Is Forever Possible, Chapter 9, Friday
By RGoodfellow64
Disclaimer: The Lottery still hasn't come through so needless to say I still don't own Castle, ABC or anything else associated with the show except what they let me buy retail. Bummer.
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Detective Kate Beckett arrived at work earlier than usual. Not that she didn't sleep well, but by getting to work early she felt it would be that much sooner till she saw Castle.
Riding the elevator she had a smile on her face as she was reliving dinner at Chez Castle last night. Quite possibly the most romantic and wonderful dinner she ever had. 'Just the first for the rest of my life' she thought. She suddenly paused in her thoughts. 'Rest of my life? Am I moving too fast?'
But the anxiety she felt with other men, the need for an escape route, didn't materialize; she knew that her heart felt secure. This past week was far more intense than anything she had ever experienced in any relationship before, and yet she felt so comfortable, so content, she stopped worrying about how she thought she should feel and decided to simply enjoy being with Rick Castle.
'It's only been one week', she told herself, then corrected, 'Well, three years and a week, but what a week!' She couldn't help but smile at the wonderful change in her life.
As she entered the bullpen, the late night crew greeted her with nods or the occasional "Morning, Detective", and everyone noticed she returned them with a smile…and she had a noticeable bounce to her step. A few of them looked to each other after she passed and wondered how long it would last.
"Yo, Beckett. You're in early." Esposito said as she walked to her desk.
She was surprised to see him in earlier than she was, and even more surprised when she noticed Ryan sitting at his desk, looking at his monitor.
"Morning guys," she replied, "what are doing here so early? We got a case?"
"Nah, Ryan here has some new shots of him and Jenny and wanted to show me before it got busy. Wanna see?"
"Sure" she said with a smile, and headed over to Ryan's desk.
Ryan with a big smile on his face moved his chair over so they could get a good look and clicked on the first one. "This was yesterday afternoon at the park," he said, "I bought her a balloon." Beckett and Esposito looked at the photo of Ryan and Jenny and said "Awww" at the same time. Beckett added, "You two are just so cute together" and smiled at Ryan who gave a proud grin as he clicked on the next photo.
Ryan said, "We asked some kid to take our picture while biting into a foot long hot dog." He gave a shy smile and said, "Jenny kissed the mustard off my chin."
Esposito just rolled his eyes at that and muttered, "whipped" but Beckett gave him a light punch on his arm and said, "That's precious!" and smiled back at Ryan.
She was getting ready to head to her desk when Esposito said, "Wait, there's one more…" and she turned back to the monitor as Ryan clicked the next photo.
She saw the blurred and grainy photo of herself and Castle at Remy's last Friday and gave a little gasp of astonishment.
She looked at Ryan with eyes that were suddenly hard and asked, "Do you belong to Castle's web site?"
Ryan didn't meet her eyes and gulped, but Esposito said softly, "Kate, this went viral sometime last night. It's on Page 6 and all over the net."
Beckett knew it wasn't good when Esposito used her first name. He didn't often show his big brother side, and usually only did when he was very concerned.
"You're phone's been ringing off the hook, probably got a couple dozen messages by now. There it goes again."
Kate looked at her phone and was puzzled, she didn't hear her ring. Esposito pointed to Ryan and said, "Kev did something with the software and shut off your ringer. We had to when your phone wouldn't stop ringing…you can still see the light blink when you get a call though."
She looked at Ryan who gave a smile and said, "Not as much fun as the old phones, they had a real ringer you could take out of them, it was pretty funny."
Esposito gave him a suspicious look and asked, "Are you the one who did that to my phone back then?" Ryan rolled his eyes at him answering, "Dude, we were in different precincts!"
Beckett mentally shook herself, thinking, 'Ok Kate, you are a chief detective of the NYPD, you are fully trained to handle any emergency. This should be a…be a…what? Snap? Piece of cake?' Suddenly strawberries in wine popped into her mind and she gave a sight smile that quickly disappeared as the light on her phone started blinking again.
She gave a tight smile and headed towards her desk asking herself how bad it can be.
Three minutes and 14 calls later she knew it was pretty bad. She had to listen to at least the first few seconds of each call in case it was police business, but so far none of them were. "Nikki! This is Bill Trem…" CLICK "Kate! This is Bob Mer…" CLICK "This is Nora Roberts from channel…" CLICK "Miss Beckett, I'm Steve Paulson from NY Society Today and…" CLICK. 'I am Detective Beckett', she thought angrily. 'That is not just handed to you in the NYPD, you work your butt off and earn it!'
Ryan and Esposito watched as Beckett kept deleting calls. They could see the emotions on her face as she went from confident to upset to angry to frustrated to concerned to apprehensive to something they had never seen…uncertain.
All the while Kate was listening to the first few words and deleting them till she heard a familiar voice. "Kate, stop for a moment and take a deep breath." Castle? How did he know she needed to hear his voice? "I know you've probably hung up on about two dozen or more obnoxious calls and you're full of conflicting feelings right now, but remember that we're partners, and there is nothing that we can't handle together. I have already put Paula on the case to stop the calls to you and I will be there soon with your coffee and bear claw."
She couldn't help but smile, even though she prided herself on her independence, on her ability to handle emergencies, this was something so outside her experience that she felt she was losing herself, that she was being pulled by a riptide into something unknown and frightening. Her emotions responded immediately to Castle; this was her partner, the one person in the world she knew without a doubt she can count on. She looked at her still blinking phone and thought, 'You guys are toast!' and smiled.
As she saved Castle's message, Ryan and Esposito couldn't help but see how she suddenly sat back in her chair and the Detective they knew was back. They smiled as they saw her start deleting calls again.
A few minutes later, Captain Montgomery walked out of his office towards Beckett. Esposito looked at Ryan with surprise. They had no idea the Captain was in this early.
"Detective Beckett, I need to see you in my office please." Montgomery said.
Beckett looked up in surprise, nodded her head and followed him into his office, closing the door behind her at his request.
"Please sit down Detective," the Captain asked. "There's something we need to discuss." While he said that he turned his monitor around so Beckett could see the photo of herself and Castle at Remy's the week before.
"Sir, I can explain…" she started to say, but Montgomery stopped her and said, "Kate. No one was happier than me when you and Castle finally realized what the rest of us have known for the past few years."
Beckett sat there with her mouth open, shook her head and said, "Sir?"
"About 4am I received a call from the Commissioner, he told me to go on a certain web site and look at this photo. Now before you get worried, we both agreed that this was after hours and on personal time. You were not on duty and you were not on call." Montgomery said.
"The Commissioner and I talked it over for a while and determined that this had nothing to do with the NYPD." Kate looked relieved when he said that. "But, it can have a detrimental affect on the 12th Precinct."
Beckett leaned forward in her chair and said, "Sir. I am beginning to see what you mean. I have already deleted more than two dozen calls for a quote from "Nikki Heat".
Montgomery gave a tight smile and said, "You and Castle make a great team. I doubt there is anyone in this precinct who will not stand up for you both. But the press is not going to want to leave this alone, especially if Castle is with you on a case."
She looked at the Captain with worry, "Sir. Castle has been a very big help to our team. He has been instrumental in solving quite a few cases, as you know."
She pulled her thought together and continued. "I know he can be a pain but do you really want to ban him from our cases?"
Montgomery smiled and said, "No. Don't for a second worry about that, I wasn't going there. What I am trying to say is that they will be around you and him like piranha looking for something true or that they can make up about the two of you at work."
He looked into her eyes and said, "Kate, all I am saying is I want you both to constantly be on your guard, and be professional at all times, here in the precinct and out at a crime scene."
Beckett nodded her head and said, "Yes sir. We can do that. I know Castle will never want to do anything that may compromise a case, or embarrass the department. You can count on us."
Montgomery nodded and said, "Thank you Detective. That's all I wanted to say, you may take some ribbing from time to time, but remember you're one of us and we have your back here."
She thanked him as she got up from the chair and headed towards the door. He also got up, joined her at the door and gave a sigh, "Too bad this didn't happen three weeks ago though, I'd have won a bundle!"
Beckett looked back at the Captain in surprise. "Sir? I'm sorry?" Then a bit flustered by what he said, opened the door to go back to her desk.
As she started to leave the Captain's office she saw Castle arrive at her desk trying to balance a huge box wrapped in bright, gaudy paper and a giant yellow bow, two large cups of coffee and a bag with her bear claw in it.
She turned to the Captain standing next to her and couldn't think of a thing to say. She'd told him they would be professional and…
Montgomery looked at Castle, then turned to Beckett and said, "It may take him longer to understand what professional means." Then added with a smile, "I'll let you explain it to him." He gave her a grin and returned to his office, closing the door behind him.
Beckett shook her head, looked at Castle and thinking, 'Why am I not surprised?' headed towards her desk…and Castle, with a smile on her face that she quickly dropped when she saw him looking at her.
When she got to her desk she looked at Castle and said "What's that?"
He gave her a puzzled look and said, "Huh? Your coffee."
Taking it from him and using it as a pointer she said, "I know it's my coffee, what's that?"
He still had that puzzled look on his face. "That's my coffee."
"Castle!"
"Oh," he said smiling, "this is your bear claw!"
Now she knew he was playing with her. "The box Castle! What's with the box?"
He looked at the large box on the floor by his chair and replied, "Oh this? Nothing for you to worry about detective, this box isn't for you."
She sat down abruptly in her chair. She didn't expect that. He is her boyfriend, scratch that, her partner, and she just assumed that the large box was something for her. Now her mind started to go in the opposite direction, why should she think any present he brought into the precinct was for her. 'Cause he's not dating Esposito or Ryan' she thought to herself, 'and he did tell me he fully intended to spoil me.'
She decided to get back to her work and said, "Don't let it get in the way of anyone, put it on an empty desk somewhere."
"Oh I can't do that!" he replied. "This is way too valuable to just leave sitting on a desk somewhere."
She gave him what she knew was considered the Beckett glare and said, "This is a police station. It isn't going to walk away."
He shook his head and smiled. "Nuh unh. No can do. I'll keep it here with me, no one will trip over it."
She leaned towards him and said in her most authoritarian voice, "Castle!"
He leaned towards her and said in a mild voice, "Beckett."
She leaned closer and said, "Rick!"
He leaned closer to her and softly said, "Kate."
They sat there for a few moments staring into each other's eyes. His blue eyes were full of emotion, and she felt her green eyes falling into them. The way he said her name was like a caress, she never thought something so simple would have such a profound affect on her.
Ryan and Esposito sat at their desks with smiles on their faces. Ryan leaned over and said, "Think we should break that up so she can get some work done?"
They grinned and gave each other fist bumps but before they could get up Becket pulled away and sat straight in her chair.
"Fine Castle, leave it there. But if anyone trips on it you pay the medical bills!"
He smiled, took a sip of his coffee and said, "Duly noted detective. Duly noted."
As she turned back to her desk she quietly said to him, "Thanks for your call. It helped more than you can imagine."
He looked at her in silence till she turned her eyes to his and he mouthed their word, "Always."
As she smiled back at him Castle said, "The calls should start tapering off and hopefully stop soon. Paula has been like a pit bull on every paper, radio and TV station, both in the city and outside of it."
She smiled, took a big sip of her coffee and said, "Thanks Castle. It started to get a little weird if you know what I mean."
She took another look at the large box he placed in front of his chair but since he didn't say anything else about it, she just took another sip of her coffee and opened the bag for her bear claw.
"Want me to screen your calls?" he asked with a bit more enthusiasm than she wanted to see.
"No. But you can screen the rest of the messages."
"Yes!" he said as he picked up the receiver and started to listen to the calls. Soon he was happily deleting calls and she was able to concentrate on her paperwork.
After a few minutes he softly said, "Kate? This last was a new call. How come your phone isn't ringing?"
She gave him a puzzled look and said, "Gee Castle, it must have worn out from all the abuse." His eyes widened and she could tell when he started to think how many calls it would take to make her phone stop ringing.
She smiled and said, "Castle you are way too easy! Ryan disabled the ringer this morning; it was too much distraction for my 'team' over there." She nodded her head in the direction of Esposito and Ryan. "He'll turn it on again when these calls stop." She noticed the light was blinking again, gave a sigh, said "I'll be right back," and left.
The moment she did Castle jumped up and said to Ryan and Esposito, "Guys, guys! Come here."
As they rushed over to Castle he picked up the box, opened the bottom and lifted it up, exposing a slightly smaller box inside, wrapped in the same paper with the same bow on it. Other than a slight size difference, it looked exactly the same.
"Can you get rid of this before she comes back?" he asked.
Ryan nodded and took away the box, folding it carefully as he knew Jenny would like it.
"How'd you do that bro?" Esposito asked. "That is way cool."
Castle smiled and said, "Alexis and I stayed up late last night, it gets smaller and smaller but each box looks the same." He gave a soft smile and continued, "Alexis made sure that the bows were tied the same and the pattern on the paper matched on each box. She figured Kate would notice any difference."
Ryan returned and said, "But she's bound to notice as they get smaller."
Castle shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's what I told her, but she didn't care. They had to be the same." He gave a strained smile as he added, "She is growing up way too fast."
Esposito patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry bro, when you need a shotgun we can help." He gave Castle a grin and Ryan nodded his head in agreement.
Beckett walked back and asked, "What's going on here?"
Castle quickly answered, "They wanted to know about the box, but since it isn't for them I told them it's none of their business."
Esposito picked up the ball and said, "Way to be part of the team Castle."
Ryan added, "Payback it a b..i..t..c..h"
Esposito looked at him, rolled his eyes, and said, "Come on" as they headed back to their desks.
Beckett shook her head looking at them, then back at Castle, and returned to her desk.
Castle sat down trying to keep the gleeful smile off his face. She didn't notice a thing!
Beckett started on her paperwork wondering what Castle was up to. She knew the present was for her since he had gone to all the trouble of wrapping a second, but slightly smaller box, exactly the same. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself. He had no idea she realized what he was doing.
She returned her eyes to her paperwork, anyone looking at her would think she was deep in the details of whatever case she was finishing, but inside she felt like a princess on her sixteenth birthday. Although she denied it, she liked to be pleasantly surprised, she had yearned for romance but never allowed it to happen and now…Bam! She was smack dab in the middle of an ocean of romance…and she loved it.
Kate Beckett allowed herself a few seconds to wallow in the feelings of being courted. This is what Rick Castle is doing. Her soul had cried out for it and he was the only one who listened. 'He peeled away more layers than he knows' she said to herself. Her eyes gazing over the babushka doll he bought for her last year.
Her eyes widened. That is what he is doing! A babushka present? How many boxes are inside? She looked over at him as he deleted another call and thought, 'damn, I've got it bad. Only one week, well, three years and one week, and he's made me a puddle.' She gave a happy sigh as she went back to her paperwork.
Castle looked at her through the corner of his eye. He knows her moods and that was a happy sigh she just gave; he hoped it was for him.
He deleted the last message and Ryan came over to reset the ringtone on her phone. While he did this Beckett went into the break room to freshen her coffee and Castle decided to go along with her. As he got up to follow he got Ryan's attention, pointed to the box on the floor and raised his index finger as if to say "remove one more layer". Ryan nodded his head as Castle followed Beckett into the break room.
When he entered the break room Castle said, "Kate, I am so sorry that this happened. I never wanted you to be blindsided like this."
Hearing the sadness in his voice she replied, "A few weeks ago I probably would have panicked, but today? I'm doing something that I never did before…I decided to let someone else take control, someone who knows how dangerous these unfamiliar streets can be and who can navigate safely though them."
She turned from the counter and looked in his eyes. "I decided to do something you never do," she gave him a smile, "listen to my partner."
He smiled at her and she saw the change in his eyes. They were suddenly heavy with emotion. 'This is not lust, it's not simply want,' she said to herself. 'This is so much more…he doesn't just love me, he is in love with me.'
She realized he was speaking, "…and you know I will do everything I can to make that change as smooth and easy as possible." He grinned and added, "Think of it this way, the longer we're together the less we'll be news. Really. It's in your best interest to stay with me forever."
He put his hand on his heart, and giving her a noble look of sacrifice said, "I'm only thinking of you." Then he blinked his eyes several times, which made her laugh.
She started to walk past him out the door and patted his chest saying, "Ok Tonto. But since I carry the gun, I get to be the Lone Ranger."
He turned and started after her, "Wait! Why can't I be the Lone Ranger. I don't have a white horse but I have a red Ferrari! That is so much cooler!"
She continued to her desk and he followed saying, "Beckett! Come on!"
When she reached her desk, she gave a quick glance and as she suspected, the box was smaller than when she left. She gave no sign that she was aware of the change and sat down to the never ending pile of paperwork.
Castle sat in his chair and gave a little pout but was almost giddy as his plan was working to perfection. The box was smaller and she still didn't notice. He thought about patting himself on the back but remembered where he was…and that he hadn't done yoga in about 15 years. Nope. Just sit here and silently congratulate himself. He could so do that.
Beckett's phone rang and she picked it up. Castle could hear a reporter from a local paper and lifting his hand said, "Give it to me."
She smiled and handed the phone over to Castle who seemed to take on another persona as he spoke to the reporter. She tried to concentrate on her paperwork but couldn't; she was fascinated how Castle verbally tore the reporter apart and then put him back together before handing the phone back to her.
She put the phone to her ear to hear the reporter apologize for bothering her and wishing her a nice day before he hung up. Her eyes widened as still holding the phone in her hands she looked back at Castle.
"Lone Ranger," he said. "Really, I should be the Lone Ranger."
She looked around and as no one was watching threw him a kiss, then putting the phone back in its cradle returned to her paperwork. Almost a minute later, feeling his eyes on her she said without looking up, "Not on your life Castle…I still carry the gun."
As the day progressed every time she left her desk, upon returning the box was smaller than before. It was obvious that he wanted her to notice, but she continued to act oblivious to the changes and, as she knew, soon he started to fidget.
He said that the box was in his way, she merely replied he should have put it on a desk like she told him. He pretended he kicked it and hurt his foot, she replied he was totally responsible for any medical bills.
Not once did she look at the box! Not once did she mention it to him! She had to notice, it was almost two feet smaller on all sides than what he brought in! He looked at his watch, it was ten minutes to five. Lanie would be arriving soon for their night out. He had to get her to notice!
Beckett was having a difficult time holding in the laughter, not only was Castle getting frustrated, so were Ryan and Esposito. All three of them mentioned something about the box being in the way. She never cracked a smile and never looked at the box, she just continued with her paperwork till she got to a place to stop for the night.
Putting her pen down she stretched in her chair, seeing Castle's reaction out of the corner of her eye, she turned to him and smiled. "See something you like Castle?" she asked in a soft and seductive voice.
She gave a little chuckle as he couldn't say a thing, just stared at her like he'd been hit in the head with a hammer. "Think I'll freshen up before Lanie get's here," she said and left him sitting in the chair.
Although they couldn't hear what she said, Ryan and Esposito saw Beckett stretch, say something to him, and saw Castle stare at her with a goofy look on his face as she walked away. As soon as she was out of sight they came over to him and said, "What happened Castle? She hasn't said a thing about the box. Does it get smaller?"
"Nope, this is it." He ran his fingers through his hair, "I just don't get it! It's obvious the box is shrinking, she has to know what's happening." He shook his head and said, "Ill be right back," and left.
A few minutes later he came back to see her PC shut down, the paperwork put away and her gone. The box was still on the floor.
Turning to the guys he asked, "Where is she? What happened?"
Esposito looked at him and said, "Bro, she walked back to her desk, saw you were gone and started to put everything away. Then she stood up, looked at us and said in a phony innocent voice, "Oh my goodness! I think the box has shrunk!" She batted her eyelashes at us and laughed, then met Lanie who was coming out the elevator. They just left.
Ryan looked at Castle, shook his head and said, "Dude, she played us." Then turned back to his desk to put things away for the weekend.
Castle quickly grabbed the box and headed for the stairs. "She can't leave without her present," he said to them as he was leaving. They looked at each other, shook their heads and Esposito sadly said, "whipped."
Castle flew down the flights of stairs and managed to reach the bottom just as Lanie and Kate were about to go out the door.
"Kate! Lanie! Wait!" He cried as he hurried to them. They stopped just outside the precinct and Castle ran up to them panting, still holding the box.
Kate watched as he tried to catch his breath and said, "What's wrong Tonto. We're heading for our night out…which, I may remind you, you are not allowed to be anywhere near."
"You forgot your present," he said, holding the box out to her.
"I thought you told me this morning it wasn't for me," she replied.
"That box wasn't," he answered, "but this one is."
She took it from him and as Lanie looked on in puzzlement said, "Rick, a babushka present? That was so sweet of you. I really couldn't help it, you wanted me to react so badly that I had to do anything I could not to notice and say something."
He stared at her as she leaned up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll open it later."
She then moved away from Rick as she noticed an attractive young woman walk up to him with a copy of Naked Heat in her hands. She smiled as the fan timidly walked up to them.
'A year ago, even a month ago I would have been jealous of her being near him,' she thought. She smiled inwardly as she realized she didn't feel anything like that at all. She knew that he was hers and she was his and no one else would come between them.
Castle noticing the fan gave a silent apology to Kate and Lanie and took out his pen.
"Hello," he said to her, "would you like me to autograph that for you?"
She smiled up at him and said, "Thank you Mr. Castle, but you already did at a book signing." She looked over to Kate and said, "But would you mind signing it for me Detective Beckett?"
Kate was surprised, flattered and somewhat alarmed. 'Why on earth would someone want my autograph?' she thought.
As if reading her mind the fan said, "I was thrilled when a strong, honest character was created with Nikki Heat. She isn't some superhero spy or anything, she's a real person with real issues and really a great inspiration."
Castle smiled and handed Kate his pen while taking the box out of her hand.
Kate thanked him with a smile, took the book and said, "Who do you want me to make it out to?"
"Julie," she said with a smile. And as Kate wrote in the book Julie looked on with a huge smile on her face. "My boyfriend Will was with me when Mr. Castle signed our books; he will be so jealous when I show him yours."
Kate smiled and handed the book back to Julie and said, "Good. Always keep him on his toes and never let him get complacent." Then she winked at Castle and took back her present from him.
Julie blushed and said, "I try." Then gave Kate a big smile, thanked her and headed off.
"Well that was interesting," Lanie said. "So what's in the box?"
Smiling, Castle kissed Kate on the cheek, hoped they both a good time tonight and headed home.
Kate looked on with a smile on her face as Lanie took her arm and said, "Come on girl, I'm hungry!"
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"Who are you and what did you do with my friend Kate?"
"Lanie..."
"Kate, you haven't stopped smiling since we left Castle at the precinct. That is more smiles in one hour than I'd usually see in a week!"
They arrived at the Old Haunt for their "once in a blue moon girls night out" and walked immediately to the reserved booth in the back. This was Castle's private booth, and when he redecorated the bar, he made sure that his was separate from the rest so that any conversation was really private. Someone had to be standing right in front of the booth to hear anything. Rick said it was to give him, and his friends, added privacy.
Jerry, the bartender knew them both and nodded as they skirted through the crowd on their way to the back. Mr. Castle made sure that all his employees knew Detective Beckett by sight, and they understood that whatever she wanted, she got. Her words and wants had the same weight as his. "Consider her part owner" he told them, and made sure that nothing was off limits to her, and she was never, ever, to be given a bill…no matter how much she complained.
Now they were sitting with their drinks, burgers ordered, and Kate opened the package she had carried in with her. Lanie watched with growing curiosity as Kate pulled a multi hued ceramic jar with a cork top, out of the box.
Kate saw the jar and gave a little gasp, and Lanie was surprised to see that whatever it was made her eyes tear up.
"So what is it?" Lanie asked.
Kate slowly turned the jar around so Lanie could see the name on the front.
"Hugs?" she asked in puzzlement. Kate simply nodded yes, not sure if she could even say the word. Once again Rick had done something so special for her that it took her breath away.
"Hugs?" Lanie asked again, and then opened the jar to see little pieces of paper inside, each one looked to be the size of the "fortune" in a fortune cookie, but folded in half.
Lanie reached in and took one out, opening it up she read "You deserve an I Missed You Hug."
She pulled out another and read, "You deserve an I Will Never Let You Go Hug."
Kate smiled with the softest look in her eyes and said, "They're our Hugs."
"Really! You named your HUGS! I know you guys look cute together, and believe me you have really been together a lot longer than seven days, but naming hugs? That is just too adorable!"
Kate smiled at Lanie and looked at the wonderful gift Rick had given her. A jar of Hugs. She had been a bit worried that he would go overboard on getting her gifts, especially when he mentioned how good she'd look in one of the great FBI cars that Agent Jordan Shaw had...she really put her foot down when he brought that up, but when he did sweet and personal, he was simply irresistible. This was the most wonderful gift that any man has ever given her; one of the most precious in her whole life.
Lanie was watching Kate closely and could barely hold back a teenage squeal at what she saw. Kate Beckett was in love, and probably for the first time in her life.
Lanie had seen her friend through quite a few first dates that never led to a second, had seen her in a relationship with Will Sorenson, and saw the beginnings of what she knew would be the train wreck of Tom Demming. Then there was Josh, the gorgeous hunk of a doctor who was absolutely clueless when it came to having a girlfriend…although to be honest she really didn't know as much about that one since Kate had kept it from everyone.
But that was the major difference, she never told anyone about Josh, and was circumspect with Will, but she didn't care at all who knew about Castle. She seemed freer with him than she ever had with anyone else.
Kate Beckett may have felt love for Will and even Josh to some extent, but she was never in love with them, that Lanie knew beyond the shadow of a doubt. And as for Tom, well the poor guy was never really in the running, as much as he hoped he was. But Castle, now that was different any way you looked at it.
They always had that cute connection, doing the same thing or saying the same thing, and the entire conversations they had with their eyes! It was almost better than any sex scene Castle ever wrote.
She actually wiggled in her seat as she said, "Ok girl, tell me everything, and don't leave anything out!"
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A/N: Thank you for your patience, vacation was tiring and driving home more so. For those who mentioned my lack of response in reviews, my apologies. Once Yahoo improved its mail things naturally got worse, and sometimes my replies didn't go out. I will reply to reviews thru FF from now on, 'cause I really do appreciate them.
