CH42

Kate has made it up to the living room, while only seconds after Lucile, however she was still last. And finds Castle asking what was for dinner.

"PIZZA!" Alexis tells him.

"We had pizza last night." Rick reminds her.

"And what's your point, daddy?" leaving out the obvious 'Duh'.

Rick just lowers his head in acknowledgment of defeat.

"Fine, pizza it is."

Pulling open the refrigerator, Rick starts listing off all the ingredients he has to make them. Pepperoni, Bacon, Green onion, Green bell pepper, lots of cheese, Mushrooms, Pineapple, Canadian bacon, Spinach and fresh tomatoes.

"Why don't we just order out and have it delivered?" Lanie asks.

"Because in this house, we do not have mountains of Styrofoam containers being used as a biological study in how to grow fungus or new forms of bacteria." Rick answers

"And we have a pizza oven on the roof." Alexis tells her as if she thought everyone had one.

"I stand corrected. I'll take Hawaiian." Lanie tells them.

"Pepperoni and Mushroom sounds good." Jenny volunteers

"All meat for me." reply's Espo.

"Pumpkin, you want to go up and fire up the pizza oven for me?"

"Sure dad." As she heads for the stairs.

Rick pulls out the pre-made dough and begins to pound it and roll it out to make pies. He adds the ingredients as requested and takes them to the roof to put them in the oven. Coming back down he picks out drinks, paper plates and the pizza cutter and heads back to the roof.

A few minutes later and the pizza's are done and everyone is sitting at the table on the roof. On the roof everyone sees the outdoor kitchen with sink, beer dispenser nozzle, pizza oven, and built-in mini fridge. There is a hot tub big enough for 6 people. There is also a pretty good sized telescope for looking at the stars. There is a section of the roof that has grass with real fruit trees in planters around 3 sides of the grass. Three Peach. Three Pears and Three Cherry. The edge of the roof has a wall of glass panes (probably Plexiglas) that provides an unobstructed view of the city. The glass panes look a little thick to everyone, but no one says anything.

"Castle, is that a beer Kegerator?" Javi asks before eating his pizza.

"Yup, it presently has 'Killians Irish Red" in it at the moment. It's about ¾ full, so it may be awhile before it gets changed to something else." Castle explains.

"Good enough for me. You want one, Bro?" Asking his partner, who only nods.

Jenny however places a hand on his arm. "Make that two." Kevin revises his order.

"Make that three." Lanie tells him.

"Glasses are in the cabinet just next to it." Castle tells him.

Kate however just gets up to get her own, and talk with Javi for a moment.

Everyone has just finished eating and are sitting back talking when Lucile interrupts their reflection.

"Richard?"

"Yes, Lucile."

"I'm monitoring a phone call from someone on the site of what was Senator Bracken's house to his cell phone. The Senator is presently in his Apt. in DC."

"Let's hear it."

"Ring, ring,... Yes?"

"Mr. Bracken, this is Oliver."

"Yes, Oliver. Is the house prepared for my arrival this weekend?"

"That's why I'm calling sir. Uhm …. The house is gone sir?" expecting to get yelled at.

And he is not let down. "What do you mean it is GONE?" He yells at him.

"It has been destroyed sir. There has been some kind of explosion, sir."

"How much of the house has been destroyed?"

"All of it, I'm afraid sir. All that is left is a large pile of kindling in a very large hole, sir."

"Sir, are you still there sir?"

"I can send pictures of the destruction as soon as I find a way to get a panoramic view of the site."

"Sir, did you hear, sir?"

"Yes, Oliver. I will handle it. Thanks."

At which both sides end their phone call.

"Well that went over well didn't it!" Ryan states and gives a high-five with Javi. Who in turn does a high-five with Kate.

"He's just going to get angry and lash out even more now Castle. He is going to decide I probably had a hand in this and come after me even harder." Kate tells him.

"Perhaps, but if we keep leading him around as best we can. We will know better when he is going to act. And therefore prepare for it better."

"Richard?"

"Yes, Lucile."

"Senator Bracken is placing a phone call."

"Let's hear it."

Ring, ring, ….. "Yes Senator Bracken. How may I help you?"

"I want my pilot alerted. I will be flying to NY tonight!"

"Yes sir. I will alert the pilot. And alert the hanger to have your plane prepared for your unexpected flight tonight, sir."

"I'll be there in an hour. See to that everything is ready!"

"Yes sir. As you wish, sir." and the call ends.

"He is making another phone call, Richard. This time he is using a different unregistered cell phone."

"Let's hear it Lucile."

"Burner phone." says Kate

ring, ring, ring, ring …. "Yes?"

"There has been a complication. I will need another squad of men in NY, now!"

"What is the complication about?"

"I'm stepping up the schedule to deal with Beckett and her friends. I want it done before the end of the week."

"It will take 36 hours for that many men to arrive."

"Fine, just get it done." and the call ends.

"He is now using the intercom system at his desk." Lucile tells them.

"Barb, I need you to make a hotel reservation at the Four Seasons, in NY for me."

"Yes, Senator. How many nights would you like it for?"

"Make it open ended. I may need to stay for a few days."

"I need to remind you that you have a conference you are required to attend this Friday, sir."

"I may have to miss it."

"You are the Chairman of the conference sir. Need I remind you that you are the one that called it."

"Sir?"

"FINE! I'll be back in DC for the Friday conference. Just make the hotel reservation."

"Yes, Senator." And the call ends.

"Well, looks like our lives are going to get a lot more exciting come this weekend." Javi states.

"Actually, I plan on us being busy starting tomorrow." Rick tells him.

"What are you planning now, Castle?" Ryan asks.

"I plan on us making a visit to his DC apartment as soon as his plane is in the air."

"Castle. You can't blow up his DC apartment. He has neighbors." Kate tells him

"Oh I'm not going to blow it up. I'm just going to mess with it a little." he says with a mischievous grin on his face.

"What are you thinking now, Bro?" Javi asks

"You'll see. I need to go shopping. There are some things I need."

"I'll be back in about 45 minutes. Make yourself at home."

"DAD! Be careful." Alexis sounds worried.

"Not to worry pumpkin. I'm not going far. I'll be back before you know I'm gone."

"Make yourself at home, guys. Lucile will look after you."

"Castle!" Kate intercepts him at the stairs leading down.

"Be careful." and gives him a quick chase kiss to the lips.

"I'll be fine. Just look after the others. And keep Alexis company." and he is out the door.

After Rick had been gone for about 30 minutes, "Lucile, is it possible to see where Castle is now?"

"Of course, Kate. You can use the life form detector on your bracer for one. Or I could show you where he is by tapping into security cameras, if he happens to be in front of one."

Kate looks down at her arm and raises it. "If I read this correctly, he is 3 or 4 blocks from here and headed this way."

"You are correct, Kate. If he maintains his current speed he should be at the front door in 3 minutes."

Kate continues to watch her arm right up until Rick walks in thru the front door.

Rick comes in and drops his bags on the dining room table.

"What'd you bring us, Bro?" Javi asks

"I've got 2 bottles of Nair hair removal. 3 bottles of Nuclear Fusion Hot Sauce. 3 cans of spray on sticky glue. 2 cans of Yellow colored Krylon spray paint. 2 bags of Pure Cane sugar. Some strong laxatives and a few syringes." Rick states as he lays them out.

"Castle! What are we supposed to do with this JUNK?" Kate asks.

"You are up to something Castle." Lanie tells him.

"All in good time guys, all in good time.

Oh, it occurs to me that none of you have clothes here for tomorrow. How about we go shopping? I have my American Express card."

"Isn't it a little dangerous to go shopping? What if Bracken's men run across us? Or are out there waiting for us to come out of your house?" Kate is not liking this idea.

"Who says we are going shopping here?"

"Castle?" Kate questions.

"How about we go shopping in Munich. Or how about Sydney? Maybe Amsterdam?"

"It'll take us hours to fly there Bro, not to mention leaving here and getting to the airport." Javi does not like this idea. Though he does only have the clothes he is wearing.

"True, but you are forgetting something." And Castle lifts his left arm as a clue. Which gains him a knowing smile from everyone.

"Shopping it is, Castle. So long as you're buying." Kate tells him.

"In that case, I get to choose. Sydney it is. Bundle up your little girl Jenny and let's go."

Three hours later and everyone has clothes for at least 3 days. Jenny also got stuff for the baby. Since her supplies in her baby bag were running kind of low.

Castle had taken directed them to "The Rocks" after stepping out a little ways away where no one would see them just show up stepping out of a closed door.

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
Level 6, 66 Harrington Street
THE ROCKS NSW 2000

"Let's get some sleep. We are going to have a busy day tomorrow."

"Castle?" Kate questions.

"Relax, Kate. All will be made clear. In good time."

"There are 3 guest rooms along with Alexis's room one floor down. And there are 2 Master Suites on the floor below that. One of which is mine. I'll let you guys figure out where you each want to stay. You should find towels, soap, shampoo and other things in each bathroom."

"I'll give you all a tour tomorrow after we go on our little excursion to DC."

"I'm going to my office and make a couple of calls. Lucile will wake you all if there is need to. She will be looking out for all of us 24/7."

"Good night, all." Rick tells them. And heads down the stairs.

Ryan and his wife Jenny and their little girl take one guest room. Where they make do with a sleeping arrangement for their little girl.

Javi and Lanie take another one guest room.

While Jim Beckett takes the last guest room.

Alexis heads to her room.

Leaving Kate to decide where she wants to go. Kate starts out going into the spare master suite. Then moves over to Rick's room after she is sure everyone has gone into their respective guest rooms.

Kate is just getting into the bed when Rick walks in. "Hey Kate. How are you doing?" he asks while he undresses and changes into his sleep pants. Kate not watching unabashedly the entire time.

"I'm about an 8 or 9!" Kate tells him.

"8 or 9?" Rick asks. "Really Kate. Because I'm pretty sure you are a 10."

"On a scale of 1-10 on my freak out meter. I'm an 8 or 9." Kate explains.

"OH? And what got you to this 9."

"Truthfully?"

"Please, Kate. I want to know. Don't shut me out. Let me help you."

Kate takes a deep breath. "Well, …. (remembering what her father told her earlier) I'm in love with an ET and his ET daughter. The President of the United States wants me dead and killed my mother. There is an entire platoon of trained killers out there after me and my friends. 'Because of me'. I've been to outer space and back using technology you only find in some block buster Sci-fi movie. I've met a computer with more personality than I lot of humans I've ever met. And the man I love and all my friends have not batted an eye about taking on Bracken and all his killers, with all his fire power." Kate concludes.

"So, Yea. I'm an 8 or a 9." Kate tells him.

"You, love me?" Rick had stopped listening after the first few words.

Of all the things she said, why is she not surprised this would be the only part he heard?

"Yes, I love you." she says shyly.

"Show me how much you love me." Rick tells her.