#67


Sir Claude's missing.

— ANONYMOUS


(Sir Claude is Maisie's dog from This Is the Dreamworld) This Is the Dreamworld 2 was a prequel of sorts to that, and there was a Christmas edition as well which would happen after this)

btw, this is inspired by Jeremy Affeldt's retirement speech (excerpted) from the San Francisco Giants. he told a story similar and it struck me how willing we are for a bunch of grown men with families, with young children, to leave their kids for eight months out of the year to play a game. but suggest that a woman like Beckett have a career which requires her to live in a different city from her family, a career in which she saves the country from terrorists, and it's suddenly not okay.

feminist rant over


"Mom, you have to come home."

Kate pauses in the middle of the war room, holds her finger up to Rachel McCord. "Maisie. We've talked about this."

"You have to come home. I want you to come home, right now-"

There's a commotion on the other end and then the sounds of the phone being taken away, Castle's breathless apology. "I didn't know she'd say that. She's been beside herself, and she's melodramatic, I know, but-"

"Beside herself?" Kate says sharply, cutting through the apology. "What's happened?"

"She didn't say? Maisie lost Sir Claude-" A shriek and Kate winces, can practically hear Castle wincing on the other end. "Apologies, Sir Claude is simply lost. Somewhere inside the building. Maisie took him down to the storage room, looking for Halloween decorations."

Kate groans, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She's stupidly fond of the Corgi she never intended to buy for their daughter. "I feel like this is my fault."

"No, Kate, it's-"

"I was supposed to have Sir Claude with me this week."

They've worked out a system. It's a lot like joint custody - between her and Maisie. She's fond of the stupid dog that much.

"It would've happened sooner or later. Sir Claude likes to dash off."

"Put the little bug on the phone again," Kate sighs.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She leans back against the cinder block wall, holds up a finger to McCord who is tapping her watch. She doesn't really have time for this, but she has to make time. She has to. This is her life; this is how it works.

"Mom?" Her daughter sounds tear-streaked.

"Hey, Maze. I hear Sir Claude is lost somewhere in the building?"

A whimper. "He got on the elevator without me."

Kate tries not to smile, really has to work to suppress it. "Did you know that you did that to me one time too?"

"I know," Maisie wailed. "Dad already said that one. Mom, he's gone."

"He's not gone," she promises quietly. "Here's what you need to do. Are you paying attention, Maze?"

She can almost hear her daughter straightening up, squaring her thin five-year-old shoulders. Kate has learned how to decipher these things over a phone line, a skype video chat. Her daughter's quick breath means she's getting control of herself again. "I'm paying attention."

"First thing. Do some detective work, okay?"

"Yes, detective," Maisie thrills. "I can do that."

"Take Dad with you down to talk to Eduardo, and ask him pretty please, in your best, most convincing Gram-voice, ask him pretty please can he look at the security footage and see what floor Sir Claude's elevator let him off on?"

"Oh, Mom. Mom, you are so smart."

"And then get on Dad's laptop and make a handful of flyers. Put Sir Claude's picture in the middle and our apartment number and phone number for people to reach us. Then have Daddy got with you to knock on doors on that floor."

"Mom, I love you, I love you, I love you."

She laughs and hears kisses smeared against the phone and then the clatter as it falls, her daughter's Daddy shrieked across the loft.

She hangs up, slides into the meeting with McCord she put off.

—–

When her phone vibrates in her pocket, she carefully checks it under the table.

She finds a picture from Castle waiting for her: Sir Claude licking Maisie's cheeks and her daughter's joyful, overwhelmed expression.

Found. Thanks, Sherlock.

—–