Playing Hard to Get

Chapter 32

Epilogue

Kate walked over to Kevin and Javi, carrying her files, and dropped them on Javi's desk since his desk was closer. "Guys, here are all of my files for my active cases. Starting tomorrow, I'm gone for two solid weeks." Kate was so looking forward to her honeymoon. Warm beaches, lots of free food. Okay, not totally free. It was part of the cost of the cruise, but it felt free. Along with lots and lots of sex. Not that they weren't doing that already.

Espo frowned. "You sure you want to do this, Beck...Castle? What if you don't come back?"

"Now, that is an excellent idea. Homicide detective in Tahiti, Bora Bora, or Honolulu even. Great idea, thank you." Kate was teasing them. She had no intention of leaving New York City. At least not permanently.

"When will you learn to keep your mouth shut, Javi?" Kevin asked him and ignored the look he gave him.

"Don't worry, guys. Lilly is staying with Alexis." Kate wouldn't leave her puppy behind, not if they were really moving instead of going on their honeymoon. Not a puppy that was willing to risk her life to save hers.

"We could take care of her. We have people here 24 hours a day," Javi reminded her.

"Are you going to pick up poop? Mop up the pee? Clean up when she suddenly vomits? Play with her?" Kate challenged him.

Espo instantly backed off. "Alexis is a good choice."

"I thought so. Don't burn the place down while I'm gone." Kate left them and headed for Montgomery's office; she knocked before stepping inside.

"I'm off, Sir. Two weeks of vacation. Espo and Ryan have all my files," Kate reported.

"Enjoy your honeymoon, Castle. I think we'll need these two weeks to get used to calling you Castle. The time after your wedding just wasn't enough." Roy was still struggling with having two Castles himself.

"Yes, Sir." Kate had noticed, and she and Rick weren't making it easy on them. In fact, they were intentionally making it hard on them. It was fun!

"Just don't forget to come back, Castle."

"I'll think about it, Sir," Kate teased and took her leave of him. Kate said goodbye to a few others before stepping into the elevator and down to the ground floor for the trip home. The loft was indeed home for her now.

She had her money from the insurance company. It took both her dad and Rick's lawyer to get them to fork over the money she was due to avoid being sued and paying her several times over that amount. She didn't really need the money. She still had most of Rick's 80k that she had gotten from buying him earlier. That one 10-day vacation had barely made a dent in it.

Naturally, Kate had insisted that she help pay her share now that she was living at the loft. Electric, heat, water, and other bills. Rick had grudgingly agreed to some of them, and she was still working on him to pay others.

The second she opened the door, Lilly and Dahlia rushed at her, demanding that she pet them.

Since she didn't see anyone, she went into the master bedroom and saw Rick packing for their trip. They had a 6:00 am flight to San Francisco, where they had a 4-hour layover for the flight to Papeete. It added up to nineteen hours of travel one-way. It was costing them just under 5k per ticket. Kate had choked on her coffee when Rick had told her. He, on the other hand, had barely blinked.

Kate ran a hand across his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "I'm officially off work. How goes the packing?"

"I've started yours, but you might want to look at it and keep packing. I'm planning to do laundry along the way somehow," Rick told her.

"Alright, thanks!" She hadn't been on a cruise before and didn't exactly know what to expect. She had blinked at the cost of the cruise till she found out just what cabin Rick had selected for them.

He chose the forward-facing Penthouse Suite at the jaw-dropping cost of $11,000 per person. It was a one-bedroom suite with a balcony, 555 square feet of floor space, and 115 square feet of balcony space. It came with a separate tub and shower, and it was on deck 10. Meaning in high seas, they were going to feel it a little.

"You didn't pack any swimsuits for me, Castle." Even today, Kate couldn't stop calling him Castle. It kind of helped confuse everyone at the Precinct. She watched him grin. "I'm not giving anyone but you a free peek." Kate went through her swimsuits and packed three of them, two bikinis and a one-piece. Since it was Tahiti and Hawaii, she packed everything light that she could find. Tank tops, shorts, short sleeve blouses, skirts, and a couple dresses. That was in addition to the usual stuff needed during a trip.

She paused for a moment and asked, "Does the cruise have a dress code?"

"Not really, but they do have one night of dining and expect everyone to dress up," Rick told her. That had Kate searching for a dress that would fill that need. She still only had the one dress that was suitable. It was the one Castle gave her to attend the charity auction where she bought him. She needed to pack shoes and jewelry to go with it.

"Done," Kate announced and left him to finish since he seemed to be having more trouble. Kate found Alexis and Martha waiting for them in the kitchen.

"Two weeks on a honeymoon. I'd love at least one souvenir from anywhere you visit," Alexis said hopefully.

"Knowing your dad, I'm pretty sure you can expect one from each and every city we stop to see. Even if he has to ship it home." Kate smiled at her and opened the refrigerator, looking for something light to eat. Fruit would do just fine.

"Just come back healthy, Katherine. That's all I ask," Martha said. "Even if you find a new job in one of those places."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "I'm not moving, Martha, and I have no plans to look for a new job."

"You're sure? Can't you imagine your life and a new job in one of those places? Clean streets, clean air, cleaner buildings, no drive-by shootings, no gangs," Martha offered enticingly.

"Grams?" Alexis didn't need or want to hear her talking about New York City like that. This was her city!

"Not to worry, Alexis. Martha will never leave this city, and neither will I. She's an actress, she's just playing a part," Kate assured her.

"Better be." Alexis looked at a smug Martha and knew she'd just been teased.

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"Stay safe, Dad, and have a good time." Alexis hugged him at the door. "You too, Stepmom." Kate had asked her not to call her mom until she was sure she was ready, so stepmom would have to do...for now.

"Piece of cake, Alexis, no worries. Would you like me to bring you back a boyfriend?" Kate winked at her when Castle wasn't watching.

"I think a pool boy will work out just fine, thank you." Alexis smiled at her and watched her dad shake his head. She kind of liked the guy she was seeing now, though, and was only teasing her dad.

"Pool boy?" Rick questioned Kate in the elevator down.

"She's just yanking your chain, Castle. You are so easy." Kate grinned at him. "But I still love you." Kate stroked his cheek and quickly kissed him.

"Not funny, really not funny." He got to listen to Kate laugh at him.

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Kate and Rick were in their seats and waiting to start their flight. Kate leaned back and sighed. "Nineteen hours. Are you sure you couldn't find something closer? Just as good?"

"You invent the teleporter, and I'll have your baby," Rick told her.

"Now that I would like to see." Kate smiled at him. "You can be the one with swollen feet, bad back, sensitive breasts, and get as big as a house."

Rick leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "And you'll still be the most beautiful sexiest woman on the planet."

He was a terrible liar, but he was sweet and hers till death did they part. Kate stroked his cheek. "Whatever you say, Husband."

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Fare Anapa Guesthouse

$612 for two nights wasn't all that bad, and it was only 14 minutes from the airport.

"So what's first, Husband?" Like the last one, Rick had planned this trip, and she was happy to let him be in charge. Yeah, it fed his ego, but for now, she didn't mind.

"A five-hour island tour, then we can find some nightlife and get in some dancing," Rick replied.

"I approve, right after I get changed and freshen up." Kate kissed him and headed for the bathroom.

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Kate was still happy to be here, and sex with Castle was still the best ever. "Is there a plan for today?" Tomorrow was the trip to the port to board their cruise ship. After that, they were basically trapped, save for shore excursions.

"Notre Dame Cathedral. I was thinking of taking one last try at talking to your mother. Never give up trying," Rick said. "After that, the day is totally up to you. We'll do whatever you want, even if that includes nothing at all."

Kate wasn't so sure. She had tried twice already, but still, it was a Notre Dame church, so she agreed. Especially since she wanted to hit a beach in Tahiti that she was never likely to come back and see again, it sounded like a good idea.

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He was staring at her. "You don't like my bikini?" She thought it was the sexiest bikini she owned. It even had a thong bottom, so it exposed all of her butt. She was going to need a lot of sunscreen on this trip.

"I think I'm going to have to fight them off you," Rick said with all seriousness. Dressed, or actually undressed like that, she would attract every red-blooded man on the island.

"You're sweet, but I'm a cop. They try anything, and I'll kick their asses. Besides, I bound myself to you till death do us part. You're my husband, and I don't cheat, Rick. Not ever. I'm still a one-writer girl," Kate assured him. "Now, let's hit the beach. You'll need to spread sunscreen all over my body to keep me from turning into a fire engine."

"I can do that." Suddenly going to the beach with Kate dressed like that was looking up.

Kate smiled at him. "I was pretty sure you could."

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Their bags would be delivered directly to their suite, so all they had to do was get used to being on a cruise ship, find everything, and still find their way to their suite on deck 10.

The casino was on deck 7. The spa was on deck 12, as were the fitness center, the hot tubs, and the pool. Shopping was deck 8. Bars were from deck 6 to deck 12. Cagney's Steakhouse was on deck 7. You needed a reservation, and it cost extra to eat there.

They had three stops at different locations, followed by four straight days at sea before arriving in Hawaii.

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Kate found out fast that her husband had decided to let her decide what to do for the next two stops and not warn her till the night before. Her STUPID, silly, but still sweet husband. That meant hitting the shore excursion desk first thing, and getting in line while Castle went off to get them both coffee.

Kate didn't find anything left she liked for Moorea, so it was back to finding a beach where she could get a tan and going to find a nice cafe to have lunch at while still dressed in a swimsuit. This time it was a one-piece with a see-through wrap.

Now, Bora Bora did have something she had signed them up for the day before they even arrived: a 3-hour tour on an ATV. There turned out to be only 6 of them, them and two other couples. After a quick explanation on how to handle an ATV, they were off. They had one guide up front and one way in the back to help if someone crashed or broke down.

Kate wrapped herself around her husband after that trip. "We need to come back here again, Castle. Maybe get one of those cabins on the water." She had seen those, and they had a lot of them. "Oh, and maybe take scuba diving lessons when we do. And do that parasailing I saw. I wonder if they have any openings for a homicide detective?" Kate thought this was the perfect place to live and forgot she had promised never to leave New York City.

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Their side of the boat had an ocean view while it was there. Kate was sitting on their patio with a drink she had gotten at the bar and was just staring at the water because her husband was missing.

Then suddenly, he was sitting down next to her. "Castle, where have you been?" Their day on Bora Bora was over, but there were still things to do onboard ship.

"I was on the internet. If you want a police job here, it seems you need to know French," Rick told her and stole her drink for a quick sip.

"You looked up police jobs here? That's sweet of you, Castle, but I'm not leaving New York City," Kate told him. "How much French?" She saw him smile at her. She couldn't decide whether she wanted to smack that smile off his face or kiss it off. She chose to do neither for now.

"Apparently fluent. French and English."

"Rats, how about Russian?" She knew Russian.

Rick raised an eyebrow. "In French Polynesia?"

Kate went back to looking at the view. So that sudden dream was dead. "Thanks for looking." She would just have to be content with New York City.

"We could buy a vacation home and come here and have somewhere to stay." It was Rick's only other idea. He wasn't blind; he knew Kate liked it here.

"It took us 19 hours to get here, Castle. Nineteen very long hours. I don't think so." Kate wouldn't fly that long, only to stay for a day or two.

"You do know that I can write from anywhere, right?" That really was the last card he had to play.

Kate shook her head. "And have to fly 19 hours to do a book signing in New York City because Gina tells you to. That or she sues you for breach of contract? We can't live way out here. As nice as it is, it's just too far. Maybe when we both retire, Alexis is married with her own family, and the kids are all grown up and moved out of the house. Maybe then."

"Alexis isn't getting married till she's 30, and you want kids?" They hadn't even talked about having kids of their own yet.

"Alexis doesn't have to wait till she's 30, so forget it. And at the rate we have sex, an accident is bound to happen. Since twins seem to run strong in my family..." Kate trailed off. She just might kill herself if she ended up with twins.

"Twins!" Rick beamed at her. He so wanted to have children with her. He was happy to have had Alexis, even if it cost him. He had found out only after he married Gina that she HATED children and had already had her tubes tied to prevent it. That had only started one of their many fights leading to divorce.

"You don't have to look so happy about it, Castle." And this time, Kate was seriously thinking about slapping that look right off his face.

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Alexis hadn't heard anyone at the door, but barking their heads off, Dahlia and Lilly both rushed at it. But it wasn't one of those I'm going to rip you to pieces if you hurt my pack kind of barks. It was more of a happy bark. Then she heard a key, and the barking turned into whimpering and whining. "LILLY!" Kate dropped her bags and did her best to hug and pet her puppy if she could get her to stay still long enough.

Alexis ran up to both of them, and hugged them one at a time. "WOW! You two are burnt!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Rick complained.

"Only my shoulders hurt. Who knew swimming amplified the ability of the sun to burn you." Kate picked up her bags again and groaned because doing so stretched her top across her shoulders.

"So, did you have a good time?" Alexis prayed they hadn't gotten burnt on their first day and suffered through the rest of their honeymoon.

"IT WAS GREAT!" Rick exclaimed and dragged his suitcase to the master bedroom.

"It was amazing. We even know where we're going on our second honeymoon," Kate told her as she went into the master bedroom with Alexis and the dogs right behind her.

"You talked Dad into a second honeymoon?" Kate wasn't just good; she was amazing if she had managed that.

"It was that or let your father buy a home in Bora Bora," Kate replied and dropped her bags. She could unpack later and hand out all the souvenirs they had purchased then. What she needed right now was coffee and to have more cream rubbed on her burning shoulders.

Alexis followed Kate since getting information out of her was much easier than getting it out of her dad.

"Dad wants to buy a place in Bora Bora?" Not that she minded, but getting there sounded like a real pain in the ass.

"Oh, you should see Bora Bora. Tahiti and Hawaii were nice, but nothing compares to Bora Bora. Castle even tried to find out what it took to be a police officer there, let alone a detective. The first and major problem was you needed to speak French fluently, and except for a few French words, I don't speak it," Kate told her and started the coffee maker.

Alexis tried again. "But you had a good time?"

"It was really amazing," Kate told her. "ATV rides, parasailing in Hawaii, Luau, and Kona coffee. We had an entire case of the stuff shipped home that might show up in another week. Castle talked me into going to the Notre Dame Cathedral to try and talk to my mom again."

Alexis was puzzled. "I thought that was in Europe?"

"Oh, it is, but there are others, apparently. This one burned down twice and got rebuilt both times. Mom didn't answer me, of course, but I tried.

"A word of caution. Try not to get stuck on a cruise ship for four straight days. Not everything on a cruise ship is open every day, and there are only just so many things to do on a cruise ship. Hence my burnt-to-a-crisp shoulders. We didn't get burnt on a beach somewhere. No, we got burnt on board the ship in the pool, a saltwater pool straight from the ocean. You want to talk about...brisk, they called it. I called it COLD!" Kate shuddered just thinking about it.

Suddenly Alexis and Kate saw Castle slapping papers down on the counter. "Which one do you like?" Rick asked his daughter since he had already gone through this with Kate.

Kate rolled her eyes as she waited for the coffee maker to finish. "Castle still wants to buy a place in Bora Bora. Take French classes there and get a job."

Alexis humored him and looked. "This one doesn't even have a house, does it?" All she saw was a lot of palm trees. Though, it looked like they had a neighbor because they had a seriously long dock going way out into the water.

"It doesn't," Kate confirmed, sighing as she checked on the progress of the coffee maker.

Rick immediately defended his choice. "Four and a third acres of land. We could build our own house. Design it to look just the way we want it. It's perfect."

"Now tell her how far from any town it is, let alone shopping, restaurants, and schools. There are no deliveries of any kind..." Kate trailed off.

"So it has one tiny little issue." Rick saw the look both of them were giving him. "Fine." He would take it off the list.

"He couldn't find one in Bora Bora, but that didn't stop him. So he found two in Papeete, Tahiti, and another two in Moorea." Kate rolled her eyes and finally grabbed a coffee cup and poured herself a cup of coffee, blowing to get it to cool just a bit.

"These!" Rick was happy. It wasn't exactly where Kate had blossomed, but they were still nice.

Alexis had looked at all four. "This is the only one worth anything, Dad, and it's Price upon Request?" Alexis looked at him.

"That one might work. It's in a village, so there are schools and shopping. It's on Moorea, which was one of our stops on the cruise ship. It has a tiny airport, so you can get to Papeete to fly in and out," Kate explained and sipped her one and only cup of coffee for today.

Alexis looked at Kate. "You keep mentioning schools."

"I have morning sickness; threw up twice on the flight home. I'm almost a month or so late." Kate barely managed to move her coffee cup out of the way when Alexis charged at her and hugged her tight.

Kate hugged her back and felt tears starting. She was pretty sure she was pregnant. She just needed to confirm it. Her big fear was that it was twins.

"How many bedrooms does it have, and where is the closest college?" Alexis looked up at Kate for answers.

"Six total," Kate replied, unsure what she was thinking. "Three in each building. Each building has its own kitchen. Think main building with a huge mother-in-law suite. And what do you mean closest college? ...Alexis?"

"I'm going with you, of course. Fly to Papeete, fly to college, and fly home. Simple." Alexis grinned at both of them. "You're going to want a babysitter, right? I mean you're going to have twins. You'll need my help, and it has a mother-in-law suite for me and my boyfriend." Alexis thought it was perfect.

Rick's jaw dropped. "BOYFRIEND!?"

"ALEXIS!?" Kate gaped at her.

"It has a nice, really long dock. Land a seaplane and tie it up. I could take flying lessons and fly myself to college. Sell the house in the Hamptons and the loft, and move. Now, what about Grams? Dahlia and Lilly have to come naturally. They're Labradors, they'll love all that water. We could have puppies!" Alexis was absolutely beaming.

"ALEXIS!?" Kate looked at her husband for help reining her in, but he was only standing there, smiling at her. "CASTLE!"

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Eight months later

Kate wasn't just pregnant she was very pregnant. She was having twins and she knew it. TWINS!

Castle had gotten his way. They had moved to Moorea. They had bought the place with the mother-in law suit. It turned into Alexis's place.

Kate was taking French classes so she could get a job. After she gave birth and spent some time with her babies. She loved her twins, she really did. It was just did it have to be twins?

"Alexis how did your French classes go?" Kate asks her. She went on different days she did. They did that mostly for the dogs. Rick was home all day but Lilly was her puppy not Castle's.

"Lls se sont bien passes." Alexis tells her.

"Good that's good. I mean bon c'est bon." Kate tells her getting both of them to smile.

"I still can't believe I let your father talk me into this." Kate tells her.

"I was easy and you know it. You liked it here. No you loved it here. Now you get to live it. Besides it's safer and cleaner here. Better for the babies. Plus they well get to learn French and English. It was a no brainer. Admit it Kate." Alexis tells her.

"Yeah." That had been a selling feature. Still Kate couldn't believe she let Castle talk her into this. It meant selling the Loft and the house in the Hamptons. Saying goodbye to her dad, Lanie and the guys and even including her Captain. He seemed to be the only one most pleased for her.

Oh Lanie was happy for her but he seemed relieved. The guys were a mixed bag. They were happy for her but would miss her.

Then suddenly just like that Kate's water breaks. "MOM, your water broke. I'll get dad." Alexis tells her and takes off running.

It left Kate standing there. It was time to have her babies and become a mother. She had no fear that Castle would be a great father but she worried about her being a mother even though Castle told her she would be great.

Hôpital de Moorea would be there place of birth. They would instantly be members of French Polynesia. They would have dual citizenship.