A/N1: Hello peoples and WELCOME to the 12th Chapter of Absolution titled 'Deep Discussion of a Flashmob Kind' This is the first name that I came up with a week ago when I started writing it and I have grown to hate it **Makes face** I asked my badass beta if she thought I should change it and if she did what to and she didn't suggest anything so I'm assuming it really isn't that bad I'm just super critical of my work. Thanks once again have to go to Bella who's a super fast editor and grammar/punctuation checker and can rip though an eighteen page document in no time at all! Onya Bella!
BTW who freaking FRUSTRATING was 'The Limey'? At the outset I was so hopeful finally some Caskett progress was going to be made then Castle turned up with a tart in the Prancing Horse and Ryan the King of Cockblocking interrupted AGAIN! By the end of the ep I just wanted to smash Castle and Beckett's heads together and cream "CAN'T YOU FREAKING SEE WHAT WE ALL SEE?" GAAAAAAH! Aside from the frustrating undercurrent it was an excellent ep and I can't wait til next weeks's ep!
Anyway rant over enjoy the read! LOL
Despite the best efforts of the 12th Precinct homicide department under Kate's direction nothing new came to the table in the Knick Knack Killer case. It seemed he (Or she a female killer hadn't totally been ruled out) had gone underground. This frustrated Kate to no end and several times a week she stayed back at the precinct to work on the case, sometimes alone but most times with Rick who spent every minute after all the other detectives had gone home trying to convince her to do the same.
"Right, I'm pulling rank here," Rick said authoratively one night about a month after Alexis's birthday. "You are going home, now."
"You can't pull rank on me, I'm a Detective you're a civilian consultant," Kate said dryly as the Writer packed up his desk and shut down his computer. "Nice try."
"There's nothing you can do at this hour, you know that Kate," Rick said, patiently going to her desk and cupping her delicate face in his hand. "Plus tonight is Wednesday, a night of the week you have that dance thing at the gym you do with Lanie and Alexis. And I know Alexis would be disappointed if you didn't go."
"You're guilt tripping me?" Kate questioned, allowing the Writer to save her work and shut down her computer.
"Nope, I'm just saying if you don't leave here now and head to the gym, I'm going to ring Gates right now and tell her you're still here," Rick replied, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "If you leave now you'll get to the gym in time."
Kate flopped back in her chair.
"You so would not ring Gates right now," she said in amusement. "Don't try that one on me."
"Stay here a minute longer and I will."
Kate rubbed her face. "You're right, I really ought to go. I haven't given myself time to go to the gym lately. And I should do some exercise, raise the heartbeat a little."
"If you're a good girl and leave the precinct by five every night, you can come back to the loft on Friday night and I'll make sure you do something the whole weekend that'll raise your heartbeat." Rick promised, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Kate rolled her eyes.
"Your mind is putrid," she told him, getting to her feet and pulling on her jacket.
"Oh positively festering, Tulip. We've been together long enough now for you to know that," the Writer replied with a grin. "Come on, let's hit the road."
Rick followed Kate down to the parking garage and pulled her aside as they got to her car.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her on the lips softly.
Kate returned the kiss enthusiastically, resting her hands on the Writer's backside and letting her eyelids flutter shut. Rick pressed his tongue against her bottom lip encouraging the female detective to open her mouth and she did acquiescing to the pressure with a little moan of desire.
The kiss went on for a solid ten minutes. Neither the Detective nor Writer paid any attention to their surroundings nor several other officers and detectives arriving for the graveyard shift. Not even a loud wolf whistle and a 'Oh get a room you two!' from a pair of Narcotics detectives and the suspect they were bringing in could distract them. Rick placed his hands on Kate's backside and lifted her up on the trunk of his Ferrari, not once breaking his lip contact with the petite homicide detective.
"I the-thought y-you w-wanted me t-to h-hurry off t-to the gym t-to m-meet `Lexis?" Kate puffed once they separated.
"I do, I just wanted to say til tomorrow, properly," Rick replied, leaning in for another kiss. "It's quarter past six now, it'll be another fourteen hours til I see you."
"That is not going to kill you, Writer Monkey," Kate replied dryly, shivering slightly as he rubbed her muscular thighs. "Bring your gym bag tomorrow. I want to work out with you in the gym in our lunch break tomorrow."
"I'll agree if you agree to help soap me up in the showers afterwards," Rick murmured suckling upon her neck.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Bring your gym bag Rick and I'll consider it," she said dryly, sliding of the back of the Ferrari and landing lightly on her feet. "Now I really have to go or I will be late to meet Alexis and Lanie. Til tomorrow?"
"Til tomorrow, darling girl."
Forty-five minutes later Kate arrived in SoHo with only five minutes to spare before her thrice weekly dance fitness class with Alexis and Lanie. She raced into the change rooms and instantly began ripping off her work clothes the speed of her movement, amusing Lanie and Alexis who were still in the change room passing the time til the class began.
"Where have you been?" Lanie scolded her friend teasingly as Kate yanked on a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra.
"And what have you been doing?" Alexis added.
"Not sure you want to know that Lex, going by the enormous hickey on her neck it had something to do with your Dad," Lanie teased, watching her friend roughly lace up her sneakers. "I'm going to re-name that boy, Dracula, Kate. He sucks on your neck more than a vampire."
"Oh shut up Lanie," Kate retorted, pulling on a cotton crop top over her bra as Alexis snorted with laughter. "You're not helping."
"Ah, so it was Writer Boy," Lanie replied, knowingly as Kate re-buckled her gun holster around her waist. "What are you wearing your gun for?"
"Because as you so rightly guessed, because of Rick I didn't have enough time to go home and put it in my safe," Kate admitted, her face going bright red. "NYPD regulations state I have to have it on my person at all times, unless I'm at the precinct or at home. The lockers here aren't combination, it's not safe to leave my gun in there."
"Fair enough."
Kate shoved her bag in the nearest available locker and locked it, then followed Lanie and Alexis out to the front of the studio room where Paige and Kelsey were waiting along with the thirty other people who regularly took part in the thrice weekly class.
"Hey Detective!" Paige piped cheerfully. "How're you?"
"Great Paige, yourself?" Kate asked, tightening her gun holster one more hole. "Have you received your college letters yet?"
"Yeah I got into all the colleges I've applied to, I've just got to decide which one to choose," the younger girl said dryly. "Like Lex, I'm leaning toward Harvard."
"What are you going to study?"
"Law, I want to practice criminal and corporate law."
"You'll have fun with that, my Mom practiced Civil and Criminal Law before finally deciding on Legal Aid," Kate told the teen. "I was set on doing law when I went to college and wanted to major in Criminal Law before I decided being a cop was more my style."
"My Aunty's a criminal law lawyer and she says it's the best job she's ever had, she's sorta my role model and she occasionally lectures at Harvard too."
"Sounds great."
"Alright ladies and gents, in you come in you come!" Jason the trainer who ran the class told the group brightly a moment late as he opened the wide glass doors. "I have a project for you all today, come in come in. We're going to have some woopass fun."
"Woopass fun?" Alexis repeated, raising an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of her father.
"Yup woopass fun, now scoot," Jason told the redhead with a grin, chivvying her inside. "Go on."
The class spread out into four rows of ten and Jason bounced up onto the stage a wide grin upon his face.
"Good evening everyone, how are we all?" he asked, clapping his hands and bouncing up and down.
A rumble of a reply swept through the class.
"Oh come on, HOW-ARE-WE-ALL?"
The class responded with several loud whoops, cheers and whistles.
"That's better! Alright, who here has ever been part of a flash mob?" Jason asked.
Half a dozen hands rose in the air.
"Who would like to be part of one?"
Every hand in the room went up.
"Awesome!" Jason exclaimed happily. "I have one loosely planned for two weeks time combining you guys with Brad's class-"
"Where?" Kate enquired.
"I'm tossing up between Grand Central Station or Times Square, what do you all think?"
"Times Square!"
"Grand Central!"
"Central Park!" Lanie piped up a huge grin spread across her face.
Every eye turned to the M.E.
"What?" she exclaimed to Kate with a giggle. "Just being different."
"Good suggestion Lanie, we can discuss venues at the end of class!" Jason said in amusement. "Alright-"
"Excuse me but what are we going to be mobbing to?" Paige asked, raising a hand. "Do you have a tune picked or out or can we suggest something?"
"Well I've thought about going along with what's popular on iTunes so I've narrowed it down to the Glee cover of Scream, the Hit Me with Your Best Shot One Way or Another mash up, Everybody the Backstreet Boys song or this nightclub dance mix of I Want to Dance with Somebody-"
"Oh god no, not the Backstreet Boys!" a young man groaned from the second row. "My sister was into them when we were growing up and even now, ten years later I have 'I Want it That Way' on loop in my head...anything but the Backstreet Boys!"
"How about the Scream cover?" Kate suggested as the rest of the class sniggered at the man's discomfort. "That's a catchy tune."
An enthusiastic cheer rose from the class.
"Alright, we'll stick with that one," Jason agreed enthusiastically, going to the sound system to which his iPod was plugged in. "That's the song I've started working out some choreography to anyway. Alright let's get to warming up. Then we'll really get down to business!"
"C'mon ladies and gents it's near the end really MOVE!" Jason bellowed over the thumping rhythm of the music. "FEEL the music, be at one with the music...GO GO GO!"
'Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Stop pressurin' me
Makes me wanna scream
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Stop pressurin' me
Makes me wanna scream
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Stop pressurin' me
Makes me wanna scream
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Stop pressurin' me
MAKES ME WANNA SCREAM!"
With her remaining energy Kate screamed the final line and finished with both arms in the air. There was a split second of silence before the whole class burst into uncontrolled whoops, cheers, whistles and applause. Lanie slapped a group high five with Paige, Kelsey and Alexis before making her way over to Kate and fist bumping her friend.
"Girl you rocked it!" the M.E heaved, her generous cleavage rising and falling as she breathed hard.
"I-d-don't-ev-ven-d-dance-tha-h-hard-on-n-new-year's-ev-ve." Kate heaved, putting her hands on her knees and bending over to catch her breath. "G-god I n-need-a b-big-ger-set-of-l-lungsssss."
"Have some water ladies and gents, I want you all hydrated!" Jason called out as he raced up to the stage to pause his iPod before the next song came on. "Kate Beckett, you're a bona fide legend!"
The rest of the class cheered their agreement as they all dispersed and fetched their water bottles. While everyone was off re-hydrating themselves Jason jumped down off the stage and approached Kate.
"You were awesome, Kate. Seriously, have you had dance lessons before?" he asked in interest.
"Nothing ap-art from s-some j-jazz and cl-lassical b-ballet classes when I was gr-owing up-p," Kate replied, after swallowing a mouthful of water. "All that just now was from following you."
"D'you wanna lead this flash mob when we get to taking it public?"
"Oh I d-dunno-" the female detective replied, hesitatingly.
"Oh come on girl, you were awesome!" Lanie exclaimed, slapping her best friend on the shoulder. "You don't even dance like that when we go clubbing!"
"When did we last go clubbing?" Kate asked in amusement. "We haven't done anything but lunch for over twelve months!"
"You ought to hit the club scene with moves like that," Jason told Kate. "The big trend now is karaoke dancing. You pick the song and dance to it. I do it all the time as Frenchies."
"That's a gay club," Kate told the trainer.
"I know that, but Frenchies is the club where karaoke dancing originated," Jason answered. "It's big in the normal clubs too, you know. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I just stick to gay clubs. You'd be a hit at Frenchies with moves like that."
Lanie let out a snort of laughter and Kate rolled her eyes.
"So is your frequent attendance at all of Manhattan's happnin' clubs where you got this flashmob idea from?"
"Partly," Jason replied as one by one everyone in the class sat or lay down to recover. "And it was an idea to draw more people into the club. We do this class ten times a week now, you know. The Tuesday, Thursday, Friday cycle gets fifty people a class in it."
"You do ten classes a week?" Kate asked in surprise.
"No, my partner does five and I do five," Jason replied. "So will you lead the group when we go public? I'll need someone to put a bit of bling on the choreography and you picked it up the quickest."
"Sure, if you really think I can do it," Kate agreed. "It ought to be a bit of fun."
"It will be...alright everyone up and at 'em we haven't finished the class yet tonight come on!"
"I think you and I should make plans to hit Frenchies one night," Lanie said to Kate an hour and a half later as the class finished and they each stepped into a separate shower cubicle. "Sounds like a great place to go."
"I'll go if I have the time or energy," Kate told her friend as she stepped under the steaming hot water. "It'll be fun to go out, we haven't done it in ages and the last time I went anywhere was with Rick to Weldon's New Year's Eve party and I was dressed up to the nines for that show."
"Exactly, you need to let your hair down and move your skinny tush," Lanie said bluntly as she rubbed shampoo into her scalp. "You've finally let loose with Writer Boy, it's time to let down socially and bust a move on the dance floor of a club, get drunk, dance with a stranger."
"We used to do that all the time when you first moved to New York," Kate told her friend in amusement. "More than once I remember waking up at your place with a vodka induced hangover."
"Well its high time we did it again, we don't nearly have enough girl time," Lanie scolded affectionately. "Let's do it on a night Writer Boy has a poker night with his writer pals. You me, a bottle of Grey Goose and dancing til the clubs kick us out."
Kate let out a snort of laughter.
"Last time I was kicked out of a club I was seventeen and barfed all over a bouncer," she said, rinsing the shampoo lather from her hair. "If I did that now, Gates would find out and I'd be read the riot act. Paparazzi follow me now you know, because I'm with Rick whether I know it or not."
"Well you don't have to go that far," Lanie declared witheringly. "Barfing in pubic isn't cool anyway. Just get happy and have a good time, come on Kate, live it up. I want to try this Karaoke Dancing fad, it sounds awesome! If you see a paparazzo give them a wave, you shouldn't restrict what you do for fun just on the off chance one might snap a picture of you. You'd never leave the house if you always worried what the paparazzi thought or did."
"You give a very good argument Doctor Parish," Kate told her friend with a chuckle as she lathered up her body with cherry body wash. "When I see Rick at the precinct tomorrow I'll ask him when his next poker night is. We'll go out then, I promise."
Lanie gave a little cheer. "That's the spirit girl!"
For the following two weeks Kate was extraordinarily busy arriving at the precinct early every morning and leaving late every night, except the nights she had the dance class with Lanie and Alexis. Rehearsals increased in their intensity at the gym and Kate who didn't think of herself as much of a leader outside the precinct, was revelling her role as leader of the flash mob in training.
Every session Jason rolled in a LCD screen and played videos of various flash mobs he had downloaded off the internet. That boosted the creativity and flow of the group and come two nights before they would perform in Grand Central Station, they were ready to go.
"You're all awesome boys and girls, seriously, you rock the Kasbah!" Jason announced at the end of class on the Wednesday night. "Final rehearsal back here, seven o'clock tomorrow night but before you go we have to discuss costuming..."
There was a collective of good natured groans.
"As long as it's not lacy and doesn't involve women's clothing I'm cool with whatever it is." Marcus the newest member of the group announced.
A rumble of laughter washed over the class.
"I have a paper here with suggestions of what to wear," Jason continued as he made his way around the room distributing the A4 sized papers. "Get something that looks like these or as close to as possible. We wanna be as awesome as possible folks. You're awesome in here, be awesome out there!"
"With hot chicks like Lanie and Kate at the front, we'd be awesome if we sat on a bean bag and twiddled out thumbs!' Marcus declared with a grin. "You could open your own dance school if people think every class has babes like those two in it."
"Check's in the mail," Kate told him dryly.
"Alright, spend tomorrow getting your costume then see you here at seven tomorrow night for final rehearsal then showtime is at Grand Central at seven thirty, Friday morning!"
"Oooh girl I think you have an admirer," Lanie teased as the class flowed out of the room. "I think that young Marcus is crushing on you."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Lanie...he's eighteen, I'm thirty two. He's too young and I've found my one and done," she told her. "He's more in Alexis's league than mine. Besides he thinks you're one of the 'hot chicks' too. He's crushing on you too."
"Eh, he can look," Lanie answered with an uncharacteristic giggle. "If it gets annoying I'll get Javi to come and pick me up one night. No one crosses my Latin Lov-"
"Yeah I get the idea Lanes," Kate replied, cutting her friend off mid gush. "I'm going to skip having a shower here and head home, I'll see you at the final rehearsal tomorrow night unless a body drops in the meantime, okay?"
"You got it girl, safe ride home," Lanie said embracing her friend. "See you Friday."
The final rehearsal with the two combined classes went off without a hitch, then on the day of the actual flashmob performance Kate rose before sunrise and began getting ready for the performance itself. She styled her hair and applied heavy eye makeup before changing into her 'costume' of black hot pants, and matching crop top, knee high lace up platform vinyl boots and one of Rick's white shirts and packing her gym back with a change of work clothes. She then slung the bag over her shoulder and left her apartment arriving at the bustling Grand Central Station shortly before seven AM.
"Kate!" called a familiar voice.
The female detective looked into the direction of the voice and saw Alexis, Paige and Kelsey waving madly by a set of lockers on the main concourse. She waved back and headed over to the beaming redhead who embraced her.
"Hey, where's everyone else?" she asked returning the hug.
"Probably still on their way, it's not even seven yet," Alexis replied checking her watch. "I ought to warn you, Dad's curious, when I left the loft. He bombarded me with dozens of questions. When you get to the precinct he's going to bombard you similarly. Detective Esposito probably will too, Lanie texted me just now and said he went all 'cop on her."
"Well if she's late, we'll know why." Kate said in amusement, choosing one of the free lockers and stowing her gym bag in it.
"Awesome porn heels detective, did you actually get them from an adult shop?" Paige asked with a giggle, indicating to Kate's footwear.
Kate went bright red. "No...I did not get them from an adult shop," she told the young woman dryly. "Not one on the street anyway."
"So they are porn heels?" Kelsey asked in surprise.
"No, they're not porn heels. But I did get them from The Shoe Emporium next to that leather shop on Fifth." Kate revealed.
"Well right next to an adult shop," Kelsey said with a shrill giggle. "Did Doctor Parish go with you?"
"Yeah she did and if I had followed her advice I would have actually bought a pair of porn heels," Kate muttered. "There was a section of boots labelled 'porn heels' though...alright this conversation is ending here I'm using the words 'porn heels' too much in one conversation. Your parents will have my hide if they find out I'm discussing such things with you."
"Nah, they'd be cool Detective. We're all adults now and can actually publicly talk about stuff like that and actually go into an adult shop." Kelsey informed Kate gleefully.
"Yeah, well just to be safe huh?" Kate suggested dryly.
Shortly before seven thirty the rest of the group arrived, Lanie arriving slightly out of breath.
"A certain Latino detective keep you behind did he?" Kate enquired mildly, the hint of a smile upon her lips.
"Oh shut it," the M.E muttered as she shoved her bag in the locker with Kate's. "He started interrogating me wondering why I was leaving the house wearing hot pants and porn heels."
Kelsey and Paige collapsed in a fit of hysterical giggles.
"Never mind," Kate said, rolling her eyes as the ME took off her jacket to reveal her costume of jet black hotpants, loose fitting white long sleeved shirt and knee high platform boots that all the other women in the group wore. "You'll find out later. So you managed to lose Javi?"
"Yeah, I told him it was none of his business and if he wanted any anything more than a kiss for the next month. He'd have to keep it quiet," Lanie replied with a grin. "I said he'll find out soon enough."
"Alright boys and girls gather 'round, we're fifteen minutes from showtime!" Jason declared, urging the group to for a circle around himself and another short muscular man named Brad, who was the trainer for the other group. You all know your positions. Let's really rock this show make this video go viral."
"You're putting this on YouTube?" Kate exclaimed.
"Yup, the gym has a YouTube channel and we're hoping if it gets enough views, it'll bring some more business in." Brad said with a grin, holding up the palm sized camcorder in his hand. "Plus I'll email you all the video so you can watch it from an audience point of view."
"Alright everybody, positions. We start in five!" Jason announced. "Remember girls, vamp it up a little!"
"I can't believe I'm about to do this," Kate muttered to Lanie as the group dispersed towards the centre of the main concourse. "I've never cartwheeled anywhere in public and I'm about to do it in the middle of one of the most famous train stations in the world. I must be ill."
"Oh, come on Kate. This is the most liberating thing you've ever done," the M.E told her friend with a grin. "Live-it-up girl, stop being so buttoned up."
"I'm not buttoned up."
"Well no, you've loosened up a lot since you and Writer Boy hooked up, but still you could loosen up a little more." Lanie relented. 'Besides you're not cartwheeling, you're backflipping."
"Minor technicality," Kate muttered as inconspicuously the group took up their positions in the centre of the main concourse. "God, here it goes."
Kate barely had any time to settle in position before the music began blasting out of the public address system, but the minute it did her nervousness disappeared and she got into the carefully rehearsed routine. The loud music echoing through the cavernous train station, immediately caught the attention of the passengers on their morning journey and within seconds a lopsided circle formed around the eighty strong mob and many camera phones came out to record the apparently 'impromptu' dance routine.
'Tired of injustice
Tired of the schemes
It's kind of disgustin'
So what does this mean?
DADDY
Kicking me down
I got to get up
As jacked as it sounds
The whole system sucks
DADDY!"
Lanie and Alexis were as into the routine as much as Kate and the two women were either side of the female detective stamping their feet and jiving along to the song, their red and black tresses flying. Alexis caught Kate's eye and grinned throwing in a double thumbs up. Kate grinned back and winked as she stepped ahead of the group a little to lead them in the next phase of the routine.
"Peek in the shadow
Come into the light
You tell me I'm wrong
Then you better prove you're right
You're sellin' out souls but I care about mine
I've got to get stronger
And I won't give up the fight
With such confusion don't it make you wanna scream
Make you wanna scream
Your bash abusin' victimize within the scheme
You try to cope with every lie they scrutinize
Somebody please have mercy
Cause I just-can't-take-it! "
A light sweat had broken out on Kate's forehead and her heartbeat thumped in her ears as she stepped, skipped, jumped and hopped. Out of the corner of her eye she spied three NYPD foot patrol officers, who were watching the group closely. The youngest of the trio suddenly spotted something then caught the attention of the oldest of the officers. He pointed to his hip then to Kate, then to the 'New York Police Department' parch sewn on the sleeve of his shirt. It was then Kate know the trio of officers had spied her badge which she had clipped to her hip by her gun holster and know she was a serving officer. She grinned and gave them a wave spinning off and allowing Lanie, Alexis, Paige Kelsey and Jason to lead the group.
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Make me wanna scream
Make you wanna scream
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Make you just wanna scream
Make you wanna scream!'
I'm tired of you tellin' the story your way.
You're causin' confusion,
confusion. You think it's okay.
Damn it!
You keep changin' the rules
I keep playin' the game.
I can't take it much longer
I think I might go insane.
The group divided into two, men one side led by Jason and women one side led by Kate and the ferocity of the choreography increased as the two groups 'battled' it out. Sweat was pouring off their faces and Kate soon found herself wishing she had pinned her hair back in a ponytail as she swept sweaty bangs stuck to her forehead and cheeks.
With such confusion
don't it make you wanna scream.
Make you wanna scream.
Your bash abusin' victimize within the scheme.
You find your pleasure scandalizin' every lie,
oh father please have mercy,
cause I just-can't-take-it!
The ever increasing crown let out a roar of approval as Kate, after a short run up executed a perfect back flip. She wobbled a little on landing but quickly recovered and stepped off her head, giddy with overwhelming elation at making the move she had been so worried about.
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Make me wanna scream
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Make me wanna scream
Oh my God, can't believe what I saw
as I turned on the TV this evening,
I was disgusted by all the injustice.
All the injustice.
All the injustice
Hee Hee,
Ooh Ohh
Oh! Yeah
Yeah
Marcus, the young man who never bothered to hide his attraction to Kate, had turned out to be a huge Michael Jackson fan and had convinced Jason teaching everyone in the group how to perform the trademark 'Jacko Crotch Grab' was 'essential' to the success of the routine. The eighty strong mob formed a huge triangle and in unison performed the late King of Pop's trademark move, eliciting a fresh roar of approval from the ten deep trio of foot patrol officers were openly laughing by now and the youngest moon walked in a circle before collapsing in a fit of laughter tears streaming down his reddened face.
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Makes me wanna scream,
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Makes me wanna scream,
Just stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just Stop pressurin' me,
makes me wanna scream
Stop pressurin' me
Just stop pressurin' me
Just Stop pressurin' me,
makes me wanna SCREAM!
At the end of the song the crowd that had swelled to at least a hundred and fifty by Kate's estimation, let out a roar of approval. They whooped and cheered as the group bowed then quickly dispersed into the bustling morning crowd.
Kate made her way over to the lockers and waited til Lanie, Alexis, Paige Kelsey and Jason pushed through the morning rush and joined her. Lanie let out a squeal of elation and engulfed her friend in a crushing hug.
"Girl you slayed it!" she exclaimed. "That was awesome!"
"Yeah, Kate Beckett, va va vooooooom," Jason joked. "You really got into it, fancy doing it again?'
Kate laughed.
"No...I'm good," she replied, lifting her water bottle to her lips. "I'll still come to the classes though. That was a lot of fun."
"It was out-of-this-world fun!" Kelsey declared enthusiastically. "Seriously Detective Beckett, you looked like you were channelling your inner sex kitten."
Kate choked on her water inhaling the clear liquid up her nose.
"Ex-c-cuse m-me?" she choked as Lanie roared with laughter. "My inner sex kitten?"
"I'm sure Mr Castle would say something similar if he just saw you bust a move like that."
"Oh gross Kel!" Alexis groaned, making a face. "That is just wrong! I don't want to think of Dad saying anything like 'inner sex kitten'!"
"He's probably said-"
"I don't care LA A LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAA!" the redhead exclaimed, covering her ears.
"Well that's it ladies, see you all at the gym on Monday night?" Jason said as he pulled his bag out of the locker under Kate's. "I've got to head back. Brad will email you all a copy of the video within an hour."
"See you then Jay, you're awesome. That was the best fun," Alexis told the older man. "Next time we'll get Dad involved."
"Look forward to it girl!"
"Alright, do you need a ride to the precinct?" Lanie asked Kate as the two friends retrieved their bags form the locker. "I'm heading straight to the morgue and it's on my way."
"Lanie, the traffic is foul. I could get there walking before you even got to the morgue," Kate told her friend as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Thanks anyway, but I'll walk."
"No problems girl, you rocked it by the way," the M.E told her with a grin. "Show the video of you busting a move to Writer Boy and you might get lucky tonight." She added in a whisper.
"Oh shut up," Kate replied giving her friend a little shove. "Goodbye Doctor Parish."
"See you soon, girl."
Lanie and Alexis headed off to begin their journey to the morgue and Kate swiftly left Grand Central Station to walk to the precinct. She got to the building shortly after eight thirty and immediately began attracting attention because of her costume.
"Hot pants Beckett, are you working undercover today?" MJ the desk Sergeant asked with a great snort of laughter as a group of young uniformed officers wolf whistled and cat called. "Lookin' hot Detective!" "Homicide are going in a different direction, progressive policing huh?"
Kate rolled her eyes as she pressed the button to call for the elevator.
"Ha ha," she said dryly as he iPhone beeped with an incoming text message. "No, I'm not going undercover. You'll find out what I've been up to soon enough no doubt. Esposito can't keep his mouth shut."
The lift arrived with a ding and Kate got in travelling up to the homicide department where once again she began attracting looks. Ryan and Esposito's jaws fell open in shock and Rick choked on his coffee, spitting it out and spilling it on his shirt as she approached her desk and dropped her bag on her desk. Karpowski rolled her eyes and laughed hard flashing her fellow detective a double thumbs up.
"H-hot pants?" Rick exclaimed in surprised. "Porn heels? Have you been conducting an undercover operation I don't know about? And isn't that one of my shirts?"
Ryan and Esposito fell about laughing as Kate began booting up her computer and grabbed her gym bag up again in order to go and change.
"No, I have not been conducting an undercover operation," Kate said dryly as Gates walked to her office door attracted by Ryan and Esposito's raucous laughter. "MJ downstairs asked me the same thing. And yes it is one of your shirts."
"Put some clothes on Detective," Gates said dryly. "Casual for charity day is tomorrow."
Every detective and uniform officer on the floor fell about laughing.
"Woops, I got my days confused," Kate told her superior with a grin as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder. "Excuse me while I change."
Gates rolled her eyes and returned to her desk as Kate turned and began walking towards the ladies bathroom, swinging her hips, purposely knowing full well that Rick was watching her, his eyes glued firmly to her backside.
Fifteen minutes later Kate returned to the bullpen, her makeup redone and dressed in a smart pair of trousers and shirt, her usual heeled boots on her feet.
"So you gonna fess up about the get up?" Esposito asked, approaching his colleague's desk and sitting on the edge a smirk upon his face.
"No, why would I do that Espo?" Kate asked, not looking at her colleague as she entered her username and password into her computer. "Since when have you taken an interest in what I wear to work?"
"Probably since you turned up in the bullpen looking like a Janet Jackson backup dancer," Rick said with a grin, his blue eyes still coloured with the lust of watching her wiggle her hips.
Kate grinned but remained silent.
"Because Lanie left my place this morning dressed exactly the same," Esposito said. "What have you two girls been up to?"
"Oooooooh, wouldn't you like to know," Kate replied, her grin widening as the seconds went by. "You're nosey Javier, surely your mother brought you up not to pry in others business?"
"I have a feeling Esposito didn't listen to his Mom a lot when growing up," Ryan piped up with a snort of laughter.
"Well that explains a lot."
"Shut up asshat," Esposito told his colleague. "I'm a detective; I gather clues for a living. I'm trying to do that now."
"You're trying to interrogate the best interrogator in the business, Espo. You've got no chance of finding out what happened," Rick told the Latino detective. "Haven't you wondered why I haven't bothered asking?"
"Smart move Castle, you're learning," Kate told her partner with a grin. "Don't you have any work to do Javi? I don't care if you sit on the edge of my desk all day but Gates might and she's already giving you the stink eye."
"She gives everyone the stink eye," Esposito replied dryly, sliding off the desk. "Don't think I've given up finding out what you've been up to."
"Wait til lunchtime and don't even contemplate asking me where I've been or what I've been doing and I might consider telling you boys why I arrived looking like a Janet Jackson's back up dancer," Kate told her friend, mysteriously. "Same goes for you Kevin."
"Hey, I'm staying out of things," the Irish detective said, waving his hands in front of him. "My Mom taught me patience is a virtue. If I wait I'll find out."
"Great help you are bro, you're supposed to be my partner!" Esposito exclaimed with a groan as he dropped down into his seat.
Kate laughed.
"Sit tight Espo or you'll bust a valve," Kate told Esposito after a moment of silence.
"Hmm."
After a furious four hours of paperwork and questioning some witness for the Knick Knack Killer Case, Kate decided to break for lunch.
"Alright if you three clowns want to know what I got up to this morning, go to the break room and turn the TV on," she informed Rick, Esposito and Ryan. "I'll be in shortly."
"You're really going to tell us?" Esposito exclaimed in surprise.
"Sure, you know me I keep my promises," Kate replied, inserting her favourite flash drive into her computer and downloading the video of the flash mob that had arrived in her inbox two hours previously. "I just have to download something that will somewhat contribute to my explanation alright?"
"Grande, skinny vanilla latte, two pumps sugar free?" Rick asked rising from his seat.
"Thanks Castle."
Once the video downloaded, Kate transferred it to her flash drive then took the device into the break room where the TV that had been used to watch hundreds of hours CCTV footage connected to the Knick Knack Killer case. Ryan, Rick and especially Esposito watched her arrival keenly.
"On this flash drive is video evidence of what I got up to this morning," she began, plugging the flash drive into the screen and turning it on.
"Shouldn't this be something you and Castle watch in private?" Ryan suggested with a grin.
Kate rolled her eyes dramatically.
"It's not that sort of video you sick man," she said witheringly, picking up the remote control and selecting the video file which had been labelled 'FlashMbScrm'
"So no preamble?" Rick inquired as the screen went black.
"Nope, just watch."
The video began playing and Kate busied herself with defrosting a container of beef stew she'd put in the staff freezer, earlier in the week.
"Is that you?" Rick exclaimed incredulously a moment later.
Esposito swore vehemently in Spanish.
"Joder!" he cussed "Is that Lanie?" he yelped, equally as astounded. "She's hot!"
"So are you!" Rick exclaimed, looking at Kate as she casually watched her beef stew heat a Cheshire Cat like grin upon her face.
"Have a closer look, there's another young girl you might recognize," the female detective informed the Writer as she went to the cutlery drawer and retrieved a fork.
A moment later...
"Alexis?" he yelped. "That's my little girl?"
"All grown up Writer Monkey," Kate said in amusement. "That's what we've been working on at the gym these past few weeks."
The yelps from Esposito and Rick and the hearty guffaws from Ryan had attracted Eggerstrom, Stegner, Oliver, Karpowski, Jacques and Jameson and Kate was forced to rewind the video so the other six detectives could watch the video. Gates had noticed the lack of her detectives in the bullpen and followed the noise of the laughter and whoops to the break room where she arrived just as the video showed Kate executing her spectacular back flip.
"Detective Beckett?" she exclaimed.
Kate swallowed a mouthful of beef stew, wincing slightly as the burning hot mouthful made its way down her gullet
"Yes Sir?" she asked airily.
"Is that you?"
"Uhmhmm." Kate answered.
"In the middle of Grand Central Station?"
"Yes Sir, it is," the female detective admitted, casually stirring her lunch. "And having an awesome time conducting a bit of NYPD PR. Applications for the next course at the academy close soon and I figured a bit of song and dance might convince the hoards to apply."
Ryan and Esposito roared with laughter.
"God, if the public think all the women in the NYPD look like you Beckett, the recruitment committee is going to have to stage auditions at Yankee Stadium Idol style." Steger said dryly. "There's already a band, there's going to have to be a dance troop now."
At the end of the video all the Detectives and Rick stood up and applauded Kate. Who immediately blushed.
"Nice work Beckett, you ought to email that to every department in the precinct. Give the boring old farts in Robbery a thrill," Karpowski told her colleague. "You going to do that again?"
"Nope, it's just a once off," Kate informed the older woman. "Might wear the costume to Rick's Halloween party though."
"Oh don't do that, every man in a ten mile radius will drop dead." The Writer piped up as the detectives flowed out of the room, passing Gates who had remained to watch the video. "We almost did when you arrived this morning in it."
"No bro, that was you." Ryan told his friend, elbowing him teasingly.
"Nice PR work Detective," Gates said dryly, the ghost of a smile upon her lips. "But next time you're on a recruitment drive, wear a uniform."
"Did she just make a joke?" Rick asked no one in particular as the normally haughty captain returned to her office.
"Think she did bro," Esposito answered.
"Okay, when did the body snatchers come in and abduct the real Victoria Gates?"
"Dunno, bro. I'm heading out to get some pizza for lunch, you want in?"
"Yeah my usual thanks."
Esposito and Ryan left leaving behind Kate and Rick.
"So Cupcake, what d'you think?" Kate asked playfully as Ryan pulled the door shut behind himself.
"There is no way for me to adequately describe how sexy that was," the Writer replied in a low voice. "If we were at home, I'd so be taking you to bed right now. I'm going to hide in here the rest of the day til my trousers loosen a little."
Kate giggled, pleased her part in the flash mob had affected him so deeply.
"Maybe we can watch it tonight before we go to bed," she purred in his ear, reaching around and cheekily smacking his backside. "Until then, fancy making a trip to the evidence room?"
A/N2: Well what didya think huh huh? I had loads of fun writing it! BTW reviews are welcome, as long as they are constructive and not overtly denigrating me. If you're going to be negative get bent!