So, this is the second part of the story... I hope you like it :)
Thank you for everyone that read it (wow! so many people! I'm truly impressed), reviewed, followed... I feel very happy :)
I am thinking about writing an epilogue, but I don't know if it's worth... let me know what you think!
It was almost time for the concert to begin; they were inside the venue and in the monster pit, along with the most dedicated fans of Lady Gaga. Castle had arrived earlier than the time that Alexis had fixed, while Kate was late and almost was separated from her boyfriend and his daughter. The young adult had changed into a costume that resembled the one Gaga uses in her "Poker Face" videoclip and Castle was now rocking his "zombie-rock-star" costume, however it was Kate that was attracting curious looks from other fans. She was using a long coat that was covering most of her body, and that alone made her the most normal looking person on the middle of the hardcore fans. Castle was still a bit disappointed, as he was hoping that Beckett would dress up in a Nebula-9 kind of costume… without the Creaver mask, of course.
"You know, Kate, when you said you were going to dress up, I thought you were going to put a real costume, not a Burberry overcoat..."
"You behave or you're not getting your surprise later..."
"Surprise?" He was going to start to talk to convince her to tell him what the surprise was, but at that exact moment the light went down and the concert started.
Kate had underestimated the "human heat" factor of the moment, and by the third song she couldn't take it anymore, she wanted desperately to take the overcoat off. By the fifth song she didn't resist and undressed, instead holding the heavy overcoat in front of her, trying her best to not let it fall on the ground. It was either that or passing out and ruining the moment for Alexis (and Castle, as she could notice how he was truly enjoying and being all fanboy). The only solution she found was to try to stay some rows behind Castle, so he wouldn't be able to see anything but her head, although she wasn't sure if he would notice her absence until the very end, and in this case she would have time to dress again.
Castle had claimed he had done all those efforts for Alexis only, but as the show went on it was clear that he knew several songs, singing like a passionate fan. He was jumping, screaming, singing along. When the break before the performance of Hair came, where Lady Gaga picks some fans from the crowd to join her onstage, Alexis and Castle screamed their lungs out in the hopes the singer would hear them, but she went to the other side and picked other people, much to their disappointment. While she was picking her fans and talking to them, Alexis voiced her frustration.
"Damn, I wanted so bad to go onstage!"
"I know sweetie… but, I was thinking, why go through all of this when all we need to do is invite her for one of my book launch parties?"
"Well, I don't think she would go to any of your parties"
"Or we could go to parties where she would be attending"
"Dad, but what's the fun in that? Go to a party full of these dull people and go all 'hi I am your biggest fan'… no dad, this is so awesome! We get to dress up and be who we are, express ourselves…"
"Maybe you're right… hey, where's Kate?" he had turned his head to the side believing he would talk to his girlfriend and came face to face with another guy, who was now looking at him and making seductive faces. He starts to look around until he sees her head, he waves and she waves back in recognition.
He didn't have time to try to talk to her and ask why she was back there as the break was over and the lady on the piano was singing Hair. Some more songs and the concert was heading to an end, with the last song being "Marry the Night", one of Alexis' favorites, and the last possibility of going onstage (and in this case, also backstage) with her favorite singer.
"Dad, please, can I sit on your shoulders?"
"What?"
"Go dad, fast!"
With that Alexis started jumping to try to reach for his shoulders, he kneeled in the little space he could find and got her on top of him, making her stand out from the crowd at the exact time Lady Gaga walked in the area of the stage they were at. With her left arm extended the more she could, Alexis was holding a gift while she tried to keep equilibrium with her right hand.
To her delight, Gaga took the package directly from Alexis hand and locked eyes with her.
"This girl with the silver wig… Alexis?" she read on the card attached to the gift.
By now Alexis was already up in the stage, jumping with excitement. The grin from ear to ear and the tears of happiness were just little proof that she was now having a very special moment.
"So, where are… Rick and Kate?"
Castle raised his arm and was promptly taken out of the crowd, but Kate was nowhere to be seen. Both Castle and Alexis started looking, soon he saw a glimpse of her head and pointed at her.
"There, the tall brunette with wavy hair."
Before she could prepare herself, Kate was being unwillingly dragged back to the front row of the monster pit, and pulled out of the crowd and on to stage. The problem was she didn't have time to put her coat back on and as it had fallen when she was dragged, she had nothing to cover herself.
It took several seconds to process what was going on. Katherine Houghton Beckett, head detective for 12th precinct, was standing in the middle of the stage of Lady Gaga's concert, using only a crime scene tape on her breasts and fishnet pantyhose… with nothing under it. Castle and Alexis where busy taking portraits with Gaga and helping her open her gift and put her brand new jewelry around her neck; they didn't see the freaked-out Kate. She couldn't even move (she felt like her feet were glued to the ground and wouldn't be able to run for her life if needed) and her whole body was now trembling in embarrassment. She felt exposed to the world, she had dressed that way for Castle, as a small surprise to be revealed in an intimate moment between four walls, not… in front of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden.
"Come here Kate" said Gaga when she realized the woman was standing in the stage all by herself, and had not come close to them.
Kate went slowly, still trembling. It was only then that Castle noticed that his girlfriend had pretty much nothing on, and his eyes went wide with pleasure. Alexis was in such shock that she was laughing hysterically, not believing that that was actually going on.
The singer went to hug her and Kate had no idea what to do. "Oh my god she's shaking!" Gaga got really emotional in that moment, as she believed Kate was shaking because of the emotion of meeting her idol. "Girl, what's up with that clothing? You rock!"
She takes Kate by her hand and starts to walk around the stage, taking her through the catwalk, with Alexis, Castle and her dancers following closely behind.
"Everyone, give applauses for New York's finest!"
As the crowd erupted in applauses and screams, Kate started to think about everyone that was there that she could possibly know. Lanie had said something about attending this concert with her date (unknowing to Kate, it was Esposito), an old friend of her from FBI's Art Crime Unit, maybe some colleagues from high school… She was taken out of her trance as Gaga hug her again.
"Here today we celebrate the diversity, our choices, who we truly are! I am so happy that you are not afraid to show your true colors! My little monsters are the best fans in the world!" More screaming and applauses. "Thank you Kate for not being afraid of dressing up, of being who you really are and rocking it to the world! You are such a brave woman, and you should serve as an example for people here today, we are never old enough to find our true self and be happy!"
The accords of the last song of the night started to be played, Castle only had time to whisper on Kate's ear, in a mockingly tone.
"Pretend you're singing, move your mouth and jump."
She gave a death glare to him, before having to follow Gaga's steps in the catwalk and then the stage. The words she heard seconds ago had made an effect on her; for so long she hid behind walls that protected her from achieving happiness, and although the happenings of this evening were going to haunt her for her lifetime, she now had no choice but freeing herself out of the shame she was feeling and just have fun. And from what she had seen of the fans on the line earlier that day, no one would judge her.
So, during Marry the Night, Kate, Castle and Alexis had fun as a family, running on the stage, jumping, singing (or as Castle suggested, moving their mouths), and as the concert was going to end, they had to move to fit in an elevator in an specific part of the stage, from where they would go then to the backstage and a private meeting with Lady Gaga. Just as they got close together in the right spot, Kate whispered in Castle's ear.
"Castle, you know you gotta fix this"
"Of course I'll fix you tonight"
"Not that, this" she points to her body and throws him a knowing look.
"Oh, your reputation… sorry Kate, no can do".