The Invitation

Wednesday Night

Kate was fast asleep when Rick finally snuck into her apartment. He had spent all day and well into the evening with Sophia at the trendiest places to see and be seen. He wanted to make sure he would make it on to page six of Thursday's edition. His head spun and his back ached. Good lord, when had having fun become so much work? Sleep, he needed sleep. Sleep in the arms of the woman he loved.

He undressed in the living room, not wanting to wake her. He carefully opened her bedroom door, quietly crossed the room and nimbly slipped between the covers. Kate may have been asleep, but she was a light sleeper. She was awake as soon as her front door creaked open. She just lay there waiting for him to join her. When he slipped his arm around her, she spoke.

"Rick."

"Mmmm," he replied as he nuzzled the back of her neck.

"You smell like a cheap whore."

The smell of cigarettes and alcohol from the club lingered on his breath in his hair and on his skin.

"I'll have you know I'm a high class whore."

"You may look high class, but you smell skanky, go take a shower."

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was so tired and I didn't want to wake you with the noise." He tried to settle in to her but she pushed him off.

"Well I'm awake now so please go shower or I'll make you sleep on the couch."

He wined, but got up and headed to the bathroom. For someone who was too tired to shower, he sure stayed in there a long time. She finally heard the water stop and her hairdryer start. A few minutes later he returned to her bed all warm and clean and naked.

"Much better," she said. "What took you so long in the shower?"

"I fell asleep standing up…I am so tired," he draped his arm heavily across her body.

"What's the matter," she teased, "all the party gone out of the boy?"

"I am so through with that scene," he said pulling her in tighter. "I just want to be here with you, growing old together."

"What, I'm not ready for old," she protested. "Do I need to trade you in for a younger model already?"

"I'll show you young…," he said wrapping his leg around hers, "…in the morning"

He relaxed into her back and quickly dropped off to sleep. With a contented sigh, she soon joined him.

….

Thursday

Kate felt guilty about calling in sick. She had never missed work before, but seriously considered doing it more often if it meant a repeat of the all day sexcapade they enjoyed in nearly every room of her apartment.

Rick woke her early with his promise from the night before. Physically exhausted afterwards, they slept for another two hours before Kate extracted herself from his embrace to take a shower. She was washing her hair when he stepped in behind her. They were soon christening the walls of her shower.

They managed to keep their hands off each other long enough to make breakfast. He puttered around in her oversized bathrobe and his socks and she in her favorite cotton nightgown and slippers. He was surprised to find real food in her house as they set about making veggie omelets with toast and of course coffee. Rick grabbed the morning paper from her doorstep and they laughed over the write up of him on page six while they ate their food. When they finished Kate dumped all the dishes in the sink to clean up later. Today was about spending time with him.

Rick made a place for her on the couch. She settled in between his legs and leaned back into his chest. There they remained for hours watching daytime television, that was until he put it on Sportscenter and she had to protest. Watching a game was one thing, but watching people talk about what might happen in a game…that, she told him, was a deal breaker. He refused to change the channel and held the remote over his head away from her grasp. She made a dive for it and he lost his grip, it clattered to the floor behind the couch. She turned quickly and reached behind the couch to pick it up. That's when he noticed she wasn't wearing any underwear. He grabbed her before she could grab the remote. It didn't matter. She soon found something else to grab.

Hot and sweaty, Kate crawled off Rick and left him lying exhausted on the couch. They both needed to cool down so she headed to the fridge for some bottled water. As she opened the door he called out to her from the living room.

"Now would be a good time to show me that trick of yours with the ice cube!"

She returned to the living room and handed him a cold bottle.

"I'm saving that for a special occasion," she said taking a long swig from her bottle.

"Come lay back down," he said patting his chest. "I feel naked without you."

"That's because you are naked."

"See." He smiled up at her.

She reached her hand down to him instead. "Let's go back to bed, it's more comfortable there."

'I seriously doubt if I can walk," he said as he grabbed her hand.

Back in the bed they soon found themselves drifting off into a late afternoon nap.

Rick awoke several hours later. The omelet he'd eaten at breakfast was gone and he was ravenous. He left her to sleep while he went to make them something for lunch. Or was it dinner, hell what time was it. He hadn't a clue. He found the makings for sandwiches in the fridge and dug in her pantry for some bread. He never found the bread but he did find a Kiss the Cook apron hanging in the closet. Now that…he had to wear. He put it on and then set about making tapas.

Kate awoke and found herself alone. She heard noised coming from the kitchen and went to investigate. She found him hard at work preparing something to eat wearing nothing but that silly apron she had received as a gag gift last Christmas. Seeing him dressed like that made her hungry…but not for food, she snuck up behind him and pulled loose his apron strings.

"Hey…I'm trying to work here." Rick protested, waving the knife in his hand. It fell to the counter when she slid her hands under the apron and grabbed him.

"I'm just trying to help," she said as she leaned her naked body into his.

When she loosened her grip, he spun around, lifted her by her waist and set her on the counter where he had been working. She wrapped her legs around him and drew him into a passionate kiss. Dinner was served.

Later in the shower, they laughed hysterically when Rick found a slice of pickle and a piece of lunch meat stuck to her ass.

…..

He waited until the sun went down before he left her apartment, less chance of being seen leaving her place. They both hated to part, but he needed to get ready for the next phase of their scheme.

Rick had made it a point to avoid his mother for the most part of the week. He knew she was dying to chastise him about his lifestyle and his new "lady friend", but he wanted her to stew for a while before they had their confrontation. Tonight was the night.

He announced his arrival when he opened the front door.

"Hey guys, I'm home!"

There was no reply. He knew someone was home, the TV was on and he heard noises from the kitchen. He shut the door and wandered in. He found his mother and daughter sitting at the bar having dinner. They were ignoring him.

"What did I do now?" He asked.

Alexis cut her eyes at him and Martha threw up her hands in disgust.

"Really Richard, like you have to ask."

"What…I've been keeping in touch. You've been getting my texts haven't you? It's not like I fell off the face of the earth or anything, I've been around."

"Around somewhere in New York, not around here," she admonished.

"Come on…you guys don't need me babysitting you. Alexis is seventeen not seven and you're…" he waved his hand at her to get her to fill in the age. He knew the mention of her age would get her to back off a bit.

"That's…not the point," she spoke a little flustered.

"Well then, what is the point mother?" He pushed her a little more.

Alexis looked at the two and decided it was time to make a hasty retreat.

"If I don't need to be her for this, I'm going to my room." She announced.

Rick held her arm before she could leave and pulled her into him for a hug.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I love you. I'll be up to talk to you in a minute," he kissed the top of her head and let her go.

Martha busied herself with the dishes till Alexis disappeared upstairs and then she struck out.

"Just what in the hell are you playing at?" she squared up on him.

I'm not playing mother."

"What is with that article in the paper, who is that woman?"

"She's…someone special."

"Someone special! What about Kate?"

"What about her?"

"You're the one who said it wasn't about the books anymore. I thought you had decided she was the one worth waiting for."

Yeah…well…that's a long wait for a train don't come," he sighed and sat down in one of the barstools.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Last weekend pretty much did us in."

"What happened?" She reached out and held his hand to comfort.

"What didn't, let's see…we got lost. That's when I was first introduced to that foul temper of hers. She ripped the GPS system off the dashboard and threw it into the back seat. And then, ,we almost get killed when the car konked out while were driving. We slid off the road and into a ditch, bustin' up one of the tires in the process. And that wasn't the worst part, the worst part was almost freezing to death in the back of the Escalade. When we finally got rescued, I tried to pay the tow bill, but they don't take American Express and she gets all pissed because she has to use her card. Now how is that my fault? A long ride in silence is so much fun and heaven forbid, never try to turn on the radio in her car, you might get shot. And then, how could I forget our lovely time at the center. Sleeping in the bathtub, getting ridiculed by her in front of a bunch of strangers and then there was the piece de resistance, the therapy session. I pour my heart out to her and she just walks away. I confronted her later in our room. That was a bad idea. I thought I was going to have to walk home for a while there. And let's see…what else, oh yeah, the food was crap. I think that about sums it up."

"Oh Richard!" Martha said, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok mother. I think it was a good thing I got that reprieve and was able to go through what I did. Now I can move on with my life. Which reminds me, I'm going to the Hamptons for a few days."

"But we haven't seen you for most of the week!" She complained as she pulled back.

"I know, but I want to finish this Nikki Heat book while I still can. Then I can put this character to rest and truly get on with my life. I can't do it with this book hanging over me."

"Are you sure about what you're doing?"

"Believe me when I tell you mother, I'm very sure."

"Ok then, I think we can survive a few more days without you, but don't take too long, we miss you and we're here for you."

"Thanks," he said pulling her back into a hug. "I love you too."

The last remark had Martha raising an eyebrow.

….

He gently knocked on Alexis' door before he let himself in. A lot of good it did, she had her earbuds in and was listening to her ipod. He walked up beside her and pulled one out.

"Let's talk," he said sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"What happened with you and Kate dad?"

"Nothing happened," he wasn't going to play his daughter.

"Come on dad, I'm not a child. I know something happened. You can tell me."

"All grown up now, huh?" He said as he tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. "Well, if you're so grown up I need you to do something for me."

"Ok," she said a little too hesitantly.

"Trust me."

"What?"

"Have I ever let you down? Aside from not getting you that pony you wanted when you were six, have I ever let you down?"

"No."

"Good, so I need you to just trust me when I say this will all work out for the best, ok?" He stared her down till she nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. You may return to your music now," he said dangling her earbuds in front of her face. He stopped at her door and turned around.

"Hey," he said before she could plug her ears. "I almost forgot, I'm leaving for the Hamptons tomorrow. I'm going to spend a few days there finishing my book."

"Dad, you know you're not going to write, you're going with page six," she shook her head at him, disappointed.

"Her name is Sophia, and no I am not going with her and I'll prove it. When I get back my book will be finished."

"Right," she rolled her eyes at his promise.

"Just remember what I said, ok? Trust me."

"Night pumpkin," he said as he turned to leave.

"Goodnight dad." She pushed her earbuds back in. She trusted him, but she didn't believe him.

….

Friday Afternoon

The knock on her door came as a surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone. She opened her door and found him standing there with a bouquet of red roses.

"What are you doing here?" She grabbed his jacket and pulled him inside.

"Well, hello to you too," he replied.

"You know what I mean; you're supposed to be on your way to the Hamptons."

"I am on my way; I just had to make a quick stop along the way to bring you these," he pushed the roses closer to her. "They'll remind you of me while I'm gone."

She accepted his offering with a comment as she leaned in for a kiss.

"After yesterday, I don't think I'll need reminding."

He tried to take the kiss a step further but she pried him off and went to put the flowers in the sink.

"The week ahead is about focus Mr. Castle. You need to focus on finishing your book. I don't want your deadline messing with our plans."

"It won't, I promise."

"You can goof off this weekend with Sophia and Tina but I need you to get to work when they leave on Sunday, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" he gave her a mock salute and she laughed.

"I still can't believe she was so agreeable in helping us with this."

"I told you, she owes me. They both owe me. Being their pretend boyfriend during our junior and senior years at college while they kept their relationship on the down low was a hoot. Hell I even made it into both their families Christmas photo's one year, we had a great laugh over that one. We were inseparable, people at school used to call us The Three Stooges."

"Why don't I find that hard to believe?" Kate commented.

"This weekend will be fun; we couldn't hang out anymore once I married Meredith. She didn't understand our relationship. That should have sent up a flag, but I guess I had blinders on, anyway, I'm glad you're so understanding," he pulled her back in for another kiss.

"All I can say is, it's their loss. They don't know what they're missing," she kissed him back.

"Why thank you, thank you very much."

"Now will you go," she said shoving him towards the door. "You've got a book to write and I've got travel arrangements to make."

"Are you sure you can handle that, I mean I am the world traveler and all," he teased.

"Out!" she pushed again.

"Ok!" he said as his back hit the door. He tugged it open from behind and leaned in for one last kiss.

She kissed him and pushed him until he stumbled across the threshold.

"Go!" She ordered.

"It's your loss!" he called out as she closed the door behind him.

…

Friday Night

Everyone was experiencing the same odd sensation of déjà vu. Once again, here they all were huddled around the dining room table in Lanie's apartment. The mood this time, however, was somber and nobody wanted to talk. Captain Montgomery felt he should take charge lest they sit there all night.

"Ok people. We all know why we're here. We're here because we failed; we didn't just fail, we failed miserably. I spoke to Martha earlier today and she told me that Rick finally spoke to her about what happened. It wasn't good. It seems that everything that happened to them, from getting lost to breaking down made Kate angry and it sounds like she took it out on him."

"That's a fact," Javier concurred. "They've been bighting each others heads off all week."

"Yeah, but what I don't understand," Ryan queried, "…is how Beckett can treat Castle like dirt one minute and then cry over him the next?"

"All I know," Martha interjected, "…is that Richard told me last night that he opened up to Kate about how he felt and that she walked away. He can't take it anymore. Can you blame him?"

'No." everyone mumbled.

"I'm sorry guys." It was James' turn to speak up. "I'm the one who orchestrated this and it's all my fault, so if anyone is to blame, blame me."

"We don't blame you, we blame ourselves…we should never have meddled." Martha tried to assuage him of his guilt.

"I should have taken heed of the classic Romeo and Juliet before I ever started this charade." James lamented. "At least our characters didn't die."

"There's that." Alexis sighed.

"I think we should just leave them alone and get back to work or whatever it is we do," said Lanie. "We've done enough damage so let's not make it worse. No choosing sides, one over the other, they're not to blame for what we did, so no punishing them. Let's just get back to work."

"I agree with Lanie," said Montgomery. Let's leave them alone and just be supportive of them both. Most wounds tend to heal themselves."

"Sage advice," James said and they all agreed.

The meeting was adjourned.

…..

An eerie calm settled over the following week. Everything was as normal as could be expected. Castle was gone and Beckett was back to being her workaholic self. Still, everyone seemed to be waiting for the shoe to drop, and drop it did, on Thursday.

The latest write up on page six began floating around the bullpen. It wasn't much, it just said that Richard Castle and Sophia Petropoulos were seen vacationing in the Hamptons over the weekend. Ryan and Esposito were worried how Kate would react. If she saw it, they couldn't tell, she stayed in a genial mood all day.

What really surprised everyone was what came next. A bike messenger arrived at the precinct around ten o'clock with a package for Captain Montgomery. He signed for it and the guys lingered nearby while he opened it. He soon called them over.

"Here," he said. "These are for you two." He handed them a couple of envelopes with their names embossed in gold lettering on the fronts of the envelopes.

"What is this?" Ryan asked, staring at the envelope in his hand.

"Let's open them and find out," Javier said as he tore his open, Ryan did the same. The captain was also opening the one that he had also received.

"It's and invitation…from Castle." Ryan said.

Montgomery read his aloud.

"We are invited to the Old Haunt this Sunday for a private party. Food, fun and surprises await.

"Read what it says at the bottom," Javier said flashing his card.

"Attendance is Mandatory."

"What the hell is this? Ryan wondered.

"You know Castle, any reason for a party, it's probably his way of apologizing to everyone for last week's drama." Javier commented. "I'm in."

"Me too, his parties are always the best, especially his Halloween parties."

"I'll go." Montgomery said, looking at two unopened envelopes left in his hand.

"Who are those for?" Ryan asked.

"One's for Lanie and one's for Beckett."

"Are you sure you want to give that to her." Javier asked looking towards her desk.

"Yes I am, did you forget the part about not meddling anymore. She's a big girl she can decide for herself." He gave Lanie's envelope to Javier and took the other one to Kate. He handed her the envelope without a word and went back to his office.

Ryan and Esposito watched from their desks as Kate opened her envelope. They wondered what she was thinking as she pulled out the embossed card inside, read it and then placed it in her desk drawer. They wondered if she was going.