Na- uh... no way. This right here CANNOT be happening. Her best friend and the man that she lo... and her PARTNER? Her best friend... and her partner... going on a date. Said best friend dressed breathtakingly in a tight number...said partner working a suit. Said 'couple' drinking champagne and traveling in a limo. Said detective is about to faint.
What...the..f "Uhm... hey Kate" Rick said nervously as he unconsciously straightened his suit. "Fancy meeting you here.."
Mya all but face palmed
Lanie started laughing.
Alexis melted subtly into a dark corner.
The M.E. was clutching her stomach as she leaned on the metal table, her body overcome with wracks that she failed to notice Mya's exaggerated 'cut it out' motions. Rick looked at her incredulously as another fit of laughter overtook her as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Is that... is that THE waiter's tray" she asked through a wrangled voice. He nodded and she burst out again, this time Rick cannot help but laugh as well.
Mya joined her sister in the corner...This situation is too far gone for damage control
"Are you two drunk?" Kate asked incredulously as they stumbled over one another to get to the tray first.
"Most likely" Lanie said and she pushed her hair away from her face and took a deep breath.. "There was... A LOT of champagne... and bootie shaking... I think at one point in the night we tried to steal napkins down some ladies dress.."
"Errr correction..succeeded to steal" Rick replied, pulling out a white napkin from his coat pocket and placing it on the tray... the sight of it causing both the author's and M.E's eyes to bulge in strained mirth.
"Okay SERIOUSLY... Am I the only one who is confused here?" Kate asked as they straightened themselves up.
"No confusion... I was Lanie's date" Rick said, smiling wide... both his kids groaned in the corner..oh Dad...
Kate Beckett stood in shock... no. How...How had this happened? Why had this happened? She knew... off course she knew that he couldn't wait forever... but she never thought... never suspected that he would move on to her best friend... to the other person she relies on besides him. Oh God and they were happy. So very happy with their giggles and inside jokes...and is it okay to partially hate fact that your two best friends are so very happy. Especially when their happiness stems from each other...OHMYGOD... Lanie and Rick are... dating...DATING. hurwhuwrbgjemfifjnwefu... I'm in the twilight zone...no wait...I'm dreaming! I passed out in a caffeine induced haze?
I've been abducted by aliens...and this is their means of torture to find out secrets about Earth... YEP... that's it. That is the only plausible explanation.
"So...there's a body" Lanie said, almost smirking at the jealousy and confusion passing over Kate Beckett's features. Maybe all was not lost.
"Yea... yea... so.. what do we have?"
"We have a bed time..." Mya interrupted quickly pulling Alexis along with her. "Wouldn't want red here to get less sleep"
"NO! ... I mean... I need her.." Lanie said loudly, her eyes diverting to Kate and then back to Mya... her expression obvious.. DO NOT LEAVE ME ALONE WITH A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE AFTER WE REVEALED I AM SUPPOSEDLY DATING THE MAN SHE LOVES.
Mya's expression was equally as revealing. I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE... WE HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE SHE ACTUALLY REALIZES THAT SHE HAS A GUN IN THAT HOLSTER.
Alexis started giggling beside her.
"Lex...really? You're not helping!" Mya whispered as Alexis all but burst out. "errr..." Mya looked awkwardly at Kate who regarded them with raised eyebrows, Lanie dropping her head into her hands with a groan... Rick took to shining the waiters tray like some trophy. "It's the caffeine... she has a very low tolerance. Yes. okay. So we should go... uhm yes good luck with all of...this" She gestured to the corpse but Lanie knew she meant the entire situation and couldn't help but glare at middle Castle. She shrugged sympathetically and dragged Rick along with her.
"Come on Castle...we have to get home"
"What... NO! Don't make me leave the tray!"
"Lanie will take good care of it for you dad" Alexis quipped as they both pushed the author out the room, the red head turned back to salute to the gaping M.E. , flicked her eyes over the Homicide Detective and then left with the same rush that her sister seemed to have.
Leaving only silence in her wake.
Silence...Some awkwardness... A LOT of jealousy...Some more awkwardness.
Lovely.
"I heard that there is a new body for me to examine" A familiar voice said , wearing blue scrubs and a bored expression. And if Lanie was any more intoxicated, she would've have kissed him.
"Pearlmutter.. you're here!" thank God...
"Wait... why aren't you doing the autopsy?" Kate asked as the other M.E. snapped on his gloves.
"Oh you know it, is my night off... and I'm slightly inebriated" She saw Kate nod slightly. "Annddd...I may or may not have...other plans"
"Like what?" The detective asked loudly, eyes widening before catching herself and repeating the question again at a lower decibel. "Like what?"
"Plans.." She shrugged and took of her own gloves. "Night Kate."
Kate Beckett stood gaping at the closed morgue doors, only slightly startled when Lanie returned and with a devious grin as she grabbed the waiter's tray that was sitting on the table.
Seriously...what is up with that?
She missed however, the happy glint in her best friends eyes, the triumphant smirk on her face at Kate's obvious discomfort. But she was gone in a whirl of intoxicated laughter and gorgeous stature, leaving the usually so well put detective in a frazzle about her now supposed extracurricular activities.
oh how good it was to be the one in control...
It was way past the usual when Rick Castle finally entered through the precinct elevators, carrying one cup of coffee as he made his way to his designated seat, handing the warm beverage to a now sleep deprived Kate Beckett.
"Hey where have you been all morning?" she asked innocently as she sipped her drink- noticing immediately that he didn't bring one for himself...huh.
"Oh Lanie and I went out for breakfast" he replied as he rubbed his hands together
She choked on her coffee.
"Listen Castle... I asked you here because I need a HUGE favor from you" Lanie said as she cut up her pancakes vigorously.
"Please tell me there is another ball to attend!" Rick replied almost jumping out of his seat in enthusiasm
She shook her head in amusement, "No... But that was some night huh.."
"Yea...good times" he replied dreamily and they both laughed at the memories.
"No... but this is serious..I need you to help me...to help me get back together with Javier"
"What?" he said, choking on a bit of toast.
"Yea.. I've really thought about what you said last night... and think I want this... no.. I know I want this"
"Well...that's great!" he beamed at her "What do you need me to do?"
"Wellllllll...Have you seen the newspaper?"
"No...should I be worried?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up.
Not if Kate Beckett doesn't scare you... "Not if we make it true... well fake true"
"Yea... no. You lost me"
"CASTLE!" A voiced boomed across the precinct floors as the author himself jumped out of his flash back. He stood and pasted on an expression of calmness as the Hispanic detective made his way to him. "What is this bro?" He said, throwing the paper down on Becketts desks as he folded his arms.
All of them looked at the offending article, a picture of Lanie and Rick blazing on the front- both of them laughing as Lanie clutched Rick's shoulder. Even Castle could admit that it looked very coupley as the words on the page caught their attention.
RICHARD CASTLE FINDS NEW LOVE?
Sources confirm that the famous author was caught cozying up to a new lady love. Lanie Parish... smart AND sexy, this Medical examiner looks as though she keeps the bad-boy bestseller on his toes.
Could it be that Mr Castle has found 'the one' at last? His daughter seems to approve, already spending from what it seems, copious amount of time with daddy's new girlfriend. Looks like Ms Parish is an inspiration to the whole Castle clan
By the sounds of it, this relationship is here to stay. So third time lucky Rick Castle.
Ohhh crap. I'm dead. I am SO dead. Rick scraped his fingers through his hair as he examined picture after picture of himself and Lanie... dancing...drinking.
Kate looked away and practically sculled her coffee.
Ryan just coughed awkwardly. Esposito fumed, "What the hell man? You and LANIE? As in... my EX-girlfriend Lanie"
"Well.. she happens to also be incredibly smart and beautiful Lanie" Rick replied cautiously. Shit. He was more than dead. He was freaking going to get MURDERED.
"Lanie this plan will work! I'm telling you... It's brilliant"
"Yea that's what you said the last time... I'm pretty sure if Pearlmutter hadn't shown up when he had, I would've been dead on the morgue floor"
"melodrama much" Mya whispered to her sister as the M.E glared at them. "But anyway Rick agreed did he not... and by now the newspaper article must be working wonders... and neither he nor Detective Beckett suspect a thing" She smiled deviously.. congratulating herself on her quick thinking.
"You're forgetting one IMPORTANT thing" Lanie said as the sisters patted themselves on the back
"What's that?"
"What about Javi? Now he is getting sucked into this whole thing!"
"Oh... she's right akka, now detective Esposito must be really hurt" Alexis replied and Lanie nodded.
"Listen guys... don't worry about it... I will talk to Esposito and sort this whole thing out. We just have to include him in the plan... and by the amount of money he has invested in the 'Caskett' pool, I would say that he will be an enthusiastic participant in our scheme."
"Wait... you got in on that?" Lanie asked with wide eyes as Mya laughed
"Are you kidding! Hell yea I got in on it!"
"I've been in on it for three years now" Alexis said as the two laughed and the M.E stood.
"I should call Castle... it's already 11.30... they have to be grilling him about the article by now"
"Yea kay.. Bye Lanie.. good luck!"
"Yea Dr Parish... Don't worry... they can't commit murder on the actual precinct floors" the red head said sagely as the raven haired women left through the front door.
"Thanks Alexis... real helpful" she deadpanned, shutting the wooden frame as she exited.
The older girl sighed and moved to her younger sister, pushing her hair of her face as Alexis smiled. "So... about this 'Esplaine' situation..."
Alexis looked up... caught the knowing glint in her sister's eyes and responded with a arched eyebrows and a well worn smirk. "Plan?"
Mya leaned against her sisters shoulders, the mischief now too intoxicating to ignore... Oh yea... "Plan."
"What are you doing bro?" , the Hispanic detective fumed and Kate secretly loved that he was grilling the author... meaning that she didn't have to do it herself.
"Look okay... Lanie and I... we get along well- so we thought.. why not."
"Yea by the looks of things you get along VERY well" he said pointing to the picture of them laughing. "third time lucky? What the Hell man!"
The starting of what looked like an entertaining argument was cut short when the ring of Castle's phone sounded... only acting to piss off Esposito. He looked at the Caller ID and almost laughed in relief when he saw it was Lanie.
"Hey" he answered looking around nervously at the detectives in front of him.
"Smile. Look happy... like I just made your day with this call" she replied. And he did just that, laughing at her blasé nature... a laugh that caused a small pang of hurt to resonate in Kate's chest. She knew it was Lanie... Off course it was. Why did she care again?
"Are they giving you hell right now?"
"Ohh you have NO idea" he said, managing to make the sentence sound flirtatious. Esposito ground his teeth. Rick was so gunna get punched in the face, he knew.
"And you're dying to laugh aren't you?"
He hummed in response. Both Kate and Esposito flinched in disgust. Ryan watched intrigued.
"Well I'm on my way up to you right now...though we should tackle this together first up... and I would LOVE to see Javi's reaction"
"Oh.. you're here! That's great!"
"So what did you think of the photo? We looked HOT! I cannot believe that they caught you shaking your ass!" she laughed
He grinned broadly and picked up the newspaper. "I have to agree! We look really hot! But the ass shaking thing... I dunno Lanie... I wouldn't be bearing my butt to the world right now if it wasn't for your 'oh Rick...please dance with me'"
"Too far writer boy... I never speak in breathy tones... never in public anyways"
"Are you trying to flirt with me Dr Parish?" (Kate swore she vomited a little in her mouth)
"No... but I LOVE the effort you're making just to seem like we're having a sexy conversation. I can imagine the facial expressions"
Rick turned... saw the outrage on Esposito's face, the confusion on Ryan's and the incredulous on Kate and laughed out loud. "Oh... it's good"
"Kay well I'm almost there... stay ruggedly handsome by the time I get there? I need good jealousy material"
Ppppffftttt... "Always" ...he was always ruggedly handsome.
And then the ding of the elevator distracted him before her saw the sadness on Kate's face... the heartbreak. And there she was, still cradling the phone to her ear and holding in her hand a white napkin which she waved to him. She watched his face light up in her presence. Watched him move toward her. He said always. He told her always...
But that was their word right? Just another substitute for the three little words that they weren't ready to say... that she wasn't ready to say. it was there's... just as much as coffee substituted for intimacy... ALWAYS was theirs...used to be theirs..
She looked up, watched Rick and Lanie converse spiritedly... watched her glare at him; amused. Watched him move her hair from her eyes shyly... and stroke her cheek.
It was meant to be theirs.
Because it was her that he was meant to be with. Because it was Kate Beckett who loved him. Because no matter how much she had tried to deny it, Kate was too far gone- to hopelessly gone to even contemplate a life without him. So it was theirs... it HAD to be theirs... Right?
"Stop acting like we're a bunch of 13 year olds on their first date" Lanie admonished when Rick just stood there.
"I'm sorry! I don't know how to behave"
"Just play the role Castle... We're two people disgustingly infatuated with each other... just go with it"
"Can two people even be disgustingly infatuated?"
She raised her eyebrows at him. You're kidding right? That is the DEFINITION on you and Kate. "I dunno... I read it somewhere"
"Huh... so.. do I.. I dunno, touch you?"
She glared at him. "Off course you touch me!... We're dating Castle!"
"Right.. sorry" he said sheepishly, pushing her hair out of her eyes and moving his finger along her cheek. He leaned forward, almost as though he was going to kiss her and then whispered very softly, "Do I get to keep the napkin?"
She stared at him for a moment and then laughed, burying her head into the arm of his coat to hide her mirth. "We get shared custody... the tray is far more impressive"
"I was thinking we'd get it framed...label it OUR FIRST DATE" he said grinning as she looked up into his eyes
"Come on writer monkey... time to face the wrath. You ready?"
"Hey... as long as you keep Esposito from hitting me in the face, I'm good" he said as he gripped her hand. They moved toward their friends slowly, Rick describing to her of the fun in their memento that they seemed so immersed in each others presence. They weren't however so distracted that Lanie missed the expression on Kate face.
No.
A bomb could be going off in this building and still she would've have seen the expression on her face. It was one of admittance... one of determination. And Lanie knew... that finally. FINALLY Kate Beckett used those three little words in her head. Those three words she kept trying to deny. It was shining expressively in her eyes
And if she wasn't under scrutiny from her ex-boyfriend, the M.E. would've smiled at the good fortune. It was working. it was WORKING.
Phase 2 complete.
tell me what you think :)