One More Kate

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: One more time. I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: Sometime in Season Seven, after the Caskett wedding.

Author's note: This is one of a series of AU stories that builds on the alternate universe Rick found in The Time of Our Lives and continued by me in Alexis's in Wonderland, Four of a Kind and I, Spy. One or two characters from I, Spy will make an appearance.

Castle had a chance to look around him. They had been moved to the docks on the Hudson River. Clustered around the dock they were on were several armored vehicles of some sort with soldiers performing some unknown tasks around them. In the Hudson he could see three amphibious ships and one destroyer anchored. Another destroyer was docked not far from them. A pair of frigates, that looked like the class he'd been on, were steaming up the Hudson with a bone in their teeth as the saying went. The river itself looked a lot less muddy and polluted and there wasn't the bad odor he was used to. He saw helicopters and fixed wing aircraft headed out to sea and coming in from the sea. He assumed the rest of the task force, with an aircraft carrier, was out over the horizon someplace.

When Wentzel had left Kate asked, "Who the hell are Demming's people? Certainly not Tom Demming the detective from the 54th?"

"On one of the many Earths, Senator Bracken became President. He was assassinated, or died peacefully, depending on whose propaganda you believe and a general named Demming took over and built a police state. "It wasn't an entirely accurate explanation, but Rick didn't want to give Kate too much information. Information that could get her killed. "Anyway, Demming's Earth has some access to the multiple Earths and has conquered some of them. The Demming Earths are at war with the Earth that Wentzel comes from. They're not perfect, but they're a hell of a lot better than the dictatorship Demming's set up."

"Your girlfriend is coming back." Kate said snidely.

"She's not my girlfriend. I'm married. Married to a Kate Beckett, who I love very much."

"Good news, sir." Wentzel said. "We've tracked down Ms. Beckett's Earth. It's not one we've run across before and it does have some theoretical knowledge of the multiple universes. We'll have to hold her here until we're sure she's not involved with this. But we can take her cuffs off." Wentzel produced a key and freed Kate.

"Good, but what the hell is "this"? How did we get here? What happened to this Earth?"

"You're leakers, sir." Wentzel began.

"What am I leaking and where?" He asked, sarcastically.

"It's what we call people who are suddenly finding themselves on different Earths, such as you two. We don't know what's causing it. Maybe some other Earth is trying an experiment that went haywire, maybe an ancient machine out there has started up, maybe it's a natural event that happens every million years, regular as clockwork. We just don't know."

"Do they just come here?" Kate asked.

"No, ma'am. About eighty percent come here and a lot of them are violent. There is a possibility that this is not an accident or some natural event. Oh, and none have come to your Earth, Mr. Castle."

"Why do you think this might not be natural?" Castle asked.

"Assume you want to invade another planet. Maybe you could send your own troops, but a planet is awfully big to subdue. Let's say you want to invade a planet with a technology level of 1900 Common Era. You find an aggressive planet with a military with 1960 technology and let them invade. When they've worn down and conquered your target, you send in your own military with 2010 technology and take over. Or maybe it's nothing like that. We just don't know. But we have to try to find out. Sorry Ms. Beckett."

"What happened to this planet?" Castle asked. "Everyone can't just have gone away."

"We don't know that either. The task force has sent recon drones out five hundred miles in all directions and found nothing. There's no kind of radio chatter either. From what we can tell, there's been no people here for maybe thirty or forty years."

"On my Earth I've known Kate for over six years. On her Earth, we just met. Is that normal?"

Wentzel nodded. "Pretty much, sir. Time gaps between even the most similar Earths is quite normal. Six years isn't that common, but not unheard of."

Castle just shook his head. "So, basically, you don't have a clue about any of this."

"I'm afraid so, sir. Um, if you'd like some food and water, there's some with another leaker on the other side of the comm track. That's the one with the big antennas on it. She's a young lady."

Rick and Kate stood. "Wentzel, can we have our weapons back? I know there are troops here, but if the creature from the Black Lagoon shows up, I don't want us to be unarmed."

She handed them back their weapons and ammo, including the pistols and shotgun they'd found here.

When Kate went around the comm track, she saw the young lady. Young, she thought. I'm not sure about lady. She looks like she's sixteen going on thirty.

She was sitting on a box and leaning against the comm track. She had long, lithe tanned legs. You could see all of them since her already very short and tight black miniskirt had ridden up high enough to see her bright red panties. At least she has panties on. Kate thought. She had a six-pack stomach and her boobs were covered with a small black tube top. Her boobs had to be D cups and her nipples were poking out her top. She had lustrous black hair that ran down to her butt and very light blue eyes.

Her eyes lit up and she shot to her feet when she saw them. "Hi, I'm Cindy MacMillan. I guess you're leakers, too."

When she smiled, they saw she had fangs. Castle stood in front of Beckett and pushed her backwards. His hand went to the butt of his gun. "You have fangs!" He screeched.

Her smile vanished. "Yes, and I'm a vampire. And in spite of all the crap you've been fed all of your life, I do not drain blood out of people. Our fangs were meant to help us get juice and pulp out of fruit. They're like straws. We're mostly vegetarians. And, surprise, surprise, asshole, I don't burn up in sunlight. So why don't you take your damned ignorant superstitions and get the fuck out of my sight!"

Castle was taken aback. "Miss MacMillan, I have to apologize to you. Both Kate and I, um, by the way, I'm Rick Castle and she's Kate Beckett, we come from an Earth where there are no real vampires. Some people pretend to be vampires and while most are harmless, some are very dangerous. They do get off on draining blood from people. Again, I'm very, very sorry for offending you."

Cindy smiled at them. "I've never ever had someone apologize to me like that. Wow! You know, lady, your boyfriend isn't as big an asshole as I thought."

"He's not my boyfriend, but he is a friend."

Cindy walked over to Rick. "You know for a fangless old guy, you're kind of hot."

Rick decided to take that as a compliment.

Cindy ran her hands over his chest. "Really hot, Rick. And so is Kate. Do you want to sneak into one of the warehouses for some of the old in and out? Both of you, of course."

"I'm married. "Rick said quickly.

"I'm in a relationship." Kate added.

"It's too bad. It would have been great." Cindy said breathlessly.

"You have no idea." Kate replied.

"We were told there was food and water over here." Rick said, wanting to change the subject.

"Absolutely. It's in the box I was sitting on. We have bottled water on ice, some protein bars which aren't bad and some military meals. Something called MREs. I haven't tried those. I can't even boil water."

The three drank water and chewed on the protein bars while Kate looked at the MREs. She decided to try to cook for them and while they ate, they discussed their lives. Cindy was from a very similar Earth and lived in LA. "The LA vampire scene is so, so cool. Except for some assholes from out of town, we hardly ever get hassled."

She was sixteen and quite sexually active, which gave Castle, thinking of Alexis, a near heart attack.

"Yeah, non-vampire guys think they're being all brave and macho banging a vampire. Like we're dangerous or something." She giggled.

Castle saw the shadow descending on them and shot to his feet just as the monster grabbed Cindy and started to take off with her. He got one arm around Cindy and one around the thing. That slowed its rate of ascent, but the beating of its wings increased and he felt himself being lifted off the ground as well.

"Beckett!" He screamed. "Help."

But Kate was ahead of him. She already had both arms around the thing. "Castle, I can't reach my Glock without letting go. Can you shoot it?"

"I'd have to let go too."

Suddenly the beast screamed and dropped to the ground. Castle pulled his Glock and began firing into the thing's chest as Kate pulled Cindy away. After firing seven rounds, he stopped.

He looked down at what he'd just killed. "Jesus fucking Christ! A flying monkey? What 's next? The goddam Wicked Witch of the West coming for my ruby Tony Lama boots?"

At the same time as a dozen armed soldiers arrived, Cindy threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Her tongue slid into his mouth, she pressed her boobs into his chest and began rubbing her pelvis against his hip.

He pushed her away. "Cindy, I'm married. Please."

She stepped back. "Sorry." She said with a smile that said she wasn't one damned bit sorry. "I don't think one non-vampire in a million would have done what you did for me. What both of you did."

Two medics pushed their way through the crowd and gave the three a quick check, and found nothing wrong.

"Why did he scream and fall to the ground?" Cindy asked.

"I grabbed his balls and squeezed hard." Kate confessed. "I guess it works on monsters as well as assholes in bars."

Castle shook his head. "I'm glad I never came onto you too hard in a bar."

Kate smiled at him. "I'm beginning to think I might just cut my Richard Castle a little more slack. I couldn't have imagined him doing what you just did."

"He might surprise you."

They were interrupted by Wentzel. "Good news. You and Ms. Beckett can go home now. She's cleared."

"What about Cindy here?" Castle asked.

"She's still not cleared to leave."

"Okay. I'm staying, too. Until she can leave."

"That's really sweet of you, Mr. Castle, but you don't have to stay on my account."

He shook his head. "I have a daughter just a year or so younger than you. If she got in trouble like this, I'd hope someone would watch over her. So, I'm doing the same for you."

Kate sat back down. "I'm staying, too, then."

It only took another hour to clear Cindy. The three were taken to a portable transfer point. Cindy was to go first. Before she left, she grabbed Castle and kissed him again, then backed off. "When you get home, Mr. Castle, you'll be the only guy who can say he's been kissed by a real vampire. Twice." She laughed and went home.

Kate was next. She also kissed Castle. "We end up married?"

"I hope so."

"Castle, you said I put my mom's ring away when we caught the guy who killed her. You need to tell me who he is."

He shook his head. "I can't. I know you, Kate. You'll run straight at him and get yourself killed. You almost died three times because of him. I don't want to sound egotistical, but you need me to help you catch him. Please, give your Rick Castle a chance. You both need each other."

She glared at him, but eventually nodded. "Okay."

"Look, he, that is, I was a handful. Not too long from now I'm going to sleep with a Hollywood actress. Dumbest decision I ever made. And you'll decide that I'm really just a twice divorced, boob autographing, sex obsessed playboy and start dating another detective. I'll invite you to spend Memorial Day at my place in the Hamptons. No funny stuff. Please, please break up with the other guy and accept my offer as soon as you can. Promise?"

She smiled at him. "Okay, Mr. Beckett. I'll do that."

He reached into his pocket. "I found your wedding ring, engagement ring in our loft. Please take them to remind you of…always."

Then Kate was gone, followed by Castle.

He found himself on his bed. He checked his phone which was in the charger by his bed. He found that he had been gone for less than an hour. He walked to his office, where Kate was doing some work.

"Have a good nap, babe?" She asked. "You have your jacket on? You should have told me. I could have turned the heat up.'

He leaned over and kissed her. "I wish I had the words to tell you how much I love you."

"We'll just have to try to find the words."

"You'll never believe what happened to me."

"I've learned to always believe, and believe in, Richard Castle."

"This will strain your credulity." He said, taking his pistols out of his pocket.

Kate woke up in her own bed. It was just a foolish dream after all. She thought. Then she discovered she was fully dressed, in clothes she was sure she didn't own. She checked the labels. She knew she could never have afforded these clothes. But Richard Castle could buy them for his wife.

She went to her dresser and found her dad's watch. It was there, and also on her wrist.

She ran to her gun safe. Both of her Glocks were there and they were also in her holsters. She even checked the serial numbers. They were identical. She also had a pistol she was sure she would find had never been made on this Earth.

In her pocket she found two rings. She scratched the gem in the engagement ring against her bathroom mirror. It left a mark.

Okay, Castle, I'll give you a chance when you ask me to go to the Hamptons with you.

Author's note: I'm still working on another Lord and Lady Castle in Renaissance Italy story and I have two ideas for stories I'm working on.