CH62
Rick picked up Alexis from school on the way home. Kate was already there by the time he got there.
"I picked up a new game I thought we could try." Kate offers. Then holds up the box. "Connect 4."
"I'll let you two play first while I go start laundry." Rick offers. They were still at it by the time he came back. Since it wasn't a card game, Kate won. And took on Castle next.
And since it wasn't cards Castle actually tried to win. The first try got them a tie since they ran out of spaces. Kate however managed to win the next try.
Since he lost Castle had to fix dinner. And since they weren't watching him he tried an experiment and did his best to keep his poker face while they started eating.
They both took a bite and instantly made a face. Castle knew that look. That was 'I hate this' look. However they both chew and force it down.
Kate drops her fork on her plate. "What did you do Castle?" With a menacing voice.
"I tried a new recipe. You don't like it?" Castle can't help but add a touch of a grin.
"Really Castle?" Kate glares at him.
"DAD?" Alexis adds her voice.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad." Castle defends himself.
"Eat it Castle." Kate leans over the table to glare at him a little closer. "EAT IT!"
With still a little confidence he takes a bit just like they did, and almost instantly wants to spit it out.
"SWALLOW!" Kate tells him in a low voice. When she sees the face he makes.
Castle's face is contorted and he chews a couple of times and then forces it down.
What Castle wanted to do was hurl, but he picked up all the plates and threw everything out.
"Now what do we eat Castle?" Kate glares at him.
"Not to worry, I have a backup plan. …. I think." Castle starts racking his brain for a quick fix dinner. Or he was sleeping on the sofa.
"You watch him sweetie. I'm going to go brush my teeth to get rid of the taste. Then we can switch places." Kate tells Alexis.
"Hey what about me?" Castle asks. The taste was still in his mouth too.
Kate just glares at him. Maybe if she tries hard enough death rays will come out.
"I'll just wait to brush my teeth at bed time." As Castle withers under her glare.
Eventually Kate comes back and trades places with Alexis. As Kate sits at the counter glaring at him the whole time.
Fideo with Vienna Sausage
2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cans (4.6 oz each) Libby's® Vienna Sausages, drained, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 ounces dry fideo macaroni, uncooked
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 cans (8 oz each) Hunt's® Tomato Sauce
1 cup water
It only took Castle about half an hour to put it all together. Thankfully he had filled the pantry earlier. His quick thinking saved him from having to sleep on the sofa.
However when he went to cuddle up close to Kate who had her back turned to him. "Keep your hands to yourself Castle."
"Aahhh Kate, I said I was sorry." Castle pouts.
"I know you did Castle. But if you cuddle in close it may prevent one of us from making it to the bathroom in a mad dash after what you did to all of us." Kate counters. "I'm just thankful Alexis doesn't have school tomorrow. Unless you want to be home all day with her watching her throw up all day."
Castle was beginning to think his experiments were a bad idea. He then started walking his fingers up the side of Kate starting just below the hip bone.
"CASTLE!" Kate tells him with a menacing voice. And Castle snatches his hand away so she can't cut his fingers off and rolls over to try and sleep.
Castle wakes a little later to the sound of someone hacking in the bathroom. Turning he finds the other side of the bed empty.
Sighing he picks up a few things out of the closet and starts heading for the sofa. Dropping them on it he heads back upstairs to check on Alexis.
Not finding her in bed he goes to her bathroom and finds her sleeping on the floor next to the toilet. Looking inside he can tell she had been emptying her stomach into it.
Closing the lid and flushing. "Oh pumpkin, I'm sorry." And bends down and picks her and takes her back to bed and tucks her in.
Pushing a few strands of hair away he kisses her forehead. "I'm, …." And runs for Alexis's bathroom with his hand over his mouth.
Kate wakes very early in the morning to find Alexis standing right in front of her, not looking very good.
"Alexis?" Kate can barely get out.
"Dad is asleep on my bathroom floor." Alexis tells her.
Kate was awake now and suddenly sits up. Only to find out that was a very bad idea, as her stomach begins a new round of revolt.
Kate stands, slowly, and begins her trip to Alexis's bathroom. And sure enough, Castle was on her bathroom floor.
After flushing the toilet Kate starts on waking Castle. Finally succeeding she gets him up and they all head for the kitchen in search of a cure to their problem. However they only make it as far as the bar stools.
Not too long later. "Good morning darlings." As a bright and chipper Martha enters. "And how are you three this, ….. morning?" Martha is not quite as chipper as she rounds the corner to stand on the other side and can see their faces.
"What happened to you three?" Martha asks a little concerned. "You two I can understand." Martha is thinking major hangover. "But why does Alexis look like you two?"
"Castle decided to cook an experimental dinner last night that even an alien from outer space wouldn't eat." Kate explains.
"Oh Richard darling, when are you ever going to learn?" Martha looks at him wondering if he is even her child. "I know just the thing." And Martha starts messing around in the kitchen and is making a mess. "I trust you will take care of this Katherine?"
"Oh not to worry Martha, Castle has only just begun to suffer." Kate assures her.
"Here drink this. It worked wonders when I was younger. Oh the good old days." Martha gets a faraway look on her face. "May they stay there too?
Well I'd stay and help but I have plans. Toodles darlings." And Martha waves her hand and disappears.
Kate picks up two of the drinks. "Come on sweetie let's go back to bed. Maybe your father will experiment with breakfast and finish himself off." As Kate exits with Alexis in tow for her bedroom.
Castle wanted to make a comment but was afraid if he opened his mouth his stomach would begin another revolt. So had sat there and drank his concoction his mother had made and went to lay on the sofa.
Kate and Alexis drank their drinks and cuddled up in Alexis's bed.
Kate woke up and slowly extracted herself from Alexis's arms. Thankful she had a lot of practice.
Making it down to the kitchen she found a can of chicken soup in the pantry and heated it up. Kate put some in two bowls and left the rest for Castle if he found it. And with two spoons went back upstairs. Ever so slowly.
Dinner was the three of them sitting quietly at the counter eating more soup. Though they decided to risk adding some saltines to it.
"Kate. …" Castle calls out softly but is interrupted.
"I don't want to hear it Castle. …. Castle there are times when some of your childish fun is enjoyable, but what you did last night was stupid." Kate is just above a whisper.
"Kate, …." Only to get interrupted again by the front door opening and Martha making an entrance into the kitchen.
"Well aren't we a lively crowd. Why don't you three go back to bed I'll clean up this mess." Martha offers.
"Thanks Martha." And Kate takes Alexis's hand and exits the kitchen followed by Castle.
"Richard, please tell me you have FINALLY learned your lesson this time?" Martha chastises her son.
"Yes mother." As Rick heads for the sofa and Kate and Alexis head upstairs.
It was the middle of the night when Kate came downstairs and woke up Castle sleeping on the sofa.
"Go upstairs and go to bed Castle." And starts trying to get him.
"Kate, …." And is interrupted by Kate.
"Shut up Castle. I'm sleeping with Alexis tonight so you can have our bed all to yourself. I intend to be there for her, since you made us all sick Castle. So shut up and go to bed." And Kate walks upstairs. Followed by Castle, slowly.
Come morning Kate left Alexis in bed and went to her room and took a shower. Not seeing Castle along the way.
Dressed she went downstairs to the kitchen. Finding Castle with breakfast ready.
"No thanks Castle, I don't think my stomach can take it." Kate does however take the coffee to-go mug he has ready and avoids the kiss he tries to give her.
"Are you ever going to forgive me Kate?" Castle has been sorry since, since ,….
"NO! …. Maybe. Alexis doesn't have school today so she gets to stay home. And your home anyway. I'm the one who has to go into work still feeling like shit. So you tell me if I'm still mad Castle?" Kate glares at him.
"I'm sorry Kate. I didn't think ,…" And is interrupted by Kate again.
"You're damn right you didn't think. It was your little joke. You thought it was all fun and games. You're daughter is puking her guts out because of your little joke. We're lucky we didn't all end up in the hospital having our stomach's pumped hooked up to an IV.
I'll be home tonight Castle, but only because I'm not leaving my daughter again. I've already asked Martha to look in on her and feed her. Since we both know you can't be trusted to feed her.
I'll see you tonight Castle." And Kate exits slamming the door.
Kate stewed at work that she was over reacting and that she had been too hard on him. Maybe she was. However it was Alexis that warned her about Castle dreaming nasty stuff to eat thinking it was all fun and games.
Kate was tired and her stomach was still in a mild revolt. She failed to see the fun in that.
They didn't get a body drop so all Kate got to do was think about Castle and her actions.
Castle didn't want to eat Kate's breakfast either. He didn't think his stomach would accept it either.
He headed up stairs to check on Alexis and found her asleep so he went back to bed.
Around lunch he went into Alexis's room to see if she wanted anything to eat.
"No dad I don't want anything to eat." Alexis moans out and rolls over putting her back to him.
"I'm sorry pumpkin." Rick tells her.
"Go away dad."
Castle shuffled his feet downstairs and layed down on the sofa.
"Richard dear are you going to mope forever?" Martha finds him.
"I got everyone sick mother. They're still sick." Rick tells her.
"Richard, Alexis has been telling you for years not to screw with her food. She reminds you constantly. And yet you still did this." Martha reminds him.
"It never hurt anyone before. It was just a little bit of fun."
"Are you having fun dear?"
Rick remains silent.
"Richard compared to me you are already an excellent cook. Can't you just serve different new recipes that actually have recipes instead of adding things that you don't know what they will do?" Martha asks. "Can't you make the variation of what you cook be the fun part? Cook foods only found in Turkey or Greek. Stick with it for a week and then change it to something else." Martha offers.
Castle was suddenly interested and gets up slowly and kisses his mother on the cheek and heads for his laptop.
BBQ Yogurt Marinated Chicken (Yogurt Marineli Barbeku Tavuk)
1 cup yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
1 tsp salt to taste
½ tsp black pepper
4 chicken thighs/breasts
Gavurdagi Salad (Gavurdagi Salatasi)
4 tomatoes
1 medium onion
2-3 green/banana peppers
3 Tbsp fresh parsley
4 sprigs fresh mint
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
½ lemon's juice
1 cup walnuts, coarsely crushed
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp chili pepper flakes (optional)
He already had most of the ingredients. He just needed the peppers, molasses and walnuts. So he got dressed and headed for a grocery store that hopefully had what he needed.
He also looked at some more recipes and wrote down some of those items also so he didn't have to go out again.
While Rick was out. "Alexis dear how are you feeling?" Martha asks sitting on the side of the bed.
"Better but tired." Alexis wasn't really physically tired.
"Dear you know your father didn't mean it." Martha tries to build a bridge.
"He got us sick grams and he did it on purpose." Alexis counters.
"He didn't mean for you all to get sick dear." Martha counters.
"But he won't listen grams." Alexis moans.
"I think I've given him a new direction. All you have to do is give him a chance." Martha tries.
"Grams?" Alexis is not convinced. She has been after her father not to put strange stuff in her food for a long time now.
"I think he's scared dear that he made everyone sick and Katherine I think has put the fear of God into him. Give him a chance dear, I think he's scared." Martha tries again.
"Maybe." Alexis hedges.
Martha pats her. "Just remember dear, you have Katherine on your side now. Do you really think she would let that happen again?"
Alexis shakes her head.
"You think it over dear. Maybe you can call Katherine while she is at work and talk about what to do when she gets home." Martha offers.
Getting Alexis to nod her head. Martha leaves hoping she has found a way to undo what her son has done.