749. Chapter 749

After After the Storm

Episode 5.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: It's not about who has the power, it's about who owns the Castle. Not me. Rating: K+ Time: See above.

Author's note: I was going through what I've posted and noticed that I had gone at one point from chapter 4.23 to 5.02 with no story posted for episode 5.01. I found it, so here it is. Better late than never.

Author's note: I just couldn't resist one little AU moment in this.

Rick and Kate came back to the loft, glad to be home. As they walked in, Martha stuck her head out of Castle's office. "Good to see you two." She said with a warm smile.

Kate's face turned bright red and she quickly stared at the floor, remembering what had happened the last time she had seen Martha. She'd snuck quietly out of Castle's bedroom, wearing only an unbuttoned shirt of his and began making coffee for the two of them. As she was pouring water in the coffee maker, she heard the door open behind her. She turned to see Martha and Alexis standing there staring at her.

Martha had reacted first. "Hello, Katherine. How are you today?" She said, as if seeing a nearly naked Kate Beckett in the kitchen was an everyday occurrence.

Alexis just stood there with an odd look on her face.

Kate's mouth had dropped open. "I'm…I'm…" She realized suddenly that the shirt was covering very little of her. "I'm… going." She finally managed. "Over there." She pointed to Castle's bedroom, and started running.

Once in the bedroom she had refused to come out until both Alexis and Martha were upstairs.

"Castle! They know." She said, nearly hysterical.

"They would have found out eventually." He said reasonably.

"I was hoping to keep this a secret a little while and kind of let people know slowly."

Castle had shrugged. "We can let the boys and Lanie know slowly. I mean our families would have been the first people we told, right?"

"Alexis hates me. I saw the look on her face. She hates me."

"No, she was massively hung over. Graduation party last night." Castle put his arms around her. "I won't lie to you. You haven't been her favorite person these last few years. She felt that you were using me. That you really didn't care for me, but just wanted me around to help with the cases. Don't worry. She'll come around. My mother already has."

She shook her head. "I screwed up so badly."

Kate's mind came back to the present when Martha put her arm around her. "Katherine, I have a son, you know, and he has a daughter. I do know what adults do in bed together. I just hope that there is more to this than just sex."

Both Rick and Kate had been quick to reassure her that there was much more than sex involved.

"Well, I'm off for the evening, so I'll see you both tomorrow. And Alexis is with some of her friends for the night. The phone number is on the refrigerator door. Good bye, dears." And Martha was out the door.

Rick pulled her close to him. "Kate, I want you to stay here."

"Sure. Did you think I'd run away again?" Kate knew she had to make up a lot of things to Rick.

"No, I mean I want you to move in here. Permanently."

She shook her head. "I'm in favor of that, but there are a lot of things I have to do and…"

"I mean I want you here because it's safer than your place. This building has a security system and full time doorman and I'm planning on updating the security system for the loft. I mean really update it."

"Castle, I'll be okay. I've bluffed Bracken so he'll stay away for a while and I still have my sidearm. Don't worry."

Rick took her hand and led her to his office. "I got these." He opened the desk drawer to show three pistols, along with spare magazines and boxes of 9mm ammunition.

"Castle! A Glock 17, a 26 and a 34? Where did you get these?"

"I know a guy."

"You don't have a permit for these. You could get in trouble."

He grinned. "I guess I'm lucky you're not a cop right now. You'd have to arrest me."

"I am a cop and…" She stopped and rolled her eyes. "You know a guy. Are you sure he won't tell anyone you have these?"

"Kate, I'm a millionaire and I really do know lots of guys. Guys who'll never rat on me. Don't you worry. Now, will you move in with me? In addition to the fact that Bracken and his goons are out there, you have no income for the three months you're on suspension."

Rick knew he'd said the wrong thing when he saw the look in her eyes. "Castle, I have money of my own. I can get a job. There are lots of cops who do private security and such, even cops on suspension. I'll be fine."

"Like Smith is fine?" He shot back. "Maybe you bluffed Bracken and maybe you didn't. He had two cops cleaning up his dirty work, who's to say he doesn't have someone now? He might already know that all we have is a bunch of shreds of paper." He could see she was weakening. "Kate, I've been in love with you for years and we're finally together. I can't stand the thought of losing you. Not now. I'll get down on my hands and knees and beg if I have to. If that doesn't work, I'll follow you around every second of the day with my illegal arsenal of Glocks. "

"You've been in love with me for years?" Kate asked, surprised.

"Of course. You didn't know that?"

She bit her lower lip. "No. I knew you liked me, but I sort of thought that it was when I got shot that you realized that you loved me."

He shook his head. "Kate, I knew you were special by the end of our first case together. In fact, I knew you were special when I told you your story when we were going over my fan mail looking for the killer. I knew I was in love with you when you started dating Demming."

"You knew then?" She took a step back, looking him in the eye and glaring. "Why the hell didn't you say something? Why did you wait?"

He shrugged. "After stupidly sleeping with Ellie Monroe? I'd have looked like a hypocrite saying that. Besides, you never gave me much of a reason to believe you felt anything for me. And you seemed to have really found something with Demming. And them with Josh. I thought you'd get upset if I said anything and that'd end our partnership."

"These last four years must have been sheer hell for you."

He shook his head. "I got to see you every day, almost. I was your friend. I was your partner. I even got to kiss you once."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "We kissed twice and that is nowhere near enough times, Rick." She kissed him again. "I guess I'll have to stay here with you so I can make sure that you get your daily minimum requirement of kisses."

"Just kisses?" He asked quickly.

"Whatever you want, whenever you want it. We have a lot of time to make up for."

"No time like the present." He led her into his bedroom.

"When we're done, I need to show you the electronic murder board I bought. We need to start planning to take down Bracken."

Across the street, an electronic surveillance expert turned to his boss. "Senator Bracken? Is that who's involved in this?"

"Could be." The man replied laconically. "Your job is to keep an eye on them and warn me if anything looks wrong. If so, I'll handle it. Only warn them directly if it's absolutely necessary. I don't want my involvement in this known."

The expert shrugged. This old guy may look like he's ready to go out to pasture, but he's a legend at the Agency. If he wants first class surveillance on these two, that's what he'll get.