I'm crossing my fingers hoping it will snow so I don't have to go to school tomorrow.
Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, turtlenecks would not be a part of Beckett's wardrobe.
Chapter 3
Late November:
It was the day after Charlie Beckett had shown up in New York, and Kate was taking a shower. Castle felt conflicted as to how to help Beckett when she was silently hurting after seeing her sister, who had abandoned her, again. He finally came up with an idea. He was going to call Charlie, set up a meeting, and try to help the sisters repair their relationship.
After Kate had kicked Charlie out of the precinct, she seemed pretty adamant that she wasn't going to let her absent sister back into her life. However, Castle knew that if she didn't give Charlie a chance at redemption, Kate would eventually live to regret it. So, Castle had a man to see about a favor.
It was a slow day at the precinct and the team was mindlessly filling out paperwork. When Ryan got up to refill his coffee cup, Castle followed him. "Hey Ryan." Castle excitedly exclaimed causing the Irish detective to jump slightly. "Jeez, Castle." Ryan admonished. "Calm down." "Sorry, I just . . . um I need a favor." Castle apprehensively voiced. "I'm listening." Ryan said. "Okay, but you have to promise not to tell Beckett okay?" Castle asked. Ryan eyed him suspiciously. Although Castle was one of his best friends, Beckett was like another one of his sisters, and he didn't know if he felt comfortable keeping something from her.
"Why's that?" Ryan questioned. "It's nothing bad. Well I don't think it is at least." Castle responded scratching his head. "I just need you to look up a phone number for someone for me." Castle revealed. "Seriously Castle? You can do that yourself." Ryan said. "Please Ryan, it's important and I need it as soon as possible." Castle was willing to beg if he had to. "Fine, what's the person's name?" Ryan finally relented. "Thank you. The name is Charlotte Beckett." Castle told the detective. "Wait Beck- the woman who was here yesterday?" Ryan suddenly seemed nervous. "Yeah and before you go running off to Beckett please just know that I'm trying to help here. I promise you will be left out of it." Castle continued to convince Ryan. "Ah . . . okay Castle, I just hope you know what you're doing." Ryan concluded. "Me too." Castle anxiously agreed.
After Ryan gave Castle Charlie Beckett's number, he holed himself up in the breakroom for some privacy while he made the call. Charlie picked up on the third ring and not recognizing the number asked who it was. "Richard Castle, Kate's fiancee." Castle answered. "Oh . . . why- I'm surprised you're calling me." She was not expecting her sister's fiancee to contact her. "Yeah well I am too. Listen I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not really a fan of you right now, and I didn't even know about you until yesterday. That said, I love your sister and I want her to be happy. And I think that if she doesn't give you another chance and let's you walk out of her life she'll regret it." Castle explains. "Thus she won't be happy." Charlie infers. "Correct." Castle agrees.
"I want to talk to you face to face. Maybe we can come up with a way to show Kate you're willing to work to earn your place back in her life. Assuming you really are sorry for what you did and want to make amends." Castle told Charlie his reason for calling. "Yes. I do want to make things right. I'm actually near New York Presbyterian, I just left there from a job interview." Charlie tells the writer. "I'll meet you at the coffee shop two blocks from there in twenty minutes." Castle plans. "Okay, I'll be there." Charlie says ending the call.
Charlie was already waiting with a hot cup of coffee when Castle walked through the door. Like her sister, she enjoyed her steady caffeine fix throughout the day.
"Hi." Charlie starts. "We didn't exactly get to properly introduce ourselves yesterday. I'm Charlie Beckett, Katie's older sister." Charlie outstretches her hand for Castle to shake. "Rick Castle." Castle says in a serious tone wanting to get down to business. This is the first time Castle really looked at the elder Beckett sister. Upon closer examination she and Kate actually resembled each other quite a bit. Charlie's hair was a darker brown, and she was shorter than Kate with a rounder face, but she had the same gorgeous hazel eyes and was quite beautiful like her little sister.
"As I said on the phone, I'm not fond of you for what you've done to Kate, but I think you two have some things you need to work out." Castle begins the conversation. "I really want her to just hear me out. I have missed fifteen years of her life. I don't want to miss anymore. And hopefully I'll get that job at the hospital down the street I just interviewed for. I think it's time for me to come home." Charlie revealed to Castle. "How about you come to dinner tonight at Kate and mine's place? I'll cook some chicken and pasta, we can ease Kate into it. If at any point you being there gets to be too much, I'll ask you to leave and we can try again some other time." Castle suggests. "That sounds good. I can be there at seven?" Charlie asks and Castle nods while writing down his address. "I'll see you at seven Charlie." Castle stands to leave. "Bye Rick." Charlie waves as Castle walks out the door hoping his fiancee won't castrate him when her sister shows up at their door later that night.