568. Chapter 568

After The Time of Our Lives

Episode 7.06

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Perhaps in an alternate universe, I own Castle, but not here. Rating: K Time: See above.

She was sprawled over Castle in the bedroom of the house in the Hamptons with one leg over her husband. "Kate Castle? Or Kate Beckett Castle? Or Katherine Houghton Beckett Castle? What do you think?"

Castle stared at the ceiling, then rolled over slightly to look her in the eyes. "Not the last one. By the time you get through answering the phone, the other party will have fallen asleep or hung up."

"True. But you don't mind me using my maiden name at work? I mean I've been Detective Beckett my whole career."

"And having two Castles in the precinct could get confusing. Suppose someone wanted the ruggedly handsome Castle and ended up with the remarkable Castle?"

She tapped him lightly in the chest. "Don't be silly."

"You want me to stop now?"

"You could try." She teased. "Although I'd understand if you weren't capable of not being silly."

"Oh ho! A challenge, Mrs. Castle? Okay, then tell me this, very seriously, why didn't you ever tell me that you stood in line to get one of the early Derrick Storm books personally signed by me?"

"Because it would only…Wait! How did you find out that I stood in line to get one of your books signed?"

"I have magic powers."

Kate scoffed. "Will must have told you. That's it isn't it?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, Will and I are such good friends. We just love to get together and chat about Kate Beckett. Think again."

Kate's brow furrowed. "My dad. I must have told him about it and he told you."

"No. Not your dad. Feel free to call him and ask him, though."

"I know I didn't tell anyone at the precinct." Kate thought, but couldn't figure out how Castle knew.

"But you didn't answer my question. Why didn't you ever tell me we'd met before? Tell me and I'll tell you how I knew about it."

"Because until we actually got together, I didn't want to say or do anything that would let you know how I really felt about you and your books, and once we got together, it didn't matter." She ran her hand over her chest. "I wish I had been more honest with you. We could have gotten together a lot sooner."

"We could have done a lot of things differently. I should have stayed away from Ellie Monroe, for instance. It's not like I never had a woman go after me before because she wanted something. But, we both got something from each other and I'd been doing that for so long, I never thought about how that might affect you. And I never thought about how you affected me. And you did, from day one."

"Okay, Castle. Quit stalling. Who told you about the book signing?"

"The other Beckett."

"What other Beckett?"

"The one that I met. Captain Beckett who had never met me and was unhappy, and who could have been that Rick's Kate. I wish I knew how that ended up."

"Rick, there is no other Beckett. You were dreaming, or hallucinating, and your subconscious mind picked up something I said or did and the other Beckett that you created in your mind told you about it."

"Okay, then. If I heard it, I heard it from you because I was never with Sorenson without you there. So who did you tell that I could have heard it from? You just said you didn't tell anyone at the precinct. And you can check with your dad that he didn't tell me, so how did if find out?"

Kate frowned. "I don't know. I probably told Lanie and you overheard us, or she told Alexis who said something to your mom that you overheard. Castle, there was no other Beckett."

"You can prove that there are no alternate universes? There are quite reputable scientists, including Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrassse Tyson, plus lots of others, who think that multiverses are possible." Castle smiled smugly.

"Okay, I cannot provide proof that other universes don't exist, but I think my theory is more grounded in fact. We know that things will stick in a subject's subconscious mind and pop out at odd times, but we have no proof of alternate universes." Kate stuck her tongue out at Castle.

"Ah, but I was there. And I know dreams. Dreams are free form. One minute I'll be talking to you and the next it'll be someone I knew in fifth grade, looking just like they did in fifth grade, talking to us. In a dream, I'll be walking in Manhattan and then I'll be in a field in Kansas."

"Looking for Auntie Em?" Kate asked sarcastically.

"Precisely, because that might make sense in the context of a dream. This event was entirely linear. Time ran normally, people remained the same, and basically it was nothing like any dream I've ever had, or ever heard of. In fact, I may do a little research on the subject."

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because there's a Kate Beckett out there who desperately needs her Rick Castle. The last thing I told that Kate before I came back to you was that I love her. And I do. She was you, Kate, a different Kate Beckett, but you. I don't love another woman, Kate. I love only you, but she was you, too."

Kate shook her head. "Okay, but just remember, I do not share!"

"I'd never ask you to."

"So, before you do any research…Round two?"

Meanwhile…..Elsewhere….

"Captain Beckett?"

Captain Kate Beckett shot to her feet from where she'd been dozing in a chair in the hospital. "Yes. Is he awake?"

"Yes. I've called his family, but since you're a police officer, I suppose you can see him first. He's been through a lot, though. Try not to tax him."

The doctor led Kate through a maze of corridors and rooms and then to where Richard Castle was.

"Hey, you're real." Was the first thing he said.

"Why would you think I wasn't?" She asked, curious.

He shook his head and then grimaced. "Oh, I don't want to move my head like that."

Kate sat by him and took his hand in hers. "You were shot, saving my life, Mr. Castle. Try to remain calm and don't upset yourself."

"It was real?"

"What was real?"

"I had this strange dream, like I was trapped inside my own body, but someone was in charge of my mind. I'd try to yell at my mom or my daughter that this wasn't the real me, but nothing happened."

"Do you remember anything?"

He nodded, frowning from the pain. "I remember everything that happened and more. I worked with you, like I was a cop. We were…" he stopped.

"Lovers?" She suggested.

"Engaged." He looked down at her ring finger. "But not here, obviously. He was looking up alternate universes. He thought he came from….another…reality? Maybe he did."

"Do you remember the last thing you said to me after you were shot?"

He nodded. "I said I loved you." He smiled at her. "But I can't. We hardly know each other. Actually, I don't think you know me at all. You know the…other one?" He asked questioningly.

"But yet, when we first met, I felt something for you, Mr. Castle."

He nodded slowly. "That's really freaky, because I do feel like I know you and care for you. Strange."

The doctor stuck his head into Castle's room. "Captain Beckett? Could you cut this short? My patient needs to rest."

Kate stood up. "I'm sorry for keeping you from sleeping. But can I come and see you again? Tomorrow?"

He nodded vigorously, causing more pain. "Yes." As she turned to go, he called to her. "Captain Beckett, do you have a detective named Nikki Heat working for you?"

She shook her head. "No. I've never heard of anyone by that name. Why?"

He smiled. "I'm going to write a book about her."

"Would you like to come by the precinct when you're well and do some research?"

"With you?"

"Of course."

"I'd love to."