Kate Beckett, Investigator Chapter 22

"Mr. Castle," Ashley calls as the author is gathering his notes as quickly as possible from a Barnes and Noble podium. Can I speak to you for a moment? I can really use your help."

"Ashley," Castle says, stuffing papers into a leather pouch, "the person you need to talk to is Alexis, not me."

The teen nods vigorously. "I know. But I can't. She declines all my calls, and she won't answer my texts or my emails. I'm only home for the Democracy Day break, and then I have to go back to California. Could you ask her if she'll at least give me a chance to get through to her?"

The sound of the pouch's metal zipper closing vibrates through the now-cleared gathering area. "Ashley, this is an affair of the heart between you and Alexis. My opinion is irrelevant."

"I'm not asking you to offer your opinion, Mr. Castle. I just want you to ask Alexis to give me a chance to talk to her."

"I'll bring it up with her, Ashley," Castle promises. "But I'm not going to try to sway her in any direction. The decision will have to be entirely hers."

"All I want is a chance to talk to her," Ashley reiterates.

Castle tucks his pouch under his arm. "All right, I'll see what I can do."

"I don't want to talk to Ashley," Alexis insists, the plastic of a water bottle crackling under her grip.

"And you don't have to," Castle says. "But you might try asking yourself what you're afraid of. We both know that if you've really made up your mind about something, nothing I, Ashley, or anyone else says is about to change it. So it can't hurt to hear him out. And if you haven't totally made up your mind, it might help to hear what he has to say."

Alexis drains the rest of her water. "I'll think about it."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure that we've bought out most of the neighborhood's rocky road."

"How did your reading go?" Kate asks, looking up from her rocking chair.

"Pretty much the way they usually do. 'Where do you get your ideas?' Or the less friendly, 'How can you buy all that environmental crap?' Actually, if I recall, the same guy asked that question at two different readings. I suspect he may be a hired rabble-rouser. But it didn't work out too well for him. The sweet Adley fans opined that it wasn't the book that was full of crap. I think there may have been a budding Brockovich or two in the crowd."

"Good for them," Kate says. "Eleanor's finished. You want to take her?"

"That would be my very great pleasure. Um, you didn't mention that she's wet, and ugh!"

Kate winks. "Oops. But you're better at diaper patrol than I am anyway."

"Just more experienced. You've pretty much achieved expert level. Still, I am not equipped to serve your function, so I might as well serve mine. What have you heard about the depositions?"

"Mirabel brought in Nellis. Eleanor and I watched her camera feed. But he took the Fifth a lot. I don't keep track, but according to my dad, it was 202 times. In a criminal case, the jury wouldn't be allowed to draw inferences from that, but they can be drawn by the trier of fact in a civil case. So his non-responses may have actually been probative."

"Hmm, sounding like a lawyer already, and you haven't even started law school yet. But then it does run in the family."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kate decides. "Oh, and you got a package from Gina."

"I'd ask if you called the bomb squad, but I still have appearances to make. She wouldn't blow me up yet."

"I put it on your desk. It rattles."

"After I get Eleanor fresh, clean, and off to dreamland, I'll check it out."

Castle can't help shaking the package before opening it. He wasn't sure what he expected to find, but it wasn't a musical mobile, especially one with Star Wars characters. He tentatively starts the music. It's the slightly jazzy sounds of the Cantina rather than the Empire March – thank God. Never mind Baby Eleanor, that march would give nightmares to him. The contraption can clip onto Eleanor's bassinet and later onto her crib. As a true Castle, she'll probably love it. A mobile doesn't make up for the extra time he has to spend away from the newest member of his family, but it was still a nice gesture. And Black Pawn probably paid for it. If it does keep Eleanor fascinated, he'll have that much more opportunity to write, which will definitely be to his publisher's benefit.

Alexis drops into a seat at a Pizza House table where Ashley's already waiting. "You wanted to talk, I'm listening."

"I've decided to stay at Stanford," Ashley announces. "It's the best career path for me. But I still want you in my life. Forty percent of long-distance relationships fail. I know you've already looked that up. But, assuming that changes are properly planned, that means 60% don't. And it won't be forever. I'll only be at Stanford for four years. And when I graduate, I can pick a grad school close to wherever you are."

"You can't always plan for changes, Ashley," Alexis argues. "Things happen."

"I know," Ashley acknowledges. "But not trying guarantees a 100% failure rate. And I know you hate failure as much as I do. I love you, Alexis. I don't want to lose you."

"Your last two sentences are the only part of your case that matters," Alexis says. "I love you too. So I guess we should give it a shot."

Ashley leans across the table for a kiss. "What kind of pizza do you want, the usual half pepperoni, half sausage and basil?"

"As long as we're talking about changes, how about adding mushrooms – to both sides?" Alexis suggests.

"All right," Ashley agrees. "I'll give it a shot."

January

"Nervous?" Castle asks as Kate checks herself out in their closet's full-length mirror.

"It's only orientation, Castle. I have no reason to be nervous. Real classes won't start for a couple of weeks."

"Not that I didn't enjoy watching, but you've changed your top four times. If you're not nervous, why bother?"

"I just want to make a good impression, that's all. I am older than most of the other students."

"Which, with your experience in law enforcement and working with your father, should be a plus."

"Yeah, but I will be learning the routines and the skills of legal writing. I want to make sure I look like I can keep up."

"That should take about five seconds. And that is a lovely blouse."

"As long as the pads in my nursing bra keep me from leaking into it."

"You'll have your pump and everything with you, won't you?"

"Of course. But I'll only be able to use it on breaks. And I'm not sure when those will be yet."

"Ooh, I have an idea." Castle pulls a garment from the back of the closet.

"My NYU jacket?"

"Actually, it's a new one, slightly upsized to account for your maternally enhanced measurements. In an emergency, you can use it to cover up. And there's nothing like showing a little school spirit."

Kate slips on the jacket. "Yeah. This could work. Thanks, Babe."

Castle leans in for a kiss. "You'll be great."