Title: Jingle All the Freakin' Way
Author: TracyT
Rating: K+
Category: Romance, Family
Summary: Rick wants Kate to get into the Christmas spirit
Spoilers: None
Archive: Yes, Please!
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Disclaimer: Not mine, but I wish they were. No profit will be made on this. It is a labor of love.
Note: I went to Chicago this weekend and Winter Wonderfest was going on at Navy Pier. I stole it for this story. Hope you like it!
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Kate Beckett took a reality check and wondered how the hell she had ended up here. Here she was, in the passenger seat of Castle's car, with Alexis and Ashley in the back seat; all of them-including her-wearing Santa hats (at Castle's insistence) and Castle singing along to "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas," the song currently playing on the radio, whilst on their way to some event center in Jersey- for cryin' out loud-to Winter Wonderfest.
God help us all.
It was all Christy Martin's fault, Kate thought grumpily. Well, Christy Martin and Lanie's fault, the traitor. When Castle had initially asked her what she was doing for Christmas, she gave him her standard story, "My dad has family up north."
"Well, you're invited to Christmas Eve and Day at Casa Castle if you would like to," he said. "Stop by anytime. We have people in and out all day and night, so come on by if you're in town."
"Thanks, Castle," she replied non-committally, and left it at that.
A few days later she was doing paperwork when he stomped up to her desk and said, "You lied to me. I'm hurt."
She'd looked up, confused. "Excuse me?"
"You said you were spending Christmas with your dad's family up north. I mentioned it to Lanie and she gave me a look and said, 'and you bought that story?'" His imitation of Lanie had Kate biting her lip in an effort not to laugh.
Kate sighed. "No, I said my dad had family up north. It's true." It was true. He did. She was in no way spending Christmas or any other holiday with them, but her dad did have family there, and that seemed to appease anyone who asked her what her plans for the holidays were.
"But the implication is there."
She was starting to get impatient. She didn't owe him an explanation. "Imply what you like, Castle." She went back to her computer screen.
Castle flopped into his chair and whooshed out a breath. "So," he said, giving her a probing stare. "You spend Christmas alone? That's just not right."
Without looking his way she said, "I spend Christmas the way I have for the last eleven years."
"Which is alone." It wasn't a question. He was clearly outraged on her behalf.
She sighed again. "Castle." She looked over at him. "It's no big deal, really."
He looked so upset she had finally put her hand over his and said softly but earnestly, "Castle, don't you understand? Holidays are not a time of celebration for me, holidays are painful for me, all right? The only thing my dad and I do at Christmas is place a wreath on my mom's grave, and then we part ways. That's my Christmas. For me, it's just to be endured, not celebrated."
Castle had looked at her, astounded. "But, Kate," he sputtered, "Your mother wouldn't want you to spend Christmas alone." He sounded so hurt on her behalf she softened.
"It's fine, Castle, really. I've been doing this for a long time. I'm used to it."
He looked at her wordlessly, clearly struggling with himself before blurting out, "It most certainly is not fine. Kate, I hate the idea of you being alone at Christmas. Come to our house. It'll be fun, I promise," he coaxed.
She smiled and breathed a laugh through her nose. "Castle, this is how I choose to spend the holidays, okay? My. Choice. Just let it go."
She went back to her computer, but out of the corner of her eye she could see him struggling with himself. Amazingly he had let it drop—for the time being.
Luckily they had received a call about a body in a very exclusive condo building. A surgeon, Dr. Lance Medford, had been found murdered in his bathtub. Drowned, with a rubber ducky sticking out of his mouth.
"Nice touch," Ryan commented as he circled the claw-foot tub.
"Somebody apparently had issues with the good doctor," Esposito added.
"Lanie, what have we got?" Kate asked.
"Well, aside from drowning, his eyes show petechial hemorrhaging, and," she lifted his chin to show a thin red line across his neck. "Garrotte marks on his neck." Haven't found the weapon yet."
"So, the killer strangled him before drowning him?" Castle asked, frowning. "Why not just do one or the other? They'd both do the job."
"I'd say someone was very, very angry with Dr. Medford." Lanie let his head drop back into the water.
"No kidding," Kate said, looking around the room for something that could have been used to strangle the victim.
#######
They had interviewed Mrs. Medford, Tiffany, a young blonde at least half the doctor's age. "Talk to that ex-wife of his," she said, sniffling into a handkerchief. "She hated him enough to do it. Thought she was entitled to the money my Lance worked so hard for. Snooty bitch." She then proceeded to shoot out of the chair and accost one of the maids, who was placing decorations on a huge Christmas tree, screaming at her like a fish wife. Castle and Beckett both flinched and excused themselves, not that Tiffany noticed.
As they left the building, Castle looked back briefly and said, "Can I just say, I really didn't like her."
"I wasn't crazy about her myself," Beckett replied. "Are you saying you think she did it?"
"I don't know," Castle scratched his ear. "She does seem like the type to shove a rubber duck down someone's throat, doesn't she?"
"Mmm, maybe. No motive, though. Why kill the golden goose?"
"Insurance?"
Kate shook her head and opened her car door. "If she was under any suspicion she would never be able to collect." She slid behind the wheel.
"Well, she wouldn't be the first one to think they committed the perfect crime. I can see her killing him in a fit of rage and then trying to cover it up." Castle pulled his door shut and put his seat belt on.
"Maybe. Let's go talk to the ex."
#######
They found the ex Mrs. Medford, Christy Martin, in the break room of an accounting office off of Fifth Avenue. Tiffany had been dripping in jewels, perfectly coiffed and manicured. Christy looked washed out. No makeup, long dishwater blonde hair pulled back in a rubber band, circles under her eyes and absolutely no jewelry whatsoever.
"So, someone killed Lance?" She said quietly, dipping a tea bag up and down in her cup. She huffed a small laugh. "Tiff not get her way for once?"
"You don't seem too upset about his loss," Kate commented.
Christy shook her head, a small smile on her face. "The man that made my life hell? No, I'm not all that upset. We met in college and got married our senior year. I got two jobs putting him through med school. The deal was, he would return the favor once he was established as a doctor. We were so in love I thought it was the perfect deal. We even put it in writing."
"I take it he didn't live up to his end of the bargain?" Castle asked softly.
Christy shook her head. "Nope. Not only did he not put me through college, he dumped me almost the day he graduated from med school and I found out he'd been sleeping with Tiffany—and others—throughout our entire marriage. When I threatened to sue him, he got a hot shot lawyer and took me to court. Together they managed to convince a judge that I was still responsible for all the medical school bills and Lance didn't have to put me through school until the day I repaid the med school debt 'in its entirety.'" She made quotation marks with her fingers. "Which will be sometime around 2018 or 19 at this point."
"How could you be held responsible for his bills when you two are divorced?" Kate asked.
"We put it in writing, remember?" He had this hot shot lawyer, and I could barely afford a public defender. It wasn't much of a contest. So, while he and Tiffany live—lived—the high life, I'm working three jobs, eating peanut butter and jelly for lunch every day," she held up her half-eaten sandwich for them to see. "Recycling tea bags and walking to work. I sold my car, I cut my own hair, I haven't bought any new clothes since the divorce and I had to give my dog away to my mother to save money." She swallowed a little convulsively at that. "I get an average of three or four hours of sleep a night, I work every day and every holiday just to get the time and a half, and it would be a luxury to just be able to go to McDonald's occasionally."
"My God," Castle said. "Why don't you just declare bankruptcy?"
Christy tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and said, "I know it sounds crazy, but although I've thought about it a million times, it just feels like he would win if I did. He always told me I was a loser that didn't follow through on anything and he'd have the right to point the finger at me if I defaulted. I've whittled the total down from around a hundred thousand dollars to just under sixty. I figure—if I live that long—I have about four or five years to go and it will all be paid off. Until then my life is on hold. I would kill just to be able to take a nap someday, or take a vacation or just a day off, but it can't happen until then."
Both Castle and Beckett looked at her silently for a few moments, before Kate said, "Ms. Martin, I'm sorry to have to ask you this, but did you kill your ex-husband?"
Christy laughed humorlessly and said, "My God, when would I find the time?"
#####
As they left the accounting firm, Castle held back, looking pensive.
"Hey," Kate got his attention. "What's wrong?"
He gestured back toward the building. "It's just…Christy. That's just not right. Here's Tiffany living like a queen, and Christy's stuck with all that debt."
Kate took his arm to lead him toward the car. "I know how you feel, Castle, but there's nothing we can do." When Castle looked back again, she tugged on his arm to lead him to the car. She could tell how upset he was by the silence from his side of the car all the way back to the precinct.
#######
She should have known he wouldn't leave it alone. It just wasn't in the man. He had too much sympathy for others, had a too generous heart. About a week later, after they had discovered Lance Medford had been killed by the husband of another woman he was sleeping with, Kate was coming back from the break room when she heard her name being called. A smiling, pretty young woman was coming toward her and it took Kate a few minutes to realize who it was.
"Ms. Martin, Christy. You look…fabulous!" Her hair was styled, she had makeup on and a very pretty plum-colored coat and dress. She was wearing earrings and she just looked like something—or someone—had brought her back to life.
"Oh, thanks." Christy smiled. "Is Mr. Castle here?"
"No, he had to meet a deadline so he stayed home today. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Well, no, I just..wanted to thank him."
"For?" Kate asked.
"Well, I'm not a hundred percent sure it was him, but a few days ago, I found this Christmas card taped to my front door." She handed the card to Kate. It read:
Merry Christmas, Christy! Santa has heard you've been a very, very good girl this year, so he's sending along something he thinks you want most. There are a few conditions, though. First, once you pay back all the money you're stuck with owing, you must use the rest to buy yourself some new clothes, go to the spa and pamper yourself, get your dog back from your mother, and quit two of your jobs. Then you must take a nap every chance you get, and take a vacation someplace tropical when you can. Your life is no longer on hold, Christy, live it to the best of your ability!
Merry Christmas!
Santa
P.S.: You must believe in Santa for all this to be true.
"It had a cashier's check in it for the amount I owed, plus a lot more," Christy said, her eyes filling. "I couldn't think who could possibly have done it until I thought of Mr. Castle. Do you think maybe it was him?"
Kate thought most definitely it was him. "It's possible." She said. "In any case, I'm sure he'd be glad to know how you're doing. Let me give you his number." She jotted down the number and congratulated Christy on her good fortune.
"This is the first Christmas in three years I'll get to spend with my family." Christy got a little misty. "Merry Christmas, Detective." Christy waved as she headed down the stairs.
"Merry Christmas." Kate waved back. She put her cup on the desk and sat. She shook her head. Richard Castle was a truly good man. Kate had seen too much apathy in her job, too many people ready to turn their heads and not see someone who needed help, but not him. He really cared about other people, people he barely knew.
A warm feeling for him blossomed in her heart. She picked up her phone and dialed his number. He answered on the second ring, his usual, boisterous self. "Detective Beckett! How are you this fine morning?"
Kate smiled. "I'm good. So, Santa, how do we do this Christmas celebrating?"
He was so excited that she'd decided to commemorate the season, he started rattling off all sorts of things they could do, until she said, "Whoa, whoa, let's take this in baby steps, okay? I'm still a little rusty at all this."
#######
That's how she ended up in the car on the way to Winter Wonderfest the weekend before Christmas, with a driver singing bad Christmas Carols at the top of his lungs while she had to wear a Santa hat with a brim that lit up and played Christmas music if you pushed a button in the pom-pom at the end. Kate sighed.
They pulled into the parking lot. It was packed. "Where are we going to park?" Kate couldn't help but ask.
"There's an overflow lot," Castle answered. "They have shuttles that take you back and forth."
It seemed like they had to go a mile from the place before they found an open spot. They all piled out of the car and headed for the bus shelter at the end of the aisle. Pretty soon a shuttle pulled up, just like the ones at amusement parks, except this one was bellowing Christmas music, and the drivers and attendants were dressed like elves. Reindeer graced the outside of the cars to make it look like you were riding in Santa's sleigh. Kate was feeling more Bah Humbug by the minute. Castle, Alexis and Ashley were ecstatic.
As the shuttle started up, the recorded sounds of jingle bells and horse's hooves clopping along played. "I thought we were supposed to be in a reindeer sleigh, not a horse carriage," Kate groused.
Castle put an arm around her. "Oh, don't be so literal. Get into the spirit, Kate. It's just fun."
Okay, fun, Kate thought. That would be her mantra.
They pulled up to the entrance to the event center and got in line to enter the building. There were a lot of families with little kids who were clearly excited about the whole thing, and Kate couldn't help but smile at some of them.
When they got inside, they all stopped and marveled at the sight. "Whoa," they all said in unison, then they laughed at the coincidence. Kate looked around her. It was part indoor amusement park, with rides and games, part craft show with vendors selling food and other Christmas wares. There were a million Christmas trees decorated different ways, along with a ginormous tree in the middle decorated to the hilt. It had a kiddie train that ran around it and through a tunnel. Several children were riding and waving to their parents. On one side of the room was an ice skating rink. The ceiling was covered in huge snowflakes. There was Christmas music playing and several people walking around dressed in Victorian dress, like elves, like Santa. There were cut-outs that looked like Mr. and Mrs. Claus or the elves in the workshop you could stick your head in and take pictures for Christmas cards.
"Wow," Alexis said,
"Awesome" Ashley said.
"Incredible," Castle smiled.
"It looks like Santa threw up," Kate said sourly.
Castle laughed and put an arm around her. "You'll get into the spirit, you'll see."
The jury was still out on that, as far as Kate was concerned. But while Ashley and Alexis went off to go on a ride that looked like hang gliders, she let Castle lead her over to the stand that sold hot drinks.
"Hot chocolate or apple cider?" He asked, a brow raised.
"No coffee?"
"Nope."
"Apple cider, then." He got hot chocolate with marshmallows. Her apple cider had cinnamon sticks in it, and she hummed at the first taste.
"Good?" Castle asked.
"Yeah. I love cinnamon."
"Good." He smiled. "Let's go watch Alexis and Ashley." They went over to the fence at the side of the ride. Alexis and Ashley were lying on their stomachs on the ride. It started up and went faster and faster around and up and down until the riders started to squeal. Kate smiled watching how much fun Alexis and Ashley were having.
"Hey," Castle said, "I have to show you something. Come on." He took her hand and led her to the other end of the huge room. She felt the warmth of his hand and didn't let go. As they approached a doorway he turned and said, "This is so cool. It's the Christmas Tree maze. You'll love it."
They entered a darkened room that was lit by only two things, the hundreds of Christmas trees and the soft, blue muted light on the ceiling with pinpoint lights for stars. The Christmas music was much louder in here. They wandered the rows admiring the different decorations on the trees and finishing their drinks. Castle took her cup when they were done and found a trash bin to put them in. He took her hand again and they continued to stroll through the maze, until they reached a dead end.
"Oops. Guess we need to double back," Castle said.
She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Hey," she said. "You did a really nice thing."
"I did?" a little smile played around the edges of his mouth.
"Yeah. Christy Martin."
"Christy Martin?" He raised a brow.
Kate whacked him in the arm. "Yes. I know it said it was from Santa, but it was you, wasn't it?"
He looked at her, smiling, for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Hey, if it said it was from Santa, who can argue with that? I don't take credit away from Santa. He'd leave a lump of coal in my stocking."
Just then the speaker started to play the Eagles bluesy version of "Please Come Home For Christmas," and before Kate could respond, he swept her into his arms and danced her in a circle. Kate giggled. "Castle," she said, a belaying hand on his chest. "What are you doing?"
"One of the few Christmas songs you can slow-dance to," He said softly, leaning into her. She indulged him for a few minutes, a smile on her face until he stopped moving, but he didn't let her go. She started to push away, but he held her tight.
The song changed to the Charlie Brown ice skating song. "Kate," Castle breathed into her ear. He lifted his head to look into her eyes. "I'm going to kiss you now, so if you have any objection to that, you need to let me know in the next, say, two seconds."
She looked into his eyes and found she didn't have any objection to that at all. What was wrong with her? She thought as he lowered his head. At the first, gentle touch of his lips, she hummed a little. He pulled back to smile at her. "You taste like cinnamon," he murmured, then he was kissing her again, more deeply and she was returning the kiss and wrapping her arms around him. At the first touch of his tongue against hers, she moaned low in her throat, carried away by the emotion.
Suddenly there was a scuffling noise and a voice said, "Oh. Excuse us." They raised their heads to see and elderly couple smiling at them and turning away. Kate and Rick smiled back at them, and then at each other. Castle let her go.
Kate started to head in the direction the other couple had gone, when Castle stopped her with a hand on her arm and a question in his eyes. She reached up and gently wiped the traces of her lipstick from his lips with the side of her thumb while he watched her with dark eyes.
"We should head back. Alexis and Ashley will wonder where we are." She said, taking his hand in hers. She found her voice was low and husky.
"Kate," He stopped her again, the question, several questions in his eyes. She smiled up at him, giving him his answer. He squeezed her hand and let her lead him out of the maze.
It was going to be a wonderful Christmas, Kate thought.
Fin