Australian Currency.
"How long did Esposito hide you?" Mop asked.
"All day," Broom replied huffily. "I think he forgot I was there."
"I think you're right," Broomie chimed in. "Kate had to grab me instead to sweep up her office. She seemed really happy though. She was humming. Wastebasket told me that she agreed to have dinner with Castle."
"Well praise Master Cleaner!" Maggie exclaimed. "Nothing has been right around here since she moved out of the loft."
"The understatement of the century," Mop opined. "I've been talking to Hairbrush whenever I get a chance, She says Kate hasn't been happy. She's living in some little room where there's barely space for a bed and she cries a lot. Hairbrush just can't understand why Kate doesn't go home. Neither can any of the cops here. I've heard then talking when I've been cleaning up the leaks and overflows in the rest rooms. Everyone can tell that those two are madly in love with each other. I think that's why a couple of them volunteered to help Castle with whatever he did today that got all that stuff on the floor. Wastebasket said there was a sign and a balloon too, although that new guy, Vikram, came in right in the middle of everything."
"He talks to Kate a lot," Maggie said. "Espresso has heard it when they've been talking in the break room. There's some kind of secret investigation involving drugs. I don't know why that would be a secret. Police investigate drugs all the time. But Kate seems to think it has to be, and that it's dangerous. Espresso says that's why she's keeping Rick away and that guy Vikram is encouraging her to do it."
"I knew there was a reason I didn't like that guy," Mop exclaimed, his tendrils flying.
At least it sounds like she's not taking all of his advice," Broomie inserted. "Wastebasket told me that he told her not to go to dinner with Rick and she decided she wanted to go anyway. She said she missed him. Something good could happen."
"We'll just have to see if we can get the story from Hairbrush after they go," Mop declared. "She's in Kate's purse or the pocket of her jacket in Kate's office most of the time. Kate sleeps there when she's not in that little room. At the least Hairbrush can tell Wastebasket and he can give us the lowdown when Boomer dumps him."
"What did you hear?" Mop demanded of Broomie.
"Hairbrush was in Kate's office when she used me to clean up some of those little bits of colored paper that had slipped under a bookcase. She murmured something like 'Australian currency,' while she swept. Looks like Boomer missed them. I think Kate was glad that he did. She didn't put them in Wastebasket. She put them in an envelope and then she kissed it before she put it in her desk. Hairbrush told me that Kate went to see Rick last night. She stopped at a place called Remy's first. She and Rick used to eat there a lot. Kate was very careful that they made a burger for Rick just the way he likes it, with double pickles and double cheese. She didn't seem to care what she got for herself. Then she took her Remy's bag to the loft.
"Rick was really glad to see her. He took the bag of burgers, but they never ate them. Hairbrush couldn't see anything, she was in the pocket of Kate's jacket, but she could hear everything. It sounded like he couldn't keep from kissing Kate - a lot. She stopped him. They were talking about something called 'a time out.' Hairbrush had no idea what they meant by that except that neither one of them was too happy about it. But then they agreed to a 'time in' and he started kissing her again. Hairbrush felt herself being put down on a chair when Kate and Rick went to the bedroom. Then they were on the bed. She could hear the sound of it going up and down and banging against the wall. It sounded hard and fast. They weren't talking or joking like they usually used to do when they had that kind of fun, just breathing hard and moaning like they were in some kind of pain. Then it stopped for a while before it sounded like Rick got off the bed but Kate stayed there. Hairbrush couldn't figure out what happened then. She hadn't seen anything like that while Kate was living in the loft., but this time they were telling each other little jokes about taste of sausages and fine vintages. After that the moaning started again until Kate screamed. Then they were quiet until they started talking again. Hairbrush couldn't remember all of it except that it was about Rick never giving up on their marriage and Kate not wanting him to."
Maggie's cloth fluttered. "Well that's good news."
"I hope so. She left not long after that but her phone buzzed first. Rick asked her if everything was all right and she said things were fine, but Hairbrush didn't believe her. Kate kissed Rick again and told him she'd see him around."
"Who tells their husband she'll see him around?" Mop asked. "That's crazy! They should see each other all the time, especially in here."
Broom rustled his bristles reprovingly. "Are you worried about them or yourself? Afraid your show will be gone forever?"
"Both," Mop admitted. "I love watching their brand of fun. I've never made a secret of that."
"That's for sure," Broom interjected.
"But," Mop continued, "I like them and I want them to be happy together. I really hope that whatever made Kate leave, especially if it has to do with that Vikram guy, she gets through it and goes back to Rick."
Maggie's grip sighed against Broomie's handle, as she slid closer. "They should be together. Their love is the most beautiful thing that's ever happened around here. I hope Master Cleaner makes it happen."
Mop tightly twined his tendrils. "Let us pray."
A/N When I saw Esposito sweeping, I couldn't resist bringing back old friends. According to a tweet from writer Rob Hanning, "Australian currency" was an ad lib by Nathan Fillion. I only borrow from the best.