"NYPD, down on the ground," Esposito called authoritatively.
Beckett and Ryan kept their guns trained on the suspect in a double homicide, Nick Kimmel, watching as he held his arms up, but had not yet turned around.
The warehouse they now occupied was loaded with boxes, boxes they now suspected contained a huge cocaine shipment. They suspected the discovery of Nick's stash had led to the deaths of a local news reporter and her boyfriend.
Suddenly, things went very wrong.
"Gun," Ryan yelled, at the same moment Kimmel's shot went wild hitting a shot far too close to Beckett before Esposito took him down with a shot to the chest. A small puff of white powder sprayed the air as it impacted the box closes to the detective.
Ten minutes later the warehouse was a live hive of activity, even Gates was on the scene. Castle occupied himself questioning the ATF agents, grumbling of over the loss of credit on the bust. The activity was such that no one noticed the growing oddity of Kate Beckett.
"I know right? GREAT job on the take down," her unnaturally loud voice reverberating off the warehouse walls.
And then she giggled.
Several people in the vicinity raised an eyebrow.
"Look at that," she says to no one in particular, headed toward the body, "his shoes are awesome." She kneeled at the feet of their now yellow-sheet-covered suspect.
"Kate?" She had Lanie's attention. The ME grabs the elbow of her overly enthusiastic friend and narrows her eyes at Kate.
"Kate Beckett you are high," the petite woman is shocked by her own discovery.
Suddenly, Gates is standing over them, "Detective Beckett?"
Kate looked up into Gates eyes, and then suddenly snorts and laughs uncontrollably. Gates grabs the woman's chin and looks into her eyes, coming to the same conclusion as the ME, "She's wasted." Immediately she turns, "Esposito? Ryan? Mr. Castle, you too."
The oddity of Parish and Beckett remaining kneeling on the ground catches the attention of the rest of the team. Lanie has a hand wrapped around Kate's wrist, assessing her pulse. Kate Beckett, however, is far more interested in the shoes of the people standing around her.
"Detective Beckett has a problem," Gates hisses at the group, "she's completely smashed." All three men watch the detective, now lifting Ryan's pant cuffs to examine his shoes, an odd smile lighting her face. Esposito presses his lips together to suppress his laughter as Ryan yanks his leg away, mortified.
"You want to explain how she got this way?" Gates insists.
Castle kneels down to take Beckett's hands, when she looks up at him, her eyes are dilated, "Castle?" She smiles wide, "How are you, baby? You look good today."
Okay, that wasn't good. They haven't exactly made their relationship public. He pulls her to standing as their friends watch, but her feet are not cooperating with the move, he ends up holding her up by her arms.
"Hey, Esposito!" She says, surprised, but showing all her teeth as she smiles at him.
"Hey Beckett," he is clearly amused, then turns to their Captain as the normally composed detective waved weak fingers at Ryan and mouthed, "hi."
Ryan is waving back as Esposito explains, "bullet Kimmel fired must have punctured one of the packs of Coke."
They watch as Beckett inhaled deeply at Castle's chest, "You smell good, you always smell good."
"Dr. Parish, what do you recommend we do?" Captain Gates is keeping her voice low.
"Her heart rate is elevated, but she was exposed, what? More than 20 minutes ago? If she was going to overdose, it would have happened by now. Send her in the bus and she'll just wait it out in the emergency room."
"I can take her home," Castle offers, he is awkwardly supporting Beckett's body, his arms under hers as she half-kneels, her head resting low on his chest and crooked arm.
"Hey! We are supposed to keep this secret," she says suddenly throwing her head back to look at him, "shhh."
"Lanie?" he asks, his eyes begging for some relief from the situation.
"She'll be fine, Captain," Merciful Lanie.
"I'd rather not have it on record that a member of my team has drugs in her system during the course of an investigation. Take her home, Mr. Castle."
"Love ya, babe," she babbles as he lets her slide down to floor so he can pick her up more stably.
"Shhh," he whispers, desperate to shut her up, "they can hear you."
"Hmm, do that thing you did before, I liked that, do that," she says a little too loud. Lanie smacks Esposito and Ryan to stop them from their open laughter, smiles spread wide as Castle awkwardly lifts Kate bridal-style and she aggressively attacks his neck with her mouth.
Lanie can't watch Kate unmindful of her pride, especially when Esposito uses his phone to take a picture, and their Captain is watching. She pulls on her friends chin.
"Lanie," she sing-songs, "Lanie, you are my best friend, I love you."
"I love you too girl, but you need to stop talking. You have no idea what you're saying."
Gates narrows her eyes at them suspiciously.
Beckett stretches her arms overhead, lays her head back, "let's go swimming."
"Mr. Castle, get her out of here," Gates has heard enough.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Lanie has opened the passenger door for them. "I lied," Kate says seriously, drawing his attention as he sets her on the seat and reaches for her seat belt.
"Oh yeah, about what?" he prods.
"I like it when you stare at me." She leans forward to press her forehead against his.
Lanie is much more amused now that Kate's antics are of a more private nature. "Castle, you can take her home, but her heart rate has already been elevated once tonight, if you know what I mean."
He smirks, "thank you Dr. Parish, I understand."
Kate is ridiculously lovey-dovey on the ride home. He's glad she's strapped in because between leaning over to kiss his shoulder and trying to put her hands in some very distracting places, he can barely drive the car.
She makes a very sexy person under the influence and it reminds him to try that tequila scene from Heat Wave with her soon.
He doesn't really want to take her to his house, her place has fewer people that know her. Her walk from their parking spot a block away from her building reminds him of another night, her head on his shoulder, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Makes him want to kiss her to remember the moment. Which reminds him, maybe she shouldn't be in possession of her gun at the moment. She stumbles a bit before he catches her, holds her tighter.
"We gonna get married, Castle?" It's eerily serious.
"You want to marry me, Kate?"
"Hmm, yeah, Tuesday."
Okay, he feels a little guilty that he's enjoying her like this, eggs her on a little. "Tuesday, huh? Why Tuesday?"
She stops and grabs the collar of his coat, nearly pulling him over with her weight. "You're hot," she says before grinding her mouth against his.
He has to pull her off to get her to stop, and it seems to sap her strength because her feet aren't underneath her anymore. He hauls her up but it doesn't help, she's like gelatin, wiggly but no strength.
"You're not making this easy, are you?"
"Piggyback?" she suggests.
Oh this is going to be good, he thinks, leaning her against the side of the nearest building and crouches down to present his back to her. She's giggling as she drapes herself over his shoulders, licking his ear as she rocks against his back. He pulls her off her feet as he stands up, a knee at each hip.
"Hold on, Kate." He's a little afraid she'll let go.
"Giddy-up!" she yells, startling a couple coming toward them and disgusting the man waiting at the crosswalk. Castle laughs.
"This what it felt like, Rick?"
He has no idea what she's babbling about now, but she's charming.
"Illegally riding that horse, naked?" and then she whispers too loudly, "stop! Take my clothes off, I want to know what it feels like." Her arms are wrapped tightly around his upper chest and she's leaning hard on his neck.
He takes a moment to hike her up a bit. Her hair is blowing into his mouth as he crosses the street. They look, to the rest of the world, like a couple in love, and he realizes how proud he is of her, how much he loves that he can show her off to the world. Even if she is a police officer high on an illegal substance at the moment. Ha.
They're almost at her door, and he lets go of her knees so she can slide down. But she's holding herself to him with surprising strength. "I want another ride. And ice cream." He rolls his eyes, really, what does it hurt? It will probably keep him from temptation. There's a little park nearby, he can probably make it that far, especially if she keeps up her silly talk.
"Ok, I will take you to get ice cream, if you promise to be good."
"Be good at what, Rick?" She's teasing his ear with her mouth, and he can't help but crook his neck to the side. He can't even adjust her as she slowly slides lower on his body, and he's walking like a drunk man. Doesn't matter, she adjusts herself and gives him a little squeeze with her knees.
"Kate?"
"Hmm?"
"You do know we are out in public? Don't forget."
"You know what kind of ice cream I want, Castle?"
Glad for a less aggressive topic he bites at her bait, "what kind?"
"Cherry. Hard packed." She squeezes his pecs.
"Oh brother."
She's laughing contagiously at him.
They can see an ice cream vendor parked on the sidewalk ahead and in the twilight, a little family is gathered around. The man carrying the raucous woman slows a little, she quiets, too, enchanted by the Rockwellian scene in front of them. The small boy and girl each clutch their cold, sweet dessert while the father swipes drips from his wife's cone and she dabs at his lips with a napkin, they're giggling. He's a little older than she, and they clearly adore each other. The father swipes at the boy's hair, a silent, but loving signal to start walking again. The delicate little girl is the very image of her mother and she moves her hand, without looking, to join with her mother's expectant one.
As they pass, Castle moves to the edge of the sidewalk, letting her legs go so that she slides down his back and she smoothes her hands over his back subconsciously. They exchange nods with the little family and Kate comes to stand next to him as he slides his hand around her waist.
"Beckett?"
"Yeah, baby?" She says palming the back of his neck seductively.
"How long have you been sober?"
No hesitation follows his question, "about 20 minutes."