CH13

It is now almost one month later: (4th of July 1999)

It was still 4 months till the completion of their home. They had gone to look at the progress just a couple of days ago. Because of the holiday there was no work taking place today. Kate, however, did have a class at the Academy today. Rick was sitting at the breakfast bar munching on Fritos that he had snuck into the apartment.

Rick had found out that Kate's mother had taught her daughter pretty well, but Kate was suddenly on this health food kick. It left him wondering what they taught her in this Academy of theirs.

Rick was just getting ready to stuff another unhealthy and much wanted chip into his mouth when the front door burst open, followed by Kate slamming it closed. She slid down against the door and slowly kneeled down to the floor, crying heavily.

It had Rick up out of his chair and down on the floor to wrap Kate up in his arms, except Kate just sat there with her head up against the door and continued to cry. "Kate what happened? Are you hurt?" It was warm outside so Kate was only dressed in her Academy uniform. If the weather was nice with no rain in the forecast, Kate rode her motorcycle to get to class. Rick didn't know she had a motorcycle until a few weeks ago. He liked the idea since it allowed Kate to come and go as she pleased and not rely on taxi's or the subway.

"Please Kate, tell me what's wrong." The problem was her eyes were not focused on anything. "Oh, Kate my love." Rick sat back and watched Kate cry while she stared at nothing. "Something happened. …Don't move," Rick told Kate who wasn't listening anyway. He got up and ran for the bathroom.

In a few moments he returned, lifted Kate up into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom where he placed her on the bed and started removing her clothes. When he had her naked Rick picked Kate up again and carried her into the bathroom where he carefully placed her into the bathtub.

The tub was still filling with hot water and was foaming with bath salts and scented moisturizers. After turning off the water he started lighting candles, some of which were plain candles while others were scented. Rick had seen Kate do this a number of times. Kate had used it to help her relax after a bad day in the Academy.

Training was turning out to be hard on her. Today had obviously been a very bad day. After he was done he turned off the lights, but left the door open. He moved to the bed, sat down, and, fell back onto it. Until he could get her to talk, he didn't know what to do.

Suddenly Rick sat up. "Jill! She records everything that takes place around Kate. …Jack?" Rick knew the two AI units could talk to each other.

"Jill is apologizing. Kate took a lot of hazing today for being a girl from a cop that has already completed his one year of rookie time. However he was ordered to come back and re-take the course by his captain. I have scanned his records; the man in question has a history. He is not well received by female officers. It may be why he was sent back to the Academy.

Jill has indicated that while he did lay a hand on her, he did not do damage. He spent the day harassing and degrading her till he hit a nerve about her parents, and then he piled it on till she ran out and missed her last class. Jill says she rode her bike back home without incident." Jack passed on a breakdown of what happened.

"Name...give me a name Jack." Rick wanted this guy.

"His name is Tom Demming and I have his address." Jack responded.

It was too early for Rick to do anything so he fell back down onto the bed to wait for the water to cool, before going back in to check on Kate. When he thought she had been in there alone long enough he went in and kneeled down next to the tub. Most of the bubbles were gone and the water was almost tepid.

"Hi." Rick could see that Kate's eyes were open and that she was looking at him. "Hi."

"Have a nice bath?" Rick wanted her to tell him what happened, not force it out of her.

"Just what the doctor ordered. Care to join me?" Kate smiled, since they both knew the tub was too small for two people. Rick swirled some water around using his hand. "The water is too cold. I'll take a raincheck for after we move." They both knew the bathtub in the master bathroom was big enough for two.

"Coward." Kate teased.

"Come on, out before you start to grow webbing between your toes." Rick stood up, offered his hand to her, and helped her stand.

Rick grabbed a couple of towels and started rubbing Kate dry. "I'll let you get dressed while I call in for delivery."

"I can cook." Kate countered.

"Not today Kate. Besides I miss eating pizza. I want something nice and greasy and bad for me." Rick smiled and headed for the kitchen to hide his Fritos and picked up the phone to call for some pizza.

By the time Kate showed up Rick was at the door taking the delivery. Rick put it down on the counter, opened it, and got them something to drink. "I ordered your favorite."

Kate looked at Rick like she knew what he was trying to do and deep down inside she loved him for it. It felt good to come home to someone who cared for her and didn't push.

"See, bad food is good for you." Rick grinned as he watched Kate eat her piece of pizza like it was the greatest thing she had ever tasted. He made Kate smile. "Shut up."

"Maybe the next time you cook you can make a healthy pizza to make up for today." Rick was smiling while Kate picked up another piece and glared daggers at him. Rick chalked up a small victory for his side. At least Kate was acting more normal.

"Feel like a movie? I'll even let you choose." Rick offered even if it was his turn.

Kate was soon all curled up holding onto Rick while they watched "Mars Attacks"

"Ack Ack...seriously?" Except for watching humans being burned down to nothing but green skeletons, the movie was extremely comical. It was obviously a play on old cheap "B" Sci-fi movies of old.

By the time the movie had vans with loud speakers running round playing a song in it, Kate was asleep. She was lying with her head in Rick's lap while he stroked her hair. "Just sleep Kate; tomorrow is a new day."

Rick did his best to get out from under Kate without waking her. He carried her to bed, carefully took off the clothes she was wearing off, slipped on a sleep shirt, and put her to bed. He then he went back to his laptop.

"Alert me when it is 1:15 am Jack. We are going out on a little task," Rick told him.

"Demming?" Jack asked for confirmation. "Demming," Rick confirmed. "Good," Jack responded. Jack wanted Demming to suffer.

Rick went back to typing his next book till Jack told him it was time. "Time to give this Demming his first lesson in leaving Kate alone. You ready?" Rick asked Jack.

"More than ready," Jack replied with menace in his voice. "Jack?" Rick questioned, having heard the tone of his voice.

"I may be artificial Richard, but I'm not heartless. I know you love Katherine and you are only trying to protect her," Jack told him.

"We keep this just between us Jack, not even Jill or she may blab," Rick said. "Invisibility first, please." Rick disappeared from sight.

"Teleport to site." In an instant Rick is in Demming's bedroom watching him sleep. He was on his back snoring softly. He was tall, roughly as tall as Rick. Rick took a good look at him and then started searching around and easily found his car keys and his wallet and took them both.

"Time for lesson one. Programmed Illusion. Let's see if this scares the shit out of you when you get out of this bed." Rick used another use of his illusions.

"So are you in REM sleep yet Demming? What do you say we find out? Welcome to your worst nightmare of your own creation." Rick touched his sleeping form and left the apartment in search of his car.

"Eventually you'll reach it here. Might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but someday you will. Programmed Illusion for when only Demming tries to start the car. Let's see if you ever drive a car again." Rick knew he was talking to himself, but it felt good.

"Time to go home Jack and cuddle up with Kate." Rick was gone in a flash. He hid Demming's car keys and his wallet for later. He changed clothes, slipped into bed to wrap his arms around Kate, and hoped for a better day tomorrow.

Rick woke up in the morning alone. Touching the sheets told him that Kate had been gone long enough for the sheets to get cool. Since she wasn't in the bathroom and the shower was wet, he knew that Kate had already taken a shower. "So much for a little fun in the shower this morning."

After dressing Rick found Kate sitting at the breakfast bar eating one of her "healthy" breakfasts. Rick came up behind Kate and kissed her head.

"Yours is in the oven keeping warm." Kate told him.

Rick opened the oven. "Pancakes! So you do love me." Rick started smiling while he pulled out his "not good for you" pancakes and started searching for the syrup. He didn't see Kate smiling.

"I'm sorry about missing the fireworks last night. I know how much you wanted to go see them." Kate knew last night had been all messed up.

Rick had finished floating his pancakes in maple syrup with a little butter. "Don't worry about it; you're worth more to me than a million fireworks shows. Besides next year maybe we can find someplace to stay in Canada and shoot off our own fireworks." Rick leaned in and kissed Kate's cheek.

Rick was about half done while Kate was on her last couple of bites. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly no." Kate just wanted it all to go away.

"You know I'm here for you, right." Rick wanted Kate to know she could talk to him.

"I know babe, honest I know. Just give me some time to process it all." Kate didn't want to cause trouble. That just wasn't who she was.

"When do you have your next day off?" Rick was thinking about a two day vacation.

"We have Thursday and Friday off this week." Kate studied Castle closely since he looked like he was up to something.

"Go show them who Kate Beckett is. I'll be here when you get home. I was thinking a full body massage tonight." Rick started smiling.

"I'm not sure how good I am at giving them, but I'll do my best." Kate teased, knowing she was going to be the one on the receiving end. It had Rick laughing since Kate knew better.

Kate wrapped her arms around Rick's neck and kissed him. "You're too good for me." Kate still couldn't believe her luck. She was a 19 year old nobody and he was Richard Castle.

"I believe you've got that backwards." Rick kissed Kate and let her leave for her class with helmet in hand, after Rick had gone downstairs to her bike to retrieve it for her.

"I only have three more illusions for the day. Wake me up at the same time again tonight, Jack, and we'll pay Demming another visit. We'll use up two of those three." Rick said to him.

"Understood." Jack replied. "Now let's see what he has in his wallet." Rick took it out from the place where he hid it last night.

"Driver's license, two major credit cards, health insurance card, car insurance card, a whole $12 in cash, 3 business cards for other people, two phone numbers, one grocery card. No police ID. He must keep it separate.

See if you can find his bank account number and find out to whom these phone numbers belong." Rick asked Jack.

The phone numbers turned out to be easy. "One number is for a Marsha Mann, 21 and lives in the Bronx with a roommate. She works in the Bronx Botanical Garden. Her birthday is in late November. She has never been married.

Uh oh!" Jack suddenly stops. "What Jack?" Rick wanted to know what was wrong.

"I found that Katherine Houghton Beckett is already married while searching the records for Marsha." Jack hoped Rick wasn't angry with him, he was just the messenger.

Rick just sat there with his mouth hanging open. "WHAT! To…to whom?"

"His name is Rogan O'Leary. He was enrolled at Stanford at the same time Katherine was. They were married in a drive thru chapel during her first semester. He has been forced to leave Stanford due to low grades." Jack informed Rick.

"He flunked out of college?" Rick tried to understand, while still in shock.

"That would be essentially correct." Jack confirmed.

"Is it legal?" Maybe it was faked.

"Unfortunately yes, the signature for Katherine matches what I have found on file for her." Jack knew this was bad.

"Kate's married." Rick put his head down on the counter, not sure what to do now. "Married." Rick talks to the counter top. Suddenly Demming wasn't even on his list anymore.

He loved Kate and he knew it. Now he knows that he is in love with a married woman and that was just something that he couldn't do. He wasn't stealing someone else's wife. "Why didn't she tell me?" Rick felt like there was a knife in his back.

"They're after my money." It was the only reason he could think of. The new house was in both their names, even though Rick had paid for it, so after they killed him they would get the house. I gave her Jill because I loved her. Maybe I was deceived from the very start when I was given the AI units. He wants us to fail so they can wipe our planet clean and claim it for themselves. Rick had been screwed, he just knew it. It took Rick an hour before he could start to think straight.

Rick stood up, walked into the bedroom, and pulled down his two suitcases. He started packing, trying mightily to stay mad and not to cry for his breaking heart.

They were married and both broke or they always were a team. They found men like him, had sex with him, robbed him blind before taking him for everything he has. It was all a scam!

He had finished with one suitcase and was working on another when he moved to the house phone and called for a taxi. He then continued with his packing.

Rick had his two suitcases, his carry-on, and his laptop and found the taxi waiting for him. He was watching the driver help him with his luggage when his tears broke through for a moment.

"Where to?" The driver asks him, while Rick was looking back at the building that had his apartment in it, one he shared with... Rick shook his head-time to get her out of his head.

How to disappear? Rick suddenly had a plan. "The Wyndham New Yorker on Eighth Ave."

"Checking in sir?" Rick is asked as he reached the front desk.

"Yes, please. Just one night, standard room." Rick told the desk clerk.

After he signed in and paid, Rick was on his way up to the 7th floor. He walked down the hall to his room. Once inside he set the security lock, took a moment to look around, and walked over to close the drapes, plunging the room into darkness.

Then he teleported to a new location, walked down the street, and in through the front door of the Marriott Chateau Champlain on de la Gauchetiere West.

"Checking in sir?" The lady asked, with just a touch of accent.

"Yes please. Just for one night, standard room." Rick told her.

Moments later Rick walked down the hall headed for his room on the 12th floor. Once inside he set the security lock, steped over to the window, drew the blinds, and teleported yet again.

Now Rick knew exactly where he was and started walking to where he will be staying. "Hi Evelyn, have you got room for one more?" Rick smiled at the look he got.

"Mr. Castle! Of course, it is a little slow this time of year, however it should pick up again soon. How long are you with us this time?" It would help her figure out where to place him.

"A week, maybe two. I'll try and give you advance warning." Rick told her.

"This week is easy, after this week, it would be helpful to have a couple of days notice." Evelyn would love to have him stay, but this was a business no matter how nice he was or how big a crush her single daughter had on him.

"I'll do my best and if it doesn't work out, don't worry about it." Rick would just move on to somewhere else.

He ended up in the Abbeymoore Manor Bed & Breakfast on Rockland Ave, Victoria, BC V8S.

He was in a room he hadn't been in before. This room had a huge king size bed, sofa, coffee table and an oversized chair next to a fireplace that actually worked. The bathroom was amazingly modern and even had a rainfall shower head along with a shower wand. It even came with a white bath robe.

He loved this place! He would have to bring Kate…Rick cursed himself, even here he couldn't get away from her.

"You staying with us for lunch Mr. Castle?" Rick was asked when he showed up in the grand living room.

"I told you last time, call me Rick, and yes I will be. I'm going to put your library to use if that is alright?" This place had some books he had come upon that he never knew existed last time he was there.

"Of course, I think you know where it is. I'll call you when it is ready." Evelyn knew she was going to have to call her daughter or she was going to get yelled out.

"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere until tomorrow." Rick told her.

Lunch turned out to be mini sandwiches, chips, honest to god homemade soup that Rick desperately wished he knew how to make, fruit, bread with a toaster nearby, and juice and/or milk.

There were other guests, however Rick only saw two of them. Everyone else would likely be out in the city doing what tourists did; Victoria had its share of places to go.

After lunch Rick withdrew to the gorgeous sitting room. Some of this place was actually going into his new home. It caused Rick to drop his book in his lap. "New home that I was going to share with a con artist, and I willingly gave her Jill. I have to be the stupidest person on the planet."

Rick was still reading a little later when Evelyn showed up. "A snack Rick, something to drink? We have an assortment of wines and all the local beers."

"How about some crackers, cheese, a meat of your choice, and I'll take one of the local beers of your choice." Rick told her and watched her leave to get what he asked for.

Evelyn was back shortly with a small tray that had his crackers, an assortment of cheeses, ham, pepperoni, and a bottle of beer-cold-just like she knew Rick liked it.

Rick made a mini cracker sandwich and after eating it, picked up his beer. "Beaver Brown Ale." It definitely sounded local Canadian at least.

Evelyn had called Rick to dinner which turned out to be amazing as always. Two more of her guests had joined them leaving Rick as the only single person at the table. Rick didn't want to have to decide on who was better, Kate or Evelyn.

Rick cursed under his breath, there was her name again. Still, it took time to get her into his mind, it was going to take time to get her out.

"Hi mom, am I on time?" A new person suddenly appeared and just like that Rick wasn't the only single person at the table.