CH33
Kate woke before the alarm went off and found Castle on his back and her face was lying on his chest with her hand resting on his chest next to her face.
Kate decided to wake Castle with her, so she moved her hand down a little lower and started stroking what she found to if she could get a rise out of him.
An hour later Castle was in his shower and Kate was floating down the hallway to Alexis's room.
"Hey sweetie, time to wake up." Kate shakes her a little.
"Hi Kate." Alexis yawns at her. "Did dad come home?"
"Yes he did. It was very late so I didn't wake you. He can take you into school this morning. … How about we take a shower and get you ready?"
Kate is met at the front door with another bagel and cream cheese, coffee to-go and a deep passionate kiss. Just as she stepped out the door Castle stopped her and gave her a bag. Followed by Kate floating down the hallway to the elevators.
Down in the lobby Kate opens the bag and finds a note from Castle with a name of an Architect on it along with a bag of coffee.
Kauai Coffee 100% Hawaiian Hazelnut - 10 oz
Castle really was trying to find a flavor that she liked the most. "Why are they all Hawaiian?"
Rick was driving Alexis to school. "Why so quiet pumpkin?" Alexis hadn't said a word.
"Are we going back for Christmas?" Alexis whispers out.
"Do you not want to go?" Rick searches for a meaning.
"Can Kate come with us?" Almost a softer whisper.
Rick didn't really have an answer for that. He didn't even know if Kate was going to still be with them at that time.
Space wasn't a problem and he hadn't bought airline tickets yet, so he could easily add Kate.
"How about we talk with her when she gets home from work?" Rick offers. Getting a giant smile from Alexis in return.
Rick is on his way home when his cell phone rings. Noting the caller on the screen in the car. "Shit!" But he accepts the call.
"Richard, you have been ignoring me." Comes the heated voice of his publisher.
"You'll have your chapters just after lunch today. I'm almost done." Rick tries to get her off his back.
"You better be. Don't make me come to you and sit on you until you are done. Because I will and you know it." Gina threatens.
"Richard can I interest you in dinner?" Gina asks but it sounds more like an order.
"You don't need to feed me to get me to finish Gina."
"It's not about getting you to finish."
Dinner with another woman that has nothing to do with work? Yea, like he would do that to Kate.
"No thanks Gina. Listen I have to go, I'm driving." And Rick ends the call.
Once back home Rick goes to typing to finish and get Gina off his back.
"Just a few more chapters and I'll be done." Rick was feeling good as he emailed the chapters to Gina.
Kate however was chasing leads on their latest case. Some of them were dead ends that got them no closer to who had killed her.
Kate really wished she had seen who had run her off the road and then finished the job. But she hadn't. Kate's insight into what happened didn't seem to be much help and it was pissing her off.
Kate got up and took her new bag of coffee with her to make a pot. "Jill, is there anything in all these papers? Can you find something I'm not seeing?" Kate whispers while in the breakroom.
"None of the papers have been altered. Most of them are actually well organized and detailed." Jill tells her.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
"You will figure it out Kate. I have faith."
Rick now had some time to kill. There was a specialty book store on the other side of town. In traffic it would take a long time to get there and back again. But it was the only place he knew of that might have what he was looking for.
Down to the garage he went and started driving. He was listening to some classical music on Sirius. Then changed the channel to classical rock.
He was just getting ready to change it again and was about 15 minutes from the book store, or so his GPS told him.
"Richard, I have just scanned a memory core in a store you just passed." Jack tells him.
Rick slams on the breaks. "Where?" Twisting his head around.
"It is by now about one or two shops back on your right." Jack tells him.
Rick continues to look, oblivious of the horns honking at him madly. Rick starts looking for a place to park and spots a parking lot for some other store and parks there. Even though the sign says parking for their store only.
"Take me to it Jack." And Rick gets out of the car. It turned out to be a knick knack shop filled with all kinds of things. There was stuff everywhere. You could barely walk the aisles it was so full.
Jack took him right up to it. It was just sitting there in a small bowl.
Rick motioned the sales lady over. It was tagged at $200 and Rick paid it gladly.
Rick walked back to his car giddy like a kid that was about to open his first Christmas present from Santa.
Rick forgot all about getting his book and drove for Alexis's school instead. It was too early to actually go there so he stopped at one of the many little coffee shops to wait.
Rick was sitting in line waiting when he spotted Alexis running for his car. "Hi pumpkin, how was school?"
"It was great dad." And Alexis talks all the way home.
"How do you feel about Spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner?" Rick asks her.
"Are you making the sauce dad?" Alexis is curious. He better not make it all Yucky.
"Of course." Rick tells her. Then sees the look on her face. "I promise not to put anything in it, little miss boring."
"Better not dad." And Alexis heads for her room to change clothes.
Rick is humming in the kitchen while cooking when Alexis interrupts him. "What's going on dad?"
"What do you mean?" Rick answers back without looking at her while still cooking.
"You're humming. You know something. What is it dad?" Alexis hasn't seen her dad like this for a little while.
However her inquisition of her father is interrupted when the front door is unlocked and Kate opens the door.
"KATE!" And Alexis slams into her and wraps her arms around her.
Kate bends down and scoops her up. "Hi sweetie, how was school?" Kate walks in with Alexis in her arms and closes and locks the door.
"It was great, but dad is up to something." Alexis finks on her father.
Kate stands at the entrance to the kitchen. "Something smells good Castle. You're going to make me fat if you keep this up." Kate warns him, although she is not convinced with her active work and life style it would actually happen.
"There is a gym downstairs, you can join us." Rick offers.
"I just might take you up on that." Interested in seeing what Castle does to stay in shape. "So what are you planning Castle?"
"After dinner you two. Until then my lips are closed." And Rick zips is lips closed.
"You sure there is nothing I can do to open them?" Kate asks with a soft voice and moves closer to Castle and with her free hand holds him in place while her lips whisper over his, while still holding onto Alexis, who is grinning wide.
Rick however deflects by offering her a taste of the sauce he is cooking. "Here, taste." And Rick places it in her open mouth.
"Hhmmm, you really are a good cook Castle. I may have to start going down to the gym with you or without you." Kate tells him.
"Which reminds me." Rick tells her and disappears down the hallway. And is back a moment later. "Here this is the code to let you in and your tag proving you have access rights to everything. Including the pool." Rick tells her handing over the items.
"Thanks Castle." Kate's heart does a soft flip. They were adding her to everything in their life. And she suddenly came to a decision and should do it now before she chickened out.
Kate put Alexis down. "I'll be right back." And Kate opens the door and then re-closes it and walks down to Martha's apartment and knocks.
Martha soon opens the door finding Kate quaking in her boots. "Katherine dear, what a pleasant surprise." Martha is happy to see her. "Katherine?" Noticing the look on her face and that she was fidgeting.
"You better come in dear." And Martha takes her into the living room and sits her down.
"What has my son done now dear?" Martha automatically thinks its Rick's fault.
"What? …. No Castle hasn't done anything wrong. Quite the opposite actually." Kate tells her getting more scared by the minute.
Martha grabs her hands. "You can tell me anything dear." Martha searches for her eyes.
"I'm not sure where to start. …. Alexis asked me to move in with them. Then later after I picked her up at school she told me that Castle had said yes. All I had to do was say yes." Kate is finding it harder to breath.
"That's wonderful dear. You said yes of course." Martha didn't actually ask.
Kate nods. "Alexis and I went over to my place and packed all my clothes and a few other things and moved them into Castle's."
"That's wonderful dear. But that's not what got you over here, is it?" Martha notes she is not calm after telling her this.
Kate shakes her head. "He just gave me the pass code to the gym and a tag showing I had the right to use everything down there." Kate tells her. And Martha remains silent sensing there is still more.
"Meredith showed up yesterday while Castle was out of town for the day. I was cooking dinner for Alexis and I. …. I, …. I mean I roughed her up some before I literally kicked her out and down the hall." Kate tells her scared of her reaction.
Martha however just sits there smiling wide.
"I told her that Alexis was mine now and that I loved them and she couldn't have them." Kate spills the beans.
"You mean Richard?" Martha asks her.
Kate just nods.
"You told Meredith that you were in love with Richard?" Martha clarifies.
Kate can only nod and still look scared.
Martha grabs her and hugs her for all she's worth. "Oh Katherine dear I'm happy for you. You haven't told Richard yet have you?" Not meaning the encounter with Meredith.
Kate shakes her head.
"There's something else isn't there dear?" Martha can sense she is still scared.
Kate spent the next half hour explaining what happened to her mother and how it affected her.
Now Martha has tears and hugs her again. "Oh Katherine dear. Our hearts are an amazing thing. Risking them is what makes us alive. Having them break on us tells us just how much we loved someone.
And I think you'll be surprised how fast yours heals when you love someone like that again." Martha tells her with tears in her eyes.
"And when that someone dies and leaves me again?" Kate asks.
"Then you will know that you loved them with all you had. And yes your heart will be broken again, but you will know just how full it was when you loved them. And if you don't risk it, you will never know what you had gained when you did love them. Just how empty your live would have been without them in it." Martha almost whispers into her ear.
"Katherine dear I have a question for you."Martha pulls back from her but doesn't actually let go of her.
Kate looks at her questioningly.
"Alexis is a lot younger than you. How do you think she will feel when she loses you at the end?" Martha asks her.
"It'll break her heart and leave her devastated." Kate states knowing the answer.
"And yet she gave you her heart freely, without reservation. Happy to have you in her life for as long as she can. You would have to be worse than Meredith ever could to not love having you in her life.
If you give Richard a chance I think you'll find he is the same. Like daughter like father." Martha explains.
"Thanks Martha!" As Kate gives her a hug.
"Katherine dear, I am sorry about your mother. But I'm sure she would love to see you today. See how happy you presently are and what you have done with your life, and what your future looks like."
Kate can only respond by holding onto Martha and cry.
"Come on dear let's wash those tears away and get you back to my son and granddaughter." And Martha takes her to the bathroom.
Standing outside of Rick's door. "I'm sure you'll know when to tell them you love them dear. I have faith in you." And Martha gives Kate a final hug and goes back to her apartment.
Once in her own apartment with the door closed. "Please son."
Kate opens the door and goes inside. "There you are, we've been keeping dinner warm for you." Rick tells her after she enters.
"Sorry time got away from me." Kate tells him. And it's not a lie. She hadn't planned on spending so much time with Martha.
After dinner. "Alexis and I have a question for you." Rick tells her winking at Alexis.
"We wanted to know if you would spend Christmas with us. All of us, including mother." Rick asks her.
"Christmas?" Kate is a little shocked.
"Wait here." Rick tells her and disappears down the hall, and comes back with his laptop.
"We spend our Christmas in Hawaii. An entire week actually, sometimes more and we want you to come with us. This will show you were you'll be." And Rick opens his laptop.
Property Description
Unparalleled beachfront estate at Anini Beach on Kauai's north shore. Situated on a 1.29-acre lot, with over 400 feet of white sand beach frontage, this architectural masterpiece encompasses superior construction and elegant design like few homes in the entire State of Hawaii.
Anini Beach provides year-round calm water, protected from the waves by the largest contiguous coral reef in the State of Hawaii. Ideal for swimming, snorkeling or wading inside the lagoon, and surfing, windsurfing, and boating outside the reef. In the eastern cove of Anini Beach, this parcel is protected from the wind and very private.
Designed by the late Thomas Bingham, AIA and was constructed by R.S. Weir, the residence combines modern design with commercial-quality construction, resulting in one of the finest homes in Hawaii. Tasteful design and quality craftsmanship combine to create an experience entirely suited to the location. Multiple outdoor living areas accompany four private suites, formal dining and living rooms, executive office and a gourmet kitchen. Ample storage areas provide space for vehicles, kayaks, surf boards, etc. Enjoy beachfront living on the protected waters of Anini, in the quality and luxury of one of Hawaii's finest residences.
Built in 2005, 4 beds, 6.5 baths, 4807 sq. ft.
Kate goes thru the pictures that Castle has set up as a slide-show. Kate spends it with her mouth hanging open.
"All you have to do is say yes and I'll buy the first class ticket for all of us." Rick tells her.
"Christmas in Hawaii?" Kate sits there with her mouth still hanging open.
Alexis tugs on her. "Kate?" And Kate can see the PLEASE in her eyes.
Just how far was this family going to let her into their lives? "Uhhmm, sure. I can ask for the time off work." Kate tells them. Remembering her conversation with Martha.
"YES!" Alexis screams and hugs Kate.
"I've got one more thing for you." Rick tells her and gets up.
"There's more?" Kate's eyes are bugging out. Not sure she is going to last much longer.
Rick disappears down the hall, and before he comes back. "KATE!" Jill calls her name sounding excited.
"Jill?" Kate responds confused.
Rick comes back and sits down next to her. "I was headed for a specialty book store earlier. It was quite a ways from here, when Jack stopped me. He found something and I stopped and bought it for you." Rick explains.
"Castle, you don't need to keep buying me things." Kate tells him. Leaving out the 'I already love you' that she's not yet ready to tell him.
"Oh I think you'll want this." And Rick opens his hand to show the memory module that he had bought earlier.
Kate sucks in her breath and the tears come instantly. "Is that, …. Is that?" Kate can't finish.
"Jack?" Rick calls out.
"Scanning. …. Scan complete. It is a memory module and is undamaged." Jack tells them.
"CASTLE?" Kate is shaking and slowly reaches out to just touch it with shaking hands, to make it real.
"Give me Jill and I can attach it to her tonight." Rick tells her.
Kate doesn't waste a second and takes her boot off and hands Jill over to Castle.