Author's Note:
Welcome to the continuing saga of Frankinstory. This was supposed to be a one-shot but it has turned into an adventure.
For those who have stayed with the story, thank you for spending your time here.
I hope I do everyone's expectations justice and don't let you down.
As the sun creeps over the horizon, he stirs awake. For the first time since they got home, he wakes slowly instead of snapping alert. Slowly, lazily, he returns to this plane. He feels the warmth against him of his partner and even the temperature of her body is familiar and pleasant. He knows without opening his eyes who it is, the feel of her form pressed to his chest is just right, her steady breathing a mesmerizing rhythm of comfortable and familiar notes, the smell of her skin, clean but alive, and that delightful sent of cherry. It all spells the most magical of words, the word home. He is home. All is right with the world again. He is home with his baby and his mother and the ying for his yang, the only person who provides to him the missing half of his being that he never new existed and now he now can't live without.
He gently slips from her side and pads out of the room, across the loft and up the stairs to check on his daughter. As he reaches the top of the steps, he can see her sleeping form through the crack in the the bedroom door. He listens to the tell-tale noises of her even and peaceful slumbering and is reassured that the nightmare they lived has ended and the healing has begun.
Slowly, contently, he descends the stairs quietly. He stops in the middle of his home and looks around taking it all in. Peace has settled on the family now and he can relax. Taking a deep breath he walks to the wall of windows that overlooks the city.
The city will never look quite the same to him. The dangers that lurk in the shadows, having been made real, cast on an ominous pall over the beauty of the city and are now being chased back into the nether regions of the corners and cracks by the rising sun, ready to come forth again without warning to snare another unsuspecting victim.
He doesn't hear her approach, he feels it, the subtle change in the electricity that courses through their souls tells him she is near. Her arms slowly and gently wrapping around his waist, pulling her nearer to him. "Okay?" she whispers, her head resting on his back between his shoulder blades, eyes closed, reveling in the feeling, her voice hardly above a breath, heard not by his ears as much as his being. His hands coming up to cover her's, to hold her hands tighter. The question, a one-word question, simple and succinct. He knows the volumes of information she asks. He knows that the one word is all encompassing. With that one word she has asked about every corner of his universe, everything he holds dear. Everything. That one word carries in it emotions, concern, hope, love, balm, peace and her commitment. That word asks all the questions from the big to the small.
Smiling easily now, for the first time in days. He answers gently by just nodding his head slowly. Their communication so clear, she doesn't need to look to hear his positive response. Quietly his voice rumbles in his torso as he tells her what he sees "It is the same city it was a week ago but so much has changed. I see so many hazards where I never did before. I see beauty in things I'd taken for granted. I see terror and hatred standing next to love and peace. I never wanted my daughter to have the beautiful part of all of this taken from her. My baby didn't deserve this. I'm going to help her see the beauty in the world again."
She reassures him with a gentle tightening of her arms about his waist. It reassures him that she is here for him. She holds his desire as high as she holds her own. She tells him that it is a journey they will take together. She feels the warmth of his body against her's and she gives it back to him. Letting him know that he'll never be alone again. That should he stumble, she will be there to help him up again. That she knows that she can depend on him to always be there for her. That she holds his child and her well-being, in as much reverence as she does her own well-being or his. That without even opening her eyes, she sees what he sees. She thinks what he thinks. That she too, shares her heart with him and accepts his in return.
The two, stand there as one, watching the amber streaks of light chase the shadows away for another day until he speaks again. "I have a mission. To make her well again. Whatever it takes. I'm going to get started now. I've slept enough for the day. Care to save some water and share a shower?"
A slight giggle escapes her lips as the reverent moment is disrupted by his incongruent request. She doesn't need to answer. He already knows as the two, with their arms around each other, turn to walk to the bedroom to start their day.
The shower, a slow languid act the two share, wrapped in cocoons of water, steam and glass, strips each of the tension and obscenity of the past few days and reminds them of who they are and their feelings for each other. The ministrations of one upon the other does as much for the giver as the recipient. The connective coupling of their bodies and souls rejuvenates them anew. She washes his hair to help cleanse his thoughts and fears. He sits on the floor of the shower in front of her, she leans back against the wall with his back and shoulders against her calves, his head tilted back, to face the water, leaning back against her, his head in easy reach, she massages and strokes it, letting her hands and the hypnotic streams of water mesmerize him, disconnecting all thoughts and sensations except for these two things.
She can feel him recharging under her fingers, she can feel his self-assurance returning, the darkness chased away for now. His rejuvenation charges her purpose and together they will take on the tasks ahead of them. Alive and infused with energy, they exchange places. It is his turn to give to her a respite from the outside world. His fingers sure and strong but so tender, he massages her scalp and gives to her his full attention, cleaning her beautiful locks, just one of the so many things that he loves about her.
As they finish and step from the shower the silence is broken by her emitting a gentle whoosh of air "I could really get used to this heated floor thing. You sure know how to spoil a girl." she says handing him his towel. The silence between them that follows the declaration is almost louder than the responses swimming in his head. He opts to remain silent for now and help dry her off. He finishes by wrapping her towel around her shoulders and pulling her in for a simple chaste kiss that says so much.
He leaves her in the bathroom to complete her morning ritual as he dresses in the bedroom. Once decent, he heads to the kitchen to start the coffee. Their morning rite to perform. He gets down her specially made green "Richard Castle #1 fan." cup and his "NYPD Innocent Bystander" mug, sets them next to each other on the counter while the coffee is brewing. Using the interlude to begin to prepare some breakfast for them. He pulls some fruit from the refrigerator, slices it into a bowl for them to share. He pours the coffee for them both and prepares her's as she likes it. He doesn't even need to think about the process anymore, it's so natural. Taking the coffees, bowl of fruit, a pair of forks and napkins on a small tray, he returns to the bedroom. He places it in a convenient spot near the bathroom entrance and takes her coffee to the bathroom door, raps a knuckle once and opens it a small bit to pass it in to her waiting hand and is met with a gentle "Thank you Castle."
He makes the bed, and selects a shirt to wear, hanging it on the dressing hook. Drinking his coffee, he puts his money and phone into his pockets before heading to the bathroom to finish his morning rituals. Their actions smooth and instinctual, they don their armor for the battles ahead, with the occasional hum of approval for the fresh fruit fed to each other and a gentle sigh at the downing of another taste of coffee.
A short while later, while the two are sitting at the breakfast bar, dressed, made up, shaved and prepared for the day, they eat some cereal sitting side by side. Half sentences being exchanged, thoughts started but already finished by the other before the words are all spoken.
She switches gears to address the more pressing issues, "I've told Alexis that she can call me any time she needs. I also told her that I was going to encourage you to go to sessions yourself and maybe some joint sessions so the two of you can share and find out what the other person had to deal with like we talked about last night. I think doing that in a controlled environment is a wise move. You both will need a throttle and buffer when this stuff starts to flow between you, so you need to talk to her this morning and discuss the family sessions you mentioned last night."
"You really are amazing. I have said a bunch of times that you are extraordinary but you still find ways to amaze me." he says staring into his cereal bowl.
"Hey, gotta take care of my partner. I don't want to have to break in a new one at this point, it'd be waaay too much work." she says with a teasing smile and shoulder nudge.
He smiles back at her and all the thanks she could want is caught up in those blue eyes that look at her like no one else could. Without saying a word, he gets up and prepares her a fresh coffee. It's their thing. It's a special act that connects them and no one else. There's no eavesdropping on their words, there's no voyeurism while they kiss. It's a simple act that means so much more that only they can share, no one else is privy to it, even in a crowded room.
Stirrings can be heard upstairs. Footfalls are heard before anyone is seen. Alexis, red hair mussed and unkempt, eyes half closed, wrapped in a robe she descends to join the pair. "I hate to say it but I think I could use some of that coffee dad." she says groggy with the night still gripping her tightly.
"Of course pumpkin." he says grabbing a mug from the shelf, pouring her a full measure and putting it on the counter next to Kate where Alexis is settling in.
"Good morning Alexis. How did you sleep?" Kate asks.
"I'm sorry, my brain is still up the stairs somewhere looking for my body I think." the girl groans as she takes a long deep draw of her coffee. "Yuck, I don't think I'll ever develop a taste for coffee. I don't like it but I find it expedient some mornings." she says almost to herself, then turning "Good morning to you too Kate. Sorry for my manners being AWOL."
"Think nothing of it. We all have our morning issues." Kate offers with a smile.
"Thank you and thank you for asking. I slept... ummm... I slept. I don't think I woke up much, I remember seeing the clock a few times but it wasn't too bad. I slept better than I have in a while I think. Thank you for that too. I think our talks last night helped a lot. The suggestion of leaving the door open a crack helped too. I do remember waking up once and the familiar door and hallway beyond it was immediately reassuring."
"I'm glad." Castle chimes in with a smile for his two favorite women.
"Sorry to switch subjects abruptly. Dad, I got a text from mom, she said she wants to come back out for a few days and she actually apologized for leaving me so suddenly." Alexis says into her coffee cup.
"You know my feelings about that pumpkin, she's always welcome in your home. I'll even arrange for the car service to be available to her at whatever hotel she's staying at." her dad says.
"Thanks Dad." now turning to Beckett, "Kate, I thought about what you said about her coping mechanism and I'm going to try to talk to her. I... I feel I want to explain to her what went on, she... I think she needs to understand it a bit more. I also thought about some of the things she said when she was here and I now think that there was a part of her trying to reach out to me for details and an emotional connection but I didn't see it at the time."
"I'm glad Alexis, that will be good for you. I think it will be good for her too. When I talked to her, it was obvious that she couldn't make a cognitive connection to what I was telling her. I explained what was going on and she panicked as one would expect a mother to but then when I told her the FBI was working the case, I could hear how it never really sank in. I got a 'Really? The FBI?' from her but it didn't sound like she was able to grasp the enormity of the situation. Let me say this before you try to apologize for her, there's no need to. No normal person should be able to grasp such a situation. It is an enormous concept when the recipient is not already in shock. Which is partly why I decided to call her to begin with."
"Exactly, now that you and I have talked and I see things in a different light, it will help me talk to her and maybe make more of that connection."
Kate pats her arm saying "Alexis, I think it's a good idea."
Alexis, now smiling simply says "Thank you."
"You're very welcome." Kate answers giving a little "toast" motion with her coffee cup.
"I just want to say this though." Alexis says "You both, and Grams too, have been so very patient, helpful and understanding, I can't thank you both enough for helping me in all the ways you have." the young girl says and takes a deep breath before continuing "I understand Dad and Grams' motivations, and until last night, I..." she pauses for a moment "I'm sorry to say I still had a niggling twinge in the back of my mind about you Kate. I don't anymore and I wanted to tell you that." she says putting her hand on Kate's arm "I value your opinions and judgments, always have and always will but I now see things in a better light."
Quickly Alexis adds "And although no one has said it, I just thought I'd say that I wasn't trying to justify my talking to my mom I just felt that it was fair that everyone knew that Blizzard Meredith would be showing up and I was going to try to explain things to her. Knowing her as we do, there's a very good chance she's going to go off half-cocked about something so just be forewarned."
"Thank you very much Alexis, I can't express how much it all means to me. To tell you the truth, I think I'm much better equipped to handle your mother than I had been previously so it doesn't scare me like it used to." Kate says fighting back the emotions.
"Good, I'm glad." Alexis says taking another deep drink of the coffee. "Yuck, I think I'll never like coffee. It tastes like jet fuel but luckily it works as well too."
"I'll make tea for you if you'd like sweetie, you just have to tell me." Castle offers. "You know me, always eager to please."
"Yeah, Mr I only bought ten half-gallons of ice-cream last night Castle says." Kate sniggers.
"Kate, you know what's worse?" Alexis says to her in a stage whisper "He doesn't think he over did it because he decided not to get the twenty gallons he could have."
"Hmmm..." Kate says drinking her coffee and giving him a wink.
"Dad. Don't worry about it. I've only started drinking coffee to help study and make it through exams. It's cheaper, safer, and legal than what some other kids do. I'm happy with this for now and it is unlikely that I'll develop a taste for it."
It suddenly occurs to Kate to ask "I'm sorry, it just dawned on me, why Blizzard?"
"That's easy. She arrives without much warning. No one's ever sufficiently prepared enough for her. She blows different directions moment to moment. Hits you sideways when you least expect it. No one knows how long she'll stay. Lastly, everything is chilly when she leaves and there's a week of cleanup left behind her." Alexis says laughing. "I love her but she's a handful."
"Alexis, as much as I find it somewhat amusing, I think it'd be smart of you to not repeat that." Castle admonishes her but with a big smile on his face. "I think if she ever gets wind of that, I'll get blamed and, while I don't usually mind, I prefer to only be blamed for the things I actually do."
"You call Grams Hurricane Martha so what's the difference?" Alexis asks him.
"I can call her that to her face and she thinks... okay, she knows I don't really mean it and she'll laugh right back at me. Your mother would be be offended and probably hurt too." He says. "While we may giggle about it I think that one slip of the tongue would be hurtful and unpleasant."
"Oh. I see." Alexis says nodding. "I think you're right."
"Aw, don't tell him that. Even if it's true." Kate moans.
"Sorry Kate, it slipped out."
"Too late to take it back now pumpkin." He smirks at Kate.
"Oh well. That's too bad for you Kate. I'm going to go upstairs and get started. I want to make sure I'm ready to see Lanie." Alexis says slipping off the stool and making for the stairs.
"Great kid, thanks. You light the fuse and leave me holding the bomb. Nice move!" Kate laughs after her.
"I'm not sure I like these descriptions of me being bandied about." Rick says.
"Sorry Kate, that's the price you pay." the redhead calls out as she ascends the stairs.
"Did you even hear me?" he asks Kate.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" she replies with a glint in her eyes.
"Nope, not me. Must have been the wind." he almost mumbles under his breath.
"Rick, I'm going to call one of the guys from SVU to ask him for that recommendation for Alexis." Kate says standing up and heading into his office.
"Sounds good, I'll clean up here and call my lawyers by the time we're both done I'll join you in there and we can call Doctor Burke." he says as he starts to clean up after breakfast.