A/N: This is my first Fanfiction ever. Reviews are appreciated, please be gentle ;)
"Detective Beckett! In my office please!", Gates shoutet through the entire bullpen of the 12th precinct.
Kate, who had been chatting about the upcoming marriage of Ryan and Jenny with her dear colleagues, rolled her eyes and gesticulated towards Gates office.
"Let's see what drove her mad this time guys. I'll be right back, dying to hear what you've planned for dinner on your special day, Kev."
With a smirk, she left the boys and headed into the captains office.
Victoria Gates, captain of New Yorks 12th precinct, was enthroned behind her desk, watching her best detective entering the room and closing the door carefully. Beckett turned around and rose an eyebrow in question.
"How can I serve you, Captain?"
Gates pointed towards the seat next to her desk and Beckett took a seat.
"It's nothing that serious, detective. I just like shouting angrily through the bullpen", Gates said with a smirk.
Confused by her captain being so non-authorial, Beckett blinked a few times before she could manage to answer. Gates was faster.
"Anyway, it's about your partner, Castle."
Kate gulped. Gates being friendly when it comes to Castle? That's kinda suspicious. She just hoped he'd still be allowed to follow her around, even after some incidents which took place a few cases ago, when Castle was trying to gift a dog to the precinct to keep them company. Gates, obviously, wasn't amazed at all about the cute little puppy Castle had brought to the precinct and ordered him to return it. Gladly, Tori was head over heels in love with the cute pup and intended to keep it..
"Detective Beckett, did you even listen?"
Lost in thoughts, Kate had lost track to the conversation and was now pulled brutally back to reality.
A quizzical expression plastered to her face, Gates began to repeat what she just said.
"He's sick. I'm sure he's not going to die but he begged me to tell you that he's got the flu and won't be a part of your team at least until next week... So, let's see how y'all are working without the crazy theories of that annoying writer, it's just like he's.."
Before Gates could start another speech about how annoying Castle could be, Kate decided to interrupt her.
"Thank you for telling me, captain. I'm going to inform the boys and will be working on paperwork the entire day, as long as we don't get a new body."
Gates nodded and told her that she was allowed to leave.
Returning to the boys, they didn't miss a heartbeat to ask her what Gates was up to. But Kate waved it aside and informed them about poor Castle being sick at home.
After getting a coffee and returning to her desk, Kate decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask her fellow partner how he was doing. She reached for her phone and tipped a short message to Castle.
Hey, heard about you being sick. Just wanted to tell you, get well soon.
Just a few seconds later, her phone buzzed and indicated his answer.
Already missing me, aren't you? ;)
In fact, it wasn't so much fun to work without Castle sitting in his obligatory seat next to her. Over the years of working together, they had grown rather close on a friendly basis. She was almost used to him pulling her pigtails that it felt odd to work on her own.
Castle hadn't been sick in months. She tipped a short answer and tried to concentrate on paperwork again.
Sure, we're all dying here without you.. :p just wondered if you need anything?
She didn't got any answer, but Espo signaled her that he wanted to talk to her, so she got up and showed up next to his desk.
"You're looking lost, Beckett." Javi stated with a smirk.
"Missing your partner?"
Beckett rolled her eyes.
"I'm not looking half as lost as you will do when Kevin is off to his honeymoon, Javi."
He frowned and looked like he wanted to respond, but decided to leave it there and changed the topic.
"If there is no new body found within the next few hours, I guess I'll call it a day early. Lanie said something about a new restaurant opening tonight and we want to meet up there, Kevin and Jenny might wanna join us. Do you and Josh want to come with us, too?"
"No thanks for the offer, we made other plans for tonight. But I wanna know everything about that new restaurant tomorrow, might check it out later, then."
Her phone buzzed again, and she left Esposito to his work and returned to her desk.
No, mother and Alexis got everything. Sorry that I fell asleep. :(
She smiled at the thought of him, snuggled up between a bunch of pillows in his bed, typing the answer with a tired expression on his face.
Glad someone got your back. ;)
With that, she put her phone back into her pocket and finished the bit of paperwork she had left before she waved goodbye to the entire bullpen and headed home.
Unlocking her front door, she was welcomed by a beautiful smell. Kate got rid of her shoes and coat to check the ongoings in her kitchen.
Josh was, standing in front of the oven, creating something which simply smelled like heaven.
"Hey. I didn't know you'd be home early enough to cook something. No world to save today?"
She greeted him and made her way towards him. Josh turned and pulled her into a hug, pressing her small frame close to his.
"Hey" he smiled and kissed her lightly.
"Dave came early today and there were no urgent emergencies coming in, so I decided to leave and surprise my beautiful girlfriend instead."
Kate reached out to taste some of the sauce standing on the oven and hummed in appreciation.
"Tastes like a great surprise."
They chit-chatted about her day while doing the table and soon there was a great meal and some romantic candles in the dining room. They took a seat and started to eat.
"It's fantastic, Josh. I knew you were a good cook, but this is special." Kate complimented him.
"Thank you, darling. It's an old family recipe my mom used to cook every once in a while."
Josh smiled and pulled a new glass of wine for both of them.
"No new bodies today?" He asked.
"No, I was just wrapped up in paperwork the entire day. Unfortunately there wasn't the slightest bit of distraction, because Castle is sick. He got the flu."
She explained as she saw his confused face about her partner being absent.
"Hope he'll get well soon, I bet he's dying because he can't see you." Josh teased.
Kate knew that Josh was determined in the fact that Castle was in love with her, but Kate refused to believe that. He was friendly and nice, sure, but he was just being the gentleman he was. It's not that he was treating her special or something, although nearly the entire precinct would agree on Josh.
"Ha-ha. I'm sure he is", Kate shot back with a quizzical expression.
"I guess he whining and his family is busy keeping him alive" Kate smirked.
Josh just shook his head and took another bite from his plate.
"I know you don't wanna see it, and I'm glad that he's not an option for you. But that doesn't mean I'm not right."
Kate remained silent, unsure about how to respond to that. Soon afterwards they changed the topic and their dinner was done.
Due to Josh needing to get up early the next day, they changed into comfy clothes and headed into bed.
After reading a few chapters of her new book, Kate decided that it was time to switch off the light.
She snuggled closer to Josh and he wrapped his arms around her, already half-asleep.
But Kate couldn't fall asleep that easily, the words Josh said earlier were back, swirling through her head.
'He's not an option for you.'
But was he really not an option for her? Despite her being absolutely sure about him not being interested in more than a friendship, she wasn't so sure about her own feelings.
'Focus, Kate! You're happy with Josh, stop thinking about how it could be with Castle!' She tried to calm down her self.
'But what, if it'd be much better with Castle..? No, no!' Trying to hard to focus on something else than another guy while she was lying in her boyfriends arms she started thinking about random stuff, but caught herself more than once how her thoughts turned back to that previous topic.
It took her way to long to sink into a twitchy, light sleep.