Thank you, everyone, for your continued support and enthusiasm for this story. It means the world to me. And I would like to extend a special thanks to my guest reviewers, to whom I cannot reply personally. Thanks for taking the time to review my story. I hope you all continue to enjoy what I have up my sleeve. And this chapter...just to be safe, we'll say it's a mild T rating in a couple of segments.
On Saturday night, Kate and Rick were sitting on the couch, each of them reading, when Alexis came downstairs. "Okay, I'm off," she said after making sure she had her cell phone and keys in her purse. "Don't wait up. Kevin and Jenny are going to dinner and Hamilton, so it'll be a pretty late night. I probably won't be in until after midnight."
Kate and Rick looked up from their respective tablets and over at Alexis. "It's really sweet of you to watch Sarah Grace and Nick so Ryan and Jenny can have their date night," Rick said.
"It's for Jenny's birthday, and they're great kids," Alexis replied. "I'm glad to do it."
"Just be careful getting home since it'll be so late," Kate said.
"I'm pretty sure Javier's going to insist on seeing me home," Alexis replied. "He's going to be there too. This is Kevin and Jenny's first night out without the kids since Nick was born, and they're pretty nervous about it, so they asked both Javier and me to baby-sit, and we both said yes."
"Well, that's even better," Rick said. "Now I can definitely relax, knowing Esposito's gonna make sure you get home safely." He glanced at Kate. She glanced back at him, both of them hoping Alexis didn't see the smoldering heat in their glances.
Luckily for them, Alexis was too preoccupied with the text she had just gotten from Jenny, reporting that Sarah Grace was excited and Nick was fussy, to notice the way her parents were looking at each other. Alexis sent Jenny a quick reply to let Jenny know she was on her way and not to worry about the kids, she and Javier would handle whatever came their way, and then she dropped her phone in her purse and said, "Okay, well, good night, you guys."
"Good night, Alexis," Kate said.
"Good night, pumpkin," Rick called.
The door had barely closed behind Alexis before Rick was on his feet, dashing to the front door, sliding across the foyer floor in his sock-clad feet, and locking it. When he turned around, Kate was on her feet now too, their tablets abandoned on the coffee table. "That respiratory therapy certainly paid off," she said admiringly.
Rick just grinned at her. She walked quickly across the room to join him, taking his hand in hers, bringing their intertwined hands to her lips, and kissing his knuckles. "You mentioned something earlier about something special in the way of lingerie?" Rick prompted as they headed to their bedroom hand in hand.
Kate laughed, her eyes dancing mischievously. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," she said. "Don't think I didn't notice the new silk boxers you brought home last week. I want to know which ones you're wearing tonight. Of course, you won't be wearing them for long."
"You won't be wearing whatever you're about to change into for long, either," Rick pointed out.
"True," Kate agreed, "but I still want to surprise you with it."
"By all means, surprise me," Rick said eagerly.
Kate gave him a quick, hard kiss on the lips. "Wait here, and no peeking," she said, the fire in her eyes making his heart beat faster. "And lose the shirt. Too many buttons. But keep your pants on 'til I get back."
Rick kept his back turned and even closed his eyes as he heard Kate open and close the dresser drawer, and then heard the bathroom door close behind her. Then, as she had asked, he removed his shirt, tossing it aside, and also took off his shoes and socks before settling himself on top of the covers on his side of the bed to wait for her.
The bathroom door opened, and Kate entered the bedroom, wearing the black nightie she'd worn on their first trip to the Hamptons. And she mesmerized Rick even more now than she had that night as she climbed into bed beside him and moved closer. "Remember this?" she asked, gesturing to her attire.
"I could never forget," he replied hoarsely.
"And no dead bodies interrupting us," she said as she reached for the button on his jeans. "I have to say, I don't miss that at all."
"Neither do I," Rick said, lifting his hips to help Kate as she pulled his pants off.
She hummed approvingly at the navy blue silk boxers he was wearing after throwing his jeans on the floor. "Blue is my favorite color on you," she said. "I love the way it brings out your eyes."
Wrapping his arms around her, Rick pulled her down to him, his hands roaming beneath her black nightie. "No underwear," he ground out.
"I thought it was superfluous, all things considered," she said, her hands stroking his chest.
"You said 'superfluous!'" he gasped. "About your underwear. Hottest. Wife. EVER!"
"And don't you forget it," she said as she removed his boxers and tossed them on the floor beside the bed.
"I could never forget," he repeated as he took off the black nightie and dropped it on the floor beside his own clothes.
And then Kate and Rick made love with each other, far into the night.
After Alexis and Javier finally got Kevin and Jenny out the door, the evening went much more smoothly. Nick was still a bit fussy, but he took a shine to Alexis, not wanting to be out of her arms the whole night. He gazed up at her adoringly as she fed him his bedtime bottle. "Hey, Bright Eyes," she said. "You are a real cutie, with that blond hair and those blue eyes. Someday the girls are gonna be chasing after you. Yeah, they are."
Alexis found it amusing that not only did Sarah Grace order her beloved Uncle Javi around, but that he was perfectly happy to do her bidding...which is how Alexis came to snap a picture of Detective Javier Esposito of the NYPD wearing a princess crown on his head, a pink feather boa around his neck, and pretending to drink from a tiny purple plastic teacup with his pinkie finger extended. "Hey!" he exclaimed, surprised when the flash went off.
Alexis laughed. "I couldn't resist," she said.
"Well, if Ryan starts giving me cr—uh, a hard time about a certain picture, I'll know where he saw it," Javier replied, censoring himself just in time in front of Sarah Grace.
"Oh, I'd never show this to Kevin," Alexis assured Javier.
She assured him a little too quickly for his liking. Eyes narrowing, he said, "You are not showing that picture to your dad and Beckett."
"Did I say I was going to show it to them?" she asked innocently.
"You didn't have to," Javier said.
"I figured I'd just post it on Instagram," Alexis continued nonchalantly.
"WHAT?!" Javier exclaimed, his voice an octave higher.
Alexis laughed so hard this time, tears came to her eyes. "I'm kidding. Honest, I'm kidding. I'm not even on Instagram, I swear. Google me. I'm not on Instagram, I promise." She grew serious now. "I just wanted to take the picture because, well, it was cute."
"Uncle Javi, let's read a story," Sarah Grace interrupted then.
"That's a good idea, Sarah G," Javier replied. He scooped her up, then stood up. "We'll be in the nursery," he said.
"Is it all right if Nick and I come in and listen?" Alexis asked. She had managed to snap the picture of Javier one-handed, but Nick's blue eyes were very sleepy now.
Javier plucked the princess crown from his head and deposited it atop Sarah Grace's head. "What do you think, Sarah G?" he asked. "Should we let Nick and Alexis come in and hear the story?"
"Yeah!" Sarah Grace cheered.
"Well, okay, then," Javier said, "it's story time!"
"I hafta brush my teeth and wash my face first, Uncle Javi," Sarah Grace said seriously.
"Of course," Javier replied just as seriously.
He started to carry Sarah Grace to the bathroom but she said, "Uncle Javi, I can walk! I'm a big girl!"
"Yes, you are," Javier replied, setting her on her feet. She scampered into the bathroom and proudly used her stepstool and squirted toothpaste on her toothbrush and brushed her teeth all by herself. She shyly asked for help with her washcloth, though, and Alexis stood in the hallway, baby Nick asleep on her shoulder, still softly rubbing circles in the middle of his back as Javier helped Sarah Grace wash her face.
Then they headed into the nursery. Alexis carefully laid Nick in his crib, while Javier, under Sarah Grace's direction, retrieved the copy of Goodnight Moon from the top shelf of the bookcase. "Mommy and Daddy will come and kiss me good night when they get home, right?" she asked.
"They sure will," Alexis assured Sarah Grace. "They promised they would before they left, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Sarah Grace remembered with a cute smile that echoed her dad's.
Javier held up the book. "Are you ready, Princess Sarah Grace?" he asked.
Sarah Grace scrambled into bed. "Yes, Uncle Javi," she said. "Alexis, you can sit here." She patted the other side of the bed. Javier pulled the covers up over Sarah Grace's legs, then settled in next to her, closest to the lamp, opened the book, and began to read, with Alexis seated on Sarah Grace's other side, both of them listening raptly to every word until Sarah Grace fell asleep three pages before the end.
Kate and Rick lay in bed in each other's arms, Rick on his back, his arms wrapped around Kate, one hand lazily trailing up and down her back. Kate's head was on Rick's chest, right over his heart, and she had her hands resting on his shoulders. Every so often, she would rain a trail of kisses across his chest, or stretch up to kiss his lips, and he would kiss the top of her head, or tilt her head up so he could cover her face with kisses.
"So what was your original surprise yesterday?" Kate asked, her head on Rick's chest.
"I was thinking we'd go to the Hamptons, but between the rain, and the fact that I knew we wouldn't make it to the house before jumping each other," Rick said. "I didn't want to look back and realize our first child was conceived in the backseat of the car somewhere off the Long Island Expressway."
"Not that that's a story you tell the kids," Kate said.
"Yeah, but we would know," Rick said. "And that just seems...It's just not..." He trailed off, unsure how to find the words to express what he was thinking.
Kate lifted her head to look into his eyes. "You're a romantic," she said. "And I like the idea that our child will be conceived right here in our bed."
"Or at least somewhere in the loft," Rick amended, as they both remembered their mutual shower from earlier in the day.
"Yeah," Kate agreed. She grew serious now. "I talked to Gates earlier today," she said. "I go to 1PP Monday morning, to officially turn in my resignation."
Rick looked back at her just as seriously in the dim light of the room. "No second thoughts?" he asked her.
"None," Kate replied with absolute certainty. "I accomplished so much more than I set out to do when I became a cop. It's time to move on to the next thing."
"Any idea yet what that next thing will be?" Rick asked.
"The title I want most is 'Mom,'" Kate admitted earnestly. "Getting pregnant and having a healthy baby are my top priorities right now."
"I'm right there with you," Rick replied, stealing a quick kiss from Kate's lips.
"I know you meant professionally, but honestly, I'm still kicking things around in my head. I want to serve the public somehow. I know they're still interested in me for New York State Senate, and I'm not saying no to that, but I wouldn't feel right starting at the top. That's not who I am. I believe you have to earn these things, work your way up through the ranks. If I decide I want to run for Senate, I will...when I've had some other kind of political experience."
"Are you thinking Mayor?" Rick asked. "'Cause I already know my way around Gracie Mansion."
Kate laughed. "No. No, I'm not thinking Mayor. This is our home. I only want to leave it for vacations. This is where I want our kids to grow up."
"Then this is where they'll grow up," Rick replied. "And whatever you decide to do professionally, I'll back your play...always, Kate."
"I know," she whispered. "Now, speaking of our kids..." She shifted until she was lying on top of Rick, rubbing her body against his tantalizingly. "You wanna get back to working on the first one?"
"Absolutely," Rick replied, rolling to the other side of the bed with Kate in his arms. Looking down at her, her eyes sparkling, her body flushed, her breathing rapid, he said, "Oh, how I love you, Kate Beckett."
"I love you too, Richard Castle," Kate replied. Then she pulled him down to her and they happily got back to working on making their first child.
Javier did insist on seeing Alexis home after Ryan and Jenny got home. The Ryans were very happy that the kids hadn't been too much of a handful for Javi and Alexis, and that Sarah Grace and Nick were both sound asleep. After accepting a profusion of thanks, and bidding the Ryans good night, Javier and Alexis walked outside together. "Your place is closer," Alexis pointed out as Javier hailed a cab.
"What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't make sure you got home safely?" Javier countered. "It's well after midnight."
"Well, I insist on paying my half," Alexis retorted.
"Has anybody ever told you you're stubborn?" Javier asked as a cab pulled up to the curb.
"That's part of my charm," Alexis said as she opened the back door before Javier could.
"Oh, is that what it is?" he asked as Alexis got into the cab and he followed her.
After the cabbie had Alexis's address, she and Javier settled back on opposite sides of the cab's back seat. "That was fun," she said.
"Yeah, they're great kids," Javier said.
"Not every man would wear a princess crown and a feather boa and play tea party, complete with drinking the pretend tea out of the tiny cups with his pinkie in the air," Alexis said.
"Whatever Sarah G wants, within reason, I'll do," Javier said. "Godfather's privilege."
"She and Nick are lucky to have you in their lives," Alexis said. "So am I."
"You were good with the kids too," Javier said. "Especially Nick. If I didn't know better, I'd think he has a crush on you."
Alexis smiled wryly. "I have a similar body type to his mommy. That was the big attraction for him, I'm sure," she said.
"Oh. Right," he said. "Well, still, he calmed right down when you picked him up. He doesn't do that for everybody. He screams his head off every time one of Ryan's sisters picks him up. Of course, I've met her, so I don't blame the kid."
Alexis laughed. "Some people just aren't kid people," she said. "You are, though."
"For Sarah Grace and Nick, absolutely," Javier said.
"They're terrific," Alexis said. "They make it look easy. I don't know how my dad did it by himself. If there's a next time, at least I know he won't have to do it alone again."
"You think your dad and Beckett might have a kid?" Javier asked.
"I don't know," Alexis said thoughtfully. "It's their decision, not mine. They haven't said anything one way or the other to me. I know my dad is an amazing dad, though, and Kate would be an amazing mom. Actually, I know firsthand she's an amazing mom. If they did have a baby, that would be one of the luckiest kids in the world."
"It really would," Javier said. At Alexis's look, he hastily amended, "He really would. Or she."
"Do you ever think about having kids yourself?" Alexis asked. Good grief, what are you doing?, her mind screamed at her.
"I'm not in a position to have kids," Javier pointed out. "No girlfriend. I'm not exactly looking for a relationship right now."
"What would you do if you found one?" Alexis asked. What?! Shut up, Alexis!, her brain exclaimed.
"Well, I'd have to be with the right woman," Javier replied. "And I'd have to be married. And we'd both have to want to have a kid. I wouldn't want to have a kid with a woman who didn't really want to have one. What about you? Do you ever see yourself getting married and having kids?" What the hell? Are you trying to scare her? You don't even know what's going on with how you feel, let alone how she feels, his brain chided him.
"I'm not in any hurry," Alexis said, looking intently but evenly at Javier, "but someday, yeah...if I'm married to the right man and we both want at least one child, I could see it happening. But it has to be the right man and I have to be married. And I want to finish law school and get established in my career first."
"Of course," Javier replied. "That's very sensible of you, Alexis."
"Well, there has to be one sensible Castle. I'm it," Alexis said.
"Sensible is good," Javier insisted. "As long as it doesn't keep you from being afraid to take a chance now and then."
"When it really matters," Alexis said.
"When it's really important," Javier agreed. They had held each other's gaze this whole time, neither one wanting to look away.
Just as they were each about to blurt out, "Something's happening here, isn't it?", the cabbie pulled over to the curb and announced they were at Broome Street, and the moment was broken.
Alexis fumbled in her purse for her wallet and pressed some money into the cabbie's hand. Javier was seated on the sidewalk side of the cab, and he hurried to open his door and get out of the cab so that Alexis wouldn't have to get out on the street side.
Alexis got out of the cab and she and Javier stood on the sidewalk looking at each other for a long moment, neither one of them sure exactly what to say.
Finally Alexis said, "Well...good night, Javier."
"Good night, Alexis," he replied. As she started to walk into the building, Javier watched her go, and then called after her, "I'll talk to you soon."
Alexis turned back at the front doors and gave him a quick smile. "I'll talk to you soon," she replied.
And all the way upstairs, and after she had brushed her teeth and washed her face and changed into her pajamas and gotten into bed, Alexis thought about the whole evening, especially the cab ride home, and wondered what was really going on between her and Javier…
...while at the same time, Javier spent the cab ride home and his own getting-ready-for-bed routine wondering the same thing.
And neither one of them got much sleep that night, trying to figure out what was really happening between them.
"Deputy Chief Gates will see you now."
Kate pocketed her phone—she had just texted Rick to find out how his meeting with his new publisher Adam was going—and followed the woman into Gates' office.
Gates was sitting at her desk, reading a file. "Captain Beckett, sir," the woman said. Then she turned and left the office, closing the door behind her.
Gates set the file on her desktop and closed it, removed her glasses, and then stood up behind her desk. Kate remained standing in front of her desk. "I understand you're here to submit your resignation, Captain Beckett," Gates said.
"Yes, sir," Kate replied. She removed the envelope with her formally written and signed resignation from her bag, and handed it to Gates. Then, for the last time, she unclipped her badge from her waist and unholstered her gun, then laid them both on Gates' desk.
"I seem to remember you doing this once before," Gates said.
"Yes, sir," Kate replied.
"You changed your mind then," Gates continued. "There's no chance of that happening now, though." She didn't put it to Kate as a question, but as a statement.
"No, sir, none," Kate replied. "It's time for me to move on."
Gates nodded. She picked up Kate's gun, but didn't touch her shield. "Sir?" Kate asked, confused.
"One of the good things about my job, Kate, is having the ears of both the Chief of Detectives and the Commissioner," Gates said. "Although the usual procedure is 20 years before retirement, because of all that you have given to the NYPD, the Department has chosen not to treat this as a resignation, but rather an early retirement. In 15 years on the force, you moved up from Officer to Captain, with a closure rate in solving murders that was second to none...due in no small part to your team, which included Detectives Ryan and Esposito, and of course, Mr. Castle. Therefore, your resignation will be processed as your retirement. I have a packet full of pension paperwork for you to review, sign, and return, and since your gun is Department-issue, I will take that.
"But your shield...I'm not taking that, Kate. You earned that. You keep that, and be proud of all that you accomplished as a member of the greatest police department in the greatest city in the world while you wore it in a professional capacity. You were absolutely one of New York's Finest, Captain Beckett, and you will be missed. But everyone on the job reaches the end of their watch at some point. I'm just glad and grateful that the circumstances surrounding the end of your watch are what they are."
Kate was flabbergasted but did her best to cover. The one thing she would regret was giving up her shield, and here was Gates telling her she didn't have to. "Thank you, sir," Kate replied, retrieving her shield and clipping it to her waist once more.
"Your retirement won't officially be effective for thirty days," Gates continued, returning to business. "You are on terminal leave until then. You'll need to return this pension paperwork before the thirty days are up." She handed Kate a thick envelope.
"I understand, sir," Kate replied.
Gates extended her hand, and Kate grasped it in a firm handshake. "It was a privilege being your Captain, Kate," Gates said.
"It was a privilege serving under your command, sir," Kate replied. "Thank you. For everything."
"I wish you, and Mr. Castle, all the best in your future endeavors, both personal and professional, whatever they may be," Gates said. Her features softened now. "And I'd like to ask that you stay in touch."
"Thank you, sir," Kate said, "and I promise you, we will stay in touch."
Gates nodded once, shortly, which Kate took as her dismissal. As Kate turned to leave, Gates said, "Kate."
"Yes, sir?" Kate asked, turning back to look at Gates.
Then, Gates stood ramrod straight, and saluted Kate. She inwardly smiled at the look of shock on Kate's face, but Kate recovered quickly and returned Gates' salute. Then Kate walked out of Gates' office, and out of 1PP, ready for whatever came next.
But the last thing she expected was a voicemail from Jordan Shaw, asking to meet her for coffee the next morning.
Gates also got an unexpected surprise when a package was delivered to her office later that afternoon. When she saw the return address, she knew who sent it, but she was shocked to open the parcel and find two porcelain dolls...exact copies of the two porcelain dolls that Castle had purposely shattered during a murder investigation three years earlier.
The accompanying handwritten note stated:
"It took me this long to replace them, but I finally did it. (Seriously, these things are not easy to find. I'm thinking that might be part of the reason you like them...the challenge of actually finding them.)
"In all seriousness, Captain/Deputy Chief Gates (I wasn't sure which one to use, because you were Captain Gates to me, but you're Deputy Chief Gates now), these dolls are not only to make up for the ones I broke. They are also for all the times you wanted to toss me out of the 12th on my ear but didn't, and finally, they are my tangible, and very belated, way of thanking you for putting up with me for as long as you did. I know I rarely made it easy, and I certainly wasn't what you'd call 'by the book,' but in the end, I just want you to know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me hang around for so long, and for accepting me as the most unorthodox member of your team. It has been an honor to consult with the NYPD, and specifically the 12th Precinct.
"Sincerely,
"Richard Castle"
Gates composed and sent the following email in reply:
"Mr. Castle-
"I thank you very much for the dolls. You're right, part of the fun of collecting these particular dolls is the challenge. But then, you know all about challenges being fun.
"To call you and your methods 'unorthodox' would be putting it mildly, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. And contrary to what you obviously believe, I didn't let you 'hang around' my precinct solely because of Beckett, even though everyone knew she wanted you there even before she admitted it to herself.
"I let you 'hang around' because you and Beckett together are an unbeatable, unstoppable team. You got the job done and gave the victims justice and their loved ones closure...both of you. You were an indispensable part of the team, Mr. Castle, and your madnesses possessed methods that contributed to justice being served.
"I wish you and Kate all the best in the future. No one deserves it more.
"-Victoria Gates"
