Best Award Ever
A Season 3 AU insert somewhere after the two-parter, where Josh is a twinkle in his mom's eye and Gina is just an ex-wife.
This has been a work in progress since January 2014 that I vowed I wouldn't post until it was complete. I'm beyond excited to finally share it with you, and I really love it. I hope you do too. Infinite thanks to Jo for your superlative edits: Sans toi, les émotions d'aujourd hui ne seraient que la peau morte des émotions d'autrefois.
A pigeon stood on the ground observing its surroundings, cooing to itself and any other creatures that would listen. It pecked at the red brick tiles below its feet, searching for crumbs it wouldn't find. The pigeon ignored the humans around it expertly.
A young boy, no more than two years old, was strapped into a stroller, his mom close by chatting to someone. He watched the pigeon's progress, feeling the spring breeze on his face and in the tight curls of his hair. Suddenly, his brother charged across the space, his feet slapping the tiles. The pigeon took flight in a flurry of surprise, wings flapping noisily. The boy watched it fly up into the blue sky, its outline starkly contrasted against the white and grey smudges of the clouds.
As it alighted in a nearby tree, the breeze picked up and wafted the sweet scent of a New York City spring day across the square. Above the blaring horns of yellow cabs, the bright, young leaves rustled and below the stuttering clouds the pigeon cooed again in its search for food.
"Behave!" The boys' mother grabbed the older boy's shoulder to make him stand still as she straightened his tie and buttoned up his little suit jacket. "Daddy will be out here soon, so be on your best behavior for him, okay?" The boy nodded and glared silently at his younger brother, willing him to start making a scene instead, but the little one's attention had been captured by an interesting pair of people striding past.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with perfectly coiffed brown hair and an expensive-looking dark navy wool suit, his white shirt crisp and his green silk tie dotted with tiny white stars, walked beside a beautiful, petite African-American woman wearing a business-like heather grey dress and jacket with white piped details that matched her high heels and purse. They were both smiling at nothing in particular but the man noticed the boys and gave them a wave as they moved to take their seats.
"Here we are... row 'D', seats eight and nine, Lanie."
"Thanks, Castle. Where did you get that tie from, by the way?"
"Oh, I had it made especially, to match Beckett's newest bar."
"Right, of course! I like it, brings out your eyes."
They moved their way up the aisle and sat down, the seats around them filling up quickly until the doors of One Police Plaza were opened in front of the assembled crowd and a group of officers in their dress uniforms – hats, white gloves and all – were led out by a standard bearer with the NYPD flag. A hush fell and the only sound that echoed through the square was their boots on the brick tile below their feet.
As the troop came to a halt, Lanie noticed Castle sit up a little straighter, his eyes roving the lines to find his detective. She smiled a little sadly to herself, wondering if that particular detective would ever get her act together and let her writer in. Castle glanced at Lanie with a proud grin on his face, his enthusiasm infectious. He returned his gaze to face the front as the officers filed to their seats, Ryan and Esposito both grinning at him and Lanie before they turned to sit down.
Castle's smile faded a little when Beckett didn't acknowledge him before she also took her seat but he saw Esposito lean slightly in her direction and the minute turn of her head as he whispered to her, followed by the almost imperceptible nod before she returned her attention to the police commissioner as he began his welcome speech. Rick was about to give up and follow her lead when she finally turned her head, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth until her face broke into a glorious smile that he couldn't help but return.
Lanie, seeing the whole thing, elbowed Castle in the ribs while Beckett was still looking, mostly to remind him to breathe, but it caused Beckett to purse her lips in amusement, holding the laughter inside. When he returned his gaze to her after glaring at Lanie, Beckett had turned back to the front, but now there was a lingering smile and a crinkle by her eye, and he felt satisfied with a job well done.
When the police commissioner finished explaining the NYPD's reasoning for having Medal Day, the ceremony began. The mayor was presiding and handing over the awards, and Castle realized he'd missed a trick in not asking Bob where they were hiding his medal. Not that he felt like he deserved one anyway, no matter what he might say to Beckett and the boys, they were the ones who had really put their lives on the line that day. Okay, so he'd disarmed a dirty bomb, but really it had been pure luck and they all knew it. No, he was perfectly content to be sitting beside his favorite Medical Examiner for this ceremony.
He flashed her a quick smile, and she chuckled and patted his hand with a whisper, "Don't get too excited yet, Castle, our three won't be up for a while yet." He just shrugged in response, exuding happiness. He was determined to give his full attention to all the officers receiving awards, no matter how big or small, for the entire ceremony.
Finally, after over thirty worthy men and women of the city had received their accolades, the commissioner introduced the last awards of the day, and Rick imagined he could feel his blood thrumming with excitement. He only realized his hand and fingers were bouncing and tapping on his thigh when Lanie took them in her own grasp. He leaned over and whispered his apology without breaking his concentration on the events unfolding in front of them.
A second chapter will follow in the next couple of days.