483. Chapter 483

After Set Up

Episode 3.16

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm not set up to own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Detective Kate Beckett could feel the warmth leaving her body and a deathly chill entering it. "Castle… thank you…for being there."

"Always."

We're going to die. I have to tell him. "I just want you to know how much I…." Kate got no farther as the darkness and the cold overcame her. …love you. Those two words never made it out of her brain. She sank further into the darkness.

"Darling, you are such a beautiful bride. And my wedding dress looks perfect on you."

Kate's eyes widened in shock. "Mother! What are you doing here?"

Johanna Beckett laughed. "Why, do you think I'd miss my own daughter's wedding? Not in a million years. And Josh is such a fine young man. And a doctor, too." Johanna Beckett sighed. "It's a shame you couldn't have been a lawyer like your father and I always wanted you to be. I have no idea why you left Stanford and became a police officer. That was such an odd career move."

Kate was shocked. "Because of you!"

"Me? I hope my complaints about working for those without a voice didn't turn you off from a law career, Katie. It's not all long hours, bad coffee and boring depositions, dear. You know it's not too late. I have friends at Stanford, you know. Professor O'Leary is a very good friend of mine. I'm sure we could get you back into the pre-law program."

"Rogan O'Leary?" Kate said in horror. "Him?"

"Oh, I know he said a few nasty things when he wasn't appointed Attorney General, but even he admits now that your father was a much better choice."

"Dad is the Attorney General?" Kate said softly. "Of the United States?" She said in disbelief.

"You bet I am, Katie. Here to see you get hitched." Kate turned around to see her father with a familiar looking woman on his arm. Johanna Beckett glared at Jim. "I'll just leave you and your new bride to talk to Katie." Johanna said coldly and walked off without another word. As she left, Kate heard her mumble something that sounded like "slut".

"Jordan Shaw?" Kate said, very confused.

"Jordan Beckett, dear. I hope you're not going to be like your mother and refuse to call me by my married name. I am your stepmother now, after all."

Looking past her dad, Kate saw a familiar and friendly face coming into the room. "Excuse me. Dad and…Mrs. Beckett. I have to go talk to Lanie."

Oddly enough. Lanie had her arm wrapped tightly around Kevin Ryan's waist. As Kate came closer, Lanie's grip on Ryan tightened. "Sweetie, I know you still want my Kevvie, but he's mine now." Lanie held out her left hand to show a large diamond ring on her ring finger. "I know that you refused to come to the wedding, but we are married. I do hope we can be friends again." Lanie's smile faded. "But if you try to get your grubby hooks into my little Kevvie, I'll knock you on your skinny ass." The smile came back. "Besides, Josh isn't such a bad consolation prize, although he's no Kevin Ryan." Both Ryans laughed.

"Where's Castle. Where is he?" Kate demanded.

"Did you really expect him to come? After you had your dad use his position to get an injunction against the Nikki Heat books as an invasion of your privacy? You're lucky President Weldon used his influence to keep your dad from being impeached."

"Castle isn't coming?" Kate was feeling sick.

"I have it on good authority he'll be here." Said a familiar voice.

"Sir!" Kate turned around to greet Captain Montgomery. But when she saw him, her mouth dropped open. "Sir?" Captain Montgomery was dressed in a very flamboyant robe of Kente cloth and sported a huge Afro haircut.

"You don't have to call me sir, now Kate. I'm retired. Since the books came out, I've been doing TV gigs, a few movie roles, and I have an authentic African-American-NYPD cook book out."

"The books, sir? Um, I mean, Roy?" Kate was very confused.

"The Nick X. books. You know. Naked Nick, Nick Rises, Deadly Nick, Raging Nick and all the others. I can't tell you how happy I am that you got Castle's Nikki Heat books suppressed. He was able to re-work them to feature a tough, savvy and incredibly good looking African-American NYPD Captain. Of course, Evelyn got half of everything in the divorce, but the real Nick X. is a living sex machine. He's a complicated man and no one understands him but his women. Nick X!" Roy smiled at her. "When you get back from your honeymoon, I can get you tickets to the Nick Wave premiere. It's here in New York." Roy went off to sit with four very young African-American women who were very scantily clad for a wedding.

What do I care what they wear? She thought. I'm not getting married.

"How's it going, Beckett?"

Kate turned to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar uniform. "Espo? You went back into the Army?"

Espo frowned at her. "Duh! After the 30,000XK fiasco, I figured it had to be better than staying in the NYPD and getting blamed for all of those deaths. Good move on your part, marrying a doctor. When they ask you about why you screwed up the dirty bomb blast investigation because you were making out with your boyfriend in the supply room, you can tell them to take a flying leap. I have to admit, I never would have made Jerry Tyson as a jihadist. We're just lucky some New Jersey sheriff thought Tyson was going for a gun and not a candy bar and put forty seven rounds in him. Hey, they jury said it was self defense, who am I to argue?"

"Espo, Do you know where Castle is?" She asked desperately. "I have to see him."

Espo pointed across the room. "Sure he's over there with his wives."

"Wives?" Beckett asked, but Espo had disappeared.

There was Rick Castle, looking as ruggedly handsome as ever, but surrounded by four women: Meredith, Gina, Kyra and…Jenny O'Malley, who should have been Mrs. Ryan.

She walked over to them. "Castle, you have four wives?" She asked in disbelief.

"I converted to Islam. Oddly enough, in spite of your dad screwing me on the Nikki Heat books, his interpretation of the Religious Tolerance Act allowed me to marry four times. I guess that was my problem all along. I needed to have multiple wives. I've never been happier." He smiled at his four wives who smiled back.

"But the Nikki Heat books were the best thing you ever wrote." Kate said, feeling miserable.

"Really?" Gina said. "That's not what you told Mr. Chief Justice Markway. You said Nikki Heat was a stripper's name and that the books were pornography." Gina suddenly looked down at her stomach. "Oh dear, Rick. I'm pregnant again." Indeed, Gina who had been slim and svelte just a minute before was now very pregnant.

"More daughters?" Castle cried happily. "Oh, Beckett, you have met my daughters, haven't you? There's Alexis, Alec, Alex, Alix, Lexie, Alexandra, Alexandrine, and Zoe." The daughters were all copies of Alexis, but with different hair colors, red, blonde or brunette.

"Rick, I can't marry Josh." She said desperately. "I love you. Please…"

Castle and his wives dissolved in laughter. Literally.

But suddenly she was standing next to Josh at the altar. However, Josh was dressed in hospital scrubs and was operating on a patient. "Good news, Kate. I was able to get you a protective vest and a helmet for our honeymoon in the eastern Congo. And, I've traded shifts with a friend and we can have sex for fifteen minutes in only another eight months. I'll be too busy until then. Oh, I hope having sex in war torn Syria won't be a problem for you?"

"Josh, I am not going to marry you." Kate screamed.

The minister beamed down at her. "I now pronounce you man and wife. Congratulations, Mrs. Davidson."

Kate's eyes slowly opened. Josh was hovering over her. "Hi, honey. I didn't go to Haiti after all. You're going to be okay."

He stayed here. That means we have a chance. Or do we?