A Valentine Story
An AU story that could have happened sometime in mid-season 2, no Ellie Monroe. Castle's plans with Alexis for Valentine's Day fall through so he decides to bother Beckett.
A/N: On February 13th I realized that I'd completely forgotten that Valentine's Day was just a day away. So I thought about it and decided I'd try to throw something together to celebrate the day for those who, like Richard Castle, actually think it is a holiday.
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Detective Kate Beckett, raised her head from her paperwork and noted that her two partners, Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan were packing up their stuff and getting ready to leave for the day. It had mostly been a paperwork day so her other 'partner' Ricard Castle had not even come in. No doubt he had to get ready for some hot date for the evening. It was Valentine's Day after all.
She smirked as she watched her boys hustling to get their butts out of the precinct now that it was the designated quitting time.
"Got some hot dates waiting for you guys?"
Ryan turned and gave Kate a big smile. "There's this girl I've recently met. Her name is Jenny. I think there could be something real there."
Esposito rolled his eyes at his love struck partner. "Unlike lover boy over there," he jabbed his thumb at Kevin. "I'm not restricting myself to just one woman. I'm going out and make myself available to the multiple ladies who will be out on the prowl tonight." He grinned.
Kate rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Well, good luck to both of you."
"What about you, Beckett?" Espo challenged. "You have some hot date waiting for you?" He gave her a shark grin. "Perhaps a secret hook up with Writer Boy?"
Kate rolled her eyes but didn't chuckle this time. "Oh please, like I want to be one of Castle's throw away bimbos for the night." She shook her head, causing her shoulder length hair to brush across her cheeks.
Ryan shrugged. "He's rich. He could take you to someplace really nice."
She barked out a laugh. "Even if he didn't already have some young arm candy waiting for him tonight, I wouldn't be interested in playing the part of an accessory while he made sure that he was seen and photographed for the latest page six gossip mongering."
Javier chuckled. "So girl, what plans do you have for this evening that celebrates love?"
Kate leaned back in her chair and gave her partners a sly smile. "Well, I'll head home knowing that I won't have any paperwork hanging over my head the next morning." She grinned. "Then, I'll order in some of my favorite take out, and watch the news for a while. I'll probably splurge and have some of this really delicious ice cream I picked up the other day, then I'll be able relax in bed with a good book for a change."
Javi snorted. "Some syrupy romance novel I bet."
Kate rolled her eyes. "No, probably a gruesome murder mystery."
Ryan shook his head. "You're a homicide detective. You deal with murder mysteries every day. Why would you want to read books about murders?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I like mysteries. It keeps my mind sharp."
Espo nodded. "I bet it will be one of writer boy's books."
Kate showed no reaction. "Maybe."
Both of her partner's shook their head in disgust. "You really need to get a life Beckett." Javi shot back as he and Ryan entered the elevator.
"If either of you two get one, let me know what it's like." She shouted at the closing doors.
Kate had a smile on her face when she returned her concentration to her paperwork. She would have the peace of mind that she would have no paperwork hanging over her head when she arrived in the morning. Unlike two other detectives who would have it still on their desks when they came in with their lack of sleep and probable hang overs.
She smiled.
It had been quiet for about an hour after 'the boys' left and she was pretty far along with her paper work when the ding of the elevator disturbed Kate's concentration. Thinking it was just someone working the late shifts she didn't look up to see who.
Within a few moments a body plopped itself into the chair that sat next to her desk that had been designated as Castle's. She looked up. It was Castle.
She frowned. "Castle, what are you doing here? I would have thought that you'd be out with some young beauty spreading yourself around all the hot spots so your face would be on page six by the morning."
Castle leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I was supposed to be out on a date with a beautiful young woman, but she ditched me."
Kate had to put her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter in. "I find it hard to believe that the playboy elite of New York has trouble keeping a date." She finally let go with mild laughter.
He shrugged. "What can I say, she decided that going to a lecture with her friends would be more enjoyable than going out on the town with me."
Kate had to bite down on her lips to keep from laughing some more. She managed to stifle any further chuckles and blanked her face of any humor.
"Would I be close if I assumed that your date was going to be Alexis?"
He sighed. "Where did I go wrong? My own daughter would rather go to some stuffy old lecture about god knows what with some of her friends, than go out to a fabulous dinner with her old man."
Kate smirked. "I don't know what to tell you, Castle. Maybe she's just gotten too old for you."
He gave her a glare with a smirk of his own. "Real nice detective, kick a man when he's down."
Castle looked around, and saw that all the desks in the near vicinity were empty. All except Beckett's.
"So what are you still doing here, Beckett? No hot date?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, a hot date with a desk full of paperwork." She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing some of it behind her ear.
Castle nodded. "And where are the rest of the three Musketeers?"
She shook her head. "Athos and Porthos decided that their evenings of pleasure were more important than doing their jobs." She gave Castle an evil grin. "They'll be sorry when they come in tomorrow and find all the paperwork they should have done still sitting on their desks and any new paperwork that comes through will be divided between them also."
Castle chuckled. "I guess that makes you Aramis, which makes sense. After all, the Japanese anime version of the three musketeers depicted Aramis and a woman."
Kate shook her head. "How do you know these things?"
Castle smirked again. "I not only read a lot, but I also watched a lot of Saturday morning cartoons."
"Of course you did." She raised her brow. "I suppose that makes you D'Artagnan?"
Castle had a big smile on his face. "Of course."
She just shook her head and grinned at him.
Castle turned his head around and took in how empty this area of the bullpen was.
"So, I know there is another shift on duty… but where are they?" He continued to check out the seemingly empty floor.
Kate lifted her head up and took a quick scan around the visible area around them. "Apparently, most of the detectives on duty tonight have desks on the other side of the break room."
Castle looked around and noticed how the break room, being centrally located did break up the floor in quadrants sort of. He was surprised he didn't notice that before. Of course there were more people on the day shift which made it much busier during the daytime.
"So Kate," he began. She looked up at him because he didn't call her by her first name very often. She raised her brow and waited.
"How much longer do you plan to hang out here?"
She gave him one of her 'looks'. "If I'm boring you Castle, you don't have to stay. To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting to see you tonight at all."
He shrugged. "I just thought that since I had nothing going on, and you obviously had nothing going on, once you finished up we could go out for a bite to eat?"
She gave him a smile. "That's very nice of you Castle, but I've got about another hour yet to finish up here. Then I'm just going to go home and crash." She didn't mention about her going to bed early with a good book like she told the boys. She would drive her crazy trying to find out if it would have been one of his books.
He looked dejected. "Oh, well maybe some other time detective." He stood up. "I'll see my way out. Have a pleasant evening Beckett."
She smiled at him. "You too Castle, I'm sorry your big date fell through."
He smiled and quickly made his way back to the elevator.
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Kate stretched and smiled as she stared at the nice and neat desk in front of her. She glanced at the clock on the wall and noted it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. She'd be able to get home and ensconced on her couch and enjoying some take out before slipping into her comfy bed with her latest book.
She had just placed all the paperwork she'd finished up in her outgoing tray when she was startled by the ding of the elevator signaling someone was getting off on her floor.
She had a feeling in the back of her head as to whom it might be. The doors slid open and she closed her eyes. It was him.
Castle came out of the elevator with a big smile on his face and an arm load of bags and a small cooler.
"Beckett! Oh good, you're still here. I was hoping I would catch you before you went home."
Kate stared at the ceiling as if praying to an uncaring god. "Castle what are you doing here? I was just wrapping everything up so I can go home and order in my dinner."
He dropped the bags on Ryan's desk and set the cooler on Espo's desk.
"Well, you are in luck. I brought dinner to you. I hope you're hungry."
Kate let her head drop to her chest. She raised her head back up and had to give Castle a smile. He looked so proud of himself she didn't have the heart to burst his happy bubble.
She got up from her desk and began looking through the bags. He grabbed them out from under her hands.
"Let me set these up in the breakroom. It will give us more room and I'll be able to lay all of it out so it will be easier to make your choices."
Kate's mouth opened, then closed. She shook her head. "Choices? Castle, what did you do?"
He gave her his Castle smirk. "I couldn't decide on what I thought you'd want, so I brought a little bit of everything."
Kate dropped her head to her chest.
Castle walked over to the breakroom loaded down with all that he'd brought with him. "Give me a few minutes to get all this set up then come in… hungry." He grinned at her.
She dropped herself back down in her chair. She couldn't believe he'd done this. When his plans with his daughter fell through, instead of calling someone in his little black book, he came over to the precinct to see if she was still there. Once he found she was going to be busy for a while, he plots to bring her a veritable smorgasbord of food. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to eat alone, or if he didn't want her to eat alone on Valentine's Day.
"Okay Beckett, I'm ready for you now." She heard him shouting out the door of the breakroom.
She began to move toward her impromptu dinner. She couldn't believe that he had done this. He may be ready for her, but a little voice in the pit of her stomach wondered if she was really ready for him.
She entered the breakroom somewhat cautiously and was flabbergasted by the layout that Castle had provided. There was a pizza, there were several cardboard cartons from her favorite Chinese takeout place. She also could smell some of her favorites from the Thai place down the street, and to top it all off. There were a couple cheeseburgers and a basket of fries.
She stared at him like he was out of his mind. "Castle, are you out of your mind. Who's going to eat all this? I certainly can't."
He waved off her concern. "Oh, don't worry about it. I wanted to give you a choice on what you wished to eat. After all it is Valentine's Day." He stepped to the side so she could see the big satin heart he had hung on the wall. "Besides, anything we don't eat I'm sure those working the night shift will take care of what's left."
Kate walked over, shaking her head as she pulled out a chair. "I can't believe you did this."
He gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't I. It's Valentine's Day, which calls for a celebration. And you are my partner. Who else would I do this for?"
"Maybe your family?" She tossed out.
"You're family." He smiled. "Now eat up… but save a little room for the cherry chocolate mint ice cream I brought. It's in the freezer at the moment."
When she sat down in front of a plate she noticed a large glass goblet in front of her. She held it up with her expression one of confusion.
"Oh, I put the wine in the fridge, let me get it." He jumped up and got the bottle of red from the refrigerator and brought it over. He poured her a glass and then one for himself before he sat down.
Kate took a sip. "This is really good."
"Please Beckett, would I serve my partner a second rate wine." He frowned at her.
She smirked. "Oh heaven forbid." She couldn't help breaking out in a soft laughter.
They spent the next hour eating and conversing. Castle had been home the last couple days working on some edits and outlines for new chapters so Kate filled him in on the last couple cases they'd had to deal with. Both had been simple by the numbers cases. And both were wrapped up with the minimum of effort.
They were interrupted by several other officers and detectives over the course of their dinner, but they were all more than happy to fill a plate up for themselves and take it out to their desks.
The conversation had been pleasant and free flowing. Kate couldn't remember that last time she'd been so relaxed with someone who wasn't her father. Castle filled her in on all Martha's latest diva moments and he bragged up Alexis' achievements like any proud papa would.
In return, Kate filled in Castle on the latest with the boys, which wasn't much. Though this Jenny that Kevin had mentioned seemed like she might be someone special. Espo was still Espo, there hadn't been any life changing moment in his life over the past two days.
Castle noticed Kate trying to cover up a yawn that threatened to crack her jaw. He poured out the last little bit of the wine in her glass.
"Drink up, then I get you home. You look like you're getting tired."
She tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. "I don't know why I'd be tired, I haven't done anything except paperwork most of the day."
Castle laughed. "Just staring at papers all day can by tiring, not physically, but mentally it can drain you. I only know that too well."
Kate stands up and looks at the ridiculous amount of food still sitting on the table. "What do you think we should do with all this?"
Castle let out a loud guffaw. "You're kidding right? You haven't seen those vultures checking us out on occasion just waiting for us to leave so they can attack what's left."
Kate chuckled. "Yeah, I can only imagine."
Castle came around from the other side of the table. "I'll bet that when you come in tomorrow morning, there won't be anything left except trashcans full of paper plates and cartons."
Kate held her hands up in front of her. "No way would I take that bet."
After consolidating some of the left overs Castle placed his hand on Kate's back as they left the break room.
"My car is parked at a meter just a block away. I'll give you a ride home."
Kate was grabbing her jacket, and bag from her desk. "Oh no, Castle. I can get a cab home. There's no reason for you to go out of your way to take me home. Especially since you were so nice to feed me and everything."
He placed his hand at the small of her back as they approached the elevator. She pushed the button and the doors slid open immediately. They stepped in.
"I'll not take no for an answer Kate. Like it or not, you were my valentine date tonight, and it won't be officially over until I bring my date home to her door."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, if that's the case, I certainly don't want you to lose face. So I suppose I can suck it up and accept a ride home."
The elevator stopped at the first floor and the doors opened. Castle held out his arm. She rolled her eyes then treaded her arm through his.
The ride to Beckett's apartment wasn't very long and both just sat there in a comfortable silence. Once he found a meter close to her door and put a couple quarters in it she looked at him a little funny.
He rolled his eyes at her. "Oh please, Kate. It's only proper that I escort you all the way to your door. Just to make sure you get home safe."
She raised a brow. "You do remember I'm a cop, right?"
"Doesn't matter, it's just proper etiquette."
Kate sucked in her bottom lip. She stared at him for several moments. "Exactly, how many quarters do you have on you?"
Castle's eyes got really big. He looked at the meter, then at Kate with that sly smile on her face, then back to the meter.
"What the hell, let 'em ticket it." He grinned and took her hand as they walked to the front entrance of her building.
FIN
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A/N: Just a little something to acknowledge Valentine's Day.
All Readers are Appreciated, Review if you wish.