Knight Rider Alpha….online.
Chapter 9 - The beginning of his chapter picks up from where 8.5 ended.
Disclaimer: All respective characters and themes belong to their respective owners, Andrew Marlowe and ABC Studios.
You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love. - Henry Drummond
As the sun rose over the city strips of light beamed through a bedroom window, and a pair of hazel eyes slowly opened as Kate's vision adjusted to the morning light she caught sight of the warm muscled body she was laying on. Her mind flashed with images of the night before and was reminded of the delicious ache within her, running a feather-light touch down her lover's abs one last time she rose slowly and carefully so as not to wake him. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed her naked body on full display she stood and reached for his shirt on the floor and threw the dark navy material over her lithe frame buttoning it only halfway and leaving the smooth skin of her long legs exposed.
She padded towards the kitchen and switched on the coffee machine, as the device ran through its programmed routine and the black liquid seeped slowly into the pot below. Kate stretched her arms above her head and sighed as the tightness of her muscles released.
As the coffee machine beeped Kate grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and filled each one with the steaming black liquid, then she added the individual flavoured creamers and stirred. Carefully picking up each mig by its handle she walked back towards the bedroom, her adoring gaze fell on the sleeping form of her man as a smile bloomed across her face.
"I thought you said starings creepy..." murmured Castle as he slowly opened his eyes "...nice shirt," he said as he stretched.
"I thought you'd like it, some guy left it on my floor," said Kate laughing as he put the coffee on top of her dresser.
In the bed Castle scoffed but smiled "Some guy..." he said.
Still giggling Kate walked over to the bed she stepped up and stood over him before dropping her body down and straddling his covered waist, she leaned down as her knees bracketed his hips and she cuddled up on his chest.
"This is nice..." sighed Kate happily.
"I know, right..." he said smiling as he wrapped his arms around her body.
Kate then sat up and stared down at the man underneath her, he smiles as her hands massaged the thick muscles of his chest and up to his shoulders, but her hands soon stilled as she knawed on her bottom lip a clear sign something was bothering her.
"What's wrong Kate?" he asked linking his hands with hers.
"We have to tell Gates, I don't want to keep creeping around the precinct stealing brief touches and quick kisses anymore..." said Kate as she leaned back down on his chest "...its the right thing to do, but I don't know what will happen too you"
Castle ran his hand down her sleep-tossed hair and cupped the back of her head "Easy Kate, we'll get through it no matter what happens" he said pressing his lips to her forehead.
"I know..."
Laying silently wrapped up in one another basking in a shared warmth, it was moments like this they treasured most especially in a world filled with chaos and murder, but it was Castle who finally broke the silence between them of course.
"What time is it?" he asked.
Kate reached for her phone from the table beside the bed "it's around seven thirty..." she said reading the time from the screen.
"When are you due on shift?" he asked his hands moving to the smooth skin of her legs.
"My tour starts at eleven" she replied as his hands crept under the shirt tails.
"Perfect" replied Castle.
Kate suddenly screamed and then burst out laughing as Castle rolled them over while simultaneously pulling the covers over both their heads. Kate was still giggling at her partner's antics as they lay beneath the bed covers, his mouth covering hers in a deep affirming kiss before his lips moved down to her pulse point, and her giggles turned into breathy moans as his fingers worked open the buttons of own shirt on her body.
"Ooohhh...Castle"
What a way to start the day, even if the coffee was lukewarm.
As the clock struck 11 am the elevator doors slid open on the fourth floor of the 12th precinct to reveal a smiling Detective Kate Beckett, dressed in dark jeans, power-heeled boots, and a dark crimson button-down shirt with a black leather jacket. As she stepped towards her desk her honey curls bounced from the motion as she caught sight of Ryan and Esposito grinning at her from their desks, she dropped her bag into her bottom drawer and her jacket now hanging on the seat-back after sliding it off her shoulders.
Sitting down in her well-worn chair she booted up her computer and proceeded to rifle through the morning's emails. As she clicked send on the email response she's just typed she smirked while giving the boys a side-eye glance, they were both still grinning like idiots and leaving the as-yet-unasked question just hanging in the air. As detectives, they are both inquisitive by nature but as boys with overactive inner children, they were just being obvious to try and infuriate her and it amused her to no end.
But she'd never tell them that.
Standing from her desk and grabbing her white NYPD mug she stepped towards the break room and Castle's complicated coffee machine. Early in their partnership and with his excessive whining over the precinct coffee he brought the top-of-the-line machine, a machine Kate rarely got to grips with as she either got the grinding wrong or burnt the milk. Regardless one night in an empty and quiet precinct, Castle had shown her expertly how to make barista-style coffee, well he tried to before they both got distracted by each other's touch and soft lips.
With the milk steamed and the coffee poured Kate's mind shifted to her partner, after sending him home from her place after their morning exercise so she could take a shower and get dressed. He promised he would join her by 1 pm so they could talk with Gates, it was not a conversation she was looking forward to, but it was a conversation that had to be had. With her morning brew made, she exited the break room with Ryan and Esposito still giggling in her direction.
"Oh would you two cut it out!" she said sitting back at her desk.
"So...how was your big date?" asked Esposito leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah Beckett...tell us" quipped Ryan.
"Don't you two have paperwork to do or something" replied Kate leaning her elbows on the desk "...or do I need to find you some work"
"Nope! All caught up...so we are both free to bother you to our heart's content" joked Ryan joining his partner in 'feeding the birds" as Esposito laughed.
Kate tried to stop herself from laughing at the pair by pushing her tongue to the inside of her cheek and with a shake of her head she stood up from her desk, she walked away while giving the boys a look over her shoulder.
"I'll be back, I'm heading down to see Lanie"
"Girl Talk?" said Esposito smirking.
"Javi's very familiar with gossip want him to tag along" joked Ryan.
"Hey! Not cool bro..." Esposito said throwing a paper ball at Ryan and striking the Irish detective in the head with it.
The pair of male detectives eyed their boss leave as she disappeared down the back staircase, heading to the morgue to see Lanie.
"Maybe we're going about this in the wrong way," said Ryan turning to his partner.
"Your right bro! Beckett's never going to tell us anything" replied Esposito.
"But you know who is susceptible to our interrogation..." asked Ryan leaving it hanging.
"CASTLE!" they said together speaking in unison.
The boys now had a new mission to squeeze the mystery writer for info on Beckett's date night, why you ask? mainly because they had nothing else better to do.
Down in the morgue, Dr Lanie Parish breezed through the swing doors clipboard in hand engrossed in jotting down a quick note on the attached paper. Dressed in the classic blue scrubs and with her mind elsewhere she failed to notice her best friend sitting atop an empty autopsy table, her legs swinging a silly smile on her face
"Boo!"
"Ah girl...what the hell...you scared me half to death" screamed Lanie finally noticing Kate's presence.
"Sorry! I couldn't resist" Kate said with a giggle.
"Well...seeing as you are here..." said Lanie putting her clipboard down "...tell me how was last night?" she asked with a smile her eyes sparkling.
"Oh! Where do I start?" Kate said with a beaming smile.
"Start with the end of the night..." quipped Lanie "...where you jump writer-boy!"
Kate rolled her eyes knowing that was what Lanie was most interested in, but if she was going to explain her fabulous evening she would start at the beginning.
"So Castle arrives looking dashing in a tailored Tom Ford suit..."
Kate then explained everything from Castle's new Ferrari, the meal at the restaurant he co-owned, the river cruise on the Hudson and running back to the car before it rained.
Lanie was nodding along as Kate explained, but what surprised her the most, was the gorgeous serene smile gracing her best friend's face as she spoke. Lanie was under no illusion that the reason for the smile was the man Kate had shared the aforementioned evening with, Castle had entered Kate's life and the change he had forced in her friend's general outlook was monumental in Lanie's opinion.
"Yeah….yeah! You've covered the date, now tell me how it ended…." asked the medical examiner.
Kate smirked as she hopped off the table "Well between us girls…..twice in the night and once more this morning…." Said Kate folding her arms still smiling.
Almost as soon as Kate had completed her sentence, Lanie squealed and rushed Kate with a big hug spinning them both around.
"Oh girl…that's amazing so are the rumours true?" Lanie asked cryptically holding her friend at arm's length.
"If anything the rumours don't do him justice…." Kate said wistfully still amazed by Castle's bedroom talents "…..honestly Lanie it was so much more than I expected, more than I ever dreamed about. He took me to places I didn't know existed" explained Kate.
"Uh huh…..well girl that's what being love does," said Lanie.
"It's amazing Lanie, he's amazing" whispered Kate.
"I know he thinks you are too sweetie" replied Lanie.
"Well he certainly showed me last night and I do love him, I have for a long time," said Kate.
Lanie quirked an eyebrow, "So is the part where I say I told you so….." she said.
"I'll allow it….but only this once" instructed Kate.
Lanie pouted "Fine…..but I told you so"
The pair of best friends then just laughed together and hugged one final time before Kate departed, but as she left made an offer of dinner and drinks this weekend, an offer Lanie readily accepted with a smile and a wave.
The elevator dinged as Castle appeared dressed smartly in a dark navy suit, navy shirt and a black pea coat, he stepped into the bullpen while carrying two cups of coffee, and he immediately noticed Beckett's desk was empty but he did spot Ryan and Esposito standing by their desks with folded arms.
"Hey...guys," Castle said nervously with a hitch to his voice.
"Hey Castle...it's time to come clean," said Ryan smirking.
"Come clean about what?" he asked wide-eyed.
"Well, we've been trying to find out about Becketts big date last night..." said Esposito smiling as he clapped Castle on the shoulder "...but she's not telling, so who better to ask than her partner"
"Guys c'mon how would I know? I have no idea who Beckett's dating?" replied Castle as the boys led him into the break room.
Now he was starting to get nervous, he knew and agreed with Beckett that they would hold off telling the boys until Captain Gates had been told, but that didn't stop the somewhat suspicious pair of detectives from trying to find out.
"Yeah well, we don't believe you..." said Ryan trying to sound serious but failing to.
"We will be watching you, Castle! Now we expect you to come through for us" said Esposito before he grabbed his partner and they slowly exited backwards while both staring wide-eyed at the writer.
Which was creeping Castle out.
Luckily he noticed Beckett had returned to the bullpen and was striding towards the break room, she entered after seeing Castle had arrived.
"Hey you!" she said happily "...is that for me?" asked Kate pointing to her usual cup of coffee.
Castle was snapped out of his stupor as Kate took the cup from him, he looked up with a dazzling smile finally coming to his senses.
"Hey..."
Kate quirked an eyebrow and swallowed a mouthful of two pumps of sugar-free vanilla coffee, Castle seemed uneasy for some reason.
"You ok?" she asked.
Castle lifted his head "I'm good...but I think I just got interrogated by the guys...about your love life" explained Castle.
Kate pursed her lips the nerve of those two "I'm going to kill them both..." she snapped.
"Or...we could carry on messing with them...just for kicks" replied Castle
"Oh, that's good...I like that"
The duo exited the break room laughing as Kate picked up a bunch of files from her desk, Castle at that moment shucked his coat and sat in his usual spot in his chair beside her desk. Kate split the pile in two and dropped one of each Esposito and Ryan's desks, the boys simultaneously groaned knowing what was about to come.
"Seeing as you are both not doing anything else, I want these checked, organised and filed," said Kate laughing before returning to her desk, the crime-fighting duo touched coffee cups and settled back as Kate started her paperwork. An hour passed when Captain Victoria Gates rounded the corner and entered the bullpen, the stern captain pointed at the partners.
"Detective Beckett, Mr Castle..." she said opening the door to her office "...please join me in my office," she asked.
The pair stood and joined the Captain in her office taking the two seats in front of her desk, Kate knawed on her bottom lip nervous about the conversation she was about to have, even though she had been the one to request this meeting in the first place.
"So Detective Beckett you requested this meeting…." said Gates with her glasses perched on the end of her nose "….what did wish to discuss with me?"
"Sir...I need to make you aware of a change in the partnership between Castle and myself..." explained Kate.
"Captain Gates! what Detective Beckett is trying to say is that we...are now together in both our work lives as well as in our personnel lives," said Castle in a sort of indirect ramble.
"To add to what Castle is saying Sir, is that we are now together as a couple" added Kate in a similar ramble of words.
From her chair behind her desk the Captain was struggling not to smile at the nervous and meandering pair sitting before her, the information they were detailing to her was not new. She has known for some time they were more than just partners, but to maintain a sense of deniability she had kept the information under wraps.
"Allow me to stop you there Detective, Mr Castle..." said Captain Gates raising her hand and silencing the pair "... I can confirm that I already know that your situation has changed..."
"You know, Sir?" explained Kate.
"Of course Detective! But as your commanding officer, I need to maintain a form of plausible deniability, which I can continue with as long as you both keep it professional while you are here at the precinct" explained Captain Gates.
"I have no problem with that Sir! But you see Detective Beckett does have a history of coming onto me in the workplace..." said Castle entirely joking
Beckett glared at her partner before elbowing him in the ribs "Sir I don't think that will be a problem, thank you" she said.
"Now seeing as you are both here, I wanted to run something by you both..." said Gates as she stood and walked around to lean at the front of her desk.
"Of course, Sir" replied Kate.
"Mr Castle! It is my understanding that before the publication of your first novel, you attended both NYU and John Jay College is that correct?"
"Yes, Sir it is! I studied both Criminology and Criminal Psychology over separate periods" said Castle.
"Hang on! You studied Criminology AND Criminal Psychology, I didn't know that Castle..." said Beckett surprised.
Captain Gates nodded "Would I also be correct in saying that you also applied and trained for the FBI - Behavioural Analysis Unit? That is after you graduated from the FBI Academy at Quantico" Gates asked rattling off information that had been supplied to her in her meeting with both the Commissioner and his honour The Mayor before she assumed command of the 12th.
Castle nodded to the Captain's statement he was shocked by this, as this was not widely known information but it was correct nonetheless, upon graduating college he did apply and was accepted to Quantico and the FBI Academy.
"Hold on! Castle, you were an FBI Agent..." exclaimed Kate shocked at this revelation "...when were you going to tell me this"
"It was a long time ago plus you never asked..." said Castle cheekily.
Kate narrowed her eyes at her partner before she reached over and quickly gripped his ear, this sudden move caused the writer to let out a girlish shriek.
"Ow Beckett! apples, apples...apples" said Castle wincing at the pain.
"Castle! we're not done here..." snapped Beckett before she released his ear.
"Are you two finished?" asked Gates.
"Yes! Apologies Sir" said Beckett quickly before giving her partner one final painful swat to the arm "...ok now I'm finished"
"Ow! That hurt Beckett..." cried the writer rubbing his now painful arm.
"Mr Castle, in light of this new information I feel your skills are being greatly underutilised within the NYPD," said Gates looking at the pair "...it is a subject I plan on bringing up in a meeting I have planned with the Chief of Detectives, Assistant Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner next week..."
"What kind of meeting Sir? asked Castle interrupting.
The Captain gave Castle a glare "Once some of the finer points are outlined, I will update you both..." said Gates returning to her seat "...is that acceptable?" she asked.
"Yes Sir!" chorused the partners.
It was at that moment Kate's phone burst into life, digging the trilling device out of her pocket and swiping across the screen and putting the phone to her ear.
"Beckett!" she said in her customary greeting as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line "...We'll be right there," she said standing and hanging up the phone.
"New case?..." asked Castle.
"Yep! Downtown, Ironside's Pool Hall….Sir" explained Beckett and nodded towards the Captain.
"Keep me apprised Detective….dismissed" replied Gates.
As the pair exited the office they scooped up Ryan and Esposito and marched towards the elevator, assembling downstairs they climbed into their respective cruisers to make the trip downtown. To the run-down exterior of Ironside's pool hall, descending the exterior stairs down to the basement level, they were greeted with a sight of a young man stabbed with a pool cue laying atop of the tables.
Kate walked over to Lanie and snapped on a pair of latex gloves "Hey Lanie….what have we got? She asked.
Lanie looked up from her clipboard "Well massive blood loss due to impalement with a long wooden implement…"
"Generally they are called cue's Doctor Parish…." quipped Castle to a withering look from the medical examiner.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Castle…focus"
"Sorry" replied the Writer.
"I would hazard a guess that based on the volume of blood here this is certainly your primary crime scene, liver temp and lividity put T.O.D at around 2 am this morning" Lanie explained.
"Who discovered the body," asked Kate just as Ryan stepped over.
"That would be the general manager Tom Simpkins! He arrived around 6 am this morning to open up, he also confirmed the place was empty when he locked up at around 11 pm the previous evening"
"Any signs of forced entry…." Kate asked Esposito as he walked over.
"All the doors and windows were locked, no signs of any forced entry" explained Esposito.
"Any I.D on our VIC," asked Kate.
"Driver's license confirms the man before us is 'James Caruso' thirty-one, with an address in Washington Heights" replied Castle as he took the wallet from a CSU tech in his latex-covered hands.
"Ok Ryan, Esposito canvas the area and we will meet you back at the precinct" Kate ordered as the boys nodded, she then turned to look at the medical examiner "…..Lanie can you let me know if you find anything else?" she asked.
"Of course" Lanie replied.
It was at that moment Castle reached into his coat and pulled on a pair of designer 'Police' sunglasses and slowly put them on over his eyes.
"Well whatever happened to this guy, it goes without saying that's a tough break," said Castle with a gravelly tone to his voice as he stepped away with the opening of The Who's - (Won't Get Fooled Again) blaring from his phone, the opening theme and song to an old but popular crime television series.
"Castle! don't think you can just drop puns like that, then walk away….." Beckett called out to his departing figure "…I should arrest you for crimes against irony!"
"Oh come on that was a little funny, it was a perfect recreation," said Castle walking up the stairs to the street.
"Just because you think it's funny, doesn't make it funny," said Kate.
Castle smiled "Ha! Then why are you smiling," he asked as they reached the street.
"I'm smiling because I'm thinking ways I can punish you for that performance back there," said Kate opening the driver's door of her black charger.
As Castle climbed in and closed the door he removed his sunglasses "Would that be some naked punishing" he asked wiggling his eyebrows.
Kate once again rolled her eyes as she started the engine "You'll have to wait and see" she said in a whispered and salacious tone as she pulled into traffic.
"Ok now saying it with that kind of voice, I am curious….tell me," he asked.
"Nope!"
"Oh come on Kate, tell me….please" whined Castle as the pair drove away.
"Whining is not attractive Castle" replied Kate trying to keep her smile at bay.
"That's not what you said last night and this morning…." quipped Castle in response.
"You were moaning, there is an absolute and distinct difference between the two," she said turning the wheel as the car rounded a corner.
"Man your vocabulary is sexy"
Kate just smiled "Well it keeps you entertained I guess," she said.
Castle's eyes looked suggestively towards his partner "That's not the only thing about you that keeps me entertained" he said with an eyebrow wiggle.
"Your impossible you know that," she said shaking her head with a smile.
"Yes I know and I'm also hopelessly in love with you..." replied Castle smiling.
Kate's insides melted at that statement! "That's sweet and I love you too, but we are having a conversation about you being a former FBI Agent...come on Castle spill"
"What's to tell, I mean the minds of criminals have always interested me, what they do, how they do it and why! So I applied to NYU and studied criminology and moved on to John Jay and criminal psychology" explained Castle turning to his partner.
"So where did the FBI plans start..." asked Kate.
"Well I knew my end goal was hopefully a place at the BAU, so I completed my FBI basic training in Quantico once I graduated I was assigned to the New York field office, and for the first two years, I was placed in NY-CID (New York - Criminal Investigative Division) working with the violent crime team. At the academy, I also excelled in special weapons and tactics so I also teamed with FBI swat as well..."
Kate was stunned at the revelations "So FBI trained and SWAT trained..." she queried.
"You're not still angry at the ten-ring target practice are you..." he asked smiling referring to the incident in the first year of their partnership.
"Well, not anymore..." Kate said smiling.
"So once I completed my stint, I started and completed the profiler course which I graduated from, but before I could join the BAU, Meredith became pregnant and when Alexis was born she became my priority. So I turned in my papers and took up the mantle of single father and started on my first book, the rest is of course history until you crashed my launch party and rocked my world". explained Rick smiling as he reached and grasped Kate's hand as they parked at the precinct.
"Wow! Rick that's amazing. But I can't believe you kept this to yourself or that none of us ever noticed" said Kate smiling gripping his hand in response, she wasn't angry because to her it just made him more amazing than he already was.
The pair exited the car walked into the lobby and stepped into the elevator "Well you know I've always liked the mysteries of life, my love" said Castle as the doors closed.
Kate smiled and pushed Castle against the wall of the closed and moving elevator, she then grabbed the sides of his coat and kissed him forcefully. Suddenly Castle completely lost his train of thought with just the feel of her lips against his, the couple swirled in the passion of the moment and quickly separated as the doors opened on and Kate stepped into the bullpen leaving behind a befuddled Castle.
"You coming...Castle" asked Kate over her shoulder smiling.
"Yeah..." Castle stumbled out of the elevator.
Castle took his seat in his chair with a smile as Kate rolled forward the Murder Board and proceeded to start writing up their latest case, life is about the adventure, the thrill of the chase and catching those who comment crimes especially Murder in New York City.
AN: I'm relying on some creative license concerning the timeline in this chapter, so I will apologize for the inconvenience with that.
Knight Rider Alpha...Offline.