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Overridden

It was the morning after and Detective Kate Beckett was having regrets. She'd been convinced by Rick Castle's words that he truly regretted delving too far into her private life and the most horrible thing that had ever happened to her.

Kate had told him she'd see him today and now she wondered if she'd made a mistake. Castle had a track record of saying one thing and doing another.

Maybe he'd just offered her what she wanted to hear, what she needed to hear.

She sighed. She did that a lot since the best selling novelist had come into her life.

He hadn't shown up yet so she couldn't size up his demeanor. Instead, she was faced with a sizable stack of paperwork. Castle hated the mundane and avoided it under all circumstances. That gave Kate more time to formulate her plans for how to deal with her brash shadow.

She'd made a small dent in the reports when the phone on her desk rang. "Beckett."

The desk sergeant on the other end informed her that she had visitors. Two women from the Therapeutic Riding Center wanted to see the detective. Kate asked, "Are you sure they want to see me?'

After hearing an affirmative, she asked for them to be sent upstairs. She automatically smoothed her hair as she headed over to meet the elevator. Two women near her age and dressed in expensive but deceptively casual looking clothes looked around as the elevator doors slid open.

They shook hands and exchanged names as Kate showed them to one of the interview rooms. The women declined coffee or anything else to drink. The detective noticed one of the women had a file folder with her.

Kate settled them at the table, sat down, folded her hands and took a deep breath. "Ladies, I'm not sure how I can help you."

One of them, Kate thought her name was Molly extended the folder. "It's about the new acquisition."

"What new acquisition?"

"Your pony." The other woman offered. Maybe this was Mamie.

"My pony? I'm sorry I'm confused."

"I can see that Detective Beckett. Let me start with this. We are the directors of a charitable organization that offers riding lessons and sessions to people with special needs. It's another kind of therapy and very successful."

Kate offered, "I see." It was clear she didn't.

The co-director said, "We get some government funding and some grants, however, we rely a great deal on private donations."

"It sounds like worthwhile work."

"We love it and I think we get more out of it than our clients. It seems like our animals love it too."

"I'm sure you're being modest and your clients are greatly enriched by your efforts." Kate was still confused, "What do I have to do with this?"

The two women looked at each other before one of them continued, maybe Mamie. "We received a generous donation for purchase, training, equipping and maintaining a pony."

"Congratulations." Kate Beckett felt lame offering the comment.

"Yes, thank you."

The other woman took over, "You see we need different size animals for our different age clients."

"Excuse me ladies, what does any of this wonderful news have to do with me?"

"You're technically the owner."

"The owner?"

"That's correct, the owner of the pony."

"Pony?"

The now opened file was pushed toward Kate. "Here it is, Detective. This donation made in memory of Johanna Beckett and in honor of her daughter, Kate Beckett."

Her partner added, "You're listed as the contact here at the police station."

Kate automatically corrected, "Precinct. So I'm the next of kin for a horse?"

"Sorry, precinct. And yes you are."

Kate felt like she was caught in some cosmic joke. "What do I have to do?"

The one Kate pegged as Molly said, "You have naming rights for the animal. By the way, it's not a horse that would be a foal. This is a pony. It will stay small."

"A pony. I see." Something about a pony rang a bell. She ran through her mental Rolodex. He wouldn't, he didn't – a pony, yep it sounded like Castle. "I believe I know who your benefactor is…I really don't want to be a horse's nanny, I mean a pony's nanny."

She glanced at the open file folder and noticed the brochure of kids smiling as they were led on the animals. Every one looked happy and proud. The veteran detective swore she even saw evidence of equine grins.

She sighed once again that morning over the seismic effect of Richard Castle in her life. Kate straightened her shoulders, "I can't be responsible for doing something this momentous…."

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a whirlwind. It could only be one phenomenon of nature. Castle was back and once again her world was about to tip with his constant demands and pressure. He could never accept a simple no.

"Badger." The word startled her and the charity directors. "Name the pony, Badger."

"Okay, if that's what you'd like."

Kate warmed to her decision. "It's a gender neutral name allowing you to choose the best pony for your needs."

One of the women was curious. "Did you go to the University of Wisconsin?"

"No, oh you mean because the teams there are called Badgers." She smiled, "It's more of a verb than noun in this instance."

"I see." It was clear now that the two women had taken Kate's place in the land of confusion. That was okay, things for Beckett were now crystal clear.

She rose to show them out. "Here's my card. Please keep me up to date on your progress. I'd love to visit you at your workplace. It was nice to have met both of you."

Kate turned from the elevator and met Rick Castle's eyes. They were uncharacteristically anxious. She decided to take him off the hook. "Thanks for the pony."

"I have no idea what you mean Detective Beckett."

"Castle, it was something you knew I couldn't refuse."

"Well, I had a hunch…"

"Not surprising for a mystery writer. Okay, good deed done Castle, now there's paperwork to do."

"Paperwork? I hate paperwork. Maybe we can go to the range Beckett or roust some perps or something."

"Oh yeah, Badger is the perfect name."

"Badger? Like the animal?"

"No, like the writer with the boundary issues."

"Got it." Rick's face lit up. "Also like the her with the badge. Badge-her. Brilliant"

Kate just stared at him as he echoed her earlier pronouncement. "Oh yeah. Badger is a perfect name."

She just let out a sigh.

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The End

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A/N I loved Rick trying to get back in Kate's good graces any way he could. He was serious about the pony and turns out so was I. By the way, first fic for this fandom.