Author's Note: When we the viewers first met Josh, his line to Castle was, "She hasn't told you about us." Here is my take on that story so I can live happily ever after in the land of Castle and Beckett. No claims of ownership of Castle implied. Huge thanks to BeckettNYPD for beta help and tons of feedback.
Chapter 1 of 4 What's In a Name?
Alexis and her glam Gram were sharing opposite points of view. While that was not a surprise, Richard Castle was unprepared for the method his daughter used to draw out his opinion. "If you and detective Beckett get married, do you want her to change her name?"
He spit out his coffee. "Ah, Alexis, we aren't even dating."
"Oh come on, dad. It is just a matter of time before you two get together. You are in love with her"
Castle stared at his daughter's blunt delivery. "She is with someone else."
The redhead rephrased. "Hypothetically, would you expect her to change her name?" She was earnest in her desire to have an informed opinion.
"I would not risk life or limb by having such expectations, much less verbalize them."
Did everyone in the room notice he didn't deny being in love with Beckett? Martha smiled, as Martha always smiled, knowing her son and knowing the zest with which one should live life. Reluctantly she opted for silence in deference to Beckett.
Alexis was doggedly focused on her school day. "You are not helping. Which side of the debate should I take in speech class today? I like the symbolism of changing a name to represent a new beginning of an important point in time. You did it when you chose to become Castle. I also respect Gram's view that she has spent a lifetime developing an identity and doesn't want to cast it aside for anyone."
Castle opted for the classic way out, or a classic cop-out, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The dodge may not have worked, but a distinctive ring tone demanded immediate attention. "Detective Beckett, we were just speaking of you." He listened and wrote down the address. "I'll meet you there." He hung up.
Martha tested her son. "If she asked why we invoked the name of Beckett around the breakfast table, what will you tell her?"
He answered as he went out the door, "What's in a name? That which we call a cherry would taste as sweet by any other name…"
Castle and Beckett had just finished the initial canvass at the crime scene where a taxi driver was shot while sitting in his cab in a well lit parking lot. Castle always found it poignant to see the off duty light at these scenes, but there had been enough of them that the comic quip was too old to utter. A taxi in a parking lot was the polar opposite of a Beckett-flavored case with unexpected twists and unusual corpses. There was an apartment complex across the street and nice boutiques and cafes nearby. No bars or warehouses waited to share their secrets. This case was probably going to drag on. The crime itself wasn't a mugging because nothing was taken. The next best working theory was going to be random violence, and the best homicide detective from the 12th precinct would never shelve the case until she had exhausted all avenues of investigation.
Lanie had little to offer other than a close range GSW to the head approximately 2 hours previous. The victim was a small boned Asian male who didn't have any pictures of family in his wallet.
"Boring" Castle thought to himself, and wished for a little spice in precinct life.
The coffee that fueled the duo was gone and they prepared to move on. The unusual pairing of detective and writer walked a fair distance away from the deceased, but were still inside the yellow crime scene tape. Beckett was used to ignoring crowd noise since she started working with Castle. Sometimes a fan recognized him, and there was a slight increase in commotion since the movie was getting publicity. Nikki Heat and the NY connection were being played up by the local press.
The ensuing disturbance still managed to be unique. A small boy dressed in dark blue cargo pants and a leather jacket ran under the tape and straight for Beckett. She reacted without thinking, picked him up, and gave him a hug.
"Alexander, what are you doing here?" Her surprise was tremendous and narrowed her immediate thoughts to scanning the rest of the crowd. She spotted his nanny and motioned for the uniformed officer to let the older woman through.
The boy started jabbering in Russian, and Beckett responded in kind without missing a beat. Her entire being was focused on the child and she momentarily forgot everything else.
Castle stood too stunned to move. He took everything in. The affection between the youngster and his detective was unmistakable. The boy, about 4 years old, gave detective Kate Beckett a pucker-up kiss, which she returned as if this were a normal occurrence. If Castle liked to watch Beckett doing paperwork, this was a buffet of images to feast upon.
The nanny apologized, "Sorry, Kate. He got away from me. He has been glued to the window all morning. When he saw the police arrive he was certain you would be here." The nanny was a typical grandmotherly woman who carried an oversized purse and wore orthopedic shoes. She patiently waited for instructions.
Kate Beckett wasn't a detective at the moment. She was wrapped around the little boy's finger as he grinned at her and held on for dear life. She reassured the caregiver. "Don't worry about it, Anna. I probably gave him too many police toys for Christmas."
Lanie kept working but the guys walked over, unable to resist the view of the soft-sided woman they never knew existed. Their proximity recalled Beckett to her surroundings of the crime scene.
"Alexander, I have to get back to work. You go with Anna and I'll see you later." Beckett tried to set the boy down.
"Nyet, what about the dead person who was killed by gun?" The boy made his little hand into a pistol with the thumb mimicking a hammer pull. If the words failed to floor the adults, the gesture and sad little face made them all share a gut check.
Castle found his voice first and spoke the obvious, "How does he know someone was shot?" He had gone through so many reactions in the past few moments that he was unprepared for the new onslaught from amazement to dread.
Beckett set Alexander down and stayed on his eye level. "Alexander, no make-believe." she said as a chastisement.
"Nyet, the second yellow car shot the first yellow car."
The woman, half detective and half loving adult, squeezed Alexander tight even as her stomach tightened into a knot. She silently screamed that this precious child witnessed a murder, and she ached at what was happening to her neatly segregated life of personal, professional, and public sectors. Training and instinct took over; she took charge.
"Anna, how long has Alexander been at the window this morning?"
"Since you and Josh left for work." She pointed at the apartment building across the street. "We had a better view from there. I was surprised when Alexander wanted to leave to come down here."
Beckett looked at Castle for the first time. She saw his writer's mind construct the happy family scene and his reaction was unmistakable; he was hurt. The guys suddenly wished they were anywhere but here, and busied themselves with notes.
"Guys, I need to explain, but not now. OK? Things aren't always what they seem."
Castle spoke on behalf of the men's congregation. "No Detective, we get it. You want to keep you personal life private. You need to focus on the boy."
She turned back to Alexander. "Hey buddy, do you want to go to work with me?"
He lit up with glee. "Can I ride in your police car?"
"Yes you can. Ryan, do you mind playing chauffer for us? Esposito, finish the canvas here." Beckett seemed distracted and unfocused. They started towards the car, but she stopped when Castle didn't follow.
He offered to make this less intrusive for her. "I can stay here and help Esposito if you want." His blue eyes showed nothing but empathy for her.
Beckett looked at him pleadingly, "I know I don't have a right to ask, but please come with me. I'm going to take all the help I can get on this one."
He melted immediately. The sight of her holding the boy's hand was endearing and irresistible. As long as he didn't give notice to his crushed dreams of seeing Kate holding the hand of their child, he was fine. "Of course I'll be happy to help. I didn't want to assume my interference was welcomed."
Beckett wanted to say more than the situation allowed, but she opted for silence. Ryan and Castle got in the front of the car, and Kate and Anna got in the back with the boy between them. He jabbered happily all the way to the station. Sometimes he spoke in Russian, sometimes he spoke in English. Regardless of the language, he obviously adored his "Auntie Katie" and was overjoyed to get to go see the police station.
Richard Rodgers grew up with a series of 'uncles' his mother wove in and out of his life. He appreciated the difficulty of Beckett's predicament and knew this was awkward. On the way Beckett called Josh. He was in surgery, but Kate told him Alexander and Anna were with her to give a witness statement, and to call when he could. She hoped he would assume Anna was the witness and not his son. Alexander chimed in at the end, "I love you daddy!" It was a bittersweet moment for the man in the front seat listening in.
When they got to the precinct, Alexander insisted on a piggy back ride into the station. Beckett blushed, but she complied. In a way, she felt liberated. While she wasn't one to advertise her personal life, she never liked overt deception even if by omission. Anyone who saw the two of them interact was left with no doubt that Kate Beckett knew how to love deeply and completely. The little guy got the full ride all the way up to the bullpen and landed on Detective Beckett's desk.
Even upstairs, everyone stared. Beckett's only concern for the moment was not to let Alexander get scared. She took advantage of attention. "Hey everybody, this is Alexander, my nephew. He is a new recruit and cannot wait to be a policeman someday. He is helping me out with a big case today." Everyone waved and smiled and winked at the fresh faced little man. The cheese factor was really high when Beckett took off his jacket and realized she dressed him in a NYPD shirt this morning.
"Anna, do you have some crayons with you?" The always prepared nanny signaled yes. "Good. Alexander, your first job is to draw me a picture of what you saw this morning. Don't put anything in it except for what was there. Understand? No pretend."
The dark haired Aunt Kate led the dark haired boy to the break room and got him set up with paper and crayons. "Anna will stay here with you. You can watch me through the windows."
Beckett stepped outside the lounge and took a deep breath. Castle, Montgomery, and Ryan waited. "Alexander is Josh's son. He was adopted from Russia this past summer and had attachment disorder. He has mostly gotten over it, but sometimes reverts when he gets scared. He switches between English and Russian without knowing it. He is 4 years old, but functions at a younger level."
The detective turned to Montgomery. "The crime scene is visible from Josh's apartment. Alexander asked about the person who was shot and volunteered information about 2 yellow cars. I told him not to pretend but he seems sincere. I stopped further questions until I got him here. I know verbalization can be difficult for children, so he is drawing a picture of what he saw. We'll see if there is consistency or merit in it."
Montgomery nodded. "Do you want a uniform put on Josh's apartment?"
"No, I doubt anyone heard Alexander's statement. The doorman is a little guy from South Korea, but I've seen him handle street thugs just fine. I obviously want to crack this case fast, and just need some latitude while Alexander is here."
"Beckett, the boy is your first concern. That is an order. It will do us some good to have a little innocence around to balance the jaded armor we have to wear as cops. All of you remember to keep an eye out for lax safety protocols. Most of all, I want to meet the new recruit before you whisk him away, understand?" He was grinning from ear to ear as he went back to his office.
The team leader turned back to Ryan and Castle. She drew a deep breath. She didn't know where to start or how much to share right now.
Castle responded, "You can count on me. I can only imagine how hard this is for you, too."
Ryan nodded his support.
Beckett looked relieved and nodded for Castle to come with her. They sat down at the table with Anna and Alexander. Beckett got her drawing paper ready and asked the toddler, "What color should I make my police car?" He handed her a blue crayon. She outlined a car in blue.
"What about daddy's shirt this morning?" A broken piece of green was rolled her way.
I want to put a doggie in my picture. What was the name of puppy we met on the way to the movie last night?
He answered happily; "His name was Empire."
Beckett nodded at all the correct answers.
Castle sat beside her and started constructing an abstract drawing using bright colors. Beckett wanted to lob a softball at her partner. She asked Alexander, "Who is that guy?" and pointed at Castle.
"Mr. Castle"
Castle's hand froze above his picture. How the hell does he know my name was the look he shot to Beckett?
She smiled sweetly back at him. "So many layers to an onion."
Alexander handed his drawing to Auntie Katie. It showed two yellow cars, side by side but facing opposite directions. A gun was sticking out of the backseat and the pointing at the driver's seat of the victim's taxi. The perspective was correct as viewed from the apartment window.
Alexander came over to sit on Kate's lap. "Tell me about your picture." she said.
He shrugged.
"Are you being shy?" He smiled and hugged her. Kate whispered Russian to him and he giggled. Truth be told, Detective Kate Beckett also giggled. Truly this was a day of wonders.
"You watched daddy and me leave through the window?" He nodded yes. "When did the first yellow car come?"
"Right away." he said with no hesitation.
"How long after we left did the second yellow car come?"
The little guy counted on his fingers. First 1 finger, then a 2nd finger went up. "2 cartoons."
"You watched Bob the Builder, then 1 more cartoon?"
He shook his head yes but explained. "I watched out window. I listen to cartoons."
"How long were the 2 cars together?"
The answer came out in Russian. Beckett translated, "few minutes."
"Anyone get out of the cars?"
"Nyet."
Beckett studied his picture. He put a black T on each car. "Where both cars exactly the same?" She rephrased. "Did they match?"
"Da"
"Where was the bad man?"
He pointed to his drawing, "In the back"
"Did they give each other anything?"
"Nyet."
She hugged him again. "You are a huge help. Thank you Alexander." He kissed her again and stayed snuggled on her lap. Beckett pivoted towards Ryan who was standing at the door.
"Ryan, nail down the timeline. Anna will know what cartoons he was watching. Then phone Esposito to checkout what surveillance cameras might be in the area. I want more data before we approach the cab company." Anna got up to go with Detective Ryan.
She looked back at her nephew. "Would you like to show your picture to the police captain? She carried the boy to a chair on rollers, set him down, and wheeled him through the precinct. She took a few detours whizzing around desks before pushing him into Montgomery's office. The captain saluted Alexander and the gesture was returned.
Castle was alone in the break room and glad to have a moment to reflect. He loved this side of her and she obviously loved the toddler deeply. He never thought Beckett would be so comfortable with little kids. His thoughts went back to this morning. What's in a name? How poetic was it that Alexander was Castle's middle name? How interesting that Castle had and Alexis in his life, and Beckett had an Alexander. The universe spread some magic around on this one. Castle vowed never to interfere with her relationship with Josh despite the forlorn reaction he had to his promise.
His musings were interrupted by Beckett's best friend. Lanie came straight out of the elevator to join Castle. She had only recently learned about Alexander, and it was a shock for her. She knew good and well that the undeclared admirer must be reeling.
Castle shared his sorrow with Lanie. "Alexander is a huge part of Kate's life and she never said anything."
"You figure it out yet, writer?"
Castle was lost. "It seems that Josh is an old boyfriend she keeps going back to."
Lanie shook her head at Castle. "Let's not make assumptions. I'm worried about your misconceptions and doctor daddy's anger at you putting Kate in a tug of war."
Castle was peeved at Lanie's implication "I promise I will never interfere with Beckett's relationship with him."
"No, you'll high tail it and run." Lanie shot back.
Castle was angry and surprised by the blow. Lanie was fiercely loyal to her girlfriend and a straight talker, but that was uncalled for. His response was checked by Beckett and Captain Montgomery returning to the break room with the child. It didn't take trained investigators to see the tension in the room. Beckett hoped she had enough influence with each of them. "I know I will need a drink tonight. Any chance you'll be at the Old Haunt tonight, Castle?
"Yes, you'll always know where to find me." he said while still staring at Lanie. It was as close to a rebuttal as he could come at the moment.
Beckett continued, "Good, because I am going to drag Lanie there and buy her a drink to thank her for how fast she will get me results today."
Lanie hesitated a second before answering, "I'll do anything to help you Kate. You don't need to drag me out for a drink where I'll just be in the way." When she caught sight of Beckett's glare, she amended her response. "But I guess a glass of wine after a day like today might be in order. I've got to get busy." She turned and left.
As if there weren't enough drama in the air, Josh called. Beckett stepped outside the break room so Alexander wouldn't hear, but stayed where anyone else who wanted could eavesdrop. Kate Beckett explained, promised Alex was safe, and suggested they meet at the apartment later.
Ryan led Anna back to the break room and reported to Beckett. "According to our cartoon schedule, The Wiggles ended at 7:00. Lanie's TOD at the scene was between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. Body discovered at 8:22."
"OK Ryan. I need you and Esposito working solo today. Have him get any surveillance tapes and traffic cams to you. See if you can validate the 2 taxi theory. Tell Esposito to check out the cab company and then the vic's apartment."
Beckett switched again from detective mode to aunt. She went in the break room and made a paper airplane for Alexander to fly. Then she stepped back out as a homicide cop and went to her desk to start typing in the computer.
Castle followed her. "What can I do, Beckett?"
"Make sure I don't miss anything. I really am counting on you looking over my shoulder so I don't fail to notice something crucial. I know my focus is off." She looked at him and studied his face. She expected to see some resentment or hurt, but the only emotion reflected was support.
He shared with her, "I had a heck of a time adjusting when Alexis was a toddler. Once she got mobile it felt like I only wrote a sentence at a time. I'd get her set; spend a minute recalling where the story was going, then get a thought typed in before she was off and running again. Maybe that is where my super short attention span comes from."
Beckett replied in a soft voice, "Thanks, Castle." Sounding more normal she asked, "Can you could set up the murder board for us?"
"Good idea. I'll make sure it is rated G for the time being." Castle put up the timeline and a photo of the victim from his taxi license. Instead of using the heading of Victim, he wrote "Deceased." Under the heading of "Crime Scene" he tacked up a picture of the cab. In the middle of the board he labeled "Witness Statement" and centered Alexander's picture. He drew a frame around it and added stars and arrows to lend it some importance and fill up the white space on the empty board.
He glanced around looking for other ways to help. He decided to be the over grown kid he was. He made an airplane and flew it into the break room. Alexander smiled with delight at his new playmate. Castle was good at making his plane do loops, and the little guy was captivated by the big guy. Maybe it was the other way around.
Beckett looked up at the murder board. Never before had she looked at one and smiled, but that was her reaction. She looked around for her partner, and her grin got bigger. She watched the two of them playing together and had her own flash of what it would be like to have a child with Richard Castle. She allowed herself a moment of wistful indulgence and then scolded herself to get back to work checking for complaints filed with the Taxi and Limo Commission.
An hour later Castle came out to sit in his chair. Beckett didn't look up but said, "Where is your buddy?
"Playing games on my phone. Yes, they are rated G."
The usually stalwart woman still couldn't look up because she was touched. "Alexander has never taken to a stranger before. Usually it takes a lot of time for him to warm up to someone. You really have a way with kids."
"For some reason he thinks he knows me. Care to explain?"
She brushed her hair behind her ear. Beckett appreciated a phone call at just the right time. She answered to hear Esposito calling in to report.
"All the cabs in this company are accounted for at 7 am. I checked the GPS logs myself, and our vic's cab was the only one in the area at that time. No issues with coworkers or problems with the driver."
"Thanks Esposito. The difference between cabs can be pretty subtle, so I'm not surprised he got it wrong."
She hung up and summarized for the team, "We'll assume for now that there are 2 cabs, but not from the same company."
Ryan frowned. He searched for what he wanted from the video footage and hit the print key. Then he took it over to Beckett and Castle. "I assumed there were lots of cabs in the area and only was looking at them before the hit. This one is seconds after the hit." He showed them a clear photo of a matching cab and driver.
Beckett thought out loud, "So how can all the cabs from this company be accounted for and yet here is proof otherwise."
Castle jumped in. "Doppelganger!"
Beckett looked closer. "You're right! Not only does the driver looks similar, but the company and number on the taxi is identical to the victim's. What the hell is going on?" Her voice betrayed her concern. "This isn't random violence and I am getting worried about Alexander's involvement. Let's hear some working possible theories."
Ryan spoke first, "Simple taxi fraud. All the money from the second cab is free and clear, yet they have the cover from the victim's legitimate licensed taxi. One partner got greedy and shot the other."
"Castle?" Her voice was hopeful.
He took a moment, never feeling the pressure of a story more fully. His years of throwing out tall tales and comparing them with the resolution of real life gave him some guidance. He dismissed the wild ideas and sifted through what they knew. He felt the pieces click and tried to articulate them.
"Someone is hiding in plain sight. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to be invisible because there was a double providing cover. Something went very wrong for that cover to be blown. The first cabbie was shot by someone from the backseat of the second taxi. Don't look at the victim; look at the GPS of the cab and find the odd sock."
Beckett saw the logic. "If they don't know that we know about the copy cab, they may not have ditched it yet. We might tip our hand if we put out an APB on it, so let's do what Castle said. Look at the GPS of the taxi. CSU should have it available by now." She looked at Ryan. "Get Esposito back here. We'll look at the victim's residence later."
Castle followed Beckett into the break room. She got a much needed hug from Alexander. The boy smiled as he handed Castle's phone back to him. Beckett gently prodded the youngster, "What do you say?"
"Spaa see ba."
Castle asked Beckett "How do I say, You're welcome?"
She enunciated it for him. "pa ZHAAL oos ta"
He mostly got it right, "PA zhaal OOS ta.
Everybody was grinning. Kids did that to you.
Author's note: Ok I thought I needed to give you guys a break before you totally dismiss the plot. Here is the 1 tidbit that inspired the story: Page 6 of Heat Wave, "… the new Pixar film was out… Nikki made a note to take her niece to it on the weekend." So back in TV land Castle bases Nikki on Becket. Nikki has a niece. I switched from niece to nephew to mix it up. Castle thinks Josh is a lover. Maybe things are not what they seem. Stay tuned!