playlist (all women this week for our girl's weekend):
1. mother mother - the veronicas
2. lovesick mistake - erin mccarley
3. friend - kaitlyn
4. butterfly child - sophie madeleine
5. flowers up - sam phillips
6. say uncle - vienna teng
7. the minnow & the trout - a fine frenzy
as always, nothing you recognize belongs to me.
hope y'all enjoy!
brachistochrone /brəˈkistəˌkrōn/ n. 1) (math) A curve between two points along which a body can move under gravity in a shorter time period than for any other curve.
Beckett went home that night, itching for a warm bath and a good book. As she tossed a jasmine- and cherry-scented bath bomb under the tap, she hunted for a book to read as she soaked. She pored over her stacks on the steps, looked through all of her bookshelves, and rifled through the pile on the coffee table, but nothing popped out to her.
Then, she knew exactly what book to read. And found it in the most unlikely of places (right where she'd left it) - on her nightstand. Because she'd known she'd be wanting to read it sometime this weekend.
Beckett picked up the brown book, running her fingertips lightly over the hot pink scissor patterns on the cover and spine. The linen-y cloth felt good under her palms, and she smiled slightly in satisfaction.
She and her mom loved to read this book together. They were never very religious, but the message was good. Also, as her mother had told her many times, she was named for Jo. So it seemed fitting tribute to her mom that she would read this book, about mothers and daughters, on Mother's Day (or, almost Mother's Day).
She cracked open the book and flipped through the acknowledgements to the first page.
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
"I miss you, Mom," Beckett whispered, shutting the book and going in to take her bath.
Alexis sighed, and ran a hand over her face. She looked down at her phone, which read, Plz call and tell me wat UR doing ths wknd w/ UR mom!
She dialed his number and pressed call, trying to refrain from rolling her eyes. "Hey, Dad. I already told you my plans for this weekend! Like, a thousand times. I don't remember if you were writing...maybe! But that's not an excuse!"
She sighed, dramatically, and then took a deep breath. "Okay, her flight gets in at seven, and then she's meeting me at The Surrey for dinner at Bouloud, which is downstairs. We have one of the two-bedroom Presidential suites, under Alexis Harper. Tomorrow, we're going to hit the gym in the morning for yoga and pilates, and then go to the spa for massages, facials, and mani-pedis. Sunday morning, we're meeting Taylor, Kelsey, Paige, and their moms for brunch at Locanda Verde. I was planning to take her shopping and then maybe go to a couple art exhibits I've had my eye on, grab a light lunch, and get her to JFK for her flight back to LA, which leaves at five."
Alexis' phone beeped in her ear, and she pulled back to look at it. At first, she was confused, because her mom was supposed to be hundreds of miles in the air. But the caller ID said Meredith Harper, and it was her cell number, so Alexis couldn't buy that it might be someone else. "Hey, Dad, I'll call you back. Someone's on the other line. Okay, love you too. Bye."
She hit the green button, again, to transfer to call waiting. "Mom? Why aren't you on a plane? Was your flight delayed or something?"
Her face fell and her nose began to burn. "Wh-what? No, I understand..." Alexis stared at her paisley duffel bag, now looking so pitiful and childish on the floor. "No, Mom, that's great. I'm really happy for you. Right, some other time. Okay, talk to you later. Love you too. Goodbye."
Alexis grabbed one of the pillows off the couch and buried her face in it. She began to cry. She beat her fist against the couch cushions, but it did nothing to make her feel any better.
"Gram's on a date," she thought aloud, "and Dad's going to the Hamptons. What am I supposed to do?"
She took a deep breath. "You're going to have a good time, regardless, Alexis. Buck up." She grabbed her duffel and purse, and stomped to the door. She turned off the lights and locked the door behind herself.
Beckett was on her couch, on her second glass of wine and the last chapter of Part One when her doorbell rang. She looked at her watch and squinted, confused as to who would be coming over now but Castle, who was in the Hamptons, and Josh, who was in Japan.
Regardless of confusion, though, she put her book down and went to the door, taking a final sip of wine before setting the glass on the counter. But even she was not prepared to see who she did through the peephole.
"Alexis?"
The girl in question smiled awkwardly. "Hi, Detective Beckett. I hope I'm not intruding," she said, nervously glancing into the apartment.
"Not at all. Please, come in," she offered, standing aside to let Alexis and her bags pass through. "And it's Kate, remember?"
Alexis grinned sheepishly. "Right, sorry."
Kate bit her lip. "So, are you planning to stay a while...?"
"Oh gosh, no! I mean, not that it wouldn't be cool, but obviously I haven't talked to you about that, or my dad, and I don't think he would be too thrilled about it, and plus I barely know you! Not that you're a stranger or anything, but you and I haven't really talked that much except about my dad and you two going to events and that time we talked about studying abroad, and also I feel sort of like I know you because he talks about you all the time, but-"
"Alexis! Whoa, there. Take a breath!"
"Sorry," she whispered. "I babble when I'm nervous."
Kate softened. "Come, sit down." She patted the blue tweed invitingly, moving her book to the coffee table so there'd be room for Alexis and her stuff. Alexis took the bait, laying her duffel and purse at the end of the chaise and sitting next to Beckett on the sofa.
"So, what are you doin' here?" Beckett asked.
Alexis gave a forced smile. "Just wanted some company."
Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Well," Alexis started, chewing her lip in thought. "You know Dad's out of town." It was more of a statement than a question, but Kate nodded anyway. "And Gram has free reign of the loft, because-"
"Because you have big plans with your mom this weekend," Beckett finished, confused.
"Had," Alexis corrected, dropping her head.
"What?" Beckett meant to sound shocked, but Alexis must've heard it as confused, because she clarified.
"Well, she got a big audition offer, but they're running out of time, so they have to do it this weekend. It's not a big deal."
"Of course it's a big deal! You never get to see her, and you miss her, and it's Mother's Day!"
"I mean, I guess...but it's her life. I can't just expect her to drop everything for me."
Beckett stepped away from her own feelings for a bit. "Of course you can, Alexis. She's your mother. It's her job to be there for you whenever you need her to be." She winced at that sentence, but Alexis didn't seem to notice.
"I'm just used to it, I guess."
"Well, you shouldn't be." Beckett rested her chin on a pillow as she clutched it to her stomach. She thought back on all the times she must've sounded so stupid to Castle in her defense of Meredith. She kicked herself, just as she had a second ago, for projecting her feelings on to reality. Maybe this was normal for Alexis.
"I don't know. I mean, I love my mom, but I can only really take her in small doses. Kind of like a deep-fried Twinkie, you know?"
Beckett bit the pillow to keep from laughing. Then she sobered, thinking about how, when she was Alexis' age, she felt the same way about her own mom. And now, she'd give anything to see her again.
"Oh my gosh, Detective Beckett! I am so sorry! I know this weekend must be hard for you - Dad even reminded me - and that was so insensitive! Oh my gosh!" Alexis was babbling, again, and Beckett looked up to see her guilty blue eyes, so similar to her father's.
"Alexis, sweetie, please calm down." Like a puppy, Alexis shut up on command. "You're fine, okay? I'm a tough cookie, like my grandma always said. I can handle stuff."
"I'm still sorry."
"Not a problem."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing how to continue the conversation. Then Alexis spoke up.
"How did I end up with a mom that doesn't want to be around me?" Her voice was stable, but a look in her eyes revealed her vulnerability and childlike hurt. Beckett had no good answer for her.
"I honestly have no idea. But you did end up with an amazing dad, who loves you more than I've ever seen anyone love anything. And to be honest, I know that's how your mom feels about you too. She just doesn't know how to show it."
"How do you know that?"
Beckett went completely still. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't force a sound out. But she knew that if she ever wanted Alexis to trust her, she had to be as honest with Alexis as Alexis was with her. Which (unfortunately for Beckett) right now, was pretty damn honest. "Because that's how much I love my daughter."
"Wh-what?" Alexis' eyes were wide, and she looked completely stunned. "You have a daughter?"
Beckett met her gaze. "When I was your age, I made a series of bad choices. I was always such a good girl, and I was ugly. Then I had my, what is it you say?" Alexis let out a breathy laugh as Beckett said, "Ugly-duckling-into-swan moment, and all the girls wanted to be my friend and all the boys wanted me to be their girlfriend. In high school, Maddie, this girl named Dana, and I were queen bees. And I got stupid. I got knocked up at sixteen, and in May of my junior year, I had a baby girl."
"That's like me," Alexis whispered, astonished.
Beckett nodded solemnly. "I gave her up for adoption, and now she's living a carefree life in New Jersey somewhere. I got one picture of her, and she got one picture of me. And that's about it. But not a day goes by when I don't think about her, or wonder how she's doin', or wish I could see the beautiful young woman she's becoming. And that's how I know how your mom feels about you. Because I've never even met my daughter, but I love her with everything that I am."
"Wow," was all Alexis had to say before she launched herself at the detective.
Beckett was caught off guard, but it didn't take long for her to relax into the teenager's embrace. She ran a hand through Alexis' silky red hair and rested her chin on the warm crown beneath it.
"I'm really sorry, Kate," Alexis mumbled into her shoulder. Beckett smiled, and rubbed the girl's back.
"It's okay, sweetie." She wasn't sure when or why she started using endearments for the girl, but it felt good and natural, and plus, Alexis hadn't said anything. "I know I did the right thing for her, you know? But that doesn't mean that it hurts any less. Even if I didn't want her at first, I let her grow inside of me, and felt her grow. And that builds a connection, whether you want it to or not."
"Like with my mom," Alexis said quietly, pulling back, but resting her head on Beckett's shoulder.
"She didn't want a baby? But I thought-"
"She got pregnant by accident, and Dad wanted her to keep it. He said he'd marry her, and I guess she wanted that then, so she agreed. He tried to keep it from me, but she wasn't ready. That's why she left - that's why she stays away," Alexis said, in wisdom rare for people her age. "She's not mature enough to be a mom. She's like...an aunt, or cousin, or some other semi-close relative that you only see on occasion. Weirdly, though, it works for us. But that doesn't mean I don't miss her."
"I know," Beckett replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Hey, Kate?" Alexis' voice was nervous, again, and Beckett looked down to meet her gaze.
"What's up?"
"Well, I know it's not really the same, and I know this is probably way out of line and-"
"Alexis..."
"Okay, okay, sorry. Anyway, I made all these plans for my mom and me this weekend, and if I cancel them now I can't get back the money, so I was wondering if maybe..." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "If maybe you'd want to take her place?"
She said the last bit in such a rush, dropping her eyes and fiddling with her hands in her lap, that she didn't notice that it was Beckett this time who initiated the hug-tackle.
"Oomph," she said, muffled, as her face was once again buried in the detective's shoulder.
"I would love to, Alexis. It would be an honor." Beckett's face was serious as she stared into Alexis' eyes. Alexis beamed in return.
"Are you sure you want to agree to all this without even knowing what you're agreeing to?"
Beckett frowned, realizing the statement's truth. "Well, tell me?"
Alexis grinned, her eyes lighting up as she began rattling off details and using a ton of terminology that Beckett did not understand. But she smiled, too, and went along with it. Alexis' enthusiasm was contagious, it seemed, and Beckett was soon just as excited about the weekend as she was.
"So, let's get you packed!"
"Whoa, whoa. Packed?" Beckett was confused.
"Well, yeah, if you're going to stay at the hotel with me!" Alexis started into Beckett's bedroom, looking for an overnight bag.
"Hey, what are you doin'?" Beckett called after her.
"Finding you an outfit to wear to brunch," Alexis responded.
"Wait a second!" Beckett rushed into her room to make sure the girl didn't go crazy. But she shouldn't have been worried, as it was Little Castle, and not her father, that she was dealing with.
Alexis had discovered a worn, brown, leather weekender shoved into the bottom of Beckett's armoire. She had already packed a set of red paisley pajamas with purple buttons, a green sports tank, heather-y grey running tights, her blue trainers, and a navy and white zebra-print maxi dress Beckett had just been forced to buy by Lanie. She hadn't even taken off the tags, yet.
"I figured I'd let you do underwear and toiletries. Oh, and socks. I forgot socks. What jewelry and shoes do you want to go with this dress?" Alexis was already rooting through Beckett's jewelry box.
"Hey, now, wait a second-" Beckett tried to protest, yet again, but was cut off by Alexis.
"C'mon, Kate." She began to turn on the puppy eyes. "You need to get away, and I need someone to get away with. You'll be doing me a favor, honestly. And Dad doesn't even have to know!"
"Okay, now, that is where I draw the line!" Beckett found a leg to stand on. "Do you seriously think I'm going to just pretend like Meredith showed up?"
Alexis halted, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Well, I mean, you don't have to lie about it, exactly...but, like, he'll be mad..."
Beckett refrained from rolling her eyes. "As he should be! She let you down."
"Yeah, but she didn't mean to..."
"Fine, I won't tell him," Beckett sighed.
Alexis lit up. "Really?"
"Really."
"You're the be-"
"You will."
Alexis pouted. "Kaaate," she whined, but Beckett was having none of it.
"Come on, I get enough of that from your father. Now, help me finish packing."
Ten minutes later, they had made sure that Beckett had everything she'd need, and they were ready to leave the apartment. Beckett grabbed her purse and locked her door behind them.
"You have a really nice place, by the way, Kate," Alexis said offhandedly as they waited for the elevator. "I love the whole, like, vintage-y, thrift-store-chic vibe."
Beckett smiled. "Thanks! I'll take you shopping some time. Have you ever been to the Brooklyn flea market?"
"No. I mean, I've heard of it, but Dad's more of a...clean-is-clean person? He's one of those people that will throw something away and replace it if it gets dirty. We've just started using real plates instead of disposable."
"Yeah, I guess I can tell from your house that he's more modern and sleek than, what was it? Thrift-store-chic?" Beckett gave Alexis a playful nudge with her elbow as they stepped into the elevator.
"You know who'd probably love it, though?" Alexis asked.
"Who?"
"Gram. Maybe we could make a girls' day out of it, or something." Alexis paused thoughtfully, and then added, "Only if you want, obviously."
Beckett threw her a look. "Of course I want, silly. I like you, remember?"
She chuckled as Alexis blushed. "Shut up, I can't help it. It's the redhead curse."
They chatted on amiably as they went downstairs and in the cab as they traveled to the hotel.
"Good evening, madams, and welcome to The Surrey," the concierge greeted them as they approached the front desk. His white satin ascot matched his suspenders, and his coke-bottle glasses glinted in the soft light of the lobby. "My name is Geoffrey. How may I assist you this evening?"
"Hi," Alexis started, nervous. "We have a reservation under Alexis Harper?"
At Beckett's confused glance, Alexis whispered, "Dad doesn't like us to use the last name 'Castle', for fear of paparazzi. Don't think he's big-headed - it's happened before."
"I-" That's exactly what she had been thinking, and how she would've razzed Castle if he'd been there. "Sorry," she offered quietly.
Alexis merely smiled as Geoffrey pulled up the reservation. "Yes, a two-bedroom Presidential suite, two nights and two days, for Alexis Harper. And we have the credit card information already, but may I see your identification, please?"
Alexis pulled out her ID wristlet, flashing him her driver's license. He nodded and typed some more information into their system.
"Alright, Miss Harper, your room is all ready for you. Here are your keys," he said, sliding them a small envelope, "which are your all-access pass to get in anywhere in the building, including our rooftop terrace. Now, your reservations for tomorrow are all ready, but did you want me to make you a reservation for dinner tonight?"
Alexis furrowed her brow. "What about the reservation I already made, for seven-thirty?
"Miss Harper," Geoffrey said awkwardly, "it's almost eight. We can only hold tables for fifteen minutes after the reservation time, and then we have to turn them over. I'm very sorry," he apologized. "I'm sure I could get you a table in about twenty minutes?"
Alexis glanced at Beckett, face writ bold with embarrassment. Beckett was about to accept when Alexis' stomach rumbled, loudly. She turned her attention to Geoffrey. "How fast is your room service?"
"We deliver within thirty minutes of ordering."
Beckett glanced back at Alexis. "And what about your restaurant?"
"Well, that depends on when you're seated, the crowd, and what you order."
Beckett felt her own stomach growl in complaint, and she said, "We'll be fine with room service, right?"
Alexis smiled gratefully and nodded.
"Alright, then. Let me get someone to help you with your bags."
As Geoffrey walked away, Beckett started to protest. But Alexis silenced her with a hand on her arm. "Just let him go, Kate. It's their job."
"It's too much," she sighed.
"Bad?" Alexis' face was worried.
Beckett smiled reassuringly. "No, not bad. Maybe it'll be fun!"
She grinned at Alexis' relieved sigh, and followed the bellhop into the elevator. He took them to the seventh floor and followed them into the massive suite, setting their bags down by the door.
"Whoa," Beckett said in astonishment.
"This is nicer than I thought it was going to be," Alexis added.
They looked around the room in silence for a few minutes, taking in the dark hardwood, the airy ceilings, and all the accommodations they could ever hope for. Beckett walked over to the baby grand piano and ran her fingers across the smooth black key cover.
The bellhop cleared his throat, softly. "Would you like me to put the bags in your rooms?"
"No, we can do that," Alexis said, not wanting to make Beckett more uncomfortable than she already was.
"Thank you so much," Beckett said, handing him a crumpled five from her pocket.
After he left, Alexis hissed, "You shouldn't have done that. This is my treat."
Beckett just looked at her. "And that was a treat. Trust me."
Alexis narrowed her eyes, but let it go. "I think your bedroom is over past the kitchen."
"Wait, kitchen?" Kate did a double-take. Alexis smiled widely.
"Yeah. We've got a kitchen, a dining room, a baby grand, and two bedroom suites." She listed, counting on her fingers as she went along. She held back a grin as Beckett's eyes grew wider.
"Wow. Just...wow. And you paid for all this?"
Alexis blushed slightly. "I had a little help from Dad, but yeah. I just...I know Mom has champagne tastes, and I wanted her to have a good time."
Beckett swallowed her bile and her comment that it shouldn't matter where they were, but the fact that they were mother and daughter spending time together. Instead, she replied with, "That's very thoughtful of you, and generous of your dad."
"He's the best, isn't he?" Alexis beamed, waiting for Beckett to concur.
Beckett looked at Alexis, heart melting more each minute. "Yeah, he is." She made a mental note to ease up on him - a little.
"Do you want to put your stuff away first, or order?" Alexis asked, changing the subject.
"Well, why don't we order, and then put our stuff away in the time it takes them to bring the food up? Kill two birds with one stone," Beckett suggested.
"I am kinda hungry," Alexis murmured, rubbing her stomach.
"That was a pretty loud growl, down there," Beckett said with a chuckle. "When was the last time you ate?"
"Uh, breakfast?"
Beckett raised an eyebrow.
"I was nervous all day," Alexis offered timidly.
Beckett softened. "Well, then. We'd better get some food into you, shouldn't we?"
Alexis nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she ducked her head slightly. Beckett handed her a black leather binder with "ROOM SERVICE" debossed in silver. She selected comfort food - chicken noodle soup, macaroni & cheese, and roasted brussel sprouts with pear slices and bacon. Beckett went the same route, with an indulgent Monte Cristo and Alexis' promise to share her sides.
After ordering, they each went to their rooms to unpack. As Beckett hung up her dress and shoved folded workout gear into the dresser drawers, she realized she'd forgotten to pack her book. But, as she thought about it, she'd rather spend time helping out a girl who needed a mother than wallowing in the fact that she wanted her own. She looked down at herself, and laughed slightly as she realized she was pretty much already in her pajamas. After her soak, she'd thrown on a deep purple sports bra, a loose dark grey jersey t-shirt, and some comfy ribbed olive-colored leggings. She'd shoved her feet into some nude patent leather flats she'd had by the door. She toed them off then to kick them into her empty duffel. Beckett sank her toes into the plush lambswool rug and stuck the eyelet espadrilles that Alexis had packed into the closet under the hanging dress.
Figuring Alexis wasn't fully unpacked yet, Beckett padded back into the dining room and sat at the glossy black Steinway. She delicately lifted the lid off the keys and danced her fingertips across them. Finding a tune to hum, she began to plink out notes of a song her mother used to sing to her. Humming turned into crooning as Beckett fell more into step with the music, and as she held out the last "dream a little dream of me," she heard soft applause coming from across the room.
"Brava, Detective Beckett. I didn't know you could sing." Alexis said, smiling brightly.
Beckett blushed furiously. "It's nothing, really."
"I'm jealous. Gram and Mom, and even my dad, can sing, but no matter how hard I seem to practice, I can never get better than okay."
Beckett stared at Alexis, detective mode on. She analyzed the way Alexis refused to make direct eye contact, and how she was standing, slouched against the doorjamb. Her blue daisy pajamas were a bit too long, pooling at her feet and making her look far younger than her eighteen years. She was embarrassed, and Beckett thought she might know why. "Come, sit by me," she said gently, beckoning the girl over to the piano bench.
Alexis shuffled over and fluttered onto the corner of the seat. Beckett reached out and drew her closer. "This isn't just about your mom, is it?"
Alexis looked up at Beckett, confused. "What?"
"This mood? What's really up?"
Beckett searched her face, watching the resolve crumble bit by bit. "Why aren't I good enough?"
"Oh, sweetie..."
Similar to their previous scene earlier, Alexis shoved her face into Beckett's shoulder and began to sob. Beckett twirled locks from Alexis' ponytail around her fingers, rubbing her back in mindless circles as she waited for Alexis to cry herself out.
"Dad's right," Alexis mumbled as she finally pulled away. "You do smell like cherries."
Beckett stared. "He told you that?"
Alexis laughed. "What do I know about you that he hasn't told me, aside from what I've learned tonight? Face it, Kate. He's crazy about you."
Beckett's mind went back to the letter from Royce. "Why does everyone think we wanna be together?"
Alexis' eyes flashed. "Why are you so intent on lying to yourself? On lying to him? He's my dad, Kate, and even when he doesn't want me to, I know when something's wrong. Whatever happened or didn't happen between you in LA messed with his head. He's more cautious, now, and sad. He's not acting like my dad." Alexis had started off mad, but talking about Castle acting like he was had made her upset.
"I'm sorry, Alexis. I don't...I can't-"
"Don't say anything to me. Say something to him."
Beckett was speechless. Alexis had averted her gaze, and was playing with the fringe on a blanket when the doorbell rang. Beckett was up first to get the door, but Alexis held it open while Beckett directed the woman where they wanted the cart to go.
Alexis beat Beckett to tipping her, and the detective scowled once the maid had thanked them several times and backed out of the room.
"Alexis..."
"Let's eat, I'm starving."
Beckett narrowed her eyes at the teenager, but stopped pressing the issue and lifted the lids off of their many dishes.
They began to eat in silence, both women hungry after their long days. But Beckett soon grew uncomfortable with the way they'd ended their previous conversation.
"It's not that I don't want to...to have more," she confessed, finding it frustratingly difficult to get out the words she wanted. "I just...what if he doesn't want me, too?"
Alexis snorted. "Kate. Have you seen his face, when he looks at you? Every time, it's like he's never seen you before. He's mesmerized. He's in love. More in love, I think, than he ever was with Gina. And I don't remember him with my mom, and maybe he talked about her this way too, but the only other person I've heard him talk about the way he talks about you is Kyra Blaine. He used to tell me stories, when I was little, about fair Lady Blaine and her knight, Castle." Alexis smiled at the memory. "But I know that now, if I asked, the only stories he'd make up would be about Detective Alexis and Princess Katherine."
"What about you? Would you..." Beckett paused, cursing her clumsy tongue. "Would you mind?"
Alexis thinned her lips. "I have to be honest, Kate. I wasn't always your number one fan. But I've made my peace with you and my dad. In three years, you've managed to keep him from getting seriously injured or killed, and I think that if he trusts you, then it's safe for me to. Know, though, that this peace is a limited-time offer," she warned. "I don't take kindly to people who yank my dad around. He may keep his emotional distance from most people, but he's also very quick to invite people in when he likes them. And some people take advantage of that - of his fame, his connections."
Beckett opened her mouth to cut in, but Alexis cut her off. "I'm not saying that you've done that. But he's kind of like a puppy, Kate. He's loyal to you, now; as loyal to you as he would be to me or Gram. And if you lead him on much longer...I can and will get vicious."
Beckett was solemn, and (rightly) terrified. "What should I do?"
"Just tell him, Kate. Tell him you love him. Then you can go from there."
Alexis put her fork down and wrapped her arms around Beckett's waist. Beckett leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "You're a smart girl, you know that?"
"Many people have alluded to that, yes," she said with a laugh.
Beckett poked her in the side, smiling at her squeal.
"Whoa, Lex," Beckett said, as they stumbled back into their suite. "What a workout!"
"I can't believe you'd never done pilates!" Alexis hobbled into the living room and flopped backwards onto the couch. "I love it, and it helps me a ton with fencing."
Beckett laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot you fenced. Do you do it for school?"
Alexis nodded. "I'm the varsity girls' captain. There are only five of us, though."
"Wow, that's still great! That was really fun. I may have to do it again."
Alexis grinned happily. "I go to classes every Wednesday night and Saturday morning, if you're interested in tagging along, sometime!"
"I may take you up on that," Beckett answered with a smile. Just then, the room phone rang.
"I got it," Alexis said, picking the old-fashioned rotary phone up off its bracket. "Hello?" She frowned, nodding. "Okay...okay. Oh, really? They'd do that? Huh. No, we'd definitely prefer that to nothing! And we don't need to do anything? Awesome, thank you so much! Alright, thank you. Bye," she said, hanging up the phone.
Beckett was confused. "Who was that?"
"Rosa, the woman at the spa. Apparently they're closed for renovations this month, but forgot to tell me when I made my made my reservations. However," Alexis rushed, seeing Beckett's angry look, "they've informed me of a special arrangement they have. They will bring all their equipment up to the room and do the treatments here. Normally, this would cost an extra couple hundred dollars, but they're waiving that since they never told me and there's no other option."
"Wow. Do we need to do anything, like, move furniture?"
Alexis shook her head. "Nope, they're sending a couple guys up ahead to set up the living/dining room area."
"Well, then, let's shower and change, okay?"
"Race you!" Alexis called cheerfully, dashing into her room. Beckett laughed and ran into her own room, not about to lose to a seventeen-year old.
"My face feels amazing," Beckett gushed. "Thank you so much, Ilene." The woman smiled sweetly and brushed off the compliment with a small bow of the head.
"Mine, too, Sarah! And I smell wonderful," Alexis said with a smile.
"What about me?" Beckett asked, mock-pouting.
Alexis and Beckett were sitting on the couch, again, eating a "mini" lunch of so-called Thanksgiving sandwiches, - turkey and cranberry-orange chutney on seven-grain rolls - whole-grain pizzas with sun-dried tomatoes and soy mozzarella, and spicy gazpacho shooters.
Alexis leaned over and sniffed. "You smell great, too. Like tangerine."
"The renewal has tangerine oils in it," Ilene piped in.
"Is that what my thing was called?" Beckett asked, directed more at Alexis.
Alexis looked away. "It's the jet-lag renewal...I remember I picked it out because I knew my mom would be tired and still on LA time, and it was the same length as the one I wanted. I hope you're not offended."
"Alexis!"
"What?"
Beckett rolled her eyes. "Of course not. You know, it's been almost a week, but I'm still kind of jet-lagged from LA too. It was really thoughtful."
"Okay," she said, with a shy smile. "Thanks."
They finished their lunch with Ilene, Sarah, and the chef leaving halfway through. Their massage therapists, Roger and Michel, had left right after the women had arrived. And as they set their plates in the sink, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Beckett said. Alexis nodded, pumping soap into the sink and adding hot water to soak.
"Hello," one of the women at the door said. "I am Lisa and this is Claire? We are the nail technicians."
"Oh, yes, come on in!"
Lisa and Claire unloaded their equipment, plugging the foot baths in and letting them fill with hot, fragrant water while they set up the rest of their supplies. Claire directed them to pick out colors - Beckett chose a rich plum for her toes, while playing it safe with a French on her fingers, and Alexis picked baby blue for her hands and hot pink for her feet.
They all chatted comfortably as Beckett and Alexis had their nails trimmed, shaped, washed, and polished. Lisa and Claire oohed and aahed over the choices for their polish, and occasionally gave input as Beckett and Alexis dished about boys, girls, school, and work.
Before they all knew it, pampering was over, Lisa and Claire were packing up, and Beckett was slipping each woman a sawbuck before they or Alexis could protest. As they backed out of the suite, tripping over themselves and their carts in thanks, Alexis glared at Beckett.
"I know you can't afford all this."
Beckett's eyes flashed. "Says who?"
"Says your payroll." Alexis' eyes were just as sharp. "Why do you feel so guilty?"
Beckett looked away. "He always pays."
"Kate," Alexis said, voice gentle. "I can only imagine that you hate feeling out of control, or indebted. But the way I see it, I'm indebted to you. I took you away from your carefully-constructed plan of moping and coping, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't even consider the potential consequences of my actions until it was too late. You had already agreed. And here we are anyway."
"You're not indebted to me," Beckett tried to brush off.
"Of course you wouldn't think so," Alexis countered.
Beckett almost bristled at the hint of condescension, but the way she said it with a twinkle in her eye reminded Beckett so much of Castle that she didn't - couldn't.
"It's the same in reverse," she continued. "I'm sure you think you're in my debt, but I strongly disagree."
Beckett considered this. "Truce? No more races to one-up each other?"
Alexis smiled brightly. "Truce, Detective."
They shook on it, and it was talked of no more.
"So, what do you wanna do for dinner, Lex? I'm starving," Beckett said, unconsciously echoing Alexis' phrase from the previous night.
"After all of this healthy stuff today, I kind of want to be a pig. You wanna get a pizza from Ray's?"
Beckett patted her stomach greedily. "I think I'm up for more than one slice, tonight!"
Alexis giggled. "Me too! I'm so hungry, I think I could eat a whole one by myself!" Beckett glared at her like she'd just taken away her favorite toy. "Okay, maybe not a whole one..." She conceded.
"What do you like? I'm not picky. Write it down while I dial," Beckett said, quirking a smile to let Alexis know she was just kidding.
They had managed to eat half, a great feat in the world of Ray's Famous Original pizza. But their bellies were a little over-full, so they just slumped into each other on the couch and sleepily watched the second part of 'You've Got Mail'.
Beckett woke up somewhere around midnight, managing to shake Alexis awake enough for her to hobble into her own bed. Beckett did the same, and was only awakened by the alarm she'd set two days prior to remind her that they had brunch to attend.
In the hubbub of the weekend, Beckett thought as she dressed, it had been easy to forget that there was something so important and gloomy about today. But it hung over her like a damp summer cloud - dank and thick with the sticky stench of misery. On this day of celebrating moms, she no longer had one to celebrate, and was no longer one to be celebrated. She just...was.
But she wasn't, not really. Because Alexis had invited her, to be her...what? Representative? Escort? Partner. That word, as it so often did in thinking about her father, filled Beckett with indescribable joy at the thought of Alexis. Alexis: sweet, brilliant Alexis, whose first thought when faced with the predicament of not having a mother this weekend was to go to someone she barely knew but trusted implicitly.
Beckett tied off the woven ropes on her espadrilles, touched up her minimal yet flawless makeup, and went out to wait for Alexis. She didn't have to wait long, though, to see the transformation from squirmy and shy caterpillar to breathtakingly beautiful butterfly.
She had seen the pictures (and video, and written documentation, and a verbal account) of Alexis' proms, but never in person had she witnessed the timid and sometimes awkward teenager become this stunning young woman. Alexis was dressed in a black cap sleeve dress with a pleated skirt that came to the tops of her knees. It was covered with an allover print of orange, red, and ivory butterflies, and Alexis had paired it with a skinny black belt and ivory silk pumps. Her hair was curled slightly, and a lock was pulled back with a black butterfly clip.
"Alexis...you look beautiful," Beckett whispered, staring somewhat slack-jawed at the teenager.
She blushed, looking at her shoes. "Thanks, Kate." Turning back, she said, "You don't look half bad yourself."
Beckett grinned at the compliment. "You ready, then?"
Alexis nodded, grabbing her red coat off the back of the chair she'd laid it on. Beckett pulled her purse and herself up off the couch and they headed out.
"So, how are we getting a table? I've heard it's always packed for brunch." Beckett asked quietly, after they'd slid into the back of the cab.
"Oh, I made a reservation."
"But you can't! I've tried, they don't take them!"
"Apparently, you can when your dad's Richard Castle. And has a pretty good personal assistant," Alexis said with a wink.
"Personal assistant?" Beckett asked, shocked.
"Yeah, me!"
Beckett giggled. "Sneaky, sneaky."
"Dad's likened me to a fox, before. And a raccoon. Which Gram hit him for."
Beckett grinned. "Nah, I think you're sneaky, but you're not that sneaky. I'd say you're more like a butterfly."
"How so? It's the dress, isn't it," she asked dryly.
"No," Beckett countered with a laugh. "You've just...grown so much, since the first time I saw you. Back then, you would do homework at parties and take everything incredibly seriously. Now, you're still that mature and responsible girl, but you also know when to have fun and let yourself go a little bit. You've had your...metamorphosis, as it were."
"Wow. You should tell that to Dad," Alexis said, stunned. When Beckett laughed uncomfortably, she said, "No, I'm serious! He can't see that at all. But thank you, really. That means a lot."
They sat in comfortable silence as they rode the rest of the way to the restaurant. When they'd almost reached it, Alexis pointed out that two of her friends and their moms were standing outside, waiting.
"So the woman on the far right, in the blue dress? That's Paige's mom, Margie. Paige is the girl standing next to her, and then there's Kelsey, the blonde, and her mom, Christina. I guess Taylor and Susan aren't here yet."
Alexis let Beckett swipe her credit card in the backseat, and they slid out onto the sidewalk.
"Kelsey! Paige!" Alexis squealed. The two girls ran over to her to give her hugs. But then Alexis remembered herself and pulled back to introduce Beckett to the moms. "Margie, Christina, this is my dad's partner, Detective Kate Beckett."
"We've heard quite a bit about you, from Rick," Margie said. The warmth in her hands and her dark brown eyes made Beckett feel comfortable right away.
"And of course we read that article about you in Cosmo," Christina said with a laugh, also reaching out to shake her hand. Her blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight.
Beckett smiled softly at Alexis talking to her friends. "Well, it's very nice to meet you. I know Alexis thinks very highly of your daughters."
"We think very highly of her!" Christina said. Then she shared a look with Margie, who spoke up.
"Now, not to be rude or anything, but where's Alexis' mom? I thought she was going to be in town this weekend."
Beckett flushed angrily. "Meredith...decided she had better things to do. She's still in LA, on an audition."
Both women gave sympathetic moans. "How did you end up chaperoning?" Christina asked.
"Alexis came to me Friday night and asked me to step in. I think I needed it more than she did, honestly," Beckett said. She was being pretty open with these women, which was different for her, but she felt good about them.
"Why's that?" Margie asked.
Beckett stopped for a second, unsure how to phrase it. "I...I lost my mom, twelve years ago. And she was my mom, you know? So Mother's Day is pretty hard." She left out the part about her daughter, like she usually did.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kate." Both women patted her shoulders in support.
"You know, Susan, Taylor's mom, lost her mother to cancer about five years ago. How did you lose yours?"
When Beckett winced, Margie whacked Christina's arm. "Christie," she hissed.
"No, I...it's okay. She was murdered."
Beckett swallowed hard, seeing the looks of shock on their faces, and the topic was dropped. But the new subject was even harder for Beckett.
"So, if you're here, does that mean you and Rick are an 'item' now?" Christina asked, using air quotes.
"Oh, no! No, we're just friends."
"I'd like to be 'just friends' with him," Margie said with a nudge.
"Stop it, Marge, you're embarrassing her!" Christina said, noticing Beckett's blush.
"Sorry we're late, ladies!" A woman that could only be Susan yelled as she and Taylor bustled up the sidewalk. Though Susan had much darker skin and eyes than her daughter, they were nearly carbon copies. Both had straight weaves, though Susan's was cropped much shorter than Taylor's, and they were the same height with almost identical faces. Taylor's mocha skin and jade-green eyes were the only things to differentiate them at first glance.
"Susan, Taylor, this is Kate Beckett," Alexis greeted, heading off any confusion.
"As in Nikki Heat? I love her!" Susan gushed.
"Mom, stop," Taylor whispered, embarrassed. But she went over to her friends, and Susan came over to join the women.
"Brunch was great, Lex," Beckett said, leaning back in the seat of the cab as they rode back to the hotel.
"Had you eaten there before?"
"Nope, but I've wanted to."
"Yeah, it's really good. And I'm so glad you liked the coffee cake! Most people are too grossed out to try it, except Dad."
"Well, it was marvelous, as this weekend has been. Thank you for inviting me," Beckett said sincerely.
"Of course. You know, I've had a really good time getting to know you. And now I even know things that Dad doesn't know!"
"Gonna tell him?" Beckett's voice wavered slightly.
Alexis shook her head. "Gonna tease him."
Beckett bumped her shoulder. "Thatta girl!"
Just then, her cell rang. She squinted at the unfamiliar number and slid to answer. "Beckett? Yeah, I'm Apartment 17. Flowers? No, I'm not home. Can you leave them? I can get there in twenty minutes. Okay, thanks. Bye."
"Someone send you flowers?" Alexis asked.
"Apparently. The guy said he'd leave them at the door."
"Probably from Dad," Alexis speculated.
"Why?"
Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Because it's Mother's Day. And he knows about your mother."
Beckett turned to the driver. "Excuse me, but can you go to 205 North 9th, please?"
"In Brooklyn?" The driver scoffed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, please," Beckett grumbled, annoyed with the attitude. Then she backpedaled. "Wait, that's okay with you, right?" She asked Alexis.
"Of course."
When they got to Beckett's building, she asked the cabbie if he'd wait. He grunted a no, so Beckett tossed some bills at him through the window and he sped off.
"That was rude," Alexis said.
"That's cab drivers for you."
They rode up to Beckett's place to discover a large metal vase sitting in front of the door, next to a large canvas duffel bag. The urn-like vase was beautifully engraved with nearly 3D birds, flowers, and Moroccan-inspired arches, and it was overflowing with purple blooms. Some Beckett could identify; the fragrant lilac, boisterous snapdragons, delicate roses, iris, and freesia. But there were others she could not name, and she was a bit stunned at the sheer quantity and variety therein. Also, purple was her favorite color, and she was a bit surprised that this arrangement happened to be designed that way, since it was too rich for Lanie's budget and she was the only person in the city privy to that detail.
Beckett rattled her pocket before digging out her keys and jamming them into the lock. "Hey, Lex, can you grab that duffel? Let's take this stuff inside before someone complains." She grabbed the urn under one arm and opened the door with her other.
Alexis nodded and, grunting slightly, hoisted the bag up over her shoulder and brought it inside the apartment.
"I'm sorry, is it heavy?" Beckett asked in concern.
Alexis shook her head and furrowed her brow. "Oddly, no. I thought it would be." Then her eyes lit up and she grinned. "Okay, read the card!"
Beckett smiled faintly and hunted for the plastic pick with paper attached. She found it and attacked the envelope flap with her thumbnail, releasing the note inside. "Dear Kate," Beckett paused, drinking in the familiar slanted scrawl. "I hope these flowers find you in relatively good spirits. If not, however, no one blames you for having troubles, especially today. I heard through the grapevine that you are a fan of this particular hue, so I hope you enjoy these buds and allow them to brighten up your home. I also heard from a little bird that you and your mother used to enjoy making these at Christmas, so I've sent along materials for you to make her one. Ever at your service, Rick."
Alexis wiggled her eyebrows and said, "Told you they were from him!"
"At Christmas..." Beckett whispered, looking to the duffel. "Lex, would you mind opening the bag for me?"
Alexis nodded and unzipped it. "There are dozens of flowers in here! Marigolds, mums, and roses. And...a packet of needles, and a huge spool of thick thread?"
"Garlands. Dad must've told him we used to make garlands..." Beckett was still caught up in a memory.
"I want to help," Alexis said, jerking Beckett from her reverie.
"Really?"
Alexis nodded. "It obviously means a lot to you, and you've been doing stuff for me all weekend. Now, it's my turn." Alexis stuck her nose back in the bag. "They smell great!" She said enthusiastically. "And, look," she giggled, pulling out a handful of stems. "They match my dress!"
Beckett read over the enclosed instructions to refresh her memory, and then quickly gave Alexis a crash course in garland-making. They threaded their needles with very long strands of reinforced thread, and plunged the tips of the needles down through the flowers. There were small to medium roses in various shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow; marigolds in golden and tangerine hues; and chrysanthemums whose petals were deep burgundy on the outside, but butter yellow on the inside.
"My mom loved sunsets, you know. When we'd go on vacation, especially in the summer, she'd drag us out onto the hotel balcony and make us watch them with her. She used to make up stories, when I was little, about fairies who lived up in the clouds and painted the sky in the morning and at night. She thought they were the best part of the day."
"So few things are truly beautiful, I guess," Alexis said, smiling at Beckett's fond remembrance.
They'd made several long chains of flowers when they ran out of flowers to thread, so Beckett suggested they pack them up and take them to her mother.
"Would you...mind, if I came along?" Alexis asked quietly.
"Of course not! You were a big help. And, frankly, I know she'd like to meet you," Beckett said, wrapping an arm tightly around Alexis' shoulders.
They found a new cab and rode back into the city proper, up to the West 80s where Beckett's family had gone to church when she was growing up.
"She's out back," Beckett said, voice stiff with withheld emotion.
Alexis followed her silently, weaving around the back gates into the large green cemetery. Most of the headstones were just placards in the ground, so the view was relatively unobstructed. Beckett led Alexis to a plot under a cherry tree, where yellowy-pink petals obscured the soapstone plate almost entirely. Beckett crouched down and gingerly brushed them off, revealing:
JOHANNA HEIDI PETERSEN
10/06/53-01/09/99
Mother, Wife, Friend, Heroine
She then leaned back on her heels and sank to the ground, pulling her legs into a criss-cross position. "Lex, come sit," she directed, patting a patch of grass next to her. Alexis did as told, gently putting the bag down and then dropping to sit next to Beckett with her legs tucked off to the side.
"Alexis Castle, this is my mom. Mom, this is Alexis. Um, Castle's daughter."
"Hi," Alexis said awkwardly, not sure at all what to do.
"We brought you some garlands, Mom. Alexis helped me make them. You'd really like her," Beckett said, smiling warmly at the girl next to her. "She's brilliant, and kind, and she's a great kid. Never gets into any trouble, so not me," she finished with a laugh.
Beckett talked to her mom for a little bit, telling her stories about Castle, Lanie, the boys, and the characters Alexis' friends have as moms. Alexis helped, and they were cracking up as they relived some of the details. Then they put up the garlands, hanging makeshift swags off of the branches of the cherry tree and coiling some around Johanna's headstone.
By the time they finished, it was late afternoon, and Castle called Alexis to let her know he'd be home for dinner, if she wanted him to get something. She asked for Chinese, so he told her to text him her order in about an hour, and they hung up.
Impulsively, as she and Beckett walked up the street to see her old building, Alexis asked, "Do you wanna come over for dinner?"
'No' was the word on the tip of her tongue, but as Beckett considered her otherwise uneventful evening of pouring some wine, turning on some music, and eating whatever she could scrounge from her fridge, a strong and nauseating feeling of emptiness settled in her stomach. "That would be really nice, Alexis. Thank you."
Alexis grinned and hugged her tightly. It took Beckett a few moments of warmth to realize she was hugging Alexis back.
"Lucy, I'm ho-ome," Castle called out as he entered his apartment, arms laden with plastic smiley face bags of steaming food and a leather suitcase he'd taken for the weekend.
Alexis bolted downstairs to relieve her father of his bags and wrap her arms around him. "I missed you, Daddy," she said into his chest.
"I missed you too, Pumpkin," he answered, kissing her hair. "Now, who is this mysterious guest who likes moo shoo chicken and dumplings?"
"Lex, my hair tie broke. Do you have another?" Both Castles turned at the sound of Beckett's voice, traveling down the staircase with her as she pulled her damp towel more tightly around her. "Oh!" She yelled in shock. "Castle!"
"Detective...Beckett," Castle choked out. "What a...pleasant surprise."
If Beckett hadn't been so mortified, she would have laughed at the pre-pubescent squeaks coming out of her partner's mouth. Instead, her face flushed bright pink and she turned tail and fled back upstairs.
"Surprise!" Alexis said lamely. Turning to her dad, she hit him lightly in the chest and warned, "If you tease her about this, I swear..."
"Scout's honor," he said quickly, holding up three fingers.
"You were never a scout." Alexis raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, okay...I swear on laser tag and lightsabers. I won't tease her."
"You'd better not." Alexis narrowed her eyes once more and then chased after Beckett.
After dinner, Castle and Beckett had relaxed enough that she accepted his and Alexis' offer of a movie. When Beckett went to the bathroom, Castle joked, "You know, when you said our guest was a mystery, I honestly thought your mom had missed her flight and needed a free meal."
Alexis squirmed. "Actually, Dad, that's why Beckett's here. She, um...kind of took Mom's place this weekend."
"She what?"
"Well, Mom never exactly showed up..."
"She what?"
"Who what?" Beckett asked, walking back into the study.
"You spent the weekend with my daughter?" Castle's voice wasn't angry, but Beckett couldn't tell what it was.
"Um, yeah?"
"Because you asked her to?" He asked, turning back to Alexis.
"Yes?"
"And everyone was okay with this?"
"Yes!" Alexis and Beckett yelled.
"Okay, okay. Just making sure."
"You're not mad?" Beckett asked quietly.
Castle guffawed. "At you? Of course not. At my ex-wife..."
Beckett huffed. "Trust me, I am too."
"Well, on behalf of both of us, I want to thank you for taking the time to spend with Alexis. It was very gen-"
"Hold it right there, Castle." Alexis giggled softly. "You too, missy." She stopped and looked up. Beckett continued. "The both of you have got to understand something: I don't do things unless I want to. And if I hadn't wanted to spend the weekend with Alexis, I would have said as much. But I didn't, and we had a wonderful time, and I would do it again in a second! Now, I want this to be the end of the discussion and the completely unnecessary thanks, got it?"
"Got it," the Castles murmured, thoroughly cowed.
"Great." Beckett smiled brightly and clapped once. "Let's watch a movie!"