CH20
And once again a nameless guest who takes things far too literally has decided that the story is not to their liking because they have so little acceptance and take things far too personally. Read, don't read. You can't please all the people all the time. I'm going where i want to go. A few chapters later you may find out why a previous chapter was written the way it was
For those that read for the enjoyment of reading. ENJOY!
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Kate woke the next morning and found herself in bed with a strangle hold on Alexis. And yet Kate felt oddly comfortable. She knew after yesterday that last night should have been filled with nightmares. Hell she couldn't even remember coming here. Only that she left the site wanting very much to go home.
WAIT! There was that word again. Castle's home is not her home. But she had been here for days and several nights now and only once slept in the guest room. And if she held Alexis any tighter she would break her.
Now Kate was conflicted big time. This really wasn't home but staying with Alexis was doing something to her. Maybe she could take Alexis with her when her 5 days were up. No, Castle would never go for that. But she didn't want to go back to the nights of nightmares either. She knew children slept with their parents when they were scared. However Alexis wasn't scared. Maybe she was? But why Alexis instead of Castle? That one was easy. Alexis didn't want sex with her and she didn't want it with Alexis and she wasn't ready to be sleeping with Castle. Besides would they just sleep?
Thinking of Castle. If she was honest with herself she was practically in love with Castle before she ever even met him. The words in his books had meant so much to her. Now here she was sleeping in his daughter's bed in his home, and she had kissed him. She had even packed something sexy to wear along with half a box of condoms.
What did that tell her? It told her that she had gone stark raving mad is what it told her. And yet they had gone out on a date and when Castle got back and they already had another one planned.
Kate had to think of something, anything! She could feel the need to have Alexis, someone close, building up yet again even though she had her in a giant bear hug in Alexis's own bed. That was when she noticed the tears in her eyes and running down her face.
Kate extracted an arm so she could wipe the tears away. Where did these come from?
Problem was that one movement had woken Alexis. "Kate?" Alexis asks her as she looks up from where her head was being held tight by Kate between her breasts. Right on top of her heart.
"I'm sorry sweetie I didn't mean to wake you." Kate bends her head down to look at her.
Alexis lifts her head a little. "You've been crying. Is there something wrong?" Alexis wanted desperately to fix whatever it was.
"I'm fine sweetie I was just thinking about the last few days with you and Castle." Kate tells her. And why did she tell her?
"And that made you sad?" Alexis is confused. She thought Kate liked being here.
"No, not that exactly. I was thinking about what I was going to do when my days are up and I have to go home." Kate explains. And why the hell am I telling her this?
"But you are home. Please don't leave." Now Alexis's tears start, to go with the ones Kate still has.
"But I don't live here sweetie. This is you and your dad's home." Kate reasons.
"You don't want to stay and live with us? But I love you." Alexis puts her head back down between Kate's breasts and squeezes.
"I love you too sweetie, but it's not that simple." Kate tells her. Wait? What did I just say?
Alexis however had heard every word and was up in a heartbeat to look into Kate's eyes. "You love me?" Alexis asks full of hope.
Kate looks panicked for a moment but soon softens. "Yes sweetie, I love you." Kate can say the words that have been on the end of her tongue for the last couple of days.
Alexis jumps up and starts hopping up and down on her bed. "You love me. You love me. You love me."
"Alexis! Alexis sweetie stop bouncing." As Kate raises up to get a hold of Alexis to get her to stop.
Alexis takes the opportunity to drop to her knees and wrap her arms around Kate. "I love you too." Alexis tells her loudly. "Does this mean you'll stay?" Alexis hopes her next prayer is answered too.
Kate wraps her arms around Alexis and holds her tight. 'Oh what have I gotten myself into?'
"I don't think that is up to me." Kate tells her. 'Oh I've opened my big mouth now.'
"We can ask dad when he gets home today. He'll say yes I know he will. I gotta go tell Grams." And Alexis launches herself off the bed and runs for the door.
"Alexis, more clothes clothes." Is the first thing Kate can think to say.
Alexis stops at the door with her hand on the door knob and looks down on her half dressed body and turns to look at Kate sitting up on her bed.
"OH!, … Ooops." Alexis starts opening drawers to find something more to wear and is out the door before Kate can think of anything to say that would stop her.
"Oh I am soooo dead." Kate tells herself.
Pretty certain of what comes next Kate gets up and pulls out some more clothes for herself just in time for Alexis to return with Martha.
"Katherine dear you are looking so much better." As Martha hugs her close. Not really wanting to let go.
Kate melts into the hug. A grown woman hasn't hugged her like this since her mother.
Martha pulls back but still has a hold of her. "You gave us quite a scare last night."
"I'm sorry Martha, I just, …" And is interrupted by Martha.
"Jill told us all about it last night. We are just glad you found your way here last night. I don't even want to think about you being all alone after that. … You came to the right place dear." As Martha looks down at Alexis, who beams back at her.
"Please tell me you are taking the day off to recover from that." Martha tells her.
"I'm expected back in the precinct this morning. Actually I should be getting ready." Kate tells her looking around.
"Well if you must. I'll let you two get cleaned up while I make breakfast." And Martha lets go of Kate and heads for the door.
"Grams?" Alexis asks.
Martha waves her hand as she exits. "I promise to be careful dear." And is gone.
Kate has a questioning look on her face as she looks at Alexis.
"Grams tries to cook, but, …" And trails off.
Kate chuckles. What a weird family. "Well we'll eat it and smile and then spit it out later if we have to. Come on sweetie, let's take a shower." And Kate starts removing the clothes she just put on as she heads for the bathroom to turn on the hot water.
Alexis and Kate share a shower again and get dressed. Kate lifts Alexis up into her lap so she can apply make-up to Alexi's face. Actually using a little less than the tiny amount she was already using. But it made Alexis happy.
Both found breakfast waiting for them. While it wasn't up to Castle's standards it wasn't that bad, even if it was simple.
Kate gathers up what she needs and is meet at the door by Martha and Alexis. "Are you sure about this Katherine dear? Yesterday was quite a shock." Martha tries one last time.
"I'm sure Martha, we have a lot to do. And finding closure for Angela is part of that." Kate tells her.
Martha relents knowing Kate is head strong. "You be careful dear. Just make sure you come back here when you get off work."
Alexis tugs on Kate getting her to kneel down to her level. Alexis leans in and whispers into her ear. "I love you."
Kate pulls back and smiles then leans in and whispers into her ear. "I love you too." And smiles at her again getting a smile in return.
On the drive into work Kate notices that she is without coffee and she wants one soooo badly. That crap in the precinct is not what Castle gives her at the door on the way out. And she finds she is missing that too. Then she remembers that Castle gave her an entire bag of coffee grounds. She can make her own!
Rick is floating in the pool relaxing when suddenly three kids cannon ball into the pool interrupting his quiet time. "I'm sorry, they so wanted to get down here and into the pool." A voice tells him.
Rick turns to look and finds a lady still dressed but holding three towels standing near the edge of the pool looking down at him.
"That's quite all right, I have a daughter at home waiting for me. She has just as much energy as these three." Rick lets her off the hook.
"How old is she?"
"She's six." Rick answers.
"Mine are 4, 6 and 8. I think I'm too old for this age."
"Oh it's not the age you actually are. It's the age they make you feel trying to keep up with them." Rick corrects her.
This gets her to chuckle and find someplace to sit down.
Rick slowly moves over in the direction of the kids splashing around. "You three swim?" Rick asks.
Getting a yes eventually from all three, he moves to the end of the pool. "Race ya to the other end?" Rick challenges.
Not looking like they are going to go for it, he is a stranger after all. "I'll give you my gummy bears if you win. Provided your mother approves." Looking her way.
"It's ok, go ahead, show him what you can do." She encourages them.
They all line up on the end of the pool. "Your mother can say GO." Rick offers.
"Ready, … set, …. GO!" She yells out.
And they are off. Rick is trying relatively hard when suddenly he dives down and goes back the way he came. Reaching the end of the pool he comes up. "I win." Rick yells out.
The young girl of the three speaks first. "You went the wrong way." She comments.
Rick looks around confused. "I got lost." Rick makes an excuse.
"How can you get lost? It's a pool." She counters back.
"I lost my GPS." Rick explains.
"You're silly." She responds back.
"No, clowns are silly, I'm just lost. … And I owe you gummy bears." And Rick gets out of the pool and heads over to his towel and pulls out a tiny bag of gummy bears that he found in his suitcase. Betting Alexis put them in there knowing that he didn't.
"Here you go. Fair is fair. You won and I lost." Rick tells her.
"What do you say?" Her mother asks.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome. Have fun in the pool." And Rick heads for his room.
Rick decides to watch some mind numbing TV before going to bed.
He gets up early in the morning for his 1-1/2 hour drive back. Drops off the car and boards his train for home.
Finding himself all alone in First class for the moment. "Anything on that bug Jack?" Rick whispers out.
"Nothing so far. Just normal business so far."
"Probably a little too early still. Record anything that sounds interesting and I'll go over it later." Rick tells him.
Finally making it home Rick unlocks the front door and enters finding his mother sitting in the living room reading.
"Mother?"
"Richard!" Dropping her book, Martha gets up and greets her son. "It's good to see you back home dear."
"How is Alexis?" Rick asks noting her absence.
"She is in her room. It has been difficult on her while you were gone." Martha tells him.
"She has never had a problem when I have to leave before?" Rick is confused.
"Oh it's not you dear. Katherine came home last night in a terrible state." Martha tells him.
"Kate? What happened to Kate?" Sounded very worried.
Martha notes the tone of his voice and proceeds to explain last night and this morning.
After she finishes Martha can see the hurt he feels in his eyes. "Perhaps you should go see her dear. I'll continue to watch Alexis."
"Thank you mother, that is an excellent idea." Rick gets up and starts for the door then stops. "What should I take?" Rick wonders turning to look at his mother. "Oh I know just the thing. I'll be back in about a couple of hour's mother." And Rick leaves.
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With it holding onto BATH & BODY WORKS I LOVE YOU BOUQUET POCKET BAC-ANTI BACTERIAL HAND GEL
Rick enters the 4th floor and finds it a mad house. The place was stuffed with people running around madly. Rick makes it to Kate's desk and finds her not there.
Since the place looked busy he thought she wouldn't have time for him. So he put the gorilla down on her desk along with the hand gel. Placing the cup of coffee that he had brought with him next to it. Then placed his card in with the gorilla leaning it up against its chest.
Taking another look around he didn't find Roy either. So he made a quiet exit and went back home. Hoping Kate would still be able to make it to their late night helicopter date later.
It wasn't until an hour later when Kate made it back to her desk. There were 13 sets of clothes and 13 burnt crosses at the site. The FBI was handling most of the investigation. However the NYPD was handling informing the family of the woman that were in their area.
Five turned out to not live in New York or even New Jersey so those were left to the FBI.
There was so much evidence for them to go over even the FBI found themselves buried and had asked the NYPD for help. Lanie had just finished the third of the five that she had been tasked to handle.
Kate looked at her desk and saw the gorilla with a hand gel holding a card in his lap. Next to him was a cup of coffee. She put her hand around the cup. "It's cold." Kate noted telling her it had been here a little while.
She picked up the card and opened it and the noise in the precinct faded away. Inside it there was a key taped to it. When she finished reading there were tears in her eyes. "Castle!" Kate whispered out. And sat there re-reading the card and started staring at the gorilla.
Espo started walking up to Kate when he noticed her and stopped dead in his tracks.
Ryan came up behind him with a folder in his hand. "Beckett?" Ryan calls out. Espo puts his hand on Ryan's chest to stop him.
Ryan looks at Espo funny then notices Kate. "It'll wait." Ryan tells both of them.
And they both leave Kate alone with her thoughts and her tears.