511. Chapter 511

After 47 Seconds

Episode 4.19

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: it would blow me away to own Castle, but I don't. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note. In chapter 372 I noted that these final episodes of season 4 were the suckiest episodes this side of episode 6.23. That was before TPTB gave us episode 7.20. By comparison with 7.20, 6.23 was a masterpiece of the screen writer's art. Therefore, I have again felt it necessary to make some minute, almost imperceptible changes, in the canon Castle. I'm sure you'll hardly notice them.

Now

Detective Kate Beckett confronted Bobby Lopez in interrogation.

"I swear. I don't remember." Bobby said.

Kate got in his face. "The hell you don't remember! Do you wanna know trauma? I was shot in the chest, and I remember every second of it! And so do you."

Kate didn't know that Castle was watching them through the one way glass.

Before

"We could have dinner. Debrief each other."

Beckett smiled. "So I could be one of your conquests?"

"Or I could be one of yours."

Beckett bit her lip and almost said no, but she thought for a second. Castle had been a help. In fact, if she was honest with herself, he had done more to catch Harrison Tisdale than she had. Even if he had picked the stupidest way imaginable to go about it. And, since she was living on a diet of energy bars and take out, a gourmet meal sounded good. She nodded. "Okay. You can take me to dinner. But that's all that's going to happen. Understand?"

Castle surprised her. The restaurant he had picked was excellent but not one you'd ever see on Page Six. And Castle himself was funny, entertaining, surprisingly well informed about police work, and to her surprise, he could be self-deprecating.

"Can I ask a favor of you, Beckett?"

"You can always ask."

"I killed off Derrick Storm because I was bored with him. I have an idea for a new character for a novel. A tough and savvy female NYPD homicide detective. Based on you, of course."

"I'm flattered?" Beckett wondered where this was going.

"I'd like to follow you for a while to get the details right."

She shook her head. "I can't see Captain Montgomery ever going along with that, or anyone above him at One PP."

"But you'd be okay with it?"

She didn't want to end their one and only date on a bad note, so she agreed. "Sure, but it'll never happen."

The next morning she was called into Captain Montgomery's office. "I understand you told Castle that it would be all right for him to shadow you for a while to do research for a book?"

"Yes, sir. I knew you'd never go for it. Or One PP."

Montgomery smiled. "Castle's pal, the mayor, loves the idea. You have a new partner, Detective."

Kate was shocked, but decided to accept it. How bad can it be? He'll only be around for a week or two, tops. She thought.

Before

Castle was walking backwards with Kate Beckett in his face. "Nikki Heat? That's a stripper's name, not a cop's name. Change it, Castle. Change it."

"I can't. It's in the contract. Everyone has been notified that the main character's name is Detective Nikki Heat. Don't worry. You'll love her."

"Oh, you think so? You're going to make me look like some slutty bimbo instead of a hard working cop and you think I'll love her? Not everyone's mind is in the gutter, Castle. I won't stand for this. Understand? "

"Here." Castle held out his phone.

"Why would I want to call someone? Other than the morgue to take your remains away."

"I have the first chapter of Heat Wave on my phone. It's pretty much the finished product. I've sent it to Black Pawn already."

Beckett took the phone and read the chapter. It wasn't bad. In fact it was good. But she wouldn't tell Castle that. Not now. "I don't care. Change her name."

"I can't."

The argument continued.

Before

Kate was touched by the dedication to Heat Wave. Extraordinary? Castle thinks I'm extraordinary?

Before she could say anything, they were joined by a dark haired woman. "I hope she isn't trying to talk you into writing more books about Nikki Heat." She said.

Castle smiled at the woman, then turned to Kate. "Detective Beckett, this is Paula Haas, my agent. She's the one who put together the deal for me to write the Bond books."

"And it's a huge deal, Rick. Don't let her talk you out of it."

Castle laughed. "Don't worry about Beckett. She hates Nikki Heat and in spite of being incredibly polite to me, I'm sure she can't wait to see the last of me."

"Then come down to my office and sign the deal. Tomorrow!"

"It's not that simple, Paula." Castle said.

"Yes it is. Tomorrow. My office. Nice to meet you, detective." She said to Beckett as she left.

"I thought you wanted to do the Bond books?" She asked.

"In a lot of ways I do. But Ian Fleming's been dead for nearly fifty years now. And there have been nearly thirty Bond books written by other people and then there are the movies. It's hard to jump into a character like that and put your own stamp on it. And, Nikki heat is my own creation. I feel a connection to her that I could never feel for Bond." He smiled at Beckett. "Well, our own creation since Nikki is you. And Nikki is a very complex and interesting character, even if you do hate her."

"Castle." Beckett broke in. "We need to talk."

"What about? Why do we..?" But Beckett had his arm and was dragging him to an office in the back.

Once she shut the door, she turned to him. "I don't hate Nikki Heat. I'm not thrilled by her name, but she's a fantastic character and a great cop. I'd love to be her, in fact."

Castle shook his head. "I'm not a good enough writer to make Nikki as complex and as layered, as driven and as dedicated, as you are."

She smiled. That made what was next easier. "And if you leave, I won't be celebrating. I'll be sad. You're a great partner, the best I've ever had. And…in addition to being partners, I think we could be… friends." She blurted out the last word.

"Friends?" Castle was surprised. "I thought…"

"I don't always say what I mean and I'm not the easiest person to get to know. Ever since my mom died I've had these walls. And I just don't…." She stopped. I'm screwing this up terribly. I should just run away before he starts laughing at me or something.

Castle nodded. "So, what if I took my friend out for a late dinner so we could discuss the next Nikki Heat novel?"

"Did you have a friend in mind?" She smiled.

He offered her his arm.

Before

She should have called him before this, but she was still afraid. After all this time how can I be afraid of talking to Castle? She knew the answer. But she called. The phone rang and then went to voicemail. She left a brief message.

In seconds, he called back. "I'm sorry, Beckett. I've been dodging Gina. I'm so far behind on the book, she's probably going to draw and quarter me. By the time I nerved myself up to get the phone, it had gone to voicemail. What can I do for you?"

She waited a second, then took a deep breath. "Is the invitation still open?"

"For the Hamptons? Sure, but I thought you had a date with Demming."

"We broke up. So, I can come with you?"

"I'd love to have you."

The next night, Kate found herself in bed in one of the guest bedrooms. Before, she had decided that if Castle didn't come to her bed on the first night, she'd go to his on the second night. But, it had been a half an hour since the light in his room had gone off. He wasn't coming to her bed. To hell with waiting for tomorrow night. She got out of bed, stripped off her tee shirt and her panties, then walked to Castle's bedroom. She slid into bed with him and pushed her hand under his boxers.

"Kate?" He said.

"Were you expecting anyone else?" She teased.

"Wait a minute. We need to talk."

Kate felt like a complete fool. He said no funny business and he meant it, damn it all. She started to get out of bed to run back to her room when his strong arms wrapped themselves around her and held her.

"We need to talk and we can't do that if you run away. Kate, I like you a lot, an awful lot. I want a lot more than sex from you. If all you want is sex…I'm not going to turn you down. But I want you to know I want more."

"More." She had been holding her breath. More? How much more does he want? "More is what I want, too. But how about some sex for now."

"I thought you'd never ask."

Before

The bomb ripped through the bank and Beckett stood there in shock. This couldn't be happening. Not now. She grabbed her protective vest and her weapon and ran inside. "Castle! Castle? Where are you?"

"Beckett! Over here."

He was alive! They were all alive.

She cut through his flexicuffs and then Martha's and led the two out of the bank. As Alexis hugged her dad and grandma, Martha reached out and pulled Kate into the hug. Martha released her son and granddaughter. "Come on. Alexis. I think Kate and your dad need a minute."

Rick was still hugging Kate. "I thought I was dead for sure."

She nodded. "Me too."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I love you, Kate."

"I love you too."

He smiled down at her. "What now?"

"We have a murder to solve. But we'll have a later. I was afraid we wouldn't."

Now

Kate walked out of interrogation to find her husband standing there.

"Every time I'm reminded of when you were shot, I feel like it's happening all over again."

She nodded. "Me too. But spending those three months in the Hamptons with you after I was shot did me more good than I could imagine. And those three months convinced me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I knew you were the one for me the first day we met." Castle said.

"You knew? Be serious, Castle."

"I'm perfectly serious. Don't you remember what happened?"

"I remember that perfectly, too. I had to ask you to be my friend. And who made the first move that first weekend in the Hamptons?"

"Who invited you to the Hamptons?"

They walked into the bullpen, arguing. Ryan and Esposito turned away and grinned.