INSIGHT x ACTION = CHANGE
Placing her hand in his, Kate leaned her head into his shoulder and whispered, "After last night, with our luck we would probably set off the garden's sprinkler system... Thanks, Rick."
"For what?"
"For understanding that I let my mind get fucked up sometimes, and that it tends to get in our way. I'll really try to do better."
"So will I, Kate... I love you."
"I love you too."
Returning to the room they found Martha and Alexis lounging on one of couches in the suite's living area. Alexis was leaning her head onto her grandmother's shoulder while Martha hugged her close with the arm that clasp Alexis' shoulder. It appeared that they may be drifting in and out of sleep, emotionally tired from the events of the morning. Rick and Kate quietly moved toward the wet bar that occupied the left side of the living area. They each got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and were about to go out on the balcony when Martha realized that they had returned.
"Darlings, I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Alexis stirred at Martha's slight movement, but she didn't wake up. "We were talking about this morning, and she just started to dose off. I guess I joined her."
"I'm sorry, Mother. Go back to sleep. Kate and I were just going out onto the balcony."
"Nonsense. There's plenty of time for sleeping. Richard, since this may be our last night here, can we possibly go to Spago for dinner tonight? I'd hate for us to miss an opportunity."
"Certainly, that sounds like the perfect setting for our last meal here until the spring."
Martha looked at him as she verbalized the question that was in her eyes, "What's this about the spring?"
As Rick and Kate sat down on the sofa that faced Martha and Alexis, he responded, "The studio wants us to come back in the spring for the events surrounding the premiere of HEAT WAVE. I've already made arrangements for us to stay here again, I just have to get more of the specifics during my meeting with them in the morning."
Arousing from her sleep, Alexis interjected, "We get to come back in the spring. Is it going to be late enough that I will already have graduated?"
Rick responded, "I thought you were asleep?"
"I was sleep listening. You can find out a lot that way sometimes. Will it be late enough so that I can go?"
"God, is she ever your daughter," Kate laughed as she let her head fall back into the cushions of the sofa."
"Yes, sleep-listener, it should be at least that late in the spring, if not early summer. We all will be able to attend," Rick replied to his daughter.
Excitedly, Alexis gushed, "Kate?"
Kate just flexed her neck to lift her head from the back of the sofa and chuckled, "We'll see, sweetheart. Just remember the cart and the horse, okay?"
Rick left the group to go to his bedroom so that he could make arrangements for dinner, as well as contact the studio executives regarding the time for the next day meeting. Having completed these tasks, he returned to the living area.
"Dinner will be at 7:00pm. The studio meeting will be at 8:00am tomorrow morning. And, yes, Alexis, you can go with me and visit with some of the people that you had come to know during your visits with your mother. Is that alright with everyone?"
A 'yes' response was delivered by the three ladies.
Martha spoke directly to Kate, "Kiddo, when are you scheduled to return to New York?"
Shifting her eyes toward Rick, Kate responded, "Well, Rick and I decided after lunch that I would be flying back with you all whenever that turned out to be."
Martha and Alexis provided a simultaneous approval, "Great."
"Which reminds me", Rick interjected, "I need to contact the jet service. We should be able to leave around noon, or 1:00pm."
"Kate, darling, since you are going back with us, why don't you check out of your hotel early tomorrow morning and the two of us can have breakfast while these two go to the studio? We can have the car service bring Kate here, can't we, Richard?"
"That sounds good to me, Martha. Is Phillip still available, Rick?"
"No problem at all with that. Just tell me when you want me to have him pick you up."
"Well, I should probably go back to the Roosevelt and get ready for dinner, as well as pack so I won't have to worry about doing it in the morning. Rick, can your guy here take me back, or do I need to call a cab?"
"No, you don't need a taxi, just let me make a call. We'll pick you up about 6:30pm for dinner. Let me walk you down to the lobby."
Bidding goodbye to Martha and Alexis, Kate exited the suite in the company of Rick. Entering the elevator the distance between them again began to shrink. They stood shoulder to shoulder as they leaned against the back of the elevator, Kate tilting her head allowing it to rest on the top of Rick's shoulder. Their now ever present finger tip embrace signified their thoughts as they parted outside the hotel entrance.
Dinner at Spago was certainly an experience. Paparazzi were in full bloom, so Kate again walked arm in arm with Martha, while Rick escorted Alexis as they entered and exited the restaurant. Owner and Chef Wolfgang Puck table-greeted them during their meal, and various other celebrities could be espied throughout the dining room. The events caused Kate to reflect on an earlier dining experience.
I certainly misinterpreted that one. He had taken my place when I told Madison I couldn't join her for dinner. He really didn't see it as a date, and in fact it really wasn't. I would have gone if I hadn't already had a dinner date with Tom, so it wasn't something that Rick had pursued. He very likely was just continuing his research about the 'personal me' by questioning Madison. His enjoyment of food and the dining experience was absolutely a true factor in his agreement to escort her. Maddie must have sensed it, otherwise the "Castle babies' comment would have never been voiced. The vote is still two to one that he is stupid, but there are certainly times that I can give him a run for his money when it comes to being stupid.
Dropping her off at the Roosevelt following dinner, Rick walked Kate to the lobby. He reminded her of the arrangements that had been made for Phillip to pick her up early the next morning, and Kate stopped at the registration desk to inform them of her plans for checking out. A somewhat light population in the lobby area led to a brief embrace before Kate entered the elevator to take her to her room.
The next morning came quickly. At the Roosevelt, Kate finalized her packing and dressed for the return trip to New York. A hotel attendant collected her luggage, and placed it in the waiting Town Car. Kate shared pleasantries with Phillip and thanked him for being so considerate to her during her stay. At the Hotel Bel Air, Rick and Alexis also completed their packing, and proceeded to their car for their visit to the studio. Martha waited for Kate in the lobby in preparation for their breakfast together. Phillip placed Kate's luggage with the Bell Captain in order for it to be combined with the Castle baggage for transfer to the airport.
"Darling, good morning," Martha greeted Kate.
"Good morning, Martha," Kate responded. "I take it that Rick and Alexis got off okay."
"Yes dear, they left around 7:30am. Shall we go straight to the dining room?"
"Indeed. I'm in desperate need of coffee. I didn't take the time to make any in my room."
"Lord, you may be worse than Richard."
A seating attendant led them to their table and the waiter provided them with menus and took their drink orders. Returning with their drinks, the waiter took the ladies' breakfast order.
"Well Katherine Beckett, what are your intentions with my son?"
Almost spewing out her coffee, Kate responded, "Marthaaa?"
"Oh please kiddo, if you thought I was going to beat around the bush, we'd better get you another table right now."
Laughingly, Kate responded, "I know that you are a straight shooter, but you barely aimed before firing that."
"Times a wasting."
Sipping her coffee to buy her some time, Kate finally responded, "My intentions are honorable. How's that?"
"Ms. Beckett?"
"Okay... Uh, I'm pretty sure that I love him."
"Oh my word. You two have been falling in love for well over a year now, you're both just too stupid to recognize something that is right in front of your eyes."
Shit, that just made the score 3 to 2.
"I'm beginning to hear that on almost a daily basis any more."
"Darling, you will never have the love that my son has for his daughter, and you will never have the love that Richard has for me. At the same time Alexis and I could only hope and pray that we would some day get to experience the love that a man has for a woman like what Richard has for you. And believe me, neither of us would begrudge you that position in his life because if you returned that love, it would merely give him the capacity and security to love us all the more."
"That's a lot of pressure, Martha."
"Nonsense. You two would be taking a greater risk, if you failed to act on what you could potentially have. A better deal is quite likely not to be out there for either one of you. Believe me young lady, this is not my first rodeo."
"Martha, why do you think he married Gina?"
"Well kiddo, I certainly can't say for sure, but my guess would be he was getting scared. I'm sure he had an attraction for her and they probably developed some feelings for one another through working together. He may have thought that he could parlay those two things into something that could benefit Alexis. Alexis was what he was scared about. She was around nine or ten at the time and I didn't live at the loft back then. Richard was afraid that he might not do the right thing regarding aiding Alexis with puberty and physical changes. God knows he would have researched thoroughly in order to have all of the facts at his fingertips, but he also knew that facts didn't always provide you with the proper approach. A woman was needed for that."
"So you think he thought that she would provide that?"
"I'm sure he didn't say, Gina would you marry me and help lead my daughter into womanhood. Even with his experience with Meredith, he may have mistakenly thought that feeling was absolutely inherent in women, so it would just come natural for any woman to step forward when that was called upon. So, if he liked Gina and married her, she would just naturally step into that role. I have nothing at all against Gina, but motherhood or providing a parental guidance figure were positions that she most likely would never seek. It's just a shame for Alexis that she had to deal with two mother figures who were certainly not into it. That has been part of the struggle that Alexis has dealt with these last few days, and speaks volumes as to her being drawn to you."
"Is that why they divorced?"
"It may be part of it, but just like Richard didn't marry Gina for her to assume that role, he didn't divorce her because she never took to that role. It was likely not a good match for marriage, but a decent match for professional purposes. They probably should have just left it at that. If they had, their current professional relationship wouldn't be clouded by the angst they caused one another by trying to forge a personal one. All of that is supposition, but as I alluded to earlier, I've been around the block a few times."
"If that's so, why was he seeking a relationship with her lately?"
"Kiddo, that's an area I might choose not to enter. One because that is too close to what you all may be trying to work through, and two because I don't know the particulars. All I do know is that around Memorial Day weekend something happened. When the three of us had to go our separate ways for the summer something had absolutely crushed him. I don't know whether it was the pressure of finishing NAKED HEAT, or something else. That is an area that he has chosen not to go into with me. I can understand about the book. He has never missed a release date, and he was far behind in his effort to meet that one. Something was going on in the spring that got him as close to blocking as I've ever seen him. It's understandable though, and I'm not saying this Kate to be critical of you because he wanted to be in your presence, or critical of the 12th Precinct because he chose to do that and he loves it. It's just, when is he supposed to write? He can spend twelve to fourteen hours a day with you, and then he must make up that time with doing the proper things to make sure Alexis feels he's not neglecting her. Again, when is he supposed to write? And if something was going on, the few times he might have had to be productive, he was incapable."
"The truly laughable thing is this playboy image. Mind you, Richard has dated a lot in the past, but really. Even though you spend a great deal of time with him, you are not with him twenty-four hours a day. So you couldn't know for sure, but the man has had one date since he has been shadowing you. A silly dinner date with the 3rd ranked bachlorette, or something like that. At the same time no one, including him can overlook his stupidity with that actress. I know that was well before the summer, but I know he was still kicking himself for his failings. His not living up to that image was a sore spot with Gina and with Black Pawn. To that, he could give a damn. He's certainly not perfect, but he is always Alexis' father and he will not purposefully do anything to damage their relationship. I'm pretty certain that holds true for his relationship with you."
"Why do things always have to be so difficult?"
"Sweetheart, the good things are always difficult. Easy can be taken for granted. If you want easy then Richard is not what you want. I can give you a select number of things that are absolute guarantees regarding my son: he will always love his daughter; he will always love me; he will love you till the end of time; and he will be committed in his relationships to all of us. Other than that, he will struggle as we all do in trying to do the right thing."
"Your granddaughter can be as brutally honest as you can be."
"Another reason to love her even more. We shall end this breakfast with the shoe being placed on the other foot. As the grande dame of this family, I will speak for us all. Our intentions are to love you Katherine Beckett; to care for you; to protect you; and to always be there for you. Whether you want us or not is solely your decision. We are not about to waver. So if you want brutal honesty, there you have it. Now, let's get out of here, so we can go back home?"
Leaving the dining room and entering the lobby area, Rick and Alexis were coming through the entryway. They all commented on the perfect timing that they had just experienced. Flashes of the many missed timings that they had suffered were exchanged in the glances between a pair of green eyes and a pair of blue ones. The foursome proceeded to the suite and gathered their luggage for their departure.
As they boarded their aircraft, Martha and Alexis sat beside one another facing the seats that Rick and Kate would occupy. As the others shared the experience of the studio visit, Kate was lost in her thoughts.
Four days ago I was given the wisdom of the information that he had shared because of the insight that had been forced upon him. Others in turn had educated me more. I was able to gain enough insight to direct me toward what I needed to do. I fly cross country, only to receive further bits of information. Now, I'm flying back across the country possessing further insight that will hopefully lead me to taking the proper actions that will enable the change of a family of three into a family of four.
As the wheels of the aircraft left the runway and the plane began its ascent, Kate leaned her head into Rick's shoulder. As he turned his head to look into her eyes, she lightly caressed his lips with her own.