110. Chapter 110

After Demons

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I ain't ownin' no Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

As soon as they walked into their loft, Kate put her arms around Rick and kissed him.

"What was that for?" He asked, smiling.

"Do I need a reason?" She teased.

"Never."

"Then I'll tell you. It's for being the best husband ever. Absolutely, positively, accept no substitutes, marry only the official Richard Castle."

Rick gently stroked Kate's hair and kissed the top of her head. "Do you know that one out of three Castle wives have recommended Richard Castle as the best husband on the market?"

She dug a knuckle into his side. "Not funny, Castle. I meant that. I hate to think what I'd be like without you." She hugged him tightly. "I really to hate to think of what life without you would be like."

"Then don't think about it. There's no need to, Mrs. Castle. You and I are together forever. More than forever, we're together for eternity. Never forget that."

Kate rested her head on his chest and sighed happily. "It's just that something happened today that reminded me of how many times I came so close to losing you."

"Nonsense. The Universe would not have allowed you to lose me, or me to lose you, or us to lose us." Rick held her closely, but then curiosity got the better of him. "So what happened today?"

"Addison Smith was sentenced today. He got three consecutive life terms, without parole, for killing Melanie and Matt Benton, and Jack Sinclair."

Rick nodded. "That's what happens when your defense depends on the testimony of the demon that possessed you. Demons are just so unreliable. He never showed up for the trial."

"Demons are so inconsiderate that way. But it reminded me of how I lied to you."

"Kate, we both made mistakes. I know that if we had our relationship to do all over again, we'd have gotten together after the Tisdale murder and we'd never have parted." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I wish that had happened."

"Me, too. But it didn't." She smiled, "It's almost like there was a demon out there keeping us apart."

"A very unreliable demon, too." Castle said very seriously.

"Castle…" She began.

"So what was it about Smith that made you think about lying to me?"

Kate let her mind wander back. "Do you remember when we interviewed Pete Benton the second time and we asked him for his alibi for the time of Melanie's murder? He was able to tell us everything. Where he went, what he had to drink, the name of the bartender, everything. He said that when something like that happens to you, it's burned into your memory. You can never forget it. I know I can't. I remember every second of that day. I remember the pain of being shot. The burning sensation of the bullet tearing through my chest. But most of all I remember you leaning over me and begging me not to leave you. "Kate, I love you. I love you, Kate." That's burned into my mind and my soul forever."

Rick and Kate held each other tightly. "Kate, I love you. I love you, Kate." Rick whispered in her ear.

"I love you, Rick. Rick, I love you." She responded. After a few seconds, she spoke again. "When he said that, did you wonder if I really had lied to you? Even just a little? Or at any other time until you heard me confess to it in the interrogation room?"

Rick said nothing for a long time. "I suppose I was curious if that was what happened, but I never wanted to believe you'd lied to me. But I had the evidence of Jack Sinclair right in front of me on that case. He had seen a brutal murder and had suppressed it for twenty years. I thought that one day you'd look at me and ask, "Rick, did you say that you loved me when I was lying there in the cemetery?" and I'd say, "I did." And I should have told you that years before."

"Rick, I never should have lied to you. You mean so much to me that I was foolish to take the chance of losing you."

"Personally, I do blame a demon. That's probably why he never showed up at Addison Smith's trial. He was too busy keeping us apart and when he failed at that, he was all tuckered out. His demonic powers were completely useless against the awesome magic of Katherine Houghton Beckett Castle. The poor demon never knew what hit him. Or her."

Kate took a step back so that Rick could see her raise a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? That's what you're going with? A demon?"

He nodded, very seriously. "Two demons actually. And their names were Jacinda and Slaughter."

Kate laughed. "Jacinda and Slaughter? Oh, nicely played, Mr. Castle. You're going to blame them for your little escapades?"

Rick made every effort to look puzzled. "Do you mean to say that Slaughter is not the perfect demonic name? Do you think that Slaughter is, in fact, an angel, a cherubim, a seraphim, perhaps?"

Kate laughed. "No, of course not. He's certainly no angel, but he is not a supernatural being. If he was there would be gang bodies all over Manhattan."

"And there aren't gang bodies all over Manhattan?"

Kate took a step back to Rick and again rested her head on his chest. "Slaughter is not a supernatural being. He's just a very unpleasant human being. End of discussion."

"So you do admit that Jacinda was a demon. A succubus, no doubt. A sexy, female demon."

Kate started laughing again. "You will try anything to avoid admitting that you dumped me, won't you?"

Rick shook his head. "Not at all, I'm simply saying that it took supernatural powers to make me almost leave you. Nothing else could have made me leave you. Kate, I love you and I loved you for years before I ever told you. And succubus or not, you saved me." He kissed her lips softly.

"As you saved me, Rick." She whispered. She ran her hands over his chest. "I think I need to show you what a sexy, female non-demon is like. Come with me, Mr. Castle."

"Always, Mrs. Castle."

And somewhere a demon and a succubus howled in the agony of defeat.