CH5
"Well since I don't see a bracelet or watch on your wrist, I'm guessing she is around your ankle. And I have maybe a better than 50-50 chance of selecting the correct ankle.
What do you think Jack?" Rick states still with a poker face.
"I know you are correct and she is on her right ankle and she has scanned me just as easily as I have scanned her." A disembodied voice responds to Rick's question.
Kate's mouth hangs open and to get it to close she takes another drink from her glass.
"How long have you had her? Somewhere close to 2 years I'm guessing." Rick tells her.
"I think maybe I should be going." And Kate puts her glass down on the coffee table.
"Kate I'm not here to take her from you. In fact I want you to keep her. And if you'll let me I can even fix her for you." Rick tells her.
At this Kate sits back down. "I don't, …. I mean how, …. You can fix her?" Kate really could use some help and he is her most favorite author on the planet. His books saved her when her mother died.
Rick reaches out and takes one of Kate's hands. "Jack?" And the watch on Rick's wrist changes and now looks just like Jill. Only 'Jack' has all 5 jewels attached.
"You can count on one hand the number of these units out there. The person who had Jill and I work New York. To my knowledge there is one in LA, one in Berlin and one in Shanghai. Ray and I didn't work together very often. He was gone almost an entire year before I knew he was dead." Rick explains to her.
"You knew her previous owner?" Kate questions.
Rick nods his head. "Raymond Lee Thornton. He was a self-employed researcher. There wasn't anything he couldn't find out about. He helped a lot of companies with their new products. He was a nice guy.
He had a tough time trying to find the right woman for him. All the women he would meet would treat him badly or just plain insult him, even if they only just met him. He was convinced there was no one out there for him. Jill was a god send for him." Rick tells her a little about him.
"Can you show her to me?" Rick asks.
Kate hesitates. Jill is hers and she doesn't want to lose her but she also needs help. Finally she takes her right boot off to show the ankle bracelet that is Jill.
Rick reaches down and lifts Kate's foot up and places it in his lap and subconsciously starts to give her a foot massage.
"Jill, it's been a long time. You don't remember me do you?" Kate finds it amusing that Rick is talking to her foot, but she loves his hands.
"I'm sorry but I do not remember you." Jill tells him.
"Let's see what you look like shall we?" Rick asks.
"It's ok Jill, maybe he can help." And Jill changes to her normal form.
"No wonder, you are damaged. You are missing three of your memory cores. How long have you been like this?" Rick asks her.
"I've been like this since I lost my previous owner or Ray as you tell me." Jill tells him.
"You don't remember Ray either do you?" Rick asks but already knows the answer.
"I can remember bits and pieces but very little of him." Jill explains.
Rick looks up into Kate's eyes. "Do you have the gem you bought the other day on you?" Rick asks her.
Kate now has a shocked look on her face and starts to open and close her mouth like a fish.
"I was driving by that jewelry store one day and Jack scanned the gem inside. So I started watching the store in my spare time to see if anyone came by to buy it. I watched you do exactly that from across the street while drinking coffee." Rick tells her.
Kate reaches into her pants pocket and pulls out the gem.
Rick holds out his hand for it. However Kate delays giving it to him. However finally places it in his hand.
"Jack?" Rick calls out.
"Scanning. …. scan complete. It is undamaged and just needs to be re-attached correctly for Jill to use it." Jack tells them.
"I can attach it if you'll take her off for a moment. I promise it will not take long. I'm already well aware that the back-up power does not last long." Rick tells her.
This time Kate doesn't even think about it and bends her leg taking her foot out of Rick's skillful hands to remove Jill from her ankle and hands her over to Rick.
"Come with me and let's see what we can do for her." As Rick gets up and heads down the hallway.
Kate follows and steps into the Library/Office and sees him tilt the 'Fat Head' on the wall down to expose some tools and other items. Rick pulls out his chair and places Jill down on the desk.
Then he pulls out a small item that has wires attached and attaches them to one of the empty spaces and then takes a probe like item and starts touching it to Jill.
He does this for all three spaces. "Well this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Jill, all three of your empty spaces have been damaged. I will need to repair at least one of them before I can re-attach the memory module that Kate has.
To do all three will take several hours and will take you well past your backup power allotment." Rick explains.
"I must have been damaged at the time they were removed." Jill offers.
"I agree. I've got two options for you two. I can put you back on Kate so you have power for the entire process. However Kate is going to have to stay in one place for several hours. No food, no drink, no bathroom breaks and possibly no sleep in case she moves in her sleep." Rick tells them.
"And option number two?" Kate asks.
"I only fix just the one location for the one gem and then fix the other two at a later date." Rick tells them.
"Jill?" Kate asks.
"How long will it take?" Jill is worried about being off Kate for too long.
"That depends on how much damage there is. It may be an hour, it may be four. I will know better after I get started." Rick tells her.
"I'm thinking just the one for now." Kate tells them.
"I agree." Jill tells them.
"You want to go finish your wine then come back in an hour and if I'm not done you can tuck Alexis in then go back to waiting. There is more wine in the kitchen." Rick tells her.
"Please be careful. She means a lot to me now." Kate tells him.
"Not to worry, I'll treat her like my own. Right Jack?"
"We will do our best Miss Beckett." Jack tells her.
Kate heads back to the great room and works on finishing her wine. An hour later she goes back into the Library/Office to find Rick still hunched over Jill still working on her. It was a bit of a struggle since she had drunk a little too much. So she goes on thru to Alexis's bedroom.
"Hi Kate, you're still here." Alexis is happy.
"Yup you father is helping me with something and he's not done yet so I came to tuck you in." Kate tells her.
Alexis jumps up and wraps herself around Kate. "Thanks."
"So what's first." Kate asks feeling a little tired herself.
"Brush my teeth then change clothes." Alexis tells her. And off Alexis goes to finish those two things.
"Can you read to me?" Alexis asks.
"Sure, what do I read?" Kate asks.
"The books are over there." As Alexis points to a section of the larger room.
Kate selected "Christmas in Camelot"
"Once upon a time, in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods. A boy named Jack and his sister, Annie, climbed into the tree house. They found that it was filled with books. Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic. It could take them to the places they read about in the books. All they had to do was point to a picture and wish to go there. They discovered that during their adventures, no time at all passed in Frog Creek.
Jack and Annie eventually learned that the tree house belonged to Morgan le Fay, an enchantress from Camelot, the long-ago kingdom of King Arthur. On one of their journeys, Jack and Annie visited Morgan's library in Camelot and brought hope and courage to King Arthur.
Now it is winter: Jack and Annie have not seen Morgan or the magic tree house for many months …."
Kate stopped when she noticed that Alexis was asleep. Closing the book Kate leaned over and brushed a few stray hairs from her face and then kissed her forehead. "Good night sweetie. Sweet dreams." And kisses her again and puts the book back on the way out.
Kate passes by Rick who is still hunched over his desk working on Jill. Kate takes a moment to peek over his shoulder at what he is doing. With her hands on his shoulders she kisses the back of his head. He is fixing Jill; she is going to owe him big for this. Jill has become one of her best friends. Even if she does have to keep her a secret from her friends.
Kate has been tempted to tell Lanie a couple of times but always chickened out.
Kate went to the kitchen to find another bottle of wine. After opening it she went back to the great room to re-fill her glass. Castle really did have good taste in wine.
"Ok, Jack you want to run a scan for me?" Rick asks as he sits up.
"Scanning. …. scan complete. All the connections are within tolerance. Jill should be able to access the additional gem. I would advise that she do so slowly. It will not be easy to suddenly be hit with thousands of text books all at once and be able to make sense of it all." Jack tells them.
"How do you feel Jill?" Rick asks her.
"It is different. There is suddenly a new location to go." Jill tells him.
"Well I suggest you do as Jack suggests. Adapt to the new you slowly. Now let's get you back on Kate." As Rick gets up and heads for the great room.
He finds Kate lying down asleep on the sofa. Rick takes a moment to just watch her while she sleeps. "She really is a lovely woman. Well let's get you back where you belong." As Rick places Jill back on her right ankle.
"There, are you in place?" Rick asks her.
"Yes thank you." Jill tells him.
Rick is now wondering what to do. Picking up both wine bottles one at a time. "Both empty. Well she isn't going to wake up even if there is a thunderstorm. "Well let's get you into the guest bedroom."
Rick kneels down and lifts Kate up and starts for the guest bedroom. Kate soon moans and wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulder.
Rick is thinking a drunk Kate is a needy snugly Kate.
Finally getting her onto the bed. "Now what do I do? If I undress her to make her more comfortable I'll be lucky to live past breakfast."
Rick decides on taking out a light blanket and laying over her while letting her keep her clothes on. Then heads for his room to go to bed.
Come morning Kate wakes slowly and finds that she is not alone in bed. Looking around she does not know where she is. However she does know that the night was free of nightmares. "I don't know what I did but I need to do it again." She has never seen this room before. Turning her head a little she sees a tangle or bright red hair. Kate also notices that she has a strangle hold on the little girl. Who also happens to have her arms around her.
Kate shifts a little and moves her arms that are around Alexis a little. It is now that she notices that she is not wearing any clothes. Kate bends her head and her body a little to get a better look and finds all she has on are her panties.
"I'm going to kill him." Kate states out loud.
"Kill whom?" Jill immediately responds.
"Jill? How are you doing?" Kate asks excited, happy and concerned.
"I'm fine, Rick finished working on me late yesterday then re-attached me to your ankle. Then he carried you to bed." Jill informs her.
"And stripped me naked?" Kate is getting mad.
"Actually he left you here with your clothes on. His daughter came in about an hour later and worked hard to remove your clothes and then climbed into bed with you. During the night you wrapped yourselves around each other." Jill corrects her.
Kate instantly calms down. "OH. …. I smell breakfast." Kate states.
"Rick came in and looked in on you about half an hour ago. His present location is beyond my ability to scan. And Alexis is awake and listening to us." Jill informs her.
"Alexis?" Kate asks.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to listen in. But I didn't want to interrupt you. That would be rude." Alexis tells her while still holding onto Kate tight.
"You know about Jill now don't you?" Kate asks while still not removing her arms from around Alexis.
"Dad has Jack and you have Jill. It's cute, Jack and Jill." Alexis giggles a little.
Kate chuckles a little. "It is cute isn't it? …. How about we get up and have breakfast. It smells like your father is cooking. And we better hurry before he makes it 'yucky'." Kate teases.
Alexis giggles a little harder and they both start to work on untangling themselves from each other.
Kate starts to get up to sit on the edge of the bed. "Oohh my head." Kate holds her head in both hands.
"You ok Kate?" Alexis sounds concerned.
"It's just a headache sweetie. Nothing a couple of Tylenol and a little time can't fix." Kate assures her.
"Dad has a homemade fix. He uses it all the time." Alexis tells her.
"Where are my clothes?" Kate asks.
"There over here. I folded them up for you and placed them here." Alexis tells her.
"Thanks, …. Alexis why are you in this bed instead of yours?" Kate is curious what she is thinking.
"I got up to get a drink and you were talking in your sleep. So I worked at getting your clothes off and climbed into bed with you to keep you company." Alexis explains. "Kate?"
"Yes sweetie?"
"How do you get into those jeans? They were almost impossible to get off."
Kate chuckles louder. "Owww." As Kate grabs her head again. "They are almost as difficult to get on. … Is there a robe I can wear?" Kate asks.
"Yup, there is one in the closet." Alexis tells her.
"Thanks, how about you go to your room and I'll meet you in the kitchen?" Kate suggests.
"OK. Don't forget to ask dad for his cure." And Alexis moves over to hug Kate before leaving.
Kate gives her a hug back and kisses her head and lets her leave.
"What is she doing to me? What am I doing?"
Kate steps into the kitchen wearing the robe Alexis told her about. "And he cooks breakfast." Kate states as she enters.
"Good morning sunshine. Hows your head?" Rick asks.
"Which head? The one the miner is hitting on the left side or the miner on the right side?" Kate asks moaning.
"I thought so. Here try this." As Rick hands her a glass.
"Is this the Castle cure Alexis mentioned?" Kate asks.
"So she told you about that already has she? …. But yes, it is. Drink it down and you'll feel good as new in about half an hour." Rick tells her. "Hi pumpkin. Sleep well?" Rick spots her as she stands at the entrance to the kitchen.
"It was nice dad. Kate is all cuddly." Alexis tells him.
This gets Kate to choke on her drink for a second before going back to drinking trying to cover up her blushing.
"More cuddly than monkey bunkey?" Rick questions her.
"DAD?"
"Well was monkey bunkey in bed with you or just Kate?" Rick plows on.
Alexis doesn't answer but does get a funny look on her face.
"You two want to set the table? Breakfast is ready." Rick tells them.
"Sure dad." As Alexis does this morning what she did with Kate last night.
"What are your plans for the day Kate? When do you need to be at work?" Rick asks. Thinking he either needs to drive her or get a cab.
"Actually I have the next two days off." Kate risks the truth.
"Good because we are headed for the Zoo just before lunch today. You can come with us." Rick tells her.
"Yea Kate, It'll be fun. They have penguins, and tigers, and monkeys, they even have a new baby." Alexis tells her excited. "Please?"
"All I have are the clothes I wore yesterday, I don't think, …." Kate gets cut off by Rick.
"We can drop you at your house and wait for you to change." Rick offers.
"I need to shower first." Kate tries again.
"You can shower here." Rick tells her.
"Take a shower in your bathroom?" Kate questions his intentions.
"Every bedroom has its own bathroom Kate." Rick counters.
"I don't have any make-up." Kate tries again to get out of it. But she is scrapping the bottom of the barrel here and she knows it.
"You can borrow some of my mothers." Rick counters.
"Your mother lives here?" Kate is confused.
"Grams lives next door." Alexis tells her.
"My mother has been trying to get me to knock down the wall and make it one big apartment for months." Rick explains.
"Dads a chicken." Alexis teases her dad. Since she thinks the idea is a good one too.
"I am not!" Rick counters with a hurt face.
"Face it your chicken Dad." And Alexis puts her hands in her armpits and starts clucking like a chicken. Then looks at Kate and nods her head towards her father.
Kate is a detective and catches on quick. "Yea Castle, chicken." And follows Alexis's example.
"I take it that means you are going to spend your entire two days off with us?" Rick looks at Kate upping the ante.
Kate stops clucking but still has her hands in her armpits. 'I just had to open my big mouth didn't I'.
Alexis has also stopped clucking and holds her hands in place while staring at Kate.
Kate looks at Alexis then looks at Rick and starts to drown in those blue eyes.
Kate drops her hands and decides to up the ante even more. "OK fine. But you have to bring down the wall and turn this place into one big apartment. Big enough for everyone."
Alexis turns to look at her father. 'Please say yes Dad. Please say yes, written in her eyes.'
Now it's Rick's turn. In for a penny in for a pound. "DEAL!" Big enough to hold my mother, my daughter and you and any children we have. Rick adds silently.