Close Encounters 28

She was laying out on the cliffside beach, the tiny strip of sand that gave over quickly to rock, when she saw Castle coming down the worn path for her. Since she was lying on her stomach, she could see the taut curve of his calves and the line of his shorts before he disappeared, going around a bend in the path as he came down. Out of sight.

She closed her eyes and listened to the fierce waves crashing against the cliff, let it subsume her again.

Colin Hunt hadn't reported in. They knew he'd made landfall, and they had a guy following him at a distance, but Hunt hadn't gotten in touch with them one way or another.

It could mean anything. He might be waiting until he resumed contact with his Collective handler, or it could be that he didn't think he ought to reach out unless it was an emergency. But his silence plagued her with doubts.

They shouldn't have brainwashed him. They had run a play on Colin Hunt, a long con, and just because he truly was Castle's blood brother, didn't make it okay. He didn't mean to them what-

"Hey, you look pink."

She opened her eyes and saw Castle settling down on an outcropping of rock, his arms braced on his knees.

"Pink."

"Shoulders, babe. Oh, and your nose."

She closed her eyes. "I put on sunblock." She felt worthless, and it struck her out of the blue, the feeling. She had no idea where that had come from. "It's in the bag."

"I'll get it," he said quietly. She could hear him rifling through her beach bag, the top snapping open on the bottle. Then his cool fingertips brushing her hair aside. "It's grown out."

"Yeah," she sighed.

"You fall asleep down here?"

"Think so." She hummed and melted into the touch of his strong fingers, the deep pressure digging into her muscles and working her skin. "Didn't mean to."

"Sun'll do that," he murmured. He massaged, not just rubbing lotion into her, but massaging. She felt better already, relaxed instead of sad.

"James?"

"Well, yeah, taking a nap," he laughed. "So you're allowed."

"He had lunch okay?"

"He likes leftovers. He's not a picky eater at all," Castle said. He was leaning in close over her and she could smell the workday sweat of him, the sunlight in his clothes and hair, the sunblock on his hands. "Colin doesn't have to report in, Kate. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"And we have someone on him, so we'd know if he was in trouble."

"Yeah, that's true."

Castle removed a hand and she opened her eyes, watched him as he settled down beside her. He propped his head up on an elbow, left his other palm hot against her bare back. The copper-colored bikini was new; he'd had it shipped to Nantucket and it had come over with her father on the boat.

She liked it. And it was obvious he liked it too.

He was rubbing his still-oiled fingers under the strap across her spine, but he was studying her face. She propped her chin on her hands and studied him back.

Richard Castle. Lean jaw, tall forehead, golden-streaked hair. Spy, husband, father. The artist of the story, but the consummate covert agent. The man who had dragged his broken body out of a hospital, repeatedly, to come find her in a Russian cave - and then cajoled and encouraged and finally carried her home. The man who had held their son in his arms first and then proudly presented the newborn to her, sharing his birth, his arrival in their world with such joy.

The man she had laid beside in the darkness and confessed things to - how Hunt was in love with her, how she didn't think she could be a good mother, how addictive it was to take those pills, how terrified she was of his father that night in Tunisia. How she loved him. How she wanted him - so that he would turn and would take her. How right it felt to be laying beside him in the dark despite all those things.

Here they had the brilliant sunlight making them both squint, and the hard-packed sand, and the tumult of waves, but it was still so right, him lying beside her.

Castle slid his hand up her back and cupped her shoulder. "I can't wait to go home."

She smiled, her heart easing. "Yeah? Me too. Me too, I want to go home."

Castle shifted forward and gathered James into his arms. "Hey, wolf. You having fun?"

Kate released the boy with only a smile, able to move freely again in the bedroom. James had made packing difficult, but she didn't mind. He was cute, even as he threw clothes out of their suitcase. "He's quite the helper."

"I don't think you're doing much helping, are you?" Castle blew a kiss against the boy's neck that made him giggle, and Kate stopped to watch, a little surprised by her husband's carefree ease. She had expected him to be morose as they got closer and closer to leaving.

She folded her shirts again, the ones that James had thrown around the room, and replaced them in the suitcase. "James probably could use a few snacks for the journey," she started, trying to think ahead.

"Good idea. I'll grab some stuff out of the bag of perishables."

"Damn, we didn't get everything eaten?"

He shook his head as James tried to crawl up onto his shoulder, his feet digging into his father's ribs. Castle let him get far enough and then he scooped the kid up and settled him on his shoulders.

James stared down at her from his perch, absolutely stunned silent, gripping Castle's hair wth both hands.

"Hey, there, wolf. Look how high you are."

James squeaked, still a little shocked.

Kate laughed and hooked her fingers around his foot, tugging gently. "Your own fault. You wanted up there."

Castle was hanging on to him carefully, she saw, fingers gripping the boy's thighs high up to keep him stable. But James was clinging just as carefully, not yet sure if he liked this.

"Wolves shouldn't be that high, should they?"

James laid his chin on the top of his father's head, hunching his shoulders. Castle cleared his throat to gain her attention.

"Should I let him get down? He's pretty stiff. Does he look scared?"

"Not scared exactly. Just not quite sure."

Castle slid a hand up their son's back, bracing him, and then swung the boy back down. Into his arms. James let out a kind of hysterical giggle and buried his face into his daddy's chest.

Castle laid a hand on his back, soothing him. "Okay, sorry, sorry. You're fine. You're just fine."

"He's fine," Kate added. She could see the side of their son's face where he was hiding against his father. "A little thrilled, I think. James, lift up for Daddy, let him see you're okay."

James rubbed his face against Castle and then wriggled to get down. Castle let him, the boy sliding down his leg to the floor, but James gripped his father's shorts and bounced on his feet, lifting his arms up to be carried again.

"Oh, see? You started something, Rick."

Castle leaned over and lifted James again, and the boy started crawling up his ribs again, trying to get higher.

"Oh, shit. I really did start something."

Kate laughed and patted James's bottom. "Okay, you guys have fun. I've got to finish packing our suitcase."

Castle was already pushing James up on his shoulders again. "Say bye to Mommy. We'll go play with Sasha and keep everyone out from underfoot."

"Good thinking," she said. Kate leaned in and kissed Castle's cheek even as he moved to leave her. "Rick. Be dressed and ready to go in an hour."

"Got it. And I won't forget snacks either."

"Good man."

He had snacks. He had diapers and wipes. He had a teething ring. He had a sippy cup. He had all of that in the backpack snug on his shoulders. He had a weapon, a spare clip in the side pocket. Bare essentials had changed with the birth of their son, that was for sure.

Ah, he didn't have his son. That's what was missing.

Castle headed back through the living room and down the hall, finally found James alone in his bedroom, driving his corduroy elephant across the wood floor like it was a car.

"James," he called softly. The boy turned his head and held up his elephant. "Yeah, you're right. I nearly forgot El. My fault. Good thing you came to find him."

James gave him a shy smile and worked his way to standing, not even teetering any longer, stable and solid.

"Come here, wolf. It's time to go."

James came running for him, and Castle caught him, scooped his son into his arms. "Hey, are you ready for the boat?"

James made a humming noise that apparently passed for yes, and he tapped elephant against Castle's chest.

"I got him; don't worry," Castle replied, taking the stuffed animal from his son. "But let's check the crib to make sure we're not leaving anything else."

He carried James across the room and leaned in over the crib, even swiped his hand in the corners to see if they were leaving behind any stray teething rings. Lately he'd started going to bed with them, sucking on one like a pacifier.

"Nope, all clean. Okay, now to find Mommy."

"Mama?"

"Yeah, let's find her."

Castle carried his son back down the hallway and stopped at their bedroom, but it was empty. James made a startled noise and Castle chuckled.

"Yeah, she's not here. Where is Mommy?"

"Mama?" James called out. "Mama!"

"I hear someone calling me?" Kate's voice carried through the living room and Castle followed the sound, saw her by the front door. She smiled at James and held her arms out. "Hey, JP, were you looking for me?"

James went willingly and Castle gave him up, adjusting the pack on his shoulders again, pushing elephant inside. Kate kissed James's little cheeks and made him squirm with it, but she gave James back to him after that.

"Let Daddy carry you," she told the boy. "Daddy's nice and strong."

"Daddy," James echoed, laying his head against Castle's chest. They'd decided to start out late morning, close to James's lunch so that they could feed him on the boat and then hopefully get him to sleep.

They were taking their houseboat all the way to New York where the pilot would drop them off and refuel. No ferry rides through Nantucket and getting a car up the coast, not this time. Just a straight shot home to test the extent of their security measures. Since Colin Hunt had been to their island, the 'secret' nature of its location was already somewhat compromised. Heading for home on the boat was faster, easier on their son, but also easier on Kate.

"There you go," Kate murmured, drawing his attention. She was kissing James's cheek, stroking down his dark hair. But she was looking at him.

"You okay?" he asked, confused by her regard.

"I'm good. Just wanted to be sure you were," she admitted. She lifted on her toes, hanging onto his arm for balance, and softly kissed the corner of his mouth. "Are you?"

"I'm at peace," he sighed. He meant he was at peace about their leaving and going back to the world that seemed to want to hurt them, but he realized belatedly that he truly was, simply, at peace.

Kate was not only alive, but the infusion had allowed her to recover her natural strength and grace. His son was healthy and happy and whatever trauma they might have inflicted on him had faded to nothing. John Black father was being held in check, roughly, and Colin Hunt was out there to spy on the Collective.

His family was close to him, his enemies watched. He couldn't help but feel at peace, even though he knew there would be issues later, that Kate wasn't yet one hundred percent, that Hunt wasn't a certainty. Right now, it felt good to be here.

"My dad's already on the boat," Kate told him. "Everything else has been packed. I just came to look for you. If you're ready."

"I'm ready," he promised. He jostled James in his arms and met the boy's eyes. "You ready for the boat, wolf?"

"Boat." Distinctly, clear as day.

Kate laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth as her startled noise brought James's attention.

"Kid has two words, maybe three, and suddenly he has boat?" Castle grumbled. "Of course. Mama, Daddy, Sasha, and boat."

"Shhhh," James said happily, looking around for the dog.

"She's on the boat, Jay," Kate said. "Come on. Let's go find her."

So Castle walked out of their island home following his wife, shut the door after them without looking back.

While they waited for the boat to be checked, this time, Castle called the Director first.

Marjorie answered at the desk and tutted over him and his wife for a few minutes, a sympathetic ear. Since she had been the one to push past the Director's reluctance to take on Beckett's case, he took the time to give her the latest family news. Even though he knew it would be gossip fodder.

"And how's our baby?" Marjorie twittered. "Is he talking any?"

"Some. He's got about four or five words," Castle gave over. "Mostly he grunts."

"Oh, how adorable. I just want to pinch his little cheeks. When you guys get back, bring him in."

"To... the DC Office?" he said, faintly horrified at the thought.

"Oh, it's secure. You know it is. Would I be working here if it wasn't?"

He was pretty sure she'd be working there come hell or high water. "Marjorie-"

"Oh, I know. But it's not like he's going to be spilling state secrets. Unless 'grunt' is a secret language."

"No, ma'am," he chuckled. "That's true. But Kate and I haven't really-"

"Everyone knows already. You'd think we were the NSA, the loose lips around here."

Oh, wow, that was a burn. Nice one, Marjorie.

"Anyway, Richard, you bring the baby so I can hold him and get my fingers on those chubby cheeks. You and Beckett will have a meeting anyway."

"We will?"

"Of course. You've been on leave for months now. He'll want to be briefed, and there's a thing brewing. Anyway, he can't speak right now. If you were hoping to talk to him."

Castle was thrown off his game. The only thing he found himself able to say was, "Uh, his cheeks aren't that chubby."

"Fiddlesticks. I was so hoping. Regardless, you're bringing him in. Tuesday. Two weeks from now."

"Tuesday," he said, blinking stupidly out over the water. "But..."

"I'm assuming this was a courtesy call to let us know you were making your way home."

"Yes, ma'am," he sighed.

"Then two weeks Tuesday is plenty of time. From what I hear."

"How much did you hear?" he growled.

"Not enough," she tsked.

"At least there's that." Castle rubbed a hand down his face, wondering why they'd never given Marjorie a command post somewhere. Tied to the Director. They were married after all. Only a few years ago, but they'd both been confirmed bachelors for so long. Could a woman be a bachelor? If not, Marjorie was anyway. "Tuesday. Yes, ma'am. We'll be there. With - with the baby."

He hung up and glanced to his wife. She had her hands on her hips, a mean look on her face.

"With the baby?"

Oh, great.