352. Chapter 352

After Resurrection

Episode 7.14

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't even look like someone who owns Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See below.

Author's note: This actually takes place during and before Resurrection.

Kate was surprised, but happy, at the good bye kiss she'd received from Alexis. In fact, she thought about it, on and off, for the whole day. She was happy that Alexis was home when she got there. "Alexis, I just wanted to thank you for the good bye kiss this morning. It really makes me feel like I'm part of the family."

Alexis looked at her quizzically. "I hope you didn't feel like you weren't a part of the family before that. I mean, you've been part of the family for some time now. Before you and dad got married, in fact."

"Thanks. But I know how close you and your dad are, and I didn't want you to feel…" Kate wasn't too sure what she wanted to say next.

"I'll admit that for a long time, I did not like you one bit. I felt that you were just using dad and felt nothing for him. I really wanted you to just go away. But I'm glad you didn't. Dad has never been happier since he's been with you. And I know that you love him deeply."

Kate smiled in relief. "I'm glad to hear that. I just wish I hadn't been so stupid. We could have been together years earlier if I had just listened to my heart. That's my daily bit of wisdom for you, Alexis. Always listen to your heart."

Alexis laughed. "Wow! Just like having a mom."

Kate blushed slightly. "I know I'm not your mom, but I want to be your friend and a good stepmom."

"You've met my birth mom. How hard do you think you'd have to try to do better than her?" Alexis thought for a second. "I wish you and dad had gotten together earlier. Much, much earlier. You'd have been a great mom, way better than Meredith. Now, well, I do occasionally need a mom. Do you want the job?"

"Deal."

That night, with Castle snoring beside her, Kate thought about what might have happened if she had met Castle much earlier. In fact, she dreamed of it.

"Mr. Castle! You're free to go." The desk sergeant told him grumpily. "The DA decided to drop all charges against you."

"Glad to hear it." He said, smiling. "Like I said, I just borrowed that horse."

"The DA also asked me to tell you that the officer who arrested you will be disciplined for her mistake." The sergeant could hardly contain his dislike for Castle.

Castle's smile left his face. "The officer that arrested me is going to be punished? What for? That's not fair."

The sergeant shrugged. "Life isn't always fair, pal. Officer Beckett will be going back on graveyard shift for a while."

"No she won't. She can't. It wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job."

"Not according to the DA. Take it up with him."

Fifteen minutes later the desk sergeant stuck his head into the locker room. "Beckett! You got someone wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"Castle. The guy you busted."

Kate walked out to see if the desk sergeant was just jacking her around. "The guy who got me on graveyard again, after I just got off?" Many things flashed through Kate's mind that she'd like to tell Castle, but she held her feelings in. "Tell him to get lost."

"Nope. You're going to talk to him. He called up the DA and got him to take you back off of graveyard. And he wants to apologize to you."

"I still don't want…"

The sergeant cut her off. "I've been a cop for twenty four years. I have never seen a perp apologize to the arresting officer, let alone a millionaire who has the mayor on speed dial. I am not going to miss this. Go talk to him."

Kate was about to argue with the sergeant, but decided that jacking Castle up would be more fun. She nodded.

Castle decided that Officer Beckett was a lot prettier in civilian clothes than in her uniform. He gave her his best smile. "Kate, I really…"

"That's Officer Beckett to you, Mr. Castle." Beckett said coldly.

"Um, yes. Officer Beckett. I am very sorry for being responsible for getting you put on the graveyard shift. I did call up the DA and insisted that he not punish you. It was the least I could do."

Kate shook her head. "No, the least you could have done would have been to have not stolen…"

"Borrowed." Castle interjected.

"Stolen!" Kate said forcefully. "Not stolen that horse, not given me a hard time while I was arresting you, keeping your juvenile comments to yourself and just paying a damned fine, which is all you would have gotten anyway."

"Yes, but I didn't do any of that. So, to make it up to you, I'll take you to dinner. Do you like Spago's or Le Cirque?"

"You're what?" Kate. "And I've never been to either of those places. I'm a cop. Where do you think we eat?"

"Then we'll go to both. Spago's for lunch and le Cirque for dinner. What time do you get off?"

Kate was having trouble controlling her temper. "Mr. Castle, I will…"

"She gets off tomorrow at two in the afternoon." The desk sergeant called out. "And thank you, Mr. Castle. And that is the very least you can do."

Castle left a happy man and Kate walked over to the sergeant. "What do you think you're doing?" She snapped.

"I'm finding out how the other half lives. I want a full report. On the food. No need to discuss the other stuff."

"Other stuff?" Kate exploded. "There will be no other stuff."

Kate opened her eyes to see Rick looking at her. "Castle, it's creepy when you look at me when I'm sleeping."

"But you're so beautiful."

She sighed. "You know I can read you. And for some time you've wanted to tell me something but were having trouble finding the right time and place. So, I'll make it easy on you. I knew this would never last. It's been a fun six months, but now you're ready to move on." She kissed him softly.

Castle let out a laugh and hugged her.

"Hey, you don't have to be so happy at dumping me." Kate said angrily.

"No. No. You don't know me as well as you thought you did." He kissed her forehead. "I know that since my disaster of a marriage to Meredith, I've been…irresponsible. The women I dated were all temporary because I was afraid of getting hurt again. But you're different. I do not want to break up with you. You are the most amazing and remarkable woman I've ever met. I really want to see how far we can go. I think we're going to be awesome together."

Kate looked him in the eye. "You're serious? You really think we can be a…couple?"

"At the very least. Kate, I love you."

Mike Royce looked at his soon to be ex-partner. "How about that! Katherine Houghton Beckett, Detective, Third Grade, New York Police Department. And faster than any detective in the history of the department. Congratulations, kid."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Mike."

Royce laughed. "Bullshit! You'll be the best detective in the whole department before you know it. But I have to tell you, I'm going to miss having you as a partner."

"I'll miss you, too. But I have a new partner."

"They told you who already? Who is it?"

Kate reached under her blouse and pulled out a chain. Today there were two rings on it.

"Castle?" Royce smiled. "I'll be damned."

"He asked me a week ago. It's odd, Mike, I was building this wall around myself so I'd never get hurt again. But the wall just fell apart. He's the only one beside you that thinks I can find my mom's killer."

"So that's why you've been sneaking her file out at night? So he can go over it with you?"

"You know?" Kate said, suddenly frightened.

"Of course I know. If you and your husband need any help, just let me know."

"Thanks, Mike."

Kate pulled her cruiser up in front of the school. In seconds the passenger seat was filled with a red headed girl. "Hi, Mom. How was your day?"

"Pretty good. How was your day?"

"Okay. I got a one hundred on my math test, but I missed one question on my English exam."

"Oh! Your dad will not be happy. Being a writer and all."

Alexis decided she needed to change the subject. "Can we use the lights and siren on the way home?"

"No! Of course not. And don't try to change the subject, young lady." Kate thought for a second. "When we get home we'll go over your English test so you don't make the same mistake again."

"Thanks, Mom."

Dick Coonan's lawyer glared at Detective Beckett and Richard Castle. "You do understand my client has transactional immunity?"

Kate nodded. "We do. But just for acts in New York. Not for crimes committed elsewhere."

"What crimes?" The lawyer asked.

"We have a request from the Government of Afghanistan for your client's extradition back there."

The lawyer scoffed. "That's absurd. With their human rights record, no US court would ever extradite my client."

Kate looked at a file. "The State Department representative, Mr. Hunt thinks otherwise."

"Wait!" Coonan said. "Jackson Hunt?"

Kate nodded.

"He's not with the State Department. He's CIA. Special Activities Division. He's an assassin for the CIA. If they sent him, he's going to kill me. You have to protect me."

Kate looked at the file again, then shook her head. "We've checked his credentials with the State Department. He works for them."

"Of course they say that. They're in on it. I'm a dead man."

"If you have evidence that you're in danger…" Castle said, not sounding at all interested.

Coonan looked at his lawyer. "I can give you the man who ordered the hit on your mother. I have evidence, not just my word. But you have to protect me from him and from Hunt."

Much later Rick and Kate met with Mr. Hunt to explain that the evidence that Coonan was providing would probably preclude his ever being sent to Afghanistan. Mr. Hunt just shrugged. "I suppose we'll be able to placate the Afghans."

Castle looked at Mr. Hunt's face closely. "Have we ever met, Mr. Hunt?"

"Um, I don't think so. But I travel a lot. Part of the job. I see a lot of people. So, who knows? Maybe."

Kate had been touching her stomach all day long. When she finally got home, she ran to Rick. "Rick, are you ready to be a daddy again?"

He laughed and hugged her. "Only if you're ready to be a mother. I love you, Kate. I love you."

Kate woke up, noticing her hand was on her stomach. Soon, I think. And I am ready.