A New Mountain
An 8x01 AU Ficlet
To say she's nervous would be a significant understatement. She hadn't been exaggerating before when she told Castle that she couldn't even think about eating; she can still feel her stomach fluttering, her heart pounding. Even the pep talk she'd received from Gates down at 1PP hadn't quelled her nerves completely. It had helped, but she still locks her knees in the elevator on the way up to Homicide to keep them from trembling.
God, maybe she's not cut out for this, being a captain, being in charge. It's one thing to take over for Gates for a few days at a time, but for good? What if she's made the wrong call in accepting the promotion and the precinct? What if she hates it? What if she's terrible at it? What if she hates it because she's terrible at it?
Gates had been a hardass – unbearably so at times – but she'd known how to handle a precinct. She'd known what was good for her people, and Kate knows she has some incredible shoes to fill. What if she's not up for the challenge?
Her phone buzzes in her pocket just as the doors open to the fourth floor. Rick's name flashes across the screen, along with a ridiculous amount of emojis.
You've got this, Captain Beckett.
Oh, she loves him and his eternal, unwavering confidence in her. Not to mention how he's made her new title sound so sexy.
Thanks, Babe. Don't get in too much trouble at the P.I. office today.
His winking emoji is enough to lift her lips even higher, allowing her to round the corner and enter the bullpen with her head held high.
The boys make a show of announcing her arrival, leading the room in a round of applause.
Beckett huffs a laugh, lowering her chin toward her chest. "Thank you. That was… really not necessary, Detectives, but thank you."
Her teammates – former teammates – grin, starting a slow chant requesting a speech. She rolls her eyes at their antics but complies – somewhat.
"I'll keep this brief. I know we've all gotten used to a leader as capable and fierce as Captain Gates, and I hope to be that kind of captain as well. You have my word that I will do everything I can to live up to the faith and trust that you're putting in me and have your backs each and every day." She looks around the room, nods to everyone. "Now get back to work."
They all chuckle, giving her a nod in return.
"You got it, Boss," Esposito says. "But uh, one thing?"
She stops on her way to her office – jeez, she has an office now – looking back at her friend.
"Who gets your desk?"
She grins. "You'll figure out a way to decide. Just make sure I get to see it if you end up holding an arm-wrestling contest."
He grins in return, looking almost relieved that she's still on board (as much as she's ever been) with their shenanigans.
"Go on, work," she insists, turning back to her door, taking a deep breath, and stepping over the threshold.
When she exhales, it's stilted. This is hers now, her domain: her couch and chairs, her desk, even her nameplate – her very gold, very large, nameplate.
She sits at the desk, smoothing her hands over the surface, taking in the view, her view. Her precinct.
"Okay," she breathes after a moment. "Time to get to work."
She's on the phone with another precinct captain, asking for a favor, when a familiar, wonderful face appears in her doorway.
"Afternoon, Captain," he says, grinning as he steps into the room. He's been stressing her title nonstop since she was granted the promotion and awarded her precinct, and even after hearing it from others all morning long it still sends her heart fluttering to hear it from him.
"Thanks, Jesse," she says into the receiver, relaxing back into her chair, her eyes never leaving his. "We owe you one."
Castle doesn't wait for her to hang up before he sets a paper bag and a drink carrier down on her desk and drags one of the chairs in front of her desk around the side, taking his customary spot at her elbow.
"In honor of your first day," he says once her phone is back in the cradle. "Remy's."
"I really love you," she breathes, reaching for the bag.
He laughs, poking a straw into her milkshake and handing that over too. "I love you, too. How's it going so far?"
"No major fires, which is good. I watched Ryan and Espo race for my desk earlier." Off his look, she adds, "They tied, so they tried to roshambo, but that was a draw, too. They ended up drawing straws from LT. Espo won."
Rick chuckles, nodding.
"It's… different," she continues, taking a sip of her milkshake, contemplating her words. "Not bad, just… different."
He nods again, leaning in, looking as eager as he always has to hear her secrets. "Tell me about it and then I'll tell you what I found when I went to my office earlier?"
She laughs, stealing a few of his fries, her grin triumphant as he feigns a gasp. "Deal."
The loft welcomes her a few hours later with warmth and the spicy-sweet scent of her favorite meal, inviting her to shed the last of her stress and embrace relaxation.
"Look who's home," Castle calls from the kitchen, waving a wooden spoon in hello. Her lips lift in silent greeting. "Go change, get comfy; this will be ready soon."
"It smells amazing, Rick," she says, kicking her shoes off and abandoning her things on the couch in favor of joining him at the stove. She'll head to their bedroom and change in a few minutes, but right now she wants to be right here, watching him, decompressing from her day with her husband.
"Thank you," she adds, slipping her arms around him and touching her mouth to his. "You didn't need to go all-out like this."
Rick smiles, pressing another kiss to her lips. "Sure I did. It's not every day that you become captain of an entire precinct. And after dinner, I intend to show you to our bedroom, run you a bath, and wash your back while you relax in the tub."
She hums, resting her cheek on his shoulder. It sounds like a heavenly way to spend the rest of her night, except for one very important thing.
"Only if you join me," she insists after a moment, lifting her head. A bath is always more fun with him. As is having him with her at the precinct, but she'll work up to that request. Not that she truly thinks he'll need much convincing, but she can wait to make her case until he's loose and liquid beneath her in their bed.
Her husband grins. "Done."
She squeezes him in reply, dropping a kiss on his shoulder. "Best first day ever."
Rick runs a hand down her back, landing on her hip. "Just wait until you see what I have in store for you tomorrow, sweetheart. Just wait."
Thank you all for reading!
Slightly paraphrased prompt from anonymous: Can you please write a fic about Kate's first day [being normal and uneventful] based on those tags you just blogged on the 8x01 gifset?!
And a bazillion years later, here it is, Anon! If you're still reading Castle fanfic, I hope you liked this!