947. Chapter 947

After A Deadly Game

Episode 2.24

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I have yet to own Castle. Rating: M Time: See above.

Chapter Six

Kate woke up the next morning to find herself spooning with Castle. She was about to say something when she realized she had moved from her side of the bed to his in the night.

"You awake, Beckett?"

"Yes. How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. A few minutes." Castle waited a second or two and then whispered. "Tell you what. I'll take a shower first and try to steam up the glass so the cameras won't catch anything when you go in. Okay?"

"Okay."

Castle crawled over her and went to the bathroom. She heard the shower running full blast and then Castle began to sing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. It seemed like Castle didn't care if he was being watched 24/7. If he can stand it, I can stand it.

When both were done with the bathroom and had gotten dressed, two men came in with their breakfast. As usual, they were polite and smiled.

"Detective Beckett, in addition to the usual breakfast, we have a bear claw and a grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla."

Castle took his tray. "Guys, whatever you want, money, a signed confession to anything, characters based on you in my next book, whatever, just name it. All I want is for you to leave Beckett alone. She has nothing to do with this."

"Castle!" Beckett yelled, then made her move. She aimed a kick at the knee of the man closest to her. It was like kicking a brick wall. She tried to move around him and was blocked by his massive arm.

"Detective Beckett, please be careful. You could hurt your foot that way." He was smiling which made Kate angrier.

They put her breakfast tray down and left. Still smiling.

"What were you trying to do, Beckett? Get us beaten to a pulp?"

"I was trying to get us out of here. What were you trying to do?"

"Get you out of here."

"Castle, that's….." Beckett stopped glaring at him. "That's actually kind of sweet. But I don't think it'll work."

"I had to try."

"Thank you." She said softly. Kate thought for a moment. "Castle, they know how I take my coffee. How did they find out so soon? We're they planning on kidnapping me all along?"

He shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. None of this makes sense."

She looked at the breakfast trays. "I guess we should eat."

"Will you sit on my lap and let me feed you?" He asked, doing his best not to leer.

"Do I look like the kind of girl who sits on a guy's lap and lets him feed her on a first date?" She said coldly.

"Sorry."

She sat on his lap. "Some bacon, please."

After a day of eating and watching TV, Beckett insisted that they exercise. Castle grumped, but when Beckett promised him a kiss, he agreed.

"That wasn't much of a kiss." He said when they were done.

"That wasn't much of an exercise." She said, then gave him a long, slow kiss. "But that's all you get." She whispered. "I'm not going to have my love life all over the internet someday."

"Promise?" He whispered back.

By the end of the third day, they were tired of eating, exercising and watching sports on TV. They still liked kissing however.

"Hey, they brought us a sundae." Castle said when dinner was brought to them. "We can eat that first before it melts."

"Castle…." Beckett began, but found her mouth closed, first by his kiss, then by ice cream.

After a few bites, he looked over to her. "Shit. I'm starting to get….."

Kate slid onto his lap and the sundae fell to the floor. They were unconscious.

He felt the warm sunshine on his face. Sunshine? His eyes shot open. "Beckett?"

"Hmmm?" Said a sleepy voice beside him.

"We're out."

"What?" Kate came fully awake. "We're in…."

"My Ferrari." Castle checked his pockets. "I've got the keys, my wallet, watch….and no phone."

"I think we're in the New Jersey Pine Barrens." Kate said, looking around them.

"No gun and no cannoli."

"Castle." She said, warning him.

"So they let us go. But why?"

"The kidnapped us, and we don't know why."

"I have a partial answer, I think."

"Care to share with me?"

"Always." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "You said the Boston gangsters were taking over Dick Coonan's old heroin route. He got his dope from warlords in Afghanistan. The government, and therefore the CIA, would want to put a stop to that. The warlords just complicate things in Afghanistan. The CIA would want to trace the heroin pipeline back as far as they could to the US, to stop things at their source."

"But the CIA doesn't operate in the US." Kate said.

"Maybe, but they sure could cooperate with anti-terrorism units….."

"Like the FBI." Beckett finished.

He nodded. "Which explains why they'd be interested in the Boston gangs. But why take an interest in me? Or you?" He thought about Agent Grey and Sophia Conrad. Sure, they like me, I guess. But would they make that much an effort to save me? "Do you have any ideas, Beckett?"

"Not a one."

"Me either. It's not like I have a guardian angel that works for the CIA."

"Castle, we need to get back to the precinct. Now."

He sighed. "You don't want to make out for a while?"

"Later. We have get back and find out what's happened."

"Promise?"

"Yes. We'll find out what happened at the precinct. I promise." She teased.

Once they found their way out of the Pine Barrens, they were able to drive quickly to the 12th Precinct and rode up the elevator to the homicide bullpen.

"Beckett! Castle!" Ryan and Esposito yelled as soon as they were out of the elevator. "Where they hell have you two been?"

Before anyone could say anything else, Montgomery stuck his head out of his office. "You two. In here. Now."

Once they were inside, they closed the door.

"I had a nice meeting with the Chief of Police and the Commissioner last night. I was told that I was under no circumstances to ask where you two had been on your undercover mission, because no one would tell me. Least of all you. Anyway, the phony obstruction of justice charge has been dropped and I have your weapons, Beckett. "He pulled her two Glocks from his desk and handed them to her. "You'll also be getting a commendation from the Commissioner and from the FBI, which will basically say nothing about what you two did."

He turned to Rick. "Since you're not a cop, you don't get a commendation, but, I'll buy you a beer. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Beckett alone."

When Castle got back to the bullpen, Lanie had joined Ryan and Espo.

"Okay, bro. What happened? Where were you two?"

Rick shook his head. "Sorry, guys. I really can't tell you."

"Castle, this is us. Now tell."

Castle leaned in. "If it was just me, I'd tell you. But if this got out, Beckett could be in big trouble. And not just with the FBI. I won't take a chance on getting Beckett hurt in any way."

'Writer Boy." Lanie said. "You sound like you have feelings for Kate."

"Yeah, Castle." Added Ryan. "Do you have feelings for Beckett?"

He nodded slowly, "Yes, I do."

The three looked at each other and then at Castle. Finally Lanie spoke. "Does she have feelings for you?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Castle pointed to Beckett coming out of Montgomery's office.

"It seems I have two additional weeks of paid vacation all of a sudden. Which is lucky, since a friend of mine has invited me to stay at his place in the Hamptons." She winked at Castle.

"What a coincidence. I was just about to head for the Hamptons myself. Can I give you a lift?"

As Ryan, Espo and Lanie stared at the two, Kate headed for the elevator. Then she looked over her shoulder.

"Coming, Castle?"

Author's note: Tomorrow we'll have a one chapter After story, After The Limey, where Rick and Kate are contacted by someone from their past. After that, there will be a delay in getting a new story out. I have some nine thousand words done on After Captain Kate and the Hurricane, another story of the pirate captain Kate Beckett in the 18th century. And I've just begun Follow the Orange Brick Road, where yet another Kate Beckett leads Caskett et al to yet another alternate universe, or two.