A/N1:Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 8th Chapter of Absolution titled 'The View' Hope you like it!
BTW how badass was the Castle PaleyFest panel? I thought the Blue Butterfly re-enactment was a tad crap and unecessary but as a whole it was awesome, despite the fact no one asked Stana Katic a question at the end! And I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Stanathan pics that flooded Tumblr afterwards, I have loads of pics to set as my desktop background now1
That's enough babbling on...on with the show!
Hours later just as the sun began to rise, Rick and Kate were roused form their sleep by Kate's Muppet Show Theme alarm.
"Put it on snooze for a moment," Rick said sleepily as Kate rolled over to silence the cheerful tone.
"Rick we have to get up and get to the precinct!" Kate exclaimed, flopping back into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
"Spending another ten minutes in bed is not going to make us any earlier or later Tulip, come on let's cuddle for a bit," the Writer murmured, pulling her close. "We're closer to the precinct here at your place compared to mine, you know we can snuggle for a bit."
Kate smiled.
"Is that why you took up my invitation to spend the night?" she asked dryly. "So we would have snuggle time in the morning?"
"It was a contributing factor," Rick confessed sleepily, nuzzling at her neck. "In fact when you decide to move in with me I'm thinking of buying a house in the suburbs, maybe Garden City so we can really have snuggle time."
"You'd totally move house just so we'd have more time in bed in the morning?" Kate asked in surprise. "That's going a bit far isn't it?"
"I don't think so," the Writer replied. "When you finally feel comfortable enough to move in with me, Tulip, I want us to start off new in a place that's somewhere totally our own. Besides I've always wanted to live in the suburbs. I so totally have this fantasy of writing my next best seller in a hammock on the back patio."
Kate laughed sleepily.
"You are such a romantic," she told him with a sigh, allowing him to suckle upon her neck. "Anything else you fantasize about doing on a back porch?"
Rick chuckled heartily.
"Several things darling girl, several things," he revealed, circling one of her nipples with the tip of his index finger. "But all shall be revealed in the fullness of time. There'd be no mystery in our relationship if I told you every single one of my fantasies."
Kate let out an amused snort of laughter.
"And how many do you have?" she enquired, rolling onto her back and allowing the Writer to roll over her and suck one of her nipples into his mouth.
"I can't remember," he murmured, nudging apart her legs with his knee and burying his face between her cleavage. "I'm only interested in one fantasy at the moment..."
Kate arched against Rick as he pressed the evidence of his arousal into her thigh.
"Oh and what would that be?" she enquired with a raised eyebrow.
"You'll see."
"I have never been late to work in the twelve years on the job and today of all days I will be, damn you!" Kate exclaimed half heartedly, half an hour later as they left the bathroom and she hurriedly began to get dressed. "It's already quarter past seven and we're supposed to be at the precinct in fifteen minutes!"
"I don't remember you complaining," Rick informed her cockily as he buttoned up his smart green shirt. "Several times you told me not to stop. You screamed it half a dozen times as I recall."
"Oh shut up, god I'm glad I have a box of pop tarts in my desk or I'd not be having any breakfast at all!" Kate declared hurriedly, doing up the clasp of her bra. "Seriously Castle, one day you're going to get me in trouble with Gates."
"Oh you'll be fine. You're her favourite detective," Rick declared. "And if she does have ago at you, just say 'I do apologise sir but I was spending my morning on my back having amazing out of this world sex. It won't happen again."
Kate rolled her eyes and pulled on a smart white blouse.
"Never ever am I going to let my boss in on any of the details of my sex life," she began, buttoning up her blouse and slipping her feet into her favourite heeled boots. "And even if I did, not for one minute would she believe me saying 'I was having out of this world sex it won't happen again'."
Rick laughed heartily. "Probably not," he said pulling on his jacket. "Well I'm ready, shall we go?"
"Yup."
The pair arrived at the twelfth precinct shortly before quarter to eight.
"Moooooorrrning you two, have a good night's 'rest'?" Ryan teased, hooking his fingers in the air as the pair arrived in the bullpen.
"Shut up," Kate snapped, dropping down into her desk chair and booting up her computer. "Is Gates here?"
"Yeah, in her office," Ryan answered, nodding over his shoulder. "She wants us in there soon because she's called a press conference for nine thirty and wants us there as the lead investigative team."
"Including me?" Rick asked in surprise.
"Yeah I think so; hey you're part of the team and the one that got Gates to pull everyone together. I doubt you'll have to speak at the conference though; it'll be Gates and probably Kate as lead detective. You know what the press conference Montgomery pulled when 3XK came back; this one will probably be the same with the whole department standing behind her."
Kate groaned. "I hate press conferences, journalists are such nosey bastards," she complained, reaching into the top drawer of her desk and pulling out a packet of Pop Tarts. "How are you and Javi getting on with the public phone records and CCTV footage?"
"Nothing so far, tech delivered them at quarter past seven. Javi's in the interview room looking through the CCTV footage and I'm scrolling through the phone records," Ryan replied. "This is going to take ages Kate. Like weeks ages."
"Not on my watch it's not," Kate vowed, getting up and heading for the break room. "I'll get every uniform in the precinct going over that footage if I have to."
"That's the attitude Detective!" Gates called from the doorway of her office. "A moment if you would, and Mr Castle if you could go on coffee patrol that would be much appreciated." The older woman added in a softer tone.
"Yes Sir."
Rick made his way into the break room and began making coffee for every detective in the department as by the list of each detective's preference stuck to the wall behind the espresso machine. He rang and paid for a muffin and bear claw delivery from Angelo's across the road before making his way into the interview room where Esposito was sitting in front of a large LCD screen looking through the CCTV footage.
"Hey want a hand?" the Writer asked the Latino detective giving him his usual double shot hazelnut latte.
"Sure thanks bro," the detective replied gratefully, accepting the steaming cup of joe. "How's Beckett?"
"Tense," Rick replied, training his eyes on the screen in front of him. "She's wound up tighter than a clock. She's in with Gates now putting together what they're going to say at the press conference. She doesn't want this one to get away."
"None of us do bro, none of us do." Esposito answered. "This one's sicker than 3XK, at least that dude didn't play with his food."
"That's not much of a consolation."
"Nah it's not."
"I'm not going to be able to make the press conference," Rick told Kate at quarter past nine as she, Esposito and Ryan prepared for the press conference in the media centre on the ground floor in fifteen minutes time. "I have to leave for my spot on The View. I wish I could stay."
"That's alright, thanks for your help this morning." The female detective replied gratefully. "Have fun on the show huh? I'll try and tune in."
Rick grinned. "I'll say hello to you when I'm on air," he joked, leaning down and kissing her chastely on the lips. "Keep Ryan and Espo in line."
"Yo, we heard that!" Esposito exclaimed.
"Behave yourself and she won't have to keep you in line," Rick joked, slapping the male detective's shoulder as he passed his desk. "Back in a couple of hours, I'll keep in touch."
Just before nine thirty as Rick made his way to the ABC studios in Times Square, he received a text from Jane Karpowski. 'Press conference is about to start, I'm going to video conference on my phone so you don't miss it' read the message
A moment later his phone rang and Karpowski's face appeared.
"You ready?" the female detective asked.
"Sure," Rick replied as he entered the ABC studios foyer. "I'm at ABC now, if I hang up it's because I've managed to find a TV. If that happens, get Javi, Kevin or Kate to ring me back alright?"
"Got it."
Karpowski turned her iPhone around and zoomed it on the lectern where the Commissioner was standing, flanked by Gates, Kate, Ryan and Esposito.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your prompt attendance," Kelly began, adjusting his glasses. "I've called you all here this morning because colleagues of mine in the twelfth precinct homicide department wish to bring to the public's attention some grave news. We will take questions afterward but I request you let my officers speak. I'll now call Captain Victoria Gates...Captain?"
Gates stepped up to the lectern and adjusted her own glasses. "Thank you commissioner," she began. "Ladies and gentlemen, over the past week it has come to my attention through the investigative team headed up my Detective Kate Beckett that New York once again has a serial killer on its hands..."
There was a collective intake of breath from the media throng.
"Three times this week Detective Beckett and her team of Detective Javier Esposito, Detective Kevin Ryan and NYPD consultant Richard Castle, have been called out to three separate scenes at which they found the bodies of three male victims. We've decided as a department to release this information in the hope of catching the culprit. I'll call Detective Beckett to the microphone now and she can give you more details.
Rick smiled slightly as he watched Kate step up to the lectern her face a study of tense professionalism.
"Thank you Captain," she began. "And thank you all for coming today. As Captain Gates has previously said, three times this week my team has been called out to attend the crime scenes of three victims all with similar injuries. If you'll turn your attention to the screen to your left our first victim was Jeremy Anderson, thirty nine from the Bronx. We found him off East Eighty Sixth and his injuries included forty six stab wounds to the chest and a cut throat where his common carotid artery was severed, causing him to expire almost immediately. It also appears his genitalia were removed post mortem."
The media throng gathered on the twelfth precinct's media room recoiled in horror and several "Oh gross!" and "that's disgusting's" were heard.
"Then on Thursday afternoon my team was once again called to a scene on One thirtieth where we found the second victim we've called 'John Doe the first' in his early to late forties. He also had suffered forty six stab wounds to the heart, one which pierced his aorta and killed him instantly. His genitalia were also removed post mortem."
"And our third call out was last night to an alley of fifty ninth and Lex where we found the body of a man in his mid to late forties, we've named this victim John Doe the Second'. He suffered the same injuries forty six stab wounds to the neck and check the fatal blow being to his aorta, as John Doe the first and like the first two victims his genitalia were removed post mortem. We've got an FBI trained criminal profiler on his case and he has said we're looking for a male in his late thirties, someone who has a scratchy work history and who comes from a single parent family. The suspect has possibly served a brief period in the military service and could've left with a dishonourable discharge."
"Our suspect is likely a repressed homosexual with relationship issues with women stemming from a difficult childhood," Kate continued, using a laser pointer on the projector screen where a list of the victims and their injures and the suspect's description were displayed. "He's most likely to have problems with alcohol and most definitely mental health issues. According to our profiler, a crime of this magnitude could have been carried out by someone with Dissociative Personality Disorder. At some point in his life he may have been held in a mental health facility. And a history of sexual misconduct or cruelty to animals hasn't been ruled out either."
Several murmurs of disgust issued form the media throng as they furiously scribbled down information on notepads or recorded the press conference with camcorders or cell phones.
"Now obviously it is my team's intention, to get whoever this person is off the streets as soon as possible. But we can't do it alone, so we're appealing to the public for their help in catching the perpetrator of these horrific homicides. We're asking if anyone who was around East eighty Sixth Street between ten PM and two AM on March sixth, One Thirtieth Street between six AM and twelve PM on March eighth and fifty ninth and Lex between six PM and eight PM on March eleventh to contact their local law enforcement agency with any details they might have. We're particularly interested in hearing from the man who rang 911 last night at seven thirteen from a public phone box alerting the police to the location of the third victim, to come forward. He is not a suspect at this stage of investigation. We just want to hear first hand what he saw."
Despite the grisly details of the crime, Rick couldn't help but burst with pride at Kate's performance in front of the cameras. He knew the female detective hated dealing with the media but when she was forced to, she performed like a seasoned veteran. As the reporters gathered for the press conference began raising their hands and voices and shouting questions, she silenced them with a Gates like glare and a short cough.
"Every detective in the twelfth precinct is on top of this case and we are working hard to bring whoever the killer is to justice," she continued, stone cold serious. "We would like to tell the public to be vigilant with their own personal safety. Don't have your MP3 or iPod music up so loud that you can't hear your surroundings. Don't linger anywhere like bus stops or subway stations any longer than you especially have to. Travel in groups or at the very least, pairs. Always let someone know when you're leaving and when you expect to be back and if you feel your personal safety is in jeopardy, seek out the nearest police station or emergency services building. I would also encourage the use of personal safety alarms...okay, now I'll take some questions..."
"Can I help you Sir?" the receptionist at front desk asked.
"Yeah my name's Rick Castle, I'm here to see Mark Bergman." Rick began, tearing his attention away form his iPhone. "He's expecting me."
"Sure thing Mr Castle, if you'd just take a seat I'll have him come and collect you," the receptionist informed the Writer.
"Thanks."
Rick dropped his attention back down to the small screen. "Hey Jane, I have to go. I'm at ABC now, get Kate to text me when she can alright?"
"You got it," the female detective replied. You should be here in person Castle. She's totally slaying the throng. She's got them eating out of her hand. I haven't seen anyone silence a group with just a look since Gates."
Rick laughed. "That's my girl," he said with a chuckle. "See you lot when I get back to the precinct."
"You got it, later."
The line disconnected and a moment later a tall muscular man wearing a microphone headset and carrying a clipboard full of notes emerged from behind a door.
"Rick? Come through!" he said cheerfully. "It's been a while."
Rick shook the older man's hand and followed him down a long slated hallway.
"It has," he replied. "How's the family?"
"Great, my eldest has just been accepted into Harvard law," Mark announced cheerfully. "How about Alexis? Any news about College for her?"
"No not yet, but she doesn't expect to hear back til next week," Rick said. "She applied to the clinical psychology and forensic sciences faculties at Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, NYU, UF Gainesville, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton and Penn state. She's got her heart set on being a clinical and forensic psychologist."
"Ah, all the Ivy league's, Kid Castle has big dreams then." Mark said.
"Oh yeah, huge ones. She's much more ambitious than I was at her age," Rick replied, casually. "She didn't get into Stanford but I think she applied too early. I'm sure one of the Ivy Leagues campuses will accept her."
"So is she outshining the old man already?" Mark asked in amusement.
"Pal, Alexis Castle started outshining Richard Castle the minute she was born," he replied dryly. "You know what that's like, you have girls too."
"All too well."
Mark led Rick through the bowels of the ABC building to the backstage area of the main studio where The View was filmed. He gave the writer a freshly brewed mug of filter coffee then took him through to makeup where all the makeup artists and Barbara Walters who was sitting in a chair having some makeup applied, were all glued to the large LCD screen in the corner of the room where the press conference from the twelfth precinct was still going.
"Is that still going?" he asked no one in particular, airily as he dropped into the seat next to Barbra.
"You work with the twelfth precinct Richard, do you know anything about this?" the older woman asked.
"I do but I can't say anything, it's an open investigation." Rick informed her apologetically. "Really I can't. If I say anything, Victoria Gates will kill me. Actually Kate, Ryan and Esposito probably will too."
"Can you say anything?" the veteran journalist, fished.
"Nothing about any specific cases but I can say what it's like working with homicide department and a generic description of how we solve a case, it'd open up a legal minefield between you me, ABC and the NYPD if I said anything too specific."
Barbra sagged n her chair. "I understand," she said deflated. "So how's Kate?"
Rick smiled. "She's good," he replied as one of the make up ladies began applying some powder to his nose. "Busy since these killings have cropped up. We haven't done anything socially in a while. We didn't leave the precinct til midnight last night and were back in the bullpen at quarter to eight this morning. I'm heading back there once I've done here and I'll probably be there til seven or eight tonight."
"There are rumours floating around the NYPD have taken you on as a paid consultant, you know that." Barbara pressed on. "Can you talk about that?"
"I can," Rick replied, letting the two words hang in the air.
"And?"
"Well put it this way, most rumours have a basis in fact." Rick replied with a grin that showed every one of his pearly white teeth. "Put it this way I'm no longer shadowing Kate for book research. It stopped being about the books long ago. I'm at the precinct in a more official role now."
"Can I take that to air?"
"Yeah, if you like, word is going to get out eventually. I prefer it to be released by someone I like and not twist into bull."
"Thank you."
After spending time in the makeup chair, most of which was spent watching the press conference from the Twelfth Precinct finish. Rick was shown to his dressing room. Shortly after his arrival his phone rang with Kate's latest ringtone which he had changed from the 'Body Drop!' one to a clip of Alexis playing Romance form the Gadfly on her violin. Grinning he pressed 'answer' and put the device to his ear.
"Hey Tulip," he said softly.
"Hey Writer Man, finished in makeup yet?" Kate asked teasingly.
He rolled his eyes.
"Ha ha, yes." He replied dryly. "My face is already perfect, I didn't need much. The only place I needed more foundation was on my neck to cover up the hickeys you gave me last night."
"Oh very funny, so did you catch the conference? Karpowski said you watched some of it on video call."
"Yeah I did but then I arrived at ABC and had to hang up," Rick replied. "I watched the rest in the makeup room. And I was grilled my Barbara Walters, I think she was trying for a scoop."
"Well she is a journalist Rick, she's going to try for a scoop til she has both feet in the grave," Kate reasoned. "So what did you think?"
"You were totally badass," Rick told his girl. "You had the gallery eating out of your hand. And I loved the look you gave any reporter who dared interrupt you. You were channelling Gates in those moments, it was awesome."
"Oh pfft, channelling Gates? I so don't think so," the female detective scoffed. "It's all set, the phones are ringing, Rick. Kelly's even making moves to set up a call centre at Headquarters. Dozens are calls are coming in."
"That's great, I'll be back soon then I'll jump back into helping Javi trawl the CCTV footage and Kevin sort though the public phone records," Rick promised. "Are you going to watch the show? I'm on right after Hot Topics."
"You're a hot topic yourself," Kate purred down the line, lowering her voice ."But we'll discuss that after when we knock off tonight."
"Oh god, don't start that bedroom voice stuff now, Tulip. I'm about to go on air and it will not be cool to walk in front of the cameras tenting my trousers."
Kate let out a snort of laughter.
"I'll back off then," she joked. "I honestly think your profiling of the suspect is going to help us catch this guy, Rick. I have a gut feeling."
"Well let's see if that's the case," Rick replied. "I'll be finished here by midday, d'you want me to stop by Remy's and get you, Espo and Ryan something for lunch?"
"Oh would you mind? I'm going to be stuck in the bullpen all day and according to uniform downstairs, there's a media pack milling about out the front and I don't want to deal with them when I go for lunch." Kate declared with a sigh.
"No I wouldn't mind, I've gotta keep my favourite girl energized. You never know when that energy might be needed," Rick murmured suggestively. "Get it?"
Kate groaned. "Yes I 'get it' you goof ball," she answered. "Let's see how things go, huh? After the day I've had so far, another romp in the hay is not high on my priority list."
"Damn, oh well I can wait," Rick said with a chuckle. "I waited years for you, darling girl. Anything after that is not worth mentioning."
"God, I just want to hug you," Kate said with a sigh. "This is the biggest case I've ever had to deal with Rick and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have your help." She confessed.
"You'd do what you're doing now. You just wouldn't have as much fun doing it." The Writer replied. "Remember what Montgomery said, you never had fun on the job til I turned up and started to annoy you."
"Damn him and his Confucius-esque sayings" Kate said with dry amusement. "Well I've got to go, while you're not here I'm helping Javi trawl through the CCTV footage. I'll see you soon?"
"You will, see you soon Tulip. I love you."
"Love you too Writer Man."
After the Hot Topics segment, Mark fetched Rick from his dressing room and took him to the spot where the guests waited to go on set.
"You know the deal, just listen to your earpiece and when you're announced on stage, make your entrance." The producer said as he made a last minute check of the Writer's battery pack and ear piece. "You've done this plenty of times before."
"Got it."
"I'll leave you to it then."
Rick gave a short nod and turned his attention to the noises coming from the studio as the soft buzz of conversation rose from the crew, bustling to get the cameras into position. The makeup artists made last minute touch ups to Whoopi, Barbara, Joy, Sherri and Elisabeth.
Back at the precinct the investigation into the serial killer case had come to a temporary halt as the nine detectives and countless uniforms brought into help the case, gathered around one of the televisions hanging on a bracket in the bullpen to watch Rick's upcoming appearance on The View. Even Gates had emerged from her office and was perched on the edge of the Writer's desk as currently an ad for the week's forthcoming Bones episode played.
"Wonder how much makeup Writer Boy put on?" Esposito wondered.
"Less than you, Espo." Kate teased, throwing up a screwed up ball of paper at the Latino detective. "How much foundation did you use this morning?"
"Did you pinch some of Lanie's lipstick?" Ryan chimed as the rest of the detectives chuckled in amusement.
"And is Javier Esposito going to be the next Cover Girl?" Kate added with a giggle.
Esposito rolled his eyes and the rest of the department's detectives laughed out loud.
"Shut up," the male detective huffed. "I don't deserve this."
"Easy breezy beautiful..." Kate began.
"Cover Girl!" Ryan finished with the female detective flipping his hair and slapping her a high five.
"Get bent!" Esposito exclaimed.
"Dunno about Cover Girl, Espo. You look more of a Revlon guy," Karpowski piped up as The View came back from the break.
"Nah Rimmell, he has the London look!" Stegner said with a snigger.
"Shut up and let's watch damn Castle on the damn View," Esposito grumped but the hint of a smile of upon his lips.
At the ABC studios, Rick eagerly bounced on the balls of his feet as Whoopi Goldberg began introducing his segment.
"Today marks the start of Writers week and The View is featuring a different novelist each day, today our guest described as the 'Master of Macabre' has come to give us an inside into the life of a writer. How he goes about his research and what makes a bestselling Author. Please welcome to The View best selling crime writer Richard Castle!"
Rick waited a split second before making his way onto the set as the audience leapt to their feet and screamed their enthusiasm. He smiled and gave a wave and blew a kiss and winked into the nearest camera, hoping Kate was watching. He made his way up onto the stage where he was greeted by Whoopi, Jo, Sherri, Elisabeth and Barbara.
"You're popular," Whoopi teased as they all sat down but the catcalls and wolf whistles continued. "I think the Rick Castle fan club has turned out in force today."
"It's very flattering," Rick answered, his cheeks pinking up slightly. "It's great to get that reaction somewhere other than the twelfth."
That comment made the audience roar with laughter.
"Oh, I'm going to hear about that one when I get back to the bullpen," Rick said with a chuckle. "Hi guys!" he said, waving to the camera.
"Rick, it's been common knowledge that you've been shadowing Detective Kate Beckett from the twelfth precinct for nearly four years now," Barbara began. "Do you think it'll ever end?"
"You know I don't think it will," he replied after a moment of thought. "I've learned so much about policing in general and in particular, homicide in that time and despite the morbidity of it all. It is a lot of fun. The guys in the bullpen have become friends, family even and I like to spend time with them. I would like that to continue for as long as possible for several reasons."
"And would one of those reasons be the detective you shadow?" Elisabeth asked with a knowing look and grin.
"I shadow several detectives, Elisabeth." Rick said evasively but his face lighting up with a huge smile. "At some stage over the past four years I have gone out on the field with every single detective in the homicide department."
At that moment the paparazzi picture of Kate and Rick kissing in Central Park flashed up on the studios monitors causing the audience to 'Awwwwww' whimsically.
"In the past you've said you and Detective Beckett aren't an item," Sherri began. "But that picture says otherwise."
"Well it's kinda hard to deny ever since those pictures surfaced," Rick confessed his face a magnificent shade of scarlet. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to share my love life with the media now, not anymore."
"Are you in love?" Joy asked.
Rick smiled. "I don't want to say too much because she owns a gun," he joked. "But yes, I'm very much in love. That I'd gladly shout it from the rooftops."
Back at the twelfth precinct the homicide bullpen erupted into cat calls and wolf whistles at Rick's revelations.
"I'll kill him!" Kate exclaimed weakly as Ryan and Esposito began singing 'Kate and Ricky sitting in a tree...'
Kate glared at them. "Guys, I don't care the Captain and six other witnesses are here. If you continue that song, I will kill you...behave."
"Yes Sir," Esposito replied, wiggling his eyebrows cheekily.
"Shut up."
"So what made you decide to become a writer?" Whoopi asked. "Did you always want to write?"
"Not always, up until I hit junior high school I was determined like a lot of little boys to become a fireman. But I was at boarding school and horribly, horribly homesick when I sat down and wrote about it." Rick revealed. "The editor of the school yearbook and newsletter, who aspired to become a writer himself, told me I had real tangible talent. And from there the seed was planted. I made it onto the newsletter and yearbook planning committees and forever had my nose in a notebook and a quill dipped in ink. Writing became my refuge, recreation and ultimately my living. In fact it paid my way through college."
"And what did you study at college?" Joy asked.
"Criminology," The Writer replied, easily. "Early in my sophomore year of high school I was introduced to the true crime genre through Helter Skelter, the book written by Vincent Bugliosi about the Manson murders and that got me interested in why people commit heinous crimes, why they turn away form what normal society calls decent and kill, rob, rape, or embezzle. But by the end of my final year in college I was making enough from writing to make that my sole career, so my initial intention of becoming a Criminologist was replaced by my Writing career. And in every single book I've written I've drawn from my college days and what I learned at NYU." He divulged.
"Of the twenty five books you've had published, which one is your favourite?" Sherri enquired.
Rick inhaled sharply then exhaled with a rush.
"Oooh boy," he said contemplating. "That's like asking a parent which one of their kids is their favourite."
"Nothing sticks out?"
"Oh yeah, they all stick out. But if I were to specify favourites I'd have to say my first book 'In a Hail of Bullets' that I wrote in my last year of high school and got published in my first year of college." Rick replied. "And my other favourite would have to be 'Flowers For Your Grave' because if it wasn't for that book I would never have met the woman I'm head over heels, stupidly in love with."
Once again the studio audience 'Awwwwwwwwww'd'
"So what does Richard Castle read?" Joy asked. "Or are you too busy writing?"
"When I'm close to submitting a manuscript to my publisher I don't even read the paper," Rick confessed. "For the last three months I've been like that, I hunker down in my office and spend anything up to twelve hours a day writing. But I read anything and everything. My taste in books is as eclectic as my music tastes. I have everything from True Crime to children's fiction in my library. But if forced to say I'd have to say the Harry Potter books. I absolutely love them. I started reading them to my daughter when she was four years old when Sorcerer's Stone came out and we both followed Harry right through to the end. Alexis always used to accuse me of pinching her copies so I went out and bought my own and all seven of the books are held together by sticky tape."
The audience burst into whoops and cheers.
"Cha ching cha ching and another billion dollars goes into J.K Rowling's bank account!" Whoopi joked.
"Ah good on her, she deserves it for writing such an awesome series of books" Rick proclaimed. "She brought millions of kids around the world back to reading and did what authors around the world aspire to do."
"Do you aspire to that?" Barbara asked.
"Well my sort of work is not something I'd want kids to read," Rick replied with a chuckle. "There is too much blood, guts and adult situations, but hey kids, once you turn eighteen hit your local Barnes and Noble and buy every Rick Castle work in the shop, or download an E-book. I'm not fussy."
The audience laughed.
"So when's your next book coming out?" Elisabeth asked. "Can you tell us anything about it? There are a lot of Rick Castle fans in the audience today. I'm sure they're as keen as anyone to know."
"Well, I can't reveal anything about the plot because the final edit hasn't been completed yet. But, if I can get camera three to zoom in, I can reveal the cover art and title of the next book." Rick revealed, taking his iPhone out of his pocket and opening the photo album.
"Yo check this," Esposito said suddenly with a grin taking out his own iPhone and opening the recording application. 'Yo Writer Boy, where's our lunch, man?'
"Oh you're not sending that to him are you?" Kate exclaimed mortified as the Latino detective interested the recording into a text message. "Oh Javi really, he's on live TV! Oh you're no help!" she added to Ryan who had collapsed in a fit of laughter.
"Aaand this is the cover art from Frozen Heat the next in the Nikki He-" Rick began.
"Yo Writer Boy, where's our lunch, man?" Esposito's voice suddenly rang out loudly.
The audience and panel fell about in fits of laughter and Rick's face instantly went bright red.
"Get back to work Esposito, you lazy ass!" he exclaimed, hurriedly putting his phone on silent. "Have a bowl of the Barbie Cheerios you have in the break room!"
In the bullpen all the detectives including Gates collapsed in fits of hysterical laughter.
"Dude, he pawned your ass on national TV!" Ryan choked, slapping Kate a high five as tears ran down the female detective's cheeks. "Rick Castle one-"
"Javier Esposito, NIL!" Kate giggled. "Wonder if Lanie saw that?"
Esposito's phone rang with the message alert everyone knew was associated with Lanie's number.
"Oh yeah, she saw." Ryan chuckled.
Back in the ABC studio's Rick pocketed his iPhone, his face a respectable shade of red.
"So is there a lot of joking in the homicide department?" Barbra asked with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah, all the time. Espo probably did that to get me back for gluing his favourite coffee mug to his desk last week," the Writer replied with a chuckle. "If it's a slow day and our team is done with paperwork, we'll resort to practical jokes. I glued Espo's mug to his desk, Kevin switched all the sugar in the break room with salt and Kate unscrewed the bolts on my chair so it collapsed under me and I ripped a huge hole in my jeans."
"A lot of joking around goes on then."
Rick wanted to make sure that the wrong message wasn't sent out about the police department. "Yeah but more hard work than joking happens, the odd outburst of practical jokes only happens if there's been a particularly heavy case or the general mood is down. There's not a harder working bunch of cops in the NYPD than the girls and boys of the twelfth homicide department."
The audience burst into enthusiastic and appreciative applause.
"Now I'm sure a lot of people in the audience are wondering, just how did you get your arm in a sling?" Whoopi asked, indicating to the Writer's arm that was still secured in the heavy sling. "You've been seen out and about a lot lately with your arm strapped to your body. What happened?"
Rick lit up at the prospect of telling someone new the story. "I was out on the field with Kate, Javi and Kevin six weeks ago and we were all in pursuit of this one particular suspect. I was the closest one to him and the only chance of detaining him, so I ran across this apartment building lobby and rugby tackled him. But unfortunately I landed right on the point of my shoulder and broke my clavicle and coracoid process bone. And on top of that I dislocated my shoulder. I was in surgery for two hours and in hospital for four days and for the last six weeks I literally had my arm strapped to my chest and had to do everything one handed. I was stuck to a desk at the precinct until a week ago when I started going out on the field again. I couldn't even write."
"When does the sling come off?" Whoopi asked, curious.
"Hopefully next week," Rick replied. "As it is I only wear it when I'm outside home or the precinct and I haven't had to take any pain killers for nearly a month."
"Great stuff, well Writers Weeks starts today and runs til this coming Friday, Richard Castle's Frozen Heat the fourth in the Nikki Heat series will hit the shelves this fall. For further updates check out his website Richard Castle dot com, see you after the break!"
After finishing up at the ABC studios Rick made his way back into midtown, stopping off at a Subway to buy everyone in the bullpen some catering platters. Then trying valiantly not to drop the three platers of mini subs and stop his sling hanging around his neck from knocking the food onto the ground he made his way back to the twelfth precinct arriving shortly after 1PM.
"Lunch is on me, come and get it!" he announced upon exiting the elevator into the bustling bullpen.
All the detectives swarmed around the Writer as he made his way into the break room and set out the platters.
"You're the shit, bro!" Esposito declared biting into a chicken sub.
"Aren't you full from the bowl of Barbie Cheerios you had earlier?" Rick quipped.
"No, because he's a bottomless pit," Kate declared as she entered the break room and the other detectives fell about laughing "Hey."
"Hey, how's it going?" Rick asked as each detective loaded up a plate of subs and dispersed to all corners of the bullpen.
"Same as this morning, nothing solid or of any consequence," the female detective replied with a sigh. "Kelly is setting up a call centre at headquarters but that's not going to be up and running til tonight. Espo and I have been trawling through CCTV footage all morning and not seen anything that could be anything close to important. And Kevin's been doing the same with the pubic phone records. The problem is several hundred calls were made at the time of our 911 call, so once we discard the ones that are categorically not relevant. We've still got those to go through and to put up against the CCTV footage."
"D'you want to take a break from looking at the CCTV stuff, Espo?" Rick asked the Latino detective who was hoovering up his lunch. "Take a break, I'll sit with Kate and do it for a while."
Esposito swallowed a too big mouthful wincing as it made its way down his oesophagus.
"Yeah thanks bro, you're a legend," he told his friend gratefully. "My eyes are going square from watching a TV screen."
"You sure it's from watching TV screens?" Ryan teased with a cheeky grin. "If the rumours and grunts everyone hears from the men's bathroom are anything to go by, it's something slightly more vigorous and intimate than watching TV."
Esposito rolled his eyes and gave his partner the bird as Kate and Rick roared with laughter.
"Shut up asshat," the Latino detective groaned. "Just for that I'm going to beat yo'ass in the gym at the end of shift. Fifty bucks you're the first to hit the floor."
"You're on dude, you're on." Ryan challenged.
The two detectives left the break room leaving behind Kate and Rick.
"So how did you think I went?" Rick asked Kate as the two sat down on the sofa in the farthest corner of the room.
"Very well, you played everyone like a violin," Kate replied with a smile that turned Rick's insides to mush. "I wish they hadn't brought up that paparazzi picture of us kissing in Central Park though."
"Well if truth be told I would've preferred something from Weldon's New Year's Eve Party but when you think about it, that picture of us kissing is a good one." Rick said, reaching up to tuck a bang of Kate's hair behind her ear. "And it's all over the internet and papers, it's not like it was a revelation. And besides it showed the world how stupidly in love with you I am, and I want everyone, even the native tribes in the deepest parts of the Amazonian jungle to know how in love I am."
Kate giggled.
"You know now the paparazzi are going to be on our back even more now since you've said what you did on live air." she told him.
"Probably, but we'll manage it." Rick assured her, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "They don't know where you live and I live in an apartment building with a secure lobby, we've got privacy. We've just got to keep a lid on kissing in public."
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to find that extraordinarily difficult," Kate confessed her cheeks colouring up slightly.
Rick chuckled.
"I find out new things about you every day Katherine Beckett," he said in amusement, allowing the female detective to rest her head on his good shoulder. "How about kissing in the break room? Will you find it extraordinarily difficult to control yourself in here too?"
Kate ran her hand across his broad chest and gave him the sultriest look she could manage.
"Oh I miiiiiiiiiiiight," she purred, ghosting her lips along the nape of her neck. "But only if my actions are reciprocated."
Rick put his plate on the nearest surface and scooted closer to Kate. The female detective took the initiative and held his head in her hands capturing his lips with hers. Then before the Writer could react she pressed her tongue against his lips forcing his mouth open and instantly making the kiss more intimate. Rick responded enthusiastically placing his hands on her backside and scooping her closer to him and causing a little moan of desire to escape her lips.
Eventually the lack of oxygen forced to the pair apart.
"We've got to learn to breathe through our noses," Rick declared, slightly out of breath. "But jeez that was good."
Kate laughed and slapped his arm playfully.
"On your part or my part?" she asked her hazel-green eyes alive with mischief.
"Oh, your part most definitely," he replied with a chuckle. "Kissing has a different zing about it when you take the initiative."
"What about more than kissing?" Kate purred in his ear. "I know you like it when I initiate things there."
Rick groaned as Kate ran a hand down his abdomen to his groin, giving it a little squeeze.
"If you start it, everything is good Tulip," he replied. "And as much as I love you feeling me up, this is not the place to do it. Do you really want Gates to walk in on us? You're the lead detective on this investigation and she would have your ass if you slacked off by kissing me in the break room."
Kate slumped against her Writer.
"You're right, dammit," she said with a sigh. "C'mon, grab a plate and come to the interview room. The sooner we start trawling through the CCTV footage again, the sooner we'll find whoever made that 911 call."
"Lead the way."
A/N2: There you go peoples whataya think? Remember reviews are my food and motivation!