Unconditional
Chapter One
A/N: So I know I have an incomplete Castle story that I've kinda let slip for a LONG time, but honestly, I'm feeling uninspired for that one at the moment. I plan on eventually getting back to it, but there's no way I'm going to write more for it if I'm not satisfied with what I'm producing. So I'm starting a new multi-chapter...one with all the drama and Caskett that I love (and I hope you will at least give a chance). Warning: As Florence + The Machines sing in one of their songs, "It's always darkest before the dawn". Keep that in mind as you read. Takes place after The Lives of Others but BEFORE The Squab and The Quail (can I just pretend that Squab didn't even happen? No? Okay.)
Disclaimer: Well, I would have Beckett say yes...BEFORE Watershed ended.
"Can I just say how much of a relief it is to be rid of that hideous contraption on my leg?" Richard Castle commented as he opened the door to his loft. Perfect gentleman that he often was, he allowed his partner-turned-more-than-partner to enter before he did, closing the door behind the both of them.
"You can, but that's like the forty-seventh time you've mentioned it since you got the all-clear from the doctor," Kate Beckett responded, though there was no attempt on her part to conceal her smile. She too was relieved by his new-found freedom. After four weeks of near-constant whining from her partner (calling him boyfriend seemed so juvenile and demeaning), it was good to see him in better spirits. True, her "epic" birthday surprise for him had dulled his complaining...for a time. But after the high had worn off, he'd been right back to his surliness.
Not that she truly minded it. Beckett would never admit this, but she actually found his petulance to be mildly endearing. It made him more human, added another dimension to the man she was slowly getting to know more and more. And his 'invalid' status had given her more opportunities to show him how deeply her feelings for him truly went. He could see it in the breakfast she made him every morning, in the way she would affectionately scratch his leg when he didn't even mention it itched, in the kisses she would press against his head when he was feeling particularly down. At least, she hoped he could see it. And she also hoped that he knew that she was nearly ready to say it too.
"So, in honor of my liberation from the Cast of Hell, how about I whip you up something worthy of your kindness to me over these past few weeks?" Castle's question brought Beckett back from her thoughts. She stared blankly at him for a few seconds while her brain tried to figure out what he just said.
"Huh? Oh, no, Castle, you don't have to feel like you owe me anything." That, and she wasn't sure she truly trusted his cooking. Her mind flashed back to when he had prepared a smorelette for her right after Meredith left the loft. She shuddered inwardly.
"But what if I want to spoil you? You've been amazing and I just want you to know how much I appreciate that." He gave her a soft smile, his eyes twinkling in the way they only did for her.
"Or...it just may be that I got dinner reservations at the place you thought we were going to go to for your birthday. You probably shouldn't be up and about too much. Wouldn't want to end up on crutches again so soon after being rid of them." She smirked slightly as she finished talking.
"Don't jinx it!" Castle cried, eliciting the response Beckett had expected, much to her amusement. "All right, all right. You win this round. I'll make all this up to you a different time."
They arrived to the restaurant without fanfare, something that pleased the both of them. Although Castle was a regular fixture on Page Six, he didn't want this part of his personal life to be in the papers. But this was only because of the NYPD regulations against coworkers dating. If it were all up to him, he would stand on the tallest building he could find (which wasn't hard in New York) and shout, "Hey, everybody! My girlfriend, Detective Kate Beckett, is the most amazing girl in the whole world and I'm so lucky to have her!" And everything he would shout he meant. She was amazing. And he was lucky.
After placing their orders, the pair was left alone. Although the rest of the restaurant was fairly quiet and subdued, their table for two was animated with bubbling conversation.
"Admit it, Castle. You were jealous when we saw those male dancers during the Beau Randolph case." Beckett took a long sip of her iced tea and grinned deviously at her partner.
"I admit no such thing. True, those dancers had...um...impressive physiques. But you've seen me with even less clothing on and you have to agree that I'm not that far off from that sculpted look."
"It seems that someone feels the need to compensate," she smiled with a wink. "I think when you have to qualify yourself like that, it's kind of an admittance."
"We-Well, why are we talking about old cases? We're at dinner. And I don't see any other couples talking about murder." His excuse was weak and only further served to amuse Beckett.
"Oh, I don't know, Castle. Maybe it's because we always talk about murder, no matter what the setting. Take the time we both went on dates with those really eligible bachelors."
"Touche, detective, touché. Although, and I don't mean to presume anything from this, you did set up that date after I got in contact with Miss #3 on that list in the paper." To that, Beckett reached for her fork and pantomimed a throwing motion towards him.
"Not presume anything, my ass," she snorted. "There's no way I was jealous." However, she couldn't stop the spread of red across her face. Though she was an excellent bluffer in the interrogation box, she truly was a terrible liar, especially to Castle.
"Say what you want. But it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Although his words were in a lighthearted tone, his eyes conveyed the true seriousness that he felt.
"Yeah," Beckett murmured. "Yeah, it did." Their eyes met and all conversation stopped. The next few moments were spent in silence, both of them too afraid to leave the depths of the other's eyes. There was something so pure about these times, the times in which they could just be, when they could just truly see each other without interruption, without judgment, without...
"Ah, here you are!" Their waitress, an angular woman with the tactfulness of a bulldozer, handed the pair their plates of steaming food. She left without asking if they wanted anything else.
"Nice, that one," Castle commented, his irritation stemming more from the fact that his moment with Beckett had been unfairly cut short. "I'll be sure to leave a large tip."
"Don't be rude," Beckett chided, though the sarcasm was plain in her voice. "Hey, I've got to use the bathroom. I'll be right back, okay?" She leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. She could feel his smile as their mouths connected. Neither one of them ever tired of these spontaneous displays of affection.
"If you must. Don't make me miss you for too long." She rolled her eyes, which did nothing to conceal her happiness at his simple words. With a little energy in her step, she flitted towards the restrooms.
Opening the door, she was startled to see a tall, broad-shouldered man standing by the sinks. Had she stepped into the wrong bathroom? No. There were only toilet stalls...
"Are you Detective Beckett?" the man asked, taking a step towards her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up at his voice.
"E-Excuse me?" she replied, fingers twitching.
"That's as good as a yes." And with that, the man closed the gap between them. Before Beckett had enough time to scream, to make a sound, to run back into the arms of the man that said he already missed her, he pulled out a syringe and jabbed it into her shoulder.
And the world slowly dissolved around her.
A/N: Well, that escalated quickly. I hope that grabbed some interest. Reviews would be great! I will try to update at least a couple times a week.
