And Everything Nice

7. Candy Cane

Kate stepped out of the observation room, having just witnessed Ryan and Esposito interrogate their first potential suspect. The two partners glanced towards their captain as she closed the door behind her.

"Well?" she asked, wanting to get their take before offering hers. It was a tactic she'd learned from both Montgomery and Gates.

"He's not our guy," Esposito immediately offered.

Ryan bobbed his head. "He was genuinely shocked and visibly emotional over the news of Connor's death."

"He didn't do it," Esposito reiterated.

Kate nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "Agreed." She glanced at her former colleagues, now subordinates. "So, what's next, Detectives?"

"I'm going to look into the victim's financials again," Esposito said.

"And I'm gonna take another look through the CTV footage from the security camera across the street, see if I can make anything else out from it."

"Might need a media tech to enhance the footage," Kate supplied.

"I've got it, Beckett," Ryan assured.

Esposito shook his head and jerked a thumb towards his partner. "He's been studying tech manuals during lunch."

Ryan puffed out his chest, annoyed at the condescending tone in his friend's voice. "Hey!"

"Now, now, Espo," Kate said, suppressing a smirk. "Play nice. Besides, it doesn't hurt to learn new things." She headed towards the break room. "Now get back to work."

Kate paused at the espresso machine, but shook her head. She was one to talk. Not once had she'd taken the time to properly learn how to use the machine. Sure, she could make a cup of coffee with it, but it was never as good as Castle's. He was a master at making the right cup of coffee, always perfectly brewed, just how she liked it. There were days she missed having him around the precinct. And it wasn't just about the coffee But they'd started a family now, and neither of them had any regrets about that.

Feeling a little peckish, Kate opened the refrigerator to see what was inside. Not much, upon first glance. There was a dubious looking fruit cake that Karpowski's aunt supposedly made. No, she wasn't touching that. She wasn't that hungry. Closing the refrigerator, she remembered Castle had secreted away a stash of Hershey's Kisses, wrapped in the holiday themed colors of green, red, and silver foils.

She hurried back to her office, opening the door and making for her desk. She sat down and hesitated, jerking her head up to see if anyone was watching through the window. Glancing over at the bullpen, Kate saw that both Ryan and Esposito were on their phones, and the other detectives and uniformed officers were likewise occupied. Good. She didn't want anyone to see where Castle had stored her secret chocolate stash.

Retrieving three Hershey's Kisses, Kate unwrapped the colored foil and popped one in her mouth, moaning softly to herself as she savored the rich dark chocolate. After enjoying the second Hershey's Kiss, she was beginning to second guess her decision not to get a cup of coffee from the break room. Even if it wasn't as good as the one's Castle brewed or procured, for that matter. Even after two years of marriage, she still didn't know what coffee shop he bought them from, as every coffee was always in a generic to-go paper cup.

Stepping out of her office, intent on brewing a hot cup of coffee in the break room, Kate halted as she glanced at the murder board. She hadn't really had a chance to look it over before heading to observation. There was a lot that her position as captain took away from her that had once been normal patterns. Her heart clenched in her chest. She missed it. Sure, she tried being a hands-on captain, but she could only do so much without stepping on her detectives' toes. And she never wanted to be that kind of commander.

"Castle!?" Kate jerked her head up when she saw her husband waltz into the bullpen. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled, in that damn charming way of his that always seemed to make her heart go all aflutter, which it did, despite her best efforts to restrain it. Though she'd gotten over her initial anger over the eggnog incident, he was still in the dog house.

"I heard you had an interesting case," he answered, stepping over to join her by her old desk. "And I'm bearing coffee?"

"Hmm," she smiled warmly, accepting the proffered large to-go cup. Her chest expanded as she held it up and breathed in the rich aroma of her favorite brew. And yes, it was exactly that. A skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla. She took a sip and sighed. Okay, maybe he wasn't so much in the dog house anymore. "Thanks, babe, I really needed this."

Castle smirked, and crossed his arms over his chest as he turned to study the murder board.

She frowned, and gave him a sidelong glance. Something was missing. Her eyebrows rose when she realized. "Where's Lily?"

"Home with Alexis," Castle assured. "She practically kicked me out. I think they're conspiring against me."

Kate huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Castle was referring to. They had this discussion the other night just after putting their daughter down for bed. "Lily is too young for laser tag. Give her a couple of years."

"That's true, but they could still start strategizing early," Castle said. "I'm already outnumbered as it is."

She stifled a grin, remembering a time from just after she'd permanently moved into the Loft where she and Alexis ganged up on him in a rousing game of laser tag. The girls won, of course. Though Castle had been a good sport, buying them all milkshakes from Remy's as a reward. She rewarded him later that night for being such a gracious loser, so in a way, he sort of actually won. Well, they both did, really, considering what her reward had been.

"Anyways," he said, shaking a hand to dismiss the topic, oblivious to the thoughts that had been running through her head. "I really am here because of the case."

"Who told?" Kate demanded, instantly suspicious.

He remained silent, which was a rarity. But his eyes betrayed him, slowly drifting towards his accomplice before he could stop. Kate let out a chuckle, amazed that she was actually surprised by the answer.

"Espo? Wow!" she declared, eyes going wide in shock. "I would have guessed it was Ryan."

"I know, right?" Castle grinned, laughing along with her, crinkles forming around his eyes as he did so.

"Dude, I'm right here," grumbled Esposito. "Don't make me regret it."

Castle swiveled on his feet to look at the sullen looking detective. "Oh, please, Javier, I'm loaning you the Ferrari for Christmas, you don't get to complain."

"Hey!" Ryan hooted, having been eavesdropping. "That's not fair!"

All three turned to stare at the youngest member of their group. Kate exchanged an amused look with Castle, as Esposito just shook his head. "You've got two kids and a wife, Kev," he said to his partner. "You're more likely to be cruising in a van than a Ferrari." He stopped and started to primp. "Besides, I've got a hot date that needs impressing."

"Really?" Kate drawled out as she leaned in. "Does Lanie know about this?"

Esposito scowled. "Why should she? We haven't been on for over a year now. I think it's done, if you ask me."

She nodded, a little sad to hear that. Kate remembered a time she'd thought her two friends would really make it work. But those two just couldn't really find the right time to properly hit it off. In the end, judging solely from some of the girl talk she engaged in with Lanie, their continuous on-again, off-again relationship had become somewhat of an emotional crutch for both of them, preventing them from starting something real when presented. It was sort of like how Kate, herself, had hid in nowhere relationships with men she didn't love to avoid how she really felt about Castle. Thankfully, that time had long since passed, and she was now happily married to her once annoying tag-along.

"Well, whoever you're spending it with, I hope you have a good holiday," Kate said, patting Esposito's shoulder.

"Same here," Castle offered with a nod of support.

"Yeah… er… thanks," Esposito nodded gruffly, looking visibly uncomfortable. "So, um… can we get back to the case."

"Sure," Kate smiled, knowing that this kind of talk unsettled her friend. He was such a macho man at times. She spun back around and stared at the murder board, soaking up all the details.

Castle shifted to stand beside her, and she closed her eyes for a brief second, relishing in the old familiar feeling of the two of them standing in front of the board. It was a reminder of old times, both good and bad. But mostly good. Of a time when they were just friends… friends that were in love but too stupid to admit it to each other. So, yes, it felt familiar. But different. Better.

"Ouch," Castle exclaimed, looking at the photo of their victim. "Was he really stabbed in the eye with a candy cane?"

Kate nodded, taking one step toward the board and reached up to tap a CSU photo of a candy cane lying on a grimy sidewalk with blood along the base.

"Yep," she confirmed. "It's our murder weapon. Killer shoved it deep enough to puncture the brain."

Castle grimaced. "Double ouch." He squinted in thought. "So, I take it none of you are going to want these?" he asked, producing a bundle of red and white striped candy canes from his coat pocket to offer to his wife and their mutual friends. Upon their horrified expressions, he diligently tucked them back inside his coat pocket. "Right. Too soon."

Yes, Kate thought, it was like old times.