Sorry, Dinner is still in the works, but there was some stuff to take care of first. Also, I changed Rogers to Rodgers, as it should be.
Chapter 7 – Between Shows
Kate looked up expecting to see Rick, instead Martha was making her way toward Kate. She pulled her into a loose embrace. "Kate, dear, so lovely to see you." Over her shoulder, Kate watches Rick walk onto the stage with a pastry bag in hand. Castle
Turning back to the stage, but leaving one arm resting on Kate's back, Martha scolds her son. "Richard, you didn't tell me you'd invited Kate." Rick raised a questioning eyebrow at Kate, but before she could begin to answer, Alexis stepped out. "I invited her, Gram." She grabbed her father's arm, and looked up at him innocently, "You don't mind do you, Daddy?"
"Of course not, Sweetheart." He gave her a 'yeah, right' smile that let them all know he knew wasn't getting the full story, but he was willing to buy into the charade. Smart girl, Kate thought.
Martha didn't care what the circumstances were that brought Kate there. She was just happy to see her and happy to have an audience. "So what do you think, Darling?" Martha asked, waving her hand toward the stage. "Are we ready for the bright lights of Broadway?"
Kate shifted to look at Martha, wondering momentarily if that was the plan. "You were marvelous, Martha." She answered with sincerity. Martha ducked her head and blushed slightly with what Kate was sure was a well-practiced, yet unpretentious gracefulness.
"You really liked it?" Alexis asked.
"I loved it."
"Good," Rick said. "You can help us set up for the next show." Truth was, now that Kate was here, he didn't want her to leave. "Come on, Detective…You can help me re-roof." Castle grinned and shook the pastry bag in front of him.
"Okay, Castle. I'll help." Kate stepped on stage and moved to the gingerbread house. When Rick was beside her again, he proffered a spatula and a plastic grocery bag. "So what'll it be, Beckett. Scrape? Or decorate?"
"How 'bout I just hold the bag, Castle?"
"Afraid you'll get your hands dirty, Detective?"
"Hardly, Castle. Just, hurry up, would you?"
Rick turned to the frosting covered roof in front of him and began to carefully scrape out the section his face had landed in earlier. Kate watched him work, again amazed by his focus. He was such an anomaly. All energy and ADD in one moment—she remembered describing him as a nine year old on a sugar rush—and then concentrated on a specific outcome. Rick cared about the details. Kate's mind returned to where she was standing, on a stage in the Rodgers Play Atrium. Not just the details, Rick cares about people.
"Castle?" Kate wanted his attention. He looked to her, and when she was sure he wouldn't look away, "Why didn't you want me to know?"
Rick cocked his head and pulled a shoulder up near his ear. He looked a little sheepish. "I guess I didn't want you to think I was, uh, flaunting it."
Kate scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head, confused.
"You know. Flashing my celebrity. Showing off my millions. Bragging about sponsoring a hospital wing."
"But that's ridiculous, Rick. There's not a single reporter here. No cameras. No paparazzi. No adoring fans—"
"Besides you." He was trying to distract her, but she only gave him her squinty stare and continued.
"I just—it doesn't make sense, Castle."
"The point is you would know. I mean, Mother and I did this years ago, as anonymously as possible, before that bastard scammed her—but…" He turned back to roof. Some wordsmith I am. Why can't I explain this to her? He didn't want Kate to think he was trying to impress her. Rick positioned the pastry bag to start the final row of scalloping. "This was…it wasn't something I thought you'd want to know about me." That wasn't entirely true. Really, he meant he didn't think Kate was ready to know this now. He knew she'd like this side of him. This very private, very personal, very real side of him. But he didn't want her to think that he was trying to further endear himself to her.
Kate took a step closer to him, and hesitated a moment before resting her hand aside his jaw. "Richard Alexander Edgar Rodgers Castle, it there's one thing I've learned about you—no matter what name you use—it's that you have a big heart. I hope you know you never have to hide that from me."
Wish I didn't have to. With his free hand, Rick pulled Kate's hand from his face. He wanted to brush his lips over her fingers, but instead gave her hand a squeeze and nodded toward the gingerbread house. Kate wondered at the emotion that flashed across his face. Behind them, they heard Alexis in her wooden shoes walking across the stage. "All done," he announced. Then, he swiped his across the tip of the pastry bag, removing the excess.
"Care to lick my finger, Detective?" he asked, cocking his eyebrows at the suggesting. Kate grunted a mirthless "no" belied by the slight upturn of her lips and the flicker of amusement in her eyes.
Rick turned to Alexis with a questioning look. "Eww, Dad! Gross. No!" Rick tipped the pastry bag back and sucked frosting from the tip. "Mow fo me" he said, his mouth half full. He walked off stage to take care of his utensils and the excess frosting.
Alexis turned to Kate with an exasperated look. "Thank goodness the next show is our last one. He doesn't need any more frosting. We were only supposed to do one show today, but Gram suckered us into two."
"It's for the children, Dear." Martha defended, from her chair off stage. Kate and Alexis moved off stage to sit beside her.
"Seems like a lot of effort for so few to see it."
"It's not so much. Besides, I'm lucky to talk them into this—a few weekends once a year. Before I moved in with Richard, it was more for something the three of us could do together. Now, it's a tradition." Martha smiled and patted Alexis' leg. "I don't know what we'll do when Alexis goes off to college next year."
Alexis squeezed her shoulders. "I'm sure we'll come up with something, Gram."
"We used to have a couple high schools, girl scout troops and a small dance troupe come through so that it wasn't just us throughout the year." Martha glanced at Kate. "Now, we're down to an occasional play from the high school. I don't suppose the NYPD would be interested in doing a little skit every now and then?"
"Uh, no. I don't think so." Kate said, looking at her in surprise.
"Maybe community service for the prisoners?" Martha asked, half serious.
"Martha." Kate was still surprised, and feeling a little flustered. "Martha—I…" She couldn't understand why Martha looked so forlorn.
"Kate?" Alexis, touched her shoulder.
"Uh, you just…you seem so worried. But I don't see what the problem is?" Martha gave her a blank stare.
"Well, there's a stage and no one to fill it. For the children." Martha stressed.
"Yes, but," Kate, took Martha's hands in her own. "Martha, you're opening the Martha Rodgers School of Acting. Surely, you could encourage your students to perform here. For credit or something?"
Martha's eyes widened in surprise. "!" she said standing and pulling Kate into a tight hug. "I never—Alexis, why didn't we think of this?" She pulled back with tears in her eyes.
"It's perfect, Gram."
Martha pulled them both into a hug. Man, this family hugs A LOT! "I've got to—well, we—I should call Louis. My administrator," she explained for Kate's benefit.
Castle walked out onto the stage to see his family hugging. "What's going on out here?" Martha turned. "Mother, are you crying?" he asked incredulously.
"Oh, Richard. She's brilliant." Kate blushed, and shook her head at Martha's exaggerated description.
"Really, Martha, you'd have thought of it yourself."
"Thought of what?" Rick asked confused.
Alexis answered, "Gram was sharing her woes about not having any acts to bring here and Kate…well, Kate suggested that Gram should encourage her students to participate."
"Assuming you have students." Rick jabbed, walking up to them.
"I have students, Richard. Just like I had clients as a life coach." She turned to the girls. "Really, why's he have no faith in me?"
"It's probably just in retaliation for the good work you do keeping his ego in check." Kate's quip caused Alexis to hide a snicker as Rick sneered at her. Truth was they all loved that Kate understood their family dynamic.
"M'ladies," Rick said, said gesturing toward the stage."It's about time for the last show."
Alexis looked to Kate. "Are you gonna go?"
"And miss possibly my last chance to see a Castle-Rogers original? Are you kidding" Kate plopped herself down in a chair. "I'll be right here." When Alexis was half-way across the stage, Kate called to her. "When you're done…I want to know how on Earth you found wooden shoes that actually fit."
Alexis smiled. "Deal. Suffice to say…after this, they may never be seen again."
Reviews are welcome. Dinner really is up next.