Double Up

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

3 years later...

Little Nate and Jo had just finished breakfast and were sitting on the couch watching a movie they're daddy had just put on for them. It was Jo's favourite: Finding Nemo.

Daddy had left them there and gone into his study to write for a while. His next book was due soon and he needed to complete a few more chapters. Mommy was rushing around getting ready for work. And so Nate, being the fidgety one from the two, climbed off the sofa and went to the book shelf. He pulled out one of daddy's books and took it to the couch.

"Nate, you're not supposed to take any books from there" Jo told him. Her sweet little innocent voice soft enough that only her brother sitting near her would hear.

Nate had opened up the book.

"Look Jo, is that us?"

He pointed at a picture on the last page of the book.

"That's mommy and daddy" Jo said, pointing at her parents aces in the picture.

"And that's Lexi. And uncle Espo and Ryan"

"That has to be us!"

Just that instant, Kate strode in and found her little ones engrossed in something other than the TV. She knelt before them, now seeing what they had on their lap.

"Where'd you take that out from Nate?"

"I told him to ask you first mommy"

"Is that us?" Nate asked his mommy.

Kate looked down at the picture he was pointing at and she smiled.

"Yes honey... that's you guys when you were babies. It was taken at your one year birthday party."

"Why?" Jo asked.

'Four year olds, the age when the word why was a frequently asked question' she thought to herself with a chuckle.

"Because, we wanted to put a family picture in his book. And since this picture was perfect, and had everyone in it, we decided to just put this one in."

Nate smoothed his hand over the picture and whispered to himself "Family"

Kate kissed both their heads "Yes Family… these guys are our family"

The picture was complete with all of them in it. Martha, Alexis, Jim, Lanie, Ryan, Esposito, Jenny, Gates. The kids had grown up these last four years in their presence. And there was no better word to describe these dear friends of theirs.

"Mommy, why don't you read us the books from that shelf at night?"

"Because baby, you're still too young to understand the genre your daddy writes."

"Why can't daddy write something that you can read to us?"

"Oh but don't you get better than that?" She told them.

She then carried Jo and made her sit on her lap, and sat beside Nate. She put her arm around him and spoke "Your daddy creates the words for you when he tells you stories at night. He's a master mind, a wordsmith, playing with your imaginations, his words, spoken are even more effective than when written.

If he had to put down the stories he tells you every other night, he'd have created some best sellers out of children's story books." Jo laughed.

Just then Castle came out from his study to refill his coffee mug. He saw Kate sitting with the kids.

"Hey, you're still here?"

"Was just leaving, but these kids pulled out one of your books"

"Don't you mean your books?" he smiled.

He was right. Every book was for her. His words, were all for her. She smiled.

"Yea, my books"

"Okay, I got to get going"

Castle was refilling his mug of coffee; she stepped behind him and kissed the back of his neck softly.

"I'll see you in the evening okay"

He said "Yea. Stay safe"

"I will" she said, and then said goodbye to the kids and left.

"So kids, looks like it's just us once again."

"Daddy, I want to play something"

"Okay, how about we play hide and seek for a while, and then you two play by yourselves cause I have to finish writing.

'Okay" they said in sweet unison and glee.

After an hour of playing with them, Castle put on another movie for them to watch. He decided that if he finished writing in time, he would take them to the park in the evening.

It was around 2 pm, when Kate's phone began to ring. She answered immediately. It was Castle.

"Hey, everything alright?"

"Yea. It's just... you think you could get out of work early today?"

"What? Why?"

"Uhh... I just got a call from Black Pawn and well, they had scheduled a meeting with me today which I had completely forgotten about and their waiting for me right now"

"Castle! I can't just leave the precinct that way"

"I tried calling Alexis, but she isn't picking up the phone, Mother's out of town too"

"Castle, Captain Gates is not going to let me leave half day in the middle of an investigation. Can't you reschedule your meeting?"

There was a clear tint of irritation in her voice.

"You won't even try asking her?" he spoke firmly.

"Why ask her when there's an option of rescheduling your meeting"

"I can't believe this." he seemed equally upset with her now.

"Castle!"

"Forget it. Go solve your case. I'll figure something out"

he ended the call in what seemed like utter frustration.