A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I've been MIA. School got the best of me, but now that that's over, i can write more. i guess you could say this chapter is a filler. I needed to set up the ER universe for events to come and I thought what better place to do it than a dinner with friends. Now let me clarify some things because i've been getting a few questions: this is before Carol leaves, but Tess and Kate are born; Lucy hasn't died and Carter hasn't gotten stabbed yet.
Now on with the thrilling heroics (bonus points if you know where that's from). Enjoy and post a review if i need to fix anything or you wanna give me advice, but please be nice.
"Attention, flight 804 to Chicago is now boarding. Will all passengers with boarding pass A please begin lining up." The flight attendant said into the microphone.
Rick took the envelope with the tickets out of his carryon bag. He slung the bag over his shoulder, and held out his hand to Johanna who stood up from her spot on the floor, put her own backpack on her shoulders and took her dad's hands.
"But daddy we can't go yet, mommy isn't back from the potty yet," Johanna said looking over her shoulder.
"Don't worry Johanna, your mom will be here in a minute," He said. Sure enough, as soon as Rick said those words, Kate joined them.
The father-daughter duo walked towards the line to get onto the plane, with mom right behind them.
They got to the front fairly quickly and Rick handed the woman their tickets. She scanned them and waved them through.
They came to the doorway to the walkway to the plane, when Johanna froze. She heard the loud noises of the plane and all of the action going on outside that she got a little scared.
"What's wrong baby girl?" Kate asked, squatting down to meet her daughter's eyes.
"Mommy, the monsters are gonna get us," she said her blue eyes growing big with fear.
An older gentleman came up behind the family, scoffed quickly before muttering "just pick the brat up and get on the plane. Kids should not be allowed to travel this way," he walked around the Castle's and continued onto the plane.
Not wanting to make more of a scene, Kate took Johanna's hand and led her out of the way of the other the passengers. She motioned for Rick to go ahead and find their seats. He nodded and disappeared down the ramp.
"Johanna," Kate said bending down again. "I promise you nothing is going to happen, but we need to go on the plane now." The girl was shaking her head, her eyes wide and fear written all over her face. Kate finally scooped up the scared girl, set her on her hip and walked on. Johanna went the whole way crying, saying the monsters were going to get her.
They reached the door of the plane and Kate stepped inside, a flight attendant looked at her and the scared little girl she was holding.
"First flight?" the woman asked. Kate nodded and walked to where their seats were located.
They found Rick sitting in a window seat. When they reached him, Johanna almost jumped into her dad's arms, still crying. Kate slid into the middle seat, putting both her and Johanna's backpacks in the aisle seat.
A short time later, the flight attendants came around to make sure everyone had their seat belts on.
"Excuse me ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to buckle her up," one of them said to Kate, motioning to Johanna who still clung to her the collar of her dad's shirt. Kate smiled and nodded before moving the bags to the floor, and scooting over to the empty seat.
"Castle," she said getting his attention. "They said we had to put her in a seat and strap her in." Rick nodded and stood up, his head almost colliding with the ceiling. He moved to the middle putting Johanna in the chair he was just in. the girl began crying again, gripping onto Castle's shirt tighter. Somehow Rick managed to put both his and his daughter's seatbelt on.
He leaned close to his scared daughter's ear, smoothing her hair back, he started whispering silent encouragements; trying unsuccessfully to calm her down.
The plane began to move and Castle quickly acted on the changing scenery.
"Look Jojo, can you see the horses out the window," he asked pointing to a farm not far from the airport, where a group of horses stood grazing on the new green grass. The girl sat up straighter looking for the horses. For the first time in the past forty-five minutes, she smiled. Rick continued this little game as they moved further down the runway, until they were just about to get off the ground. "Ok. Jojo, on the count of three, you and me will be flying," he said trying to make it sound fun, like a game.
They pair counted to three, and sure enough they were both off the ground and getting higher and higher in the sky.
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Halfway into the flight, Johanna slept peacefully, her head resting on the window, ear buds still in her tiny ears. She had fallen asleep watching the end of a more kid-friendly movie. Rick and Kate sat quietly sipping on glasses of champagne and listening to another movie. It was one of those old 1940's black and white, Film Noir movies that the couple loved.
He laced his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to his lips. He kissed it softly smiling the whole time.
"Daddy?" Johanna asked. Her voice quiet and still full of sleep.
"Yes pumpkin?" Rick asked turning to face her.
"Did they get the goods?" she asked sitting up.
"Did who get the goods?" he asked confused.
"The bad guys, in the movie. I fell asleep. Did they get it?"
Castle laughed and smiled at his daughter. He kissed the top of her sleep frazzled hair before replying "Yes baby, they got it."
The girl smiled and turned back to the movie. She didn't always understand the plot to the movies, but it made her fell special to be a part of something her parents love very much.
As the end credits rolled, an announcement came over the plane's speaker. The captain said they were starting to land and that everyone must put their seat belt back on.
Kate reached down between her legs and pulled a pack of gum from her backpack. She handed one to Rick and took one for herself. She split her piece in half and handed one of the two to her daughter. The girl happily accepted the special treat. After an event involving gum, important work papers and a lot of tears; it was decided, by her parents, that Johanna Rae Castle was only to have gum on special occasions.
Kate could feel her ears pop and looked out the window as the clouds faded and the ground came into view.
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After finding their checked bags, which took longer than expected, and taking a quick stop off at the bathroom; the Castle family stood in line to get a taxi to their hotel.
"Where too?" the driver asked, pulling away from the curb.
"The Westbrook Hotel, on 23rd Street," Rick said looking at the address on his phone. They arrived ten minutes later and were greeted by a young bellhop. They boy didn't look old enough to even hold a job, but he assured the family that we was a sophomore in college and trying to earn money to pay for tuition.
They all exchanged the usual hellos and the Castle family went on their way, dragging their suitcases behind them.
Kate couldn't help but notice that her writer-boy was checking his phone for the tenth time since they had landed.
"Hey what's the matter?" she asked taking his hand. "Is something wrong with Alexis?"
"No she's fine. I was just checking up on our dinner reservations," he said to her as they stood in front of the desk waiting for the receptionist to finish her phone call.
"I'm sorry," she said smiling. It was one of those forced smiles that showed how tired the girl was growing and that her shift had ended thirty minutes ago but unfortunately her replacement hadn't arrived yet. "How can I help you?"
"Yes, we have a reservation, Castle," Rick said.
The girl typed something into her computer and slid card keys through a scanner.
"Alright Mr. Castle, here are your keys. You will be in room 2008," she handed them the keys and quickly rushed to answer the phone which had begun to ring again.
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"Wow Castle, this is our room?" Kate gasped as the door to their suite opened. They had a view of Lake Michigan and there was a giant arrangement of flowers sitting on the table.
Rick smiled at his wife's excitement. In the nearly twenty times he had taken her to places beside the city and the Hamptons, she gave the same reaction; which he looked forward to every time.
"So I'm guessing you like it?" he asked turning Kate around and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Oh Castle it's amazing," she gasped. Her smile reached her eyes making the bright green stand out.
The family took their time unpacking and changing clothes for dinner. Rick and Kate had a room and bathroom to themselves and Johanna had her own room as well. They were separated by a common living area with the big picture window view of downtown Chicago and the lake.
They were just about to leave; Kate had stopped in front of the mirror on her dresser to touch up her makeup when Johanna walked in. she stood on the chair next to the dresser and watched her mom in the mirror.
"Can I have lipstick?" she asked.
"Johanna, you know the rule: no makeup until you're in middle school," Kate said eyeing the girl in her peripheral vision.
"Please?" the girl asked giving her mom the 'puppy-dog' face.
Come on Kate, be strong. Don't give in. "Fine, but only this once." Oh smooth move X-Lax.
Kate rummaged through her cosmetic bag and finally pulling out an old clear lip gloss she had gotten as a gift last Christmas. She smeared a layer on Johanna's puffed out lips and dropped the gloss back in the bag. Quickly smoothing out her hair once more, she took her daughter's hand, grabbed her purse and jacket, and left the room, flicking the lights off as she went.
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"Come on Rick, just tell me where we're going," Kate pleaded as they left the hotel and hailed a cab.
"Not a chance," Rick said as they got in and he handed the address of the secret restaurant to the driver. Kate pouted, slumping against the seat. He leaned over and kissed her temple. "You'll find out soon enough," he said smiling.
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The car pulled up in front of a rundown diner across the street from a hospital.
"What are we doing here?" Kate asked Rick as he paid their fair.
"This is where we're eating. I'm meeting an old friend. Didn't I tell you?" he asked turning to open the door.
"No I believe you forgot to mention that little fact," she said.
"Just trust me. It's gonna be fine," he said smiling. He took Johanna's hand and walked up to the door, Kate two steps behind.
When Kate Beckett walked into the diner, the smell of grease and coffee hit her nose like a warm hug. She felt calmer than she did a minute ago. She also noticed how hungry she was, having not eaten anything since breakfast, beside a small snack on the plane.
She caught up with her family and watched as her husband looked around, probably for his 'friend.'
"Hey, Ricky!" a brunette man called across the restaurant. A smile stretched across Castle's face as he walked toward the man. Kate noticed he was wearing a white lab coat and had a stethoscope strung around his neck. He was also sitting with an Asian woman, who wore the same lab coat.
As they approached, the two stood up and the man quickly hugged Castle.
"John Carter, I would like you to meet my wife, Detective Kate Beckett," Rick said. Kate smiled and shook the man's hand. "And this is my daughter Johanna," He continued hoisting Johanna onto his hip. John smiled and shook this girl's hand making her smile.
"This is my friend and collogue, Deb Chen," The man called John Carter said motioning to the Asian woman. She smiled and shook hands with all the Castle's. They found seats at the table and opened the menu.
"When Carter told me he was meeting an old friend from school I had no idea that it was going to be Rick Castle. I mean I knew he was rich, but I didn't know he was rich enough to be friends with a best-selling author," Deb said laughing.
"Yes but what he didn't mention that I was the one who wrote all of his essays for tenth grade English," Rick said.
"No, now that is not true. He didn't write them, just re-wrote them after I made a fool out of myself," John said causing everyone to laugh.
"So, what's good to eat here?" Kate asked opening her menu once more.
"Don't eat the chili," Deb and John said in near perfect unison.
"Why?" Kate asked not slightly curious.
"Just trust us, don't," Deb said. Kate nodded. They were more the experts and if they said don't eat something, they she should trust them.
"Mommy," Johanna said getting Kate's attention. " I like daddy's friends," she said whispering into Kate's ear, so the others wouldn't hear her.
"Me too," Kate whispered back.
"So a detective, uh?" John asked looking at Kate.
"Yes. I'm a Homicide Detective," Kate said.
"Mommy catches all the bad guys," Johanna interjected.
Deb smiled at her. "Does she now?" she asked the girl. Johanna nodded and smiled. The group was interrupted by a waitress and quickly ordered food.
"So how's that whole Surgeon thing going for you?" Rick asked John.
"Oh I left surgery like three years ago. I found my calling in Emergency Medicine, been there ever since."
"And what about you, how did you two meet?" Rick asked Deb.
"Actually we were med students together," She said. "I left medicine after my third year. I moved to New York and didn't think about it again until this guys passed out on the sub way. He was having a heart attack and everyone was just standing there. I realized I knew how to save the guy, so jumped in and helped him. After that I realized that medicine is what I should be doing. Finished medical school and now I'm here," She said.
"And actually we're on call," John said looking down at his pager. "And anytime now our dragon lady of an attending will page us because we haven't checked on our patients in an hour."
"So I'm guessing you don't like her?" Kate asked
"Not at all," John said. "She is pure evil.
"I think she's quite nice," Deb said sincerely.
"That's because you've only know her for a little over eight months," John said to her. She nodded.
"Don't worry bro, I know the exact feeling," Rick said thinking of the first couple of years after Captain Gate had arrived at the Twelfth Precinct and how much she had hated him. But now they have become, I wouldn't say friends, but they are cordial towards each other. And Gates has learned that Castle has a very important job in the Precinct, and she doesn't resent him being there.
Why what do you mean?" Deb asked. Castle and Beckett went on to explain about Gates and all of the drama that had ensued. They were careful not to mention Captain Montgomery or Beckett's mom's case.
Their food had arrived and everyone tucked into it like they hadn't eaten in weeks. Kate realized that the cheese burger she was eating could quite possibly be even better than the one she got and Remy's, but don't tell anyone she thought that.
No sooner had they finished eating, both John and Deb were paged to the ER because of an incoming multi-person trauma.
The group said their good-bye's with promises of visiting again before the trip was over.
Rick, Kate and Johanna followed the doctors outside and watched as they dashed across the street to meet the multitude of ambulances that were pulling into the bay in front of the ER doors.
The family stood there for a while longer, watching. Both Rick and Johanna were transfixed by all the goings on in front of their eyes
"Come on writer boy. If we don't go now, we're gonna be late for the signing," Kate said pulling them away from the sounds and flashing lights.
"Yea you're right," Rick agreed pulling Johanna up and setting her on his hip.
The signing was only a few blocks away from the hospital, that's why Rick picked that nigh to meet with John, so they family took of down the street to the book signing.