Slaying the Beast

Chapter 21

Kate regards the life-sized figures she and Castle have created to draw Lockwood's fire. "Castle, using photo transfers to create faces on our stand-ins was brilliant. If I were looking from any distance at all, I'd think that was us cuddling."

Castle shrugs. "It wasn't hard. I used to do it all the time to create T-shirts for Alexis whenever she had a new pre-teen heartthrob, which was every few months. And any photographs of you would look exceptional, Kate."

"You don't look so bad yourself, Babe. I just hope Lockwood takes the bait and the boys and their backup can move in."

Castle picks up the remote control for the blinds. "Are they all in position?"

Kate nods. "According to the text Esposito sent."

Castle holds up crossed fingers before grasping Kate's hand. "Here we go!" He thumbs the button to set the trap.

As the minutes pass with agonizing slowness, there's no sign of a response from Lockwood, until the sound of shattering glass breaches the silence of held breath. Water Castle dyed red to mimic blood, pours from black rimmed holes in the collapsing foreheads of Kate's and Rick's doubles. Kate grasps Castle's arm to keep him from moving from their spot out of the line of fire. "Lockwood may still be watching. Let Ryan and Esposito do their jobs."

Weapon held at ready, Esposito is the first one through the door of the apartment where Lockwood has built his nest. He glares at Lockwood who reaches for his rifle. "If you want to live into the next second, you'll put your hands behind your head, and get on the ground now."

Lockwood smirks as he sinks to his knees. "Putting me behind bars - for as long as you think you can keep me there - won't save Detective Beckett and her sidekick. They already met their maker."

Ryan grins at the figure surrounded by a circle of gun barrels. "I think you might be in for a surprise."

"You want to go to a hotel for the night?" Castle asks as he and Kate watch CSU document and collect the scattered shards of glass and the deflated forms of sacrificial Beckett and Castle. "You won't be able to reach the D.A. for deal-making until the morning, and even after the lab people clear out, it's going to be freezing in here until I can get the glass replaced. We'd have a warm bed, and room service might even have some halfway decent coffee."

Kate chews her lip while considering her response. "How about my place? We've never been together - that way- there."

"And you want to christen it, so to speak?"

Kate rolls her eyes. "I'm not sure the priest at Dad's church would agree with the use of that word, but I'd love to see you, see all of you, there. But you have to make the coffee."

"Deal."

When Kate unlocks the door of her apartment, Castle heads straight for the kitchen and the coffee pot. "Did you know your permanent filter has a hole in it?"

Kate shrugs. "I thought the coffee was tasting a little gritty."

"Yeah. I bet. I can take care of that for now by sticking a paper towel in there. That will make the brew less chewable." He pulls out his phone. "But I'm going to order you a new one." After making the requisite entries and swiping for an instant purchase, Castle replaces his cell in the pocket of his pants and inspects the contents of the refrigerator. "Kate, you have quite a collection of take-out containers in here, some of which seem well past their dates for best use. Your eggs are expired too, and your bacon has become a growth medium for something green. Considering the nitrite content of preserved pork, that's quite an accomplishment. Not much here that will be edible for breakfast in the morning, but I can manage eggless pancakes - I think. I make them for one of Alexis' friends who is allergic to albumin."

"Castle we could go somewhere for breakfast," Kate points out.

"Not if we want to maximize our time by ourselves before the big interrogation tomorrow."

Hips swaying, Kate slinks into the kitchen to grab hold of the firm flesh encased by the back of Castle's jeans.

Kate leans her head against Castle's shoulder. "You have a point. And you know Castle, we can drink the coffee later, and we could start on a little togetherness right now."

Castle slams the door of the refrigerator. "That's true. That's so true."

Kate grabs his hand and leads him toward the bedroom. Before she pulls him down on top of it, he notices that the bedspread is purple. With the most colorful choice in clothing he's seen Kate make, other than the dress they chose together for the seaport gala, being a red wrap coat, Castle had no idea of her preference for a shade at the cooler end of the spectrum. Well now he knows, and he can keep it in mind for future gifting - if he can keep anything in mind.

Kate is tugging at the buttons of Castle's shirt when the doorbell rings. "Don't get it," Castle urges. "You're off duty. Whoever it is can come back later."

"Castle almost no one knows where I live. I get my mail in a P.O. box. I need to see who it is. Keep my place warm. I won't be long."

Castle groans as Kate gets up, and watches through the partially closed door of the bedroom as she reveals who's on the threshold. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way back from a meeting, and I thought … we haven't spoken that much since you caught your mother's killer … I just wanted to see you. Can I come in?"

Kate opens the door wider. "Of course, Dad." The rich aroma drifting from the kitchen reminds her of Castle's improvisation. "You want some coffee?"

Jim Beckett puts up a hand. "No thanks. I had three cups at the meeting which is two cups more than I should have. I just wanted to talk to you." The floor in the bedroom creaks under Castle's feet. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"Um, yes, I mean no, but there's someone you should meet. Castle?" Rick runs a hand through his hair and tentatively emerges from Kate's bedroom. "Dad this is Richard Castle."

Regarding Castle with a suspicious stare, Jim offers his hand. "Jim Beckett. My wife - I mean my late wife - enjoyed your books very much. I read Naked Heat and wondered how much of it was fiction. Not much, I see."

Castle can feel a rush of blood heating the skin of his face. "Mr. Beckett, I have nothing but respect for your daughter and what was in Naked Heat, it was fiction when I wrote it but things, uh, evolved."

"Evolved?"

"Dad, what Rick is trying to say is that we are together now, but it's very new, and we haven't been ready to announce it to the world."

The grooves in Jim's face deepen in a way that eerily reminds Castle of Kate. "I'm not about to post it on Tweeter, or whatever you call it, Katie, but are you happy?"

"For the first time in a long time, I am."

Jim turns to Castle, his eyes hardened by Beckett steel. "See that she stays that way, or you'll have more than chasing murderers and writing mysteries to worry about."

Castle raises his right hand as if swearing in court. "Yes, sir. I understand."