Kate doesn't know what she expected when she'd hurried out of Serena's skyline suite, but she certainly hadn't been prepared for the sight of her boyfriend eagerly pressing his lips to those of the woman she'd just found evidence against.
It really should upset her, and it does for a second, but then she can't help but notice the sinful red dress, the blonde curls, the low moan of surprise and pleasure, the firm press of her partner's body…
"Hey!" she yells, more to stop herself from joining in, than to stop Rick from ravishing their suspect in the middle of the hallway, right in front of her and Esposito. Oh god, Esposito.
(She prays that he won't pull Castle into a quiet corner and beat the crap out of him for "cheating" on her, because that's exactly the kind of behavior she expects from her protective colleague and friend.)
"What are you doing here?" Serena asks a little dumbfounded, clearly dazed by the force of the kiss. It annoys Kate a little that she is on the job, that she has to perform her duties as a detective and can't stride over and kiss the lipstick off both their shocked faces.
"Arresting you" she gnarls, probably a little too angry. "For theft."
Then she remembers the evidence they found, the ISS, the emails-
"And murder?"
Rick is pouting all the way to the precint.
"She didn't do it!" he whines, and although deep down Kate knows he's right, she has to follow where the evidence led her. She's still wound tightly, riled up, her body unsatisfied and her mind consequently pissed.
"Why would she tell me she's a thief, why offer that up?" he argues, but she shakes her head.
"She's feeding you just enough truth so that swallowing the lies is easier!" she barks, maybe a little too angry, but Rick got to kiss her, dammit, and she didn't.
"I don't think she's behind this" he repeats, but she's crossing her arms in front of her body and scowling at him.
"Well, you're thinking with the wrong body part" she shoots back dryly, even though she knows it's really her who is compromised, at least just as much as him.
"It was only a kiss, I was trying to stall-" he tries to calm her, but she stops him by stepping closer, lowering her voice so that he'll be the only one who can hear her.
"If that was the only kiss to come out of this thing, you owe me one freebie!" she mutters, looking straight into his darkened eyes, allowing him to see how affected she really is. He wishes he could lean in and kiss her, pay her back a thousandfold, but there are too many people around for a make-up session and Captain Gates surely wouldn't appreciate them taking a break right now.
"At least I can assure you that if she's proven innocent - which she will be" he stresses, taking a chance and lightly squeezing her forearm. "It won't be a problem to convince her of anything."
His whisper is accompanied by a slight smirk of his lips. "Just get us out of here and we're good to go."
Despite her fierceness, Kate blushes a little.
"Good. Good" she mutters and swallows. "I still have to question her like any other suspect."
Her eyes harden as she straightens and steps away from his warmth.
"She may not be the killer, but she could still very well be the thief."
Shyly ducking his head in front of the boys, Rick turns towards the mirrored window, staring into the room where Beckett is interrogating Serena's ass. She's doing a damn fine job of it, too; grilling her and packing punch after punch even though she knows that Serena's innocent.
It's hot. Seriously hot to watch. There's just something about quick witted, smart and sassy women that he's always admired, and these two could start their own tv show and the whole nation would watch them verbally spar with awe.
Kate is throwing theories at Serena's head that are so good they could be his; only he didn't think of them because he believes she didn't do it.
"And here I thought Rick was the only writer on your team" Serena throws back, and he can't help but smile because apparently, their minds are already synched.
"Rick?" Ryan asks suspiciously, "You guys on a first name basis now?"
Before he can respond, Esposito is already pitching in. "Well" he says and steps away from the one-way mirror, straightening up to his full size in front of Castle.
"He was making out with her in the hotel hallway" he growls, clearly trying to protect the woman he loves like a sister. Rick shrinks a little, swallowing thickly because he knows Javier could take him down in the blink of an eye and be justified.
"Beckett told me to stall her, I was only doing what she asked" he tries to explain himself. "I already apologized to her!" he throws in before he can get punched, and although it's a lie it apparently works as planned, because Esposito steps back a little.
"I'll make it up to her, I promise" Rick mutters, and this time it's not a lie at all, but if Esposito would know how exactly he planned on doing so, he surely wouldn't look quite so convinced.
The Latino gives a short nod and all eyes move back towards the interrogation room.
"Listen, I've done my homework on you, detective. I know that you're a smart, methodical cop with great instincts, and those instincts are telling you right now that I'm innocent. For some reason, you're choosing to ignore them" Serena taunts. "Now why is that?"
Her slim eyebrow rises up with perfection, the dark glint of intelligence and teasing in her eyes making her look like a beautiful predator, a sinful sight to behold. Kate has to admit that she's losing their game of power, but that was probably predictable.
(Not because she's not as strong or witty, but because she's forced by her job to represent a point of view that is factually incorrect and thereby bound to fall short.)
She blinks in an unconscious move of defeat.
"Miss Kaye" she starts, shivering because she likes the sound of that, "your job is recovery, as you call it. My job is to solve this homicide."
It's a peace offering, in a way.
(I'm just doing my job, this isn't personal.)
But Serena doesn't take it quite so easily. She was played by the two of them, the writer and the detective, and she's not going to be the weak one in their three-way-combo.
"Then why don't you ask me for my alibi, so we can move on with this investigation. For the record" she throws in before Kate can even open her mouth, "I was in a business meeting with one of my bosses when I got the call" she states just a little bit too sourly.
"If you wanna check."
Kate huffs, tries to calm herself, be professional. "If you're telling the truth, then why did you go behind our backs?" she gives it one more try.
"Because" Serena argues. "In my experience the police just get in the way. My job is to recover the sculpture, not play nice."
Kate nods, because she knows exactly what the insurance investigator is talking about.
"But you're right" Serena adds, finally giving in, accepting the truce between them. "I've been treating this like a regular case and it's not, so I promise."
She lowers her eyelashes slowly, her pupils darkening almost imperceptibly unless you were really close, her tongue wetting her lips before she continues.
"From here on out, no more secrets."
Kate nods once more, and then turns towards the mirror, signaling for the boys to check on Serena's alibi. It's a procedure they've done so many times that they barely need gestures anymore. Even though Kate can't see them leave through the tainted glass, she trusts that they are gone when she turns back towards Serena, leans back in her chair to signal that the official part of their investigation is over.
There's a short silence between them as they eye each other, both their faces magnificent, even in the harsh uncomfortable light of the interrogation room.
"You don't like me, Kate Beckett" Serena starts, not even blinking.
(As if she doesn't, either.)
"No, I don't" Kate confirms, fighting the urge to gnaw on her lower lip. "But Rick does."
"Hmm" Serena hums her approval.
Kate nods her head. "He does. He finds you interesting," she says. It's supposed to sound spiteful, but doesn't have enough force behind it. Serena arches a carefully crafted eyebrow.
"I am interesting" she insists. Kate snorts.
(But can't deny it.)
"Are you going to like me more if I give you Falco?" Serena asks and Kate's eyes widen.
"You know who he is?"
Serena smiles, a slow but proud smile that start in her eyes and reaches her mouth last, just barely lifting at the corners of her lips. Oh yes, she does.
She breaks their case. Not only does Serena identify Falco, but she also convinces him to tell them what he knows. Without her cooperation, they couldn't have done it.
Kate is well aware of that, and torn between grateful and miffed.
It's late afternoon on the next day when they get a confession out of the rich cold-blooded woman that killed the museum's director, and when it's all said and done they are bantering lightly in the hallway. All of a sudden, with the weight of the case lifted off their shoulders, things are easy between them. Nothing cautious and deeply meaningful in each of their sentences anymore, just playful innuendo that is easy to decipher.
Castle was right - Kate isn't a very fun person while she is on duty, but once her work is done...
"I wanna thank you" Serena says just as Rick is joining them with freshly brewed espressi. "I couldn't have done this without you. I'm really grateful." She directs her smile at the both of them.
"Does that mean you're cutting me in on the finder's fee?" Kate suggests with a wink, and Serena laughs. It's a wonderful sound, throaty and erotic and intoxicating.
"I'm not that grateful" she admits, but Rick sees an opening when it presents itself.
"We can still celebrate though, right?" he leers, stopping just short of a childish forehead-wiggle.
"Sure" Serena says, arching a questioning eyebrow at Kate, looking for the all clear.
The brunette nods.
"I hear that hotel of yours has excellent strawberry shortcake."