The Girlfriend
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: How much of Castle do I not own? All of it. Rating: M Time: AU Season three, beginning near the end of Poof! You're Dead.
Author's note: In a video clip I now cannot find, Stana suggested it would be interesting if Castle got a girlfriend. From her hairstyle it was in the earlier seasons.
CHAPTER ONE
"Hi. Is Rick Castle around?"
Kate Beckett looked up from her paper work. The questioner was a cop, the badge and the sidearm told her that, but she wasn't dressed like most cops. She wore painted on hot pink pants and a cropped tee shirt showing her flat stomach below and a lot of her large boobs above. Her wavy blonde hair seemed to swirl around her pretty face, even though she wasn't moving.
"He's around someplace. Detective…?"
"Oh. Sorry. It's the get up, I guess. Detective Susan Keane, Vice. My working clothes." She gestured to her outfit. "I just reported to the 12th a couple of days ago. I'm still trying to find my way around."
"Why do you want to see Castle?" Kate was mildly curious.
The woman smiled like she meant it. "He was a huge help on a case of ours. A little girl was kidnapped, but the perp left behind a medal on a chain. Castle recognized it as a modern reproduction of an ancient Greek coin. He knows a guy, and to make a long story short, the coin is given to members of an ethnic Greek social club. And so we caught the guy. I wanted to thank Castle."
Kate shrugged. "Well, I guess Castle's not pain in the ass all of the time."
Detective Keane's smile faded. "Because of Castle an eleven year old girl will be going home to her parents and won't be tied up in some pedophile's basement. I'd say that's a hell of a lot more than not being a pain in the ass." She said coldly.
Before Kate could apologize, Susan's face lit up with a smile. "Ricky! Over here!"
Castle joined the two women. "What's up?"
"We caught the guy. Rachel Mobley is fine. The docs said we got there in time. She'll be at the hospital overnight, but she'll be fine with some therapy. Come on. I'm taking you to Remy's for a burger and a beer." She took Castle's hand and started pulling him towards the elevator.
Castle looked at Kate. "You've just got paperwork, right? You don't need me."
Kate shook her head. "No. Go enjoy yourself." She smiled at him as he left. She did notice that Susan was still holding his hand when the elevator doors closed.
"So, Castle's met Black Eyed Susan." Espo said, turning his chair around.
"That's her?" Ryan added. "I heard about her. She is nice. Very, very nice."
"Black Eyed Susan?" Kate asked, curiously. "I'm sure her eyes were grey."
Espo laughed. "She got the nickname when she was a uniform. It's what put her on the map, so to speak. She was out running in Central Park early one morning and saw some goon trying to drag a little girl into his car. She didn't have her piece, but she called it in and went to help the girl. By the time backup got there, she had two broken fingers, a broken nose, a tooth knocked out and two of the biggest black eyes you ever saw. But she was still hanging on to the perp with a death grip. From then on, she was Black Eyed Susan."
"It looks like Castle has a new girlfriend." Ryan said, earning a glare from Espo.
"Oh, I think Castle's evolved beyond the blonde airhead." Kate said dismissively.
"She's no airhead." Espo said. "She got her degree from NYU in three years even. And she double majored in police science and psychology."
"Actually, she's been teaching classes on how to handle rape victims at various hospitals in the Tri-State area. She does that on her own, it's not paid for by the NYPD." Ryan added.
Kate nodded. "Well, let Castle have a good time with her then. We have paperwork to complete."
Kate was the last one of her team to leave that night. As she stood to leave, she pulled a bouquet of fake flowers out of her sleeve and threw them in the trash.
She had just entered her apartment when she got a phone call from Josh. "Hi, Babe. Still three days until you're back?" She asked in a low sultry voice.
"Kate, I'm sorry. We've been inspecting rural hospitals here in southern Mexico and they're a lot worse than anyone thought. It'll take me at least another ten days to finish up and then I'm scheduled to go to Mexico City to talk to some people in the Ministry of Health. But I swear, I'll make it up to you."
Kate didn't let her disappointment show. "That's okay, Josh. What you're doing is important. I understand that." Kate heard someone yelling in the background.
"Sorry. I have to go. We'll talk later."
"Bye, Josh." But she was talking to herself. The phone had gone dead.
Kate poured herself a glass of wine and took down one of Castle's books that she'd been reading. But she couldn't concentrate on the story. She finished her wine and put the book away, deciding to go to bed early. She stood in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. "Okay. So I don't have a date tonight and Castle does. It doesn't mean a thing."
The next morning Castle put her coffee down in front of her. But before she could thank him or sip her coffee, he picked it up again. "Sorry. I just tasted mine and it's cold. I'll warm it up in the microwave in the break room." He grabbed the coffee and disappeared, then returned. "There you go. Nice and hot now."
"Did you have a problem on the way here?" She sipped the coffee.
"No, but I stopped to talk with Sue on the way up. I kind of lost track of time."
"You talked to Sue Keane?"
"Yeah. She's really interesting. They have their own board down there just like we do. They don't call it a murder board, of course. She was just filling me in on their active cases. Very interesting. A lot different than homicides."
"Research?" Kate asked, with as neutral a voice as she could manage.
"Yeah." Castle said no more on the subject. "Next time I'll go straight to the microwave with your coffee."
Next time? Kate thought.
The day passed slowly, looking over phones and financials for all of their suspects on what had seemed like a routine murder. Finally, Kate had had enough and sent Ryan and Esposito home. Castle stayed.
Kate made a few notes for her report and looked over at Castle. I should take him to Remy's myself. He has been so valuable. I should show him he's appreciated here.
"I think we're done for the night, Castle. We should…" Just then Castle's phone rang and she didn't finish her sentence.
"Hi." Castle said. "No, I'm just sitting here killing some time."
"No. No one, except Beckett."
"Okay. Two minutes then."
Castle hung up and looked over at Kate. "That was Sue. We're going to the Jade Pagoda for dinner tonight."
"The Jade Pagoda." Kate said slowly. "I've really wanted to go there. In fact, you said you'd take me some time." She tried not to sound too disappointed.
Castle nodded. "We'll go for lunch some time."
"Lunch?" Keane gets dinner and I get a lunch?
"If I took you to dinner, we might end up on Page Six. You have a boyfriend, remember? Josh? He wouldn't be too happy about that. In fact, you can ask Josh to take you. See, your problem's solved."
"Right." Kate said with a forced smile. I do have a boyfriend, I suppose. It'd be easier to remember that I do if he was around, though. And I think I was just disinvited by Castle to the Jade Pagoda. Kate realized she was being foolish. I can't expect Castle to take me to the most expensive Chinese restaurant in Manhattan when I'm dating someone.
The elevator door opened and Susan Keane walked in. Even Kate was impressed. Castle looked stunned. Susan wore a tight, light blue dress that was cut short and tight. She had stunning, well-toned legs and a great ass.
My legs and ass are better. Kate thought, then dismissed the thought. Why am I comparing myself to her?'
The dress was high necked, but slit down the front all the way to the top of her stomach. It was cut so low that it was obvious that she didn't have a bra on, nor did she need one. Okay. She has bigger boobs than I do. So what? They're probably fakes.
"Hi, Ricky. "Susan said, putting both of her arms around Rick's arm. Kate could see that she was pushing one boob against his arm, then she rubbed it along his arm. "I'm all ready."
Castle nodded. "You certainly are." He looked down at her. "Wow."
Susan laughed. Then turned Rick around and headed for the elevator. She put her arm around his waist and he put his arm around hers.
"See you tomorrow?" Kate called after him.
"Night, Beckett." He said lazily. Then the elevator door closed.