Mr Galahad
by Minstrel164
XXX
This story is set sometime mid series 4 and based on a prompt from Castle Fanfic Prompts:
Pre-marriage (possibly pre-couple) - Castle overhears some guys talking about Kate in a crass, demeaning way, and he gets pissed and sets them straight (verbally or physically, I don't care). When Kate finds out about it she wants to be mad at him for overreacting/creating a scene/whatever, but she really thinks it's sweet that he would defend her honor.
XXX
Castle finished playing Angry Birds on his phone and looked up. His eyes went immediately to Beckett's empty chair. Beckett had been gone now for over an hour. She had left for a meeting at the District Attorney's office that had been called at the last minute. The DA had wanted to go over her testimony for an upcoming court case. Castle had wanted to go with her but she had stymied that idea with a firm, 'Stay here, Castle'. Not even his best impression of a puppy dog was able to convince her to change her mind.
Looking away from Beckett's chair Castle turned his head to look over his shoulder. Esposito and Ryan were not at their desks either. They had left some thirty minutes ago to chase down some lead or check on something, Castle was not sure exactly what it was only that it involved going through a lot of records. Paper records. The boys had invited him to come along but he had politely declined the invitation.
Castle straightened up in his chair. After the boys had departed Castle had considered just heading off home. There were some chapters awaiting his attention on his laptop that he should get around to finishing in the not too distant future. Then again he did his best work when Gina was breathing fire down his neck. The chapters could wait.
He glanced at the time on his phone and saw that it was nearing midday day. The main reason he was still sitting in his chair beside Beckett's desk was because he had promised Beckett to take her to Remy's for lunch. However bored he might have been sitting by himself he was not about to break his promise to Beckett. He would wait, no matter how long it took for her to return from her meeting.
Slipping the phone into his jacket pocket Castle rose to his feet and reached for the coffee mugs sitting on the desk. Out of habit he reached for Beckett's blue mug with the NYPD logo but paused when he remembered Beckett was not here. Whenever he did a coffee run to the break room he always reached for Beckett's cup first just out of habit. He chuckled to himself as he picked up his own mug.
Castle strolled into the break room and made a bee line for the coffee machine. As he made his way through the room he noticed that it was relatively empty of people. Usually when lunchtime rolled around it would start to fill up. Perhaps people had decided to eat out today. A pair of uniforms were seated at one of the tables having coffee.
Castle did not recognise the two men and his first thought was that they must be recent transfers to the twelfth. On closer inspection of their shirt collars he saw that they were members of the fourteenth precinct. Both uniforms paused in their conversation to cast a wary eye at the new arrival.
The writer gave both men a friendly smile and a nod of the head in greeting before walking up to the coffee machine. The taller of the two men did not respond to Castle's greeting but his partner, a short stocky Hispanic offered a tight lipped smile.
With practised ease Castle set about fixing himself a fresh cup of coffee. With the portafiller locked in place with freshly ground coffee, he pressed the hot water button and watched as the coffee began to drip steadily into his mug. He had chosen to make espresso rather than a cappuccino simply because it was quicker to make.
"Hey, did you see that homicide cop earlier?"
"Which homicide cop are we talking about, Deacon? In case you've forgotten we're on the homicide floor."
"I'm talking about the real hottie, Beltran. The hottie."
"You mean the brunette?"
"Yeah, yeah that's the one."
Castle's ears pricked up at the turn in the conversation. Slowly he turned his head to look at the two uniforms.
"So, what about her?" The officer named Beltran asked.
"You wouldn't know her name by any chance, amigo?" The one named Deacon said.
"I think I heard them call her Beckett. What about her?"
"What I wouldn't give to to tap that sweet looking ass."
"Forget it, man. She's way above your league." Beltran laughed.
Castle's face darkened the more he listened to the two men. He did not like what he was hearing. Not one little bit. It made his hackles rise.
"I reckon she's the type that likes having a good time, you know?" Deacon said.
"How would you know that?"
"I just know, man."
"And you think you're the one to show her?"
"Hell yeah." Deacon declared. "Get a few drinks into her and she'll be ready and willing to put out, I reckon."
Castle definitely did not like hearing Beckett being talked about like that. He did not like it when any woman in the precinct was talked about like that. It was all the worse because they were talking about his partner. Forgetting about the cup of espresso he moved away from the coffee machine. It had been some time since he had been really angry. Usually he was able to rein in that anger but the way this uniform was talking about Beckett just made his blood boil.
"When I see her, I'm going to ask her out." Deacon told his partner. "And I'm going to show her a really good time and she's going to be begging me for more."
Castle slowly approached the table where the two officers were sitting. The two men were laughing. It was officer Beltran who was the first to notice Castle. He quickly smothered his laughter. Deacon, noticing his partner turned his head to see what Beltran was looking at.
"Can we help you, pal?"
"No, but I can help you." Castle replied.
"Oh, how's that?"
"I suggest you finish up your coffees and leave."
Deacon, a man aged in his late twenties, who seemed to have a sour expression permanently etched on his face and a nose that seemed a little off centre as if it had been broken a few times regarded Castle carefully.
"Who are you when you're home?" Deacon challenged.
"Doesn't matter who I am, officer..." Castle paused to look at the man's name plate beneath his badge "...Deacon."
Deacon flashed a thin smile as he looked Castle up and down before settling on his face. He pegged this intruder as a civilian, dismissing him as someone not to be too concerned about much less the advice he was imparting.
"I don't particularly like the way you're talking about a colleague." Castle added.
"Is that so, pal?" Deacon replied.
"And while you're at it I suggest you brush up on the department's policies on sexual harassment."
"Well, if it's all the same to you pal, I got better things to do with my valuable time than to waste it on that garbage." Deacon said dismissively.
Yeah, like drinking coffee and demeaning fellow officers, Castle thought to himself. He watched as Deacon turned to face his partner and resumed the conversation they had been having.
"As I was saying, I'm going to bang that ass of hers..."
Castle had been silently telling himself to remain calm but the moment Deacon started talking again, and what he just said was too much for the writer. He saw red. Reaching down Castle grabbed Deacon by the shirt and hauled him out of his chair. Before he had a chance to throw a punch Deacon moved swiftly and threw a punch that struck Castle in the face.
The impact of the blow made Castle stagger back a couple of steps. His eyes watered immediately from the pain of the punch but despite that he moved forward. As he quickly blinked away the tears he saw Deacon winding up to throw another punch. Out of instinct or pure dumb luck Castle blocked the punch and threw one of his own. He grinned with satisfaction when he felt his fist make contact with the other man.
As Deacon staggered backwards Castle threw himself at him. The two men started grappling, trying to look for an opportunity to throw a punch at each other.
Suddenly Castle felt himself being pulled off and dragged away from the other man. He struggled to make another lunge at the officer.
"Castle, stand down." Detective Esposito ordered in a crisp military tone.
"Easy man, settle down." Detective Ryan added.
Castle stopped struggling and dropped his hands. He glared angrily at the other man who was being restrained by his alarmed partner.
"What the hell, bro?" Esposito demanded, surprised to find Castle involved in a fight.
"It's nothing." Castle muttered as he tried to catch his breath.
"MR CASTLE!"
Every head in the break room turned to find a furious looking Captain Gates standing in the doorway taking in the scene. She looked from one man to another until her angry gaze came to rest on a dishevelled looking Castle. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"My office, Mr Castle." Gates ordered.
Castle quickly straightened his jacket and started to tuck in his shirt.
"Now, Mr Castle!"
Castle quickly forgot about his shirt and started moving. As he neared the doorway Gates stepped aside to let him through. He gave her an apologetic look as he passed her before quickly making his way to the Captain's office.
XXX
Castle slowly dabbed his handkerchief against his nose wincing at the jolt of pain that radiated as he tried to wipe the small trick of blood coming from his nose. Satisfied that his nose had stopped bleeding he started to dab at the corner of his mouth where his lip had been split, wincing again at the pain. He would have liked to have access to a mirror to examine the extent of the damage Deacon's fist had done. He was sure that he had been hit once by the other man but judging from the pain coming from a couple of areas on his face it appeared Deacon might have hit him more than once. He could not remember being hit more than once.
He was standing in front of the Captain's desk waiting for her return. He was not sure but if he were to hazard a guess he would have said that he had been waiting for about ten minutes. Not that he minded waiting. In the time he had been waiting he fixed up his shirt and made himself a little more presentable. To his way of thinking Captain Gates could take as long as she wanted before returning to her office.
As he stood there waiting he found himself transported back to his school days where visits to the principal's office was a regular occurrence. There had been a couple of occasions way back then where he would be sent to the principal's office almost on a weekly basis. If his present situation was not serious he would have found it amusing.
Lowering his hand which held the handkerchief Castle pocketed the bloodied cloth then turned and looked through the windows of the office into the bullpen. He saw that just about everyone passing by were casting looks in his direction. Some gave him sympathetic looks, while others could not help but chuckle to themselves at his predicament. He noticed that Beckett had not returned from her meeting. He was a little grateful for that.
Casting a final look at the bullpen Castle turned slowly and faced the captain's desk and waited patiently.
He did not have to wait long. About a minute later Captain Gates walked into her office. She closed the door with some force that rattled the windows and made Castle jump. It was not a good sign, Castle thought to himself. Not a good sign at all.
Gates shot him a baleful look as she walked around her desk to sit down in her chair. She slowly removed her glasses setting them on the desk before she looked up the writer.
"Are you hurt, Mr Castle?"
Castle could not be sure but he thought he detected a note of concern in her voice. Her concern would be centred around all the paperwork she would be forced to fill out if he truly was injured, he thought to himself.
"I'm okay, sir."
Gate nodded her head slowly.
"So, would you care to enlighten me as to why you were brawling in the break room with a uniform officer, Mr Castle?"
Castle cast his eyes to the floor. Out of habit he started conjuring up an elaborate excuse in his mind to present to the captain like he used to do when he was facing the principal.
Ever since her arrival at the Twelfth Precinct Gates had been looking for a way to throw him out. She had almost succeeded a few months back when he had been helping the boys investigate Beckett's shooting but he had managed to return thanks to a friend in a high place, namely the Mayor, but he had been put on notice all the same. This time there was more than a distinct possibility Gates might just get her way.
"I'm waiting, Mr Castle." Gates snapped.
Castle lifted his eyes to the captain. He dismissed the elaborate excuse he had come up with, deciding he would tell her the truth. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before he spoke.
"I took exception to something Officer Deacon said." Castle announced.
"So you resorted to fisticuffs?"
Castle was going to say that it seemed like a good idea at the time but wisely decided to remain mute only offering up a shrug of his shoulders.
"Did you throw the first punch, Mr Castle?"
"I don't know, sir."
"You're not sure?" Captain Gates said, looking a little surprised.
"No, sir." Castle said. "In the heat of the confrontation I wasn't paying attention to that."
The Captain nodded her head slowly as she weighed up what Castle had just said.
"And what exactly did Officer Deacon actually say that you took exception to?" She asked a couple of moments later.
"I'd rather not say, sir." Castle said quickly.
"You'd rather not say?" Gates said with some irritation.
"No, sir."
"May I ask why?"
"It was deeply offensive."
"I see." Gates drawled. "Are you worried about offending my sensibilities, Mr Castle?"
"No, sir. I'd just rather not repeat what Officer Deacon had said."
"Okay."
Gates regarded Castle for several silent moments. The writer definitely felt like he was standing in the principal's office again. The expression on Captain Gates' face definitely reminded him of a couple of principals he had stood before in years past.
"These remarks that were made by Officer Deacon, and which you took exception to, were they directed at you?" Captain Gates asked.
"No, sir, they were about someone else."
"Someone who works here?"
Castle nodded his head.
Gates' eyebrows twitched upwards briefly before she schooled her face once again. She leaned back in her chair and looked away from the dishevelled looking writer standing before her. Taking a breath she turned and looked at up at Castle.
"Mr Castle, I will not have people brawling in my precinct, whether they are members of the department or civilian consultants." Gates stated. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Castle said contritely.
"Very well, until I decide what to do over this matter, you Mr Castle, are banned from the precinct until further notice."
Castle looked at the captain and made to protest his punishment but a cool look from the captain stifled any thought of protest. He straightened his posture, rising to his full height.
"Yes, sir." He said in a low voice.
XXX
Kate Beckett strolled into the bullpen and headed for her desk. Her meeting at the DA's office could have gone better than it had. Much to her chagrin she would have to go back because they had not finished.
Her forehead started to crease into the beginnings of a frown the moment she looked at Castle's chair and saw that it was empty. Had Castle grown tired of waiting for her and gone to Remy's on his own, she wondered? She checked her watch and her frown deepened a little more. Her meeting had gone an hour over time.
She started to fish her phone out of her pocket to give Castle a call.
"Yo, Beckett, did you hear what happened to your boy?" Esposito called out as he and Ryan approached her.
"What?"
"Castle got into a fight with a uniform in the break room." Ryan explained.
Beckett looked dumbfounded.
"He what?"
"Yeah, he got into a fight." Esposito said. "Ryan and I had to pull him away."
"Castle?"
"Yeah." The two detectives chorused.
"Got into a fight?"
"Yeah."
Beckett shook her head not quite believing what she had been told. Castle getting himself into a fight right here in the precinct. It seemed absurd. She turned from the two detectives and started to search the bullpen looking for a sign of Castle.
"Where's Castle now?" She asked.
"Gates kicked Rocky Castleano out." Esposito reported with a smirk.
"She what?" Beckett turned to look at the Hispanic detective.
"Yeah, kicked Ricky Balboa to the curb." Ryan added, matching his partner's wit. "I've never seen her looking so mad."
Beckett opened her mouth to say something but no words came out she was too dumbfounded. She combed her hair back with her hand and let out a long sigh of frustration. Her day had gone from bad to worse. Secretly she had been looking forward to having lunch with Castle. The man always knew what to say or do to make her feel better. After her arduous meeting with the Assistant District Attorney she was in need of a laugh.
"Detective Beckett." Captain Gates called out from the doorway of her office."
"Sir?"
The captain beckoned Beckett before she disappeared into her office. Beckett glanced at the two detectives and rolled her eyes, as if to say 'now what?'.
XXX
Beckett's boots made a harsh tattoo as she marched down the hallway towards Castle's front door. As she approached the door she tried to lasso the anger she was feeling. She had gone into the captain's office feeling perplexed and half suspecting the boys might have been playing some kind of joke on her. Her astonishment quickly transformed into anger when Captain Gates informed her about what had transpired in the break room. That Castle had gotten into a fight with a uniform officer from another precinct.
Based on the information that Gates had provided it had not taken Kate long to put two and two together and realise why Castle had gotten into that fight. That realisation had made her even angrier. When her shift had finished she had come straight to the loft.
Now that she was standing in front of Castle's front door she drew in a deep calming breath and slowly exhaled. She knocked on the door and waited for it to be answered. A moment later it was opened.
"Katherine, what a pleasant surprise." Martha Rodgers chirped happily.
"Hello Martha." Kate replied. "Um...Is Castle in?"
"Come in, come in."
Martha stepped aside to allow Kate to enter.
"You'll find Richard in his office, brooding." Martha announced as she waved a bangle encircled arm in the direction of Castle's office. "He's been in there since he came home. Perhaps you might be able to entice him out of his lair, dear."
Kate gave the older woman a nervous tight-lipped smile.
"You wouldn't happen to know how he managed to get those bruises on his face by any chance?"
There was a look of concern on Martha's face as she asked the question. Kate kept her face neutral despite the lurch in her stomach on hearing that Castle had ended up getting bruised from the fight. No one at the precinct had told her that he had been hurt. What remaining anger she had been feeling quickly towards the writer ebbed away.
"I wasn't there, I'm afraid."
"Oh, I see." Martha said, forcing a smile to her face. "I guess Richard was being Richard, I suppose."
"But I was told what happened."
The actress's eyebrows rose up questioningly.
"Long story." Kate sighed.
Martha gave an understanding nod of her head. Some of the concern faded from her face as she smiled at the detective.
"Well, I'll leave it to you, Katherine." Martha breezed. "I must be off."
Kate watched as Martha headed out the front door. Left alone she turned and looked in the direction of Castle's office. She just stood there making no effort to move. She bit on her lower lip nervously. The door was closed but through the shelves she could see that Castle was not sitting at his desk. He was seated on the couch facing the television.
Taking a steadying breath Kate started walking towards the office. Reaching the door to his office she knocked softly on it and waited a couple of moments. When no response came from Castle she opened the door and slowly entered.
Castle was staring at the television which was not switched on. On hearing someone enter the office he turned his head to see who it was. His eyes widened a little when he saw Kate approaching and quickly turned back not wanting her to see the bruises on his face.
He was not quick enough. Kate saw the dark discolourisation marring the left side of his jaw. She silently cursed the Assistant District Attorney for letting their meeting to go over time. If she had gotten back to the precinct in time perhaps Castle might not have gotten himself into a fight and he wouldn't be sitting here sporting those bruises.
"Hey there, Chuck Norris." Kate said softly.
Castle let out a mirthless chuckle as Kate reminded them of that moment in the back of the ambulance last year after they had rescued Ryan and Esposito from Lockwood and his cohorts in that warehouse.
Kate reached the couch and sat down beside Castle. She saw that his clothes looked dishevelled and realised that they were the same he had been wearing when he had come to the precinct. He had not bothered to change other than remove his jacket when he had come home. He was nursing a glass of whiskey in his left hand which rested on his knee. The knuckles on his other hand were skinned and crusted with dried blood which he had not bothered to clean up. She made a mental note to have a severe word to Ryan and Esposito for not having told her that Castle had been hurt from the fight. If she had known that she would not have waited until end of tour before coming to the loft.
On impulse she reached over and took the glass of whiskey from Castle's hand and quickly drained the contents. Castle glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
"It's been that kind of day." Kate told him.
Castle nodded his head in understanding before he turned to stare at the blank television screen again.
"I can't seem to leave you alone for a couple of hours, before you go and get yourself into trouble." Kate remarked, a note of amusement lacing her voice. Castle shrugged his shoulders in response.
Kate leaned forward and placed the empty whiskey glass on the coffee table next to the opened bottle of Johnny Walker. The bottle was still three quarters full and she was grateful that he was not in the mood to get himself drunk. She made no move to refill the glass. Instead she leaned back and turned to look at Castle.
"Are you going to tell me what happened in the break room?"
Castle did not respond to her question.
"Castle."
"It's nothing." Castle said quietly.
"It's not nothing, Castle. You got into a fight and then got thrown out of the precinct." Kate pointed out.
"Don't worry about it."
They sat together for the next few minutes in silence. Kate waited patiently for Castle, giving him the chance to open up in his own time but from the looks of things he was not going to tell her what occurred. She decided to take matters into her own hands.
"Look at me, Castle."
When Castle did not turn his head Kate reached out and cupped his chin gently in her hand. Slowly she turned his head in her direction so that he could look at her. She saw the pain and sadness in his eyes, and disappointment. She desperately wanted to stroke his jaw to try and sooth the bruises but she resisted the urge and reluctantly released him now that she had his attention.
Kate had come to the loft with every intention of giving Castle a piece of her mind for getting into a fight at the precinct. That his reasons for doing it was because he was standing up for her was just misplaced chivalry on his part. If she was being honest with herself, it was sweet but she had never needed people fighting her battles. That was what she had intended to tell him. It all changed when he saw the pain and sadness swimming in his eyes.
"I'm a big girl, Castle. I don't need you to come riding in to protect my honour."
"But you're my partner."
"It doesn't matter."
"Of cause it matters." Castle said with some heat.
"Listen Castle. I've been putting up with jerks like Deacon from the moment I joined the department."
"It's not right."
"I know it isn't." Kate agreed.
"And you shouldn't have to put up with it."
"But fighting in the break room?"
"What was I suppose to do, Kate? Just stand there and listen to him talk the way he was?" Castle protested heatedly. "I wouldn't have stood for it if he had been talking about Hastings or Karpowski, or any other female in the precinct, or even the captain for that matter. What he was saying was not right. And I put a stop to it. I would do it again too."
Kate looked at Castle for a couple of moments. She was touched by what he had said. Her pursed lips slowly curved upwards into a smile.
"You're a famous and successful writer, you couldn't have used some of that rapier like wit of yours before you resorted to using your fists?"
"Using my fists seemed like a good idea at the time."
Kate shot him a pointed look.
"Okay, maybe it wasn't such a good idea."
"You think?"
Castle let out a long sigh.
"Gates is going to kick me out permanently, isn't she?" Castle said, breaking the momentary silence that had fallen between them. "She's been looking for a reason and I gave it to her on a plate." He ran his hand over his face mindful to avoid the bruises.
Kate smiled and shook her head.
"Captain Gates filled me in on what happened." Kate replied. "You're just suspended from the precinct for a couple of days."
"I am?" Castle said in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"I can handle that." Castle's face brightened.
"So long as you promise not to do it again."
The smile that had started to form on Castle's face retreated.
"I meant what I said earlier, Kate. I would do it again."
"Castle."
"No."
Kate frowned as she stared at Castle. The writer saw the troubled look on her face.
"What if I promise to use my rapier wit first before resorting to fists?" He suggested carefully.
"Okay, I can live with that." Kate conceded.
Kate smiled as she leaned against the backrest of the couch. She rested her elbow on the backrest and propped her head in her hand and continued to look at Castle.
"You were lucky." She said.
"Huh?"
"Deacon was a former amateur boxer." Kate informed Castle.
"Was he?" Castle was a little alarmed at that piece of information.
"Yeah, a local Golden Gloves champion.
"Oh."
"What is it with you, Castle?" Kate questioned. "First Lockwood and now Deacon?"
What she did not bring up was that other matter of him trying to jump in front of a sniper's bullet. She hated herself that she had not told him yet that she remembered that day in the cemetery. Remembered everything that occurred. Most importantly, remembered the words he had spoken to her as the pain and darkness dragged her down into oblivion. She told herself that she was not ready yet, and she almost believed it. Yet these clothes of lies were rapidly becoming a straight jacket.
"When it comes to the people I really care about, there's nothing I wouldn't do."
Kate felt her heart skip a beat. Not wanting to go there she quickly changed the subject.
"Those bruises must hurt." She said nodding to his bruised knuckles.
"A little." Castle conceded.
"Come on. Mr Galahad, let's take care of them." Kate announced. She reached out and carefully took him by the hand as she rose from the couch. Castle rose up from the couch.
"That's Sir Galahad." Castle corrected.
"Don't you have to be knighted first?" Kate asked.
"I got a light sabre somewhere if you're willing to do the honours, my lady?" Castle said excitedly. "Or we could use one of Alexis' fencing swords."
"Castle."
"I could be your knight in shiny armour."
"Ink stained armour more like." Kate remarked.
"Hey, I like that even better."
Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head at his burst of excitement.
"Do you know what will help heal the bruises faster?" Castle said.
"What's that?"
"If you kiss them better."
Kate lifted her eyebrows, eyeing him carefully.
"You would be amazed at the magical properties a kiss has." The writer added, smirking.
"Let's get you cleaned up first and then we'll see." Kate said as she dragged her knight in ink stained armour in the direction of the bathroom. "If icing the bruises doesn't work, we might need a plan B."
"Oh boy." Castle breathed excitedly.
XXXXX