This hit me like a thunderstorm.
Please forgive me for doing this story.
All the players here belong to ABC
I guess Marlow is no longer the owner so le't's just give them to the network that renewed them
And promised that Season 8 is not the last one
He called her on Monday afternoon
He must have known that Castle was not at the desk when he makes contact with her
Rick had just stood and walked into the break room to retrieve one more cup of coffee for her. His usual act of caring for her. A normal activity he performed several times a day, just for her benefit and not for himself. The same routine that brought out a smile from her every time
The phone call came from an unknown/out of area phone number. She answered and heard the voice of the doctor.
She was shocked to hear from him like this. He was in some foreign country saving the world and was not expected to return until the coming weekend.
When he told her he would be back in the country on Thursday she was taken by surprise. Then he added to the mystery concerning his return when he asked her to set up a dinner reservation at Pierre's French Cafe for Friday at 8:00PM. This is a very fancy romantic couple's place for dinner. He told her that there was something extremely important happening and he wanted everything to be perfect.
He asked her to wear the sheer, red, off the shoulder dress that he had once seen in her closet. She remembered the dress from the night that her and Castle went out on separate dates with the famous from the Ledger Page 6 group but then she and Castle ended up together again, as usual, at a crime scene arresting a suspect.
But that night ended in her dressed more casually with her and Castle eating a late night meal together at Remy's Hamburgers in what any outsider would call a date all its own
The very fact that Josh has called her from Africa to make sure she was available and asked her to make the reservations at this particular high brow eating establishment meant that he had something special planned for Friday night
After hanging up on the call she stopped to think about why would her boyfriend be calling and asking for her to prepare for something special. How special was it going to be? It must be really special since he even knew exactly what he wanted her to wear.
She can only think about one reason Josh Davidson would call and ask her to set aside that night and it had to be because he had a question to ask her
OH NO! He is going to do that…He is really going to ask me the question THE QUESTION! The question every woman wants to hear from her man sooner or later.
This is it.
Her heart almost stops right here
At the moment the thought entered Kate's mind, the writer placed a cup of her favorite caffeinated drink beside her arm. As he did so many times before.
"Is everything OK" the writer asks when he sees that her face has lost all its color
She stutters a moment before answering "I'm not feeling very well. I think I'm going to call it a day and head home"
He stands and waits for her to join him "Walk you out?"
"No I need to do one more thing before I go. You go ahead"
"OK. I'll leave you alone. See you tomorrow?"
She is staring off and not responding "Kate?" he asks again "Are you sure you are OK?"
"Yeah, just a little queasy. I'll be going in a minute. You go ahead"
"OK" he turns to leave not feeling right about just leaving here there alone but he has known her long enough to know when it is best to not push her further. He finally enters the elevator and the doors close
With her hands shaking, he picks up the phone on her desk and calls her best friend. When the call connects at the medical examiner's office the familiar voice of Lanie Parish helps ground Beckett if not just a little
"Hey Lanie…what are you doing tonight?" Beckett barely can get out the words out
"Nothing, girlfriend…what's going on with you?"
"I just…I need to talk that's all"
"There's more going on than that. I can hear something in your voice. What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you later. Can you come over around 6:00? I'll order pizza. OK?"
"I will be there but you better have something good to tell me when I get there"
"See you at 6:00"
Beckett stopped at Nick's Original pizza and picked up a pie for her and Lanie to share while Kate spills all the emotions inside tonight
The knock on the door brings Kate Beckett out of her haze. She has been sitting on her couch waiting for Lanie while running every possibility thru her mind.
"Come in Lanie" Kate yells at her door. The medical examiner enters carrying a new bottle of red just ready to open for the evening.
After entering and closing Kate's front door, Lanie walks into the kitchen, sets the bottle down then takes the corkscrew out of the drawer and opens the fresh bottle.
After letting the fruit breath for a minute, she pours two glasses then takes the stems into the living room where Kate is still waiting. She has not moved from the her perch since changing clothes earlier
Dr. Parish sets herself down and finally decides the silent treatment has to stop
"Girlfriend! What is going on with you?"
"Lanie…Josh called from Africa"
"OK is something wrong?"
"No…I mean not with him I guess"
"What do you mean?"
"He asked me to set up reservations for a fancy romantic restaurant on Friday after he gets back from Africa"
"That's nice. He is finally setting aside time for you and him"
"That's not what I think is happening"
"What do you think is going on?"
"I think…I think Josh is going to propose to me Friday"
The look on Lanie's face tells the entire story "Oh wow girl. What are you going to say?"
"I…I don't…Lanie, I really, really don't know what to do"
"You're worried about Castle?"
Kate Beckett is caught totally speechless "UH…Lanie?"
"Sweetie I know you and I know him. This thing you have been doing to him for the last three years. It's not fair"
"What do you mean?"
"Kate he has waited patiently for you and you have been steering away from him the entire time while all he done was wait for you to make a U-turn and return to him. Now you will be engaged to Josh. How are you going to handle Castle?"
"I honestly don't know. I mean Josh loves me and he is honest, stable, a good man"
"Do you realize that you also just described Rick?"
Restating what Lanie just said "He is a good man! He is honest. When it comes to the people he loves, he is stable…" She stops her statement on the word 'Love' then looks at her best friend "He doesn't love me…" she takes a deep breath "Does he?"
"The books written about you. Providing money hoping to find you mom's killer? Saving your life more than once! Kate, you tell me"
"Lanie! It would not be fair to Josh to not go to dinner Friday since he is planning to do what he is planning to do"
"Then when he asks Kate..."
Lanie pauses
"What will be your answer?"
Kate returns a blank stare
So now that you started reading this you have to know where we go...Right?
Before you form a lynch mob, remember I believe in them
Maybe?