Playing Hard to Get

Chapter 14

Kate watched as Alexis brought Lilly back. "Clean sheets, clean towels, and I need your apartment keys." Alexis held out her hand for them.

"Why?" Kate had stopped crying, but she was still angry as hell.

"You can wear the same clothes tomorrow if you wish. We're offering you a chance at wearing clean clothes tonight and tomorrow." Alexis kept her hand out, waiting for the keys.

"You're kidnapping me?" Okay, now she was even angrier as if that was possible.

"You have friends and family that love you. You've suffered a shock, and it was decided not to let you leave. I drew the short straw to get clothes for you." Alexis kept her hand out, waiting. "...Keys, please."

Kate frowned. "What if I don't want to stay here?"

Alexis sighed. Kate was being difficult. They warned her that she would be but seeing it was something else. "Dad wrote up a schedule. Lanie gets the first watch. One of us, including your dad, will always be on the door."

"My dad is in on this?" Kate honestly believed she would have at least one person on her side.

"Technically, it was Lanie's idea. My dad just did the work. Your dad agreed. Keys, please." Alexis was beginning to think she would have to come back later to get the keys.

Kate reluctantly fished her keys out of her pocket and held them out but didn't hand them over. "Dog food?" Right now, Lilly was her only friend who clearly loved her.

"Dahlia's bowls are full and in the bathroom. She tends to make a mess, and it's easier to clean it up in there." Alexis snatched the keys from her. "Thank you." Alexis left Kate sitting on the floor, but at least she had Lilly.

"At least you love me, don't you?" Kate kissed her puppy, which was getting bigger so very fast. Since she was thinking about her puppy, she got up and went into the bathroom and sure enough, right in front of the tub shower were two bowls. One had water, and the other had puppy food. So Kate put Lilly down, watching her head straight for the food and start crunching.

Kate sighed. She went back to the bedroom and looked around. Everything looked a lot like it did the first time she was here, so she sat on the bed and tried to think before deciding to lie down on her back and go back to crying.

What Castle had done to her was something she would never forgive him for, nor forget. Just when she was beginning to believe she might care for him, he went and did this.

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Jim sat at the breakfast bar and watched Rick make them all something to eat. "How do you feel, son?"

"Terrible. Guilty. I'm the cause of this." Rick kept working on their breakfast, but he wasn't concentrating on what he was doing.

"The person that killed Jo is the cause of this, not you. Katie changed and turned herself into the person she is today because of him. ...And me. I'm partly to blame for who she is today." Jim knew becoming a drunk was partly to blame.

Rick raised his head and looked at him. "You lost your wife. You dated her, fell in love with her, married her, had a child with her, and raised that child. Of course, it hurt. I don't mean to demean Kate's pain, but all she lost was a mother. You lost far more. You can be forgiven for hurting a little more."

"Perhaps, but I'm the father. I should have been there for my daughter, and I wasn't. I thought only of myself. I failed her and Jo. I can't imagine what Jo must think of me for what I did."

"But you got sober." Rick was thankful that he had. "I know Kate takes great pride in that."

"I had to find the absolute bottom first. Even now, I still have to fight it. I have to be very careful with what I eat. Go out to a restaurant, and I have to ask if they cook with wine. Wine has alcohol. And an incredible number of things contain alcohol.

"Have you ever wondered what's in some cold medicines?" Jim asked him.

"I hadn't really thought about that. Whoever it is has a lot to pay for." Rick knew that for sure. "Here, this batch is ready." Rick transferred some of it to a plate. "Take this up to Kate, please. She might not want to eat, but she has to be hungry." Rick put the plate on the counter in front of him.

"COFFEE!" Rick poured a cup. "Man may not live by coffee alone, but just try telling Kate that." Rick tried to make a joke of it. It was his chosen coping mechanism.

"Thanks, son." Jim picked both up after Rick put silverware on the plate.

"Are you decent?" Jim queried before he entered, even if the bedroom door was open.

"I am." Kate watched him come in with breakfast and what looked like coffee.

Jim wasn't sure where to put it till he saw a table and set it down there. "In case you're hungry."

"I'm not, but thanks, Dad." Kate had no interest in eating. "You agreed to this?" Kate really wanted to know.

"I did," Jim replied flatly.

"Why!? Of all people, you should know what Mom's case does to me." She had thought he, of anyone, would help protect her from this.

Jim decided to sit on the edge of the bed and look at her. "Castle learned something. He chose correctly and told us what it was. Can you imagine what you would do if you ever found out he had learned something and kept something like this to himself?

"It's more than either of us knew. I believe we both thought it was still a bit random but not what that detective told us it was. Nothing about that made sense. Finding that the killer targeted Jo was something of a shock, I'll admit.

"But what had she done that would cause this? We both know what she championed. So who did she decide to champion that would cause this?" Jim asked her.

"I don't know." Kate was having trouble thinking at all at the moment. "So what am I supposed to do now, Dad? If I investigate using this information, it may yet consume me. Ten years and nothing. What if it's another ten years? I'll be chasing leads for years to come. I'll never survive that. I just won't." Kate felt her tears starting all over again.

"Then do nothing at all." Jim saw the look of stupidity she was giving him. "You have a lead. What do you think you're going to do with it, interview every member of Special Forces? Do you really think the military will give a damn about what you think?" Jim challenged her.

He had her there. "No."

"Stay up here and calm down, and eat something. All of us will be downstairs if you need something, anything at all. And you can forget to ask to take your puppy outside. I'm pretty sure Alexis has control over that.

"You know, for someone so young, she is amazing. Sometimes it sounds like you're talking to someone who's 30 years old. Just close your eyes and forget what she looks like." Jim was terribly impressed with her.

Kate nodded her agreement. "I noticed."

"Rick has done a good job with her." Jim was impressed with him and her.

"You call him Rick?" Kate didn't.

"It's his name. You know he's down there suffering, Katie. He's hurting for what he found, hurting that you're up here crying and hurting."

"He's hurting!? He hasn't begun to hurt," Kate growled. She was going to make sure Castle knew what real hurt was.

"Don't do this to yourself. How was Rick supposed to know?" Jim asked her.

"I told him! I warned him, and he did it anyway. I should never have gotten involved with him. I should have stuck to my guns and kept him out of the Precinct," Kate grumbled. She was going to make sure he knew just what pain was.

Jim's eyebrows shot up. "Involved, Katie?"

"Not like that." Kate glared at him for even thinking that. Yet suddenly, seeing him naked came to mind. And, just how close she had come to having sex with him.

"Don't discount him too quickly. I only just met him, but I can see that he cares about you. You're up here hurting, and he's down there hurting too. The only difference I see between you is that he's willing to let his friends and family help him while you're up here licking your wounds all alone.

"Maybe you should pet your puppy some more, then come downstairs and talk to us. There will always be someone on the door, so you can't leave and do something stupid." Jim stood up.

"Pet your puppy, eat dinner, then come downstairs to talk to us. Sitting up here alone isn't going to accomplish anything. Trust me, I tried getting sober all alone after you finally reached me, and look what that did for me," Jim reminded her and left her.

Martha stopped him at the bottom of the stairs. "Anything?"

Jim shook his head. "Not much. She's far too stubborn to reach easily. Her mother taught her well, and she's taken it to a new level. She knows she can't escape here, but it may take a few hours before we see her again."

Martha had been mulling it over and thought a motherly talk might help. "I can talk to her."

"It might be best to give her a few hours. Let her pet her puppy and calm down, and then you can try," Jim offered.

Martha knew she could do that. Since she could use a little something after everything that had happened, she headed for the kitchen to find her favorite bottle of wine.

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Lanie had moved a chair from the living room to in front of the door since it was bigger, heavier, and far more comfortable than a chair from the dining room table. A knock had her moving her chair and opening the door to find Alexis with a carry-on.

"Find what you wanted?" Lanie inquired.

"I did my best. I was a bit confused about whether I should bring some of her sexy lingerie or something more comfortable, so I brought both. I even found something else and brought it too." Alexis had found something far more personal but brought it anyway. If she didn't use it, she didn't use it.

"How is she?" Alexis closed the door and helped Lanie push her chair back into place to block it. Later, they would replace the chair with an air mattress to sleep on to block the door.

Lanie sighed. "Jim took dinner and coffee up to her and talked to her. She's still mad."

"I never knew she was so stubborn," Alexis commented.

Lanie chuckled a little and corrected her. "Oh, honey, you haven't seen anything yet. This isn't her being stubborn. It's just Kate being mad."

"Wonderful. Well, I'm going to risk it, take her clothes upstairs, and maybe leave her alone." Alexis picked up her suitcase and headed for the stairs. She saw her dad watching her every step.

Alexis knew he had to tell her but did he have to do what he did in the first place? She still had to talk to him about that.

The door was open. "Knock knock?" Alexis called out. She entered and saw Kate on her back on her bed with Lilly on her chest, petting her. "I brought clothes. Something for tomorrow and something to wear tonight." Alexis sat it at the foot of the bed.

"Let me know when Lilly needs outside or if you need Dahlia too. I'm pretty sure they both love you." Alexis turned to leave.

Kate opened her mouth to stop her but closed it again and watched her leave. She groaned. Castle had put her in such a mess and all because he just wouldn't listen. She knew that going in, so why wouldn't he listen? Why had she let him in the first place? She had so very much to think over.

Then their date intruded on her mind and was followed by ending up naked next to him. "DAMN IT!"

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Lanie had given up her place to Jim and went to the kitchen so she could eat. Rick was being so sweet about cooking in stages to satisfy everyone.

Rick was cleaning up while Lanie ate. "Now do you understand, Castle?" she asked him.

"Yeah." It also told him that being an adult was a real pain. Yet necessary. Rick stopped cleaning and faced her. "She isn't ever going to forgive me, is she?"

"I don't really know. With Kate, you can never tell. It depends on what she thinks is important besides her mother's case. So tell me about this date you two went on, and don't leave anything out. I might be able to use some of that." Lanie watched him look around to see where everyone was, which didn't make sense. It was just a date. Wasn't it?

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Lanie had listened to Castle tell her where he had taken her girl on that date, and she was impressed. He had clearly shown her girl a good time.

"Castle?" He had stopped. Why had he stopped?

Rick looked around furtively. "If you tell her, she will kill me, and I mean really kill me. And you can't tell anyone."

"YOU HAD SEX!?" God, she had been hoping Kate would have sex with him. He was good for her. She could see that. Kate lived like she had a pole stuffed up her ass. She needed some fun in her life, and from what she could tell, Castle was all fun.

He shook his head. "No! But we think we came close. We think the alcohol was enough to drop some barriers, but it also caused another one. So in the end, nothing happened."

Now Lanie had a problem. How did she use this and not let Kate know she had learned it from Rick? Because the man was right. If Kate found out Rick had told her, she would most definitely kill him. Today she might get over, but this might take longer.

"I promise." Lanie watched him relax.

Rick knew he was still dead, but at least she wouldn't kill him twice.

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Alexis knew she needed to take Dahlia outside before selecting an air mattress to sleep on after using her dad's bathroom to change into her pajamas. She didn't actually sleep in pajamas any longer, but she couldn't wear out here what she wore in her room.

She looked up the stairs. If Dahlia needed outside, then so did Lilly. So up she went.

Alexis knocked first but didn't hear anything in response. Stepping inside, she saw Kate was actually in bed and appeared to have on what she had brought her to sleep in. Maybe she was feeling better.

But, she also had Lilly, who was practically lying on her head. Now how did she get Lilly without waking Kate up? Alexis was moving slowly and ever so cautiously lifted Lilly off her pillow. She had just managed to bring Lilly into her arms when she heard Kate say, "Thank you." She looked down, but her eyes were still closed.

"Go back to sleep," Alexis murmured. She retreated from the room with Lilly, gathered what she would need, and once downstairs, moved Jim from in front of the door so she could go outside with these two.

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Alexis had an awake Lilly and was taking her back upstairs. Quietly she entered her bedroom and was relieved to see Kate hadn't moved much. So carefully, she put Lilly on the bed, watched her go to Kate's head, and thankfully, instead of licking her, lay down next to her head.

"Good girl." Maybe Lilly could do what none of them seemed to be able to do.

"She's sleeping. I left Lilly with her to keep her company," Alexis told everyone except for her Grams. Martha had already made her way upstairs and paused to check on Katherine before moving on to her own room.

"Wake me when it's my turn at the door," Alexis said. The only person not taking a turn was Martha. It wasn't that she hadn't offered. She had, but Rick and Alexis voted her down. Jim had abstained from voting. Lanie hadn't been there to vote.

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Alexis had her laptop in her lap. She was using an extension cord to plug it in since there wasn't a receptacle near the door, or at least not close enough to plug in her computer.

Something made Alexis look around. Not seeing anything, she glanced up the stairs and saw Kate in her sleep shirt, poking her head out the door and looking downstairs. Kate clearly saw her at the door. Since she was in a sleep shirt, Alexis was betting she wouldn't make a run for it dressed like that.

So Alexis raised her hand and used a finger to beckon her and get her to come down the stairs.

Kate actually came downstairs and looked around while she did. The main part of the loft was entirely rearranged. The dining room table was up against a wall, and the sofa and table behind it were turned ninety degrees to make space.

In that space were two air mattresses. Her dad was on one and Castle on the other. Where Alexis was supposed to sleep was a mystery, but maybe she was going to take one over when she was relieved.

"What are you looking for, Kate?" Alexis whispered.

"I didn't eat my dinner, and it's cold. I was thinking toast or a bagel and coffee, maybe," Kate whispered back.

"It's all in the kitchen. There are some prepared strawberries in the refrigerator if you're interested. Along with orange juice and milk if you like. Help yourself."

Kate frowned. "You don't trust me." Alexis hadn't offered to help her.

"It's not that. Lanie told me that if I allowed you to escape, even if you were buck naked, she would skin me alive," Alexis whispered and then lowered her voice even more. "Lanie can be really scary when she wants to be." Then Alexis smiled at her.

"Oh, I know, trust me, I know." Kate smiled back and hurried into the kitchen. She put a bagel that looked worth eating into the toaster and found the cream cheese along with the strawberries and orange juice instead of coffee.

Kate thought about going back upstairs to keep licking her wounds and to think. Instead, she quietly moved two dining room chairs close to Alexis, put her food on one, and sat on the other.

"Can we talk?" Kate asked her.

Alexis decided she would listen and nodded. She closed her laptop and tucked it between herself and the side of the chair. "Dad's relieving me in two hours. What's on your mind?"

"Where's Lanie?" She saw her dad and Castle but not her best friend.

"Dad talked her into sleeping on his bed and said it was far more comfortable than an air mattress. She hasn't left either. Only Dr. Death. He did his job."

"Ah." Kate delayed saying anything by taking a bite of her bagel. "I'm still really angry with Castle. He did the exact opposite of what I told him to do. I should have known better, but I dropped my guard."

"If I understand the timing of how everything happened, he had already called in Dr. Death before you told him anything about your mom's case. What you told him, not that I know just what it was that you told him, happened after that day.

"When my dad found something, we all told him you had to know. Even if you actually did shoot him – just didn't really kill him, one would hope – you had to be told, Kate. You don't just keep information like that to yourself. He told Lanie, and Lanie called in your dad. Together we told you."

Kate sat there in silence while she ate her bagel and drank her orange juice, saving her strawberries for later.

"Does Castle have to be like this?" Kate asked her.

"Dad? Do you remember being a little girl? Your major problem was, oh, I don't know, whether you were a good girl and if Santa was going to leave you a present. Nothing else really mattered. Not the Gulf War, not what happened to the Twin Towers. Only adults really cared about such things.

"When I was little, having someone like Dad was so much fun. He made my life the very best it could be. I remember hearing other kids at school complaining about their parents. I didn't have that problem. I loved my dad.

"Did you know when he was little, he didn't know who his dad was and still doesn't? Grams did her best to provide for them. She didn't make much money. They didn't live like this." Alexis waved a hand at what she had now.

"I know he would do anything for me, but there are limits. Most of them are self-imposed by me. If I asked for maybe a scooter, he probably wouldn't get it for me. I might someday talk him into giving me the car keys but buy me a car?" Alexis shook her head.

"Once, I even asked him for the latest and greatest Light Saber. He said no, but I have it at the top of my Christmas list, so I haven't given up on it just yet.

"You're lucky, Kate. You got to have your mom for 19 whole years. I have a mom, but I've never had a mother. All I ever had was Dad. My mom is a whole different story.

"I Know he's rich, and I'll never have to live like he did, but he doesn't give me a silver spoon. Unless living like this and having all the food I need is a silver spoon. I can't help but love him. Dad has made my life wonderful. Yes, he can prove to be a challenge on occasion. But that's just part of him.

"If you can get over what he did, you might learn something. He had to tell you what he found out. He had to, and even he knew it. By then, he knew what your reaction would be. But he still knew he had to tell you.

"Think, Kate. You know something you never did before. You may not know who or why exactly, but you do know why now. Dad does know people. How do you think he keeps me out of the press no matter what he does to keep him in it?" Alexis asked her.

"I suppose," Kate said and picked up her bowl of strawberries.

"You can leave the chairs." Alexis smiled at her. "For when you come back down here to talk."

Kate gave her a grin and went back upstairs to her puppy, which was growing like a damn weed.