Castle's the first one awake, far before either ladies of the household, and he trudges from his bed, rubs the sleep from his eyes as he heads into the kitchen.
He makes his coffee and leaves the pot on, knowing all too well that Kate will want a cup when she wakes up—he assumes he has a few hours until then, but he keeps her mug next to it regardless. Leaning against the counter, he has one hand wrapped around the warm ceramic and the other propping his chin up.
His eyes fall closed for a few seconds before they open once more. Kate wants to find out about her father.
Though he was wondering when she'd finally decide to, he thought it would take another month at least, maybe more. He's more than thrilled that she's not waiting, that she feels ready enough to deal with whatever the outcome is. To him, this is a true testament to how far she's come in such a short period of time. The Kate he first met wouldn't even think twice about this, wouldn't even consider it, and the Kate that arrived at the loft that first night would probably avoid any and all questions relating to her father. She wasn't ready then.
But she is now.
He smiles at that, but it's replaced by a frown when he realizes just how little they actually know right now.
They don't even know if he's sober, if he's alive, and he shakes his head with a sigh. She's been doing better, so much better than he knows she ever thought possible at this point, but he's worried about how it'll affect her if this plays out with the worst case scenario.
She's already had to bury one parent, already spiraled out of control because of it, and he doesn't want history to repeat itself. He doesn't want her to take any steps backwards because of this, but he knows it's unavoidable—she has to know. One way or another she has to, and deserves to, know the answer.
He grabs his coffee and turns on his heel, walks through the living room and back into his office. The chair sinks beneath his weight as he props his legs up onto the desk, placing his mug a safe distance away—he once forgot it was there and knocked it over with his feet; he does not want a repeat performance—before he grabs his laptop and tugs it into his lap.
Opening a new window, he watches as the the cursor blinks over the search bar.
Kate had told him her father's name one night while they were talking, mentioned how he used to be a lawyer. He assumes that if he was a prominent enough lawyer, his departure from the scene would've caused quite a stir. And maybe, hopefully, there would be articles or something about him that'll point them in the direction they need to be going. Or give them some kind of answer at all.
So he tries, types Jim Beckett into the search area, and hits enter.
His eyes scan over the results, most of them from years back, long before her mother was even killed. From the looks of it, they were both extremely well respected attorneys in their own rights.
He continues to scroll, waiting impatiently for something to pop out or a more recent date to catch his eye. A few minutes and three pages later—he's glad he found something, because going any further than the third page of a google search is like asking for a miracle—he sees one with a date set at a year ago. The page opens and he's met with a website, vibrant background and all, for a rehab center.
Huh.
Her father is—or was, he has no idea—an alcoholic, so it's not like this is a completely out of the ordinary result.
The rest of his search turns up a whole lot of nothing as far as he's concerned. He gets little tidbits, small pieces of different articles and charity websites, but they're all from two years ago or in most cases even older, and don't exactly help him.
That rehab website is his best lead, only because it says that Jim Beckett is a lawyer. Which makes him curious as he takes note of the lack of "former" before the profession, but he'll wait to form any conclusions until he talks to Kate.
But he has come away with one thing.
As far as he knows, Jim Beckett is alive.
"This is what you had planned for today?"
Her brow is raised as she looks at him. "I'm offended that you make it sound as if this is a let down," he says, letting his hand fall to his chest in mock offense.
She continues to give him a look but eventually relents, lets the facade of disinterest fade from her face. He knows she's trying to look indifferent, trying to make it seem as though this is an odd or undesirable choice, but he can see the glee hidden behind her eyes.
"I've taken Alexis here at least once a year since she was little," he adds proudly, moving his hand to place it on the girl's shoulder. "She used to be afraid of the costumes."
Alexis huffs. "I was small! They were big and aliens."
Kate laughs. "I think it's completely normal for kids to be a little scared of people in freaky suits."
"They are not freaky suits," Castle corrects. "They are magnificent replications of an intelligent species."
Both girls roll their eyes at him, but it's Kate that speaks up. "Are you insinuating that aliens are real?"
"Are you insinuating that they aren't?" he counters, his own brows raised.
"I'm not insinuating anything. Aliens aren't real, Castle."
He gasps. "Take that back."
Alexis laughs. "Daddy," she admonishes.
"The aliens won't feed you today if you insist they don't exist, Kate. I'm only trying to curb your impending hunger."
Laughing, she pats him on the back. "Let's go inside and we'll see if you can change my mind, huh?" He considers her, his fingers rubbing his chin, and she just shakes her head and grabs Alexis's hand. "Come on, Alexis. Let's give your father some time to himself."
"He's so weird," the girl whispers as she walks ahead of Kate.
Castle scrambles to hurry, catch up to the two of them before they actually go into the building. Mars 2112 is one of his favorite places in New York, and it's not only because it has aliens and it's set up like Mars. Okay, so maybe that is a huge part of the reason why he loves it, but it's not the only reason. He remembers taking Alexis here for the first time and she nearly had a heart attack on the spaceship ride that brought them to Mars. She got used to it fairly quickly, but the initial shock of the jolting seats and bright lights threw her off. And him, if he's being honest.
He continues his walk up through the entryway, a winding path carved out in what are made to look like bright red rocks, his steps not far behind Kate and Alexis.
"We're going on the spaceship ride, right?" Alexis asks, turning to look at her father and then Kate.
He grins. "Of course. It's not the true Mars experience if we don't."
"The true Mars experience?" Kate laughs.
"Yes," he states matter-of-factly, the grin still on his face. "You can't very well get to Mars without a spaceship, now can you?"
She snorts. "No, of course not."
"This isn't your first time here is it?" he asks, amusement laced in his voice. That unbridled delight only heightens when she doesn't answer. "It is, isn't it? You're a Mars virgin!"
Her mouth drops open. "I am not a Mars virgin."
"We're popping your Mars cherry," he beams.
She wrinkles her nose. "Don't ever say that again," she starts, gives him a pointed look. "And no. Sorry to burst that bubble but I've been here before. I was little, don't remember much of it, but it still counts."
He shakes his head. "Nope, you don't even remember it. Doesn't count!"
"Castle."
"Guys," Alexis calls, her eyes narrowed as she motions to the line ahead of them that's been moving up. "Come on!"
Kate laughs. "Sorry, Alexis. Your dad's being ridiculous."
Alexis nods sympathetically. "Now you see what I've been dealing with for eight years," she sighs dramatically.
He huffs. "Hey now!"
"Sorry, dad," she shrugs before she turns to face forward again.
Kate's trying to hold in her laughter and she shoots him an apologetic glance.
"Mars virgin," he whispers into her ear as he scoots up behind her, grinning at the playfully exasperated look on her face.
They're seated in a booth that's carved from a little alcove of faux rocks, Alexis in the middle of the two adults. The walls are all meant to resemble the same rocks, complete with some cut outs with a galaxy simulation in its place, giving the illusion that they're actually in space. He forgot how the mix of red and purple lighting gives the place a relaxed—and extraterrestrial—atmosphere, but he loves it.
"You okay?" he asks, noticing the somewhat spaced out—no pun intended—look on Kate's face. The question causes Alexis to bring her head up and look at the woman too.
She nods. "I'm fine," she assures. "The space travel was just a bit bumpy for my taste."
"We'll take the teleporter out instead."
"The fact that that's an actual sentence to come out of your mouth is amazing."
He doesn't get a chance to reply with a witty retort before their server comes by, donned in a complete Martian uniform.
"Greetings, earthlings," the waiter starts. "What can I get you as your first contact?"
Castle does one last once over of the menu and points something out to Kate, who nods, before turning to the teenager. "I think we'll have the Sub-Space Sampler to start." The Martian writes that down. "Pumpkin, did you want anything else?"
Alexis pokes her tongue out as she looks at her options. "Can I have the Magellan Mozzarella Sticks please?"
"Of course! And would you like to order your primary orbits now or do you need some more time to peruse?"
He looks to the other two, who nod as if telling him they need a little more time.
"A few more minutes, please."
The server nods, happily moving back to "his ship" to put their request in with the captain.
Kate looks back down at the colorful menu in her hands. "What do you guys usually get?"
"We like to switch it up, right Alexis?"
The girl nods. "I want to experience as much Mars food as I can before we go back to Earth," she explains. "But dad got the same thing the last two times, so he cheated."
"I did not cheat," he defends. "I just liked it so much I wanted to get it again."
She shrugs. "Do you know what you're going to order, Kate?"
Kate takes a breath, fingers skimming along the list of entrees. "The Apollo Portobello Wrap sounds good."
"Come on, Kate, you can't get a wrap while you're on Mars! That's such an Earth choice."
She rolls her eyes. "Well, we are—"
"Shhh," he cuts her off, looking dramatically around at the other inhabitants of the planet. "You'll ruin the experience!"
"Yeah, Kate," Alexis chimes in, grinning up at her. "Gotta get the full Mars experience here!"
"You're not supposed to gang up on me, guys," she laughs but ultimately acquiesces, goes back to the menu to choose something less Earhtly.
When their resident Martian friend returns with their appetizers, he once again asks about their primary orbits, and Castle makes it a point to mention how he thinks it's so cool that they have space names for each course of the meal.
"I'll have the Galactic Grilled Chicken," he says as he closes his menu.
"And for you, my fair human?" the waitor asks, turning to look at Kate.
She smiles. "I'll have the... Phobos Penne A'La Vodka, please."
"Of course. And our smallest human?"
"Not small," Alexis tosses back. "But can I have the Solar Flare Chicken Fingers, please?"
The teenager gives a small smile. "Of course," he corrects, then moves to take their menus, promising to return with their food as quickly as his spaceship will allow him. Barring any technical mishaps, of course.
While they wait, they dig into their appetizers, Alexis with her mozarella sticks and Castle with the platter that he shares with Kate. It has a combination of their most popular appetizers, which includes spicy barbecue wings, chicken quesadillas, spring rolls, and mozarella sticks.
"So, are we hitting the game room after we eat or should we just head back to the loft?" Castle asks around a bite of chicken wing.
"You know what happened last time, dad," Alexis reminds.
Kate doesn't know what happened last time, and she looks curiously between the two. "What happened?"
"Oh, that's not important," he waves off, biting off more of the chicken wing so he doesn't have to explain. Alexis, however, smiles, and is all too eager to spill the beans.
She grins. "He got a bit too competitive," she says, and Kate nods. "With a kid."
"He was taunting me," Castle exclaims, defending himself. "I had to show him up!"
"He was six."
Kate snorts. "You didn't." He looks at her with a sheepish expression. "You did."
"Hey, I won," he shrugs. "But now Alexis refuses to go into the game room with me."
"For good reason it seems."
Alexis nods to Kate. "Thank you," she sighs. "We should go back home after we eat so we can watch movies! Do you want to watch a movie with us, Kate?" she asks, a tiny hint of hesitation on her face.
Kate wipes that off as quickly as she can by nodding. "Sure, your pick," she smiles at the girl, receiving a beaming one in return.
Their food arrives and they talk while they eat, Castle telling wild tales of their fellow Martians and even getting Alexis to join in until they have Kate cracking up. And rolling her eyes, but mostly laughing.
Castle's repeat request to go to the game room is denied by both girls and he pouts, but Kate reminds him that he can still get dessert and that, almost pathetically so, perks him up. The three of them order something to go—A Mercury Oreo Miracle for Castle, Lunar Red Velvet Cake for Kate, and Polar Ice Caps for Alexis—and make their way out, heeding Castle's previous assertion that they take the teleporter out instead of the spaceship.
He didn't get much of a chance to talk to Kate about what he's found—or really, what he didn't find—during the day, but now that Alexis has gone to sleep and it's just the two of them, he figures it's his best shot.
She's sitting on the couch, looking worn out from the movie marathon they all just endured; her legs are curled beneath her body and her head is resting in her palm, propped up against the arm of the couch. He can see her eyes flutter closed for a few seconds before she catches herself and they open again. She looks exhausted, but it's adorable.
He returns from the kitchen with the desserts from Mars 2112 that they've yet to eat.
"Think you can eat this without falling asleep in it?" he teases lightly as he sits down next to her.
She smiles at him. "I think I can manage," she says, taking hers from him. "Thank you."
"I hope you had fun today. I mean, I know Mars isn't for everyone and we Castle's can get really into it, but—"
"I had a great time," she cuts him off, shutting down his ramble. "Really. It was a lot of fun. And hey, who knew Penne A'La Vodka could be so delicious on Mars?"
He grins. "Those Martians have been known to take their culinary masterpieces seriously," he laughs. She's smiling and he's positive that he wants to keep that look on her face. "I'm glad you enjoyed it though."
"Absolutely," she nods. "I always have fun with the two of you, you know. I'm not doing it just because I feel like I owe you anything."
His forehead crinkles. "You think you owe me something?"
She blinks. "Of course I owe you something," she says seriously, as if that should've been obvious. "I owe you more than I can possibly even begin to repay."
He shakes his head. "No, no. Kate, you don't owe me anything."
"You took me out of Michigan and brought me into your home. For all you knew I could've been some sociopath, a serial murderer," she deadpans. "That's not just some little thing, Rick. That's a big deal."
He shrugs. "Yeah, but I didn't do it so you'd owe me anything. I don't expect anything in return." She bites her bottom lip. "Do you really want to owe me something?"
"It'd make me feel better, yes," she breathes.
He sighs. "Fine. You owe me..." She keeps her eyes on him. "Your friendship."
She laughs. "My friendship?"
"Yup," he confirms. "And your expertise with Alexis's hair. She loves those curls you gave her the other day."
"You're ridiculous."
"Take it or leave it."
"You drive a hard bargain, but I'll take it. Deal."
He extends a hand to her, a goofy grin on his face that doesn't go away even as she takes the offered gesture. One firm handshake later, their deal is solidified and she shakes her head, the corners of her lips tugging up in a small smile.
"Hey," he says after a few minutes of contented silence, both enjoying their desserts. "I uh—I looked up your father this morning..."
She stops mid bite. "Looked him up?"
He nods. "Googled him. You said you wanted to find out about him now, so I figured—I figured that it couldn't hurt to do a search. You know, see if anyone had any articles or little things of information on him in the past few years."
She averts her gaze, takes a deep breath before giving a slow nod. "Did you find anything?"
A part of her wants to hear the answer, the one she's been wondering about since she arrived in Michigan, but the other part is terrified of what she might hear. She knows that, realistically, there's a possibility of this search taking a turn for the worst, but she doesn't want to actually have to come to terms with that.
"Not really," he admits on a sigh. "I found a website for a rehab where he's listed, but it doesn't say what for."
She purses her lips. "Probably a patient. I don't know how up to date that would be, though."
"It said the website was last updated a few months ago," he says, placing his empty plate onto the coffee table. "But there was something else. It says lawyer Jim Beckett."
Her eyes snap to his, confusion on her face. "Lawyer?" she asks. "No, he hasn't really been a practicing lawyer since my mom... no. It must be an old listing."
She sounds so confident that it's an old label next to her father's name but he sees the sadness in her eyes as she speaks, as if she has expectations going into this and they aren't very high.
"Yeah, maybe."
He doesn't say anything else, but he's not as convinced as she is. There's something off here, something he can't quite put his finger on but he thinks it might help them. He has an idea, but he doesn't bring it up to Kate, not now—he's not going to give her any kind of false hope until he has as definitive an answer as he can find.
He watches as she picks at her cake, pulls off tiny bits of it before popping it into her mouth. She pauses then, lets out a sigh before standing up, her plate with the half-eaten dessert in hand.
"I think I'm gonna head upstairs," she says, giving him a soft smile. "Night, Castle."
Smiling back, his gaze follows her as she puts the cake in the fridge, dish in the sink, and ascends up the stairs.
"Night, Kate."
His body sags once she's out of sight. He doesn't know exactly how yet, but he's going to find her father for her.
I'll be the first person to say that I'm awful and I'm so sorry about the delays on all of my updates. The semester's started up again so I've unfortunately had little to no free time to write. I hope this'll change once I get into the swing of things again, I just ask that you bear with me until then! But thank you so much for your sweet comments as always, and I'd love to hear what you think.
My last time at Mars 2112 was when I was much younger, most of this is based on my memories of the place and a little googling, so my apologies for any errors!