525. Chapter 525

After Significant Others

Episode 5.10

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Is it significant that I don't own Castle? Rating: K Time: See above.

Kate slid into the booth across from her dad in the little coffee shop they liked to meet at. "Hi, Dad. How's everything?"

Jim Beckett smiled at his daughter. "I'm fine, but the real question is, how are you? You're back on the NYPD now after your stint with the Attorney General. Any regrets that it didn't work out?"

Kate shook her head. "No. I'm glad I took the job, because I would have spent the rest of my life wondering if I was missing out on something great. But, I found out that the politics of any job in Washington, DC is just….Too much."

Jim smiled. "I'm shocked, shocked, to find out that there's politics in Washington, DC."

Kate smiled back. "Rick does a much better Captain Renault. And, yes, I suppose I was awfully naïve not to have understood that there always has been and always will be politics in DC."

"And you're engaged."

Kate smiled and blushed. "I really do love him, Dad. And he loves me. I've thought for the longest time that I loved him a lot more than he loved me. That did cause us a lot of problems earlier. But, now, I'm sure that he loves me as much as I love him. He's my one and done, Dad."

"No worries, then?"

When Kate didn't answer right away, Jim's heart sank. "What is it, Katie?"

"I treated Rick terribly for years. I dated Tom Demming at least in part to get back at him for sleeping with that awful actress who only was interested in him to get a part in Heat Wave. When I dated Josh, I knew that I'd probably never feel about Josh the way I did about Castle, but he was with his ex-wife, Gina, and if Josh wasn't Castle, he was a good guy. I should have done something when I found out he broke up with Gina, but I didn't. I was afraid. And then I lied to him about hearing him tell me that he loved me."

"Katie, you were healing. You've been over what Dr. Burke said with me, and with Rick. Rick may not have been happy about any of this, but he loves you. He understands that you needed time."

"That's just it, Dad. I thought I need time then, but I feel different now. Since I've been with him, I've found that I need Rick. I should have been with him when I went and hid at the cabin and when I came back to the City. I'm positive I would have been better off."

"But everything is okay now?" Jim asked, seriously.

"Sure. Why do you keep asking?"

"Katie, I know that Rick is a very wealthy man. He's not only made millions from his books, but he's invested wisely. "Seeing the look on his daughter's face, Jim, held up his hands to stop her from saying anything. "No, I haven't been spying on Rick. The lifestyles of the rich and famous are pretty much out in the open in New York. But all I know is that Rick is rich."

"I've known Castle was rich since we started working together, Dad. What's this about?"

"You know he has lawyers, right? In fact he has two law firms on retainer."

"I don't know why he has that many. He doesn't steal police horses anymore." Kate tried to make a joke of it. She wasn't sure where this conversation was going.

"One is Feldman and Garfield. They represent Rick as an author. They specialize in representing authors. The other is Case, Borden and Fleming. They represent Rick in all other matters."

"What matters, Dad? What are you getting at?"

"Rick's lawyers wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't insist that you two sign a prenuptial agreement. It's quite common with the very wealthy."

Kate shrugged. "Okay. Fine. If he asks, I'll sign a prenup."

"Katie, you shouldn't take such a cavalier attitude towards a prenup. I want you to be protected."

"Protected from what, Dad? I'm a cop. I have my salary. Thanks to the trust fund you and mom set up, I was able to buy my place and still have a little income from it. And I have some savings. But Rick? Like you said, Dad, he's a millionaire. Why would I need protection? Do you think Rick is marrying me for my money?"

Jim shook his head. "Of course not. I just want to talk to Rick and see what his lawyers are thinking of. Lawyers can go overboard trying to protect their clients. They may try to sneak some language into the prenup that would be damaging to you. I just want to talk to Rick. I'm sure his lawyers have already talked to him."

"Dad, I don't like this at all."

A week later, at the same table at the same diner, Jim looked across the table at Rick. "Katie here didn't like this at all, Rick. I want you to know that."

"Not liking it all would be an understatement." Kate sat next to Rick and held his hand.

Castle frowned. "Okay, so what is it that you wanted to talk to me about that Kate doesn't like at all?"

"I'm sure your lawyers have brought up a prenuptial agreement with you. They'd be very remiss in their duties to you is they didn't."

Castle nodded. "They brought it up and I told them that I didn't want to have one."

Jim was caught off guard. "What?"

"There'll be no prenup between Kate and me."

"Rick, I'm not your lawyer, but that doesn't strike me as the most responsible attitude."

Castle smiled. "No one has ever accused me of being the responsible type." Then Rick became serious. "I know you mean well, Jim. But I think that people who insist on prenups are starting off their marriages with the idea in the back of their heads that marriage isn't going to work. That's not happening with Kate and me. I'll be with her for the rest of my life, so there's no need for a prenup."

Jim slowly shook his head. "Rick, this is a big step you're taking."

Castle laughed and squeezed Kate's hand. "I know. Look, Jim, I had no prenup with Meredith. And when we broke up she got a lot of money and I got Alexis. As far as I'm concerned, I won that one, hands down. I had a prenup with Gina. Not surprisingly, she insisted on it. She and her lawyers sat on one side of a table and my lawyers sat on the other side with me. The difference between Gina and me was that she was going over every comma and period in the prenup and I was playing a game on my laptop.'

Kate thought that was so Castle that she leaned over and kissed him.

Rick went on. "If anything happens between Kate and me, and it won't, I know it'll be my fault. And whatever Kate gets from me won't come close to equaling what I will have lost. But, nothing's going to happen, so I'm not going to worry about it." Castle picked up the menu. "So, what's good here?"

Back at the loft, Kate sat on Rick's lap. "I'm sorry, lover. I should never have let Dad bring that whole thing up."

"Don't worry about it. He's a father and the first thing a father thinks about is protecting his daughter. If you want to see an over protective father worrying about his daughter, wait until Alexis finds…" Castle grimaced. "I can't even stand to think about that. My little baby and some male monster."

"You mean someone like you?" She teased.

"You seem to like me enough."

"I don't like you, I love you. And after today, I love you even more."