A/N- This is my first fanfic:) I am pretty excited...please review! Enjoy some Caskett!
Disclaimer: I definitely do not own Castle- I would not have the restraint of 4 years of this!
Chapter 1- Living in a Barbie World
As soon as Kate got the creep's confession she exited Interrogation Room 1, she needed to get away from it all. She was exhausted- both mentally and physically, almost to the point of breaking. She did not want anyone at the precinct to see her so vulnerable, so she fled. It seemed to be what she was doing best lately- running away from what she was feeling.
Between their recent string of cases and Castle's cold shoulder treatment, Kate felt like she was drowning. Just like she had when her Crown Vic had plunged into the Hudson River, except this time Rick was not coming to her rescue.
Just as Kate was trying to make her quick exit, Captain Gates and Espo came out of the Observation Area. Captain Gates told Beckett that she expected the paperwork on her desk first thing in the morning and Beckett nodded and was just about to say, "Yes, Sir." when the newest Assistant District attorney approached the group. She was way too bubbly for Beckett; she was a young blonde that seemed to be following in her role model Lawyer Barbie's footsteps because every time Beckett had seen her she had on some type of pink outfit on. Kate couldn't decide if she disliked her because she looked like she just left a sorority formal or because of the way she drooled over Castle. Kate hadn't quite made up her mind on the real cause, but she was leaning towards accepting that there were just too many reasons not to like her, when she asked if she could talk to Esposito. Kate couldn't make out everything, but she made out the girl asking him if he was seeing anyone. Kate could not believe the nerve of this girl hitting on Espo right in the middle of the bullpen. Beckett must have been making a face, because Espo turned to look at her and then turned back to Lawyer Barbie and mumbled something too quiet for Kate to make out. Kate took the hint that she was intruding and looked to make a quick exit.
She opened the door to the Observation Area and entered it as quickly as she could. Once she was in there she cursed herself because she now had to hide in there until she thought Lawyer Barbie had left. Kate turned when she heard a noise coming from the other side of the two way glass. It was Castle. He was gathering up the pictures of the crime scene and her notes from the table. Kate had run out of the room so hastily she had not even noticed that she had left them behind. Kate was thinking that it was so like Castle to be left behind to clean up her mess and so like her to watch from a distance wanting to go to him, but instead hiding like the coward she felt like. As she watched Castle trying to organize the papers and pictures into the file folder, it occurred to her that he would never get them in there like she needed them so she headed towards the intercom to tell him that she would be in a minute to get it all. Just as she reached for the button, Lawyer Barbie opened the door and went straight for Castle. Upon seeing the young girl Castle smiled and gave her one of those smiles that made his eyes twinkle. Beckett could not believe this girl, first she was hitting on Espo and now she was coming after Castle- her Castle. Kate gave her the Beckett eye roll and was contemplating all the things she would like to say to this girl when she heard the girl ask Castle if he wanted to get a drink after work. This must have been all Kate could take because she tensed up so much while she was waiting to her Castle's response that she bumped up against the intercom button. It made a loud pop in the interrogation room and Castle glanced back at the two way mirror before turning quickly to Lawyer Barbie and said something too quiet for Beckett to hear. Beckett felt her cheeks go red and her stomach dropped- what if he said yes?
Kate didn't think twice about what she did next, she pressed the intercom button again and said, "Castle, can you bring the case file to my desk so we can start the paperwork?" Apparently her sudden outburst startled him because he jumped a little before turning back to Lawyer Barbie and saying something more to her. Kate was frozen on the other side of the glass- one part of her felt badly for eavesdropping, while the other part of her felt like she deserved the punishment of witnessing this debacle. Kate was most upset with herself because she could not even work up the nerve to ask Castle if he wanted to get a drink with her and he was her best friend and partner. He was supposed to be her one and done and she couldn't muster enough courage to ask him what Lawyer Barbie has seemed to do twice with as many men in the last five minutes!
The next thing that Kate noticed was Lawyer Barbie leaving her business card on the table and telling Castle, "Well if it is ever not complicated," and then she turned to glare at the two way mirror and then continued, "then give me a call." If Kate could have dug a tunnel straight down to the morgue she would have and while she thought about her escape route, Castle turned towards the mirror and gave her a look. Kate made the mental not to make sure that the two way mirror had not turned transparent the next time she was on the other side, because this was the second time now that she would have sworn that the people in the Interrogation room were starring right through her.
Kate waited until Castle had left the room and was headed for the bullpen. She waited until her cheeks had returned to their natural color and she left for her desk. She was surprised that Espo was asking Castle about Lawyer Barbie just outside of the Observation Area door. Kate heard Espo tell Castle that he owed him for sending her his way and Castle started to say something when he saw Kate headed towards them. He instead gave Espo a feed the birds action and turned to follow Kate to her desk. Kate felt badly for a brief minute that the girl must have asking if Castle was seeing anyone when she spoke to Espo, but still she should have realized that asking someone out in the middle of the precinct was unprofessional.
By the time that he reached her desk Kate had already started filling out the first page of the paperwork and Castle, not knowing exactly what to say blurted out, "Sorry about that back there." He immediately regretted saying that because he had decided last week when he had heard her confess that she remembered everything about being shot, that he was moving on and he was going to start thinking about himself first and not her feelings.
Kate responded quickly, shutting him down, "No need to apologize." This just proved to Rick even more that he had been wrong this whole time, she did not have feelings for him and he was right to move on. Taking his frustrations out on her, he dropped down in his chair and snapped, "Well then let's get busy on this paperwork that WE need to get started on." Beckett was hoping that he hadn't noticed that she had said we before when talking about the paperwork, because everyone at the 12th knew that Castle did not assist on the paperwork portion of any cases. Sensing his anger Beckett thought it would be best if she gave them both a little time to cool down. She was in the middle of telling him that she needed to run down to the morgue to check over some facts with Lanie when his cell rang. Castle answered his phone and Kate noticed his face change from his current scowl to his famous playboy smile. Next he said, "Melanie, it's so good to hear from you." Kate was racking her brain trying to think of who was on the other end of the phone, but his next statement gave her all the clues she needed. "Yes, thanks to you, we did find Judge Markaway and get our search warrant signed. Thanks to you the streets of New York are a little safer." At this Beckett rolled her eyes when she put two and two together that Castle was talking to Judge Markaway's secretary. She rolled her eyes again when she pictured the cute little blonde who she would now think of as Secretary Barbie. Beckett could not help but think "What is it with all of these Barbies after Castle?" Beckett cleared her throat and told him she was headed to the morgue and he just waved her away and continued on with his conversation.
Kate was nearly in tears before she hit the steps and by the time she reached the morgue she was a mess. She did not know what was the main culprit of the tears- at the time she seemed to have too many. But the biggest reason was this sudden shift of attention away from her by Castle. She was coming to the conclusion that she had definitely missed her opportunity with Castle.
Lanie was busy finishing up with a Jane Doe from another case when she heard Kate sniffling behind her. She turned to her best friend and instantly knew what could be the only reason that she would be this upset- Castle. Lanie felt like a broken record for the amount of times that she has told Kate to make her move for Writer Boy, but yet she was still the one that Kate turned to and Lanie always listened. But tonight was different, Kate was beyond needing a little bit of encouragement, she was utterly heartbroken. Lanie thought that maybe she had actually taken her advice and told Castle how she felt and he had turned her down. Kate was trying to tell Lanie what happened through her sobs, but it took several minutes for her to calm down enough to be coherent enough for Lanie to make out what Kate was trying to tell her.
Through all of the commotion, neither Lanie nor Kate noticed that Alexis had slipped back in to pick up her cell phone that she had left without earlier. Alexis felt really awkward about intruding, but when she heard Kate say that she thought she had lost her chance of true love with her father, she paused long enough to get the general story. It was then that Alexis knew that she could no longer hold her tongue. She headed straight for the bullpen to see if her father was still there, however, she did not have to look too much farther because on the steps outside of the bullpen she practically ran right into her father and some giggly blonde that was hanging on to him like she couldn't stand on her own two feet. Alexis was instantly outraged. Sure she had been really upset with Kate last summer when she left and cutoff ties with her father and even more angry when she thought she was stringing along her dad when she came back, but she knew that her father loved Kate and that was the only reason she had not threw more of a fit when he went back to following her around. But to now have confirmation that she returned his feelings and to see him behaving like that playboy millionaire that she has always hated, she knew she had to do something.
Castle was taken back to see Alexis when he was with Jocinda. He had always tried to keep this part of his social life away from Alexis; in fact Kate was the only woman that he had brought around the loft since Gina. Castle started to introduce Alexis to her, when Alexis rolled her eyes and grabbed her father's arm and dragged him through the door to the bullpen, leaving the giggly blonde behind, who Alexis had noticed wasn't so giggly anymore.
Alexis glared at her father as she said, "Well this definitely clears up what I just witnessed!" Castle was too embarrassed about putting Alexis in this situation and was busy thinking how to get out without causing anymore of a scene to think about what his daughter had just said. He began to tell Alexis that they could talk about this more at the loft, when she said, "Why are you doing this? I thought you loved her! If you didn't love her then why would you put yourself in danger after I begged you not to?" Now Castle was thoroughly confused. Why did Alexis think he loved Jocinda and what did she have to do with him being in danger? As he thought this though, Jocinda who was apparently growing quite impatient came over and tried to wrap herself around Castle's arm. Alexis rolled her eyes and snapped, "Would you mind? I need to speak to my father in private. He will need to talk to you later!" Jocinda who was obviously annoyed started to complain to Castle when he said he was sorry but he would need to take a rain check. She was clearly irritated to be put on the back burner by this young girl, so she thought she would just make it clear that she would go for now, but that she wouldn't stand for this treatment again. She reached up to give Castle a kiss and Castle's face froze. He jumped back and brushed her off and said he was sorry again and said he would call when he could. Jocinda, who was furious by this stormed off and shouted back, "Don't bother!" Castle winced when the door slammed and he turned back to Alexis to try to understand what had caused all of this commotion in the first place.
Alexis didn't give him any time to think before she started rambling on about him losing his one chance at happiness and him being selfish. Castle finally grabbed hold of both of her arms and shouted, "Alexis what are you talking about?" Alexis replied, "Really Dad? You have followed her around for four years and put yourself in more danger than I would like to admit, but I thought it was because you really loved her. But now you are acting like you are some teenage boy that can't make up his mind who to ask to prom!"
Castle really did not want to have to explain his recent behavior to his teenage daughter, but he felt she deserved to know that he was moving on, well at least trying to move on. Alexis was baffled and just stared at her father. "Okay dad, but why? Why now?" Castle quickly responded, "Because she doesn't love me."
Alexis just shook her head and said matter of factly, "Then why is she downstairs in the morgue with Lanie crying her eyes out because she thinks she has lost her chance at true love…with you?"