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Tried to keep this light... Enjoy!
Alexis sighs as she opens the door. The loft is light and welcoming with the morning sun streaming through the windows. It has been a long night and she might have had a couple of drinks too many. Her head pounds as she stumbles into the kitchen for a glass of water.
The sight before her stops her in her tracks, though. Her father and Detective Beckett are curled up together on the couch, her head on his chest, his head on hers, both fast asleep. Beckett's wearing one of her father's sweat pants, though she doesn't dare to guess why that is.
Alexis smiles and takes out her phone to take a picture of the endearing sight. Silently she resumes her quest for water as she sees Beckett stir and finds the detective's eyes on her.
"Alexis?" Her voice is filled with sleep and drowsiness.
"Detective. Hi," Alexis says, unsure of herself.
"Kate, call me Kate, Alexis," the detective grumbles as she slowly moves and sits up. Castle's head slowly rolls back to rest on the back cushion. Beckett stretches and winces.
"Kate. Uh, I was just…" she trails off as she suddenly feels the urge to explain herself. Why she is here, intruding in their morning.
"You just came in?" Kate asks and smiles as Alexis nods. "Don't worry, I graduated too. You look a lot better than I did when I came home, though."
"Thanks?" Alexis says, still not entirely sure what make of the situation. Last time she checked her father and his muse were still at that unmovable friendship that wasn't really a friendship anymore and now they were sleeping together. Well, not like that, but still. Ugh, she needs to stop thinking like that, she doesn't want to know what her father does with his women.
Kate stands up and walks past Alexis to the kitchen, takes out a glass and turns on the tap. When the glass is filled she heads back and hands it to Alexis. "Here, I'll get you some aspirin, looks like you might need it." She smiles again and disappears in her father's bedroom. When did she get so familiar with the loft?
Alexis finally finds her feet again and stumbles the rest of the way to the kitchen counter and slumps down on one of the chairs with a grown. She had momentarily forgotten her headache when she saw her father and Kate together on the couch, but with Kate mentioning it, it was back at its full force.
She feels a hand on her shoulder and takes the pills from Kate as the detective sits down next to her. For a moment, they don't say anything, both a bit overwhelmed with the awkwardness of the situation.
"I, uh, I feel like I need to explain," Kate says uncertainly. Alexis looks up and sees the concerned look in her eyes.
"Not really, I reckon you fell asleep during that double feature you watched last night?" Alexis says.
"Yeah, we did," Beckett smiles, relieved, and Alexis sees some of the tension leave Kate's body.
"Can I ask you a question, though?" Alexis says and Kate nods. "I'm not sure if I want an answer to this, but why are you wearing my father's sweats? And please lie to me if I don't want to know the answer."
Kate laughs and says, "I was pouring last night and I had to park a couple of blocks away, that's all." She wonders if she should tell her about the changed relationship between her and Castle, but she figures that he should decide when he wants his daughter to know.
"Oh, right," Alexis mutters and stares into her glass of water. Kate doesn't want the girl to feel uncomfortable in her own home, but can't really think of anything to say.
"How do you usually treat your hangovers?" Alexis suddenly asks her.
"A lot of water… and I guess you just have to suffer through it. Sleep helps a bit, too," Kate says, happy for the change of topic. "So, judging by your hangover, I take it you had fun?" she asks and gets a big grin from the teenager.
"Yeah, it was amazing," she says and it seems like she wants to say something else when Kate sees Rick rise from the couch.
"Alexis?" he says, surprised.
"Hi, Dad," she mumbles, not even trying to hide that she's hungover.
"Alexis, are you hungover?" Rick says with some amusement to his tone. He looks to Kate when Alexis grumbles an incomprehensible answer. Kate smiles at him and he says, "You want some aspirin?"
"Kate already got me some, I'll just go…" he motions her hand towards the stairs and manages to stand. As she stumbles up the stairs, Kate watches Rick as he watches his daughter lovingly.
"You like that she has a hangover, don't you?" she says when Alexis has disappeared from his sight.
"What, no!" he scoffs.
"You so do!" she laughs.
"Oh, come on! It's her first hangover! It's a milestone!"
Kate snorts and pats him on the chest as she walks past him towards the couch, where she slouches down again. "What time is it?" she asks Rick.
"Ah, just past seven," he answers after checking the clock on the oven and he sits down next to her.
"Hmm, too early to see Smith," she mumbles as she lays her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, you don't want to go in before we see him?"
"Nah, I want this over with and then maybe I can take a couple of days off?" She speaks as the idea takes form in her head. She wouldn't mind winding down for a couple of days.
"Yeah? We could go to the Hamptons for a couple of days? If you want?" Rick suggests. Kate turns her head and presses a little kiss to his shoulder.
"I'd like that."
Rick kisses the top of her head and says, "So what time do you think is acceptable to interview an old man? Seven thirty?"
Kate laughs and slaps his knee. "Yeah, I don't think we'd even make it there in time. Why don't we try if we can reach him around nine?"
"Right, much more reasonable time. You know, before I met you the only reason I got up so early was to make breakfast for Alexis."
"Really? What about now?"
"Before I spent two nights in a row with you, you usually called me for a murder… Don't they have any respect for sleeping hours? Seriously, Kate, when was the last time you had a proper night's sleep?"
"Well, I recall two nights lately that haven't been too bad," Kate responds lightly.
"Hmm, really?" Rick catches on immediately and pulls her towards him to give her a chaste kiss.
"But there have been times that I had to grab a few hours in the break room, as you know full well," she says, referring to the picture he took of her about a year ago. He had set it as the picture he saw when she called him until she managed to steal his phone and change it to a more appropriate picture.
Rick only smiles and kisses her temple again, "That was an adorable picture." He starts to get up and looks down at her when she groans. She was comfortable against him and had had no intention to get up anytime soon. He sees it on her face and says, "I'm sure you'll want to take a shower, which you're free to do. Meanwhile, I'll fulfil my daily duty and make you some breakfast."
"Right," Kate sighs and starts to get up too. She watches his ass as he walks towards the kitchen, such a fine ass.
"Wait," she says as she thinks of something, "don't you want to shower?"
"Nah, I'm fine, I showered when I got home from Alexis's graduation yesterday."
"Okay," she says and walks to his bedroom.
Ten minutes later she walks into his kitchen and he hands her a cup of coffee. "Your morning coffee, milady," he says in a really bad British accent.
"Thank your, sir," she plays along and carefully sips the hot liquid. "Wow, Castle, this is amazing coffee," she complements. Rick puffs out his chest and grins at her.
"I know. Flavour country," he says with a grin.
They have a simple breakfast in silence, content to just be with each other.
"Okay, what next?" Rick asks her when they finish.
"I kind of need to go to my apartment and change out of yesterday's clothes," Kate says while she thinks of their plans of the day. "And I need to call the precinct and maybe put a security detail on Smith, we want him alive."
"Good plan. But first, help me clean up?" he says in a sweet voice.
"Mr. Castle! Are you asking a guest to clean your mess up?" Kate says in a mock serious tone.
"I believe I cleaned your place yesterday," he shoots back.
"That was your mess, besides you offered," she mutters, but gets up and starts helping him rinse the dishes.
"Ah, Kate?" Rick says tentatively. "You know I was joking, right?"
"I know, I wouldn't have helped if you were serious," she says with a smirk and he lets out a laugh.
"Good to know," he says and starts to put everything in the dishwasher.
"Mr. Smith, I'm sorry to bother you so early, but this is Detective Kate Beckett from the NYPD and we'd like have a word?" Beckett says to the intercom in front of Smiths building. They'd gone to her apartment, which was on the way anyway and she'd changed. They are at Smith's building earlier than she intended, but it doesn't seem a problem.
"No problem, Detective, come on up," a voice says and they hear a buzz, letting them know the door is now open. Castle holds the door for her and they make it to the elevator.
"You think he'll recognize you?" she asks Castle.
"Yeah, probably."
"You think you'll recognize him?"
"Maybe his voice, but like I said, he was a shadow in a parking garage."
They arrive on Smith's floor and the man is waiting for them in the hallway. He's wearing a grey suit, just a little darker than his hair. He seems tired, worried. He way he stands tells Kate that he has pride but is not arrogant with it. His voice is low when he ushers them inside.
"Mr. Castle, I told you not to tell her. It's not safe," he tells Castle in an urgent tone when he closes the door.
"I know, sir, but she had the right to know. I couldn't have sat on it forever, she would've found out eventually," Castle says. Smith doesn't seem to agree with him but lets it go.
"What's done is done, I guess," he mutters.
"Sir, we need to know what's in those files," Beckett cuts to the chase.
"I'm sorry, Detective, but I can't give them to you. You're already in too much danger as it is. I promised Roy that I wouldn't show anyone what was in them."
"With all due respect, sir, Captain Montgomery is dead. I'm sure he won't care about some files right now," Beckett says angrily. She's surprised by how quickly the anger came and deep inside she's ashamed of herself. She never thought she would ever speak of her old Captain that way.
"Kate…" she hears Castle say behind her.
"Detective, I realize that you don't care about your own safety, but think about all Roy has done for you to stay safe… It's too dangerous for me to give you those files. You need to stop this investigation." She doesn't like to be told off like a little girl, but the man has a point. Stubborn as she is in her quest for information, she struggles on.
"Why is it so dangerous? The guy who shot me is behind bars, all I need to know now is who ordered the hit."
"You think they don't have any other hitmen? You think that Cole Maddox was their only sniper? Detective, I thought you were smarter. Just by being here, you're putting us all in huge danger," Smith says. He doesn't raise his voice, he says it like a parent telling a child that there is no crocodile under the bed. She stands there with her mouth agape, he really isn't going to help them, just to protect her…
"Mr. Smith," Castle says, "she promised me to stop when we have the files, and I will hold her to that promise." Beckett lets his words sink in and realizes that even if they do get the files and find out who ordered the hit, she won't be slapping any cuffs on anyone anytime soon. And she's okay with that. For now. But she wants to know. No, she needs to know.
"I'm planning on keeping that promise," she states and she smiles at Castle for not giving up on her. "But please, sir, I need to know."
Smith looks at them as if he's trying to decide if he can trust their word. Then his shoulders slouch slightly as he sighs. "Fine, wait here," the old man says and he walks through a door on their left.
Castle and Beckett share a nervous glance. They're actually going to find out who had her mother killed, who had her shot, who ruined her life. After all these years, there's finally a possibility to put it all behind them. Closure.
"Okay, don't open it here. Take it with you. I hand it to you now, I want nothing to do with it anymore," Smith says when he returns with a manila folder in his hands.
"Okay, thank you very much, sir," Beckett says gratefully as she takes the folder from him.
"You sure you want to do this now?" Castle says as Beckett closes the door to the conference room.
"Yes, I need to know," she says.
"Don't you think Ryan and Esposito need to know about this first?"
"No, I don't want an audience when I find out." Kate sits down in front of the folder Smith handed to them, Castle sits down next to her. She takes a deep breath and opens the folder. Her eyes are glued to the page. She not sure where to look, but then it all makes sense. Just like that she knows who's behind all this.
"Castle…" Kate whispers as she reads the only page in it.
"What? Kate, what?" Castle says urgently.
"I know who killed my mother," she breathes and she grabs his arm. "I know who ordered her dead."
"Who?" Rick says curiously as he takes her hand in his for comfort.
"You're not going to like this," Kate says and she brushes her thumb across his palm.
"Why not?"
"Because we can't do anything. We don't have the authority to arrest him," she breathes.
"What? Kate, who is it?" He tightens his grip on her hand.
"Senator William H. Bracken," she spits out with as with venom as she has.
"What? The US Senator? You've got to be kidding me!" Castle all but shouts.
"Shush, not the entire precinct needs to know," Beckett hushes him.
"Sorry, but seriously?"
"I told you, you weren't going to like it," Beckett says and she watches him process the news. He seems more upset than she feels. She kind of expected it. Maddox told her that she had no idea what she was up against and he was right.
"We can't hurt him, not without solid evidence… What are we going to do?" he sounds defeated. Kate realizes that he wanted her to stop, but never intended to stop himself. He doesn't care about his wellbeing either. She has to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid either.
"Nothing," she says and their eyes lock. "We aren't going to do anything. Everyone makes mistakes, we're going to keep an eye on him and catch him as soon as he makes one."
"What about your safety? That's what is most important right now."
"I'm not the one keeping an eye on him, Rick. Neither are you, or Ryan and Espo for that matter. I promised you I would stop when we got the file. I told you I was planning on keeping that promise and this is me doing just that," she tells him. "I expect you to stop too. I can't let you ruin your life even more for me. I can't let this ruin anybody's life."
"I haven't ruined my life for you, Kate. You've made it so much better. My life has so much more meaning than it did before I met you. This case didn't ruin my life, it ruined yours and I tried to help and make your life better."
"And you did. You really did make my life so much better," she smiles at him. "Thank you."
Just then they hear a knock on the door and see Ryan and Esposito peeking through the window.
"Come in, guys," Kate yells and she reluctantly lets go of Rick's hand. The boys open the door and give them suggestive smiles.
"Soooo, we aren't interrupting anything, are we?" Esposito says.
"No, Espo, if you wanted to interrupt us you had to come a minute earlier."
"Dang it," he says with a cheeky smile. "So have you found something?" He turns serious as he notices the file on the table and stares at it.
"Yes, actually, we did," Beckett says and she hands him the file. "But Castle and I are off the case."
"What? Why?" Ryan asks.
"For now, until any new evidence shows up against the Senator."
"Senator? What do you mean?"
"It's in the file. Now if you will excuse me, I need to talk to Gates."
Thoughts?