New oneshot! I just finished rewatching this episode and I've decided to take some liberties. You'll see what I mean. Enjoy!
1x07 Home is Where the Heart Stops Part 1
"Anything you pay, I'll pay you back."
"Not a chance, Castle."
"Please, Beckett; I'm begging you! I'll do all your laundry for a week!" Castled begged. He was ready to get down on his knees and grovel if he had to.
Beckett smirked at him. "I don't see how it benefits me to have you looking through my lingerie, Castle."
Castle groaned. "Fine! I'll…I'll buy you a puppy! A pony! A freaking unicorn! I'll give you anything you want; just please make a bid!"
"$5,000!" another bidder called out, this one reasonably older than the rest. Castle's eyes widened at he turned to Beckett, pleading with her.
Beckett grinned. "I want you to wear a dress," she informed him. Castle's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"What?!" he called out at the same time another elderly bidder called out, "$7,000!"
"Fine! Okay, now bid!"
Kate raised her hand, trying to hide her blush as Martha shot her an amused look. "$8,000!" she said.
She was immediately outbid by a woman with what looked like a large mole on her left cheek. Not that Castle minded minute imperfections (he had most of Beckett's visible ones noted, catalogued, and memorized by now) but he knew that if he spent the "enchanted evening" with this woman, he would not be able to tear his eyes away from her…beauty mark.
"Bid higher!" he pleaded with Beckett, who rolled her eyes and smirked.
"I also want you to confess your love to Montgomery," she informed him.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me," Beckett said, with a Cheshire grin.
Castle groaned. "Fine!" he huffed.
Beckett smiled in victory and placed her next bid. "$10,000!"
Martha's eyes widened at that, and she pretended to ignore a few of the other bidders for a moment before somebody started pointing them out to her.
Kate was outbid, yet again. "$15,000!"
Castle groaned, turning to Beckett, knowing what was about happen and then being caught completely unaware.
"I want you to propose," Kate told him. It took her a second and an incredibly stupid look on Castle's face to realize what she'd said. She shot daggers at him with her eyes. "To Montgomery, Castle! Sheesh!" She rolled her eyes.
"DONE!" Castle said; he was desperate. "Now bid!"
Kate sighed and put her arm up one last time. "$50,000!" she called out. Every single head turned towards her, dozens of eyes glaring at her. Kate shrugged and looked up at Martha, who was beaming back at her.
"SOLD! To the lovely young woman in the red dress!" Martha announced. There were a few scattered claps, but mostly the sounds of people murmuring to each other and gossiping. Kate shook her head, turning to Castle, about to tell him off about what he had just subjected her to when suddenly he cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a big, smacking kiss.
There was no tongue or any romance or emotion-other than extreme thankfulness-in the kiss but the feel of his lips on hers, even for the few shot seconds, was enough to give her heart palpitations.
"You rock!" Castle exclaimed. "I so owe-hey! That guy's taking pictures!"
Kate shooed his hands away, turning to hide her blush. "Who? And why do we care?"
"Because he's not taking photos of the stage," Castle informed her. "He's taking them of the crowd."
Kate spied the man, immediately. He was taking photos of women's chests. At first, Kate thought it might be a little pervy, but then she realized that every single woman had a piece of expensive jewelry hanging from her neck. Kate narrowed her eyes at him, before turning to Castle and motioning towards the exit. He nodded and followed her out.
Later, after they interrogated their suspect, who led them to the man behind it all, everybody headed home for the night….well, morning now. It was about seven in the morning when Castle walked into his apartment, proudly sporting a black eye. Alexis was awake already, sitting on the couch, flipping through the thousand and one channels they had available to them on Castle's cable plan.
"Good morning, Pumpkin!" he greeted, coming over to kiss her on the forehead.
"Morning, Da-what happened to your eye?!" Alexis exclaimed, worriedly.
Castle beamed. "Pretty cool, huh? I got into a little run in with a perp." He looked like an excited toddler and Alexis laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm guessing you got him?" she asked. Castle nodded, his eyes lighting up with delight.
"Yeah! He fell on the car and I wrestled him to the ground! Awesome, right?"
"And by the looks of that eye, I'm guessing he got the upper hand and then Beckett saved you?" Alexis guessed correctly.
"You wound me," Castle said, glaring at her. Alexis laughed.
"Sorry, Dad, but I've seen you try to wrestle someone to the ground-me, in fact-and, as I remember, I had your arm twisted painfully over your head while you cried for Gram."
"Okay, you were nine and I was trying to make you feel better about that girl taking your cupcake."
"Dad, I overpowered you before you even had a chance to say, 'Go'." Alexis said, amused.
"Do you have to spend every single day reminding yourself that your father is a girly-man?"
"Aw, you're not a girly-man, Dad," Alexis placated, patting his cheek, "you just have a very big feminine side. But, that's good; a lot of girls love that in a man."
"Yeah, about as much as they love said men to be gay."
Alexis shrugged. "You're halfway there. Now how about some breakfast?"
Castle shrugged. "Why not? This calls for a celebration of my manhood and the fact that I just got Beckett to pay to go out on a date with me," he said, cockily, swaggering over to the fridge, pulling out all the ingredients necessary for his celebratory breakfast.
"Oh yeah," Alexis responded, "Gram told me about that. Did you pay back her fifty grand yet?"
Castle frowned. "Not yet, but remind me to buy a muzzle for your grandmother," he deadpanned. "How would you like your eggs?"
"Scrambled," Alexis answered, taking a seat at the counter.
"Much like my mind when I saw your grandmother last night."
Alexis rolled her eyes resting her chin on her hand as she watched her father prepare their breakfast.
When Beckett showed up halfway through breakfast, Castle was completely thrown off…for about half a second. Then she made a quip about his eye and he snapped out of hit, returning her quip with words of his own, slipping easily into their usual banter. Then he invited her to breakfast and she nearly turned him down. When he insisted and Martha forcibly sat her down, insisting that she tell them all her version of the night before, Kate finally relented, starting from the very beginning, as they all listened with rapt attention.
Breakfast was forgotten as Kate went on with her story, her eyes lighting up at all the exciting parts and rolling at the bid war, at which point she reminded Castle about the fifty grand he owed her, and then finally the arrest/Castle's fight, which had both Martha and Alexis laughing and wiping their eyes and Castle grinning boyishly at them.
When she finally finished her story, they all clapped and she gave a playful bow, standing to help Castle with the dishes. Alexis began to help before she noticed the time and had to run with excuses of a research project she needed to do with her study group.
"Be home by midnight!" Castle called after her.
"Ten!" Alexis called back, rolling her eyes as she ran out.
Castle chuckled, shaking his head. "Where did she come from?" he muttered aloud.
Kate laughed, scraping some uneaten eggs and bacon into the trashcan and placing the now empty dishes into the sink. "You sure Meredith didn't just steal her from some unsuspecting couple in the hospital?"
"I know she didn't. Trust me; I was there." Castle shuddered. Kate laughed.
Just then, Martha, who'd retreated to her bedroom as soon as she'd finished her meal, flew through the living area, going straight for the front door. "See you later, Darlings," she called, "I'm off to the nail salon for my weekly mani-pedi! By the way, your reservation is at seven!"
"Reservation?" Castle asked, eyes widening. "Reservation for what?"
"Le Cirque!" Martha replied, as if it were obvious. Castle and Beckett gave her blank stares. "For your date? The one Detective Beckett here just paid fifty grand for?"
Kate blushed. "Oh! That! Well, we don't have to-"
"Don't be silly, Darling!" Martha said. "It's already been paid for and you two deserve a night out after that trying case! Besides, Le Cirque has a wonderful selection! Tell her, Richard!"
Castle nodded, solemnly, looking at Kate. "It does," he said. Kate rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she said, forcing herself to sound annoyed, "but can I at least go home first and take a nap? I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours."
"Deal," Castle said, nodding, just now realizing how tired he was. "I'll pick you up at six?"
"Sure," Kate said, trying to hide her blush as she started on her way to the door, "I'll, uh, see you then. Bye!"
Castle watched her leave, feeling his palms start sweating and his heartbeat pick up as he thought about their upcoming date.
Martha smiled at her from the doorway and gave him a double thumbs up before leaving. Castle just grinned after her as he fought to get the dishes washed before he passed out from exhaustion.
Part two will be here soon. For now, I must sleep! REVIEWS!
