Summary: It's another long and uneventful day at the 12. So what's a writer and his muse to do? Take a personality quiz about Firefly of course.
AN: Just clicked on the first quiz I found on the search engine and rolled with it. I've been a fan of Firefly for many years now and decided if I was going to do a personality quiz for Castle what better one to do.
WASTING POLICE RESOURCES
"Get out of my chair," Beckett growled. She had just come back from the break room after fiddling with the coffee machine for the past ten minutes. For some reason it wasn't working the way it normally does. After several failed attempts, an a little violent encouragement, detective and coffee machine at last saw eye to eye.
"A couple of minutes," he replied. "Besides no murders today," Castle pointed out as he navigated her web browser. As annoyance gave way to curiosity she leaned over his shoulder to see what he was up to.
"Personality Quiz?" she read as Castle clicked on a link. "Firefly?"
"Yeah," Castle nodded. "You a fan?"
"Never heard of it. Are you?"
"Alexis is. She's been trying to get me to watch it but I haven't had the time. Apparently there is a guy who looks like me on it."
"Really?" Beckett said and Castle brought up a tab of a picture showing a character named Captain Malcolm Reynolds.
"Thought I'd at least make an effort," Castle explained. Every passing day was one day closer to her daughter's graduation and inevitable leaving for college. He wanted to be as close to her as he could manage.
"Maybe if you were a bit younger," Beckett said giving the picture of Reynolds some thought. "So which character are you?"
"Don't know. Just opened the page."
She looked around and saw that Gates was busy in her office and everyone else was eating lunch or messing around themselves. Ryan and Esposito were actually playing Rock-Paper-Scissors. If they had time for that then she figured ten minutes of toying with some quiz was fair game.
"First question then," Beckett said as she followed to where Castle's eyes were. "Sleek dresses and silk sheets?"
"I don't wear dresses so no," Castle said and went to click 'no' but Beckett nudged him with her shoulder. "For guys it's nice suits and you're always wearing a blazer. Also the nice expensive sheets?"
"Point," Castle said and clicked on 'yes' instead.
"Handle yourself in a fight?" Beckett read next. "Kind of?"
"Excuse me but who's leading the saved your ass competition?" Castle said and clicked on yes.
"Only by one," Beckett muttered but begrudgingly conceded. And in a perfect world she hoped it would stay that way. They could smile now when looking back at the close calls they've had over the years but she wasn't hoping for a chance to tie their score by any means. She'd be perfectly happy ending her career with the score as it was. "Love to fly?"
"I love all things adventurous."
"Tend to fall for men you can't have? Or men you can't have according to the rules?" The pair turned their eyes towards each other at the same time and actually ended knocking their foreheads together. Each winced but kept their minds on the question at hand.
"Well I'm sorry but I find the fairer sex more appealing so-"
"Goes for heteros too, Castle," Beckett reminded him. She couldn't help it. She was very much curious in his answer. And that's when she saw it. It was something she almost never saw before. He was blushing! "Come on, Castle," she teased. "What woman could you possibly not have?"
"That's just it though," he said after giving it some thought. "I don't want to fall for a woman who throws herself at me. I want someone who can give as good as she can get. A woman who challenges me and no matter her availability. If the relationship is worth it then there is almost nothing I wouldn't do to be with her."
She didn't know what to say. The undertone between them at the moment had gone from jovial to intimate in the span of a second. Unfortunately she couldn't let him know how much his words touched her. Not yet at least. She wasn't ready and until she was the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like was that she didn't want a relationship with him. It couldn't be further from the truth.
"I think that's your answer then," she gulped and nodded to the screen and hoping the remaining questions weren't nearly as personal.
"You like to carry a big gun? And as many other guns on your person?" Castle scowled. "Well I would if they let me."
"But this is New York and only cops can carry so sorry, Castle."
"But I know how to shoot," he reminded her.
"Then click the middle button. The 'yes and no' one."
"Your table manners, or manners in general, aren't the best?"
"If you click 'yes' I'm going to grab your ear," Kate said and narrowed her eyes at him expectantly.
"Hah, I think that tells us how well you are mannered. And I'll have you know I am very respectable when need be," he said and as much as Beckett wanted to argue otherwise she knew he was right. It was just more often than not their relationship was so personal and comfortable they could be whoever they wanted to be around each other. The middle button it was again.
"Sometimes you find yourself giving lectures to others?" Kate said and gave that one some thought.
"Well I know what your answer would be," Castle laughed but then gave it some thought as how he fell into that category. "Then again me and my stories?"
"Fair enough," she said and watched him click 'yes'. "Besides you do have a daughter."
"Yeah but she's the one who usually does the lecturing," Castle grumbled causing Beckett to snort in amusement. "This one asks: Money is good? All about money?"
"You are wealthy," Beckett reasoned. "A playboy some would say."
"But that isn't what matters most to me."
She smiled when Castle picked the middle one again. It was satisfying how well she knew him and with maybe one or two exceptions she could do this quiz for him. It was then that the thought struck her and made her ask just how well did he know her?
"Don't mind working hard and getting your hands dirty?" Castle said and shared a look with Beckett.
"Absolutely," she said. " And what's worse? You do it without being paid."
"I know, isn't it great!"
"Some times you have strange ways of..."
"Showing people you care for them," Castle finished for her.
"For a quiz about a show some of these are really personal," she said and Castle nodded in agreement. She was starting to wonder if maybe he was better off taking this quiz without her peaking over his shoulder. Then again if she left him alone what would that say? Why did she even come over here in the first place? Oh, right. He was sitting in her chair. Again. And she would need to readjust it. Again.
"Well given my relationship with Alexis and my mother's relationship with me," Castle said which offered him the opportunity to sidestep the other relationship both partners were currently thinking about yet trying not to think about.
"Not to mention your relationship with your ex," Beckett said quietly but loud enough for Castle to hear the sting in her tone. There was so much he wanted to say to her about that but at the moment she had him boxed in. He clicked 'yes'.
"You believe in a higher being?"
At this question both of them scrunched up their faces. This wasn't something they had talked about. They both celebrated Christmas and did all the fun holiday stuff – him more so – and he was married twice. Then again he got divorced twice. Didn't the bible say something about that? In the end he had to decide that maybe it was more cultural than religious. He didn't go to mass every week after all.
"Yes and no," Castle said at last. Besides it wasn't just about going to church or not. It could get very difficult some times to keep the faith that a lot things are still good in this world given everything they saw on a day to day basis. Grim humor was a sad but constant conversation in their lives.
"Even on the worst days there is cause for joy," she whispered as if reading his own thoughts.
"Sometimes," Castle said and clicked the 'yes and no' button. "But never enough."
"You're protective of your friends and family," Beckett read.
"That one's easy," Castle said without even needing to think on it. "Next."
"People who talk in the theater go to a special kind of hell?" Beckett asked. "Funny. Went from faith in higher beings to condemning people to hell."
"I want to say yes but-"
"That would make you a hypocrite," Beckett said and nudged his shoulder.
"I'm not that bad," Castle defended.
"Oh please," Beckett retorted and rolled her eyes. "I've watched movies with you, Castle. You are notorious. And outside of movies? I've been with you for four years and there is no 'shut up button' anywhere on you."
"Well maybe you just haven't been looking hard enough?" he said and let his eyebrows give her an entertaining dance while his voice oozed of seduction. This time though he missed his mark as she only rolled her eyes again, took control of the mouse, and clicked a resounding 'no'.
"We have met a lot of bad people in our lives, Castle," she added. "I think we have a pretty broad evil versus good spectrum."
"And compared to some of the psychos we've met," he reasoned and nodded, agreeing to her deductions.
"You like... dinosaurs?" Beckett said and couldn't help but smirk at the question. "I'm beginning to think this quiz is about our lives, Castle."
"You and me both," he said and took the mouse back and immediately clicked yes. "You like to help people – yes. Almost always in a good mood? Yes. Very good at science and math-"
"You're better at theorizing, Castle," Beckett interrupted. He was on a roll but she wanted to make sure he called it fair. "Using that wild imagination of yours to tell stories."
"I'll have you know my daughter is very gifted in all academia," Castle said smugly.
"Yes and we all know genius skips a generation."
"Or two," Castle said as he rubbed his chin trying to figure out where did his daughter get her smarts from. Finally he went with 'yes and no' once more.
"You always look beautiful?" Beckett said and rolled her eyes. Just what his ego needed.
"Well I was Bachelor Number-"
"Nine," she interjected before he could say seven. "Keeping it real, Castle."
She smiled in approval though when he clicked 'yes'. If he didn't she would have pinched his ear.
"Sometimes your behavior frightens people?" Beckett said and glanced at him, truly wondering what his thoughts were on this.
"Well I know I am a very responsible-"
"Are you serious?" Beckett said, her jaw figuratively hitting the floor. "Do you have any idea how much I've worried about you? Or Alexis and Martha?"
Castle frowned.
"And you happen to be the perfect picture of safety 'Miss I always go first' and risking her life against impossible odds?"
"Fine. We're both guilty," she acknowledged with a huff. "And unless there is something you aren't telling me I don't see you walking away from this anytime soon, so?"
"Nope," he smiled and clicked 'yes' to the question. "You're stuck with me."
"You like to carry a big gun?" they said simultaneously.
"Why are the so many gun questions?" Beckett asked. "What kind of show is this?"
"I'd like to carry 'a' gun," Castle muttered and clicked 'yes and no'.
"I'll send the request on to Gates," Beckett chuckled. "Seven more questions."
"Love dresses with lots of ruffles?" Castle said and couldn't help but grimace. Everyone knew what kind of dress Castle liked his women in. It was a no brainer for both him and Beckett were she taking the quiz. She wasn't a fan of ruffles either. "Definitely no."
"You like to be in charge?" Beckett said and smiled at the irony of the question.
"I just want to drive," Castle whined. He was about to click 'no' but Beckett stopped him.
"I may be in charge at work, Castle, but elsewhere?" He knew what she was getting at. All those times he worried about Alexis. Or with his mother. Or his ex-wife. Wait what? He let's them walk all over him! And all the trouble he gets into? Seeing the inner debate inside of him Beckett shook her head but placed her hand on his shoulder. She wanted him to hurry up and realize that in every one of those situations the buck stopped with him but she could see he was having some real trouble working it out. "Okay," she said trying a different tact. "What about those times when you don't listen to me? I tell you to drop something but you push through anyway? A lot of those times you come out ahead, Castle. And yeah I may technically be in charge most of the time-"
"All the time."
"All the time," she conceded. "But where would you and I be if you always blindly followed orders? You challenge me each and every day, Castle. And I am better for it. And so is Alexis and Martha and all the other people in your social circles."
He hesitated but her logic eventually won out and he clicked 'yes.'
"I love to dance?" he asked, his tone lighter now that they had negotiated around the last question. "I do love to party."
Beckett grinned. She was really starting to enjoy this.
"Prefer to have fun and be casual as much as you can?" Beckett read and half groaned and half laughed but all smiles. "You better click 'yes.'"
"Yes ma'am," he grinned and then read the next line. "You believe love is the most powerful thing in the universe?"
And there it was once more, Beckett saw. Another question that touched very close to their own relationship. Thankfully he didn't dwell on it too long or at all actually. It really was an obvious choice. Alexis was his world and if she was honest with herself she was his world also and he her's.
"The day you wear a dress is a very sad day?" Castle asked and scratched his neck at that. Going with Beckett's logic from earlier (dresses for women and suits for men) he clicked 'no' and continued on to the last question.
"Do you come from a city?" they said at the same time.
"Well that's very easy," the native New Yorker said. "And there we go."
"Curious?" Beckett said as they waited for the results to load.
"Little," Castle said. "Then again Alexis watches the show not me."
Finally the results were in.
"Huh?" Beckett frowned and looked at something she did not expect. "A tie breaker?"
"What kind of quiz is this?" Castle demanded. "It's making me choose. I either come from the city, like to be in charge, like dinosaurs, or like silk sheets? I like all four!"
"Well," Beckett said as she looked away from the screen and focused on him. "Which one fits you the most, Rick?"
"I don't know," he grumbled. "This is just for laughs."
"Okay then let's look at it another way," she suggested. "Which one can you not be without?"
His brow furrowed and she could see he was really thinking this one over and not because of what the results of this quiz would be. The question chose four topics that touched on varying degrees of who he was as a person.
"If I never fought to be here," Castle said after considering it all. He turned his face away from the screen and gave her a handsome and confident smile. "I never would have met you."
Kate was speechless and found herself trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. Correction, she already knew the meaning but at the same time felt very touched. However she knew she wasn't the only example of that though. She knew he fought to become such a respected author. His responsibility and love for Alexis as her parent would always outshine everything else in his life. His close relationship with his mother was also nothing to overlook. How many sons have the small a buffer zone with their parents? As for herself? While he may not drive the car he was relentless when it came to driving her crazy.
Castle clicked his choice and the results loaded.
"Huh," they both said and tilted their heads at the picture that popped up.
"You know something, Castle? I think I'm starting to see the resemblance."
"Malcolm Reynolds. Go figure. It's reads:
It's your way or the highway, but for some reason your friends stick around anyway. Probably because they know no matter how harsh you might be sometimes, you'll always have their back (or come to their rescue) in a sticky situation."
"It says you also scored a hundred percent for three other characters," Beckett read. "Simon Tam, Inarra Sera, and some person named Wash?"
"Curious as to which one likes dinosaurs?" Castle wondered idly.
"Or the silk sheets?" Beckett added. She didn't say it but the idea of falling asleep in silk sheets appealed to her.
"Think any of them get killed off?" Castle added.
"Hey guys!" Esposito called out. Immediately feeling like their hands were caught in a cookie jar Beckett and Castle moved to close the browser and then focus their attention on the fellow detective. "We got a body drop down by the piers. Might be mob."
"We got ya," Castle replied and pushed away from her desk. As he got to his feet Beckett grabbed their coats and handed him his. Snagging their coffees along the way the two partners made the walk to the elevator to join up with Ryan and Esposito, which was when Castle felt something small and cold touch his hand. To his surprise he found the keys to Kate's cruiser in his palm.
"Just don't kill us, Castle," she said, unable to help it.
"Always," he smiled and gave her a shoulder a slight nudge.
The End...
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ABC and the quiz I borrowed from quizfarm so props to all involved as they made this story a real treat to write.
A/N: Tried my best to stay as in character as possible but some questions were very easy to answer and others required a lot of considering. Namely the who is in charge one. Then there was the one that asked about being in love with someone you aren't technically supposed to be with and that one hit me like a pile of bricks especially since this took place in season 4. I hope you enjoyed the read as it was very fun to write.
- S