Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't
Have a good weekend.
OOOOOOOOO
She snatched up her bag.
"You going somewhere boss?"
"Lunch. Tell Lanie we'll be at the morgue at two sharp so she's better have the key ready."
OOOOOOOOO
"There aren't many places we can go like this. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of being stared at."
"Shocker," she muttered.
"Kate," he sighed.
"Sorry, sorry."
"I know," he reclaimed her hand. "It sucks."
"So," she tried to shake off her sudden gloom. "Any ideas where two fugitives could get a bite to eat?"
He grinned at her description. "I know this place that does really good sandwiches."
"I could go for a good sandwich."
He hailed a cab and turned back to her.
"It also has a really comfortable bed in case you were interested."
"Maybe some other time."
"Any time, Detective."
His doorman just nodded at them as they got out of the cab. He didn't even seem surprised to see Castle in handcuffs.
"He's helped me out a few times when I've been researching by myself," Castle offered.
"Researching what?"
"In order to authentically write the scene, I try it myself. Like the kitchen scene in Naked Heat. If my family isn't home, I let him know and if I don't get myself free and bring him a cookie in two hours, he comes and gets me out."
"How many times has he had to do that?"
"Not that many," he protested.
"So how many times have Martha and Alexis?"
"More than once?"
She just shook her head. That would be something she would pay to see. She might even take some photos for the boys and one to use as a bookmark for Naked Heat.
"Where's Alexis?"
"She's got one of her internships today."
"Which one?"
"I'm not exactly sure. There's a schedule on the fridge door to help me keep track."
"At least we know she isn't at the morgue. I would not want to be working with Lanie today."
"You poked the dragon." He headed to the cupboard. "White or brown bread?"
"Brown."
"Excellent choice." He pulled half a loaf out then made for the fridge, assuming she would follow.
"Chicken or Ham?" His voice got muffled by the door between them.
"Chicken."
"Cheese?"
"What is this, Castle, Subway?"
"Eat fresh," he chimed, his face reappearing around the steel door.
"Cute," she said flatly.
"I know," he nudged the door shut with his shoulder and turned to deposit all the fillings on the kitchen island. "I've got to make up for all the take-out we eat at the precinct somehow. I'm not even sure if I'll still fit in my old leathers."
She didn't say anything but apparently failed to keep her face perfectly even.
"Oh, I see. No, it's okay. Go ahead. Laugh at me."
"I wasn't laughing."
"I'll have you know that not that long ago, I used to work out everyday. I even had a training room set up here in the loft."
"Really?" she asked intrigued. "What happened? I didn't see it when I was here after the Dunn case."
"My mother moved in, so I put everything in storage and converted the room."
"How long ago did Martha move in?" She had known Castle and his family for four years and Martha had been living with him already. She had come down to post bail and their odd dynamic had charmed her. She had made educated guesses as to the reasons behind the arrangement but hadn't asked for confirmation.
His eyes scrunched for half a second as he considered it. "About five years ago?" he hazarded a guess. "She moved in about a year before we met. I was still getting over it the night you crashed my party."
"You didn't look like you were enjoying yourself."
"I wasn't."
"So why does Martha live with you?"
He sighed and picked up a red onion.
"No," she plucked it out of his hands.
He looked confused.
"No onions while we're cuffed."
He did a slight double-take. "You're worried about onion breath?" he asked incredulously.
"No."
"Yes you are," he decided.
"We were talking about Martha."
"No, we weren't. You know it's okay if we both have onion breath."
"No onions Castle."
"Oh come on, you can't have Subway without them."
"Castle."
"Fine," he huffed.
"So, Martha?"
"She married her third husband when Gina and I were together." Castle broke off lettuce leaves absently as he spoke. "He seemed like a nice enough guy. But I guess I wasn't paying attention; Gina and I were fighting all the time because she was trying to keep me on schedule. And Alexis was getting to the age where things were changing for her too." He shrugged "I guess I was just glad that someone's life was going well. Should have seen it."
"And?" she prompted. She laid out the leaves on the bread as he picked up a tomato.
"And," he frowned at the chopping board. "About a month after Gina and I separated she showed up at my door."
"He left," Kate surmised.
"With all of her money," Castle confirmed, anger passing briefly through his eyes.
Kate carefully put as much space between her hand and the tomato as she could when he started slicing.
"He didn't even leave her a note."
"Oh, Martha,"
"So, she moved in with us," he sighed. "She almost drove 'Lexis and I mad at first. Martha Rodgers recovering from heartbreak is not for the weak of heart." His lips quirked up briefly. "She helped Alexis when I went through the divorce."
"That was when you decided to kill off Derrick Storm, wasn't it?"
"They never caught him," he said quietly. "So I guess I lost faith in my own detective. He became bound by my limitations. He got too predictable. Too boring."
"Castle," she started.
"It's okay. I know I just wasn't in a good place. My daughter needed a mother but she just had me and my mother who has never been the conventional grandmother, even at the best of times. And then my wife had just left me because plain old Rick could never compete with Richard Castle: author. Or at least that's what I thought at the time."
His hands never faltered, they mechanically assembled their lunch.
"But?"
"But I guess I can say now the problem was that we weren't in love."
She wordlessly added cheese.
"And then I met you."
"And then you met me," she agreed, putting the tops on their sandwiches and sliding them on to the waiting plates.
She passed one to him but he just seemed content to stare at it.
"And the point of the story is?" she nudged him and he blinked.
"That since I met you, I barely have time to write let alone work out every day." He led them over to the stools at the bar. "I don't know how sleep deprivation hasn't driven you mad yet."
"Ah," she smiled secretively. "You want to know my secret?"
He nodded, eyes bright again. Such a child.
"I have this elf who brings me a very tall, piping hot cup of coffee every morning."
She considered her statement. "Well," she amended, "Not every morning."
"Almost!" he protested.
She chuckled. "Almost," she agreed. "Now eat your sandwich so we can get our gear and go."
"I can wear the elf ears if you want," he said a few mouthfuls later.
"Why am I not surprised that you have your own set?"
"You're talking to the guy who starts looking forward to Halloween in August."
"Good point."
"Cheers," he kept his face sober as he touched his floppy sandwich to hers.