170. Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Kate was dressed and ready for work but had a little time left before she had to go. Both children woke up early that morning, so she had a bit more time with Jamie than usual. Jo was generally up early and ready to be fed, so she had snuggly Jo time every morning. While he was having his breakfast, Jamie told her about something that happened at school the day before; and then he wanted to play with Jo after he finished eating.

Seeing that both their children were happily occupied, Castle said, "I meant to tell you, Winston called yesterday."

"Did he work out your community service time with the DA?"

"Yeah. Winston has sent the legal papers to Tyler, so he can cut a check to authorities there, and Tyler called to tell me he has what he needs and will have a check for the fine in the mail this morning."

"What about the community service?"

"A babysitting nightmare, but I don't think I dare complain. I have to drive there twice a week to put in my hours for April and May, and once a week after that until the end of June."

"Do you know what you'll be doing?"

"Teaching creative writing in April and May at the local college, and literature and creative writing at the county high school until mid-June. I'm not sure what happens then."

"Really? I would never have expected that."

"Me, either," he answered. "One of the council members is also the president of the local community college. They have a pretty tight budget, so they don't have many chances to bring in guest lecturers. He caught wind of my community service time and asked if they could claim some of it in the form of a bestselling author teaching in one of their classes, like a master class, I guess. Then he mentioned it to the county high school principal, and he asked to talk to me about something similar. He called yesterday, too. They have one advanced English class, and he asked if I'd be willing to work with them while I'm there...a classic literature project of my choice and a creative writing project squeezed in before exams in early June. College is out at near the end of May. All in all, I think I might be looking forward to it."

"Are you ready for lesson plans and grading papers?"

"Paperwork. That's punishment," he answered with a pained look. "That I'm not looking forward to.

"You could end up with another Rick Rodgers in one of your classes," she teased.

"Bite your tongue, Woman. Are you trying to rain on my parade?"

Kate's answer was an evil chortle, and then she asked, "When do you have to be there? Do we need to cancel our babysitters for your birthday trip?"

"The beauty of this particular session of community service is that the students at the college will be on spring break that week, so I'd start in both schools the week after our trip."

"Whew! Have you decided where you want to go yet?"

"The story is still big right now. Before long, the reporters will find a new story, or somebody else to follow; so let's go somewhere kind of secluded…away from the publicity."

"That sounds like Dad's cabin. Secluded is a close description for it."

"That's the kind of time we wanted anyway, right?"

Yeah, it is, and I'm looking forward to it. It's semi-secluded, and yet, it's an area where everybody somehow knows you're there."

"Local grapevine?"

"Got it in one. But nobody bothers you unless there's a good reason for it. If we want company, we can walk around the edge of the lake and people will be friendly, or we can go into town. We've talked about going to the cabin before, but something always came up to stop us. It isn't fancy, but it isn't totally absent of amenities, either. Ordinarily I think you'd like it there. But right now, are you sure you want to hide out in the woods?"

"Hey, I'd finally see where little Katie Beckett spent her summer vacations," he added with a smile. "Please tell me there are pictures…and that your room still looks like it did when you were a child."

Kate gave him her playful little smirk as she touched his face lovingly. "It takes so little to entertain you sometimes. Yes, there are pictures. And the only thing different about my room from the time I was twelve or thirteen is the bed. It was a long time before I went back there after Mom; but when I finally went with Dad one weekend, my bed felt even shorter than I remembered. It was a twin bed…with a foot board. It felt like I had to fold myself into it. I went into town the next day and abused my credit card…got new bedding and a queen size bed, had it delivered, and got dad to help me put it together. It isn't as sinfully luxurious as yours…"

"Ours."

"Ours. But it's at least as comfortable as the one I had in my apartment."

"As long as it has you in it, I'm good. Kate, I'm not concerned about being close to the woods. I just need to be close to you. When we first talked about this trip, it was for nothing more than the pleasure of some time alone. Now, I think we both need some uninterrupted time for the comfort of being together. If the woods turn out to be a problem, we can find a hotel or a bed and breakfast. I just need you."

"Not a problem. I need you, too." She gave him a soft, sweet kiss. "I'll call Dad this morning and make sure he doesn't have plans there for next week." Walking over to the children and stooping down, she said, "I have to go to work. Give Mommy a hug, Little Man." Jamie, still holding one of Jo's small, light blankets, wrapped his arms around his mother and kissed her cheek, and Jo made enough noise to get her own attention before Kate stood.

"Watch, Mommy," Jamie said. He threw the little blanket so it fell over Jo's head then snatched it away and said, "Peek-a-boo!" Both children appeared to love the game. Jo's hair was sticking out in every direction, but she was smiling and excited.

Kate laughed and said, "That looks like fun. See you at dinner. Love you." She kissed both little heads, stood, and picked up her things to leave.

Castle walked her to the door and said, "Daddy needs some Mommy love, too." She gave him another kiss and a smile before she left, and then he went to redirect Jamie's activity toward gathering his school supplies and set himself about the task of taming Jo's hair.

xxxxx

After the routine part of her work morning, Kate got a cup of coffee and called her father.

"Hi, Dad."

"Checking up on the babysitting?" he asked. "Meagan and I will be spending the night at the loft on the Tuesday that you're gone. Martha has it all organized. Meagan says she might have been a good drill sergeant except for the fashion component. Uniforms aren't Martha's style."

"No, they aren't," she answered, laughing at the thought. "I'll bet she could work one on stage, though."

"Pretty sure she could. So, if not babysitting, what's the reason for this non-stressed call from work?"

"We'd like to go to the cabin while you're babysitting. Is it available? No friends using it for the weekend or anything?"

"Absolutely available. You might have to do a little cleaning up when you get there though. Or I can give you Gail's number if you want. You could call ahead and have her clean before you get there. She has a key. You still have yours, don't you?"

"I do. Just wanted to check with you."

"It isn't as fancy as Castle's beach place or some of the hotels he takes you to. Are you sure he's going to be happy with several days there?"

"He's excited about it. And he doesn't always need fancy. It's a nice cabin, Dad. Don't you badmouth it."

"Yes, ma'am. You and Rick enjoy having some time together. Let him dig into the photo album we keep there and all the things that say 'Little Katie Beckett was here'. He loves learning new things about you." There was a little pause. "And I appreciate that he cares that much about my baby girl."

"Yeah. Me, too. I'm excited about taking him there. We decided on it to get out of town and away from the publicity about the Holtzman case."

"Someday you'll tell me about how all of that happened, won't you?"

"Someday. Right now we need a little distance from it, though."

"I love you Katie Bug. You and Rick take care of each other…and make time to have a little fun."

"Love you, too, Dad. Thanks."

Beckett took control over "Katie Bug" and got back to work. She had a meeting at 1 PP that afternoon, and more to squeeze in before she had to leave later.

xxxxx

Rick's mind went to some dark places after he dropped Jamie off at school and brought Jo home for her morning nap. When the loft was quiet, there was too much time to think about recent events. Most of the reason the two parents had been so clingy lately was the shared trauma of such a close call, and Kate had suggested that Rick might want to consider a few sessions with Dr. Burke. He didn't like the idea of a therapist invading his head and rooting out secrets, but he had to admit he might need a little guidance through the sudden harsh memories from his childhood struggle and the struggle of his new encounter with the same man…and killing that man before Castle was killed himself. Book research and cop stories can't prepare someone for having a man fall dead beside you after you pulled the trigger to cause it. He wanted to be with Kate right then but realized he had to let her be free of him while she worked.

After staring at the phone off and on while Jo slept, he finally called Dr. Burke's office and told the receptionist that he'd experienced a very difficult situation recently and would like to make an appointment with the doctor. It didn't escape him that Burke might have known Holtzman…might have considered him a colleague, or maybe even a friend. Well that could be awkward. But he had met the doctor often enough with Kate to trust Burke to let him know if there was a conflict of interest there. Kate would be proud of him, he thought. He had voluntarily made this appointment.

Before Jo woke up, the phone rang, and he snatched it up immediately when he saw who it was. "Hey, Sweetheart," he said, feeling relieved.

"Hey yourself," she answered. "Just checking in. Dad said the cabin is all ours. How are you doing?"

"I'd be better with you here, but I put on my big boy pants this morning and decided I had to let you work in peace." He stopped for a long moment before he said, "I made an appointment with Dr. Burke for the Friday before we leave."

Kate sighed. "Good. I was afraid you might not want to. I'll go with you if you want. I can wait outside in the office like you've done for me."

"I might want you with me for at least part of the visit. Kate, I always like having you close, but I need to get over this sudden need to have you beside me constantly. I'm afraid I'm smothering you with it."

"I'll tell you if that's happening, okay? Right now, I'd really like to blow off the captains' meeting and go straight home to you. You're not alone in feeling that way."

"I'm glad you called. I needed to hear your voice."

"Rough morning?"

"Not so much until Jamie was at school and Jo was asleep. Then my mind was free to go to the wrong places."

"I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Don't feel rushed. Do what you need to do."

"See you later."

Beckett finished her work and went to her meeting that afternoon. The meeting droned on for much longer than usual; so when she left, she called the precinct. "Hey, McDonald. Is there anything pressing I need to be aware of?"

"No. It's about as normal as it gets around here."

"My meeting is just now ending…finally. It's closer to home from here than from the precinct, so I think I'm going to head home now. I'll be about two hours late tomorrow morning, but I'll come in early tomorrow. You know how to find me if you need to."

"Yes, Ma'am, I do. But I'll try not to," he answered good naturedly.

"I appreciate that," she said with a chuckle, then went out and hailed a taxi.

"You're home early," Castle said delightedly as he came out of the study to meet her.

"I needed you close, too," she explained. "This probably isn't healthy for either of us, but being with you makes the Holtzman ordeal more bearable."

He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and she melted into him and returned it. They stood there soaking in the security of being together, planting small kisses on shoulders, necks, lips, and heads now and then and allowing their hands to roam each other's backs. They were drawing comfort and support from one another as they waited for their children to demand their attention again.

Very soon after Kate was at home, Jamie and Bear came down the stairs to give her a hug, and Jamie giggled when she gave Bear a hug, too.

"I think Jo is awake," Jamie reported. "She wasn't crying, but she was making noises."

"What kind of noises?" Kate asked, heading for the stairs and looking concerned.

"Happy noises, like when she's looking at her mobile."

Castle was standing near the breakfast bar smiling at the speed with which his kick-ass police captain could come home and turn into a supportive wife and worried mom.

"Want to come with me to get her?" Kate asked her son, and Jamie turned to go back up the stairs. When they got to the top of the stairs, Jamie asked Kate quietly, "Did I do something bad?"

"Not that I know of. Why did you ask that?"

"Daddy didn't play with me much today. And he didn't look like he was having any fun. Is he mad with me?"

"Did he look like he was mad, or say he was mad?"

"No."

"Then what made you think that?"

"I would talk to him and he didn't answer…like he didn't hear me. But he always talks to me."

"Did he hear Jo when she cried?"

"Uh-huh. But it took longer."

"What was he doing when you tried to talk to him?"

"Just sitting. He had his hand on the boo-boos on his neck."

"If it happens again, maybe you should give him a hug and ask if his boo-boos hurt. Daddy isn't mad with you at all. He just has a lot to think about right now…like he does sometimes when he's working on one of his books. Sometimes he figures the story out in his head before he writes it down. You can give him a big hug when we go back downstairs. I'll bet you'll get a giant Daddy smile that doesn't look at all like he's mad."

"Okay," the little boy answered, looking relieved. "Is Jo awake?" he asked, peeking in his sister's room from behind Kate.

"Yes, she is," Kate answered. "Do you think she needs a clean diaper?"

Jamie grinned. "She always needs a clean diaper."

Kate chuckled as she tested her son's theory. "Well, at least this one isn't stinky," she joked. "Would you bring me a clean one?" He brought one from the changing table, and Kate changed her in the crib. "There we go Baby Girl." She tickled Jo's tummy, and the baby laughed and wriggled; and Kate took her downstairs with the rest of the family.

She put Jo on a blanket on the floor where Jamie could sit and play with her before he wandered off to pursue his own interests; and while they played, Castle waved her over to the doorway 0f the study. They stood in the doorway, and he said quietly enough Jamie couldn't hear, "I heard what he asked you. I was going upstairs to join you, and I heard what you told him, too. Thank you. I didn't know I had done that. I guess it's good I'm going to see Dr. Burke on Friday." He looked sort of defeated. "I need to make it up to him. At least Jo is too young to notice much."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. Jamie loves you. All you need to do is give him a big hug and a Daddy smile and read him a book about The Girl With Red Hair and Little Brother. You'll be golden." She smiled and gave him a reassuring kiss.

At Jamie's bedtime that night, Castle suggested the rocking chair in his room. He sat down in the chair, pulled Kate, who was holding Jo, into his lap, then helped Jamie scramble up to sit on Kate's legs. He wrapped his arms around his family and reached around his son to hold the book where Jamie could turn the pages.

"We haven't done this in a long time…had a stack of Castles sitting in this rocking chair," he observed.

"I don't know how much more we can ask this poor chair to take. We'll be a heap of Castles on the floor if it falls apart," Kate answered.

"My rocking chair won't break, will it?" Jamie asked, looking worried.

"Mommy was joking," Castle assured him. "Turn the page and let's read."

They rocked and Castle read the story. Even Jo was quiet while he read. Then he closed the book and pulled Jamie to lean a little more against his shoulder, and he just kept rocking because it felt right. Between the quiet and the soothing movement, Jo fell asleep in Kate's arms, and Jamie relaxed against Castle until he fell asleep leaning against his father's shoulder. Finally, he stopped the chair and lifted Jamie enough that Kate could leave his lap. Then he stood with his son and put him in his bed. Both parents kissed his head after Castle pulled the covers over him and then did the same for their daughter in her room.

"That was nice," Castle said as they went downstairs.

"It was. I don't think we've ever had all four of us in that chair before, have we?" she mentioned.

"I don't think so, but I liked it."

"Me, too."

Castle led her to the sofa in the study and sat down, pulling her into his lap. We can have a stack of Castles in here." With his signature smirk, he added, "A short stack. But this one could be a little more adventurous if you feel inclined."

"Incline me any way you want, Writer-Man."

xxxxx

"Castle took their baby from Kate so she could put herself together and leave for the precinct. "Two days until your birthday. Any last minute gift requests?" Kate asked her husband as she buttoned everything up after feeding Jo. Time was a bit less plentiful that morning.

"That remote control car I showed you? I was thinking of getting it for Jamie for Christmas, but we could have a lot of fun with it now. And Jo will be crawling before too much longer. They could chase it together," he answered hopefully. Jamie came down the stairs with his little backpack, dropped it next to the front door, and laughed as Jo produced a loud burp while Castle patted her back.

"That's my girl. And such a feminine sound." Castle chuckled as he rubbed her back. "I'll have to ask your dad if that's genetic," he said to his wife.

Kate swatted the arm that wasn't supporting their daughter, left quick kisses all around, and went to the precinct.

"Hey, Boss," Ryan said as they met in the break room, both indulging their coffee habits.

"I haven't heard that in a while. Sounds like old times."

"Except now you can boss everybody around."

"And don't you forget it," she answered with a big grin that he returned. Then she went to her office to work through her morning routine and set out to make her rounds through a different floor of detectives. With the disturbing events of the past week, that routine had temporarily fallen by the wayside.

Lupinski caught her on the way to the elevator and told her, "We just had a call from dispatch, and need to leave; but I saw the memo that you needed to see me. Is there time before we go?"

"I called the police near Hollander's Woods in New Hampshire and gave them the results of our investigation. They looked around for abandoned farm land that nobody pays attention to, and they found three possibilities. On one of them, the dogs went into overdrive. They found a mask in the barn with Holtzman's fingerprints on it, and eight bodies buried on the land. That's two for each year he was at Dartmouth."

"That's good to know. " He started to leave, but Beckett stopped him.

"Wait. That isn't all. I also needed to tell you that I've sent copies of our file on the Holtzman case to the state police and the county sheriff's department. With all the bodies found on the farm there, it would be valuable for them to have it. The State Police will still be working with them. Considering the serial murder aspect, the FBI may expect to be involved; so the case is likely to belong to somebody else somewhere in the process. And, considering the nature of Castle's involvement there at the end, that might be for the best. Super Collins did promise to give us full credit for our work, though, though. I'm glad it's over, but I'm sorry we had to steal some of your spotlight."

"Well, it happens. It was their jurisdiction to begin with. We took it and ran with it because Emma Mallory was staying in the city and Noah Lewis was on the loose here, and we needed to find him. Then Castle had figured it all out, but we…" Lupinski ran a hand through his hair. "He's okay, isn't he?"

"He will be. He's tougher than you might think."

"Yeah. Good. Hey, we both need to go. You look like you're on a mission."

Beckett nodded and was on her way again.

When she got home with a takeout order that evening and toed her shoes off near the door, Castle met her with a kiss. He told her that he and Jo had gone to the children's hospital after they dropped Jamie off at school and talked to a grandmotherly woman in billing. "She was one of the few people I've dealt with in a billing department who seemed to have some real empathy for the person paying the bills. Mrs. Whitsun, the billing lady, wouldn't give me any particulars about Alderman's bills except to say that the family had arranged a payment plan. But she did allow me to ask multiple if-I-gave-you-this-much-would-it-cover-the-bill questions. You said he has other children. It's bound to put a strain on what he can do for them as well. I wrote the hospital a check and asked to be anonymous."

"When I first met you I would have expected you to be shouting something like this from the housetops for publicity, but it didn't take too long to decide I was probably wrong."

"No. That would be Paula. When I do something like this, I don't tell her. No housetop shouting."

"Thank you for doing that. Alderman is a good man, a good detective. I asked him about his daughter a couple of days after the altercation last week, and he sounded like the prognosis wasn't good. I feel so bad for him."

"When I got home with Jo, I called our insurance company and arranged for the same comprehensive health insurance I've had for my family since Alexis was little, including pre-existing conditions. His family has that starting as soon as an agent calls him to get the information he needs. It should cover anything his NYPD policy doesn't. That should help the financial strain."

"I'll bet watching you with Jo melted the billing lady into a little puddle of cooperation. Big man/little kid. I'm telling you, it's magic." She wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm going in late tomorrow morning so I can be at Dr. Burke's office with you."

"Eight in the morning is awfully early to have somebody else rummaging around in your psyche," he grumbled. "But I'm going."

"It wasn't my favorite thing to do either, but it helped."

"I want you to be with me when I see him."

"Whatever you need, Rick. I'm here."