A/N: This one is set after 'An Embarrassment of Bitches' (Ep. 4x13).
Jim picked up his phone and hit the speed dial for Kate.
"Hi Dad," she said when she picked up.
"Hi Katie. How are you doing?"
"I'm good. I'm home, just had dinner. How are you?"
Jim was about to answer when he heard something that sounded distinctly like a dog's woof. "Katie, are my ears deceiving me, or did you just get a dog?"
Kate laughed. "Not yet, Dad. I've thought about it, but I'm not sure – my hours are too unpredictable. But I am taking care of a dog at the moment – a really beautiful retriever called Royal."
"How did that happen?"
"Long story, but basically his owner was the victim of a murder we're investigating."
"Wow. Poor Royal."
"Yeah," Kate agreed, "and there was no surviving family to look after him. Castle and I couldn't agree on who got to take him home, so we decided to share custody."
"Interesting idea, but for how long can you keep that up? Sounds to me like he'll need to settle down somewhere eventually."
"Fair point, Dad. It could get a little disorienting for Royal eventually. Castle indulges him a little too much, and I have a more balanced approach – or at least I thought I would. At this point, I'm probably spoiling him just as much as Castle does. I can't help it. He's just so… irresistibly adorable."
She laughed, and Jim imagined her petting the dog, tickling him behind the ears. The thought made him smile.
"But anyway," Kate continued, "he seems happy with our current arrangement. So we'll stick with it... for now."
Jim smiled at the thought of Kate and Castle co-parenting the dog. "Remember when you watched '101 Dalmatians' and then started The Great Dalmatian Campaign?"
"Don't remind me," Kate said, laughing. "I dreamed of Dalmatian puppies every night for weeks. And I thought you and Mom were just so mean for not giving me one, especially since I was willing to do all the work of looking after the puppy. It just seemed so… unfair. I even wrote you a letter of complaint, remember?"
Jim chuckled. "How could I possibly forget? I still have it somewhere, and I'm pretty sure I can recite it practically verbatim. It began with: Dear Mr & Mrs Beckett, I am not happy. You have really hurt my feelings. And it ended with, Your angry daughter, Katie."
"I threatened to sue you and Mom," Kate said, laughing.
"You did. It was a very well-coordinated campaign – first polite requests, then tantrums, then a formal letter threatening legal action. You were only seven, but you certainly proved that you were the daughter of two lawyers."
"You know, I never told you and Mom this, but I actually grabbed the phonebook and called up a couple of firms for legal advice on how to compel you to buy me a puppy."
"You're kidding."
"I wish." Kate chuckled. "I seriously thought there had to be some kind of law against denying a child a dog. It's hysterical now, but at the time I was livid at their refusal to take my complaint seriously. As soon as I laid out my argument, the receptionist would crack up and tell me that I was 'so cute' but 'that's not how it works, sweetie'. I couldn't believe it."
Jim couldn't stop laughing. When Kate wanted something, she went all out. She was tenacious, even as a child. She hated to be told that anything was beyond her reach, and being laughed at when she was in earnest must have driven her crazy.
"But admit it, Dad," she said, "my campaign nearly worked. You came pretty close to folding. It was Mom that really held her ground."
Jim smiled. "Well, you were a hard kid to say no to, and you're right, I was this close to caving. But your mom said to me, 'Listen Beckett, a couple of months ago, Katie wanted a pony. Give her a little time; she'll want something else. If she's still asking for a puppy by Christmas, then we can talk about it.' And as always, she was right. It didn't take you all that long to forget all about the Dalmatian campaign – suddenly you wanted a tropical spider. A big, hairy one, if I recall correctly."
"I remember," Kate acknowledged, laughing. "And then a couple of months later, I wanted a little brother or sister."
"Oh, I'll never forget that one either," Jim said. "Your mom and I were actually planning to have two kids when we got married. But five or six years after you were born, it just didn't seem to be happening, so we decided to stop trying. Having you was more than enough for us. By the time you started your little sibling crusade, we weren't even thinking about having another child."
He thought back to his nightly pillow talk with Johanna, their quiet conversations in the cool darkness of their bedroom, her warm laughter, the way she'd liked to run her long fingers through the short hairs at the nape of his neck, warming her slender feet by tucking them under his. He missed that intimate companionship so much that sometimes it physically ached.
"But when you asked for a little brother or sister," he continued, "we seriously contemplated changing our decision. We were worried that you were lonely, that you were missing out on that special bond, the experiences that siblings share. But then you came home one day, and out of the blue you announced that you were very happy being an only child, and that you most emphatically did not want a little brother or sister. And you wouldn't tell us what had changed your mind."
Kate laughed. "There was a very simple reason. I had just come back from Carly's house. Her little brother was a monster, Dad. He teased us relentlessly, and it seemed like the madder we got, the more he loved it. I decided that being the only child wasn't so bad after all."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"Oh, absolutely, Dad," Kate replied. "I wouldn't trade my childhood for the world. It was wonderful. I have the best memories. And you know what? I did get my siblings in the end. Lanie is like a sister to me; Kevin and Javi are my brothers. We have the teasing, the laughs, the love and support. I couldn't ask for more."
Jim smiled. "And Castle?"
Kate paused. Finally she replied, in a tone that was as serious as Jim's question was lighthearted. "Definitely not a brother," was all she said, before changing the subject.
They talked a little more and then said good night.
A few days later, they were catching up again over the phone. Kate told Jim about how Royal had 'chosen' his new family with reality star Kay Cappuccio and her other dog.
"It was actually pretty funny, Dad," Kate said. "There we were, Castle and I, competing like crazy for his affections, and then he just walked over and picked someone else.
"But it was for the best," she continued. "We both loved having him, and I know we'll both miss him, but we had selfish reasons for wanting to keep him. For Castle, it was because Alexis is leaving for college soon; and for me…."
Kate trailed off, sighing. "Maybe," she finally said, "I just wanted someone to come home to."
Jim felt a pang at her words, but he recognized how healthy it was that she was willing to admit her desire for companionship. It was a necessary step in her journey towards wholeheartedly accepting that kind of unconditional love in her life. And not just from a dog, as "irresistibly adorable" as they could be.
She cleared her throat. "But in the end, Dad, what matters is what's best for Royal. He needs a family that'll give him the time and attention he deserves. We all do. He reminded us of that."
"Well, I'm glad it ended well for Royal," he said. "And I'm proud of you for making the right decision."
"Thanks," Kate said, laughing. "I'm actually kind of proud of us too, Dad. In some ways, I think Royal really showed us how far we've come."
As they ended their conversation several minutes later, Jim mentally thanked the four-legged friend he'd never met. His talk with Kate had left him feeling hopeful that she was still making progress, still on the path towards healing and self-acceptance. It wasn't an easy road by any means, but he couldn't wait to see her find the personal fulfilment she was working so hard to achieve.
A/N: As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! And guys, how awesome was 'Veritas'? I absolutely loved it. Hard to believe there's only one episode left in Season 6… how did that happen? I'm already dreading the summer hiatus!
Until next time….