Authors note: This is my first fanfic, I've been reading for a little while now and enjoying all the different ideas people have and since I've had this one absolutely haunting me since I saw episode 24 in season 2, I've finally decided to try writing one myself just to get this idea out of my head. It's how I would have liked the ep to end and on into the weekend in the Hamptons. (BTW I'm Aussie so I'll probably get street names and distances completely wrong but hey I'll try my best to be interesting)
Please let me know how I do, I haven't done much creative writing since high school, so reviews would be much appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Castle rights, I'm just hooked on the show (although, do have to admit if I was single I wouldn't mind having some of RC myself hehe)
Storyline:What if Gina hadn't got hold of Castle to talk, and he hadn't invited her away instead of Kate? Starts at the end of Ep 24 at the little farewell party. Tried to follow canon for that bit, but after that its all me. PG for now, but probably M later on.
Not Always on Duty
Chapter 1
Detective Kate Beckett walked into the break room, smiling at all the laughing faces there and heading over to grab herself a beer from the side table.
"Oh look who's off duty!" grinned Castle.
"Yeah, well Castle, I'm not all work." Beckett shoots back, thinking about the talk she wants to have with him, and about the decision to see if his offer to spend the weekend in the Hamptons is still open. She hopes so, putting herself on the line like this scares her, much more than any psychopath with a gun would.
Lanie looks at Castle " Don't get into a drinking contest with her, she can take you."
"Thank you." he replies solemnly, though with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh I don't need to drink to take him." Beckett comments quietly, but with a small smile.
Castle looks surprised as his eyebrows shoot up his forehead and suddenly a small hope unfolds inside him. What's she mean by that exactly? Could it maybe mean something, something he's hoped for but given up on thinking will happen because she is seeing Demming?
"Ohh, what has gotten into you?" Lanie exclaims, looking up at Beckett with a sly look. Castle coughs quietly behind them in shock.
Beckett looks at Castle, a serious look on her face and her eyes. "Castle, do you have a second?"
Her heart is racing, and butterflies madly fluttering in her stomach as he looks up at her. Castle's blue eyes meet hers and he can see it's something important that she wants to talk to him about. Does he dare hope?
"Of course, yeah." He replies, getting to his feet and grinning at Ryan sitting next to him.
Ryan, Esposito and Lanie watch them walk out of the room. Lanie has a small smile on her face. It looks like her friend might actually be doing something about her and Castle and the obvious connection they have with each other. Well, obvious to everyone but Kate, until now anyway.
Beckett closes the door quietly behind her and takes a couple of steps down the hallway, before turning to face Castle. Rick, she thinks, not just Castle. It makes him seem more normal, closer maybe, calling him Rick, even in her head. She looks at him, studying his face and fiddling with the top of her beer as she mentally composes herself to open up for the first time in so long that she can't really recall when she last opened up to anyone.
Castle watches her from a couple of steps away, watching her face closely. He can see she is thinking hard about what she needs to say to him and he waits patiently for her to be ready to talk to him. She looks kind of vulnerable right now, and maybe a little scared, although she is trying to hide that. He thinks that she looks lovely with this look about her, but then he can't help thinking she looks lovely no matter what.
She finally speaks to him, taking a deep breath and saying " Look, I know I'm not the easiest person to get to know. And I don't always let on what's on my mind. But this past year, working with you, I've had a really good time."
He smiles as she speaks, watching her open up a little to him. He treasures the times where she opens up a little and lets him see Kate, not just Detective Beckett. He's had a good time too. Even if she has tried hard not to let him in too much. Although he hopes this will change.
"Yeah me too." He replies quietly, still smiling. Where is she going with this he wonders. Maybe she only wants to tell him she'd like him to stay on at the station, that's all. His heart drops a little. He hopes that's not it. He wants her, so much more than just as Beckett, muse for Nikki heat and a friend. He wants her to be his, to be with him, to be together. He's hidden much of his liking and attraction for her under flirting and playfulness but it's been so hard. Especially in the last few weeks and days, seeing her with that jerk Demming. She is with him after all, as much as Rick wants her to be his.
"So, I'm…I've got to tell you something. I, um, broke up with Tom." Kate looks at Castle. Rick she reminds herself, waiting for a response to that first surprise.
"What? When did you guys break up? Is everything okay?" Castle asks, looking stunned and pleased but trying to hide that. He takes a step closer to her. "Why?" He asks, looking into her soft hazel eyes intently.
Beckett swallows, mouth dry now and the butterflies trying to escape her stomach she's sure, "I broke up with him earlier today. I'm okay, it's just that I realized that he isn't what I'm looking for right now. I didn't want to lead him on when I can't give him what he wants." She glances down, blushing softly.
Rick looks at Kate with surprise and speculation in his eyes as he asks her, "And why isn't he what you're looking for right now? I thought you said he was great? What changed?" He wants to cross his fingers, hoping she will say it's him she wants.
Kate looks at him through her lashes, glances down again. Taking another deep breath she replies, "I…um well. I kind of realized that I am…um…attracted to someone else, and I want to find out if the feeling is well, mutual."
"And who is it you're attracted to enough that you would dump him for?" Is it him? He is hoping, wishing it to be so. Why would she be telling him otherwise?
She looks up at him, looking him in the eye steadily, even as her face flushes pink again. She smiles slightly at him and says softly "You. I've tried to pretend it wasn't there, and that you didn't mean any of the flirting and playing. I tried to deny that I liked you or that you might like me too. But, the thought that you were going, and maybe not coming back, and also a couple of things that were mentioned to me, I just couldn't bear the idea of letting you just leave and not know that I do like you." She turns her head to look in the lunch room, seeing everyone in there trying to pretend to not watch what was going on with avid interest.
She turns back to him before he can gather his startled and astounded thoughts together enough to form a coherent sentence. He steps a half step closer and looks down into her beautiful eyes as she looks up at him, still flushed from her embarrassment at opening up to him even this much. He wants to reach out and touch her face but there is a very interested audience watching them, he's sure of it. If only because, if it was someone else, he'd be watching too.
"I was wondering, well hoping really, if that offer to come to the Hamptons with you this weekend was still open?" Kate asks him, hoping against hope he didn't decide to ask someone else when she said no before. Now that she has decided she will admit her attraction, she wants to see how things might go. And some time with just Rick and her away from everyone else might be a good start to that.
She wants to come with me? Oh my god, she changed her mind! And what? Rick reruns the last couple of moments though his head. Yes! Oh yes, she finally admitted she is attracted to me. A great sensation of blossoming happiness starts to spread out from his gut, which had been clenched tight with nerves and some fear that it might not be him. A smile touches his lips, a genuinely happy smile as he looks at Kate, seeing a slow smile start to spread across her face too.
"You finally admitted it. You do like me. I knew it." He teases lightly, still smiling.
"Yeah yeah ok. I did. So, the offer?" She grins at him nervously, waiting with some anxiety for his answer. What if he made other plans already? She swallows hard. The pain that thought gives her surprises her.
"Yes it is most definitely still open. I would love to have you at the beach house." He chuckles as he realizes the unintended innuendo in that statement. However true it might be.
She blushes again and laughs "Oh really? Uhuh. Well then. Um when were you planning on leaving? To head up there I mean. And do you want me to drive up separately so you don't have to come back on Monday? You can just stay and concentrate on the book." Her face falls a little as she realizes he isn't planning to be here for the next few months, and she finds the thought of him not being here is, well, if she is honest, painful and kind of depressing. Kate shakes herself slightly, deciding to worry about that as she gets to it. Right now, she wants to focus on the weekend and what it might bring.
Rick sees her face drop a little at the idea of coming back alone on Monday but decides to say nothing. Yet. He is supposed to stay up there after all, but depending how the weekend goes, he thinks he may decide to come back to New York and try to write here. It all depends on Kate and what happens now. If things go well, and they get closer, as he hopes, he can't imagine being at the beach house without her. But he isn't going to think about it now, it's enough that she wants to spend the weekend with him for now. He realizes she is still waiting for an answer.
"I was planning on going home very soon to get my bags then driving up. If you think you can live with my driving, then how about you head home and pack a bag and I will come by and pick you up in say, an hour and we can drive up together. I usually stop for dinner on the way, there's a great little hamburger place about half way there. How's that sound?" He suggests. He knows she likes burgers so that's a safe and easy option for food. He knows she'd freak out a little if he suggested a restaurant at this point. It would be too intimate yet. Well, intimate until the paparazzi found them anyway.
"Sounds pretty good to me, but are you sure you want to have to drive back Monday? I mean, I know you planned to go up there for the summer and write." Kate answers. But she admits it to herself, she likes the idea of the drive up with him, with their normal flirting and teasing banter in the car. She really has grown used to his comments and cheeky wit, and enjoys it now, even when it annoys her sometimes.
Rick tentatively reaches out and touches her upper arm, softly and ever so gently running his thumb over her shirt, brushing her skin underneath teasingly. The thought of touching her bare skin runs through his mind briefly, of kissing her all over and his mouth goes dry. He swallows hard and tries to clear his mind of the thought, for now at least. Plenty of time for that idea later, he thinks. He hears her inhale sharply at his touch, but he thinks it is in a good way.
"I'm not certain yet that I will stay the whole summer up there. I may have reasons to want to be back here instead of there." He smiles at her and continues, "But in any case, its only a few hours and I can easily drive you back and head back there if I decide I want to do that. Gives me more time in your wonderful company." He grins at her and drops his hand back to his side. Very reluctantly he admits, because he wants to touch her so much, sometimes he aches with the desire to just run his fingers down her back, to see if she shivers. Hmm he wonders if Kate is ticklish. Another idea to explore later he decides.
"Okay well if you're sure. I'll let the captain know I'll be taking the weekend off and say bye to everyone then head home. Maybe give me an hour and a half though? I need to have a shower and change before I go." She starts to turn but Rick grabs her hand, a smirk on his face.
"Need any help washing your back?" he quips.
"Hmm nope, think I can manage, thanks Castle." She responds, even as the idea of him in the shower with her causes her to blush yet again. Whoa, down girl! Not the time or place for that thought.
He sees her face going pink again and can guess what just crossed her mind. He chuckles. Then she looks at him, and giggles herself. She turns around and heads back into the break room, where the others are trying to pretend they were discussing their plans for the weekend and hadn't just been gazing out the window, watching her and Castle talking. Kate is sure that there is all sorts of speculation and possibly even betting going on between the four of them as to the conversation going on outside.
"Hey I'm off guys. Oh Captain, I'm taking the weekend off, but I'll obviously have my cell if something urgent comes up before Tuesday." She grins at her friends and colleagues.
"Oh okay then Beckett, we'll see you on Tuesday." Replied Montgomery, clearly surprised that his workaholic detective was taking a couple of days off, although goodness knows she more than deserved a bit of a break. "Have a fun weekend."
"Oho girl, what're you up to hmm? Anything interesting I should know about?" Lanie asks in a not so subtle give-me-the-details voice.
"Nothing! Well, nothing I'm telling you just yet anyway." Kate grins at her friends attempt to get information. But she isn't ready to talk to anyone yet. Not until she and Castle, um Rick, have worked out what is happening. "Later everyone. Hope you all have good weekends. Bye." She smiles and waves at them all as she heads out the door.
Risk is standing by the door waiting for her. He grabs her hand as she goes past, stopping her.
"I'll just say bye to everyone and head home, then I'll be by your place at," glances at his watch, "six o'clock? An hour and twenty enough time for you to get ready?" He asks.
Kate nods and replies, " Yeah six will be fine. I'll be ready when you get there. See you soon….Rick." She calls him by his first name for the first time he can recall. It makes him feel like she is actually serious. She smiles at him and tugging back her hand, turns to head to the elevator.
"By the way, it's a private beach so swimwear is entirely optional." Rick smirks at Kate, watching her narrow her eyes at him and frown slightly.
"I think I'll bring my swim suit anyway, thanks Castle." She replies. Then grins to show she knows he's joking again. "See you at six."
"See you then…Kate." He replies quietly, putting so much of what he is feeling right now into that short name.
The sound of her name coming from his lips sends a slight shiver up her back, it just sounds so good to hear it. Almost caressing, and she can hear the emotion behind it. She can't recall if he's ever called her Kate before, but thinks she'd probably remember if he had, just from the effect it has on her. She smiles over her shoulder at him as she rounds the bend in the corridor to the elevator. The weekend was promising to be interesting indeed.
