Rick Castle and the FBI Agent
Chapter 13 - Letting Go
Rick returns to Paul's room, just as Espo and Ryan are finishing their visit.
"Hey Castle, back to talk to Armstrong. Where's Beckett?", asks Ryan.
"Beckett went home, suggest the two of you do the same. I want one last talk with Sam before I leave."
"Ok bro, see you tomorrow at the station", Espo responds as Ryan and him leave.
He surprises Sam on his return.
"Rick, thought you left with Kate."
"Can I talk to you in private Sam?"
Sam looks and sees that Paul is asleep.
"Sure, there is a small consultation room off the waiting area where Doctors consult with the family in private, we can use that."
Once in the room, Castle speaks.
"I couldn't help but notice your reaction when Paul took that hit for you. You still have feelings for him."
"Rick, I...", she has no words.
"It took this incident to make those feelings surface, didn't it?"
"Yes, you know me so well."
"And I know you well enough that I see the conflict. You need to resolve what it is between you and Paul, but you are holding back because of me."
"No Rick, I'm with you now."
"Precisely, and that is why you are holding back on Paul. Sam, I release you from our promise to see where we are going. You are free to make a choice. In the end, I just want to see you happy, and if it is with Paul, so be it."
Sam is astonished by Rick's talk. She has two good men in her life and one has now said he will stand aside to let her choose which of the two she wants to be with. Rick Castle is a true gentlemen, an honorable man, and it is her luck to be with him.
"Rick, I do not know what to say."
"Say yes, and then follow your heart. You deserve that Sam for being the incredible women you are."
"But what of you and what of your situation with Kate?"
"I just learned she broke up with Josh."
"Oh, ...so she is single and available, ... you want a chance with her."
"I do."
"So we both have choices to make. In that case, follow your own advice. Let your heart guide you Rick."
"I will, but do I have your blessings?"
"Of course you do and will always have. Thank you for being such a thoughtful and sensitive man. Kate is a lucky girl."
"And Paul is a lucky man."
"Friends then?", says Sam.
"Always, how about a kiss for old times sake?"
They part with a final affectionate kiss and hug.
Rick hails a cab and heads for Kate's apartment.
Kate's Apartment
Ricks knocks on Kate's door. Kate hearing the knock, looks thru her peep hole and sees Rick. She opens the door for him. Once she shuts the door, Rick pushes her back against the door and gives her a passionate kiss, filled with longing. Kate responds to the kiss instantly, giving Rick lots of tongue as she returns the kiss. Once they break the kiss, Rick whispers in her ear.
"Did you mean what you said about us?"
"I did", she says breathlessly feeling the heat come to her core.
"Sam told me to follow my heart and that is what I am doing."
Upon hearing this, Kate gives Rick another kiss so filled with desire. She breaks the kiss and then whispers in his ear, "I have wanted this for so long. I'm so sorry Castle for not doing this sooner. Sorry that you had to see me with other men before I came to my senses and realized that I wanted you and you alone."
"Better late then never Kate."
"Castle, take me to bed or lose me forever!"
"What...! No five date rule!"
"Rick, we've had three years, is that not long enough!"
"Oh, yeah, right!"
Kate takes his hand and leads him to her bedroom. Once there she starts to unbotton his shirt. Once done, she gasps. This is the first time she has seen him shirtless. His toned and musclar arms, hairy and strong chest, washboard abs send a fire thru her, a heat she feels in herself deeply. The feeling is like no other. With all her past boyfriends, she never had this strong reaction on their first time seeing one another more initmately.
They commence to undress each other. They do it slowly, taking in the view, appreciating the moment. Once they are both naked, Kate speaks.
"Make love to me Rick."
"Are you sure Kate?"
"I want this Rick. I want us. We've both have waited too long. I can no longer deny us."
Kate leans back onto the mattress and opens herself to Rick. As he enters her, Kate lets out a moan so filled with desire and with so much feeling. The sound of her moan sends a sharp reaction thru Rick and releases three years of pent-up emotions and longing. They go at it the whole time. Three rounds in all. In the end they fall asleep in each other's arms, each dreaming of the other.
The Hospital
Paul's comes out of his slumber to see Sam seated by his bed.
"How long have you been here? They don't allow non-family members overnight privileges."
"See, that is where you are wrong Paul. The hospital staff knows enough to consider enforcement partners as family. So the head nurse said if I was quiet, I could stay the night. She even offered me a roll up bed to use, but I wanted you to see me when you woke up."
"So what have you been doing all this while?"
"Just watching you sleep and wondering how I was so lucky to have you in my life."
"Sam, where are you with Castle?"
"Nowhere now. We talked while you slept and he told me that he would not hold me back if you are the one."
"And am I the one?"
"You are."
"Rick is an honorable man, you are fortunate to have him in your life. Just as I was fortunate to have Megyn in my life. You know before she died, she told me to pursue you. She knew I would be happy with you and gave us her blessings."
"Megyn was a good woman and I will honor her wish."
"We are blessed to have such people in our lives."
"Well, Paul Mikelson, you need to get better so I can show you how lucky I am to have you."
They both kiss. It is a long and gentle kiss, but filled with passion. When they break, Paul speaks.
"I love you Samantha Armstrong."
There is a long and silent pause.
"Too soon?", says Paul.
"No, I just thought I would never hear that from you."
"Okay, so let me repeat, I love you Sam Armstrong."
This time she gives him a stronger and more passionate kiss.
"Damn, I need to get thru Physical Therapy sooner rather than later."
"You're darn straight on that, but I will be here no matter how long or how short it is."
The head nurse enters the room just then. The two break apart and react to the nurse arriving like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Agent Mikelson, so nice to see you up and about. I see you two are ready for the day."
"Yes, we are", Sam says hoping their PDA was not caught by the nurse.
"Very well then, can we start with your medication, and then I will take your vitals, Agent Mikelson."
"Let me leave then so you can do your job. I will go to get breakfast. Any reason the patient cannot have coffee if I bring one back."
"Just make sure it is de-caf and we will be ok."
"Roger on that then, I will be back."
Sam goes for breakfast in the hospital cafeteria and then calls her FBI office to give a status update on Paul's condition. The office reminds her that as soon as she and Paul are ready, they need to file their case reports. Due, however, to Paul's injuries, the report can wait till both are ready. She acknowledges that with her FBI office and then thinks to call the 12th to see where they were at in closing the case.
Paul is discharged the next day and then commences a two month physical rehab program to get his body back in shape. The case is closed out and Sanchez is charged with murder and kidnapping. The case is strong and after trial, Sanchez gets life without parole. The FBI chose to let the case be tried under State laws. For them the bigger action was the reward. They had broken up an international child trafficking ring and had shut them down globally.
Paul and Sam return to the FBI and are eventually teamed together again. Kate and Rick start in a relationship that had been a long tiime in happening. At first they try and keep it secret, but when they find that the Fraternization rules did not apply as Rick was not technically a police officer but a civilian consultant. Capt. Mongomery is pleased. His secret desire to see the two get together had happened. One reason he had not opposed Castle following Kate in the first place. Montgomery knew his best detective needed another life outside the job, and Rick provided that, along with being the best partner Kate had ever had.
Nights on the Town
After their case is closed, the two couples had started to double date, and they had become the best of friends. They often went clubbing together and on occasion it was a four couple affair; Paul and Sam, Rick and Kate, Javi and Lanie, and the Ryans. On one such occasion, the four ladies decided to freshen up together after spending several dances on the ballroom floor. They left their men at the table and headed to the Ladies Room.
"The club's slamming tonight and the floor's packed", says Lanie.
"Yeah, it is so SRO out there but do you realize we went for three fast numbers and then two line dances. I bet the men went to the Men's Room to recover and freshen up just like us", Sam replies.
"Maybe we should ask the DJ for three slow numbers in succession, I'm ready to get Rick in the mood."
"That man needs no encouragement from you on that Kate. He's a boy scout when it comes to getting romantic", says Jenny Ryan.
"A boy scout! How say you?", asks the other three women, puzzled by the comment.
"You know, after their motto, Be Prepared, Always Ready."
All the women laugh as they finally get Jenny's drift.
"Well, I agree with Kate. Time to get our men in the mood", suggests Sam.
They return and the men are not there. As they guessed, their men had also freshened up after their five dances. On the way back to their table, the ladies had stopped by the DJ's booth and asked for a series of slow dances. The DJ accommodated the women, he starts a slow number, 'The Closer I Get To You' by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. That is the dance music he plays.
The ladies need no further encouragement, they grab their men's hand and lead them to the dance floor.
It is well past midnight when they finally leave the club after the DJ played 'The Last Dance' by Donna Summers. They all have a night cap at the Haunt, which was just closing up, but they caught the staff before they could do so. Rick tells his staff that they will clean up after themselves and close the club on their own. They all are pretty tipsy when they finish the nightcap around 1:30 AM and each couple hails a cab.
They get to Kate's and then decide to celebrate a little bit more. Thank God it is Saturday night and they are off the next day. The two do not wake up till well close to noon, and then they have brunch. All seemed to be going well for the two and Rick knew that day what he had to do. When Kate went to the bath room he calls Paul to get a second opinion on what he was thinking. Seems Paul had a similar thought. Both men decide they would execute a joint plan on the next double date.
For a week before that next double date, the two men scheme on how they will carry out their plan. When the fateful night arrives, they take the ladies out for Japanese and make sure that there is a lot of Sake served with the meal. Afterwards they head to the Club for dancing. Rick had already talked to the DJ and got him in on the plan. When the time comes, the DJ plays several fast numbers which the two couples dance to each and every one of the dance songs. After the dances, Sam and Kate head to freshen up, just as the two men had planned. They prepare the table for when the girls get back.
When the two women return, they are two gift wrapped boxes on the table in front of their chairs.
"What's this?", asks Kate,
"What are the two of you up to?", adds Sam.
"Oh come on the both of you, just a show of affection for the women in our lives", replies Paul.
"Whose idea was this, Rick or Paul's?", queries Kate.
"We both had the same idea, but I thought about it first. So guilty as charged", answers Castle.
They both open their boxes and inside are a card and Russian stacking dolls. The each card reads, "To the woman in my life".
"Castle, this wouldn't be the same doll you got when we did the case on the murdered Russian model".
"No it is not Kate, if you will notice both dolls are the same in appearance and different from the one you mentioned."
"What's this about Kate?", asks Sam.
"You never seen one of these Sam? If you open the first large doll, it will contain a smaller doll, and so forth till you get to the last and smallest doll."
"So our gift is in the smallest doll?", Sam says now intrigued with what they will find in the last and smallest doll.
Both women open the dolls until they get to what appears to be the last doll, which is about a sixth of the size of the first doll. They place these last dolls in front of them and stare. Both women are trying to guess what that last doll contains. Then their eyes grow big as each one stares into the eyes of the other.
"Could it be?", says Kates excitedly.
Both women open up the last doll and in each doll is an engagement ring. Both ladies now have tears in their eyes as they turn to their significant other. Both men are on their knees.
"Kate", says Rick.
"Sam", says Paul.
"Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife", both men say in unison.
"Yes, yes!", Kate replies
"A million times yes", Sam adds.
Both couples seal the deal with a passionate kiss and tight embrace. The club crowd witnessing the whole event lets out a loud cheer when both women answer 'yes'. The plan had ended as the men had hoped