Part of Me, Part of You
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: Sequel to Girl from Yesterday, No Time Lapse, the story picks up where we left off. This is AU; Beckett has left for D.C. and the Feds. This describes the activity of each during the time away from the other. It blends some Canon dialog; courtesy of Dust Jackets Dot Com and then goes quickly and completely AU. This will describe what our friends have been up to, Rick and Kate WILL NOT END UP TOGETHER! Taking a Literary License to fill in the blanks.
A/N: THIS IS NOT A CASKETT ENDING: THIS IS NOT A CASKETT ENDING.
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Also, we take liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events to make this more believable fiction, thanks.
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A/N: Please consider giving the best Christmas present anyone could ever receive,
(REMOVE THE SPACES) VISIT Be The Match dot Org no spaces
When I began this fanfic, I had no idea that a friend and one of my biggest supporters would now be facing her battle against Cancer. I dedicate this story to her, no names listed, for her privacy, but if you pray, say one for S. Hopefully we can all love you through this, till then, stay strong. Tim
Chapter 16
Presbyterian Hospital
New York, New York
Rick Rogers Suite
Later Same Day
Kate reviewed the expectations of her stay with the Head Nurse Karen and her options for food selections until she faced isolation in the final weeks. God Bless Rick, he had arranged for over twenty of the more popular restaurants to deliver meals to not only the patient in his suite, but the entire floor, including doctors, nurses, and clerical help along with any visitors for the patient.
She had an entire stack of menus, featuring many of the same restaurants they used to frequent, well when things were good. Karen had also explained there would be protein shakes and bars, and she would be monitored for weight gain, and stabilizing her to prepare for as she called it, Launch Day—the day when you get a second chance to launch out into the world, as she explained.
She had fallen asleep, and just woken up, the bed and linen were the same as Rick had in his guest room at the loft, no expense spared for anyone staying in the suite. She knew she had to call Serena, and had jotted down some talking points, oh well, no time like the present she thought. She reached for her phone out of habit but realized Lanie had placed it behind the iPad to get her to try it out.
She picked it up, state of the art, of course, it's Rick's suite, everything is the latest, she thought, as she opened the cover, the password or code was taped to the inside, "Kate remember the day you were born, well punch in on the keyboard and enjoy, Rc."
Rick had left her a simple passcode to remember, so she followed his instructions, the large screen TV turned on and she heard, "Please choose a name or number, or cancel this selection" coming from the TV speakers. She noticed that her entire contact list was loaded on the screen, including the number for Rick and Serena. She chose two, corresponding to Serena's name, and heard, "Dialing Mrs. Serena Castle, please hold" She thought this was crazy.
She heard Serena's voice for the first time since, well since she tried to arrest her for murder. "Hello Kate, how are you feeling I mean do you have everything you need?" Serena asked sweetly,
"Serena, it's nice to talk to you, but I wish I had called years ago to apologize for the Art Museum, I"
"You were in love with my husband then, even though you tried to act like you were with that other guy, but Kate, I saw it, and as I said, I don't take things that don't belong to me. Well, I guess he does now, but are you OK?"
"I can't tell you how happy, relieved, and how much fighting spirit you and Rick have given me back. Can I ask a question, Serena, please it's not because I'm not extremely grateful for everything you and Rick have done for me" she said, choosing to speak her mind, rather than hold back.
"I think I know what it is, but of course Kate, go ahead and ask me WHY I am doing this, or not taking issue, and I am not in the least bit jealous of Rick and you. Why? That's easy, because you need help, and we can help. Why am I not threatened by you, since you and Rick were in a relationship shortly before I re-entered his life, Correct?" she came right out and put the cards on the table.
"Eh, I, my, well, YES. I know if our roles were reversed, no matter how good a person I think I could be, I would be throwing a fit." She confessed,
"You wouldn't Kate if you had the confidence Rick and I have in our relationship. I know he loves you; he will always love you, but he's in love with me, and I am with him now. That gives me all I need to know Rick would never stray," she said, not in a hateful note, but one of authority.
"Serena, I would never do anything to jeopardize your and Rick's relationship, that's why I had to call you to speak woman to woman. I hope I made that clear, I mean if I didn't I'm sorry." Kate fumbled for her words,
"Kate, Rick forgave you, when I insisted that he and I couldn't build anything on the mistakes of him and others, so I understand why you're calling. Is it unusual, hell yes it is, but I'm a Castle lady now, I have the right to be a little unusual, plus I'm so pregnant, ugh. If you want more proof about Castle women, just look at Martha's closet when she brings her dry cleaning back, we are the sane ones, Kate." She laughed, and the comment about Martha's clothes also brought a chuckle to Kate.
"I see your point Serena, but I wanted to be sure, that, as Rick said this morning, everything is good between all of us, and I'm not causing him or you any added stress." She said softly,
"Kate, you do realize you are fighting a potentially life-ending disease, don't you? How can you add stress to me? I'm about to realize a dream I've had since I was 9 years old, and thought would never happen.
"Rick loves you, and since I love him, that means I also love you. I will do anything, I do mean anything on this earth to ensure that he is never hurt again, by anyone. Now as Forrest Gump would say, that's all I have to say about that." She smiled, as Kate realized it was a video call,
"Oh my God, I bet you think I'm a total Dumb Ass, I just realized this was a video call, you look great by the way," she said, with a smile,
"You look good too, well better than how Lanie described you, so you take full advantage of that suite and the dining. I hope to deliver 32 days from today, so you have to be strong by then. Please tell me you'll obey doctor's orders and take care of yourself" Serena was dabbing at her eye as he voice cracked.
"I will, I promise." She said softly, wondering why this was so emotional for Serena.
"Great, the last thing we need to do for our child's first public appearance is to attend your funeral, that would almost kill Rick, Kate. I know you think he's over you, but as a woman, I know you will always own that one part of his heart, even if I own the rest." She said,
"Serena, I will never be able to repay you, they told me you were willing to undergo the painful marrow harvesting procedure, even when you found out the recipient was me. If I ever had a doubt that Rick was with who he should be, that convinced me. You love him more than your own life don't you?" Kate asked,
"That's the easiest question you've asked, I would die for him, Kate. So, yes, I love him that much and more. Now you need to get ready for dinner, and I need to empty my bladder, I'll be so glad when the baby is not camped on it all night long," she said, as she prepared to disconnect,
"Serena," Kate paused, and Serena waited a few minutes, then said, "I know Kate, I know. Make him and me proud, fight like hell to kick cancer's ass when you get the blood, now I have to go, or change the sheets, talk soon" and the screen went dark.
Kate smiled and chose her dinner entre from the New York Spaghetti House, an authentic dinner complete with garlic bread and a side salad. Rick was going to fight to keep her alive, she had to fight to show she was more than thankful for them both.
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Presbyterian Hospital
Rick Roger Master Suite
New York, New York
Two Weeks Later
Serena was moved to the Master Suite, one equipped with the birthing room, along with just about everything else you could think of. She didn't like hospitals any more than Kate did but knew this would give both her baby and her the best possible outcome. The pregnancy had been very hard on her, but Rick had kept her spirits up, finding something to make her laugh every day.
She was glad the ordeal was almost over in one sense, in another, she savored every moment of her pregnancy, one she was told, and believed would never happen. When she first found out, she was hesitant to say anything, but Rick found the EPT kits in the trash as he was cleaning the bathroom, another thing that man did.
He helped her with the housework, even though they had a housekeeper, some areas they preferred to keep private, considering their previous occupations and service to the country. She had settled in and sent Rick home to rest, she knew he would be back to spend the night, but he could at least catch a nap at home when there was a knock on the door.
In walked Kate Beckett, and the head nurse, Karen, "Is this a good time to visit Mrs. Castle?" Karen asked meekly,
"Yes, of course, Rick just left but will be back later tonight" she replied, "please come in and find a place to sit" she laughed,
"Oh, not me, Mrs. Castle, eh, I'm sorry, Miss Serena," she corrected herself after catching the glare from the very pregnant lady on the bed,
"No Serena, I asked Karen if she would allow me to visit, I know we've talked a few times, but I still wanted to tell you face to face, just how thankful I am to both you and Rick," Kate said, a tear building in one eye, as she bit down on her lower lip.
"Kate, come in and sit down, I think we're long overdue for a woman-to-woman talk, one that will hopefully take away some of the thoughts you are having." She smiled,
Kate walked in and sat in the recliner next to her, she could see her face, specifically her eyes, when they were talking. Serena knew what she wanted to say, better than she did herself.
"Kate, I'm going to go first, then if you have questions I don't cover, you can ask them. I'm not going to promise to answer them all, but hopefully, our talk will give you some peace of mind. First, I know how deeply Rick loved, hell still loves you, but I also know how deeply he was hurt.
"We were working on a case, it's not important about those details, except that it was well after you had gone to D.C. Rick was down, so down that I worried about him and tricked him into meeting my therapist at lunch one afternoon. Once he got over the shock and anger, he realized WHY I did it, knowing it could end any hope of a friendship with him.
"Well, leaving the details out, that story belongs to him, no one else, but once he had attended a few sessions, I received a call from his daughter, Alexis thanking me. He had been trying to self-medicate with the scotch in his office, and she was so worried about him. He quit drinking, just like that, not even his normal three fingers at night, she said.
"She thanked me for making him, actually tricking him into therapy, you know Rick well enough to know that no one can MAKE him do anything, well, except for Alexis. We went to lunch a few times, then dinner, and I guess he finally noticed that I cared about him, a hell of a lot more than I should for a work associate.
"He asked me to go with him to couples therapy, he knew that he had blown the marriage to Gina, who between you and me, still loves him, despite the hurt of the divorce and front she puts up. We attended a few sessions and then he asked me to go on the cruise with him, and we did. I was patient with him because he was so vulnerable, and as we spent time together, his trust returned, and then signs of affection appeared.
"I'm not crazy, nor do I think I could replace you, or purge you from his life. You were and are a huge part of his being, there's no getting around that. I either accepted it, or move on, my choice, and you asked me if I loved him on our first call. That was easy, he made me fall in love with him just by being the one thing I never had, a partner who put me first before ANYTHING else.
"We were visiting my Grandparent's resting place in Toronto, another gesture that he did, just to make me happy. He spoke to my Papaw and asked permission to marry me, as he handed me a letter and asked me to read it.
"It was a letter with the answers to the questions he knew I was sure to ask, the first was that he had forgiven you for everything and knew that we didn't stand a chance unless he had. I cried, Kate, literally bawled my eyes out for twenty minutes, before I could control myself.
In the letter he included the song lyrics to the first song he sang to me, it was karaoke night, I never knew that he played piano and sang at the Old Haunt when he first returned to New York from California to help pay the bills. It was a love song, that I treasured but never dreamed he felt what I was feeling.
For Your Precious Love
Song by Jerry Butler
Lyrics
Your precious love means more to me
Than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you
I was so lonely and blue
For That's what love will do
And darling, I'm so surprised
Oh, when I first realized
That you were fooling me
And darling, they say that our love won't grow
But I just want to tell them they don't know
For as long as you're in love with me
Our love will grow wider
Deeper than any sea
And of all the things that I want
In this whole wide world, is
Just for you to say that you'll be my girl
Wanting you, I'm so lonely and blue
That's what love will do
Songwriters: Arthur Brooks / Jerry Butler / Richard Brooks
"Even after reading the letter, hearing the words, he spoke to my Papaw's grave, telling him he would always take care of me, try to make me happy, and that he discovered that he loved me more than anything in the world, with his daughter and mother a very close second, I couldn't believe what was happening.
"Then he dropped to one knee, and told me first, that he loved you, that he would always love you, but that I was the one that he fell in love with, and if I would have him, he would prove it to me every day." She looked over at Kate who sat with tears pouring out of her eyes, tearing tissues to shreds.
"Kate, you've been forgiven long before you even asked, Rick will always have love in his heart for you, but I know, as sure as I know I'm as pregnant as can be that he will always be in love with me. Helping you, helps us bridge what could have been a very difficult patch in our marriage, BUT we didn't start getting serious until I was convinced he wasn't just saying the words, that he truly has forgiven you," she said, and paused,
"Serena, isn't it hard for you, I mean you know Rick and I lived together in the loft, and I would see you in every room if it were me in your position." Kate got out, as she struggled with the tears,
"Kate, we don't live in the loft, we live in Rome New York, a palace, but as I got closer to my due date we have stayed in the condo that I own and lived in before we were married. I thought you knew Alexis lives in the loft, and Rick wouldn't allow me to live there.
"He said that between memories of one ex-wife, and one woman he thought that he was her one and done there would be far too much baggage for me to live there. He said that he screwed up the marriage with Gina, hanging on to memories, and control, not sharing, and that he had learned his lesson. He never wanted to hurt that way again, and if I wasn't sure, please say no."
"I didn't know that he moved, Serena, I'm sorry, I just assumed, I"
"Kate, it's OK, we're OK, so now, how are you doing? Tell me you're almost ready to get the cord blood, because honey, I'm more than ready to not be a preggo" she laughed, that made Kate laugh as well.
"Serena, I wanted to tell you that Alexis visited me the third day I was here, she apologized for telling on me. I told her that it was the greatest thing she could have done, but you already knew it was me, and were willing to donate the gift of life regardless. The stinker brought me a Remy's cheeseburger platter, but drank my shake on the way to the room," she smiled, just as Karen looked in and gently tapped her watch,
"Hey, it's time for me to get back to therapy, but Serena, once this is all over, I would like to be friends, I hope that's something you will consider," she said softly,
"I'm sorry Kate, that's never going to happen," Kate's face dropped until she finished, "You're family, so much closer than friends. You do realize that with the donation of blood, you will have part of me, part of Rick in you forever don't you? I consider that family and hope you do as well.
Kate leaned over, hugged her gently, and said, "Family, I love that. "Thanks, now get some rest" as she turned and allowed Karen to escort her to her room.
TBC
A/N: I thought I could wrap things up in this chapter, but after re-writing it several times, I'm satisfied to extend it, so as not to rush. I hope you're enjoying, till next time, Tim