CH14
Rick had arrived in Buffalo, Wyoming. New York City it was not. "Man am I spoiled or what?" Rick talks to himself.
Rick rents a car and heads for the hotel to check-in. At least this time would be different. Since he had time to spare in Reno he had purchased a pair of swim trunks. So he could make use of the indoor pool this place had later.
Dropping of his stuff in his room Rick drives out to the address he has for them. However when he gets there he finds the place surrounded with cars of all types. It was easy to see there were a lot of people out back.
Rick is thinking a family wide BBQ or something. Maybe not the best time to talk to them, but he only had today so he plowed on.
"Jack, time for a new disguise my friend." As Rick pulls up and stops.
Rick steps up to the front door which is open sort of. Only the cheap storm door is closed. He can see a number of people inside also.
Ringing the bell he waits. Soon an elderly man comes to the door. "May I help you?"
Rick holds up his ID. "I'm agent Walter Dunn with the FBI, I'm looking for a Jennifer and Joseph Deever."
"I'm afraid you are a little late son." He tells Rick.
"Pardon, I don't understand."
"They were buried yesterday. This is their wake." He explains.
Rick is shocked then suddenly worried. "May I ask how they died?"
"They were both run down by a drunk driver downtown. Horrible thing. Got tons of witnesses."
"Did they catch the person who did it?"
"Oh yea, almost strung him up right then and there but the sheriff showed up and put a stop to it. He should have let them finish."
"Thank you I won't intrude further." Rick tells him and heads back to his car.
"Guess we go find the sheriff then." Rick tells Jack.
Using his GPS it doesn't take long to find the sheriff's office. Once inside he shows his ID and introduces himself and asks about the drunk driver and the Deever's.
"Not sure why the FBI would be interested in Harry's boy. He's only been local trouble since he was born. Running down the Deever's is only his latest and probably last spot of trouble."
"Actually I came to talk to the Deever's about their son. Coming here only helps close any holes in my paperwork." Rick explains.
"Deever's boy, yea sad about that too. He seemed like a good kid. Volunteered and then stayed in the Military. Then got himself killed in Afghanistan. I swear that place has taken a lot of lives for so little gain. Killed by one of our own I'm told. Fratricide they call it."
"You haven't heard of anyone coming around talking about him since then?" Rick is curious. Do they keep tabs on these guys?
"No can't say that I've heard of anyone asking about him. Just those two Military guys who delivered the news is all. I think I've got a picture of them around here somewhere." And he heads off over to some filing cabinets.
"Yea here it is. Took it when they weren't lookin. Military types and all their secrets might take exception to having their picture taken. But there was just something odd about those two."
"Can I have a copy? Odd, define odd." Rick asks him.
"Well for a chaplain he was more interested in giving the news then in comforting anyone about the news. Kinda like he was dead inside already. Didn't seem like a very good chaplain if you asked me.
Yea, here you go, one copy. Not sure how this helps ya but I know all about paperwork. Stuff is the bane of the universe let me tell ya."
"Thanks sheriff you've been a big help." Rick tells him shaking his hand.
"You just be careful out there in that big city. D.C. is a funny town, full of politics."
"Yea my daughter told me a joke one time. A guy was sitting in his car stuck in a traffic jam, he just didn't know what the problem was.
Then this guy comes down the street going from car to car. So he asks him if he knew what was going on?
His reply was that a group of terrorists were holding all of congress hostage and if they didn't get 20 billion dollars they were going to light them all on fire with gasoline.
So I'm going from car to car looking for donations.
How much are you averaging so far?
About a gallon of gas per car.
The sheriff starts laughing. "Hell they could suck my car dry just so long as I got a front row seat."
Rick laughs with him and heads back to his car.
Back at the hotel it wasn't even dinner time yet, however before he changed into his new swim suit and hit the pool. "Jack I need you to scan this photo and get ready to down load. After you are done with that call the operator for me."
"Scan complete ready for download, dialing." Jack tells him.
"Operator." A voice answers.
Rick gives his name and code again as usual.
"ID and code confirmed, how may I help you?"
"I need all the information you can get me on the two men in the picture that I'm downloading." Rick explains.
"Download complete, you can expect an answer in 24 hours using version Beta Three at the original location." And the call ends.
Rick liked this location. Back to the public library. He could take Alexis with him again and spend some time there. It would be fun. Even Alexis liked the library.
With swim trunks on Rick went downstairs and hit the pool. He only did a couple of laps then switched to just floating along trying his best to clear his mind and relax.
Rick had made it back to New York and was on his way home. Stepping up to his front door. "Oh it's good to be home." And Rick puts in the key for each dead bolt and opens the door and barely makes it thru the door. "DADDY!" Alexis calls out and slams into him and hugs him.
"Hi pumpkin I take it you missed me?" Rick teases since the answer is obvious.
"Of course dad." As Alexis works at dragging him into the living room. Rick resists long enough to close and lock the door.
"KATE? What a pleasant surprise. You here to greet me too?" Rick asks wondering why.
"Kate and I have been together since you left dad." Alexis volunteers making Kate cringe.
"You two have been staying here since I left?" Rick is shocked.
"No dad I've been staying at Kate's home." Alexis corrects him.
Now Rick is really confused and it shows on his face.
"Mom came by and started yelling at Grams." Alexis sounds sad. "Kate came over and saved us from her. She had mom arrested. Oh I made something for you." And Alexis takes off running for her room.
Rick steps closer to Kate. "You had Meredith arrested?" Rick asks but doesn't sound mad.
"She was being an ass and she had cocaine on her and in her blood, …."But is interrupted when Rick moves in and wraps his arms around her and kisses her.
Soon his tongue is stroking her bottom lip asking for entrance and Kate grants his wish. Soon they are both trying to search every inch of each other's mouth. Ricks hands are also on the move. After he breaks for air he moves to her neck getting a moan from Kate.
Alexis comes running back into the living room finding her dad kissing Kate. She stops and keeps quiet for a minute. "Dad I made you something. DAD?"
Rick breaks from Kate to look at his daughter while Kate withdraws and starts blushing. "What have you got there?"
"I drew a picture of where Kate lives." Alexis lifts it for him to take from her.
"Wow, you live here?" Rick turns to Kate.
Kate blushes a little more. "It's not much but it's mine."
"You have any more pumpkin?" Rick asks her.
"OH!" And Alexis takes off again.
Rick turns back to Kate. "You really had Meredith arrested?"
"She really was being an ass Castle, she even had Martha crying, …." And is interrupted by Rick kissing her again.
Rick breaks off quicker this time. "Thank you for protecting Alexis. That means a lot to me. More than you know."
"I couldn't let her treat Alexis like that. That child is the sweetest thing I've ever met. She's been a blast to have around, honest." Kate confides. "You're really not mad I had Meredith arrested?"
"Kate believe me when I tell you I'm not mad. Meredith ignores Alexis unless it suits her to pay attention to her. I used to try so hard to get her to be a mom but she just doesn't get it. I would dearly love for Alexis to have a mother it just isn't going to be her.
So your protecting her makes me very happy Kate."
Alexis comes charging back into the living room with her other picture. "WOW this is pretty good pumpkin. You must have had a good time at Kate's?"
"It was great dad!" Alexis responds excited.
"I should probably be going since you are home now." Kate tells them.
"NO! Kate don't go." Alexis rushes over to wrap her arms around her.
"I have a home to go to sweetie and this one is yours. And your dad is back now." Kate tries reasoning with her.
"Please Kate you can stay, please stay." Alexis has tears starting and not on purpose.
"We do have space Kate and you are more than welcome to stay. There is still time for me to cook dinner and you can have breakfast before you go into work." Rick adds his part.
"I didn't bring anything. No clothes, no make-up, no shoes." Kate tells them.
"Go get them, I'll have dinner ready by the time you get back." Rick offers.
Alexis who still has her arms around Kate tugs on her to bend down. Then whispers lightly in her ear. "I love you and I need to teach you." Alexis plays her last card.
Kate starts blinking back the tears and it's the card that breaks Kate's back. "Fine, but if you put anything funny in my dinner or breakfast the deals off Castle."
"YES!" Alexis screams.
Rick is amused that his daughter is so happy about Kate spending the night again. "I guess I better get started then so I can keep up my end of this deal." Rick gives both Kate and Alexis a quick kiss and heads for the kitchen to see what he has to work with.
Kate heads for the front door with Alexis in tow. "You promise you'll be back?" Alexis needs reassurance. She's in deep and she knows it and doesn't want Kate getting scared and running away.
"I promise and I'm a cop so it's the truth." Kate tells her.
Alexis tugs on Kate to get her to bend down so she can kiss Kate on the check, making Kate's heart rate change a little.
Alexis re-locks all the doors after Kate is gone and goes into the kitchen.
"Is there something going on between you and Kate I should know about?" Rick asks his daughter.
"You were kissing Kate is there something going on I should know about?" Alexis counters.
"Touche'. I guess we both want Kate to stay." Rick answers while pulling out ingredients for dinner.
Alexis nods her head enthusiastically in response.
"You want to set the table early for me pumpkin?" Rick asks to keep her busy.
"Ok dad." And Alexis starts opening cabinets to get what she needs.
Kate however is talking to herself all the way home. Questioning what she is doing spending the night at the Castle's again.
And Castle kissed her, really kissed her. And she had kissed him back and if Alexis hadn't interrupted them who knows how far it would have gone?
And remembering all the times Alexis had told her that she loved her had her head spinning.
Her dad was only just getting back to being more of his old self but she could see the fear in him. The fear that the bottle would take over again. And no one had loved her since her mom had died. Her walls she had put up had seen to that.
How had Alexis gotten through so many of them so fast? And Castle was right behind her it seemed. Even Martha wasn't far behind.
She knew she should be running but somehow Alexis seemed to be able to prevent that somehow. No that wasn't right, Kate knew how. Having Alexis in her arms at night was oh so soothing. Ever so peaceful. Kate was addicted and she knew it, just couldn't do anything about it.
"I wonder if sleeping with Castle is the same?" Kate shakes her head and gets to packing.
By the time Kate is done she has an entire suitcase filled with clothes, shoes, some frilly things just in case. Along with a skimpy swim suit since Castle's place has a pool, make-up and half a box of condoms that Kate felt guilty about but did it anyway.
Kate soon found herself dragging her rolling suitcase behind her down the hall towards Castle's front door where she pressed the button and waited.
But didn't have to wait long as the door opened and a streak of red hair slammed into her and hugged her. "You're back."
Alexis takes Kate's hand and tows her into the apartment. "Wow something smells good Castle." Kate states not yet able to look into the kitchen.
"I hope you're hungry." Rick tells her while not actually seeing her.
Kate steps into the entrance to the kitchen and her stomach makes its thoughts knows by growling.
Kate starts to blush. "I'll take that as a yes." Rick tells her.
"Put your bag away and dinner will be on the table by the time you get back." Rick tells her.
Alexis grabs Kate's hand and drags her down the hall. "I'll help you Kate."
However while Kate was going to stop at the guest room Alexis keeps dragging her all the way down to hers.
"Alexis this is your room, the guest room is back that way." Kate tells her wondering what she is thinking.
"You don't want to sleep with me anymore?" Alexis asks with a suddenly sad face.
Kate suddenly has a crisis. Sleeping with Alexis is actually part of what got her to come back here in the first place, but she hadn't discussed it with Castle yet.
Kate suddenly talks without thinking. "Of course I do, but where will I put all my clothes and make-up?" (Where the hell did that come from?)
Alexis stands there and thinks for a moment. "Well these drawers here are empty." As Alexis pulls three of them open to show her. "The closet is over there and your make-up can go on the kitchen counter over there." Alexis offers.
Kate thinks about it and grabs her suitcase and opens it. "Can I help?" Alexis asks.
"Sure you want to put my make-up in your kitchen." Kate shows her what to take. While she takes things over to the closet. Opening it she finds it pretty full already. "Damn she has a lot of clothes." Kate talks to herself. But Kate manages to stuff hers in.
Then back to the suitcase to start filling the empty drawers Alexis had opened. Kate takes her shoes and places them on the floor in front of the dresser she had just used.
All done Kate closes up her suitcase and puts it out of the way.
"We can use my bathroom to wash up with for dinner." Alexis offers.
And so they share Alexis's bathroom before heading back to the dining room to eat.
Kate finds that Castle has food on plates already at the table and has given everyone milk to drink.
They all sit down and start eating. "Castle this is good, what is it?" Kate asks surprised.
"It's a recipe I found somewhere, it's simple really. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts, coat them with flour and quickly brown both sides. Then add a can of Italian recipe stewed tomatoes, add a few more spices. I added fresh rosemary this time. Place it on a bed of pasta, I used spaghetti this time. Just make sure you don't overcook it and dry out the chicken and let the spices into the chicken a little, and viola."
Kate talks with her mouth full. "This is really good Castle."
When suddenly there is a noise at the front door followed by. "Richard dear are you home?"