A/N: This idea has fascinated me for awhile. I wanted to tell the story of their romance from an outsiders point of view. I hope you all enjoy this. Please read and review :)
My name is Ruby and I've worked at Remy's for going on eight years. I took this job after retirement. I needed a second income and just because I like people. My husband, God rest his soul, never understood my need to people watch. I tried to explain to him but he just never understood. Oh he humored me all right. Dragging me to places where I could observe people. Coffee shops, central park, and little mom and pop restaurants just to name a few. So when he passed, I needed more people to not only observe but also people to talk with. Getting the job at Remy's seemed like a win-win. And this is where I met them.
I met them back in 2009. I was in my second year at Remy's. We always seemed to have a good crowd and the day they came in was no exception. The dinner rush was just beginning to dissipate and then a party of six comes waltzing through the door. I wipe my hands on my apron and begin to seat them in my corner of the dining room. I place them in an oval booth reserved for groups. There are two females and the rest are all males. They all fall in one after the other. The Hispanic man, the short Irish man, the tall African American man, and the tall dark haired man all slide in on one side while the brunette with the short hair hesitantly slides into the seat next to the man. Her friend follows behind her. I introduce myself to the group and begin to take their drink orders. It doesn't take me long to recognize that the tall man in the middle is the life of the party. Each one of them engages him fondly as they listen to him tell stories. I drop off all of their drinks, a couple at a time. When I bring him his drink he just winks and says. "Thanks Ruby." I smile, because no one ever remembers his or her waitress' name. This guy is charismatic to say the least. I go ahead and get their orders for dinner.
As I wait for Johnny to finish cooking their food, I watch each of them interact with one another. I begin to notice that the young brunette isn't as comfortable with the charming man sitting next to her as the other people in her group are. She is naturally at ease with the rest of them but you can see how he unnerves her. She puts up a brave front even throwing a few sarcastic remarks and eye rolls his way but the unease is still there.
Eventually the food is ready, and I bring out the food a little at a time. Same as before the others receive their food and say their thanks but both the man and the woman say "Thanks Ruby."
I watch over the group as they devour their meal. The brunette, which I've heard them call 'Beckett', makes little side glances to her companion. She must like him. That's why she's so uncomfortable around him.
I don't spend my entire time watching them because that would be rude. I float around the restaurant filling salt and peppershakers and wiping down the tables. After every sixth table, I go back and check on them, gathering empty glasses and refilling them. During this time the two girls seem to be having a private side conversation which no one is really paying attention to. Except for me of course. The man, called 'Castle' by these people, keeps taking glances over at her when he thinks that no one is paying attention. There is a definite attraction to her as well. I wonder if they will notice what's in front of them or let that possible romance fizzle out.
When they are finished, I bring their bills, but 'Castle' insists on paying for everyone. There are a few protests, mainly stemming from 'Beckett'.
"This was my idea so it's my treat" he says and that seems to quiet the group.
"Well if that's the case, I want a piece of apple pie to go." Jokes the man beside him and everyone easily laughs as the other two men rattle off their pie orders.
I send a silent questioning look to the man, who has generously offered to pay for dinner, he gives me a nod and a wink and I make the preparations for the three to go orders. When I come back with the pies, he hands me the card and I take it to the cash register to ring them out. Everyone begins to vacate the booth. I see him lay some money down on the table and I make a mental note to collect that once they leave. They all head outside while Castle pays for their food. I give him the receipt and he signs and hands it back. I thank him for his business and he gives me a handsome smile and says " I think this could be a new tradition for them. Thank you Ruby." He shakes my hand and turns and leaves. I look down at the receipt and see that 'Castle' is actually famed novelist Richard Castle.
It didn't take much longer after that, that I figured out that 'Beckett' is actually Kate Beckett and also the inspiration for his next series. This meant that the people they were with were members of the 12th precinct where Kate Beckett worked. I found this out when Stacey, a mother of two, came into work with a Cosmo magazine wrapped under her arm. I recognized the man immediately and borrowed the magazine to read the article of the man. There were some really flattering pictures of Kate in there as well.
I watched as both Richard and Kate began to get closer and closer. They came by once a week either with the rest of the gang or by themselves. I began to learn each of their names. Javier, Kevin, Roy, Lanie, Rick and Kate I began to enjoy them all. Later that year, they ended up back at Remy's again, this time just the two of them. Rick looked devastatingly handsome and Kate looked beautiful but her hair and makeup didn't match the outfit she was wearing. Her outfit looked like something she would normally wear but the hair and makeup made it look like she was going out.
"Hey guys!" I lead them to 'their spot' in the back corner.
"Hey Ruby!" they respond in unison. They do that often and I wonder if they do the same at work. They get settled in and I then notice that there is still an uncomfortable-ness between them but they are more comfortable than before and it makes me glad to see.
"You guys look too fancy to be eating in this place. What happened?"
"Bad dates." Castle responds.
"Very Bad."
"Not that bad, we did manage to catch the bad guy." He smiles at her and she returns the smile somewhat bashfully.
"You're right I guess it wasn't that bad." She concedes
"And now you're here with me." He waggles his eyebrows. "Which is definitely the best part."
She rolls her eyes and looks at me with a 'what can you do?' expression and a hint of a smile.
"You want your usual?" I ask addressing both of them. They nod and I bring them their drinks and eventually their food. They talk and laugh and you can see the air is different from a year ago. They actually seem to be enjoying one another's company.
Again, when they are finished, he pays for their meal and gives me a wink and a smile as he leaves holding the door for Kate and ushering her out the door. If they aren't a couple now, it shouldn't be much longer because I have started to see both my husband and myself in the two of them. I can't wait to see their relationship blossom into something more.
A year later, I was proved wrong. The couple that could only get closer manages to drift apart. During the middle of one of their ritual dinners together, I notice that her phone begins to ring. This wasn't anything different but what she did next was. She gets up and leaves the table. I look at Richard but he doesn't meet my eyes.
"She's talking to her boyfriend." He offers an explanation.
"I thought you were her boyfriend."
"Nope." He hangs his head and looks like someone just kicked his favorite puppy. "I think she wants the usual." He tells me redirecting me to what I had came over to do. I bring both of their meals and watch as they eat in relative silence. Every so often, one will say something and the other will laugh and respond but it just feels different. Even when they pay, it feels different receiving Kate's card to pay for her meal and then watching Rick hand over his card for his portion of the bill.
Kate is already out the door and this sleek motorcycle is parked right outside. There is a man sitting on the bike. She takes the helmet that is offered to her and slides it on her head. She climbs on behind the man and squeezes him tight as they pull out into traffic.
Richard is standing there still staring at the spot that Kate had just vacated. I come up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder and offer him a piece of hard earned advice.
"Don't give up hope. It took a year and a half before I recognized not only my feelings for my husband but for me to notice that he felt the same for me. If this is something that you want, and my gut is telling me that it is, you need to fight for it."
"Thanks" He gives me a sad smile and heads out the door.
It isn't much later that he starts coming in by himself. He looks miserable. He doesn't even bother with trying to find me anymore just sitting in their booth. I go ahead and make both of their orders figuring that Kate will be here shortly. When I realize that Kate won't be joining him, I bring him his meal. I ask him where Kate is and he begins to tell me all about Kate's brush with death. I figure that what he needs right now is a friend, so I sit down as he talks to me while he eats. He tells me about his 'deathbed confession'. I want to scold him for telling her like that, but I think that the last thing he needs is to be berated. He seems to be doing that enough for the both of us.
When he finishes his meal, he makes no move to leave.
"We've come here for three years how come we've never talked about you."
"Oh I'm not that interesting." I say
"I'm sure you are. After all, I've found that the people who say that happen to be the ones with the most interesting stories to tell." He tells me and a ghost of a smile lights his eyes. I don't know what it is to make him look like that but if talking about my past will help him out of this self-imposed funk, then so be it.
So from then on regularly for roughly the next three months, Rick comes in and we sit and talk about anything and everything we can think about. I talk about my dear Andrew and he tells me all about his daughter and mother. I tell him about my two children as well, Jared and Sarah. He comes in sometimes three times a week and always when I don't have a bunch of people to cater to. I ask him if he has heard from Kate. His eyes darken and he tells me no but he forces the darkness away and begins to ask me questions about my life. We talk for hours at a time and when we're done I always ask him why he wants to know all about me. He responds in the same fashion every time.
"One day I'm going to write about a waitress at a diner who helps solve crimes."
I just laugh and bring him his bill.
In the fall of 2011, a familiar face emerges with Rick. He's smiling and has his arm draped on her shoulder. He walks her back to the booth and I smile at the two of them together again. It's none other than Kate Beckett. Before she gets to sit down I greet her with a hug and then give Rick one as well. As they get seated, I ask Rick about his daughter and mother. He, in turn, asks me about Jared and Sarah and whether or not I read the last Derek Storm novel. I tell him that they're both doing really well and that I'm still on the second to last book. I tell him I hate to see that series end.
"But that series had to end to make way for my new inspiration."
"You're right. I can't wait to read those. I finish this one and then start Storm Fall before you come back to see me." I promise him.
"I count on it." He's smiling a genuine smile and Kate is just looking at the two of us in amazement. Three months is more than enough time to develop a special bond.
I look to Kate and ask her if she wants her usual.
"You remember my order?" she asks
"Of course honey. I may be old but I'm still able to remember things." I give her a wink. She just nods and I set about getting their food order to the cook and place their drinks on the table.
As they eat, I work on the crossword puzzle and steal glances at the couple that seem to still be awkward, but at the same time, seem better then where they were months before. I only pray that they regress and end up back where they started. My suspicions are confirmed when Rick gets up to use the restroom. Kate comes up to the register and I follow behind her to see what she's up to.
"I want to pay for dinner." I must have looked at her in shock because she offers up an explanation not long after. "After all the times we have had dinner together, I certainly owe him one." She hands over her card and I swipe it. She goes and grabs her to go cup off the table and drop off the tip on the table. When Rick returns he pulls out his wallet to pay. I place my hand over his to stop him. He looks up at me questioningly.
"Your girl just paid for it." Me telling him about 'his girl' brings a wide grin to his face.
Kate makes her way back to the front of the restaurant and opens the front door.
" You coming, Castle?"
They come in again more and more frequently these days without their captain. Rick told me what happened to him back when Kate wasn't around. That mans death brought all of them closer together in a way I've never seen before. Whereas he was the leader of the group, the torch was passed down to Kate. They were cohesive before but together they are one fluid movement now. The gang gets all together again sometimes even bringing Ms. Ryan. I can't believe that he is now a married man.
It's six months into the new year when I notice a change. The way he holds onto her when they walk in makes me stop and take notice. He seats her into their booth and then smiles at her. The way he smiles at her I know that there is more than the undercurrent of unrequited love. When I walk up to them they are staring at each other. The looks that pass in each other's eyes makes the room feel warmer than it already does in the June heat.
"Well it's about time." I tell them. Kate just gives me a sheepish smile and Rick gives me a huge grin. I bring them their food and watch them as they make lovey eyes towards one another.
When they finish, Rick pays and I give him a big hug. While he is hugging me back, I tell him how proud I am of him. I turn and give Kate a hug as well.
"Take care of him"
"Always".
A year and a half goes by. I have seen this couple through their highs and lows. I was fortunate enough to go to Rick's surprise birthday party that Kate had orchestrated. I listened as they hit a rough patch and when Kate made the decision to move to Washington D.C. I told him that everything would work out. Not much later, I listen to him tell me that he plans to propose. I'm there as Kate heads to D.C. with Rick's ring on her finger and when she comes back after realizing that that life is not for her. I'm there for their wedding. Sitting in the front. Most of the same people who I met all those years ago are standing beside them as they give their vows to one another.
A month after their wedding, Rick comes in to the diner looking a little frazzled. Fearing the worst, I ask him what is wrong.
"Kate hasn't been feeling well. She is up at all hours of the night vomiting. She thinks she has the flu but it's been a week. She says that all she wants is some chicken noodle soup. You still have that right?" He looks at me desperate.
I nod to him and place the order. While the order is being prepared I ask Stacey to go run to the drug store and grab a few pregnancy tests. I remember that time well and I have a feeling that just might be the case here. Kate might be a damn good detective and Rick a brilliant crime novelist, however, right now neither one of them are doing good to follow the evidence.
When the bell rings I walk back there to pick up both the tests as well as the soup. I bring both bags out to Rick. "Have her drink plenty of fluids. Then have her try these." He accepts them graciously and scurries home to his wife.
A couple of weeks later, he comes back with his wife and she gives me a hug.
"Congratulations. Feeling good enough for your usual?" I ask her.
"Yes but no onion. Peanut here doesn't seem to like it." She tells me as she absentmindedly rubs her belly. When he pays for their meal, he begins again with the same line he used on me all those years ago when we would talk for hours.
"How is it that we've known each other for almost seven and a half years and I don't know your middle name?"
"I certainly don't know Rick. But it's Grace. My name is Ruby Grace Summers."
Roughly nine and a half months later, I find myself ringing up a customer when Rick and Kate come walking up the sidewalk and enter the restaurant. I notice immediately that they have brought the baby with them. I give the customer his change and wipe my hands on my apron as Rick motions for me to come outside.
I walk outside and I can't wait to see the newest addition to the Castle family. Rick is holding the car carrier.
"What are you two doing here?" I ask incredulously.
"We were on our way home from the hospital when we realized that not everyone has gotten to see our little one just yet. There was one very special person who has been with us for the past eight years who needs to meet this little one." Kate tells me.
"It is our honor to introduce you to Olivia Grace Castle." Rick pulls back the cover.
My eyes become shiny with tears as I realize that they used my middle name. I realize that it is not a coincidence. I can't wait to watch as this little girl grows up. These people have become much more than the regulars who come in for dinner after a tough case, or with their family. I took this job after retirement not expecting anything more than extra income and the opportunity to people watch. What I got was so much more- the opportunity to be apart of two young people's lives. Through the ups and the downs, I was with them through it all. And I don't regret a single minute of it.