Alternative Route Taken

by Castlefan6

Authors Note: Another What If based on the episode, A Deadly Game, what happened if Rick didn't return to the precinct after leaving and this was really their last case. What would each other's lives have looked like? The story starts with Canon dialog, courtesy of Dust Jackets Dot Com, then goes quickly and completely AU. The journey continues with a new Kate and Rick, hope you enjoy!

I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.

Previously

"When Mr. Castle was first found, a very smart and attentive Medic realized that he was suffering from brain swelling and took steps to relieve the pressure, this has been followed up here and we've seen a decrease in the swelling, but I have to warn you all, we can't put a time table of how fast the swelling will leave entirely, one reason we are continuing the sedation medication to allow his body and brain to heal before he wakes and faces if he remembers the trauma."

"What do you mean if he remembers Doctor?" Gina asked,

"Gina, I wish we could give you definitive answers but the truth is we really don't know how much or if Mr. Castle will retain any of his memory when, and we're confident he will wake up, so please don't go to the worst-case scenario."

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Chapter 21

One Week Later

Walter Reid Hospital

Kate's POV

Kate had fallen into the routine, she would relieve Gina who sat with Rick late nights, and since her internal alarm clock would never let her sleep past 4:30 AM, she was always showered, dressed, and had her coffee ready to take over for her by 5:15 AM. Usually, Alexis would come in between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and stay until Martha took her shift until dinner hour. Kate would then return and stay until Gina would relieve her sometime after 11:00 PM.

They would all meet Doctor Jardine for the morning briefing between 9:30 AM and 10:15 AM, so far, the updates had revealed slow but positive results on the road to recovery. Doctor Jardine had spoken to them about perhaps transferring him to New York-Presbyterian, in the next several weeks.

At first, it was awkward being alone with him, but she held his hand, and then just talked to him about the precinct, the boys, Roz and Ann, and of course the Captain, all had sent texts and emails inquiring on his condition. Kate didn't release any information, that was all handled by Paula Haas who remained in New York, and apparently had someone higher than her, Martha, perhaps, or someone making the final decision of how much information was released to the press. She remembered what Roy had said, about the official story being different.

She had told Rick all about the boys cracking a case, how Espo had pulled off the surprise Bachelor Party for Kevin, that cost him sleeping on the couch for a week because of the strippers, and was really stretching to find things to talk about. She pulled out her copy of Heat Wave and started to read the advance publicity about it before it was released. As much as she pretended to hate the whole deal, she secretly loved being the focus of his attention and relished his compliments.

She began in her low, steady voice, as she read from one of the many articles she had preserved in her scrapbook, but also kept a copy of it on her phone.

"A New York real estate tycoon plunged to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis.

"And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heatwave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

"Mystery sensation Richard Castle, the blockbuster author of the wildly bestselling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads.

"She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's finest. Pulitzer- Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome.

"His wisecracking and meddling aren't her only problems. as she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called Heat."

"I know Rick, it's pretty good, even if I do say so. You know I figured out pretty quickly that you based Nikki on me, but you, well you are Jameson Rook, and their story is our story. I'm so sorry that I didn't live up to my end of the storyline, but when you wake up, you'll see the Nikki you wrote about, I promise you, all you have to do Babe, is wake up and be OK for us all."

She sat in silence for a while brushing his hair out of his eyes, Alexis had arranged for the stylist to come in tomorrow and trim his hair, and shave him, but she kind of liked the scruffy look on him, it made him look less vulnerable and helped her forget for a moment that he was seriously injured, and the reason why.

She had to suck it up, or they wouldn't let her sit with him, and God, how she waited for these times, to hold his hand, to rub the lemon swabs gently over his parched lips, to adjust his pillow and covers, any little thing she could do to make it more comfortable, at least she hoped it was, for him.

She collected herself and began to speak again, "you know Rick, you always liked to play games when you were with me at the precinct, how about we play one now, you don't have to worry, I 'll take care of your part, OK?"

She looked at him, he looked so peaceful but his face showed the pain he had endured, for what, God, his country, to save his fellowman? Why did he have to be a fucking hero, why couldn't he just be Rick and come home to them all?

"OK, sorry about that, I'm ready now," she said as she gripped his hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. The game is True Confession, you may not remember, that's totally OK if you don't but when the bridesmaid was killed at the hotel downtown, and we found out it was your ex-girlfriend's wedding, I have to confess, I got very jealous of you. Maybe even a little angry with you, OK, I did get jealous and I did get mad at you. I almost lost you to that damn James, oops certain British Agent not to be named, and then your first true love showed up.

"I know, I know, I didn't have the right, but Rick, I felt something for you way back then, or even before, so you have to understand, my actions didn't show you how I felt about you in my heart. When I met Kyra and talked to her, she was a real person, not some phony, I had pictured. I know she regretted allowing her mother to break you up., and well, I hurt for you both, but I wanted to be there to comfort you. I guess I made a mess of that, didn't I?

"Well, please Rick, just get well, wake up, yell at me, cuss me out, but just come back to us. I don't think I've ever said this, to anyone other than my parents, but Rick, I love you, I know it's love because like you said, all of the songs now make sense.

"It's OK if you don't love me, I know you love Gina, and that's fine, just be happy, and I will be OK? Well, I have to get my stuff together, Gina will be here soon, to relieve me, but I wish I could stay with you forever. I wish I could just crawl in bed and hold you to make you know I truly do love you, but maybe someday, right? She applied a heavy application of chapstick to her lips, and bent down and kissed his lips, transferring some of the balm to hopefully heal the cracked dry lips he showed.

"I'll be back soon Rick, I do love you, I don't know why I didn't tell you before but you just worry about coming back to Alexis, your Mother, Gina, me and the people who do truly love you OK?" She was holding his hand as Gina appeared in the door, not knowing that she had heard and seen the last five minutes of her visit. If it brought Rick back, she was fine with that, she'd rather lose him to Kate than the grim reaper.

Xx

Rick's POV

Somewhere there was a woman talking, who was she, what the hell was she talking about and why was she on the cargo plane going home. He strained to make out what she was saying, I mean she was talking about crazy things, who was Nikki? Who was Rook? What the hell did he have to do with the police, hell he hadn't been arrested, well in a long time, and he wouldn't have got caught on that damn horse if Weldon hadn't cut and run, instead of being his lookout, wimp.

Well she sounded like she was nice, her voice was nice, maybe she was some kook that stowed away, who knew, but wait, the plane, he wasn't on the plane, he remembered that now. His arm hurt, well hell he actually hurt all over, his head felt like he had been on a week-long drunk and the hangover was killing him, where the hell were the aspirins?

He tried to listen more, oh her name was Kate, he didn't remember anyone named Kate, and he didn't remember going to an ex-girlfriend's wedding but the name Kyra did sound familiar. Where the hell did he know her from?" Maybe she was someone who used to babysit him, yeah, like they really babysat, he got most of his memories of sex from hiding in his room and watching the girls entertain their boyfriends.

Wait, Kate was talking again, who was she talking to? Another lady's voice, this one did sound familiar, she smelled nice too, expensive perfume, wait was she kissing him, why didn't he kiss her back, come on Rick, it's like riding a bicycle, you can't have forgotten that. Her name is Gina, sounds sexy, wonder if she is, did I say she smells so good, oh come on Rick, get with it. When was the last time you let one much less two ladies get away the same day? Was it the same day? Where was he, why couldn't he see?

The smell of jet fuel and fire filled his nostrils, almost gagging him, he would rather smell the nice lady, Gina's perfume than this, what the hell, then he saw flames, heard the panic in the voice, he was crashing in an airplane. Was he dead? Was this what the afterlife was like, bring back the nice smelling lady, or even Kate, she smelled like cherries.

Then the sight of bodies being thrown past him, bouncing off the walls of the plane like toy soldiers, wait, was he a soldier? How the hell did he get here? So many questions, no answers, it was exhausting. He heard Gina say to the other lady Kate, "He looks like he's in pain, I wish I knew how to help him, I mean yeah we're divorced, but I still love him. You know that, hell everyone knows it, I would do anything for him.

Wait? He was divorced? From Gina? She still loved him? Why was Kate here if Gina was his wife or ex-wife? He didn't remember being into that type of kinky sex two women one man, not that he could remember, but what could he remember? Hell, it was so frustrating where was he, had to be a hospital, wait, the memory of the bullets tearing through his body and the heat from the one engine that had exploded.

Yeah, it was coming back, did he land the plane, hell he must have, the last thing he remembered was hearing someone yell, "he's alive, barely" then he blacked out, it didn't hurt so much. Why can't I wake up, damn it, I want to wake up and see my wife, well ex-wife., and who is this Kate?

From a distance, he heard Kate and Gina speaking, almost like they were above ground and he was in a deep and dark hole.

"Kate has he been restless during the night? Call me crazy, or maybe it's just me wishing he would wake up so damn bad I thought I saw his eye quiver, it's probably in my head, I'm sorry."

"Gina, no need to be sorry, we all want him to wake up, I even read to him from Heat Wave last night, just trying to offer anything that might spark some sign, or some impulse to wake up. His poor lips were so chapped, I put the lemon swaps, but they were still dry and cracked. I put some lip balm on my lips and I'm sorry but I kissed him. I didn't know how else to get it on his lips, and I didn't want to hurt him" Kate said in a guilty tone,

"I know Kate, I was outside, but I let you have your moment, look, I know you love him, and well I don't know what the future is going to bring but I'll tell you this, I'm not walking away. I said till death due us part, and damn it he is testing it just like I knew he would," Gina half laughed, half cried.

Rick was fighting to hear more, wait, Kate kissed him, and he was married to Gina, Kate told Gina, and she wasn't angry? What world was he living in? That would have been a Cat Fight to end all fights, wait, did Gina and Kate know each other? How?

"You heard me tell him I love him, Gina, well it's true, it's way too late now but, the more I say it the easier it gets. I just wish he were awake for us all, then maybe I could gauge how he would react; I mean he left thinking I had no feelings for him at all, I was such an ass"

"Well you won't get an argument from any of us, but that was then Kate, this is now, let's just try to be here WHEN he wakes up, and damn it, Rick, wake up, I know you can hear us talking about you. You always knew when I did, so I know you do now, Sweetheart, please wake up."

He didn't really know what happened, other than he had been hurt, apparently, he was in a hospital somewhere, and now Gina, his wife, or ex-wife, God she did smell so sexy, and the other lady Kate, the one that kissed him, both love him? He must have won the lottery or something, He never had women tell him they loved him, well that he could remember. He had to wake up, he had to see who these people were or if it was his subconscious playing the cruelest trick on him possible.

Kate was just about to walk out the door when she was stopped by Gina's call,

"KATE, don't leave, look at his eyes, I know they are flickering," she pressed the call button on the bed for the nurses,

Rick had heard enough he was going to take a whiz, wait, why was that thing there, oh hell never mind, he would just open his eyes and see the two ladies he had been hearing. He fought, hard, nothing, then he breathed deep and got pissed off, damn it here I come! And his eyes opened just as the nurse, and doctor came into the room.

The next sensation he felt was when the jackass in the white coat shined a flashlight directly into his eyes, as he tried to avoid the light, he began to clear his vision, there stood 4 people, one beautiful blond, a brunette who was crying softly, a nurse who looked like she was ready to drop over from exhaustion and a doctor in a white coat with that damn flashlight.

"Call Doctor Jardine, page him if you must and arrange for Miss Rogers and his daughter to join us stat," the man in the white coat said. Alexis and Martha both had beepers that went off, telling them to come to the room immediately, about 5 minutes later Rick observed as a young red-haired lady came rushing into the room accompanied by an older lady, hey that was Alexis and Mother.

His brain clicked and he did a panoramic scan, Gina, the beautiful blonde, the last time he had seen her, well she had a lot fewer clothes on, Alexis, his pumpkin how did she get so grown up so fast, and Mother looking like she was getting ready to scold him for something. The other lady must be Kate, whoever that was, but as she opened her mouth to greet Mother and Alexis, he knew she was the lady reading to him, and, had kissed him.

Another man in a white coat came rushing in, and started talking very slowly, then the damn flashlight again, why do they do that, assholes he thought.

"Rick, I'm Doctor Donald Jardine, I've been taking care of you, just blink once if you heard me and understand"

Rick thought this is a doctor, of course, I could hear you, but he followed orders and blinked once.

The chorus of cheers and hugs and tears confused him, but he felt Alexis on his chest kissing him softly on the cheek,

"Don't try to talk Daddy, just rest, we're all here, so you rest then we'll talk OK?"

Rick made a grunting sound, something was down his damn throat, he couldn't talk, so he blinked once as he received kisses from the remainder of the women, even the nurse. This is going to be interesting once I can talk to find out what the hell happened, he thought, not that he minded being kissed, especially by Gina and the other lady Kate, who he thought slipped him a little tongue, well time enough for that later

TBC