550. Chapter 550

After Under Fire

Episode 6.11

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: We're not in Kansas anymore, and I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

Hot Heat

By Richard Castle

Jameson Rook carried the unconscious form of the love of his life, NYPD Captain Nikki Heat, through the burning building. Somewhere ahead of them, Roach, his friends and unofficial partners, were trapped in the burning building. But where?

Rook knew that this arson must have been the work of his nemesis, 3-10/40. Rook had foiled the schemes of 3-10/40 many times, but had never put him in prison, where he belonged. Or in the ground! Rook thought savagely.

Rook's supersensitive hearing picked up something ahead of him. Could it be? Might it be Roach?

Rook came face to face with a brick wall. Unlike most people, Rook did not stop when he came to a wall. That's what made him remarkable. Luckily, a ten pound sledge hammer was resting against the wall. Rook carefully set Nikki down and made sure she could get the air near to the floor. Then, flexing his mighty muscles, he began smashing the wall down. In seconds, Rook had the wall down and picked up Nikki, who had revived from the increased oxygen.

"Rook? Are you there?" She called.

"Don't worry, Nikki. I'll never let anything happen to you. We'll make it to our wedding. A bit sooty, perhaps, but there."

"I'm glad you set a date."

"And I found the wedding venue, invited the guests, arranged the catering, booked the band, got the minister and picked out your wedding dress. Oh, and I bought an island in the Caribbean for our honeymoon."

"You're so good to me, Rook. I love you."

"You deserve to be happy, Nikki. All I want to do is make you happy. And now I have to save two of the wedding party. Roach should be right down this hallway. Can you make it by yourself or should I carry you?"

Nikki stood up. "I can make it for you, Rook." She said bravely.

At the end of the hallway was a drop off of perhaps five feet. There, below Nikki and Rook were Ochoa and Raley, lying unconscious in the debris. "No problem." Rook said. "I can carry them both to safety. And you too, if necessary."

"Look, Rook." Nikki cried. "Two kittens. You have to save them."

"I'll carry them out in my pockets."

"And there's a puppy. He is so cute." Nikki enthused.

"I can carry him under my arm."

"And a panda! Aren't they an endangered species?"

"I can't leave a member of an endangered species behind, can I?" Rook said manfully.

"Look! There are some goldfish in a bowl. They'll boil if you leave them behind."

"I can balance the goldfish bowl on my head."

"In the corner, Rook. A baby elephant. He's so cute and all alone."

"I can pick him up with my teeth by the scruff of his neck."

"Is that a dolphin in that puddle over there?" Nikki wondered.

"Wait! Why is this whole menagerie of animals here with Roach?" Rook asked himself aloud.

Before he could answer himself, maniacal laughter came from behind him. "I have you at last, Rook. You, your fiancé and your friends, as well as the animals, will all die."

"So it is you, 3-10/40. My nemesis. I knew it was you who was behind these arson attacks. How did you ever manage to case the buildings before you set fire to them?"

At this point, 3-10/40 should have shot Rook and Nikki, but being a villain, he had a tendency to gloat. If you ever become a villain, do not gloat. Shoot. "Do you remember the ice cream truck that was seen before the fires?"

"You were the Good Humor man?" Rook said dumbfounded. "But we checked every one of them out. How did you manage it?"

"I didn't disguise myself as the Good Humor man, you fool. I disguised myself as a container of tutti frutti ice cream."

"Ingenious." Rook said, throwing the sledge hammer at the same time.

Rook turned to Nikki. "Now that 3-10/40 is no more, can you carry the kittens for me?"

Kate read over Rick's shoulder. "Hot Heat? That's a terrible title. I thought that Naked Heat was a bad title, but…Really?"

"It's a working title. I'll come up with something snappier if I write a whole book on this."

"What was the working title for Heat Wave?"

"Um, it was Heat Wave."

"And Naked Heat?"

"I thought for a few moments about Nude Heat. " Castle protested.

Kate shook her head. "Why are you writing about something like that anyway?"

Castle thought for a moment. "I almost lost two of my best friends. It was almost as bad as when you were shot and I thought I had lost you. This is cathartic, you know. Putting it down on paper and getting the feelings out. And before you ask, I didn't do that when you were shot because I was working night and day on trying to find whoever shot you. But that didn't stop me from going over what happened that day and trying to see what I could have done to have kept you from getting shot. I saw the glint of sunlight off the sniper's telescopic sight a few seconds before he shot. I ran that in my mind over and…"

Kate kissed him. "That's sweet, but whatever happened that day was Cedric Marks' fault and Bracken's fault. The fact that you didn't save me is okay. You could have been killed. Then where would I be?"

He nodded. "I eventually figured that out for myself. But I wouldn't be human if I didn't think about the things I could have done differently from day one with you."

"Same here. So let's not worry about that, okay. Leave the past in the past."

Rick held the laptop to her. "Would you like to try for a little catharsis? It might help."

Kate took the laptop. "Instead of concentrating on what might have been done to make things better that night with Ryan and Espo, I'm going to concentrate on the good thing that happened."

Birthday Heat

By

Kate Beckett

Nikki Heat was tired, exhausted even, but it was now over. She held her child in her arms while her husband and the child's father looked on proudly.

"I think everything will be all right." The doctor said. "I always joke that we've never lost a father yet, but we came close when Mr. Rook passed out."

"Oh, my husband had to work last night. He was at a party with Bono and his editor wanted his story by this morning. I'm sure that's why he fainted." Nikki said kindly.

"I was fighting off groupies all night. They wouldn't take no for an answer." Rook explained. Then he looked down at the child in his wife's arms. "Little Jameson Rook, Junior." He said proudly.

"Rook! She's a girl. She needs a girl's name."

"What's wrong with Jameson Rook, Jr.?" He asked defensively.

"Do you want to tell everyone that Jameson Rook is a girl's name?"

He thought about it. "My little Cosmo."

"Cosmo!" Nikki said sharply. "No way!"

"What's wrong with Cosmo?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with Cosmo?" Rick interrupted. "It's a great name."

"Let's compromise." Kate said. "You forget about naming any of our children Cosmo and I'll continue to sleep with you."

"You're a hard woman, Detective Beckett."

"Oh? I was rather hoping you were a hard man, Mr. Castle." She said sexily.