1050. Chapter 1050

After the Limey

Episode 4.20

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: May I be dipped in lime juice if I claim to own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This is a different AU from the alternate universe used in the chapters from 1044 on. That is, in this alternate universe, Castle and Beckett have NOT been sleeping together since Flowers for Your Grave. Pay attention. There will be a test later.

"Castle, do you have a second? Can we talk?" Kate asked nervously.

"Actually, I don't. Jacinda has the Ferrari double parked in a loading zone." He moves by her.

"Wow. Four dates in three days. You really like her." That, at least, attracted his attention. He turned back to her.

"Yeah. Why?"

For a brief second she thinks he's curious and not just being polite. Then his smile fades.

"She just….She doesn't seem like your type." Maybe this will get some reaction from him.

"Well, she's fun and uncomplicated. I think that's what my life needs right now." He starts to head to the elevator.

Kate thinks he's right. She certainly hasn't been fun and uncomplicated since they met four years ago. She was anything but. So she decided to act like the serious and complicated person she was. "Castle!" She called out to him. "We've been partners for nearly four years now." She was going to say they had been friends, but they obviously weren't that now. "I've saved your life and you've saved mine. Don't you think that I'm entitled to a few minutes of your time?"

He stops at the elevator and turns back to her. "Beckett, I told you…"

"If you're so damned worried about a parking ticket, I'll pay the damned thing."

Stung by being accused of worrying about a lousy parking ticket, he walked back to her. "Okay, what did you want to say?"

She shook her head. "Not here. In the stairwell." She walked to the stairwell with him following sullenly behind.

Once in the stairwell, she turned to him. "Castle, will you please tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. I haven't felt this good in years."

That cut Kate deeply, but she continued on. "That's not what I meant and you know it. What's wrong with us?"

Castle attempted to look serious. "Us? There is no "us" if I recall you correctly."

"You know there's an us and there has been until recently. What the hell has happened? I thought we were getting closer and now you're pulling away from me. I want to know why."

He laughed. "You want to know why? Really, Beckett? You, of all people, want to know why?"

She nodded. "Yes. I want to know why and I have no idea why you've changed. Castle, will you please just talk to me? Tell me what's going on?"

"Talk to you? In case you've forgotten we did talk and that's why I want nothing more to do with you."

"Talked? What do you mean? Talked? Talked about what? When?"

Castle shook his head. "Okay, you're going to pretend to be stupid. Okay. Think back to the day you were shot. You were lying on the ground. Do you remember anything now?"

Kate lowered her head. "Yes, I do. So we're over then. Good. Now get the hell out of my life, Castle. Just get the hell out. Since you're pals with the mayor I can't get you kicked out of the precinct, but I will never, ever speak to you again. I will never, ever tell you that I love you again. Get out."

Castle was halfway to the door when the incongruity of what she had just said hit him. He whirled around. "What did you just say?"

"I said get the hell out of my life, Castle. But you never do anything I want, do you?"

"No before that."

"I can't get you kicked out of…"

"No, Beckett. The part about loving me?"

"Do you enjoy doing this to me? Does it give you some kind of sick thrill to hear it? When I was laying there and thought I was dying, I just wanted to let you know what I really feel about you. And I still do. Not that you give a damn." Kate was crying now.

Castle came back to her and tried to put his arms around her. She pushed him away. "Don't you touch me. Don't you ever touch me."

"Kate, I love you. I love you, Kate." He whispered.

"God! Are you sick? What kind of perverse…." Kate couldn't think of a word to describe what she thought of Castle.

"Kate, when you were lying there, I told you I loved you. I used those exact words. You never said a word to me, Kate. Not a word. But I loved you then and I love you now."

She looked into his eyes for some sign of deceit, but found none. She shook her head. "No, I'm sure…Castle, I remember it so clearly." She looked in his eyes again. "I never told you I love you?"

"Not until just now."

"God! You must think I'm…"

"Remarkable." He finished for her.

She collapsed into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Castle. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Kate. You wanted to tell me you loved me and thought you did tell me, or you heard me and just got things mixed up in your head. Or…I don't know. You were hurt, you were almost dying…It doesn't make any difference any more. It just happened."

"I feel so damned stupid. Why did you…You know?"

He kissed her forehead. "I heard you tell Bobby Lopez, the pickpocket, that you remembered everything when you were shot. I thought you meant you heard me say that I love you. I thought I meant nothing to you. I shouldn't have just walked out. I should have talked to you. I know you're not that kind of person. I'm sorry, Kate. I'm so sorry for hurting you."

Kate put her arms around him. "When you came into my hospital room, I thought the first thing you'd say was that you loved me, too. But you made some dumb joke about flowers and never said anything more about it. I shouldn't have gone off for all those months without at least calling you. But I was so damaged, Castle. Not just my shooting, but the death of Mike Royce, and then Roy Montgomery's death. It was too much for me. I just couldn't handle anything more than just putting one foot in front of the other to get through the day. God, I don't know if I'll ever be able to look Evelyn Montgomery in the face."

"What happened to Roy isn't your fault." He insisted.

"I wasn't a help, either. Roy said if he gave me a name, I'd run straight at him. That's what I've been doing, running straight at things without a thought to anyone but Kate Beckett and her crusade. That's over. I want a normal life. A life with you."

"Always." He quickly replied. "I'm glad that you heard me say I love you this time."

She giggled. "Castle, I've known that you love me for a long time now."

"You have?"

"The coffee every morning for four years was a dead giveaway. And a few other things."

"The coffee. I should have known, Kate."

"Castle, we have to remember what happened here. If we'd just talked to each other…"

"We should start right now." He smiled at her. Then the smile faded. "Oh, shit. Jacinda is downstairs in the Ferrari. I told her I'd take her to dinner and then to the airport. She has to fly back to Vegas." He thought for a second. "I'll call my car service and get her there. Then we can go to the loft and…"

"Rick, I need to go home and get a few things. You can take her to the airport and even buy her dinner. Just don't have any fun doing it. By the time you're done, I'll be at the loft."

He pulled put his keyring and took off a key. "This is the key to the loft. Mother has a job for a few weeks in LA, some series, and Alexis is with her. We'll have plenty of time."

Kate gave Rick the very best kiss she could and got the same in return. When Rick left the stairwell, she dried her eyes and then got ready to leave.

Once at her apartment she got out her sexiest negligee, filled an overnight bag and then took a cab to Castle's loft. She quickly undressed and put on her negligee and waited for Castle. It wasn't long before she heard a knock at the door.

"Castle?" She said, opening the door. "What do you want?" She said with a smile.

"You." Was all he said as he came in, put his arms around her and kissed her. He broke the kiss and looked at her. She wore only a very sheer short nightgown with nothing under it.

"What happened?" She teased.

"She understood. I guess she's run across a few stupid playboys who thought they'd lost the love of their lives, but…"

"No. I mean why did you knock?"

'I gave my key to the most beautiful woman in the world."

She took his hand and led him to the bedroom. "Just don't give any keys to anyone else, okay?"

"Never."

Many hours later, Kate lay snuggled next to a sleeping Castle. She was tired, happy, sated and knew she had her one and done. Rick had confessed to her about Montgomery's plan to keep her safe. At first, she'd been angry. Then she realized how her life had just changed.

"Rick, if you'd have told me this a day ago, I would have been furious. There's no telling what I would have done. But, things are different now. I want my life to be about my future with you and not about the past. Not about my mom's murder. But, I am still a cop. If I run into anything that has to do with her murder, I'll have to pursue it, with you, I hope."

"Always." He replied, kissing her softly.

"But if he contacts you, you can tell that to Montgomery's friend." She had said, then they began round three.

Kate also knew she was an excellent detective. When Castle had changed towards her, she had worked backwards and pinpointed the time of the bombing investigation. She remembered the two coffee cups on her desk and a missing Castle. He must have been watching through the one way mirror when she told Bobby Lopez that she remembered everything.

She'd have to tell Castle the truth someday. That she had heard him tell her that he loved her and that she had not told him she loved him. Their hundredth wedding anniversary would be a good time, she thought.

Test.

Kate Beckett:

1. Is remarkable.

2. Is Sexy.

3. Is smart.

4. Will do anything to get Castle back.

5. All of the above.

Author's note: I'm still working on To the East, the continuing adventures of Lord and Lady Castle in Renaissance Italy. I also have the start of another After…story. But, no middle or ending. I'll have to think about that.