Kate was busy when several uniformed Pizza Delivery Guy's came up with Authentic Nick's logo on them. They placed them on the table and left. There were 13 pizzas in all. Kate knew it was the work of her soon to be husband just like he has been doing for the past 4 years treating the precinct when every celebration was happening. She wondered That Man! How did he know? Oh well let's go enjoy the pizza's when I inform the crew of my possible advancement.
Ryan was the first to the table and perused the selection. It looked like Rick bought 2 of each. There was a small crowd growing as Kate got her pieces then came over the boy's desks.
"Castle sure out did it this time!" Ryan said between bites.
Yeah Bro he went all out these are like the 40 dollar pizzas! Espo said as he chowed down.
"Well it is not like he could not afford it! I heard the presales of the newest Nikki Heat were over 15 million and climbing! Amazon is even saying 20 million on their kindle version!" Ryan commented.
"Look at you keeping track of Rick's book sales!" Kate commented.
"Hey Boss do you know when that movie Castle been working on is going to be released?" Espo asked.
"Hmmm, perhaps this Dec for the Christmas season. They had to fly him out a few weeks ago to tweak some of the dialog. Other than that I could not say" Kate said moaning when she bit into her favorite pizza. Rick sure knew her tastes!
"So where is the Man of the Hour?" Ryan asked looking around for Gates.
"He should be here but he might be getting ready for his TV interviews. He has several promoting this new book." Kate stated.
"Hey Boss I guess you wanted the world to know?" Espo asked.
"What Espo?" Kate asked.
Espo pointed to her left hand. The ring was still on it!
"Oh Thanks Espo but since It's been out might as well leave it!" Kate said "So that is how Gates knew!"
"Er Boss can you lend me your copy? I want to get a jump ahead in the boards!" Ryan said sheepishly.
"What Ryan are you admitting you joined the Castle Fan club boards?" Kate laughed.
"You know they do not all include Castle! We are all listed!" Ryan brings up his fan board. Then he taps a few keys and shows Iron Gates board. They read a few of the comments on their Captain. Most were not pleasant but accurate! Kate laughed she had not known of this subculture at all.
"Ok Ryan I will lend it to you. It is a quite a good read! One of the best!" Kate said as she was praising Rick's book Rick appeared in the precinct.
"Oh this going to be good" Ryan whispered. Espo agreed they did their fist bumps and watched the fun.
"I thought I felt my ears burning Detective" They kissed in front of the Boys and the rest of the precinct.
"Hey I do not work here! But my beautiful almost wife does!" Rick said holding Kate close.
"Hey what happened to no PDA in the precinct?" Kate protested.
"Well since you saw fit to show off your ring I figured they knew already! This is a floor of Detectives after all!" Rick stated.
The bull pen erupted in Laughter and cheers to the happy couple!
"Yes! Every one this wonderful marvelous person has consented to be my Wife! I intend to marry her as quickly as possible before she comes to her senses!" Rick crowed.
Kate punched Rick but kept smiling. The Bull pen was full of laughter.
"Ok everyone the announcement is over! Get back to work!" Kate said in her authoritative voice.
"You do know you have now probably will be asked about me on your interviews. And there will be is a viral video of you announcing this!" Kate murmured in his ear.
I am so sorry Kate I knew you wanted to do it on the down low but I could not control myself the Highest test score ever! I just am so proud! So when is the board? Rick said with much pride in his voice.
"Wait how did you know? The board is in a week. You will be on that book tour by then" Kate said.
"Yeah but I have confidence in you Detective! Plus you should know by now I have a guy everywhere!" Rick laughed.
"Bob told you! I have should have known!" Kate said.
"I can not neither confirm nor deny!" Rick said with a straight face. "But I am happy for you! With this I have to go the teams will need to be let in and getting set up. Bye my love." Rick said and gave another kiss and left.
Kate was overwhelmed with love of that Man!
Everyone was looking at her.
"What?" She accused in her eyes.
Everyone got back to what they were doing.
Kate still at the boy's desks continued to eat her pizza.
"Boss we overheard! Congrats Highest Ever? Really well I am sure when my turn comes I will have to pick your brains!" Ryan said Espo agreed.
Kate finished her lunch and got a text from Lanie and one from Alexis. I guess good news does travel fast.
Getting back to her massive backlog she was happy! Det. Beckett does not do Happiness but Kate does! I am happy she said to herself. She plugged away.
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Rick got the apt and started to move things around clearing space for the equipment which should be arriving soon. There was a knock on the door. Rick opened it thinking he would be seeing Burly Men with arms full of equipment but instead it was the girls! Alexis had picked up both Carrie and Claire.
"Girls what are you doing here?" Rick was perplexed.
"Oh Dad you think you would not have your fan club with you when you did these interviews?" Alexis scolded.
"Well I thought…" Rick was unable to finish his thought.
"Well you thought wrong! Neither Claire nor Carrie has seen a real interview happening so I invited them along to watch. It will be a real eye opener for them for me Meh it is old hat!" Alexis responded.
Ok well since you are here let's put up the sheets to cover most of the rest of the room. It is important that the couch and Kate's books are the only things visible.
Alexis, Rick, with Claire and Carrie were able to cover all the surfaces just as there was a knock on the door. This time Rick was correct. It was a bunch of burly guys with the frame to hang the lights, the Producer Barbara came in and was disappointed Mrs. Castle was not there. Alexis mouthed "Mrs. Castle?" Rick just shrugged and mouthed "Go with It."
Elizabeth Vargas came in as they finished wiring the mics. The couch was perfectly centered. She shook Rick's hand "Well is this the 7 or 8th book launch interview? She asked Rick.
"8th I do believe Liz" Rick replied.
"Oh you brought your family, Rick will you do the honors?" Liz asked.
"Ok This short redhead and the apple of my eye is Alexis she goes to Columbia and these twins are my Nieces Claire and Carrie they both go to NYU and Carrie is Miss Iowa and will be in the Miss USA pageant in Altantic City come November I believe but she would have to tell you herself. Girls this is my friend Elizabeth." Rick said.
The girls all said how glad they were to meet her.
"Ok girls you need to stay out of the way the interview is about to begin" Barbara the producer said.
"Ok Quiet everyone Sam how are the levels?" Barbara asked.
"Audio is fine!" Sam replied.
"Jeff the lighting?" Barbara asked.
"Lighting is good" Jeff replied.
"Makeup are you finished yet?" Barbara asked as she checked each function off.
"Just finishing Mr. Castle" Judy replied.
"This is so exciting!" Carrie whispered giddy with excitement to both Alexis and Claire.
"Yes it is" They agreed.
"Ok we have a 5min segment" the Producer said "so we will shoot for 20 take a break and do it again"
"Welcome this is Elizabeth Vargas and I am interviewing a man that needs no introduction that is if you read hard core detective novels, "The one and only Richard Castle". Liz stated.
"So lets begin I read the book Frozen Heat and I could not put it down. What is the reason for such a reaction to one of your novels?" Liz asked as her first question.
"Well Liz it is like this. I delve into the character to make them feel and think as if they were real people. The idea of realism to make those character and scenes seem so real. I take much care in choosing the correct word to describe any situation I could give example from Frozen Heat." Rick said.
"Please do I am sure our audience will be thrilled to hear you tell the story in your own voice." Liz coaxed.
She had been nineteen when she last lifted the cover on the Steinway. Nikki hesitated, not to falter but to mark the new passage.
The hinges on the cover creaked as she opened it and exposed the keys. Her fingers trembled with the anticipation of every one of her childhood recitals as Nikki sat, opened the music book to the first page, pumped the pedals for feel, and then began to play.
For the first time in a decade, music from that cherished instrument filled the apartment, and it came out of Nikki by way of Cynthia. Music is sense memory; however, it's muscle memory, too, so she misstruck a few keys, but that only made her smile as she began Mozart's Sonata Number Fifteen. Her play, which felt so rote and halting at first, slowly became more fluid and graceful. She fumbled, though, when she got to the bottom of the page and had trouble coordinating the turn with her fingering. Or maybe it was the tears that had clouded her vision. She wiped them away and prepared to resume, but stopped.
"Beautiful passage Rick. So why did you choose this selection?" Liz asked.
"Well Liz it just came to mind besides it was almost the last page I wrote but it stuck for its elegance and Nikki's vulnerabilities too. Nikki in the story had not done anything to remind her of her mother Cynthia Heat because of her mother's death clouded that simply beauty. But here she has overcome that reluctance and is reminded of what was instilled in her." Rick explained.
Elizabeth stood spellbound by Rick's explanation and so was most of the crew.
Rick gently nudged her knee with his foot knowing that would be off camera, which brought Liz awake to her next question.
"Rick, you are in the news recently. A long lost relative was involved in a series of crimes. How do you feel about you being the one to bring him in?' Liz asked.
"Well Liz it was not me personally who brought him in. It was the dedicated Police dept of the City of New York. These men and women tirelessly worked on this case and the credit goes to them. I just did what I normally do is spin stories. They are the ones which could use what I said and produce the results. I have to commend the people of the 12th precinct in their invaluable work at keeping all New Yorkers safe. As for the person who committed the crime. Yes he is a relative but he is going to pay society for his criminal activities." Rick stated.
"I under from your publicists that you are about to embark on a rare Book Tour?" Liz asked.
"Yes coming this Saturday the 15th the day of the book launch. I will be signing books at Barnes and Noble Midtown and I have another appearance in Long Island. I will be on a 20 cities tour to end back here in New York on the 6th of October." Rick said.
"Well there you have the best selling Author Richard Castle coming to a city near you. And do not to forget to pick up Frozen Heat which the Critics are saying it is his best book ever. I am Elizabeth Vargas on GMA reporting from New York." Liz ended.
And Cut! Great Job everyone Liz you paused too long we will need to reshoot but break for 20! Her producer said.
Alexis and the girls gathered around her father.
"Great Job Dad!" Alexis said being very proud of her father.
"Yeah Uncle Rick that was wonderfully done!" Carrie gushed. And so did Claire.
"Thanks Girls but it was the professional interviewer which made my responses so good. She should get your praise not I" Rick said.
"Rick you are being too modest! I flubbed up but you got me back on track. Thanks!" Liz said.
After the break the girls were getting bored after the 4 retake. Finally the producer said they got it right and ended. It was 5 just in time to escort the crew out. The equipment was staying because Paula had arranged for all the interviews to be done from here.
Rick got to the precinct to escort Kate out. Rick still did not know of what Espo was going to do that night. After a good meal and some rare tv they sat in the bed deciding what is going to happen tomorrow.
"Rick I could get a case but if I do not I could be at one of your tapings" Kate said while snuggling against her almost Husband.
"I would like that Kate. The girls were all at this one. I have to admit having family at the tapings made it much more fun. Even if I had to carry Liz a couple of times she got too wrapped up in my words" Rick smiled.
Kate thought she is not the only one.
"Oh I lent Ryan the copy of Frozen Heat!" Kate admitted.
"Oh Why?" Rick inquired.
"He said he wanted to get a jump ahead of the others on the Castle web Fan boards. Did you know they have separate boards for all of us and even Captain Gates! I never knew that existed" Kate exclaimed.
"Oh come on Kate you been on the boards before arguing about Nikki vs Derrick! And don't you deny it either!" Rick scolded.
"Yeah but that was about your books this was about real people! Rick" Kate said.
"You think that is bad you should see what the twitterverse is saying" Rick commented.
"No, I think not that is your bailiwick not mine" Kate said.
"Bailiwick what a great word! Come here almost Wife You just turned me on!" Rick said as practice for those Castle babies commenced for the night soon they were fast asleep.
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It was 1 am and Lanie got off the evening shift. She was staggering to the door only to catch her boyfriend or not leaving the apt.
"Lanie what are you doing here?" Espo said.
"I was thinking of a Booty Call! I need a massage!" Lanie answered.
"Lanie, why did you not call first?" Espo being cross asked.
"I wanted to surprise you. I can be spontaneous you know! So where are you going?" Lanie being Lanie asked.
"I was going to meet someone but he said to come alone!" Espo said in all cloak and dagger like.
"Javier! You are not on a case so tell me what is so important about this Meet? Is it about the Dragon again?" Lanie alarmed her almost boyfriend might be going into harms way.
"No Lanie it is not at least I do not think so but It is important and I have to go alone!" Espo said now having more doubts since Lanie said them out loud.
"Ut Uh! I am going with you! If something goes wrong you need someone to assist you." Lanie said determinedly.
"Lanie out of the car! I do not need your help!" Espo was alarmed Lanie might get into the same trouble and he did not want that.
"You got or not Latin lover! It is getting cold get in and warm this puppy up!" Lanie ordered.
"Ok Lanie you need to stay in the car and try not to be seen!" Espo caved.
"Right Javi!" Lanie was happy she was going!
"Fine here we go." Espo warned.
Espo parked on the street it was very deserted. Looking around he saw the parking garage. He walked in alone.
Getting to the meet he saw a Man very Tall and wide like Castle but older with grey hair and blue eyes.
"I know why you are here Mr. Esposito. I did tell you to come alone!" The man said in a gravelly voice as if it was being disguised.
"That is Lanie my sometimes girl friend in the car I could not get rid of her without her following me anyway. I hope that does not put this in a different light for you" Espo said wondering what will happen next.
"No I suppose it wont. You are now charged to Keep my family safe! Good Luck Mr. Javier Esposito!" The man said and threw Espo a thumbdrive then turn away. Espo pocketed the thumbdrive and returned to the car.
"Javi what happened?" Lanie all eager.
"I think I just met Castle's Dad! Lanie!" Espo said
"Really? So what did he do?" Lanie asked.
"It was not what he did was how he stood and his build and his look I saw his face for a moment Lanie, it was like looking at an older version of Rick. Then he said I was charged to keep his family safe and he threw me a thumbdrive." Espo said.
"Well start the car and let's get home there is still time for that Booty Call and massage!" Lanie said.
Espo agreed and thought what could be on this drive.
Espo did not notice a grey van parked across the street it moved out when he did.
Espo parked the car and went with Lanie to his apt. The Grey van parked across the street.