"Did you finish the case Mommy?" Eliza asked her mother as soon as they'd sat at one of the tables.
"I wish we had but we're still working on it," Beckett said, running her hand over the back of her head.
"What happened?" Eliza then said.
Shaking her head Beckett said, "It doesn't matter. What I'm wondering about much more is how it is with our new dogs."
Eliza smiled and said, "They are nice doggies, but I don't have names to call them."
"As soon as your sister sees them they'll have names we can call them," Beckett assured her. She gently kissed her temple and said, "Did you do your worksheets."
"Yeah, they are all done," Eliza told her with a smile. She sighed and then said, "When can you come to the class?"
"That's the question," Beckett said. "We don't know yet, but we told Brad already that we need to go to at least see the last half hour of your class."
"Oh… thank you Mommy," Eliza said with a wide smile.
"You're welcome," Beckett said. She looked over at her husband and father and said, "Everything ready for the station?"
"They're starting on it right now," Castle said. "Luckily there weren't too many people behind me."
"What if there had been?" Jim asked.
"They would have had some other workers start on them," Beckett answered for her husband. "We've done this before."
"Mommy can Grandpapa go see the station?" Eliza asked suddenly as Castle left to get their four drinks.
"I don't think now is the best time for that sweetie," Beckett told her. "Maybe another time okay?"
"Kay," Eliza replied as she looked a little disappointed.
"It's not the best time for me," Jim said. "Like your mother said and that's because they're working on a case. You don't want to distract them from work, do you?"
Eliza shook her head and then climbed onto his lap to sit with him as they watched Castle coming back with their cups. She took hers with cider and then watched the others starting to drink before she remembered the reason she and her grandfather were there. She was about to speak when her father began to, saying almost exactly what she'd been about to to her surprise.
"Your medicine love," Castle told his wife.
"I know," Beckett said, opening one of the compartments of the case. She wasn't surprised to see Eliza was watching her and she said, "I didn't tell you both thank you for bringing these."
"You're welcome," Jim said as he was helping Eliza down off his lap.
"Did the baby kick today when you were working?" the little girl asked her mother as she pressed her hand to her stomach.
"A few times," Beckett said, startled to realize that the baby hadn't kicked when they'd been getting Easter. She finished her last pill and said, "Did you two start the worksheets or wait?"
"We waited," Jim said with a smile. "She wanted to play with the new dogs for a little."
"To see if they were nice like our doggies," Eliza said quickly as she thought her mother would be mad.
"Are they?" Castle asked.
"They-" Eliza started to say before she paused as she felt the baby kicking a couple times near her hand. She giggled and then told her mother, "They are, I can't wait for Jules to give them names."
"Me too," Beckett said. "I'd like to see what she picks out."
"I think we definitely should stop at six love," Castle commented. When his wife looked at him he said, "She'll run out of names from songs to choose from."
Beckett shook her head and asked him in Irish, "Did you explain the case to him?"
"I did," Castle replied. "So he knows. Why?"
Glancing at her father quickly Beckett said, "Just so he knows."
"Mommy?" Eliza asked, having been looking back and forth between them.
"Sorry sweetie we were just checking on something," Beckett said easily. "Oh," she then said to both her and her father. "I told Brad earlier that this will be my last case until after the baby is born… and likely after summer as well," she said, adding the last as she looked at her husband.
"Most likely," Castle said in agreement.
"Are you gonna work Daddy?" Eliza asked him.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to," Castle replied. "And that way I can keep an eye on your mom." He smiled when his wife rolled her eyes before he said, "And we'll be home for you and your sister."
"And the doggies," Eliza added quickly. She smiled when her parents laughed and then started to sip at her drink again while the adults spoke, trying to go slowly so her parents wouldn't have to go back to work.
"You said Brad would text you?" Jim asked the two as they'd finished their drinks and his daughter and son in law weren't getting ready to leave.
"He said," Beckett replied. She looked at her husband and when he shrugged she said, "We can go check now; how would you like to go with us to do that?"
"Can we?" Eliza asked eagerly.
"She's right, could we?" Jim said in surprise.
"Just into the lobby," Beckett said. "We'd take you through to the bull pen if we could but since they're working we can't really do that."
"You can look through the big window Grandpapa and look there," Eliza said eagerly.
"If it's alright," Jim began slowly.
"It will be," Beckett assured him. She wasn't surprised when Eliza started to jump up and down in her joy and she stood, helping the little girl with her coat and outer layers. "We'll walk," she told her husband and father.
"I'll go with you," Castle was quick to say.
"I'll take the car," Jim said. "Is there anywhere special I need to park?"
Shaking her head Beckett said, "If you're parking in the front anywhere is fine."
Outside Castle split from his father in law with his wife and daughter and they began to walk over to the station.
"You haven't said much love," Beckett told him once they were on their way.
With a slight smile Castle said, "You'd know better than me if it was okay for them to go. And I know Brad is my friend," he said quickly when she opened her mouth to speak. "But you were a cop too so you'd know about this."
"Okay," Beckett said with a soft laugh. "I really hope things will be ready," she said.
"Do you want to go back to work?" Eliza asked, looking up at both her parents since she was walking in between them.
"We do, that way we can go home soon," Castle commented.
"You know," Beckett then said. "You'll have to tell us when we have dinner what you and your grandpapa did after you played with the dogs."
Her eyes wide Eliza asked, "How did you know?"
"Just a feeling," Castle said before his wife could. "But don't worry; you eventually did your worksheets so that's fine."
Eliza nodded before they reached where Jim was parked and leaning against the car as he waited for them. She rushed over to him and took his hand, starting to pull him over to the door as she could hear her parents laughing behind them while they followed.
"It's surprising even him seeing the lobby is still getting her this excited," Castle commented in a lower voice to his wife.
"I think she's proud of us," Beckett said, that realization coming to her suddenly. She had to wonder why exactly it had taken so long for that and she said, pausing as the other two were waiting at the door, "I think she still sees us as police."
Nodding Castle said, "I'd thought of that myself but wasn't sure. I guess this proved it."
Beckett nodded herself before they went up to their youngest and her father and when they stepped inside she looked around. Finding the room was empty she said, "The first time we came here it looked a lot different."
"Wasn't that station in a different place?" Jim asked her, looking over at her.
"At the other end of town," Castle answered. "They put it here to be closer to downtown and the center of the city; just easier."
"And the other towns?" Jim asked.
"They have their own substations," Castle explained.
"Brad's in charge of those too but there are sergeants there to lead those," Beckett said. "We've come into contact with some of them but not often. He takes precedence over the others."
"Over who?" Brad asked he walked over to them.
"He asked about the rest of the Hamptons," Beckett replied.
"Yeah when I first realized what all of the Hamptons was I was confused," Brad said as he picked up Eliza when she hurried over to him. "But that was well before I applied I should say," he added with a smile. "How are you Eliza? I heard you got some new dogs."
"Did you see my new doggies?" the little girl asked eagerly.
"I did, and they were very cute," Brad said as she was touching the Hamptons Police patch on the shoulder of his uniform and tracing the letters. "Are they enjoying your home?"
"Yeah and their brothers and sisters," Eliza said. She wrinkled her nose and said, "They have different names right now."
"Well I'm sure you sister will name them as soon as possible," Brad said. "She probably won't stand them not having names either." When the little girl nodded he turned to Jim and reached over, shaking his hand before he said, "Welcome to our station here, I'm guessing you met with them at the café?"
"We were hoping to see them here," Jim explained. "Katie forgot something at home."
"And Eliza asked if he could come see the station," Castle added.
"Oh well I'm sorry we can't give you a tour," Brad told him as he handed Eliza over to Castle. "But we'll have an open house… soon I believe, and you can see it then."
"If I'm here I'd love to," Jim said. He was going to say that they should probably go when Eliza was calling out to him from her father's arms.
"You didn't look inside Grandpapa," the little girl said eagerly.
"She wants me to look through the window to see inside," Jim explained to the chief.
Brad studied the man for a moment before he said, "Hold on."
"Where did he go?" Eliza asked, watching him go.
"I'm not sure," Castle said, shrugging when his wife looked at him.
"I think I have an idea," Beckett said then when she noticed that her husband and father were looking at her.
"Guys," Brad called from the window looking out on the lobby. "You can come on in; quick tour."
"Seriously?" Castle asked his friend.
"Seriously, we have a chance," Brad said, looking at his friend and Beckett pointedly.
"Well if the chief says it's alright," Castle told Eliza and his father in law; the former looking hopeful.
"He's right, if Brad says it's okay then you can go Dad," Beckett said to her father first. "And David wouldn't mind either."
"Okay but we don't need that long of a tour," Jim said as they went over to a door that the chief had opened for them next to the window.
"It won't be," Brad told them. "Also, I figure this is a way for Eliza to see where her parents are during the day."
Beckett expected her daughter to say something to that; since the little girl hadn't seen the station from anywhere but the lobby; but was slightly startled when she was silent. She looked over at her and smiled as she saw that the little girl was looking around in awe.
"Do you know everybody?" Eliza whispered eventually as she stopped looking at the room and then turned her attention to the officers that were there.
"We do," Castle said with a smile. "And they know you and your sister of course."
"Yeah?" Eliza asked, hiding her face in her father's neck as one of the female officers waved a little at her.
"They do," Beckett said, watching that. "Is that it?" she then asked Brad.
"No, they can see the break room and my office," the chief told them.
"Your… are you sure?" Castle asked as he and his wife shared a startled look at that as the murder board had pictures from the crime scenes.
"Yes," Brad told them firmly.
"What room is this?" Eliza asked, looking around.
"We call it the break room, we usually eat here or have a drink," Castle explained.
"Oh…" Eliza said, glancing at the coffee machine though she saw it wasn't like the one they had at home. She was set down and she went straight to her mother, holding her hand tightly as they then walked outside and stopped after at a desk. "What?" she asked, looking up at Beckett.
"This is where we sit… sometimes," Castle said first.
"He's right, but you should have been able to tell," Beckett said as Eliza went to the chair where her husband would sit when they were there.
"She knows about your desk you had back in the city?" Brad asked interestedly.
"There are pictures of them with the others in the Precinct," Jim explained. "At parties, the desk is behind them and you can see the chair."
"Did Jules see this?" Eliza asked.
"She has," Beckett said with a nod. "Come and see the office where we are mostly now sweetie."
"Kay," Eliza said, climbing down and then taking her mother's hand before they went over to the large room towards the back.
Beckett exchanged a relieved look with her husband at the fact that someone had moved the murder boards against the side wall, their blank sides facing the rest of the room. "We spend most of our time in here since we need to talk to Brad a lot about our cases," she told her.
"Oh… cool," Eliza said with a smile.
"Chief," Wade said, coming up to the doorway of the office. He paused and smiled at Eliza, who had run behind her father, before he continued telling them, "There's an FBI agent here, he says his last name is Scarsi."
"Scar's here?" Brad asked in shock. He looked at the others and their confusion seemed to shake him, and he said, "Thank you Wade is he in the lobby?"
"Yes sir," Wade replied.
"Okay," Brad said. "I'm afraid we need to cut this visit short," he said to Jim and Eliza.
"It was nice enough for you to let us in in the first place," Beckett's father replied.
"Yeah, thank you!" Eliza said happily.
"Do we need to hide the fact they're here?" Castle asked his friend.
"No but you can say goodbye here," Brad told them before he went over to Wade and spoke to him as he led him out.
"Bye Mommy, Daddy," Eliza said. "I like your desk."
"We do too," Castle said, picking her up so Beckett could kiss her, and he did the same.
"We'll try to see you as soon as we can," Beckett then promised, hugging her father.
"Just let me know," Jim replied before he took Eliza from his son in law.
Walking out together the group came to a man standing on his own in the lobby, looking around before he nodded to them. Castle and Beckett said goodbye to Jim and Eliza before they turned in time to see Brad walking out.
"Davis," the man said.
"Scar," Brad replied. "I'm assuming you still go by that?"
"Sure," Scarsi replied. He shook Brad's hand and asked, "How're you?"
"Okay, is this connected?" the chief asked.
Shaking his head Scarsi said, "No clue but I was told by my superior to come up here to take a look; since I've worked on cases like this already."
"And Coupe?" Brad asked. He then looked at Castle and Beckett and told them quickly, "He was Scarsi's partner."
"I think he's going to be called up here soon," the agent replied. "If he hasn't been already." He then looked at Castle and Beckett and said, "Do you need some help still?"
"These are my consultants Scar," Brad said. "Castle and Beckett."
"I heard about that but didn't think they'd be here," Scarsi replied, glancing at Beckett. "Are you sure you should be here ma'am?"
"I'm fine," Beckett replied easily, having expected that as he had been focused largely on her stomach.
"Scar," Brad said to get his attention. "They're here; I need them here because they helped me bring in Easter."
Glancing at Castle, Scarsi said, "Alright but if they're getting in the way they're gone."
Brad hesitated for a moment before he looked over at Castle and Beckett and when they both just barely nodded he said, "Fine." He then led the way inside the bull pen saying, "Easter is coherent now, I think we caught him on the tail end of whatever he was on. So I want them in with me, but you better stay out; I know he'll remember you."
"I'll be watching," Scarsi replied, going into observation that Brad pointed out to him.
"He's like that," Brad told the two. "Gruff but he's good. Now I want you to speak with him first Kate."
"Alright," Beckett said simply as she knew why he was doing that. She and her husband followed him inside the room, Easter looking up at them and speaking as soon as the door was closed behind the three of them.
"Sorry," Easter said as his attention focused on Beckett. "I was hallucinating."
Not surprised the man's speech was a little slower than it had been at the hotel Beckett simply nodded before she said, "So you've been settling in here it looks like."
"For the time being," Easter replied with a shrug.
"You have other plans?" Brad asked.
Easter opened his mouth to answer before he paused and then looked down into the cup of coffee that he'd been given.
"It would be easier on yourself if you spoke," Castle told him.
"Then can you protect me?" Easter replied, a frown on his face.
"If we knew what you needed to be protected from then yes, we can," Brad answered. "But you need to tell us."
"Okay," Easter breathed out after clearly thinking that over. "I was approached three weeks ago; to the day; to do a few… errands."
"Errands," Beckett stated.
"Make phone calls, get some scraps from the stables I used to work at," Easter answered. "And I agreed, I need the money. So I did that and then you guys came to get me."
"How were you contacted?" Brad inquired.
"Facebook," Easter answered. "They set up a meeting place at the alley behind that bar across the street from my hotel."
"Who were you approached by once you were there? A man, a woman?" Brad asked.
"I have no idea," Easter replied. "They were bundled up and I couldn't see them. I would guess a man though, just the outline of their body. They spoke in a whisper, so I couldn't guess their gender that way."
"And were you paid at the beginning?" Castle said though he thought he knew the answer already.
"Yes," Easter replied. "I thought he was crazy because there was always a chance I'd run but then he said he could track me and he'd kill me if I went back on our deal." He then looked at the three and said seriously, "And that's why I need protection."
"I'll make a note of that," Brad replied. "And how did you get these scraps to the man?"
"PO box at the post office two blocks outside of downtown," Easter said. "I had the address."
"Okay," Brad said, trying not to groan out loud at that news. "And was that the only way you got in contact with them?"
"It was just the one time," Easter replied. "That and phone calls were all I had to do."
"Where were you this morning?" Beckett said as she knew the chief was going to ask that as there wasn't much they could ask until they checked on the PO box.
"In that room, too high to move around," Easter said.
"You'll be booked for the drugs Easter," Brad said as Castle and Beckett stood and went to the door. "As for what you've done for this stranger… that will have to be seen."
"I was just supposed to be a distraction; he told me the cops would look for me," Easter said before the three could leave. "And that I'd be meeting an old friend."
"He mentioned me specifically," Brad stated.
Shaking his head Easter replied, "No, just that and that was all he said before he disappeared."
When the man put his head on the table Castle opened the door, watching his friend before they walked out in time to meet Scarsi leaving observation. He wasn't surprised when the agent motioned them away and when Brad just shrugged; looking a little helpless; he and Beckett left them, going into the break room where his wife immediately began to speak, sounding perturbed as well.
"I think I know already what we're going to find," Beckett told him. "So whoever the bomber is they're good."
"Of course, and we know we're not really going to get anything from the box, usually we don't," Castle replied.
"But we're still going to check even though you're right," Brad told the two as he entered.
"And Scarsi?" Beckett asked.
"Going to start on the PO box and start Bernier on Facebook since he's good with that of course," Brad said. "So right now, I think we should look at what CSU was able to find of the bomb itself."
"That came in?" Castle asked as they walked together to the chief's office.
"That and the security camera footage from the house nearest the bomb," Brad said. "We should be busy for a while."
Beckett wasn't surprised when her husband nodded, and they stood on either side of the chief as he opened the file to the first paper that was inside, all three of them studying it closely.
"Think this is accurate?" Castle asked as it was what CSU could imagine the bomb was.
"As much as they had to work with… who knows," Brad said with a slight sigh. "Something I didn't tell you two about; they attempted to recreate the first bomb in my Albany case."
"And did it look like this?" Castle asked.
"We had an advantage," Brad replied. "There was a piece that survived and helped them, but they stressed to me they couldn't say for sure if it was what we were looking for."
"Then we should put this as a possible piece of evidence," Castle said. "But was there ever another landmine?"
"I told you already," Brad said before he paused.
"You mean between that case and now," Beckett said, looking at her husband.
"If one was found intact or exploded," Castle replied.
"Let me take a look," Brad replied before going to the phone on his desk.
"You think the bomber missed some vics?" Beckett asked him as they went to stand just outside the doorway.
"That or guerilla fighters are trying to wage war in Albany," Castle said. "I would imagine the 'journalists' were CIA agents under cover and-"
"Hold on there," Brad said, interrupting his friend. "I just got off the phone and no, there never was. Good try though."
"I have to stay creative," Castle said before they went back into the room together and continued to look at the paperwork in the file until finally Brad set it down on his desk and began to speak to them both as he was picking out some photographs to place on the murder board at the same time.
"The video might give us a little more," Brad said. "Luckily we know that the landmine was put in the sand recently."
"How recently?" Castle asked slowly.
Looking at her husband Beckett said to Brad's expression, "He's wondering if the bomber wasn't waiting."
"Well… it was early in the morning," the chief said slowly, obviously thinking that over. "Alright, but we'll go through last night just in case as well because the security camera does have night vision." He wrote the last bit he needed before he said, "Which we can look at now. But I have to wonder that no one in the neighborhood noticed someone hanging around waiting for Bledsoe to come home. And-"
"He had to have known he had dogs," Castle quickly said, interrupting his friend. "So he knew he would have gone out. Plus, he could have been stalking him too."
"And no one noticed anything suspicious in the past either," Brad reminded them.
"What about from the water?" Beckett asked.
"By boat," Brad replied as he sat at his desk. He wasn't surprised when the two nodded and he said, "Good idea. Alright let's see what we've got here and then look at what we need to after that." He turned his attention to his computer and opened the footage he had gotten from the home to the east of where the bomb was. He started on the night before, letting it go quickly as there was nothing in the beach or the ocean. He moved to the next morning when he stopped at just barely after six when a lone figure at the top right corner of the screen that seemed to have suddenly appeared.
"Are there any homes to the west of Bledsoe's with cameras?" Castle asked.
"No, at least not close enough to see this," Brad replied. "He might have known that."
"Did you doubt he was local?" Beckett said.
"No," Brad said before he played the footage again. When the figure knelt he muttered, "Tying his shoes."
"It's likely affective," Castle commented. "Plus he's cautious; we haven't seen anyone else besides him."
"Okay," Brad said as the figure soon disappeared. He was going to continue when he then saw a boat just barely in the distance and he paused there before trying to zoom in as Castle and Beckett leaned in to look closer as well.
"He made a mistake," they said at the same time.
Brad, who hadn't spoken, looked back at the two and said, "How?"
"See that stripe?" Castle said, pointing out the one on the skiff.
"Only one marina has them," Beckett said, watching the chief to see if he would realize what they were talking about.
Breathing out Brad said, "Hamptons West." When they nodded he got up and said, "I'll be right back."
"He's not going to go out?" Castle asked.
"I think he wants to consult with Scarsi," Beckett said.
"Oh, that reminds me, what do you think about him?" Castle said as he turned.
"He reminds me of Fallon," Beckett replied. "Except not as… rough as he was I guess is the word I want to use."
"So far," Castle said. "You don't mind he doesn't really want us here?"
"Do you?" Beckett shot back.
"I'm used to it," Castle replied simply. "But what about you?"
"I'm a little annoyed," Beckett admitted. "But I remember that he doesn't know us or how we work here."
"Then hopefully he will now," Castle commented. When she nodded he studied her and said, "Here, you should sit."
Beckett wanted to tell him that she was fine, but she knew he was right as her back was beginning to ache and once she was in one of the chairs she said with a smile, "You're going to miss this when the baby is born."
"No I won't," Castle said as he pulled the other chair over to hers. "I'll have the baby to coddle next."
"Coddle," Beckett said with a soft laugh as he squeezed her hand gently. She let him go and then looked over at the doorway as Brad walked in with Scarsi.
"We can clear Easter as being the one to place the bomb," the former said first. "There's a camera on that floor at the hotel; I guess it's had past issues; and since there's only one way out of there he didn't move."
"What about that Facebook contact?" Castle asked, looking at Scarsi.
"It's untraceable," the agent replied, looking slightly grim. "They used computers from libraries to set it up and talk with them and a bogus name."
"And can you check security footage?" Beckett asked.
"Rice and Gardiner are," Brad answered. "So we may get something from that."
"We can only hope," Scarsi replied before he excused himself.
"He's going to check something," Brad said. "For now, let me call the marina."
"Why is everyone leaving?" Castle said when his friend had done that.
"I think he's going to use the radio," Beckett replied. "Easier to call," she added with a shrug. She stood back up and walked over to the murder board, studying what they had so far. "You know if this is just one bomb it's going to be difficult."
"We've never been unable to solve a case," Castle told her.
"You're not afraid of jinxing it?" Beckett asked with a smirk.
"Not really," Castle said.
"You're usually more care-" Beckett began to say when she cut herself off at the sound of running. She went with her husband to the doorway, watching Brad stop just in front of them, panting so heavily she thought he wouldn't be able to speak. But he soon did, and everything seemed to freeze at what he told them
"There's been another explosion," Brad began, looking strained. "At our kids' schools."
