AN: I can't believe that it has been six months since I wrote the first words of The Castle Onion, Peeled. I hope you are enjoying my warped imagination. Once again, I only own the characters you don't recognize from anywhere and the plot. There is one chapter to go and I hope that you have had a good time along the way. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

As they sat down, Rick looked to Derek. "As badly as I want to hear your story, we have an active homicide case." He turned to Tim. "Did you kill Henri Renard?"

"No."

"You were seen with him the morning he was murdered."

"He was dropping me off as he headed into work. We had spent the previous evening together."

Kate looked at Rick, knowing their usual methods would not work. "So what were you two doing in the alley then?"

"I was telling him that I was leaving my current boyfriend and that I would talk to him in a few days."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean current boyfriend? Weren't you with Henri?"

Tina shook her head. "I met Henri a couple of months ago right after I had the final operation. He knew I was transgender and was okay with it; Max was mad that I went ahead with the surgery. Max Keller and I had been in a relationship for several months but I was never as excited about it as he was. I was going to tell Max that it was over that night."

Kate looked over at Kevin who was typing into a laptop. He clicked on a picture and turned the laptop screen around. "Is this Max?"

Once it was confirmed, Rick looked at Tina. "When you left was Henri still alive?"

"Yes. We had made plans to meet back at his car at 5:30. He kissed me and I left."

Kate looked at her notes. "What is Max's address?"

"He lives on Columbia Street. The building number is 72 and it's apartment 1107."

She nodded. "Thanks." She looked at her team. "Excuse us for a minute." Rick, Ryan, Esposito and Montgomery got up and followed her out of the room.

Roy looked at the others. "Kate, you and Rick should stay here. The rest of us will head back to the city and follow up on this Max."

Kate looked torn. "Are you sure, sir?"

He nodded. "You two help the sheriff get to the bottom of this. We'll compare notes later."

"Yes, sir." She and Rick followed the others back in where Roy made their goodbyes and they headed back to the chopper to return to the city.

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After the room settled, Rick sighed and turned to his formerly dead friend. "So what happened?"

Derrica sighed. "I was 17 when I admitted to myself that I was not drawn to girls. I realized that when I admitted to myself that I had a crush on you, Rick."

Rick's eyes widened. "I suspected that something was up but you drew away."

"Yeah. Lily Rose was the one that called me out on it. I knew that my father would never approve of my preference; Mother would at least be approachable. So I went to her and admitted it. She sat for a bit and then she started talking. She devised a plan to have me withdraw from school here and move to California under an assumed name and go to school there.

"Mother said she would handle everything but needed a few days to get things moving. Later that week I got a note in the mail to wait one week before heading out to the clearing and that I would be met there by some people who would get me on a flight to Los Angeles. All went as planned and before I knew it I was on a plane headed west."

Rick looked down. "What about the body and the funeral?"

"I had no idea about it until a couple of years later. My new identity was Derek Wick and I attended Linneman Prep until I graduated. I had been under strict orders from Mother not to write so I knew nothing about what happened here. It was at that point that I felt drawn to be female and I started therapy with a specialist to make sure that I was serious about things. Over the next several years I started Estrogen treatments and had a few surgeries. I legally changed my name to Derrica and moved to San Jose. And yes, Ricky, I know the way to San Jose."

Rick and Kate both chuckled. "When did you find out about what happened?"

"A couple of years ago Mother passed away and Natalie found some papers she had from when I graduated from Linneman. There was a picture as well. She hired a PI to find me and flew out to meet me." He sighed. "A few months ago I finally decided I had to come clean and find justice for the person that they killed to substitute for me."

Kate looked at Natalie. "Did you find out what happened?"

Natalie nodded. "Mother decided that in order to save the family's reputation she needed a clean break. She came up with the idea to have Derek 'disappear' and later 'die'. She had Killarney handle it; I guess she was going for plausible deniability. Dad was never told nor were Timmy and I. If I hadn't found those papers we may never have found out.

She looked at Rick. "I called Timmy after you showed up and he came home."

Lexie sat for a minute. "I have Killarney in custody and your father is implicated in ordering Ricky and Kate's kidnapping. I have Ken headed over to pick your dad up."

They talked for a few more minutes before there was a knock at the door. Ken, the deputy stuck his head inside. "Sheriff, Dan Hough wasn't at the house and his car was missing."

"Damn!"

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While Lexie sent Ken and a few others to look for Dan Hough, she and Kate went to interrogate Killarney. They walked into the room while Rick sat in the observation area.

He looked up and smirked as the two women sat down. "Mr. Hough should be sending a lawyer along shortly."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "That should be interesting."

Killarney sat back in his chair. "Who are you?"

"I'm Detective Beckett from the NYPD."

"You don't have any jurisdiction here, detective."

Lexie grinned. "I have enough for both of us. The detective here is assisting me in catching a murderer considering she's a homicide detective."

Killarney paled. "I don't know what you are talking about. We didn't kill anyone."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Are you a student of the law, Mr. Killarney?"

"No, but I know my rights!"

"I bet you do. Did you know that many crimes have what is called a Statute of Limitations on them? That means that some crimes can't be prosecuted after several years."

"Hah! Then you've got nothing besides me grabbing you!"

Kate turned and winked back at the mirror. Rick chuckled in the observation room.

"There is no Statute of Limitations on murder."

Killarney shut up and looked down. "What are you saying?"

Lexie looked at him. "You are our prime suspect in the murder of Derek Hough."

His eyes widened. "I didn't kill Derek! It was some homeless guy we grabbed from the city!"

Rick snorted. He knew the guy was not a professional but this was just stupidity.

Kate smiled. "Thanks for confessing, Mr. Killarney. You just saved us a lot of work." Killarney thumped his head on the table.

TCOP3

While they may never find the name of the homeless man, they had enough to put Killarney away for a very long time. After he found out that Daniel Hough had run, he sang like a bird. He described how they had searched for someone close to Derek's build and how they had kidnapped him, drugged him and then killed him. He admitted to helping bribe the local coroner (now deceased) and how the whole thing had been kept from Daniel Hough at his wife's direction.

Killarney was then charged with three counts of kidnapping and one count of murder among several other charges. Because of their assistance, Natalie, Tina and Derrica were to be given community service as they had not come forward immediately upon discovering the whole thing.

Kate sat and watched Rick as he took everything in. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. I will be, I know. But to find out that someone you looked up to faked his own disappearance and that his family was so twisted to kill someone and make it look like he had dies...I became an FBI agent to honor him! My whole interest in mystery and death started when he was supposedly found dead. And now I find out it was all a lie! Why didn't I see this before now?"

Kate took Rick's hands in hers. "Listen to me, Rick. When all this happened you were a teenager and were not trained to observe like you are now. How could you have known? This is the first time you've been back and focused on things. You are a good man, Rick…and a great investigator. You are a great father and a fantastic partner and husband-to-be. You helped solve a cold case and a cover-up. Don't ever doubt your skills or your heart."

Rick looked into her eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you, Katherine Beckett?"

"You gave me hope when I thought my world was over, Richard Castle. And now, you've given me love and your heart." She pulled him into a hug and he kissed her hair.

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Lexie looked up as they exited the conference room. "All finished?"

Kate smiled. "Yeah. Ryan called to let us know that they picked up Max and that they will have him ready for us to speak to in the morning."

Lexie looked at Rick. "Do you have time to eat dinner? It'll be my treat."

Rick looked at Kate who nodded. "Sure."

Lexie grinned. "Great. Let me make a call and we'll head out." They agreed and Rick went around thanking the deputies for their assistance. Lexie picked up the phone and dialed. "Lisa? Add a couple of plates to the table...I have someone I would like you to meet.

We'll be there in fifteen minutes." She hung up the phone and logged off of her PC.

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Kate and Rick followed Lexie to a pretty little cottage on the south end of town. It had blue shutters and was painted white with a white picket fence. Rick and Kate got out of his SUV and walked over to her.

Rick grinned. "The white picket fence is a nice touch."

Lexie reached over and smacked his arm. "Hush, Ricky! This is my daughter's place."

"Your daughter? How old is she?"

"I adopted Lisa ten years ago when she was fourteen. She is a very bright girl with only one weakness." She knocked on the door and let herself in. " Lisa?"

"Coming, Mom." They saw a young woman walk in dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with her dark hair in a ponytail. Her eyes widened as she saw Rick. "Richard Castle?"

Rick smiled. "That's me."

Lisa squealed and ran over. "Mr. Castle I am such a huge fan! I can't believe you're here!" She looked at Lexie. "Not funny Mom!" She then glanced and saw Kate. "Are you Detective Beckett?"

Kate nodded. "Hi, Lisa; Nice place you have here."

Lisa blushed. "Thanks. It was where Mom grew up and when Grandma passed away two years ago I inherited it."

Lexie grinned at the others. "Something smells good."

Lisa smiled. "It's your chicken and dumplings recipe. Oh, excuse my manners. Please, let's eat."

They followed her into a small kitchen and sat at a butcher block table surrounded by four chairs. They started to eat and before long stories began about the times that they had when they were at Sedgewyck. Kate learned more about Rick in the two hours that they were there than she could recount.

"And then Rick whipped out a pen and asked where she wanted him to sign!" They all laughed.

Kate winked at Rick. "So THAT'S where you got the idea, eh?"

"It was a spur of the moment thing; And while Miss Chavers was blushing and trying to figure out how to answer the others got away."

Lexie laughed. "Lily told me that story a few times. She said that the teacher looked like she was considering unbuttoning her blouse."

Kate snorted. "Only you, Rick, would turn an offhand comment into a chance to write on some woman's breasts."

Lisa laughed. "I would have loved to have seen it!"

Rick shook his head. "I got detention with Mr. Long for a week and had to write I will not disrespect women hundreds of times."

Lisa smiled. "Mr. Castle..." At his raised eyebrow she stopped and grinned. "Rick...would you sign a couple of books for me?"

Rick smiled warmly at her. "It would be my pleasure, Lisa. Your mother and aunt were very special to me. I know Lily would be very proud of you."

Lisa managed to get several of her books signed by both Rick and Kate before they left. As they said their goodbyes they exchanged phone numbers and made plans for a get together in a few weeks.

TCOP3

As Rick drove back towards the city, Kate reflected back on the past few days. Several more layers of Rick's life had been peeled back and she knew more than she had ever imagined about Ricky Rodgers and his time at boarding school.

Rick looked over at her as she looked like she was far away. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

Kate smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Rick rolled his eyes. "That's why I asked."

Kate giggled. "I was just processing all the stories I have heard about you this week. I really think Ms. Collins liked you."

"Old lady Collins doesn't like anyone."

"Rick! She liked at least one person. She was wearing a wedding ring."

Rick looked down for a second. "Yeah. Her husband was killed in Vietnam. I guess we never thought about that."

"See? You should send her a card or something."

Rick sat quietly for a few minutes thinking as he drove. "Yeah." He looked over at her. "Sorry. I'm still trying to get it through my head that Derek is alive."

He looked over to see her shaking. "Are you all right?"

She snorted. "I'm still trying to process that he had a thing for you, Ricky."

He rolled his eyes and sat back, trying to ignore her occasional giggle as they made their way home.

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