All'S NOT FAIR IN LOVE
Chapter 1 - A Reveal
"Kate!", they all hear, as each of them look up from their desks and Rick from his chair. The voice belongs to a very tall, dark-haired man, wearing motorcycle leathers, who has exited the elevator for their floor and is now walking towards Beckett's desk.
Beckett looks up from her desk where she had been finishing the paperwork on closing their latest case, "Josh, what are you doing here?"
"I got your text."
"You mean the text where I said I was going to pick you up?"
Rick Castle is watching, his face falling. Maybe it's not what he thinks. He had just returned to following Kate once again and found out that she had broken up with Demming while he was away for the summer with his publisher Gina. They had finished his current Nikki Heat novel at Ricks Hampton's beach home, so Rick would not be distracted by NYC and by the 12th. That novel Rick had promised by early fall to his publisher, and she had gone with him to his summer home to ensure he finished the novel on time. As it turned out, with Gina pushing him, he had completed the novel by mid-September.
"Yeah, I was nearby", says Josh in response to Kate's question.
Beckett gets up from her desk and noticed that everyone is staring at Josh. Espo and Ryan had joined Montgomery as they all stared in wonder at the man who is addressing Kate. They stood next to her desk as Rick stood up to join the group now around Kate's desk. Kate seeing this realizes she is forced to make introductions, exactly what she did not want.
She had kept hidden the fact that she was seeing someone after her break up with Demming. Kate had done so because she did not want people thinking Josh was a rebound and also more significantly because she wanted to hide her hurt from being rejected by Castle on her feelings for him. Josh had become her safe harbor for this, but she did not want it to appear so. Especially to the people who knew about her and Demming breaking up.
Kate reluctantly now has to make introductions. Her efforts to hide knowledge of Josh's presence in her life being destroyed with his surprise visit to the Station.
"Well uh, Josh, this is Captain Montgomery, Richard Castle, Detectives Esposito and Ryan."
The guys are appraising Josh like brothers would their sister's boyfriend. Montgomery is looking like the surprised father just realizing his daughter had a new boyfriend. Castle is just clueless, but trying to keep a poker face.
"Hey, boys", says Josh after the introductions.
"Boys?", respond Espo and Ryan together.
"Catch any bad guys today?", Josh says trying to inject some humorous relief in Kate's co-workers as he realizes that not one of them know anything about him. HIs efforts fall short and his comment is taken as a put down.
"Every day", Ryan responds taking Josh's attempt at comic release as being condescending.
"Right", Josh responds and ignores the disdain he hears from Ryan's reply and then turns to Kate, " You all set?"
"Yeah, let me just get my stuff."
"Okay."
She walks away to get her things, leaving Josh now standing next to Castle.
Rick is perplexed, no one knew that Kate was dating anyone after breaking up with Demming. This is a development Rick had not foreseen. With Kate's breakup from the robbery detective, Rick was now hoping to pursue Kate in earnest. This is a set back to his plan.
All that Rick can say to Josh is, "So, you and Beckett?"
"Mmm… what about us?"
"You tell me."
Josh realizes that Castle is probing for information and Josh does not intend to give Rick that satisfaction.
"Oh...You're the writer."
"Yeah. Yeah. And you are …?"
Josh is annoyed by Rick's inquiry. Why had Kate not mentioned him to her office mates. Josh feels like she is trying to hide that he and Kate are serious. They were dating but not yet sleeping together. That in itself should have been reason to let people know she is now being pursued by a serious boy friend. What did her silence to her co-workers about them being together mean concerning their relationship?
"Ah..., Kate hasn't told you about me, has she?", there is a smug and arrogant look on Josh's face as he speaks.
"What's to tell?", Rick replies trying to gauge how serious is the relationship of this new man in Kate's life. His curt reply is also an attempt at a put down of Josh.
Kates chooses that moment to return.
Josh and Castle are still sizing each other up when she gets back. Both had sensed that they were in competition for Kate's heart, but Josh knows he is the home team. They've been dating close to three months now and it had turned serious. So much so that Josh was now pushing Kate to sleep with him. She had not done so yet, but Josh lived for the thrill of the hunt. He knew it was a matter of time and he would have Kate in his bed.
Josh's cavalier reply to Rick was meant to convey that Josh did not see Rick as a threat in his pursuit of Kate. She had told Josh a little about Rick, mostly that he is an author following her for research on a novel. Why had Kate chosen only to mention Rick as a coworker? He was the only one she had spoken about from all of her office mates; Josh is puzzled by that.
"Hey. You ready to go?", Kate says to Josh.
She's holding a helmet and has on leather pants and a leather jacket. It is the first time any of them have seen Kate in her motorcycle gear and she is looking hot in tight fitting leather jeans, matching jacket and stiletto boots. Rick is just staring at her taking in her sexiness. She is every man's fantasy in her outfit.
"Yeah let's head out", Josh says to Kate and then turns to the others, "see you boys around". Josh's parting speech is dismissive of all Kate's co-workers and her boss, Montgomery.
"Bye guys", Kate says as she and Josh walk off arm in arm. They look like quite the couple and Rick Castle does not like what he is seeing as they leave.
After The Couple's Departure
Espo is on the phone with Lanie asking about Josh, "So you're Beckett's BBF and have no idea about this man she is dating. Are you putting me on?"
"Javi keep it up cause you are just pissing me off", she tells Espo; annoyance evident in her voice.
"Okay, sorry, I did not mean to push, but no one up here knew about the guy".
"Well, maybe because Kate is a private person and chose not to say anything. Can you blame her after what happened last Memorial Day with Castle."
"You think that she is on the rebound from Castle and that is why she is with Josh?"
"Javi, you could have something there. She broke up with Demming cause she wanted to take Castle up on his invite to the Hamptons and then he shows up with Gina his ex and publisher."
"So she's hurting from what happened with Castle. Everyone who doesn't know the truth will say she is on the rebound from Demming!"
"Bingo, Javi, and that is why she hasn't said anything about this new guy."
"Oh, do you think Castle knew about why she broke up with Demming?"
"No."
"Shouldn't we say something to him about this?"
"What?... and have Beckett reassign you to patrol for butting in on her love life?"
"It's not that Lanie. Castle was agonizing all the time when Beckett was with Demming. He wanted to get serious with her but knew that Kate would think he was trying to break her up with Demming. So he held back instead of challenging Demming. He needs to fight for her this time and not let what happened with Demming happen again with Josh. I may have been the one that got Kate to rethink Rick's invite. When I heard Rick was leaving for the summer, I told Kate that maybe one reason was because Rick could not stand seeing her with another man. So I owe Rick a re-do."
"Don't touch it Javi. Josh will be gone in six months,... tops. That's what happened with Sorenson."
"Yeah, but what if Castle leaves again and doesn't come back this time?"
"Hadn't thought of that. You think you could tell him and keep it from Kate?"
"No, but I got an idea. I'll tell you about it more once I do something to set my plan in motion on fixing this latest mess."
"What are you thinking Javi?"
"I get Demming to tell Castle."
"Really, and how are you going to do that?"
"Tell Demming about Josh."
"What! Have you gone looney Javi?"
"NO! Hear me out Lanie. To save face about his breakup with Kate, Demming has been telling everyone that Castle was to blame. When he hears Kate is with Josh, Demming is gonna go to Castle and rub it in that Rick could not reel her in. That's what I need to ensure, that Demming will react like I predict."
"Brilliant, I knew there was a reason I am so into you?"
"Want to show me how brilliant I am tonight?"
"Dinner and a disco?"
"Pick you up at eight!"
At dinner after work, Javi and Lanie devise a scheme to get Demming to tell Castle about the breakup with Kate. Javi will go see Demming on a feign about the case they worked last summer with Kate. Then Espo will find a way to work into their talk the matter of Josh. Javi is sure that Demming will immediately contact Rick and gloat about Rick not getting Kate. Castle will be puzzled about this since he knows nothing about Demming's breakup with Kate.
Then when Espo returns to Homicide, he is sure Rick will ask him about the confusing contact with the robbery detective. That is when Espo will tell him about the breakup and then suggest Rick talk to Kate about it. However, Espo's discussion with Castle must not be known by Kate, so this is where he needs Lanie's help. He needs her to ask Kate to come to the morgue on a case, thus removing Kate momentarily from homicide and allowing Espo a private chat with Castle.
Javi's backup plan if Kate finds out he told Castle about Demming will be that Demming let the cat out of the bag when he contacted Castle about her new guy. Yeah, that will work.
The two are happy with their plan and they celebrate later in Lanie's bed that night,...after dinner and dancing. Javi does the walk of shame the next morning at the precinct but early enough to change his clothes with his 'emergency clothes' in his locker. Only the duty desk Sargeant saw him in yesterday's attire!