Title: Sherlock Castle
Author: Dancing Star
Crossover: PSI Factor / Sue Thomas FBEye / Castle
Pairing: Connor / Lindsay, Jack / Sue, Rick / Kate
Rating: 12
Category: AU, Romance, Humor
Content: A wedding is to be celebrated in London. The bride has doubts...
Notes: Up to Valentine's Day, it´s still a while. I wish you a great time anyway.
Sherlock Castle
Kate had never been to London and once again Rick Castle had persuaded her on this trip. She had told him she could dispense with London because Manhattan was great and Rick had responded almost offended. He had asked her if she ever was there, but the question really wasn´t necessary, because it had already been answered. But she loved him and for this reason he had invited Kate to London.
During the flight, Kate had read the guide. "London has been admonished by the EU twice because the PM levels were so bad. So what do you think about this city?", Kate wanted to know.
"This question is an insult," Castle sounded very theatrical, "London is great: It's a giant melting pot of different cultures. There is good food, lots of attractions, historic buildings... "
"You sound like a travel brochure," Kate said to him, "You should write travel brochures, instead of crime novels."
Rick shook his head. "Relax a bit, okay?", he asked, "You promised me."
They picked up their suitcases at the airport and then took a taxi to the hotel. When she got out, Kate thought that Rick had done his job well: He had booked rooms in a fancy hotel in Kensington. If there was a room in one of the higher floors, they might even have a view of Kensington Palace...
They checked in at the reception and got their room key.
"This is awesome," Rick smiled, "Our room number is 007."
"Oh God," Kate murmured, "Castle, would you please... So behave, okay?"
"All right," he repeated terribly seriously.
"It's a bachelor party," she reminded him.
"But that doesn´t mean we can´t have fun," now a voice added and they turned around. Connor, Lindsay, Sue and Jack stood before them. As always, Sue had her hearing dog Levi with her. They had arrived with another plane.
Kate hugged her two friends and told them she was very glad to see them.
"Exactly. And so I have an idea", Rick had meanwhile caught a brochure," How about a trip to Stonehenge?"
"We thought of the Tower Bridge and Big Ben," Sue corrected and smiled. They also checked in and then took their suitcases to the rooms. Later they met in the hallway of the hotel again. "What do we want to do now?", Rick asked. He was as excited as a little kid and his friends couldn´t understand him. As usual, it had been his idea to visit London. And Rick had planned this trip in advance. He had even bought tickets for the subway.
They agreed they wanted to make their way to one of the most famous tourist attractions of the city.
Sue had read the map of the subway was so simple that it had already won all kinds of design awards. With the subway Central Line they traveled to Bond Street station, where they were switched to the Jubilee Line and travelled to Baker Street. As they left the underground, they saw a great Sherlock Holmes Memorial. Rick took a photo of it and of the commemorative plaque. "My goodness, that's great!", he cried, "I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan."
Sue rolled her eyes and smiled. "Who would have thought?"
"But he has never really lived. As far as I know he's a fictional character."
"Created by the Scotsman Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," Rick agreed now and then turned to Connor, "Is he related to you?"
"Not that I know of," Connor shrugged with his shoulders a little helplessly. He had no idea, why everybody thought he was related to Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Actually, Sherlock Holmes wasn´t such an attractive man as the films with Robert Downey Junior mediated: In the novels Holmes was described as thin and tall with a striking nose. This monument shows it... He had a penchant for science, while he couldn´t deal well with interpersonal relationships. Holmes didn´t think much about women, for example. This becomes clear when Doctor Watson wanted to get engaged at the end of the novel "The Sign of Four"."
"How interesting...", one of Rick's friends muttered.
"... Anyway, we can´t visit London without visiting the Sherlock Holmes Museum..."
"We visit the museum after we were at Madame Tussauds," Kate had agreed to visit the famous waxworks and now they stood in a short queue of the VIP entrance (with Ricks help).
"...But Madame Tussauds is boring," Rick yelled, "In there they only have the Royals, Martin Luther King and Rihanna..."
"Sounds like you've been there ...", Kate said.
"One year ago. Alexis has made a school trip to London and they needed more parents who helped in the supervision. And at that time I also visited Madame Tussauds."
"We´d like to see Madame Tussaud's, okay?," Jack finished their discussion, "I bet I know what the problem is. Rick doesn´t like Madame Tussauds because there is no wax figure of him," Jack heard Lindsay, Sue and Kate softly laughing.
"Hey...", Castle sounded offended and Jack assumed he had hit the mark.
Rick showed the tickets at the VIP entrance and they were allowed to enter.
"We shouldn´t stay too long," Sue suggested while they took a photo of a London Bobby at the entrance, "Today we have another appointment," Sue said, "We still need to purchase a wedding dress and the rest of us also needs clothes for the wedding. "
Rick had proposed this trip to London, but his friends had the idea that the city was an ideal, somewhat unusual place for a wedding. So they decided to kill two birds with one stone.
They returned to the hotel late that evening because after the visit at Madame Tussaud's they took a bus tour through the city and then visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum because Castle wanted that. Kate and Lindsay inquired after dinner at the reception for a good bridal shop and the front desk lady Angie was very curious.
"Who of you will marry?", Angie wanted to know. Lindsay was just about to answer her when she was interrupted by Castle. "I have an idea," he cried, "We should..."
"Castle, not now," Kate said, "We were just about to ask for a good bridal shop." She then turned back to Angie. "Can you help us?"
"There should be some good bridal shops in Waterloo," Angie, who was sitting behind the counter, said, "I know a shop at Lambeth Road, but I don´t know the exact address... You can use the computer to find out the address."
Kate and Lindsay thanked her and then they made their way to the computers which were located near the entrance of the hotel. "So, Castle. What did you want to say?", Kate asked him now.
"I have found the ultimate place for a wedding," he said.
"I thought we would have organized everything from home," Lindsay recalled him and Castle rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Kate found the website of the bridal shop, the reception lady had described. They wrote down the address. "We could take the subway. The Bakerloo Line stops near this place", Lindsay suggested.
Angie's shift was now at an end. She came to them in her casual clothes. "Did you find out the address of the shop?", she asked.
"Yes, thank you for your help."
"So, which one of you is the bride?"
They spent the next sunny day at the London Eye and after they had eaten a bite at the pier, they found themselves in the queue for the London Eye. The queue was quickly and while Robin Thicke´s "Blurred Lines" echoed over the pier, they reached the ticket counter and were allowed to enter one of the 32 capsules on the London Eye. The city of London had 32 districts and for this reason the big wheel had 32 capsules.
Their capsule went up and they admired the beautiful view. It was a sunny day and the water of the Thames glittered (the water was brown due to ship traffic).
Sue watched as her friends admired city. She started when Jack suddenly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pointed to something in the distance. She felt he was saying something, because he leaned his cheek against hers and she felt the movements. But Sue had no idea what exactly he said. Then he put his arm back around her and kissed her temple.
Even more doubt gnawed at Sue: She loved Jack. Of Course. And she knew he loved her too, but she wondered if she had ever earned him. One of his ex-girlfriends was the trigger for her doubts: They had met Jenny at Bobby's birthday party one week ago and Jack had introduced Sue as his fiancé (what was true because Jack had previously asked in a romantic dinner, if she wanted to marry him). Jenny and Sue had been pleased with this encounter. Jenny told them she was now married and three months pregnant. She looked happy, Sue thought. Then Jenny's husband came to them and they continued talking. Suddenly Jenny asked, while Jack was getting drinks for them, why Sue had brought her dog. It was uncomfortable to explain to her that Levi was no ordinary dog. Sue had never felt such a feeling before. Maybe it was just that Jenny was one of Jack's ex-girlfriends, but... Luckily, Jenny's husband rescued the situation and apologized afterwards. When Jack and Sue were back home that night and went to sleep, Sue thought a long time about the encounter with Jenny. She thought of the horrified face of the woman, when she told her she was deaf. Sue had seen that look many times before. In words, this look meant as much as: "I can´t believe Jack has chosen her." Ultimately, Sue came to the conclusion Jack had asked her only out of sympathy, even if he said that he loved her.
Sue was relieved when the ride on the London Eye was finally over and she no longer had to deal with her thoughts.
After the ride on the Ferris wheel they crossed the Westminster Bridge and then ran on the Queen's Walk along the Thames, till they came to a boat dock. When Jack walked into a sailboat, Sue asked what he was doing. "I told you at the London Eye," he said, "Even though Rick has booked this trip in detail for all of us," Jack then turned to Rick and bowed, "For what we are really thankful, Rick... I want to invite you to a sailing trip on the Thames. This is our boat."
Connor and Lindsay were the first to come on board. Lindsay though this was not a sailing boat as Jack called it, but a ship. "I thought you need a sailing license," Connor muttered, as he walked past Jack.
"Don´t worry: Everything is save," Jack explained. Sue and Levi were the last who entered the ship and he obtained the access plank, "There are life jackets for all."
"How reassuring," Kate muttered. They sat down on the deck and watched as Jack took care of the mast alone and the sail boat left the dock. Connor and Lindsay hoped that Jack didn´t mind when they wore life vests, despite his obvious talent.
They were already in the middle of the River Thames, when a passenger boat passed them.
"We are pretty slow," Sue stated, "No matter where Jack wants to sail with us: With this speed we'll never get there."
"No problem, I can take care of if," said Jack and then he asked Rick to take the helm. Rick did him the favor and so they watched as Jack ran to the rear of the small sailing ship and let a motor into the water. He pulled switched on the speed control and then again.
"Shit," Jack called.
"What do you mean?", Lindsay asked worried. She turned to look at Jack and Lindsay informed Sue of what had just happened.
"The engine has eaten the speed control- cord," Jack answered. He knew it was uncanny bad luck that something like this happened in the middle of the River Thames. As every day the ship traffic on the river was plentiful and it was dangerous to float on the water. Jack then turned to his crew, "Connor, give me the anchor."
"Which anchor?", Connor wanted to know. He looked around on deck and couldn´t see something that looked like an anchor. When Lindsay and Kate were going to protest, Jack reassured them by saying he had his cell phone with him and was able to call the boat owner.
The owner of the sailing ship arrived half an hour later with a small motor boat and at first he helped them to retrieve the anchor from a metal box. After the sailing ship had anchored, Jack had to help the owner's with fixing the engine completely. So their day was over, because it was evening, until they had fixed the engine and then had to return to the pier because the ship shouldn´t be on the water in the dark. On the way to the pier Jack apologized nearly a thousand times. When they arrived at the hotel, they froze and were soaked because there had been a rain shower. Jack tried to apologize again for ruining this day, but Kate was snapped she didn´t want to hear it. She just hoped they wouldn´t catch cold.
After Kate had a hot shower in her hotel room and she came out of the bathroom, she saw Rick sitting on the bed. He tapped on the keyboard of his laptop. "What are you doing?" , Kate asked curiously as she sat on the bed.
"I´m writing a scene," he replied, grinning at her, "I think Nikki and Rook should take a boat tour."
"No, don´t do that," Kate asked, "You can´t write about our terrible boat trip in your next book."
"You´re right," before Rick shut down the laptop, he still clicked on "Save". Then he turned to Kate and asked gently, "Are you still angry because the boat trip was pretty awful?"
"No, but I hope we won´t get a cold. That would ruin the wedding, "she smiled and was amazed that it wasn´t his fault this time. Nevertheless, she felt vindicated that in New York it would have been better and she told him: "This is a terrible country."
"It´s a strange country," Rick corrected her, " Christmas was abolished in 1647in England by law. In addition, there is a law which forbids the citizens to shoot objects into space. An interstellar invasion should therefore be avoided... That's pretty crazy if you ask me..."
"Do you think?"
"Kate Beckett", Rick sounded surprised, "And that´s coming out of your mouth. I thought you don´t believe in Martians."
"I don´t believe in them."
"Really...?", Rick crawled across the bed and came to Kate. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
Lindsay sneezed when she took a warm sweater out of the closet in her and Connor's hotel room. "You should take a shower," Connor suggested.
"Yes, I know," she confirmed then she looked in the closet after dry pants.
"Are you hungry? Shall we have dinner at the hotel restaurant?, "he asked and was relieved that she agreed. Otherwise, he would order fish and chips in another small restaurant.
The hotel's restaurant wasn´t expecting chic clothing for dinner, so they decided to have a nice evening. The waiter came and brought them a bottle of champagne "For the happy couple," he said to them, "On the house."
"Thank you," Lindsay was surprised and smiled. When the waiter had gone, she asked Connor if he had told him about her engagement. "I suppose he knows from Angie," he explained, "This is a relatively small hotel. Either people think it´s exciting that someone has chosen their hotel for a honeymoon, or this is not often."
Then they clinked their champagne.
"Nevertheless, I have a feeling it will be a very nice wedding."
Thanks to the computer in the hotel lobby they had actually found a good bridal shop in Waterloo. Kate, Lindsay and Sue took the subway there the next morning. A little bell rang when they opened the door to the bridal shop. "Hello," Lindsay called, because there was no one to see, although the "Open" - sign was hanging in the door.
"Here I am," a woman purred. She came from the back of the shop. On her wrist hung a pincushion and a measuring tape was wrapped around her shoulders. Her name was Lilly, which recognized the three at the name tag on her blazer.
"Do you have some time for us?," Sue asked, "We are looking for a wedding dress."
"You have an American accent," the seller stated.
"Yes, we have planned to get married here in London."
"Which of you is the bride?", Lilly wanted to know.
"We are all looking for a fancy dress for the wedding."
"So you are the bridesmaids?"
"No," Kate replied, "One of us will definitely get married"
The seller's brow wrinkles. "But it would be easier if you tell me who."
"We decided spontaneously…"
"Spontaneously?", Lilly now didn´t understand.
Lindsay was about to reply, but at that moment, the door to the store opened again and Connor, Jack and Rick entered. "What are you doing here?", Kate asked, "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding in her dress."
"That's no problem," the saleswoman said to them, "We also have a men's department." She led Connor, Rick and Jack in the men's department and said: "Let me guess: You can´t tell me who of you is the groom."
"You look beautiful in that dress," Lindsay said to Sue, as she came out of the looker room with a strapless wedding dress.
"Thanks, you too," Sue said. She thought that Lindsay looked pretty in her wedding dress. Kate had left the two alone for only five minutes to get the champagne and bringing a cake. When she returned, she found that her friends were trying on wedding dresses.
"You should try on a dress, too", Lindsay suggested.
"First, we should vacate the cake out of the firing line," Kate had a premonition that a wedding dress and raspberry cake wouldn´t get along with each other. But Lindsay insisted that Kate was trying on a dress and because she didn´t want to be a party pooper, Kate finally did as she was told. When she came out of the locker room, Lindsay and Sue still sat in their wedding clothes on the couch and ate raspberry cake and drank champagne. They stopped breath as they saw how beautiful Kate looked in the strapless dress and long veil.
Lilly, who now came back from the rear of the shop, noted that they seemed to amuse perfectly. She still had no idea which one of them was actually the bride and also the men didn´t tell her a useful word.
"I feel pretty stupid," Kate confessed.
"Oh, come on!", Lindsay sounded upset, "Haven´t you ever dreamed of a wedding like a princess when you were a little girl?"
"No," Kate replied and Lindsay and Sue simultaneously rolled their eyes.
"Hey Lilly, did you...?", Looking after the shop owner Rick had ended up in the bridal department and held his breath when he saw his girlfriend in this dress. Her eyes widened in shock. He wasn´t allowed to see her, otherwise...!
"Kate, you... You look beautiful ...", Rick muttered. He had momentarily forgotten Lilly and came instead to Kate. She protested that it was only a joke, but he was stronger and pulled her in for a kiss to. Then he whispered something in her ear, let her go and then went back to the men's department.
Kate decided she also needed a glass of champagne after this fright and she sat down with her friends and drank a glass. "What did Rick just say to you?", Lindsay wanted to know.
A grin flashed across Kate's face. "He said he didn´t regret having asked me if I wanted to marry him."
Lindsay was shocked when she saw in the mirror how Sue tore the curtain to her dressing room to the side and entered. She was just about to get help from Lilly to get rid of the wedding dress.
"Can we talk?", Sue wanted to know.
"Would it be very bad if I first get dressed in my own things?", Lindsay asked. She watched as Sue left the locker room and when Lilly had made it five minutes later, to free her from the corsage, which was a part of the wedding dress, she left the cabin in her own clothes. "What´s wrong?", Lindsay asked worried.
"What are we doing here?", Sue asked.
"Oh, come on Sue. Everything was just a bit of fun." Even Kate had joined which wasn´t commonplace for her.
"I mean," Sues face was terribly serious, "I'm scared... I think that Jack will soon regret to have asked me if I wanted to be his wife."
"What? Why?" Lindsay didn´t understand why she said this.
Their conversation was interrupted when Connor came to them.
"Lindsay, what do you think of this shirt?", he asked. He was wearing a beige shirt and brown suit.
Lindsay opened her mouth to answer, but Sue did this before: "It doesn´t fit you."
Connor rolled his eyes and walked into the dressing room, from which he had come.
"What about it?", He asked, now returned with a black velvet jacket.
"Connor!", Lindsay cried, "Sue and I have to talk in private... With this jacket you look like Hugh Hefner. "
Connor muttered something under his breath as he left.
"I'm sorry," Lindsay apologized for her fiancé and turned to Sue again, "Why are you afraid that Jack will regret? He loves you." She didn´t even let her an opportunity to explain her doubts," I've never seen anyone who is more in love than you and Jack."
"What about you and Connor?"
"Yes," Lindsay grimaced then smiled, "Apart from us... How did you get that idea?" They sat down together on the couch on which they had eaten the raspberry tart hours ago. Levy came to them and comforting laid his head on Sue's knees.
"We have recently met one of his ex-girlfriends," Sue told, "And since I get the feeling that he..." Tears welled up in Sue's eyes, "...That he deserves someone better. Someone who can hear his voice and who doesn´t need a hearing dog the whole day. " She apologized to Levy for this remark, sobbed and Lindsay hugged her.
At this moment, Connor came back from the dressing room, "Can I wear this?"
"Connor, get out!", Lindsay cried, shaking her head in disbelief. Connor shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
"How do you like that?", Rick now asked. He pulled the curtain aside and entered, wearing a long, plaid coat and a matching Deerstalker, the typical Sherlock Holmes hat. He put on a pipe.
"What is it?", Sue and Lindsay wanted to know. Rick seemed to have had its effect, because Sue had to laugh when she saw him. She wiped her tears from her face.
Lilly appeared immediately and tried to lead Rick into the back of the shop, "Oh, he has discovered the shelf with the costumes for themed weddings," she said, "Believe it or not, but there are also people who want a Sherlock Holmes-themed wedding." Rick wanted to know if she maybe had to offer the perfect Victorian dress for a lady, but Lilly said no. They heard Rick complaining, but Kate breathed out relieved. Rick went back into the dressing room, while Lindsay still cared about Sue. When they left the store, there was not a trace on Sue's face she had been crying.
I know your inside, you're feeling so hollow
And it's a hard pill for you to swallow
But if I fall for you, I'll never recover
If I fall for you, I'll never be the same
I really wanna love somebody
I really wanna dance the night away
I know we're only half way there
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way
I really wanna touch somebody
I think about you every single day
I know we're only half way there
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way ("Love somebody" by Maroon 5)
They didn´t know how relieved Lilly was when they left the store hours later. But even more Lilly seemed to have rejoiced that everybody found something nice.
"What do we do now?", Lindsay asked, after she had put her bag to her room in the hotel. The bag was made of paper. Sue had told her that she has never been shopping in a store, which gave high- quality paper bags to its customers.
"I have an idea," Rick said, "What do you think of the London Dungeon?"
"Maybe we should choose something that isn´t intended for tourists and we therefore have to wait three hours," suggested Connor. Unfortunately, that was the truth. In London, queues formed in front of each tourist attraction.
"Let's go for dinner." That was Kate's idea and everybody agreed.
So they later met in a restaurant. They talked about the upcoming wedding tomorrow, about the day in the bridal shop and about other things.
Only one person didn´t say a word and sipped worried on her wine glass...
Kate and Lindsay had ordered a hairdresser for the next morning and during the man took care of Kate's hair, Lindsay put on her dress. She left the bathroom. "How do you like it?", she asked, Kate's eyes lit up. "This looks very nice ... Where is Sue? She's pretty late..."
Lindsay also glanced at the digital clock beside the bed. "Yes, you're right. I'm going to see her." She went out of the room and knocked at Sue's room. As far as she knew, Jack had already left: He and Connor had gathered in Rick's room so they could get ready. Lindsay and Kate had met in Lindsay's room while the bride should have her own room for the preparations.
Worriedly, Lindsay knocked. "Sue," she said, "Sue, are you there?" She pressed her ear against the door and wondered why she didn´t hear Levi barking. When nothing happened, she knocked again. This time impatiently. "Sue? Sue, answer the door. Please."
Again nothing happened. Lindsay made her way to the hotel reception. She asked the lady who worked there if she had seen a blonde woman with a dog leaving the hotel.
"She left an hour ago," the receptionist replied.
"What? Where? Did she tell you where she wanted to go?"
"Sorry, no. But she has got into a taxi."
"Which company?"
"London Cabby, I think..."
Lindsay thanked for pointing out and ran as fast as she could back to her room. There, the hairdresser was now ready with Kate's hair. Countless large curlers were put on her head. "We're done. Now it´s your turn", the man said , when he saw Lindsay.
"Not now ... Kate, we have a problem. Sue disappeared."
"Is this a joke?", Kate asked, "I've extra bought a new dress for her wedding yesterday..." And Lilly's Bridal shop wasn´t favorable.
Kate got up from her chair. "What do we do now?"
"The reception lady has seen how she has driven away in a taxi from London Cabby. I suggest we call there and ask where the driver has taken her to."
"Good idea," Kate pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number of the switch. Then she was connected to the headquarters of London Cabby. They asked which driver picked up a young woman with dog about an hour ago, at Kensington Hotel and where he had brought them. The woman on the other end of the line told them that the driver of the morning shift weren´t available and could be asked at 16:00 clock at the latest. "And how do you divide your drivers to the individual orders if you can´t reach them?", Kate asked at this moment the owner of the taxi hung up.
"So, this is a dead end."
"Let´s search Sues room. Maybe we'll find out if she has taken her passport", Lindsay suggested and she hoped this wasn´t the case, because that meant Sue wanted to leave the country.
They made their way to Sue and Jack's room. The wedding dress was still hanging in front of the cabinet-packed in a garment bag.
"She hasn´t even touched the dress," Kate stated, "She has got cold feet ..."
"Sue has also left no message," Lindsay checked the small desk that stood in the fine hotel room. The breakfast tray, which was brought by the room service, was unaffected. "Do you think Jack knew about it?"
"Probably not," Kate suggested, "If he had known of her doubts, he would have said something and it would have been different."
Lindsay kew her friend was right.
"What would have been different?", a voice suddenly asked and the two turned around. Jack stood in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?", Lindsay asked.
"The same can I also ask you... I was on my way to reception. I wanted to ask if the limo is coming on time", he waited for that they would tell him now, why they were there. But nothing like that happened. "And?", he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"We... um ..." Lindsay didn´t find any suitable answer.
"Where is my future wife?," Jack asked.
"We don´t know," said Lindsay.
"What do you mean?"
"We don´t know where Sue is," Kate explained and she decided she had to tell him the truth, "The reception lady saw how she left the building an hour ago."
"Damn," he turned, "Why is she doing that?"
"Then I may have an answer," Lindsay admitted, "She has strong doubts if she´s the one for you," but then she had to correct herself, "Sue believes you deserve someone who is better than her . Someone who can hear."
"That's not true!", Jack exclaimed, "She is the best thing that ever happened to me in life."
"We know that," Kate's voice was very quiet, "But Sue doesn´t seem to know."
"We should look for her."
"We agree. However, we only know which taxi company she had used. We already have called there, but supposedly they can´t ask the drivers from the morning shift before 4:00 p.m."
Jack seemed to have an idea, because he fumbled for his cell phone. "I suggest we order a taxi."
The taxi from London Cabby was waiting for them fifteen minutes later. The driver was surprised when three men in suits and two women in purple bridesmaid dresses sat to the back seats.
"Where do you want to go?", the man asked.
"Have you already been to this hotel today?"
"No. I picked up some people in Paddington and took them to the airport. ´Took a long time in the city traffic."
Connor and Rick were informed meanwhile. They wondered if there was something that Sue took the incentive to cancel their wedding. "No, we... We had no problems... ", Jack said and then he remembered something. "Oh no," he leaned his head against the headrest of the back seat, "We have recently met Jenny, one of my ex-girlfriends."
"You know now where I should take you to?", the taxi driver asked indignantly, "The meter is already running." Taxi driving was very expensive in London.
"I don´t know... uh, bring us to the Tower Bridge," Lindsay said.
"Tower Bridge? Why?", Rick asked, while the driver drove off. Lindsay had no idea why they should go to the Tower Bridge. She had a premonition.
"Let´s think," Kate suggested, "Where could Sue have gone?" While they talked, the taxi had already left Hyde Park and Green Park with Buckingham Palace behind. The driver steered the car on a road that led along the Thames. Then they drove on towards Tower Bridge.
"That's it!," Rick said suddenly, "She's on the boat!"
"How do...", Kate asked, but Lindsay interrupted her already and turned to the taxi driver: "Can you turn around and take us to Lambeth Bridge?"
The sailboat still anchored on a pier between Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge and they saw that Levi was on deck and barked while they came closer. "Thank God, she's there," Jack called while he entered the board. He was looking for his fiancé and found her below deck. "What are you doing to me?", He asked as he hugged her. Because Sue couldn´t hear him, she didn´t understand what had happened. She pulled away from him. "Why are you here?", she asked.
"Why are YOU here? Won´t you marry me?"
"Yes, but... You deserve someone who is better than me."
"So someone who doesn´t exist and you know," he held her by the arms, "I love you, Sue."
"I love you too, but..."
"You´re thinking about the meeting with Jenny the other day, right?"
"Yes," she nodded, "And I can´t…"
While the two were talking below deck, Rick, Kate, Connor and Lindsay sat on the deck on a crate and waited. Only then Kate realized she was still wearing her curlers. She pulled some of them out of her hair.
"How did you know where she is, Sherlock?", Kate wanted to know impressed by Rick.
"Don´t know," he replied and then he said something that was a complete surprise to Richard Castle. "I think that was intuition."
A noise at the door caught their attention and they turned around. Sue and Jack came out and both smiled. "Did you talk to each other?", Rick asked and Jack nodded.
"Yes, it was all a big misunderstanding," Sue admitted, "I was ... I don´t know how to say... I was scared. Afraid that Jack couldn´t love me and the baby, because..."
"The baby?", Lindsay and Kate repeated incredulously.
Sue nodded and her friends congratulated her. "Let us go," Rick suggested when the euphoria died down, "Here on the ship it´s cold and I think we still have to do a wedding."
Sue smiled. They set out together on the way back to the hotel where they were preparing again for the celebration.
For Sue it was the most beautiful day of her life. And she owed this to her husband and to her closest friends.
Fin
