Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 12

The next morning, Castle rubbed the back of his neck as he padded through the loft. His mother was perched on one of the bar stools at the counter, the entertainment section of the paper in hand and a cup of tea in within reach.

"It looks like the sofa didn't agree with you, kiddo," Martha declared, watching as her son poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah; seems to be the trend this week," he remarked. "Where's Kate?"

"She left awhile ago," his mother answered. "I'm supposed to tell you that you're not to show your face at the precinct."

Castle grimaced. "Not really a surprise."

"I guess you got yourself into a real jam this time."

"Don't I always?"

"You do make it your life's work," Martha replied. "But I did tell you that no good would come from this little lunch with Johanna campaign you insisted on starting."

"I know, Mother," he sighed. "I guess Kate told you."

"She gave me the highlights."

Castle blew out a breath. "I was just trying to do something nice."

"You can't be nice to that woman, Richard. She's too stuck up and set in her ways. She doesn't even get along with Kate all the time."

"Well…that's usually more on Kate than it is Johanna; but they've been doing pretty well since she and Jim got back from London."

"Yes, but Kate's making all the effort."

"Not really; they're both making the effort with more phone calls and visits…they're doing the things they always liked doing and it's making them close again."

Martha scoffed lightly. "For now; but odds are it won't last."

"I'm not so sure about that," he said as he picked up his cup for a long sip of coffee. He was sure that once Johanna knew her grandchild was on the way, nothing on God's green earth would keep her from Kate and that baby.

"You never have said why it's suddenly so important that you win Johanna over," his mother went on.

"I just want the family to be…better."

"Good luck with that," she muttered. "I think you'd be better off sending them brochures of condos in Florida…you might get lucky and have the kind of in-laws that move away; even if it's just a portion of the year."

"I don't think Kate would like having her parents living several hours away."

"Maybe not; but you'd probably like it if they were in a condo in Florida; wouldn't you?"

"I don't know, Mother, it depends…would you be living across the hallway from them in that building?"

Martha smirked at him. "Don't take your troubles out on me, buster. You're the one who went meddling apparently; you should've known she wouldn't be happy. I'm not sure anything really makes her happy besides Jim and Kate and her little yoga classes with that blonde she hangs around with; and of course her little job at Columbia"

"The blonde's name is Maggie; they've been friends a long time. As for her job, Johanna's a good teacher, she cares about her students…they seem to adore her in return."

"It's too bad she doesn't show that side of herself around here."

"You didn't exactly show a good side of yourself the last time she was here," Castle replied as he met his mother's eye. "You had your claws out before she even stepped inside the door."

"I wasn't in the mood for company."

"Then you should've taken your dinner upstairs like Alexis did."

"Richard; your problem is with Johanna; not me."

"I'm starting to think it's with all of you, Mother."

She gave a short laugh. "Kiddo; we didn't have these problems before Johanna came along with her attitude. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the woman is alive and that Kate has her mother; but you have to admit; she does throw a wrench into things when it suits her."

"You've been know to harbor that talent yourself, Mother…that's why you'll also receive a brochure if I decide to sign any of you up for a Condo in Florida mailing list."

"You'll wish you had sent out brochures one day," Martha remarked. "If you and Kate decide to have a child one day; you'll never be rid of Johanna. She will be all over that child; wanting to be involved in everything. You wait and see."

Castle flattened his palms against the counter. "Mother, if being all over a future grandchild will make that woman happy and get her off my back, she can have at it. She can do all the hands on grandma things she wants as long as it makes her happy."

"Really?" Martha laughed.

"Yes…why would I deny her that when I remember allowing you to whisk Alexis away on girls days whenever the mood suited you."

Martha eyed him. "I also remember you showing up on my doorstep to drop off Alexis without warning when it suited you."

"What's your point?"

"I don't know exactly; but I'm just saying…when the day comes that Kate has a child; Johanna is going to be around all the time…how are you going to feel about that? With the way she acts and her hoity toity attitudes."

He sighed deeply. "How are you going to feel one day when you have to share a grandchild with her?"

Martha laughed. "I think I'm going to be thankful that I already have Alexis because no one is going to be able to get around the Queen Bee; and really, I guess I wouldn't blame her for that. After all, I already have a grandchild and whenever you and Kate have a child, that will of course be her first grandchild and she's entitled to do all the things I did with Alexis…so while I will love that child; I won't stand in Johanna's way…especially considering that I live here and would still see the child every day anyway. Besides, she's younger than me, let her chase the toddler."

Castle laughed. "Did you just admit that you're older than someone? I wish I had recorded that moment for posterity."

Martha smirked at him. "It's no secret that I'm older than Johanna…it's not a large age difference but a few years are a few years…and my grandchild is in college…so yes, let her have the crying, the diapers, the running toddler…it's all hers. I mean, I will of course help out and babysit when she isn't available but, hey, let her go for it. I'm sure she's craving the experience so more power to her."

"When the time comes, can you do me a favor and make that a nicer sounding sentiment when it's mentioned to Kate; because she'll think you don't love your grandchild."

"I will adore any grandchildren you bless me with…I'm just more than happy to let Johanna do the grunt work. I did mine with Alexis; she gets the next one."

"I'm sure that will thrill Johanna right down to her painted toenails."

"I'm sure it will," Martha agreed. 'What are you up to today since Kate has banned you from the precinct? Will you be out sucking up to your mother-in-law and buying your wife some please forgive me trinkets?"

"I'm not sure how to play that one yet," he admitted. "But Jim has asked to see me for lunch."

"Uh oh…he's riding in to defend the honor of his Queen."

"Yeah," Castle said with a short laugh. "I can hardly wait. I thought about calling it off because I didn't sleep much and I'm in no mood for it but I figure why prolong it? Besides, he knows where I live, I wouldn't put it past him to just show up here if I bailed."

"The joy of extended family," Martha replied. "In-laws are like theater critics…a necessary evil."

Castle arched his brow at her. "You're an in-law yourself."

"Yes; but so far no one has any problems with me."

"Oh Johanna's got problems with you," he stated. "She hasn't forgotten a single one."

"I don't lose any sleep at night over it," Martha stated; "And I'm sure she doesn't lose any sleep over me. We started out well enough but somehow the train fell off the track…and honestly; I think we're both okay with it."

"What if I'm not okay with it?"

His mother shrugged. "You can't force us to do lunch, Richard; you can't send us out on a shopping trip…although if you want to pay, I'm willing to give it a try for your sake."

"The sake of my money, you mean?"

"Let's not quibble."

"Uh huh."

Martha smiled. "Not everyone gets along, kiddo. It's just the way of life. Maybe one day things will be different between Johanna and I…I'm not totally against it; but for now, we're not each other's cup of tea and that's okay."

"She said the same thing."

"We both can't be wrong, can we?" his mother asked.

"I don't know; apparently it's my week to be wrong in everyone's opinion so I'm not sure I can answer that."

"Richard; everyone feels the way they want…if you feel you were right, then defend your position. I'm not sure what Jim wants to see you about, besides the obvious that is, but whatever he has to say; you can stick to your opinions. It doesn't matter what they think; you're not married to them, you're married to Kate."

"Yes; and she's not speaking to me at the moment."

"She'll come around," Martha replied. "She always does."

That was true, Castle thought to himself…but he knew that for Kate to come around completely he was going to have to make the proper apology to her…and most likely to her mother…and he had no idea what lunch with Jim would hold and what blow up it might spawn. Maybe he was wrong; maybe they didn't need a close knit family.


Kate stood outside her mother's classroom, waiting impatiently for her last class to end. She glanced at her watch; she had slipped away a little early, hoping Gates wouldn't return from her meetings and notice that she had slipped out without a work related reason a half hour before her lunch break was to officially start…but she figured that if that did happen, she'd conjure up some excuse to make it acceptable. She had debated making this trip, wondering if she should just call later but she felt like that would be taking the coward's way and she didn't want to do that when things had been so much better between them lately. She could hear her mother's voice through the thick wooden door; it sounded closer than it had been and finally she heard her utter the words "Class dismissed."

Kate stepped back a step as students began to push through the door, making their escape or most likely hurrying off to the next class, she thought. A lull in the surge propelled her forward and she slipped into the room, making her way past the students who were still packing up their belongings and down to the front of the room where Johanna Beckett was shoving papers and books into her briefcase while giving one student last minute instructions.

Movement caught Johanna's eye and she glanced away from her student, finding her daughter heading in her direction. "Katie, this is a surprise," she smiled, before slight worry crept into her features. "Is something wrong?"

Kate conjured up a small smile, mindful of the curious glances coming from the remaining students. "No; nothing's wrong…I just figured that maybe I could convince my mother to share my lunch break with me."

The smile returned to Johanna's lips. "That would be nice."

"I thought you were going to be in your office?" her student complained.

Johanna glanced back at the young woman. "Cassidy, we have nothing else to discuss about your paper. You picked the topic; you do the work on it. I can't give you the answers. I have given you ideas of where to look for what you need; the rest is up to you. Now if there's something you want me to look at that you're not sure about, I'll be in my office after lunch and I'm only going to be there for an hour."

Cassidy huffed and stormed away; the other students following in her wake now that they had discerned that the guest in the room was Mrs. Beckett's daughter.

"Did I get you in trouble?" Kate asked, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Johanna waved a hand dismissively. "No; I'm not worried about her, she just wants me to hand her a paper that says 'here's where to find all of your answers' and that's not going to happen. I am going to be in my office later to deal with other issues about these papers but I did plan on having lunch first. Do you want to eat at the cafeteria or do you want to go somewhere?"

"Let's go to McDonalds," she suggested, a sudden craving for a Big Mac overwhelming her.

"Alright," Johanna said as she grabbed her purse and her phone. "When we get there, I need to call your father and let him know that I'll be home a little later today."

"Is Dad home today?" Kate asked as they left the classroom.

"No, he's working but I always let him know when I'm staying an extra hour or if I'm going somewhere else."

She nodded in understanding. "Let's take my car; it's probably closer."

Her mother gave her a knowing look. "Did you put that little card in the window announcing that you're the police so you could park closer?"

"Yes, I did," she said without shame. "And if you had a little card you could put in your window, you'd do the same thing."

"You're right, I would…do you want to get me a card?"

"If I could, I would, but I can't," she laughed. "I can only abuse that authority to a certain extent."

"Uh huh; you'll spare your legs and make your poor mother walk a mile."

Kate scoffed. "Please; you're in excellent shape, you have no problem walking…or running for that matter."

"Thank God," Johanna remarked. "Where's Rick?"

"He's not with me today," she replied, pointing in the direction of her car.

There was a certain lilt in that statement that Johanna heard but said nothing about. Suddenly she wondered if she should be worried about Katie's sudden appearance and request for a lunch date. "Are you okay?" she asked her.

"I'm fine…I just wanted to see you."

Johanna gave a nod as she followed Kate to the passenger side of the car; she'd buy that for now…lunch would probably bring about the truth of the matter.


Jim was already at the table when Castle entered the café, the textbook he had borrowed clutched in his hand. He blew out a breath and crossed the room to the booth, sliding in across from the man and laid the book down on the seat beside him so that he could hand it over at the end of the meal. He couldn't help but think about how similar this opening scene was to his lunch with Johanna the day before.

"I think this is how my last nightmare started," he muttered without thought as Jim sat down his coffee cup.

"By nightmare, I assume you mean my wife?" Jim asked pointedly. "Is that correct?"

"Oh good, we're going to play court too," he remarked.

Jim's blue eyes were full of steel as he pinned his son-in-law with a look. "You're already swimming in hot water…your attitude might cause it to boil and blister the hell out of you."

"I'm sorry," Castle replied. "It was a long night."

Jim gave a slight nod. "Does that mean that Katie knows what you did?"

"Yeah; she knows. I had to sleep on the couch."

"I'd say for Katie, that's pretty mild. It's a wonder she didn't make you sleep in your car."

"I'll be thankful for small favors in that case," he said a bit tartly. "I'm also not welcome at the precinct today and she's not speaking to me."

"Well, Rick; I'd say you had it coming."

"I'm glad I wasn't disillusioned enough to think you'd be supportive."

"I don't support anyone who hurts my wife," Jim replied.

Castle sighed as he signaled the waiter. "All I did was try to be nice."

"You have funny ways of being nice, Rick."

"And your wife has a way of blowing everything out of proportion."

"Once in awhile," Jim agreed; "All women do; but she's right this time."

"You think she's right about everything."

Jim smirked. "Yes; I've heard that you diagnosed my apparent blindness. It's good to know that my daughter not only married an author, she also married a cop with no badge, a psychiatrist, an optometrist, and all around know it all."

Castle gave a short laugh. "You and Johanna are a match made in heaven."

"We know," Jim replied; "And when someone hurts her, I can open up the gates of hell for them, so maybe you should keep that in mind."

"She just had to mention the blindness thing, didn't she?" he muttered. "She doesn't forget a damn thing, does she?"

"No, she doesn't…she's always had an eye for detail. You'd think a writer would appreciate that quality."

Castle was spared from responding as the waiter arrived to take his order for his drink. He ordered a cup of coffee and dismissed the idea of having anything to eat. He had a feeling this meeting would ruin his appetite anyway. He noticed that Jim ordered a sandwich and a refill of his coffee, so clearly taking him apart wasn't going to hinder his appetite.

"You should eat," his father-in-law told him. "I find that chewing often offers time to reflect with your mouth closed."

"Advice from Johanna?" he asked.

"No; it was advice from my mother," Jim remarked. "When I use it, I sometimes fare better in certain discussions."

"In that case; Fredrick," Castle called out to the retreating waiter.

"Yes, Mr. Castle?"

"I've changed my mind," he told the man. "Bring me the special."

Fredrick nodded and hurried away…Castle noticed the firm expression on his father-in-law's face and wondered if he should hurry away too.


Their food had no sooner arrived when Jim's phone rang. Castle was glad for the sound; he figured it would buy him a few extra minutes before his father-in-law laid into him.

"I have to take this, Rick; it's Johanna," Jim stated.

"No problem," he replied; thinking to himself that his mother-in-law probably knew about this little lunch and had thought of something that she didn't want her husband to forget.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jim said as he answered the phone. "Is everything alright?"

Castle observed his father-in-law, noting that the sound of his wife's voice on the phone seemed to bring a light to his eyes…relaxed the tension in his jaw.

"You're with Katie?" he said, pulling Castle's attention back to the words that were being spoken even though he couldn't hear Johanna's side of the call.

Jim smiled. "Surprised you, did she? Where are the two of you?"

Castle strained to hear the answer but he couldn't make out what Johanna had said.

"I'm glad you two are squeezing in a lunch date," Jim said to his wife. "I'm sure it made your day."

A smile curved his father-in-law's lips upwards, softness on his features. There was no denying that the man loved his wife, Castle thought. He was devoted to her and madly in love with her.

"Me?" Jim said; "I'm at lunch too…taking care of some business while I eat."

Castle grimaced slightly at the idea of him being the business that was going to be taken care of.

"No; you're not interrupting, the food just got here, its fine. Are you heading home after lunch?"

There was silence and then a smile. "You hate assigning that paper don't you?"

Castle couldn't help but smile a little as his father-in-law laughed at whatever the response was.

"Alright, sweetheart; go enjoy your lunch with Katie and let me know when you're leaving work."

Jim nodded as he listened to the response, a small smile clinging to his lips. "I love you too; yeah, I heard her, tell her I love her too."

He waited patiently as Jim ended his call and tucked his phone back into the pocket of his jacket. "Kate's with Johanna?" he questioned.

"Yes," Jim replied; "Apparently she was waiting for Jo when her last class dismissed; they're having lunch together."

"I notice you said you were at a business lunch?"

"I am," the older man stated. "I've got plenty of business to discuss with you."

"Johanna doesn't know you were meeting me today?"

"No…and I wasn't going to tell her when she was on the phone and have her worrying. If Katie made the trip to Columbia to surprise her mother for lunch, then I want them both to enjoy it and they won't if they're thinking about what's going on here."

"I guess that's true," he replied reluctantly. "So can we get on with this and get it over with?"

Jim eyed him and gave a nod. "Sure, we can get on with it; but it's probably not going to end your misery as soon as you'd like."

"Yeah; I was afraid of that," he mumbled as he took a quick bite of his sandwich.

"I'm going to tell you a few things, Rick. Overall I'm a patient, peaceful man…I don't go looking for fights or to start things; but I don't back down if they find their way to me or if I find a cause worthy. I always find the cause of my wife to be very worthy. Johanna likes to fight her own battles; and for the most part I let her because she's a strong, independent woman who doesn't always want to be rescued…but sometimes there's a battle that she just can't seem to win and that's when I step in. You seem to be one of those battles, Rick. It doesn't make me happy to say it, overall I liked you…and you might think I'm nothing to be worried about or feared; that I'm sedate and not as easily riled. For the most part you might be right; but there are two exceptions, my daughter is one…and the biggest one is my wife; because when you mess with the person I love most in this world, I will come for you and I don't care who you are, who you think you are, how much money you have, who you're married to, who you're friends with. When you hurt her, you answer to me," Jim stated; his tone firm and low, his gaze still pinned on the younger man. "Do you understand that?"

Castle nodded slowly. "Yeah; I think that's a pretty clear statement."

"Good. Now do you want to tell me what the hell your problem is with my wife? And don't sugar coat it; tell me all the nice things you tell her…don't leave anything out."

"I..uh…I don't think I follow."

"I think you do," Jim remarked. "You don't mind telling her to her face everything you think is wrong with her and you don't mind analyzing her and acting like you know what's best for everyone; so tell it to me…and then I'll tell you everything that's wrong with you," he replied.

"Great," Castle muttered.

"Come on, I don't have all day," his father-in-law stated; "Let's hear all about it, hell tell me what's wrong with everyone, anything else about me besides my blindness?"

He cringed slightly. "God I wish she hadn't mentioned that."

"If you don't want me to know what's said about me, then it's probably something you shouldn't be saying to my wife," Jim countered. "But for the record; I'm not blind to her faults and she's not blind to mine. We've always been very open and honest about those things with each other, even when we were dating. Flaws aren't deal breakers for us; we accept each other for the good and the bad…because that's what love is all about. Maybe you haven't learned that yet, because you always seem to want to change people…or act like an ass if they don't behave the way you think they should."

"That's not true."

"It is," he said. "A prime example I can remember is one day shortly before Johanna came home; Katie came over and in a rare moment of emotion cried to me about how you had suddenly turned on her and was flaunting some bimbo in her face with no explanation. Later on it came out that you were acting that way because you found out she had lied to you…and instead of confronting her and dealing with the issue; you decided it would be better to act like an ass and tell her that you needed 'fun and uncomplicated' in your life. So you see, Katie did something you didn't like and yes, she was in the wrong to lie; but you were wrong too. You should've been a man and talked to her instead of playing the cards you played but that seems to be your M.O. I also remember the time when she wanted to keep your relationship under wraps because of policy at the precinct and you took that as your cue to accept a date with another woman on live television."

He grimaced. "I see that your memory is as good as Johanna's."

"Lawyers have to have good memories," Jim remarked. "Now what's your issue with my wife?"

Castle sighed. "I don't know; she's impossible to get along with?"

"If that was true, she wouldn't have friends and family that adore her."

"Yeah, well, she's impossible to me. No matter what I do; it's not good enough for her."

"She feels that way about you."

"I know, she's mentioned it."

"You can't say she isn't honest," Jim remarked.

"Oh I'm sure I can say plenty about her track record of honesty…the thirteen years biding her time in witness protection leaps to mind…waiting to tell you about threatening notes she got at her hotel until there was five of them…telling Kate she goes to therapy and she doesn't…those are just off the top of my head; but I think it's a pretty good case for the fact that she's not as honest and virtuous as she likes to claim."

Jim's eyes narrowed at his son-in-law. "Those thirteen years she spent in hiding were to keep all of us safe…and she came home when she saw that the F.B.I. wasn't keeping their end of the deal…and that was to protect her family. You act like she had a choice; she didn't. It was run and survive and have a chance of coming home…or stay and let us bury her for real. If I had known her options in January of 99; I would have drove her to the agent's office myself and begged them to put her in the safest corner of the world even if I couldn't know where she was…because having her alive is more important than the lie that had to be told in order for her to come back to us. I'm sick and tired of you holding that over her head. You act like it was done to you personally; you weren't even a member of this family when that went down; and don't act like you're merely offended on Katie's behalf; you're not. You just want to stand in judgment of her because you think you wouldn't have done it that way and if someone does something in a way you disagree with, you label them as being wrong. Real life isn't one of your books, Rick; you don't get to choose from multiple endings and pick the one that suits you best. I think she's paid enough for the time she was away but you're the one who keeps dragging it up, lording it over her because it must make you feel good to do it. Well it's going to stop. Just like you told her you wish she was still in Wyoming because life was more peaceful without her. How dare you say something like that to her? How dare you act like you speak for someone other than yourself because let me tell you something; my life had no peace without Johanna. Without her all I had were demons and an empty house and going through the motions of life. I had nothing without her…so don't tell me it was peaceful. I don't think for a moment that you speak for Katie either; she and Johanna may have their ups and downs but she loves her mother and there isn't a single thing you can say or do that would ever convince me that she'd rather still believe that her mother is dead. You might wish it but we don't…and let me tell you something, Rick; if you ever look my wife in her face and say something that nasty to her again, because to me it was the same as wishing her dead; I will come and punch you right in your goddamn mouth for it and you'll never say it again, does that come through loud and clear for you, Mr. high moral standards for everyone but himself?"

"Yeah; it's crystal clear," he stated, shifting in his seat slightly. "But what do you mean by high moral standards for everyone but myself?"

"Well, Rick; I just think it's funny how quickly you stand in judgment of others when you don't have a sterling reputation yourself. You've been arrested a few times; disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, indecent exposure, public intoxication…jumping on a float at the Macy's parade, landing a hot air balloon in a park…which also brought about another indecent exposure charge, you see to have a thing for that."

"Misdemeanors," Castle stated. "I paid all the fines."

"An arrest is an arrest," Jim stated. "You were expelled from several schools, at times made a spectacle of yourself at the schools that kept you. You've been thrown out of hotels, casinos, and resorts. You've carried on a playboy image in the public eye, signing women's chests, a different girl every weekend…two failed marriages…"

Castle's jaw tightened. "How do you know all of this?"

Jim looked him in the eye. "Because when some man randomly decides to start following my daughter around, I make it my business to know who he is and what he's about…I had already lost my wife, I wasn't taking chances with my daughter. You're not the only one who knows people who can get things done."

"You really thought I was a threat to her?"

"I didn't know what you were about when it all started," Jim replied; "But as a father, I wanted to make sure you weren't anything besides a playboy author…not that that description overjoys a father; but it's better than some things you could be. My point though is that you're no saint yourself…you want to belittle my wife and you have black marks against you as well. You want to act like she isn't a good mother…well were you being a good father when you were out getting arrested? Because your child would've been quite young when you were stealing a police horse. Were you being a model father when you were out with a different woman every weekend? Those indecent exposure charges don't make you sound like an upstanding role model for a child either. Your ex-wife could've hauled you back into court for a new custody hearing if she had been of a mind to do so."

Castle leaned back in his chair and met Jim's eye. "I think I catch your drift."

"I hope you do," he replied. "Because with you being a public figure, your skeletons are shook out of the closet with ease; you're well documented."

"Thanks for the reminder, but that's all in the past."

"You're more than welcome," Jim said. "I would've never brought any of it up to you, Rick; but when you're looking down at my wife, I can't help but feel like you need a reminder that you're not a saint either. I find it funny how your misdeeds are labeled as 'in the past' but the things my wife had to do are brought up every time she breathes a way you don't like. So if you want to play that game, every time you bring up her past, I'm bringing up yours. Do you catch that drift, Rick?"

"I believe so."

"Good. Now what's your next issue?"

Castle took a sip of his coffee before answering. "Look, Jim; I was just trying to do something nice for Johanna by talking to her sister and she blew it out of proportion."

"No, I don't think she did," his father-in-law stated. "You may have good intentions but you had no right to meddle in that part of her life. You don't know Colleen; we do…we know what she's like and the tricks she likes to pull. She's not my cup of tea at times, but she's Jo's sister and she loves her, so I keep my mouth shut for the most part. I don't ask what's in the few messages that get passed back and forth; once in awhile she tells me a little tidbit but she keeps most of it to herself and that's fine. She's entitled to her privacy. Colleen is a highly sensitive issue for Johanna. Of course she'd like to have her in her life again; that's why she's worked so hard to get them to the point they were at. I don't meddle in it, that's hers to handle as she wishes. Katie doesn't meddle in it either. But you meddled…and now Colleen's not answering the messages and Johanna feels that her sister was offended by your visit and by the things she had written and shared with you in confidence. The relationship they've had for the last several months seems to be over at the moment…so you didn't help a damn thing."

"So I've been told," Castle remarked. "But she could've just appreciated that I tried to do something nice."

Jim gave a nod. "She's supposed to appreciate that you did something that she didn't ask you to do, that she didn't want you to do? She's supposed to appreciate that the tiny little sliver of relationship she had with her sister is now most likely demolished? She's just supposed to bow down, kiss your ring, pledge eternal gratitude for sticking your nose in her business? In what world does it make sense for her to be happy about you doing something that you shouldn't have done?"

"I know it went wrong," he said tartly; "But she could keep in mind that I was trying to be nice, trying to show I care."

"If you want to be nice, give her a scene to read…recommend a new author for her to try…accept one of her invitations to dinner. Autograph a book; get an autograph from someone she likes that you know…anything but pry into her personal business. She's not as hard to please as you think."

Castle scoffed. "Sure she isn't."

"She's not," Jim said firmly. "If she was hard to please, she wouldn't still be wearing a bracelet I gave her nearly forty years ago that didn't cost even a fraction of what I paid for her engagement ring. She values simple gestures; she's always been as pleased with a bouquet of flowers as she was with any gift I've ever given her. She's happy to accept cards, letters, knick knacks, any small gesture that's truly meaningful means more to her than some grand gesture that you're trying to pull off in effort to win her affection…especially when it blows up in your face. She's not for sale…and her relationship with her sister is a bond you know nothing about and you shouldn't have tried to use it for your personal gain."

"Fine; I screwed up," he stated. "I shouldn't have done it. I didn't realize it was going to crash and burn and turn into this big ordeal."

"Well when you saw it heading that way; did it occur to you to maybe apologize in a more sincere way instead of doing the exact same thing you often accuse my wife of doing?"

"And what would that be?" Castle asked.

"Taking it the wrong way and getting defensive," his father-in-law stated without missing a beat. "Seems to me some of those things that you don't like about her are traits you have yourself."

"I react that way because she reacts that way first."

"Oh, so even your personal reactions are her fault," Jim stated. "I don't know how she has time for a day job when she's so busy wrecking your life in one way or another. Until recently, you didn't even see her all that much."

"I know…and that seemed like a problem. Kate and I feel like she closes herself off from the family."

Jim gave a short laugh. "I can't imagine why she might do that…I mean I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that her son-in-law thinks of her as a liar, exasperating, impossible…oh, and my personal favorite, pretentious snob."

"I was angry when I said that…and technically, my mother said it first."

"Your mother shouldn't throw too many stones," Jim remarked. "She isn't without flaws and annoying character traits. How would she like it if she called my wife a snob in front of me and I countered with 'well at least Johanna knows who fathered her child'? I bet she wouldn't like that."

"No, she wouldn't," Castle agreed. "I'm surprised Johanna hasn't said that to her herself."

"Johanna wouldn't say that to her, not to spare Martha's feelings, but to spare yours…because she wouldn't hurt you by making that statement."

"But you didn't mind saying it?" he asked.

"Well, Rick; you've been running roughshod over my wife's feelings for a good while now and finally crossed one line too many, so at the moment, I don't give a damn about your feelings. My wife isn't a pretentious snob; she doesn't go around acting like she's better than anyone. She doesn't stick her nose up in the air at people; she doesn't deem anyone as being beneath her. That seems to be your job; and if you want a specific term for yourself, I believe if you look up sanctimonious in the dictionary, you'll find your picture there; because that's what you are, Rick; sanctimonious…and if anyone is a snob, it's you."

"I'm not sanctimonious."

"You are."

"I'm not," Castle said sharply. "I just see things for what they are…you, on the other hand, just want to defend her honor left and right; like you have to rescue her from every little thing in the world because you couldn't rescue her when it mattered most…you couldn't save her the one time she really needed saving. Let her stand on her own feet and deal with things."

Jim's eyes turned cold, his jaw tightening and his mouth set in a firm line. "You're right, I couldn't rescue her back then, because I missed the signs, because I wasn't paying enough attention, I wasn't listening enough. That's my regret and my 'what if' to live with for the rest of my life. I got a second chance to be with my wife, and you're damn right I'm going to protect her and defend her and save her from any goddamn thing in this world that's within my power…even if it's something as miniscule as you. If I don't like how someone treats her, I let them know and I don't care if they like it or not. I will always defend her. I will always protect her. That's my job…just like it's your job to protect your wife…and being that your wife is my daughter; you better make sure it's a job you do well."

"We do just fine," Castle said tartly.

"You seem to think that Johanna is to blame for everything…and yet if you remember correctly; things didn't always used to be this way. She liked you a great deal, enjoyed talking to you, was comfortable in your company…and then slowly, you picked away at that with your actions and somehow it's still her fault."

"She holds grudges," he replied.

Jim met his gaze. "It seems to me, that you hold a few grudges yourself. You don't like how she reacts to your behaviors so you get mad and hold anything from the past against her…including the fact that she's not so easily charmed and swayed; she's not one to be bought off, she's not one to be fooled. She smells something fishy with your sudden need to make things better; truth be told, so do I…but that doesn't matter. All that matters to me is how she gets treated. I am tired of you treating my wife like a second class citizen; acting like she has no right to her feelings or opinions. You act like she's been provided to be your personal punching bag, well she isn't. I don't like how you treat her…and I don't like that you betrayed her trust. She trusted you, Rick…have you been so busy making lists of things to fix and lists of her sins, to see that despite everything, she trusted you; that she felt safe with you."

"I find that hard to believe," Castle replied.

"Then you're the one who's blind," his father-in-law remarked. "She trusted you; that's why she let you read what she wrote in the first place. It's why she talks about things she wouldn't normally discuss with people that she hasn't known all that long. The other night, she accepted your invitation to dinner…and didn't hesitate to accept your offer to follow her home because she was alone. Shouldn't that tell you something? She trusted you, she knew you wouldn't let anything happen to her, she knew you'd make sure everything was fine before you left her in that house by herself. She felt safe. You had her trust…and then you broke it."

He figured that he hadn't exactly thought about it that way; Johanna's agreement to allow him to follow her home had only meant to him that he had wiggled his way into her good graces. He hadn't entertained the notion that she had felt safe with him…trusted him. He had only looked at it as softening her stance; that he was winning her over.

"I didn't mean to break her trust," he stated. "I just wanted to be nice."

"As I already mentioned; there are better ways to do it. Her trust wasn't only broken because you went to Colleen behind her back; you also broke it when you gave Colleen what she had written about her. That was out of line…and if someone took your words that you had shared in confidence and gave them to someone else, you'd probably be at your lawyer's office slapping a lawsuit on them. You had no right to share what she wrote. She gave that to you in confidence…and since you can't be trusted with the words she wrote, I want you to delete anything she wrote that you have saved."

"I…don't want to do that," Castle replied.

Jim eyed him sternly. "Why?"

"Because…they should be kept; they're her stories."

"That's right, they're hers, she has a copy and she regrets sharing them with you. I want them deleted. I don't want her to have to worry about who your making copies for. I can't steal your computer and do it myself, so I want to have some trust in you that you'll do the right thing and delete the things she sent you so that you're not tempted to do this again."

"I won't ever do it again," he stated.

"Make sure of it…delete whatever you have of hers," Jim said firmly. "I'm trying to be polite about that issue, Rick. She may have given you what she wrote, but she did not give you permission to share it…and she has a right to ask for it to be deleted."

"She's not asking, you are."

"I'm not only her husband, I'm her lawyer…and as her legal representative, I'm going to nicely suggest once again that you delete the things she sent you. If you don't, I'll have to find another way for the material to be removed from your possession."

"And what way would that be?"

"I guess I'd start by calling my daughter and asking her to dispose of it as a favor to her mother…and I have a feeling she'd make sure the job was done so why don't you just save us all some time and do it yourself. Be a man and do what needs to be done to prove to her that she doesn't have to worry about that happening again, delete the messages and let her know that they're gone."

Castle breathed deeply; he didn't want to delete Johanna's stories…they needed to be saved and preserved for her grandchildren. He couldn't just wipe them out completely…but he could make it look like he had. He could just print out a hard copy of them and put them in the safe…and save the digital copy on a flashdrive that would also go in the safe. "Alright," he stated once he had his plan in mind. "I'll delete the things she sent me."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other about that. Now; let's move on to some other things on my list. Let's see…you get all offended because she isn't comfortable in your home and yet you tell her that you don't like coming to our house and that's supposed to be okay and taken well. What did we do to you that makes you dislike coming to our home so much that you have my daughter lie about it?"

"No one did anything to me…it's just that Johanna doesn't always seem like the warmest host…unlike she was when she lived with Kate."

"Maybe that's because things have changed…maybe she didn't feel your judgment of her as strongly then as she does now. On the rare occasion that the two of you show up for dinner, I have been present. I've seen her provide meals that she knows you'll like based on what Kate has told her about your preferences, she asks about your work, she asks about your family. She invites you to come back…what isn't welcoming about any of that? If she didn't want you there, she wouldn't invite you."

"I'm invited because I'm married to Kate."

Jim met his eye. "If she didn't want you there, she wouldn't invite you…regardless of your marriage. Now what more do you want her to do when you're in our home? Do you want her to roll out a red carpet and have a reporter from Page Six stop by so you get a headline in the paper? What is it that you want her to do? I haven't seen her ignore you at these dinners, she hasn't been rude to you at them. She might be careful with what she says but that's because she sees how easily she rubs you the wrong way. She doesn't want to create more conflict so she sticks to the conversations that she knows mother-in-laws engage in. When I'd have dinner with Johanna's family; Naomi would ask me about work, ask me about my family; if there was some other event in my life that she knew about, she'd ask. After that, it was up to me to bring up some point of conversation with her and if I didn't have one, I could give my attention to Frank; who was always happy to discuss a sporting event or a business issue or something in the news. I never felt unwanted on occasions when my mother-in-law just didn't have a lot to say. Johanna was her baby, that's who she wanted and that was fine. I knew Naomi liked me and respected me, hell I even felt like the woman loved me as one of her own and I loved her too; but I didn't think she was being mean if she just didn't have a lot to say without some help on my part. Communication is a two way street, Rick. I don't see where you're overly interested in anything Johanna does that you could make conversation about. Why is it all on her? What more does she have to do to prove to you that she takes an interest in you? She reads every book you write, reads or watches every interview you give; reviews your books online to up your ratings. She's even let you and Katie talk her into going to some of those book release parties…and she even showed up at a book signing to show her support when people didn't like that turn that one Nikki Heat book took. No one asked her to do that, you know. She did it on her own…and even though she loathes speaking to the media, when a reporter who happened to be at the event asked her how she felt about the plot twist that was causing a stir, she told them that she supported your decision wholeheartedly; that she put her trust in you as an author to give the characters she loves the things they deserve in the way you see fit. She told them that she'd rather be upset by a plotline than to read a book that was written merely to please the audience without pleasing the writer…because a writer who doesn't write to please himself, doesn't leave his heart and soul on the pages…doesn't allow his characters to help dictate their destiny. Do you remember that, Rick?"

"Yeah, I remember," he said, his gaze focusing on the coffee in his cup.

"People kind of got off your back about that plotline after that, didn't they?" Jim asked.

He nodded reluctantly; it was true…Johanna had made that statement and some of the bitter sentiments that were being expressed were suddenly more muted; people who vowed to quit reading the series were saying they'd stick around to see how he'd work things out. He could even remember one fan tweeting him to tell that if the real Nikki Heat's mother was alright with that plotline and trusted him to fix things, then she could trust him too and would be anticipating the next release. The next book had been one of his biggest sellers…and when contacted for a response about the follow up book, his mother-in-law had given a sassy 'I told you so' and a glowing endorsement.

"Johanna doesn't have to be president of your fan club and stand around and wave pom-poms to prove that she takes an interest in your life and career; that she supports you. Back when the media was invading all of our lives, she made sure that anytime she had to speak to them that she denied any knowledge of a romantic relationship between you and Katie because she didn't want you to lose your place at the precinct. When Alexis was on the verge of burn out due to her slight rebellion, she tried to take care of her for you since she wasn't ready to come home…she made sure she had a hot meal and a place to stay if she didn't want to go home to that empty apartment. We made sure she was keeping up with her assignments, did her laundry and Jo drove her to school when she'd stay with us. You acted like we were trying to brainwash the girl and was keeping her from you. All we were doing was looking out for her since she didn't feel like she could come to you at that point…Johanna spent a lot of time convincing Alexis that you wouldn't hold her mistakes against her, that you'd let her come home without any qualms or gloating; she almost had her convinced; and then you had to blow your stack and obliterate the friendship they had; you accused her of trying to parent your child, of convincing Alexis to confide in others instead of you. You said a lot of hurtful things that day and Alexis overheard most of them…and she's never come around since then. She doesn't even want to be in the same room as us because you made everyone feel like they did something wrong. You and Katie want to harp that Johanna isn't fully involved with the family…well the one time she started to create a bond, you went and destroyed it, so she feels like she doesn't have much of a place. Let's not forget that you don't always make her feel very welcome in your home, always making fun of her for wanting to wash dishes and offering to help; you've got Martha there with her smart ass remarks. I don't see you trotting your mother out for some self improvement lunches…no, you think she's a saint and does no wrong. Johanna does all the wrong. Well guess what, you're wrong!"

"So you have a problem with my mother too?" Castle asked.

"Yeah; I have a problem with anyone who wants to act like they're high falutin and that my wife and I are beneath her and that our career choices and way of life are something to be ridiculed just because she needs an audience to make her feel special. I know your mother doesn't like me and I don't give a damn; she doesn't brighten up my world either but I don't care what she says or thinks about me. It's when she starts in on Johanna that I have a problem. She's not innocent, Rick; you know it…you've seen it…so maybe you ought to take her to a few little charm school lunches and work on straightening her out too. Or maybe, just maybe; think about inviting us to dinner on a night she won't be available to join us; it might surprise you how much smoother it'll go."

Castle bristled a bit at the implication. "You think it would go better if my mother isn't there?"

Jim nodded. "I'd be willing to bet on it…how can Johanna relax when your mother is always ready to pounce with one of her little 'jokes'…you talk about me needing to let Johanna stand on her own and deal with things, that I'm blind to her faults…well stop turning a blind eye to your mother and stop making excuses for her and let her answer to some of the drama that goes on in this family. She's stirred the pot just as much as anyone else and if you say otherwise, you're just being a fool; because you know the truth as well as I do."

"Fine; I know that Mother has her moments…some things have been out of line and she's not usually like that. It seems like Johanna brings out the worst in her."

"I think a better statement would be that they bring out the worst in each other…because this isn't all on Johanna…and I'm going to keep saying that until it gets into that thick skull of yours. Your mother likes to make her little remarks that she thinks are funny…and they're not; and yes, Johanna reacts to them at times. I'm not denying that she sometimes gets defensive, she does…and she always has a reason for it."

"I'm not so sure about that," Castle stated; "And it's hard to think that things aren't her fault when we didn't have these problems before…" he trailed off, seeing the hardness in Jim's gaze as the sentence silently filled itself in.

"Alright, Rick; it's Johanna's fault," Jim said. "It's her fault that some crooked cops decided to break the law they promised to uphold. It's her fault that an innocent man went to jail and it's her fault that he chose to write her a letter to handle his appeal. It's her fault that she stumbled on Bracken's radar while investigating, it's her fault that he was an evil son of a bitch who ordered a hit on her and somehow it's even her fault that she was spared thanks to a tip to the F.B.I. and it's her fault that she had to go into hiding. It's her fault I drank, her fault Katie became a cop and met you. It's her fault that you started poking into her case and got Katie looking into it again. It's her fault that Katie got on their radar and it's her fault that she got hurt. It's her fault that you kept a secret from Katie about some contact of Montgomery's who was making deals with that bastard…and it's her fault that she came home and messed up your little deal that wasn't going to last anyway. It's also her fault that you took it upon yourself to tell her that she didn't think about the consequences of her homecoming and her actions and ruined your deal."

"No, I…"

"No," Jim said with a shake of his head. "I'm not done, let me finish listing all the things that are her fault. It's Johanna's fault that the media invaded everyone's lives, its her fault you didn't invite us to the birthday parties you've thrown for Katie. It's her fault that she's been largely shunned on holidays because your traditions and family is more important than trying to get to know hers. It's Johanna's fault that Katie keeps being a cop and runs into things you don't like and it's her fault that you stood in a hospital hallway and told her that she's the cause of everything bad in Katie's life…I know she held the gun to your head and made you say those things, right?"

"No, of course not, but.."

"It's Johanna's fault that you don't like to acknowledge that we like being involved in our daughter's life. It's her fault that she was pushed out of the wedding planning and it's her fault that you were a jerk and denied us the right to give our daughter the wedding she wanted. That whole dress shop debacle where you felt you had a right to tell my wife what she can wear was her fault too; because clearly she missed the fact that you also apparently list fashion expert on your resume. I mean what was she thinking when she thought she could pick the color and style of dress she wore to her own daughter's wedding; I mean the audacity just blows the mind. She should've done the right thing and bowed down to your greatness. I suppose it's also Johanna's fault that you acted like an idiot because she befriended Alexis, and it's her fault you make fun of her and call her names and look down on her. Yeah, Rick; it's all her fault and you're just an innocent little lamb…I mean after all, if she had just quit her job before she got that letter from Pulgotti; she would've never been involved in that case, never had to leave, Katie would be a lawyer and you may have never met her…unless of course you hired her to defend you against one of those charges in your file. Oh, and let's not forget that when she was living with Katie, she was gently nudging her and helping her come to terms with her feelings for you and encouraging her to take the next step…so I guess that makes your marriage her fault too. One day when you have kids, I guess that will be her fault too for encouraging the dating that led to the marriage that led to the children. My girl is busy, I'm surprised she has time for me when she's out causing so much trouble for you."

"Okay, when you say it all like that, it sounds like some things are my fault…and I do take responsibility for the wedding stuff," Castle stated.

"You have more than just that to take responsibility for," Jim stated. "Or wait, let me guess, it's Johanna's fault you went to Colleen and gave her those pages that were given to you in confidence."

"Well…in a way," he said. "If I felt like she was more open to what I've been trying to do, I wouldn't feel the need to make a grand gesture."

Jim shook his head. "Rick; Johanna has shown up for every lunch you've wanted her to come to. She showed up for the dinner you invited her to, she let you follow her home, she showed you the car you wanted to see. She let you set in her classes, she lent you a textbook for more of your research. How is that being uncooperative to what you're doing?"

Castle couldn't fight that logic…Johanna had been relatively cooperative the week before. "Okay, so she cooperated that week."

"And instead of continuing on the path you were on that week, seeing that whatever you had done differently that week to put her at ease enough to accept an invitation, to allow access to her classes, she was telling you about her career because you asked for research purposes and she willingly gave it to you; instead of keeping things going in that direction, you decide to blow it up by going to her sister. She didn't ask you to do that and she has a right to be hurt and angry but you want to act like she doesn't have that right…that once again, she's just supposed to bow down to your way of thinking you know what's best for everyone. Well you don't…and since the progress you were making last week wasn't enough for you, I have a question; what the hell do you want from her. What more do you want her to do?"

He blew out a breath. "I just want her to accept me, I want her to be a fully involved member of this family, I want her to stop being how she is…"

"She does accept you!" Jim interrupted; "If she didn't, she would've objected at the wedding or wore black."

"Yeah; that's been mentioned."

"It's the truth," his father-in-law stated. "She accepts you; she likes you…when you're not being hurtful. She's proud of your successes; she feels Katie is well taken care of and that she's safer when you're at work with her. She thinks you're a good father and a good son and that you'll continue to be a good husband to our daughter. Was she supposed to sign a blood oath of allegiance to you or something?"

"No, of course not…but…"

"But nothing! If anyone doesn't accept someone, it's the other way around. You don't accept her. You don't understand her, you don't know how to handle her, you don't really know her and you have no desire to really know her."

"That's not true; I do know her."

"Not the way her family does," Jim countered. "You could if you wanted to but you don't…you just want her to fit the mold you want her to fit in…well let me tell you something; there's been plenty of people who've tried to shove her into a box they think she belongs in; people who didn't think she could do her job because she was a woman, people who thought that if she was a career woman then she must be some over the top feminist that hates men and everything else in the world. People who felt that she was an old maid because she wasn't married at twenty-one. People who felt she couldn't be both a lawyer and a mother. People who thought she should give up her career when she had a baby…people who think she should've walked into that alley and died instead of following orders to keep herself alive so she could come home. People who think she's selfish and should be shunned….there's been hundreds of little boxes that people want to put her in; and she's ripped apart every single one and proved that she's not a woman to be put in any box or backed in any corner or kept in a gilded cage…that she stands on her own and she fights anything that doesn't ring true to her. You like to call her a victim…and yes, she was a victim…but that's in the past, and now she's just a survivor. She fought and she survived and she has the scars to prove it. You call her a martyr…and you mean it as a negative term…but when I think of a martyr, I think of someone who stays firm in their beliefs regardless of what someone wants to push upon them…and in that respect, you're right, she is a martyr; because she stays true to her beliefs and feelings and she doesn't let someone tell her she's wrong for feeling a certain way. You don't get to tell her how she feels, you're not her; just like she doesn't get to tell you how you feel. You don't get to change her, just like she doesn't try to change you. As long as you show her respect, she'll respect you in return. As for this family; well who died and said you were the head of this family? I've been here longer than you, I believe that's my job, and as the founding member of this little branch of the family tree, I assure you that Johanna has been in it as a fully functioning member for longer than you have. If you want her to act differently in your home and be more comfortable with you, then quit acting like a sanctimonious ass and quit looking down your damn nose at her and quit judging her and holding the past over her head. Do you think you can do that, Rick? Do you need me to make you a list so you can keep it straight?"

"No; I don't think a list is required," he replied.

"Good; but if you need your memory refreshed; don't hesitate to call me," Jim stated. "Because I'd really hate to have to punch you…but if you keep hurting my wife, I will."

"I've gotten the message," Castle stated. "I'll try to do better."

"No, don't try, Rick…just do better, period."

"Right," he said with a nod. "I will do better."

"Make sure you do," his father-in-law replied. "I'd hate to have to take away the privilege of you being the only idiot Katie's brought home that I've liked."

He smiled. "I like you too, Jim."

"Don't expect me to go bragging about that anytime soon, Rick."

"Of course not," he said, picking up the book that was lying beside him. "Will you give this back to Johanna for me?"

Jim shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"No," he stated. "You're going to give it back to her yourself…you're going to look her in her face and give it back to her…and maybe while you're looking her in the face, you can bring yourself to apologize for costing her the little bit of relationship she had with her sister…and by apologize, I mean sincerely and not in the jackass way you did previously."

Castle knew that he was going to have to do that eventually, although he had hoped to let some time past but maybe that wasn't the best option after all. "Do you think she'll have lunch with me tomorrow? Because we kind of had a deal that if Tuesday lunches went badly, we'd regroup on Thursdays."

Jim met his gaze. "I can't say for certain if she'll come or not…there's only one way to find out. If she says no, respect it and try again next week…don't get mad and act like she's being a bitch; just accept that she's still hurt and needs a few more days if she says no."

"I can do that."

"She might be a little short with you…she tends to lash out when she's hurt…but she always apologizes for it later on when she's managed to work through it."

Castle gave a nod. "I understand…and I probably shouldn't make my complaint about the amount of apologies she makes…right?"

"Right," Jim replied. "It's just her nature to apologize for everything in the world; she's always been that way. She's not trying to take anything from anyone by doing it…she's just used to being blamed and she's used to being expected to be the one to apologize."

"I guess maybe I don't know as much about her as I thought," Castle conceded.

"Trust me, you don't…it takes time and effort to really know her. She doesn't always let people in easily; she's been hurt a lot, burned by people who are supposed to love her. Sometimes walls are hereditary…haven't you noticed that?"

"Yeah; I have in some ways…it's just that I excused one person's set of walls and held the other person's walls against her I guess."

"She's not the only one who has work to do, Rick," Jim stated.

He nodded. "Yeah; I'm starting to see that…and for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology…just don't make me have to have this talk with you again, because if I do, it's not going to end well…hell, it might not even start well."

"Got it," Castle stated with a nod. "I don't want to cross you."

"No you don't…especially where Johanna is concerned."

"I'll make it up to her."

"Oh God," Jim muttered. "Please do not go back to Colleen. I'm fighting my own urge to go tell her that she had nothing to do with this; and you fight your urge to do the same, okay? If you must do something, just tell her sincerely that you're sorry and buy her a book, okay?"

"I'll keep it simple," Castle agreed; wishing he had listened to Kate to begin with…because now he felt like he was back to square one with Johanna…and in danger of being mounted on his father-in-law's wall.


"That is so good," Kate said after taking a satisfying bite of her burger.

Johanna laughed softly. "You did look like you were savoring it."

"You look the same way with your chicken nuggets," her daughter remarked.

"I probably do," she conceded as she met her daughter's eye. "I don't want you to think I'm not happy to have lunch with you, because I am, it was a nice surprise, but I can't help feeling that maternal instinct that something is on your mind."

Kate took a sip of her soda to buy herself an extra moment. She never could get anything by her mother…well, with the exception of the secret currently residing in her womb, who was thankfully allowing her to eat lunch without issue. "I guess there is something on my mind."

"What is it?"

"It's about Castle."

Johanna sighed a little. "What about him?"

"He told me what he did…about how he went to see Colleen and that she told you that he had been there…and I got a run down of what happened at your lunch yesterday."

"Oh," she replied; she probably should've known that this surprise lunch was about that. "I know he thought he meant well, Katie; but he shouldn't have meddled in my personal business."

"I agree; I'm not here to dispute that at all. He was wrong to do what he did and you have every right to be mad…I just hope you won't be mad at me."

Johanna took a quick sip of her drink. "Why would I be mad at you? Rick told me that you didn't know that he had gone to see Colleen."

"I didn't know," she replied; "But the night before he went…he had mentioned the idea. I told him no; not to do it, not to mess in that business. I told him it was a bad idea and not to go looking for her. He said he wouldn't…but I should've known better. I know him; I should've known he was going to do it anyway…and I'm sorry."

"Katie; you don't have to be sorry. You didn't know he was going to do this."

"But I should have when he mentioned the idea."

"But like all wives, you probably thought that once you said no, he'd listen…and now you know that husbands don't always listen."

"I knew that before now," Kate muttered. "But I know how Castle is when he gets an idea; he never cares if someone tells him not to do it, he always does it anyway, so I should've known…I should've been able to stop it. I don't want you to be mad at me, but I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"Sweetheart; I'm not mad at you," she said softly. "You're not a mind reader anymore than I am. We can't always predict when our husbands are going to go against our wishes and advice…no matter how well we know them. You said that you tried to dissuade him, that you told him not to do it and I believe that. I really believe that you told him not to and that you would've stopped it if you had known that he cast aside your advice. You know how Colleen is so I have no doubt that you were against it. I'm not mad at you; you didn't do it. Rick did…and it did make me angry; but really it was more that he hurt me because I trusted him despite our apparent issues…and I feel like he betrayed that trust."

Kate silently cursed as she felt the sting of moisture in her eyes; these damn hormones were going to be the bane of her existence. "I understand why you feel that way…because he did betray your trust…and he lied to me. I asked him Friday night if he had forgotten that idea like I told him to and he said he had…but he had already talked to Colleen so he lied."

Johanna reached for her daughter's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "I'm sorry, Katie."

"It's not your fault; you didn't tell him to lie…he did that all on his own."

"I know…but I feel like I'm going to be a problem in your marriage and I don't want that. I've tried to be un-intrusive…to keep my distance because I don't want to be seen as one of those meddling mothers who causes issues for her child."

Kate shook her head. "No; you're not a meddling mother; you're not an issue in my marriage."

"I am," Johanna replied. "I'm a huge issue…it seems like I can't find a balance with your husband and his family…and they don't like me, which is fine, but I know it causes problems for you and I feel terrible about that. I don't want to come between you and Rick."

"You don't," she assured, an irrational surge of panic in her stomach. "Yes, I'm mad at what he did, but I made him sleep on the couch because he lied to me."

"I get that," Johanna said; "Sleep on the couch is punishment number one in the wife handbook…but I do feel like I'm going to end up coming between you. He already has you lie for him to get out of dinner invitations, and I understand, really I do. Now there's been this lunch campaign and I've never really gotten the full reason behind it…I thought we were doing a little better and he pulled the rug out from under my feet…and gets mad at me about it because I'm not thanking him for his effort. I find it hard to find my footing with Rick; I try…but no matter what I do, I make him angry and I know you probably have to defend me and it's going to create a problem for you."

"No; it doesn't create a problem for me; if I feel you need defended, yes, I defend you. When I feel he needs defended, I defend him…but it doesn't interfere with my marriage. In that same vein of thinking, it could be said that he could come between our relationship as mother and daughter…because there have been things that created issues between us…but we don't let it take away our relationship. We've done a lot of work over the past two years…we've had bad times, good times, more bad times…and now I feel like we're getting to where we should be and I don't want you to pull away from me just because you and Castle sometimes have differences of opinions."

"I don't want that either," Johanna murmured; "But I'm not sure how to do this…I don't know how to find my balance. I thought I was starting to and then it all went to hell yesterday. I don't want to be the issue of your marriage…and I don't want to be distant from you; you're my daughter, I love you…and I want you to be happy and I just worry that you won't be completely happy as long as I'm an issue to your husband."

"Mom; I promise you that I'm happy…but if you pull away from me, I won't be. I want you around, I know we've had some very bad moments since you've come home, but I don't want you to be distant. I don't want to lose the progress we've made just because you and Castle are sometimes at odds. You don't have to be in perfect harmony with my husband…I mean look at you and Grandma Beckett; you two didn't always see eye to eye but it didn't come between you and Dad and I don't see where Dad's relationship with his mother suffered any, he loved his mom and she loved him. We were all okay…and I'm sure in time, when some of the pressure is eased, you and Castle will go back to getting along better."

"I'm not sure about that; I don't seem to do anything right in his eyes. Even when I apologize I make him angry. I feel like it was different between Elizabeth and I; she hated me at first sight, maybe that made it easier…or it was just somehow easier for us to have a disagreement and move on."

"Maybe it's different because it feels more personal when things are at odds between you and Castle."

Johanna looked skeptical. "I don't know…I mean I think Lizzie was being pretty personal when she was calling me a gold digging slut and saying I was nothing but trouble."

"Okay; point taken…to an extent."

"To an extent?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah…because I think it might be easier for you to be called a slut than to handle some of the things Castle has said to you. Grandma called you a slut; but you're not one, you knew you weren't one. Castle always brings up that you left for thirteen years…and you did, because you had to; and just for the record, no, I'm not still harboring hard feelings about that. Believe me, I want you to be alive and well. But you don't like to be reminded of it for obvious reasons and I don't blame you…and yet it's the first thing he goes for when things are off between the two of you. So it was easier to take 'slut' from Grandma…because Castle hits you in a place that never stopped hurting; because I know you still feel guilty to this day, even though you don't need to; you had to do what was best for all of us and that was to stay alive. But that's your soft spot, that's where people have power to hurt you…and believe me, I hate acknowledging that my own husband hits that spot at times. He shouldn't…he needs to stop; and I will find a way to make it stop. But that's what makes it different from Grandma; she didn't really hurt your feelings, not in a deep way; but Castle has."

There was a ring of truth in that, Johanna supposed. "He does have a habit of always throwing it in my face."

"I know; and I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault…and I guess it really isn't his fault either."

"How do you figure?"

"Because he can't help how he feels; he feels I was wrong to go away…and especially wrong for staying gone as long as I did. He would've done things differently; or so he thinks…because I really believe he thinks I had numerous options to choose from and the reality is, I had two options, live or die. I chose to live….and since I chose that option, it means I ran and hid. That makes me a coward in his eyes; and maybe I am…but being a coward means that I got to be at your wedding and I get to wake up next to my husband and do all the things we planned on. So I'm okay with it if my choices make me a coward…but he's not okay with it. He looks at me and he sees someone who abandoned her family; and even though she had their best interests at heart and was trying to keep them safe; all he sees is that I was gone…and how you reacted to that and what it caused for you. He doesn't know what it felt like for me, no one does…because no one has walked in my shoes…so he judges on how he thinks he would've done it; or how he would've wrote it in a book. But life isn't a book and I think sometimes he forgets that…the world isn't always just black and white; there are ten million shades of grey in between the black and white. I don't like what I had to do and it's taken me a long time to fully accept that even with all the guilt and hurt and pain, it was the right thing to do. But it's hard when other people don't accept it…and so I do try to avoid those situations because its easy for me to drown under the weight of it sometimes."

Kate swallowed the bite of her burger that she had taken. "I get that; and I'm going to do my best to make him understand that…but you might need to explain it that way to him yourself."

"I don't think it would matter; he's made up his mind about it. He said…" she began to say and then trailed off, because she was sure that Rick wouldn't have told Kate about the part of the conversation where he had said that he wished she hadn't come back from Wyoming.

"He said what?"

Johanna gave a soft shake of her head. "It doesn't matter; but I just feel like I've been doing what he's wanted and somehow it's still not enough so I don't know how to proceed. I don't know how to walk the line of keeping the closeness I want with you and staying out of his way so I don't keep annoying him. It's a difficult thing to figure out…but I will; for you…because I want you to be happy and I want you to have a happy marriage and I don't ever want to be the thing that comes between the two of you. So I'll find some way…I'll work something out."

"Mom; it's not a lawsuit…you can't just work out a settlement."

"I know that…but it doesn't mean I can't find some kind of agreement that would work for everyone."

"I feel like that agreement to you would mean fading into the background…and I don't want that. I just want you to be there…I don't want to have to feel like I have to make an appointment to see you," Kate stated.

"It's never been that way, Katie; and it never will. If you need me, I'm there and I don't give a damn who likes it or who doesn't. Rick says I'm hanging off the edge of the family and he seems to think I'm doing that because I want to…I'm don't…but I think I'm there because that's where he wants me to be. All of a sudden the tune has changed and he's on this 'be a better mother-in-law' kick and I'm still doing it wrong apparently. I just don't know what to do…I'm trying to think of something that will work. I'd apologize to him for everything I've said or done that he didn't like but it makes him mad when I apologize. Looking back at my relationship with my mother-in-law, I think what helped us was that we were okay with not being each other's sunshine. We didn't feel pressured to see eye to eye…because no on sees eye to eye all the time. We were just okay with not being okay…and eventually we settled and were able to have our good times along with our occasional bad times.

Kate nodded slowly. "Grandma didn't try to change you…and you didn't try to change Grandma…"

"Right."

"But with Castle; you feel pressured to fit the ideal of his choosing...you feel judged for your past and the present…you feel like you can't really be yourself and that you can't express your feelings or opinions because there's always an issue when you do."

"Yes."

"So again, it comes down to pressure."

Johanna nodded. "You could say that. I just…I feel like I don't fit in."

Kate sighed softly. "I remember once telling you that I felt like I didn't fit in when I became more immersed in Castle's world….the parties, the money, the fancy cars, big house in the Hamptons, the list goes on; but on that occasion he had taken me to some fancy party and I felt out of my depths in that world. All those super rich people and it just felt like they were all looking at me and wondering why he was with me and that I didn't belong there. I didn't feel good enough to be there. I know that I grew up with two parents who were well off…but you and Dad have never flaunted the fact that you have money. We had the same cars everyone else did, I went to public schools, I was taught that I didn't get everything I pointed at. Yes, you had and still have some designer labels hanging in your closet that you've paid a pretty penny for…but on the flip side, I've also seen you go into a thrift store and buy a purse you liked that was in the window. You've shopped in high end stores and the basic department stores and not too long ago, Dad told me you spent over an hour in a dollar store on your vacation…and came out with bags full of stuff. You and Dad worked hard, you gave me what I needed, and yeah, you also bought me stuff just because, spoiled me on holidays and birthdays…but you didn't spoil me to the extent that I was an entitled brat. I saw no difference between our family and a friend's family who didn't have your level of income…because you taught me that there was no difference. That people were people, no matter what they looked like, what they have in the bank, or what job they held. Nothing mattered but what kind of person they were…everything else was superficial. But like I said, in Castle's world, I felt out of my depths at those parties. I told you that when I was at that party at the mayor's home; I felt like I was being labeled as just some cop…Rick Castle's latest conquest…and that some of them might be assuming that I couldn't be anything more than a cop and a conquest. That maybe I didn't have the right background or what it took to be in that world."

"I remember," Johanna said softly.

Kate met her eye. "You told me not to worry about people who label me; because they don't know me and they weren't worth my notice if they couldn't take the time to discover my true worth. You told me that I didn't have to be anyone but Kate Beckett…that no one could make me be ashamed of what I was; that I worked for it while so many others were handed their prestige on a silver platter. You told me to never lower my head, to never compromise who I am just to fit in some box that someone wants to shove me in. You said I should never feel like I don't belong…that some people might not want to give me a place but that I always had the choice to make my own place to fit who I am and not what someone wants me to be. Do you remember that?"

"Yes," she murmured.

Kate's gaze remained locked on hers. "All you ever have to be is Johanna Beckett…because I love her for the person she is, the person she's always been. She's loving and compassionate; warm, funny, smart and sassy and a hundred other little things that make her wonderful; not to mention that she's a survivor, not a victim or a martyr…a survivor and a fighter. You don't have to fit into a box; nor do you have to be shoved into one. All you have to be is Johanna…daughter of Frank and Naomi; Frankie's little sister, wife of Jim, mother of Kate, favorite aunt of Greg, best friend of Maggie…and one day, grandmother of Baby Castle. That's all you ever have to be…it's all I expect you to be. You're already in this family, and you don't have to take the slot someone wants to push you in…you can make your own place to fit you…as long as that place means you're always there and not fading into the background in effort to please people who haven't given the full effort to discover your true worth. You just be Johanna…you just be my mom…and everything else will fall into place and if there's still someone who doesn't like it…like Martha, then that's her problem, not yours…and she's free to take her problem to her own apartment if she doesn't like who I bring into my home. So you just be Johanna…you be my Mom…and since we can't forget Dad, you be Jim's wife…and grandma in waiting…and that's all you have to do; the hell with the rest. There's no pressure; you take your time and you make your place…and if anyone tries to stop you; I'll take care of it…okay?"

Johanna nodded, her chin quivering as she tried to hold back her tears. "Okay," she whispered.

Kate's smile wobbled as she reached for her mother's hand and gripped her fingers from a moment. "If Castle pressures you about who you are or how you feel, you just do what you'd do to anyone else and tell him to back the hell off…and then call me, and he will back the hell off."

"He'd really hate me then," she said with a small laugh.

"He doesn't hate you; he just doesn't know how to handle a woman who isn't taken in by his charm…although I made a good effort for a few years."

She gave a short laugh. "They do give A's for effort sometimes."

"True…and we kind of got off track about what I wanted to talk to you about, not that I mind, because maybe that conversation needed to be had; but…"

"But what?" her mother asked.

"But I still feel bad about the Colleen issue and I wanted…"she trailed off, raking her hand through her hair as she tried to choose the right words.

"Wanted what? Just tell me, Katie. I'm not mad at you, I don't blame you for it, please don't feel bad about it. It's not your fault."

"I just…I thought that I could go tell Colleen that you had nothing to do with Castle coming to see her, that it wasn't your fault or idea. I thought about going to her office to tell her that but I didn't want to do it until I talked to you first…and if you're not okay with it, I won't do it."

Johanna shook her head. "Don't go to her, Katie; just let it be," she said gently. "I appreciate the offer and the sentiment but I know how Colleen is; it wouldn't do any good and I don't want her to be rude to you."

"Are you sure?" her daughter asked. "Because I don't mind doing it."

"I know you don't…but I'd just rather let her be. She still hasn't responded to any messages and I'm not going to pressure her about it. It's done now and I'll get over it," Johanna replied. "It hurts but…you know…I'll get over it."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Kate murmured, emotion in her tone. "I'm so sorry."

"Honey; it's not your fault…you can't help it that you're a meddler anymore than I can help that I'm married to a man who can't clean out his pockets to save his life," Johanna told her with a smile.

Kate gave a small laugh despite the fact that a few tears managed to break free and spill down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" her mother asked, concern on her face. "Sweetheart, are you alright? Don't take this the wrong way, because I love when you show your emotional side because then I figure I could get away with hugging you for an hour, but you have been kind of emotional lately…is something wrong? Do you need to come home? Because you can always just come home, you know that, right?"

"Yeah; I know that," she said, smiling through her tears. "Nothing's wrong; I feel bad about Castle fouling things up for you with Colleen…and I'm…hormonal," she said, swallowing the word she wanted to say; but at least she wasn't lying, hormones were at play.

Johanna gave a small smile. "That explains it; those damn hormones, they're a pain in the ass, aren't they?"

"Yeah," she laughed, wiping away her tears. "But I do always appreciate the reminder that I can come home."

Her mother chuckled softly. "It's what my mother always said to me…'you can always just come home'."

"Did you ever go home…for maybe a night or so if you were mad at Dad?"

Johanna nodded. "Yes; once when I was pregnant with you and once when you were little. I took you with me of course. I also took you with me to Bridget's for a weekend because I was mad at your father."

"You must've pretty mad to go an hour away."

"I was livid," she replied; "But that's a story for another day…and if you ever need a night away, your room is always available."

"I appreciate it," Kate replied. "I'm glad you could come to lunch with me."

Johanna smiled. "I wouldn't have missed it…especially when it means I get to delay the grumbling hour at my office."

Her daughter laughed. "Kind of sounds like bruised ego day at the precinct."

"Mhmm…they're dirty jobs but someone's got to do it…and someone out there decided that Beckett women are the ones."

Kate giggled. "Makes you wonder who we pissed off."

"Probably plenty of people," Johanna said with a grin as she picked up a fry from her tray. "But I am glad we got to have some time together today; it's made me feel better."

"I'm glad…I don't want to lose you," she said quietly.

Johanna got up from her place and rounded the table to slide into the booth next to her daughter, pulling her into a makeshift embrace. "I'm not going anywhere, baby; don't you worry…that's not a feat your husband can accomplish."

Kate held on to her tightly, breathing in the soft scent of strawberries…she was relieved to hear that sentiment.


It was after five when Jim unlocked the door and stepped into the kitchen, a perturbed meow from Scarlett greeting him. "I know, I'm late," he said to the cat. "I called."

Scarlett meowed once more as she approached him, sitting down in front of his feet. "What is it?" he asked, looking down, and then he saw that the small rope of yarn Johanna had made for her to play with was beneath his shoe. "Oh," he said as he lifted his foot and moved the soft blue rope aside. "I stepped on your toy. I'm sorry."

Scarlett snatched up her toy and brushed against his leg affectionately. "Where's your mommy?" he asked her.

With her toy still in her mouth, Scarlett headed for the doorway of the kitchen and he followed her, having a feeling that she would lead him to her owner. He smiled as he trailed behind her as she made her way toward the office. Sure enough Johanna was inside, seated at her desk with her laptop open and her reading glasses perched on her nose. "Hi, honey," she said as she glanced up and saw him enter the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Jim said as he dropped his briefcase on his desk before making his way to her side and leaning down to kiss her. "That deposition took longer than we had anticipated."

"I know how it goes sometimes," Johanna replied. "I just thought I'd check and see what kind of emails the kids have left for me about the group projects or the dreaded papers in the civil rights class."

He chuckled softly. "And what awaited you in your inbox?"

"Oh the usual, can I change my topic, I don't like working with this person, when is this due, I want to work alone…you know, all the fun stuff."

Jim kissed her temple. "Well the ones complaining about who they have to work with; tell them to get used to that; we've both had to work with colleagues that we didn't like and we didn't enjoy the experience but it had to be done."

"Oh I have told them that; I said it in class, I said it in the email…maybe I should bring you in one day and have you say it."

"If you think it'll help, I'll be there," he told her with a grin. "How was your lunch with Katie?"

"It was good," she replied. "I'm glad she came...it made me feel better."

"I'm glad," he murmured, a soft grin playing on his lips, his fingers reaching out and toying with a strand of her hair. "But I thought I made you feel better."

Johanna smiled up at him as she pulled off her reading glasses. "You know you did…but this was a bonus feel better kind of thing."

He laughed quietly. "I was just teasing; I'm glad you had some time with Katie today. She must've been missing you to show up out of the blue."

"Maybe…but mostly she feels bad about what Rick did…she feels like she should've known and stopped it."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth; that it's not her fault and I'm not mad at her. She can't help what he did; he took that upon himself."

"That's true, he did."

"She offered to go tell Colleen that I didn't have anything to do with it but I told her to just let it be. Clearly it's how Colleen wants it so I'm not going to pressure her."

"Knowing Colleen, she'll wait a few months to make you sweat it out and then she'll pop some small message into that inbox, acting like nothing ever happened."

"Maybe…maybe not…I thought about deleting the account," Johanna confessed.

Jim shook his head. "No, don't do that yet; wait awhile and see if she comes back."

"I'll give it a few months and then I'll delete it," she replied. "If I don't give myself a deadline to get rid of it, I'll dwell on checking it and I can't do that."

"I know, I don't want you to dwell on it either…give her until after Christmas, if you don't hear from her by New Year's, shut it down."

"Sounds like a reasonable timeframe," Johanna said, a small smile tugging on her lips. "I'm so glad I consulted my lawyer."

He grinned and stole a quick kiss. "You can pay my fee later."

"Don't I always?" she quipped.

"You sure do; that's why you're my favorite client."

"I better be your only client who pays my bill in those chosen methods," Johanna stated.

"You know you are. I only have one extra special client and that's you."

"It's a good damn thing. I didn't know you were having a business lunch today or I would've texted instead of calling."

"You didn't interrupt anything," Jim assured. "It wasn't the kind of business you're thinking."

"Oh?" she asked. "Then what kind was it…did you buy another car?"

"No," he laughed; "Andrew and I are still looking for the right Mustang."

"Is anything wrong?" Johanna asked; a touch of worry in her eyes.

"Nothing's wrong…I just had some business to handle with Rick."

Johanna sighed, her eyes closing for a moment. "So how much does he hate me now?"

He smiled as he pressed a kiss against her hair. "Trust me, sweetheart; I'm sure you look damn good compared to me right now."

"Jim…"

"No," he said; "I won't apologize for it…I only let people get away with things for so long and he crossed enough lines now. You're my wife…and if someone treats you in a way I don't like, I'm letting them know about it; son-in-law or not. He's had it coming, Jo; and today he got it. Now maybe he'll mind his manners a little more."

"Does Katie know you had this little meeting with her husband?"

"No; he can tell her, or you can tell her. I don't care, I'll call and tell her myself if you want me to."

She shook her head. "No; I think we'll just see if that one slides under the radar."

Jim gave her a small smile, his knuckle caressing the line of her jaw. "You know when it comes to you, I can't let things go, sweetheart."

"I know…you've always been my knight in shining armor," she replied softly. "I'm not mad; you know I just worry."

"Don't worry," he assured. "Everything is fine."

She captured his hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm going to go change before dinner is ready."

Johanna nodded and allowed him to slip away. She didn't need to ask what he had said to Rick; she could imagine…and she didn't want to know her son-in-law's responses for that matter either. Some things she was just better off not knowing. She closed her email and had just shut the lid of her laptop when her phone chimed, alerting her to a new text.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered, seeing Castle's name on the message.

"I want to stick to our deal; you know the one, if Tuesday lunch goes bad, we have lunch again Thursday…are you willing to do that?"

In all honesty, she didn't want to…it felt too soon…she still felt hurt and wanted some time to pass before she had to look at him again. But if she said no, she'd hand him another reason to label her as being impossible…another reason to be angry with her…another black mark against her name in his book. She frowned; why did she feel like she didn't have the right to say no? She knew that wasn't really the case…she could say no and ask to wait until next week…she didn't really think Kate would hold it against her…but Rick would…because he held everything against her.

She sighed. There wasn't any way out…but maybe she could make herself more comfortable with the idea for a change. "If you want to have lunch with me, come here tomorrow at the usual time."

She pressed send and waited for the response, counting off a full two minutes before her phone chimed once again.

"Why?" Castle had written. "I thought the café was neutral ground and was better suited for our meetings."

"It didn't feel all that neutral on Tuesday," she wrote back. "Come here or wait until next week; the choice is yours. What are you afraid I'm going to do to you? Shoot you and bury you in my flower bed in the back yard?"

"One can never tell with you," he replied.

"Then don't show up if you're so afraid," Johanna typed. "But I'm not going out tomorrow; so it's either here or nowhere, makes no difference to me. I assure you that you'll be quite safe; the gun will be in the drawer and I won't hold you hostage, because believe me, you'd drive me crazy within the first hour and I won't poison your food…in fact if it'll make you feel better, feel free to bring your own food. The choice is yours; lunch here or I'll see you next Tuesday if I'm feeling inclined to do so."

The phone was silent for another two minutes. "Fine," he wrote back. "Have it your way this time; I'll come there…is Jim going to be there?"

"No, why? Are you that uncomfortable being alone with me that you think you need a chaperone? Believe me, I don't want you; Katie and I never did have the same taste in men."

"Rest assured, I never for a second entertained the notion that you'd want me at all…and please don't put things like that in my brain, you're practically my mother."

"Don't insult me by calling me Martha…I have better taste in clothes than she does."

"Okay; listen, I don't think you have any bad reasons for wanting me to come there, I just asked about Jim because I know I'm not his favorite person this week and I didn't want to get punched."

"You'll be fine, Rick…but if he'd pop up, rest assured, I have plenty of ice in the freezer if you'd require some."

"You're hospitable like that."

"My mother taught me well," Johanna wrote. "Again, the choice is yours. You can come here for lunch or wait until next week, I don't care. I just want to stay home tomorrow. I'll be here all day, so if you show up, fine, if not, that's fine too. I think I should be allowed to change the venue once in awhile."

A minute passed and she rose from her chair to head for the kitchen, knowing the timer on the oven would be going off soon. The phone chimed in her hand.

"See you tomorrow…will there be brownies?"

"No."

"If I asked nicely, could there be brownies?"

"We'll see how tomorrow goes first; and then, I might consider making you some brownies."

"I can live with that," Castle responded.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Johanna wrote back; thinking to herself that she might fair a little better being in her own territory.