Yugo
BNR848Disclaimer: The publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plots are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
**In light of recent developments with Stana Katic and Tamala Jones being written out and the uncertainty of Castle, I offer this little short as a tribute to a love story that will never end.
CHAPTER 1
"Marlowe Prep NOW!" This was not good. One look at the angry text from his wife and Richard Castle knew there was trouble. "Listen Gina, just send the art work when it's finished and I'll approve the changes," he hastily added as he stood to leave. His long time publisher and ex-wife tossed her pen on the desk in exasperated surrender as she watched him exit her office.
"It'll be fun," he'd said, "A sweet, little baby," he'd assured her. In no time at all she was pregnant. Twelve weeks into her pregnancy, during the first ultrasound they were shocked to discover they were expecting twins. Nothing was ever simple with Castle.
As her driver headed towards Marlowe Prep, Kate reminisced about the last seventeen years. Five weeks short of her due date, on a miserable, hot and humid July night the twins had made their presence known. Small but otherwise healthy, they spent the first two days of their lives as Baby Boy Castle One and Baby Boy Castle Two. Kate and Castle had still been debating names when the twins had made their unannounced appearance. Finally, named after their grandfather's, a week later Jackson Alexander and James Beckett Castle left the hospital. From that day forward, peace and tranquility were a thing of the past.
Sixteen and already over six feet tall, Jack and James had their father's sense of humor, their sister's smarts and their mother's tenacity. Thin, athletic and with killer looks, they were both crazy smart and wickedly dangerous. The oldest of the two by thirteen minutes, Jackson Castle was the leader of the pack. They had given their father's history of school expulsions a run for his money; something that did not please their mother. After practically blowing-up the science lab at Faircroft Academy, and following in their father's footsteps by being expelled, they had started high school at Marlowe Prep. Now, two weeks short of graduation, both Kate and Castle were being summoned to the Principals Office.
Younger than most of their classmates, the Castle twins had garnered quite a reputation. Pranks aside, both boys excelled academically. However, there was not a prank they hadn't pulled, a dare they'd shied away from, or a challenge left unpursued. Their book smarts, had on more than one occasion saved them from the ultimate penalty of expulsion at Marlowe Prep. Sweet natured and kindhearted, their mischief was at times overlooked. To date Jackson had been accepted to Stanford, Columbia, Harvard and Cornell. James, the more serious of the two had been accepted to M.I.T., Harvard, Columbia and Princeton.
They had always had an impish spark. No doubt inherited from their father. Having fanned the spark into a raging fire, Jackson and James had honed that Castle trait into a fine art. A babysitter had once described them as "Spawns of Satan" when at the age of nine, they had reenacted the head spinning scene from the Exorcist. Castle and Kate had been summoned home from an anniversary dinner by a screaming babysitter after the little show. Henceforth, only family was brave enough to care for them. The boys idolized their sister, and feared Lanie, Ryan and Esposito too much to try anything while in their care. The grandparents were off limits, so at home practical jokes were kept to a minimum after that.
She'd been the Chief of Detectives for five years. The first female promoted to that position. Kate had been both surprised and honored when she had been approached for the job. Although demanding and political, she still managed to look after her guys, in this case the whole NYPD detective bureau. Most nights she was home for dinner, and although luckily not an issue, her pay rate had jumped to six figures. She and Castle were as in love as ever, and life was good. Now, if she could only survive long enough to get Jack and James off to college.
Castle pulled up just as she exited her car. She instructed her driver not to wait, she would see him tomorrow at the office. As they approached the main entrance, they were greeted by the Vice Principle. Kate and Castle looked at each other; this was serious.
Entering the main office, they walked towards Dr. Peterson's office and caught sight of Jackson and James. Kate let out a slight breath, relieved the boys were alright. Castle leaned towards Kate and whispered, "Well, at least we haven't seen any emergency vehicles." Kate was not happy, and her stern glare made it perfectly clear to Castle she was not amused. Jackson stood and made an attempt to talk to his mother, but was greeted by a fuming Kate and a steely look. "Don't even try," was all she managed through clenched teeth. Jackson plopped back down, directing his gaze to the floor.
"Mr. and Mrs. Castle, please come in." Dr. Henry Peterson had been Principle at Marlowe Prep for ten years. Stern, but fair, Dr. Peterson did not appear pleased. "Mr. Castle, Mrs. Castle, allow me to start by simply saying, words fail me. I can truly say that in my twenty-seven years as an educator, it is the first time I have been rendered speechless. Jackson and James have quite frankly outdone themselves." Dr. Peterson pulled out the chair from behind his desk and sat. "I'm sorry, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'm confused," a puzzled Castle inquired. "Oh, trust me Mr. Castle, it is not a good thing. It is however, an amazing thing." Peterson was making no sense. Even Kate was baffled. Kate cleared her throat and asked, "Dr. Peterson, I take it Jackson and James are in trouble, is anyone hurt?" "Oh, they're in trouble alright, and no, no one was hurt. As a matter of fact, nothing has even been damaged," a perplexed Peterson added. "Dr. Peterson, I'm sorry but you have us at a loss, what did the boys do?" asked Castle. Peterson stood, and walked towards the door, "I think it's best if you follow me."
It was Monday, she had been called at ten in the morning, what could the twins have done in less than two hours? Seriously, she knew her boys were a handful but… They walked past Jackson and James, out the main office, into the hallway. Soon they were headed towards the library and the science building. Good God, Castle thought to himself, "I hope they haven't blown-up another science lab." Replacing the lab at Faircroft had cost him a small fortune. They continued down the corridor and soon found themselves entering the teacher's lounge. "No way!" Castle quickly placed his hand over his mouth, but he had already uttered the words out loud. No wonder Peterson had been rendered speechless. Kate stood frozen in her tracks. There inside the teacher's lounge was a fully intact, 1987 Yugo 45A. "We don't know how we're going to get this out of here," Dr. Peterson added, shaking his head. "Better yet, where the hell did they manage to find a Yugo?" inquired a laughing Castle.
CHAPTER 2
While Castle and Dr. Peterson, stood contemplating the feat before them, Kate turned and headed back to the office. The clanking of her heels echoing through the halls signaled her determination.
"How much trouble you think we're in?" a solemn James asked his brother. "Well, that depends. I think mom's really mad," replied Jackson. Just then, they could hear the unmistakable sound of their mother's heels.
Castle turned and hurried to catch up to his wife. Dr. Peterson was not far behind. Having dealt with the Castle's before he knew Mrs. Castle was the disciplinarian, and she did not seemed pleased.
The Castle boys had kept him on his toes the last four years. They were pranksters, but their pranks were never at the cost of any of their classmates, and though disruptive they were never destructive. Most of their pranks were elaborate and worthy of admiration, something he would never admit. Although he knew many of them involved more than just Jackson and James, the boys never implicated anyone else. Dr. Peterson always suspected Jeffrey Morgan, Bryan Garcia and Sydney Wetherton completed the Castle crew, but he could never prove it. Jackson and James were always steadfast in accepting sole responsibility for all their misdeeds.
Katherine Castle was less than amused at the moment. This was all Castles fault. For years he had filled the boy's heads with stories of his school days misadventures and transgressions. She had continuously warned him that the twins had taken it as a challenge. His senior year, Castle had placed a cow on the roof of his high school; now the boy's had placed a fully assembled car in the teacher's lounge. Her only relief was knowing they probably had a difficult time securing livestock and had settled for the car. None-the-less, she was not happy, and she knew it had taken more than Jackson and James to pull this off.
The twins stood when they saw their mother headed their way. They were well aware that there would be hell to pay. They had however, timed their final pièce de résistanceaccordingly. Unlike their father, they had waited till after final exams and prom. They had both agreed a suspension or expulsion prior to graduation was something they could live with.
Pointing an accusatory finger at the boys she was interrupted by Dr. Peterson before she was able to say a word. "Let's all step into my office," he suggested. Kate, Castle, Jackson and James followed. They all took a seat while Mr. Peterson worked his way to his desk. "Mr. and Mrs. Castle, we are no strangers to Jackson and James pranks, but this, this rivals anything I've ever seen. Jackson looked up, sat up and smiled, coming close to high fiving his brother who stared wide-eyed at him, shaking his head in silent warning. Kate turned to them, with pursed lips, while Castle contained a proud, full smirk. "Mr. and Mrs. Castle, I think Jackson and James are well aware this last prank of theirs will merit severe consequences. However, our primary concern is how they gained entry to the property? Mrs. Castle, as a police officer, you must know how disconcerting this is. Marlowe Prep values the safety and security of it students and staff above all else, and we need the boys to tell us how they were able to do this. We could press criminal charges, but we don't wish to do that." Dr. Peterson was not kidding. Kate was well aware that though there was no criminal intent, by unlawfully entering the building the boys had technically committed a burglary.
Once Kate stood, Castle knew she meant business. "Dr. Peterson, we appreciate the fact that this matter has been handle internally. I assure you, Jackson and James will explain in detail how they accomplished this deed. They will also comply with any punishment imposed by the school, not to mention what they have facing at home." Jackson and James sunk deep into their seats.
James knew there was no possible way for them to provide all the details of their plans without implicating their friends. Jeffery and Bryan he had no problem with, but there was no way he was handing up Sydney. The group had known this was a possibility, and they were ready to face the music. Jeffrey and Bryan were peas to Jackson and James pod, and most pranks had always been committed by them all. But Jeffery and Bryan had for the most part escaped serious consequences. Sydney had helped on this one, but otherwise was only complicit in knowing of the pranks, but never in executing them. Aside from his mother and sister, Sydney Wetherton was the prettiest girl James Beckett Castle had ever seen, and he would never get her in trouble.
Castle stood to join in alliance with his wife, looked at the twins and spoke. "Okay boy's, start taking and leave nothing out." James in a moment of bravado stood, looked at his father with pleading eyes and said, "Dad, Jack and I did this…" before he could complete his thought his mother took one step towards him and added, "Neither you nor your brother have any room to bargain here. There is no way the two of you alone managed this, so listen very carefully because I am only going to say this once. Both you and Jackson will, in detail, answer all of Dr. Peterson questions. You two went too far this time. Breaking into the school, that is completely unacceptable and I am ashamed of you both." James sat back down, unable to look at his mother.
Jackson could read his brother better than anyone, a perk of being a twin. James liked Sydney, and though he would occasionally tease him about it he would do anything to protect his little brother's well known secret. Giving up Sydney's name was not an option. Jackson took a deep breath and started the confession. "We wanted an epic sendoff. Something that would be talked about for years to come. James was telling me about the M.I.T. pranks and how they once placed a functioning police car on the dome of the university. Marlowe Prep doesn't have a dome, and putting the car on the roof was out. We wanted to put it in your office Dr. Peterson but it's too small, so our second option was the lounge." Dr. Peterson, cleared his throat and asked, "We?" Jackson looked at his parents, who sat arms crossed, scowling at both he and his brother. "Every name Jackson!" demanded his father. "Jeffrey and Bryan, but they only helped, it was all my idea," responded Jackson. James looked at his brother, relief masking his face.
Grateful for Jackson's discretion, James continued with the confession. "It was both our doing, we did this together. Once we got the idea we got a copy of the building plans from the City planning department. Once we knew the dimensions of the rooms we needed a car. We found this junkyard in Jersey on-line and when we saw the Yugo we just couldn't let it go. We didn't even know what a Yugo was, but the ad said it was a working car and it was only three hundred bucks." Kate looked at her son and added "A Yugo wasn't worth three hundred dollars brand new. Don't tell me you and your brother squandered away all that money on that piece of junk?" "How did you get the car here? Please tell me you did not drive that death trap from Jersey to Manhattan," added Kate. Jackson shook his head and continued. "Remember that weekend a few months back, we stayed at Bryans? Well, we told Mrs. Garcia we were going to Battery Park, but we took Uber to Newark. The junkyard is just over the bridge. The car was really rusty and wouldn't start, so we talked the guy down to a hundred and fifty bucks! We used the AAA grandpa Jim got us when we got our driver's license to tow it back to the City."
This was where the story got dangerous. Both boys remained silent, each looking at each other, hoping they had disclosed enough, but knowing better. "Alright gentlemen, continue," prompted Dr. Peterson. Jackson took a deep breath and forged on. "We needed to work on the car, and we couldn't park it in the garage without you guys seeing it. Jeffrey's house was out of the question and Bryan lives in an apartment with no garage, so we had it towed to a place on west thirty-eighth and twelfth-avenue." As Jackson uttered the address his voice grew faint. "Where did you say?" an angry Kate inquired. "Pier seventy-six at west thirty-eighth and twelfth," mumbled Jackson, now staring at the floor. Flabbergasted, Kate added "That's the NYPD's Manhattan impound lot! How in the world did you two pull that off?" "We told uncle Javi we were working on something for school and needed a dirty work area and some help with a car and he said the guys at the impound could help. We didn't exactly lie; it was something for school," Exasperated, Kate threw her arms up in the air, sat and added, "Castle, so help me, they are grounded for life! And wait until Esposito hears you two lied to him."
James and Jackson had always regretted stretching the truth with their uncle Javi, but they did not want to get him in trouble. As effortless as a relay race, Jackson sat and James continued with the mea culpa. "Once we started working on the car it didn't take us long to get it going. Even the guys at the impound lot were impressed, they told us we'd bought a heap of junk that would never run. But, I located the manual on the internet and between Jackson, Jeffrey and I, we managed to get it running. It took us six weeks, but we did it. Bryan's dad has a friend that owns a body shop and he painted the car for us for free." That explained the atrocious orange color. By now the three adults were weary and exhausted. "How did you get in the school? And how did you get that car in here?" a tired Dr. Peterson demanded. "We knew the teachers lounged was fourteen feet long by eighteen feet wide and the Yugo is only eleven and half feet long by five feet wide, so we knew the car would easily fit in the lounge. Once it was painted we disassembled it. It was surprisingly easy. We marked every part as we disassembled it, wrapped it up and drove it here. Mr. Murkowski from the body shop helped us out," added James. "Let me guess, you told him it was a school project?" added their beleaguered father. James nodded his head and let his brother continue.
"You know the old equipment shed by the lacrosse field? We stored the parts there. We knew the second floor window to the girl's bathroom in the main building is busted, so we climbed in through there. Everyone knows aside from the library and media room, the only alarms are at the front door and the office area, so we made sure to stay away from there. Once inside we opened the rear cafeteria doors and brought in the parts. We thought it would take us the entire weekend, but the engine was way too heavy so we left it out. We put it together in a few hours, it was pretty easy, kind of like a Lego's project. If you open the hood, you'll see we tagged it with our names, a tribute of sorts. We never meant for anyone else to get in trouble." Just as James was finishing, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," responded Dr. Peterson. There stood a complicit Jeffrey Morgan and Bryan Garcia. Jackson looked at his friends and mouthed, "Sorry guys." Both boys shrugged their shoulders and faced Dr. Peterson. "Have a seat," ordered Dr. Peterson.
"You and your cohorts will remove that vehicle from the teacher's lounge today. You will clean the room and place everything back in its proper place. A letter of reprimand will be placed in each of your disciplinary files, and you will all report to the grounds crew for the next month. You are suspended from the campus for the remainder of this week, but will return next week and work with the janitorial staff. You are prohibit from participating in any school sanctioned senior activity and you will not attend the senior banquet. I have a good mind to suspend you from taking part in graduation, but that would be unfair to your parents. If you fail to comply with any of these restrictions, or if I receive any complaints, I will personally contact your intended university and withdraw my recommendation. In addition, your diplomas will not be tendered to you until you have completed your punishment. Now, all four of you, leave my office and wait outside." The boys quietly stood and headed out of Dr. Peterson's office.
As soon as the door was closed and he was sure the boys were down the hall, Dr. Peterson looked at Castle and added, "How the hell did they manage to assemble that car in a few hours? My wife bought a bookshelf at Ikea two weeks ago and I'm still trying to put that thing together." Castle laughed and replied, "Maybe you should have included building your bookshelf into the punishment." Kate was not happy, she did not find any of this funny. The boys had lied to a multitude of people, and broken into the school. "Dr. Peterson, you and my husband may find this rather amusing, but I do not." Dr. Peterson looked at Kate and explained, "Mrs. Castle, I assure you, I know how serious this is. However, I must admit, your sons prank was amazing. These are four teenagers who disassembled a vehicle, and reassembled it in perfect order. Not to mention, they got the engine to a Yugo running. Which reminds me, if they left that engine in the lacrosse shed, you will have to get it out of there. The boys need not know this, but what they accomplished is worthy of admiration. Additionally, we were unaware how vulnerable we were to burglars. I will have to recommend to the board we place alarms throughout the entire campus. Not to mention get the window in the girl's bathroom fixed immediately. " It was approaching one o'clock and everyone's stomachs were growling. Castle thanked Dr. Peterson and promised to make a sizeable contribution towards an alarm and surveillance system. As they stood to leave, Dr. Peterson advised them the conference room across the hall was available if they wanted to talk to the boys before they left.
Castle walked towards his sons and point them in the direction of the empty conference room. Once inside Kate closed the door and just stared at the twins. "I cannot even begin to fathom the level of idiocy the two of you reached in coming up with this cockamamie scheme. Lying, breaking into the school, getting your friends in trouble. You're lucky Dr. Peterson didn't have you arrested. I am so disappointed in you both. And don't think I don't know someone else was involved." Their mother was psychic, she always knew when they were lying or being less-than truthful. She looked at James and added, "I know Sydney was part of this little capper." Both boys gapped at their mother, opened mouthed. "Mom, all she did was tell us about the girl's bathroom window," a contrite James added. Kate looked straight into James' eyes and demanded, "All of it James Beckett Castle, and don't you lie to me!" "Well, she watched out for us while we moved the parts from the shed to the school, but I swear that's all. Mom, please she can't get in trouble." "James, I expect you to talk to Sydney and have her report to Dr. Peterson her involvement. I find out you have lied, omitted or so much as shaded the truth as told here today, I promise you Dr. Peterson will be the least of your worries." Neither twin could look at their mother, they knew she never made a promise she would not keep. Castle place his hand on Kate's shoulder and faced his sons, "How long did it take you to put that thing together?" he asked. "Five and a half hours, but that includes moving all the parts," a somber Jackson responded. "Is the engine still in the lacrosse shed?" "Yes sir," replied James. "I will arrange for someone to pick up the engine and all the parts, but the cost will come out of your pockets. Understood?" Jackson and James both nodded. School let out at three thirty, and with any luck they would be done by seven o'clock. Castle knew he would need to have a man-to-man with his boys.
As she and Castle were exiting the main office, a guilt ridden Sydney Wetherton was walking in. Kate had always liked that girl, she had character. Sydney Wetherton asked to see Dr. Peterson, took a seat and waited. A miserable looking James sat across from her. They sat in silence, and watched Sydney walk in to see Dr. Peterson.
Her punishment was far less than that of the boys. Dr. Peterson had taken into consideration the fact she never entered the school nor participated in the planning of the prank. In addition, she had turned herself in. She'd been barred from the senior banquet, suspended for the rest of the week and given cafeteria duty the last week of school. Once she exited Dr. Peterson's office she took her seat next to the boys. James leaned over and whispered, "I'm sorry." He could not bring himself to look at her, it was all his fault. The Castle boys had known Sydney since second grade. Sydney had moved and transferred from Faircroft Academy to Marlowe Prep in fifth grade, but they had stayed friends, seeing each other at birthday parties and occasional play dates. As far as James was concern, getting expelled from Faircroft had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. Once at Marlowe Prep, the Castle boys and Sydney had once again become inseparable. Sydney discreetly reached next to her and took James hand. At that moment, James Beckett Castle would willingly face a firing squad.
CHAPTER 3
"A Yugo Castle! This is all your doing." Kate was livid. "How could this be my fault? Do you seriously believe I would allow them to do this? Although…" cut off midsentence Castle could not help but snicker. "Don't even go there. There is nothing about this entire escapade that merits admiration. Do not give them validation on this Castle, I swear they need to be severely punished," Katherine Beckett Castle had been out numbered three to one since the day the boys were born. "Give me the keys, I'm driving," she demanded. Richard Castle knew how to pick his battles, so he reached in his pocket and handed over the keys. As he buckled himself in Castle could not help but think to himself something his wife could never know, "A Yugo! That had been brilliant!" He cleared his throat and somberly gazed forward.
The drive home was stop and go traffic, just adding to Kate's infuriation. Once inside the loft she kicked off her shoes, got into some comfortable cloth, and poured herself a glass of wine. As she sat back to relax Castle joined her with two sandwiches. "Castle, I worry about them. In a few months they'll be in college, on their own," she sighed. "Kate, the boys are smart. They'll outgrow it. I did," he added. Kate rolled her eyes exasperated at her husband. "Okay, I've mostly outgrown it. But you're right, we need to lay down the law," added Castle, as he bent down and kissed her.
After their improvised lunch, Castle walked to his den and made arrangements for the Yugo pickup. The mechanic kept repeating, "A Yugo? Are you sure bout that Mr. Castle? A drivable Yugo?" Castle provided a short explanation and completed the arrangements. Manuel assured him he would personally drive the tow truck to pick up the car; he'd never seen a Yugo before, even in pieces. He then called Uncle Bob's Storage and secured a spot for the Yugo. Kate and the boys never needed to know he intended to keep the car, after all it was a classic. At four-thirty he grabbed his keys and head back to Marlowe Prep. He stopped for pizza, and called Manuel.
A little after five Castle arrived at Marlowe Prep, pizzas in hand. As he entered the main building he saw Jason Morgan, and Jennifer Garcia. "Guys, allow me to apologize for this whole mess. We all know Jackson and James were the leaders of this unruly disaster. I am so sorry, and Kate… well Kate wants to murder them," an apologetic Castle uttered. "Listen Rick, we've known each other long enough to know our kids are not entirely blameless. Jackson and James may have planned this little escapade, but Jeffrey and Bryan have always been willing accomplices," added Jennifer Garcia. "I offered to drive them all home, you guys did not have to come down," Castle reiterated. "Are you serious? Miss this? When Peterson called me I thought they had tied up some kid named Hugo!" explained Jason Morgan with a laugh. "I know. A Yugo, who would have imagined any reminisce of that car even existed," an excited Castle added. As they walked towards the teacher's lounge they saw Harold Wetherton sitting on a chair watching Jackson, James, Bryan, Jeffrey and Sydney diligently working together. Harold Wetherton did not look happy. "Hey Harold, I brought some pizza, figured the kids could use a break," said Castle. "What is Sydney doing?" inquired Castle, when he spotted the young girl wearing coveralls. "Her mother instructed me to bring her coveralls and have her help with the hard work. After all, she starts Columbia in the fall as an engineering major, a little dirt and sweat will do her good," explained an unamused Wetherton. "Rick, please tell me the twins are going out of state. I don't think we can survive four more years of this unholy alliance," begged Wetherton. "Sorry Harold, the boys chose Columbia too," grinned Castle. A deflated Harold Wetherton simply plopped his head back and muttered an obscenity.
They were tackling the fenders when their father had then stop to eat. The silence was deafening, as Jackson, James, Jeffrey, Bryan and Sydney, carefully watched their parents eye them back. "Tell me something Jackson," interjected Harold Wetherton. "Being the pied piper of this marry band of fools, how did you get them to agree to this? Two weeks before graduation? Suppose one of you had gotten hurt?" Harold Wetherton did not expect a response. "Sir, I'm sorry, it wasn't Jackson, this was all my idea, and Sydney had nothing to do with disassembling or assembling the car, she just…" a contrite James added. "Dad, I helped and did so willingly. Once Jack and James found that car, I thought it was brilliant. James… They did not talk me into anything. I wanted to be part of this," an unrepentant Sydney declared. Harold Wetherton stood and walked out of the teacher's lounge. His daughter had never stood up to him, and in a strange way he was proud of her. She had stood her ground, spoken up and defended her friends. His little girl was not so little any more.
Three hours later, Manuel drove off with the Yugo parts, engine and all. Their masterpiece now in shambles, they lamented the end of their creation as the flatbed truck pulled away. As they drove home the silence was broken when James asked, "Exactly how mad is mom?" "Let's just say, be glad New York has no death penalty," added Castle. "Dad, you must admit, this is legendarily worthy of recognition. We will forever hold the title of best senior prank at Marlowe Prep," an unapologetic Jackson added. Castle abruptly pulled into a nearby parking lot, parked the car and turned to face his sons. "Listen guys, my pranks were legendary and perhaps I filled your heads with stories from when I was your age, but it was not a challenge. My pranks never involved others, my troublemaking was a solitary venture. You have acted recklessly, endangered others, and lied; that is never okay. What if Dr. Peterson had called the police? Did you even think of the consequences? Jeffrey, Bryan and Sydney, you jeopardized their futures, their safety. What if you'd been arrested? What about your mother? She is the Chief of Detectives for the NYPD, do you know how hard she worked to obtain that position? No! Neither of you thought of anyone but yourselves. That is not how your mother and I raised you. In a few months you'll be at Columbia, and this little stunt proves you need to grow-up and perhaps have more responsibilities, think more about consequences. So, as of your first day at Columbia get use to cafeteria food because you are dorm bound. The loft is off limits. You are completely off to college and that means no laundry or food runs home. I will cover tuition and room and board, anything else is on you. And by the way, you owe me two-hundred and fifty-five dollars for tonight. Payment is due tomorrow." Castle turned, started the engine and pulled back into traffic, the twins still stunned in the backseat.
As they entered the loft, a somber James and Jackson kissed their mother and offered a heartfelt apology. They quietly proceeded upstairs to their bedrooms without further explanation. "Boy, what did you say to them?" asked an inquisitive Kate. "Before we get to that, I found out why they chose Columbia. Better yet, why James picked Columbia, and it's not because it is their sister's alma mater. Want to know?" Castle declared. "Sydney Wetherton is going to Columbia," added Kate without missing a beat. "Really? You knew?" a deflated Castle whined. "Seriously Castle? Jackson and James would never attend different universities, so Harvard and Columbia were the only two choices. Once Emily Wetherton told me Sydney had committed to Columbia, let's just say it did not take a detective to figure that one out. Now tell me what happened." "First let me just say, you were right." Kate gave him an eye roll as he continued. "The boys had taken my escapades as a sort of challenge. I should have been less enthusiastic in my recounting of tales. However, I assure they understand how serious this is. I told them they had to live in the dorms at Columbia and eat cafeteria food. I know we hadn't discussed that, but Kate, when Jackson started to boast about this incident, I needed to nip it in the bud. Effective their first day of class the loft is off limits. They can visit like any other college student, but they have to call. No doing laundry at home, no smoreletts, no potato chip fudge ice cream, and no laser tag … I mean it." Kate walked over to her husband, and put her arms around him. "Are you sure about this? I think it's going to be harder on you than on them," she added with a smile. "I've already told them, so we have to stick to it. Maybe we can revisit it in the fall."
It had been a long day. As he exited the bathroom, Castle looked at his wife, already in bed and thanked his lucky stars. Kate Beckett never ceased to amaze him, he was a blessed man. He got into bed, turned off the light and gently whispered, "Sweet dreams, Kate." The peaceful quiet was broken when she asked, "Castle, where are you keeping the Yugo?"