Here be Dragons!
Chapter 32
It is now 20 cases later
Kate was up on the top floor pounding the bag with her fists and feet and working up a sweat. She wasn't even really working all that hard. Mostly she just wanted to get her heart moving and build up some muscle and stamina. She was even giving the bag an occasional elbow.
Someone interrupted her workout. "You need someone to steady your bag."
"I don't really," Kate answered him but stopped anyway to look him over. She couldn't place him but if he was up here alone he must be in the precinct somewhere. Her phone ringing took her away from her bag. "Beckett."
It was Rick. "Sorry I'm running late. Give me five minutes."
"I'll be here. I might even have someone for us to play with." Kate grinned as she looked at this guy who had interrupted her and hung up.
"So you were wanting to hold my bag?" Kate smiled at him, betting he had one thing on his teeny-tiny, little, whatever was in his pants.
"Sure." He grabbed hold of the bag and held it in place.
This time Kate decided not to take it that easy. A few punches later and Kate saw him backing up a step because the bag kept moving on him. Then a kick had him letting go of the bag.
"So what are you good at?" Kate questioned him since he couldn't hold onto a simple bag.
"Detective in Robbery, downstairs," Tom said, his chest puffed out a little.
"Robbery, huh? I prefer Homicide myself. I need to keep myself in shape for whoever I end up meeting. What's your excuse?" Why was he up here?
"Weights, need to be able to do my job. It's free up here," Tom explained.
"I see," Kate muttered.
"Sorry I'm late." Rick ran into the room huffing and puffing a little since he'd sprinted up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.
"No problem. I can let you stretch a little before I plant you on the floor," Kate teased him. She'd already learned that he knew how to fire a weapon, just not why. She also knew that his Dragon could give him extra strength but she had skill to go with that.
"I'm sorry, this is…" Kate pointed at Tom.
"Tom Demming." Tom kept his hand since he had eyes on Kate and this guy was in the way.
Kate pointed at Rick. "Richard Castle."
"The writer? You're waiting for him?" Tom saw himself as being so much better.
"Perhaps I should just watch," Kate suggested.
"This guy? He might get hurt," Tom warned her.
Rick looked between Kate and Tom. "I'll start my stretching," Rick said to Kate.
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Fifteen minutes later they were both loose and ready. "Tap out and release or I'll hurt you," Kate warned both of them.
They both had their hands wrapped, padded helmets on their heads, and were barefoot with wraps on their feet as well.
Rick decided to clown around and bounced on his feet as he circled Tom who did a little but mostly just stood there. Rick then gave Tom the Ali shuffle. Tom wasn't interested in playing games and was going to show this writer something. Tom hit him then tried to grab him. An instant later he landed on his back in a loud hard thud that actually hurt.
Rick bounced away and watched Tom get up. It looked like that had hurt. A few seconds later and Tom was back on his back again. The air had been knocked out of his lungs. "Don't kill him, babe, he works here," Kate stated.
Gasping, Tom looked at the two of them. She'd fallen for that pantywaist and he didn't understand that.
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"Victim's name is Paul Fitch. The car's registered to him as well," Espo let Kate know as she entered.
"He's a thief. Bank job, couple of B & E's. We have his wife coming in," Espo added.
"What happened?" Kate asked.
"In my opinion he was electrocuted," Lanie said.
"Pretty high voltage for him to get burns like that." Kate was still looking at his hands.
"You connect these leads to the ignition system and run up the engine high enough." Rick looked at the engine.
"They were trying to torture him but ended up killing him instead," Kate commented.
"What would someone need from…" Rick stood up straight.
Kate saw him do it. "What, Castle?"
"His eyes are closed," Rick noted.
"Did someone move the body?" Kate inquired.
"He was like that when I found him," Lanie asserted.
"Then he knew his killer." Rick and Kate responded almost at the same time and Kate smiled at him.
"Fume the body. Maybe we'll get lucky and get some prints off his eyelids," Kate ordered. She knew it was a long shot but not all killers were bright.
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"The wife had nothing and we have a possible bank heist that happened recently. They're sending some guy up to talk about it," Kate stated.
"That would be me." Tom walked in and was greeted by Espo since they knew each other.
Espo introduced everyone. "This is one of the better detectives I met in the 54th. My partner Kevin and Mom and Dad. Also known as Rick Castle and Kate Beckett."
"Mom and Dad?" Tom didn't get it. Kate showed him her engagement ring that she kept on a necklace while at work right next to her mother's ring.
"You're married?" Tom couldn't believe it. He was taller and far more handsome than that loser.
"Engaged. We just haven't set a date yet." Rick had a loving look on his face when he glanced at Kate.
"These two answer each others sentences. We call them Mom and Dad," Espo grinned.
"You do it and I'll break both your legs," Kate warned Tom.
Tom was happy for that. It meant he wasn't too late for Kate to see the error of her ways.
"All we know for now is that the robbery and homicide are likely connected," Kate stated.
"Dad!?" Alexis came walking toward them.
"Alexis?" Rick wasn't expecting to see her here.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Alexis intercepted Kate and wrapped her arms around her.
"I…I…" Alexis looked around at everyone.
"You're with me, sweetheart. Castle, find out what Demming knows about our vic." Kate had gotten used to when Alexis needed something that was female in nature Alexis came to her instead of Castle.
"Who was that?" Tom asked, looking at Espo.
"Daughter," Rick declared and began asking Tom what he knew along with Espo and Ryan.
Tom initially wasn't listening as he digested the word daughter.
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As it turned out Demming wasn't all that helpful and Kate officially never saw him again.
Rick was sitting on his sectional with a glass of wine on the coffee table and watched as Kate sat down next to him, nice and close.
"Demming was interested in you, you know." Rick started the conversation with that.
"Was he? Didn't notice. Besides, I'm spoken for. I found you and I'm not throwing you away now." Kate kissed him.
"What did Alexis want?" She almost never came into the precinct.
"Girl thing, nothing to worry about. She was mostly overreacting anyway. You don't trust me?" Granted Alexis wasn't her daughter, at least not officially. Yet.
"With my life. Just it's always been just me and her and I'm curious," Rick clarified.
Martha came down the stairs. "There you two are."
"What's on your mind, Martha?" Kate asked her since she had gotten used to her being here.
"Since you're all moved in, Katherine, I was wondering when you were going to invite your father over," Martha inquired. "He might like to meet everyone."
"My dad? Invite my dad over here?" Kate wasn't usually afraid of anything, however, she was making an exception in this case.
"Are you afraid of what your dad will think?" Martha questioned her.
"No, he's met Rick before" Kate told her.
"Excellent! I have something to do so you two are on your own since Alexis is staying with a friend tonight. Don't wait up for me." Martha made her goodbyes and left the loft.
"Meet the parents." Kate was still staring at the door after Martha left.
"We're in so much trouble," Rick said glumly.
"You think!?" Kate couldn't think of anything scarier at the moment.
"Maybe if we ignore her she'll forget all about it," Rick suggested.
"I'm not sure just why I'm so scared about this. I mean I like Martha and having Dad spend a lot of time with Alexis sounds like a good thing." Kate knew it was Martha and her dad in the same room that scared her.
"Well I'm glad you agreed to move in." Rick hugged her tight for a second.
Kate lifted the hand that now held her engagement ring. "Me, too." Kate kissed him. "I'm still amazed that Captain Montgomery hasn't said anything."
Rick wasn't worried about Roy. He had something else on his mind. "Hey, Kate. Has that Bengal Tiger ever called you?"
"Joanne Delgado? No, she hasn't. Maybe she's doing better than I did at the time." Kate could only hope that she hadn't done something stupid. It did, however, get her up in search of her cell phone.
"Who are you calling?" Rick inquired.
"Hello, this is Kate Beckett. I was the homicide detective on your mother's case. I just wanted to make sure that you're all right." Suicide had never entered her mind, but that didn't mean it didn't enter hers.
"I was just thinking of you, Detective." Joanne looked at her friend that she was with at the time. "Would you be interested in meeting somewhere? Somewhere close to where my mother lived?" Joanne offered and saw her friend's nodding head.
"I'm sure there's a coffee shop near there somewhere. Say 7:00 am in two days?" Kate asked.
"That will work, Detective, and thanks." Joanne hung up.
"We have a date, babe. 7:00 am in two days. She sounded fine. Maybe I'm overreacting," Kate mused.
"We'll find out in two days." Rick knew he was going with her. It was his job to protect her.
"So we're all alone. What should we do with our time?" Kate questioned him coyly and bit her bottom lip.
Since they were all alone neither of them made it to bed for the next two hours.
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Kate and Rick responded to a call to a restaurant that she'd never even heard of. Once inside she saw the nearly impossible. "Madison!?"
"Becks! What are you doing here?" She had never actually expected to see her again.
"I'm a homicide detective."
"Shut the front door!" Madison still couldn't believe it.
Madison and Kate hugged. "What a messed up way for us to meet again."
Kate introduced the two. "Madison, this is Richard Castle. Madison Queller. Rick, this is my friend, Madison."
Rick shook her hand. "How do you two know each other?"
"High school, ninth grade French," Madison replied. Rick turned to see Kate smiling wide.
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Madison was digging up contact info. "Just how many secrets does she have?" Rick teased her.
"None that you're going to learn. Anything she knows about me, I know worse about her." Kate said, secure that her secrets were still safe.
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"Hey guys, did you find the soup kitchen cook?" Kate asked Espo and Ryan as they joined them.
"Oh, we found him alright. At the airport with $5,000 and a one way ticket to Ecuador," Espo declared.
"Nothing says I'm guilty like a guy trying to leave the country." Rick shook his head at the man's idiocy.
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"Hey! You're reopening!" Kate was happy for her.
"I found a hot new chief to step into Wolf's shoes," Madison responded.
"So David killed Wolf?" Madison was still trying to understand that.
Kate nodded. "Turns out that he intercepted a text that Wolf sent about the baby. At first David was going to approach her about it. But eventually she would leave him in favor of her baby's father."
"Wow, very Cain and Able," Madison exclaimed.
"I take it you're swamped." Kate had an ulterior motive for being there.
"Always, why?" Madison was curious.
"I thought we could get a drink and catch up." Madison was one of her oldest and best friends back in high school and they used to do a lot together.
"That would be great. Apparently we have a lot of catching up to do. You're engaged to Castle. AND DIDN'T TELL ME!" Madison was going to get her for that.
Kate knew she hadn't told her and had a look of shock on her face.
"Rick told me while he was trying to get information about you. So where is the ring?" Madison wanted to see it and watched Kate show her that it was on her necklace.
"So you do want to make little Castle babies!" Madison was all smiles.
"Maaaybee," Kate drawled and listened to Madison laugh which had her smiling wide.
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Alexis read some of what her dad had just written. "The scream pierced the air only falling on the ears of the dead.
"A little too over the top?" Rick asked her.
"Either you've been writing too long or you've forgotten how to write. I before E except after C," she chided. Alexis wrote her fixes on the paper. "Ever heard of spell check?"
"Of course," he said with a smile. "She has red hair, is wise beyond her years, and is about to tell her dad what she thinks about his latest chapter of his new book."
"I loved it, especially the part with Nikki and Rook on the aircraft carrier. Awesome!" Alexis smiled wide.
"Stop it, you're embarrassing me." Rick waved his hand at her. "Seriously though. Thank you for your help. I am so far behind on my deadline." Rick was in trouble.
"That's because you always find new ways to procrastinate." Alexis kissed his cheek and headed to the kitchen.
"Where's Kate?" Alexis queried.
"Shower," Rick said.
"Right here, Castle." Kate walked straight past him and went directly to Alexis so she could hug and kiss her. "We have a body so let's move."
"YES!" Rick jumped up and headed for the door. Kate looked at Alexis for an explanation. Kate had already grown accustomed to him loving seeing a new dead body. People were dead and he didn't need to be so enthusiastic about it.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Dad's behind on his chapters and he loves to procrastinate."
"I'll work on him. See you later, sweetie." Kate kissed her cheek again and went out after Rick.
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"Ready for coffee?" Rick asked Kate as they stood outside of the closest coffee shop that either of them could find that was close to the old murder site for Joanne's mother.
"Is that a rhetorical question?" Kate smiled at him since they both knew she had coffee in her blood stream.
Once inside it wasn't hard to spot Joanne who had noticed them. She and a man were sitting at a table near the back.
"I'll get the coffee." Rick gave her a quick kiss and passed by Joanne and her friend to place their order. Kate sat down at their table. Even before she did she could tell that Joanne's friend was a shifter. She even knew that he was a Rhino of all animals.
"Something has changed." Joanne had seen Rick give Kate a quick kiss before walking past them.
"A little," Kate smiled since a lot had chanced since they'd last seen each other.
"My manners. This is Will Smith." Joanne introduced her friend. "Detective Kate Beckett."
Kate shook his hand. "Smith?" It was clear he was hiding something.
"There are actually lots of Smiths," he said, a hairsbreadth from arguing with her.
"Point taken," Kate admitted but still wasn't buying it.
Rick put her cup of coffee in front of her. "Two pumps of vanilla."
"Thanks, babe." Kate took a sip and it was really hot.
"You two are unique," Smith told them. These two were the first Dragons he'd ever met.
Kate asked him what she was most curious about. "Do you have any idea how we know what the other is?"
"I wish I had an answer for that." Smith didn't know exactly why.
"Some of us have a few theories but that's all that they are," Joanne added.
Kate was more interested in how Joanne was doing. Losing her mother had clearly hurt as much as losing hers had. "How have things been, Joanne?"
"I still can't wear it so you were right about that. It still hurts but I still have my friends." Joanne looked at Smith.
"We have our own little group and we haven't let her out of our sight," Smith said.
"Group? I've only ever met four in my lifetime so far. Not counting Kate," Rick mentioned. "I've lived here for years."
"There are only 13 of us including Joanne. We take turns checking on her. We protect our own," Smith assured them.
"They've been really helpful." Joanne touched Will's hand. "One occasionally spends the night. They help me shop. They've helped me sell my mom's house and most of everything in it. Her jewels are in a safe deposit box. I haven't decided what to do with those. They got her killed."
"Her jewelry didn't get her killed," Kate said quietly. "The animal that killed her did that. I warned you not to go down the road of what ifs. If you'd been there he would have killed you too and your mother wouldn't want that."
"It's just that it still hurts." Joanne reached up and wiped away a tear as Smith put an arm around her.
"Do you need something? Help finding a place to stay? It sounds like you have friends," Rick asked since he had contacts.
Joanne shook her head. "I still have my apartment and selling Mom's home and some of the furniture has helped so I'm fine. I invited you here so you could talk to Will."
"Joanne tells me that you're a homicide detective and that you're a writer. We've done a little research on both of you," Will revealed.
Rick raised an eyebrow at that. "We have nothing to hide," Kate said.
"There are groups of us. Our little group is here in the city. Other groups are in other cites. Only a few of us know a couple of others. There are two people that know all of them.
We've never met them but we do have a way to contact them. They in turn can contact others if we need them," Smith said, making it clear.
"Like a secret organization? That's so cool!" Rick loved the sound of it.
Kate ignored his enthusiasm since she'd learned that was just how Rick was. "What do you need that for?"
"We walk around the city and try and find others like us. Then we try and find out who they are and report them. While we're interested in helping others like us there are others like us are more interested in power or killing," Smith explained.
"Killing!?" Kate looked around in fear that she'd said that too loud but no one was paying attention to them. Typical New Yorkers with blinders.
Smith looked quite serious. "They've allowed the animal in them to take over. It's why we investigated the two of you. You two in animal form could be extremely dangerous. Granted not all of us have dangerous animals."
"Have you met people that are dangerous?" Kate didn't know why she hadn't thought about that before now. If ordinary people could kill why couldn't shifters be bad and kill someone.
"Our group, no. However, we've been warned that there are shifters out there that are not to be trusted." Smith cautioned them.
"Can you arrange a meet with these people?" Rick queried.
That had Joanne and Smith looking at each other. Smith shrugged. "I'll pass your request along but it's not up to me. Don't be surprised or hurt if the answer is no."
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Kate was unlocking their front door after getting home from their meeting. "What do you think, babe?"
The look on Rick's face was very grave. "I think I'm going to do some research about a very good security system for the loft. My spidey sense is tingling and I don't like it."
"You sure you're not reading too much into this? One or two bad shifters doesn't mean we need a security system, you know." Kate wasn't entirely sure they need one.
"I told you that I'm going to protect you. Not just at work but at home and I'm not risking Alexis's life. She isn't going to be able to recognize a shifter when she encounters one," Rick pointed out.
"Just don't make it too complex, Castle. We need to still be able to live here." Kate let him look not realizing she'd just given him the green light to buy the very best system he could get his hands on.