617. Chapter 617

After Sucker Punch

Episode 2.13

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'll need transactional immunity before I tell you who owns Castle. Rating: M Time: See above.

Detective Kate Beckett hadn't always been an early riser. In fact, her mother had complained endlessly about Kate's inability to wake up in the morning. However, when she became a cop, for whatever reason, that changed. Now, even on her days off, Kate rose early. Captain Montgomery had put her on administrative leave pending her meeting with the NYPD shooting team looking into the shooting of Dick Coonan.

Kate was running through Central Park when she saw a familiar figure sitting on a park bench that was right by the path she was on. She reached around and felt in her fanny pack for the reassuring weight of her back up Glock. She stopped in front of the man and stared coldly at him.

"Good morning to you, Detective Beckett. And how are you this fine day?"

She nodded slowly. "Fine, Rourke. Did you come all the way from Hell's Kitchen to enquire about my health?"

He ignored the barbed question. "I hear you shot Dick Coonan the other night."

She nodded. "So?"

"He's the man who killed my good friend Jackie" He paused for just a second. "And your own mother, or so I'm told."

"He confessed to both killings."

Finn Rourke nodded. "Further, I hear that your boyfriend paid a hundred grand to lure this mythical Rathborn out. And I heard he was taken hostage by that black hearted bastard, but head butted him to give you a chance to shoot the bastard where he stood."

"You seem to hear a lot of things, Rourke."

He laughed. "Old men can be terrible gossips, Detective. This Castle fella is smart, tough, and dangerous as well as being good looking and rich. You've done well for yourself, Detective. Very well indeed."

Beckett had no intention of discussing her relationship with Castle with Finn Rourke. "I hope you're not working up to seeing if we want to double date with you."

Rourke roared with laughter. "Oh, but you're a fine Irish lass, aren't you, Beckett? Oh, if I were only forty years younger."

"And honest as well." She shot back.

He nodded, "Perhaps that as well. A hundred thousand dollars to take a man's life. A very dear price indeed."

Kate smiled to herself. She could see where this was going. "I saved you some money no doubt. Now you don't have to pay anyone to kill Dick Coonan. Don't worry about it. You can thank the NYPD. It's all part of the job."

"You wound me, Detective. A poor barkeeper like myself, paying that much coin? But, Jackie was my friend. And I value my friends, even those who may not value me."

"What are you getting at? We're hardly friends."

He shrugged. "Then let us say we have common interests." Rourke stopped and looked her straight in the eye. "Ten years is a long time."

That got Beckett's attention. "Do you know something about my mom's death? Tell me, dammit!" She took a step towards Rourke.

Rourke held up his hands. "Not a thing, on my word. As you know, I have no use for drugs. I despise them that sells them. A poison, they are. But I'm a curious man, so I asked about to see if anyone knew Dick Coonan from back then. Some did, and we chatted." Seeing the look on Beckett's face, he hastened to add. "Oh, they were all happy to chat about Dick now that he's dead. I didn't even have to encourage them. You'll be finding no work for yourself from me."

She nodded very slowly. "Go on."

"Nothing to tell. He was a freelancer who'd take any job from anyone who'd meet his price. He didn't work for any one person or group. No one knew who he might have hired him for your ma."

"You're sure?"

Rourke laughed again. "Oh, Detective! You'd be amazed at how persuasive I can be if I set my mind to it." He became serious again. "But I've asked that if anyone knows anything that they let me know. Who knows?"

"That won't change anything between us."

"I never expected it would." He checked his watch. "I must be off, Detective Beckett. You have a fine day and say hello to your boyfriend for me. Tell him to drop by again sometime. Perhaps we can have a nice Guinness together."

Not without me and a SWAT team with him. Beckett thought to herself as the old man left.

That night, Beckett came to Castle's loft.

"Beckett. What do I owe this to?"

"It's been a hard couple of days, getting ready for the shooting team. I could use a drink."

He took her coat and led her to the couch. "You don't have anything to worry about. You did the right thing. Wine?" He asked.

"Scotch, if you have some. But in spite of what and who Coonan was, killing anyone is hard. That was my first."

Castle tried to think of something supportive to say, but failed. "Mind if I join you?"

"No, please do. After my dad…What happened to him….I hate to drink alone."

He handed her a glass and sat beside her. She drained her glass in two quick gulps. "More?" She asked.

He refilled her glass and was glad to see she only sipped the Scotch this time.

"I talked to Finn Rourke this morning. He thanked me obliquely for killing Coonan for him. I saved him some money I imagine. He also told me he asked around about my mom's case, but no one knew anything."

"Did you believe him?"

She shrugged. "What choice do I have? But, yes. Coonan was a professional. He'd never have told anybody anything more than he had to."

"Makes sense. Unfortunately."

"Rourke also called you my boyfriend."

Castle grimaced. "I hope you didn't hurt him too badly."

For a response, she leaned over and kissed him. He pulled her close and ran his hand over her cheek.

"Kate, if this is about the money…"

She shook her head. "No. What you did was so very sweet and so much more than I deserved. I haven't been nice to you at all, in spite of all the help you've been and not just with my cases. I'm terrified of any kind of intimacy. I can't stand the thought of loving someone and losing them like I lost my mom. But I've been so damned lonely for so damned long. And then you come into my life and turn everything upside down and….I'm so damned lonely, Castle. I do need a boyfriend."

"I'm right here, first in line for the job." He teased.

She slid up into his lap and kissed him again, this time exploring his mouth with her tongue and allowing him to explore hers. She took his hand and slid it under her blouse. "Bed?" She muttered.

"One thing." He saw the shock in her eyes and quickly went on. "I meant it. You're remarkable. Extraordinary. Fantastic. Amazing. And tall. I've never met anyone quite like you and I think this can get serious really fast. Okay?"

She felt her heart racing. "Now I'm really terrified. But, yes. Okay."

He kissed her softly, then slid her off of his lap, and then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. He carefully removed her blouse and carefully put it on the back of a chair. She pulled off her bra and tossed it on the floor. "Neatness does not count now, Castle….Rick."

They stripped each other quickly. He picked her up again and gently set her down on the bed. He knelt beside her and looked down at her. "You're incredibly gorgeous, you know."

She giggled. Something Castle had never heard her do before. "You don't have to do that, Castle. I know you've been with more beautiful women than me."

He solemnly shook his head. "Never. And I've never been with anyone remotely like you. Extraordinary." He ran one hand over her nipple, watching it spring to attention. "I want to explore every inch of you. I want…"

She reached up and grabbed his erection. "And I want you inside of me now. Right now. I can't wait. Please…Rick. Now?" She gently pulled him down on top of her and he slid inside of her with no trouble, she was so wet. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and pulled him into her as far as he could go. She moaned and scratched and begged him for more and more. Then she wrapped herself as tightly around him as she could and rode a powerful orgasm. And sooner than he wanted to, he exploded inside of her.

Keeping himself inside of her, he rolled to one side, pulling her body close to his. "Next time we'll do this my way, Beckett."

She looked at him seriously. "Am I really your girlfriend and not just….you know."

"A one night stand?" He shook his head. "No way. And girlfriend is just a start. I'm all yours."

"All mine? Then I'm yours." She whispered.

"Always." He whispered back.