534. Chapter 534

After The Lives of Others

Episode 5.19

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Others may own Castle, I don't. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This is a follow up, of sorts, to chapters 145 and 396.

October 22, 2015

Kate walked into Lanie's office and leaned against a steel autopsy table.

"Hi, sweetie. How's everything. Married life still agreeing with you?"

Kate smiled and blushed. "More than I ever imagined it would. I wish I'd listened to you and gotten together with Castle a lot earlier."

Lanie shrugged. "Maybe it wouldn't have worked earlier. You had a lot of work tearing down those walls of yours and Castle had some growing up to do."

"Still, I lost years that we could have been together."

Lanie looked closely at Kate. "Is there a problem? You don't usually come down here to get all nostalgic about your past."

"Not exactly a problem." Kate said slowly.

Lanie waited for Kate to continue, and when she didn't, Lanie spoke. "So what's the problem that isn't a problem?"

"Castle's birthday surprise."

Lanie frowned. "It's in April. Aren't you a little early to be worrying about it now?"

"Not his birthday, mine. When we celebrated his birthday two years ago, he got the best present of his life, a complex fake murder that he had to solve."

"You want to do that again?" Lanie grinned. "He'd never suspect another one. Great idea. What did you have in mind?"

Kate shook her head. "After the birthday party he told me that he'd have to get me back and do so in a way that was truly Castlesque. And knowing him, he'll do it at a time and in a way that I'll least expect."

Lanie nodded. "And..?"

"For my first birthday after that, he sent me a bunch of anonymous, expensive gifts that made me think I was being stalked by some psycho. Then, my last birthday, I was so worried about what he'd do that I went to Dad's house and got all of my most embarrassing photos out of our old photo albums. There was one when I was ten of so of my bare butt and another as a teenager with mouthful of braces and a really stupid look on my face. Then…Well, there were a lot of them. It turns out Castle set it up so he'd know that my most embarrassing photos were in my bookcase in my old apartment. I checked and they had been disturbed, but he hasn't used them. So, has Castle asked you to hold anything for you?"

Lanie shook her head. "Not a thing."

"Has he been down here when you weren't here? I've searched the loft and the house in the Hamptons, but he could have asked Martha or Alexis to keep them. But he might have hid them here."

Lanie shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

And so the two women searched the morgue from top to bottom and found exactly nothing.

Kate thanked Lanie, but couldn't help but wonder if her friend might not agree to help Castle play a practical joke on her. Castle told me how terrified he was when he thought I had been killed looking for Emily's "body". He said he couldn't put me through that kind of horror. Or did he just say that to throw me off? Kate thought. I wonder if I should go have a little chat with Martha? Or Alexis?

However, Kate's birthday passed with no truly Castlesque pranks.

October 28, 2016

Kate noticed that Castle had been behaving suspiciously for several days. On two occasions she had seen him huddled with Ryan and Esposito, but when she had come out of her office the second time, the meeting had broken up. When asked, Castle had said they were going over phones and financials on the Pemberton case.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary in them at all." She had said.

Castle had just shrugged. "We're getting nowhere otherwise. So, we thought we'd go back over the evidence and see if we saw anything new. We didn't."

Kate had acted like she accepted that.

The next day, Kate had gone to One PP for a meeting only to find that it had been cancelled at the last minute. She decided to head back and go to Remy's. Castle and the boys were probably already there. She'd surprise her husband.

Kate was the one who was surprised. Looking in the window from her car, she saw Castle, Ryan and Esposito deep in conversation with Sergeant Cuchillo from the Bomb Squad. Why would they be talking to Cuchillo? We don't have a single active case involving a bomb. And none of the cold cases I've asked them to look over involve bombs. Then it hit her. My birthday! Could this be Castle's revenge at long last? Something involving a bomb? After the time I spent standing on one that time, he knows I'll freak out. That must be it.

On a hunch that night, Kate checked the trunk of Castle's Mercedes. Sure enough. There was a brand new box of six road flares. Kate smiled. With a little work, these road flares would look just like sticks of dynamite. Castle is planning a fake bomb.

That night, just before bed, Kate casually asked Castle about the flares. "I happened to notice some road flares in the trunk of the Mercedes. Any reason for that?"

Castle shrugged and looked disinterested. "I was looking for one of those road emergency kits for the car, but I couldn't find one I liked. One had some great flares, but a really cheap and flimsy set of jumper cables. Another had great jumper cables, but really crummy tools. And no flares. I decided I'd just build my own kit, so I bought the flares. I'll get the rest of the stuff soon."

"That's nice." Kate said, smiling to herself.

Three days later, while going over the bills, Kate noticed that Castle had bought an inexpensive digital watch. Perfect for the fake timer. All he needs is a few wires and some tape, and he'll have his fake bomb.

Kate started checking her car, her desk, the breakroom and other places for the fake bomb.

"Looking for something, Captain?" Ryan asked, looking completely innocent.

"No, no." Kate replied with a smile. "Just checking things."

But, her birthday came and went and she found no fake bomb anywhere. Castle must have figured out I was onto him and given up on the fake bomb plot. That's one for Beckett.

November 7, 2017.

Kate ran her hand over her gently rounded stomach. Her birthday was only ten days away and Castle had hardly left her side long enough to plot any dastardly birthday revenge.

Castle ran into their bedroom. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Kate asked, somewhat mystified.

"I heard something. Something odd. Is anything wrong?"

"Yes, there is."

A look of abject terror crossed Castle's face as he rushed to Kate. "Is it the baby? Is it you? Is it me? Is it the precinct? Whatever it is, I'll fix it. I can fix it, right? Just tell me and I'll fix it, okay? Kate, what's wrong, honey?"

"My husband isn't planning anything for my birthday."

Castle sighed and smiled. "Now, there you're wrong. I'm taking you to the Hamptons for a long weekend. You need to get away from the precinct and away from New York. You need some peace and quiet and the salt sea air. You need a husband who'll wait on you hand and foot." Castle put his hand on her tummy and smiled. "And the little one needs a vacation, too."

Kate smiled. This year, at least, she had no fear that Rick would come up with some birthday revenge. Unless it involved those embarrassing photos of her. She never had found where he hid the copies she knew he must have made of them. I wouldn't think I was in any danger with those stupid pictures, but Castle could embarrass me badly. Is that what he has planned?

But her birthday came and went, all without any birthday surprise, and later Johanna Alexis Castle was born.

November 17, 2018

Johanna was asleep and Kate and Rick were cuddled together on the couch in their loft.

"Happy birthday, honey."

"Thank you. It was wonderful, as always." She kissed him. "You know, I've been worried for years that you were going to get me back for the fake murder I gave you for your birthday. I'm sorry for thinking you'd do something like that."

"But I did."

"You did what?"

"Got you back. Every birthday you've been worrying about your embarrassing baby photos or the one with your ass hanging out. Your ass was adorable even then, you know. But I never took any of the photos. I just messed them up a little to make you think I had. And the non-bomb you spent weeks looking for? Never existed. I had a blast, pun intended, watching you search for it when you thought I wasn't looking. I know you even worried when you were carrying Jo, although I'd never do anything that might put you or her at risk. All in all, I did a good job of getting you back."

Kate glared at Castle but then the glare turned to a smile and then giggles. "And I've had the best birthdays I've ever had with you."

"But wait until next year."