330. Chapter 330

After 3XK

Episode 3.06

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Castle will figure out at the last second that I do not own him. Rating: K Time: See above.

Jerry Tyson is no more. He thought. He served his purpose, but he's no longer needed. So long, Jerry. It's been good to be you. He ran his hand over his face. No. I really can't change the face just yet. I have some things to do and I can't take the time for the surgery. Another week or so and my beard will be a good enough disguise if I add in a hoodie, maybe some glasses, and a haircut. Or a suit would be a good idea as well. We don't want me looking like some recently released ex-con. He smiled to himself.

He walked over to the window, picked up a pair of binoculars and looked over to the motel across the street. Naturally, the cops will think that I'm trying to get as far away as possible as fast as possible. They're not going to look for me right across the street. He chuckled softly. I love watching the police run around with no idea of what they're doing.

He noticed a familiar figure walking into his field of view. Detective Beckett! He stared hard at her, but the rage that he would feel when looking at an attractive blonde wasn't there. I dislike her, of course. She's a cop, but she's not her. She's not the blonde. There'd be no point in killing her. Wait! What's she doing? Castle! She's sitting with him. The coffee is for him. She's put her hand on his thigh, now his hand is on top of hers. And her other hand is on his. I knew it. They're together. Castle and Beckett! The writer and the detective. That's interesting. Better than interesting. This could be useful. His mind went into overdrive, building and discarding theories and plans. No. No. I can't rush into this. It needs time. And I have all the time I need.

He heard the bed behind him creak as she got off of it. He felt, rather than saw her presence next to him.

"Do you like the motel room I got for us?" She breathed into his ear.

"It's got a great view." He admitted.

"Oh? What do you see?"

He handed her the binoculars. "Beckett and Castle. There by the pool. Together."

She watched them. They seemed to be talking. She wished she could hear them. She watched Beckett. "She's very beautiful. I could add just a little bit and she'd be perfect. I'd so love to work on her. I get so few like her. Mostly it's women wanting to look like Angelina Jolie, or aging women trying to recapture their youth. I get so little satisfaction from them."

"I seem to remember a few that you got a great deal of satisfaction from." He teased.

She nodded. "True. True. I could ruin her. Leave her with nothing but the horror of what I'd made her. He'd be gone in a second if I did that, wouldn't he?"

He thought about it. "He's harder to figure out than I first thought. He might or he might not leave her. But, we can't do that. I have the germ of an idea. We'll need them as they are if I can work everything out. And then we won't need them at all." He saw the glee in her face and added. "But it'll be imperative that we leave them alive."

She frowned briefly, then…"So, can we have some fun now?" She asked.

"What kind of fun?"

"I brought the photo album."

She ran to the bed and brought out the photos of their past successes.

Giddy as a little girl opening her presents on Christmas Day. He remembered another blonde and rage flared in him. Yes! That's the rage I need. That's what drives me.

Kate rested her head against his shoulder. "Castle, it is not your fault that 3XK escaped. You were the only one who figured out who Jerry Tyson really was. But for you, we'd all be congratulating ourselves for capturing 3XK. You have no reason to feel guilty."

"Yeah. It's not like I'm a real cop, or anything. What can you expect from a writer?" He said bitterly.

Kate lifted her head and looked at him. "Did you forget our deal already, or are you changing it?"

Castle turned to look at her, confusion plain on his face. "Our deal? What deal?"

"You came back to be my partner. Not some ride along shadowing some real cops. You're my partner and a member of my team. There may be some people who don't consider that being a real cop, but I'm sure as hell not one of them. If all of a sudden you think you're not my partner, I'd like to know about it. And I'd like to know why."

"Beckett, you know what I am."

"Do you remember me giving you my sidearm when we took down two murderers? Do you remember saving my life when Kitty Canary was about to shoot me in the back?" She put her head back on his shoulder. "You're my partner and that makes you as much of a cop as anyone in the NYPD. Do you want to argue with me about that?"

Castle slowly shook his head. He most certainly did not want to argue with Kate Beckett. Ever. But something occurred to him. "Um, how did One PP take the report I helped Captain Montgomery write on how I got your weapon and shot a suspect?"

"They haven't said a word, and I doubt they ever will. I was a little surprised at what you did. Telling them the absolute truth? That I just gave you my weapon."

"As a famous politician once said, honesty is a policy. I figured that if anyone bitched about me saving the life of the real life Nikki Heat, they'd be buried under an avalanche of bad publicity. And, Captain Montgomery told me that if anyone at One PP, or elsewhere, took the part of a couple of murderers against a decorated detective, the police unions would go through the roof. I'm glad it worked."

"Me, too." Kate looked around her. "Just about everyone is gone now. Come on, I'll give you a ride home." They walked to her car, but they didn't let go of each other's hands until they got to the car.

Much, much, much later.

Kate snuggled up against Castle on the couch in the loft. "That was one of the turning points of our relationship."

"How so?" He asked, curious.

"To begin with, when I was running up the stairs, all I was thinking of was how I'd find you. If you were dead or alive. Remember, I called out your name and not Ryan's when I went through the door. Ryan had been my partner for far longer than you had been, but you were all I was thinking of. Poor Ryan was lucky Espo was right behind me. I'd have probably left him on the floor I was so worried about you."

"I won't tell Ryan that." He said, kissing her temple. "Was there something else?"

"Yes. You felt so guilty about letting 3XK escape. Not at all what egotistical, immature, sex crazy, playboy Rick Castle should have felt. I learned a little more about the real Rick Castle that night." Kate traced kisses along the line of his jaw. "I knew the real you and I knew what my heart wanted. I should have acted on it."

"We've been through this before. We both had problems, we both made mistakes, but your problems were so much greater than mine. I should have tried harder with you. I could have done more. I could have saved us a lot of grief."

"Haven't we had this argument before about who was most responsible for all of our problems getting together?" She asked.

"Yup. And I won. I fell in love with you first and I was mostly to blame for us not getting together sooner. You were not at all to blame. The real culprit was a certain former senator."

Kate gave Rick a mild glare. She stood up and took his hand. "Come with me to the bedroom and I bet I can win that argument. Again."

Rick followed her. "I do so love these spirited intellectual discussions with you."