Chapter 3: Judge Found Home
Kate stands at the bottom of the courthouse stairs, watching Castle start his way up. She wonders if she should really be doing this. Should she really have let the man that on a regular basis complains that Alexis won't play laser tag with him enough, make her life decisions? He turns around halfway up the stairs when he realizes Kate is not following him. "Come on, Kate," he says steady and hushed.
"Yeah, of course," She shakes her head and steadies herself, before quickly making her way up the stairs.
When she and Castle enter the courtroom she gets the overwhelming feeling to run and hide as far away from here as possible, but she walks forward and sits down with a serious demeanor. Lux is standing at the front facing the judge. On the other side is Lux's case worker, who says that she has only been Lux's case worker for a few months and that she tends to change hands often. Kate sits very still as she digs her right thumb nail into her left hand's palm.
"I see, with seven different foster homes," the judge says critically.
"Oh that's not really my fault," Lux smiles for assurance and innocence.
"And whose is it? Surely you're not saying it's the seven different families who tried to take you in," the judge says dismissing Lux completely. Castle can see, in his peripheral, Kate's jaw tighten to the judge's response.
"No," Lux stammers, "I mean I wanted a good home, the state of New York just hasn't provided me with one."
"So you have no permanent place of residence as of today."
"Well as soon as my petition is granted there is a studio not far from my school."
The judge puts down the paper and glares at Lux, "You're going to afford an apartment, on what income?"
"I have three thousand dollars in the bank."
"Well who is going to cosign your rental agreement?"
Lux lets out a short smile followed by a somewhat condescending tone, "The whole point of being emancipated is that I won't need it cosigned."
"No landlord is going to rent to a minor-"
Castle stands up, "Your honor, I'll cosign."
Kate stands and slaps Castle's arm, "Castle," she scolds glaring at him.
He turns to the judge only to see Lux also glaring at him. "Ok, wow, your guys' glares-"
"I'm sorry who are you?" the judge interrupts.
Lux turns back to the judge, "He's… um … my birth mothers friend.
"Fiancé," Castle corrects. Kate glares at him to silently reprimanding him.
The judge asks the case worker to give her the case file, which the case worker does promptly. "Ma'am," the judge says to interfere with Kate's glower, "You're a New York detective, correct?"
Kate squints a little, "Yes, your honor."
"No criminal record, and in possession of a working vehicle, and I know who you are Mr. Castle."
"Thank you, your honor."
"That is not praise, Mr. Castle," the judge says sternly. Kate lets out a quiet laugh, when Castle's face deflates.
Lux shakes her head in disbelief, "I'm sorry, what is going on?"
The judge gets serious and in response so does Lux, "Okay, I'm going to be very straight with you. I am NOT granting you emancipation." Lux goes into shock as she tries to gather a protest, but nothing comes out. "You have no income, you have no permanent residence, you filed a fee waiver to cover your court costs," the judge takes a breath, "Now, Katherine Beckett is still legally your mother."
Lux looks back and forth between the judge and Kate and begins grasping at straws, "Uh actually she's not. I had that paper signed, just like my case worker did for my biological father."
"But unlike your case worker you did not go through the proper channels, this signature was neither witnessed nor notarized," the judge protests. Lux shakes her head in disbelief, the reality of the situation boiling up inside. "So, unless anyone here has an objection I'm releasing you back into her temporary custody." The three of them all stand there with their mouths slightly open. The judge looks them all over quickly with assurance, "This case is dismissed."
…
Lux leads the way, quickly moving down the stairs, "Well that was the opposite of being emancipated." Halfway down she turns irritably at them, "What was that?"
"Lux," Kate says carefully.
"I had a plan you know," Lux says turning to continue back down the stairs, "A place to live, people who depended on this, hell I depended on this," Lux's speech quickly dies as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.
"Look Lux, I'm sorry," Kate starts.
Lux raises her eyebrows and laughs, "It's not your fault," she cuts a quick fierce look at Castle, who answers with a confused frown.
Kate looks at Castle then tries to deflect Lux, "Do we need to go get your stuff?" Kate says as she opens the back passenger door for her.
"Yeah," Lux says pursing her lips and taking her seat in the car as she crosses her arms across her chest. When Kate closes the door and turns to Castle, who was standing right behind her, she glares at him. The look and the way her jaw is so tight makes him think of the first couple of months he shadowed her, which means he is probably in trouble.
"I'll just…" Castle stammers pointing at the car.
As Castle starts walking around the front of the car, Kate's stare doesn't break, "Castle the keys."
"Right," Castle says as he swivels on his heels and heads back towards the passenger side. As soon as Castle hands her the keys, she goes around the back of the car and sits driver's seat.
…
It seems pretty impossible that this is the place, but Lux seemed pretty sure giving directions. "This it?" Kate asks turning in her seat to see Lux.
"Yup," Lux says pushing herself out of the car, "Pretty huh?" Lux smiles as she slams the door making Kate close her eyes and Castle wince. Castle grimaces out the window. The dark gray house is boarded in a manner that makes it look like a haunted house.
He looks back at Kate, whose bottom lip is lightly bitten between her teeth as she peers out his window. "Kate," he warns.
"This is not good Castle; all of this is not good."
"I'm sorry," Castle says it earnestly, but Kate smiles. Castle raises his eyebrows at her, "You think it's funny she hates me?"
"She'll warm up to you, I did." Lux is suddenly banging the palm of her hand on the trunk of the car. They both turn to see her out the back window. When she makes eye contact with them, she points at the trunk as if to say 'why haven't you opened the freaking trunk yet?' Kate turns and pops the trunk. "She'll warm up," Kate says more in a pleading tone this time.
"Yeah," Castle breathes out.
Lux plops herself back down in the car, "Okay so where to now?"
"The loft," Kate says as she pulls back into the street.
"My loft," Castle corrects.
"No need to be possessive, Castle," Kate smirks.
"You're the one that still has a separate apartment," Castle protests.
Kate laughs, "Yeah, that houses out of season clothes and take out Chinese from two months ago because that is the last time I was there."
"Plus after your volunteering in court today I believe it is our loft," Lux interjects. Castle drops his jaw in fake shock, but when he sees Kate full heartedly giggling and looks back to see Lux smiling, he cannot help but reflect their happiness with a laugh.
…
"Alexis! Mother!" Castle walks in the door with two of Lux's suitcases. Kate and Lux had stayed behind to park the car and would soon be coming through the door. Alexis hops down the stairs and slides in her socks on the hardwood floor.
"Whoa, dad what's with the bags? Did Beckett finally give up her apartment?"
Castle tilts his head to the side, "Were you in the car with us?"
"No?" Alexis giggles.
"Nothing," he shakes off. Castle smiles thinking about how she is always such a ray of sunshine and how he really has enjoyed her return, but then he thinks about adding a not so sunny teen to the mix and gets a little worried. "Where's gram?"
"She said she was going out, would be back by midnight. You didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"What's with the bags?" Alexis trails off as she tries to peer around Castle at the doorway, where Kate and Lux are now standing along with the rest of Lux's stuff at their feet.
"There mine," Lux says warmly, "Speaking of, where do they go?"
"Upstairs first door to the right," Castle says, promptly picking up the two bags at his feet and carrying them up. Lux picks up the suitcase, pillow, and teddy bear at her feet and follows him.
Alexis points at the ceiling once the two of them are upstairs and quizzically looks at Kate, "Who's-"
Kate smiles and gestures with her head, to the couch, "Sit?"
Alexis shrugs, "Sure."
Kate pushes off her heels with her toes and sits gently on the couch, twists sideways to face Alexis and slowly pulls her knees to her chest. Alexis plops on the couch, bouncing a little on the cushion, crossing her legs pretzel style. Her long pink pajama pants make her look younger than she has in a long time.
Castle comes slowly down the stairs. He sees a shift in Kate's expression when she sees him and he gently responds, "She's getting ready for bed," as he slides next to Alexis placing his arm around her.
Alexis pulls a smile, "Let me guess, she's a product of one of dad's conquests?"
"No," Castle laughs.
Kate squints at her, "You really are your father's daughter," then turns to Castle, "A mini you."
"Says the women whose daughter is a blonde haired, blue eyed copy of her," Castle teases.
Alexis' eyes automatically widen as she turns to Castle then Kate, "Whose what?"
Kate's eyes scold him, "Thanks Castle."
"No problem," he says with a smile.
"She's your daughter?" Alexis asks slowly as if trying to digest the concept.
Kate bites her lip with a smile, "Yeah."
Lux walks halfway down the stairs and stops. Kate looks at her; she looks a lot less harmless in her pajama shorts. Kate smiles, "Do you need something?"
"Do you guys have an extra toothbrush?"
Kate looks at Castle because she honestly has no idea; he turns and looks at Lux, "Yeah I'll show you."
Kate and Alexis watch them as they go upstairs. Kate's elbow is placed on the back of the couch. Her hand is placed on her chin like she is thinking really hard as she is bites one of her finger nails. Alexis tilts her head a little as she studies her, "Beckett, you okay?"
Kate takes her hand out of her mouth and uses it to push her hair behind her ear. She smiles a quick smile, "Yeah," she thinks for a second then looks Alexis in the eyes, "Look Alexis I don't want you to feel like you're being pushed out. I can always take Lux to my apartment."
Alexis smiles; she does enjoy that Kate cares to ask what her opinion is and if she is okay. Her own mother never really seemed to care and Gina didn't really acknowledge her existents, so this is nice, but in this case it is completely unnecessary. "Oh no, she's fine, I'm not sure you are though."
Kate puts on a solemn smile, "Thanks but I'm fine."
Castle and Lux race down the stairs. Kate and Alexis watch them confused. "Is there a fire?" Alexis asks. Castle goes to the kitchen while Lux stops at the island and watches Castle go to the freezer.
Lux turns to them, more specifically Alexis, with a comically skeptical look on her face, "Castle thinks he can make the best sundae ever."
Kate and Alexis start to head to the kitchen to join them. Lux continues to look at them to see if they will validate Castle. Alexis takes this time to observe Lux's stance, one of her hands is on her hip and the other is on the island. Alexis smiles and turns to Kate and says, "Definitely a mini you."