"You know, at some point it's going to be really nice not to see you in that jacket," the man said with a slight smile.
"Or you, you're supposed to retire," Skye said, reaching out and shaking his hand. "These are the consultants with the Hamptons P.D. Richard Castle and Kate Beckett."
"Skye's told me about you," the agent said. "I'm Philip Aspinall. And now we have that done we can go."
"I'm already leaving," Skye said, having taken a few steps away from them.
"Hey, so what do you think about the company?" Aspinall said. Seeing the glance the investigator was giving him he said, "No?"
"If it had been Roswell or Patent Metals I would have said yes," Skye replied.
"So I'm out of an investigation?" Aspinall asked.
"No, because while the company wasn't practicing anything illegal, the killer was," Skye said before he stopped her at the door into the business.
"The composition of the bracket at the murder site is the same as the ones you have in the crashes," Beckett said before the agent could say anything.
"She's right," Skye said. "We just lack a little more microscopic identification, but we'll have that tomorrow."
Nodding after he'd taken that in, Aspinall said, "Then I'll let you lead."
"I'm dressed for it," Skye said jokingly before she was opening the door and stepping inside.
Hanging back while Skye and Aspinall were speaking with the woman behind the desk in the lobby, Castle murmured to his wife, "That's it?" when a box was immediately given to the two.
"Did you want us to have to get a warrant?" Beckett asked him in amusement. She then turned her attention to Skye and asked, "Do you have them?"
"Let's go outside," the investigator replied before Castle was opening the door for them. In the weak sunlight she looked down at the bolts and brackets before nodding saying, "This is it."
"Are you sending them for testing?" Aspinall said. He was a little surprised when the investigator hesitated before one of the writers was clearing their throat and getting his attention.
"Skye is a little… under the weather," Castle began, looking at his wife.
"He's right, I've been ordered to take it easy," Skye said simply. "The victim in the plane crash jumped me."
"What?" Aspinall asked in obvious shock.
"Yeah, that's why I'm taking it easy," Skye replied.
"Then give me this," Aspinall instructed her before he took the box.
"You just traveled," Skye told him.
Shaking his head Aspinall said, "I want to get this over with." Looking at the writers he told them, "I'm retiring after this." He then looked back at Skye and told her, "I want to pressure them about the samples with this added now."
"I'm not surprised, but don't scare them," Skye said, holding her hand out to him.
"Only if you promise me you'll relax for now," Aspinall told her, shaking her hand.
Watching with her friends as the agent left, Skye turned to them and said, "He knows about my abilities."
"How?" Castle couldn't help asking.
"It's alright," Skye said, seeing Beckett nudging her husband's side. They started to walk to the car, and she explained, "At the last crash site, he saw the way I had reacted and someone on my team mentioned that I was seeing the victims. They'd seen that happen before and he very quickly spoke to me."
"And he believed you," Beckett said.
"He did," Skye said. "Apparently I didn't have the look of someone who was doing that for profit… his words." She climbed into the backseat and said, "I'm glad you didn't follow."
"I had a feeling you wouldn't want me to," Beckett said before she was moving to sit in the passenger seat.
Realizing Castle hadn't started the car, Skye asked, "What're you waiting for?"
"You, you need to tell me where exactly we're going now," he replied.
Looking at her watch, Skye said, "Have you heard from Brad?" When she had no response from the front seat she said, "Then head back to the house, you don't have to tiptoe around me."
"That was him," Beckett said, glancing at her husband.
"You're not worried about Mary?" Castle asked.
"No," Skye answered firmly. "But first before we grab lunch, we need to go back to your house. Though I do need to know if Brad, Patrick and Trevor are going to join us."
"They're going home themselves," Beckett said since her husband was focusing on getting to the right road back home. "Brad's going to look at the footage and eat at the station."
"I'm not surprised," Skye said.
"So," Castle said after they were all silent for a little. "Where are we stopping?"
"Are you sure you don't want to try and tell them they don't need to come here for lunch?" Alexis asked Mary while the young woman was walking over to the table.
"I'm sure, they're very set on coming since they're bringing something," the doctor said before they were looking at Josie when the toddler was slapping her hand on the table and talking to them.
"Here is… clothes," Josie informed them.
"I see that, thank you," Alexis said, cupping the back of her head. She then said, "They're called napkins."
"Napkins," Josie repeated slowly. She giggled when her sister hugged her and placed her hand on Alexis' stomach that had pressed against her cheek. "Babies too?"
"Too?" Mary asked in obvious confusion.
"I think she means that they're going to be eating too," Alexis replied before she heard the chime for the gate. "Luckily it's soon."
"I told you if you wanted something-" Mary said in obvious dismay.
"And I told you I didn't want to stuff myself," Alexis said with a smile while she interrupted her.
"True," Mary said. "Would you like to come with me?" she asked Josie.
"Yes," the toddler said shyly. Josie smiled before Mary picked her up and she watched as they walked over to the entry. "Lunch?" she asked.
"Right now," Alexis said, opening the door.
"Thank you," Castle said. "This is heavy," he commented before he was laughing when Josie was squealing before she spoke in concern.
"Where is Mama?" the toddler asked.
"I'm here," Beckett said, taking Josie from Mary. "She's on the phone," she told the doctor, not surprised when the woman hurried outside.
"Do you need any help?" Alexis asked.
"No," Beckett said before they were walking to the kitchen.
"The door…" Alexis said in confusion, looking back at it before her mother made her face forward.
"They'll be inside in a minute," Beckett told her.
"What happened?" Alexis asked.
"Do you really want to know?" Castle asked since he could hear them in the kitchen.
"Is it that bad?" Alexis inquired in obvious concern.
"We saw a plane crash," Beckett said. "And that's all you need to know."
"The plane crash?" Alexis said in surprise.
"Yes," Castle said, looking at his wife in obvious confusion.
"That's all you need to know," Skye said, walking up behind them. "Sorry I was a little… detained."
"Who was it, Aspinall or Trevor?" Castle asked.
"Neither, it was Feith," Skye replied. "Back in LA. He heard about the crash and wanted to check on me since he knew I was here."
"Is anything wrong?" Beckett asked, watching her.
"No, I had to tell him what happened, but he urged me to be careful," Skye said.
"I'm not surprised," Mary said, giving her wife a look.
"What's going on?" Alexis said.
"Do you need to sit?" Beckett asked, seeing her daughter placing her hand on her back.
"No, tell me," Alexis said firmly.
"The victim in the plane jumped me," Skye said simply. When the young woman was opening her mouth to speak, she told her, "It was brief and I'm fine now… I guess."
"After you sit and eat," Mary said. She smiled when her wife let out a huff before she went to the counter and said, "Do you guys have a pitcher?"
"We do," Castle said, moving to a cabinet. He pulled out a glass one and said, "I'm still wondering about this."
"You've had agua fresca," Skye said as she moved to open the container while her wife was getting the pitcher and getting ice into it. "Too much?" she asked the others.
"That's fine," Beckett said, watching her pouring the mango drink in the pitcher. She smiled at Josie making a noise of awe at the sight and kissed her temple before she saw her husband had finished getting everything ready. "Stay with me sweetie," she told her daughter. Once she saw Josie nod, she set her down and moved to the counter saying, "This is Skye's treat."
"I'm not surprised," Alexis said. "We've had these before."
"Then you don't want it? I did get chicken for you," Skye said.
"Oh, thank you," Alexis said with a smile. "And I am hungry."
"Rick," Beckett said when her husband was moving automatically. As soon as he stopped, she said, "Whose plate are you getting?"
"Josie's," Castle said slowly, jumping a little when their oldest was laughing briefly.
"Nice try Dad, but seriously, I can get my own food," Alexis told him. "Though I don't know about a drink."
"I'll set the table," Mary said. "And don't try to stop me," she added before she was moving to get the glasses first.
"Do you want a tray?" Castle asked her.
"I'm getting it now," Mary replied easily.
"I'll help-" Skye started to say.
"You're going to take your plate and go sit," Mary interrupted her wife, speaking firmly.
Pursing her lips for a moment, Skye said, "Fine. Should we go together?"
"I think we kind of have to," Alexis said in obvious amusement since the investigator had been talking to her. Once they had their plates of tacos, she walked with Skye to the game room and said, "What about my sister?"
Shaking her head Skye said, "She's fine."
Startled at how abruptly the investigator had spoken, Alexis asked, "How do you know?"
"Because the five of them are outside right now," Skye said. "So they're going to stick with me."
"Did you ever talk to the woman that came here?" Alexis asked.
Trying not to curse, Skye just managed and said, "I never had the chance. As soon as we left, we were notified about the plane." She paused and then said, "I will back at the station," surprised at Beckett speaking when she walked into the room.
"You're sure you should?" she asked, setting down the pitcher.
"I have to," Skye said. "If I don't, I don't want her to go to Julia." As she'd been speaking to her friend her wife walked in and gave her a pointed look. "Seriously grá," she told her. "But I'll wait."
"Fine, but someone should be with you while you're doing that," Mary said firmly.
"We will be," Beckett assured the doctor.
"Eat now Mama?" Josie asked from her highchair her father had just put her in.
"Yes," Beckett said slightly laughingly, not surprised the toddler was looking eagerly at her quesadilla. Once she was sure Josie was set with her food, she turned her attention to her own plate with fish tacos on them. "How was it after we left?" she asked Mary and Alexis.
"Good, Josa enjoyed the pool table," Alexis said. "And she got to take a shot."
Laughing, since they'd done that with the toddler, Castle said, "Was she able to break up the triangle at all?"
"She was," Alexis replied. "Though she wanted to use the cue."
"I'm not surprised," Beckett commented.
"She has before?" Skye asked in amusement.
"Numerous times," Castle said.
"I just thought of something, where are Trevor and Patrick?" Mary asked.
"They're home," Beckett said.
"They have the place to themselves since Bethany and Joseph went to do some Christmas shopping too," Skye said before Alexis was reacting to that in surprise.
"Did they plan that?" the young woman asked.
"No, quite a coincidence," Skye said.
"At least Gram and Grandpapa will have company," Alexis said with a smile, watching Josie taking a chip their mother was giving her.
"What're you doing after this?" Mary asked the young woman suddenly.
"Don't tell me to take a nap," Alexis said.
"I wasn't," Castle said since he knew she was talking to him. "But if you're tired-"
"Then I'll take a nap," Alexis interrupted him.
"Good to hear," Castle said, nodding his head once before he smiled. "You sound a lot like your mom."
"I didn't want to be babied," Beckett said.
Smiling at the reference and her mother's response, Alexis said, "Neither do I. But I'll be happy once I have these two with me," placing her hand on her stomach.
"I can't argue with that," Skye said, smiling when Alexis laughed briefly. "Though you didn't say what you'd like to do once we finish eating."
"Walk a little," Alexis said. "I'll wait for Josa to be sleeping," she told her parents. She was going to speak when she paused for a moment and then asked them, "Are you going to get her to sleep?"
"We might be able to," Beckett said, looking at her father's watch briefly.
"Maybe walk with you too," Castle said in a rush though he was looking at his wife while he said that. He wasn't surprised when she was smiling briefly before Alexis was straightening and responding to his unasked question.
"That would be nice but if you need to go back you should," Alexis said. "Jules and Lizzy will want you back for dinner."
Skye couldn't help laughing and explained to the others, "Don't the parents usually say that?"
"Sometimes," Castle said. "Though of course the situation is reversed."
"I know Dad," Alexis said in feigned annoyance when her father was looking at her. "To be honest I'd like to have another game of pool."
"Sans lesson?" Mary asked her. When the young woman nodded, she smiled and said, "I'll be glad to play… hopefully some other games too."
"You can," Alexis said, nodding rapidly. She then turned to her father and said, "Now you have that set I'm done right?"
"How're your tacos?" Castle asked in response.
Smiling, Alexis replied, "Good, thank you for getting me these instead of fish."
"You had fish yesterday," Skye said, looking confused.
"I did, but the sauce helped," Alexis said. "That white sauce I'm not sure about."
"And the juice?" Mary asked her, glancing at her wife when she snorted.
"It's good," Alexis replied. "Though I'm glad you have the ice to cut the sweetness a little."
"Do you want water for it?" Beckett asked.
Shaking her head, Alexis replied, "I'm good. But I hope you won't mind if I just have one glass."
"You guessed?" Skye asked, smiling.
"I did, I also figured Dad and Mom would want them to try some too," Alexis said.
"Do you think Martha and Jim would want any?" Skye said to Castle and Beckett.
"Dad will," Beckett said.
"Eliza might get Mother to try," Castle said. "But that'll be it."
"Does wine go with tomato soup and grilled cheese?" Skye mused.
"It's not going to be grilled cheese," Beckett said. When the investigator and her wife looked at her in surprise she explained, "Dad wants to make patty melts."
"I'll have one without onions," Alexis replied when the two women were looking at her.
"Sounds great," Skye said. "Do you two do this often when you're working on a case?" she told the writers.
"Not really, we usually go out," Castle said. "But we know how you feel."
"I'm not surprised," Skye said. "To be honest I'm glad we can't do this at home," she then told her wife.
"I know," Mary said.
"Even when you have the house to yourselves?" Castle asked, looking at his wife when she had touched his arm. "Never mind," he told them. "So what're your plans for Thanksgiving?"
"Are you honestly asking or just looking for a distraction?" Mary asked in obvious amusement.
"Honestly," Castle said. "Since we haven't spent the holiday at your home," he added before his wife was speaking.
"Are you sure?" Beckett asked him.
"I am," Castle replied firmly. He then turned to the women and said, "Though if you just do the usual dinner and that's it then you don't need to answer that."
"We do, our traditions are more the food we have," Skye answered. She smiled then and said, "We'll have to have you over some time."
"I'd like to go," Alexis said.
"Our weather?" Mary asked. She laughed briefly when the young woman was nodding firmly and said, "We'll need to do that… I would say next year but you'll be there for Christmas."
"Do you mind hosting us for two holidays?" Beckett immediately asked.
Shaking her head Skye replied first saying, "It's more you two… though of course we'll invite the others."
"Would you invite my in-laws?" Alexis asked before her parents could answer.
"Of course, to Christmas too," Skye said.
"Well, it would be nice to go back to LA," Beckett said before she smiled at the McDouglas women. "Though I do mean Santa Monica."
"Great but we won't be able to do that much," Skye reminded her.
"What about Mill Valley?" Mary asked suddenly.
"We've talked about that," Castle said. "But for now we'll just leave it for Memorial Day and after Kate and I come back from Tahiti."
"If you ever want to come to LA after you could," Skye offered.
Thanking her friend, Beckett stood and said, "At least we have this year set."
"You know," Castle said while he got up and started getting his things since they'd finished by then. "One thing I'm wondering is do you two have other families over?"
"Not usually," Mary said.
"Burke?" Beckett guessed.
"A couple years ago but then they started going to Santa Fe where his wife's family is," Skye replied. "But we do have a big Christmas party like you have for all our friends there."
"Celebrities now?" Alexis asked.
"Of course," Skye said with a smile before she was leaving the room.
"Stay with me Josa," Alexis told her baby sister.
"But I go with Mama," the toddler replied. "And Dada."
"I like how you're developing," Alexis said. When the toddler frowned at her she couldn't help laughing and pulled her in for a hug. "We'll play with you after your nap, okay?" she told her, her sister nodding before she held her a little closer while she leaned against her.
"Nothing from Brad?" Skye was asking in the kitchen.
"What about Aspinall?" Castle asked after his wife had shaken her head.
"Nothing but he's not likely to have anything," Skye replied. "I should text Trevor," she said, shaking her head. Just as she was getting her phone out of her pocket, she heard Castle's beginning to ring, and she looked on with her wife and Beckett while he answered.
"Brad we-" Castle started to say.
"You guys need to get to the house where the parents of the vics are staying," the chief interrupted his friend. "Wade mentioned Kipling to Mr. Garnett, and he recognized the name and his picture."
"How?" Castle, Beckett and Skye said at the same time.
"He interviewed him two years ago, about the company," Brad said. "And that article was squashed before it ever saw print."