Errr...Yeah. Sorry about the wait. Life's a real bitch sometime. Anyway. Here's the chapter I've been working on since life forever. lol. I hope you enjoy it and I haven't disappointed anyone. :) And no worries about Mr. Richard Castle, he's only having the crap beat out of him... ;)
Alexis Castle awoke with a start.
Gasping for breath, Alexis took shock of things.
She was in her own bed.
She was dressed in her favorite pjs.
She had a blue cast on her arm.
Kate was standing in the doorway with a pair of crutches under her arms.
Making eye contact with the older woman, Alexis spoke.
"It wasn't a dream was it?"
"Kate shook her head. "Nope."
"God fucking damn it!" The teenager threw herself back onto the bed as Kate moved into the room.
Or at least tried to.
Kate was lucky that the blonde man had suddenly decided to walk pass because if not, she would have done a header. Alexis giggled at the normally calm and collected detective.
"I thought I told you not to touch me." Kate snapped, as he lowered her onto the foot of Alexis's bed.
The blonde grinned. "I'm good at not listening to orders 'ccording to my wife and her captain. Piss them right off."
Kate didn't miss a beat. "Do I know your wife? Or her captain? Because you sure know a lot about me and frankly, it's kinda of annoying." The detective glared at the smiling man.
He blushed.
"I can't tell you. Handler-"
"That's enough Mr. Washburne."
The threesome looked up to see a bruised, bloodied, but a smiling Martha Rogers standing in the doorway.
"Gram?"
"Hello my lovely." Martha moved forward and pressed a kiss to Alexis's cheek. "How are you this wonderful morning?"
Alexis raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that Gram." The teenager gave her grandmother a good once over. The older woman was dressed in black, tight clothing, without a hint of her normally glam style. She was wearing combat boots and was wearing a pistol on her hip. Martha had a large bruise on the side of her face and there was dried blood in her hairline. "What happened to you?"
"Just some old friends who decided to come and see me." Martha waved her off. She turned to the blonde. "Why don't you go check on your friend, Mr. Washburne. I believe he's making quick work of the food I promised you both."
The blonde was on his feet and to the door before Martha finished her sentence. "Janye! Gormm Don't go eatin' all the grub!"
Martha shook her head. "Mal always-"
"Who is Mal, Martha?" Kate interrupted.
"All in good time. All in good time. Now, who want's food?"
Alexis rolled her eyes at Martha's change of topic.
"Gram, we kinda wanna know what's going on." Kate nodded in agreement at Alexis's words. "And where's my Daddy?"
"Martha signed. "Food first. Then we'll send Mr. Washburne and Mr. Cobb back to their own time and we'll talk." She helped Kate stand before throwing back the covers for Alexis to slide out. "That is if they haven't eaten everything."
Alexis would have laughed if she knew what was going on as Kate and Martha made quick work of heading to the door. The teenager slid out of bed and grabbed the blanket off the foot of her bed. She passed Kate and Martha on the stairs was through the living room before anyone stopped her.
"It be best to stay away from the windows, little one. Never do if that damn Alliance will commin' knockin'." The burly man pulled Alexis off her feet and down behind the couch where he and the blonde man had set up.
"Oh." She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
Mr. Washburne set last week's hamburgers down and wiped his catsup covered fingers on his pants before holding out his hand.
"Hoban Washburne. Most people call me Wash."
"Alexis Castle."
They shook.
"Want some…err…what's this called?" Wash offered.
Alexis glanced at the bowel. "Chicken curry."
"Well?" The burly man asked.
Alexis stole a glance at the burly man and inched toward Wash.
"Don't worry about him. He's harmless without his guns." Wash said, before going back to his hamburgers. "Mal's-"
The big man glared and pulled out a large knife that had the teenager backing away from them both. She was nearly halfway to the kitchen when Alexis hit Martha's shins.
"Stop scaring my granddaughter. And eat like normal people, you idiots."
Wash and the big man glanced at one another.
"Windows." The big man said.
"What he said." Wash said.
Martha let lose a string of words that Alexis recognized from hearing Wash speak.
Whatever she said, the two men were on their feet and collecting food as fast as they could. Martha hauled Alexis to her feet and gently pushed her to the kitchen.
"Detective Beckett is at the bar, kiddo. Make sure that those two idiots leave something for us to eat."
"Okay." Alexis couldn't help herself; she needed a hug from her Gram not matter if she wasn't acting right or not. They held each other for several seconds before Martha pull away.
"I love you, Gram."
"Love you, too kiddo." She pressed a kiss to Alexis's forehead. "Now go eat."
"Come too-I don't wanna be alone."
"Kate's there."
"But I want you."
Martha pulled the teenager into her arms again. Alexis rested her head against the older woman's shoulder as she spoke.
"I'm always going to love you-no matter what happens alright?"
"I know, Gram. What's going on?"
"Go eat. And we'll talk about that language that you were using earlier, young lady. I'll be in soon enough."
Alexis blushed as Martha release her and turned away.
"Gram-"
The normally well-dressed woman did not turn back around at Alexis's call. She quickly made her way across the living room and entered her son's office, closing the door after herself. The teenager shook her head and glared at the door.
Stupid adults.
Everybody was always telling her that she was mature.
Gram would always tell her the truth.
No matter how bad it was.
Why didn't the older woman trust her now?
Alexis was confused.
"You little one, you be wantin' some food or not?"
The teenager turned to face the burly man. He was holding last night's leftover meatloaf and the chicken curry she was offered earlier.
"I guess." Alexis glanced at the office down one last night before taking the curry from him.
What was her grandmother hiding?
The big man led her into the kitchen. "Don't go worrin' about the Handler now; she can take care of herself. Meatloaf?"
"No thanks." Alexis stopped short at the scene in the kitchen. Wash and Kate were sitting at the counter bickering like little girls.
"-touch me!"
The teenager's jaw dropped at Kate's cry. She didn't get a word out before the burly man spoke.
"Zoe will snap you in half, Gorman."
Wash and Kate glared at him."
"Eat your food, Jayne. We'll be leaving soon." Wash snapped, waving his fork at the big man. "And his name is Jayne. 'Cause knowing him, he didn't tell ya."
"Isn't that a girl's-" Kate was interrupted.
"Hehhh!"
Alexis watched as Wash and Jayne start to fight. Kate was shaking her head at the pair, eating the left over beef and noodles from a couple nights ago. Alexis set aside the curry and grabbed a bowl of strawberries and took a seat next to Kate.
"This sucks."
Kate nodded and took another bite. "I agree. Wash isn't telling me anything. I wish Ryan and Espsito-"
"They were outside. Didn't help us when Wash and err…Jayne carried us up." Alexis said, selecting a strawberry then popped it into her mouth.
"Doesn't sound like them. I've tried the landline; it's out."
"Lovely. And there's Gram."
"Martha too."
The pair each took another bite.
Alexis reached for an apple.
Kate stole a strawberry.
The pair traded a look of confusion as the still bickering men each let out a girlish scream.
"I'm tellin' Zoe your gor-"
"ENOUGH!"
Alexis's jaw dropped.
Martha Rogers stood a short distance away from the bickering men, Kate, and Alexis. The pistol on her hip was joined by a heavy looking belt, with a large knife and several small cloth sacks. Two rifles were in her arms and a few ammo belts were over one shoulder.
"Kate, Alexis, please wait with Mr. Washburne, while I send Mr. Jayne back to his correct time. Then we'll see about getting Detectives Ryan and Espsito filled in." Martha ordered, moving forward to set the rifles down next to the girls.
"Tell Zoe that I'll be home soon!" Wash called as Martha frogged marched the burly man into Castle's office. As soon as the door closed after the pair, Kate rounded on Wash.
"What the hell is going on here!"
Wash took a step away from Kate. "Errr…I don't know? Handler didn't say nothi-"
Kate glared.
Wash started eating again and a faster pace.
Alexis spoke before she could stop herself. "Mal. Gram mentioned him. Who is Mal, Wash?"
Wash signed. With a glance and Kate's icy stare and Alexis's begging one, the blonde man caved.
"Alright. Malcolm Reynolds. He's the Captain of_. Or well I guess was the captain. I'm still a bit confused on that one."
"Why are you confused?" Kate asked.
"Because I'm about five years behind from when Mal gets caught; I think that's what she said. Good old Mal gets it and he and the Handler get sent here." Wash stole a berry. "Kaylee, sure would love these things."
Kate didn't miss a beat. "Who's Kaylee?"
"You've said enough." Kate, Alexis, and Wash all jumped when Martha spoke. "Please, return to the ground floor and bring up Detectives Ryan and Espsito. We need them if we are going to get out of this building in one piece."
"Then we can think about finding my wife?" Wash asked, getting up from the table.
Martha nodded. "Then your wife."
The three woman watched Wash exit the loft.
"What's going on Martha?" Kate turned to the older woman. Alexis focused on her grandmother and the older woman visibly closed herself off.
"I trust you won't repeat what I'm about to tell you."
"Okay." Alexis made eye contact with Kate before speaking. "What's going on Gram?"
"First you must know something. I'm not proud of it. Neither is your father. We did it to protect you." Martha took Alexis's hand.
"Gram?"
Martha signed. "My name isn't Martha Rogers."
…
"Name? And please include all aliases."
"Malcolm Reynolds. Malcolm Rogers. Malcolm Castle. Richard Castle. And I was known as New York City's Robin Hood for a bit."
"Katherine Beckett?"
"Nope. Don't know her."
"Detective Kate Beckett-Castle, wife of Richard Castle, mystery author; mother of three, Alexis, Hannah, and Daniel. Doesn't ring a bell? Or how about Detective Kevin Ryan? Dr. Lanie Parish? Detective Javier Espsito?"
"Nope. I know none of them."
The sound of flesh meeting flesh was all that could be heard for several seconds.
"Let's try this again. Name?"
