Rocket Man Chapter X
Okay here is the promised Caskett interaction.
Marjo's challenge: Some people say that you have a better chance of getting killed by a coconut falling on your head than in a shark attack
As always thanks to the fabulous BBB's.
Disclaimers:
They are not mine. I'm not keeping them, just borrowing, although I wouldn't mind to keep Castle. ;-)
He was nervous. His mother had said they would pick him up around 4pm, now it was quarter past and he started pacing the room. He had packed and was ready to go, and after Dr. Bernstein had affirmed that the last tests they had performed all looked good, he was even more ready. He had made arrangements for the next few weeks with the physiotherapist to come to the apartment, and he was eager to leave. He hoped getting home, whatever that meant to him right now, would help him to remember, would trigger something to get the ball rolling. But before he could do that, he had to make amends and apologize to his daughter. That was the part he was most nervous about.
On the other side of the door his mother was trying to convince her granddaughter that it was best if Alexis did this on her own. Martha knew how miserable her son felt for his behavior, but Alexis was reluctant.
"Gram's I really don't want to go in there on my own," she almost pleaded.
"He's your father, kiddo. Nothing to be afraid of," Martha said, brushing a strand of red hair out of Alexis' face.
"But he's so different, he's not Dad!" Alexis replied and looked on the floor, feeling ashamed for saying it out loud.
"Ahh, darling," Martha spoke softly and pulled her into a hug. "Yes, he had a bad day and he lost it. But he's your father and he loves you. Give him a chance."
"How can you know he loves me, he doesn't even remember me," Alexis had to fight back the tears and the hurt was evident in every word she spoke. Her father had never yelled at her like he did yesterday and she was still upset, because she had no idea how to handle this and because she was afraid that her Dad might never be the same again.
Martha smiled, "You know his head might be a bit fuzzy at the moment but," she poked at Alexis' chest, "The heart does not forget." She waited for the words to sink in before she gave Alexis a gentle push, "Now go in there."
When she opened the door he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her. She really had come back. He couldn't describe how happy it made him. Looking at her and noticing her discomfort, he realized he should say something. He wrenched his fingers together, trying to find the right words, since the ones he had rehearsed so thoroughly had all disappeared. Deciding the simple truth might be the best after all he just said: "Alexis, I'm sorry."
She looked at him, saw the pain in his eyes as he continued, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just had this idea in my head and it was all so confusing and I lost it. I'm really, really sorry." He looked at her almost heartbroken and it was all it took for her to close the distance between them and throw her arms around him.
"Dad," she mumbled into his shirt and after a second he closed his arms around her and held her tight.
"I'm sorry, pumpkin."
She was nervous, although she wasn't exactly sure why. Alexis wouldn't be there but after what she had learned over the past day, facing him was so much more difficult. But she had made a decision. She would start to give something back to him, would try to make up for the pain she inflicted. Even if she wasn't sure where to start, and even if he did not remember.
Martha opened the door and smiled brightly when she saw her son's partner. "Kate, come in." Martha took her coat and scarf to put them into the closet, before she led the way to the living room. Kate had expected some level of awkwardness after their conversation at the precinct but Martha was her charming self and Kate was grateful for that. It gave her the opportunity to relax a bit after everything that happened.
"Where's Castle?" Kate asked when she couldn't spot him, causing Martha to smile. She liked that Kate was obviously eager to see him.
"He's in the bathroom, being a baby about his thromboses injection," Martha explained.
Kate raised a questioning eyebrow, "What's the matter?"
"Apparently my hands are too cold," she waggled the accused body parts in the air, "Tto touch him but he doesn't have the guts to do it himself. It's like five-year old Richard down with the measles all over again." She sighed dramatically and sat down on the couch.
Kate pursed her lips, imagining a five-year old Richard, "Maybe he'll let me?" she suggested, and Martha nodded.
"Go kiddo, see if you have any luck with him. I need a break from that big baby," Martha leant back into the couch and let out another heart felt sigh, making Kate chuckle. She was already at the door to Castle's office when Martha called out to her, "Kate, I didn't tell Richard about you and Alexis and I think its best we keep it that way. It would only cause more questions and he seems to be in a good place right now. I don't want to confuse him further."
Kate nodded. She had no intention of mentioning the Alexis debacle to him. It was just easier this way. At least for now.
She stepped into his bedroom, ridiculously nervous. She had never been in here before and it somehow felt extremely intimate. Making her way past his bed she reached the other side of the room which led to the en-suite bathroom. Softly knocking her knuckles against the door frame, she waited until he pulled open the door.
"Hi," he said surprised, before a smile played over his face.
"Hey, your mother said you might need help," she stated, her eyes studying him nervously, knowing he didn't remember what happened, but after her talk with Martha she couldn't help but see everything in a different light. She knew she owed him, whether he remembered or not.
"Well, yeah." He looked slightly embarrassed and she wondered what would come next. "I can't get my shirt off."
Oh.
She looked at the sling around his arm and torso, firmly placed over his shirt and while he could use his right arm, she saw why it was difficult to do it alone. "I want to take a shower," he explained and she gulped.
"Are you allowed with your arm and your head?" she asked too quickly to cover up her embarrassment.
"Yeah they gave me this," he took three steps back and reached for something on the counter while she automatically followed him into the bathroom. He held up some plastic foil and tape. "It needs to go over the bandage."
She nodded, "I see." She took the supplies out of his hand and placed them back on the counter, reaching for the hoop-and-loop fastener of the sling she started to carefully unfasten it. Not giving herself time to think about it. He needed help and that was it. "What about the injection?" she asked when she pulled the sling off his shoulder.
He flinched, "Um, after the shower." He really sounded like a baby. It made her heart skip, because it was so Castle.
"Chicken," she mumbled smirking, pulling the last strap away and placing the sling beside the plastic foil. Teasing had always been their thing and it obviously still was.
"Easy for you to say," he whined. "Have you seen that needle?"
She rolled her eyes and his eyes twinkled. He had aimed for it and he got it.
"So, how do we do this?" she asked staring at his shirt.
"Well I would lift my right arm and you pull the shirt up," he stated and already lifted his arm. She reached for the hem of his shirt, telling herself to 'Man up' and slowly lifted the right side of his shirt, pulling it up. He bent his arm to squeeze it through the sleeve. It didn't look elegant, but he managed. The rest was easy, he bowed his head and she pulled the shirt first over his head and then carefully over his injured arm. All the way she tried to ignore her fingers brushing his skin, but didn't succeed. His skin was soft and warm and felt way too good. It made her insides tingle. Oh she shouldn't think like this. Not when things were as they were. When he stood in front of her, bare-chested, she didn't know where to look and finally opted for the floor. He turned towards the mirror more accustomed now with his own features, feeling less like a stranger to himself and grinned. "I am ruggedly-handsome, don't you think?"
She almost choked.
He turned towards her, "What?"
When the first shock ebbed away, her lips curled up into a smile. "Nothing, you've just… said that once before."
"I did? Huh …," he looked thoughtful. "Second time today."
She raised a questioning brow at him.
"I called Alexis pumpkin earlier." He smiled at the memory at how happy it had made his daughter.
"You remember?" she asked, sounding way too hopeful, but he shook his head.
"No, it just felt right." He stated. "Just like me being ruggedly-handsome."
Oh, she loved that twinkle in his eyes, but rolled hers nevertheless, just for the good times. She was glad that he seemed to be so at ease now he was home. It was a good sign she thought. "So you and Alexis worked things out?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could.
"Yes," he smiled but it quickly faded. "I really was an idiot."
"Hey," she said gently and struggled with her hand, wanting to caress his cheek. But they weren't doing stuff like this, right? Then she remembered what she had been denying him for months, and thought it was a good way to start to redeem some of the sorrow she had inflicted on him. Even if he didn't know. So she let her hand reach up, her fingers dancing softly over the left side of his face, "You are going through a lot. No one expects you to have it under control the whole time. I can't even imagine how confusing this all must be for you."
He looked at her, surprised. He hadn't expected the touch, though he welcomed it, even leaned into it and smiled, "Your hand is warm."
She took it as a reference to his complaint about his mother's cold hands and grinned back, before she reached for the plastic foil and tape. "Okay, show me your arm." She thought for a moment, deciding on the best way to secure the foil before starting her task. It only took her a minute and he was ready to go.
He gave her work an appraising look and then nodded. "Thanks, I think I can manage the rest."
She looked at the sweat pants he was wearing, "Huh, sure. I'll be with your mother." She quickly stated before turning around and heading for the door.
"Kate!" She turned around again hearing his voice. "I'll need help to put this back on." He held up the shirt.
She smiled, "Just call when you're ready. And then the injection too!"
He flinched again, making his cute face, the one she had always adored, but never would admit to.
"Just keep my mother's cold hands off me," he whined and Kate decided it was time to leave. He was obviously fine on his own.
Stepping back into the living room she found Martha in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine. "How's the big baby doing?" she asked when she saw Kate emerging from the office.
"Under the shower delaying the inevitable," Kate smirked and walked over to Martha who handed her a glass.
"Sounds like Richard," Martha nodded and sat down at the kitchen counter. "It's good you're here, Kate. He missed you yesterday."
"Martha," Kate placed her glass on the kitchen counter and stepped closer. "I never meant to…." Her words were lost when a tear escaped her eye, and before she could hide it, Martha was up and had pulled her close and wouldn't let go. As the tears fell freely, Kate let herself be held by Castle's mother. It had been so long since someone had comforted her like this, since she had allowed someone to comfort her like this. And she just let it happen, stopped thinking and accepted that she needed it and that it was okay.
When she finally pulled away she took a deep breath, "I never meant to hurt any of you. I just didn't know how else to handle it."
Martha rubbed her hand down Kate's upper arm and nodded, "I know. And that's what they need to hear."
"Is it enough?" Kate asked shakily.
"It's a start," Martha smiled and reached for the glass of wine on the kitchen counter. Handing Kate's over and taking her own, she clinked their rims together, "To new beginnings."
Kate smiled, "To new beginnings."
They sat down and enjoyed a comfortable silence, Kate trying to remember the last time she had felt this type of closeness, realizing it had been a long time ago, she was insanely grateful.
It was about 15 minutes later when Castle appeared in the door way, still bare-chested but now wearing plaid cotton pants. "Kate, cwould you?" he asked and she jumped off the chair and walked over to him.
She passed him and disappeared into his office and out of sight, "Castle, are you coming?" she called out when he didn't follow and Martha could only shake her head at the goofy grin that spread over her son's face.
He followed her back into the bathroom where she was already waiting for him, holding in her hand the new shirt he had placed on the counter. He had managed to get rid of the foil himself so she gently tugged at his left arm, when he stood in front of her, pulling the shirt over it and then over his head. He repeated the squeezing part and in no time was properly dressed again. She regretted it just a bit. She had never seen him like this and she had to admit she liked it, a lot. He was broad and strong and she would have really liked to place her arms around him. But instead she reached for the sling and placed it back on his arm.
"Done," she proclaimed and he started for the door.
"Nuh-uh, Mr." she caught the hem of his shirt and pulled him back. "Injection.".
He huffed, "Damn it."
"Come here," she ordered and grabbed for the needle she had already located on the other end of the counter.
"It's going to hurt," he whined and stared at the needle in her hand.
"You pretend as if this is the first one you've had," she said, raising her brows,
"It's not that I know it hurts," he kept on as she stepped closer, lifting his shirt once more, holding it up with her arm, maybe a bit higher than absolutely necessary, while her left hand moved to his side, grabbing she stepped even closer positioning the needle.
"Some people say that you have a better chance of getting killed by a coconut falling on your head than in a shark attack." She suddenly said, and in the same moment very slightly stepped on his foot.
"Huh?" he looked at her puzzled.
"Done," she proclaimed and grinned.
"Done?" he questioned and looked down. "But I didn't feel anything."
"Duh?" she raised her eyebrows even higher as he started to grin.
"You can be my personal nurse," he suggested waggling his eyebrows.
She snorted, "In your dreams!"
"I can live with that," he smirked and she wondered how he could be so Castle and not remember anything.
"Off to bed," she ordered and he obeyed, trotting back into his bed room he slipped under the covers and looked at her expectantly. She was lost as of what he actually expected and stayed put at the door to his bathroom.
"You look tired," he stated, sounding worried.
"Tough case," she replied, though it was only a half truth.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked. Oh and how she wanted to do that. She missed their theorizing.
"Sure, if you're up to it," she said and saw a bright smile gracing his features.
He petted the spot next to him and she only hesitated for a moment before she crossed the room to settle down next to him. On the covers. Trying to ignore the fact of being in, no on, his bed she told him about the case, about having no leads and dealing with German authorities.
"So this would be the part where I'd be open to dumb ideas," she ended and quickly glanced at him.
"And that is normally my cue," he stated, figuring he was the goofy one in this partnership. "What did you say was written under the picture of this John guy?" he suddenly asked.
"You don't wanna be in love, you wanna be in love in a movie," she repeated and looked at him amused, "Why?"
"I heard that today," he mumbled and reached for the remote control on his nightstand. "I saw this movie with Alexis when we got home." He turned on the TV and fast forwarded the DVD to the part where sure enough Rosie O'Donnell told Meg Ryan exactly that. You don't wanna be in love; you wanna be in love in a movie.
"That's Sleepless in Seattle," Kate said and remembered Castle telling her about women hitting on him when he had been on top of the Empire State Building for research. And suddenly she made the connection. "The victim took the 3 to 34th Street that's just 3 blocks from the Empire State Building." She exclaimed.
"So she might have wanted to meet this John on top of the Empire State Building." Castle concluded.
"Make sense to me," she nodded.
"Romantic," he mused.
"I'd say deadly," she retorted.
"Wow, that's what I call a mood killer," he smirked but when he saw her face it quickly faded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… ." But she waved him off, giving him a forced smile he didn't buy and before he got the chance to question her further she's was off the bed.
"I should get going, it's late," she said, not looking at him.
He didn't try to convince her to stay, she looked so tired, "Are you coming back tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
"I'll try. Can't leave you to your mother's cold hands now, can I?" she gave him a smile, a real one this time, "Night Castle."
He smiled back, "Night Kate."
She was already through the door when he called after her, "Kate!" She stuck her head back into the room, "Thank you."
"Always," she replied without thinking about it and his eyes brightened up. He wasn't sure why but this little word meant more than just the obvious. He could feel it.