My Best Christmas Ever!
Chapter 1
A/N - Real life prevented me from writing and posting this story before Christmas, but I hope you will consider it a belated Christmas gift from me to you. dkcfan
A 2017 Hallmark Rom/Com story arc inspired this multi-chapter AU Caskett fluff piece. Kate Beckett and Richard Castle meet unexpectedly when an overworked local shopkeeper mistakenly double-books their winter getaway cabin. Some Castle characters will follow their roles in Canon, and others will have modified backstories based on my imagination. I hope you enjoy my contribution to the Castle Ficathon Winter 2023. Thank you for reading, and all reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.
"Kate, take a seat, and we will discuss this rationally," requested Captain Montgomery.
"Roy, there is nothing to discuss. What would I do with three weeks of vacation? I will go stir crazy," pleaded Kate.
Kate sat stiff-backed in the chair in front of Captain Montgomery's desk before leaning forward, twisting her hands, and looking toward the floor as she tried to formulate her following comments. But before Kate could say anything further in her defense, Montgomery continued,
"Kate, this is out of my hands. It's an order from the Chief of D's, and he is not about to change his mind. He knows the last three cases you were involved in were horrendous in numerous ways and realizes they would take a toll on anyone. Especially the lead detective, which was you."
Again, before Kate could say anything, Montgomery continued,
"And Kate, he is aware of the brutal attack you received during the second case, including being transported to the hospital."
"But, Roy, I was checked over and released. I was out of there in a couple of hours," shared Kate in her most positive tone.
"Yes, Kate, I am aware. But I know the ER doctor instructed you to take at least three days off and give your shoulder a rest after the severe blow you received from the perp. And I also know you were back at work after one day," stated Montgomery with a look that showed he was rapidly losing patience with this conversation. But Kate tried one more time,
"I know, Captain," using his title, hoping to gain some support and understanding.
"But we received the double homicide, and the team needed me. If you recall, I did spend the first part of my day back at my desk, coordinating the team and setting up the murder board," shared Kate as confidently as she could, sensing she would not come out on the winning side of this discussion.
Captain Montgomery stood and, as calmly as he could, firmly stated, "Kate, this is an order. As of now, you are on medical leave or vacation. Call it what you want. But you are off work for the next three weeks. Go somewhere nice and enjoy the Christmas holiday. Chief Butler has strongly recommended that you go someplace outside the city to rest and relax. You are to have no contact with your team or show your face in the precinct during that time frame. If you disobey this order, you will answer to Chief Butler directly.
Montgomery knew this would be difficult for Kate, but he also knew his lead detective needed a much-needed break, or she would soon burn out.
What Kate doesn't know is that Captain Montgomery is planning his retirement. After conversations with his superiors, he knows they want to encourage Kate to take the Captain's Exam. However, her reactions and how she handles her forced leave will significantly affect their decisions to recommend her for the position. They want to be confident that she can follow orders.
After being dismissed by her Captain, Kate stops by her desk to gather a few items, careful not to include any case files and tells her team that she will be unavailable for the next three weeks.
Esposito and Ryan were aware of what was taking place in Captain Montgomery's office but were also careful to gauge their response in a way that did not set Kate off. Her demeanor made it clear that this was not a decision she favored. So they wished her well and told her they'd see her in a few weeks.
Kate walked toward the elevator, carrying her small duffle bag and jacket, still fuming at the outcome of her conversation with her boss. She wouldn't be going home immediately, as she had no desire to sit in her apartment, staring at four walls for the next three weeks. Instead, Kate hailed a cab and headed to the morgue to talk to her best friend. Montgomery said she couldn't have any contact with her team or the precinct, but he omitted Lanie and the morgue.
Lanie could not even greet her friend before Kate turned on the spigot and dumped all her feelings on her best friend.
"Lanie, what am I going to do for three weeks? You know me. I will go crazy after two days of sitting in my apartment. And my Dad is already at his cabin for a couple of weeks, so I don't want to disturb him.
Lanie, what will I do for three weeks?" repeated Kate, almost yelling as she paced around the morgue.
Not slowing down, Kate explained what else her boss had demanded she do.
"Montgomery said to go and celebrate Christmas someplace outside of New York. That doesn't even sound like reality to me. I don't do Christmas. I can't remember the last time I truly celebrated Christmas."
If Kate had been honest with her friend, she would have admitted that she hasn't celebrated a real Christmas since her Mother's murder in 1999.
Finally, Lanie raised her hands and said, "Kate, take a break. Sit down, take a few deep breaths, and try to calm down."
Surprisingly, Kate did as Lanie instructed and sat on the rolling chair next to one of the empty steel tables at the far end of the morgue. After Kate forced herself to relax, Lanie began,
"Girlfriend, if you give yourself a few moments for rational thinking, you will realize that Montgomery is right. That crazy jerk that hit you with the iron pipe could have done severe damage if he had struck you in the head. And if I recall, you couldn't lift your left arm above your head for several days."
Lanie paused to be sure what she said sunk into the thick head of her dear friend, then went on,
"I love you, but you haven't properly cared for yourself for several months. I realize your job drives your days and your schedule. But many of the cases you've worked on lately were extremely complicated, not to mention dangerous, and you haven't allowed yourself any extended time to recoup. It's like you are working overtime, not just to solve the cases, but to keep yourself busy. Is there something else going on that you are trying to avoid?"
Lanie stopped her mini-tirade for a few moments to see if her friend would respond, but when she received no reaction from Kate, she continued,
"Has it got anything to do with that new detective friend of yours? What's his name, Tom?"
This question from her best friend received a full-blown eye roll from Kate. She momentarily remained silent before quietly saying,
"I don't know, Lanie. I hoped a relationship with Tom might help me focus on something besides work. And Tom and I had fun initially, even if it wasn't all that exciting. But it seems like we do the same things over and over. Go out to eat, he tells me about his cases, how fast he can close them, and brags about his new car. It's okay occasionally, but those comments are the primary focus of most of our conversations."
"And lately, I have noticed he has a serious jealous streak. The new guy at the coffee shop started a conversation with me the other morning, and Tom went off on him right away. Pushing me aside to take care of our orders and telling the barista he didn't appreciate him making a move on his girlfriend. It was embarrassing; the poor guy was just being friendly. But Tom didn't like it. He got testy when I brought it up and said he didn't appreciate other guys going after his girlfriend."
Kate was quiet again and finally almost whispered, "I know it's not going to work out between us."
Kate took another deep breath before looking at her friend with sad eyes that almost broke Lanie's heart, saying,
"Lanie, I have no idea what I will do for three weeks. And I'm afraid I'll be in worse shape than I am now when I return."
Again, Kate was quiet before she guilty added,
"Lanie, I am pitiful. What sort of life am I living? I can't make my relationships work out. I work long hours and think I have unknowingly dug myself into a hole."
Before Kate could drag herself down further, Lanie reached for her hand and gently said,
"Kate, you are one of the best detectives in the NYPD, but lately, you've led your team on some of the worst cases I have seen in years. And I know you want justice for the victims. But you can't continue to do your job day in and day out and not also take care of yourself. If you let the job run you into the ground, you will lose your edge, and you may be hurt much worse than you were in this recent case. You need to work harder at finding balance in your life."
Then Lanie interjected to lighten the mood, "After you get through this vacation stint, you and I will take some serious girl time and go out on the town, and I will reteach you how to have fun!"
Lanie took a deep breath and continued,
"But for now, we need to find something different for you to do over the next few weeks. My cousin lives in Redding, California, and helps manage some of the high-end properties surrounding Mount Shasta. How about I call him and see if he knows of any last-minute rentals available for a few weeks."
Not giving Kate time to respond, Lanie stands and rushes into her office to make a phone call. She is back in about five minutes, grinning from ear to ear.
"You aren't going to believe this, but one of the high-end rentals on one of the mountain ridges just below the peak became available. There was a last-minute cancellation, and since the people who canceled didn't give enough notice, they lost their deposit, so the owner is willing to rent it for a song. I told Greg to put a hold on it until you could call him with your credit card number."
Lanie hands Kate a piece of paper with her cousin's number and sits, waiting for Kate to make the call.
Kate is holding the paper, contemplating if she should take Lanie up on the offer, when Lanie pulls her cell phone out of her hand, dialing her cousin's number as she hands the phone back to Kate.
Kate is looking at the phone when she hears a voice saying, "Hello, hello. Is anyone there?" Lanie pushes Kate's arm, and she answers the man's call,
"Yes, this is Kate Beckett, a friend of Lanie's."
"Oh, wow, that was fast. Yeah, Lanie said you want to rent the cabin. Can I have your credit card number and the exact dates of your planned stay?"
As if Kate was on autopilot, she gave the guy her credit card number and, after looking at a calendar, gave Greg dates for her stay based on the availability of airline flights. The nice guy on the other end said that wouldn't be a problem. Part of their service includes locating the best flights possible for their clients. Greg instructed Kate to stay by the phone, and he'd call her back in a few minutes with flight details.
After shaking her head and trying to absorb what had just occurred over the last several minutes, Kate looked at Lanie and said,
"What in the world did you just get me into? I will hop on a plane, fly somewhere out West, and stay in someone else's home. A home that I know nothing about. And stay there for three weeks!"
Just as Kate finished her statement, her cell phone pinged with a copy of her rental reservation and several pictures of the cabin she would be calling hers for almost a month.
"Wow! That is one neat cabin," Kate said as she passed her cell phone to Lanie.
Lanie just smiled, saying, "I am not surprised. Greg is great at his job, and since he knows you are my best friend, I knew he would find you a great place."
After taking several turns looking at the photos Greg sent, Kate's phone rang again, and Greg gave her details regarding the flights he had located for her. She will leave NYC in two days on an 8:25 am flight with one stop at LAX before arriving in Redding, CA, at 2:48 pm, where she will pick up her rental car. Greg also gave Kate his direct line and cell phone number, instructing her to call him when she arrived, and he would assist her in making her way to the cabin on Mount Shasta.
Kate thanked Greg for his help and approved him to schedule the flights. Then she dropped her cell phone back into her bag, looking up at her friend, saying,
"Well, I guess I am going on vacation."
Lanie stood, grabbing her jacket, saying, "Yes, you are my dear friend. And now we are heading to your place to pack. I hope you have some sexy winter clothes to wear out there. You never know who you might meet!"
The two friends exited the morgue, hailing the first available cab, and quietly rode to Kate's apartment.
A/N #2 - This 14-chapter story will follow a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday posting cycle.
A/N #3 - I am taking a page from Pen to Paper Writer's (P2P) latest story. If you recognize the movie that inspired this story, drop me a note in a review, and I'll give you a shout-out. Thanks for reading. dkcfan