By the time Beckett pulled up to the loft she knew without a doubt that her son was safe and sounds on the floors above. She felt foolish now for calling to the station to tell the boys that she would be taking a little detour to home sighting her lack of sleep. They knew different and assured her that they would cover for her with Gates. Grey's words still haunted her and Beckett wished she was strong enough to let them just roll off and go back to work. She wasn't.
Beckett unlocked the door, entered, and quickly locked it behind her. She even threw the dead bolt. The living room and kitchen was empty causing alarms to off in her head. It was barley ten in the morning both father and son should be wreaking havoc. Then she thought of how tired they would have been thanks to the night mares and early morning visit to the hospital. Knowing her mind wouldn't be at ease until she saw Nate, Beckett started up the stairs.
Finding the bedroom door open, Beckett silently slipped inside to see her three and a half year old son sprawled on his back snoring lightly. One of his arms was thrown over his eyes and his legs were massively tanged in his Mets sheet he had tried to kick off during his slumber. A perfect match to how his father slept. Now Beckett felt foolish for letting that bastard get to her. Nate was safe. The house was locked and the building was hard to get into. Plus he had a cop for a mother and a father who would do anything to keep him safe. There was no way Grey could do to touch them.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Scooping up her son's beloved green dragon that had been carelessly dropped on the floor, she sat in the rocking chair beside her son's bed. God she was so tired. The events of last night and this morning were catching up to her making it hard for Beckett to keep her eyes open. Sleep deprivation! Yeah that's what she was going to chalk this up. If she wasn't so damn tired then she would have been able to put her wall up and never allow Grey to get to her.
Rubbing a towel over his damp hair, Castle padded across the living room in just his jeans. Out of habit, he glanced at the front door to make sure it was locked and paused halfway from sitting on the couch. The dead bolt was latched. He remembered coming home balancing his drowsy son and locking the bottom lock because his daughter and Jeremy were going to stop by once released from the hospital. Looking around the loft for signs of them, he noticed his son's bedroom door was open.
With several worse case scenarios running through his writer brain, Castle took two steps at a time until he was in Nate's open doorway. His shoulder relaxed and his heart softened at the sight of his wife dozing in the chair at their son's bed side holding his beloved dragon. It was such a sight that he couldn't resist fishing out his phone from his pocket to snap a picture. The soft click of the shutter was enough to cause Beckett to stir. Smiling, he leaned against the door frame and watched her shake the sleep from her eyes. "Hey."
She smiled, that million dollar smile that could turn the writer into a puddle, and replied, "Hey yourself."
The smile didn't ease the line of worry etched on her brow. He crossed to room and knelt in front of her. "What's wrong?"
It seemed so stupid to have let Grey stir her up. So Beckett just let it go for now. "Just been a long night." She ran her fingers over the growth on his chin, "You're looking ruggedly handsome there Mr. Castle."
His face lit up, "Why thank you Mrs. Castle. C'mon let's get out of here before the monster awakes. He was a bear to get to bed."
She took the hand he offered, allowed him to pull her to her feet, and rewarded him with a kiss that left her seeing stars. That was something she would never grow tired of. After six years of marriage Beckett was waiting for that spark that hunger for him to die down but it never did. Smiling, Beckett brushed her nose against his before turning to drop a soft kiss on her son's brow. It seemed like every time she blinked it seemed the boy grew leaps and bounds. Her job had made her miss this first time he stood up, his first words, which had been 'dragon' much to Castle's amusement, and a half dozen other moments. Beckett wondered how many other things she would miss. "We are going to need a bigger bed before we know it." Carefully, she untangled the Mets sheet and recovered Nate. He maybe had a half a foot left before his feet would hang over the edge. He was going to be a tall one that's for sure.
Her gloomy mood fluttered away when Castle's arms came around her waist from behind. She leaned against his chest, "Do you want another one?"
"Another bed." Castle perched his chin on her shoulder pleased to see her smiling. Having more children wasn't something they really talked about. Not after the loss of the first baby. They decided then that if they had children they did and if they didn't well there were other options like adoption. After a few false positives and another heart breaking miscarriage, Nathan came along. "I think the world can handle another mini Castle. Or two." Castle nuzzled her neck as they shuffled out of the bedroom. "Maybe three."
"Three?" Beckett looked back. One seemed like that's all they were going to get. When Nate was a year she found herself pregnant but just like the first it had ended in a miscarriage. Since then they really hadn't talked about more children because she didn't want to go through the heart ache again. Twice was just too much. But this was one of those rare times where the horrible past didn't matter. For a few moments they could be just a normal couple discuss the future. "How many kids do you plan to have?"
"A basketball teams worth. Maybe a baseball team." The thought made the writer smile, "We can call it Team Caskett."
Her nose wrinkled at the name, "that's terrible."
"What it fits up so perfectly. The writer and the cop." He twirled her around, "When do you have to be back?"
Her lips curved at the suggestion in his voice, "Well I told the boys I was going to take an hour or so. When is Alexis and Jeremy coming?"
"Not sure maybe an hour."
"Well then." Beckett linked her arms around her husband's neck Grey's words completely forgotten. "Why don't try and give Nate a team mate."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0
He'd gone blind or maybe he was dead. Castle figured it wasn't such a bad way to go. Death by mind blowing sex was something he could live with. Once he could string two thoughts together he came to the conclusion that he would live to see another day. "Not that I'm complaining." He managed to turn on his side. "What caused this impromptu visit?"
"Well I planned on a nap." Beckett blew her hair from her eyes since she couldn't seem to move at the moment. "But I liked this plan better."
That didn't sound right. Beckett was built to run on as little sleep as possible thanks to her many years on the force and being a mother. No something had prompted her to come home and Castle had a hunch what it might have been. "You went to the prison didn't you? To tell him."
Beckett sighed. There was no really hiding anything from him even if she wanted to. "I wanted to see his reaction. I wanted-." She held up a hand and made useless motions when the words didn't come out.
Thankfully she didn't have to see he did know her so well. "You wanted to see if he was remotely human. What did he say?"
"Before or after I broke his nose." Beckett cracked open to see his head popped up wearing an expression mixed with surprise. She shouldn't have done it, should have had the control, but damn It, it had felt good. Plus the bastard deserved it after everything he did.
After fighting it for a few moments a smile broke out across his face, "You broke his nose?"
Beckett just shrugged, "He was running his mouth."
"The guard didn't report you?"
"I think he silently applauded me to perfectly honest."
Placing his hand on her cheek, he forced her to look at him, "Talk to me Kate."
"He said things about Alexis. About Nathan." She felt him stiffen. "He said that we couldn't protect our family from the monsters."
Though his insides were twisting, Castle kept his voice clear and his face stoic. "He's in jail KB. He can do nothing to us. He's out of our lives."
"Why doesn't it feel like it? Alexis still looks over her should as if she expecting Grey to be around the corner." Castle's face softened and she knew he had noticed it to. Of course he had, he was a writer and caught every detail. Letting out a long groan, Beckett tosseled her hair and pushed into a sitting position. "All right I'm dropping it. You're right he's out of our lives. Now I'm going to shower and solve a murder."
"Now that's my girl."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Beckett made it back to the station just before noon. The boys had been hard at work setting up the murder board and were busy on the phone. Waving a hello, she shrugged out of her jacket and took a seat behind her desk to wait.
"So Beckett."
The woman in question tensed at the sound of the captain's voice. Beckett's gaze whirled around the room trying to find an escape of a distraction. Damn it where was Castle when she needed him. Gates reached her desk before Beckett could make a break for it. "Good afternoon, Sir."
"I just got an interesting phone call." Gates crossed her arms over her chest with her glasses twirling in her fingers. The Lieutenant squirmed in her seat tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and Gates had to bite the inside of her cheek to her from smiling. "The warden called wondering how one of his inmates ended up in the infirmary with a broken nose after talking to one of my people."
Beckett flushed. She felt like a kid in the damn principal's office. "Umm about that."
"Mr. Greenstone told the nurse that he tripped and the guard backs it up." Gates leaned against the desk, "But the warden isn't convinced. I told him an officer under my command would be nothing but professional while engaging with an inmate."
She was giving her a way out. Beckett felt the tension ease from her shoulders. It had taken them a while to find common ground. There had been lots of locking horns, disobeying orders, and punishment. But finally the two women trusted each other. Had each other's back even now when she had done something so stupid. Beckett now saw the woman in equal light as she did with Montgomery. "You know how hard it is to walk in full chains."
"Right." Gates glared at her before her gaze softened. "Don't let it happen again."
"Of course sir."
"How is Officer Dunn?"
"Recovering quite nicely at the loft. Painkillers." Beckett said in way of explaining.
"Recovering?" This came from Ryan who was the first to get off the phone. "What happened?"
"Jeremy was involved in a shootout earlier this morning." Beckett felt bad that in all the commotion of the day she didn't inform the boys. They had taken the rookie under their wings and were fiercely protective of him. Together they all had kept an eye out while Jeremy gained his footing with the department. "One clipped him in the bicep it was a clean shot and the other grazed his leg. They said he would be able to return to week in a couple of weeks."
Ryan paled, "How did Alexis take it?"
"As well as expected." It was his mother who could have reacted better. Beckett still didn't know the whole story. Just that they arrived at the loft and Jeremy looked ten times worse than he did at the hospital. From what she gathered from her stepdaughter, Sarah had reacted badly. Heat words were thrown around in the ER and Sarah had even over stepped by calling her son a failure as a cop. Alexis had mentioned his mother had even said his father would be ashamed. "Maybe you, Jenny, and the boys can come over for dinner? I think he needs all the distraction he can get right now."
"Of course."
"Now." Switching gears, Beckett gestured to the murder board, "What have we got so far?"
"Well as we suspected the cause of dead was blood lose. One of the stab wounds had nicked an artery in her thigh. She bled out in minutes." Ryan took a seat in Castle's usual chair once the captain made her way back to her office. "The maid said that the victim basically lived the life of a hermit. She didn't leave the house much maybe a few times a month."
Beckett took the ME's report that he offered and skimmed through it. "She had cancer?"
"Stage four breast cancer. She stopped doing chemo over a month ago and hired an in home caretaker about two weeks ago.."
"We have a name?"
Ryan flipped through his small notepad, "The maid said his name was Parker Andrews and was hired by a temp agency. The contract was given out by Homecare Medical. Apparently he was given a key and the alarm in case the victim couldn't answer the door."
"Did you run his name? Get an address?" By the look on his face he had and Beckett was already on her feet slipping on her jacket.
"All right thanks." Hanging up the phone, Esposito was on his feet. "That was Homecare Medical and Parker Andrews didn't check in today. All temp employees are supposed to check in and send reports on their charges twice a day. He missed his morning call."
"Let's go."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Beckett bounded her closed fist on the door for the third time. "Parker Andrews NYPD open the door." Once again they were greeted with silence. They had no cause to break open the door even though they three officers were itching to get inside.
The super jiggled his keys until he found the right one, "Here." The door swung open and they were met with an eerie silence.
Beckett's weapon was in her hands, "Stay here." She told the super and looked to the two detectives, their weapons out and ready. With a nod, the trio entered the apartment with their guns poised forward and their gazes sweeping the open living room. There was a mount of old take out on the coffee table and beer bottles littered the floor.
There was a musky smell in the air told Beckett that who ever lived her hadn't put much effort in cleaning. But there was something else. A ting of a pungent smell that could only belong to death lingered. "Bedroom." She gestured with her weapon and Esposito was on her six sweeping the room as they went. Outside the door they took position on either side while Ryan stayed just around the corner in case they needed back up. "Okay one. Two."
On three the Hispanic detective kicked the door open going in high while Beckett went in low. After a few moments of taking in the room, Esposito relaxed, "clear."
Beckett had taken the bathroom and came up short when she pulled back the shower current. "In here." Covering her mouth the block the stench, she pulled out her phone. They had found Parker Andrew all right. But judging by decomp on his body he had been dead for some time.
"What is he covered in?" Ryan asked inching closer to the tub. The decomposing body was sitting in what looked like colored grits of sand.
"Kitty litter." Esposito supplied his nose scrunching up in disgust, "Helps mask the smell."
"He's been here awhile."
"Yet some one was living in his apartment and assuming his identity." Beckett hung up her phone. "The question is why and who."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A half an hour later and the apartment was crawling with CSU. Beckett had them collected some of the discarded beer bottles hoping that whoever had been posing as Parker would have left prints. The question going through her mind was why someone who want to take over this man's life. It wasn't a glamorous one. He was basically a glorified baby sister, spending most of his days picking up after elderly people who were just waiting to die. Going through his very plan apartment, she didn't find anything of real value. The most expensive thing Parker owned was a PS3 and a flat screen tv. Both that had seen a lot of use recently.
Ryan walked out from the kitchen flipping through a large stack of mail with gloved hands. "Mail is here is about two weeks old. Talked to the neighbors to and they said they haven't seen much of Parker in that time frame. I mean they heard him come and go but it was usually at odd hours. Whoever was taking over Parker's life did that to remain unseen."
"It's safe to say that Parker wasn't the real target." Beckett picked up a photo of their latest victim. The man was in his mid-forties with a half of head of hair and weighted close to two hundred pounds.
"You think Elissa was?"
"Why not? She was closing in on death, had no relatives, and had quite a bit of money. Espo." Struck with a thought, Beckett turned to the detective in question. "I want to keep a tap on Elissa's bank account and monitor it for any withdrawals."
"Shouldn't we just freeze the account?" He asked as was normal protocol.
"No he might try to use it and if he does we can find him." Right now it was the best. They didn't even know what this imposter Parker looked like or even his real name so they had nothing else to go on. Hopefully the man would slip up. "I want to talk to the maid and see if she can give us a description."
0o0o0o0o0o00o0o
Tired, Beckett settled in the break room with a full cup of coffee and her notepad. Across the table sat the Hispanic maid that had greeted her at the front door almost seven years ago. She didn't look so regel anymore, Beckett mused, so full of herself. "Miss Ferandez."
"Call me Leola." The woman spoke in a soft broken voice.
Beckett watched the woman push around the stirrer in her coffee absently and it hit her that she was grieving. Elissa must have been more than just a simple boss to Leola. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"She was a good woman. No one will remember that." There was so much sadness in her voice. "All she will be remembered for is raising a monster. Does he know?"
"I went to the prison today to inform him."
"He didn't care did he?" Leola saw the answer on the lieutenant's face. "He blamed her. After all the pain he caused he blamed her. "
"How long have you worked for Mrs. Greenstone?" Beckett asked trying to get the line of conversation back on track.
"For twenty years. My mother worked for her and her family before that. She really was a kind lady. That husband of hers was another story."
"He abused her and her son?"
"He hardly touched the boy."
"When I talked to her she had told me that he had made sure that no staff was around. How did you know?" Beckett wondered.
"Elissa confided in my mother then me when she passed. A lot of staff came and went."
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Greenstone' temper would spill over. Could be one of the ground keeps cut the grass wrong, or the cook burnt his meal. Every incident would be paid off my Elissa. The women that he would force himself onto would be set up for life on the other side of the state." Leola report casting her eyes down in shame. She should have been strong enough to call the police. To stop the violence that when on in the house, but Elissa had begged her for confidence. "She was such a proud woman."
"The man you know as Parker Andrews was an imposter." Beckett slid the photo that she took from the apartment across the table. "The real Parker Andrews was killed two weeks ago after the contracted had already been sent. "
"Why would anyone do that?"
"The real target was Mrs. Greenstone. She was elderly, alone, and wealthy all things that make a perfect target for a con. Did anyone know that she was sick?"
Leola took a moment to think, "No. I mean her lawyer knew because she had drafted up a will. She had lost contact with anyone who was a friend after her son was convicted. Her life has been very lonely over the last several years. The only people she saw were those who worked around the house."
"I'm going to need a list of names."
"Of course."
"Leola do you know what was in the safe? The office was the only room in the entire house that was ransacked."
"There was her will and some deeds to property she owned." Leola swirled her cup around, "There was quite a bit of money in there. Elissa suddenly had a fear of banks and didn't trust them with her money. It was because of Parker actually or whoever he. He fed in to her delusions."
Beckett made a note to check recent withdrawals to see if she could get an amount. "Anything else."
"Family jewelry, pictures, and just useless papers."
"What was on the computer?"
"I don't know." Leola frowned, "I'm sorry."
"Do you think if I put you up with sketch artist you might be able to give me a description of the man posing as Parker?"
"I can do better than that." Leola fished out her phone from her purse, scrolled for a few moments, and then handed over a picture of their suspect.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Beckett posted the picture on to the murder board under suspect. He was handsome, maybe in his early thirties with a smile that was dazzling. His red hair was shaggy and his blue eyes gentle. He looked harmless, but she knew from experience it was the harmless ones that you had to worry about. "CSU has a few prints off one of the beer bottles at the apartment. Hopefully something will pop." She looked to the boys, "What about her bank?"
"No withdrawals since her death." Esposito handed her a print out of the statement. "Looks like our victim was making daily withdrawals in the amounts fifty K. "
"That adds up to nearly a million dollars." That was a good looking motive, "Add in the jewelry the maid said was in there adds up to a couple million I say that our murderer made out pretty good. But it doesn't explain taking the computer or the other things in the safe."
"The money is the oldest motive in the book, Becks."
"I know but there was other way to con it out of Elissa. Why go through the trouble of killing a man and taking over his life." There was something here they weren't seeing. Something that was going to bug her until she figured it out.
"Well we got his face out and we are running his prints. We aren't going to figure this out tonight."
"You're right." Beckett filed the statement away and started gathering her thing. "Dinner is in an hour so make sure you stop by the morgue and pick up your wife. I don't want have to hear her bitch how she wasn't invited."
Esposito grinned as he flexed his hand holding the gold band. Even a year after mirage it still was a jolt every now and again to find it there. Tying the knot was something he swore he never was going to do. "Need us to bring anything."
"Just don't mention Sara." Beckett warned with a frown.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o
The loft was full of chaos. Nate was running like a wild child with the Ryan twins as his partners in crime. Aidan and Patrick were a year older then Nate, but had no problem letting him take point. It meant they got in less trouble whenever they did something they weren't supposed to do. Dodging the horde of children, Beckett laid out a new bowel of chips on the poker before passing out a round of beer to the guys. It was good to see Jeremy smiling even it was strained. "A coke for you mister." She handed the open can to the injured cop. "I hope you aren't going easy on them."
"Nah." To prove his point, Jeremy threw a few chips into the pot and waited for the rest of the men to check their cards to see if they wanted to fold or match his bet. He was pretty sure that they were actually going easy on him, especially Castle who had folded more times than he usually did. It should bother him only he knew that everyone in the room was doing everything they could to keep his mind preoccupied. Jeremy was grateful for it because he knew when it was time to dream it wouldn't be pleasant.
Castle snagged his wife by the waist and pulled her onto his lap, "Want to join?"
"And wipe the floor with all of you." Smiling, she touched her lips to his, "No. Plus I have a pregnant woman who is chewing my ear off about nursery ideas. Her sons are convinced that it needs to be Doctor Who themed thanks to our son."
"Actually I think that would be thanks to you and Germ-y." Castle defended using his son's way of speaking.
"You're the one who bought him the sonic screwdriver." Beckett reminded turning just to see her son sailing over the couch holding said toy. She cringed when Nate hit the ground with enough force to rattle the lamp on the table. Thankfully he was too wrapped up playing it didn't faze him. "I think it's time to put on a movie to see if we can get them to settle down."
"Movie." Nate hopped up from the floor with an eager expression on his face. "Can we watch Star Wars?"
The twins seemed to agree as they both stopped what they were doing to agree. "Episode Five!" Patrick begged.
His brother had another idea, "Episode three! It has the best light saber battle."
"Not uh!" Patrick shoved Aidan in protest. "Five is better."
"Five is stupid." Aidan retorted pushing back hard enough to send his brother tumbling over a discarded toy.
Patrick's lower lips trembled, "Dad Aidan pushed me!"
"He pushed me first!"
"Boys." Softly apologizing, Ryan left the poker table to break up the fight that was about to break out. Jenny took a hold of the youngest while he picked up Patrick. "What did we tell you about shoving each other?"
"But Dad Aidan said stupid." Patrick argued shoving his blonde hair from his blue eyes. "Stupid is a bad word."
"That didn't mean you can push him." Jenny softly explained awkwardly picking up Aidan due to her swollen stomach. "Now so we need to put you in time out or can you keep your hands to yourselves?"
The twins looked at each other for a moment before nodding.
Smiling at the scene, Castle looked at the young man across the table, "So Jeremy when are you going to marry my daughter and give me grandchildren."
The coke that Jeremy had been drinking came spurting out of his mouth and all over Esposito. Coughing, he waved an apology while trying to gain the ability to speak. "What?"
"Rick." Beckett gave her husband a swift smack on the back of the head. "Leave him alone."
"I umm think I left something." Jeremy pointed absently over his shoulder, "Over there." And just like that he fled the poker table to the safety of the kitchen.
"Rick."
"What." Castle just shrugged and gathered the cards. "They've been dating for a while now."
"And Alexis is still going to college." Beckett explained. "Don't push them into something they're not ready for."
"Okay then." Castle's gazed turned to the other detective at the table. "When are you and Lanie going to add to the chaos?"
The mention of children usually sent Esposito running for the hills. Now it didn't seem like such a scary thought. "I don't know." He raised his beer to his lip, "Maybe someday soon."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Tired, Jeremy escaped the laughter and conversation by slipping up the stairs to the spare bedroom. It was the first time he was alone since the shooting. Thinking about it had him sliding down against the wall with his stomach churning. He could still smell the blood. Still hear the man's voice.
"Put the gun down!" Jeremy's gun wavered as he took his stand. His suspect held the frantic women in his arms with the barrel of a gun pressed to her temple. His insides were jumping with nerves and his throat tightened. Stay focused. Jeremy chanted in his mind. Remember your training and you can do this. "I said put the gun down and let her go."
"Let her go." The Gunman scuffed and tightened his hold. "I do that and you shoot me."
"Look she's hurt and needs medical attention." The hostage was barley twenty, her clothes had been torn, and there was blood. Lots of it. Some seeping out from a large gash on her forehead and more staining her pants. Jeremy felt guilty that they had arrived too late to stop her from being violated. It made him think of what could have happened to Alexis all those years ago.
"Just let me walk away."
"You know I can't do that." His arm was burning from the bullet and he was vaguely away of something warm flowing on to his hand. It made it hard to keep a grip on his weapon. His gaze flickered down to see it was blood. Was he shot? Oh god he was! The bastard had shot him. Twice! Don't think about it! Don't think about it! Thinking about the situation at hand, Jeremy looked for an opening.
He didn't know how it happened. Maybe the woman saw him searching or the gunman had made a move to shoot again. It just happened so fast. The woman twisted away, the gunman lifted the in his direction, and Jeremy fired two rounds. They impacted the target and sent him sprawling onto the concrete. Working on pure instinct, Jeremy kicked the weapon from the man's hand and dropped to his knees. The bullets had caught him square in the chest. Jeremy froze when the man used the gunman grasped his shirt and he watched helplessly as the light left his eyes.
"Jeremy?" Alexis pushed her way into the darken room in search for her boyfriend.
"Down here." Jeremy waved his hand from the far corner of the room.
"Want the light on?"
"No."
"Okay." Alexis sat down, pulling her knees to her chest, and rested her head on her knees. She wanted to ask what was wrong and why he was hiding in the dark. But she didn't because she didn't want to push.
Jeremy gazed at his hand as if it still was coated in blood. "I did CPR until the paramedics arrived. They had to pull me away from him. I didn't." His throat clogged with emotions and waved it away. He took a life. There was nothing he could do about so there was no point in dwelling. He would just lock it away. "Did I tell you that your parents are amazing?"
Alexis frowned at the change of conversation. "Yeah they're something else." She agreed going with it hoping when he wanted to talk he would turn to her.
"I never told them how grateful I was that they came." Jeremy's mind shifted to his mother causing his heart to ache. Her words had cut deep. He knew that she didn't want him to be a cop, didn't want to go through the pain she went through when his father died. "I'm sorry about what my mom said about you."
"She didn't mean it." Alexis tried to explain. After Sara had given Jeremy a good thrashing she had turned her anger on her. On her family focusing on Beckett. Saying he only became a cop because he had so infatuation with Beckett. That she and her writer brain washed him into becoming a cop. "Give it a couple days."
"Yeah." Jeremy mindlessly fiddled with the strap of his sling.
"Come on let's go home."
After everyone had left, Castle carried his sleeping son up the stairs. Beckett was already inside turning down the bed and switching on the light sabers that hung on the wall that doubled as a night light. Castle carefully laid Nate down and took the sonic screw drive he still held in his small hand. "I told you it was a bad idea to let him start watching that show."
"Bad idea? This coming from the man who tells him stories that gives him nightmares." Beckett tucked the worn dragon under Nate's arms. "He's going to be upset that he didn't get to say goodbye to Alexis and Jeremy."
"He didn't want to wake him." Castle tucked his son in, kissed him good night, and then cracked the door on the way out. "Do you think he's going to be all right?"
"I think Nate will get over it. It's not he doesn't see them every day." Beckett laughed starting down the stairs.
"I mean Jeremy. When he came back down he looked so haunted."
"I don't think what his mother said helped matters. It's going to be hard I mean getting shot is one thing, but taken a life is something else." Beckett knew both from experience. "He is a strong kid."
