She takes the bottle that his hand has been tightly closed on, and walks to her kitchen sink, twisting open the lid and tipping the amber liquid down the sink. She looks around then, and finds a half empty bottle of wine on her counter, and most of a bottle of tequila. She tips those out too, but the decent unopened bottle of red that she has in a cupboard- she's saving that. She stalks into her bedroom, locking it in what she thinks of as her gun safe- it's not really a safe, just a locked drawer, but as long as the key is secure on her person she figures it will have to do.
What a day. Kate stomps back into the living room, furious. Seeing Royce, the fight with Rick, no matter how easily he seemed to forgive her. Working Vice- she changed back into jeans at the precinct before she left, but the eyeliner is still clumsy and she's dying for a shower. And now this. Her father has hauled himself onto her couch, and she figures if he can move himself from the floor he's probably alright- or closer to alright than she expected.
"Dad," she starts, still unsure what to say.
He looks at her with glassy eyes, as though he doesn't quite recognise her. "Katie?"
"Yeah, Dad, it's me," she tells him, as she goes to the sink and fills a glass with water, shoving it into his hands. "Drink this." She stands over him, watching him as he downs the water.
"Katie- how's your writer boyfriend? You still got him?"
In spite of herself, she laughs. He's going to ask about her love live, like he's a normal Dad, questioning his daughter? Like he has the right? "I haven't fucked it up yet."
"Katherine! Watch your language!"
"Seriously, Dad? You're sitting on my couch like that, and you've got a problem with me cursing?"
Jim nods as he silently concedes her point.
"I'm sorry," he tells her.
"Don't be sorry, Dad, just- what happened to A.A.? Why don't you see someone? A counsellor? Try rehab? Something?"
Her father doesn't reply, just buries his face in his hands. Kate shakes her head. She's asked these questions before.
"Have you eaten?" It's a stupid question, he obviously hasn't done anything but drink all day.
He shakes his head, and Kate opens a kitchen drawer full of take out menus. "I'm ordering in. Chinese okay?" She wonders what Rick's cooking this evening. She thinks she's eaten more home cooked meals in the last two months than in the whole of the last five years. If she'd just gone over to his place she never would have found her Dad on her doorstep. Huh. Is this the first time he's made his way here? That's something she's not going to venture to ask.
Kate dials for the Chinese take out- she'd normally get it delivered, but she wants to walk down to the corner, get some air. Jim's apparently fallen asleep again, so she grabs her purse and keys, figuring he won't miss her. On impulse, she stops at her bookshelf before she leaves the apartment. Old habits, and all, and she kind of wants something to hold onto. One of Castle's books is sticking out at an odd angle- A skull at springtime- so she puts it into her purse. Well, last time she'd used his book as a security blanket she'd met the man, so it can't hurt to hold on to something now, even just to walk down the street.
The cold wind whips through her hair as Kate steps out of her building. It's getting close to March but winter hasn't had its fun yet, she thinks. She wants to get away. Maybe she and Rick can go somewhere for a weekend- he's told her he has a place in the Hamptons, but she doesn't want to push for an invite. She's already pushed her way into his life, but maybe she needs to slow things down. She enters the Chinese restaurant, and is told her order will still be a moment. Kate sits, idly thumbing through her book.
Huh. The book. It wasn't where she left it. She remembers looking at the spine of this one a few weeks ago after Rick made fun of her for having read his worst book. Well. She guesses she shouldn't be surprised- he must have gone through her bookshelves to mess with her. Still, he hasn't been at her place more than twice, three times at most- Alexis keeps them pretty tied to his apartment. On a whim she opens the dedication page. Yep. Sure enough. A handwritten note scrawled there, a reference to the first book of hers he signed. She marvels at his patience, his ability to inscribe her book, weeks ago, probably, and then stay silent about it. Yet another part of the Richard Castle puzzle, the contradiction between patience and little kid joy that he exudes.
Her order is called, and she hands over a few notes and takes the bag. She feels like she's almost skipping on her way home. Kate, I'm so glad you called. R.
The phone is ringing, loud and insistent, and he hesitates. This could be a trap. He chances a quick look into the office to survey his surroundings as best he can, before dashing from the safety of his bedroom into unprotected territory. He's been down this road before, answered his phone, only to find Alexis has called him from another room to set him up. But this time the caller ID tells him it's Kate on the other end.
"Hello?" he whispers.
"When did you write it?" Ha! She found the inscription. He hadn't expected to hear from Kate again this evening, so this is a pleasant surprise. He looks around, to try and hide himself, and he crouches behind his desk.
"Took you long enough," he replies, still trying to keep his voice low.
"Seriously, Castle? When? The first time you were at my place?"
"The next morning. After our first date."
"Wow." She's quiet, but he can hear the traffic in the background.
"Are you not home yet? I thought you were nearly there when we spoke before?"
"Oh. Yeah." She sighs. "I stepped out to pick up Chinese- my Dad's here, sleeping it off on my couch."
"Really? Is he okay? Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she confirms. "But I just tipped half a bottle of crappy scotch down my sink, and hid a bottle of red that I've been saving."
"Shit, Beckett." He doesn't know what to say. "Has he turned up at your place like that before?"
"A few years ago, he used to do this fairly often."
"I'm coming round, Kate."
"No," she protests. "It's fine. I've got this, Rick. And you've got Alexis. I'm just going to eat dinner, let him stay on the couch-"
"Really, I think I should come over."
He can hear the caution in her voice. "Rick? Please don't. I don't want you to meet my Dad like this, okay?"
"Okay," he agrees, softly, wanting so much to have her in his arms again. There's a crash and a flash and bang, and his vest lights up. He's done.
"Gotcha!" Alexis cries from the doorway, glee written all over her face.
"What was that?" Kate asks him.
"Uh- nothing?"
"Hi Kate," Alexis shouts out behind him.
He makes a face at his daughter. "Alexis says hi," he tells Kate.
"What are you doing? Are you playing hide and seek?"
"Laser tag," he admits, grinning as he watches his daughter dance around the office.
Kate laughs. "I see." It doesn't take much imagination to picture her grin. "Hey, I'm at my door, I'm going to go, but Castle?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for signing my book."
She hangs up and Rick is left staring at his phone.
"Is Kate okay?" Alexis comes up behind him, startling him out of his reverie.
"Yeah, sweetie. She's just worried- her Dad is sick."
Alexis unwraps her vest, dumping it unceremoniously in his arms. "We should go visit her."
"We should, huh?"
"Uh-huh. Can we have another sleepover at Kate's house?"
"Not tonight," he tells her.
"Of course not tonight! Her Dad is sick." His daughter is looking at him like he's an idiot and he smiles at her, pulling her in for a hug.
"I don't know, pumpkin. I'd have to ask."
Alexis shrugs. "Anyway, we should visit Kate."
"How do you figure?"
"If you were sick, I wouldn't want to have to look after you by myself. So we should go over."
Rick considers it, and he's really close to agreeing, letting himself be swayed by his daughter, because what she's suggesting is exactly what he wants to do. But he shakes his head. No. Kate processes things differently to him. He needs to let her handle this. "Let's call her back, in a little while, and you can talk to her this time, before you go to bed, okay?"
Jim is snoring on the couch. He woke briefly to eat a mouthful of Chinese, before passing out again. Kate's not overly worried- at this point he seems more exhausted than drunk, so she pulls his shoes off, and tucks a blanket over him, before retreating to the sanctity of her bedroom. Right. She needs a game plan. This can't go on, and looking at her father- he'd looked so desperate sitting there on her couch- she's pretty sure he's at the end of his tether too. Kate opens her laptop to research her next step- but she remembers that Rick told her he'd started looking into it, so she figures she'll ask him tomorrow. She won't call him again tonight, it's been a big day- but her phone rings, and sure enough, the caller ID shows Rick. When she picks up she's both surprised and pleased to hear Alexis' little voice on the other end.
Over the phone the girl sounds younger than her nine years, and oh so cute when she shyly asks Kate if she's okay. Kate grins, and assures her she is. When Alexis passes the phone over to her father, Rick apologises for bothering her. "She really wanted to check on you," he tells Kate.
"Sure. Blame the nine year old." They hang up again after Castle promises to email the names of the rehab places he found. Kate falls into a restless sleep- torn between the comfort she feels at being part of Rick's life, Alexis' life, and the tumult she finds her in her relationship with her father.
A/N:
I have a ridiculous number of favourites and follows and reviews- so grateful- and so close to an even 300- so if you can tip me over the edge there... *hints*
Seriously. Thanks for reading.
