Author's notes: Just a quick missing scene from The Final Nail. I would love to hear Castle actual response to this question. I am just surprised that no one asked him.

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing the characters for a little fun. They are owned by the wonderful ones at ABC etc. etc.

The Varrick club

"What's in a playroom?" Ryan asked.

"Not much more than a bed," Rick said. Three sets of eyes looked up at him. "Yes, I'm a member."

"So, why would Damian rent a bed when he had a nice big townhouse?" Ryan asked.

"There's got to be a-a reasonable explanation," Rick insisted.

"Well, let's go see if we can find it," Kate said as they walked out of the precinct.

They climbed into her car and were headed to the club when Rick finally spoke again.

"Are you going to say anything?"

"About what?"

"My membership at the Varrick club."

"What about it?" she asked wondering if he was going to come right out and say it.

"You seriously aren't going to ask about why I have a membership there?"

"It's really none of my business," she said trying to sound unconcerned but still wanting to hear his answer.

"I joined after Meredith left me," he explained after a moment. He knew that even though she didn't act like it, she wanted to know. He also felt that she needed to know. He had seen a look of almost hurt flash through her eyes after he mentioned his membership. "I had Alexis at home and I couldn't have women coming to the loft. And sometimes, even if Alexis wasn't home, I made use of the room."

"Why?"

"I know this doesn't say much for me but sometimes the women I was dating were just interested in my money or my connections. I knew that and I didn't really care but I didn't necessarily want them in my home," he said refusing to look at her.

"But having sex with them was fine?" she said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm a guy," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "There have not been very many women at my loft anyway but there have only been three women in my loft overnight by my invitation when Alexis has been there. I'm not counting Mother since she sort of invited herself," he joked.

"Only three?" she asked unable to hold back her surprise.

"Yes. I was married to the first two. And Gina didn't even stay over until we were married. Neither stayed over before the marriage or after the divorce if Alexis was there."

"Who was the third? Ellie Monroe?"

"No, Alexis was on a school trip that weekend," he said somewhat embarrassed about that whole situation. "The third woman was you," he said as she pulled the car to a stop in front of the club.

"Me?" she exclaimed. "But we never..."

"I know. I never wanted to parade a bunch of women in front of Alexis and I think I have done well with that. I love my daughter and I would give up a lot for her but I wasn't able to give up sex until she went to college. It's bad enough that she has to hear about it in the papers and such," he shuddered a bit thinking about just how much his daughter had to hear in the papers.

"You were married for several years though," Kate said.

"Yes, and as I mentioned before, that was a pretty sexless marriage."

"So you kept your membership up while you were married to Gina?" she asked shocked that he had cheated and was admitting it.

"Yes but the only person I went there with when we were married was Gina. She preferred it to the possibility of Alexis walking in on us. Again," he smiled wryly. "I may not have the best reputation but I tried to do the best for my daughter. That's why I joined the Varrick club. If I wanted to have any alone time with the woman I was dating, I had to go somewhere else."

"You're a good father," she said as she popped her seat belt and opened the door.

"I will tell you one more thing, Kate," he said gently holding her arm preventing her from getting out of the car. "I am not a cheater. I've been cheated on twice but I've never cheated myself and I don't ever plan on starting. When I do marry again, I will happily give up my membership."

"Even if Alexis is around?" Kate asked with a small smile, even though she was shocked both by his admission of never having cheated and that he wanted to marry again.

"She's mature enough now to knock first," he joked but then looked into her eyes seriously. "Besides, when I get married again it will be for the right reasons not because it felt like the thing to do at the time. It will be forever."

"Forever?" she asked, still surprised that he sounded so sure that he would marry again.

"Forever and always."

FIN