Here be Dragons!
Chapter 29
Martha was playing the piano for Rick and Alexis to set the mood for what those two were doing. "You have come once too often," Rick thundered and defended himself against Alexis's attack.
"After today I will have no reason to come," Alexis answered and kept attacking.
"Robin, I hear you like a boy," Rick said and made a counter blow. "Who is he?"
"His name is Owen and he's in my poetry class. Very shy and very sweet." Alexis swung and missed him.
Rick scored a hit. "Keep your guard up," he told her.
"Don't distract me," Alexis hissed, her eyes mere slits.
"Does he know what you think about him?" Rick queried and went on the attack.
"No!" Alexis warned him and began her assault in earnest.
"Why?" Rick asked and defended himself from her attack.
"Because even I don't know how I feel about him," Alexis said, her voice deadly calm.
Rick was saved from another loss at the hands of his daughter by a phone call.
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"How many bones did they have to break to get her in there?" Ryan asked with a look of disgust.
"I won't know that until I get her back at the lab," Lanie replied.
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Rick interrupted her at the firing range downstairs. "You gotta watch those silhouettes; they can be shifty little bastards."
"Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate." Kate was angry about how this case was going not directly upset with Castle but she was angry at him all the same.
"Castle?" He was still here.
"Okay, I get it. You made a promise to a daughter and it doesn't take Freud to figure out what's going on here." Rick watched Kate fire off another clip.
"Wouldn't it be more of a challenge if they weren't standing still?" Rick asked her, his fingers in his ears.
"Okay, Castle. Show me how it's done," Kate challenged him since she knew she was a very good shot.
"Ooo." Rick had been looking forward to this.
Kate got him into position after he started off showing he had never fired a weapon in his life. Kate had her hands all over him.
Then Rick fired and missed his target by several feet. "Shot too soon."
"Yeah, well you know…we could always just cuddle, Castle," Kate teased him.
"If my memory still works we did that out in the Hamptons," Rick fired back.
"I actually came down here to ask if I could take home a few of those photos of the jewelry." Rick fired a round and still missed.
"Why?" Kate asked.
Rick put the next round in his crotch. "Ooo, that's gotta hurt."
"Tell you what, Castle. You put any of the next three in the center and I'll give you the file." Kate was sure she was safe.
Rick put the next three rounds dead center and almost in the same hole.
Kate ripped off her headset and stared at him.
"You're a very good teacher," Rick told her and leaned across to kiss her cheek.
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"Why are we doing this again?" Ryan, Espo, and Kate were writing down names on their white board.
"According to Mitchell, his shot caller said he had someone on the inside, giving them information about our victims," Kate explained.
"These jewels are the type of pieces you only wear for special events," Rick added and watched them write.
Espo was following. "So we find an organization everyone supported…"
"And we find our guy." Kate liked the idea, too.
Rick pointed out one of them, "MADT!" and the other three followed for all four families.
"Find out who's in charge." Kate wanted them.
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"You're wasting your time, Beckett. Did you see the list of attendees to the last one? All of the judges in town are on it." Rick knew she was wasting her time.
"So what am I supposed to do? Let someone else die?" Kate didn't want to be angry at him but she was.
Rick pulled out two tickets. "What you need is a night out on the town."
"What are those?" Kate sat back in her chair.
"The gateway to another world. They hold four fundraisers a year," Rick said.
"No." Kate liked her way better.
"It's perfect," he insisted. "You don't need to know who the fundraisers are since they'll all be there with their jewelry."
"We go in as crew." Espo was following.
"See, it's all settled. Pick me up at 8:00. …Oh, it's black tie. That won't be a problem, will it?" Rick inquired.
"No… No." It was actually a huge gigantic problem.
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Lanie rejected the first one. "NO, that one goes to the thrift store." She hated the next one even worse. "Hello karma chameleon."
"Too showgirls?" Kate questioned her and watched her nod.
Kate had nothing. "I'm dead." Then her front door buzzed. "Lanie, can you get that please?"
"Okay, but when I come back you better not be in your prom dress, girl." Lanie pointed at her. Kate looked at what was left in her closet. The only thing left was the Chinese dress Castle had bought her.
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Alexis walked in on him. "My dad, nervous about a date?"
"It's not a date. Kate and I are going undercover." Rick let go of his stupid bow tie and had Alexis tie it for him.
"I don't know why you won't tell me where it is!" Martha was right behind her.
"Because you'll show up, Mother." His mother had no business being there. It was a recipe for disaster.
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Lanie came back with a dress box. "It was a delivery."
"From who?" Kate asked.
"Let's find out." Lanie opened the card. "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo?"
"Castle." She should have known he wouldn't leave her hanging. She really needed to get past what she'd read in those papers. She'd spent enough time with him by now to know better.
"It's a dress. Now open it," Lanie urged.
"Ooo!" Kate liked the look of it.
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Martha answered the door to find Kate on the other side. "Stunning! Simply stunning." Martha loved how she looked.
"You look incredible, Kate. Now I wish I could go," Alexis said.
"Really?" Kate had never worn anything this expensive.
"You clean up very nice, Detective." Rick was next to Alexis in his tux.
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"Ricky, Ricky." Someone was happy to see Rick. He shook his hand and hugged him for a second. "You didn't tell me you were coming."
"Last second. Mr. Mayor, I would like to introduce you to Kate Beckett. Kate, you know the mayor." Rick was all smiles since the mayor was why he was next to Kate now.
"This is Detective Beckett." The mayor was pleased since now he had a face to go with the name and now knew why Rick wanted to shadow her.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Kate shook his hand.
"Can I get you a drink?" Rick asked her.
"Yeah, vodka. …Lots of vodka," Kate responded.
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"Paul Reynolds, you're under arrest for suspicion of theft and conspiracy to commit murder." Kate showed him her badge as Espo and Ryan cuffed him.
"Where was the badge?" Rick asked her since her dress was tight and basically backless.
"Maybe I'll show you later, Castle," Kate teased him then walked away and didn't see Rick biting his fist.
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"The other pieces are in evidence but I didn't see the harm in giving this to you." Kate handed over a small necklace.
"How do you get over it?" Joanne Delgado asked her since she was still hurting badly from her mothers death.
"You don't. But one day you'll wake up and find that you don't mind carrying it around with you. At least that's as far as I've gotten. Here's my card and number in case you want to talk." Kate flipped her card over. "My cell number's on the back."
Joanne took it and stepped in closer. "You're a Dragon," she said in a low voice. "Maybe we can talk about that some day?"
"You're a Bengal Tiger." Kate had felt her earlier but couldn't say anything. "You have my number."
"Is he your husband?" Joanne nodded her head getting Kate to turn hers to look and see Castle.
"No, he's just my… I'm not entirely sure just what he is." Kate really didn't know.
"Are you sure? He clearly likes you and he's a Dragon too." Joanne had been close enough to Castle once to know.
"I'm… I mean he's… No. Castle's just a friend," Kate answered. Not at all decisively.
"Your loss and mistake. …You have my number and know where I live," Joanna told her.
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"Darling, we have a visitor." Martha had answered the door and in walked Kate.
Kate teased him about his black eye. "Oh, pretty butch, Castle."
"I know, right? Have a seat. You saved my life, the least I can do is feed you some eggs," Rick offered.
"Right here, Kate." Alexis patted an empty seat.
"Tell us all about last night. We've only heard his version." Martha wanted Kate to talk and maybe learn to like her son.
"All right, um, should I begin at the red carpet?" Kate was willing to start there.
"Yes, please." Alexis handed her a cup of coffee she had just poured for her as Castle leaned on the counter to listen to this story.
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Martha vanished and Alexis went off to class, leaving Rick and Kate alone since Kate had the day off and hadn't told anyone this time.
"Joanne Delgado is a shifter, Castle. A Bengal Tiger to be precise. How is it every shifter knows what the other shifter is?" Kate asked him as she sat down on end of his sectional.
"I noticed even if I didn't really talk to her much. As for how, I have no idea. Maybe it's because we're so different. I haven't met very many but they do exist. What I don't know is just how many of them there are out there. New York's a big city. Even I haven't met that many people. …Here." Rick handed her an iced glass with Coke in it then sat down next to her.
"Thanks. I gave her my number," Kate admitted.
"You have something in common. I can understand that. You think she'll call you?" Rick questioned her.
"I hope so. She's at a period of her life where it feels like her life isn't almost worth living." Kate really did hope so.
"Your mother," Rick said and saw the look Kate was giving him. "Alexis explained it to me. She really is taken with you."
"Alexis really is a good kid. Even if she does have a big mouth." Kate hadn't told her about her mother so she could tell everyone.
"We don't lie to each other. We may keep secrets but we don't lie. Like a potential boyfriend who's suddenly in the picture. His name is Owen. Now I just have to figure out how much in the picture he is." Rick needed to check this kid out before he got close to his daughter.
"Do not scare him away! Trust me. Alexis will just rush that much faster to him. The more you push the more she's going to like him," Kate warned him.
"Speaking from experience here, are we?" Rick inquired since he was learning more about her.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself about, Castle. Besides I don't need to read about it in this book of yours. So just how much of me is going to be in this book of yours?" She'd read all of his books and a few more than once. Or twice, for that manner.
"You have nothing to worry about. I don't use a person's real life in the book. She's smart, very pretty like you, a bit mysterious, very tough, and doesn't take crap off of anyone. She's a little hurt inside with secrets that she doesn't share with anyone," Rick spelled out.
Kate kept digging for information. "So what's her name?"
"Not a chance, Beckett. You're just going to have to wait like everyone else," he said, shaking his head.
"My name is Kate, you know" Kate reminded him, wanting him to use it more.
"I'm well aware of that, Kate. Very well aware. And my name's Rick," he reminded her.
"I'll work on that, Castle," Kate agreed.
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"Sir, what's going on?" Kate saw Captain Montgomery at this location she'd been sent to.
"Two-year-old Angela Candela is missing. Parents reported it about 8:00 this morning," Roy said.
"Where did they find the body?" Kate queried since she was Homicide.
"They haven't found her, she was abducted," Roy told her.
"So why am I here?" She didn't do abductions, she did homicides.
"The Feds requested you be on the task force," Roy revealed.
"Feds? Since when did the Feds get involved in a local kidnapping of a child?" Rick inquired.
"The FBI has jurisdiction over child abduction cases," Kate clarified.
"Then why call me?" Rick didn't get it.
"Because I like you here. Because you think outside of the box." Roy wanted him here for a number of reasons. That was just two of them.
"Who's the Fed in charge?" Kate knew a few.
Roy looked at her. "Sorenson. That isn't going to be a problem, is it?"
It took Kate a moment to answer him since yes, it was a problem. "No sir, not a problem."
"Good, because that little girl doesn't care about you or Sorenson. She just wants to come home," Roy said gruffly.
"Where is he?" Kate asked and Roy raised his chin and pointed to another room. "Talking to the family."
Kate soon saw him walking toward her and found herself filled with conflicting emotions. They used to be together and she still hated him for walking out on her.
"Hello, Kate." Will wasn't sure what kind of reception he was going to get.
Kate acknowledged his presence. "Will. How long have you been back?"
"Couple of months," Will admitted.
"Something wrong with Boston?" Kate tried to keep her voice even but failed a little. Of course Will could hear it.
"Captain Montgomery informed me of your arrangement with Castle here. I have no problem so long as he doesn't interfere with this investigation," Will stated.
"You don't know me very well, do you?" Rick asserted since this square-jawed, flat-headed flat foot was striking him wrong. Plus he was picking up the vibe Kate was sending out.
"I will throw you out of here and into a jail no one will be able to find if you can't," Will informed him coldly.
"Back off, Will. You requested me and we both know why. I don't have to be here since there's no dead body. So either play nice or we're both gone. Got it?" Kate eyed him furiously.
Will knew she would be angry but did have a little hope. "A writer." He didn't even have any training.
Kate came to Castle's defense and Rick was ready to kiss her for it. "He thinks outside of the box. Castle doesn't do anything by the book. I've learned that his way of thinking can be useful on occasion. You want local help, this is how it works."
It was his first real case since being back in New York City and his first chance at seeing Kate. "Fine, but I'll toss him if he gets in the way." He was a Fed and didn't have to put up with this shit.
"We'll see," Kate stated and turned on her heel to go to the family so she could start asking questions.
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"Pretty clear it wasn't him," Rick remarked after they interviewed a suspect.
"You a mind reader now, too?" Will still hated that Castle was anywhere near this case – or Kate.
"If he was your guy he wouldn't be wearing it on his sleeve," Rick professed.
"A best seller doesn't make you a criminologist," Will countered.
Rick fought back. "I also don't need a meteorologist to tell me the sky's blue."
"Oh, for God's sake. Why don't you two just drop your pants and get it over with. The fact is you're both right. But we have a child at stake so we have to question everything. And YOU!" Kate turned on Will. "I thought I made it clear that we were over. So dial it down or get lost. You may have jurisdiction but from where I stand you're in the way. As for you…" She looked at Castle. "Just go home for now. Go see Alexis or something." Kate was just plain angry and wasn't interested in being fought over.
"Fine, but if you need me even just to talk, call me," Rick said to her face and did what he was told.
Will tried again. "Kate."
"SHUT IT! Or you're doing this alone. I'm not losing another child because of you." Kate told Will and walked away. Since he was still in charge here, Will followed her.
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Castle was searching the the missing little girls bedroom since he had a lead after looking at his stolen pictures and talking with Alexis.
"Castle?" Kate woke up since she'd fallen asleep in that bedroom.
"Go back to sleep, Kate," Rick murmured.
Now that she was awake Kate had no intention of going back to sleep. "What are you doing?"
"When Alexis was little she had a stuffed monkey that she couldn't live without. One time we went on vacation and she forgot to pack it. I bought her a new one but she knew it was no Monkey Bunkey."
"So?" What did a stuffed monkey have to do with anything?
"So." It was time to spell it out. Rick grabbed a picture. "There are three more pictures of her out there clutching this bunny. So where's the bunny?"
"You think whoever knew her well enough knew to take the bunny, too?" Kate was following but there was a problem. "But we already checked the Candela's list. Couple of teenagers, cleaning lady. They've all been cleared."
"Except not all babysitters are teenagers. Some are grandmothers or family members. People close to us," Rick argued.
"Kate, when did the phone I planted stop working?" Rick queried.
"Right after we told the Candelas about the phone." Kate was following his train of thought.
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Kate picked up the little girl while Will arrested the wife's sister. Kate couldn't be happier. They had caught the guy last time, but sadly the little boy was already dead. This one she didn't lose and took her back to her mommy.
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Kate was at her desk and reliving how the wife so hated her husband that she kidnapped her own child to get back at him. Then Will sat down in Castle's chair. "What are you still doing here?" she asked since this case was over. He got the collar on paper since he was in charge but hadn't really solved it and never would have. Castle had solved it.
"Well, I'm back and I was thinking we could give it another chance." Will wasn't willing to give up just yet.
Kate shook her head. "You'll leave again to chase your career."
Then Will repeated his same mistake. "You could come with me."
Kate ignored him and he finally left.
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Rick answered the door and saw Kate standing there. "Hi! Come in." He stepped back and let her in.
"I wanted to thank you, Castle. We might never have found her without you. You and Monkey Bunkey." Kate was pretty sure she wouldn't have either.
"I still can't believe anyone would use a child in that way. To hate someone so much that your child is just another prop." Rick shook his head. He just didn't understand. He loved Alexis far too much to even try to think of that.
"Another stuffed pink bunny," Kate commented.
"Another win for Monkey Bunkey!" Rick chuckled and got Kate to smile. Somehow even Alexis was involved with this.
Kate was still really emotional. Castle moved closer and closer, then he was kissing her. Kate decided she liked it. She slipped her arms around him and kissed him back. The kissing lasted for several minutes until Kate finally stopped and just rested against him. "We can't do this," Kate said as much as she now hated it.
"I think we just did," Rick said. "Why not?"
Kate made it plain. "There's a strict policy of officers not getting involved with other officers they work with. They find out and you're out or I am."
Rick smiled a slow smile. "And here I thought it was something bad."
Kate, however, was not amused. "Castle!"
"I'm not employed by the police department, Kate. I don't actually get paid anything. No 401K, no medical benefits, no lawyer coverage. Remember I signed my life away?" She was listening but still wasn't convinced. "Roy's on our side. The mayor, in case you hadn't noticed, is on our side and he talked the commissioner into it. So who's going to tell us no?" Rick waited patiently for her to answer.
Kate could hear her Dragon yelling at her to listen to him and to continue kissing him. Rick was hearing even worse from his Dragon. That he should lift her up, carry her to his bedroom, and make love to her.
Kate looked up at him, wondering if he was right. Castle wasn't Will. He wasn't leaving to chase his career. He was a Dragon. He was handsome. And she liked Alexis a lot already. She liked being spoiled and Castle could certainly do that.