Interludes – a series of possible insights into life in the Caskett "family." Mostly fluffy moments between COTW scenes we may not see on screen. Set season 7 but just speculation, no spoilers.
Chapter 1 – Homecoming
Beckett signed off the report in her usual flowing script and flipped it onto the completed pile. Nothing else was urgent today and she knew from Castle's last text that he was on his way to the Precinct, his first appearance since his homecoming.
She realised his friends at the Twelfth were keen to catch up with him but she hoped he wouldn't find it all too much. They'd agreed he'd come by late afternoon after he'd been in meetings all day at Black Pawn.
The newspapers' coverage of his disappearance and his return had done wonders for sales of his latest Derrick Storm title but there was nothing like public appearances to boost demand and Beckett knew he was determined to resist leaving her and his family again so soon for a book tour. They'd agreed he'd do signings in New York and venues up and down the East coast that didn't entail nights way from home. Nights were their time for re-discovering each other.
She hadn't really fathomed out his moods since he'd been back. He had called her a "mystery he was never going to solve" but she was beginning to understand Meredith's comment that she didn't know enough about him to write a pamphlet. At the time, Beckett had surmised Meredith had been so self interested she'd never bothered to find out about Rick but now she realised there was more to the man than she knew. All she was sure of was that she loved what she knew of him so completely that she trusted whatever untold secrets were revealed would just add to the feelings she had for him. Right now, she was so relieved to have him back whole that anything else could just take its course.
As if on cue, the elevator pinged and Rick bounded out, the inevitable two containers of coffee in his hands, looking around the bullpen as if he expected it to have changed in his absence.
He'd barely stepped off the car when Velasquez spotted him and squealed, "Castle!" He leant down to plant a swift kiss on her cheek as LT swung around in his tracks to clap him on the back.
"Careful guys! Hot coffee!" Castle exclaimed.
A cheer arose across the bullpen as detectives and uniforms realised who was back amongst them and several applauded, moving forward to welcome Castle. He reached Beckett's desk placing one mug in front of her and the other on the desk by his chair; his chair that had waited for his return as it had waited that summer absence several years earlier.
As Beckett looked on, smiling proudly at her fiancé, Karpowski arrived and hugged him, "Good to see you, Castle," she said, surreptitiously wiping her eye.
"You too, Ros," he winked at her "How've you been?" "So, so" she replied laconic as ever.
Sully sauntered over; swapping his half eaten burger into his left hand, he offered his greasy right for Castle to shake." Welcome back, Mr. Castle."
"Thanks," Rick said, "and I've told you before, drop the mister." Castle punched him lightly on the arm, carefully avoiding the proffered hand.
"Listen up, Guys!" Castle raised his normally well modulated voice to overcome the buzz around the bullpen. "Thanks for supporting Kate and my family whilst I was ...away. Free drinks at the Old Haunt tonight, you're all welcome!" Another cheer and murmurs of appreciation circulated the room as the detectives drifted back to their work stations.
"Where are Ryan and Esposito?" Castle asked Beckett, his brow puzzled as he looked for his friends and partners.
She raised an eyebrow at him "I thought it was me you came to see?"
He grinned; well aware she was teasing him. "Jealous Beckett? You know how much I love those guys!" She hmphed. "They should just be finishing in interrogation, they picked up their main suspect earlier." she supplied.
He glanced around checking who was watching, after their initial greetings the cops had gone back to their tasks and he bent down for quick kiss.
"Mr Castle!" Captain Gates voice rang across the room.
Castle blanched, caught in the commission of a PDA! He turned around apologetically and was amazed as Gates strode forward, "I'm pleased to see you're safe and well Mr. Castle," she said, "We've all been very worried for you."
Castle swallowed nervously, "Thank you, sir. It's good to be back."
" Mmm," she said, then flashed a look at Beckett, well aware of what she'd had interrupted.
Beckett was sure there was a smirk on her Captain's face as she turned back into her office waving her hand airily, "Carry on!"
Beckett's gasp was lost as Castle did just that, leaving her breathless and definitely wanting more.
"Hey bro!" Ryan exclaimed to Esposito as they rounded the corner. "Who's that stranger kissing Beckett? "
Espo smirked, snarking "Maybe she's found herself a new guy at last, one who'll stay around a while?"
Ryan winced. "Too soon?" asked Espo apologetically. Ryan hauled Castle into a hug and then Espo, shrugging, followed suit. Then they bumped fists all round in some "guy" thing that Beckett had never tried to work out.
She decided to get them back on track. "Did he confess?" she asked.
"Confess, why Castle, what have you done?" Ryan quipped.
She glared at him but he just he grinned at her, knowing nothing could upset her now Castle was back beside her. "Yeah, Beckett, he did it. His lawyer is in with him while he writes his confession," he told her.
"Good, then we're done for the day. It's drinks at the Old Haunt tonight."
"Great!" Ryan said, "Can I invite Jenny; her sister's staying with us and can look after Sarah Grace. She'd love to see you again, Castle."
"Of course!" Rick assented, "and I want to see her."
"There's someone else you need to see Castle," Beckett told him. "Tory put in a lot of extra hours helping us look for you, you need to thank her."
"My pleasure," he said essaying a bow. "I'm on my way."
"I'm going to..." She indicated the direction of the ladies room. "See you in five."
"Can't wait," he wiggled his eyebrow in the way she knew meant the ride across town to the Old haunt would be ... entertaining.
Damn the man. Gone for over two months and now she was all a flutter at his every look, when did she turn into such a sap? Somewhere around the time she was nearly thrown off a roof and arrived soaking wet at his front door, she answered herself.
Castle knocked gently on the glass screen of Tory's office. "Hey Rick, great to see you back!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
He kissed her cheek "Thanks for helping look for me. Kate and I, we really appreciate it," he said sincerely. She blushed, "I was pleased to be able to help."
"We're going to the Old Haunt, drinks on the house. Will you join us?"
"Well I..." She hesitated, seeming to catch sight of someone or something over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Rick" she said, "I've got a pile of CCTV to check through for another case. Raincheck?"
"Sure, anytime for you." He turned to leave the room, almost immediately bumping into Esposito. "Uh, bro. Can I talk to you a moment?" Esposito shifted guiltily from foot to foot, checking there was no one else in the corridor.
"What's up?" Castle queried.
"Um, well when you were...gone, Beckett never doubted something had happened to you. Ryan neither, nor Gates but I... I'm sorry Castle, I mean I know you love Beckett an' all but I thought maybe, maybe you just didn't want to get married again and had... well, you know?"
Esposito finished lamely staring at the floor. Castle sucked in a breath.
"But you kept looking for me, right? You kept searching with Beckett and the others and you kept an eye on Alexis, fetching her to and from college?"
His mother had regaled him with the concerns of the NYPD that his absence meant a potential ongoing threat to the rest of his family and that Ryan, Espo, LT, Hastings and others had given up off duty time to escort his family around the city, way beyond the time Gates had had to pull uniformed support after no trace of him could be found.
"Yeah, of course, man. I mean we're partners!" Espo exclaimed.
Castle put an arm around the detective's shoulder. "That's all I could've asked of you. You looked after Kate and my family when I couldn't. Nothing else matters."
"But ..." Espo heaved a sigh of relief. "So you're not mad at me?"
Castle chuckled, "No, I'm not mad. Mind I'll not be lending out the Ferrari any time soon."
Espo nodded, accepting his punishment as Castle finished with a grin, "Because with the Merc totalled, I'm going to need it myself!"
They were laughing together as they re-entered the bullpen and Beckett was relieved to see it. She was aware Espo had had his doubts but he'd worked as tirelessly as anyone to get Castle back and volunteered for the evening shift picking up Alexis from college events when Ryan's home responsibilities made it difficult for him to leave Jenny and their infant.
"Ready?" Castle asked and she picked up her coat from the back of her chair as Captain Gates exited her office, briefcase in hand, obviously also leaving for the night.
"Will you join us for a drink, Captain?" Castle enquired, ever the courteous host. She stopped and turned, looking at him carefully.
"You mean after two months without having to suffer your wild theories and absurd stories in my precinct, you want me to celebrate the fact that you are back?" she asked in an incredulous tone.
"Er, I, um..." Castle stuttered.
"Why yes, Mr. Castle!" Gates exclaimed, "I'd be happy to. It's good to have my best team back together. Hopefully, now we can get the solve rate up again!" She grinned broadly at the astounded faces of Beckett, Ryan and Esposito before taking Castle's arm. "Now, where is this place of yours?"