647. Chapter 647

After One Life to Lose

Episode 3. 18

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Even if I was kidnapped by a bear who was my evil twin, I wouldn't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: All of the previous stories for this episode have been basically soap operas stories, filled with evil twins, mistaken identities and bears. I thought I'd try a straight story for once.

Kate hung up her phone and sighed. She had been happy when Josh had called her, but the happiness hadn't lasted long. Doctors Without Borders had called him and literally begged him to go to Haiti. He had, of course, agreed. He had called her and asked her to meet him briefly before his plane left that night. She had told him that she was busy with a case, which was only a small lie. The report on the Sarah Cutler murder wasn't completed, but Montgomery would have been perfectly happy to have had it completed tomorrow.

Kate looked at the signed cast photo of Temptation Lane that Castle had gotten for her. How did my life become so much like a soap opera? Not that long ago I had no social life. I had one good friend, Lanie, who was the only person I ever talked to about anything important in my life. And, to tell the truth, I never discussed anything that was that important in my life because, well, there wasn't that much going on in my life other than being a cop. I had two partners, who I still have, sort of. I know Espo thinks of me as his sister and would be over protective of me if I'd let him. Which is equal parts cute and freaky. Ryan is almost a parody of a NYPD detective, a conservative Irish cop and as straight an arrow as there is, but he's a great partner.

But now I have another partner, who's the best partner I've ever had, wild theories about government conspiracies and zombies included. And I have another best friend. Castle really is my best friend now, more so than Lanie.

Kate put the photograph back in the envelope and thought briefly about where she'd put it. By my bookcase with my Temptation Lane DVDs would be best. But Josh will see it. I can just tell him I got it working on a case involving the show. Josh is jealous enough of the time I spend with Castle as it is. Kate frowned for a second. What's happening to me? Castle gave me an autographed photo of the Temptation Lane cast. So what? There's no reason that Castle shouldn't give me that photo. It's not like I'd be showing porno shots of me and Castle to Josh. That brought a sudden memory of the kiss that she and Castle had shared. Amazing! She thought. Then shook her head to clear it. If Josh sees it, he sees it. If he asks how I got it, I'll tell him. If he's jealous, he's jealous. Which sounds like a plot from Temptation Lane.

So, we have the, what? The Koshs? The Joates? And the Katricks? The Rickates? Who should I ship for? Me and Josh? That's becoming more and more unlikely. Josh will never put me ahead of his career and I'd feel terrible if I made him do that. I'd always be thinking that he'd rather be with orphans in Haiti or war victims in Africa, or somewhere else that he was needed. He'd end up hating me. It would never work if I insisted that he make me his number one priority. Could I ever be happy with a man who always put his job ahead of me? She slowly shook her head. I want what my parents had, a family. Even though both of my parents had jobs that were important to them, they always put family first. I can't accept anything less.

So that leaves us with the Katricks. Should I ship for them? Would Castle be willing to put his career second to me? Kate felt butterflies in her stomach when she suddenly realized something. Castle has put me ahead of his career. He's a writer, not a cop. He spends hours here every day helping me when he could be writing. He's told me several times that his writing has suffered and that he needs to write more. That's why he left me last summer. Kate remembered the sick, empty feeling in her stomach when Castle had walked out of the precinct with his arm around his ex-wife. She remembered how lonely she'd been over than summer without Castle. How angry she'd been when they'd only met when she arrested him at a crime scene. She smiled remembering how he'd wanted to come back and be with her. He had still been with Gina then and she was just starting out with Josh, but she was pleased to have her partner back. And now I know that he's more than just my partner. He says "Always" to me like he means it, but he's meant it to his ex-wives. But he means it to Alexis and Martha as well. And I no longer just assume that Castle was responsible for his two divorces. He is a good and generous man. He's not doing things for me to get me into bed. The dress for when we went undercover at that charity event, the money for Coonan, even this photo. He just wants to show he cares for me. A horrible thought went through Beckett's mind. Perhaps he cares too much? For too many long minutes I thought I'd find that Castle had been murdered by 3XK. He could have gotten killed going after Lockwood with me. What was I thinking taking an unarmed man into a gun battle? No, I have to admit that Castle cares for me and that I care for him, but is he my one and done? I don't know and I'm afraid of losing what we have now if I try to find out. And, I'm afraid of being alone if I leave Josh. I am so screwed.

She checked the time on her dad's watch, remembering that Castle had found it and had it fixed for her. I bet Castle hasn't eaten yet, but even if he has, I bet he'd like me to come over for a few Temptation Lane episodes.

She reached for her phone.

Author's note: Sorry. Couldn't stop myself. Here's the soap opera.

Ernst von Demming, former top agent with the East German secret police, the Stasi, looked at the reflection in the mirror. He was a perfect copy of Dr. Josh Davidson.

He knocked on the doctor's door in a poor section of Port au Prince, Haiti.

"Yes, what…" Davidson stopped as he saw who was there. "Who…who are you?"

"More to the point, Dr. Davidson. Who are you?" He held out a handful of photos. "Recognize them?"

"I was young. I didn't know any better. Things were different then."

Von Demming smiled coldly. Suddenly, he was beheaded by a zombie grizzly bear who had once held Martha Rodgers captive and had sworn to protect her and her family after she had taught him to do the hokey pokey. "Grr." Said the bear. (Bears are not big talkers.) "I am so sorry, Dr. Davidson." The bear said. "I'm very much afraid you are about to die. You have interfered with the family of the one I am sworn to protect. Now, just let me put my left paw in and put my left paw out, now bite off your head and shake it all about." (Zombie bears are incurable chatterboxes, you know.)

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Kate decided that night that Castle was her one and done and they lived happily ever after.

Author's note: This is in reply to a guest review. These stories are basically stand alone stories based on the Castle episode in question and are mostly non-canon, although some of them stay very close to canon. For instance, I wrote a story based on Flowers for Your Grave in which Beckett and Castle became lovers after the case, just to see how that might have worked. However, they were not lovers in following stories. So, Castle and Beckett become Caskett in the most recent After Setup and are back to being not together in the most recent After Countdown as they are two separate and distinct stories exploring possible outcomes in the Castleverse.

Clear?