Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance, Family, Humor
Rating: M for violence, language and sexual situations
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Photograph written by Ringo Starr and George Harrison and performed by Ringo, from his album Ringo.
All I Have
Listening to the voices upstairs coming closer, Beckett looked over at Marie and Kathleen who were sitting at the kitchen table. From seeing Julia do the same numerous times she knew the twins weren't really working on their homework though they were making an effort to make it seem like they were. She stood up, about to speak to them, when she heard the two voices coming closer.
"Girls?" Mary said, coming into the kitchen with Skye's dad. "You can go up; your mother wants to see you." When the two had run for the stairs at the same time she turned to Hayden and said, "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
"I'm no good to her when she's like this, it's always been you lass," the man said. "But if she should want me here this time around, please call."
"I will," Mary said. She then turned to Castle and Beckett, telling them, "I'll be right back."
When they were alone, Castle turned to his wife and said, "Any idea?"
"The crash, when she was a child," Beckett said. At her husband's slightly startled expression she said, "You didn't think it was that?"
"Well, more her friend's murder," Castle said. "But now that you mention the crash… maybe."
"You're both right, in a way," Mary said, coming back inside them. She smiled briefly at Castle's head whipping around to look at her and said, "You know that crash happened in May right?"
"She was in Seattle during that," Beckett commented.
"And around that time I need to get her through the memories of that night," Mary replied, filling a tea kettle with water. "But what's made it worse is the people she's lost, friends."
"Does she have a mental breakdown?" Castle asked in concern.
"No," Mary replied simply before setting the kettle on the stove. "What happens is that she pushes herself too far emotionally and it becomes overwhelming. I have to bring her back to where she normally is. You know I have to thank you."
"Why?" Beckett said, startled at that since the woman had been speaking to her.
"Because of what you told her, to remember me and the girls," Mary said, as she leaned against the counter. "That's what I always tell her. But I couldn't last month because I wasn't with her; I spoke with her over the phone on the anniversary of course but…"
"It wasn't enough," Castle finished.
Mary nodded and said, "She was like that when we first started out."
"It hasn't hurt your relationship has it?" Beckett asked in concern.
"Oh no, you see the two of us have a role we fulfill," Mary commented, going over to a cabinet and getting a box with tea. "She's the stronger one; I will look to her for support. But that's not set in stone, if she needs me I'm there for her. And not for something big like this but any time she needs me. So since we're not looking to one another for one thing, that helps." She then smiled briefly as she filled a tea strainer and said, "That and the fact we're in love with each other still."
Beckett was about to speak to comment on that when the kettle started to whistle and Mary was busy getting the leaves in the water. When she had finished doing that and was waiting for the tea to steep she said, "Is she finished with the investigation?"
"No because she's not going to give up so easily," Mary replied, getting mugs. "And that's where you need to go in Kate."
"Me?" Beckett asked.
"Before I got her dad, she was talking about how you two had helped her and she wanted to continue with your help," Mary said. "But I'm thinking that you're able to connect to her easier… sorry," she continued, directing the apology to Castle.
"It's fine," he said hurriedly.
"So if you could, I would appreciate it if you talked to her," Mary then said to Beckett.
"About the case," she said.
"About whatever she wants to speak about," Mary said. "She's better now though she won't push you away; or try to. She mentioned she felt guilty about that. But let her direct the conversation alright?"
"Sure," Beckett said, watching with her husband as Mary got a tray ready to go upstairs.
"Come on," the woman said.
"I… uh… I'll wait here?" Castle suggested hesitantly.
"Come up, in case she wants to talk to all of us in the end," Mary replied.
"What about your girls," Beckett stated as they started up the stairs.
"I'll take them into one of their rooms," Mary said, leading the way down the hall until they reached the door to the master bedroom. She knocked softly before opening it and stepped inside saying, "Love?" in surprise.
Looking through the doorway, Castle and Beckett saw that Skye was sitting with her daughters on the couch in between two windows, her arms around them both. They shared a look and seemed to convey to one another that they were going to wait to go inside the room.
"I brought some tea," Mary was saying, setting the tray on top of a dresser. "Girls come on and show me how things went with your homework," she told the twins, holding her hands out to them.
"Go ahead you two," Skye said before she kissed their temples. She smiled faintly when they hugged her tightly before going to their mother and she looked up as Beckett stepped inside, standing just the doorway. "So… should I pour us tea?" she asked as she looked past her friend to see her wife closing the door after them.
"I can do it," Beckett replied simply before going over to the tray. She started to get the tea into the mugs saying, "How do you like it?" before turning and nearly jumping as the woman was suddenly next to her.
"Thank you," Skye replied before she put some honey into the tea and then went back to sit on the couch again, looking ahead of her as she blew gently on the liquid.
Sitting on the other side of the couch, Beckett watched her closely, remembering Mary's request that she let Skye lead the conversation. She felt a little awkward doing that though and she turned her attention to the Earl Grey in her mug.
"Mary spoke with you I would guess," Skye said suddenly. When Beckett looked at her she attempted to smile though she couldn't quite do so. "She told you what I go through around May?"
"She did," Beckett said carefully, lowering her mug.
"Then you should know I don't want to leave this case to Racine," Skye replied. "I can't leave Brent like that, now when we're close."
Beckett wanted to mention the case then but decided to hold off for the moment and instead said, "I understand."
Skye looked up at her and said, "Your mother?"
Nodding; as she'd told the investigator about her mother the year before when the McDouglases had been in the Hamptons for vacation; Beckett replied, "Just be careful that you don't forget."
Smiling, Skye said, "Yes, my family, I know." She then frowned a little and said, "Before the girls came up I texted Corey, he's on his way."
"So we're going back to the case?" Beckett asked.
"We need to," Skye replied. She sipped at her tea and then sighed saying, "I hope they've looked at the two women Mary told them about." When there was silence she groaned saying, "I don't know why Mary asked you to come inside."
"I think she thought you were still feeling the effects of what happened earlier," Beckett said.
"I feel better now," Skye said, standing up then. "Come on, I'll tell Mary we're getting back to work and check on the girls too." She had her hand on the doorknob before she asked, "What happened to your husband?"
"He's waiting," Beckett replied simply.
"Alright, let's go then," Skye said, opening the door. She led the way out to Marie's room where the others were before she said, "Love?"
"Skye, what-" Mary started to say, rushing over to her and throwing her arms around her.
"You already accomplished what you needed to," Skye told her, hugging her back. "But we need to get back to work," she told her.
"I'll be with the girls if you need me," Mary murmured before brushing her lips against her wife's.
With a nod, Skye went to her daughters, kissing them both before she led Castle and Beckett back down to the office. She turned to them once they were inside and she was about to speak when the intercom at the gate rang then. "Sorry, just a moment," she told them before she headed out to the door to see if it was Burke.
"She's alright now," Castle said to his wife.
"She is, I think Mary was worried about the fact that she had to help her via phone last month," Beckett replied. "But you could tell Skye was close to the edge."
"I thought she was there in the hangar," Castle said with a nod. "What do you think?"
"Of the case? That's what Burke's here for," Beckett said. At that moment Skye, the detective and Mary came inside and she asked, "The twins?"
"They're doing their homework," Mary replied, since her wife was looking at her questioningly at that.
"Can you close the door?" Burke directed to Skye. When the investigator had done so he went to the desk and said, "Looking into the woman that Brent had known, Viola Wentz, she's not our killer. She was in Florida on Friday for a trip, flew from LAX to Miami and back," setting down a picture of an older black haired woman. "Now your two patients," he said to Mary, setting down two more pictures.
"Neither of them is blonde," Castle commented.
"No but that brief side shot that the FBI cleaned up for us shows us this," Burke replied, setting down a fourth photograph, the image from the security footage cleaned and sharpened.
"Almost the same jaw," Beckett said as they all looked at it.
"It could be Violet Fuller… maybe," Mary said.
"What can you tell us about her?" Burke replied.
"You're asking as Detective Burke?" Mary asked instead of answered. At the man's nod she went over to her desk where a bag was, pulling out two files.
"Love, you never take those out," Skye said in surprise as her wife came back over to them.
"For Brent, I'll make an exception," Mary said, handing the file she'd brought over to Burke. She smiled when Skye hugged her tightly and said, "You can all read it but I beg of you, don't mention anything in there."
"Bipolar," Beckett was able to see quickly.
"Narcissistic complex…" Castle started to say. "So now that you have an idea it's her, can you really say why she's doing this?"
Seeing that the detective was watching her closely, Mary took a moment to think of how she would reply to that before saying, "I can but this isn't your answer Burke. And it won't really let you find her."
"It'll help us understand her," Burke said simply.
"With those letters," Mary said, smiling at her wife when she reached over and squeezed her hand gently. "It can go two different ways. During one of our sessions she came in and asked me who that was."
"Who?" Skye asked.
"You Rose," Mary replied, looking into her wife's eyes.
Leaning over to look at the picture of Fuller, Skye frowned for a brief second and then said, "I remember her. I nodded to her after I was leaving our second session and… she just stared at me while I was leaving. I would have been discomfited by that but I'd gotten that before. I thought she was interested in me."
"She was gay? I mean she is gay?" Beckett asked, correcting herself.
"She is," Mary replied. "And interested in my wife. Of course I answered that I couldn't tell her who Skye was but I then noticed her around in the lobby of the building where my office is on the days Skye was going to see me. I tried to speak to her about that but of course she would never answer me. So I had to let it go."
"And when I stopped seeing you?" Skye asked.
"I had to send her into an institution shortly after that," Mary said.
When everyone looked to him at that point Burke nodded and handed a file that he'd brought with him to Beckett.
Surprised, she opened it and read from the paper on top of a small stack, "Violet Fuller was admitted to the San Gabriel Institution in December of 2008." She then paused and turned to the next page saying, "This is a medical history from her doctor there."
Mary took that paper; as Beckett handed it to her; and said, "It looks like he got the same as I did."
"But you think she became obsessed with me?" Skye asked, bringing the focus back to the letters and picture.
"More than likely," Mary replied with a nod.
"Wait, how is she out of that institution?" Castle asked.
"It closed last year," Beckett said, reading from another paper.
"July of last year to be exact," Burke said. "Looking into it three patients were deemed fit to return to society and she was one of them."
Snorting Mary said, "You might want to look into the doctors who were deciding that."
"I think Racine's made a suggestion to the Department of Health," Burke said with a nod. "The one thing he and I can't figure out though is why Brent would be involved in all of this."
Starting to pace the room then before he'd even finished speaking, Skye thought and then said, "I think I know how but it depends on one thing." Turning to her wife she asked "What happened that brought her to you?"
"She was a co-pilot; she was in an incident when they were dealing with heavy gusts during a landing in… San Diego and she lost control," Mary replied quickly. "The pilot was on his own."
Not surprised when Skye looked a little angry at that, shaking her head, Beckett said, "And that led her to being assigned to see a psychiatrist?"
"Well she nearly had a mental breakdown so yes, she had to if she wanted to fly for TransJet again," Mary said with a nod. "The bipolar part of her was what played into it; she was having a hard time controlling herself." She then paused and held out her hand for the paper that Beckett was handing her, reading and seeing something that made her make a short noise.
"Mary?" Skye asked.
"It says she responded well to medication," she replied. "Were you able to trace her from July to now?"
"I'm afraid not, she went off grid," Burke said. "She had money in an account when she went into the institution and as soon as she was out she took that money and left."
"Okay," Mary said. "You can't get the kind of medication she was on without a prescription so unless she was getting it black market she was off it."
"Would she be able to last that long without it?" Castle said. "It wouldn't make her lose complete control?" A sudden look of realization appeared on his face and he and Beckett suddenly said together, "Unless her plans focused that control."
"That could be it," Mary said when Skye and Burke looked at her. "It would also explain why she killed Brent."
"Not because he found out about her?" Skye said in slight surprise.
"I'm not totally sure," Mary said. "But it could be she wanted to get her attention-" she started to say to Burke.
"The letter," Skye suddenly said, interrupting her wife. "I never responded to them in any way and never found out it was her sending them. She knew that besides Doug, Brent was my friend and she thought targeting him would lead me to her."
"Which makes the drug connection pretty much pointless," Castle stated.
"It has nothing to do with the case," Skye said firmly. "That was just coincidence. But with Violet, she wants to get my attention this way…"
"I'm not sure what her angle is with this," Mary said since her wife had turned to her then. "If she wanted you she would have just… I don't know, taken you somehow."
"I'm glad she didn't," Skye replied.
"What was your second idea when we started talking about this?" Beckett suddenly said as they were all silent.
"She may want me," Mary replied, not surprised when her wife took her hand tightly.
"And she's taunting you Skye to hurt you," Castle said.
"It's an interesting theory but you said that she was interested in Skye in your sessions," Beckett reminded them all.
"How was she with you?" Burke asked Mary.
"She looked me over the first time we met," she replied quickly. "But as to what she thought of me besides her therapist… I wouldn't be able to tell you," she finished, shaking her head.
"Of course," Skye said. Sighing, she said, "So since Violet is a brunette…"
"Yeah we're all thinking she disguised herself," Burke said.
"Or…" Beckett and Castle said at the same time. When they paused for a moment, looking at each other, she looked over at the others and he jumped when they asked, "What?"
"Or she has a partner," Beckett said then, looking over at Mary.
"You think it would be another patient?" she asked in surprise.
"This might not be Violet," Castle said, tapping the security footage picture.
"You want to try and look at it closer?" Burke asked, seeing what the two were trying to do with that.
"I have a magnifier," Skye said, going over to her desk then and taking one out. She handed it to Mary and then watched as her wife looked over the woman's face closely.
Trying to look at it as closely as she could, Mary finally straightened up and shook her head. "I'm sorry; I can't tell what she looks like exactly, not with that bandaging on her nose."
"Then let's try a different tack," Burke told her.
"Look though my past patients and see who is a blonde?" Mary asked.
"It would work if we knew she was natural," Castle stated.
"She is," Skye, Mary and Beckett all said at the same time. When the two men looked at them Beckett spoke first in response to their expressions.
"The part in her hair in the other security footage and the fact that that color you cannot find in a bottle," she told them.
"I can do that though, I remember my patients pretty well," Mary said. "And after taking the men off the list, it's a lot smaller."
"How much?" Burke asked.
"About seventy five percent of my past patients are men," Mary replied. "And I can go through the list remaining now, see what I can find for you Corey."
The sound of a whistle suddenly cut into the room and Burke got his phone out saying, "I'm afraid you're going to need to tell me via phone," he told the others. "Racine needs me back. I'll let him know what we talked about here," he said. "And if we get anything, I'll call you Skye."
"He still wants us to help? Even with how he saw I was at the airport?" the investigator said in surprise.
"I reminded him about your connection with the vic," Burke replied. "Get in touch with me okay?"
"Got it, get going Detective," Skye said, smiling slightly and shaking her head before following him to let him out.
"So should we go?" Castle asked Mary.
"Would you mind checking on Marie and Kath?" the woman asked as she went over to her desk. "And you can come back with Skye, I promise," she told them.
"I'll go," Castle said quickly.
"Is there any reason why you have this list here?" Beckett asked when she was left alone with the woman.
"It's a full list but the way I set this up…" Mary replied, nodding to the screen. When Beckett had walked around to look at it she said, "There are spaces as you can see, those are my current patients."
"And it's not in alphabetical order," Beckett commented. She looked at the screen for a moment longer before she turned and went to the doorway. "So what are you going to do?" she asked Skye who was walking with Castle over to her.
"There's not much to do, I think we've reached the limit of our investigation," the investigator said as she walked past her to go into the office. "We need to wait for her of course but I get the feeling we're done for the day."
"I have to say," Castle commented, sitting on the couch in the room with Beckett then. "If this was to get to you then why haven't they sent anything else?"
"A really good question," Skye said, looking towards her wife from where she'd sat at her desk.
"I can see you love," Mary replied. "Hold on." She typed a few things and then said, "I would say it's more than likely because they have your attention now with murdering Brent. And I have three more names now."
Joining Skye and Castle in front of the desk Beckett said, "Are you absolutely sure?"
"That's the question isn't it?" Mary asked. "It's Beckie Roldan, Doris Bostick and Carol Washington."
"We couldn't search them ourselves could we?" Castle asked as Skye nodded to her wife and Mary took the cell phone the investigator handed to her.
"I think in this case it would be better to leave it to Burke," Skye said, her eyes not straying from her wife as she spoke to the detective.
"He's going to look at them and he'll contact us when they're finished," Mary said after she'd hung up.
"Mummy?" a voice said from the doorway then.
Turning, Skye said to Beckett though she was looking at Marie and Kathleen, "Is there anything else you can see us being able to do?"
"Not when Burke has what she found," Beckett replied, smiling at the twins slightly.
"Okay then I say Mary we take everyone up PCH," Skye said.
"To the fishy place?" Kathleen asked eagerly.
"Reel Inn," Skye told Castle and Beckett who had looked at her. "A seafood place. Unless you two want to head off on your own?"
"No, we'll tag along if we were included in the first place," Castle said, knowing already his wife would have said the same.
"We'll meet you at the garage," Beckett said. "We need to drive again don't we?"
"You do but it'll work out better that way since they like to go to the beach on the way home," Skye replied.
After nodding to the family, Beckett took her husband's hand and walked with him out of the house. "We seem to have found that name easily," she commented as they headed to the guesthouse.
"If Brent hadn't slipped up… he might have just solved his own murder," Castle said. "But wow, a little bit idiotic for these women to hide their identities by switching names."
"Too simple," Beckett said. When her husband nodded she then said, "I don't think they were the smartest people to begin with, not if they thought those letters would drive Skye into Violet's arms, or their arms."
"No," Castle said simply in agreement. "Let's hope that Burke gets a hit on the partner," he said as he opened the door, letting her go inside first.
Heading upstairs to their bedroom, Beckett said, "Any reason you need to change?"
"Who said I had to?" Castle asked. When his wife rolled her eyes he said, "Come on, you're not used to me doing this by now?"
Beckett merely shot him a look before she pulled off her blouse, pulling on a thinner one that she knew was going to catch her husband's attention. When she turned to him after finishing buttoning it up she asked, "Yes?" as he was staring at her.
"That won't be too cold?" Castle asked since it was sheer.
Not answering that, Beckett grabbed a jacket and threw it on saying, "You're driving Rick."
"Yeah," Castle said absently as he scrambled to stand up and follow her down to the garage where the McDouglases were waiting. He drove himself and Beckett after the other car, following them to the highway along the coast and in a northern direction. They drove for a short time before they pulled off at a small restaurant across the street from the beach and he was quick to park next to them in the small lot next to the building.
"I realize," Skye said as she saw the two were looking at the building. "It might not look like much but the food is quite good."
"Really good," Kathleen said quickly.
"That too," Skye said, smiling as her daughter giggled.
"Anything you recommend?" Castle asked as they were walking up to the restaurant.
"Fish tacos," Skye and Mary said at the same time.
"I guess we'll order the same," Beckett said in amusement as the two looked at each other in slight surprise. "What, you never do that?"
"Not as much you do," Skye replied before they got in line to order. She spoke with her wife for a moment and said, "We're heading out to get a table."
"Go," Beckett said as she could see her husband was watching them walking out.
"Are you sure?" he said, turning back to her.
"I think we can handle things," Beckett replied.
Watching as he left, Mary said, "He's like a little boy sometimes."
"Oh you noticed that?" Beckett asked with a smile. When the woman nodded she said, "He was more so before he and I started dating, our daughters calm him down… slightly." She then said, "What about Skye?"
"If you two are serious about going to Disneyland… my wife becomes a little girl again then," Mary said. She wasn't surprised at the startled expression on Beckett's face and said, "No, she is, I'm not kidding."
"That would be interesting to see," Beckett said before they reached the register and had to order.
"It's nice huh?" Marie asked Castle when he reached the table that she, her twin and their mother were sitting at.
"It is," he said with a nod.
"You mind watching them? They'll need some help inside with everything and we're not leaving them on their own," Skye asked.
"Do you miss your kids?" Kathleen asked as soon as her mother was back inside the restaurant.
"Kathy, Mummy said not to ask," Marie hissed.
"It's alright and I do," Castle replied. "But we'll see them again soon of course." He looked to his right and out of the small windows that they were next to, seeing the ocean in the distance. "Do you come here often?" he asked then, turning back to the twins and seeing that Marie was watching him.
"Sometimes on Fridays, early 'cause there's lots of traffic," Kathleen responded before her sister could. "And then on Saturday or Sunday too."
"Mommy and Mummy have to say when we can come here," Marie replied. "Are you gonna go to the beach with us?"
"I think so, where do you go? Back in Santa Monica?" Castle asked, amused at how serious her question had been.
"No, right there," Marie said, pointing out the window. "That's Topanga."
"I see, well we'll have to check it out," Castle replied. "Tell me, how are the shells there? I need to be able to tell Julia and I want to get a sneak preview before we go."
Walking out of the restaurant carrying a tray with drinks, Beckett smiled as she saw her husband had the girls giggling heavily at something. "Hey, your mothers didn't really want to send the drinks out; they told me you two would end up finishing them before the food came," she said as she let Castle take the tray when she reached the table.
"We won't," the twins said together immediately.
"I'm not thirsty," Marie then added.
"And we're telling him about the beach," Kathleen said matter of factly.
"The one in Santa Monica? We've been-" Beckett started to say.
"No, the one right there," Marie interrupted her.
"Apparently that's Topanga Beach," Castle told his wife.
"Topanga State Beach to be more precise," Skye said, coming out with a tray with plates of food on it, Mary a little bit behind her. "I've got it," she told Castle when he tried to take it. "Try holding the side of a plane's fuselage, it's not easy."
"I'll have to take your word for it," Castle replied as he let the two women set down the trays as he sat back down next to Beckett.
After everyone had a plate and a drink they began to eat before Marie spoke saying, "Could we get some shells to send to Julia?"
"I don't think they'd make it one piece," Skye said. "But if they come here we could show them. Now," she said before she turned her attention to Castle and Beckett who were next to her again. "What do you think?"
"I feel very Californian," Castle commented.
Laughing, Mary said, "We've gotten that reaction from other friends when we've brought them here."
"It is good though," Beckett said, setting down her bottle of beer. "Do you come here often?"
"Usually once a weekend," Mary said before looking at her wife.
"Yes, I did miss it," Skye replied in a nearly deadpan tone. "Doug introduced me to this place. I used to come with him and Brent."
"They enjoyed it?" Castle asked, sharing a look with his wife at the mention of the vic.
"They did but Brent," Skye said with a slight laugh. "He wasn't much for seafood so he'd get chicken tacos." She sipped her bottle of water before saying, "I brought them here about six months ago."
"You had fun that night," Mary said, reaching across the table to take her wife's hand since they were sitting directly across from each other.
"Mummy are you sad?" Kathleen asked worriedly.
"No, just a little tired," Skye sighed. But she then straightened up and said, "Let's have a toast, to our friends who're here and to the hope we'll bring you back with your daughters."
Checking the investigator's face to make sure that she was alright, Beckett tapped her bottle to the woman's and said, "We'll be doing the same."
Nodding, Skye then said, "So you're really going to have them get married?"
A little startled by the change in subject, Castle took a moment to reply to that before he mentally shook himself and said, "Yeah, we are. Wait."
"You didn't think she'd be able to figure that out?" Beckett asked her husband with a smile on her face as she'd been surprised as well by that.
"You thought she could?" Castle asked, looking around them.
"We're still alone, so Moor and Green are going to get married," Mary said.
"They are but when and how you're not going to be able to figure out… mainly because we don't know how yet ourselves," Castle replied.
"Still, it shouldn't come as a surprise to your readers you're going to do that," Skye said. "It's more of a challenge being married and keeping it secret then just dating."
"Grá," Mary said then, getting her wife's attention. When Skye looked at her she nodded to the girls and said, "Maybe a different subject."
With a quick nod Skye asked their daughters about their day at school and she glanced at Beckett out of the corner of her eye since she could tell she was watching her.
Noticing that too, Castle reached over and gently squeezed his wife's hand within his own as they were listening to the twins talking together to their mothers, feeling her slight pressure as she responded to him. He then turned his attention to the others and helped Mary clean up as Skye got her daughters off the bench they were sitting on and led them outside.
"You're not going to cross here are you?" Beckett asked as they were walking to the parking lot.
"No, too risky," Skye said simply. "Back in the car girls." When two groans were her response she looked at her daughters and told them, "We're not going through this again you two."
"It's just across the street Mummy," Marie protested.
"It's PCH Marie," Mary told her daughter as she and Castle reached them. "Not a street. Now come on, both of you in the car or else we'll just head on home."
"See that entrance down there?" Skye asked Castle and Beckett, pointing towards the west. When they nodded she said, "Go there and good luck."
"Is it that difficult?" Castle said, looking at the highway.
"If we were here an hour later yes," Skye replied. "You'll make it," she then finally said sternly. She threw a smile at Beckett so they wouldn't think she was angry and then went to get into the driver's seat of the car where her daughters were finally sitting.
Since Castle had the keys he drove after Skye and Mary, surprised that it took a little more time than he expected to get into the parking lot for the beach. "I thought she was kidding," he said.
"I think it would take longer with traffic to make your way over," Beckett said as they got out of the car.
"Did-" Castle started to say before he saw that she was holding onto her camera. "Where did you have that?"
"My bag Rick," Beckett said with a smile before they then went after the McDouglases to a flight of stairs down to the sand.
"What do you think?" Kathleen asked when they were close to the breaking waves.
"Really nice," Castle said since Beckett was taking pictures and he knew she wasn't going to answer yet. "So what about those shells?"
"Right here," Marie replied, going over to him and taking his hand.
Lowering her camera then Beckett glanced over at Skye and Mary, seeing they were talking quietly to each other. When the former turned and started walking towards the east she immediately went after her before anyone else could notice.
Hearing her name, Skye almost thought it was her wife and she turned, a little started to see that it was Beckett. "Can I help you?" she asked as she waited for her to catch up.
"I just wanted to walk with you," she said placatingly. When Skye merely turned and started to walk again, Beckett followed and said, "You don't swim here?"
"No, we just let the girls run around after we eat across the highway," Skye replied. She then said, "I'm not quite so certain you followed just to walk."
"You're starting to think about the case," Beckett said simply.
"You didn't get Bracken until after you adopted Julia," Skye said, stopping so abruptly that Beckett nearly walked passed her. "Was she enough to help you set one foot in front of the other?"
"Her and Rick," Beckett said firmly. "They do love you and I think your girls are worried about you too."
Sighing, Skye looked out to the water and said, "They are, I can tell. I try not to do this; act like this; because Mary and the girls don't deserve it but I've had to deal with this in some way for so long."
"It's hard to shake," Beckett said. "But you care for people, greatly."
Smiling wryly then, Skye said, "My wife likes to say I care for people too much."
"Even her?" Beckett asked.
"Except for her," Skye was quick to continue. "She doesn't count apparently."
Nodding slightly, Beckett said, "Do you normally do this? Walk off?"
"If I'm feeling moody I will," Skye said. "I'm just tired, like I mentioned earlier, this time around. I thought a walk would wake me up."
Looking out to the ocean herself at that point, Beckett couldn't help taking a picture and said, "You spend a lot of time here."
"You guessed?" Skye said. When Beckett nodded she said, "It's a healing atmosphere and I don't know why that is." She then smiled and said, "I suppose it comes from being descended from island dwellers."
"In all aspects of your ancestors," Beckett said, shaking her head as she smiled as they'd talked about that connection to the water before. She placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and said, "We have leads."
"We do, it'll be over soon, Brent will have justice," Skye replied a little somberly. She then heard one of her daughters crying out and looked over in that direction. "But you know, he would be the first to remind me that I should remember what I have. And I'll take that advice, and yours."
"But I didn't-" Beckett started to say as she followed the woman back to the others.
"No but what you wanted to say right now was pretty clear," Skye said, smiling slightly. "And I think you might want to give your husband a break from playing with my daughters."
Looking ahead as they neared the others, Beckett saw that the twins had made Castle lean on the sand, guessing they were having him look through it to find shells. When she had reached them, Skye going to her wife, she said, "Do you two mind if I take him from you?"
"I'll look with you girls," Skye said, stepping over to them.
"Okay?" Beckett asked her husband as he stood up and went to her.
"Yeah, there aren't too many shells right now," Castle said, showing her what he held in the palm of his hand.
"I don't know if Julia would like those, they're pretty small," Beckett said with a smile.
"This one isn't," Castle said, reaching into his pocket.
"Pretty," Beckett said as held the abalone shell, turning it over to see the inside.
"She's still doing alright isn't she?" Castle asked in a low tone then, glancing at Skye who was wading in the water with her daughters. "When did she take off her boots?" he asked in surprise.
"And her," Beckett said with a smile as she nodded to Mary who was finishing taking off her boots and joining the others. "She's good," she said finally in response to his first question. "Take a walk with me," she then said, taking his hand. "And then we'll head back." When he nodded she smiled and she went over to the family as her husband followed, taking her hand.
"Leaving?" Skye asked, looking back as they approached.
"No, we're going to walk down the beach and then leave," Castle replied.
"Alright, we'll be back… later most likely," Mary said as they looked to the twins who were kicking at the water ahead of them.
"If we don't see you I'll," Skye said before she paused. "I'll text you if we get anything."
"Burke didn't text you with anything," Beckett stated, watching the girls to make sure they wouldn't hear.
"He said it would probably take until tomorrow to get enough information," Mary replied. "Remember I told you Racine wants to focus on finding Fuller."
"I don't remember," Castle said.
"She told me while we were waiting for dinner," Beckett said. "Then text us if he contacts you at all." When the two women nodded to her, she squeezed her husband's hand and then led the way down the beach towards the east. "What do you think?" she asked him then.
"Of what?" Castle asked instead of replying, looking back to her from the waves. "The case?"
"No, we've discussed that already," Beckett said. "Here?"
"The girls would like it," Castle said, glancing around with a slight nod. "Why?"
Shrugging Beckett said, "I was just wondering."
Studying her Castle said, "That's not the real reason though, for that question."
Rolling her eyes Beckett said, "I'm thinking of Julia and Eliza."
"If you're asking me if they'd like it here, I would say yes, definitely," Castle said. "But they might like Santa Monica Beach more."
"More like home?" Beckett asked with a slight smile on her face.
"Basically," Castle replied. "You want to keep walking?" he said as he looked at his watch.
"I would, let's head to that building up there and then go back," Beckett replied. When she looked to her husband and saw the slight surprise on her face she smiled and said, "They're likely playing before bed."
Since he'd already seen the time, Castle said simply, "Probably, or getting ready."
"Or that," Beckett agreed with a nod. "He's going to want to give Eliza a bath and then they'll be ready to talk."
"You didn't get anything from her phone did you?" Castle said.
"No," Beckett said simply, knowing that he meant Julia's cell phone. She was only supposed to use that for emergencies and before they'd left for California she'd told her to text her if she ever wanted to talk. She'd said the same thing when they'd gone to Canada the year before and with no sign of a text she had a feeling that their oldest was coping well. "I think if there had been a problem she would have done so by now. Text I mean."
Castle nodded to that and then said, "We have no clue when we're going to be needed to help on the case."
"At the moment, no," Beckett said, watching her husband out of the corner of her eye. "What did you have in mind?"
Not responding to that at first, Castle then stopped and said, "Sit with me."
Though she let him help her sit down, Beckett kept her eye on him but eventually the sound of the waves caught her attention and she turned her head towards them. "So you have something in mind if you walked with me to make me sit on the sand," she told him teasingly.
As he knew he couldn't really keep things from his wife any longer, Castle told her seriously, "How are you."
Smiling then, Beckett said, "I had an idea you might be thinking I would be reminded of my mother's case. And while I am, it's not really taking an emotional toll." At her husband's look at that, she said, "I think that's what you're worried I'm going through."
"Not really that, just bad memories," Castle said. He was surprised when his wife leaned over then and kissed him on the lips briefly and that was enough for him to be assured that she wasn't dwelling on the past. When she pulled away he wrapped his arm around her shoulder tightly while they turned their attention back to the ocean.
When they heard the sound of familiar laughter, Beckett turned to her right and saw that it was Skye and Mary's twins; their mothers right behind them. "You decided to join us?" she asked them.
"More a favor we'd like to ask," Skye replied.
"Go ahead," Castle said. When the two women looked at them in surprise he said, "Where are you going to walk?"
"The other way, not that long," Mary said, smiling at their idea being figured out. "We'll let you get back to the house in time."
Watching the two walking away from them, Marie turned to Castle and Beckett and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Just sitting," Beckett replied, standing up then and brushing the sand from her jacket she'd been on. "What were you two doing?"
"Walking," Kathleen said with a smile. She turned to her parents and then smiled saying, "Mummy's happier now, thank you."
"Why are you thanking me?" Beckett asked. "Your mom-"
"You helped too," Marie said, looking down at her wriggling toes as the foam from a wave dissolved over them.
"Then I'm glad I could do that," Beckett replied. "So are you two looking forward to going to the third grade?"
"Kinda," Kathleen said with a shrug, her sister making the same movement. "Is Julia going to like fifth grade?"
"She doesn't know yet," Castle said. "She's a little nervous of course but she's more focused on her summer vacation."
"So are we," Marie said with a laugh. "We get to go to Hawaii, Mummy and Mommy went there before they got us."
"They had a lot of fun," Kathleen said.
"You two will as well," Skye said, coming back with Mary then.
"That was a short walk Mummy, Mommy," Marie said seriously.
"It was long enough," Mary said firmly. "You two can go now," she said to Castle and Beckett.
"We're going to have to," he said to the twins then as the two girls were looking at them pleadingly. "Our girls need to go to bed soon, for their day at school tomorrow."
"He's right but I'm sure your moms will go on a longer walk next time you're here," Beckett said, looking at Skye and Mary.
"We'll bring your grandfather," Skye told them. She then nodded to Castle and Beckett; to indicate they could go if they wanted; and wasn't surprised when they told them goodbye.
Waving at the twins, Castle said, "They're adorable."
"They are," Beckett said, shaking her head at his tone of voice though she was also smiling. She took his hand as they had to make their way to the drier sand and once they'd gotten to the smaller parking lot she said, "They had to have a good night."
"The ceramic studio and the Studebaker in one night? I'll be surprised if your dad doesn't have any problems getting them to sleep," Castle said, making her stop. He could see in her glance to him that she was wondering why he'd done that when he quickly leaned over, brushing his lips to hers.
"I expect you to do better later Rick," Beckett told him commandingly.
"As you say Kate," Castle replied. When she punched his chest with her fist he laughed and then took her hand, leaning the way to the steps to the other parking lot.
As the two were going up they were both thinking of their daughters again, their line of thought the same. They were hoping that they'd had a good night since it would be the second one they'd spent apart. Trying to shake that from their minds they continued to the car and were soon on PCH again, heading back to Santa Monica and the McDouglas home.