Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine, nor is anything you recognise.

Reason: Chapter 8

I was going to enjoy this.

Beckett stormed up to the secretary in Gary Carlson's building. She slammed her badge down on the desk. The woman looked up quickly.

"I'm here to see Gary Carlson," she said smoothly.

I stood to the side of Beckett. The secretary glanced at me but I kept my face neutral. She looked at Beckett's all business expression then at her badge.

"I'll let him know you're here," she said, reaching for her phone.

"That won't be necessary," Beckett said, all authority.

"I'm sorry, I can't just let you go up there," said secretary. Her nameplate said Hannah.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going up there," Beckett told Hannah, never breaking eye contact.

"Actually," I threw in, "We're going up there." Beckett closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep calming breath.

Oh. I'd messed with her scary vibe.

"Let's go ,Castle," she said calmly, walking towards the elevators.

I mouthed sorry to Hannah before following Beckett.

Oo..oO

In the elevator, Beckett prepped her gun. I watched her as she checked the cartridge and re-holstered it. I was slightly envious. I wanted a gun. That would be so cool!

"Castle, I don't want to hear a word out of you when we're in there, got it?" She was looking at me in a way that made it impossible to disagree. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said with a slight smile, "You got this."

She chuckled softly and our eyes met. I held her gaze, a plethora of emotions running through me, leaving me frozen. How did she do this to me with a simple gaze? I couldn't help but wonder-

The ding of the elevator jerked our eyes apart as we looked at the now open door. Beckett hardened her expression.

"Alright, let's get this slimeball," she announced while leaving the elevator with confident strides.

"Uh, Beckett?" I asked innocently. She turned around in exasperation. I'd ruined her moment. I was doing that a lot recently. I pointed behind me. "His office is that way."

She quickly changed direction and strode past me without a word.

I couldn't help the small smile that appeared on my lips as I trotted after her.

What would she do without me?

Oo..oO

Beckett rapped on Gary's door, keeping a hand on her hip where I knew her badge and gun were.

"Gary Carlson, NYPD, open up!" she shouted.

The door swung open slowly and I felt a twinge of alarm. Becket glanced at me and I could see she was feeling the same alarm I was. She took out her gun and nudged the door open with her foot.

She went in cautiously, checking her sides, trusting me to watch her back. As I always did. I studied the room carefully, making sure to stay close to her. I didn't see anything.

"Clear," she yelled, moving over to the closet and looking at me. I swept my eyes around the room one more time, double checking.

There! A shadow moving quickly in the attached room. I inhaled sharply and pointed furiously towards where the movement had been. She made her way over to me and I moved behind her, checking where she couldn't see. There was more movement and some noise from the room. The door was shut and the curtains were drawn so it was impossible to see inside.

Why the hell did Gary Carlson have to have such a big, fancy office? I mean, really?

Beckett walked up to the door and looked at me. I checked the room behind us. Nothing. But, we hadn't checked the closet yet. Still...

"Clear," I answered, walking over to her. She nodded in understanding.

She kicked the door open with a bang and hurried inside, sweeping her gun across the room.

Nothing but an open window.

We both hurried over to it and looked around.

Nothing.

Damn.

"Let's check the closet," Becket sighed in a frustrated manner. She said 'let's'. As in let us. Us. There was an us.

"Yeah," I agreed, walking over to it. She still held her gun as if she was expecting this wasn't over.

"Alright," she said, "Let's be thorough."

Then, in one fluid motion she whipped the door open and pointed her gun inside.

"Oh shit," she muttered, lowering her gun. I looked over her shoulder.

There, crumpled against the wall, was Gary Carlson, a bullet hole in his chest.

Oo..oO

Sirens wailed from outside as Lanie knelt by what had once been Gary Carlson. There was a hole in the wall above him and a sickly blood smear from where he had slid down. His eyes stared sightlessly at the wall, his mouth open.

Beckett was talking to a CSU. She seemed to sense I was watching her and looked up at me, her face easing slightly.

She excused herself from the CSU and walked over to me. I met her halfway.

"So there goes our main lead," she said tiredly, running a hand through her hair.

"We'll find something," I told her, "There's always something." She smiled.

"That there is."

I tilted my head at her playfully. "Back to the precinct?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah."

We turned to leave. CSU was processing the scene and it would be a while until Beckett could perform her customary sweep.

"I'll call you when I find something!" Lanie called after us.

"Thanks Lanie," Beckett called back.

We walked down the hallway in silence.

"Who'd 'you think was in the secondary office?" I asked looking over at Beckett. I used this glance to see how she was doing. She looked tired.

She shrugged. "Honestly, at this point it could be anyone."

Anyone as in...

"Not pirates," she said quickly, smirking as my face dropped.

"Think about it," I began.

"I'd rather not."

I continued on, unswayed.

"The best thing we have right now is that pirate exhibit and the missing treasure."

"Could be totally unrelated."

"Could be. Could being the operative word."

"Castle..."

"Come on, Beckett," I stopped and turned towards her. "A diamond from the missing treasure was found with our vic. He was at the event. Carlson sent him a message while he was there."

She turned to me as well, crossing her arms. "I have Ryan and Esposito running both of their financials. We will find something. There are no pirates."

She started to walk away.

"Where is your whimsy?" I called after her, raising my arms.

"Lost it a long time ago, Castle," she called back, not turning.

And honestly, that broke my heart. I decided right then and there that I would bring whimsy back to Kate Beckett.

Oo..oO

Lanie put down two evidence trays on a table in the morgue.

"Same shooter," she announced.

Beckett and I leaned in to take a closer look. I tried very hard to not touch her.

The bullets were small and circular.

"What kind of gun fired these?" Breathed Beckett.

Lanie shrugged. "Nothin' I've ever seen before."

"They look old," observed Beckett.

"Yeah, maybe 18th century," replied Lanie

I stood up straight. 18th century? Pirat-

"Not pirates," said Beckett and I realized I'd been talking out loud.

"Well..." Lanie said, drawing an incredulous look from Beckett.

I raised my eyebrows at Beckett. She glared lightly at me but I could tell she didn't really mean it. At least, I didn't think she meant it...

"I did some research," continued Lanie, moving over to her computer. "Could be an 18th century percussion pistol."

She opened an image of a fancy looking gun. Old fashioned yet it had a simple elegance that just-

"Yeah Castle, we get it, it's pretty," Beckett said dryly.

"You're just upset because you'll have to go to dinner with me now," I said with a smug grin. She widened her eyes at me and raised an eyebrow.

"The deal was pirate connection. As in human. Not gun," she said, scrambling.

"Yeah, suuuuuure," I said happily. My mind was singing again. A happy little tune that went something along the lines of,

'I'm having dinner with Beckett,

Beckett, Kate Beckett,

she's pretty.'

What, I never claimed to be a songwriter.

"Excuse me? What's this about dinner now?"

It was comical really, the way Kate and I turned to face Lanie at the same time. I hadn't realized how close we'd drawn during our little...scuffle for lack of a better word.

We wore equal expressions of shock. I had totally forgotten where we were.

Lanie raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh..." Kate and I began at the same time.

"Kate," Lanie took a step in, "Rick."

She smiled lightly.

"Tell me or I will hurt you."

Beckett pushed out her lips and shrugged, her eyes wide and innocent. I smiled a half smile and tried to look like nothing had happened.

"Uh huh," said Lanie, turning away, "I see how it is." She walked over to the body of Gary Carlson. "I will find out what's goin' on here. Do not doubt me." She turned back to us quickly and I put on my ignorant expression again. She shook her head slightly and turned away. "Leave!" She called.

Kate and I hurried out of there as fast as we could, lightly pushing each other out of the way.

Back in the elevator, I nudged Kate with my elbow.

"Where'd'you wanna go for dinner?" She glared at me without turning her head.

I pressed on. "Italian?" She looked away. "French? Japanese?" She was ignoring me.

"Oh, Canadian?" She rolled her eyes.

"Does it-" she let out a breath. "Does it have to be a- at a fancy place?" I looked over at her, surprised by the vulnerability in her voice. She was avoiding my gaze, fidgeting with her ever-present leather gloves. She twisted them in her hands, biting her cheek.

I quickly went through a list. What would cause her this anxiety?All I could come up with were publicity or nervousness at not fitting in.

No way. Kate Beckett would fit in with the Queen. So it must be...

"Worried about the press?" I received no answer.

"We can do burgers at Remy's." I told her quietly, understanding her worry.

She looked at me quickly."Oh, you don't have to... just nowhere high profile."

"No, of course not." She nodded and the elevator doors slid open.

Beckett's phone started to ring. I caught a glimpse of the caller ID.

Josh.

Ugh.

Gross.

I dropped a pace back so she could have privacy but to my surprise, she ignored the call.

Huh.

She seemed to notice I wasn't beside her and she turned around, a curious expression on her face.

"Oh I just saw some..." I scrambled to find a reason. I didn't want her to know I was snooping her calls. "Mole people. Well I thought I saw some-"

"Uh huh," she cut in, smiling slightly like she knew what I was up too.

Because she did.

She always did. It's like she read my mind.

Then a thought struck me. "Hey Beckett, didn't Lanie say that Colten was shot with a 22caliber?"

"Yeah," Beckett said, turning to me. "Bullet hole was the same size."

"Wouldn't it be slightly off though?"

"Yeah, it was. Remember, she said the bullet was weird."

I nodded. It made sense now.

"Hey Beckett!" called Ryan from his desk. He waved some papers.

Esposito slid into view on his wheelie chair. "Financials are in."

Ryan smiled. "Got something good, too."

A/N: Hope you like this! I worked on it for about five hours. And had my dad proof read it, which was torture. :P Thoughts?

Also, I realize my continuity sucks. I'm sorry. I'm working on it. I'm going to try and update every week.