Authors Note: So it's time again for another Natalie Elizabeth DisneyCastleFriends18 challenge. A way to motivate us to create something out of nothing. We use a random number generator to select a season and episode of Castle to watch. We do this for 3 episodes. The ones that were randomly chosen were 1x8 Ghosts 2x2 The double down 5x3 Secrets safe with me. We live on either side of the globe yet we watch Castle episodes online together. We chat during the breaks and take notes. Then we each write a story without discussing it with each other. Which is so hard considering we often talk to each other about ideas. We try and guess which ep the other decided to write and about what. Last time we somehow wrote very similar stories about 2 different episodes. So, let's see how we go this time around. Check out her story What's Going On ?
Love is Everything
By
Natalie Elizabeth
Castle sat on the stairs looking at the gold medal he had given Alexis for riding her bike without training wheels. He had been so proud of her that day. When she set her mind on a goal there wasn't anything he could do to stop her. He was glad she didn't get his adventurous spirit; he didn't know if he could survive that. Putting the medal back in the box with other items she had decided were not going to make the journey to the dorms he stood up and approached his mother.
"So Mother, what should we have for dinner tonight. I've been working on this idea for a coffee-flavoured…"
"Oh, Richard darling sorry I have plans."
Castle frowned. "But you just said you will always be here for my so I am never alone."
Martha breezed past him. "Well yes darling figurately I will be here for you but just not tonight."
She held up a bottle of wine that she had obviously just stolen from the kitchen as she headed up the stairs.
"I'm going to the dinner party tonight and I just needed to grab some wine. There's leftover Chinese in the fridge for you. I made sure to leave you some, another sacrifice I made for you."
Castle shook his head at his mother's antics. He would be hearing about her so-called sacrifice forever.
"Thank you, Mother. "
"You are welcome, Richard."
Walking over to his fridge he opened the door and spied the containers of food. Pulling out a few he gave them a sniff before shrugging and taking them to the counter. Emptying the contents onto a plate before throwing it in the microwave. He got himself a drink before pulling out his phone. Bringing up his messages he sent off a text to Beckett.
Call when ready
They wouldn't need to do their late-night chat sessions anymore. He could call her at a decent hour and no one would get suspicious of his long calls. No more hiding in his bathroom with towels shoved under the door to block the noise in case his mother or daughter walked in and heard there not so work-appropriate conversations. When his phone rang, he was surprised to see it was Beckett.
"Hey. I didn't think you would be free to talk so soon."
"Hey, Castle I just got home."
His microwave beeped indicating it had finished reheating his food.
"Ah, that's my food. Give me a second ill put my phone on loudspeaker."
Putting his phone on the bench he tapped it a few times.
"Can you hear me?"
"Yep. Can you hear me I put mine on speaker too while I look for something to eat?"
Castle opened the microwave door and looked at his plate. "Well, you know you could come here and share my food."
"No Castle we agreed you needed to get through this first night without Alexis alone."
Castle laughed as he took his plate out of the microwave nearly burning himself on the hot surface of the plate.
"Oh, Detective Beckett I am never going to be alone."
"Mmmmm Really Mr Castle you seem so sure of yourself."
"Oh, I'm very sure."
"And why's that." She asked in a teasing manner.
"Because my mother informed me, she is making the ultimate sacrifice and that she will continue to live with me."
Beckett started to laugh. "Right, she's doing that for you."
Castle smiled. "Yes. So selfless of her isn't it. Looking out for her poor lonely son."
"Well, you're not exactly poor Castle,"
"Yeah, and I'm not lonely either. Unless me having my mother as a roommate is a deal-breaker for you." He nervously waited for her answer.
"You know Castle for someone so smart you can be very dumb."
Castle frowned. "You're the second person to tell me that today. I'm surprised my head doesn't swell with all these lovely compliments," he joked.
Beckett laughed. "I'm sure your ego can handle it. If your head got any bigger it wouldn't fit through the door frame.
"So, I take it my mother living with me isn't going to send you screaming."
"No, I was kind of hoping her son would be the one to make me scream."
Castle coughed as he choked on his noodles.
"I can still shock you I see. Good to see that the thrill isn't over now that the chase is."
"I will never stop being shocked by you. However, you may want to keep the screaming to a dull roar unless you want Mother to discuss it over breakfast.
"Castle I was willing to face your mother naked in a sheet. I think I can handle post-sex discussion."
"I can't believe she knew you were hiding in the closet and didn't say anything. That's another thing you will have to deal with, my mother toying with you."
"Oh, Castle if I can put up with you, your family will be a breeze."
"Another hit to the ego."
"Well with Alexis at college you need someone to keep you in line. Oh, I never got a chance to ask how did it go getting her all settled in. You came rushing back to the precinct and we never discussed it was she okay."
Castle sighed. "Well, there were tears all-round. Oh, and by the way she is cool with us. When I told her, you could never replace her she called me dumb. She knew that, turns out she was just a little apprehensive about me not being there like I always have been. Which is a relief as I was starting to feel like maybe she didn't need me you know."
"Alexis is mature for her age Castle but in the end, we are all little girls at heart that just need their daddy. You just need to know when to step back or step up"
"Yeah."
"Maybe you should try to organize a regular family night. All go out for dinner or even just in your home."
"Like once a week?"
"Step back a bit Castle. Maybe once a month at least. Make it official, book it in. No one makes other plans on that date and make it a really special event. That way she will always want to come home."
"And umm being family night will you be there too."
"Umm well, I can be. Maybe the first few should just be the three of you. If after a few months I haven't had to arrest you for using my computer to track down every guy that talks to Alexis then sure I'll do my best to be there."
"I wouldn't use your computer."
"No, you used Ryan's."
"You knew about that?"
"So smart so dumb," she muttered. "If there is a good reason to investigate someone Alexis is with ill talk to her first about your concerns and then ill get Espo to go scare the guy."
"Aww, you'd do that for me."
"Castle I care about your family as if they were my own. Even before we got together. I'd do anything for them. They aren't a deal-breaker. If anything, they sweeten the deal."
"I'm not sure if I should be offended by that."
"Got to get your head through the door to my apartment somehow."
"OH, okay I'm down with that. So, when exactly am I going to be needing to fit my head through that door? "
"Well, you need to spend the night there without Alexis."
"You know she's been away before."
"But it doesn't mean you can't get up super early."
"I've never wanted to go to sleep so badly in my entire life.
"Sweet dreams sweetheart.