69. Chapter 69

After A Rose for Everafter

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Please consider this disclaimed. Rating: K Time: See below.

Author's note: Okay, I lied. After a Rose for Everafter, does not take place After a Rose for Everafter. It takes place towards the very end, though. If this works out, I may do an After…story that starts before the episode. Or I could start in the middle and work towards both ends. Hey, it worked for Pulp Fiction! Maybe I'll try writing something perpendicular to an episode. Too much?

"Thanks for coming in, Kyra." Rick smiled as Kyra sat across from him in the precinct. "It was good to see you, but I'm glad that everything's working out for you. You deserve the best."

She nodded and smiled at Rick. "Thanks. And I'm glad that things are working out for you, too."

"Yeah! I've done all right for myself. Twenty five best sellers, a great new series with a great new character and…" Rick stopped, seeing that Kyra was laughing at him. "What?"

"Rick, what I meant is that I'm glad you found someone who's good for you." Rick's look of confusion told Kyra that she needed to explain further. "Kate? Kate Beckett?"

Rick shook his head. "Sorry, you've got that wrong. Beckett and I work together and she's the inspiration for Nikki Heat, but that's as far as it goes."

Kyra shook her head in return. "I've seen how you look at her. You used to look at me in the same way. And while Kate is a little better at keeping everything inside of her than you are, I saw the way she looked at me, too. Especially when the police thought Greg was the murderer."

"No." Castle said quickly. "That's just the way she looks at everyone. It's her patented I'm-Kate-Beckett-Kick-Ass-Cop look. Doesn't mean a thing."

"It did, Rick. And it still does. She was wondering if I was going to pop in from your long forgotten past, sweep you off your feet and take you away with me."

"You are really misreading things here, Kyra. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, between Beckett and me. Scouts honor."

They both laughed. "You were never a Scout." Kyra said. "I will admit that you're both fighting it, although I don't know why. She's certainly a vast improvement over Meredith."

Rick thought for a second. "Wait! I didn't meet Meredith until after you left for Europe. How do you know about Meredith?"

"I met her at a party in LA. It was about a year before Greg and I met. I had heard that Rick Castle's ex-wife was at the party and I had to meet her. I was very surprised." Kyra stopped and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "No. Not surprised. More like horrified. She is a completely talentless actress, she's shallow, self-centered, thoughtless, conniving…"

"Like a female me." Rick said.

"You do have an ego, Rick. But you are nothing like her. Do you know that she was telling everyone at the party that the two of you were getting back together? She couldn't stop talking about it."

"It's true." Castle said. "As soon as I can find a unicorn to ride down Hollywood Boulevard, preceded by a brass band of leprechauns, with flying monkeys over-head dropping ambrosia and nectar on the cheering crowds, I'll be proposing again."

"Seriously, Rick, did you have to marry that woman? Because of your daughter?"

Rick shook his head vigorously. "No. I'm afraid that Meredith and I getting married was 100% my idea. Well, our idea. And while I admit the marriage was a fiasco, it did get me my daughter Alexis. She's the light of my life."

"If you'd stop fighting it, you'd have another light of your life."

Rick shook his head in disbelief. "Kyra, I don't know where you're getting this from. I mean I don't mean to say anything bad about Beckett, in many ways she is remarkable, but she's just not my type. You've met her. Do you think she's my type?"

Kyra nodded. "Do you know who she reminds me of? Someone who definitely was your type?"

"No. No one that you'd know comes to mind at all."

"Me. She reminds me of me. She reminds me of me when we were first together. I was as earnest young college student and you were a rising young writer. And my mother hated you." Kyra stopped for a moment. "Her mother doesn't hate you by any chance, does she? That would be too creepy."

Rick quickly decided that he should keep his answer as brief as possible. "No, she's dead. Died before we ever met."

"Oh, I'm sorry. But she does remind me of me. And of us."

"How?" Rick asked, skeptically.

"Please don't think I'm being too egotistical about this, just honest. We're both smart, hard-working, demanding of those around us…"Kyra stopped for a second. "I'll bet she bullies you a bit, just like I used to."

"Wait! You bullied me? Never happened! Never!"

Kyra gave him a pitying look. "And how long do you think it would have taken you to write A Rose for Everafter if I hadn't, um, pushed you?"

"Um, okay. Maybe you did push a little. When I needed it. But bullied?"

"I bullied you, Rick. Whether your ego can admit it or not, I bullied you. And I bet Beckett bullies you, too. You're a lot different around her than you've been around other attractive women. Like I said, I've kept up with your life."

"Look, I'll admit that Beckett is attractive, she's a remarkable detective, and…"

"She's a remarkable woman, Rick. Not just a remarkable detective."

"Okay, she's a remarkable woman. She's a lot of things. So was Mother Teresa, so is Hilary Clinton, but they're not my type and neither is Beckett. Okay?"

Kyra nodded sadly. "Okay. I see you're not going to listen to reason. You'll have to have it jammed down your throat, just like always. But, listen, Rick. That's woman is special. Please don't let her get away. She'll be good for you."

"I'll be following Beckett around for a long while researching for Nikki Heat, so if something changes, I'll be around. But nothing's going to change."

"Just remember what I've said. For once in your life."

"Okay. So how about you let me show you what I asked you here for?"

Kate Beckett watched as Castle and his ex-girlfriend chatted. She discovered that she was feeling something watching this. And that something, she insisted to herself, was not jealousy. Finally, Kyra rose and leaned over to kiss Castle. That something that Kate insisted was not jealousy grew worse. Kyra kissed Castle on the cheek and left the office. She stopped by Kate's desk, smiled and said, "He's all yours."

He's what? Kate thought.

Author's further note: Yes, I did write a prior After A Rose for Everafter. It's Chapter 12.

BTW, do you know that the word Everafter, which is on the Castle DVDs is not a word? It should be A Rose For Ever After!