A/N At the end of the last chapter I commented about negative remarks about Kate. Sure enough I got an unsigned review that was a every ugly remark about her.
If you want to read stories where she is a really bad person. Go somewhere else. In my tales she has become a loving wife and mother who battles monsters
And, honestly what she did in high school was a teenager being a rebel, just like so many do and then later regret
On her way back home to the loft, Captain Katherine Beckett thanks her lucky stars that the case of the armored car popped up when it did and gave her the chance to get out from under Rick's prying questions and give her the chance to try and come up with a good story to use when her husband does come around ask bring up questions again about Lexington
As she pulls into the parking garage she checks the time. It is late enough that the kids will be sound asleep and she hopes that she can just go in and grab a quick shower, then use all of her feminine charms on her guy to distract him from questioning her about her past
As she enters the loft she can tell by the darkened living room that her family is all safely in bed but as she walks toward the office, she can tell that her guy is in his study, sitting at his desk, with his laptop in front of him typing away
She makes sure to call out softly, so to not wake the kids "Hey babe, I'm home"
He responds equally softly "In here"
She walks into the office and up to his back where she leans her body into him and places a warm kiss to his neck causing him to let out a small sound
"I'm going to grab a quick shower. Will you pour me a small glass of wine?" leaning in again "That kind that makes me feel all…um…you know. And I might tell you all about the case that we caught. You will love it"
He knows full well what bottle she is referring to. "You got it love" and he saves his work and closes the computer and watches as Kate walks into the bedroom and on around into the bathroom shedding her clothes as she goes
He moves to the living room then on into the kitchen where he opens the wine cooler and removes the bottle containing the 'Special red' that gets Kate feeling a little extra amorous
He brings the two glasses into the bedroom closing and locking the door. He knows that having either of the little ones popping in tonight might not be the best idea
He sets the glasses on the coasters on the night stands and goes to his dressing room and quickly sheds his outer wear and returns to wait for his wife.
When the bathroom door finally opens and the love of his life enters the area Richard Castle is, once again, caught in a world filled with lust. His wife still has the charm to completely take her man to a higher level of desire focused directly on her
She is wearing one of his favorite night gowns. One that presents her legs to their fullest and gives him an almost unrestricted view of everything else
When she sees the look on the face of her man she knows she will be able to keep his mind directed toward her and not be interested in quizzing her about anything from her 20 year old history
She slides her lithe body into the bed beside her guy. The man that has a slack jaw look on his face. She decides to use the time to move him a little further away from his quiz
"You should have been with us tonight" she begins
His eyes are looking everywhere except her face. "What? I mean…where.…I what are you talking about?"
She picks up her wine glass, takes modest sip then leans her head back against the headboard "I just think that this case might be right up your alley"
"Case? What case?"
She looks at his face and knows he will not be asking about her rebel days…at least not tonight. He is more interested in her finishing the wine she has in her hand
"The case I was called to see about"
"Oh, yeah. That case"
She takes another sip of her wine. She knows full well that she will not be interested in the case in a few minutes so she continues quickly "We had a man dead in the driver's seat of an armored car teetered on the bridge"
"So?" he stutters out "Stolen or taken by an employee?"
"The car was not stolen. The armored car company said all trucks were accounted for and the man was not an employee either"
Still Castle has not taken his eyes off Kate's body "Was it a fake truck? What did the VIN come back to?"
Kate finally pulls Rick's chin up to look at her face "The VIN was fake. It was not a legitimate number. So it belonged to no real truck"
"What about the dead driver?"
She finishes her wine, places the glass on the coaster, "His prints were not in the system and we have no idea who he was" she move to straddle his body "His clothes even had no labels" she is reaching around Castle's neck and pulling him in to kiss him
Rick's breathing is becoming a little harder now "So we need" she kisses him "we need DNA" she kisses him "DNA we DNA" she kisses him
"What is it that you want Rick?" she kisses him again
"I just want you"
No more words are needed tonight
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Kate rolls toward her husband's side of the bed to find he is gone. Knowing he is probably up getting breakfast ready for his brood she rolls back over and reaches down for her robe. After pulling the soft cotton around herself and tying the sash tightly around her, she moves into the living room.
When she arrives at the breakfast nook she finds her guy is in the kitchen softly humming a tune. Like so many years ago, she cannot tell what it is but, as before, he seems very satisfied at the moment. She leans into the door jam and just watches her guy working on the family's morning meal
How many times has she done this? Walked into the kitchen after a wonderful night with her husband and watch him beginning a wonderful meal.
So…many…many times
He turns to see his beautiful wife just smiling at him "You look radiant Mrs. Castle"
"You're not so bad yourself Mr. Castle"
He steps up and gives Kate a kiss "You hungry?
"Famished" she steps closer and takes a piece of bacon from the plate
He takes a half-hearted swat at her hand with a spatula
"Breakfast is almost ready. You want to go get the kids up?"
But before he can finish his sentence the two little ones are rushing down the stairs yelling "Mommy…Daddy!" and they come rushing to the table and climb into their chairs
The adults look at their children and smile back at each other. Rick comments first "you did good Kate"
"Just thinking the same thing Rick"
Castle plates up their morning meal. Kids with pancakes. Rick with an omelet and Kate with fruit and a yogurt
"Mommy" Alicia starts up "Daddy said you had to go to work last night"
"Yes, little one. I had to check on a crime"
Jimmy gets an evil look on his face "Was somebody dead? Shot. Cut up with a knife? Had his arms ripped off? Really gross?"
Kate looks at her son in shock then up to his father "Has daddy been letting you watch John Woo movies again?"
Castle is trying to fain innocence "He might have come in when I was watching one, but I made him go to bed"
"Not until the killer chopped off the man's…"
"ENOUGH" Kate stops the conversation. One we are having breakfast…and two…you will not be watching any more horror movies" then she looks at Rick "RIGHT, DADDY?"
Castle drops his head "yes mother" He misses the sly grin on his wife's face
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
St the 12th precinct Captain Beckett has arrived to join up with her two lead detectives "Gentlemen. Any changes from last night?"
Esposito answers first "Not really. The truck is totally fake"
"What do you mean FAKE?" Beckett asks
"The frame is from an International. The body is a replacement made by Gordon's Trucks. The cab is from a scrap yard. The unit was assembles to look like a real 'Barron's Armored Car Company', but like we found out last night, Barron's Armored Cars has no missing vehicles"
"What about the Vehicle Identification Number" she asks again
"That is a composite of numbers that do not even belong together"
"In what way?"
"The manufacturer id belongs to Subaru, the body model says it's a Corvette, the body style is a Ford
Pickup"
Kate shakes her head "Then we don't even have a decent place to start?"
"Not really" Javier finishes
Beckett looks at Ryan "What do you have Kevin?"
"The man appears to be in his late thirties. Average white male. Well-toned body however. Like he works out a lot"
Kate is thinking "Do you think he is military?"
Esposito answers "He does have that button up appearance of someone either in the military or recently discharged"
"Has Lanie got anything on him?"
"She called and said she wanted to see you. We assume about the case"
"OK" Kate responds "I will head down to the morgue. You two keep digging. There has to be some part of that truck that will give us a hint as to why it was built, what is was doing on the bridge, and why"
"Got it boss" and the two men goes back to their desks
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Captain Beckett leave the station and heads to the morgue.
This is a trip that has not occurred as frequently as it once did. Since Captain Beckett's unit works on much more than murders, her visits to Lanie have been more infrequent. The two women still stay in communication, just not as casual
When Beckett arrives she is greeted by the newest member of the medical examiner's office, Dr. Juan Selma. "Captain Beckett. Welcome"
"Dr. Selma, good to see you" she responds
"Dr. Parish is waiting for you in the autopsy room"
"Thanks" she passed the man and pushes her way thru the door "Hey Lanie" she calls out
Without even looking up from her notes "Well, it's about time"
"Sorry. Traffic was bad"
"No! Not just today. We haven't had a long girl's night out"
"It has been a while. I'm sorry" Kate nudges her friend "My life is crazy. Cases…kids…"
Lanie finishes "…Husband?"
"He does get a lot of my time" Kate's voice does not have any remorse but more happiness and Lanie notices
"You are still really enjoying married life"
Kate smiles "Very much"
Lanie gives Kate one of her knowing smiles
"So, Lanie, what do you have on our victim. Cause of death?"
"Well, for starters…he is not a victim"
Surprise crosses Beckett's face "What do you mean? He is not a victim? We found him dead. Slumped over the wheel of a bogus armored car. He was driving a truck that legally does not exist"
"He may have been driving an illegal truck, but his cause of death was not"
"OK. What was his cause of death?"
"He died of a brain aneurysm"
Kate's face drops "He died of natural causes?"
"He had a weak artery wall and it blew. He died almost instantly"
Kate begins thinking "Did you get anything on his identity?
"Nothing. His dental work is not US. Probably done overseas"
"Can you gets records?"
"I probably will not be able to get records from another country. In fact, I don't even know what country to begin with"
"What about DNA?"
"I put it in the system, but no matches are back. It might take months before we get a response from the European system"
"So this man is a ghost?"
"That pretty much covers it"
"OK Lanie" Kate turns toward the door "Let me know if you get anything at all"
"Wait a minute Girlfriend"
Kate stops and look back at Dr. Parish "What?"
"Tell me about this class reunion. I understand they are going to give you an award"
Kate is still uncomfortable. Her face turns red "I wish that were not the case"
"Why? That is a great honor"
Beckett pauses before answering "They said that they are going to tell some of my stories from high school
A look of understanding comes across Laine's face "OH Yeah…rebel Bex?"
Kate nods her head
"Well, Rick knows about your past…Right?"
"Most of it"
"What do you mean? MOST of IT?"
Kate fanes a smile
"Have you not told him about the Harley?"
"Not everything"