Here be Dragons!
Chapter 31
Kate was wearing a pair of Castle's shorts and one of his t-shirts as she sat at the breakfast bar drinking her coffee that she really needed badly. She should probably be eating something, too, but for now coffee would do.
Castle was in the shower and had talked her into letting him drive her home so she could change and get ready for work. Then hearing Alexis coming down the stairs dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants had her turning and looking. Her memory of the original Alexis that she was still dealing with suggested that this Alexis looked the same as the previous one.
"Kate!" Alexis was happy to see her if not a little confused. "You spent the night?" Alexis was hoping yes and wondering just where she had spent the night.
"I stayed too late and your father wouldn't let me go home alone, so, yes, I spent the night. He's in the shower and is going to drive me home." Kate told a white lie since she wasn't even sure just what was going to happen next.
What Alexis wanted to say was that she was home, but didn't. "Well, I'm happy to see you." Alexis went digging into the refrigerator then poured a glass of orange juice.
"How was your date with Owen really?" Kate questioned her.
Alexis was sure she was blushing. "It was nice. I didn't know dating could be this nice."
"If you're anything like me, you have lots of dates in your future. It's how you work out if the guy you meet is the right one. Or girl. I'm not particular," Kate said.
"You like girls?" Alexis asked her and was a little shocked.
"I like you," Kate smiled. "I meant you. Love is love no matter how or where you find it. Just make sure it really is love and not 'I really like him or her.'"
"How do you know when it's love?" She had always loved her dad but she had grown up with him.
"All the songs make sense," Kate answered with a faraway look.
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"Maggie Leeds?" Kate and Rick were in the doctor's office and saw them packing up.
"She didn't come in today," they were both told.
"Kate." Rick showed her a business card and asked about the hospital.
"That's where we do our procedures," she told Kate.
"If she still has her hospital pass…" Rick said.
"She can finish the job." Kate broke into a run with Rick hot on her heels.
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"Hi!" Kate showed Maggie her badge and watched her try to run away.
"Oh, look. It's not attached to anything. It's like we knew you were coming." Rick dangled the line she'd just injected her drug into to kill Jimmy Moran, but didn't.
"Attempted murder of a federal witness. What's that going for these days?" Kate queried while staring down Maggie.
"Twenty-five to life." Hard Candy who was also there answered and was happy to have her in custody.
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Kate had two days off, sort of. She had one day off and was on call for the second. "What am I wearing for our first date, Castle, and where are we going?" Kate played with his shirt a little to get him to tell her.
"You can dress casually but wear something warm since it's gotten cool outside again." It was barely September but winter was coming early this year it appeared.
"And where are we going?" He had only answered one of her questions.
Rick gave her a clue. "Chinatown first."
"We've already been to Chinatown. You bought me a dress there." Kate had been expecting some place new. Something more romantic.
"We haven't been where I'm taking you yet." Rick sent her home and would come to her place to get her.
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"You're not dressing up?" Alexis walked into his room and saw him wearing blue jeans and buttoning one of his dress shirts. She knew her dad and Kate were going out on a date.
"Not this time, maybe later," Rick responded. "I don't think Kate does formal. You do remember that undercover half date we went on, don't you?"
"Kate looked amazing that day. You're sure you're right?" Alexis had high hopes for this date, not knowing what these two had already learned about each other.
"Positive. And I'll even bring her home so you can see just how much of a genius I am," Rick offered and made sure everything was in place.
"Dad!" She loved him but a genius he wasn't. "Don't screw this up. Kate's different."
"Tell me something I don't know. Kate's extraordinary." Rick picked up his light jacket and put it on. "Don't wait up."
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Kate was amazed. She was expecting a limo for this date and here she was standing next to him riding a train to somewhere and he was grinning at her.
Kate knew Chinatown when she saw it since she had been there several times. She was even enjoying holding his hand while they walked.
Kate read the English version for the name of this place. "Magic Jewelry." She liked jewelry as much as the next woman even if she didn't wear much of. She also secretly loved magic especially now that her Dragon was telling her about magic. Real magic which she wasn't buying just yet.
There certainly was jewelry in the store, however, all of it had this cheap look to it. Meant more for kids than adults. Then she was allowing them to take a picture of her and Castle. "This is your aura." Kate was shown her picture that actually didn't look anything like her. It was just color and not even in the shape of a person. Then what she was looking at was explained to her.
It was Rick's turn as they both listened to what Rick's picture meant.
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They were both leaving with their pictures and Kate couldn't be happier. They were perfect for each other, almost as if they were twins at times. They were told how to activate their respective chakras. How to use their combined emotions, remove negative emotions, what gems and minerals were for them.
"Thanks, Castle." She was still looking at her photo as they walked. She didn't have anything like it and seeing something that she and her Dragon already knew felt amazing.
"So what's next?" Kate didn't see this as the only part of their date.
"Part two. We need a taxi this time," Rick told her.
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Kate knew they were in Midtown close to Times Square if not actually part of Times Square. Then they walked to this little door with only a few windows and it didn't look all that great. It was a good thing she was a cop and a Dragon or she wouldn't be there.
Rick pulled out two tickets and handed them over to gain entry. The place already had a number of people and the walls were full of art work. Way off and weird looking artwork to be sure. However, the interior felt safer.
Kate was spending her time looking around at everything and was ready to question Castle what they were doing there when three people went into the corner of the room. Two of them picked up instruments while the third was a woman who was wearing a late 1850s era antique copy of a Worth gown in pale rose.
The men behind her picked up a trumpet and an accordion, while she lifted up a mic and tested it. Then they started to play followed soon by her singing.
"It's called a Sofar. They have these places all over town. Each one's different and you never know who or what's going to be there," Rick said quietly.
Kate just stood there and listened, not really noticing that she'd started swaying to the music. At first the guy on the trumpet kind of overshadowed the guy on the accordion. However, they were both pretty good and the lady had a nice voice.
When they stopped that was the end. "I didn't know anything about this." Kate knew she'd lived in this city all her life and she knew nothing about this. "How do you know about this?"
"Totally by accident. I was in Midtown searching for inspiration for one of my books when I walked past this space. You don't always need a ticket but if your name's drawn from a raffle you need to purchase multiple tickets. I took the chance and ended up buying nine of them.
"Alexis has been to a couple of these. I still have three more tickets if you're interested."
"Very much so!" Kate would love to do this again. It was simple, it was private, and it was enjoyable.
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"Indian food, I like Indian food." It was only then that Kate noticed that she hadn't eaten anything all day and that was her fault.
Then Castle took her to a door that went down instead of into the restaurant. "Greenwich Village Comedy Club." Kate saw the sign and made sure she had a good hold of his hand as they went down the stairs.
She didn't fail to notice that Castle gave the lady a fifty dollar bill and found out that maybe that was money well spent. The room was purple, there were wood floors, and thick wide columns that would block the view a lot for some. But their little table was right next to the stage. And each black table had this little yellow light.
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Kate was smiling wide and kissing Castle as they left the club. It had been incredible fun. The drinks hadn't been very good, not that she was expecting them to be. The food was simple and nothing to write home about, though she was no longer hungry.
Since they were next to the stage they were almost the last to get out and now the taxis were nowhere to be seen. So they found themselves on the subway and Kate was liking being in Castle's arm as they rode to her place.
"Come up, Castle, and wait while I put a bag together." Kate tugged him inside and up to her apartment.
"I'll be right back." Kate dashed off for her bedroom and left Castle in her living room.
That allowed Rick to look around and see that she liked to read. He was learning she was well read and that she didn't have a TV. Then he ran across a pair of shelves that held every book he'd ever written. Even the ones that he was ashamed of ever writing.
The first two had this sticker just inside. Library of Kate Beckett. He smiled and wished that he still had his Sharpie on him so he could sign them all. He made a mental note to come back so he could do it later.
Kate came back with an overnight bag and saw him looking in her refrigerator. She closed it on him since what was in it was embarrassing. Rick raised an eyebrow. "Penicillin experiment?"
Kate tried to defend herself. "I don't have time to cook so I eat out."
"I think before you put anything in there you better have cleaned with a strong disinfectant first. Or maybe just replace the entire refrigerator," Rick grinned.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Let's go before I forget that I love you." Kate didn't make it a step before she was in his arms and he was kissing her.
"For the record, I love you, too. Though I'm still working on how I know so much so fast," Rick said.
"Me too. Let's go, Castle." Kate pulled him away from her refrigerator that even she didn't want to open. She led him downstairs and into a taxi to get to his loft.
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"Alexis, what are you still doing up?" It was late, like really late and Alexis didn't usually do this.
"Waiting for you two and keeping our guest entertained." Alexis gestured to her guest and Rick felt his heart settle in the bottom of his stomach.
If he was here he must have found something. He had really hoped to do this alone and decide what if anything to tell Kate.
"Better go to your room, Pumpkin," Rick told her and didn't really hear her decline.
"Doctor Murray." Rick was pretty sure this wasn't going to go well.
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Rick, Kate, and Alexis since she refused to go to her room, and Doctor Murray were sitting at the coffee table.
Rick introduced him. "Doctor Clark Murray is the best forensic pathologist in the city. I've used him for some research for some of my books. This is Kate Beckett and you know Alexis."
"Kate Beckett. …Richard?" The doctor was thinking he should come back later.
"Anything you've found I would end up telling her anyway so she might as well learn now. …And kill me later." Rick added the later very softly.
"Castle?" Just what had he done?
Everyone was soon watching Doctor Murray open his folder and Kate knew these pictures well. They were all burned into her brain and were never going to be forgotten.
"The original M.E. at the time concluded that the stab wounds were random. Now maybe the killer got lucky but you see this stab wound here?" He pointed at the wound on his photo.
"It's a low angle thrust to the kidney. The wound size indicates that the knife was…twisted. She would have gone into immediate shock," Doctor Murray started off with.
"What about all these?" Rick indicated the other countless wounds on the body.
"All of these were delivered after she had been immobilized from the original stab wound. They're just for show. This is the wound that killed her," the doctor explained.
Kate wanted to do a lot of things. Keep listening, scream bloody murder, and shoot Castle, not necessarily in that order. Even wishing Alexis wasn't there, or start throwing things. Instead she sat there silently and listened.
Rick offered his thought. "This is starting to sound more like a murder than a random act of violence."
"There's more. …On a hunch I decided to check the M.E. files to see if this was an isolated incident and found three other stabbings around that time that the M.E. dismissed as random." Doctor Murray didn't need to read this in one of Rick's books. He knew from what he'd learned that there was a killer out there that had stabbed people and this woman was one of them.
"Were they related?" Rick queried.
Doctor Murray looked at Rick, Kate, and Alexis. "Are you sure you want to know?"
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Doctor Murray was gone. Alexis was still sitting and looking at the pictures while Kate was pacing around the entire loft not sure just what she was going to do.
"Kate." Rick knew this would make her angry, but he'd just wanted to help.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, CASTLE!" Kate screamed at him. "It took me an entire year of therapy to learn to let go of my mother's case and what do you do!? You dig it all up again." Kate was furious with him.
Rick tried to defend himself. "I was just trying to help. I love you and I have contacts that can help."
That had Alexis spinning to face her dad. He'd said the magic word.
"I don't care how much we love each other. This is my case and you didn't do it for me. You did it for yourself. So you could dig up my past and watch me go down my personal rabbit hole all over again." Kate was beyond furious with him.
"You love each other?" Alexis was up and now facing both of them.
"Stay out of this, Alexis!" Kate yelled and instantly wished she hadn't, but she was angry, really angry.
"NO! I won't!" Alexis was a part of this family.
"Pumpkin!" Rick didn't need her helping him to dig his hole any deeper.
"Shut it, Dad!" Alexis yelled and Rick reeled backwards a little. Alexis had been angry at some of the stupid things he had done in the past, but not like this.
"Dad can be an ass sometimes but he means well. He just doesn't think how the other person is going to take it. He never does. And when did you two start to love each other?" That was the part Alexis wanted to talk about.
"You really should stay out of this, Alexis." Kate was angry and she didn't want to be angry at Alexis as well.
"Shut it, Kate!" Alexis wasn't going to let these two destroy everything because her dad had been stupid again.
"So Dad dug into your mother's death. It's what he does. He touches everything in his life. Digs into things he shouldn't. This isn't the first time and won't be the last.
"Now if you actually do love each other then YOU," Alexis pointed at her dad, "apologize to Kate and make it sound like it comes from the heart. And you," Alexis faced Kate, "did you know anything about what Dad's found? Listen to his apology." Alexis stomped toward the stairs and her bedroom.
"The two of you better be here when I get up in the morning or I'll disown you both!" Alexis stomped up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door closed. She landed on her bed and began to ugly cry.
Rick and Kate stood there looking up the stairs then finally at each other. Rick sighed. "I hate it when she's right. She's too young to be this right.
"Okay, I did it because I wanted to know. I wanted something I could use to help you find your mother's killer with. Even my Dragon has been trying to get me to find out who killed her. He loves you too, you know.
"Yes, I asked him before I knew I loved you but it's not an excuse. Yet since I learned something I want to pursue it. My Dragon says it's evil and needs to be caught. Who did it needs to be caught."
"Castle. …You don't know anything about this rabbit hole. It was consuming me and listening to my Dragon telling me the same thing wasn't helping me find out who did." Kate wasn't nearly as angry now after having Alexis yell at her.
Rick stepped up to her and looked at her. "I'm in this with you. Whoever it is doesn't stand a chance. The two of us and our two Dragons. It doesn't have to feel like a rabbit hole this time, Kate. Not if there is a light on the other end."
It all still sounded like a really bad idea to her.
Rick tried to lighten the mood. "Do you really want Alexis to disown us?"
It must have worked because Kate laughed a little. "Talked down to by a teenager. If only my dad could see me now," Kate chuckled and rolled her eyes.
Then suddenly both of them were slammed into by someone and since they didn't have a dog and neither of them had seen Martha lately….
"So when did you two learn that you loved each other?" Alexis was all smiles.
"So much for privacy," Rick commented and looked down at his daughter.
"I promise not to open your closed bedroom door," Alexis swore which had Kate huffing out a laugh. "Unless the loft is on fire or there's someone at the front door with a gun." Alexis kept smiling really wide.