13 March, 2014
"I just wish you'd come back to the precinct with me. Aren't you bored of writing yet?" she sighs as he helps her put on her favorite leather jacket.
"I know, but I have a deadline."
"Maybe you should stop playing video games in your underwear all morning then."
"Hey that is what gets my creative juices flowing. It don't come easy being a best-selling novelist."
"Oh poor Rick. It is so difficult being you," she says giving him an authentic eye roll.
"Make your jokes but Alexis is coming today. In fact she's supposed to be here any minute now."
"Well alright. You two have fun. I'm late."
He opens the door for her as she gives him a peck on the cheek.
"Saturday's just two days away."
"I know. I can't wait."
xxx
"Let me get this straight. You're done with your writing but you lied to Beckett so that you can give her a gift for a made up tradition," the red-head looked up at her father who stood at the kitchen counter.
"It's not made up. You were too tiny to remember, Pumpkin," he says as he tousles her hair.
"You mean the Superdad t shirt that Gina gave you? I remember that one all too well. You wore it every time you came to drop me at school for a whole year. All my friends thought you were a giant dork."
"Tell me this. How many of their dads can fly?"
"Ok dad let's get serious. Have you thought about what you're going to give her? I don't think Detective Beckett is the kind of woman who would be happy with a spa certificate."
"Oh no. Spa certificates are reserved for your grandmother. I want to make this special for Kate. She's been looking forward to this gift-giving. So far I've got ZERO ideas. This is panic mode."
As he joins her on the couch, the door bursts open in a flurry of energy.
"Hello Kiddos! The Grand Dame has arrived."
Richard Castle alternates between staring at his mother and his daughter, as he takes time to digest his daughter's clever ploy.
"Gram! It's so good to see you. I hope you don't mind, Dad. I thought a little family reunion was in order." Alexis gushes to hug her.
"Mother, always the spectacular entrance," Castle says as he waits for his bubbly daughter to calm down.
"Well you know what they say, Come out with a big bang or don't come out at all."
"Who's 'they'?"
"My students of course but believe you me, the words of Martha Rogers shall live on in the hearts of -"
"I appreciate the theatricals, I do, but we have a serious problem at hand here Mother."
"Does this have to do with Katherine, perhaps?"
"Dad came up with a bogus tradition to compete with Kate's and now he can't figure out what to do. And he's running out of time."
"It's not made up. It's a real thing," he protests vehemently.
"Tell me about it," Martha inquires.
"The gifts, mother."
"Oh Richard, you hopeless romantic! Katherine is a lucky girl."
She smiles lovingly at her son, glad that she's passed on a tradition, a legacy, something from a family that he deserved so much but had been denied to him.
"Or really unlucky. Because I have no ideas and its Thursday and I have only two days to come up with something that is once-in-a-lifetime."
"You mean you're worried she'll get a better gift, don't you?" Alexis interrupts.
"Well that too. I would look stupid if she beats me at my own tradition. Help!"
Martha makes herself comfortable on the couch as she sets down her bags.
"Richard, the best gift that you could give her is something that means as much to you as it does to her."
xxx
"Nice work boys," Kate congratulates Ryan and Esposito as she walks out of the interrogation room, finally having gotten her confession.
"You too Beckett. Couldn't have done it without you. Lunch party to celebrate?" Ryan suggests.
"Ah no. I'd love to but I'm too tired. Too many late nights have that effect on you. I think I'll head home a bit early today."
She waves the boys goodbye and sits in her usual chair for a while tending to some paperwork, reveling in the joy of having caught the killer and the rare silence of the lunch hour precinct. All too soon, the pile of papers on her desk thins to oblivion and she finds herself thinking about ways to spend her free afternoon. She could go home but run the risk of barging in on Castle's bonding time with his daughter. Time and again he'd spoken of how he missed his afternoon chats with Alexis so she decides against it. Maybe it's time for me to get in some father daughter bonding myself, she thinks. Flipping out her cell phone, she calls up Jim Beckett.
"Hello?" a groggy voice responded at the other end of the line.
"Hey Dad, did I call at a bad time? I was thinking we could meet for lunch."
"Katie, it's three p.m. I had lunch hours ago."
"Oh shoot. I didn't realize what time it was. "
"But you could still come home. I have quite a lot left over. I'd be happy to feed you real food for once rather than those unhealthy take outs you keep eating."
"It'll take me about twenty minutes to get there. That ok?"
"More than ok. That would be great!"
xxx
"Feels like home to me,
Feels like I'm all the way back where I come from
Feels like home to me,
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong"
xxx
Thirty minutes later, they are seated at the table, Jim Beckett watching his daughter gulp down her lunch.
"Jesus Katie! Doesn't Castle feed you?"
"Oh no. He's the one trying to get me off coffee and take out but old habits die hard I guess."
"So how is it that my only daughter has found the time to meet her old man?"
"I've been meaning to tell you. You know how mom always talked about that birthday dinner you both went to at 'Bella Notte'? Me and Castle are doing something similar."
"Oh yeah. Rick told me all about that last night when he called. He seemed pretty nervous,' Jim Beckett chuckles a little.
"What? He really called you?"
"Yes. Asked me about how it was with me and Jo. I think it's great that you both are doing this, you know. Where's he taking you?"
"I don't know yet. It's supposed to be a surprise. He's been very hush-hush about it."
"And what's this I hear about a gift? You know what you're gonna give him?"
"Yes. I do, actually."
"Well, I have a small gift for you."
"Oh no dad, you don't have to, really."
He gets up anyway and retreats to an inner room, returning soon thereafter with a tiny box. Her eyes follow the tiny box in his hands as he takes his seat back at the table. He extends his hand and offers it to her. She accepts it hesitatingly, even though she's swept away by his gesture.
The words flow haltingly from her mouth as the contents of the box reveal themselves. "This brooch….It's mom's…..I remember it."
It is a tiny silver flower, with a single leaf. Perhaps not too expensive or showy but in her eyes, it shimmers more than its intrinsic value. It means the world to her.
"It was the one I gave her for her birthday, on our special night. I hope you have as much fun as we did. He takes a small pause, and then continues somewhat awkwardly, "Your mom was all dressed up that night. The waiter kept hitting on her. I was so embarrassed."
His eyes light up every time he unravels another tiny detail.
"She did tell me that it was the first night you talked about having kids," Kate conveys.
"Oh yeah. Johanna always wanted just one girl. I was the one who dreamt of four kids and living in the suburbs. I tell you when you were born, she gave me her best 'I told you so' glare.
Her eyes are moist now, as memory after memory resurrects itself in front of her eyes as he narrates. Far too soon, the fascinating tales come to an end and she has to leave. She hugs him tight, thanks him for giving her this piece of her mother and bids farewell.
xxx
"We belong to the light
We belong to the thunder
We belong to the sound of the words
We've both fallen under
Whatever we deny or embrace
For worse or for better
We belong, we belong
We belong together"
xxx
It's almost evening when she arrives home at the loft to find Castle and Alexis nestled on the couch, each digging into their own bowl of ice cream while Martha opens the door to graciously lead her in before she resumes sipping her wine.
"Kate! You're early" Castle sure is happy to see her.
"We have quite a party here, don't we?" Kate remarks.
"Join us Kate," Alexis chirps. "There's still some ice cream left in the fridge. That is…if dad didn't spill it all on his t-shirt."
"My own daughter betrays me. What has the world come to?" he dramatically muses.
"I'll go get me some. Martha do you want some?" Kate asks.
"Oh no. I'm perfectly fine with my wine over here. Ice cream is for the young, kiddo."
"Tipsy, are we?" Castle jokes.
Kate returns with her bowl and settles down on a sofa, gleefully endorsing a chocolate moustache.
"So Detective, catch any new bad guys?" Martha queries.
"Oh yeah. In fact, we wrapped a case up just today. That's why I could come home early."
Castle dives into the talk. "Was it freaky?"
"Eew dad! Morbid much?" Alexis chides.
"Sorry Castle. One of the boring ones. Wife killed her husband," Kate supplies.
"Oh dear Lord," Martha exclaimed, "How unbecoming of a lady. It's just terrible."
"It was self-defense actually; whole history of domestic abuse. She was just protecting herself."
"Tell us more Kate," Alexis persuades enthusiastically.
"Well Ok."
Kate begins as if she's briefing a whole squad about the case but soon turns to informal tones. Nobody interrupts her speech as they listen enraptured.
Castle is oddly silent, his mind off in a world of its own. The four of them were as close to a real family as he'd ever gotten. As he watches his three women together in front of him he can't shake off that wondrous fluttering in his heart that tells him this is home. The way each of them seem to enjoy each other's company, how well they complement each other's personality, respect each other's boundaries and know just how important each of them are. This is the family he's always searched for. This will always be his home, their home. And Kate's a part of it, such a very important part.
And in that moment, he's made up his mind. He knows now. Oh he knows exactly what he's going to give her. And when just a few hours before, he'd felt as if Saturday was looming up on him, now Saturday couldn't arrive fast enough.
xxx
A/n: Date begins next chapter