Summary: After a sixteen year-old girl is found murdered in the middle of Times Square during a group photo, it leads Castle to think on his relationships with the people he is closest to. Castle/Beckett.
AN: Sorry for the week wait, I had/have an ant infestation in my bedroom and am leaving on the 17th for a weeklong trip in Europe (so I won't be updating between the 17th and the 24th). Enjoy!
Innocent Brown Eyes
Chapter Six
Ryan leaned towards the monitor of the computer, pausing the video, and he jabbed a finger at the screen. He minimized the video's screen and glanced at a screen cap that they had taken a few minutes earlier.
"Look at the lighting," Beckett had figured out what Ryan had noticed, "The hall that leads from the receptionist's desk is much darker in this still." She glanced at the timestamp, "Ten minute difference, it couldn't have taken ten minutes to edit something that was nearly fourteen hours long."
"Unless they knew what they were dong," Castle put in, "Skilled videographers know how to merge two different tapes."
"Where'd you get that idea?" Esposito looked up at them, "It would take a hell of a lot of work just to cover up who has been in that room for about ten minutes."
"Unless it was our killer," Castle glanced at Esposito, stating the obvious, "Or someone who knew the killer, but not the fact that the killer was trying to hide evidence about a murder."
"Huh?" Ryan and Esposito were obviously confused.
"Do you two even read?" Beckett asked.
"You've already asked us Beckett, we read." Esposito elbowed Ryan.
"Last Act by Christopher Pike," Beckett began, "One of the killer's friends was asked to record a video that ended up taping the murder of one of their friends. They taped two shows but made it one tape, all the stuff from a rehearsal was shown after the death, instead of the actual show."
"I guess it's possible," Ryan leaned back in his seat, rubbing his stomach. "I could go for some dinner about now."
"Oh, goodness, dinner!" Castle glanced at the clock, "It's nearly five, I've got to head out, I've got reservations on the East Side with Alexis for dinner." He grabbed his jacket, nearly racing from the room, having ignored the waiting elevator and took the stairs instead.
"I should go too," Beckett packed up her stuff, putting it into her bag, "I've got plans tonight as well."
"With Castle?" Esposito winked at her, "Don't worry, we'll be fine on our own."
"I am not dating Castle!" Beckett snapped, able to keep a straight face, "I'm just busy." She headed out, ironically taking the same route as Castle.
"Boo!" Castle popped out from around the stairwell, "Miss me?"
"Very funny!" Beckett leaned against the wall, obviously spooked, "Let's go, I'll drop you off at your apartment on the way home."
"Thanks," Castle followed Beckett out of the precinct, both of the unaware that Ryan and Esposito were watching them leave.
- - -
"Thanks for the ride," Castle hopped out of the passenger side door, "You'll meet us at the restaurant around six thirty, right?"
"Of course," Beckett rolled her eyes, "I'm not fashionably late like other people I know."
"Very funny." Castle had to laugh, "See you in about an hour."
"See you Castle," Beckett pulled away, leaving Castle to stare after her before heading up to his own apartment.
- - -
"So, is this a date or something?" Alexis looked at her father, "Because if it is then why am I here?"
"It's not a date," Castle replied, "Beckett and I can go out for dinner without making it 'a date'. Besides, you and her enjoy spending time in each others company right?" He parked in the garage besides the restaurant, shutting off the engine.
"Well, yeah," Alexis hopped from the car, slightly regretting it as her heeled shoes hit the pavement. "But it seems like a date – fancy restaurant, fancy clothes and you two obviously planned this before I knew about it."
"It is not a date," Castle and Alexis reached the restaurant and he held open the door for her, slipping inside and hoping to remain unnoticed until Beckett arrived.
"I'll go check us in," Alexis stepped up to the counter, seeing her dad peer over people's heads, scanning the building for Beckett.
"Looking for someone?" Beckett slipped up besides Castle, watching him with an amused grin on her lips.
"Evening Kate," Castle looked her up and down, "You look beautiful tonight."
Beckett blushed, the red in her cheeks clashing with the deep blue of her dress, "Thanks, you don't look too bad your self."
"Hey Beckett!" Alexis spotted her and waved them over, "We're going."
Castle touched Beckett's shoulder, the two of them following Alexis and the waitress towards a small, secluded table in the back. A few stares were tossed their way, obviously by people who recognized Castle, and their eyes darted between him and Beckett, noticing their closeness.
"People are staring," Beckett hissed in Castle's ear as he pulled out a chair for her, "At us."
"You're my friend Kate," Castle took a seat across from her, Alexis taking the seat between them, "Friends are allowed to go out together for dinner." He passed her a menu as the waitress handed him them, "Besides, it would be more suspicious if it was just the two of us."
"So you're saying that I'm your cover for being able to go out to dinner together as friends?" Alexis laughed, taking a sip of her water, "I feel very loved dad." She looked at Beckett, who was trying to hold in her laughter, "Maybe I should have told Paige that I wasn't busy tonight and we could have gone to see Shutter Island instead."
"As much as we both want to see that, I promised Kate that the three of us would do dinner this week," Castle glanced up, "Unless you'd want to go see it with the three of us after, we could swing by Paige's house and pick her up."
"Or, I could ask Paige to pick me up now, I'd go home and change, then you two enjoy your dinner while Paige and I go see the movie." Alexis teased, "Right?"
"Not right," Castle had to finally laugh, "You are going to enjoy dinner with us then maybe we'll see about you and Paige going to a late night showing of the movie."
"Really?" Alexis asked, "You don't mind staying up late then Beckett?"
"Oh, well, Kate and I don't have to go," Castle glanced as Beckett, not able to read her expression, "Just you and Paige can go."
"So you can drive Beckett crazy?" Alexis asked, making Beckett blush, "I'd rather stay home then."
"I think that I'll be able to put up with your father," Beckett smiled, "After all, I deal with him following me around everyday. And, I'm a detective, I put up with a lot."
"Not to mention that you're a sexy one," Castle teased, making Beckett blush even more.
"Very cute Rick," Beckett kicked him under the table, "I'd watch what you're saying around here, after all, may I remind you, this is not a date."
"I know, I know," Castle folded his legs under his chair to prevent Beckett's heels from attacking them again, "It's not fun if I don't torment you."
"'Torment'?" Alexis repeated, "You two are practically flirting with each other. No wonder everyone thinks you're together." She opened her menu, hiding behind it before either Castle or Beckett could respond.
"What are you going to get?" Castle leaned back in his chair, "I'm getting my favorite."
"You didn't even look at the menu!" Beckett said, surprised.
"I've been here before," Castle twirled his menu between two fingers, "Beef steak, medium-rare, topped with sauce and pasta."
"That does look good," Beckett had found the steak on the menu, "But it's expensive, really? You're going to pay nearly thirty bucks on a steak?"
"Welcome to the good life Katherine Beckett," Castle took a sip of his water glass, "Feel free to order anything you want."
"Really Richard Castle?" Beckett leaned forwards, hands on the table, "You invited me here tonight so you could suck up to me and get me to let you have full run on this case." She closed her menu, "And for that, I'm getting the Chicken Parmesan so you can whine about me saving money."
"Don't worry," Alexis laughed, "I always get their Chicken Parm, it's amazing."
"Oh, then stop bugging me about it Rick," Beckett pretended to glare at Castle, but to all three of them, it seemed a lot more like a flirty smirk of someone who knew that the way to make everyone smile was through laughter.
"Hang on," Castle's phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, seeing that he had a next text message. Unlocking his phone, he opened it, noticing that Beckett was also pulling out her phone. He rolled his eyes, reading Esposito's message; "hows ur date with beckett?? ;)"
Castle rolled his eyes, replying with a simple: "its not a date, alexis is w/ us too". But this time, he got a text from Ryan in response; "u bettr have condoms with u. a mini castle or beckett would b scary."
"why would that be scary and beckett and I are not having sex" Castle replied, sending the text to both Ryan and Esposito, looking up as Beckett groaned.
Beckett also looked down at her phone, shaking her head at Lanie's text: "u have sex with castle yet? ;) u know u want 2"
"we r at dinner, with alexis." Beckett replied, setting her phone in her lap.
"Are you two texting each other or the same person?" Alexis looked between them, "And tell me the truth."
"Lanie," Beckett replied, looking at Castle, "You?"
"Ryan and Esposito, they want to know how our 'date' is going." Castle looked at Alexis, "You didn't say anything did you?"
"No, why would I have said anything?" Alexis looked innocently between them, "Who would I be to spill your secret to the world?"
Castle looked at his daughter, trying not to laugh, "Alexis, did you?"
"Please say you didn't," Beckett began, "The last time this happened, rumors started flying all over the city."
"I might have mentioned that dad was busy tonight," Alexis admitted, "I didn't even know that you were coming with us Beckett, my dad only mentioned it this afternoon when he got home."
"Alexis," Beckett began, "I mentioned it to you last week, remember?"
"Oh, okay, fine." Alexis couldn't help but smile, "I might have mentioned it to Lanie, but I made it clear that I was coming too!"
"Say anything to Lanie about your dad and I and she forgets everything else that you just told her." Beckett had to laugh at that.
"Exactly," Castle sighed, pulling out his phone, glaring at the messages he had received, "No, Ryan and Esposito, Beckett and I are not on a date." He turned off his phone and put it in his pocket, ignoring the laughs from both Beckett and Alexis.
"They're convinced of it too?" Beckett paused between her laughter and looked up at Castle, her stomach fluttering slightly as his eyes met hers. "Great; Lanie, Ryan and Esposito all are convinced." she swallowed to herself, taking a sip of water, directing her eyes towards the floor.
"I'll be right back," Alexis stood suddenly, "Paige just called me, said it's easier to plan instead of text messages, I'll be by the entrance if you need me. Dad, you better order for me." She took off, leaving Castle and Beckett sitting alone at the table together, nervously avoiding eye contact.
AN: Next chapter should be done sometime this week, stress from the end of the quarter is now gone, but I'm still impossibly busy!
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