AN: Sorry for the delay in updating. Between a sick kid, bad weather and work I haven't had much time this week but here it is finally. I don't know if I'm truly happy with this chapter but the next one will be better I promise. If you would like to see anything in this story, please let me know! Feel free to follow me on Twitter Mizz_Pacman16 and Tumblr caskettaddict86
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own em'. Just the ones I created.
Kris just managed to giggle menacingly in response, causing Kate to sigh and say "Oh Lord, you drank that whole bottle of wine, didn't you?"
Kris just continued to giggle like a school girl. A swift smack on the shoulder from Kate broke her fit of laughter. "OK, OK, maybe I did." Kris finally muttered. She managed to notice Russo making his way back through the party. Inebriated as she was, she still had enough sense to act as best she could around the detective.
Russo did his best to walk in the least drunk fashion he could muster. As he reached the two sisters, he looked at Kate and said "Hey there boss lady!" Giving her a lopsided grin and a small wave.
Kate raised an eyebrow at the beaming detective. Kris burst out in laughter and Kate realized both her sister and the young detective were beyond hope at this point. "That's just great, Kris. Not only have you managed to make yourself look like an idiot, but you had to drag this poor boy down with you. You seriously cannot be trusted when alcohol is involved."
Kris did her best to straighten up and gave her sister the best glare she could muster as she poked Kate in the chest. "You are just jealous because I can let loose and have some fun every now and then."
Kate crossed her arms and glared back at Kris as she replied. "How many times have I had to save your ass from almost going to jail when you've had that fun, huh?"
Kris wrinkled her nose in response and flopped down at the kitchen counter in a huff. Finally Castle made his way over to the group in the kitchen, taking in the annoyed expression on his fiancee's face then looking toward her sister. He had never been able to pass up the opportunity to poke fun at the youngest Beckett, so he gave her a pointed look as he said "Well, well Cricket. Looks like your singing a different tune tonight."
Kris was struggling to keep herself upright in her seat, but still managed to give Castle a look that would have sent most anyone else running in the opposite direction. His failed attempt to get a response from Kris only spurred him on more. "What's the matter, Krissy-Poo? Too many drinks to battle wits tonight" Castle taunted.
Kris spun her head in Castle's direction and said "Alright monkey... Writer... Boy... Man... Whatever. Perhaps I have had a bit too much to drink tonight."
Castle threw a thumb Russo's way and said "It looks like you've managed to bring Russo here over to the dark side."
Russo smiled and said "Yeah, I guess we couldn't let that cheap wine go to waste."
"Well, at least you guys are enjoying yourselves, which is what I always aim for at a Castle party." Castle replied with a smile, cowering slightly at the glare he was currently getting from Kate. Castle was glad to see Kris and Russo getting along so well, even if it was due to the amount of alcohol currently coursing through both of their veins.
Kate finally spoke up and said "Well Castle, I guess I will babysit these two while you see to the rest of the guests." Castle gave Kate a quick kiss before turning and making his way across the room toward his mother.
When Kate turned back around, Kris was rummaging in the alcohol cabinet and came up with a bottle of tequila. Kate knew Kris was a handful when she was drunk, so she quickly made a grab for the bottle when Kris turned to look for the shot glasses. When Kris turned back around and noticed the lack of tequila, Kate almost lost it at the confused look on her sisters face.
"Where'd it go?" Kris said, waving her arm across the empty table top.
"Where'd what go?" Kate replied, trying her best to hide her smile.
Kris just stared for a moment, trying to cross her arms but deciding it was easier to just lean against the counter. She looked at Kate and said "You took my booze."
Kate leaned across the counter, practically in her sisters face and said "I am not going to have you pass out or throw up all over the place like you normally do. You're just lucky that I've managed to keep dad from seeing you, or it would be a lot worse."
Russo stood behind Kris and laughed at the two sisters exchange. Although he was no where near as gone as Kris, he was more than slightly buzzed and occasionally found himself laughing at almost everything Kris said or did.
Kris looked Kate in the eyes, pointing her finger in her sisters face and slowly said "You. took. my. booze."
Between keeping Kris out of the liquor cabinet and taking her phone so she wouldn't drunk post on Twitter, Kate was about to either rip her hair out or go grab her gun from the safe. Finally giving up and all but dragging Kris to the couch, Kate found Lanie and the boys by the fireplace.
"Damn girl, I haven't seen you half the night." Lanie exclaimed as Kate approached the group.
"Well, between trying to avoid Castle's second ex-wife and babysitting my intoxicated sister, I've had my hands full for most of the night." Kate huffed, crossing her arms.
"I tell ya, baby Beckett can throw em back." Espo said, taking a swig of his beer.
"That she can. I'm just glad Castle left the karaoke machine at The Old Haunt or we would all be in for it." Kate replied.
Eventually, the group of people started to dwindle and when Kate made her way to Castle and Martha, she noticed the absence of her sister. "Did Kris leave?" She asked as she reached the pair.
Castle pulled her to his side and said "Oh, no. She was dozing on the couch, almost drooling on Patterson so I sent her upstairs to the spare room to sleep it off."
"That girl can certainly put away the drinks." Martha said as she sipped her own glass of wine. "She and I must go out sometime."
"Yea, I don't think so Martha. I don't think there's enough alcohol in New York for the two of you together." Kate laughed, giving her soon to be mother-in-law a hug.
Russo made his way over to the group, looking a little more sober than he had earlier in the evening. "So, I can't seem to remember the pass code to my phone at the moment so could somebody call me a cab?"
Castle went to offer the young detective a ride but Kate knew that he needed to stay and tend to the remaining guests so she decided to take pity on Russo and offer him a ride home since he only lived across town. Castle had given his driver the weekend off so as he made his way across the room to the remaining crowd, Kate grabbed the keys to the Ferrari and led Russo out the door.
When Kris blinked her eyes open that morning, she was instantly hit by the bright light filtering in through the window. As she went to sit up, she groaned loudly at the feeling of being hit by a truck. She finally managed to stumble out of bed and figure out where she was as she made for the bathroom. After cleaning herself up a bit, she prepared herself for what was sure to come and headed downstairs.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she realized Kate and Castle were no where to be seen so she made her way to the couch and curled up under a blanket. She sat for a while and tried to remember the events from the previous evening and smiled when she through of Russo, then was instantly mortified when she remembered how drunk she had been.
As her thoughts wandered, she found herself drifting off to sleep again. She was awakened a while later to the voice of her sister prodding her and the strong smell of coffee. When she finally opened her eyes, she was staring at a coffee cup being dangled in front of her face.
"Good morning, little sis." Kate singsonged.
"Ugh, get that out of my face." Kris grumbled, swatting at the cup. "I think I drank a liquor store last night." She said as she rubbed the side of her head.
Kate threw her head back in laughter, only laughing harder when Kris gave her a look like she could kill her. "Here, take it. It will make your head feel smaller."
"So, what exactly happened last night?" Kris said as she looked into the cup of dark liquid.
Kate, who was leaning over the back of the couch, smiled as Kris finally took a small sip, leaning back against the arm of the couch. Kate made her way around the couch and sat beside her sister as she said "Well maybe I should ask you what you remember first." Kate said with a grin.
"Oh God, it's never good when you ask me that." Kris groaned, taking another sip of coffee. "Just tell me, how bad was it?"
Kate let her sister sweat for a few moments, then decided she could not torture her sister any longer, the massive hangover she was enduring was doing that for her. "Surprisingly, not too bad. It turned out to be a great party, other than me yelling at Castle over his ex-wife practically stalking him all night." Kate then stood up to make her way into the kitchen for her own coffee, throwing over her shoulder."Oh, and I got to drive Russo home in the Ferrari."
"What?!" Kris yelled then immediately grabbed her head to calm the raging storm. She then jumped up and stalked after Kate, prepared to beat last nights information out of her sister if need be.
Kate was busy making herself a cup of coffee, fully aware of the footsteps coming up behind her that sounded more like the running of the bulls. When she turned around, she was faced with her sister eyeing her like she had just committed mass murder. Kate grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Wha-what do you mean you drove Russo home?" Kris stuttered as she fell onto a stool at the bar.
"I mention Ferrari and all you grasp onto is Russo?" Kate said, seeing the blank stare her sister gave her, she continued. "He couldn't unlock his phone so he needed a ride home. Instead of having him waste money on cab fare, I gave him a ride since he only lives across town."
Kris put her head in her hands and groaned. "Why the hell did you let me drink so much? Now he probably thinks I have a drinking problem."
Kate burst out laughing as she glared at her sister. "You do have a drinking problem. You see a drink and you have no problem downing it. He was almost as bad as you were, granted he managed not to pass out. In fact, he did not shut up the entire ride to his place. He's quite taken with you I do believe."
Kris finally looked up, cradling her chin in her hands when Kate handed her a glass of water and some Ibuprofen. After downing the pills and half the water, all she managed to say was "What?"
"Oh, yea. Talked about you from the time we got in the elevator til I dropped him outside of his building. How beautiful you looked, how funny you were." Kate replied, smiling widely when she saw Castle making his way to the kitchen.
Kris groaned again, laying her head down on the cold counter top. Castle rubbed his hands together and Kate smirked, knowing what was about to transpire. "Good morning, Vietnam!" Castle boomed loudly, placing his hand on Kris' shoulder when she covered her ears.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Came Kris' muffled reply, head still down on the counter top. Finally, she sat up and gave Castle a death glare. "Have you never been hung over? Oh wait I forgot who I was talking to."
"Why yes, cricket, yes I have. Which makes this all the more fun because I know exactly how badly you must feel right now." Castle replied with a smug grin.
"I swear to God if I could move without feeling like my head will fall off, I would beat you to death with your laptop." Kris shot back, cradling her head in her hands.
Castle put a finger to his chin and said "You know, you're not the first Beckett woman to say that to me. Of course, it's much sexier when your sister says it."
Suddenly he was hit directly in the face with a dish towel and when he looked at Kate, she was giving him the scariest Beckett glare he had witnessed yet. Making his way around the counter, he pulled her into a one armed hug and kissed her cheek before moving around her toward the coffee pot.
When Kris finally managed to drag herself through the front door of her apartment a few hours later, she was still reeling over what Kate had told her about the drive to Russo's apartment the night before. She knew that she was attracted to the detective, but also knew it was a bad idea to take it any further than friendship. Kris had never had the best luck when it came to relationships, much like her sister in that she had a hard time opening up and letting people in.
She knew that anything was possible though, seeing how far her sister had come since finally giving into her feelings for Castle. Kris was not sure she was ready for that kind of commitment yet, used to being on her own for so many years. She knew that she truly enjoyed Anthony Russo's company though and the fact that he looked extremely good did not hurt either.
After stripping out of the previous night's clothing, she climbed into her shower and began trying to wash away last night's hangover. As she began lathering her hair with shampoo, she thought more and more of the Italian detective. Bits and pieces of the previous night filtered through her mind, remembering how at ease she felt with him as they sat and made fun of her sister and Castle. She wondered if what Kate had said was true, if Russo really thought she was beautiful and funny.
She had never been the type to truly put herself out there to impress a man, which as she thought about it was probably the reason she was twenty-eight and single. As she finished her shower, she wrapped herself up in a giant towel and headed to her bedroom to find something to wear for the day. When she checked her phone, she saw that she had a missed call from Kate, no doubt to make sure she had made it home, and a text from Russo.
Make it home OK?
Kris found herself smiling as she read Russo's words, finding it sweet that he was checking to see if she got home safely. She decided since he must be up, it would be easier for her to call him while she rummaged through her closet for some clothes. She hit the call button before she could change her mind and nervously waited for him to answer.
"So, I'm assuming since you're calling that you're not dead or passed out in an alley somewhere." Russo answered with a chuckle.
"You would be correct." Kris replied as she made her way into the closet. "Although I slightly wished I was dead when I woke up this morning with my head wanting to explode."
"I know the feeling. I forgot what cheap wine can do to ya." Russo replied.
Kris could hear shuffling on the other end and assumed he must be sitting up in bed. Biting her lip to tamp down the sudden images of Anthony Russo in bed, she said "I guess it's a good thing we both had the day off then or the criminals of New York would be getting away with murder."
Russo let out a laugh then was silent for a moment. Finally he said "So, I was wondering if you wanted to get a post hangover lunch. If you're like me, you haven't been up long."
"I've been up for a few hours actually. I ended up crashing at Castle's last night after I apparently passed out on James Patterson." Kris said with a slight chuckle.
Russo whistled then said "Oh man, that's embarrassing."
Kris set the phone down on one of the shelves in her closet and put it on speaker as she looked through the racks for a top. Russo, ever the detective, picked up on the sounds and said "What are you doin'?"
"If you must know nosy, I'm trying to find something to wear to meet you for post hangover lunch." Kris replied, not even trying to hide the flirt in her voice.
There was a moment of silence then Russo sighed and said "Are you talking to me while you're naked?"
Kris, who honestly had not been expecting to have this kind of conversation with Russo, closed her eyes as she said "I'm wearing a towel."
"OK, I really need to go before I end up saying things that I don't know if either of us are ready for." Russo replied, sounding a bit breathless.
Kris smirked as she said. "OK, I'll try to have more than a towel on when you get here."
"I'll pick you up in an hour." Russo quickly replied then hung up.
