RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE

Lightly pressing his lips to hers, he responded, "I love you, Kate."

"I love you, too, dear man. …...Now, since I'm going to have to take another shower, you need to untie me."

"But, I haven't turned you over yet."

"WHAT?"

As his hands lightly glided up the inside of her thighs and rested soothingly on her hips, for the third time his tongue ran the length of the cleavage formed when he pressed her hips together. Her body tightened as if the belts that bound her were programmed to increase their pull. "Oh my God, Rick, you have to stop. I'm not going to be able to move after this." Just as his thumbs moved to widen her cleavage...

"Kate, darling, we're back. Are you ready?"

The thrill of the moment immediately turned to panic. "Jesus, Rick did you lock the bedroom door?"

"Yes. We're okay."

"Did you lock the door into the study?"

"Oh...well...

"Damn it Rick, get off me, go lock that door and get back here and untie me."

"Richard?" Martha called out.

"Castle, will you hurry up."

Responding to her pleas, Rick quickly moved to secure the door that connected the master suite with the study. He rapidly began untying the robe belts from Kate's wrists and ankles.

"Now, go out there and tell Martha that I will be there in a minute."

"Kate, …...my mother and I have a very close relationship, but if you would care to lower your gaze you will see that at this moment I'm in no condition to have a conversation with her."

"Oh for Christ's sake, do I have to do everything?"..."That's quite beautiful by the way."

Swiftly wrapping her robe around her body, holding it together with one hand, she unlocked the bedroom door and stepped out to speak with Martha, "Martha, I'm sorry, uh…...the precinct called and I had to step out for a while, so I'm running behind."

"Sweetheart, that's awful. I'll go downstairs and get Alexis and we'll wait for you."

"No, no please. You two go ahead and I'll take a cab and meet you there. I'll just do my hair and makeup at the salon, as well as change clothes. I shouldn't be more than twenty or thirty minutes."

"Are you sure? It's no problem, we still have plenty of time."

"I'm sure. You go ahead. I'm sorry I got called out."

"I understand, Kate." As she opened the door to leave, with a twinkle in her eye, Martha couldn't resist, "By the way kiddo, you might want to find the belt that goes with that robe."

Storming back into the bedroom, Kate began her rant, "God damn it, I've only been here a couple of weeks and I just had to white-lie your mother. This is all your doing. Just a little afternoon delight, my ass. We've been at this for almost two hours...Well, say something."

"You have a delightful ass."

"God, I'm going to kill you one of these days. Now, I have to pack what I'm going to wear in a suit bag, take another shower, hail a taxi, call ahead to have our snack delivered to the salon and Lord knows what else. This I'm not going to feel guilty about, give me some cash for the cab and your credit card for the salon to take care of me."

"Yes, dear."

Discarding her robe as she headed to the shower, Kate snapped at his reply, "Don't you dare 'yes dear' me. …...I've come to realize these past two years that the persona of Richard Castle the playboy was a contrivance of some marketing department dimwit, but let me tell you something Richard Alexander Rodgers, you are a dangerous man." Tears started to well in her eyes as she softly continued, …..."I love you so very much, …...and this afternoon you've made me feel like I'm the most desired and loved human being on the planet."

"Kate, you are, and I'm just starting my learning process with you. Just think how good we can be after thirty or forty years of mutual tutelage."

"Kill you? Lord, you might just kill me. …...Don't think I forgot what you said about allowing my mind to drift back to this afternoon while we're out this evening. You keep your hands to yourself, …...and your eyes. You got it?" She didn't wait for a reply as the bathroom door closed behind her.

Rick was sitting at the kitchen counter eating a bowl of vegetable soup when Kate came out of the bedroom carrying her clothing bag. The credit card had been placed on the counter. As she put the card into her purse, she wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed the top of his head, "No cash for the love of your life?"

"Yes, but no taxi for the love of my life. There's a car waiting for you outside."

"Rick, …...this afternoon was incredible. …...So far this whole day has been incredible. This was supposed to be all about you getting to go out for the first time in ages, and to allow Alexis to have a romantic experience. …...Thank you for being you. …...I'll see you soon. …...Be nice to Ashley. I love you."

"I love you, too. Have fun."

Knowing that his ladies were putting a great deal of effort into their appearance for the evening, Rick wanted to make sure that he at least tried to keep up. A black Armani pinstripe with a white shirt and a pale gray tie should at least keep him in somewhat the same league. The cold early winter weather called for his black cashmere top coat that he accented with a light blue silk scarf, not Doctor Who in length, but sufficiently chic.

After giving his driver the address for the Linden's brownstone, Rick eyed the bustle of a Saturday night in Manhattan through his window. It's a beautiful city, a fast city, a dangerous city, a loving city, a cruel city. All of those things and more. He had spent the better part of three months not experiencing its vibrancy. He had not been by her side 'on the job' for so long, he wondered if their seamless ability of deduction had become rusty. It was an important part of their history and their relationship, but what they had constructed during these past months was so much more vital to their true relationship. You'll never know what it's like to be in a relationship with someone until you are in it with them. You cannot look at another relationship and say 'that's what we would be like', because even if that relationship had you or me as a component, it's still not US. Finally, after two years were getting the opportunity to experience the real US.

Rick climbed the steps to the Linden's brownstone and rang the doorbell. Opening the door, Ashley, with his father close behind, greeted him, "Good evening Mr. Castle."

"Good evening, Ashley. Hi, Bob. It's nice to see you again."

"Hello, Richard. Good to see you, too. I understand that you all have quite an evening planned."

"Yes, it should be a lot of fun. We should be back between midnight and one o'clock. I trust that is alright?"

"Certainly."

"I'll make sure that the driver, his name is William, is certain that Ashley is safely inside the house before he leaves."

"Excellent. You all have a good time."

"Ready to go Ashley?"

"Yes sir."

Getting into the car, Rick attempts to smooth the edge of Ashley's nerves, "Ashley, you don't have to call me Mr. Castle, Rick is fine."

"I understand. You told me that before, but it just didn't seem right."

"How about calling me Richard. Is that a compromise that would make you feel casual and respectful at the same time?"

"Yeah, that sounds great, …...Richard. …...Hey, I like that. …...Thanks."

"No problem. Do you and your parents go to the theatre very often?"

"Occasionally. Dad doesn't care for it all that much, but Mom likes it. Sometimes, she and I will go to a matinee. …...Richard, thank you for inviting me to come along tonight. We both know that we are still just kids, but Alexis and I really like one another, and respect one another."

"Ashley, if I thought it was anything but that, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If I thought you had ulterior motives, you wouldn't even be in this car."

"You get right to the point, don't you?"

"When it concerns my family, you can be certain of it. I'm sure Alexis has told you, but just in case she hasn't, Kate is a part of our family now. She truly has been for a long time, but there is more of a permanence to it at this point."

"Alexis sometimes will try to compare our relationship to the one that you and Detective Beckett have to try to understand what love means and how people should or shouldn't act."

"Ashley, what love is, or what relationships are like are going to varying from individual to individual. If you and Alexis feel like you are experiencing young love right now that has to be exciting for you. Those feelings bring responsibilities, whether its of the first time variety, or late in life variety. Nothing comes without a price. I know that the two of you feel that your young love will be there for a lifetime as opposed to the first of a few, or of many, and perhaps it will. You would indeed be fortunate to have that happen. Both of you need to make sure that you love yourself and respect yourself so that if something happens that leads the two of you apart both of you are prepared to deal with it properly."

"Richard, did you and Detective Beckett have to pay a price for your love?"

"Ha, …...my dear boy both of us paid dearly for our present situation. Both of us have suffered in different ways throughout our lives, and throughout various relationships including our own. I spent my childhood creating illusions to occupy my time. I've spent my adult life writing mysteries in hopes of entertaining people while at the same time providing an avenue for me to learn more about the human condition. A lot of people think fiction authors just imagine every word in their books. They don't give much thought to the research that takes place in order to make it seem that's what happens. The love that I have for my mother and for Alexis is born out of the efforts we have made and the responsibility that we have accepted to make sure that it is steadfast. The love that Kate and I have is indeed a mystery. A mystery that we'll always be trying to solve. Kate is an exceptional detective, and there are times that I've perhaps assisted her in solving some of the crimes that she has had to deal with. Our minds seem to compliment one another, one fervently reality based, one more imaginative. Together, to steal a book/movie title, they form a beautiful mind. Kate and I might never be able to solve the mystery of our love, but we know that we will always be together in that pursuit."

"Geez, I've never talked with anybody about these kind of things, not even Alexis. Since Alexis and I haven't paid a price yet, does that mean we're not in love?"

"Ashley, the two of you are young. This feeling of young love tends to make you think you're not paying a price. If young love becomes true love, there is no question that circumstances will arise that will call upon both of you to pay a price. In the play this evening, Shylock and the suitors of Portia will be dealing with a number of life's turmoils, not having anything to do with being in a relationship. Shylock will be struggling to exact his 'pound of flesh', while a suitor of Portia will face the fate that 'all that glitters is not gold'. As I said, should the two of you stay together for a lifetime, you will indeed be fortunate. But whether you are or aren't, someday down the road someone or some entity is going to call in a marker, and some experience, no matter how grand it might seem, may not be as it appears."

"Man, you can talk."

"I apologize, Ashley. I've been isolated from the real world for a while. I got a little carried away. We're here now, so you've been saved. Believe me I wasn't trying to make you pay a price for this evening."

"Richard, in case I don't say it later, thank you again for this evening, and thank you for sharing these thoughts with me. I hope someday I'll love someone like you love Detective Beckett, and she'll love me back. Right now, I hope that's Alexis, but we'll have to work at it to see."

"Let's go join our ladies, shall we."

Martha, Alexis and Kate were standing at the entrance of the Broadhurst when they caught sight of the pair walking down the street. In spite of the cool temperature, it appeared more like a stroll than a walk, with Rick having his arm draped over Ashley's shoulder.

"Oh My God. What did he do?", Alexis sputtered.

A barely audible 'oh shit' escaped Kate's lips.

"Girls, girls, have a little more faith in my Richard." Martha whispered.

As the pair neared the entrance, Rick allowed Ashley to continue his way toward Alexis as he was stopped by some onlookers that had recognized him. Signing autographs and posing for cell phone pictures, he tried to make this interruption to their evening as brief as possible in order not to interfere with his family's personal time.

Approaching Alexis, Ashley greeted her, "Gosh Lex, you look amazing."

"Thanks, Ash. So do you." …...Trying to calm her anxiety, she added, "Did you and Dad get along alright?"

"Oh yeah. He was great. …...He really treated me like an adult. I wasn't expecting that, and...well...it was just really something. Let's go inside. I'll tell you all about it."

Finally able to leave the gathering crowd, Rick joined Martha and Kate, "Mother you look lovely as usual. I see you dipped into the safe for your jewelery this evening. Very becoming."

"Well it is Pacino, darling. One never knows whom you might get to meet."

As his eyes moved toward her, Kate took that moment to check out the granular structure of the entrance's walkway, "God, Kate, as always, you look absolutely stunning."

As she tried to avoid looking directly into his eyes, she quietly responded, "What did I tell you?" Unable to resist the need, the green eyes simply lost themselves in the blue ones, "Thank you." The coolness of the evening had now lost it's hold on at least these two individuals, but the heat of their passion would not be missed by the other party in their presence.

"Oh good Lord. Let's go inside before you two steal the velvet rope lines." With that declaration, Martha went to join Alexis and Ashley.

Shaking her head at the inference of Martha's words, Kate admonished him, "You never listen to me. …...You never do what I tell you to do. …...Now look. She knows what we were doing. …...Now I'm going to have to move out. …...Damn it."

Placing his hand on the small of her back to lead her into the theatre, Rick softly replied to her statement, "If that's what you want, that's fine. However, you'd better make sure that wherever you choose to go that it's big enough because there will be three other people moving with you."

"You're touching me."

"Every chance I get. God, you smell good too."

As the curtain descended and the house lights increased their glow, the audience moved toward the lobby area for the intermission. The family was directed to the VIP lounge and Rick secured beverages for Alexis and Ashley, and wine for himself, Kate and Martha. Noticing the somewhat distant look in Kate's eyes, he started to question her when Martha injected a question of her own, "Richard, did you arrange for us to visit backstage after the performance?"

"Mother, I did think about it, but I didn't get the opportunity to discuss it with Kate. My original thought was to merely provide the opportunity for the kids to enhance their appreciation for Shakespeare while experiencing the talents of a great actor. I wasn't sure whether they would have any real interest in meeting the man since he wouldn't generally be in anything that their generation found exciting."

As she started to leave to go speak with some fellow thespians that she had eyed across the room, she offered, "Well, you also escorted an older kid here this evening. See what you can do. I'll be back."

Turning to speak to her, Rick noticed that Kate was leaning back against the wall of the lounge with her eyes closed, "Kate, …...are you alright? …...Kate?"

"What?" she replied opening her eyes to look at him.

"Is that something you think I should do?"

"Is what something I think you should do?"

"You haven't been listening to us, have you?"

Shaking her head like she was trying to force oxygen to her brain, she took a rather large intake from the wine glass in her hand, …..."Something I think you should do is hope that Paula is as good at using your name to get things for you as you say she is, because you're going to have to get two more tickets to this play for a future night. …...I told you not to look at me tonight, and what do you do, you almost drill your eyes into mine before we even got inside the theatre. …...I told you not to touch me, but nooooooo, you almost put your hand on my ass when we did enter the theatre, and then you've been playing kneesies with me all the way up to the intermission. …...It's a good thing I've read this play on more than one occasion in case one of the kids asks me about something because sitting in there with one of the greatest actors of his generation probably giving a tour de force performance and all I can think about is your tongue on and in my body. …...So is that the something that I'm supposed to give you my opinion on?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I was asking you about. Wait here, I have to go make a request of someone. …...I love you, by the way."

"And I want a separate table at dinner tonight."

After five curtain calls, Rick led the family backstage to meet the play's star. Gracious as ever to the children, Pacino thanked them for coming and hoped that tonight's experience would see them returning to theatre performances on a regular basis. The 'older kid' also received encouragement to continue her career on the 'boards'. The man was anything but blind or lacking in intuition, and was captivated by the beauty and grace of a certain homicide detective.

They just made it under the wire to be able to eat in the private dining room at the Aureole. Kate's request for a separate table went unheeded. They dined on organic Scottish salmon, horseradish potato gnocchi, mustard greens, gala apples and red beets. For desert, a warm chocolate gingerbread with port poached figs and clotted cream.

As they exited the restaurant, their cars were waiting for them. Ashley said his thank yous and good nights to Martha and Kate, and extended his hand to Rick, "Thank you, Richard for making this night possible for us. I really appreciate everything that you allowed me to experience."

"You're quite welcome, Ashley. We will have to do this again. Say hello to your mother for us."

As they got in their separate cars, Rick leaned forward to give instructions, "Michael follow behind William at a discreet distance, okay?" From one seat over came, "Richard!". From beside him came a slap on the arm, as she said, "Michael, if you even think about following that car, I will cite you for driving under the influence of an idiot."

"Whatever you say, Detective." he replied as he smiled into the rear view mirror.

As they entered the loft, Martha drew Rick into an embrace, "Thank you, Richard for a lovely day and a marvelous evening." Mimicking her actions with Kate, "Darling, thank you for what you did for Alexis and Ashley. I'm sure they will be talking about it for days. I hope you are prepared for her when she comes home. My granddaughter has been waiting a long time for you, and so have I. Good night you two."

"We'll see you at breakfast, Mother."

"Make that brunch, kiddo", she called over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.

Interlocking her fingers with his, she led him toward their bedroom, "Come on lover, let's get some sleep. …...And before you say a word, you're not waiting by the front door. If she wants to say anything, she'll come to us."

"But...

"Yes, you have a nice butt, but there will be no 'buts'. Come on."

Twenty minutes had passed since they had gotten into bed, half of which was filled by a satiated soul basking in the warmth of the day, while the other half contained a sentry on full alert, whose mind was already moving toward the creation of a fifteenth imagery. Finally, the key in the lock, and the opening and closing of the door allowed the sentry to stand down. They heard the footsteps climb the stairs, and the satiated soul rested her head on her sentry's chest, "You okay now?" …..."Better."

As they held one another, they could hear the soft patting of feet coming down the stairs, followed by a light tapping at the bedroom door, "Dad, Kate, can I come in?"

"Sure, pumpkin. Are you alright?"

Entering the room, Alexis climbed from the foot of the bed to a spot between its two occupants. Putting her arms around his neck, she began, "Thank you, Dad, for this entire day, for how you made Ashley feel, and for how you make me feel every day. You're just the bestest, and I love you so much."

"I love you, too, sweetie. I'm glad you had a good time."

As he turned his head to look toward Kate, he could see the glistening that had already started to form in her eyes, "Hey,...um...I'm going to go into the kitchen to get a drink of water. I'll be right back."

As Rick left the bed, Alexis wrapped her arms around Kate, placing her head on her chest. Kate in turn circled her body with her arms. It was only minutes, but it seemed like hours as the embrace grew tighter with every passing second. "Lexie, I love you. …...Hopefully, this will be just the first of many things we'll get to share with one another. …...I love your father in such a special way, but I love you and your grandmother as well. …...I'm not your mother, but no one will ever take you or your father away from me. We missed a lot of years together, …...but we're not going to miss any more. We're going to build our own memories. …...Things aren't always going to be like tonight. …...We're going to disagree and get mad at one another, and we're going to have to deal with all of the things that life throws at us. …...But, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not about to let you go anywhere. You're stuck with me."

"I don't want it any other way, Kate. The things that Dad talked to Ashley about tonight were just unbelievable. He could have kidded him about young love or puppy love, but he didn't. He just challenged him to see the world as it is and to see our relationship as it is, realizing that there is nothing out there that doesn't come to you without putting in the work for it. …...Dad shared how much he loves Gram and me, and Ashley was just blown away by his ability to say how much he loves you. …...We've waited so long for you to come back. I know I'm not very big, but you'll have to fight me to ever leave us. …...Outside of carrying me in your body and giving birth to me, you have been more of a mother to me in these last months than I have ever experienced in my lifetime. …...I'll call you Kate, …...but I might slip sometimes. To my friends you will be referred to as my mom. If you can't deal with that, we might turn the end of a beautiful day into our first fight."

"I'm not trying to take anyone's place, Lex, but I'm going to be here for you, and you know your father will always be here. I'm not Meredith, and I'm not Gina. Our experiences will shape our relationship."

"Thanks for today, Kate. It couldn't have been any more special. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart. Go have fanciful dreams. Sleep in because we're having brunch tomorrow."

As Alexis left the room, Kate went in search of Rick. She found him at the counter in the kitchen sipping a bottle of water. "How's your jaw feel after today?"

"It's a little sore, but the pleasure of learning is well worth it. Alexis alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. You certainly must have mesmerized Ashley."

"I have no idea how I got to talking about those kinds of things. On the way over to his house, I just started rolling us over in my mind, and it must just have flowed from there. I didn't scare him did I?"

"No, he'll survive. He may get disappointed by other adults that don't treat him in the same manner, but I'm sure he'll be just fine. …...Rick, I pretty much committed myself to Alexis in there. I guess this is another instance when I didn't consult you first."

"You have any thoughts about committing yourself to her father."

A/N:

Based on the fewer commentaries, I think I may have overstepped with the last chapter, so I apologize if I did. Hence, I thought that I might just leave this here. That is why this chapter is so long. I can use it as an ending, and/or move on to other projected experiences: the relationship; their work together; a contemplated new book, GLOBAL HEAT (as Interpol and international travel become a necessity for the writer and the detective); and the various life struggles that we all face.

This section of their story is somewhat different than what the series has been able to demonstrate so far, but I think it is important to recognize that the Castle character is the best depiction of a television 'father figure' in decades. I also feel that the Beckett character has the capacity to blow people away with her maternal instincts. There is too much tripe out there. Now that these two characters have been forced to face their demons, I feel that the viewing audience should be allowed to relish in their love and compassion. The Castle character did a helluva job getting Alexis to where she is today. The Castle couple will do an even better job of getting her to independence. There is also the factor that the sexual tension does not end after courtship, it only increases because the understanding and desire increases, and the opportunity to act on it increases; the professional partnership may take on a different appearance, but it to will be enhanced by their new 'closeness'; and the responsibility of parenthood just makes the whole relationship fully grounded. This series has the opportunity to reveal all of these facets, I hope that it's not squandered.

Thank you for your thoughts.