For the next few weeks letters and CD's go back and forth every few days.
Beckett notices easily as the days go by how Castle's appearance is growing increasingly weary, his weight gradually dropping, the light in his eyes dimming the longer he's away from home.
The boys don't seem to notice, but they don't spend nearly as much time with him as she does.
She's brought out of her deep thoughts by the sound of her facetime ringing, she knows without looking who it is so she snags her phone and hurries into the conference room before she answers.
Once the button is pushed she's met with what she thinks is the most beautiful face there is, that of one Rick Castle
"Castle hey, it's great to see you!"
"It's great to see you too Kate, I've been looking forward to this for days. Last time I talked to Alexis and she told me to give you a turn next" he laughs with a grin "You were next anyway"
Beckett's grinning now as she sits in a chair "I'm glad she did, I've been missing my partner a lot lately. It's weird not having you here you know that?"
"it's good to know I'm appreciated. I miss you too Kate, we usually talk several times a day even if I'm not at the precinct and now we can't even text each other. In teen-speak I'm cut off from my BFF and it's making me crazy"
She laughs with him at how silly that sounds but she understands his meaning "yeah it's driving us all crazy. Espo has started calling Ryan Castle Jr because he's taken over the crazy theories in your absence, it's amusing to say the least"
"Oh really? They as good as mine?
"Nah he's still in training but it breaks the ice at least"
"at least there's that. I wish I was home, I don't enjoy this like I used to.. actually I hate it. I do what I gotta do and that's it at this point"
Beckett nods "I can tell, you've lost your boyish gleam and you're losing weight"
Castle sighs at that "It gets hot in the cockpit and sometimes I'm not hungry after a long run because of it. You can help fatten me up when I get home"
Beckett smiles but doesn't laugh "You can count on it Rick"
Castle looks over as someone yells at him that times up "Hey I gotta go Kate, I miss you say hi to the guys for me eh?"
"I miss you too and I will. Talk to you soon"
"Talk to you soon" Castle gives her one more smile then hangs up
Beckett sighs heavily dropping the phone on the table then combing her fingers through her hair.
Her emotions are all tangled up and she doesn't even begin to know how to untangle them.
She closes her eyes and pictures his tired face, her heart hurting at how much this is taking out of the man-child they've grown to love here at the 12th.
She just hopes that when he gets back that his youthful thirst for life will return with him.
She lets out a puff of air then grabs her phone and heads back to do more paperwork.
