"Why do you think he's following you around? What, research? Man's got enough research to write 50 books. Whatever the reason is, I'm pretty sure it's not to watch you be with another guy."
I stood there shellshocked, even after Esposito walked away. Castle was only around to do research. That had to be it...But Esposito did have a point. After 3 years already, the writer has enough to write over 50 books if he wanted. So why did he stay?
I shook my head. No. He is here, shadowing me, for research. Now that he has it, he's going to write the book, and that's that...Right?
"What?"
"Don't 'what' me! Castle's lost love?"
"Yea? What about it?"
"GIRL, I'mma smack you. You work side-by-side, everyday. He writes a sex scene in his book about you, that had ME reaching for ice water. Now little-miss-bride shows up, don't tell me you're not the least bit jealous."
"Oh, please. You've been inhaling too many...autopsy fluids."
"Honey. Just because you can't see what's going on, doesn't mean anyone else can't see what's going on!"
"SHUT UUUUPP!"
Lanie has been inhaling too many autopsy...fluids. Fluids? How the hell..? UGH, I'm so stupid. Fumes, Kate, FUMES. Autopsy FUMES. Ugh. Whatever, she's wrong. There's nothing going on between me and the nine year-old on a sugar high.
"Are you two dating?"
"No. What? Can't a guy and a girl just be friends?"
"Please."
"Are you two together?"
"Not yet." "Definitely not."
WHAT THE FREAKING FRONT DOOR WAS THAT? Suspect asks if Castle and I are together and Castle says 'Not Yet'? O.O UGH!
"Has Castle ever told you when he's going to be done with research?"
"Come on, Beckett. You know he's not here for research."
"Sir?"
"Seriously? Kate, you must really suck at personal observation skills."
"Sir!"
"Kate. During the Tisdale case, he got himself held up by a guy with a gun so that the guy wouldn't get away. Even IF the gun wasn't on safety, Castle knocked the guy down and got the gun away so that you would be safe."
"He was a child on that case! I HANDCUFFED him to the car!"
"Okay, what about the Passport case when he created a distraction, risking his own life, so that you could use your last bullet to shoot the guy. Castle showed no hesitation for his life and put himself in the way of open fire so that you could be safe when you shoot the guy."
"He was an idiot. We could've waited for backup."
"But after what? The guy had a full round of bullets and he wasn't afraid to use it. And what about when your house was blown? He ran from his house just to warn you and when it was on fire, we tried to pull him back, but he ran right into there without any disregard for Alexis, Martha, or for his own life. All he was worried about was you."
"..."
"He ran in, busted down the door, and ran into a burning building to find you and bring you back to safety. Then he let you stay in his apartment and didn't take no as an answer."
"Sir, I didn't ask for all that."
"Exactly, Beckett. You DIDN'T ask for all of it. He did it without thinking of any consequence no matter what it may be. Certainly he did not do it for publicity because you are never in the paper. If he wanted himself to look good, he wouldn't risk his life doing this stuff! He has written crime novels before. And it never took him 3 years of spending day-and-night to do so."
"What are you saying, sir?"
"I'm just saying that no matter what the reason Richard Castle has for following you around, he obviously puts your life before his. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't do that for anyone except for my family, because I love them. You really think that Castle has no feelings for you?"
"Castle, there's something I need you to do."
"Name it."
"Go home."
"Forget it. Fear doesn't exist in this dojo."
"Look, I signed up for this when I put that badge on. You didn't. It's not your fight."
"Like hell it isn't. I don't hang around you just to annoy you. I don't ride up to murder scenes in the middle of the night to settle morbid curiousity. If that's all this was, I would've quit a long time ago."
"Then why do you keep coming back, Rick?"
I need to know. Could the others be right? I hope that for once he could be serious and give me a straight answer.
"Look, I may not have a badge. Unless you count the chocolate one that Alexis got me for my birthday. But i'll tell you this; Like it or not, I'm your plucky sidekick."
I gulped, not watching as he moved to my couch. "Plucky sidekick always gets killed."
"Partner, then."
Partner. A friend is a partner, not a leader or a follower.
A friend is someone you love and who loves you, someone you respect and who respects you, someone whom you trust and who trusts you. A friend is honest and makes you want to be honest, too. A friend is loyal.
A friend is someone who is happy to spend time with you doing absolutely nothing at all; someone who doesn't mind driving you on stupid errands, who will get up at midnight just because you want to go on an adventure, and who doesn't have to talk to communicate with you.
A friend is someone who not only doesn't care if you're ugly or boring, but doesn't even think about it; someone who forgives you no matter what you do, and someone who tries to help you even when they don't know how. A friend is someone who tells you if you're being stupid, but who doesn't make you feel stupid.
A friend is someone who would sacrifice their life and happiness for you. A friend is someone who will come with you when you have to do boring things like watch bad recitals, go to stuffy parties, or wait in boring lobbies. You don't even think about who's talking or who's listening in a conversation with a friend.
A friend is someone for whom you're willing to change your opinions. A friend is someone you look forward to seeing and who looks forward to seeing you: someone you like so much, it doesn't matter if you share interests or traits. A friend is someone you like so much, you start to like the things they like.
Well, I guess Richard Castle and I are Partners (Friends).