Two hours later, they stand once again in line at the airport's security checkpoint just like they were just a couple of days ago, yet it feels like it was an eternity has passed. So much changed this weekend… But they're not talking about any of it.
Castle's once again shifting impatiently by her side and she's rolling her eyes at him. Some things never change.
"Why am I standing here waiting anyway?" he asks his security detail, who simply ignore him. Sadly, the chatter of the crowd is not enough to drown his ramblings. "I'm rich. I could buy a private jet"
She snorts at that. "Really Castle? Of all the unnecessary expenses you could make, first thing that comes to your mind is a private plane?"
"Yeah… Pretty sure I've already bought everything else" he says thoughtfully. "Except maybe a Russian wife, though maybe that wouldn't be such an unnecessary expense…"
She rolls her eyes at him and when the line starts moving she pushes him forward. "Shut up and keep walking"
The plane ride's silent for the trio, and they all get plenty for Beckett to make a decision, so the first thing she does after dropping her boss off is call Lanie.
"About time you called, girl!" the bodyguard hears her best friend bellow through the phone.
"Hi, Lanie"
"You, me, drinks, tonight" the ME says pointedly.
"Alright…?" she won't even try to argue. Besides, she needs her best friend's craziness to distract her for a while. And she's got something to ask her too.
First thing Castle does when he gets home is say hello to his daughter and mother. After telling them everything –or almost everything– about the weekend adventure, he retreats to his office.
He peruses his lower shelves until he finally finds what he was looking for.
When his mother finds him, he's flipping through his original hand-written manuscript of A Rose For Everafter. Suddenly, he stops turning the pages and stares and old photo of young Rick and Kyra.
"Richard Castle, what the hell are you doing?"
He turns back to look at his mother. "Nothing."
"She's getting married! To another man!" he needs to let go, already!
"It's just a picture," he raises to his feet.
"No. It's a loaded gun," she says knowingly. Martha knows her son. He tends to hold on to people, especially his girlfriends. She's seen every breakup. They've all been tough on him, because he usually goes all out when he loves someone. And that's all cute and sweet until he's hurting himself for all the wrong reasons.
"I'm over her," he walks closer to her, trying to reassure her. "Yes, it wasn't easy when I saw her this weekend, but I've moved on. Don't worry"
"Hmm" she hums unconvinced.
He gives her a small smile before she turns around and leaves.
The novelist sighs and after throwing one last glance at the picture in his hand, puts it back in the book, which he places on the shelf where he took it from.
He only looked for the photo in order to take one more walk down memory lane before moving forward.
But moving forward brings him a whole new problem.
Sure, his bodyguard is nothing short from extraordinary and he'll do anything he can to keep her from running away, but she's always made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to go beyond the boss-employee boundaries.
Yes, having her around is all fun and games, but his mind tends to go places that it shouldn't be going, and that's not good, especially when he's trying to keep her comfortable.
He needs to go back out there. He needs a distraction.
Now, that shouldn't be too hard to find…
Later that night, after an afternoon of training, Beckett's at her girlfriend's door.
Lanie is quick to serve up two glasses of wine before they sit on the couch.
Kate stares at her drink for a while, under Lanie's scrutinizing gaze, before she finally takes it to her lips.
The ME waits patiently for her friend to say what's on her mind. She wouldn't have called if she didn't have something to say.
Finally, Beckett sighs. "I have no life."
"I have a gruesome job," Lanie raises an eyebrow.
The bodyguard is taken aback by the statement and gives the ME a 'what?' look.
"Oh, are we not stating the obvious?"
Beckett narrows her eyes at her friend. After a few seconds, she builds up her courage and finally says, "I need a date."
Okay, now Lanie's confused. "What?"
"A date, a guy. A… man," she stutters as her friend still stares at her. "You're always trying to set me up with people, so here I am. I'm game. What've you got?" she finishes quickly. It's unbelievable how hard it was for her to get that out.
"Okay… What's gotten into you?" this is not Kate Beckett. Kate Beckett lives and breathes her job and independence, and now she's asking for a date? Something's up.
"I get so wrapped up in work," yeah, in 'work', her mind supplies completely unhelpfully. "All I want to do is go home where it's quiet. And I'm so tired of quiet! I want… loud" she finishes with a grin. She needs a distraction. This weekend was a bit too much for her.
Oh, now Lanie knows what's up. It's all about this weekend. It has to be. She always complains about how annoying and unnerving Castle is… Huh. Well, Beckett came to her for help; she might as well give it to her. "Okay," she starts grabbing a pen and a piece of paper from the coffee table. "I have the perfect prescription for you," Lanie scribbles down a name and a phone number.
Beckett watches closely, biting her bottom lip, and takes the paper her friend hands to her. "A bradekker?" she looks at the illegible writing in confusion.
"No, no, baby. That's Brad Dekker. That firefighter I wanted to set you up with?"
"Is he cute?" Kate asks hopefully.
That would be an understatement. "He was Mr. July in last year's New York Firefighter's calendar"
"July, huh?" Beckett looks down at the number again. Hmm… Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea.
"Mm-hmm" Lanie smiles and Beckett mirrors it.
"They always put the really hot ones in the summer months."
And we're back to stating the obvious. "Exactly."
On Monday morning Castle makes his way to the door to get the paper. He opens it and is surprised to find a package at his doorstep. It's a medium sized white box. There's no writing or note, at least not on the outside.
He bends over to pick it up and carries it inside, completely forgetting the paper. He takes the box into his office and wonders what could be inside before taking a knife and cutting the tape from the top open. His heart speeds up when he sees the contents. It's an iPhone box.
He quickly scrambles to get his battered phone and he dials his bodyguard's number. It could all be a joke, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.
Beckett's out for her regular morning run. She loves the way the cool morning air feels on her skin and the way the exercise makes her feel so alive.
And speaking about feeling alive… She's got to say that the prospect of getting back out there is a bit scary, but it's also exhilarating. She needs to have some fun, to let go… Just like-
The music in her headphones suddenly stops, meaning someone's calling, so she checks the screen before answering.
"Beckett" she says to the phone trying to catch her breath.
Hearing her jagged breathing, Castle momentarily forgets the situation at hand.
"Should I call back later?"
She rolls her eyes when she hears the smirk in his voice. "Did you need something, Castle?"
"Right. Yeah... I got something that you should probably see"
That gets her attention. "What is it?"
"I got a suspicious package delivered to my door this morning"
"Alright. Don't touch it. I'll be there in 20" she says, already rushing back to her apartment.
After he hangs up, he stares at the box, scenarios swirling in his head and a bad feeling settling in his gut.
As Beckett strolls through her building's main entrance, she's dialing her partner's number. "Espo, you on monitors?"
"No" he says in a way that makes her remember how early in the morning it actually is. "Should I be?"
"Well, get on them" in all fairness, the sun's barely out and live surveillance usually doesn't start until after Alexis leaves for school. "Castle got a suspicious package delivered to his door. Maybe we can take a look at whoever put it there from the feeds. Run them and send me the parts where we see him" she says opening the door to her apartment.
"You got it."
"Thanks. When that's done I want you and Ryan to come to the loft"
"Alright"
She gangs up and proceeds to changing.
A few minutes later, Beckett strides out of the elevator at her boss' building. At his door, she picks up the newspaper at her feet before knocking.
"Hey" he opens the door with a small smile.
"Hey," she lifts the newspaper in her hand. "You forgot the paper."
"Yeah, I was a little distracted."
For a fraction of a second their eyes lock on each other but she quickly diverts her gaze and reminds herself about the matter at hand.
"Um... You said you had a package?"
"Right. Come in," he steps aside and leads her to his office. "At about 6:45 this morning I stepped outside to get the paper and I saw this" he points to the white box on his desk. "I thought it was weird, because we usually have to sing for deliveries but I opened it anyway," he shrugs. "I called you because of what's inside."
She nods, walking closer to his desk. He stands at the other side by his chair. She looks into the box and her eyes widen in realization.
"I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that my phone-"
"Got busted in Boston..." she finishes the sentence quietly.
Her mind's going one hundred miles per hour, the letters coming back to her. It's the same guy. It has to be.
Oh, crap.
AN: And there we go! And that thing about the Russian bride was totally a reference to and so they said always's "Russian Bride No 41319"
If you haven't read it go check it out. Great AU!
Thanks for all the support for this fic! Keeps me going ;)