Close Encounters 5: The World Is Not Enough
Beckett eased back against the wooden pew beside Castle and felt his palm skimming the material of her dress, seeking her hand. She threaded her arm through his and tangled their fingers together, the heat and strength of his body like a promise.
Before her, Kevin Ryan was staring nervously towards the back of the church, waiting on Jenny to walk down the aisle, and the guests were still murmuring and whispering as they settled in. Castle lifted a finger and stroked the edge of her knee; she gave him her attention with a tilt of her head.
"Hey," he said softly. She could see so much longing in his eyes, so much hope.
Kate leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his, chaste and sweet, lifted her free hand to wipe the lipstick from his skin. Her ring glittered in the golden light, the stone smoky and dark.
"Hey," she said back. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head in denial, but she saw it still.
"Come on," she murmured, squeezing his hand and nudging his shoulder. "It's a beautiful day. I'm happy."
He gave her a smile for that, and it moved from hesitant to fierce the longer she looked at him.
"What do you want?" he said finally, his breath catching on the last word. His hand came up to capture hers, fiddled with her ring. "For your wedding."
"You," she grinned, leaned forward to kiss him once more, lingering.
He hummed and nuzzled her cheek. "I'd be there, of course. I better be the only one you marry, Beckett. But how would you want your wedding? Where - the beach somewhere, a church, a hotel in town? What colors, which people-"
"Castle," she huffed a little, reaching out to snag the lapel of his suit. He looked dashing, sophisticated. "I already had an adorable wedding. It was perfect. I don't need more."
"But what would you want?"
"Really. Nothing," she said earnestly. And truly there was nothing. She was a practical person, always had been. The idea of pageantry and elaborate plans had appealed to her five year old princess self, but she was in her thirties now, and she understood the limitations of his job, the risk and the reward of loving a man like him.
"Nothing," he repeated, frowning a little.
"Let me enjoy Ryan's wedding, will you?" She gave him a soft smile to ease the sting. "Don't make me self-conscious, afraid you're analyzing my celebration of their day as if it's something I should have. I don't need anything more, Rick. I have you. You're what I want."
He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles, his lashes against his cheeks. Saying all that felt a little silly, a little sentimental, but she'd discovered that sometimes he needed it - sometimes the dramatic declarations were all that got through to him. As if he'd lived so long on the outside of things, peeking in at normal life, that he thought the soap opera drama was the only true thing.
"I love you," she said then, quietly, without the fanfare, and hoped he saw the deeper, more lasting truth of it in her eyes.
He gave a polite nod and half-smile as the older woman went ahead of them; Kate was at his back trying to smother her laughter. He swatted at her hip and she took his hand, both of them waiting in the aisle as one of Ryan's elderly relatives made her slow way out.
The wedding had been beautiful, really, and he'd turned to look at Kate at one point to see her eyes wet with unshed tears, her smile so bright and wide. How happy she was. For Kevin and Jenny, and happy to share the moment with them, to be there.
The reception was located at a nice place just down the street; most of the guests were walking. It was a strange affair - the beautifully dressed women, the stiff and suited men as they descended the church steps to the sidewalk in the bright sunlight.
Normal life. Everyone talking and meeting new people, introducing themselves. He saw Kate helping the older woman down the steps - while Castle himself had just paused in stunned silence at the top - and he rushed down to lend assistance as well.
The elderly woman patted his arm and took hold, lifting her head in a wizened smile, her lipstick flaking, a ring of powder at her neck. She had rings on every finger and he felt them against his skin. "Thank you, young man."
He gave her a smile back, felt Kate's amusement at the woman's other side. Yeah, she was laughing at him.
"Wasn't that a beautiful wedding, Mrs. Ryan?" Kate said then.
Oh, must be Kevin's grandmother.
"Stunning. Simply stunning. That girl is just right for him. So pretty. They're a good match. Didn't they look good coming down the aisle?"
Castle held back a laugh and merely nodded, let Kate do most of the talking.
"They certainly did. You must be proud."
"Kevin did well," the older woman said, looking like she had set them up herself. "And Jenny has good hips. Lots of strong, healthy babies."
Castle grunted to keep from laughing. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sure."
"Your girl here," Mrs Ryan said, casting a sly look to Kate before squeezing Castle's forearm as they walked. "She could use some fattening up."
"Yes, ma'am," he said solemnly, casting a quick grin of amusement to Kate. "You're certainly right."
Kate narrowed her eyes and he continued.
"But you know," he said, leaning in to Mrs Ryan. "She is a police detective. Pretty strong. She'd be fine, I think."
Kate's gaze only got sharper.
"What is your name, young man?"
"I'm Rick," he said easily, turning his eyes back to the older woman. "Rick Rodgers."
From the corner of his eye, he could see Kate startle. He realized they hadn't agreed on a cover really; he hadn't thought of how social a wedding was, how it required conversation with people that they might actually know or see again sometime. Kate's circle of friends, Kevin's family - Castle needed to come up with something good.
"What a nice strong name," Mrs Ryan said to herself, easing down the last step. "And thank you, kind sir, for your help."
"Do you want us to walk with you down the street?" Kate asked, slowly releasing the woman's hand.
"Oh no, no. I've got a car. Kevin rented it just for me. It should be here any moment now."
"We'll wait with you," Castle said, his arm still held out as Mrs Ryan touched it to maintain her balance.
"Oh, don't worry about me. You guys get going. You want to be first in line for the buffet. This one needs meat. Creamy sauces. Take her quick, before she starves."
Mrs Ryan was pushing on them both, and Kate rolled her eyes a little even as Castle laughed. He reached out and gripped Kate by the elbow, brought her against his side.
"Yes, ma'am. I will. Thank you for a lovely conversation," he said charmingly, and then he leaned over and kissed the older woman's cheek. "See you at the reception, Mrs. Ryan."
"Are you sure about leaving you here?" Kate asked, hesitating even as she kissed Mrs Ryan good-bye as well.
"I'm very sure. Go on. There's cheesecake for desert as well."
So Castle took Kate by the hand and they began the walk down to the reception.
"You really can't do that," he murmured behind her. His mouth was at her ear and the sound of his voice shivered down her spine, curled heat in her belly. She was standing in line at the dessert table, had just turned to find their seats once more when he'd surprised her.
"Do what?" she breathed. She turned to find him practically cradling her, his hands already slipping around her waist and then skimming her elbows to catch her plate.
"Make those noises," he whispered, kissing the skin right behind her ear. "I know what those noises mean."
"I like chocolate," she grinned. "Can't help it."
"I'm going out and buying chocolate sauce, drizzling it all over-"
"Hush," she laughed, but her cheeks flushed at the mental image he'd painted so vividly in her mind. "Save it for later, Rick. For when I get back from training." Something to look forward to.
He hummed at her and suddenly snatched the plate from her hands, causing her to protest and go after him, laughing as he held it out of her reach.
"Give me my cheesecake," she called after him, gathering the material of her dress in one hand to keep the skirt from constricting her movements. He grinned at her over his shoulder and she caught up to him at their table, liberating her chocolate cheesecake with a huff.
She started to turn her back, but Castle grabbed a fork and dived in, cutting himself a big bite and shoveling it into his mouth as she stared slack-jawed at him. Her super spy had just inhaled most of it without even a second's pause.
"Gotta be faster, Beckett."
"You ate half of my cheesecake, you big bully."
"Too bad for you," he shrugged, his mouth still full, licking his lips.
She narrowed her eyes at him but saw they'd attracted attention from the people sitting at tables around theirs. Lanie was separating herself from the crowd and coming towards them.
"Girlfriend, you and lover boy need to cool it."
Kate pressed her lips together on a blush but Castle only grinned at her, his eyes crinkling up so that he looked like a new man. Someone freer. Someone able to tease his fiancee at a wedding and steal her cheesecake.
"You're just jealous," Castle said to Lanie, sliding his arm around Kate and leaning in to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. She vaguely tasted cheesecake on him but elbowed him aside as Lanie rolled her eyes.
"Ignore him," Kate laughed, putting her dessert plate on the table and holding her arms out to her friend.
Lanie embraced her tightly, whispering in her ear. "He's a good one." When she pulled back, she turned and narrowed her eyes at Castle. "So, Rick - been hearing a lot about you."
"Uh-oh," Castle muttered, casting a glance to Kate with a little wink. "Don't believe her. It's all lies."
Kate burst into laughter, couldn't help it, and Castle shot her a crooked, happy smile. She shook her head at him and gestured to Lanie. "I've told her everything. She knows."
"Yeah, and what exactly am I supposed to call you?" Lanie said, crossing her arms. "Kevin just stutters when I mention you and Javi looks like he wants to throttle you."
"For the sake of the people here," he said. "I'm Rick Rodgers. I'm - uh - still coming up with the rest, so just say you don't know much about me. If you're asked."
Kate looped her arm through his and nudged her hip against him until he turned to look at her. His face was back to that closed-off hesitance, but she thought she could bring out the smile again.
"It's fun," she said softly, then gave her friend a smile. "I like showing him off."
"Like man candy," Lanie purred, winking at Rick.
Kate felt him startle - and nothing usually got him - and then she heard his rich laughter again, saw he was grinning unabashedly at her friend. Good. He felt at home here; that was important because he was important.
Her best friend and her almost-husband - they approved of each other.
"Come on, man candy," she said with a smile, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I need another piece of cheesecake. Lanie, you coming?"
"I would never say no to cheesecake."
Lanie led the way and Kate pulled Castle after her to the dessert table. But he leaned in, his lips at her ear again. "I'd never say no to you."
Castle found himself inventing a cover as he went along, working the room as Beckett got roped into pictures with the precinct family. Mrs Ryan caught him by the elbow and dragged him along, introducing him to a group of elderly women at a back table. This is the detective's man.
He sat down with them and let them twitter around him, telling stories on the black sheep of the family, interrogating Castle himself like a pro. He invented as little as he could, fielding questions only to turn them around, asking about their lives when he was stumped on his own. He realized he was talking about the wolfdog he'd bought Kate, that he was telling them about their night in on New Year's, that he actually was giving out more information than he'd meant to.
Mrs Ryan seemed proud of his performance, almost like she'd invented him herself, and he supposed not a lot of people gave them much attention or time. He didn't mind sitting with them and watching Kate smile from across the room, her eyes seeking his, even as he told a story about finding Sasha and Kate curled up together on the couch.
"When do you plan on marrying that girl?" Mrs Ryan's friend said, an even older woman with hair that was decidedly blue. "I saw that ring on her finger."
Castle grinned and gave the group a shrug. "Soon as she lets me."
"She's the hold up?" another asked.
"Oh, no, ma'am. Not a hold up." He grinned and saw Kate across the long ballroom posing with Espo and Ryan in front of the chocolate fountain. "Just want it to be perfect."
"Oh, you and Kate make such a beautiful pair, so striking," Mrs Ryan sighed happily. "When my Bobby was alive, the two of us would paint the town."
He listened to Mrs Ryan's fond memories of her time with her husband, and he watched the line and angle of Kate's body in her dress, warm sun shining through the windows and liming her hair, her eyelashes, so that her presence seemed more radiant than the bride.
He loved her so much it was an ache.
She gave him a look when he held his hand out for her, but she came nevertheless, letting him pull her against his chest and ease her out to the dance floor.
Castle sighed and felt the whole social scene fall away, the sense of manners and propriety and being on his toes. He'd told a lot of lies at Ryan's wedding tonight, and always he caught her smirking at him, but the lies were necessary for their safety.
"So," she hummed against his neck, swaying to the music. Her lips were soft as they brushed over his skin. "From sports agent to the UN?"
He sighed. "I had to give them something."
"Saying you work for the UN doesn't exactly stop the questions," she laughed.
"No, well. Sports agent was a joke between Eastman and myself. I'm terrible at that cover. I don't have time for sports and I guess that's something guys usually get from their dad? I don't know."
She fluttered her fingers at his neck. "I learned from my dad," she agreed softly. "But the UN?"
"It's right here in the city. It requires travel. They already have a staff on-site who will route inquiries back to us."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and - this is stupid, but. . ."
She hummed a question into his cheek, so tall in these shoes, and he skimmed his hand up and down her back. "Rick?"
"I had to have a cover identity to adopt that damn dog."
She laughed brightly at his ear, her voice like bubbles popping and fizzing, the champagne of her amusement. "Oh, Castle. Really?"
"I had to send in an application and have references and - I used your dad and my mother."
"Your mother?"
"It didn't go so well," he reported darkly.
She cupped her fingers at his nape and curled her fingers through the short hairs there. "Give her time. It'll come."
He sighed and fit her closer against him; he realized he'd slid his knee between hers and she was breathing out softly and resting there, one hand under his jacket and pressing into his back.
"It's just the cover story I made for the dog," he said finally.
"I kinda love that you're telling everyone the story you had to make up for our dog."
He gave a little laugh and nuzzled her nose with his, kissed her under her closed eye.
"What else, Castle?"
"Well, as you heard, it's Rodgers. So don't let anyone hear you, huh?"
"Yes, sir," she murmured, deliciously decadent in his ear. "Richard Rodgers. Hmm, I like it."
"I work as a translator at the UN. There's even a number to call. The address I gave is yours-"
"Better be," she muttered, but she was still laughing a little.
"And I tell everyone I meet that you're engaged to marry me," he finished.
She gasped a little at that, pressed her body closer to his, her hand gripping his neck. "Oh, yes."
He smiled into the bright light of the ball room, the dazzling decorations and the soft music, and her body - oh, Kate Beckett's body aligned with his.
"They keep asking if we've set a date," he murmured. "But I can't give them one, Kate. I can't give you one either, and I'm so sorry-"
"Rick," she murmured, shaking her head against his cheek.
"I want you to marry me. Not Richard Rodgers. Not some damn cover story. Me. But I - I don't know when that will be possible."
"We'll figure it out. And Rodgers isn't a cover story, baby. That's your real name."
"Not anymore."
She soothed him with her fingers against his nape. "Okay, all right. Castle. I don't care when we get married. That you asked is enough. The wedding in Italy - beautiful. That's all I need."
But he wanted to give her so much. A huge wedding in New York with all her family and friends, with a groom who could stand up beside her in public.
But it might never be.