UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, or the Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice. I do have a library card, though. Rating: K Time: Before Castle's The Late Shaft.

Author's note: I have written other crossover stories featuring Simone Renoir, the vampire, and the Castle universe. This is not one of those. Simone has never met any of the Castle characters before this.

Epilog

Simone Renoir checked the weather on the TV for the hundredth time, then ran to her back yard to make sure there was no hurricane or tornado coming up Long Island Sound. A cooling breeze blew off the Sound, so Simone was certain that her very important lunch guest wouldn't be uncomfortable. That led her to review the lunch she had made and made her worry that she should have made something else, or something more.

She was about to check her hair, clothes and makeup for the hundredth time when she heard a car approaching. She ran to a front window and peeked out. Yes! It was the car service that Rick Castle used and she could see her guest in the back seat.

As soon as Kate Beckett stepped out of the car, Simone threw open her door. As soon as Kate got to the door, Simone threw her arms around her. "Kate, it is so good to see you again."

Kate laughed and hugged her friend back. "Simone, you act like we haven't seen each other in months. We had lunch in the city just a week ago."

"True, but I have had so few friends in my long life, each one is precious. But, let me show you my new place." Simone led Kate through her new place in the Hamptons, showing her what she'd already bought and what she planned to buy.

"My little cottage here in the Hamptons is nothing like what your Rick has, but I am very happy here. For the summer, anyway."

"Simone, he's not my Rick. And your "little cottage" is at least six times the size of my place back in Manhattan."

"But you are here with Rick for the Memorial Day weekend, non?"

"I am, but we're in separate bedrooms. I came up so we could see if we can be more than just partners solving murders." Kate giggled. "Actually, I'll be here for six days. You should have seen Captain Montgomery's face when I asked for three days off. He usually has to order me to take time off."

"Do you think he knows? About you and Rick?"

"I'm afraid everyone is a bit suspicious, but no one has said anything. Although Lanie kept smiling at me all last week."

"But, no romance with Rick?" Simone said sadly.

Kate lowered her voice. "I did give him a quick kiss last night before we went to bed. Separately." She quickly added.

Simone sighed dramatically.

"By the way, I have some news on your case. Henri Hebert won't be going to a nice psychiatric hospital. He's headed for serious prison time."

"Do I detect the hand of a certain brilliant homicide detective in that?"

Kate laughed. "No. It's the hand of a not very smart killer. Hebert is so determined that people don't think he's some crazy ranting about non-existent vampires, that he refused to talk to both the court appointed psychiatrist and the one his family hired. With no psych diagnosis, he has to be considered sane."

"Excellent. But, shall we have lunch?"

Simone led Kate to the back porch, where the lunch had been set out. "To start, I have some home made French onion soup, then some potato salad, several different types of sandwiches, and for dessert, I have scones with butter, apple butter, orange marmalade, grape jam, strawberry jam and chocolate sauce." She leaned in towards Kate. "I will tell you a secret. I love scones with apple butter and chocolate. Please, sit and enjoy."

Kate found all of the food to be delicious and said so. "I agree with you. The scones are delicious with chocolate."

"I learned about scones from Charles Stuart, in Paris."

"Charles Stuart? Who is he?"

"Prince Charles Edward Stuart. He would have been the King of England but the English kicked his grandfather out over some silly religious matter. And then they got Germans for Kings. Serves them right."

"When was this?"

"1745, just before he sailed for Scotland to try to take his throne back. He was defeated and he was never the same. Poor fellow. But a few years later I met Benjamin Franklin in Paris. He was such a naughty boy. He loved to cover our bodies with oil and roll around on the floor."

Kate shook her head. "It's hard to think of the Founding Fathers like that."

"I suppose, but then there was the French Revolution and the Terror. Robespierre thought he could make the perfect republic if he could just cut off enough heads. That's when I decided to leave France."

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you get across the Atlantic without getting any sunlight?"

"In a coffin, of course."

"Of course."

"I came to the US a second time in a coffin. I had gone back to Paris in 1940 and was there when the Germans conquered France. I resisted. I spent over four years living in the Paris sewers." Simone laughed. "You have no idea how many baths I had to take once I reached America." Then she became somber. "I killed many men, Gestapo, SS, and the French collaborators, the Milice. I don't feel bad about it, but I took no joy in it. It was just something that needed to be done." She laughed again. "You should have seen me try to buy a US army coffin on the black market. Everyone though Simone had gone mad. But I came home to America."

Kate took Simone's hand. "You're a good person, Simone. Now you can enjoy your new life and never have to worry about danger or helping the NYPD."

Both Kate and Simone would have reason to remember that particularly inaccurate prediction.

The End

Author's note: No, I have no idea what will happen to Kate and Simone next, but they are too much fun to leave with just this story.

I'm still working on the sequel to Deadly Planet, called Deadly Planets, and the sequel to To the East, called, To the West. I also have an idea for a Caskett military sci fi story and a just plain military Caskett story, and an idea for another story about Special Forces Major Rodgers and his archeologist wife and….Well, I'll be writing for a while.

Now, go wash your hands. Again.