Charlie III

Chapter 5

Sometime during the night Rick realized that he'd moved away from Alexis who was still sleeping soundly. However, now that he was awake he also found that he really, really needed to pee. He knew peeing on his daughter's bed would not go over well besides being embarrassed greatly. So he got up and went to the edge of the bed. Now he had to get down after getting up there. It sounded simple enough yet it looked like a tall jump. Yet he had little choice.

The jump turned out to be simple and didn't even hurt, though he was betting he wasn't going to win an Olympic Gold medal or any medal. It didn't matter, he was down.

With the door still open enough to get out he found himself at the top of the stairs, looking down. He never even noticed but he whimpered over how he was going to get down these stairs. Getting down turned out to be one step at a time. "I just had to buy a house with stairs." Whimper.

Rick found the puppy pee pads easily enough and he just stood there and peed. "We are never talking about me peeing on my own floor ever!" Bark, bark.

Now he was thirsty and drank from his bowl. He was also hungry now, so he went over to the stairs and looked up them. He did have an option for getting fed and besides he really did want to see her and spend time with her. After all she was his wife.

Rick ran to the master bedroom, saw the door wasn't completely closed, and pushed it open. He could actually see Kate! Or at least that big lump that looked like a pile of his own clothes anyway. He was also right. Their bed was really tall. He was betting it was way too much for him.

However…! "Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark…Bark, Bark!"Finally the pile moved and out of it he finally saw Kate. "Come on, Kate, pick me up." Bark, Bark.

"Charlie. …Fine, if you promise to stop barking." Kate leaned over the side and watched as Charlie walked into her hands. She lifted him up and plopped him on her bed.

Kate lay back thinking of going back to sleep but Charlie climbed onto her, reached her face, and licked her. "Okay, okay, enough kisses." Kate pushed him away then Charlie lay down next to her. Kate wasn't sure why but she put an arm around him and lay back down and just petted him.

ooOoo

Rick was loving it until he thought he heard her sniffling and he turned so he could see her. She was indeed crying and it hurt his heart so he crawled so his head was closer to hers.

"It's not you, Charlie. I know you don't understand, but I just lost my husband and it hurts." Kate kept petting him.

"I'm really sorry, Kate. It was just a simple Christmas present buying trip." Whimper, whimper.

Rick got up so he could look down at her. "How do I get you to see that it's me?" Bark, bark.

Kate wiped away her tears and kept petting Charlie since it was helping somehow.

"I GOT IT!" Bark, Bark! Rick had an idea that might get things started. Without even thinking about it he jumped off their tall bed and took a tumble but was up and running into the closet. It was in there and he knew it was on the floor. He just had to uncover it and get it out of the closet.

"You better not be peeing in my closet." Kate wasn't interested in getting out of bed just yet and just lay there and waited for Charlie to come back out.

"Found it!" Bark. Now he had to get it out of the closet. His mouth was just big enough. He proudly walked out of the closet and dropped it next to the bed.

"What have you got there?" Kate hadn't seen a wrapped Christmas present in her own closet. She moved to the edge, picked it up, and looked at it. It had a Christmas sticker on it. "To my wife from your husband."

Except instead of making her happy Rick watched her body shake with sobs. "I'm sorry, Kate." Bark. This wasn't working out the way he had intended it to. As her sobs lessened she bent over the bed and picked him up and put him on the bed.

"Rick." Kate wiped away her tears except more followed those.

"That's me!" Bark! But all it earned him was another pet.

"I hadn't even gone Christmas shopping yet. I haven't had much practice at Christmas shopping. It's been a long time." Kate wasn't really sure why she was talking to a dog.

Rick moved in and pushed his nose against it. "Open it." Bark.

Kate looked at it. "Correct me if I'm wrong but you're supposed to open these on Christmas Day, aren't you?" She wasn't going to open it now.

"You have my permission." Bark.

"I suppose since you got me up I might as well get up. Thank you very little." Kate ruffled his head and worked at getting out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Then she partly heard and partly saw Charlie jump off the bed. "No peeping dogs allowed." Kate closed the door on him.

"But I'm your husband!" Bark, bark. "Besides, I've seen everything already." Bark, bark.

"Less noise, Charlie! Go bug Alexis if you're lonely," Kate called to him through the door. "Get her to take you out for a walk."

ooOoo

Kate was clean and dry and while she still felt totally empty and going through the motions, maybe there was a tiny spark of hope. She stood there naked in front of the mirror and rubbed a hand across her belly.

Castle was gone and her heart was broken all over again, yet she amazingly actually had a piece of him. It was all she had left of him. His money and the loft didn't count.

She still needed to get dressed and start her day. One more day off then probably back to work. She was going to need to call Gates today to inform her of her choice.

Kate opened the door and instantly saw Charlie sitting there, looking up at her. "Okay fine, you've seen everything now. If you tell anyone, it's the pound for you," Kate warned him and went into the closet to find something to wear today.

Onto the bed went her choices then out came panties and a bra. Kate also saw that Charlie was watching her every move. "Don't go getting any ideas, Charlie. I would never cheat on my husband, not even with a dog. Make that especially with a dog. Or a pony or any other animal your mind might be thinking of," Kate told him as she hooked her bra into place.

"I would never!" Bark! Honestly, Kate!

"Just so long as we agree." Kate slid her jeans on followed by her top, socks, and shoes.

Out in the living room Kate walked over to the coffee machine until she remembered she couldn't have coffee. She also knew for a fact that they didn't have any decaf. "Lanie said I could have a little," Kate reminded herself and decided this would be her one cup of coffee for the day.

"Make your self useful and go wake up Alexis and maybe Martha." Kate looked at Charlie who was just sitting there watching her.

"No need. I'm up and Alexis is gone." Martha walked down the stairs.

"Gone! Where did she go?" Suddenly Kate was really concerned about her. They were all still hurting and she didn't need her to be walking around the city in a heartbroken haze. Castle would return from the grave and kill her if she let something happen to her.

"Something about Christmas and since when did you start talking to the dog?" Martha teased her and waited with her for the coffee to be ready.

"Since I found him in my bedroom this morning. Then he fished a Christmas present Castle had already gotten me out of the closet. I didn't even know there was one in there."

"So how did Charlie know it was there if you didn't?" Martha questioned her since it was her closet.

"I have no idea. How did you know?" Kate looked down at him.

"I bought it." Bark.

Martha smiled at her. "Well at least he answers you. Now you just need to learn to talk dog."

"Bark!" Kate barked at Martha and both of them laughed.

"Was that Polish?" Bark. "You need a lot more practice." Bark, bark.

"Just what I need, a dog that's a critic," Kate chuckled then poured two cups of coffee. "You sure Alexis didn't tell you where she was going?" Just then someone knocked at their door.

Rick had no idea just why but he raced for the door, barking all the way and only stopping when Kate reached the door and opened it. "Alexis." She had a big box in her hands that had Christmas written on it.

"You found the Christmas decorations!" Bark, bark, bark. Rick jumped up and down and followed Alexis into the loft.

Alexis took a shaky breath then explained what she was doing. "Thanksgiving's over and Dad and I used to decorate the place for Christmas. I thought it would make me feel better if we decorated."

Kate wasn't used to decorating or doing much of anything for Christmas. Yes, they'd been through a Christmas together but they had only been dating then, not married yet. This Christmas was going to be their first as a married couple. That was part of why it hurt so much.

"There are a lot more boxes if you two want to help me." Alexis turned and went to the door.

"I'll help!" Bark! Rick raced to catch up to her and since the door was still open he beat everyone to the elevator.

ooOoo

Rick was watching Alexis do exactly what they'd done last year. He was hoping for something different, but at least it was looking a bit like Christmas. Since getting a real tree in New York City was usually a challenge, theirs was fake, the biggest fake tree he'd been able to find.

He began taking Christmas ornaments for the tree out of the box and carrying it over to Kate who took it from him and hung it up. Then Rick repeated that over and over again until he ran out of ornaments he could reach without breaking them.

Next he grabbed a mouth full of fake garland and dragged it over to Alexis this time.

"Thanks, Charlie." Alexis smiled.

"Uh-oh I gotta go!" Bark! Rick raced over to the door and barked his head off.

"You're puppy needs out, I think, Alexis." Kate gave the task to her since Alexis had talked her into this.

Alexis went in search of the leash and a sandwich bag since she still needed to get a couple of things they'd forgotten the first time.

"Let's go, Charlie," Alexis said after putting her coat on. "I don't know what we're going to do when it's raining or there's snow on the ground."

Rick hurried over to the very first pole he saw and lifted his leg. Then was off since he had one more thing to do. The challenge was that there was no grass anywhere all that close. There was an alley and Rick went in just a couple of feet.

"Close your eyes, please." Bark. Rick arched his back and pooped. Then tried to run to get away from this only to come up short when his leash ran out.

Rick watched Alexis pick up after him. "God, this is so embarrassing!" Bark, bark.

"Give me a minute." Alexis was trying to turn her bag inside out without getting dog poop all over her hands while still holding onto the leash with Charlie pulling. "I need a third arm."

Alexis managed finally. She held the bag of poop in one hand and the leash in the other and headed for home. But Alexis walked past the entrance that Rick knew well. "We're not going inside just yet."

Rick ran to catch up. It was that or end up being dragged. "So where are we going?" Bark.

"I'm not taking your smelly poop inside and stinking up the place." Alexis walked over to the bin they used to dump their trash into and threw her bag inside. Then she went inside and removed his leash once they exited the elevator.

Alexis unlocked the door, let Charlie run inside, then closed it and locked it. "We're back."

"I noticed." Kate said as they all watched Charlie pulling out another strand of fake garland and dragging it over to Kate.

They weren't done yet but stopped for lunch and even Charlie got fed who they noticed ate it so fast he must be inhaling it.

"BURP!" Rick felt air escape almost immediately after he finished eating. "Sorry." Bark.

"Where exactly did you two say you got this dog?" Martha questioned them since so far he was really weird.

"Ask Lanie. She left and he came in. We still need to put up Found Puppy posters on each floor and the garage. No one just abandons a puppy like this one," Kate reminded everyone.

"Do we have to?" Alexis pleaded.

"If suddenly you lost Charlie wouldn't you want him back?" Kate asked her.

"I'm with Alexis. Please don't give me away." Bark, bark, bark.

Kate looked at Charlie and tried to figure out this dog. He'd shown up out of the blue and every time anyone said anything, he barked. And what he was doing with all this Christmas stuff? If Castle was still alive he would say there was a story here but she wasn't the writer in this family. Besides he was just a dog.

ooOoo

They were just about done and Alexis was walking Charlie again. "Martha?" Kate had a question but just asking it meant she didn't know what to think.

"Baby question or dog question?" Martha asked her.

"More of a Charlie question," Kate sighed.

"I've never had a dog before. Couldn't really afford one when Richard was little. We were struggling just to survive. Richard's ability to write is what got him his money. Now I've seen dogs on TV like Lassie who are shown to be really smart. Is that normal? You're asking the wrong person.

"However, I can tell you if you take that little dog away from Alexis it's going to crush her. She's lost her father who spent all these years raising her all alone. I understand that you loved my son and we're both hurting. Our pain is nothing compared to her pain, Kate." Martha knew that much for certain.

Kate knew her pain clearly. She was broken and had no idea how to put herself back together again. Her one life raft was the fact that she was pregnant with Castle's baby. Though she still had to get in to see her doctor to make sure.

"And if I'm taking a puppy from a little girl who has already given her heart to this animal? Crush one little girl's heart so I can save Alexis's heart?" Kate wasn't sure she could do that.

"Just be ready for how Alexis is gong to take this," Martha warned her. "Welcome to the world of being a parent."

"Thanks," Kate told Martha since now she was wondering if she was good enough to be a mommy. How Castle did it all alone still amazed her. Then Alexis came back with Charlie who rushed to Kate, misjudged the jump, and didn't make it up onto the sectional where Kate was sitting and resting. She bent down to pick him up and put him in her lap.

Rick was right where he wanted to be and just rested in Kate's lap and let her pet him. At least she had her hands on him.

"He's going to need shots and visit the vet," Kate informed Alexis as she sat down next to her.

"We already have an appointment in two days. I tried to make it when I thought I would be home from school so I could take him." Alexis was way ahead of her.

"Shots!" Whimper!

"He seems to do that a lot," Alexis commented and stared at Charlie who was in Kate's lap.

"I've noticed. Someone taught him to go outside. No puppy I know is this good and I found he had used the puppy pee pads last night as well," Kate remarked.

"Can we just put one sign up? Say down in the garage, maybe?" Alexis didn't want to lose him. What was left of her heart was already wrapped up around him.

Kate moaned. "Fine, but when he goes to the vet and we find out he has a chip and learn who he belongs to that might be the end of it."

"Microchip." She hadn't thought of that. "Maybe we can buy him from them? Dad left behind a lot of money." Alexis really wanted something she could hold onto that allowed her to keep Charlie.

"We can ask if or when that time comes," Kate agreed since it meant not breaking Alexis's already fragile heart. Not to mention her own as she sat there and petted him.

"Does this building allow pets?" Kate questioned her since she didn't really know.

"Oops." Alexis shrugged since she didn't know either.

"Something else we need to figure out." Kate was finding that keeping this puppy was turning into a lot of work, not to mention expensive. Not that she had spent a cent on Charlie yet. So far it was all Alexis's money.

"If we're going to eat one of us needs to start work on dinner," Kate announced. She scooped up Charlie, leaned over to Alexis and dropped him in her lap, then got up to go to the kitchen.

ooOoo

Charlie jumped onto Alexis's bed again that night and she moved him so that she could hug him while she went to sleep.

Once again Rick woke up and realized that he really needed to go. He jumped off her bed and went down the stairs one step at a time to reach the puppy pee pads. After that he hurried into Kate's room and since she wasn't awake to lift him up he slept on the floor.

ooOoo

"This is so not a good idea. You've never met Gates," Kate told Charlie who was in the passenger seat and had his front feet planted firmly against the front console of her cruiser as she drove into work. She noticed that he was watching everything and was wagging his tail almost impossibly fast.

"I have puppy dog eyes. Even Gates can't resist these babies." Bark, bark, bark.

"Still not a good idea," Kate warned him.

Kate parked, gathered up Charlie, and made her way to the elevator. "Remember, you let me know when you need to go for a walk. You do anything inside and Gates will kick both of us out. Got it?" Kate almost couldn't believe she was talking to a dog.

Just her luck and everyone was already in as she sat down after putting Charlie on the floor and taking off her coat and hanging it up.

"Charlie. Charlie, no!" Kate whispered as loud as she dared as she watched him run straight to Esposito.

"Hi, Javi, you look great as usual." Bark, bark.

"Charlie, no barking. We talked about this." Kate caught up to these two.

"You talked, I didn't listen as usual. You should know that by now." Bark, bark, bark.

"Well look at you." Javi leaned down to pick up the puppy. "I'm guessing you're Charlie." Javi held him out in front of him. He knew puppies; they liked to lick and they had puppy teeth.

"Detective Beckett?" Gates was out of her office and suddenly Kate found Charlie back in her arms.

Kate turned to face her. "Sir."

"Are you sure you are ready to return to work?" Gates wanted her here at her best, not sitting at her desk crying.

"I'm fine, sir. I need something to keep me busy." Kate repeated to her what she'd told herself to get her in here.

"And why is there a puppy in my precinct?" K9 units that were device dogs maybe but not a puppy.

"Charlie's new and he's wormed his way into all of our hearts. Martha got called in to do a review of the play she's in. Alexis went back to school today and I just didn't have time to find someone or somebody to watch him. He's been really good at home." Kate was still amazed that they hadn't yet found an accident anywhere and he was hitting the puppy pee pads.

Gates looked at the puppy in Kate's arms and mostly saw nothing but puppy dog eyes looking right at her. She knew what she should be saying and that was to get rid of the puppy. It had no place in her precinct.

"Just make sure it doesn't make a mess of my precinct or I'll kick both of you to the curb." Then Gates turned to walk away. But suddenly she stopped. "And Beckett I am truly sorry for your loss. Mr. Castle may have been seriously unorthodox in his methods however this precincts closure rate suggests he did serve a purpose." Gates went back to her office.

"Maybe she does have a soul," Espo said very softly.

"Just don't let her hear you say that," Kate whispered.

"I told you no one could resist real puppy dog eyes." Bark, bark.

"And no barking in my precinct," Gates yelled from her desk.

"I take it back," Espo muttered.

Kate sat at her desk and leaned down to put him on the floor. Instead for reasons that escaped her she put him in Castle's chair next to her desk.

"Remember the deal, Charlie. You let me know when you need to go outside or Gates will throw both of us out." She still needed to get him some water then was up to put his refrigerated food in the refrigerator.

However, there was one more thing she needed to talk to Gates about. She missed seeing Charlie jump down and follow her into Gates' office.

Kate knocked. "One final thing, sir. I want to officially request I be restricted to desk duty."

"May I ask why?" Gates needed a really good reason to keep her best detective out of the field.

"I'm pregnant and don't want to risk losing my baby," Kate told her.

"Pregnant!"Bark, Bark! She could have warned him before they got there.

That had Kate looking down and saw puppy dog eyes looking up at her. It also had Gates standing up and looking over her desk down at puppy dog eyes.

As they both watched, Charlie began spinning in a tight circle, barking his head off.

Kate bent down to pick him up to get him to shut up. But all that got her was a clean face.

"Request granted," Gates said with a nod. "Congratulations, Detective. I'm sure Mr. Castle is happy wherever he is."

"You're damn right he's happy! We're PREGNANT!"Bark, bark, bark, bark. Lick, lick, lick, lick.