Laser Tagged
By Dana Keylits
Chapter Ten
Castle had to keep reminding himself that this was someone's child, someone's daughter. It was the only thing keeping him from supplying her with the verbal assault that she more than deserved. Well, that and Kate's nonverbal warning to stay quiet and listen.
Sheila stepped tentatively into the room, wringing her hands, looking nervously between Castle and Alexis. Kate stood up and moved to stand next to the girl. "Sheila has some information about what happened, Alexis, if you want to talk about it tonight. If not, we can do this in the morning."
Alexis rubbed her forehead with her IV free hand. "No, I'd like to hear what she has to say," she replied, frowning.
Kate gently laid her hand on Sheila's back. "Go ahead, Sheila. Tell them what you told me."
Sheila took a deep breath before taking off her jacket and folding it over one arm. She was beginning to perspire and a bright red blotch was creeping up her neck. She wiped her forehead.
"Alexis, I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened." She inhaled deeply. "I wasn't in on it from the beginning, but as soon as I realized what was happening I should have stopped it. I should have gotten help. I was just," she paused, nervously glancing at Castle then back at Alexis, "...I was scared."
Alexis gave her an unsympathetic nod.
Sheila steeled herself, and then forged ahead. "Peter gave Meryl and me a six pack of beer, told us to give you the open one. I didn't know he'd laced it with cocaine and roofies until after you'd passed out." She glanced at Castle, fearfully. "I swear."
Castle had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at her. Why the hell hadn't she called 911 when Alexis passed out? Instead, he blinked and simply said, "Go on."
"Well," Sheila resumed her story, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She scratched her neck nervously. "After you passed out, Meryl texted Peter and he came to your room. We, um, he made us put you in your bed."
Kate must have noticed Castle wrestling with his temper because she moved to stand on Sheila's other side, closer to him. She shot him a warning glance. He gave her a terse nod, letting her know he had it under control. This is someone's child, this is someone's child, this is someone's child. He thought to himself over and over.
"Meryl took your shirt off," she explained, fear skittering across her face as she glanced at Castle.
Alexis groaned, her hand inching up to cover her mouth. Castle wanted to fly across the room to gather her in his arms, but he held back, not wanting to embarrass her in front of Sheila.
"Then, um, Peter got into the bed with you."
Alexis held up one hand, her eyes squeezed shut. "Stop!'
Every head swiveled in her direction; Castle inched forward in his seat.
"Dad, can you please let Sheila and I talk in private?"
Castle flinched. What? He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Stunned.
"Please, Dad? Can you and Beckett just wait in the hall? I'll yell if I need you." Her eyes were commanding, her posture controlled.
"I…honey, I…"
"C'mon, Castle," Kate said, hooking him by the arm.
His stormy blue eyes darted from Kate to Alexis, then to Sheila. He stood firm, a stubborn line forming between his eyes, even as Kate was pulling him.
"Let's go." she insisted, tugging harder.
He reluctantly allowed her to lead him out of the room. "We will be right outside." He shot a warning look in Sheila's direction before letting the door close between them.
In the hallway, he paced back and forth as Kate leaned against the wall, her legs crossed at the ankle, her arms folded across her middle. "Castle, this is good. It's good for her to confront Sheila by herself. Besides. She didn't want you hearing that."
He stopped, glared at her, slack jawed. "Why? I'm her father."
"That's exactly why! What happened to her is deeply personal, Castle, She probably wants to know about it before you do."
He resumed his pacing, roughly combing his fingers through his hair before scrubbing his five o'clock shadow. "You know," he declared. "Right? Kate? Sheila told you what they did?"
Kate nodded.
"Tell me."
"Castle. I'll tell you if you insist, but I think we should let Alexis do it. I think she wants to take charge of what happened to her, to not let it turn her into a victim." She drew a deep breath. "That means she should be able to control the story." Kate reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping his back and forth in front of her. "Including with you."
Her words weaved through him like barbed wire, but he knew she was right. Alexis was a grown woman now. She was entitled to her privacy, and in spite of the fact that he was her father - that he was paying for her education, she still had the right to control how this played out.
He stopped pacing and leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. "You're right."
She stepped to him, her hands fingering the lapel of his shirt. "I know this is hard for you, Castle. I'm so sorry."
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her to him, savoring her warmth, her comforting presence. He sighed, his breath billowing her hair. "I just want to be able to protect her."
She touched his cheeks with her fingertips, pressing her lips lightly against his in a soft kiss. "I know you do." She kissed him again. "It's what makes you such a good dad."
He smiled, "And here I thought it was my top-of-the-line Laser Tag equipment."
She returned his smile, her eyes bright. "That too."
They fell into an easy silence. Kate gently slid her arms around his middle, resting her head against his chest. He settled his chin on top of her head, closing his eyes, the exhaustion of this day suddenly seizing his body. If it hadn't been for Kate holding him up, he'd have collapsed into a shattered heap on the floor.
After what felt like hours, but was in reality only minutes, Sheila came bursting from the room, a twirling dervish of tears and teenage pageantry. Kate chased her down the hallway while Castle went back into the room.
Alexis was sitting up in the bed, delicately blowing her nose into a soft tissue, her pale cheeks marred by the obvious evidence of freshly shed tears. Castle tentatively inched towards her, Kate's words still ringing in his ears. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, brimming with tears. "Fine," she murmured.
He stepped closer, resting his hip on the edge of her bed. "Why am I not convinced?"
She gave him a weary smile, her hands flopping into her lap. "It's fine, Dad. I just feel like such a fucking idiot."
"Whoa!" Castle had never heard Alexis say anything harsher than bitch before.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. You're entitled. I'm just not used to hearing that from you."
She settled back against the pillows, rubbing her forehead. "Dad? I'm really tired. Can we talk in the morning? I just need to sleep."
He clearly hadn't managed a convincing job of hiding his wounded soul, because she quickly reached for his hand and added, "I promise, I'll tell you everything. I just don't think I can keep my eyes open anymore."
He leaned down, kissed her forehead and squeezed her hand. "Of course. Go to sleep. I'll be right here. We'll talk in the morning."
She nodded, pushed the "recline" button on the bed and closed her eyes. She was asleep before he even had a chance to turn out the overhead lights.
Kate poked her head in the room and whispered, "I'm taking Sheila back to the dorm."
He escorted her out to the hallway, noticing the young girl slumped on the bench down the hall. He was having a hard time mustering up any sympathy for her. "What's going to happen with her?" He head-nodded in Sheila's direction.
"It's up to campus police, but because she's cooperating with them, she'll probably swing a deal." Kate glanced behind her at the girl, and then turned back to Castle. "She's willing to testify against Peter and the other girl."
Castle nodded, softening. "Good."
"You gonna be okay here? You want me to come back after I drop her off?"
He smiled, a genuine Richard Castle smile, his eyes all crinkly. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "No. Go home. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, 'kay?"
She nodded, turning to leave.
"And Kate?"
She spun around, looking at him over her shoulder. "Hmmm?"
"Thank you. Thank you for. Well, thank you for everything."
A gentle smile adorned her lips. "Always."
She rested her head against the cool tile of the shower, the scalding water cascading down her tired body, pooling at her feet before cycloning clockwise down the drain. Kate's mind wouldn't shut down after she'd arrived home. She'd decided a hot shower might help to relax her, ease her mind into sleep.
It wasn't working.
There was so much more going on with Alexis than either Castle or Kate had previously known; and Kate only knew about it now because Sheila had spilled her guts on the drive home.
"None of that explains what happened to Alexis," Sheila had quickly clarified. "But, you should know, she has a real drinking problem."
The words echoed around Kate's brain with an uncomfortable familiarity. The ghosts of her past coming back to haunt her, she could hear their voices project similar concerns about her father. It had taken years to get him into sobriety. She only hoped for an easier path for Alexis.
She shut off the water and stepped out of the tub, wrapping her slender frame in a fluffy white towel. Her dad. She needed to speak with her dad. Maybe he'd have some pearls of wisdom for her.
After she was dried and pajama clad, she sat cross legged on the bed and picked up the phone. Was it too late? It was almost midnight. She hesitated, then dialed the number, taking a chance that he was still the night owl he'd always been.
"Hi Dad, it's Katie."
Alexis was going to be discharged that morning, so Kate went into work instead of to the hospital. She would check in on them later today at Castle's loft. Alexis wouldn't be returning to the dorms until Castle was sure she was okay and Peter was behind bars, or expelled, or both.
Campus police had gathered enough evidence that the D.A. felt confident she had a case against Peter and Meryl. Sheila's testimony, along with the physical evidence, was enough to take to a grand jury for an indictment. But, Kate was beginning to think this case was much bigger than a puerile college freshman prank. She was beginning to think it was much more sinister, with many more victims in its wake.
The only problem was, she was NYPD homicide and campus police had jurisdiction. There was no way Gates was going to let her investigate. She'd scheduled a meeting with the campus police chief investigator to share her concerns. She hoped that she would be allowed to consult on the case as an invested third party, thereby skirting police regs on jumping cases.
But, before she did that, she had a phone call to make. She dug through her old rolodex and found the hastily scribbled number. Dialing it, she called up a silent prayer that this would work.
"Hello. This is Detective Kate Beckett, I'd like to speak with Sky Blue, please?"
Kate eased her way through the front door using her key, balancing the bag of take-out food in one hand. Castle jumped off the couch to help her, taking the bag, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Hi. Thanks for picking this up. Alexis loves Thai food!"
"Sure," Kate replied, toeing off her shoes and closing the door behind her. "I'm happy to do it. How's Alexis?" She glanced up the stairs.
"She's taking a nap. Glad to be home, I think," Castle replied, nosing through the bag of food.
"Is she feeling better?" Kate asked, easing onto one of the stools surrounding the high top kitchen counter.
"I think so. She's been kind of quiet. Kept to her room, mostly. Mother went out to get her her favorite Ice cream. That always cheers her up!" He smiled.
"Ah," Kate nodded, concern etching her face.
"I know that look," Castle stated. "What is it?"
Her eyes lighted on him. "Castle. I know Alexis told you the whole story about what happened with Peter."
"Yeah. That he had one of those girls take pictures of him in bed with her. Little shit."
Kate nodded. "Right. But,"
Castle stopped, his hand with the takeout container suspended in midair. "What? Kate? Did he? Was there more to what he did to her? Alexis said it was just the pictures."
"No, no. Castle, nothing like that," Kate quickly reassured him. "It's just, Sheila made a comment when I took her home that makes me believe Alexis' drinking is a lot more serious than we thought."
"What?" He scoffed.
"You don't think so?"
"No, it's not that. I just, I think she's learned her lesson," Castle reasoned.
Kate bit the inside of her cheek while Castle resumed unpacking the bag of food. "I hope you're right, Castle. I do. But, I think we should be prepared in case her problems with alcohol are more serious."
He sighed, put the paper bag on the floor and busied himself opening the containers. "I appreciate your perspective, Kate. I do. But, she's home now, I'm going to keep an eye on her. She knows how serious this was. She knows she almost died. I think it's going to be okay."
Kate reached over and caressed the back of his hand. "I hope so."
He'd insisted she sleep over, but neither of them were sleeping well. At two-thirty, Kate decided to give up, go make some tea, maybe read for a bit.
She crept out of bed, careful not to wake Castle who had finally drifted off to sleep. She padded to the bathroom and threw on his fluffy blue bathrobe, then tiptoed out of the bedroom.
When she entered the great room, she was surprised by the soft glow of light illuminating the kitchen counters. When she stepped closer, she could see that the refrigerator door was open and as she reached it, the door swung shut, plunging the room into darkness.
But there was enough ambient light spilling in through the long windows of the loft for Kate to see that she was standing toe-to-toe with Alexis.
Alexis gasped, startled. "Beckett!"
Kate looked crestfallen, eying the open bottle of chilled wine in the girls' hand. "Alexis? What are you doing?"
A/N: For a reminder as to who Sky Blue is, re-watch episode 2x07; Famous Last Words. Again, thanks for reading. Next chapter coming soon!