A/N: Happy Chinese Valentines! I'm sending cyber hearts to all of you for your supports :)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine :(
Chapter Three
He had to get out of there. When Arriana interrupted the little stunt Beckett unknowingly pulled, Castle felt the all-too-familiar embarrassment that time when Alexis had walked in on him and Gina on the couch. No, no, he's not going to let his mind go back down that lane.
There was a large difference between the two scenarios though. Alexis had been old enough to know what was going on and ran straight back into her room whereas Arriana was too young to know what a number the innocent act her mom pulled had done to him.
But then again, he and Gina were a couple when that fiasco happened whereas Beckett and him were… What were they? Alexis introduced him to a new word the other day. Flirtationship. It's more than friendship but less than a relationship. A flirting relationship. Were he and Beckett in one? To makes things even more confusing, they were partners.
They've been through so many things together Castle didn't want to mess things up again. His mind was going a million miles a minute.
One thing was sure, though. He needed air. Leaving his car by her apartment, Castle decided to walk all the way back to his loft. He'd send someone to pick up his car another time.
The brownies came out just fine, even with the additional chocolate mixed in. Kate distracted her daughter by coloring, but little Arriana knew something was off when her mom kept daydreaming instead of coloring.
Kate was startled when a small hand touched her cheek. "Mommy, are you okay?"
Breaking into a smile, Kate told her, "Yes, baby girl, mommy's fine. I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."
"Did Uncle Rick do something wrong? He gave me five gummy worms and told me to keep it a secret. But he says if mommy asks I can tell her, but only if you ask me first, mommy. I'm sorry for keeping a secret from you but Uncle Rick was just trying to make me feel better. Don't be mad, mommy," she pleaded.
"Oh baby girl, I'm not mad. Thanks for telling me anyway. Mommy's just feeling a little off. Is it ok if we decorate the brownies tomorrow instead?" Kate bargained, all the while wondering how and when her daughter became so astute. She was oblivious to the real reason of Kate being in her current predicament, but the five year old girl had somehow manage to surmise it might have something to do with Rick.
"Okay. Let's go mommy. Time for my shower, I'm itchy again," saying so, she began putting her things away before pulling her mom up.
Kate managed to shower and settle Arriana into bed in record time. Deciding to try and sleep early so she could get better perspective the next day, Kate showered and cleaned up quickly. She picked up her phone multiple times, almost calling him, only to stop herself at the last moment.
Then, she settled in next to her daughter, trying to go to sleep. An hour of tossing and turning later, Kate gave in and called his cell phone. However, it went straight to voicemail. Resigning herself to her fate, Kate put her phone away and tried to sleep again. Sleep did not come to her until five hours later.
Kate wished she could have said she woke up nice and fresh in the morning but that was not the case. She woke up feeling lethargic and even worse than the previous day. Kate had barely slept a wink the previous night, and she could start feeling it's effects.
Luckily her coffee machine ran on a timer basis and by the time she exited the bathroom, the wonderful fragrant was wafting through the air. Checking that Arriana was still sleeping peacefully, Kate fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat on the high stool, ruminating once more.
Arriana woke up scratching her neck. It was just So itchy. Then remembering what her mom told her, she tried rubbing the itchiness away. It wasn't really working. Time to get mommy.
Still rubbing her neck rather ineffectively, Arriana walked into the living room. Smelling the coffee, she headed toward the kitchen next. Kate was clutching the coffee mug in both hands, staring off into space.
Her mom still hadn't noticed her. Arriana was getting worried. Her mom has been thinking too much lately. And whenever she woke up feeling itchy the previous night her mom tended to her immediately as she hadn't been sleeping.
Mommy looked tired and a little sad. Ambling over, little Arriana Beckett greeted, "Good morning mommy. You's feeling better?"
"Good morning my little sweetheart. Thank you for asking how mommy's doing. I'm feeling much better now. Is your neck itchy? Here let me help you with that."
Trying to soothe the red skin, Kate slowly led Arriana to the shower. When she was all ready, Kate settled Arriana down for breakfast while she prepared the different colored icings into tubes and laid out the small decorations.
Arriana quickly gulped down her breakfast, eager to start decorating as her mom made a phone call.
Kate wanted to check in on Castle, worried with how they left things off the previous evening and to let him know his brownie would be ready in a few hours. However, Kate's call went straight to voicemail again. That was strange, but Arriana was eagerly bouncing up and down waiting for her mom so Kate hung up and left it at that.
Kate kept an eye on her daughter who insisted on decorating the brownies all by herself. Kate had nothing much to do besides occasionally telling Arriana when a brownie had too much icing on it, making her move on to decorating another piece.
It wasn't long before her mind started wandering to a certain mystery writer. Finding the need to stretch her legs, Kate stood up and made her way to the window. Gazing out mindlessly, Kate's detective instincts took over and she let her eyes survey her view below.
Just as she was about to leave the window, something caught her eye. Funny. Isn't that Castle's car?
Her mind began to go a mile a minute as she slipped out her phone and tried calling him again. What if Castle hadn't gotten home last night? What if the roguish writer who smelled of money from a mile away had gotten mugged as he left her place? Was that why he wasn't picking up his phone?
When there was still no answer, Kate made a split second decision. "Come on Arri, let's go. Mommy needs to check on something," Kate explained as she cleared the table. Thankfully the brownies were already in containers. Putting their lids on, she continued, "Let's go give Uncle Rick his brownies."
Grabbing her phone, Beckett stuffed it into her jeans pockets. Luckily, the other things should still be in her purse so she was good to go. Just needed to get her back up piece from the safe. Telling Arriana to wash her hands and to put on her shoes, Kate stepped into her bedroom to get her gun. Just in case.
Bundling her daughter in a light sweater just in case she felt chilly, they soon left the apartment, brownies in tow. Kate tried calling Castle's phone again, but there was still no answer.
Getting to his place in record time, Kate quickly went up to his loft. Passing the brownies for Arriana to hold, Kate made her stand off to the side as she knocked on the door.
When she couldn't hear any sounds coming from within his loft, Kate began reaching for her piece. Before she could pull it out, the door swung open to show a very disheveled looking Richard Castle.
"Kate? Wha… What are you doing here? Is everything alright? Where's Arriana?"
"Oh thank god you're alright, Castle. Arriana's here with me," she breathed out. "Of course I'm alright. Why- what did you think happened?"
"Erm, actually, Arriana brought brownies for you," she finished lamely. Castle gestured for them to enter and Kate ushered her daughter in before her. The little girl still held the containers of brownies in her hands as she looked around the spacey loft in wonder.
"Dad? Who was that?" Alexis asked as she came down the stairs. She stopped short at the landing when her eyes fell upon their guests. "Detective Beckett," she greeted, before continuing all flustered, "and, er, you have er, your guest."
Belatedly Kate remembered his daughter, Alexis. Stupid, stupid Kate. Why didn't she call Alexis to check on her father before rushing over like a fool?! "This is my daughter, Arriana. Arriana, say hi to Alexis."
The girls exchanged somewhat awkward greetings before Arriana faced her mom to bury her face into her thigh. "Mommy, the brownies," she mumbled shyly.
"Oh right," Kate remembered as she snapped out of her funk, "here are your brownies, as promised. Arriana decorated them all by herself this morning."
Castle was still hovering near his door, seemingly slightly lost. Huh, Kate could relate. It felt like a hurricane just blazed by. Thankfully, Alexis still kept her head on straight. "I'll just take that and put it away."
Sensing the adults had more to say to each other, she continued as she took the brownies from Arriana, "Hey Arriana, you wanna come with me and tell me all about the decorations you put on the brownies? After that we could go check out my bedroom. I still keep some of my favorite toys from back when I was a little girl like you. I'd love to show them to you."
Arriana looked to her mom to ask for permission silently. Kate threw a grateful look at Alexis and looked back down to smile at her daughter, nodding and ushering her to follow Alexis.
Holding one of her hands, Alexis began talking to the little girl animatedly as she led them to the kitchen. "So, Arriana, how old are you?"
A/N: Pretty short chapter, but Alexis meets Arriana! :) Next chapter coming up real soon. In the meanwhile, why don't you go ahead and click on the review button. You know you want to...