still waking
Beckett collars her son as he charges back, hooking her elbow at his waist and yanking him hard against her side. It surprises him enough that she can set her palms at his shoulders and push down, keep him in place.
"Jack, we're going home. Right now. No arguments."
Her training is kicking in already, the blind panic and the hot gush of adrenaline through her system giving her a clear cut focus, so she feels that she could move mountains; annihilate anyone who even attempted to stop her.
Letting go of her son, Kate forces herself to smile for him. The boy's eyes are wide, her own terror reflected back at her, and then he wraps reed-like arms around his mother's waist and holds on. She cradles Jack's skull in her palm, sifting her fingers through his hair over and over.
When he steps back his little face is entrenched with grief, always sensitive to his mother's own emotions. "Are you okay, Mommy?"
"I'm fine. Can you go get your sister, buddy?"
"Kay." He nods, solemn and quiet as he moves towards the swingset. Bea arches in the seat, her toes stretched to scrape against the clouds, and Kate hates herself for taking them away, shattering their innocence.
No. This has to stop. She's not certain about anything yet. And she can't let her kids see that something is wrong. She can't scare them too.
Jack comes back then, his sister's little hand cradles in his own as he drags her over. Kate gets to her knees in front of her children, ignoring the bite of gravel through at her knees as she wraps an arm around each of them and tugs them in.
Hot breath at her clavicle, the dust of fragile lashes to her neck, and it's so good. It's so good to have them here, to draw comfort from them. Bea splays a hand at her mother's back, thin fingers curling into the strap of her tank.
"Mommy." The girl breathes, her heart beating right out of its cage like a hummingbird, tiny and delicate where it thuds against Kate's sternum.
"Okay guys. It's okay. I just need to go home; I have to call some people."
Jack detaches first, taking his sister's hand again and patting at Kate's thigh, offering a grin up to her. "We can be good, right Beanie? While you catch the bad guys."
Beckett opens her mouth to dispute that, snaps it closed again at the look on their faces. Yeah, okay, maybe it's better that they think she has to work. At least for now.
No point upsetting them if he. . .
Castle is fine. Castle is fine.
He has to be.
"Damn it." Kate grunts, locking her phone and shoving it back into the depths of her pocket, raking a hand through her hair. Sucking in a breath through her teeth, she glances down to see both kids staring up at her.
The elevator car lurches and Beanie whimpers, wrapping both arms around her mother's knee and pressing her face into Kate's thigh. Settling a hand at the girl's head, Kate closes her eyes and tries to think.
Neither Castle nor his publisher is answering their phone. She could call Black Pawn, but she supposes they don't know any more than she does at this point. She could use her connections at the precinct to speak with the Connecticut police department, but it's too early for them to possibly have IDs for the dead.
The dead. Shit.
Her husband might be one of them.
Kate grits her teeth to battle back the keening that fights to spill out, the fingernails of her free hand digging hard into her palm. She used to do that a lot when they fought, trying to let the jolt of pain bring her clarity. Afterwards, Castle would press his mouth to the milky crescent moons and beg her forgiveness even as he gave her his own.
The elevator doors open as Kate tugs her phone free, calling him again. She herds the kids down the hallway, not paying attention so she ends up shoving at Jack a little too hard, making him stumble. In her ear, her husband's voice is chipper as ever.
You've reached Richard Castle, lucky you.
She is lucky, she's so incredibly lucky to have him and two beautiful children and this whole life they've worked to build together. She won't lose him like this.
Kate nudges the door open with her hip, the kids clinging like shadows at her side. Locking it behind her, she whistles for the dog and sees him barrelling towards them from the kitchen. Snicket presses his nose into Jack's palm, his tail smacking against Bea over and over, and her kids run off to play with their dog.
Good. That's something, at least. They seem to have momentarily forgotten their mother's distress. She moves for the bedroom, snagging a hair tie from the dresser and catching the spill of curls in a knot at her nape.
She can't think, the panic making her stupid. It's a really stupid idea, but a part of her burns to call her dad to watch the kids and fly out to Connecticut, see for herself exactly what's happening.
First, though, she has to use the bathroom.
Castle is just scrubbing shampoo into his hair, the lather white and spattering against the walls as he turns in time to see the door opening.
His wife steps inside the bathroom and he watches her pause, a moment of absolute stillness where he sees the thud of her pulse at her throat, her eyes wide and intense on his. And then she comes for him, yanking open the door and stepping into the shower stall.
Still wearing those tiny shorts that make him want to put his mouth all over her, the stretch of her thigh and hard muscle at her calf. Her arms come around his neck and she goes limp with relief, sagging against him.
Rick cradles her close, a palm at the back and his other cupping her skull. He presses his mouth to her temple and breathes her in, summer and the kids' shampoo and sweet gratitude. "What's going on?"
"You haven't seen the news?" His wife murmurs against his neck, her nails sharp at his nape. Her nose settles at his clavicle and it doesn't seem like she's letting go any time soon, so Castle shuts off the water and tucks her against his side, leading them both out of the stall.
He wraps a towel around her shoulders, slings his own at his hips and turns to see her, the look on her face knocking the breath out of him. That sick sort of relief that comes after something awful is finally over, churning stomach and underneath so much love.
The last time she looked like this, she had their brand new baby girl in her arms and he had Jack, bringing their son to meet his sister.
Kate's palms come up to cup his cheeks, her fingers curling around his ears as her mouth crashes at his. He opens for her, moaning into the swipe of her tongue and the brittle shock of teeth. She takes from him, takes and takes until he has to peel her away from him, his hands at her hips.
"Kate, baby, what's wrong? What about the news?"
His wife brushes three fingers underneath his eye, so much reverence to it that his knees turn liquid, gush onto the tile. "Castle. Esposito called me. Said there was a plane crash."
"Oh God. The flight to Connecticut?"
"Yeah." She grits out, tears suddenly leaping for the precipice of her jaw. Kate crashes back into the cove of his body, lets him guide her into their room and sink down onto the bed. "The flight you were supposed to be on."
"Oh Kate. You thought. . ." He trails off, can't quite complete that sentence. Instead, he draws Kate closer in to him, finds her mouth again. Setting his forehead against hers, he cards a hand through her hair. "The Connecticut leg of the tour was cancelled. I got to come straight home."
"You weren't answering your phone." Kate sucks in a breath that seems more like a sob, coming down from a crying jag.
Shit. Shit, he's a terrible husband. "I had it on airplane mode for the flight and I forgot to take it back off. I'm so sorry, Kate."
"No, don't be sorry. You're alive." His wife curls her fingers into his towel, nails raking lightly over the warmth of his skin. So tender with him in a way he doesn't get to see often.
"Where're the kids?"
She presses her smile against the hard edge of his jaw, everywhere that she touches him igniting at once. "Playing with the dog. They missed you, Daddy."
"Let's get dressed, hmm? And go see our babies."
"Hey guys," Kate says, rounding the couch and getting down onto the floor to sit with her kids. "Look who I found in the bathroom."
Bea's head snaps up, her gaze immediately drawn to her father where he hovers in the doorway. She squeals, standing up so fast she almost steps on the dog on her way to get to him. "Daddy!"
Rick catches her, swinging her up into his arms and peppering her cheeks with kisses. "Hi Beanie Baby, my beautiful girl. Did you miss me?"
"So so much Daddy."
Kate watches Jack reach his father, always a little slower with the outpouring of emotion. Castle, though, works to draw it out of him, crouching down to pull his son in for a hug as well. He scoops the boy up, carries both kids over to the couch and sinks down onto it with them.
"Come on, Mommy. Family snuggles." He nudges at Kate with his foot, returning the smile she turns up to him.
Kate lifts up onto the couch, taking her son so she can pillow against her husband's side and revel in the soft warmth of their boy. Snicket jumps up to join them, giggles spilling out of Bea as the dog settles his head against her stomach.
Closing her eyes, Kate buries her nose against Rick's collar, a hand settling to scratch behind the dog's ears. Her family, safe and whole.
"I missed you all so much. I love you." Castle says, and Kate's face softens on a smile as Beatrice reaches up to crush her father's face between her palms.
"We love you too, Daddy."
A/N: Sorry for the delay on this one. I've been a sickly Bean this past week or so. As of Friday, I'll be in Rhode Island with AllusionToAnIllusion. Therefore, I won't be posting any new fic. I do however have several things in the pipeline, so I'll see you all in a couple weeks.
Much love, Bean.