April fools
Castle suppressed a smile as the elevator doors opened. Today was one of his favourite days of the year and he was going to make it a memorable one. He could imagine Detective Beckett looking quite unsuspecting as she sat at her computer, typing up the reports for the case they had closed yesterday. Castle stepped onto the elevator and as started to set up his scene.
Kate Beckett was sitting at her desk wondering where Castle was, he was usually here by now. She tried to tell herself that she didn't care whether Castle turned up of not but deep down she knew that she liked having him around. The elevator doors dinged and opened and Beckett automatically looked up from her report knowing that it would most likely be Castle. She shot up from her chair calling Esposito and Ryan. Kate sprinted toward the elevator and froze in shock as she looked at Castle; he was crumpled up in pain as blood flowed from what she suspected to be a stab wound in his back.
Esposito and Ryan came from the break room as their boss Beckett called them muttering about having their morning coffee break being interrupted. All that muttering stopped as they stopped to stare at the scene unfolding in front of them. They didn't know that Castle would start his prank so early but they quickly started playing their parts.
Ryan and Esposito sprinted up to Beckett's side as she stared at Castle a few tears falling from her eyes as she knelt down beside Castle and shouted at Esposito to get the captain. Beckett started to apply pressure to castles wound, the blood flowing over her hand. She yelled Castle's name as more tears flowed freely down her face.
Montgomery looked up as a flustered Esposito raced into his office. The detective smirked at Montgomery and whispered "it's started". The captain smiled back and started to walk toward the elevator already knowing what he was going to find as Castle had talked to him yesterday asking his permission to do this. He had replied that as long as Castle didn't take it too far it would be fine, and Castle himself didn't mind being in the line of fire of Beckett's anger.
An electric like shock went through Castle's body as he felt Beckett's hands on his lower back where his "wound" was. He peeked through his eyelashes and what he saw shocked him even more. Beckett was crying! He couldn't believe that and he now wondered if his plan was such a good idea. He decided to keep going knowing that either way she was going to be furious.
Ryan looked at Beckett as the tears started to fall faster and he was starting to have his doubts on whether this was such a good idea. Ryan saw Castle's eyes flicker open for a second and as he registered what was happening the same feeling Ryan had felt just moments before flashed through his eyes.
Esposito ran back to where Ryan was standing giving him the thumbs up that the plan was working. Esposito really didn't want to think about what Beckett was going to do to Castle once the prank was revealed because she was definitely going to be furious. She watched as she turned to Ryan and asked him if the paramedics were on the way. To everyone in on the prank, that was the cue for the prank to be revealed.
Kate was ashamed and embarrassed about tears but they just wouldn't stop. She tried to think about why she was breaking down like this. She asked Esposito if the paramedics were on the way, he just grimaced and nodded. She felt Castle stir beneath her hands and he rolled over so his eyes met hers. Beckett sobbed in relief but also noticed that Castle was trying to get up. She gently pushed him down saying that he needed to wait till the paramedics were here. He just responded by grinning while moving closer to her and whispering in her ear "April fools".
Castle watched as Beckett registered what he had said and then a look of cold fury overcame her face. She sniffed the fake blood on her fingers and look at him. The other detectives were all running away to hide at their desk before Kate Beckett blew. He himself looks around for an escape route as he slowly stood up smiled at Beckett. She gave him a look of pure fury mixed in with the one she used to get suspects to confess as she also stood up. Castle kept his gaze locked with Beckett's as he discreetly pushed the ground floor button on the elevator.
Kate went from shock and hurt to pure rage as she registered what Castle had just said to her. This had all been a stupid prank and she could also tell that everyone in the precinct except her had been in on it. She was about to lunge at Castle as she registered what was happening. The elevator doors were closing. Kate tried to stop them but it was too late. Castle was disappearing down in the elevator. Kate took the steps 2 at a time as she tried to reach the ground floor of the precinct before Castle.
Castle let out a sigh of relief as Beckett failed to stop the elevator doors from closing. As he descended towards the ground floor he knew she would be coming down the steps as fast as she could. He tried to think of a backup plan but eventually decided on just going back up the elevator again and hiding in the men's toilets. The moment the elevator doors opened he pushed the button to go back up. As the doors were closing he saw a puffing Beckett come from the stairs and look around frantically for him and finally spot him. He gave her a cheerful wave as the elevator made its way back up.
Kate flew down the stairs as fast as she could, taking two or more steps at a time. She sprinted down the hallway and searched frantically for Castle. She finally spotted him as he gave her a cheerful wave as the elevator sped on back up. She clenched her fists in anger but immediately ran towards the stairs to climb back up. She hoped Castle didn't decide to go down again.
Castle sprinted out of the elevator and straight into the men's toilets. Hiding just like Beckett had done when she wanted to find the sex scene in his book Heat Wave. He smiled at the memory but still kept still and silent as he hid from Kate Beckett.
Kate skidded into the precinct her cheeks flush and her breathing hard she saw the door to the men's toilets slam shut and noticed that elevator was still here. Kate knew better than to go chasing after Castle into the men's toilets, but she also knew that he couldn't stay in there for ever, so she grabbed herself a coffee and sat down at her desk deciding to wait him out.
Castles legs were getting cramped after a good hour of sitting on the toilet. He knew what Beckett was playing at; she was probably just sitting out there waiting for him to come out. He hoped it would let her calm down and give her a chance to appreciate the joke. A little voice in his head asked what he was doing in the toilet and why didn't he just go face Beckett. He finally decided that maybe that was his best option because he was starting to get hungry.
Kate heard the door to the men's toilets open she leapt up but only to find it was Esposito opening it for fun and he was smirking at her knowing the reaction she would have. She heard the men's toilet door open and close again but ignored it, thinking it was Esposito messing with her again.
Castle thanked Esposito for opening the door for him as he slinked towards the break room, surprised that Beckett didn't notice him. He made to hot coffees to help make walking up to Beckett a little easier. He fearlessly walked over to Beckett and placed down her coffee in front of her as he quietly sat down in his chair.
Kate didn't notice anything until she thought she could smell coffee. She looked to the left of her paper work and saw a steaming hot cup of coffee. Kate took a deep breath and look up at a smiling Castle. She stood up and looked Castle in the eye. She grabbed hard by the ear and he started yelling his safe word; Apples! Apples! She ignored him and pulled him into the break room telling everyone in there to leave. There was no hesitation as the room cleared out in a matter of seconds.
Castle yelled in surprise as Beckett grabbed his ear and pulled him away from her desk. He tried yelling his safe word apples to get her to stop, but Beckett was a woman on a mission. She had pulled him into the break room and yelled at everyone in there to get out so that now only he and Kate were in there.
Esposito and Ryan watched from the door to the Break room as Beckett yanked Castle in there and asked everyone else to leave. Esposito asked Ryan to film the scene unfolding in the break room on his phone so they could send it to Lanie. The detectives flinched as Beckett slapped Castle across the face yelling at him "This is for playing a prank on me!" They felt intense sympathy for Castle and hoped they weren't next as she shouted "This is for thinking it would be funny!" and kicked him is his private making him fall back onto the sofa. Finally Ryan and Esposito watched open mouthed as Beckett yanked Castle to his feet by his neck tie and kissed him tenderly. "That" she said quietly as she strode out of the room "was for making me think you were dead".