The Good Ole Grinch (Castle Christmas fiction)
The Grinch is renowned for having stolen Christmas. A copycat suddenly appears out of a huge evergreen tree and steals…a kiss? And wait, there's more! The good ole Grinch had the missing piece after all. One shot, Castkett. A Christmas story I just thought of because I really miss Christmas!
AN: This is all fiction. These are all the results of the eerie workings of my mind. :D
December 24, Morning
Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD Homicide Detective, inspiration for the Heat book series of famous bestselling author Richard Castle… She lost her possessions, including her apartment, when a serial killer fixated on her, or to be exact, on her alter ego – Nikki Heat. And she'd been living with the Castles till the day before yesterday, when she finally moved into an apartment she found three days ago.
They have just closed the case regarding a certain chef at a well-known restaurant in Manhattan where she had re-established a connection with a former high school friend named Madison. Things have gone up into a cyclone. She was working things out with Detective Demming from the 54th, and Castle all of a sudden tried things with Madison – which, by the way, went nowhere.
Who would've thought she'd be volunteering at the precinct on Christmas Eve? Answer: every single acquaintance of hers except for the 12-year-old that she babysits on a regular basis.
Richard Castle has always enjoyed the company of a certain tough but savvy female detective, including the countless bicker-matches (which he sometimes considered as the detective's unique way of flirting). In fact, he admired her more than he would like to admit…at least as of the moment. He was intrigued by the fact that somewhere in this crazy world lived a woman who would not throw herself at him. He never thought that such woman was existent. And on a bright sunny day in the Big Apple, fate brought him to the most mysterious woman he had ever met. And that woman, of course, was none other than Detective Beckett herself. In that exact moment, he silently said to himself that if there really was a God, a thousand praises be sent above from the bottom of his heart!
He was captivated by the beauty of this lady detective – raw like a diamond's. She was beautiful even without trying. She was strong, determined, and equally as witty as he is. At that very instant, he knew she was the one for him. He knew that someday, he would hold her hand, slip a ring on her finger, and call her his beloved wife. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; nothing's happened…at least, not yet.
The halls of the precinct were nearly empty. The only occupants were just there to exchange gifts, extend their greetings, and then afterwards, retreat to the comforts of their own homes and families.
Castle was looking for his work wife, as he decided to call her (based on Episode 11 of Season 2). When he arrived at her desk, he saw that there was a small pile of papers which were yet to be touched. Then all of as sudden, the smell of freshly brewed espresso filled his senses. "Ah, at the break room for some early morning coffee. This is so like her." He laughed then proceeded to the break room. "Hey."
Beckett's peaceful coffee moment was interrupted by the man at the door. She turned to see who it was. "Castle? What are you doing here? There is no case, you're free to go. Besides, it's the Holidays."
"Ah, yes. And yet, here you are." Castle raised his eyebrow a bit.
Beckett had no excuse for her actions, except that she didn't want to spend it alone in the confinements of her new apartment. "I guess I just had a lot of paperwork to do here, and nothing to do at home."
At that, Castle's raised brow moved higher. "A lot of paperwork? I walked by your desk before I went here and…it's probably just 2-3 inches thick. Knowing you, you could finish that even before noon."
"That's…very flattering, I guess. Anyway, why are you here?"
"Oh, nothing. I was supposed to invite everyone to the annual Christmas Countdown Party to be held, of course, at my place."
"Ah." She said then sipped her coffee.
"Ah? Ah? That's all you can say?"
"Was I supposed to say something in particular?" Beckett was not herself today. She hadn't had sleep last night, and the night before. She was just not used to her new apartment. Sure, she stayed with the Castles for a month or so. But she didn't quite feel this emptiness there. What she was feeling now was new to her. It was like something was always missing. Her dad's fine with some friends in Brazil; she just closed another case; she had a new apartment; she was finally getting close to having a new boyfriend. But still, it didn't seem complete.
"Uh, yeah. Like, 'Sounds like fun, could I come?', or 'Is that an invitation?'," Castle said as he moved to stand next to her. "Or maybe even, 'may I spend the night with you?'" At that, he wiggled his eyebrows and his mouth spread to a wide grin which earned him a slap on the arm. "Ow!"
"Why would I say such things? And that last one you said? In your dreams."
"Every night. How could you have known?" He smirked his all-famous smirk and got a glare in response.
"Whatever, Castle. Besides, It wasn't a direct invitation, so how was I to know?"
"So if it were, would you come?"
"I didn't say that."
"Oh, come on, Beckett. It'll be a lot of fun!" He pleaded with his puppy dog eyes that he believed to have an effect on her.
"I'll think about it." She said then turned her head away to hide the smile forming across her lips. "Damn him and his eyes." She thought.
"What's there to think about? Just say yes, and I'll give you the perfect Christmas gift." He noticed her eyes brighten up at the phrase 'perfect Christmas gift'.
"Time and attire?"
"Yes!" He practically jumped like a kid at Christmas (well, it is Christmas. lol).
This display of excitement made Kate laugh as she stood up with her cup in hand. "Just make sure I won't be doing any babysitting there."
"Oooooh. Promise!" Castle exclaimed. "I'll go get the guys and the captain before they leave." With that, he sprinted out of the break room, leaving Kate smiling to herself.
She then left the room to start on the paperwork so she could finish early.
"Huh. I'm finally finished." Kate said as she stretched out and looked at her watch. "A quarter till 11? Hmm. That was fast." She said as she pulled her coat from her chair, picked up the papers, and continued to Captain Montgomery's office.
"Oh, Detective Beckett…finished already?" The captain had an amused expression. "You really are something. But you look like—"
"Hell? I know. I haven't had much sleep since I moved in to the new apartment." She sighed.
"That's not good for your health. I can't have my best detective on a sick leave, especially in the season to be jolly." Roy half-smiled at her.
"I actually intend to go home now after a few arrangements to try to catch some sleep before the party tonight."
"Castle's?"
"Yes, sir. He was practically begging me earlier this morning."
"And you said yes?"
She nodded quite shyly. "I didn't have anything planned anyway. My dad is vacationing in Brazil right now so, no family either."
"Well then it's a good thing you said yes." The captain smiled. They bid their farewells and Kate left his office.
She was planning to go home already but somehow, she felt as if the espresso machine was calling to her. And so, she went to the break room for one last cup of coffee before she left for home. As she waited, she closed her stinging eyes for a moment while she massaged the bridge of her nose – a habit that Castle finds very amusing. To her surprise, arms snaked round her waist, and lips touched her clothed shoulder. If she were herself today, she would've beaten the shit out of this person. But she was too tired, and she felt as if she was drained of her energy. "Castle, I'm too tired to argue with you." She said as she pulled the arms off of her. "I already said I was going to your party later. Don't make me change my mind."
The man did not reply, which made it so…un-Castle-y. But she didn't mind. She really was too tired. Besides, tired or not, why would she start an argument regarding Castle's silence? It was a rare event, so savor the moment! The man just coughed an obviously fake cough to catch Kate's attention. And it did. She turned and her eyes widened when she saw that it was not Castle at all; it was Tom…Detective Tom Demming.
"Oh, Tom, I thought you were—"
"Castle? Yeah, I heard…" He trailed off while looking at floor.
"I'm sorry. I, uh…It's just that…" She didn't know what to say. "It's just that he's the only one I know who does stupid things like that." She realized the effect of her words after she had let them out. "I – I mean, not that you're stupid or something. I wasn't even sure if stupid was the right word. I think reckless would have been better…" She trailed off.
He just stared at her, amused. This was something no one sees everyday; a rare sight indeed. "I agree."
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just not myself right now…" With that, she looked down. "What is wrong with me?" She thought.
"It's okay." He smiled and walked toward her. "I understand. I know you're tired and…The guys, they told me what happened with the serial killer. You know, you should take better care of yourself."
"So I've heard…one too many times." She smiled at him too. "Would you like some coffee too?"
"Oh, I've had enough coffee to last me a week. But thanks for the offer."
"If you didn't want coffee, then what were you doing here?"
He grinned. "Well, you don't suppose I could show you rather than tell you…?"
"Oh, stop it." She giggled. "Tom makes me laugh. He's a great guy. And so far, it's been so good. But I don't want to rush into anything." She thought to herself. "I'm sorry to spoil your fantasies, but I already have plans for tonight." She turned to walk away, knowing that he would follow her.
The moment she got out of the break room, the first thing that greeted her sight was a serious-looking Castle. She just stared, not knowing what to say to him. "Weird. I'm at a loss of words. It's something about his expression. It's…new. Or maybe…no, it's just wishful thinking." She thought then shrugged the thought away.
"Excusez moi, mademoiselle, you forgot your coat." Detective Demming said in a half-mock, half-serious accent and tone which made Kate laugh.
"Merci, monsieur." They both laughed it off as Detective Demming helped her put on her coat. Tom bid farewell to Kate, then looked at Castle. He nodded and turned to leave.
"Oh, wait, Detective Demming." Castle exclaimed.
"Yes? Is there anything you need?" He shared a confused look with Kate.
"No, nothing. I just wanted to greet you a Merry Christmas." Castle smiled, although deep inside, his heart ached.
Demming tried his best to hide his surprise but it was seeping through every feature of his face. "Why, thank you, Castle. Same goes to you." Then he turned to leave, but was stopped again. But this time, not by Castle but by himself. "And oh, do take care, both of you. Merry Christmas." Then took a last glance at Kate, and left with no other word.
"Awkward." Kate thought.
"Hey, Beckett." Ryan's familiar voice filled the room.
"Yeah?"
"You coming tonight?"
She glanced at Castle, who seemed to be off to another planet, then back at Ryan. "Yeah, I am." She smiled.
"I'm glad you are." Esposito piped out from beside Ryan. "Hey, was that Demming a while ago?"
"Yes, it was. Why does it interest you?" Kate asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing. It's just that I've been seeing a lot of him lately. Something going on?"
"I, uh…I'm not so sure myself." Kate answered honestly.
"Why is that?" Castle eagerly asked, which made Ryan and Esposito exchange looks. "Aren't you dating?"
"I…I don't know. We've gone out once or twice but, there seems to be something…" Kate trailed off, leaving the other three guys on the edges of their seats (just an expression, they were all standing. :D).
"Something…?" The three men asked in unison.
Kate laughed quite loud at this, and then said, "You guys are easy marks." She continued laughing. "Anyway, I don't have to answer that. And, it's none of your business." They all had similar expressions on their faces – irritated & humiliated. "Missing. There seems to be something missing." She thought to herself. She thought and sighed. "I'm going home," she said and walked toward the direction where Castle was standing.
"Hey, wait." Esposito called out.
She stopped at her tracks, which coincidentally was right beside Castle, and looked at Esposito. "Merry Christmas, boss." He smiled.
"Merry Christmas to you too." She smiled then turned to walk away, but before she could take one step…
"Stop right there, Beckett." Ryan said with a smirk on his face.
"What now?" She asked.
Ryan turned to Esposito then gestured somewhere above where Kate was standing right beside Castle.
The other three looked at what Ryan pointing at. The three men were now grinning while Beckett's jaw dropped. This was something she never noticed before in the precinct because it was something seen only in the Yuletide season – a mistletoe. And it just so happened that she and Castle were standing underneath it.
"Let's see a kiss." Ryan said as he and Esposito moved closer to the other two.
"N-No way." Kate exclaimed rather loudly as her cheeks started to feel warm.
"Hey, it's just a kiss. It's harmless." Castle said as his grin widened as he took one step closer to her.
"Easy for you to say." Kate murmured under her breath.
"What was that?" Castle asked.
"Nothing. It's just not gonna happen." She started to move away.
"You're no fun." Ryan said.
"Come on, Beckett. If you're such a scared-y cat, then let's see even just peck on the cheek." Castle said as he gestured to his right cheek.
"Who are you calling a scared-y cat? You want a kiss? Fine." She said as she slowly moved. She was close enough to smell his scent now. "Focus." She thought. When her lips were nearly touching his cheek, she turned to whisper to his ear. "Not gonna happen." She smiled then went on her way.
"Damn! It was this close!" Ryan exclaimed gesturing with his index finger and his thumb.
Ryan and Esposito looked really disappointed. But not Castle. He had a contented smile on his face. "At least I got that close to her that I was able to catch the scent of cherries."
And with that, she left with a silent yet smug smile visible on her features.
When she arrived home, she felt heavy and tired all of a sudden and fell asleep almost at once. She woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. She got out of bed to see who it was at the door, and was surprised when she saw nothing. She opened the door and saw two boxes with her name on them; the smaller one was on top of the bigger one. She peeked at the halls and saw no one so she just carried the boxes inside and placed them on the coffee table. She opened the small box and found the most beautiful red stilettos she had ever seen. She tried them on and saw that they fit her perfectly. Next in line was the bigger box. She opened it and found a black dress (I'll leave the design of the dress to you, readers, except that it shows cleavage and goes down till a little above the middle of her thighs), and accessories that matched the color of her shoes. She lifted each carefully. When she lifted the dress, an envelope fell from it. It was addressed to her, so she opened it and read the content. It read:
These are what I hope and at the same time expect you to wear to the Christmas Countdown Party. I apologize for not being able to tell you the time and attire because I was overwhelmed by my excitement, and…some other things.
It will be held tonight at precisely 7:30pm and will last for as long as the last remaining guest wishes to stay. As for the attire, I don't think I have to elaborate more on that, now do I?
I'll be looking forward to your arrival. Till then, I'll look forward to the kiss you owe me.
Richard Castle
"He did all this? Hmm. The kiss? In his dreams." She ran through everything she had just received. She read the letter again and noted the time. "What time is – 6:51? Oh no, I'm gonna be late." She said as she dialed a number on her phone.
"Parish."
"Lanie, I'm running late. I just woke up."
"Girl, what? The party is just…38 minutes away. It's 6:52!"
"I know. Just tell them…never mind. Thanks anyway, Lanie."
"Honey, just say you're gonna be fashionably late. It's Castle anyway so, keep him waiting on the edge of his seat. We all know that if it's you, he'll wait for God knows how long. He'll always be pleased to see you." Lanie said. She could feel Kate's eye-roll through the phone. "You take care now, girl."
"You too. See you." Kate hung up and got ready for the party. It's 8:05 now. She spent the last half hour just staring at her reflection and contemplating. "Do I look okay? I think this dress is a little too much." She said as she turned sideways from the mirror to look at her figure. The dress showed just enough cleavage, her arms, her upper back, and dropped till about 2 inches above her mid-thigh. "Insecurities." She sighed, turned off the lights and left for Castle's loft.
When she arrived, she stayed outside. "What on earth is holding me back?" She thought to herself.
"You're scared."
"What? Who's there?" She asked and looked around, only to find that she was alone.
"I'm the voice you keep pushing back inside your head. I'm the one who speaks the truths that you can't and won't accept. And you know it."
"Oh…"
"It's Christmas. If you can't tell him now, then when else, eh?"
"Tell him what? And tell who?"
"Don't play dumb, you know exactly who your heart is calling for."
"I…I'm…not sure I want to…"
"Oh, that doesn't matter. Just tell him and we'll see what happens next."
"But I can't. He doesn't feel the same way. If my heart's gonna get broken, I think I would at least like it better if no one else knew…"
"But you'll never know unless you try."
"I…What about Tom?"
"Ah, yes. Deal with that later."
(The conversation in italics above took place inside Kate's own head. She was talking to her subconscious mind.)
She tried her hardest to ignore the voice. She fixed herself once again and raised her hand to ring the door. But before she could even do that, the door opened and out came the man that triggered all those weird thoughts and feelings.
"Beckett?" Castle said in surprise, especially considering their proximity which allowed him to see only her face. "You made it. I thought you wouldn't come…"
"I thought so too. But I figured…I couldn't let you down after I said yes. And…" She trailed off.
"And?" Castle looked as though he was hoping she would say something. The one thing he'd been meaning to tell her. The one thing he'd been hoping she'd tell him too.
"And it's Christmas." She smiled the smile that melted his heart every single time. "I'd rather spend it with my, uh, friends, I guess."
"You know you are always welcome." He returned her smile. "Oh, by the way, come in." He said as he stepped sideward to give her space.
"Weren't you just going to go out?" She asked without moving.
"Right. Well, uh, Alexis, uh, asked me to see if, uh, her friends are at the door." Castle stammered while he was trying to explain himself.
"Oh, right, Alexis. I'd love to see her."
"Yes, she wants to see you too." He stared, without faltering, without moving.
"Um, Castle?"
"Yes?" He replied quite hastily.
"Can I come in now?"
"Right! Yes, yes. Sorry." He moved out of the way to let her in.
"Yeah…" She responded reluctantly.
"Kate! You look lovely, my dear!", came Martha's greeting that caught everyone else's attention, and caused them all to look at where Martha was, and then to where Beckett and Castle were. Martha rushed over to give Kate a big hug and cheek-to-cheek kisses. Everyone else either had their jaws drop or was whispering to the person beside them.
Well in Richard and Alexis Castle's cases, they were happy. It was like 'the family is complete once again'. Alexis was overjoyed to see Kate back in their home. She missed her when she was away.
"Kate! I missed you. I kept asking dad when you were coming back and I guess today answers my question." Alexis said as she hugged Kate rather tightly.
Kate looked at Castle for reassurance and when he nodded, she lifted her arms to hug Alexis back. "I missed you too, Alexis." She said with a sweet smile on her features; they were unaware of the scene they were making.
"You look gorgeous, Kate; though, I'm not quite sure the precinct will allow that." Alexis joked, and Kate blushed.
"Oh, hell no." Captain Montgomery moved to plain sight. He had a serious look on his face, which caused the entire occupants of the Castle home to drown in silence. "Not when you're on duty. Otherwise, the hopeless male workers there won't be able to do their jobs well, including Castle." This caused everyone to burst in laughter except Castle.
"I think I'd listen more attentively if that happens." Castle grinned. "Ow, ow! Apples, apples, apples!" He shouted when Beckett pinched and twisted his ear. "Hey." He complained just like a 12-year old. "I was just being honest." The laughter heightened when Kate hit him in the chest. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up now."
"You better. But then again, knowing you, that would take up all your energy." She said as she smirked and turned to Alexis. "How's school been?"
"Oh, same old. Except, there's this guy…" Alexis said as she led Kate to the kitchen counter to talk. Martha went on her way to find Chet in the crowd. And Castle went to his writer friends.
Stephen J. Cannell, Michael Connelly and James Patterson were also at Castle's party. Of course, they were fellow writers, they were poker buddies, and it's a party; why wouldn't they be there?
"Guys, are you enjoying so far?" Castle asked.
"Yeah, do you know what part we enjoyed the most?" Patterson asked.
"Enlighten me." Castle replied.
"It was when you and your hot muse over there displayed very noticeable sexual innuendo." Cannell explained.
"What?"
"Oh, come on, Richard. We all know you like her. I'm just wondering though, why haven't you slept with her?" Connelly asked.
"Wha—I never thought of it. I mean, I did but…I never really tried. I just asked her out once, on our first meeting."
"And?" They all said in unison.
"Well, she turned me down. She implied that she didn't want to be one of my conquests…" He trailed off.
"And my guess is that you don't want her to be just one of your conquests, but your last and most glorious conquest. Am I right?" Cannell raised his eyebrow.
"Actually, no. I think I care more that I've become one of her conquests. It might not be official because she doesn't really show any signs but I'm her shadow, and no matter what happens, I guess I'll just follow her wherever she goes."
The other three men exchanged glances. "You know, Richard, we never thought you'd be able to get over your 2nd book's inspiration." Connelly said.
"Kyra?"
"Yes. Kyra Blaine. But seeing, and listening to you now, I think you've fallen deeper than you'd admit." Patterson added to Connelly's statement.
"Fallen? Wha—" Castle was cut off by Canell.
"Don't deny it what's written all over your face, Ricky. You're, how do they say it? 'Head over heels'."
"Yeah, and a woman that beautiful is likely to have dozens of men line up to be her boyfriend." Patterson said.
Connelly patted Castle's shoulder and said, "If you don't move now, you might never get a chance to."
They all noticed Kate approach so they shifted from one topic to another. "Poker at my place, Wednesday night?" Cannell said loud enough for Kate to hear. They all agreed.
"Oh, guys, this is the lovely Detective Kate Beckett. These are—"
"I know who they are and may I just say how great an honor it is to meet you." She said as she shook each of their hands.
"Ooh, lovely, indeed." Patterson said. "Now I see why Ricky here is so caught up at the precinct." This caused Kate to blush.
"Knowing Richard here, I thought he was just exaggerating about how 'perfect' he said you were. But now, I see that he was just being honest," added Connelly.
"Oh, 'perfect' is it?" Kate tried to hide her blush with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at Castle now and caught a glimpse of him gesturing for the guys to stop talking.
"I, uh…What I meant was…"
"Castle at a loss for words? How very entertaining."
The other writers exchanged glances and decided to leave the two of them for a bit of privacy.
"Alexis told me she missed having a woman in the house." Kate said as she looked at the floor.
"I do too." This made Kate look up at him. "I—I mean, Alexis is a still a little girl. She's yet to become a woman."
"I get what you're trying to say Castle."
"So, are you going to move back in?"
"What? No way. I mean, I'm a police detective, Castle. You saw what could happen when a killer fixates on someone. I can't have yours or Alexis' life on danger because of me."
"But I already signed my life, remember?"
"I know, but that doesn't mean I could put your life on the line whenever I want to. And, I wouldn't want to do that…" She trailed off. When she saw a grin forming along Castle's face, she added, "I wouldn't want more paperwork on my desk." She smirked when she saw his face drop. She turned and walked away. She stood next to the large Christmas tree in a corner of the living room. She admired it for a few minutes but was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.
"Beckett."
"There's been a murder."
"I'll be right there. Where are you?"
"Hey, that was just a joke. It's Tom."
"That wasn't funny! You don't get to joke about murders."
"Castle does that."
"Yeah well, he just wants to get into nerves."
"Haha. So, how's the party?"
"It's fine. Alexis said she missed me. And I missed her too."
"Who's Alexis?"
"Castle's daughter."
"And she missed you?"
"Yeah. She said that if only I could come back…"
"Wait, come back?"
"Yeah. So that we could have Sunday's late night movie marathons again. Girls." She rolled her eyes at that.
"Late night movie marathons? At Castle's?"
"Yeah. It's where I stayed when my apartment got blown up."
"You stayed at Castle's? I thought there was nothing going on between the two of you?"
"That's right; nothing is going on between the two of us. He was just being a friend."
"You are so dense, Kate."
"What?"
"It's obvious that he likes you. He's been shadowing you for nearly two years now. I'm not a writer but I think he's got enough research to write a hundred books about you."
"He enjoys the case-solving that we do, that's all."
"You really think that's all? 'Cause I don't. He's been your 'friend' for a long time now, you like his books, you've lived with him for months, he shadows you, follows you wherever you go, he stays with you even though you constantly keep shutting him out, he reads you like a book, and when you build theory together, it's as if you're off to a world of your own. Kate, you bring out the best in each other. Now, how am I supposed to compete with that?"
"Tom, I swear—"
"Kate, give him a chance. And if it doesn't work out, I'll be here."
"But—"
"Kate, I'm doing this because I want you to be happy. I like you, but I think he's passed the 'liking stage'. When he looks at you, it's different. And I see that in your eyes too. You even love his daughter. Look, I like you, I really do. But he loves you, and I think you love him too. I don't want to be the guy who'll destroy that. You deserve to be happy, Kate. You both do, and so do I. I'll only be hurting myself if I push for 'us', knowing your heart belongs to someone else. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?"
"Yeah, you're right…I don't know what to say…"
"Just say you love him. Merry Christmas, Kate." With that final note, he hung up.
"I love him…I love Richard Castle" She trailed off.
"I love you too, Kate Beckett." Said the man behind her.
When she turned to look at him, his lips met hers in the most passionate kiss either of them had, ever.
Castle was the happiest man in the whole world right now. And Kate? Well, she finally found "the missing piece". They broke off for air.
"I love you." They both said and kissed once again as the fireworks went off.
The End.