CASTLE NEEDS A FAVOR
CHAPTER SIX
The two of them came into the precinct together as they were now want to do. And as always they had to wade through several well-wishers as they did. One would think that anyone who wanted to offer congratulations would have done so by now.
Castle saw Kate established at her desk then went into the breakroom and made her a cup of coffee, her second for the day. She had already been fueled with her favorite beverage back at the loft once she was dressed and ready to go. They had gotten into the habit of setting their alarms a full hour earlier than they would if they'd spent the evening at their own places.
For some reason, whenever they slept together it always took much longer to get going in the morning.
Kate smiled at him as she took a sip of the perfectly brewed drink, then turned to boot up her computer. They had just wrapped their latest case yesterday and now it was a matter of writing up the case notes and completing the paperwork. So it should be a quiet day unless they got another body drop.
"So, I think I'll go ask Roy now if he would be my best man." Castle had leaned over close to Kate's ear so he wouldn't be overheard.
She turned to him. "I think that would be a good idea. But he is going to want to know if we have made any firm commitment to a date yet."
Castle nodded. "I know, but he's been there before so he knows all the crappola that has to be figured out before setting a hard date. If he needs a time frame, I'll do what I do best."
She smirked. "You'll waffle."
He grinned. "I'll waffle."
Castle got up from his chair and walked over to the Captain's office. He noticed that Montgomery was shuffling one stack of papers over to another stack on the opposite corner of his desk. It was a good a time as any. He knocked on the door jam.
Montgomery looked up. "What can I do for you, Rick?"
Castle stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. He sat down in front of his friend and Kate's boss.
"As you know, Kate and I are planning to get married."
Roy leaned back in his chair, amused at Castle's obvious discomfort. "Yes, I think I might have heard something about that."
Castle chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I bet you're pretty much fed up with all the commotion we've caused your precinct."
Montgomery grinned. "It's been a bit of an inconvenience but it will die down soon enough. It just shows Beckett how much her coworkers really think of her. Everyone is really very happy for the two of you."
Castle nodded slowly. "She deserves all the happiness she can get, and if I can help in any way with that, I'm happy too."
Montgomery chuckled. "Well, I was beginning to wonder about you Rick. It took you a lot longer to 'get the girl', as they say, than I thought it would. You must be slowing up in your old age."
"Well, some things are worth waiting for. She's different than the women I've been with in recent years. Hell, she's different than the women whom I've married."
Castle gave Roy a confidential look. "I'll admit that when I first began to shadow her and the boys all I was after was some inside information and maybe a chance to bed another hot woman. But that changed not long after we started to actually work together."
Montgomery grinned. "Was it because she said no?"
Castle shrugged. "Might have been. I began to see her for the extraordinary woman that she was. When you add intelligence, and heart, to a good looking woman you no longer just have a hot female. Now you have an attractive woman. Someone who can be more than a way to satisfy certain needs. Roy, she made me a better man."
"I know. Do you know why I allowed this arrangement to happen?"
Castle cocked his brow. "Ah, because Bob asked you nicely?"
Roy snorted. "I know Bob as well as you do Rick, but this is my house. If I didn't like the idea, you wouldn't have been allowed to set foot in my house unless you were in cuffs. But I've known you for a few years now Rick, and I know you aren't really that guy on page 6. Not really."
Castle spread his hands. "I can't say I didn't enjoy some of those arranged dates."
Montgomery nodded. "And just how many of those paid escorts did you ever date again?"
"One, but she wasn't paid. She was my cousin Kelly on vacation in the big city so I took her around, showing her the sights."
"Exactly, I knew you well enough to trust you to do the right thing when it came right down to it. Kate was the best I ever trained. She was smart, dedicated, and relentless. Only she had no life outside of the precinct."
"What about Sorenson? She was living with him."
Roy nodded. "You've met him. What was your impression of Mr. FBI?"
Castle shrugged. "He was a stiff. He had drunk the FBI Kool Aid and would have been a perfect poster boy for their recruitment ads, but as a person." Castle rolled his eyes. "Bo-ring."
Roy laughed. "I agree. I thought that you would be good for her. Get her out of her own head. After Will, she never had any fun." Roy shrugged. "Hell, she probably didn't have any fun while she was with him." They both laughed. "But it turns out that I was right, maybe even more right than I thought. You were good for her. And as it turned out. She was good for you too."
"I definitely believe that. Kate showed me that there is more to be gained in this life than just self-aggrandizing hi-jinx. I also felt what your detectives felt when they successfully close a case. The pride and the satisfaction they get when they put the bad guy behind bars and give the victim's family the closure they so badly need. It's almost like a drug."
Montgomery nodded. "And I would be lying if I said you haven't been an asset to the team since you've been here." Castle had no response to that so Roy continued. "So, as much as I've enjoyed our little chat, I assume there was a reason that you came in to see me?"
"Sorry," Castle made a face. "I wanted to ask you if you would consider being my best man."
Roy looked a bit surprised. "I'm flattered, but don't you have any male friends?"
Castle shook his head. "Not close ones. Not anyone I've stayed in touch with for several years."
"What about Ryan and Esposito?"
"Well, there's the two of them so I thought I'd ask them to be my groomsmen."
"Makes sense. Do you have a date yet?" Rick shook his head. "Well, I have an iron-clad commitment with my wife that we are going on a cruise on the last week of August. If your wedding doesn't fall within that time period… I'd be honored to stand with you."
"Thanks Roy, I owe you one."
Montgomery just smiled at him.
Castle was practically giddy when he sat back down next to a Kate Beckett who was deeply involved in her work. It took several moments before she acknowledged him sitting next to her.
She smiled. "How did it go?"
"Great. He said that if we didn't get married during the last week of August he'd be happy to do it. I guess he promised Evelyn that he take her on a cruise."
"Well, we wouldn't dare interfere with that." Kate couldn't help but wonder if they even had that much time left together. If things progressed the way that Castle had thought. She could be a widow by then.
Kate's heart twisted in her chest. Every time she let herself feel good about things involving the wedding, something would remind her what was really happening, and that hurt.
Castle stood up to talk to Espo and Ryan when Kate stopped him with a hand on his arm. "We still have that appointment with your doctor tomorrow, don't we?"
Castle put his other hand over hers. "Yes, I've set it up so we can leave in the mid-afternoon tomorrow right from the precinct then go straight home and work out our timetable."
"Good." Whenever the subject of Castle's health came up she had to fight back tears. It wouldn't exactly do to have the blushing bride sitting at her desk crying in the days leading up to her happy big day.
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For some reason Kate had gotten up early. Her own nerves about how the visit with Castle's doctor would go wouldn't let her sleep. Rick had no problem, he was still sleeping soundly as she got ready for work. She had decided to let him sleep in while she went ahead. She would text him if a body dropped. She made herself a cup of coffee and left.
Castle rolled over and threw his arm over Kate's waist. Well he should've been able to throw his arm over her waist, only no one was there. He fought to open his eyes but they were extra gummy with sleep this morning. Considering how much went on last night in this very bed, it was miraculous he was able to get up at all.
Kate was particularly energetic last night. She was almost desperate. He wondered if the visit this afternoon with his doctor had her thoughts turning to the darker side. It would be the single thing that they could do that would make everything real.
As long as they was no absolute diagnosis a part of them could pretend that they were preparing for a long happy future, like the one they were pretending to be preparing for. Their happy ever after together. Not the sham they had been perpetrating so their friends and loved ones wouldn't be put through the heartache of loss until the last possible moment.
Rick dragged himself out of bed as his thoughts continued on the path they had chosen. He had a few sudden doubts about his original plan. Was it really fair to his mother and daughter to hide this from them? Shouldn't they have the time to deal with the consequences of losing him like any normal family would have to? And what about their friends? Was his grand plan to do for them really for their benefit, or was it merely a salve for his own conscious.
Also, was it merely ego to think that they would have such a hard time if he didn't provide a more permanent support option in the form of Kate as the newly widowed member of the family? And with Kate, came Jim another stable, reasoning, man who could be there also.
The fact that intelligent, practical Kate Beckett agreed to go along with this helped him believe that what he… what they were doing was the right thing to do. He couldn't keep them from the pain of the loss, but he could try to give them the best support he could give them. And he was certain that the time they had been together these past weeks and making Kate a part of the family would greatly help all of them handle his death when the time came.
Kate was always a person who, because of the great loss she'd already had to survive, was about helping those who suffered a great loss. She wouldn't be able to help herself. She would have to leap in and try to help his family in any way she could. He was just giving her an easier access to them. They would help each other.
Rick stumbled into the kitchen and smiled when he saw that the coffee maker was on and there was a pot warming on the heating element. He moved over and poured himself a part of a cup. Just enough to get his eyes open so he could plan his day.
On the counter was a note. She didn't wake him because she knew he'd be tired and without a body there would be no need for him to come in early. She told him she would text him if one dropped.
Knowing that his morning was his own, Castle made his way back into the bedroom to dress and get ready for the day. The day the earth would stand still… for him.
Kate couldn't believe it. They were called out on a body drop as soon as she sat down at her desk she got the call. It was fairly close so she decided to wait until they got there before she'd text Castle. He would still need some time to get himself together.
Once they arrived at the scene, Kate saw Lanie bent over a body. Nearby a couple of uniforms were holding onto a scruffy looking fellow in handcuffs. The scruffy looking fellow did not look happy.
"Hey Lanie, what do you have for me?"
Lanie looked up at her friend. "The easiest case you've ever had." Kate gave Lanie a confused look. Lanie pointed to the victim. "Meet Darwin Givens. According to his license, he's forty six, lives about three streets over, and was killed with that pipe over there." She pointed to a three foot length of pipe lying about six feet away.
"Who's the gentleman being held by the uniforms?"
Lanie smirked. "He's the killer. He was still standing over the vic when the officers arrived."
Kate glanced over at the scruffy man being held, then back to Lanie. "Is that all?"
Lanie rolled her eyes. "Isn't that enough. I've already solved the case for you. The least you can do is go through the motions and rack up another solve for your vaunted team."
Kate stepped back. "My, aren't we in a mood this morning."
Lanie waved a hand at her friend. "I'm sorry honey, I had a bad night. Didn't get much sleep."
Kate turned toward the officers and mumbled under her breath. "Seems to be going around."
Kate was just working up the report on the Givens case. Apparently Mr. Darwin Givens was walking by that alley when he was 'bothered' by the killer's dog. A Mr. Billy Blue Pants, the dog's de facto owner took umbrage over Givens kicking his dog, so he hit him on the head with a pipe that he kept around for protection.
As a panhandler who lived on the streets he often had to protect himself against those who would abuse him for their own pleasure. Unfortunately, since Mr. Givens only kicked the dog and not Billy, his public defender might have trouble selling a self-defense plea. He probably would have gotten away with it if he hadn't stuck around cussing Givens out for hurting his dog until the cops arrived.
She was almost finished with her preliminary report when Castle stepped off the elevator. He looked good to her eyes. It was hard for her to believe that he was suffering from some strange condition that would soon take him from her. She clamped down on that thought.
"Hey, thanks." She accepted the obligatory cup of coffee from him then took a deep drink. "What, no bear claw? I know it's after lunch, but a girl's got to eat."
He plopped down on his chair. "Especially you. I'll have to really work at fattening you up before the wedding. I wouldn't want people to think I've been starving you."
She pursed her lips in a little frown. "But you have been."
Castle jerked back. "When? How can you say that? You were the one who was too tired to eat something before bed. Then you decided not to sleep anyway." He gave her a waggle of his eyebrows.
She laughed. "Yeah, well I had something else I felt I needed to do."
He nodded. "Oh, and you did it quite well." She grinned and he shook his head. "What about this morning? You could have eaten something before you came to work."
She shrugged. "I didn't want to wake you."
Rick laughed. "I think you could have made some toast or something without waking me."
"Yeah, but I don't normally eat breakfast… unless you make it."
Castle patted her hand. "Well, I see I have another bad habit of yours I have to break before the wedding. But fear not, I came early enough to take you to lunch before we see my doctor. So, are you ready to go?"
"Yes… you won't believe the case we caught this morning. I'll tell you all about it at lunch." She stood up and walked over to Ryan and Esposito's desks. "Hey guys, Castle and I are going to lunch, then we'll be running some important errands the rest of the afternoon. I cleared it with Montgomery before he left." She grabbed Castle's arm and waved goodbye to them over her head.
In a change up from the normal lunch menu, they decided to stop at a favorite spaghetti joint that Castle knew. Of course, he knew the best place to go for just about any type of food so Kate trusted his judgement. No surprise, the food was great, as was the service.
It was just after two in the afternoon when they entered the office of Dr. Welby, Rick's doctor. They let the clerk know who they were and that they had an appointment for a consultation with the doctor. They had no sooner sat down in the lobby than they were called in.
They were led into a small office with a desk and a couple of chairs. Rick wasn't sure how anyone could get much work done in the small room. It wasn't much larger than the exam room. His small run of bookshelves was packed to over flowing. They sat in the chairs in front of the desk.
As is her habit, Kate looked about the room, taking in whatever one would consider a personal item. Something that would tell her something about the man they were going to meet. It was a cop thing.
They'd only been waiting for a few minutes when a kindly looking, white-haired gentleman in a white coat came in from another door near the back.
Rick stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you for seeing me Doctor Welby." Rick swept his hand toward Kate who remained seated. "This is my fiancé Kate, she wanted to be here for this also."
The doctor indicated that Rick should sit. He followed suit right after. "I have to admit that I'm a bit confused as to your request for a discussion about your 'condition'?" The doctor folded his hands on his desk. "Exactly what condition are we talking about here, Mr. Castle?"
Castle bowed his head like a school boy about to be scolded. "I have a confession to make, Doctor. When I was getting dressed after my physical exam I heard you and a nurse talking about me and saying what a shame it was about my condition."
The doctor just stared at Castle with a blank look on his face. "When exactly was your appointment again Mr. Castle?" Rick told him. He flipped through an appointment book on his desk until he reached the correct date. He shook his head. "I don't see anything noted here. Can't you tell me anything about this 'condition' you mentioned?"
Rick sighed. "Well I heard you talking about this illness, but you called it a condition. It was something that would be eventually fatal, but I wouldn't really have any symptoms or feel any ill effects until just before it killed me. You even took those extra blood samples to do extra testing to confirm the diagnosis. You felt you could wait to tell me about my condition until it got closer to the end. Not only would that give you the time to perform the extra tests, but to allow me time without the Spector of death hanging over me."
Kate was studying the doctor the whole time Rick was talking. At first it was clear he had no idea what Castle as talking about. Then, as Rick told his tale she could see a gleam of recognition in his eyes.
"Mr. Castle, I took those extra blood tests because I wanted to double check your cholesterol levels again. It turns out they were better than I had originally thought so you're good there. What I said to you that day is true. You are in excellent shape for a man your age."
Kate couldn't take it anymore. "But what about this 'condition' that is supposed to kill him sometime soon."
Doctor Welby slowly shook his head. "I believe, or I can guess what happened. Due to patient, doctor confidentiality I can't give you any details but what you claim to have overheard does sound similar to a patient I just admitted to the hospital the other day."
The doctor rubbed his chin with his hand. "You said you heard me say your name?"
Castle nodded. "Yes, you said it was a shame about Richard."
Dr. Welby nodded. "Ah, I see now what happened. The patient I just mentioned, his name is Richard also and the time frame between his diagnosis and Mr. Castle's physical line up. I'm afraid you overheard a conversation I had with my nurse concerning this other Richard. I'm sorry if that gave you some distress. I wish you would have checked with me sooner."
Castle's mouth was hanging open. "You mean I'm not dying? Ow!" Rick was rubbing his arm where Kate punched him. She was glaring at him.
"No, Mr. Castle, you aren't dying."
"Don't bet on that." Kate was still glaring at him.
Dr. Welby just chuckled as the pair left the office in a hurry with Castle sprinting in the lead and Kate staying close on his tail. She wasn't worried that he'd be able to get away from her. She had the keys.
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The ride back to the loft had been a long and silent one. Every time Castle tried to say something Kate just held up her hand for him to stay silent. In the back of her mind she knew she was being unfair to him. But she had been torn up pretty bad by the news when he first told her. Why couldn't he have just double checked considering how nebulous his discovery had been?
She couldn't decide whether to be furious for what he put her through, or happy that he wasn't dying. No, of course she was happy he wasn't dying, but even forgiving him for the pain and anguish she'd been put through, they still had to deal with what they were going to do now.
Because it had been planned as a means to a particular end that isn't applicable anymore, does that mean the whole romance was fake and the wedding is just off? Is that what he will want? Is that was she wants?
Her mind is spinning because a lot of things changed in her life during these past two months. A lot of it was because Castle was dying, but a lot of it wasn't. Whatever was going to happen going forward, they needed to talk.
She entered the loft first, using her key for the first time. She went over and collapsed onto the couch. He followed after. He stood in front of her.
"Look, I'm really sorry about this. I really believed that I was dying. You have to believe that I would never put you through this under false pretenses. This wasn't just some scheme to get you in my bed."
He paced in front of her. "I told you in the beginning that I already loved you and I would have waited until you were ready for me. I would not have pushed you like I did if I didn't think I wouldn't have the time to court you normally."
Kate just waved her hand back and forth. "Look, forget about all that. I know you would've never put either of us through what we've experienced for the last two months if you hadn't believed in it." She dragged her hands through her hair. "Now, we have to have a long, and serious talk about what we're going to do about it." She tucked her hair behind both her ears. "We have an awful lot of people out there who are all excited about our pending wedding."
He nodded. "Coffee, or booze?"
Her brow raised. "Right, coffee first. Booze later."
While he made some coffee for them she found herself looking around the loft. She had been just getting used to the idea that she would be living here full time. It suddenly struck her that it was lucky that she hadn't sublet her own apartment yet.
She really liked the loft. It was roomy, yet comfortable. The furniture was exquisite and his bed, which would have been her bed was downright sinful in its comfort. Of course, she hadn't really thought how it would be trying to sleep on that big bed all by herself.
Castle came back and set the coffee down in front of her on the coffee table. He also set out a plate of cookies he had made earlier this morning. He chose to sit in a chair opposite her rather than on the couch next to her. She wondered if that was some sign of something that she was too rattled to interpret.
Castle took a long swig of the coffee then looked her in the eye.
"Kate, I can't tell you again how sorry I am for everything, and if it's what you want I will go to every one of our friends and coworkers and tell them all the truth. I'll tell them it was all my plan and that you went along with it because you are my friend." He sighed. "I'll even work up some story for a press release that will call it all a publicity stunt to get you out from under."
He sat there staring at her. She knew it was her turn to talk, to answer, but she needed a little more information.
"Is that what you want?"
He looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, if it was up to you, what would you most want to do?"
He looked into her brown eyes with the swirls of green flecks throughout. "I'd do nothing."
"Nothing?" Had she heard him correctly?
"I'd let everything we planned to happen, happen. Just not for those reasons." He stood and walked over to sit next to her. He took her hand and rubbed the diamond ring with his finger. "Kate I love you, and for me the goal has always been to get you to love me back and eventually wind up an old comfortable married couple."
"This wasn't the way I would have done it if the situation had been normal, but it would have been pretty close to it. It just probably would have taken a little longer without the imagined time limit."
He reached over and pushed a fallen tendril of hair back behind her ear. "This is me, not dying, with a new lease on life and I'm saying I'd still want to marry you."
He smiled at her. "I answered your question now you answer mine. If it was up to you, what would you most want to do?"
She placed her hand along his cheek. "Rick, when you brought this whole crazy, terrible scheme to me the only thing I could think of was 'what would I do without you'. What would Beckett be without Castle? You were my partner, and my best friend already. Josh was just the protection for my heart if you should find your Ms. Right somewhere along the way."
Castle smiled. "I already had."
"Yeah, but I'm a little slow sometimes when it comes to relationships."
She shifted her position on the couch to face him. "There's a reason that I didn't immediately throw you out for being insane when you proposed the idea to me. I think deep down, no matter how terrible the situation, no matter how crazy the plan, I kind of liked the idea of being your third times the charm."
"I can't say I was in love with you yet at that time, at least not consciously. But I was damn close and it didn't take much of a push. During our so-called sham courtship and eventual engagement. I found myself wanting what we were playing at more and more."
She played with her ring for a few moments. "I think that day in the Hampton's when you gave me the Cracker Jack box with the ring it became real for me. I knew you were going to be leaving me but I was going to live as much of the fairytale as I could before the book was closed."
She laughed. "So, in the most roundabout way I'm saying the same thing as you. I want this to happen too. But." She held up her hand. "Since we don't have to outrun the reaper anymore. Could we slow things down a bit? I'd much prefer a fall wedding. Something in September would be nice. Or maybe even wait until next spring. There's nothing wrong with a long engagement. And I'd still like it to be a more intimate affair. I'm not looking for my wedding pictures to be splashed on page 6 of the tabloids."
Castle shook his head. "Nah, they'd be on the front page."
She slapped him on the arm. "I don't want them in any paper." She frowned. "Okay, you are somewhat famous, so a small tasteful article in the paper somewhere is acceptable. But I want it to be about us, not something to sell books."
She suddenly got a coy look in her eye. "This also means that you are actually going to have to write again. No more slacking just because you were dying."
He laughed out loud. "Well you drive a hard bargain there Kate, but I think I can accept and get behind everything you said."
A somewhat evil look came over him. "And I think I just might hold you to that vow you made."
"What vow?" She asked somewhat confused.
"That you would be willing to have children if I lived."
She just blushed furiously.
He grabbed her left hand and before she could react and slipped the ring off her finger. Before she had a chance to yell at him, he was down on his one knee. Holding the ring in his right hand.
"So Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me for real?"
A single tear slid from the corner of her eye. "Yes."
She launched herself into him, knocked over the coffee table and smashed her lips onto his. They kissed long and hard until a need to breathe forced them to stop. Rich stood up and took her in his arms bridal style and carried her over the threshold of the bedroom to the sound of her giggles.
Fin.
AN: Hope this effort entertained those who stuck with it.
Readers and always Appreciated, Review if you wish