A/N: Thanks go to jellybean96, htbuzz and hfce for reviewing! Apologies for the shorter length this time – just ran out of time. I'll try and make the next one longer.
The precinct felt empty. Of course, it wasn't actually devoid of people. Not only were Esposito and Ryan sat at their desks behind stacks of paperwork that they were supposed to be filing rather than challenging each other on who could toss the most paper balls into their bins, Gates was in her office arguing loudly with the commissioner over their budget and Karpowski was briefing her own team of detectives around her murder board. Not for the first time, Beckett sighed, missing her partner and cursing herself for turning into such a sap. Honestly, it had only been a week. She'd managed years on the job without him before he came along.
Sneaking a glance at Gates, ensuring she was still occupied by her phone call, Beckett set her pen down and took hold of her computer's mouse, her first touch deactivating the screensaver. She took a second furtive look over her shoulder as she typed in the web address for Castle's twitter account. He was an active user of the social media outlet anyway, but when he was publicising a book and on tour, he went into overdrive. She knew he was in Miami, having flown on from Columbia the previous day. How he still had the energy to keep his eyes open through book signings after so much seemingly nonstop travelling was beyond Kate.
Scrolling through his recent tweets, many of which were replies to fans who had attended his signings, Kate didn't hear Victoria Gates slam down the phone in her office and wrench the door open. She didn't hear the kerfuffle behind her as Esposito and Ryan hurried to clear their desks of crumpled sheets of paper and drew their paperwork to them.
"Detective Beckett!"
Kate startled, spinning her chair around to find her Captain stood behind her with her hands on her hips and her eyes flashing sternly.
"Sir?"
"Perhaps you could forget about Mr Castle's internet escapades until you're on your own time and get back to a real detective's work."
"Of course," she replied, closing the window and picking up her pen, grateful that apparently that was as severe as Gates was going to be. However, she could still feel Gates' presence behind her. "Is there something you need, Captain?"
"I need that file on the Potts murder."
Kate drew the pile of completed files towards her and flipped through until she found the pieces of paper Gates had requested. Once the file was in her hand, Gates nodded at her detectives and returned to her office, immediately picking up the phone again.
"You could have told me she was there," Beckett said, giving Esposito a reproachful look in response to his satisfied grin.
"And miss the look on your face when she caught you, chica?"
Beckett rolled her eyes as Ryan and Espo fed the birds. "I'm gonna get a coffee."
"I'll come with you," Ryan replied, standing and joining her.
"Espo, you want anything?"
"Some of that Javan roast Castle brought in the other week, thanks."
Beckett nodded and entered the break room with Ryan, grabbing her blue mug, Espo's NYPD one and Ryan's 'Luck of the Irish' mug (a secret Santa gift from Karpowski two years ago) from one of the cupboards. "You want Javan roast too?" she asked Ryan.
"No thanks. I promised Jenny that since she can't drink coffee, I wouldn't either. Instead, I've got this raspberry herbal tea." He pulled a cardboard box filled with tea bags, labelled with his name, from the same cupboard Kate had retrieved their mugs. While Ryan brewed his tea, Kate fixed herself and Esposito coffees, adding just the right amount of milk for both of them.
When she handed the mug back to Esposito, burning the tips of her fingers holding it out to him handle first, he took a cautious sip before declaring, "Damn, Beckett, with coffee this good you and Castle should go in to business together. I don't know whose is better."
"Don't let Castle hear you say that," she muttered. "We'll never hear the end of it." Nearing her desk, she shot a look at her cell phone sitting atop her paperwork. "I haven't missed any calls, have I?"
Espo shook his head. "Why? You expecting someone to call? Because I've gotta say, Castle has been seriously lax about keeping in contact."
Kate rolled her eyes and smothered a laugh. "I thought I was going to be Castle's wife; not you." Esposito gave her a look, clearly not amused. "No, just wondering whether Rachel had tried to get in contact." When her phone rang, she practically dived on it. "Beckett."
"Now that is just creepy. Almost like she's psychic," Esposito said, sharing a look with his partner.
"Castle would have loved that."
Oblivious to their muttering, Beckett sighed, "Oh Lanie, it's you."
"What do you mean 'Lanie, it's you', sounding all disappointed? Get your skinny ass down here now, girl."
Kate stared at the phone after Lanie had hung up.
"I wouldn't keep Lanie waiting if I were you," Esposito commented. "She is not in a patient mood today."
"Oh, when did you see her?" Kate asked, turning to face him and smirking at his flabbergasted appearance, well aware that with no open case Esposito would have had no reason to visit the morgue other than because he had sought out their Medical Examiner.
"I-I haven't seen her today actually; she's just always in a bad mood these days. Must be all those early morning crime scenes."
"I'll be sure to tell her," Kate replied, enjoying the play of shock across Esposito's face.
"You wouldn't."
She shrugged. "Guess you'll have to see her to find out." She took one last sip of her coffee before returning to the breakroom and sighing sadly as she had to pour what was left – a regrettably large quantity of coffee – down the sink. "Cover for me if Gates asks where I am," she requested, not waiting for answer as she left the bullpen.
"Alright, what's so urgent, Lanie?"
"I found it!" Lanie exclaimed, gleefully clapping her hands.
"Found what?"
"The dress! I found your dress! Look, isn't it perfect?"
Kate had to admit, the dress in the magazine Lanie was brandishing at her was faultless, exactly the kind of thing she was looking for.
"It's a Justin Alexander. Don't you just think the balance between satin and lace is flawless?"
"Lanie, how did you find this?" Kate breathed.
"More magazines than it's possible to count," Lanie answered nonchalantly. "You think Paula and the planner from hell will let you get it?"
"Lanie," Kate reproached. "I told you that Paula was following Black Pawn's CEO's orders-"
"-She could have said no!"
"And aside from promising to send me samples that never arrived, Rachel has been fine," Kate finished. "Actually, you know what, I've waited a week for those samples and I haven't heard anything from her since, I'm just gonna call her."
Lanie looked on as Kate spoke into her cell phone.
"Hey Rachel, it's Kate again, Kate Beckett. Just give me a ring when you get this message." Hanging up, she met Lanie's gaze. "That's the fourth time this week I've gotten her voicemail. I thought wedding planners were supposed to make things less stressful, not more."
"Good job you're not relying on her to plan your bachelorette then, huh?" Lanie grinned. "You might have ended up without a stripper-"
"-Lanie, I thought we agreed on something more reserved. Martha and Alexis are going to be there too."
"Have you even asked Alexis to be one of your bridesmaids yet?"
"Not yet. Castle doesn't even know I'm planning on it," she admitted.
"You think she's going to say no, don't you?" Lanie guessed.
Kate shrugged.
"You won't know until you ask."
"I know, I know. I figure I should probably wait till Castle's back anyway. I don't want to make too many decisions without him."
A/N: So yeah, that's all I had time to write. I hope you enjoyed it despite the shorter length. Let me know what you think!
