Double Heat
Summary: Natalie Rhodes persuades Castle and Beckett to visit the set of "Nikki Heat," which has started up again after two years in development limbo. The couple's welcome vacation turns into undercover work for Beckett when Natalie's life is threatened. [Early Season 5]
A/N: The prompt on Twitter (and Tumblr) was to write a story where Beckett has a twin. I'm not one for writing total AU, so I thought of this instead.
When Kate Beckett first learned she'd have to stay late to wrap up a case, she wasn't very mature about it. Although, there was an accepted level of resigned irritation everyone expected. She dutifully grumbled about how she might as well sleep over at the precinct, that she wouldn't be a happy camper the next morning...the usual moans and groans appropriate for the situation. On the inside though she was on a hormone-fueled rampage, cursing out whoever invented paperwork and condemning them to the fiery pits of hell.
B-but...the loft is finally empty...she'd sputtered in her mind, silently gaping at Gates with unmasked disappointment. Alexis moved into her dorm...Martha has a class...Castle and I were...he already planned to make dinner...how can you be so heartless?!
Since expressing her despair was out of the question, she'd settled for lifting her jaw off the ground and marching back to her desk. There, Kate allowed herself a pouting session until Castle asked her if she wanted to have dinner together at the precinct.
She hadn't realized that by agreeing to his suggestion, she'd given him his cue to call in a favor at a nearby restaurant...an outrageously-pricey restaurant she'd only dreamed of experiencing. He even timed it perfectly so two orders of the night's beef special didn't arrive until the precinct had become dark and quiet, deserted save for a few others who were also stuck with paperwork. Thankfully they were nowhere near her desk.
Kate found it hard to resent the extra hours too much after that. She filled out the forms on autopilot, scribbling pages of notes that may or may not be legible to the captain or anyone else who read them. In her defense though, it was nearly impossible to write with a pen in one hand and a forkful of buttery mashed potatoes in the other...all while an equally-distracting boyfriend kissed her neck.
The blaring of his cell phone was such a disturbance that it set her on edge, making her paranoid that their romantic evening would be discovered by a nosy coworker. Fortunately they were still alone when Castle answered his call.
She listened to his side of the conversation as she pretended to focus on paperwork. He was well aware of the charade and kept his eyes on her as he spoke.
"Castle..." he greeted. She quirked an eyebrow when total bewilderment came over his face. He waved a hand, indicating for her to pay closer attention to the call. "Hi Natalie..." he said into the phone. At her puzzled expression, he elaborated, "Ms. Rhodes, I hear good things about the new and improved Nikki Heat script!"
"Oh my God!" Kate whispered loudly, her eyes wide as she stared at Castle. Between the confusion and burning curiosity, she'd be on the edge of her seat until he hung up and told her what this could possibly be about.
"Uh huh...yes, I was told that you were in rehab," Castle said to Natalie, showing his agreement with Kate's reaction by nodding enthusiastically. "Oh wow, that's terrible! I'm so glad you're better now, no one else can fill Nikki's high-heeled shoes like you can ..." Kate rolled her eyes at the reference to her shoe obsession. "So, I'm delighted to catch up, don't get me wrong..." he continued. "But I can't help thinking there's a reason you called?" Surprise lit up his face again. "Oh? Well actually she's right here, so hold on..."
Castle held out his cell phone to his girlfriend, smirking at Kate's 'are you serious?!' expression. "It's for you," he deadpanned.
Very reluctantly, Kate took the phone from Castle and put it up to her ear. "Hi Natalie...yeah, it has been a while. So happy about your quick recovery, though I'm shocked that filming Nikki Heat is still filming. Castle mentioned there were other problems but we were in LA so long ago..."
"Don't get me started, Kate. We've been in development hell for years now. They try to blame it on my rehab, but everyone knows it's been one disaster after another. This movie is cursed."
Natalie's voice sounded frazzled, tired, like she rarely got a full eight hours of sleep. Kate put the phone on speaker so Castle could see if he picked it up as well. "Is everything okay now?" Kate asked, concern in her voice. She frowned at Castle, who also appeared worried about Natalie's health.
"That's why I called. The latest drama around set is that my stunt double was let go. I have no idea why, but we do need someone to replace her and...it made me think of you."
Castle didn't bother holding in his laughter, clearly catching on to Natalie's train of thought. Kate caught on too but didn't consider it amusing at all. "I'm not an actor, Natalie. I'm sorry about your casting problems, but I'm a detective."
"That's the beauty of it! You don't even need training because you do your own stunts!"
Pointing at the phone with both index fingers, Castle mouthed, Listen to her! It would be so cool!
And unprofessional! Kate retorted before returning to her argument with Natalie. "They're not stunts," she corrected. "It's my job. Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure my boss would not be okay with an NYPD detective moonlighting as a stunt double. It's unheard of and probably wouldn't reflect well on my career."
"But the mayor lets Castle shadow you, because it's great PR for the NYPD, right?"
"I'd say it's more because Castle and the mayor are poker buddies."
"Wow...that does explain a lot. But anyway, I think the mayor would agree that you 'becoming Nikki Heat' would also be great press...for both the NYPD and our movie."
"Our movie?" Kate anxiously glanced at Castle, stunned that Natalie was wearing her down. The idea was inconceivable, but at the same time, she couldn't help smiling a little at the chance to be Nikki Heat...if only as a stunt double. It also appealed to her as an unusual physical challenge – running and jumping around a set would get her in fantastic shape.
Plus it sounded really cool.
Shaking her head, Kate reminded herself that her hopes were an indulgence in shameless fantasizing. Gates would never sign off on this. Not to mention she already had a full-time job, on the other side of the country, so it would be logistically impossible anyway. "I'm sorry, Natalie," Kate insisted, sincerely regretful. "I just can't see how this would be okay with my boss. And I can't desert my job for a few months to shoot a movie."
"Well it was worth asking. Would it make a difference if it was only for a week, or even a few days? You would give us time to hire a permanent replacement. And come on, I bet you and Castle could use a spontaneous vacation. You know, spice things up a little."
Kate and even Castle paled at her comment, their postures rigid and their eyes wide with pure panic. How did Natalie know?! Was there a rumor going around Hollywood?! "Uh...um...w-what are you talking about?" Kate replied slowly, going for outright denial. "Spice up what, exactly?! Castle and I are not together..."
"You're messing with me, right?! It's been two years and you still aren't sleeping with each other?! I figured you'd have done it in that break room ages ago."
About to laugh, Castle froze at Natalie's word choice and glanced suggestively at the break room. Later? he mouthed, his eyes directed towards her. He seemed genuinely stunned that he hadn't come up with it himself.
Are you insane? Kate demanded, her free hand on her hip for emphasis. I'd be fired! "Sorry to let you down, Natalie," she retorted. "I choose to believe the break room hasn't been...christened, yet."
"Hah!" Castle blurted. "You continue to believe that."
Natalie was quiet for a second while she digested Kate's answer. Her tone was dumbfounded as she finally asked, "And you're sure that Castle isn't gay?"
It was Kate's turn to laugh out loud while Castle looked insulted. Though she would have loved to tease him by giving Natalie a vague answer, she decided against it. They didn't need wild rumors circulating Hollywood about her boyfriend's sexuality. "No, Natalie," Kate insisted."He's not gay. In fact he has a girlfriend right now." Which was the truth.
Castle let out an exaggerated sigh of relief at her response.
"Oh? It's not you?!"
"I'm extremely fine with this. He can date whoever he wants." Kate pointedly left out the little detail that he wanted to date her.
"What a shame. I got the distinct impression that you two were destined," Natalie confessed. "Anyway, please think about running this by your captain? If that doesn't work, maybe Castle can have another poker night with the mayor."
Shrugging, Castle added, "She's right. I could."
"Gates would hate you even more than she already does," Kate reminded him. "You pulled that with her when she first took over, and she was not thrilled."
"What if I ask Bob to call her about it first? Persuade her that it would benefit the NYPD?"
Considering the plan, Kate admitted to herself that she was leaning towards agreeing to it. That was mostly because she did want to take Natalie's offer. However the rational, moral side of her wouldn't give in. "Castle...if Gates ever found out we tricked her..."
"Hey, there's no 'trick' here," Castle argued defensively. She could almost see the gears turning in his mind as he developed their plan. "I do have a poker night with Bob scheduled for this week. If I happen to run this by him before we remember to tell Gates, well...that's fate at work. We're powerless to stop it."
"Kate? What did he say?"
At Natalie's question, Kate hesitated, weighing the risks against the potential reward. While she might be reprimanded for this...she wouldn't lose her job over it. (Unlike "doing it" with her boyfriend in the break room. Admittedly, after noiselessly yelling at Castle for suggesting it, she felt a small tug of longing for what could have been if she wasn't so damn practical.) So often she held back because her secret desire conflicted with a much more worthy goal. Maybe, possibly, it wouldn't be too awful if she let herself have this one.
At Castle's patented "come on, do it, it'll be awesome" puppy-dog expressions, Kate sighed, a smile creeping into her lips despite her anxiety. "Alright, Natalie, I'm not promising anything..." she said into the phone. "But we'll see what the mayor says. If he approves, then so do I."
There was a time when Rick didn't think they would make it. As he walked through the movie studio lot, Beckett matching his stride, he allowed the overwhelming emotion to really sink in. His closed his eyes, inhaled some of that infamously smog-filled Los Angeles air, then opened them a second later to absorb the bustling scenery around him. He picked out a few actors with varying degrees of fame, but mostly he passed by also-noteworthy crew members lugging props or camera equipment.
That said, he couldn't care less about the VIP access. He was just amazed that Beckett went on the trip of her own free will, even with some eagerness. Under that calm exterior, the confident, all-business vibe she gave off that would fool any stranger, he could sense the same awe that he felt. They were both still digesting the concept of Beckett being a stunt double.
Well, really...of Beckett being Nikki Heat.
This was his ultimate dream realized. Soon enough the woman he loved would wear a Nikki outfit he'd described in the first novel, then act out a scene he'd written (the screenwriter twisted it around a bit, but essentially the same scene). Okay, yes, he'd considered it "meta" when Natalie wanted to sleep with him for character research. This, though...this was on a completely different level. It barely qualified as role play because Nikki was actually Beckett. Beckett morphing into Nikki would literally bring his words, his world to life...like his imagination materializing thanks to the magic of Hollywood.
He and Beckett already planned for her to wear the outfit back to their hotel. He'd steal it if necessary.
Turning back to his girlfriend, he noted how she checked her phone again. She'd been obsessive about it since they left New York. "I'm sure they'll survive the week without us, Beckett," he joked, knowing she had some guilt over abandoning the twelfth so suddenly. "It'll be tough, but they'll get through." Even though they had the mayor on their side, Gates was still very upset about the spontaneous nature of Beckett's vacation. The detective could only give notice days before her flight.
Biting her bottom lip, Beckett gave her boyfriend a sideways glance. "Do you think Gates is taking her anger out the guys while we're gone?! Mayor Weldon did an admirable job of selling this to her, but she still looked pissed when we left."
"I have faith that Ryan and Esposito will weather the storm of Gates' misdirected wrath," he assured her. "Besides, they'll have so much to do without us, they probably won't even notice her. She'll be yelling at a wall."
Beckett laughed. "I hope you're right about that."
As they walked up to the Nikki Heat set, a production assistant led them the rest of the way to Natalie's dressing room. They went around some sets and through a "personnel only" door, entering a maze of typical office-building hallways. A plain nameplate with the B-list actress' name on it decorated the second door in the corridor ahead of them. Since Rick and Beckett wouldn't be able to miss their destination, the production assistant went back through entrance without bothering to knock on the dressing room door for them.
Natalie saved them the trouble, throwing open the door herself, her eyes brightening at the sight of her out-of-town guests. "You're here!" she exclaimed, hugging both of them with enthusiasm. "I heard people out here and knew it had to be you. What happened, you get burned by LA traffic?!"
"Uh huh, burned real bad," Rick easily agreed, taking her excuse. Truth be told, he and Beckett started making out the second they were alone in the hotel room. Then they ended up running out when the actress texted him, asking where they were. Natalie had been right in this instance – this trip would be a vacation from the stress of hiding their relationship back home.
While Beckett struggled to keep herself from laughing at his answer, Natalie brought them into her small but cozy dressing room. A vintage oak vanity table took up almost the entire wall opposite the door. In the far corner to their left sat a matching table and four chairs. To their right, a closet that went at least two feet into the wall. Overall it had what she needed, but it didn't match the amount of luxury the actress playing Nikki Heat should have...at least, in Rick's opinion it didn't. "So Natalie...not that this isn't fantastic, but..."
"I know, I used to have a much bigger space," Natalie lamented. "When I got back from rehab, the movie had lost a lot of funding. We're working with half of what we used to get." She gave him a flirty smile. "Unless..."
Rick grimaced apologetically. "Honestly, I'm tapped out. Just started paying my daughter's very expensive college tuition."
Indifferent about the issue, Natalie shrugged. "Yeah, I'm sure you would've if you could, but I had to try anyway. It's just crazy that investors started to get nervous because of my rehab. I get that changing lead actresses is a sign of trouble, but really that was never going to happen. My case was never that bad, and I am one-hundred-percent better now."
"You are?" Beckett asked, trying to mask her curiosity. Neither of them knew what Natalie had gone to rehab for, exactly. The tabloids had been contradictory about it. Some said it was for alcohol, others thought it was drugs. One talk show comedian joked that she was a sex addict. When he'd last visited LA, the director had said there was a prescription mix-up...but Rick hadn't know what to believe.
Natalie sighed. "You two have heard all the rumors, I'm guessing? Well, this might seem a little anti-climactic, but my only vice is tweeting too much."
"You had a social media addiction?!" Beckett asked this with as much politeness and respect as she could manufacture. However, since he was so familiar with her voice, Rick detected a slight hint of derision. Admittedly he wasn't too sympathetic either. Natalie cost his movie millions of dollars...because she couldn't turn off her smartphone?!
"It is a serious problem!" Natalie insisted. At their raised eyebrows, her defensive stance faltered. "And, okay, it did coincide with contract negotiations. I thought I'd be able to renegotiate my contract if I threatened to disrupt the movie by 'taking some time off to rest.' My agent and I didn't realize the movie's financial backing was so unreliable, or that one little controversy would hurt the film so badly."
Though a little angry, Rick pushed it down and put on a reassuring smile. Really what could he do, threaten to sue her? How productive would that be? "At least the movie is still in progress," he managed to say. "And there were other problems. They rewrote the script, right?"
"Oh yeah, I have copies for you and Kate." While Natalie searched through the drawers of her vanity, someone knocked on the dressing room door. "Come in!" she yelled, still focused on the scripts.
Natalie had another pair of visitors in her doorway. The first was about her age, tall and lanky with only a hint of arm muscle, spiky dark hair and light greenish-blue eyes. "Oh, hey Phil," Natalie greeted, a wide, favorable smile on her face. Her perkiness dimmed slightly when she saw who was behind her friend (or boyfriend?). The man had to be at least ten years her senior, much bulkier than the other stranger, with dull brown eyes that looked tired compared to the intense energy in Phil's. Thinning brown hair was kept neat and his beige suit appeared snug on his frame.
"Don't be too thrilled to see me." The older man meant it teasingly, but there was a nasty edge. "I'm just your agent, the guy responsible for your contract. Which we're both lucky to have at this point."
Ouch, Rick thought, his gaze flicking over to Natalie to see her reaction. He smiled proudly when she showed no emotion at all...only some minor annoyance. "Hey Glenn!" she exclaimed with mock excitement. "Super psyched to have you on set today. To what do I owe this great honor?" Rick, Beckett and Phil chuckled at her sarcastic comeback.
"Well, I heard you had a special guest today," Glenn replied, ignoring her antics. "Thought I'd stop by and meet the legendary author himself before my meeting in Burbank."
Though flattered, Rick tried not to take it personally that Glenn hadn't acknowledged Beckett yet. Natalie seemed miffed by this too. "Actually, I have two special guests," she corrected sharply. "Glenn Bradley, meet Richard Castle, and NYPD Detective Katherine Beckett." She then put a hand on Phil's shoulder. "Kate, Castle, this is one of my oldest and best friends, Phil Durso. We moved to Hollywood together." Pausing, she added, "Not together, together. We're just friends now...and that's not awkward at all. Anyway, this guy is CEO of the top celebrity news website..."
"Durso-Digs-dot-com!" Rick exclaimed, shaking Phil's hand. "Your staffers have done some much-appreciated reviews of my books. I sent some emails to thank you, hopefully you got them?"
Phil zealously returned the handshake, smiling at the bestselling novelist's praise. "Thank you, Mr. Castle! Using quotes from our review on your book cover...it helped immeasurably. Website views almost doubled the week it was released..."
"Okay, enough with the mutual admiration," Glenn snapped. Since he probably wouldn't be adding Richard Castle to his LinkedIn network at this point, the agent didn't bother with anymore niceties. "Nattie, did you tell 'em about the letters? You've got a cop and her sidekick here, might as well get their expert opinions."
'Nattie'? Beckett mouthed to Rick, raising an eyebrow while agent and actress traded glares.
Her boyfriend's expression was just as bewildered as hers. Sidekick?!
Meanwhile, Natalie let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh my God, Glenn, will you please just forget about those stupid letters?! I've gotten stuff like that before. Nothing's ever come of it, except that I end up working myself into a panic."
"But this guy is an off-the-charts nutcase. A sadistic nutcase," Glenn insisted, giving the New York visitors meaningful glances. "Stupid cops won't do anything about it yet, told us to 'pass along anything that causes us concern.' Why the hell they think we sent 'em the first dozen, because we weren't concerned?!" He calmed himself down for a second before continuing his rant. "When she got about half a dozen more, I told her to save them for when you two got here. You'd probably be more helpful than those freakin' LAPD idiots."
"So you're up to eighteen letters?" Beckett asked quietly. "That's a lot." She kept her cool but Rick could tell she was getting worried. Truth be told, so was he. "Let's look at some of them now. If you want, I can send them back to New York and have them analyzed..."
Even more angry at Glenn for troubling her guests, Natalie's temper spiked. "Everyone drop it, okay?! I've already had enough controversy with this movie. When they heard about my rehab, all the gossip columnists started talking about who would replace me. If they get wind of this...I'm done." The others nodded in a pledge of loyalty. Relieved, Natalie resumed her upbeat demeanor. "Alright, Glenn, I'll walk you to your car since you probably want to nag me about something else. When I get back...Kate, you're going to wardrobe."
"Yes!" Rick exclaimed, pumping his fist. Beckett sighed.
Witnessing the exchange, Phil laughed as Natalie and Glenn went into the hallway. "So, are you two an item?" he asked. He didn't seem to mind that his best friend Natalie left him alone with her guests.
"No! God, no," Beckett answered, a little too defensively for Rick's liking. "He's just a consultant for my precinct."
Phil chuckled again."Sure he is." Abruptly he poked into the hallway, checking that Natalie wasn't within earshot. He frowned at Rick and Beckett when he stepped back in. "I would really appreciate it if you sent those letters to your guys in New York. They're in this room so you can grab them right now. Natalie doesn't have to know."
Torn by the moral dilemma, Beckett shook her head. "No, I'm Natalie's friend..."
"As her friend, you should watch out for her," Phil argued. "I get that she doesn't want to make a big deal out of this, but there have been some 'accidents' around set. Nearly fatal accidents. She's in denial and can't see what's best for her." He sighed at their controlled, unemotional stares. "I'll leave it up to you. They're in the bottom drawer right there." Indicating the large second drawer on the vanity's right side, Phil gave them one last pleading glance...then partially closed the door on his way out. Rick and Beckett were silent for almost a minute as they each battled their own code of ethics.
Finally he made eye contact with her. She nodded.
Diving for the bottom drawer, Rick discovered that Phil had right about the letters. Thankfully they'd been put back in their envelopes. He began stuffing every single one into his hidden jacket pocket as Beckett stood guard in the doorway.