displays of public affection," she warned him.
"What about sneaky hand holding under the table?"
"Great, we can both pretend that we're 16," she kissed him.
***CCC***
The days they pass so quickly now
The nights are seldom long
Time around me whispers when it's cold
The changes somehow frighten me
Still I have to smile
It turns me on to think of growing old
For though my life's been good to me
There's still so much to do
So many things my life has never known
I'd like to raise a family, I'd like to sail away
And dance across the mountains on the moon
"Kate, you look wonderful," Kate treasured the embrace of Evelyn Montgomery. "Thank you for getting Roy's things back, especially our wedding album."
"You're welcome. Come on, everybody's been waiting for you."
Kate led Evelyn back to their usual table where everybody greeted her with smiles and hugs. Once they were all seated with drinks in front of them, Castle stood up. "We're here this evening to honor our good friend, Roy Montgomery. This is a celebration of his life. So, I want to start things off by recalling one of my favorite memories. I was working my second case with the team and I had woven this story about the man in Apartment 8B. Once I was finished, Roy wanted to know about the man in 8B, although actually he was just somebody that I made up."
They all laughed as Kate stood up. "I never thought it was possible for Roy to be embarrassed or uncomfortable about anything. We had brought a woman in for questioning after the murder of a plastic surgeon." She stopped when she saw the three men make faces in remembrance. "He asked me if she had an alibi and when I told him that she did, he wanted to know what it was. I told him that she was having surgery. He then wanted to know what else she could possibly need to have tightened up. I didn't answer; I just kind of cleared my throat," she stopped as the table erupted into laughter. "He didn't realize that we women might want that part of our anatomies . . . uh . . . tightened."
They were all laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces as Kate once again sat down. She glanced at Castle when she felt him taking her hand and squeezing it under the table. She refocused her attention on Ryan, who was now on his feet. "Okay, so Castle was cursed," he began as Espo groaned into his hands and the others began laughing. "Castle was cursed and the captain overheard me and Espo giving him a hard time. He asked us if we knew the grief the mayor would give him if Castle got eaten in the line of duty. He told us that there's no upside to screwing with things you can't explain."
"Yeah, he then told us about him and his partner breaking the window of a gypsy smoke shop. He said that his partner dropped dead, so they went to repair the window," Espo continued to story. "When he asked us why he fixed the window, we told him it's because there's no upside to screwing with things that you can't explain. He then told us not to ever forget it."
"When I think of Roy, these are the stories that I think of. He came home every day with tales that would have the both of us rolling on the floor laughing. But to hear the stories come from you guys, the ones who also loved him, makes the memories even more special," Evelyn told the group gathered around the table.
"To Roy," Castle raised his glass as they all echoed the sentiment.
I have to say it now, it's been a good life all in all
It's really fine to have a chance to hang around
Lie there by the fire and watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady sit and pass the pipe around
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
And what about tomorrow?
And what our dreams
And all the memories we've shared
After last call, everybody got up to leave. "Kate, do you want to share a cab?" Lanie asked as she grabbed her purse.
"Uh—"
"It's okay, Lanie. I'll make sure that she gets home all right," Castle glanced at Kate.
"Okay, girl. I'll see you when you come back on duty next week," Lanie hugged her friend.
"We'll have lunch before I come back," Kate promised her.
After the last of their friends left, Castle sent Brian, the bartender, home and began cleaning up the bar. Kate, who was more than a little tipsy, sat on a barstool and watched him. Well, actually she was only watching one part of him, but she was admiring that one part very much.
Castle turned from straightening behind the bar and smiled when he saw her checking him out. "Are you actually checking me out, Beckett?" He teased.
"Maybe," she gave him a coy smile.
"Do you like what you see?"
"Well, I like what's under the clothing better, but the clothed version isn't bad," she teased back.
"You're drunk," he smiled as he went back to his chores.
"You've seen me drunk before, but that was before things changed."
"So, how have things changed?" He called from the end of the bar.
"Well, for one thing, when I get drunk, I tend to get . . . how shall I say this? Affectionate."
"Is that a polite way to tell me that you get horny when you get drunk?" He walked around the bar and stopped behind the barstool that she was sitting on.
"Uh-huh," she smiled when she felt his arms coming around her waist.
"Well, as the owner of this establishment, I do have an office downstairs now."
"Castle, I don't want to fuck on your desk downstairs when you have a nice, big California King bed at home," she turned into his embrace.
"Then let me lock up and we'll get out of here," he planted a quick, chaste kiss on her lips before walking away from her.
When Kate had said she got affectionate when she was drunk, she wasn't kidding. It was all that Castle could do to keep a safe distance between them between the ride home in his car and the ride up to the loft in the elevator. He was sure that he was going to be sporting at least a couple of hickey's the next day.
Once he finally managed to get the door unlocked, things moved at what could only be described as warp speed. All he could remember the next morning was that one minute they were in his living room and the next, clothes were flying across his room and bodies were tumbling into his bed. "Beckett, slow down," he moaned at the feel of her hands delving into his boxers.
"Uh-uh," she nipped at his chest. "Drunk, horny. Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"Then shut up and fuck me," she took his hand and pressed it between her legs. "Now, Castle!"
It was definitely one of the most frenzied sexual encounters that he'd had in recent memory. Lamps had gotten knocked over and at one point they'd even fallen off of the bed, crashing onto the floor. But they never missed a beat. He loved the way that Kate shouted out his name as well as a lot of very creative swear words when she reached her climax. He looked up into her bright green eyes that were still slightly glazed from alcohol, but also were so full of what she was feeling for him. "That was . . . nah, I've got nothing to describe that," he tried to catch his breath as she smirked down at him.
"I warned you a long time ago that you had no idea."
"You show me that every single time we're together," he reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Now I'm hungry," she leaned down and kissed him. "Feed me, Castle."
"Now? It's . . . 3:30 in the morning," he pointed out to her.
"I like to have breakfast after great drunken sex. Come on, you can fall asleep after," she got up and reached for his hand before pulling him to his feet.
Groaning as he rose to his feet, Castle decided that he liked learning all of these little things about Beckett, things that she never would have told him if they weren't where they were now. "Did you have a good time tonight?"
"Yeah," she pulled him toward the kitchen. "It doesn't make me miss Roy any less, but it was fun sharing fun things about him. Thank you."
"Always," he pulled her close for a long tender kiss. "What am I cooking you?"
"An omelet. Not a smorlet, Castle. An omelet. With cheese, tomatoes, and spinach."
"One omelet coming up," he grinned at her as he got out the utensils to begin cooking an omelet for this extraordinary woman in the middle of the night.
A/N #4: I didn't want to turn this into an M-rated chapter because I don't write fast paced frenzied sex very well.
A/N #5: I also want to thank Swirling_Dust on Twitter for the follow. I feel honored.
I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960 and on Tumblr Caskett1960.