Doppelgänger 8
"Castle?" Snohbal was surprised. "What… what are you doing here?" Staying away from him for two weeks suddenly seemed to be an impossibility.
"I come bearing gifts." Rick's smile widened and he held out the massive bouquet that barely fit in his hand.
She nervously took it and couldn't resist smelling the flowers. Kate's memory told her that she had smelled flowers before, just not like this. Not after having a man present them to her. It was a first for Snohbal, though, and she was loving it.
Rick didn't wait to be invited in since he was here on a mission. "I also brought you this." He held out the case. She laid the flowers down so she could take it.
"What's this?" Kate's memory gave her a hint but it didn't answer her question.
"It's a bribe," was what he was thinking. "Open it." He hoped it was enough.
Snohbal took it into the living room and sat down. What disturbed her a little was that Rick followed her. "Kate loves him." It was a memory she couldn't shake and it conflicted her emotions. If she did what Kate would do she would likely kill him. Yet if she didn't, Kate would never forgive her. "I'm so screwed."
She snapped the case open to get it over with. What she saw took her breath away. If people where she was from saw it they would destroy it instantly and make whoever had it suffer until the end of time.
Angel Adjustable Pendant Necklace with Diamond Accents in Sterling Silver with 14k Gold Accent
A precious angel carries a pretty gold heart in this adjustable pendant necklace with diamond accents. Crafted of sterling silver with 14k gold accent. Approximate adjustable length: 16 to 24 inches. Approximate drop. 4/5 inch.
"It's gorgeous!" Snohbal couldn't take her eyes off of it. It was the exact opposite of her people. It was perfect.
"Here, let me put it on you." Rick held out his hand for her to give it back to him.
She couldn't resist. She handed it to him, turned her back, and lifted her hair out of the way. He let his hands skim across her shoulders and didn't miss feeling her shudder under his touch. He even brushed his hands up against the skin of her neck and heard her draw in a sharp breath. He fastened it in place and moved back a step.
She could feel it against her skin. Half of her had expected it to burn her skin since she was a demon, but it didn't. It made her feel… she couldn't put words to it. She was… happy.
Snohbal turned to look at Castle who was smiling just as widely as she was. Rick vowed to make her smile the rest of her life. It was a smile that touched his soul. It made him want to kiss her and found himself actually leaning in to do just that. She was gorgeous.
She watched him getting closer and she really did want to kiss him. Kiss the hell out of him, rip his clothes off with her claws, and fuck his brains out. Instead she raised her hand and put two fingers against his lips. "Don't, Castle." It was the exact opposite of what Kate wanted and she found it was the opposite of what she now wanted.
It confused Rick. She was smiling and even looked like an angel. This Rick loved her and he knew they'd made love to each other. So what was the problem?
She really didn't want to hurt him. She really didn't. She had promised Kate. "Why are you here, Castle?" She loved the gifts but there had to be a reason.
"I can't just give gifts to a beautiful woman?" he asked her. She looked back at him like she didn't believe a word he said.
"Fine." The truth it was then. "I came to ask you to come to the Hamptons with me. At least for this weekend. If you like it there, maybe spend the entire two weeks. I have a beach house in the Hamptons. It's right on the ocean." Rick had finished doing his homework and the house sounded like the perfect place to spend the next two weeks. Two weeks with Kate sounded even better.
"Don't say no. Do you really have plans on staying right here for two weeks? The Hamptons is more than big enough for you to get lost in. And if you want to get out of the house you can always go into town and shop. Maybe rent a boat and go fishing or something. Walk along the beach and just stop and soak up some rays. Just take a lot of sunscreen with you." He didn't want her to get burnt. "I'd be happy to apply it for you." He gave her a smile and she smirked at him.
She had to admit it did sound more fun than sitting here and doing nothing. She could go out onto the beach to get away from him and just enjoy herself.
"I'll be here at 8:00 am sharp to pick you up. Pack a bag for a weekend or two weeks. It's up to you. And if you're not here I'll get Espo and Ryan to hunt you down." Rick stood up with the intention of kissing her but restrained himself.
"It'll be great, you'll see." He walked toward the door so he could leave. He had delivered his message and while she hadn't said yes, she hadn't said no, either.
"Oh, Alexis and my mother will be there too," he told her just before he closed the door.
Hearing that, Snohbal snapped her head around to look at him. "Alexis and his mother!" The only good thing she could make out of that bit of information was that at least Rick would be less likely to want sex or try and kiss her.
"Pack." She really didn't know what to do. "I promised." How ever was she going to keep that promise?
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"Where are we going?" Alexis knew the way to the Hamptons and this wasn't it.
"We're going to pick up Kate and take her with us." Rick knew it was useless to lie since stopping to get her would show anything else he said to be a lie.
"Detective Beckett… You asked her? She said yes?" Alexis wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
"We're about to find out." Rick parked near her building. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." He jogged over to her building.
"You took the keys. Do I have a choice?" Alexis said to the empty driver's seat. Her thoughts went to spending the weekend with Detective Beckett. "If she hurts you, Dad, I'll never forgive her." She made up her mind. Detective Beckett was going to get her chance. Her last chance.
Snohbal heard a knock on her door and she spun around, staring at it, her heart racing. She had made a choice and it scared her. She had been basically alone since she could remember. From her memories she knew Kate had been the same. They had both made a choice.
She was ready to collapse yet she made it to the door and opened it. Just on the other side she found Castle standing there dressed in very casual clothing. Clothing she didn't remember ever seeing him wear before.
"Castle." She couldn't do or say anything else.
"You're packed." Rick saw a pair of bags at the door. One of which was large. Big enough to last several days. "Excellent, let's get moving. I left Alexis in the car." He stepped past her and gathered up her bags. "Close and lock the door behind you," he reminded her and made his way to the elevator.
It was enough to snap her out of it and closing and locking the door behind her.
"Good morning, Detective," Alexis greeted Kate as she got in the back seat of the Mercedes while Rick put her bags in the trunk.
"Hi, Alexis." Snohbal was unsure of herself. This was going to be her first major test and so much was riding on it. Unfortunately her cell phone pinged which had her searching for it.
"Girl, why haven't you called me?" The ID showed it was from Lanie.
"Just found out you were suspended for two weeks." Another from Lanie.
"Call me!" Yet another from Lanie.
Snohbal decided to battle on one front at a time and shoved the cell phone in the bottom of her purse.
"Something important?" Alexis inquired while still looking at her.
"No, it's nothing. Just someone wanting to know if I wanted to talk." Snohbal wasn't sure if Alexis knew about Lanie so she left her name off.
"Is there a problem at work?" Alexis questioned just as Rick slid behind the wheel.
Rick answered for her. "Kate and I were suspended for two weeks. Roy was a little mad at us."
"Two weeks! You didn't tell me that." Alexis glared at her father who was concentrating on pulling out into traffic.
"I haven't seen you much until this morning," he countered since Alexis had been out of the loft mostly working on her project with the others.
Alexis wasn't happy that her father was right. He could have at least called to tell her. "Well I'm still glad to have you over the weekend." Alexis looked back at Kate before turning forward to watch where they were going.
"More like two weeks based on how much luggage she packed," Rick said.
"Two weeks!" Alexis turned to look at Kate again.
Snohbal did her best to just smile nicely and try and disappear into the back seat.
Alexis turned back around and tried to process whether she liked this turn of events. Her final determination was that she wasn't upset that Kate and her dad were staying for two weeks, even if she and her grandmother would only be there over the weekend.
She fell back to what she wished most: "Just don't hurt him."
"But you're staying only for the weekend, Alexis?" Almost two weeks alone with just Rick. She was worried.
"Are you ready for the weekend?" Snowball asked her hoping to get Alexis talking. Because if she was talking she wasn't asking questions. Much to Snobhal's satisfaction Alexis launched into an explanation about the project she had finished early so she could go out to the Hamptons for the weekend. Snohbal soon learned all she needed or didn't need to know about Alexis's project. It did show first hand how dedicated Alexis was to learning in school. Snohbal didn't have anywhere near that dedication.
And it did kill almost one hour of a two hour or so trip. Thank the 'verse…
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Snohbal was looking out the window when Rick drove up to the front door. She knew her mouth was hanging open but did nothing about it. This place was just too shocking. She didn't wait for anyone to open the car door for her and didn't pay any attention to Alexis who was watching her reaction and smiling.
"This is a beach house?" She looked from one end to the other and skipped right past Alexis smiling at her. "This is not a beach house, this is… Are you rich or something, Castle?" She had seen Rick's loft and while it was much larger than her place and said money, this said something else entirely.
"I'm not Patterson, but I do okay." He pulled her luggage out of the trunk and walked to the front door. Snohbal had to hustle to catch up. "Let's find you a room and then I'll give you a tour." He led her to the stairs.
"I'm going to start on lunch, Dad." Alexis left them and headed somewhere deeper inside the house.
Snohbal followed Rick and entered a side room that was bigger than her bedroom at home. He saw the look on her face. "You should see the master bedroom." In his research he'd found memories of the master bedroom along with photos of the entire house, inside and out. Even he was amazed and had to admit his mouth dropped open. And that was after just looking at the small pictures.
He was taking everything in as he gave Kate a tour of the house. They passed by Alexis who was busy at work in the kitchen. This was on their way over to a wall of French doors that led outside.
"WOW!" Snohbal was now even more impressed. It gave vindication to her decision to come out here for her two weeks' suspension. She was definitely spending as much of her time out here as she could. She wasn't looking at Rick or she would have seen the look of shock on his face as well. Even he was impressed. This Rick obviously had good taste.
He finally felt some peace, some reassurance that he'd done the right thing in agreeing to take over his life for him.
"There's a pool down this way. It's completely private." He'd seen pictures. But Snohbal started heading toward the beach, first walking over a large expanse of green grass. It was warm, not yet starting to get hot; the wind was blowing just a little and she could hear the water. The beach was just calling her name. Upon reaching it she slipped off her shoes and stepped out onto the sand. It was warm and she loved it. It felt a lot like home.
"Stand there too long and your feet will burn." Rick already knew that sand exposed in the hot sun could get hot. She turned to look at Rick then down at her feet. It felt perfect to her until she remembered she was human now. Or at least looked human. She reluctantly went back onto the grass that was much cooler.
"LUNCH!" The sound of Alexis's voice broke the moment. Snohbal walked back to the house with her shoes still in her hand and Rick next to her. She moved easily across the hot concrete patio and into the cool house letting him close the doors behind them.
Lunch turned out to be grilled chicken sandwiches, a salad, and chips. "This is pretty good." Snohbal had to admit it was better than anything she'd been able to make. Even if her attempts had been limited thus far.
"Thanks." Alexis wasn't used to be complimented by someone outside of her family.
"Isn't your mother supposed to be here somewhere?" Snohbal could swear there was someone else staying here.
"I found Grams' note on the counter. She's in town shopping. She'll probably be here in time for dinner," Alexis told them. She was a little surprised that her dad didn't make some snide remark about his mother abusing his credit card, but said nothing.
"Was Roy that mad?" Alexis was curious. Neither of them had said anything about it on the drive out.
"He yelled a lot, then threw us out of his office, followed by kicking us out of the precinct. He didn't say anything much," Rick replied.
"He said enough, Castle." Being yelled at only complicated her first day as Kate Beckett.
"He gave us a two week vacation," he pointed out.
"Except you owe Gina a few chapters don't you?" Alexis didn't want Gina mad at him. She was a pain even when she wasn't mad. She was even worse when she was mad at her dad. Though it felt like she was always mad at her dad, even when they were married.
Rick knew that there was a deadline coming up. However, he didn't plan on worrying over it. Kate was here and he was going to make it the two best weeks either of them had ever had. His primary problem was he was planning on playing it by ear. So far Kate was a little more distant than he thought she should be. The memories he had gotten from this Rick suggested otherwise.
Was she regretting having had sex with Rick? If he was truthful he was looking forward to sex with her, too. To actually touch her and feel her. It had been a while for him.
"I can just stay the weekend if staying longer is going to get you in trouble," Snohbal offered.
"Not a chance." Rick countered that idea instantly. "Gina can…" He shut up since Alexis was sitting next to him.
Alexis couldn't help but stare at her dad. He had never stood up to Gina that she could remember. Actually when it came to women he went out of his way to be kind to all of them no matter how they behaved. It was one of the things about her father that she wished would change. Just a little.
"Let her yell. We have two weeks." He wasn't backing down.
Lunch was over. "I'm going to go unpack," Snohbal said then stood up.
"There should be sunscreen in your bathroom if you want to go out to the beach next. That or we can try and find Grams in town." Alexis told her.
"I'll decide while I unpack," Snohbal lied. Since the moment Alexis had said beach, she planned on changing clothes and heading for the water.
"There are beach towels in there also," Alexis called after her before Snohbal reached the stairs.
Alexis waited until Kate was gone. "Two weeks, Dad?" The weekend she could see, but two whole weeks?
"You don't like Kate?" Had something changed in what Alexis thought of Kate based on the memories he got from this Rick?
"No, it's not that. Detective Beckett's nice, she just…" Alexis didn't want to upset her father.
"Her name is Kate and finish. I want to know what you're thinking." He wanted to know what was going on in her mind.
"I know her name. It's just that she's hurt you in the past and yet you always go back. I don't understand why." If her dad wanted her to be blunt, she could do that. Especially if they were going to be alone with each other after she and her grandmother left.
Rick had to use what memories he could remember and translate them into words. "Have you never been in love? To love that person unconditionally? Not everyone's perfect. All relationships have a few bumps." He tried to understand and explain what Kate meant to him.
"But she doesn't love you back, Dad." She was starting to suspect that Kate couldn't.
"Then these next two weeks are going to be the perfect time to find out. No interference from work or anyone else." Rick didn't mean to speak so plainly to her. But Kate needed to stay. They needed to talk. Really talk.
Alexis didn't think she was anyone else. She was his daughter. But she did have to admit that being away from chasing down killers would allow them to be together and maybe at long last actually talk. "I'll try and keep an open mind. But if she hurts you…" I'm going to hate her forever. Alexis left off what was going through her head.
"It'll be great, you'll see," he said. He was determined to keep a positive attitude. "Help me clean up?"
Snohbal took her time unpacking and left a swimsuit on the bed. Changing into it and looking into the mirror all she saw was skin. "This might send the wrong message to Castle." She feared he would want to kiss her.
She slathered on the sunscreen she'd found. Her skin really didn't need it since it wasn't possible for her to get burnt. But she needed to behave like Kate Beckett. Bikini, towel, and sandals and she was ready to hit the beach.
She couldn't help but notice that both of them had eyes only for her as she went out the French doors. What she didn't see was Rick running for the stairs.