In the United States this is a long holiday weekend. Memorial Day is Monday
So instead of making you wait, I thought I would give everyone a little present
I hope you all enjoy this very short chapter
Previously on Castle
The drive into the woods is in total silence causing the time to pass slowly. Jim and Kate do not say one word to each other until he pulls his car into the driveway of his cabin.
Kate reaches across the front seat and fives her father a kiss. She then takes her suitcase from the back seat and closes the door to the car. Jim pulls away quietly as Kate enters the door of the small and isolated vacation home.
She closes the door and latches the dead bolt lock then drops her bag on the floor
She hears a sound come from behind her. She turns in the direction of the noise and lets out the air from her lungs in a gasp…
The words of her father as he described Johanna's simple thinking echo in Kate's mind
"Life never gives us more than we can handle"
The events of the last three days have been more than any human should have to endure.
Setting out to get a marriage license should be simple. Fill out the paper work and then take the document and have the ceremony. It should not require chasing down a former boyfriend and evidently husband to get a signature on a 'Dissolution of Marriage' document.
It should not require chasing down a group of bikers thru a town where you have no authority. It should not require being held captive by these bikers and threatened over borrowed money
It should not require finding out your perfect wedding venue is damaged by fire and now unusable.
It should not require finding out your wedding dress is damaged beyond repair by a broken water main
It should not end with your fiancé trapped in a burning car at the bottom of a ravine
And most importantly it should not end with you in a secluded cabin in the woods
Alone!
But Standing, alone, in the entry way of her father's cabin, Katherine Beckett has just locked the deadbolt on the door when a noise in the room causes her to turn
Tears are streaming down her face as she runs into the arms of the man that is standing at the opposite end of the living space
She almost causes both of them to fall down. It is only the fact he is braced for her attack that keep both of them upright
His arms are wrapped completely around her. He holds her as tightly as he possibly can without hurting her. He is fighting back every tear that tries to escape from his eyes as she is doing herself
"I thought I had lost you" She whimpers
"No! No! Never, Never!" he responds as he has done before
"Rick, this was all too real"
"You knew the plan, we all knew the plan" He tries to console her
"I know but it was all so very, very real today. The wreck, the fire, the police. All of it" She speaks without ever lifting her face from his chest
"So it was believable to everyone?"
"Totally!"
"Good. Then we can assume it worked" He says
She finally lifts her face to him "It was far too real for me!"
"I know but if we are going to finish this then this was the only way" He tries to console her "I just wish it was some other time than the wedding"
He smiles his best goofy grin
"I was looking forward to taking you on a honeymoon and doing all the things with you that normally happen on a honeymoon"
She snuggles back into his chest "Yeah. Me too"
Back in New York City
Captain Gates finally closes down her desk and takes her blazer from the chair, puts it on and moves to the elevator. As she glances around d the bull pen it is evident that the other officers are taking the events of today very hard
After she gets into her car and pulls out of the garage, she finally takes out the burner phone from her pocket and checks the message that was sent to her. She also can tell it was sent to four additional devices. This means everyone involved knows the current status
It is a cryptic message that she and the others understand.
When Kate Beckett returned to duty after her shooting, her comment was that she was tired of listening to the crickets at her dad's cabin
The message says
"The crickets are chirping"
Richard Castle has sent them a message telling them he is at the cabin in the woods per plan and all is well
For those reader in the US. Please have a fun and safe Memorial Day