Once Lost But Now Found

Chapter 9 – Home coming

Getting Ready For the Weekend

Her male classmates who visited regularly were four in their assigned room, Edwards, Espo, Ryan and Demming. Each now were getting set to have their first weekend away from the Academy, the result of being designated as a Senior class.

"So Edwards I understand you asked your old squeeze Kate out on a date?", says Demming to their group.

"It isn't really a date, I just asked if she wanted to see me this weekend and spend some time together. Where it leads remains open."

"Yeah, well I think you just want to get back in her pants", replies Demming, "but if it doesn't happen, pass her on to me."

"Demming, you are such a jerk. Kate is not property you pass on to another. She is an intelligent and extremely attractive women who you need to treat with respect."

"Yeah, says the man who bedded her. You tapped her back then! What makes you think she is still interested? You dumped her for another. Step aside and let a real man try for her."

"Look Tom, she was my first and I was hers. That counts for something and if I had not let my male hormones get to me at the time, Kate and I might still have been together. You are such a male slut, what makes you think she would be interested in you."

"Come on Edwards, we both are men of the world and know the score. Or are you worried that she would have an interest in me? Afraid that she would find me more attractive than you?"

"Okay Demming, I will tell you something I was keeping quiet on. Kate is seeing someone."

"Is it serious? She doesn't have a ring on her finger so as far as I am concerned, she is on the market."

"You are such an insensitive neanderthal. She's raising their kid with him, and they have an arrangement for now. But both are mature and realistic to know that having a kid together does not mean they would make a good married couple, so they both have agreed to see other people to test their feelings."

"Well, there you go, she is available and the fact she has a kid means she knows her way in bed. Maybe she just wants a romp to quench a thirst and I am all for that!"

"You say that like you think she is easy. She is not, but she is also not a virgin, and knows what she wants in a man. We both might not meet her standards."

"I'd like a chance to see", replies Demming.

"Well, go for it but know her daddy child is none other than Richard Castle."

"The rich millionaire author and divorced playboy. From what I have heard and read, that man could have any woman he wants and has a bevy of groupies who would willingly jump in bed with him."

"Yes, none other, unless he has a twin also named Rick Castle!"

"That just tells me she is good in the sack to get that man's attention. Now I want a go at her even more."

"You know what Demming, you really are a man whore. All you want from her is sex. This discussion is over!"

Edwards is dressed now and has a small duffle bag for his weekend away. He intends to check into a good hotel and take in the night life of NYC. He, Espo, and Ryan had reserved a suite at the Edison Hotel off of Broadway, and were headed out to check in.

As Demming sees them leave, he is more intrigued now with one Kate Beckett, an extremely hot potential conquest to make another notch on his bedpost. Still, he has another woman ready to pick him up, so he is not lacking for female companionship for his weekend. Despite, he is interested in Kate and wants to see where it could go, regardless of his competition.

For Demming it is a ego thing as well as a physical attraction to Kate. Demming wants to see if he can get to Kate despite all the others interested in her. May the best player win! He is not at all afraid of the reputation that Rick Castle has, in fact, getting Kate would mean he is better at it than the rich playboy writer. That is a challenge he is more than willing to take on. Edwards is just a weak contender as far as Demming is concerned, despite Edward's history with Beckett. The real challenge is in Rick Castle!

Return to the Loft

Her Dad had picked her up at the Academy as it was closest to his work. Yes, her dad had been sober and working part time during the time she had been at the academy. Jim had want to save Rick the effort of packing up Alexis' baby bag, strapping her into the car chair, and then heading out to pickup Kate. Jim Beckett was more than pleased to pick up his daughter and save Rick the time and effort. When he got to the entrance of the Police Academy, there was his daughter Kate, standing in the passenger loading zone to the academy, along with several other Police Academy Cadets. He pulled up to her and she opened the passenger side door. Kate gave him a quick introduction to her classmates thru the open passenger door and then she got in his car. Once in the car, she had leaned over to her dad's side to give him a quick and affectionate kiss to the cheek. She waved goodbye to her Cadet friends as the car pulled away.

"Thanks dad, I have missed you. It is so great you could pick me up. That saves Rick so much energy that he needs for Alexis."

"I am glad to do it. At her age, my granddaughter is a handful. I am glad to help in anyway. Now tell me about the first five weeks at the academy."

Kate gave an enthusiastic and detailed account of her academy stay for the first five weeks. The tale of that first five weeks had lasted till they actually pulled into the parking structure of Rick's loft and took the guest parking space next to their regularly assigned space. Kate could not wait to hold her daughter for the first time in five weeks.

When she got to the loft, she saw Rick holding their daughter, comes up to Rick for a quick hug and affectionate kiss to his cheek. Then she takes Alexis from Rick and gives her a tight hug and kiss.

"Oh my dear sweet-pea, mommy has missed you so much."

Alexis looks at her mom with those blue eyes, or rather, more than blue eyes of her father's, and coos.

"Well, she knows her mommy is back", says Rick.

"Did you miss me Lex? Did daddy take good care of you? Must have, I see no missing parts.", Kate jokes making light of the tense longing emotions on display in the loft.

"Glad to have you back Momma", says Rick.

"Glad to be back. Is that dinner I smell? Smells so good, I have missed Daddy's cooking", Kate tells her child.

"Well, let's get seated at the Dining Table. It is lasagna with garlic bread and Italian salad, let's dig in."

They all get seated at the table and then have the meal. After dinner, Jim leaves for the townhome. He had taken off early to have time to pick up Kate so she did not wait too long for her ride. After her dad leaves, Kate repeats some of what she told her dad about the academy and then finishes her account as they clean up after themselves. She tells Rick about Brent Edwards and their history. That Brent had invited her to hang out together over the weekend.

"Kate, he is part of your class, if you want to meet with him that is fine with me."

"You are not disturbed that Brent might want something more serious?"

"Kate, I have said we need to see others to test our 'relationship' ", Rick provides quotation marks with his fingers to highlight to the word relationship and then continues, "we need to see if we can be a couple, in the truest sense. Edwards was your first, that means something special. If you want to explore those possibilities, I will not stop you being with him or any other man who is interested. I don't want us together just because of your pregnancy. I want us to be together because our life experiences tells us we are right for one another. You are young and still have many experiences ahead. I will not stop you from those events. Just know I am here for you and our child whatever comes about in our future. I do have feelings for you, but we need to know that what we have is real."

"What if I want to commit now?"

"I would say give it time. Let's get thru being parents for a while. When you decide, I want it to be something that is good not just for us, but for our child. If it means we share her and raise her in separate relationships, I could accept that."

"Rick, how is it I happen to be with you? Any other man would not be as sensible and considerate of my wellbeing and that of our child. Whatever the future holds, know that I will always be thankful for us and what we share?"

"We are good then, let's get on with raising our daughter."

First Night Back

They were in the living room doing a DVD night. Rick had prepared the popcorn and drinks and set them on the sofa table. After five weeks of separation where there had been no communication, not even a cell call, now they finally were having some alone time together. Alexis was asleep in her crib, baby monitor on, so they were really alone.

"I have missed our nights like this."

"Well we have missed you too and our daughter needs her mommy back."

"I thought of the two of you every night at the academy."

"It was tough Kate not having you here. Not just because I had to go it alone, but we really missed your presence."

Kate gets coy, "Are you trying to soften me up and get me to your bed to have your way with me."

Rick senses her tease and replies right back, "That thought had come to mind but then I realized I already done that and look what it got us. This little bundle of joy we named Alexis."

Kate's eyes show affection at Rick's reply. Then her face gets serious and she tells him, "Rick, know that I do have feelings for you and they have been growing. What if I wanted to commit now and ask that we be exclusive?"

"I want that too Kate, but as I said before, let's see where it goes after you graduate. You need to just concentrate on finishing the academy and I will take care of our daughter and allow you to do so. You are not to think of anything else that will make your goal more difficult then it already is. Don't let us be a distraction from your goal of becoming a cop. Kate make us proud by graduating to become Officer Kate Beckett of the NYPD."

"Rick, you and Alexis have given me more than enough motivation. I sometimes think if she had never happened, would I be as driven as I am now. Alexis has given me perspective of what it is to be a mother. I have a better appreciation of my mom. And I will get justice for her. I truly intend to raise Alexis to know of her maternal grandmother and what she was like. If nothing else, I am now more determined to do that because of Alexis... and you. Thru all my troubles, the two of you have become my rock. You both are my beacon of light thru dark times. I cannot see how it could be otherwise. I want it to be that way always."

"Wow Kate, you really know how to pull a guy in! I'm the writer here who uses words to portray emotions and thoughts but with that reveal I am left wordless. Kate let's agree to revisit this discussion a year after you graduate. Let's have our lives settle into some normalcy and then we can make a decision. Does that sound right?"

"You always know what to say Rick Castle. I want to talk about us and where we want to go after graduation. Until then my goal is to graduate. Then finish my rookie year at the NYPD."

They embrace and seal their agreement with a passionate kiss. As Rick's lips meet hers, and he gives her tongue, her knees weaken. Had Rick not been holding her, she would have fallen. This is exactly the reaction she had that night they got together.

She had never had a reaction like that with any other man in her life. She wanted it. Wanted all of it, the good times, the bad times, the fights, the making up, the sharing of a lifetime together. But was her future to be Rick, was he her one and done? Rick was right however to let things settle before making that leap. To test whether Rick truly was Her's. So much had happened with the pregnancy and now her being at the Academy. She vowed to herself to take that journey and see where it led. After all, when scaling a mountain, it was the climb that got you to the top. No matter how hard or how easy, she was determined to make the climb!