764. Chapter 764

After Flowers for Your Grave

Chapter Five

Episode 1.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Not me. Rating: M Time: See above

Rick put his arms around Kate and pulled her into a hug. "That's the way it should have been. I can't imagine what I was thinking about going there with Gina. I'd been married to her. How could I have thought that she could ever replace you? But you were so happy with Demming and you never seemed to really like me…"

Kate kissed him. "I was very good at sabotaging my love life then. The heart wants what the heart wants and my heart wanted you. It was my brain, hidden behind all of those walls that tried to tell me I didn't want you. I should have accepted your invitation the second you made it."

"At least we did finally get together."

"It still should have been earlier. In fact, I have another story for you…

Castle opened the door to Kate's hospital room only to find Doctor Motorcycle Boy holding her hand. "Um, hi. I hope I'm not intruding."

Josh kissed Kate's cheek, then stood and walked past Castle, glaring at him as he did.

"I heard you were opening a flower store, so I thought I'd contribute." Castle put the flowers down by Kate's bedside.

"I must look a mess." She said softly.

"You're perfect."

She smiled. "At least you still have the worst sense of timing on the planet, Castle."

His heart sank. "If you wanted to talk some more with Josh, I can leave. Come back later and…"

"Could you come and sit beside me? It's kind of hard on my neck looking up at you."

Castle quickly took the seat Josh had been in. To his surprise, Kate reached out and took his hand. "I've been about half convinced you were in love with me for the last year. And when do you tell me? When I'm practically dead. Can't you do better than that?"

Castle smiled and he felt a great weight lift off of him. "Okay, you're alive and I love you." He stopped when he saw the serious look on Kate's face.

"Castle, when my mom died, something happened inside of me. I built up this wall to keep me from ever getting hurt. To keep people out. I can't be the kind of person I want to be, I can't have the kind of relationship I want. I can't have the kind of relationship I want to have with you until that wall comes down. And it won't come down until my mom's murder is resolved." He felt her squeeze his hand. "I want to make you the most important person in my life. I want to love you unconditionally, but I just can't right now. If you don't want to stay with me under those circumstances, I'll understand."

Castle nodded. "But it's okay if you're the most important person in my life, right?"

Kate smiled and nodded.

"And I can be the second most important person in your life. Until we catch your mom's killer."

"Absolutely." She took her other hand and pulled Castle in close for a kiss. Suddenly, she groaned and broke the kiss. "It's the surgical scar. When I pull on it, it hurts. I'm sorry, but I'm going to need a lot of rest and care before we can really be together."

"A lot of rest and care you say?" Castle smiled. "Just leave that to me."

Kate sat looking out onto Long Island Sound. She sat on a couch on Castle's patio facing the water. At each end of the couch was a large umbrella keeping the sun off of her. To her right, Castle fussed with an espresso machine, making her a cup of coffee.

She wore a pair of silk pajamas with a cashmere robe over that. In her bedroom upstairs were a dozen more pajamas and six more cashmere robes. On her feet were soft leather slippers, handmade by some aged shoemaker in England. Since it was hot that day, she hadn't worn any of the silk socks that Castle had bought her. She did have her Yankee's cap on her head. Castle had promised to have it autographed by the whole team, but she had said the only autograph she ever wanted was his.

"Grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla." Castle announced, holding out the cup to Beckett.

"You really don't have to do all of this, Castle." She waited a beat and then added, "But I love it that you do."

Castle beamed with pleasure.

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait." Dr. Anders and her nurse walked out of the house and over to Kate. "It's time for us to check Ms. Beckett's wounds."

The doctor, a tall, slender, graceful older woman with white hair sat by Kate while the nurse, knelt in front of her. Kate began to unbutton her top. As she did so Castle turned away, unable to bear the sight of her angry red and purple bullet wound and surgical scars.

Kate smirked. "You know there was a time when Castle couldn't keep his eyes off of my boobs. Now he won't even look at me when I take my top off."

Sandy Allen, a short, slender redheaded nurse nodded. "I guess he doesn't love you anymore, Kate. Sure, you're living in a mansion in the Hamptons, he's paying for a doctor and a nurse to be here 24/7 as well as having a full surgical team standing by in the city. Plus he has more than a dozen ex-Special Forces bodyguards around in case someone wants to take another shot at you. But what's he done for you lately?" All three women giggled at Castle's discomfort.

Still facing away from them, Castle replied. "I love Kate and I love her boobs. But looking at her like that….It's just too much."

Sandy nodded. "See? He just wants your boobs." That set off another round of giggles. Then the doctor began her exam.

"Okay, Kate. You're looking good. Time for your medications." The doctor announced.

"Do I have to?" Kate grumped. "They put me to sleep."

"That's the point."

Kate spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon dozing with her head on Rick's shoulder. She woke up when Rick picked her up to carry her into the house." Castle, I'm not helpless. I can walk."

"I know you can, but I'm going to carry you. What would you like for dinner tonight? I can do surf and turf, or pasta Alfredo. What do you feel like?"

"Can we order out? Some Chinese?"

"Whatever you desire. Anything."

She blushed. "You'd better watch out, Castle. I could get used to being treated like this."

"And I could get used to treating you like this." He replied, kissing her.

After dinner they watched a movie and then he carried Kate upstairs to their bedroom. Once in bed, Kate put her arms around him and kissed him, running her hand under his boxers as she did so.

Castle pulled away from her. "Kate! You know what the doctor said. No sex until your wounds are healed."

She frowned. "I'm not asking that we fuck on a trampoline, or hanging by our heels from a trapeze. I just want to make out a little with you. We can do that, can't we?"

"No. Because once we start, we won't stop. We'll have plenty of time for sex later. All that you want. And more."

"The minute the doctor gives me the okay, I'm handcuffing you to this bed and ravishing you for a solid week."

"I can't wait." He said, spooning with her. "Now go to sleep."

Castle was cleaning up the breakfast dishes the next morning when Kate's phone rang. She checked the caller ID. "It's Lanie." She accepted the call. "Hi, Lanie."

"Don't you "Hi, Lanie", me, Kate. Where are you? I talked to your dad and you are notat his cabin and you're not being treated by the doctors from the NYPD's medical insurance. I know you Kate Beckett! You're not taking care of yourself. You're probably trying to catch that damned sniper all by yourself. Now, tell me where you are."

"I'm with a friend. And I'm getting excellent medical care."

"I doubt that. You tell me where you are or I swear, I'll go straight to your new captain and all the way to One PP if I have to and find you and make sure you're taking care of yourself."

Kate put her hand over the phone. "What should I do?"

"You're going to have to tell her."

"Lanie, I'm with Castle at his place in the Hamptons."

There was a pause. "Rick Castle?"

"How many Castles do you think I know? Of course, Rick Castle. And he has a doctors and nurses here 24/7 and he even hired some ex-Special Forces bodyguards for me. I'm fine."

"You're with Castle?"

"What did I just say?" Kate shot back.

"Where do you sleep?"

"Lanie!" Kate shrieked, "What kind of a question is that to ask?"

"Where do you sleep?" Lanie repeated.

"In the master bedroom."

"And where does Castle sleep?"

"It's his home. He sleeps in the master bedroom."

"With you?"

"Of course with me. Do you think he'd make me sleep on the floor?"

"You two are having sex?" Lanie screamed.

"No, we're not."

"Are you out of your mind, girl?"

Castle reached over and took the phone. "Hi, Lanie. We're not having sex. She almost died and she needs a lot of rest and care. The doctor said no sex and until she's cleared for that, we won't be having sex. But later…" Rick smiled devilishly and looked at Kate.

"I'm so happy for the two of you. You're perfect together. You know that, don't you?"

"I finally figured it out, Lanie." Kate said, taking the phone back. "Please don't tell anyone about this. I've heard the new captain is a real stickler for the rules. Apparently she kicked Castle out the very first day she got there. And please come up sometime?"

"Oh, Sweetie, I want to see you and Rick together so badly, wild horses couldn't keep me away."

After a month had passed, Rick woke up and felt that there was no one in bed with him. He sat up, only to be brought up short. He was handcuffed to the bed. He looked down and saw Kate Beckett seated at the foot of the bed dressed in her silk pajamas. "I had a talk with the doctor today. Guess what?"

"We can have sex?"

She nodded. "Do you remember all of those times that I wanted a little making out and you left me all frustrated?"

"Honey, I didn't want to hurt you."

"Oh, you didn't hurt me, but you really pissed me off. Now it's my turn." Kate rolled off the bed and stood at the foot of the bed. She began humming and dancing. Then she began unbuttoning her top. When the last button was undone, she turned away from Rick and let the top drop to the floor. She still had her bra on. She reached behind her and undid the bra's clasp, then let the straps fall.

Still facing away from Castle, she danced toward him, stopping just out of reach. She let the bra drop, then turned around with both hands now over her boobs. "Do you still want to look away, Castle?" She said with a smile.

"No. I love looking at your boobs." He moved as close as he could to her, which wasn't very close.

"Think of all the times you could have touched them, played with them and kissed them. But you wouldn't."

"Because I love you too much to ever risk hurting you."

She shrugged. "So you say." She dropped her hands to her side and leaned over Castle, her boobs tantalizingly just out of the reach of his mouth. She swung them from side to side, getting a moan from Castle.

"Please, Kate."

She danced away from him and began pushing her pajama bottoms down. Castle got a good look at her delicious ass as she danced, but she still had panties on. She turned to face him. "Like what you see?"

"I love what I see."

"Really?" She turned around and began pushing her panties down, ever so slowly. Finally, they dropped to the floor and she stepped out of them. She wiggled her ass at Castle which almost caused him to climax then and there.

When she turned around, one arm was across her chest, covering her boobs and the other was between her legs. "I think I should get dressed and have breakfast." She said suddenly.

"Nooooo!" Castle screamed.

Kate laughed and launched herself onto Castle. "Or I could ravish you for a solid week. Would you like that?" Without waiting for an answer, Kate pulled his boxers down and impaled herself onto his erection. "I've been waiting for this for years." She moaned.

"For years?" Castle asked, surprised.

"Yes, for years. I'll tell you all about it later. But now I just want both of us to get off. I'm about ready, how about you."

"You should be able to feel my reply….now."

A minute later, Kate collapsed onto him. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too."

Castle nodded. "I'm not that happy with the end of that story. You couldn't possibly have resisted me while doing that strip tease."

She raised an eyebrow. "Care to place a little bet on that?"

Castle backtracked quickly. "No. I know just how stubborn you can be."

"Determined. I'm determined. Not stubborn."

"So, is that all the stories you have for me?" Rick asked, smiling.

"There's one more. It's very short. They lived happily ever after."

And they did.