54. Chapter 54

After Watershed

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Did you think it was? Rating: K Time: After Watershed?

"We're going to be great. DC is going to be great. I promise."

After what seemed like a very long time, they broke their kiss.

"I can hardly believe this. That you proposed."

Castle smiled. "I can hardly believe you didn't see it coming."

Kate smiled, but blushed slightly. "I was sure you were going to break up with me. You were so angry about my not telling you about the job interview. And you were right to be. I can't be keeping secrets from you. We should have discussed this together."

"I was angry with you. And I still am. But I love you, Kate. More than anything."

Kate rested her head against his chest. "There were a million things going through my mind, reasons why you shouldn't break up with me, why we should stay together, why we could make it work. And then, you we're proposing to me. I thought you were going to hate me."

He shook his head. "I could never hate you."

Kate took a step backwards. "Oh my God! I talked to my father earlier today. I told him…He thinks we're going to break up. I have to call him." Kate reached for her phone and then stopped. "I think I should call him. What do you think?"

Castle chuckled. "You should call him. And I should call Martha."

"And we'll have to tell everyone at the precinct that I'm leaving and we'll have to tell them about us."

"Right."

Kate dialed her father.

"Hello?"

"Dad? It's me."

"Katie. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Dad."

"Katie, please don't do that. I know you must have talked to Rick by now and I'm sure you're not fine."

"You're right, Dad. I'm not fine." She waited for a second. "I'm spectacular. I'm wonderful. I've never been better in my whole life."

"Katie? What is it?"

"I'm engaged. Rick asked me to marry him."

"He…"

"Asked me to marry him."

"Let me talk to him." Castle whispered. She handed him her phone. "Hi, Jim. I know I'm doing this backwards, but I'd like to ask your permission to ask Kate for her hand in marriage."

Jim laughed. "You do have it backwards. And since Katie has already said yes, I don't see how I can say anything but that you have my blessing."

Kate took the phone back. "Dad, we have to tell other people, but we do need to see you. We'll call later, okay."

"Okay, and congratulations. Bye, Katie. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Rick pulled out his phone. "Now to call Mom."

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom. It's me."

"Richard, have you seen Katherine?"

"Yes, I have."

"I hope you haven't done anything stupid."

"Who me?"

"Oh, my god! You did. What have you done?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything stupid. Kate did."

Kate glared at him, but the glare changed quickly to a smile.

"What happened?" Martha demanded.

"She said yes when I asked her to marry me."

Martha said nothing for a long minute. "This had not be some kind of a joke, kiddo."

"Hi, Martha." Kate said. "We're engaged. I said yes. And it's the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Oh, thank God! I've been so afraid he'd lose you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to him. Congratulations. I couldn't be happier."

"Mom, "Castle said, "Kate did take the job in DC, so we're going to be kind of busy, but I'll bring her home tonight and we'll tell you all about it." He turned and smiled at Kate. "I'll bring her back to our home. See you later, bye!"

"Did you mean yours and Martha's home?" She teased.

Castle pulled her close. "No, our home. Yours and mine."

"You're sweet. But we have to get to the precinct and let them know."

Kate walked into the morgue. In spite of wanting to surprise her best friend, she held onto Castle's right arm with both of hers and was unable to keep a smile off of her face.

"Kate? Castle? What is this?" Lanie asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Kate said, but then held out her left hand.

Lanie stared and then smiled. "Is that what I think it is?"

Castle shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think it is?"

Lanie glared at him. "Castle, that had better be an engagement ring on her finger or…"

"It is. We're engaged." Kate said, her smile widening.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so happy for you."Lanie threw her arms around Kate and hugged her. "You two are just so perfect for each other. Thank god." Then she turned to Rick and hugged him as well. "You'd better be a good boy, or I'll come after you." She said with mock severity.

"Dr. Parish! You mean you'd chase after me if I were a bad boy? I'm shocked! I'm practically a married man now."

Lanie just shook her head. "What about the job?"

"I'm taking it. We'll manage, Lanie. After all we've been through these past years, we'll manage."

Rick hugged his lovely fiancé. "We still have to tell the boys and Gates. Come with us."

By the time they reached the bull pen, Kate, Rick and Lanie had managed to put on their poker faces. Kate was careful to hold her right hand over her left.

"Beckett, what's going on?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah. Tell us." His partner added.

"Guys, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm taking a job as a special investigator for the Attorney General in DC. I'll be leaving soon."

Both detective's eyes swiveled to Castle, who seemed to be unaffected by the news.

"Uh, what about Castle?" Ryan finally asked.

Castle shrugged his shoulders. "Now that my old muse is leaving, I had to get a new one. My next book will be about a sexy, sassy New York medical examiner. I see great things for the series."

The detectives looked at Kate, shocked. She shrugged as well. "Easy come, easy go, I guess."

The two detectives stood there in shock until Kate started laughing, then she showed her ring. "His other option is to marry me, and since we're engaged now, I'd say that's settled."

Ryan and Esposito shook Castle's hand and hugged Kate.

"You and Mr. Castle are getting married?" Gates asked, stepping out of her office.

"Yes, sir." Kate answered. "And I've taken the job in DC."

"Will Mr. Castle be going with you?"

"Leave the city and the police department I love? Never!"

"Want to bet?" Gates replied.

Gates walked over and shook Kaye's hand. She even shook Castle's hand. "I wish you all the luck in the world, Detective Beckett." After a second, she added. "And you, too, Mr. Castle."

Castle decided not to try to shake Gates's hand.

And so Rick and Kate exited the 12th Precinct for what they thought was the last time.

"This is going to work, right?" She asked.

"You bet. And do you know why?"

"Because we're a team?"

"Partly, but it's because I love you and…"

Kate finished, "…I love you."

Author's note: As I think I mentioned before, I began this when I watched the commentary for A Deadly Affair that I had somehow missed when I first got the Castle DVDs. What I had thought would be a one off has turned into 53 chapters. Since I didn't do anything from Season One, I'm going to re-watch that and see what ideas I come up with. I'll probably re-watch my favorite episodes in the other seasons, and some that I haven't written any After…chapters for, and I may write more Afters…for episodes I've already covered. I doubt if I'll be posting these every day as I have been, but we'll see. I also may do some of the Season Six episodes based on my memory and some of the episode guides out there. Also, I have to write the rest of the Illustrated Man and I have an idea for a sci fi Castle. I mean Rick should finally have one of his off the wall theories come true, shouldn't he?