383. Chapter 383

After After Hours

Episode 5.08

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I I don't don't own own…Wait! What am I doing? All I'm saying is that I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Captain Gates was smiling when she stuck her head into the break room. "Ms. Rodgers? Mr. Beckett? We've found them and they're fine. They're headed to the precinct from the Bronx right now. They should be here in a half an hour or so."

Both Martha and Jim let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god." Martha said.

"Amen to that." Jim added.

They exchanged a quick hug and stood up. Martha laughed. "Why are we standing up? They won't be back for a half an hour. And if I know the police, they'll have to fill out a report, or something. We could be here for hours."

Jim nodded. "More coffee?"

"Why thank you."

As Jim worked on the coffee machine, Martha came over to stand beside him. They exchanged smiles.

"Martha, I've been meaning to tell you how happy I am that Katie and Rick finally got together. Katie was miserable for years and years after her mom died. It was like she was nothing but an emotionless machine, catching killers and moving on to the next case without a pause. I started noticing a change in her after she started working with Rick. I tried to ask her about it, but you know Katie, she kept everything to herself. Every time I'd try to say something, to ask her about Rick and what their relationship was like, she'd change the subject. If I pushed, she'd ignore me and then talk about something else."

Martha smiled. "I know what you mean. I have been trying to get Richard to see what he had in that girl for…years. I was beginning to think that my son was just too foolish to grab her and never let her go. Especially after some of the women in his life…"Martha stopped. "I suppose it's no great secret, but Meredith was the worst possible wife for Richard. For anyone for that matter. How my son could have thought for a moment….Oh, it's water under the bridge and he did get Alexis as a result, so I won't complain. Gina was different. She still is not my favorite person, but she tried to be a good wife for Richard, in her own way. It's just that her way wasn't his way. But, Katherine…I just cannot say enough good things about your daughter, Jim. I just wish I could have met her mother. She must have been an amazing woman."

"She was. That's why her death hit Katie so hard. She built these walls around herself so she'd never feel that kind of pain again. Rick is the one who managed to get those walls of hers down, although I'm absolutely amazed he stayed with Katie as long as he did."

"That's what love is all about, Jim. Being in it for the long run."

"Maybe, but Katie made the run longer than was necessary, believe me. Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the two men Katie dated after she met Rick. They were fine young men. But I could tell that they didn't make Katie as happy as Rick did. I admit I did try to push her a bit towards Rick, but being Katie, all it did was make her more determined not to like Rick. So, I stopped doing that. Maybe I should have tried reverse psychology?"

"In what way?" Martha asked curiously.

"Tell her that she should stop letting Rick shadow her. Break off the relationship. Tell her I didn't like Rick being around her. But, I was afraid she'd listen to me just that one time."

"It was by no means all Katherine's fault that they didn't get together. I don't know how many times I told Richard that he should do something! Anything, to let Katherine know he was interested. And his reputation was no help, nor his actions. He slept with that horrible actress who was only interested in him to get a part, he tried to get back with Gina, of all people, and that stewardess who…" Martha shook her head sadly. "At least that's over. They're together."

"I just hope they stay together." Jim said. "I know that Katie loves Rick and I'm positive he loves her. I just wish they'd make it permanent."

She took his hand. "Me too. He needs her, Jim. And I think she needs him. They would be so much happier together. I know he's been miserable when they weren't together. Oh, he has a pretty good poker face, but a mother can tell."

"So can a father. And I think it's Katie that's uncertain about their future. At least she's beyond thinking of Rick as some kind of empty headed playboy, only interested in his next conquest, but I think she believes that she loves him much more than he loves her, and she's afraid it won't last and she'll be hurt again. And she's worried about fitting into his world. Sometimes I think she has this exaggerated image of Richard Castle as some incredibly rich, famous person far above her station in life."

"Oh, for god's sake, Jim." Martha said hotly. "He may be a millionaire now, but for many years we were as poor as church mice. I can tell you that being an actress is not an easy road. Sometimes we had money and sometimes we had none. Richard has not forgotten where he came from. And he's a bit gun shy about the relationship with Katherine as well. He sees himself as a failed husband who couldn't make two marriages work. As if anyone could have made those particular marriages work."

"I hope they get married." Jim said, quietly. "I really do."

"If they don't, I'll give Richard such a kick in the ass that he'll…"

"Ms. Rodgers? Mr. Beckett?" A uniform interrupted them. "They're just pulling into the parking lot now. They'll be here in a few minutes."

"At least we know we're on the same page as far as our children are concerned." Martha said.

"Now, if we can just get them on the same page."

Finally back at the loft, Rick and Kate got ready for bed. Rick came up behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her hair. "You okay?"

"As okay as I'll ever be about both of us facing death." She leaned back into him, feeling safe and happy in his arms.

"I just want you to know that you're remarkable and that we're amazing together and we're going to keep being amazing. Always."

"I hope so. I just worry about where this is going. I told you, we're two different people from two different worlds."

"Are we? Sure, I'm rich now, but I wasn't always rich. I told you before, becoming rich doesn't change you, it just magnifies who and what you are. Your parents were successful lawyers. I have no idea who my dad is, and mom was a struggling actress. You went to Stuyvesant High School, a magnet school for smart kids and went on to Stanford, one of the top colleges in the world. I had, at best, a checkered career at some of New York's better private schools and spent most of my college years writing and partying. Change a few things in our lives, a few important things, and you're super lawyer Katherine Beckett and I'm struggling writer Rick Castle."

"Come on, Castle. I never would have continued with law school after mom's death and you're too talented to remain a struggling writer."

Castle shrugged. "Joe Pulgatti wrote to a lot of lawyers. Suppose one of them, rather than your mom replied to him. He never writes to you mom, you become Ms. Chief Justice Beckett who has no time for even a successful writer."

"But that's not what happened."

"No, what happened is that I fell in love with an amazing woman and best of all, she loves me back. So, let's just leave it at that. We love each other."

"You make it all sound so easy."

"It is easy. Trust me. Loving is the easiest thing I ever did. I love you."

"And I love you." Kate smiled. "But I seem to remember that things weren't very easy with us."

Rick kissed her gently. "Falling in love with you was easy. Getting us to where we are now, not so easy."