She stood at the murder board arms crossed, marker in hand tapping it against her bottom lip. Castle sat on the edge of Beckett's desk watching her. He always watched her. The way she stood, her back straight, hair cascading down her long beautiful neck, wisps of chestnut colored curls tangling along the way. He watched how she would sway very slowly back and forth lost in contemplation. He loved catching heart-stopping glimpses of her breasts rising and falling with each breath. He wasn't certain though if it was the arching of her eyebrows, the twinkling of her eyes or the slight curve of the ends of her mouth lifting upwards that he adored the most. She was it, his everything.
"Castle" Beckett repeated harshly for the second time, finally pulling him from his intoxicating trance. Busted, yet ever the wordsmith he was able to conjure a quick and reasonable response. However, Beckett was pretty sure she knew where his mind had been. In fact she surmised hers was probably in the same place.
"Castle, would you like to enlighten me with one of your crazy theories, cause quite frankly I've got nothing." She asked laced with a flirty tone, just the tone that caused his breathing to quicken. "Victim of a mad scientist's cross-species genetic mutation experiment gone awry? Ooh or maybe an extraterrestrial escaping her planet's emanate demise by fleeing in her travel pod but sadly ending up in the used grease container of a local fast food chain."
Beckett rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time. God, how she loved him. He could infuriate her, exasperate her and make her laugh all within a few moments. "Castle, that's the best you've got, aliens and mutants? We are never going to get out of here tonight" pausing for only a moment, then she lowered her voice to a whisper for effect and hoping to motivate him, "And I really want to go home…with you…tonight" Castle's head whipped to hers as fast as lightning strikes a tree, raised his fist to his mouth, scrunched up his eyes and answered with irritation in his voice, "Damn, I've got nothing."
Espo walked up as Beckett rubbed her hand across her forehead in frustration. "Hey, I just got a hit on that strange car the vic had at the crime scene." Kate looked hopeful at Espo and asked, "What is it? Anything good?" "Apparently it is an experimental grease car that operates on new or used oil." Beckett turned back to the murder board and wrote under the picture of the oil vat the victim was found in, "Grease Car." Castle mused, "Huh, what do you know a real green alien." Beckett turned back to Castle narrowing her eyes, silently admonishing his pun, all the while wanting to grab him and bite his lower lip.
"Espo, any idea where the car was manufactured or who the owner is?" Ryan walked up behind Espo and chimed in, "The plate indicates the car was registered to a George Goodwin from a place called Weeki Wachee, Florida." Espo turned to Ryan and asked skeptically, "Really dude is that an actual place?" Castle's face lit up with excitement "Did you say Weeki Wachee?" Ryan looked back at his note pad and nodded his head up and down. Castle stood up, his body dancing with glee and practically shouted, "I know who the murderer is." Beckett turned her head jutting her chin down looking at him in disbelief and said, "Oh great I can't wait to hear this." Castle gave her a big smile and replied, "The murderer is a mermaid." All three of the detectives looked directly at Castle and couldn't help but laugh. "Castle, you have hit an all time low, even I am embarrassed for you." Ryan stated sympathetically. "What you ran out of three letter organization cover ups to pin murders on now you are resorting to imaginary sea creatures?" Espo quipped. "Guys would just listen to me? The mermaids are real, in fact I got to know one quite intimate...ly" Castle's voice trailed off when he saw Beckett give him a "Watch it, Mr." look. Ryan intrigued by Castle's mermaid story asked, "Castle you dated a mermaid?" "Well I am not really certain I would call it dated, it was more like we splashed around in her cold water springs. Beckett became annoyed. Her mood quickly shifting to "Irritated as hell." "Castle enough with fictitious stories. Can we please get serious I'd like to go home before midnight." Castle said, "I am being serious. Weeki Wachee is a real city. It's home to a mermaid show. I took Alexis there when she was seven. She was going through this sea life phase, wanting to be a mermaid" Beckett interrupted, "Huh um." "We found this place on the internet so I took her there for her Spring Break. She got to dress up as a mermaid. She looked so cute in her little flippers. Then I paid extra for the deluxe package and they taught us how they perform in their under water show." Beckett interrupted trying not to sound to exasperated, "Castle I realize this is a sweet trip down memory lane for you but what does this have to do with our vic?" "I was just getting to that. If you look here at the picture what do you see?" Beckett turned to look closely at the picture of the vic hanging on the board. Castle eyes lit up as he saw those sweet edges of Beckett's red lips begin to turn upward into a smile. On the inside of the vic's forearm was a small tattoo of a mermaid, with the letters WW underneath. "Well that might explain her webbed toes." Ryan stated with a grimace. Beckett turned to Ryan and said, "Ryan, first thing in the morning I want you to see if you can find out anything about Mr. Goodwin, he maybe associated with our vic. Espo would you check in with Lainie see if she has found the cause of death? Castle and I will look into his mermaid theory." Castle raised his eyebrows in delight catching Beckett's glance. He was more than happy to chase down mermaids with Beckett. Perhaps she would even be interested in learning everything he knew about mermaids in his large bathtub.
The boys said their good nights and headed toward the elevator. Beckett straightened out her desk while Castle picked up her coat and held it for her as she slipped into it. She turned to him pleased that they had somewhere to start with this case, thrilled that they were going to be able to leave the precinct for the first time in over a week not exhausted. The bull pen was empty, they were the last to leave. Castle looked around making sure it was just the two of them. He pulled Beckett in close to him as he began buttoning her coat. She loved how he relished the opportunity to fawn over her. She wasn't about to admit it but he knew she enjoyed it. There were so many things that they did for one another that expressed their intense love without ever being spoken or even acknowledge. Four and half years together working as partners, becoming friends and then lovers paved a road of synchronicity. Their road traveled only by their flirtations, banter, theory, tears, fights and endless nights of lovemaking. As Castle buttoned the last button on her Dolce and Gabbanna brushed wool-twill trench coat, he reached around her waist grabbing her belt and tied it into a knot. He slide his hands up the front of her coat over her breasts, slipping his fingers into the epaulettes on her shoulders. He clasped his fingers closed while pulling her in for a chaste kiss. Kate was mesmerized by his attention to detail. Her body tingled as his hands lifted each button slipping it through its intended slant. She closed her eyes breathing in his scent. She needed to get out of the precinct, out of their clothes into their bed. However, letting him put clothes on her at the moment felt more delicious than removing them. Kate licked her bottom lip as Castle pulled away, trying to taste more of him to hold her off until they were home. Castle reached for her hand, twinning their fingers together. They left the bull pen together, both with visions of mermaids swimming in their heads.