"Hello Lanie."
"Girl I've missed you."
"Help me out Lanie." Kate Beckett never needed this sort of help before but the reclining woman extends her arms and before Lanie knows it she has stepped and extended her own to take Kate's wrists so she can help pull her up as her best friend pivots her legs out to stand.
Lanie is fixated on her friend's beaming face and eyes as her much taller friend – even in bare feet – pulls her into a big hug. A hug that is disrupted by an obstruction.
"And what's this?" Her voice has jump at least two octaves. She's not shrieking, is she?
"You have a medical degree you should know what this is?"
Oh she does. And her heart begins to hope.
"Oh my God Kate. I'm so happy for you."
"Me too. Happy I mean." And she really looks it.
"And the baby Daddy?"
"The only one I ever wanted."
Thank God! She's pretty much singing inside with joy now, even as she feels a hot tear of happiness escape. It is all she has ever wanted for her friend. And him too. He is a good man, more than good enough for her best friend, and entirely deserving of her in return.
"Oh Kate! Really?!" Perhaps she still needs more confirmation. Is it too much to ask for a blood test? DNA?
"Yes, really Lanie. And you look great Lanes. I take it that this doctor you're dating is good for you?"
"Guy, and yes he's great. But don't think you are distracting me Kate Beckett."
"Who's she?" shoots back Kate and earns a hard look from the ME.
"Look I'm just pleased for you. I'll admit to missing our girl-time. A guess we've got a lot to catch up on."
"You better believe Hunnie. But more importantly where is he?"
"Out. Just running some errands. He'll be here soon."
"Okay?" She's still a tad suspicious, and clearly so.
Kate laughs at her friend's obviousness.
"God Lanie. Yes. It is Rick. We're together and he's the father. You know he's the only one I ever wanted to, with..."
Lanie can fill in the gaps from the last statement and she almost sags with relief from the confirmation, and yet question just leaps out, direct and no tact. "Kate what happened? When you left it sounded so final. Like a divorce."
"It was in a way. A separation of sorts. But from our lives and mess we managed to get ourselves into. We both needed to escape New York, the NYPD, our pasts, our present. Too much attention, too much history. So we left New York. Left our jobs. A lot of what defined us before. Even our families and friends. But it was necessary. For us to do this. To more than exist, or survive. We both wanted more than that and he deserved more too."
Lanie nods in acceptance of the explanation. More than she could perhaps have expected so soon. "So the money from Rick?"
"Was true. He did give me money." Still not telling you how much Lanes, but nice attempt.
"But you left on your own?"
"I was telling the truth. I traveled alone on occasion, not a lot of the time overall, but especially at the beginning. But he first met up with me after nearly six weeks and we spent three weeks together before he had to come back for some things. It was almost three months before we could be together as much as possible."
"I'm so pleased it has worked out, for both of you. I didn't know, or understand, what happened to the pair of you back in New York."
"Even now it's hard to say Lanie. It was like we were two different people, or at least I was. It was so out of character for both of us, especially given everything we had overcome up to then. I blew it. And Rick…."
"God. It wasn't easy Lanes. Lots of tears, and anger, some knock down fights. But things we should have said to each other earlier got shared."
"But it still took more to fix things?"
"Yeah, well you know me. Always able to see the worst in something great. It was tough at times. But Rick was really uncompromising. Much more confrontational than in the past.
"Then there was one really bad argument. My fault, and a trial separation – only nine excruciating days - which only confirmed we were much more miserable, far more, apart than together. I think after that we agreed to reinvent ourselves, or perhaps remade is a better term. Even during that time he called every night to talk me to sleep, and then one morning he was just there with my coffee and a ridiculous bouquet of these huge orange and red sunflowers."
"And this?"
"Our choice. A mutual decision. Planned." So few words yet encapsulated everything they had finally become. The partnership from the precinct finally perfected in their own personal life together.
"I am so happy for you Kate." She pushes a little more, "All healthy?"
"Yes," a tiny beat of a pause, "This time," almost whispered, near confessional.
"This time?" squeaks out.
"I had a miscarriage four months into the trip. I think they put it at five weeks. Led to the argument that sent almost sent Rick running back to the US, and to us being apart briefly. And that was all on me again. Convinced myself that I was unworthy to be his, to carry his offspring."
"Oh Kate." The tears which have been threatening escape run free, and she lurches into her best friends arms, the bump between them still a novelty.
"It's okay Lanie. It was hard for a little bit but strangely it bought us together. I barely knew I was pregnant, maybe suspicious. But it was a little too early as well. I ascribe it to the angry make up sex. As well as blaming myself, I accused him of some really awful things in the emotional wash up. More punishment than promise. He quite rightly fled. But I made contact, didn't let him go. Fought for him, even if I couldn't physically chase him for a couple of days. He came back. Again.
"Afterwards we worked through things together. Tragic as it was, it helped immensely too. It was the final step for where we are now. The conclusion to choices Rick asked me to make in New York."
"And that's a year of your life?"
"Oh Lanie, that the dramatic part of it sure, but really we've had the best time too. Been to places I, we, always wanted to visit, and plenty we didn't even know about. Of course some of the attractions were purely Rick. Legoland for instance. We went to the one in Denmark and the one in England. There was some indulgences too. Finally got to live the lifestyle that being married to a millionaire could offer.
"And not being a cop."
"Yeah Lanie, and my not being a cop anymore allowed us to that. And I don't regret it at all. None of the danger, or the monotony."
"You're a lucky girl."
"And don't I know it."
"Hello Lanie."
The voice is familiar but turning from where she is sat with Kate at the deck table, the man who stands before her is different. He's got gray with his hair much shorter cut with no bangs, maybe receding a little too if she's being super critical. A short graying beard frames his jaw, but the eyes are nearly the same as she remembers them even behind the prescription glasses. He's also much trimmer. Long cargo shorts and a plain dark grey t-shirt tight across his broad shoulders and impressive guns. The cheeky smile and laughing eyes remain. Damn! Middle age Richard Castle is a hottie.
"Richard Castle." She rises and reaches to pull him into a hug.
"That's not me."
"You both keep saying that when I say your names," she grouches from his chest, her arms barely encompassing his trimmer but still broad and surprisingly firm torso. You're a lucky girl Kate Beckett, or whatever your name is.
"Well it's true."
She ignores that statement for the moment and once again wraps him in another hug, head even lower down the long torso than with Kate. "Well whatever your name is, thank you."
"For what?"
"You know what. Loving my Girl."
"Could never not do that." From her seat Kate blushes, and reaches a hand to take his.
Lanie steps back, "So what's with the names? You seem awfully familiar but claim you aren't who I address you as."
"You know people say that to both of us quite often."
He's not answering that question too. But she has time for that answer later. "So where have you been?"
"Here and there. And today, I was out to pickup a stray."
As if on cue, another person comes round the corner of the house, it seems that no one actually goes through the house. Lanie almost doesn't recognize her at first. The dark hair an effective disguise until she spies the freckles and the father's eyes.
"Hello Lanie. It's been a while." The woman offers a hand but Lanie pulls her into a hug.
"Alexis. It is so good to see you. You look different."
The laugh is definitely familiar. "So they tell me."
Up close and aside from the hair, at least Alexis still looked largely like her former self. The dark, near black hair was a little shorter but the face is full of summer freckles even in autumn.
She detaches from Lanie and takes two steps to cross over into Kate's outstretched arms.
"Hi Kate. How's my sibling?"
"Taking after their father."
"Oh sorry to hear that."
"I'm right here you know."
"Yes, we know Dear." At his reaction, she adds "Don't pout."
Dusk has fallen and they sit, or in one case recline around the deck table, full of barbecue and bonhomie.
"So explain the name thing again."
"My name is Katherine Houghton Rodgers. This is my husband Richard Alexander Rodgers."
"For real?"
"Yes real! We decided that we wanted to step away from our past. As much as possible. Far from who we were in New York."
"And start over?"
"Well not too over. We had wasted a fair bit of time. Didn't want to waste any more." She waves her hand over the rounded mass of her stomach.
"Anyway we wanted to do it right this time. For us."
Rick chimes in. "There was some cheating. Her mainly."
Kate doesn't deny it. "He'd been so patient. Making him, us, wait any more wasn't right. Or fair."
"You seduced me!"
"Like you were complaining. And you seduced me right back."
He fist pumps. Oh she totally fell for that one.
Lanie whispers to Alexis, "Some things haven't changed."
"No. Definitely not. I still ring ahead before driving up on visits."
"You have my sympathy."
"Thanks."
"We're both right here you know."
"We know," comes from the stereo echoes from the two women.
The following morning, Lanie wakes early in the unfamiliar guest room. Pulling on the cotton robe Kate had laid out for her, she navigates her way downstairs in search of a drink.
She finds Kate awake and eating already. Pregnancy messing with her bladder and body clock. Rick there beside her.
After an exchange of good morning greetings and grabbing some breakfast items from the huge range of options – apparently even post-morning sickness Beckett has random food compatibility issues – Lanie broaches the question she wants more answers to.
"I'm still not sure I understand everything about what went on the beginning when you quit," Lanie nods at Kate, "and you up and disappeared. Again," she half accuses Rick.
"That's okay. We're not seeking anyone else's approval or permission but I guess we can explain." Rick offers.
"Well maybe just a little bit." Kate corrects her husband as Alexis joins them, exchanging greetings with the other occupants.
"What I said was true when we last met. I did have plans. I was just not sharing them. With anyone. But I had some business to attend to first so that was what held me up. And so Kate traveled first. She used the bucket list of places we wanted to go if we ever had the time, started off on some of her choices.
"As I had some things to do first, we agreed to meet up when we could. Before Kate left we prioritized the places we both wanted to experience together and made sure that we could do that. Other places Kate visited on her own. She's already promised to take me, well our family back to some of her favorites."
"It was during our first time together (in Spain) that I got pregnant but miscarried before I really knew I was. I didn't handle it well. Understatement really."
"We both didn't. I thought we had finally broken for good. But you wouldn't quit," he directs towards his wife.
"Too much to stomach losing," Kate admits.
"We took our time after that. I was able to spend most of my time with Kate by then.
Lanie has replayed the timeline of the photos and messages from Kate in her head. She still has questions.
"So back at the beginning when Kate quit and left New York where had you been Rick? Before those final few weeks? You disappeared before then."
"I took some advice. I got away. Canada. Some distant relatives apparently. I'll have to show you the photos as there is definitely a resemblance. But it wasn't the best advice. Well-intentioned but bad, or perhaps I should say incorrect. I almost blew it."
Kate leans into his cheek whispering something before leaving a kiss.
Lanie turns to Alexis and mouths 'Martha?' to the young woman. The sad nod terminates the brief exchange. Even as she turns back Rick and Kate have noticed this.
Rick proceeds on.
"I went to stay with this long-lost family in Alberta. I did do some writing. Not Nikki, she was mute for me then, but Derrick was reincarnated there. But I couldn't shake off Kate, she dominated my thoughts, and so I came back. Couldn't stay away. It turns out that for once it was pretty much the right time and choice. I called Kate and asked to meet. And we went from there."
Now Kate is up and her body wrapped around her husband, her left hand in his, their rings adjacent. She's whispering into his cheek, words only for the couple. Lanie feels almost guilty for sharing the room with them.
"Um, thanks. I appreciate the honesty, but I don't want to be responsible for making you both sad. Not when you have so much to celebrate."
"Deal." Kate's acceptance would be more convincing without the red-rimmed eyes.
After breakfast they had all showered and dressed. Lanie had joined Kate for a walk along the beach that was accessible from a gentle track that winds down the bluff that the house sits on. She had studiously ignored any serious conversation and two had enjoyed some frank girl-talk.
Returning to the house they find Rick and Alexis setting out an early lunch of cold chicken, salads and crusty bread.
"So you've been back nearly three months. So why go dark?"
Kate starts and looks at Lanie. "Did you have Ryan check on me?"
"How?" Lanie stutters.
"Detective, or at least ex-detective remember? Plus I know Rick set Ryan up with that job. Logical choice."
"Kate. I was concerned. You hadn't been in contact for the longest time."
"Thank you for your concern. I guess we were in our own little bubble. We were doing all the legal stuff with name changes and passports and also Kate, as she told you last night, had ten days of really bad morning sickness. We just wanted to ensure everything was healthy and progressing before bringing others back into our lives."
"Okay. Thank you for explaining. Still couldn't you have even sent one message Kate? Or you Rick?"
"I did I sent you that letter telling you I was coming home. I posted it in Singapore."
"It turned up really late."
"Oh. Sorry about that."
"De nada. So have you seen anyone else?"
"So far we had our families up here to visit. Alexis is closest, and comes when she can. No one else."
"Well until you Lanie. My dad has been twice and he's coming next weekend. Martha been up once and is coming again the weekend after and when her schedule allows."
"We'd love you to come visit again. We're not sure when we'll go back to New York."
"We'd like to meet Guy too." Kate insists. Turnabout is fair play.
"Well he's very keen to meet both of you. Turns out he likes your books, even before we met. But he has agreed that maybe Lauren Parry is hotter than Nikki."
The afternoon lazes away and a casual supper of chicken and salad finds them once again on the deck, wrapped up against the chill breeze off the Atlantic. Alexis has slipped back inside to work on an assignment.
"Why here? I mean I love it, but why this spot."
"I visited once with some friends many summers ago. I liked the area. Close to Martha's Vineyard but caught up in the lifestyle and costs. Homes by the sea have always appealed to me," Rick admits, "of course it helps if you have the money to afford one."
"Is this permanent?"
"No. We are only leasing the house. I think we'll move closer to Boston in the last trimester. We're looking already."
"Will you come back to New York?"
"No, at least not for a while. Maybe not permanently. We'll always have a home there. Mother is in the Loft – which we've agreed not sell, at least for a long time - when she's actually in New York. And there is the Hamptons."
"So why not do this at the Hamptons? Kate loves the place Rick."
He nods but his wife answers.
"We both do. But when we wanted to start afresh we agreed on making a clean break. The Hamptons has some bittersweet memories. So Rick actually leased the house out. It was one of the things that delayed his departure was arranging for all the stuff to go into secure storage, and for the paperwork and legals. It took quite a bit of organizing."
"It did take longer than expected, plus Mother thought I was punishing her."
"So he had to do a bit of reassuring. I would never begrudge him spending time with his family. Especially his Mom." Lanie can't help but notice how Kate is able to reference the profound loss of her own mother is such a manner without retreating into her shell. Rick – she still has trouble not calling him Castle – has been so good for her.
"Thank you but that family includes you too Kate." She nudges him with her left foot in acknowledgement.
"Can I ask about Alexis? How she is with all of this?"
"I think it is better if you ask her directly. You should have a chance to catch up tomorrow."
"Talking of which? Any plans for the day? My flight is late afternoon but can be moved a little according to the pilot."
"Well if you don't mind an early start we thought we could take the car across to Martha's Vineyard. The ferry leaves from Woods Hole just down the road."
"How early is early?"
"Catch the eight am ferry. So leave here about quarter past seven."
"Sounds good. I have always wanted to go."
She got her moment with Alexis whilst riding the ferry to Haven. Rick and Kate disappear to get some fresh air as the baby didn't have their sea legs yet. It was more than long enough for Alexis' frank appraisal that the pair were infinitely better together than apart, and that now Kate, and by direct inference her dad, were no longer in the line of fire, her concerns were very much secondary. She was very much her father's daughter, willing to forgive. Plus Alexis was looking forward to being the cool sister.
They explore the island in the Rick's car – a Tesla X - alighting at several locations for the view and sample the wares. Rick's attempts to purchase assorted knick-knacks and other items universally shot down by Kate and Alexis.
As they are getting the two o'clock ferry back they opt for a simple take away lunch. So they find themselves clustered at a picnic table eyeing off some interested seagulls as they enjoy their 'fish and chips'. Both Rick and Kate had corrected her on her questioning of the meal title. Apparently they had discovered this whilst in the UK, and both liked it, except for something called 'mushy peas' which Kate labelled bad enough to be one of Rick's kitchen experiments. Turns out that 'Baby R' – Lanie had to mentally remind herself not to call it 'Baby B' or even 'Baby C' – likes seafood.
"Can I tell people?"
"We are not making a big thing of it. Plus we want our privacy. Anyway who would be interested?"
"The old team. We're broken up and working different places but we're still your friends. Plus what about the press and public? He's still a little bit famous."
"So is she but we'll deal with that together when the time comes. I still retain Paula as my, or I guess, our publicist."
"But if you want to share with just our closest friends then please do so. But no social media or anything like that. I barely managed with Alexis, I have no idea how we'll survive now."
"Don't worry about it Babe. We'll cross that bridge when we need to."
The seriously talk peters out until Lanie asks something that had been at the back her of mind since Kate quit the NYPD for good.
"Did you ever think about going back to study law again?"
"God no! Years of study, and then a career again? Missing out on family time, seeing our kids grow up? Maybe once I did consider it. But I don't want that now, and we don't need it." Beside her, her husband nods in agreement.
"But you must miss somethings, don't you?"
"The NYPD? Sure. But I only miss some things about being a detective. The camaraderie, the team, the closure for the victims' families, finding justice. But I don't miss the paperwork, the danger, the long hours. Worse I got blinded by the need to advance, seeing that a measurement of my true worth. Promotion was a mistake for me. I was a good detective but I'm no Captain. Never was. Montgomery, Gates they were the ones that embodied those skills and traits necessary to run a precinct. I'll settle for being able to run, or at least survive, a household. And if that doesn't work out I've got Mister Mom here to lend a hand."
Lanie had driven the SUV back to the airport. Rick and Kate had followed in their Tesla X – only the 90D as Kate had prohibited the P90D model despite Rick's desire to own a vehicle with 'Ludicrous Speed Upgrade'.
The pilot was waiting for Lanie. She admitted that a simple city girl could get used to the lifestyle but she was increasingly sure that she had everything she needed with Guy. Except the man himself - who had already messaged that he would be there to meet her at Teterboro airport when she arrived in a little bit over an hour.
"Thank you all for having me come to visit. It was good to get away from the city and that was even before all of this great news. I am so pleased for all of you."
"So what are your plans now?"
"We're taking Alexis back to college tomorrow morning, and then we have an appointment in the city with the pediatrics clinic we've chosen."
"I think she meant longer term 'Mister Itinerary'. We're going to be a family." At Kate's obvious statement, but one tinged with such delight, Lanie can barely roll her eyes before trying at least some form of glare on her friend. Which doesn't work.
Of course Rick dives in to cover for his partner. "I'll write some more. I've got some ideas and well maybe with my muse around Nikki might make a comeback. Of course this is all in between daddy duties." Oh that elicits a classic eye roll.
"What about you Kate?"
"For now concentrate on being a mom. We'll work the rest out later. I know what my priorities are and I have everything here I need and want."
Kate wraps her best friend in the tightest hug – within the limits of her bump – and whispers, "Thank you for coming. We really appreciate it."
"Oh Kate thank you. I've had the best time. And this is the best news ever! I'm gonna be an Auntie!"
Author's Note
So I know this is not how many of the pitchfork wielding, torch-carriers wanted this story to go.
But I'm a shipper at heart. For me Kate Beckett permanently quitting the NYPD and moving away from New York to reconnect and recommit to Rick was a logical outcome.
And no she won't become a Senator (at least not in any story I write).
Also I don't normally do pregnancy or baby fics. But here I thought it was a necessary plot element.
Epilogue to come.