852. Chapter 852

After The Final Frontier

Episode 5.06

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. Make it so. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Castle, will you please tell me what the surprise is?"

Rick Castle just grinned and gunned the engine of the Ferrari as they sat at a traffic light in Los Angeles. "This is your vacation and I promised you a surprise. And it won't be a surprise if I tell you what it is now, will it?"

"Are you sure I'll like the surprise? This isn't something you wanted to do on vacation, is it?"

He shook his head. "Definitely not. This is your vacation and yours alone. After all, my life is basically one long vacation. I'm not the one who has to fight with One PP over budgets and personnel. Don't worry, you'll love it."

As they drove through LA from the airport, Kate began to recognize some things. "Castle, are we headed for the hotel we stayed at the first time we came to LA?"

"Not just the same hotel, the same room. I've had Maurice see to it that it's exactly the same as when we were first here."

"So, that's my surprise?" Kate tried not to sound disappointed.

"Of course not. You don't think I'd make the hotel your surprise on your vacation. Believe me, you are going to love your surprise."

Maurice met them personally when the car pulled up and supervised the unloading of their bags. "Welcome to LA, Mr. and Mrs. Castle. We here hope you enjoy your stay."

"We will, Maurice. Kate and I will not be working this time. At least no police work."

Kate frowned slightly at that. "At least no police work? Does that mean you're going to put me to work? Doing what? Autographing Nikki Heat books."

He shook his head as he laughed. "Never. And I've mastered the art of making work feel like play. And I'm about to teach you how to do that."

Once they were alone in their room, Castle teased Beckett a bit." Do you want to take your old bedroom and I'll take mine?"

She put her arms around him and kissed him lightly. "No way. Your bedroom is my bedroom and vice versa." She rested her head on his chest. "I told you, I came back out that night, but you had already gone to bed. I don't think I would have slept with you that night, but I wanted to talk to you some more. About what I wanted, who I wanted and who I didn't want any more. It would have changed so many things."

"I know you never would have cheated on Josh. And I never would have wanted you to. And we're here now, so, all's well that ends well."

Kate walked into the bedroom, then turned to face Castle. "Can we have room service for dinner? I would really like to see what sleeping with you in this place would be like."

"I'll order something easy and quick to cook." Castle said, reaching for the house phone.

The next morning they were back in the Ferrari. "Are you going to tell me what the surprise is now?" She asked.

"No." Was all he said.

The drive wasn't that far and Kate soon saw that Castle was slowing down and recognized what he was slowing down for. "Castle! Is that EpicScope Productions? Did you get me a set visit to the Nebula 9 movie?"

"Why, Captain Beckett. Do you think that's your surprise?"

They stopped by the guard shack while Castle identified himself. As she sat there, Kate looked at the huge Nebula 9 billboard facing the street. There against the background of the Nebula 9 ship was the new cast of the film, all dressed in their costumes. "I almost wish I had brought my Lieutenant Chloe costume, but that would have been just too geeky fan girly."

"But your legs look so great in that costume." Castle said, glancing at her legs, and smiling. "Better than great."

He parked and they started walking to the sound stage where Nebula 9 was being filmed. There was a scream from behind them followed by someone yelling "RICK!" And then Rick was being hugged by the new Lieutenant Chloe. "I am so glad you could come." Natalie Rhodes turned to Kate and hugged her as well. "And I am so glad I didn't get to do the research for Nikki Heat that I wanted to do. But, I was right, wasn't I? You were both really into each other."

Kate blushed slightly. "Yes, we were. But now I wish I had done some research on Nikki Heat." Kate laughed. "Maybe we can borrow some costumes and Rick and I can do some Nebula 9 research."

Natalie turned to Rick. "You haven't told her?"

Rick drew something from inside his coat and with a flourish, presented it to Kate. "I got you a working script for the Nebula 9 movie and I got it signed by all but one of the actors in the film, but I did get the director, the producers and the screenplay writers to autograph it as well."

Kate kissed Rick enthusiastically. "Which actor didn't sign it? Maybe we can find him and get his autograph."

"I'm not sure who didn't sign." Natalie said. smiling. "Check the cast list and see who we might have missed."

Kate ran her eyes down the script until a familiar name came to her attention: Astro Technician Nikki played by Katherine Beckett. She squealed with joy. "Castle, I'm in the movie! This is my surprise?"

His smile was covered by her kiss. When she broke the kiss she whispered in his ear. "We'll be doing lots of research for Nebula 9 tonight, but no costumes will be necessary."

"And that's my surprise." He whispered back.

Natalie took both of their hands. "Come on, Kate. We have to get you in costume and go over your lines. Oh, and you can keep your costume if you'd like."

"Natalie, do you think we could get a Captain Max costume for Castle?"

She laughed. "Of course. I'll get the still photographer to get some shots of you two."

Kate didn't have a big part and most of her lines were "Yes, sir.", or "No, sir.". In her big scene she got to say, "The Creaver battleship has taken a direct hit, sir." She had to repeat the scene several times, but everyone complimented her when she was done.

When she was done with her shooting, they went back to their hotel room and had a very intense Nebula 9 cosplay experience.

Kate was wrapped around Rick in their bed. "That was the best surprise I've ever had, lover. Thank you."

"Oh? Do you think your surprise is over?"

"It isn't? What more could I do? You're not going to get Natalie fired as Lieutenant Chloe are you? And have me take over? I won't let you do that. I'm not an actor, Castle."

"No, but you will be going to the premiere of Nebula 9 next year, and who knows? If the film does become one of those movie franchises, we might see more of Astro Technician Nikki."

She kissed him. "And may fortune guide our journey."