Chapter 4

Friendly mockery

"What?" Beckett gasps. "Castle, how...?" she can't finish her question because Castle is butting in again.

"…can I know that?" he finishes for her.

She nods swallowing lightly.

"Apparently I can see through things," he glees. "It's a very good view from here," he whispers in her ear as he tilts his head slightly to glimpse down at her blouse.

"Castle!" she gasps again.

"What?" he chuckles. "It's not like I haven't seen it before!"

"Castle, we are at work!" she hisses, her eyes big, trying to bring down the volume of their conversation.

"Yes, we are," he agrees, nodding. "But that doesn't mean that I can't admire your... assets. And right now..." he cocks his head to the side, "... I have the best view."

Beckett groans and grabs him by the ear.

Castle lets loose a shriek that can only described as… girly.

"Apples, apples, apples," he begs, trying to get away from the iron grip of Beckett's hand. She doesn't let go, just squeezes the poor earlobe tighter and glares at him while he moans in pain.

"Beckett," he pleads. "That hurts, please let go? I'll be good."

"No more of this in precinct?" she requests, eyeing him intently. He nods and she releases his ear.

Castle automatically reaches for his right ear with his palm and rubs it gently. "Ouch," he mumbles, pouting.

"Serves you right," she shoots back, staring at him. "X-ray vision?"

Castle lets go of his ear and nods again. Letting his eyes wander around the interview room lightly in order to not look at her and her transparent clothing.

"Apparently!"

"Are you messing with me right now again?" She narrows her eyes.

"I swear to god, no!" Castle steps closer to her, grabbing ahold of her shoulders. He needs her to believe her, not make her run away again. "Beckett, this... x-ray thing... it's a surprise for me too. I swear! I didn't have this before... but now... I can see through things..." His eyes stop at her breasts again and he loses track of his thoughts.

"Castle?" she prompts with a smirk. "My eyes are up here."

"Yeah, yeah, right. I find this whole thing distracting right now. I can't stop staring at..." his hands gesturing in circles at chest height. "At your... um... yeah. Why don't you have a bra on for crying out loud?" he enquires, cocking his head to the right.

He glances up to meet her eyes. She is giving him "the look". Uh, oh... He straightens himself immediately. She is so going to kick his ass later.

After a moment of silence, her features soften slightly. "You really need to stop. Now."

But he can't help himself, straining her nerves to the fullest. "I can't. Your boobs are enchanting..."

He ducks an on-coming smack to the head.

"Seriously, Castle?"

"I'll stop," he laughs, calming her down. "I'll stop. But remember, this will continue this in the evening..." he stresses his words by sliding his hands down her arms.

She only shakes head and rolls her eyes.

"Let's go now, I really need to talk with the guys," she turns herself away to step away from the room but suddenly stops, making him crash into her.

"Ooompf," he responds after the collision, quickly taking a step back when she is giving him 'the evil eye' again.

She sticks a finger against his chest, making him step back another step.

"No teasing. Or you'll regret it."

Castle gulps and nods soundlessly. With that, Beckett turns herself away and waltzes out of the room, leaving him breathless. She upped the game of tease again.

When he finally arrives at Beckett's desk, she is already sitting down, deep in conversation with Ryan and Esposito.

"So, you basically couldn't find out anything?" She seems to be disappointed.

"Well," Ryan objects, "we did find out where Anya lived few weeks ago. We can go and check that place out later. It is something, at least."

"I really hoped that you would get something out of the guy. What did he say about the necklace?" Beckett enquires.

Esposito straightens his back. "He believes that it's a gift from her ex-boyfriend. Seems that Anya never shared the story of the necklace with him. He claims that she had that necklace before they ever got together."

"Gaser is denying everything?" she wrinkles her eyebrows. She doesn't want to believe that the guy is innocent.

"Pretty much," Esposito nods, shuffling with the case file. "I hate to say it, but he might be clean."

"Damn," Beckett mutters, averting her eyes to the murder board to see Gaser's picture hanging there.

She opens her mouth to say something when Esposito interrupts her with a soft tap on her shoulder. She turns her eyes to the Latino cop in confusion.

"What's with him?" he asks, pointing to Castle. Kate follows the direction of his finger and sees Castle sitting in his chair, red faced and smirking. He has been unusually quiet during the exchange. The guys know that something is off, but it seems that they can't quite figure out what yet.

"With Castle?" she asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

Castle, upon hearing his name, raises his head to look at her, but drops his gaze to her chest area again, making his cheeks redden even more.

"Yeah," Espo confirms, glancing at castle with questioning look.

"It appears that he has developed superpowers..." she teases, staring at Castle and trying to wordlessly trying to explain to him that he should stop staring at her breasts.

"What?" Ryan gasps. "Super powers? Seriously?"

Castle finds his voice while still ogling her like he is hungry for something, and nods.

"Seriously."

"Really?"

"Really!"

Confusion and admiration cross Ryan's face simultaneously. "Like, super super-powers?"

"Super powers as in awesome powers!"

Beckett rolls her eyes as Esposito shakes his head at his partner. With one eyebrow raised, he addresses the writer. "Like, super speed? Super strength?"

Castle's face drops for a second, "Well... nooo... I don't have super speed yet... nor super strength... Yet... But I do have telekinesis. And super hearing."

Espo shakes his head and smiles, "You call those super powers?"

"Hey, at least it's something!" Castle defends, shifting slightly in his chair.

"How did you get those?" Ryan asks eyeing him with a look that is between suspicious and excited. The boys are not buying it, not yet.

"Um… I haven't figured that one out yet, but I have some ideas..." Castle tries to explain. But Esposito just glares at Beckett disbelievingly.

"Is he serious? Do you believe this stuff he's saying?" he asks.

Beckett doesn't say anything, only arches her eyebrow and smiles secretively.

"I can't believe this!" Esposito exclaims, confused. "You actually believe his crazy stories?"

"Well," she leans back in her chair a bit. "He had really good evidence. I had no choice."

"Hey," Castle tries to get their attention back again. "I'm here too, you know."

Esposito turns his head slowly. His stare is intimidating, making Castle back down in his chair a little bit.

"Do you have proof?" Espo asks slowly, making Ryan chuckle at his side.

"I-I-I do," he stutters. He shuffles in his chair. He makes himself comfortable while trying to figure out what he can do to make the boys believe him that he can do what he says he can. He can't prove his super hearing now, since there aren't any obvious targets around. He is not going to rat out Beckett's choice of attire (or lack thereof) to them. That knowledge will only stay with him. Glancing around the tables, he spots a half-eaten donut in front of Esposito.

A ha! He has a target.

He points at the donut and looks at Esposito. "Are you going to, uh, finish that?"

Before the Latino can answer, the donut takes flight from its spot and levitates towards Castle's open palm.

"Dude!" Esposito breathes out when it lands safely.

"Thank you," Castle glees and digs his teeth into the donut.

"That was mine!" the detective protests.

Castle only laughs with his mouth full and mumbles, "Now it is mine. I love sprinkles!"

"How did you do that?" Ryan asks in glee. The man has been thoroughly impressed.

"I told you, super powers," Castle smiles and wiggles his fingers.

Ryan and Esposito both look at Beckett to seek out the confirmation. Beckett only arches her eyebrows, shrugs slightly and shares a knowing smirk.

"Dude, that is so cool!" the Latino detective is the first one approve.

"Woah," Ryan laughs. "Are you sure it's safe?"

Castle opens his mouth to come back with witty and punny remark. But suddenly Beckett's desk phone rings, interrupting the conversation between the cops and the writer.

Kate grabs the phone and barks, "Beckett!"

The boys and Castle can hear the muffled sounds from the other end while Beckett answers some questions with short words. Finally she puts the phone down and looks up at the waiting eyes.

"Looks like we have a lead."

A/N: And yet again, I am so so late with my updating of the chapter. Can you forgive me? I am certain now, that there is no way I am going to finish this fic fully before September. But I will finish this. I promise. This is an awesome story that needs to be told.

So, sorry for being late.

But here it is! I hope you all like it. You can always poke me if you want me to write faster. I have noticed it works on me. He he he.

Thank you Sheyna and my golden pen.

Please leave a review. It will make me very happy.

P.S. Who gets the Stargate Atlantis reference gets 5 golden cherries (imaginary) from me ;)