Starting with the usual disclaimer.
I Do not own any part of Castle or the players or the good stuff.
Marlow, ABC, et al Own that part
I only imagine this stuff
I am going to start off with a statement that I usually have to repeat anyway
My stories are AU! Very much AU!
I play with the canon but my stories drift way off the TV show
So please don't comment that I did something different than the show.
She had really hoped that the mystery writer would NOT be making an appearance today. After all he usually headed for the door and left the moment the word 'Paperwork' was used in a conversation anyway and today Detective Kate Beckett was elbow deep into paperwork but beyond that it is becoming harder for her to deal with his everyday presence
"Good morning Detective" are the mostly passive words leaving his mouth as he places a hot cup of coffee down on the desk beside her arm. As much as she tried to ignore the offering, the blissful aroma of fresh ground coffee beans covered by hot steaming water replaced the short lived irritation caused by his presence
"Don't you have someplace else you are supposed to be this morning?" She began as she turned her head to look over at him "Such as your publisher's office, a book store signing or TV interview?"
"Why Detective! I am hurt that you are not pleased that I have decided to grace you with my presence this morning. Especially since I have a nice peace offering for you today"
The man suggests while indicating the cup he just placed beside her arm
For almost four years the story teller has placed himself into her world. And in the beginning she felt like he had a one track mind when he came to her. The track that dead ended in his bed. But she also fought the feelings that actually had grown inside when it came to him and since he is currently seeing his ex wife and publisher she has been able to keep her own feelings in control
But now, no matter how hard she tries, Kate Beckett can not ignore the fact that he is bringing in her favorite morning drink just as he has been doing for her for the last four years. Unfortunately having him here like this today and every day and not being able to move further has grown to be a real problem for her. A problem that she is about ready to rid herself of
It was over a year ago that she had decided that she might be willing to give them a chance but he had to show up and spoil it all by leaving with his ex wife hanging on his arm. The ditsy blonde publisher that he said that he could not stand yet the two of them left arm in arm that day crushing any hope of movement towards a closer relationship for the detective
So what is it going to take for this partnership, this relationship to finally be over? Him getting his ex wife pregnant? Marrying her again? Or just moving in with her and Kate being able to move on with her own life?
Beckett just wishes that whatever event it will be that it will just happen soon so she can stop feeling the way she does about him since he does not seem inclined to change that anytime soon.
#*#*#*#*#
[Castle]
'There she sits. Comfortable at her desk shuffling paperwork around' He thinks in his head silently as he exits the elevator carrying his usual two cups of coffee
'She is doing the one thing that I cannot stand to help with. Paperwork. If I didn't enjoy just being around this bunch of detectives I might have stayed away after I got back from the Hamptons last year. But Ryan and Esposito are great guys and are never ending source of information for my books. And of course, there is HER'
"Good morning detective" he starts up in the morning conversation
"Don't you have someplace else you are supposed to be this morning?" She began as she turned her head to look at him "Such as your publisher's office, a book store signing or TV interview?" she says as she looks up at the writer
Castle decides to be polite once more again for today, but it is becoming harder and harder for him to do this around her.
"Why Detective! I am hurt that you are not pleased that I have decided to grace you with my presence this morning. Especially since I have a nice peace offering for you today"
He suggests while indicating the coffee cup he just presented to her
Her reaction this morning brings him closer to an inevitable conclusion that he has not wanted to face. He thinks that they are reaching the end of this friendship. She is dating the motorcycle riding doctor. The heart surgeon. A man of medicine. She did have to point out his accomplishments to Castle on more than one occasion making the writer feel more and more unneeded. Pointing out how often that man saved someone's life making Rick feel smaller and smaller with each description of wining the war against death
He thinks silently to himself 'I think I might be coming to the end of my time observing her. She has her boyfriend and she does not seem to be interested in changing that any time soon.'
Sitting here today he comes to a conclusion. It is finally time for them to move on from this friendship, this relationship. He is has decided that it is time to move on. Leave her to have her relationship with the doctor boyfriend and now stop being alone and maybe he will find a woman for himself.
He has decided that he will find a good way to tell her before today is over
'This would be so much easier if I weren't so in love with her'
#*#*#*#*#
[Beckett]
'I think it is time for me to just ask him to stop hanging around. We will never be more than two mutually irritating people so it is best if I suggest to him to go stay with his girlfriend and maybe I can go find someone for me and stop being single'
'This would be so much easier if I weren't so in love with him'
She watches as he places his cup down on the desk. He takes a deep breath "Listen…I was thinking…"
Those four words sometimes either started with or ending with her name have been spoken to her more than once. Each time whatever thought Castle wanted to add to the sentence was usually interrupted by a person or event. Once again today the conversation is interrupted by her partner Kevin Ryan
"Beckett, we got a good one and this is right up Castle's alley too"
The couple halts in their burgeoning conversation and both look at the Irish detective
"What do you have Ryan?" Beckett asks
"Two people found dead in a safe room in an apartment building"
"A safe room?" Castle questions
"That's what the call says"
This love deprived couple quickly jump up and move to the elevator. Both are honestly thankful that the discussion was halted by a crime since since neither one really wants to end the friendship right now. Even though no love is exchanged between them, they still are two really good friends
After the cruiser pulls out of the police garage, Beckett decides to try and continue the conversation that Castle opened just a few minutes ago
"Rick what were you going to say before we left the station?" she uses his first name without thinking. It was her softer tone of speech toward him
"It will wait until the case is over" he keeps his eyes on the road
The journey is brief and they find themselves in front of a brownstone unit. Several marked police cars along with her partners Crown Vic and the Coroner van are out front. The pair enters the front entry to find Detective Esposito seated on the couch facing a man and woman who seem very disturbed.
When he sees Beckett and Castle step into the room he excuses himself and joins them in the entry foyer
"What do you have Javi?" Beckett begins
"Our couple here just bought this building from an estate and while they were looking around they noticed what appeared to be a false wall. It turned out to be a hidden door. When they opened it and went inside they were shocked to find the remains of two people. Lanie just confirmed it is a man and a woman. She thinks they have been dead for many, many years. Possibility decades"
"Decades? Castle questions "Ryan said it was a safe room
"Looks more like a fallout shelter. CSU says the articles in the shelter look like they are from the 60's or early 70's."
Just as Esposito finishes his statement Lanie enters from the back of the unit in front of two technicians wheeling two gurneys toward the front of the building and the van outside
"What do you have Dr. Parish" Beckett asks using her best friends official title
"Two victims. A man and a woman. I am guessing early 40's. Their clothes are definitely late 60's. No outward signs of trauma but I will know more when I get them back to the lab"
Kate watches as the assistants move the bodies and place them into the coroner's van for transportation to the morgue
"Lat me know as soon as you can" Beckett states to Lanie as the medical examiner personnel leave the scene
Beckett and Castle turn their attention to the couple sitting in the parlor in an obvious state of shock
Kate turns back to Javier "What do we have?"
Esposito refers to his notes "The couple is Dan and Louise Sharpton. They just closed on this brownstone last week and began moving in this morning. They were measuring walls for furniture and discovered there was a problem with one of the wall's measurements not being consistent with the wall on the other side. That is when they discovered the hidden door. They found it was not locked but is does have an extensive electric locking mechanism on the inside. When they went inside and down the steps they found the lights were out and they got a flashlight. That is when they discovered the bodies on the floor. They ran out and called it in. That about covers what we know so far"
Castle and Beckett move back to the living room and the homeowners
"I am Detective Beckett this is Mr. Castle and we would like to know what happened this morning" As Kate and Rick sit down beside the very much shaken couple.
The new owners re tell their harrowing tale of discovery.
After Beckett and Castle finish listening to the owners describe all the reasons that they will not be staying in the home tonight or for several nights for that matter they tell their witnesses to please let the officers know where they will be. The pair agrees and quickly rushes out of the brownstone, leaving Beckett and Castle virtually alone.
"CSU has finished their sweep. Did they discover anything of interest?"
Beckett answers "Not really. They said this looks like a bomb shelter or fallout shelter. It is stocked with non perishable food, water, fuel, lanterns and flashlights. There is even a crank up radio like they had in World War 2. Someone could stay down there for a long time"
"Do we know who they are?"
"The best guess is a couple that went missing in 1970. A…" Beckett looks at her notes "a Betty and Levi Levitz"
"They were reported missing?"
"They disappeared just days after he had a fight with a business partner. The partner was the prime suspect"
"Well we can tell them they are no longer missing" Castle quips
"True" Beckett responds
Both Beckett and Castle go quiet while thinking about their next move
Rick's mind is going a mile a minute thinking all the crazy theories he can pull to the top right now. He stops in his dreaming and looks at Kate thinking. 'This is why I hang around her. The crazy crimes she brings me. Maybe I can just keep being here for the crimes. Maybe I can stop loving her and focus on the murders instead'
Kate is looking in the direction of the open door to the shelter and she begins to think 'Maybe we can still be friends and co workers. He is good at these type crime scenes. His crazy theories are often right. Maybe I can stop loving him and focus on crime solving instead'
"Castle, let's go down to the shelter and look around. See what we can find" as she turns toward the open door.
Castle walks inside the opening then takes a couple of steps with Beckett close behind.
What neither of the two realize is the door was propped open and when Beckett held on to steady her movements because of her stilettos she dislodged the door stop. By the time they heard the clank it is too late
The heavy reinforced door has slammed shut and the electric locking mechanism has secured the opening preventing the door from being unlocked.
Castle rushes back up the steps almost running over Beckett trying to open the door but when he sees the mechanical timer on the door he turns back to Beckett
"There is a clock preventing the door from opening until the timer releases it"
"Are you telling me we are trapped in here…?"
"It is going to be three days before this thing opens"
Closing comments
I tagged this story Humor and Romance
I never mentioned angst
Remember. These two are idiots in love and deserve one another