Chapter 2

Heading toward her chambers, Kate passed by the administration desk where her secretary was already present, bright and early, ready for the day. Jenny O'Malley was a sweet young woman who was always sporting a cheerful demeanor, happy to help in any way she could. Her agreeable personality was what prompted Kate to choose Jenny as her secretary over other more qualified candidates, despite her not having much administrative experience.

"Good morning, Miss Beckett," the young woman greeted.

"Good morning Jenny," Kate returned with a smile. "Would you page Miss Parish to my office for a case briefing?"

"Of course, Miss Beckett."

"Thank you."

Kate unlocked a door and pushed open the heavy wooden slab that led into her office, a large room adorned with rich wooden paneling and lined with numerous volumes of leather-bound reference books. Settling into the plush chair that sat behind her mahogany desk, Kate reviewed her schedule for the day while she waited for her judicial clerk to arrive.

After a few minutes, Kate heard a knock on the door. Beckett acknowledged the visitor and called out.

"Come in."

The door swung open once more and a young, well-dressed African American woman wandered in, carrying a small stack of files.

"Hey girl," Lanie greeted.

Lanie Parish was a sharp and upcoming recent graduate from Boston University School of Law. Kate had hand selected Lanie as her judicial clerk to help with doing legal research, drafting opinions, proofreading, and checking citations. Lanie had easily proven her ability and legal acumen, having studied Kate's cases during her time as a constitutional lawyer, and impressed Kate with that particular knowledge during her interview. Along with being her professional mentor, Kate had easily bonded with Lanie and the two had quickly become friends in this predominantly male-dominated field.

"Hey Lanie, thanks for coming by on such short notice. I have an arraignment for the Clark case today. Would you mind doing a rundown of the case details once more?"

"Sure thing."

Lanie took a seat in one of the chairs opposite Beckett's desk and flipped open a manila folder containing her case details and research and began narrating.

"Regarding the case Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Howard Clark. The SEC filed a complaint on March 11th, alleging that Mr. Clark learned about an impending acquisition of his employer Far Horizons, Inc., where he served as a finance executive. Per the filing, Clark tipped non-public information regarding the acquisition to his brother-in-law, David N. Allen of Manhattan, NY. Based on the information supplied by Clark, Allen purchased highly speculative, out-of-the-money call options. The complaint further alleged that, after the public announcement of the acquisition of Far Horizons for $1.6 billion, Allen liquidated his Horizons options and made profits of over $250,000.

Clark refused to settle out of court, which is why the case is being brought before you today. I have prepared research on similar cases, such as Redmond and O'Neal, and included them in the file."

Lanie concluded her summary and handed the docket to Beckett.

"Thank you Lanie, very thorough as always. Great work."

"No problem, Kate."

"The hearing is at 10:00 if you want to attend."

"Gotcha, I should be able to make it. I'll be working on the Whitfield case in the meantime."

"Sounds great. I'll see you then."

Lanie departed the office, leaving Kate alone to peruse the case file. Over the next hour, Kate committed the details to memory as she polished off her coffee, discarding the now empty cup in a trash bin beside her desk.

Checking her watch, Kate saw that it was nearing time for her to appear in court. She retrieved her robe from the nearby closet and donned the black gown with practiced ease. Gathering her files and ensuring that her phone was on silent, Kate exited her office and made her way to the designated court room, entering through the specially reserved door.

The bailiff addressed the court as Kate took position at the bench, instructing everyone present to stand up.

"All rise, court is now in session. The honorable Kate Beckett presiding. Please be seated."

After the room's attendees sat back down, Beckett began by addressing the court.

"Good morning everyone. We're here for the arraignment of Howard J. Clark. Will the attorneys please name their presence for the record?"

A handsome, dark haired man in a perfectly fitted navy suit to her left stood up in front of the mic.

"Good morning, your honor. Josh Davidson on behalf of the District Attorney's office."

"Thank you Mr. Davidson," she nodded in acknowledgement as the court stenographer typed away for the record.

After a brief pause with no one continuing to speak, Beckett looked to her right anticipatingly and prompted for further introductions.

"And the defense?"

A well-dressed, bespectacled, middle-aged man sat alone at the right-hand table, nervously looking around. After a few moments, he leaned into his mic.

"Uh, I'm Howard Clark, the defendant. I have retained a lawyer to represent me. He's supposed to be in attendance today but isn't here yet, evidently."

Beckett shook her head in disappointment.

"Any idea when he will be arriving? Otherwise, we will have to proceed without him out of respect for the court's time."

In the hallowed halls of the Thurgood Marshall courthouse, Rick Castle scrambled to find courtroom 6E.

Damn these floors for looking identical, Rick cursed to himself.

After making a detour for a quick restroom break and spending a little too much time trying to get his tie adjusted properly, Rick had entered courtroom 2E, only to not recognize anyone nor be able to locate his client. Upon realizing that he was supposed to be in this room on a different floor, Rick scurried to the elevator which had just conveniently departed without him.

Damn it!

This day had been off to a great start. Rick had gotten up early enough this morning to make his daughter breakfast and then sent her off to school on time, then met a gorgeous woman while waiting in line for coffee.

I should have asked for her number, he realized belatedly. He had been too distracted by appreciating how beautiful she was and trying to guess what she was doing here to remember to do so. Next time I see her, I'll ask, he resolved.

Rick decided to hotfoot it on the stairs and crossed his fingers. With some luck, maybe the judge wouldn't be too harsh on him for being late.

Finally reaching the sixth floor and finding the right room this time, Rick burst into the courtroom and scanned the crowd as heads turned to observe the intruder. He quickly identified his client and rushed to the table to sit beside him. Rick took a moment to catch his breath, winded from climbing four flights of stairs. With his head bowed, he busied himself with opening his briefcase and laying out the relevant paperwork.

"And you are?" the judge inquired mirthlessly, after the commotion from his abrupt entrance had subsided.

"Richard Castle, defense," he said, still busy fussing with his belongings.

Beckett narrowed her eyes at the disorganized defense attorney. He was wearing a tie now, which looked like it had been haphazardly donned, as it was slightly lopsided. His attire was more wrinkled than before and he was slightly out of breath, as if he had been doing some cardio.

"Mr. Castle, I do not take tardiness in my court lightly," Judge Beckett chided.

"Your honor, I'm sorry for being late," Rick began. "I uh…" he gaped in confusion as he finally looked up.

When he brought his gaze up to the raised platform, he saw a familiar face glaring at him. It was the beautiful brunette he had met this morning, now wearing the trademark black robe. As fate would have it, they did end up meeting again in the courtroom, just as he had wished. Just not on the sides he had imagined.

Recognition sparked in both their eyes when their gazes met, but Beckett didn't let her facial expression betray her surprise.

Beckett raised an expectant eyebrow, waiting for his excuse.

"I had to go to the bathroom," Castle explained lamely. "When nature calls…" he shrugged innocently, suddenly feeling very small.

Beckett rolled her eyes.

"Very well, Mr. Castle. You would do well to take care of your physical needs in a timely manner before entering my court next time," she said sternly.

"Understood, your honor."

Beckett proceeded to inform the defendant of his constitutional rights: the right to a trial, the right to counsel, and the right against self-incrimination.

"Alright, the case before us today is Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Howard Clark. Mr. Clark, you are being charged with one count of insider trading, a criminal offense which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $5 million. You have also been advised of your rights. How does the defense stand?"

"My client would like to enter a plea of not guilty," Castle supplied.

She nodded in acknowledgement, not at all surprised by the plea.

"Furthermore, since Mr. Clark is being accused of a non-violent crime and has no prior offenses on his record, we ask that he be released without bail," Castle continued.

Beckett mulled over the request, finding it reasonable for a white collar crime.

"I agree that he does not pose a serious risk to the court and thus, I will set no bail."

Beckett selected a date a few weeks out for the bench trial and informed the parties of their obligation to show up in a timely manner. Castle knew that last detail was meant directly for him.

Having wrapped up all the details of the initial hearing, Beckett dismissed the court.

"Hey Kate, wait up!" Rick called out as people were filing out of the courtroom. Rick had lingered behind to see which way she would leave. Since she exited the rear doors, Rick quickly took the main exit and rounded the corner to intercept her route.

Kate stopped in her tracks just as Rick rushed to catch up to her.

"It's Judge Beckett or Your Honor, Mr. Castle," she corrected.

Castle tilted his head at her. "This morning it was Rick, now it's Castle?" he said with a mischievous look.

Beckett glared at him, unwilling to falter under his gaze.

"Mr. Castle, I would prefer to maintain strict professionalism both inside and outside the courtroom."

"And since when were you a judge?" he barrelled onward. "You told me this morning that you were a lawyer."

"I was a constitutional lawyer for a few years," she emphasized. "And if you hadn't cut me off with your little Sherlock routine, you would have learned that I'm now a sitting judge."

Rick's eyes went wide. "That's…"

"What?" Beckett rolled her eyes at him again, waiting for the inevitable, "aren't you too young?" Or worse, the oft implied "aren't you too female to be a judge" line of questioning. Most guys were either dismissive of her achievement or intimidated by her power when they found out what she did for a living.

"That's so cool!" Rick exclaimed with genuine awe. If he was interested in her before, he was now that much more eager to get to know this intriguing woman.

Oh. Hmmph. Well that was a different reaction than what she was expecting.

"Can I get your number, in case I need to ask you any questions about the trial process?" he asked eagerly.

Beckett rolled her eyes and shook her head at his thinly veiled attempt to get her personal phone number.

"You can send me an email or leave me a message on my work phone," she emphasized. "Which you can get from my secretary."

Rick pouted like a child being denied permission to get the puppy he wanted. Kate was immune to his childish antics.

Another certain lawyer was passing through the hall when he stopped to approach the two.

"Ah Miss Beckett, glad I caught you," Josh appeared at her side. Kate turned to regard the handsome attorney.

"I wanted to introduce myself more formally. Josh Davidson," he held out his hand. "District attorney's office. Harvard Law," he said with a firm handshake, flashing her a brilliant white smile.

Josh was just as tall as Castle, but unlike the defense lawyer, his tie was situated perfectly in place and matched his well tailored suit. He had dark, perfectly styled hair, chocolate brown eyes, and a killer jawline.

This man belongs on a GQ cover or something, Kate thought to herself.

"Kate Beckett, New York City Court of general jurisdiction, Stanford Law," she offered in return. She was not particularly impressed by the way he name-dropped his pedigree, but played along nonetheless.

They looked at the last vertex of their social triangle expectantly, awaiting an introduction.

Rick blinked inanely a couple of times. "Uhh, Rick Castle of Marlowe, Hawley, and Winter, NYU?" he added belatedly.

Josh paid him little attention and re-focused on Kate.

"I'm really looking forward to working with you, Judge Beckett. I've heard great things about the work you've done in the areas of civil and constitutional law. And I wanted to congratulate you on your recent appointment," Josh lavished her with praise.

"Thank you, Mr. Davidson. I'm proud to have made an impact in upholding civil liberties through the cases I've worked on," she accepted modestly.

Josh nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more. And with you presiding over this case, a sound and just verdict will be inevitable."

Rick scowled at Josh's polite yet effusive charm. He was really laying it on thick. If Kate sensed that Josh was hitting on her, she didn't show it nor seem affected by it.

"I'm sure that's what we all want. Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen, I have other cases to review. I'll see you both in court soon."

Kate bid the two adieu and turned on her heel. Her robe billowed behind her as she strode confidently down the hall back to her office. Rick took note of the general direction she headed, committing the location to memory.

Rick saw the way Josh was eyeing her as well, clearly interested in the beautiful judge in more than a professional sense.

I saw her first, Rick grumbled to himself.

After an awkward pause, Josh broke the silence.

"Well, uh, good luck on the case," Josh said with a clap to his arm.

"Thanks, you too." Even though they were arguing opposite sides of the case, Rick wanted to offer genuine respect to his fellow professional.

With that, the two men, silent contenders on more than one field, parted and went their separate ways.

A/N: I count 3 patent Beckett eye rolls toward Castle in this chapter, haha. That brings the running total to 4.