CHAPTER 22 - CLOSURE
Steve's wife, whose name was Laura, seemed very adept at not asking questions. She gave Kate a shot of morphine and then inspected the wound.
"It's been well treated," Laura said. "You just didn't rest enough."
"How long do I need to rest?" Kate asked simply.
"Until you're 100%? About two months. Until you can exercise a reasonable amount, I'd give it a week."
Kate nodded. Laura cleaned the wound and then looked from her to Rick with a strange expression. Kate felt much better when she was properly bandaged up again, although it might have had something to do with the drugs she'd been given. Rick produced a wad of cash; Kate reminded herself to watch more carefully what he pocketed when he was with her.
But Laura shook her head.
"Use that to look after her," she said quietly. They both stared at her in surprise. Laura smiled.
"I'm a good judge of character. You two don't seem like bad people. Hole up in a B & B for a week, then do whatever it is you have to do. And..." she left the room for a moment and returned with a shotgun. "Steve uses this for rabbits."
Rick could only gape at her. Kate was more accepting – again, the morphine was probably to blame. Laura put the shotgun in a bag and after refusing Rick's money another couple of times, called them a taxi that would take them to a B & B she knew of not too far away.
Rick was a little worried about Kate. She seemed happy, but she was talking too much, and too strangely. Laura had said not to worry, that morphine could do that, but... she seemed completely out of herself.
In the taxi, she rested her head on his lap. He stroked her hair.
"Just brush it," she murmured. "I don't want you to braid it today..."
"What?"
"I don't need a braid. It's alright."
The driver dropped them at the B & B and Rick got them a room, explaining Kate's condition by saying they'd had a very tiring journey. It was even true. He got her settled in the white cotton sheets and she smiled up at him.
"Can I have a story?" she asked.
"Now you're taking the piss," he told her. She did her best but a giggle escaped her mouth. Rick grinned.
"How do you feel?"
"Better. A little loopy, but it doesn't hurt much at all. We could even-"
"We're here for a week. On our honeymoon. To explain why we won't leave the room."
"Yes, Castle, I heard you tell the owner. May I go to sleep now?"
"I suppose so," he teased, stripping down to his underwear and getting into bed beside her.
"You need a shower," she told him.
"So do you," he retorted. "Yuck."
"Maybe we should just be dirty," she said thoughtfully.
"No... you cannot be thinking about that now?"
"I might die. Who knows what's going to happen..."
"You should take morphine more often! And, no. Not until you're better?"
"What, nothing? Not even a kiss?"
Rick leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "There. You've had a kiss. Now go to sleep."
She made a face at him, then reached her hand down. "I might not be allowed, but you're healthy, right?"
LINE
It was a long week, especially for Kate. She hated waiting. Rick got hold of a notepad and paper and began writing, she didn't know about what. She also hated being so cooped up with a man who refused to touch her, no matter how guilty she made him feel by pleasuring him. He hadn't moved an inch.
The most worrying thing about that was it might mean he really cared about her. Kate tried to tell herself it was lust, at least on his part. He was a good man, he was protective and kind and interested, but his feelings for her were just friendly and lustful. She wouldn't even say the other 'L' word.
He tried to entertain her. He went out and bought scrabble. It was not her forte. They got hold of a deck of cards and invented scrabble poker, though, which was far more entertaining. You bet letters.
Rick was fairly terrified as the end of the week approached. Kate knew where she was going and what she wanted to do. They had a gun each now and there was no stopping her. And, assuming they survived... what then? She would be a fugitive and he would be... what?
Alone. He would be alone.
Kate looked at her wound in the mirror. It was much better. She put on the clean dressing and then the baggy t-shirt Rick had bought for her when he went to the supermarket for supplies. She had washed her hair and she put it up. She brushed her teeth slowly, savouring even this small part of getting clean. She didn't know when she would be able to do this again.
Tomorrow she would... But tomorrow was tomorrow. She rinsed her mouth and went back into the bedroom. Rick was lying on the bed looking utterly miserable. His hair was still damp; he had showered first. She went and lay beside him.
"You don't have to come," she said for the thousandth time that week.
"Yes I do," he said simply. "There's nothing else for me to do."
"You could go home. Back to your life, your friends..."
"What life? What friends? Fancy parties? People who only pretend to like me because of my money? When you first saw me, Kate, I was drowning my sorrows because quite frankly, I hated what my life had become. But you... You changed everything. Being with you... I can't go back. Not now. Not when I've seen what life can be, how many dimensions it can have... Don't make me leave you."
"I'm not going to make you do anything," Kate said quietly.
"Why don't you want me to go?"
"Because I don't want you to die, Rick, and although I can protect myself I may not be able to protect you!" she said exasperatedly.
"You don't have to be alone. Don't you like having someone to watch your back, having someone care about you?"
"I don't need someone to care about me. I care about no one, no one cares about me."
"You're speaking like a monster but you're not one. I know you."
"I'm a killer. I'm a cold hearted killer."
"You save people. You do what has to be done."
Kate sighed. "Look... you can think what you like about me but it's not going to change anything."
"I know. But I'm coming with you."
"Fine. Just... don't die. Watch yourself, okay?"
"Okay. Are we done talking about it?"
"We're done talking about it."
"Right."
They lay there in silence for a few minutes. After their argument, Kate wasn't quite sure how to... initiate things. She wanted him. Badly. Even more now he was angry. She really was messed up. In the end she just asked.
"Are you going to fuck me or what?"
Rick couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. Kate started laughing too. She snuggled closer to him as they lay on the bed cackling like a couple of idiots.
"Yes," Rick finally got out. "Yes, I am going to fuck you. Ready?"
They didn't speak much in the morning. They called a taxi again. Kate tried to take her mind off everything, thinking about her week with Rick. They'd hardly talked at all about anything important but she felt as though they knew each other much better. Maybe you just had to play scrabble poker with someone. It was fairly revealing.
They saw the taxi outside and kissed one more time.
"Don't die," Kate said to Rick.
"Right back atcha," he responded. They nodded to each other and got into the cab.
It was so simple... They got to the base and went in through the kitchens; no one even checked who they were. Rick followed Kate. When they were underground he took out the shotgun. The glock was tucked in the back of Kate's jeans.
They got to the office. Kate knew who was in there and she opened the door. The man who had recruited her, the man whose name she didn't even know. The man who she was about to kill.
"Hello," he said with a smile. "What can I do for you?"
There was only one other man in the room, his guard, presumably. He was facing away from Kate, looking into a fireplace.
"Do you remember me?" Kate asked, stepping more into the light.
"Of course, Miss Beckett," he replied smoothly. "And the man behind you, looking so protective, is Mr Richard Castle. How may I help you?"
"What happened to my mother?"
"I think you know. Deep down I think you always have. They were orders, Kate. I had to carry them out. I wasn't in charge then."
"And now?"
"And now..." he stood up and walked around his desk. "And now I am very sorry for what I have to do."
Rick raised the shotgun but Kate's eyes were on the man at the fireplace. She couldn't see him very well but he was familiar.
"I have nothing against you, Kate," he said, this nameless commander who seemed to know anything. "I don't know who is trying to hurt you, and that is the truth."
The man at the fireplace was moving now, he was going to turn around. Kate was desperate to see his face. The her boss suddenly made a trigger motion with his hand. She stared at him. He had to be lying. It had to have been him. Unless-
She raised her gun and shot 'Victor' in the back of the head. He crumpled instantly; some of his face was gone but she knew it was him. DNA would prove it anyway. Kate slammed her fist down on the desk.
"But he's just a pawn," she cried in anguish. "This won't end anything. I want... I just want it to be over."
Wordlessly, Smith, he called himself, switched on a television showing an American Senator who wanted to run for president one day. Rick recognised him and watched as the man gave a wonderful speech about making life better for everyone-
And then there was a little pop and he had a hole in his head.
"I look out for my own," Smith said to Kate. He turned off the television and handed her a file from a drawer in his desk. To Rick he gave a black leather briefcase. Rick opened it; it contained money, credit cards, passports, phones... Everything needed to start a new life. Anywhere. For two people. For both of them.
"Don't leave her," he muttered as Kate read through the file which seemed to explain everything. She looked at Smith.
"Why now?"
"I didn't know who the second in command was. When Victor came back.. after you... it took a while but I worked it out."
"And why-"
"You have to go. People will be wondering why he died. Wipe your gun and give it to me."
Kate did so. He shook her hand.
"Now go. We'll erase your record. You never worked here, you never knew us... Johanna and Jim Beckett never had a daughter. Your father sends his regards, by the way."
"You spoke to-"
"Go."
Rick took her hand; he knew a good out when he saw one. They ran from the building; Rick used a briefcase phone to call them a cab and they went straight to the airport. Kate was stunned. She was.. she was..
Free.
"Do you mind if I come with you?" Rick asked nervously. She looked at him.
"Do you want to come?"
"More than anything."
"Then suit yourself," she said with an exaggerated sigh. He chuckled. He was going to enjoy spending the rest of his life following her around.
THE END
A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to finally write this last chapter but I hope you're satisfied with the ending. I know there are a lot of loose ends but this is Caskett, guys, of course it's going to work out! Thanks very much for reading and please review!
