Everyone together now I HATE JOSH!
Feel better? I know I do
"Josh I thought you were in the Amazon or something"
"I came back" He is looking around the apartment expecting to find someone else in there "So Where is he?"
"Where is who?"
"Castle or Rick or writer boy or lover boy or partner. Whatever you are calling him today. I want to see him I want to break his…"
"Stop it Josh. There is no one here. I am alone"
"Then what's the meaning of the break up text? I thought we are doing great"
Kate steps back further into her apartment
"Josh look. This is just not working out. That's all"
"Not working how? We love each other. We said it on the phone when I talked to you yesterday"
"No, Josh WE didn't say that. You may have said it to me but I don't feel that way about you. Sorry"
Kate realizes the she has never said those three words to any man before. Telling a man that she loves him will be crossing a line she put down in the sand a long time ago. She knows that the feeling might just be trying to come to the surface and it has nothing to do with the good doctor standing here but someone else
"Why do you not feel that way Kate? We have been having a great time"
"Look Josh. We were having fun. When we were together that is. But actually being together was few and far between. And just having fun was not enough. You were either on shift at the hospital or off in some foreign place saving humanity and don't get me wrong you doing those things are heroic and great. You are a wonderful heart surgeon fixing broken hearts but I have a hole in my heart that all the medical professionals in the world can't fix"
"But some uneducated author can?" Josh replies in complete sarcasm
"Josh, don't make this any worse with you unnecessary comments".
Kate draws in a breath "And why are you here anyway? You were headed to the Amazon or something when I talked to you yesterday"
"We were diverted at the airport. There are too many relief people there and they asked if we would come back in a week to relieve them"
"And so you are planning to go back next weekend?"
"Of course. I am needed there"
"Josh there were many, many times you were needed here and you weren't"
"Right! So this time I jumped at the chance to come home and be here with you. Kate I'm here and I will be here all week if you can take time off work and we can try and fix this"
"Look! Here's the problem. I have come in second with you all the time we have been dating but the 'HE' you keep talking about has always put me first even though we are just friends…"
"Friends right! What is he, 'friends' with benefits?
"Josh. I think it is best if you leave. NOW!" pointing at the door "That sack is what few clothes you left here. Take them and go. I really think it is best this way"
"But Kate…"
"Josh. LEAVE! NOW!" she again points to the door
"He won't last or rather you won't last with him. He will use you up and move on to another woman after you like he always does. You know he is that kind of a guy"
Kate is getting more and impatient with each comment
"Good by Josh" as she closes the door in his face.
Kate Beckett feels like one very large weight has been lifted from her. She leans against the door and smiles. Now if I can fix the other issue everything will be perfect. She looks at her watch and realizes she must hurry to get to the airport and catch that flight if she is going to get to Miami before Castle leaves.
She grabs her bag and rushes out the door and hails a cab. "Get me to the airport" she tells the driver "And step on it" She always wanted to say that to a cabbie in New York
Eleven thirty in the morning in Miami Florida is hot and steamy. Rick Castle is glad he gets to spend the next three hours inside the bookstore in the air conditioning. As a New Yorker he is not accustomed to 100 degree heat with 90% humidity. He is thinking 'how do these people do this?'
Just as he arrives at the table to get ready, he spies Paula visiting with the store manager. He walks over to her "Paula can I see you a minute?" as Castle indicates that he wants a private conversation
"Hey Rick you look like you are about to melt in the heat"
"You look a little sweaty yourself" He chuckles
"Women don't sweat. We perspire. So Rick what do you need?"
"Did you do what I asked about the royalty payments?"
"Of course. All taken care of"
"How did she take it?"
"I don't remember ever seeing a cop cry before. She was very emotional"
"OK so she knows that this is just the beginning for her?"
"Yes Rick. What is going on here? When you asked me to do that I thought you were severing ties and now you seem honestly worried about her?"
"It's nothing Paula. Just some things have happened that got me thinking about her…I mean how she is doing"
"Well Mr. Writer right now I need your mind thinking about the next Nikki Heat book"
"OK! OK! Are we ready to start this?" Looking at the line forming at the table
Paula looks at her watch. She is the one who always is trying to get these signings over so Rick can move on top make her more money. "Sure. Let's get going"
Kate identifies herself as law enforcement and has passed the TSA check point. She is in the departure concourse and it is only 1:30. Her flight is at 3:00 so she decides to go for coffee... It is hard for her to get coffee for herself now since over the last three years someone else always brought coffee to her without having to be asked.
Sitting in the departure lounge sipping on her caffeine, watching the Cable news channel telling the stories of more violence in the Middle East. There are also wildfires burning in Texas and New Mexico
Then the featured story of the day is about a multi car pile up in Los Angeles caused by dense fog on the Pacific Coast Highway. There are 12 cars involved. 2 people were killed and 8 injured and two of those are in critical condition.
Kate is focused on the TV when she hears her cell phone ring. She takes it out of her pocket and is surprised to see the name on the caller ID
It says "Alexis"
Kate hesitates before hitting the accept button. First she doesn't know what to say to little Castle if she asks about Rick. Maybe she doesn't know about the break up. Maybe she does. Maybe she wants to help. Maybe she wants to do to Kate what Lanie did, Blast her up one side and down the other over the relationship
After a long pause, Kate sucks in a deep breath then presses the answer button
"Hey Alexis, how are you?"
There is a woman's voice on the other end of the phone that Beckett does not recognize
"Is this Ms. Beckett?"
"Yes! This is Kate Beckett. Who is this?"
"This is Doctor Sara Mc Masters at Mercy Memorial Hospital in LA. I am calling about a patient who was in a car wreck overnight. Her name is Alexis Castle. We have been trying to contact Mr. Richard Castle who is listed on her phone as her ICE and all we get is a recording. But you were also listed as ICE2 on her phone. We are trying to reach her family. We desperately need to speak to family. Are you a relative?"
So I fixed the cliff hanger that everyone hated so much. Are you OK with this one instead?
In the event someone is not familiar with the term "ICE". It stands for "In Case of Emergency". The person the responders can call if you are hurt and can't talk.