135. Chapter 135

After After Hours

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Forgive me, Marlowe, for I have sinned. I don't own Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See above

"Jim, I really should learn a little about baseball." Jim and Martha had let Rick and Kate get ahead of them while heading to Kate's Crown Vic outside the precinct.

Jim smiled. "You don't really need to humor me, Martha. Some people like baseball, some don't. It's no big deal."

Martha shook her head. "It's just that both you and Katherine are such big fans of the game. I've been hoping for years that Richard would come to his senses and grab that girl before she got away. Now that he finally has, I want to do all that I can to make sure they stay together. I think that some sort of a basic understanding of the game might be helpful."

"You may be right. And I'm really happy that Katie and your son are together and I really hope it lasts. Katie was alone and miserable for a decade after her mom was killed. She really started to change for the better when she met Rick. I can't say that I was entirely happy with some of the things she did…"

"Some of the things both of them did. And I don't mind admitting that my son was much more often than not the guilty party. He has managed to grow up due to Katherine's influence, for which I am grateful and rather surprised. I think Katherine has been very, very good for him."

"I think it'll be best if we don't focus on the past with those two and worry about the future. But I will say that I sleep a little easier these days knowing that Rick is with Katie when she's out there like they were tonight."

Martha looked into Jim's eyes. "It must have been terrible for you. To lose your wife and then to have Katherine go from a pre-law student at Stanford to being a cop and then a homicide detective."

Jim stared at the ground. "I didn't handle it at all well. All the problems poor Katie had and all I did was add to them for years."

Martha took his arm and smiled at him. "As you said, we should focus on the future. I think those two have a wonderful future ahead of them."

Jim smiled back. "And speaking of the future, perhaps we can have another family dinner soon. This one didn't end well at all. But this time I'll be the host. And perhaps I can give you a grounding on baseball?"

"It's a date."

That night Kate made love to Rick with a fierceness that left Castle gasping for breath when they were done. Kate kept her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him and buried her face in his chest, refusing to let him go.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know if I can do this and I don't know if I can not do this."

"I know you. You can do anything you set your mind to do. And I'll help."

"I knew I had lost you tonight when Leo fired into the car. I absolutely knew you were gone and there was nothing I could do. My only consolation was that I'd be dead soon and my pain would be over."

"Kate! Please don't think like that. We're going to be together. Always. You'll never get rid of me."

She shook her head. "We can't know that. How many gun battles have you been in? It was bad enough when you were in danger when I was trying so hard not to love you. Once I knew you loved me and I admitted to myself that I loved you, it was worse. I felt the same way I did tonight when that bank blew up. I knew you were dead and I was all alone again. I wanted to tell you then…I should have told you…"

"Don't worry. I knew." Rick chuckled. "Kate, everyone knew. Everyone knew we loved each other."

"The tiger didn't. How in the hell could we have ended up face to face with a tiger?"

"There's a joke in there somewhere. A detective, a writer and a tiger walk into a bar…"

Kate slapped him lightly on the chest, then held him tightly. "Be serious. Then I thought we were both going to drown in the Hudson. And I almost did lose you when you found out I had lied to you. I was so stupid that I almost lost you, the most important person in my life. How could I do that?"

"Okay. We've had problems, but that's all behind us now." He said, kissing her forehead.

"No, it isn't. When I resigned I thought everything was over. I had finally decided that my past wouldn't rule my life, but my future would. My future with you."

"You have that future."

"Not the same one. I found out that Bracken had no intention of keeping his deal with Smith. He'll keep trying to kill me." She moved back slightly so she could look in his eyes. "Castle, I wish I could have stayed resigned. I wish I could make my whole life about you. About us. But I can't. If I stop being a cop, I have that much less protection from Bracken. And I wish you didn't shadow me everyplace and have to face psycho hit men, mercenary bank robbers, and literary serial killers. But I couldn't stand going to the precinct without you. And Bracken is as much a danger to you as to me. He's ruthless and he'll kill as many people as he can to keep his secret. I wish I had nothing to do with my mom's murder anymore, and it's too dangerous for me to leave it alone. I wish you were far, far away and out of danger and I would hate not having you with me."

"Then we'll just have to take Bracken down and end this."

"I guess we will. But, you see my problem. Whatever I do, puts us in danger."

"There's no one I'd rather face danger with than you."

"I love you, Castle."

"I love you, Beckett."

The second family dinner was a success. While Jim was not that great a cook, both Martha and Kate had pitched in. Now, Rick and Kate snuggled on the couch in the living room while Jim and Martha sat at the dining room table talking.

"What are they talking about?" Rick asked.

"I think my dad is trying to explain the infield fly rule to Martha. Again."

"The infield fly rule?" Castle chuckled. "Neither of us could explain that."

Kate grinned. "When there are runners on first and second or the bases are loaded, and there are less than two outs, if a fair fly ball is, in the judgment of the umpire, catchable with ordinary effort, the batter shall be called out even if the ball is not caught." She then stuck out tongue out at Rick.

He kissed her, catching her tongue with his teeth. He released her tongue and pulled her close. "I think we should all go to a game sometime. After all, Mom does know Joe Torre, so she has some interest in baseball."

"How much of an interest?"

"She's fascinated by millionaires in tight pants."