I wish I owned Castle & Beckett. But I don't. These belong to ABC and Andrew Marlow? If they would like to loan them to me, I will accept them.
For continuity. The time line is the first four chapters happen in the future about one year after Always.
THE LONG WEEKEND
Friday morning Richard Castle enters the 12th princint from the elevator. He walks over to the bull pen and announces with his usual cheery banter to the group that he is issuing an invitation to everyone to come up to his home in the Hamptons for the next upcoming weekend. It is to be a fun day for everyone and he expects all to join him. He says he is arranging transportation and there is going to be room for all at the estate. He wants everyone to come up Saturday morning and stay until Sunday afternoon. He also says that he will have a very important announcement to make to them while they are all there. He tells them that it is for them and their spouses. So, he will leave a sign in sheet with the desk sergeant. "Please, everyone I want you to be my guest."
He walks past Detectives Beckett, Esposito, Ryan and heads toward the office of Captain Gates. When he is out of earshot, the two junior detectives look at Detective Beckett and question what is going on. Beckett never raises her head. She continues to look down to her desk and responds that she has no idea about what Castle has on his mind.
Ryan asks "Kate, you and Castle had been real close until just lately. Don't you know what he is doing?"
She looks up toward the writer and shakes her head "No clue, Kevin. I guess he has a wild party planned like before." Then puts her head back down toward her work. "You know, it's not like I'm his wife or girlfriend or anything!"
Detective Esposito speaks up, "Beckett, what has happened between you and Castle. He never brings you coffee anymore and we don't see much of him. Is he avoiding us or did you and him have some type of rift?"
"Mind your own business Javi" Kate blurts out and focuses back on the paperwork on her desk.
The other two detectives know they best leave this alone. Esposito whispers to Ryan that he will call Lanie later to see if she knows anything and they both go back to their paperwork.
After a few minutes Beckett's personal cell phone rings. When she answers, a smile appears on her face. This is actually the first time the detective has smiled in several weeks. After a few minutes of whispered conversation she tells whoever is on the phone to meet her at a coffee shop nearby at noon. She speaks for a few more minutes. During this conversation she laughs and smiles again. When then they hang up, Kate looks at the phone with a smile. She then returns to the tasks on her desk. .
When lunch time arrives, Beckett tells the pair that she is meeting with her dad for lunch and probably will not be back today. Ryan says that he and Esposito will hold down the fort. Neither man recalls her father ever causing that type smile from Beckett.
As soon as she has left, Esposito calls Lanie and asks to meet him and Ryan at the station since they can't leave right now. The medical examiner tells them she needs to talk to them too so she will be there in about a half hour.
Forty-five minutes later the elevator bell rings. As soon as the door opens and Lanie exits they all three head for the lunch room.
Lanie opens up first "OK guys what is going on?"
Ryan answers first "We have no idea. We were hoping you knew"
Esposito "Did you get the invitation from Castle too?
"Yes, Castle came in this morning and invited me to the Hamptons and said it was very important I be there, but he would not say why he is doing this. I asked Alexis if she knew and all I did get was a cryptic answer."
"What did she say?"
"Just that there was a major change in her dad's life and we all really had to be there for the announcement. What has Beckett said?"
Ryan says" She pretty much told us to butt out, not ask then left to have lunch with someone who she said was her father. But the smiles on her face when she was on the phone don't normally happen when you are talking to your father, you are her best friend. Has she said anything to you? Have she and Castle broke up?"
"Well, she denies there is anything to be broke up from. The two of them have been like a married couple and much happier. But the last few weeks there seems to be a large chasm between them. Have you two noticed anything?"
Esposito answers "Yeah, He stopped coming in but maybe for a few minutes every couple of days. He seems to only come in while Beckett is gone. He is cordial and friendly as always. He will look at the murder board and actually has helped on two cases with his off the wall thinking. We sort of miss him being here everyday. Of course, no coffee for Kate and she seems lost in the mornings. I have noticed she looks up toward the elevator several times when it rings like she is longing for it to be him."
Ryan asks Lanie "Can you try to talk to Beckett and get something?"
"I will try, but she has been avoiding me. It's like there is something bad going on and she doesn't want to discuss it."
Esposito suggests that even though Captain Gates is a real hard nose about Castle, she might just have some incite as to what might be happening. The trio decides to approach Gates especially since Castle went into her office when he came in.
Esposito knocks on Gate's door. "Come in"
The two detectives and medical examiner enter and stand until Gates stops her work and looks up at them. She immediately says "NO! I have no idea what is happening. Castle did say he really wanted all of us to be sure to be there. That is all I know. I will say this, I don't like how this one man has disrupted this station with whatever drama he is injecting so I suggest the three of you go back to work. So close my door on the way out."
Well, that told them that they were going to get nowhere with her.
Lanie asks "Did you hear what coffee shop Kate was going to?"
Ryan thinks for a minute "Yeah! Eric's Espresso on the west corner..."
"Yeah, I know where that is. I am going over there to see if I find out who she is seeing. Bye!" and she heads out the door.
Esposito looks over to Ryan "I hope this is not the end of Castle and Beckett. They have seemed really happy especially these last few months. You know like maybe they actually got into a relationship and we just were not allowed in?"
Ryan is looking thru the glass to the hallway "I know. If these two have parted ways, I am going to hurt for both of them. They deserve each other. I really thought they were in love. This does not look good though."
Lanie heads for the elevator to leave while the two detectives pause for a moment before going back to their desks to try and solve some murders.
Lanie arrives at the coffee shop in time to see Kate sitting at a table. She is talking to a man in his mid thirties. Lanie does not recognize him. He is definitely NOT her father. They are smiling and laughing. Kate is looking at some papers on the table. There appears to be pictures of something, but she cannot get a good enough angle to see what it is. After a few minutes they pack up whatever it is and get up to leave. As they get ready to part, Kate gives the man a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Lanie makes a quick getaway before she is seen by the pair.
As she turns the corner she slaps herself. Why didn't she get out her cell phone and take a picture of this guy so the boys could try to hunt him down and find out what this is all about?
She tries to follow the man to get a picture, but he is moving too fast and she looses him when he enters the crowded subway station. She calls Esposito and gives him the information she has and decides to go to Beckett's apartment to see if she can get Beckett to talk.
When Lanie gets to Kate's loft, no one answers the door. So decides to use her key to go inside. She yells out to see if anyone answers, but no one is home. She is going to use this moment to snoop around and play detective herself. When she enters the living area, she sees something that troubles her a great deal. It looks as if Beckett is packing for a move. There are moving boxes everywhere. Some are already full, marked with the contents. Some are still empty. The book shelves have already been packed. The small trinkets are still on the shelves.
Is she leaving? Is she moving to a new apartment? She has not mentioned anything to her best friend or the boys about relocating. Lanie decides that she will try to use some excuse to come back later when Beckett is home and try to find out exactly what is going on. She decides to leave before Kate returns But there is definitely something that Beckett is trying to hide.
Over the course of the weekend, Lanie tries repeatedly to call Beckett but gets her voice mail every time. She is not real sure if Kate is avoiding her or really not available. She continues to try all the way to Monday.
