A Convergence of Storms – Part 1
Summary – A post 6x23 fic previously titled Hours Lost Forever. What happens when Castle shows back up after the car crash and thinks the crash happened after the wedding and Kate was in the car with him. Will be 3 parts (maybe more) and 3XK or Bracken are not involved. This looks at some new "old" mythology based on Castle's time shadowing the CIA.
Author's Notes – Thanks for all the favs, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome. "Ladies and gentlemen, the author has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."
Disclaimer – Don't own Castle – Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do.
Chapter 5 – Storm Clouds on the Horizon
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After the fiasco at the airport and much discussion, they finally decided to stay in the city, rather than going back to the Hamptons. When Beckett suggested driving somewhere, Castle half-seriously joked that she'd have to be the designated driver, seeing as how the last time he drove didn't turn out so well and they were now down a car.
So they wound up lounging around the loft, getting up late, binge-watching TV from their DVR, and eating delivered food, enjoying the peace and quiet that was not the norm in their hectic lives.
Martha had quickly found a retreat that she could go to and Alexis was staying with a friend so the couple could be alone for a while.
However, Beckett only lasted 2 days before succumbing to the overwhelming urge to check in with Espo and Ryan to see how things were going at the 12th in her absence.
Castle was warming up lunch in the kitchen when she stepped into the bedroom to make the call.
"Hey, Javi, what's going on?" she asked quietly, glancing at the door.
"I win the office pool is what's going on," said Espo. "Wow – this is great reception for someone who is supposed to be in the Maldives," he chided.
Beckett laughed slightly. "You can tell from the caller ID that I'm not in the Maldives."
"So what's up with that, chica – the private island wasn't to your liking?"
Beckett paused. "Uh, we didn't make it. There was some mix-up in the paperwork."
"Uh, huh," responded Espo. "Seems to be a lot of that going around lately."
"We're here in New York—" started Beckett.
"And you thought we'd fall apart without you," retorted Espo. "We're touched, but we're not senile."
"Although if you've got a moment," said Ryan over the phone, "we caught a really interesting case yesterday morning."
"And when haven't our cases been interesting?" Beckett asked.
"Look, we can bring the files by this evening if we don't find anything before then," said Ryan. "That is, if we won't be interrupting something."
"You know, play a little Xbox while you look over the files," added Espo.
Beckett laughed again. "I'm sure Castle can use a play-date about now. See you about 7?"
"Sure," said the boys.
Beckett thumbed off the phone and walked back into the kitchen, pausing for a moment, smiling, as she watched Castle putter around.
"Hey, babe, I was thinking that it might be nice to invite people over tonight, you know, since we're still here…"
Castle looked up from where he was slicing vegetables for the salad and thought for a moment. "People," he hummed thoughtfully, "as in Espo and Ryan?"
Beckett shrugged. "Yeah, why not? The three of you could play Xbox for a while," she suggested.
Castle wiped his hands off on a towel and walked to Beckett. "So you're tired of me already?" he asked, a slight smile crooking on his face as he enveloped her in a hug.
Beckett shook her head. "No – no, that's not what I meant," she retorted quickly until she saw the gleam in his eye and then lightly slapped him on the chest.
He pulled back to look at her, a soft smile on his face. "Kate, I know you're bored. Why don't you call Gates and see if you can go back to work. There's no sense in you wasting your vacation because we're not going anywhere."
Beckett smiled in response and kissed him gently. "Thanks, babe."
"Besides," said Castle, looking smugly superior as he deepened the hug and wiggled his eyebrows, "it takes years of experience and dedication to master the art of lounging around all day doing nothing."
"And you're an expert, huh?" Beckett said as she laughed.
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They managed to shower and dress by the time the doorbell rang at 7.
"Thanks for coming, guys," said Castle as he opened the door, and Espo and Javi walked into the loft.
"Anything for a game night," said Espo.
"And we talked to Gates," said Ryan. "She's expecting you in the morning. Both of you," he added at Castle's hopeful look, giving him a little fist bump.
They chatted as they ate, pointedly avoided the non-wedding elephant in the room, and then Castle cleared the table as Ryan pulled out the file.
"So what have we got?" Beckett asked.
"Julie Tran – Asian female, 28 years old, the manager of the JavaShoppe on East 48th. She was locking up night before last around 11 pm and a customer found her dead in the store the next morning. The door hadn't been forced and all the money was still in the register. Nothing else was taken."
"Aren't they open 24 hours?" asked Castle, looking over Beckett's shoulder.
"Yeah, but the power went out on that block around 10 pm and wasn't restored until 4 am the next morning," said Espo.
Beckett nodded, laying the pieces of the file out on the kitchen counter. She studied them for a moment and then turned to Castle, who was hovering slightly.
"Maybe it was a disgruntled customer who needed a late-night caffeine fix and couldn't get one," Castle said.
Beckett pursed her lips and turned to him. "Rick, it's okay. Go play. I'll let you know if I find anything."
Castle smiled at her and then turned to Espo and Ryan. "Gentlemen, prepare for the trouncing of your life."
Espo snorted. "Like that could happen," he said as they walked into Castle's study. "So what are we playing for this time?" Beckett heard him say as she turned back to the file.
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Several hours later, a victorious Espo, a mildly pleased Ryan, and a despondent Castle walked out of his study as Beckett looked up from the file.
"Don't worry about it, bro – it just wasn't your night. Could happen to anyone," Espo said in a slightly conciliatory manner.
"Yeah, but not to me," said Castle, making a face. "I haven't been that off since I started playing," he said morosely.
"Well, I'm sure you'll do better next time," said Ryan in an sympathetic tone.
"But in the meantime, pay up," said Espo.
Castle straightened. "Even in the time of my utter defeat, I am a man of my word. Just let me know when."
Espo chortled slightly and turned to Beckett. "Anything?" he asked.
Beckett looked up from the file. "Is there any footage from cameras in that area that might have been on backup generators?"
Ryan shook his head. "No. But the other store owners had been complaining about brownouts for a couple of days." He looked at his watch. "And I really need to get home to Jenny and Sarah Grace."
Beckett smiled and nodded. "Okay. See you in the morning."
After the boys left, she walked over to Castle and put her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.
"You look like you just lost your favorite puppy," she said.
"And my mojo," responded Castle, not smiling. "I don't know what happened in there – I just couldn't get it together."
"Maybe you're just tense," said Beckett, walking her fingers up Castle's chest. "And I think I know just the thing for that," she said and whispered in his ear, "a nice long hot soothing bubble bath…"
She took his hand and led him into the bathroom, sitting him down on the edge of the tub as she turned on the tap and then poured several capfuls of the bubble bath that they liked into the tub.
As the water poured into the tub, Castle watched the bubbles rising and then looked back at Beckett as she lit a candle by the tub.
Suddenly, he was up, jerking the lighter and the candle away from her, grabbing her wrist and plunging her hand into the water. It took several moments of her yelling his name to finally cut through the haze he was in and he quickly released her hand, staring at the angry red marks on her wrist.
"Sorry," he said quietly, shaking his head and balling his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "I don't know why I did that – I thought you were going to catch fire." He ran a hand through his hair as he frowned an apology at Kate.
Beckett nodded, holding her bruised wrist with her other hand. "It's okay," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes. "Uh, maybe we should just try it without the candle…"
"Yeah, okay," said Castle, now not in any type of mood.
They quickly undressed and slipped into the tub, Castle leaning against the back, a weary look painting his features, his head resting against the back of the tub, his eyes squeezed closed.
Kate leaned back against him, lost in her own thoughts. This was going to be harder than she thought.
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Later that night, Beckett lay in bed, watching Castle and listening to his rhythmic breathing. She had finally coaxed him into falling asleep after he had gotten an ice pack for her wrist and she told him numerous times that she was okay.
His face had relaxed slightly, but the tension was still evident in the lines around his eyes.
But he was here and he'd be okay, she would see to it.
Beckett closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
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Unlike Beckett's state of rest, the nightmare started a couple of hours after Castle had fallen asleep.
He could hear the sounds of the ocean and feel the sea breeze as he waited for Beckett at the altar. The music swelled and the doors opened, framing Beckett in a glowing light. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other.
Suddenly the glowing light became a fireball that exploded behind her, incinerating everything in its path.
Unable to move, he watched in horror as Beckett's wedding dress ignited in flames as she simply stood there, looking at him, not moving as the flames consumed her.
Castle jerked awake and looked over at Beckett, breathing a sigh of relief as he watched her. He tried to control the hammering of his heart, but knew he wasn't going to get any more sleep that night.
He carefully scooted out of the bed so he wouldn't wake Kate and padded softly into his office.
There, he picked up the rifle he had used earlier in the game with Espo and Ryan and sighted the monitor through the scope, only to have to put it down as his hands started to shake.
It felt too real now, the gunfire, the spurts of blood, the sounds as the bullets sunk into flesh and bone. He had frozen as the game started, only pulling the trigger when prompted by the boys and missing his mark most of the time.
Leaving the lights off, he stared out at the city, and then looked at his reflection in the window and ran a hand through his hair before letting out a ragged breath.
What was happening to him? Was he having a mid-life crisis? But he was Richard Castle and he was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world. And she was still here despite the fact that he had literally wrecked what was supposed to be the happiest day of their life – what was there to have a mid-life crisis about?
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