373. Chapter 373

After The Limey

Episode 4.20

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You don't have to shoot a missile at me to get me to admit I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above and below.

Author's note: As with the last chapter, I have made some tiny, almost imperceptible, changes to remove the suckiness from the episode. This is a follow on from that prior chapter.

Now

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle?" The limo driver said with professional friendliness.

"That's us. You're from the Desert Sapphire?" Rick replied.

"I'm Reggie, sir. And welcome to Las Vegas. I'll be available to drive you around for your whole stay, sir. Or if you just need something or someone picked up, just ask the concierge service. We're happy to have you here, sir."

Once in the back of the limo, Kate rested her head on Rick's shoulder. "I'm sure the Desert Sapphire is always happy to see a high roller like Rick Castle. Probably not as happy to see Kate Castle, who thinks the nickel slots are too risky."

"This is a charity poker tournament. We're all doing this for the children's cancer research fund and other worthy causes."

"Call me cynical, but poker players and casino owners running a charity poker tournament? Couldn't they just donate money instead?"

"Not as much publicity. And both the casinos and the poker players know that poker is looked down upon in some circles."

"Not in your circles, of course."

"Perish the thought. Poker is a game of skill, not a game of chance."

Kate looked out the window at the casinos. "Remember the first time we came to Vegas?"

Then

Kate picked up her things, getting ready to leave the precinct, and looked at her partner, her boyfriend and lover. "Castle, can I come over this weekend?" Castle's discovery that she had lied about not remembering him saying that he loved her had almost fatally damaged their relationship. She was still being very careful.

"Do you really think that you need to ask?"

She shrugged. "After the way I've screwed up things for the last four years, I'm just afraid of saying or doing anything that might screw things up again. I'm sorry."

Castle gave her a long, hard look. "Maybe you shouldn't come over to the loft."

Kate's heart lurched and she felt an icy chill in her gut. What have I done now?

"You have the long weekend off, right? We should go to Vegas, have some fun. You especially need to cut lose and have some fun. You're wound up tighter than a drum."

"Castle…Vegas for the weekend? Are you sure..?"

"By a strange coincidence, I just so happen to have a pair of first class tickets to Vegas and reservations for the Presidential Suite at the Desert Sapphire. How sure do you think I am?"

"I guess we're going to Las Vegas then."

Rick stopped and looked at the love of his life. "But not if you don't want to. We both made mistakes in the last four years, Kate. I don't like the idea of you acting like everything was all your fault, because it wasn't."

"Richard Castle, I would love to go to Las Vegas with you." She leaned forward and quickly squeezed his hand.

"Good. The limo is outside ready to take us to the airport."

"Castle! I have to go home and pack!"

"No. We'll get anything we need there. I'm your boyfriend now. Boyfriends are supposed to pay for everything. It's in the guy rules. I'd show you a copy, but you're not a guy."

And so they went to Las Vegas.

Kate stood in their room, looking over the city of Las Vegas. "And I thought the suite we had in LA was nice."

"You get the very best, because you deserve the very best, because you are the very best."

Kate blushed slightly. "That's sweet."

"Yes, but it's also true. So, what shall we do first?"

"Dinner?"

"How about shopping for some clothes and then dinner?"

When they left the dining room, Kate felt self-conscious. She could never have afforded the dresses and other clothes that Castle had bought for her. "Castle," she whispered, leaning on him, "you've spent too much time doing things for me. For years all you've done is try to make my life as easy, safe and fun as possible. It's time for me to do things for you."

"What could you possibly do for me that would be better than loving me?"

"I almost think you want something from me?" She said suspiciously.

"Would you mind if I went and played poker?"

Kate grinned at him. "Go ahead."

He kissed her. "I won't be more than a few hours."

Five hours later he found her in the bar talking to a barmaid.

"Sorry, Kate. But I did okay." He held out a roll of bills. "I made six thousand dollars. Not bad for five hours work. Were you here the whole time?"

"No. I played some blackjack. I won, too."

"How much?"

"Thirty one thousand dollars."

"Oh."

That night, Kate stood in their darkened room in her new silk negligee, looking at the neon lights all around them. "I almost got married here, Castle."

"What? You and DMB?" Castle was surprised.

"No. When I was at Stanford. My boyfriend, Rogan O'Leary, a real loser, wanted to go through one of those drive through marriage places. He even got the license and everything. But I refused to say anything. The minister kept asking me if I took him, etcetera, etcetera, so I just looked away and didn't say a word. Rogan was mad that they wouldn't give him his money back."

"Do you want to get married while we're here?" He asked, suddenly, putting his arms around her.

"By ourselves? No. I want my dad there when his only child gets married. I'm sure Martha and Alexis would want to be there, too. And our friends." Then something occurred to Kate. "Wait! Did you just ask me to marry you?"

"Yes."

"Castle. Are you sure?"

"Are you not sure?"

Kate took a deep breath and changed her life. "Yes. I will marry you."

"Let's go get an engagement ring."

"Dressed like this?" All of Kate was visible through her negligee.

"First thing tomorrow."

Now

"Ladies and gentlemen, table four will have two amateurs and two professionals. The amateurs are best selling author Richard Castle and his wife, Kate Beckett Castle, the inspiration for Nikki Heat. The professionals are Richard "Ricky the Lion Hearted" Coeur and Samantha "Red" Lopez." Kate recognized the announcer as having been the star of a sitcom from a dozen years before.

Kate glanced over at their table mates. Richard Coeur's thing was apparently to glare at everyone and complain constantly to try to put the other players off their game. Samantha Lopez dressed as sexily as she could without getting arrested and in Las Vegas it took a lot, or rather very little, to get arrested. Kate could clearly see Red's nipple poking through the thin material of her blouse. She didn't need a bra as her double D cup boobs were so round and firm as to be obviously fake.

She smiled as Rick leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Yours are better."

"And you're an expert, I know."

An hour later they were sitting in the bar.

"I've never had such a string of bad hands in my life." Kate said disbelievingly.

"Tell me about it. I had one good hand after the other. And someone else always had a better hand. At least you lasted longer than I did."

Kate shook her head. "Only because most of my hands were so bad I folded early. I did think my luck was changing with that last big pot. A full house? Kings over tens? And I still lost?"

"And you had the worst hand at the table. It's been that kind of a night, Kate."

"Remember our last night in Vegas last time?"

Rick smiled. "We pushed the mattress off the bed and put it on the floor next to the floor to ceiling window? The neon lights on your body were…unforgettable."

"I'm not as limber as I used to be." She said coyly.

"Nonsense! I can vouch for your limberness. You're better than ever."

"I suppose we could find out."

"Shall we retire, Mrs. Castle?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Mr. Castle."

Then

Kate rested her head on Rick's shoulder as their plane got ready to leave Las Vegas. A blonde stewardess leaned over her. "Excuse me? Are you Richard Castle, the author?"

Rick nodded. "Guilty."

She smiled at him. "I love your books." She looked down at Kate. "And you must be Detective Kate Beckett? The real Nikki Heat? I just love that character." She looked around and lowered her voice. "Are you two together? There are so many rumors. Some say you are and some say you're not."

Kate looked over at Rick, who pointed to the ring on Kate's left hand. "This is my fiancé. But we haven't told anyone yet. So keep it quiet, please."

"Oh, absolutely. Mr. Castle. I'm so happy for you two. And I'm Jacinda. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Nice girl." Rick said as Jacinda walked away. "But not my type."

"And your type is?" Kate said teasingly.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Yes. Because I love hearing it."

"You make me work so hard, Beckett. Let me begin…"