134. Chapter 134

After Swan Song

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: It is documented that I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

As soon as they got back into his loft, he put his arms around Kate and kissed her. "I just hated that." He said when he broke the kiss.

"Well, then don't kiss me.' She teased.

"No! Not that." He kissed her again. "I love kissing you. What I hated was what happened in the case."

"We've investigated a lot of murders." She said, concerned. "Why was this one different?"

"All I did was put my hand on your cheek and stroke it. And we had to chase down the director, beg him to get rid of that part of the documentary and then cringe when Gates called us into her office, afraid we were busted for being a couple."

She rested her head on his chest. "You know the drill. If Gates finds out we're together, she'll kick you to the curb. And I cannot have my partner kicked out of the precinct."

"Just your partner?" He asked, trying to look glum.

Kate frowned and appeared to think seriously. "He's also the guy who brings me coffee every morning. If I lost that…" She shuddered theatrically. "I just couldn't live like that."

"You're a difficult woman, Detective Beckett." He smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Seriously, Castle, I know how you feel. I'd like to hold your hand every once in a while without having to be on the lookout for someone seeing us. I'd even appreciate a nice kiss now and then."

"Yeah, but I want to do more."

"Oooh!" She said with a wicked grin. "What did you have in mind? Making out in the break room? How about the holding cell and handcuffs. I'd have you yelling "apple"."

"As erotic as that sound, Beckett, that's not what I had in mind. I want to take you out. I want to go to my favorite restaurants with you. I want to go to Broadway plays. I want to have you on my arm all dressed up in a designer dress with beautiful jewelry dripping off of you. I want to take you to book signings and tell everyone, "Look! This is Kate Beckett, the real life Nikki Heat. But Beckett is ten times what Nikki is. Kate is brilliant, dedicated, fearless, and drop dead gorgeous. And best of all, Kate Beckett is the woman I love." And I can't do any of that."

She kissed him lightly. "We do go to restaurants."

He snorted. "Remy's."

"And I'd rather be with you at Remy's than with anyone else anywhere else on the planet. I don't need designer dresses or jewelry as long as I have you. Feel better?"

"I do."

Three days later, Rick came back from a meeting at Black Pawn. Kate was sitting in his office, reading the latest Nikki Heat chapter he'd written. He grabbed her and hugged her. "I've got the solution to our problem."

"You've figured out how to solve murders with no paperwork?" She deadpanned.

"No. Our problem with not being able to go anywhere together without fear of being seen and having Gates find out."

"Your solution is?" She asked, curious.

"Moretti's." He said smiling.

"I never would have thought of that." She said seriously. "Especially since I have no idea what a Moretti is."

"It's a restaurant in Maine. Alexis and I ran across it about six years ago. It has absolutely the best fresh seafood we have ever tasted. And it's nowhere near New York. We can fly into Portland on Friday afternoon, and get a town car to take us there. It's in a little town on the coast. Then we can check into a quaint little New England bed and breakfast and come back Saturday afternoon. No one will ever know. What do you say?"

Kate thought for a second. "It sounds good. Can you make reservations?"

He pulled a pair of airline tickets out of his pocket. "They're already made."

She rolled her eyes. "I should have known."

Rick held Kate's hand on the flight to Portland, never letting it go until it was time to take off his seatbelt. On the ride to Moretti's, Kate rested her head on his shoulders and held his hand. When they thought the driver wasn't looking, they even kissed. They arrived at Moretti's and were greeted by the owner. Castle had previously told them about his problem with Kate and the NYPD. The owners had agreed to open up a little used balcony overlooking the main dining room. They had even placed a row of potted flowering plants along the balcony to shield Rick and Kate from public view.

"Kate, can I order for you?" Rick asked when the waiter arrived.

"Sure, you know what's best here." Kate admitted to herself that she liked being coddled by Castle and could even get used to being spoiled by him.

"We'll start with the New England clam chowder, then a garden salad, oil and vinegar?" He looked over at Kate, who nodded, "For the main course, the surf and turf, filet mignon and lobster. And the snow peas."

"Sounds great." Kate said happily.

"I just wish I could stand up and tell everyone that I'm here with the remarkable Kate Beckett. Maybe I will stand up and tell everyone. Who's going to find out?"

"Esposito and Karpowski!" Kate gasped.

"What? Where?"

"Keep your voice down, Castle. They're on the other side of the dining room. They both peered through the flowers. Sure enough, Esposito and Karpowski were sitting together at a table.

"What are they doing here?" Castle whispered.

"I don't know, but Karpowski looks like she's crying."

"Look! He's holding her hand."

"Now she's really crying. Oh my god! They've been together and now he's breaking up with her!"

"Here? Why would they come…"

Kate gave Castle a very small glare. "Why do you think? The same reason we're here."

The two detectives ordered another drink as Kate and Rick watched. When they were finished, they left the restaurant together, but walking a bit apart.

"Like lovers that have just broken up." Castle said.

"How could Espo do this to Lanie?" Kate asked.

"Lanie? They broke up. He has every right to date someone else." Rick frowned. "But Karpowski?"

"Castle! They're going through a rough patch in their relationship. Just like we did."

"We were four years of rough patches as I remember."

This time Kate gave him the full Beckett Glare. "So you were fine with me dating Josh?"

"No! Of course not! But this is different! We were…They're… Espo and Lanie are…"

"Everyone thought we were together when we weren't." Kate said. "They could see what we couldn't. Just like I can see what you can't."

"Okay. Okay. But what do we do now? Tell Lanie?"

"What?" Kate said loudly. "What is it with men? First it's Jenny and now you want to tell on Espo? Do you have any idea what that would do to Lanie?"

"So we keep it quiet?"

"Maybe." Kate conceded. "Just because he's broken up with Karpowski, that doesn't mean he's going back to Lanie."

Although the meal was excellent, neither one really enjoyed the meal.

The next day they stayed in their room at the bed and breakfast for fear of running into either Espo or Karpowski.

On Monday, Kate and Castle were getting a briefing from Ryan and Esposito on their latest case when Karpowski came by. "Hey, Espo. Thanks a lot for the help over the weekend."

"No problem, Karpowski. Always glad to help a fellow cop."

"Karpowski had a problem?" Kate asked, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Yeah, my worthless, drunken brother somehow got himself to Maine. I went up there and got him out of jail, but he got away from me. When I finally found him, he was drunk, angry and belligerent. As usual. If I had called the local cops, he'd want to fight them and he'd get arrested. Espo was the only one I could think of that could take my brother down without doing him serious harm. So I called him and he came up."

"No problem. He swung on me and I got him in an arm lock. Popped the cuffs on him and left him to sober up. Karpowski was nice enough to buy me a couple of drinks afterwards."

"It's good to have friends." Castle said.

The two managed to keep from laughing until they got back to Castle's loft. "We had everything wrong." Kate said.

"Worse, we let that wreck our dinner and trip to Maine."

"Like I said, I'll take Remy's with you over anything any day."

"I have a plan, though." He said with a smile.

"Another plan?" She looked suspicious.

"Paris! We'll fly to Paris for a weekend."

"Do you think that's far enough?" She asked with a smile.

"With our luck we'll run into Perlmutter with two strippers from the Crazy Horse Saloon. If we do, I'll buy the three of them a bottle of champagne."