CH6

After showering and putting on yesterday's clothes Kate was ready to go home long enough to change. Rick had volunteered to drive her.

"Castle! A Maserati! Really?" Kate is shocked. Maybe she shouldn't be but still. "I thought you would have a Ferrari or something." Kate looks at him astonished.

"A Ferrari is not exactly kid friendly. Besides this costs a whole lot less and is a lot more comfortable and almost as fast." Rick tells her.

"He's handsome, rich, a father, can cook and is practical. Just who are you really?" (And why are you not married?) Kate looks at him with wide eyes. "Can I drive?" Kate asks like a daughter asking her dad for the car keys for the first time.

"Well since you know where we are going, sure." And Rick tosses her the keys and heads for the passenger side.

Kate sequels, holds the keys like they are the family jewels and presses the button to open all 4 doors.

Maserati Quattroporte GTS $172,560 with options listed.

4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), Traction control. Stability control, Daytime running lamps, Side-impact bars, Driver/front passenger front airbags with intelligent front passenger sensor, Front side airbags, Front/read side-impact overhead curtain airbags, rear parking sensors, 3-point seatbelts in all positions, Front/rear seatbelt pre-tensioners, Tire pressure monitoring system.

V8 90 degree – Automatic 8 gears, 3.8 Litres, 523 HP, 6,500 – 6,800 rpm, Top Speed of 191 mph, 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds.

"Better buckle-up pumpkin, I have a feeling this is going to be a quick trip." Rick calls to the back seat where Alexis is sitting.

Alexis is grinning wide while she does just what her dad asked.

Rick turned out to be only half right. Kate had to slow down due to heavy traffic. Until then he was right. Not that they got in an accident. Kate turned out to be a pretty good driver.

Rick and Alexis went up to her apartment with her and waited for her to get ready.

While Kate was in her bedroom changing Rick was in the kitchen looking over everything. Touching everything there. Opening every cabinet.

"Hey dad, Kate has every book you've ever written." Alexis calls out from the living room.

Rick goes around to join his daughter. "She does doesn't she." Rick pulls down the latest one published. "Looks like she has read them to. … Hey pumpkin do me a favor and take them all down for me."

Alexis was about to ask her dad 'WHY?'. When she sees him pull out a pen that he always carries. Catching on fast Alexis pulls down the books one at a time and hands them to her dad.

After he has signed one she puts it back up on the shelf.

Finally Rick gets one that he opens with the intent of signing it too. "Hey I've already signed this one."

"Really?" Alexis moves around to look at it. "Do you remember where you were dad?"

Rick reads it again. Shaking his head. "No I don't. There must have been something though. It sounds personal. Something that must have happened or been said at the time. It does look like something I would say though."

Rick turns to another page and re-signs it and hands it back to his daughter and puts his pen away.

"It'll be our little secret, ok?" Rick asks his daughter.

Alexis zips her mouth closed. "That's my girl! …. Let's move into the kitchen so we don't give ourselves away." Alexis nods her head several times and moves into the kitchen.

Kate is just about done changing clothes and fixing her make-up. "Are they still out there Jill?"

"I do not know. They are both beyond my scanning range." Jill tells her.

"So that new gem didn't do anything for that. Do you know what it did?"

"I'm taking Rick's and Jack's advice and accessing it slowly. I'm still processing what I'm finding."

"Does it feel like it was, … is yours?"

"So far there are references that make me believe that it was/is mine, yes."

"I hope I know what I'm doing." Kate talks to herself.

"You are going on a date Kate. Is it something that you don't want to do?" Jill asks.

"I don't know! He's nice, he's handsome and I love his books. They helped keep me sane when my mom died. And his daughter is so sweet. …. I just don't think I can let him in. I can't lose someone else. I'm already broken. I lose someone I love again it may destroy me."

"And if you don't let him or his daughter in?" Jill asks.

"Things will remain the same." Kate answers.

"And if you let them in maybe things will be better. Fall in love, get married, have kids, become your mother. Maybe when that happens you will understand what she felt when she grew up, left home, got married and had kids. Is that such a bad thing?" Jill asks.

"Risk what's left of my heart?" Kate questions.

"You risked me when you handed me over to Rick to fix me." Jill comments. "He could have kept me. Or damaged me in his attempt to fix me. What made you think he could?"

"He has Jack and he already knew about you." Kate counters.

"He could have been lying. He may have wanted me to add to the one he already has." Jill points out. "You trusted him then. Why do you question him now?"

Was it because Jill is a thing and her heart wasn't. If she lost Jill she would still be Kate and do her job. It would just be different. Was she that selfish and self-centered? If it was her dad instead of Jill would she feel the same?

"Let's go to the Zoo! One day at a time. Deal?" Kate asks her.

"I go where you go Kate. You are my owner now. I promised to do everything I can for you. Everything!" Jill tells her.

Can you fix my heart? Castle fixed you. Can he fix me? Do I want him to? If he could bring my mother back I would give him my soul, willingly.

Kate gets up. "Zoo first, then we'll see." And Kate heads for the kitchen/living room.

They had been at the zoo only for a couple of hours when they stopped for lunch.

"Having fun Kate? You've been smiling most the time you've been here." Alexis asks her while Rick is off ordering the food for them.

"I am sweetie. It's been a long time. It reminds me of when my mother and dad would take me places when I was a kid. It was a happy time." Kate tells her smiling. (I have been smiling. It has been fun)

"You don't talk about your mom or dad. Did something happen?" Alexis asks.

"My dad is fine now. I just don't see much of him anymore." Kate answers.

"What about your mom?"

Kate suddenly stops smiling. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Alexis asks sadly.

"No sweetie it's nothing you did. It's just, …. my mom is gone. She died years ago when I was 19 years old." Kate confides in her. (Why did I do that? Would I have told Castle if he had asked?)

Alexis gets up and hugs Kate. "I'm sorry. Mommies are important. I don't really have a mommy either." Alexis states with tears in her eyes.

"Oh sweetie. Did she die?" Kate asks while lifting Alexis up onto her lap and wrap her arms around her.

Alexis shakes her head. "She lives in California. She doesn't want me. She doesn't come for Christmas, or my birthday. She doesn't even call. She only comes when she wants something from daddy and then they fight.

I know they think I don't hear them, but I do. Mommy is mean. Daddy tries to get her to pay attention to me but she never does." Alexis has tears running down her face and is only moments from crying heavily.

Now Kate has tears running down her face. Who could ignore such a sweet child? "Oh sweetie, I'm so very sorry. I don't know why she acts like that. You are a very sweet and wonderful child. If you were mine I would hug you and kiss you and never let you go. I'd tell you I love you as many time as I could.

Don't let her make you sad. I'm sure your dad loves you a lot." Kate tells her thru her own tears. (I'm going to scratch that woman's eyes out if I ever get my hands on her).

"Have you got a phone sweetie?" Kate talks into the side of Alexis's head as she holds her tight.

Felling Alexis nod her head. Kate pushes Alexis away from her a little so she can look her in the eyes. "Good give it to me."

Alexis pulls her iPhone out of her pocket and un-locks it for Kate to see it.

Kate takes it and starts typing. When she is done. "There, now you have my name, my address, my cell phone number, my work address and my phone number at work. You need to talk to me you call me anytime. Day or night. Even the middle of the night. I will always find time to talk to you. OK?

And if you find yourself all alone for any reason you come find me. Got it? I'll do everything I can for you. Are you listening to me?" Kate is deadly serious.

Alexis nods her head while wiping the tears away.

"Anytime at all for any reason. You understand?" Kate asks.

Alexis wraps her arms around Kate's neck and whispers in her ear. "Thank you Kate."

"If your mother ever makes you sad again you let me know. I'll break both her legs right after I pull out every stand of hair from her head. I'll make sure she is bald for life." Kate tells her laughing.

This has got Alexis laughing. "A bald actress. That would look funny."

"She's an actress? What's her name? Have I ever heard of her?" Kate asks.

Alexis nods her head. "Her name is Meredith."

"Meredith, Meredith. I'm not sure I've ever heard of her. Is she famous?" Kate asks.

Alexis just shrugs her shoulders.

"Well she's going to be famous after I get done with her. The first bald actress with two broken legs in Hollywood history." Kate tells her laughing a little more.

Alexis giggles a little harder.

Kate gives her back her phone. "Here don't lose this. You need me you call me. … Now where's your dad? I don't know about you but I'm hungry."

Rick had gotten the food and was on his way back when he saw what looked like a very important conversation. He could also see that both of them were crying. Whatever it was about it must be very emotional.

Now he could see Kate take Alexis's phone and appear to be typing something in it. Then hand it back. Now they were laughing and Alexis was giggling.

This looked like his time to join them.

"You two hungry?" Rick asks as he comes up to where they were sitting.

"We are starving, aren't we?" Kate asks Alexis.

"Yea dad we're starving."

(Great they are teaming up on me. Using my own daughter against me)

"Well, here is yours." As he hands over Kate's food. "And this is yours" And hands over Alexis's. "And this is mine. I also bought three deserts. One for each of us just in case. This is your drink, this is yours and this one is mine.

The lines are kinda long. You two miss me?" Rick asks.

"You were gone Castle? I never noticed." Kate teases.

"Yea dad, never noticed." Alexis agrees teasing her father.

"Oh you two are a riot. Maybe I should put you two on the road." Rick pouts but it is not reflected in his voice.

Kate leans over since she is sitting next to him with Alexis on his other side and kisses his cheek. "Poor baby."

"Rick I need a moment of your time." Jack whispers at him.

"I'll be right back." And Rick gets up and moves to a less crowded area.

"Jill?" Kate whispers.

"I detect nothing Kate. Jack must have skills that I do not or perhaps have never had."

"What have you got Jack?" Rick whispers.

"There is a man wearing a St. Johns t-shirt and sweat pants with Nike running shoes off to your left side about 200 feet out." Jack tells him.

Rick follows a relatively sexy young woman walking from his right to his left so he can try and spot this guy without giving himself away. Not hard since she has the eyes of a lot of guys in the area.

"Got him."

"He is using a burner phone and is giving a report to someone. It is about the actions he has followed Kate doing over the last few hours. He does not know your name. He is only mentioning that she is with a man and what is probably his daughter.

He is being asked if she is armed. His response is no. He is advising that the present location is too congested to do much.

He is being told to just keep tabs on her. He has another team planting bugs and cameras in her apartment. He is to let him know if she is headed back home.

He has responded that that will not be a problem. He has ended the call.

"Have you downloaded his phone and traced who he called?" Rick asks.

"Yes, I have everything on his phone. I can clone his phone when the need arises." Jack tells Rick.

"And the other phone?" Rick asks.

"It is another burner phone. I'm presently trying to use this person's voice to try and ID him. I have his phones present location and can follow him so long as he keeps the phone on him." Jack tells him.

"What can you tell me about his present location?" Rick asks.

"He appears to be mobile in a car. His present direction will take him into the docks area. His direction is so far unchanged. That area has been abandoned for years.

He has stopped and is presently entering a building. I am detecting two other burner phones in the area." Jack tells him.

"Have all three phones start taking pictures. Then email the ones that show all of their faces, and then erase all of those pictures from their phones. If there are other pictures that you take that look interesting email them too." Rick tells Jack.

"Understood." Jack tells him.

Rick heads back to Kate and Alexis so he can eat his desert.