Sealed Lips
Chapter Eleven
Lanie planted herself on stool in the kitchen, sharing a smile with Alexis before turning to Beckett, arms crossed. Looked like girl's night was off to a solid start – Lanie's surly attitude was intact. Just what Beckett wanted in her down time. Perhaps she was slightly the catalyst to her friend's bad mood, blaming herself wasn't going to achieve anything, no use dwelling on the past… Beckett was impressed with her own clearly proactive outlook on life – Lanie should get on board…
"I was promised high quality wine," she hedged. Beckett snorted her indignation, but set about plucking glasses from a shelf. She poured the liquid haphazardly into the glasses, speckling the bench with purple drops. She shrugged at her friend, wiped it up and handed her the glass. "Nice place you've got here, Beckett" Lanie added, appraising the loft. Alexis choked on the water clasped in her hand.
"It's fine," she spluttered, waving a reassuring hand. "Just went down the wrong way." Beckett blushed fiercely.
"Lanie," she hissed. "I told you that in confidence." It was Lanie's turn to splutter –
"You haven't told Castle that you moved in?" Beckett turned to Alexis, her expression frantic.
"He did ask me. I still have my place. Just, I knew he'd make such a big deal… So, I've been kind of having a test run… I should have asked you, I'm so sorry…" she forced out in a frenzied breath of air.
"Kate, Kate," Alexis soothed. "It's okay, Dad asked me. He thought you weren't ready. It's kind of cool that you are," the girl shrugged.
"Oh," Beckett resumed breathing, her anxious expression diminishing. Lanie laughed, a booming swell that filled the air with joy.
"God, no wonder you didn't tell me about you and Castle. You're useless at communicating, Beckett," she grinned.
"Shut up," Beckett smiled, slapping her friends shoulder lightly.
"When are you going to tell Castle?" Lanie smirked. Beckett's smile slipped –
"Uh… Later?" she bit down on her lip, considering.
"Seriously, girl?" Lanie groaned. "Alexis, give her a time limit," she nodded at the girl.
"Umm," Alexis paused, mulling over her options. Deciding that Lanie's possible wrath was worse than whatever Beckett's silence could do, "twenty-four hours," she decided.
"Fine," Beckett moaned, turning on Alexis, "but when he gets all over the top affectionate, I'll be sending him to you. I will not hesitate to play the heading away to college need quality clingy time card," she teased. Alexis giggled, nodding at her father's girlfriend.
"If that's the price I have to pay…" she grinned.
"Well, now, that's an excellent start to girls night," Lanie chuckled, immensely satisfied with her accidental meddling.
"Mmm, shall we relocate to the living room," Beckett commented dryly. The women wandered from the kitchen, Beckett throwing an inviting smile over her shoulder to Alexis. Lanie halted the girl's progress with her hand.
"Alexis, sweetie," she smiled affectionately. "I'm think you might want to skip this part of girl's night – unless you want extensive counselling," she warned. The girl flushed bright pink and Lanie chanced a glance at Beckett to see she was blushing too. She honestly couldn't tell who looked more mortified – it was hilarious. Highlight of her day (other than her best friend's happiness, but that was a given). Revenge had never looked so colourful; it was a vivid shade of red…
"Oh god," Alexis shuddered. "I'm going to go away, far away…" Beckett mouthed an apology to the girl, as she ascended the stairs, blush lingering on her cheeks.
"Lanie," she chided her friend.
"What?" Lanie shrugged with a bright grin. "Don't think you're using the child to get out of the details of girl's night. You owe me, girl." Beckett rolled her eyes and slumped onto the couch, patting the space beside her invitingly. Lanie took the unspoken cue and settled herself beside her friend. "Tell me everything," she smirked.
"What's to tell?" Beckett sighed.
"Everything," Lanie enunciated with a dramatic pout.
"It's Castle, Lanie. Nothing's changed really. He's still my frustratingly immature best friend…" Lanie cut her off with an indignant –
"Present company accepted," she coughed less than subtly. Beckett levelled her friend with a glare, before chuckling lightly.
"Different and you know it," Beckett added pointedly. Lanie winked and gestured for the detective to carry on. "It's great Lanie, it really is. It's never been like this before, I've never felt like this before…"
"And the sex is…" she paused, "waiting for you to fill in the blank here, girl," she teased.
"There are no words, Lanie," she blushed a little, her eyes glassing over caught in a stream of intimate memories. Lanie beamed.
"So happy for you, Kate. You know, the most important part of all – I wasn't really last to know," she hinted with an air of smug self-satisfaction.
"Okay?" Beckett quirked an eyebrow at your friend. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Oh please, I knew before you and writer boy did. I swear, I saw it coming from when he first started following you around… In a way, you were the last to know," she smirked. Beckett merely sipped her wine, throwing an incredulous look in her friend's direction.
"I knew," she asserted.
"Denial," Lanie laughed. "If you're not going to indulge me in all the kinky details… Oh, how did your Dad take it? How did Castle's mother?"
"My Dad almost gave Castle a heart attack, it was great!" Beckett grinned. "Martha, oh boy, that was something uniquely Martha…" She lost herself in the memory momentarily…
Martha wandered the busy street, pausing from time to time to take in her reflection in the bright windows lining the sidewalk. She really was a vision in today's outfit. No wonder she was capturing the attention of hundreds of New Yorkers as they meandered on their way past her. It was both a blessing and a curse. She was surprised a young gentlemen gawking at her didn't get hit by a cab as he stumbled from the sidewalk. The unfortunate casualties of a world-renowned actress – "world" was an ambiguous sort of term, it loosely encompassed the extent of her career…
She caught a flash of familiar brunette hair spilling over the slim shoulders of the woman exiting the coffee shop just ahead. Meddling in her son's life was a mother's privilege she shrugged to herself as she hastened her pace to catch up with Kate Beckett. She wouldn't do anything Richard would disapprove of, just a friendly greeting – who knew where the conversation would progress to from there? It was only reasonable, she'd only just gotten back from her retreat to the Hamptons. It would be rude to ignore the woman after she casually ran into her in the street. Martha Rogers most certainly knew acceptable social decorum.
As she came into step just behind Beckett, she noticed the woman had her phone clutched to her ear. Martha didn't see the harm in unintentionally overhearing the woman's conversation. Beckett was laughing, it tinkled flirtatiously and Martha felt she owned it to her son to listen. She imagined herself an undercover secret agent, sourcing leads from the street. The career was similar to an actresses in many ways, a second calling, perhaps? She channelled it, falling into step behind Beckett, stealthy and attentive. Richard would be proud. Or angry – it could go either way, depending largely on what she uncovered. She focussed her attention on the task at hand, thank goodness her hearing was acute.
"Yes, I stopped for coffee. Necessity… Calm down, I have one for you too… You foolish man…" Beckett smiled into the phone, chuckling at whatever responses her counterpart offered. Martha's interest was more than piqued. It sounded like a gentleman caller, of that she was certain. A caller Beckett was fond of… Oh poor Richard. She had to swallow a sigh as it rose in her throat. Her dear son would be devastated if Beckett procured another boyfriend of sorts. She had been right in telling him that love wasn't a switch. She couldn't see him ever turning it off where Beckett was concerned. The man was head over heels, the only woman he adored more than the breathtaking detective was his precious daughter.
Beckett continued, with a deep throaty laugh, "c'mon, fool is totally a term of endearment… Really? If you ever call me that to my face you will not be getting some ever again… No, I'm not bluffing... Do you really want to try me?" She giggled – literally giggled – Martha didn't know the woman knew how to giggle. She certainly seemed enamoured with this gentleman caller. As if Beckett was attuned to her thoughts, she softly added, "Yeah, I love you too, foolish man… Castle," she chided, "I just warned you about that…" She was cut off by a strangled noise over her shoulder. She glanced behind her to see a burst of red hair shrouding the shocked face of Castle's mother. "Uh, Rick, I'm just around the corner, come up the street and meet me," she whispered hurriedly into the phone. "Martha," she smiled tentatively, dropping the phone from her ear.
"Ack…" Martha ground out, vocal cords stunned into silence.
"I…umm," Beckett looked flustered. "How much of that did you hear?" Her cheeks tinged a pale red – there had been some odd coffee themed sex jokes whilst she'd stood in line at the café. Castle had been playing dirty, she'd been driven to extremes – as per usual. Although, she'd won – also as per usual…
"Oh darling," Martha exclaimed, finding her voice – and enthusiasm – as she swept the detective into a crushing hug.
"Beckett," Castle called, making his way up the street. "Mother?" he muttered incredulously. "What on earth?" His mother swung Beckett in her arms, beaming as she moved. Castle caught a glimpse of Beckett's amused yet slightly panicked expression as she spun – caught in his mother's whirlwind he added dryly to himself.
"Richard, join us," his mother chortled gleefully. Apparently she'd well and truly lost it this time. Probably to be expected given the copious amounts of alcohol she consumed on a daily basis. It was barely morning – surely she was sober? As he pondered the oddities of his family tree, he failed to notice his mother's hand snake out from her grip on Beckett and settle around his wrist like a vice. She dragged him in before he had the opportunity to protest. It was a strange group hug. Admittedly, he wasn't completely opposed to the way his body was pressed flush against Beckett's… He suppressed a shudder at the wave of desire coursing through him – given the proximity to his mother, it so wasn't the time.
"Mother," he sighed, jerking away, tugging Beckett with him. She seemed grateful for the extrication, flashing him a quick grin. "I take it you're satisfied with this?" He flicked a gaze between himself and Beckett.
"Darling, I'm ecstatic," she beamed. "I'm taking you both to brunch. Now. I need the full story."
"We have a case," Castle hinted. His mother waved him off, rolling her eyes.
"The dead can wait, the living need details," she asserted, grasping his wrist and pushing the pair of them in the direction of a nearby café.
"Martha," Beckett smiled softly, happy to have to woman's approval and willing to concede an hour of the working day in order to please her, "were you following me?" she asked, a little dubiously.
"My lips are sealed. Don't want to blow my cover," Martha winked dramatically. As she sauntered into the restaurant, Beckett leaned into Castle's side and whispered –
"You are without a doubt your mother's son."
"Don't speak that over my life," Castle groaned, but his eyes were shining with a smile.
"Beckett. Beckett," Lanie snapped her fingers to get her best friend's attention. Beckett blinked slowly, smiling ruefully. "Where'd you just go?" Lanie nudged.
"Martha," Beckett sighed, "she hugged me – us – a lot. I think she was happy about it."
"You think she was happy about it?" Lanie smirked. "That woman has been setting you up on unofficial dates for months. I think I can see how she might have been able to share in the joy just a little."
"Is it ever going to get old that everyone in our lives was gunning for us to be together before we even were?" Beckett mused wryly. "I swear, we get married every card will read I told you so." Lanie chuckled.
"Rightly so," she teased.
"Mmm," Beckett hummed her less than enthusiastic agreement. "Would you like a refill?" Lanie arched her brows in a look that asserted do you even have to ask and stretched her glass towards Beckett's hand.
"Kate," she called after her friend, halting her walk to the kitchen. She pivoted, listening, "it is good wine. Our friendship may just survive the months of deception."
"It's nice to know you can be bought," Beckett teased.
""It's certainly a step in the right direction," Lanie beamed, gesturing Beckett into the kitchen, adding, "although the service is a little slow."
AN: There's a chance this one is less coherent than usual – there's something about the 5am airport run that doesn't increase my brain's capacity to function. Thank you so, so much for your wonderful reviews! I'll reply to them tomorrow when I'm slightly more conscious, just wanted to get this up before I lapse into beautiful, beautiful sleep…