Southern Heat
Chapter Nine
With first class tickets, it took Kate and Rick less than a few minutes to find their seats and get settled. Settling back in his seat, Rick looks at Kate and then asks. "Have you ever been to Texas?"
"Umm no." She says, buckling her seatbelt before she settles back. "Why?"
"I was jut curious. I mean I know you went to your parent's cabin during the summer but did you ever go some where else?"
"We took the usual trips, Disney World in Florida and Disney Land in California. We actually took that trip a few weeks before I started at Stanford. It was the last trip before I started college."
"And the last trip before your mom…." He trails off as she looks at him. After a moment, he says. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't've brought that up."
"No babe, don't apologize for talking about her death. I don't talk about her much and it was a great trip. We had so much fun. I convinced her to ride all the roller coasters with me. She was petrified afterwards but it was so much fun. And Dad got soaked when we rode Splash Mountain." She says, smiling.
"What else did you do?"
"We mostly rode the rides. I was too old to do all the princess and Disney stuff. Did you and your mom ever go on vacations?"
"My whole childhood was a vacation." He says, looking at her.
"No, I mean I know you traveled with her when she was doing a play but did you ever get to go somewhere that didn't pertain to her working."
"Once, I don't know how she could afford it because she really hadn't worked in a while, but she took me on a road trip. We drove through out the Northeast and we stopped wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted."
"How old were you?"
"Umm, ten or eleven, it was right before she sent me to boarding school."
She quiet for a moment before she looks at him and then asks. "Will you want to send our kids to boarding…?"
"No! I never sent Alexis and I'll never send ours." He pauses for a moment before he looks at her. "We haven't really discussed this properly, but you've mentioned us having kids a couple times lately and would you want to, without us being married?"
She looks at him for a moment before she answers. "I've already told you that you're my one and done. There won't be anyone else so if I became pregnant before we were married, I wouldn't be upset." When she's finished, he leans over and kisses her as more passengers fill the aisles.
About an hour into the flight, Kate is looking through her emails while Castle is supposes to be playing a game. But for the last ten minutes, he's been watching her. "You're creepy staring again." She says, glancing towards him. He doesn't reply but still continues to watch her. "Really, Rick, what?" She says, turning her attention completely to him. After another moment, she reaches out and touches his arm. Heat builds inside him and she catches him as she shifts slightly. She looks into his eyes and realizes that he's watching her because he wants her. "Now."
Finally he answers her. "It would be fun to be a member of the mile high club."
She looks at him and decides to tease him. "Who says, I'm not already?"
He stares at her, surprise written across his face. "You're… when and with whom…?"
She leans closer to him. "Have I ever kiss and told?" She asks, smiling as he shifts again. The faint scent of her shampoo, the warmth of her breath and her body focuses his attention not on her apparent revelation and the sparks rushing through his body. "Well, I guess I can accept that I'm not the first but I can guarantee it would…."
She leans in and kisses him quickly before she leans back. "Rick, I've never did that while on a plane."
He pauses for a moment before he whispers. "Would you want to?"
"Ooo gross, you want to do that in a room the size of broom closet. Where some over weight traveler has just, no! I'm doing that in an airplane bathroom."
"We don't have to seat…."
"No, Rick. I'm not…" She leans closer to him and lowers her voice. "I'm not doing that with you in the bathroom of a plane." She finishes, glancing back at her phone.
He sits back and then looks at her. After a few moments, he asks. "Would you do that if we were on a public place?"
"You mean like a private jet?" She asks, looking back at him.
"Yes." He replies, while she watches him.
After a few moments consideration, she says. "I might." She watches as his wheels start to turn. "But not on this trip, we're working." She says, as their flight attendant walks by and she lowers her voice. "If we were on any other trip, you could finish that thought."
"What thought?" He asks, trying to sound innocent.
"Umm, about renting a private jet."
"I wouldn't have to rent one." He says matter of factly.
"You've got a private jet."
"No, Patterson has one and he'd let me…."
"We're not borrowing Patterson's private jet just so we can do that."
"Well, it wouldn't be just for…."
"Rick!"
"I'm serious. He will let me use the plane whenever he's not using it of course. Of course, I'd have to give him something in return."
"He wouldn't do it out of the goodness of his heart, its quid pro quo."
"It's not totally like that, but yeah we would exchange favors." Rick says, watching her. After a moment, he says. "And if I didn't approach Patterson, I have the money…?"
"Rick, please." He looks at her and then settles back, letting the conversation drop. But it irked him that she still wanted to deny his wealth. She leans her head back and then turns her head to look at him. "As much as he knew about her from the years of him following her around, she's learned the same about him. And right now, she realizes that he's upset. Reaching over, she lays a hand on his arm. He looks at her and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "What did I say?" She asks quietly.
He looks at her but then shakes his head. "It's not the time to get into it." He says just as quietly. She opens her mouth to argue but he looks at her. "We'll discuss it but not her and not now." He says, as she nods once.
After a minute or two, he takes a deep breath and then looks at her. "Can I ask you something?" He asks quietly.
"Sure."
"Would you feel more comfortable if I wasn't rich?"
"What?"
"Would it make you more comfortable if I wasn't rich?"
"Why would you ask me that?" She asks, looking at him and trying to figure out where this line of questioning was coming from. He looks at her and then out the window for a moment. He's usually able to express himself better. He is a writer after all but this makes him nervous and more than a little bit insecure. "Rick?" She asks, reaching for his hand.
He turns his attention to her. "It's just that…." He pauses again and then says. "It's just that when I suggest using my money for something like renting a private plane you act like it makes you nervous. It's just money." He says, looking at her. His tone is filled with frustration.
It's her turn to look away. She wasn't prepared for this discussion. That was all the answer he needed right there and she felt him pulling away from her and she scrambles to hold onto him. "Rick, I'm not embarrassed by your money. You're wonderfully down to earth about it." She pauses and he looks at her, waiting for her continue. It takes a few moments before she gathers her thoughts enough to explain what she's feeling. "Rick, who are you?" She asks, watching him.
"I'm Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle."
"And who am I?"
"You're badass Detective Kate Beckett, capable of taking down scum in five inch heels without a hair out of place, breaking a nail, or spilling a drop of your latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla."
"No, you're Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle, world famous author with more money then I will ever earn in my life time as a cop. You can sit down at computer and type out several thousand words and weave a tale of magic, mercy and justice. You're life is, was on display for page six. And I know the person on page six isn't you, and that we're two totally different people but we fit too. I'm not ashamed of your wealth. It's just that comments like that one, that show me how incredibly different we are."
"Kate, I work hard for the money I earn."
"I know you do and I appreciate it. And I appreciate that you let me be a part of it by writing Nikki Heat. I just…."
"You what?"
"I don't know how to not compare the commonness of myself with you."
He looks at her and slowly he understands. Reaching for her hand, he looks her in the eye. "I am world famous and I have a lot of money. But Kate that doesn't define who I am, I work hard for the money I earn but my stories don't give peace to a family that's had their entire world pulled asunder by an act that neither one of us can fathom doing. You're work is so much more important than…."
"Don't say that, you don't realize the power of your words and the way they can heal as much as me giving peace to a family that's hand their entire world pulled asunder by an act that neither of us can fathom doing." She says, repeating his exact words and he smiles. "Your words kept me sane after my mom's murder. I've told you that."
"Okay, let's agree to disagree on whose job provides more peace to people. The point is I can't change the fact that I do have money. I love you and what is mine, will be yours. And a lot of what's mine, at least what's come in recent years you've earned as much as I have. Without you, there would be no Nikki Heat."
"That maybe true, but there would be some…."
He lays a finger across her lips. "To be honest, I don't know that there would be. I was lost before you came to that launch party and arrested me. Nikki Heat is because of you. And if I want to rent a limo and take you to Le Cirque, or rent a private plane to bring you to meet me on my last days of a book tour, can I do that?"
She looks at him and then smiles. "If that's the only reason you rent a private plane, then I guess its okay." She says, her lips twitching as she tries to suppress a smile. He leans over and kisses her softly.
When he sits back, she looks at him and says. "You can do that as long as you know that I don't need that to be with you."
"I know you don't but I want to pamper you sometimes and some times I don't because I know that it'll upset you if I use my wealth to show you how much I love you."
"Sighing, she looks at him and says. "Rick, don't ever hide from me, please. It may upset me, but remind me that it's only one way for you to show how you feel and I'll try not to jump to the wrong conclusion every time." She says, as he nods. Lifting his arm, she snuggles in next to him and they spend the rest of the flight in peaceful silence.
After leaving Dallas, Jesse drives back to Prosper. Pulling into the space in front of his room, he goes inside. Sitting down on the bed, he pulls his phone out and calls a friend. "Yo Rafe, you busy."
"Who is this?"
"Man, you know who it is?"
"What you want man?"
"Got a job for you, but I need it fast. 2G's for it."
"Man, I work…."
"You won't earn that amount in a month." Jesse says, heading back toward Celina."
"Alright, where at?"
"Come to Prosper, the Prosper Inn, room 13."
"Alright, I'll be there tomorrow morn…."
"I need this handled."
"I got to work. My old lady will kill me if I get fired again."
"Alright, in the morning, first thing."
"I'll be there." Rafe says. Jesse hangs up and lays back. Planning on how he'll finish off the Reverend.
When they land, they follow the rest of the passengers out from first class and when they reach the terminal, Richard slips his arm around her waist, drawing her closer too him. She looks up as he looks down and smiles as he reads the question in his eyes. "When we're working, I don't get to do this." He says. "And this is sort of a mini vacation for us."
"We're working Castle." She says, as they walk through DFW towards the baggage claim.
"I know we're working. But we're also here. And we've never been here before so it's a mini vacation." He says, as they reach security. They walk by it as she slips her arm around his waist.
A few moments later, they are standing around the baggage claim while they wait for their luggage. "Did you rent us a car?" She asks, as luggage begins coming out.
"Yes, I figured we would need one to get around."
"It might be a good idea if you go start the process for getting the car while I get our luggage. That way…."
"I'll go get the car. Can you handle the luggage?"
"I think I can. But which agency did you use?"
"Umm, Enterprise."
"Still hanging on to the Sci Fi." She says, smiling as he leans down.
Kissing her quickly before he turn away as he mumbles. "Always."
They both only packed one suit case a piece. After several turns of the conveyor belt, Kate finally recognizes Castle's bag. Grabbing it, she pulls it off the belt and then steps back to wait for her bag. A few minutes later, her bag comes out and she pulls it off as well. Looking around, she expected him to be back with the keys before their luggage came. She stands around for a few moments waiting before she decides to go find him.
As she's walking through the airport, she spots a group of women gathered together. They don't seem to be a group that's traveling together and it makes her wonder why they are together. As she walks closer, she sees a man standing at the center of the group. He has his head bent, listening to a woman standing in front of him. Even with his head bent, she realizes its Castle. She stops on the out skirts of the group and listens to the other woman. "He is so hot!" One woman says.
"Totally hot." Another woman agrees.
"He's taken." Another woman says, as the other two women look at her.
"He can't be!" The second woman says. "I so want one night with him.
"He's dating the cop that the Nikki Heat books are based off of. It's all over his web site." The third woman says.
"It's not serious." The second women says, as Kate looks at her.
"I think it is." Kate says, as the three women look at her.
"He's a player, girl. You have to know all the stories." The first woman replies.
"Oh, I know them. But I'm certain he's serious about the detective." Kate says.
"Oh my god!" The third woman exclaims, catching some of the other women's attention and Castle's. "It's her."
"Who?" The first woman asks.
"It's Nikki Heat. Come on, look." The woman says, pulling out her phone. The other two women look over her shoulder as she pulls up a picture on her phone and Kate looks around for a way to escape before the third woman can connect to the web. "It's totally her." She says again as they all look at one of the publicity shots from the first launch of Nikki Heat and Kate is panicked.
"He's dating you." The second woman says, looking her up and down. "I'm so totally…."
The first woman interrupts the second woman. "Girl, what's he like? Is he completely awesome in bed? I'll bet he is?" The first woman says, as Kate looks up and sees Castle looking at her.
"Excuse me ladies." He says, working his way through the crowd. When he reaches her, he puts his arm around her and whispers. "You okay." She looks up at him. "Alright, I'll get us out of here." He whispers. "Ladies, it's lovely to meet all of you but my friend and I need to be on our way." He says, pulling Kate closer to him as they both turn away.
The group stand there, watching as they walk away. When they're out of range, he stops. "I'm sorry. I didn't…."
"Rick, its okay."
"What did they say?" He asks, taking her hand in one and grabbing his suit case in the other.
"They were talking about how hot you are."
"Well, I am ruggedly handsome." He says, his chest puffing up.
"Down boy, down. You're ego won't be able to fit in the car at the size it is now." She says, looking at him and smiles.
He looks at her, pouts for a moment and then asks. "What else did they say?"
"I don't know if I should tell you."
"Ah come on Kate." He whines.
"Ego's big enough Castle."
"You like it when…." He shuts up when she looks at him. "You looked a little panicked when I looked up.
"I didn't think anyone would recognize me outside of New York."
"Kate, the Heat book are a internationally known series. Even if you're not front and center with the publicity for the book, everyone knows you're my…."
"Do not call me your muse?"
"But you are my muse and I love how much you inspire me." He says, his tone dropping low.
"Did you get the car? We need to get to our hotel. I was hoping to contact the locals today so that we can start tomorrow."
"Yes, I got the car." He says, leading the way out of the airport. He looks around until he spots the Enterprise agent standing beside the car he rented.
"What no Ferrari Castle?"
"We're in Texas, everyone here drives a truck. Thought it would be better if we fit in with the locals."
"I guess a Ferrari would stand out even in Dallas. Let's go." She says, walking over to the SUV." He follows her. Opening her door, he lets her in and then closes the door before he unlocks the hatch and puts their suitcases in the back. He then walks around to the driver side door. Getting in, he closes the door and then looks at her before he asks. "Are you ready?"
"Sure." They pull away from the airport as he pulls out his phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"No one, I'm pulling up my navigation app." He says, flipping screens as she reaches for the phone.
"Here I'll do that. You concentrate on driving. I hear Dallas traffic is terrible."
"How do you know about Dallas traffic? Have you been to Dallas before, driven in Dallas before?"
"No, but you don't need to be playing with your phone while you're driving." She says, giving him one of her patented Beckett looks.
"Here, pull the app up and I'll concentrate on driving." He says, turning his attention to the road.
"What's the address for our hotel?" She asks.
"It should be on our itinerary from the flight." He says. "Inside jacket pocket."
She picks up his jacket and reaches inside. As she pulls out the itinerary his wallet falls out and open. She leans down to pick it up and glances inside. She does a double take when she notice how much cash he has on him. "Castle, how much cash do you have on you?"
"Umm, about two grand." He says, as he stops at a red light.
"What the hell are you doing with that much money on you?" She asks, looking at him.
"What best selling author wouldn't have that much cash on him?"
"Castle, you're…." She looks at him.
"What?"
"This is begging to be mugged. If some sees you with that amount of cash, it's like painting a target on your back."
"No one ever sees me with that much cash."
"If you take out your wallet, someone is going to see this." She says, holding up the bills.
"No, they won't." He insists heading out of Dallas now. She opens her mouth to argue but he stops her. "I take out what I think I'll need for the day, along with a credit card and my debit card. I carry it in my money clip. It's only a couple twenty's. That way any potential robbers will only think I've only got that amount of cash."
"And what if you need more money?"
"That's what the debit and credit card is for. And if someone does try to rob me, I had over the money clip and then I'll freeze the cards afterwards."
"You're a world famous author. If someone tries to rob you they're going to expect more than a couple twenty's."
"That's exactly my point, that's what they'll expect. It's not what they'll get."
"And that could get you killed."
"So according to you, I'm dead either way." He says, glancing at her and seeing that she's about to go off, he side steps her. "Are you going to put the address in the navigation app?"
She looks at him with a look that says we're not through discussing this. "Fine. She says, opening up the itinerary. She enters the address and then settles back.
After a couple miles, he looks at her and then says. "Do you want to know why I carry that much cash around?" He asks, as she looks at him. "I've told you that things were tight when I was growing up. But Mother managed to keep us a float, but that didn't leave much pocket money for me. I worked hard for the scholarships to the schools I attended around the city. It's just too bad that most of them didn't have a sense…." She looks at him. "Anyway, being on scholarship, didn't leave us with extra cash either. And I would see my class mates walk around with a roll of cash in their wallet or purse and I wanted to know what the felt like." He says, as she looks at him.
She nods but says. "You realize that danger, don't you?"
"I'm not an idiot Kate. That's why I devised the system."
"You devised a system?" She says, skeptically.
"Yes, I have a money clip." He says as she nods. Since she's seen him take it out of his pocket when he's bought lunch or at the end of the day when they were getting ready for bed. "In the morning, I put about a hundred dollars in twenty's in the clip folded over. No one ever really see how much is there when I take it out of my pocket, so they assume I don't carry that much cash on me and why would they I'm a wealthy man. Having an extensive amount of cash on me would be impractical and begging for someone to try and steal it."
"But Rick, you do have an extensive amount of cash on you."
"But they don't know that. They never see it and I don't wear a lot of jewelry that will flash my wealth around. I basically only wear my watch. And while it's a good quality watch, it's not a Rolex."
"So you're counting on this system and the fact that you're not flashy about your money to keep you from getting mugged." She says, watching him. "What happened if you need more money?"
"Then I use one of my cards. Or I go to the bank and withdraw some cash. But I never remove money from my wallet in public. If I know I'm low on cash and I know I'm going to need more, I'll go to the restroom and in the privacy of the stall I'll take more out of my wallet, but never in public."
"Where did you come up with this system? Or should I ask how?"
"When I was doing research for an idea. I ultimately abandoned the idea, but I interviewed a pick pocket during my research and he gave me some tips to protect myself. One being not to flash a lot of cash. The other being to dress understated, to blend in enough to make a potential mugger over look you."
"Why did you abandon the idea?" She asks, moving on from the money topic. He turns his attention to the road. After a moment, she says. "Castle."
He sighs and then glances at her. " Isortofbecamefriendswiththepickpocket." He mumbles.
"What was that?"
He looks at her and then says. "I sort of became friends with the pick pocket and the idea I had was that the pick pocket went a little too far and ends up killing the person he's trying to steal his wallet from. After hanging out with Razz, I couldn't write it." He says, staring straight ahead. "And I couldn't really find a plausible motive for him to go that far."
"There is any number of plausible motives. He had a rough day, a slow day, maybe he's picking pockets for someone else and has to make a certain quota for the day, maybe he was defending himself. Although if he's trying to steal…."
"Kate, it doesn't matter. The point is I decided not write the story."
"Alright, but what if there are circumstances that doesn't take into consideration your system. The world knows you're wealthy Castle and there could be criminals that target you simply because you have money, with or without your system."
"Vigilance." She looks at him. "It's an unsafe world Kate, I know that. But if I lived my life in fear of what might happen, I would never leave my apartment. I never would've met you because I just be some everyday man working a nine to five job and barely getting by. I probably wouldn't even be living in the city. We never would've met."
"Oh, I'm sure we would've met and probably in the exact same manner in which we did meet." He looks at her and then nods slightly, giving her that observation. "It's just that you wouldn't've arrested me for obstruction of justice and failure to co-operate with an investigation."
"Not to mention making you look bad." He says, as she reaches over and playfully slaps his arm."
"So, why two thousand dollars?"
"That's the cheapest fare from New York to Paris."
"You're worried about having airfare to Paris France!"
"Not so much as worried as being prepared."
"Prepared for what?"
"Meredith actually." She looks at him slightly surprised that this issue has to do with his ex."
"What does she have to do with the fact that you carry two thousand dollars in your wallet"
"When Alexis was about ten, Meredith came to town one afternoon and she didn't tell us she was coming. When she arrived, she went straight to Alexis's school and checked her out. Giving the principal some song and dance about a dead relative. I'm not even sure how it all happened, but four hours later and when Alexis didn't come home from school, I'm freaking out until I spoke with the principal and he explained that her mother had signed her out. Once I got a hold of Meredith, I was slightly calmer but still upset enough that she quickly realized that she needed to bring Alexis back home immediately."
"Wait, she actually took Alexis out of school and flew her all the way to Paris, why?"
"She said she wanted to take her to lunch and shopping."
"And she couldn't do that in New York?" He looks at her as if to say this is Meredith, the deep fried Twinkie. "Why didn't you press kidnapping charges against her?"
"I implied that I would if she didn't have Alexis back to me by the next morning. That was after I implied that I would be speaking to the French police as well."
"So what happened?"
"She had her back before seven am the next morning. And after a spectacular fight, I spoke with my attorney and had the custody agreement amended. Stating that she has to give us at least a days notice before she comes and that she can't take Alexis out of the country without my knowledge or consent. I also gave Alexis a cell phone after that day. She has had my phone number programmed into her phone since she was ten years old and she knows that if Meredith does come to school again she is always supposes to speak to me before she ever goes anywhere with her mother." He says, as Kate stares at him.
"And it's never happened again."
"Oh, she still turns up without telling us. But she hasn't tried to take Alexis out of the country without letting me know before hand and we discuss the trip. I have to constantly police her." Rick says, sounding slightly tired. She reaches for her hand. "It's gotten easier now that Alexis is older and can tell her no, but sometimes I still have to pull her in."
"Whatever did you see in her?" Kate asks, as Rick looks at her and then turns his attention back to the road. After a moment, she realizes that she said that out loud. "Rick." She says, squeezing his thigh.
"No, you're…."
"I can't judge you. Look at the decisions I've made about my life and you."
Sighing he looks at her and says. "Meredith was fun when we first met and she was something I needed. Neither one of us planned to be permanently connected to each other, but after Keera left me. I needed fun. And I've had more fun raising Alexis then I ever thought possible. So while I get frustrated with Meredith's tactics and antics, I love having Alexis."
"I know you do and you did an amazing job raising her. She is everything most parents hope their kids will grow up to be." She says, reaching for his hand. After a moment she says. "I didn't really mean to sound so judgmental about your relationship with Meredith. And I understand wanting to distract yourself from something you feel like you can't have." He squeezes her hand again and they settle into silence for the last few miles before they reach their hotel.
