This silly, outrageous one came to me when I saw a picture of the vehicle in question. It just screamed Castle in my mind, so here is the story I came up with. While it would never happen, I just thought it would be fun. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Castle was practically bouncing on his feet as he entered the bullpen of the 12th Precinct. He gave a perfunctory nod in the direction of Gates' office, and then made his way to Kate's desk and motioned the boys over to join them.
"What's up, Bro?" Esposito asked, a bit surprised to see Castle as the man had said he had things to do that morning.
"Yeah, I thought you had a meeting with Paula," Beckett questioned. She didn't like Paula, but had to admit that his publicist did her job well.
"Actually I picked up my new toy," Castle beamed excitedly like a little kid at Christmas.
"Uh, oh," Ryan said cautiously from his spot. "That usually means trouble."
"Oh, come on, Guys," Castle whined. "I'm not that bad."
"You are, Bro," Esposito told him. Then he turned to Ryan. "But you're still way more whipped than Writer Boy."
Ryan glared, but then turned to Castle. "So what'd you get?" he asked.
"Follow me," Castle grinned. He turned on his heel and made his way to the elevator.
The other three shrugged and followed him. It was break time anyway so Gates couldn't argue. Castle was unusually quiet as they rode the elevator to the ground floor. When the doors opened Lanie stood there, a frown on her face.
"All right, Writer Boy, what's so important I needed to get here right away?" Lanie demanded. "I'm swamped down in the morgue today. The state inspector is making my life a living Hell."
"Come with me," Castle said and led them outside. He waved his arm at a car and loved the gasp from his friends.
"No way!" Ryan said in astonishment.
"That's just not fair, Bro!" Esposito told Castle.
"Nice taste, Writer Boy," Lanie admired.
"You're still not driving to the crime scenes," Kate said firmly, though she was salivating over the car.
There before them was a brand new red Ferrari 458 Italia. The same model that basketball player Kobe Bryant had recently paid $329,000 for. Of course for Castle it was only pocket change, but still, it made the three detectives and one medical examiner green with envy.
"Let me guess," Ryan groused. "You whipped out your check book and it was a done deal."
"Not that simple," Castle told them. "I saw the car for the first time when I was in LA a month ago and Kobe Bryant showed up at the same party. He showed me the car and I decided to get one. It took a month to get them here."
Esposito and Ryan were supremely jealous that Castle got to hob knob with superstars like Kobe, but they couldn't argue with the results. Kate, on the other hand, latched onto the one word that seemed out of place.
"Them?" she quoted questioningly.
Castle smiled even wider. He pulled out his iPhone and tapped a number. "Okay, boys," he said confidently. "Bring them on in."
Revved engines sounded and four more Ferrari 458 Italias came around the corner and parked next to his in a line. Another red one, an electric blue one, a black one, and a white one. Castle thanked each one of the drivers and took the keys from them, handing over some money in appreciation. The he turned to his friends.
"The red one is for Lanie, the black one for Kate, the blue for Espo, and the white one for Ryan," Castle pronounced handing over keys to the absolutely speechless group. "Call it a small down payment on your share of the money from the Nikki Heat novels. And Kate? No more Crown Vic with the evil springs. This is a much better ride."
"Castle, if I wasn't with Javi now I'd jump your bones and rock your world," Lanie said finally.
"You couldn't get me a chick magnet like this when I was single?" Esposito whined, getting a sharp, and painful, elbow to the ribs from Lanie. "What? I was pathetic on the home front before you Baby!"
"And you better stay pathetic unless it's with me," Lanie told him, leaving no doubt that she was serious.
"Yes, Dear," Esposito said instantly. He had no desire to go back to sleeping alone.
"Jenny's going to flip!" Ryan grinned. Jenny had always loved Ferrari's, and this was going to blow her away.
"Castle, we can't accept these," Beckett protested. "It's just too much."
"Bite your tongue, Girlfriend!" Lanie practically screamed. "If Writer Boy wants to spend his money on the working class, then it's okay by me."
"I thought I was spending money on my friends who made making a lot of money the last few years possible," Castle said simply.
"But you wrote the novels, Castle, not us," Kate tried to argue. She was just not comfortable accepting such a lavish gift.
"But the three of you became my best friends, and I wanted to do something to show you that it means a lot to me," Castle argued firmly. He might be lavish and all, but he really did want to do something special for these people. They'd shown him what real friendship was.
"Beckett, I've always wanted a car like this," Esposito pleaded. He just knew that if she dug in her heels then Castle would cave. That man was a total wimp when it came to Beckett. Espo may not be able to use it as a chick magnet, but it would be awesome to drive around in this awesome machine with Lanie in the passenger seat. Seeing her in a red one of her own would be pretty hot, too. Maybe he could work in Lanie washing the machines in that super hot, super micro bikini she had that he loved so much. Hot cars, sudsy soap, and a sex goddess in a bikini, wet and shiny, laying across the hood. Yep. Beckett must lose this argument.
Beckett bit her lower lip and looked at her three friends. They were looking at her imploringly. Finally she did the only thing she could. "Alright," she agreed. "But no more lavish gifts. Okay?"
"Deal!" Castle grinned. "Now how about you try out your new rides and we all meet at The Old Haunt for lunch?"
"Now your talking, Bro!" Esposito said as he looked at his vehicle.
"You're riding with me, Lover Boy," Lanie told him.
"What?" Esposito cried. "But, Baby! I wanna try out my machine!"
"Later," Lanie told him. "If you behave I may be convinced to wash your new toy this weekend in my bikini you like so much."
"You're driving," Esposito replied immediately. "You're still more whipped than anyone here," he shot at Ryan before his partner could say anything to the contrary.
Castle hung back until it was just him and Beckett standing there. He looked over at her knowingly. "You driving?" he asked. It was a foregone conclusion that they would be riding together.
"You need to ask?" she said, a flirtatious smile on her face.
"Nope," he smiled back.
"Then get in, Kitten, and maybe this weekend we can see if it's possible to make out in a Ferrari," she told him and then sauntered to the Ferrari, throwing him a wink as she got into the driver's seat.
"YES!" Castle did a fist pump and ran to the black Ferrari, getting into the passenger seat. If he'd known that getting her a sports car would move their relationship that far forward he would have done it the second she'd shown any interest in Demming two years before. Yep. Best 1.2 million he'd ever spent on a gift. Lavish? Not with those kinds of results.
A/N: So? Any good? I know it's a bit ostentatious, but I liked the look of the Ferrari that Kobe Bryant bought and thought it would make a fun story for Castle. I hope you enjoyed it. I will be posting the next chapter for A Dose of Reality on Monday. Gregg.