As per usual, I do not own anything or anyone.
Walking into the precinct, Detective Kate Beckett maintained her usual calm, confident stature, but inside she was freaking out. Richard Freaking Castle chatted her up last night, and she flirted with him. He was staring at her for two hours before talking to her. As soon as she left that party, she called a cab and went home. And as soon as her front door closed behind her, she squealed. Her favourite author had just tried to flirt relentlessly with her, and she flirted back. She didn't even deny it. The thought of making her favourite author drool when she whispered in his ear, sent shivers down her spine. She didn't dare look back, because she knew that either he was staring at her or staring at her abandoned glass at the lipstick on the rim. But Mr. Douche before him, ugh. Nasty. Why does she always attract the idiots? But him, oh, she attracted him, and it was a nice change. The banter. The way he was eying her. The way he didn't appear to have a filter, everything just came spilling out. He was fun, and, she needed fun. It gave her a rush of adrenaline, and it made her do one of the things she swore she'd cut out, she enticed him, she poked at him, she whispered sexily in his ear and left. Wanting him to want her. It was all she could think about for the rest of the night. She'd never go home with him; with him being a playboy (as the tabloids and gossip had branded him) she just teased him.
"Morning boss."
"Morning boys. We get anywhere on her financials?"
"No, they're coming in now."
"Let me know when they're through."
"Will do."
She loved her job. Detective Kate Beckett, Homicide. Her work was about murder and when she went home, she usually read about murder. But last night, she was coerced into going to a party with her best friend Medical Examiner Dr. Lanie Parish. Then she was ditched by said friend at the bar, whilst Lanie went off with some random guy. Hopefully she was hung over. She'd phone her and give her an earful.
Kate sat down at her desk and picked up her phone. The captain wasn't in yet and Ryan and Esposito were waiting for financials to come through, she dialed forward to the Medical Examiners office. "Medical Examiners Office, Dr. Lanie Parish speaking. How may I help?" A weary voice spoke to her.
Definitely hung-over. Excellent.
"Hey Lanie, it's me." Kate said a bit too loud. She was going to milk this for everything it was worth.
"Oh hey girl, how"
"Don't 'hey girl' me okay, do you know you left me at that bar to be hit on by several douche bags and then I left, alone Lanie. I was alone, and I didn't know anybody there."
"Hey, I'm sorry if that guy wanted me, you know I just wanted a good time, and you looked like you needed one yesterday, so I'm sorry okay."
Oh, Kate was enjoying this; Lanie always brought her some laughs. She stopped listening to her, because in all honestly she should be thanking Lanie, because without her, she would have never met and flirted with Richard Castle. She should Lanie some slack.
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"
"What, oh, no. Sorry. Listen Lanie, I'm headed down there; I need to tell you something important that happened last night."
"You were just telling me off for ditching you last night."
"Okay, I was pulling your leg. What I said was true, but something happened after fending off douche bag number two. Something interesting."
"Well why don't you tell me then?" Lanie's interest peaking a bit.
"I can't tell you here, the guys are wondering why there's shouting coming from the phone. I'll be there in 15."
Esposito was the closest, "What was that all about?"
"Nothing, I gotta go Espo."
"Where?"
"To see Lanie, I need to talk to her about something."
"Case related?"
"No."
"Then why can't you tell us?" Ryan chimed in, interested in this conversation.
"Because, you have these financials to look through and, it's none of your business why I need to talk to Lanie. And Javi, if you ask her, and I know you will, she won't tell you, because I have secrets about that woman that will shock even you."
She left them to work, catching the captain as he came out of the elevator.
"Beckett, where are you going?"
"To see Lanie sir. I won't be long."
And the doors closed.
15 minutes later, she was in Lanie's office, sitting on the empty morgue table, waiting for Lanie to come back from wherever she was. How was she going to break the news to her. That she was flirting and felt sparks with Richard Castle. She knew that as soon as she told Lanie, she would get relentlessly teased. And she was okay with that. Then she would probably get scolded for not jumping into bed with him.
The doors swung open, and appeared Lanie. Ahh this is what a hung-over medical examiner looked like. She was good at hiding it, but Kate was a trained detective, so she could notice.
"Hey, I said 15 minutes, you're late."
"I was looking at a report okay."
"And getting a drink," Kate pointed to the soda in her hand. "You might want to put those down."
"Is what you're gonna tell me that big that I need to put everything down?"
"Yes."
Lanie put down the report in her hands and her soda.
"Kay girl, lay it on me."
Here we go.
"Okay, so when you left me to go off with stranger man, something weird happened."
"What?"
"Some guy, not a douche, came and sat next to me, and he was quiet for a while, and then he spoke to me, asking me all sorts of questions like 'what are you doing here?' and 'you don't fit in here' and 'you're the stay at home and read a good book type of girl'"
"Yeah so?"
"Lanie, the guy was Richard Castle."
Let it sink in and…
"WHAT! No way in hell could that be Richard Castle. As in best selling mystery writer, playboy hunk."
"The one and the same."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Lanie, I talked to the guy and I looked at him."
"Is really ruggedly handsome in real life?"
"Even better." Oops, it slipped out.
And Lanie heard it. "Even better huh?"
"What, no, Lanie, I didn't mean that, I just meant…" Kate started to ramble.
"You just meant what exactly?" Kate didn't answer.
"Oh my god! You enjoyed it didn't you?" Kate didn't answer, but a blush was forming on her face. That was answer enough for Lanie.
"And you flirted back," she punched Kate on the arm.
"Ow, Lanie, that hurt."
"Oh stop complaining, you flirted with Richard Castle last night."
"I may have left him gob smacked at the bar." She smiled
"And how on earth did you manage that?"
"I may have downed the last of my scotch and whispered in his ear."
"What, okay. Girl you have to rewind. What happened before that?"
"He said he'd been staring at me for two hours, and that my body language gave away that I didn't belong at the party."
"How were you sitting?"
"Hunched over my drink. Anyway, I challenged him, seeing if he actually had been staring for the past two hours, and he passed the test, and then he said he was bored of everything. Of these parties. He said they were too repetitive, and boring, and predictable. He said he wanted something new, something refreshing. Then I downed my drink and whispered 'be careful what you wish for' in his ear, and then left."
Lanie was sitting there with her mouth wide open. Oh Lanie.
"I'm gonna need some kind of input here from you, and quick, I need to be at the precinct as soon as."
Lanie nodded. As her sign of understanding.
"Did he know that you knew who he was?"
"I don't think so; I never addressed him by name. And I wasn't fangirling over him like all of these other bimbos."
"Okay, so does he know who you are?"
"No. Why would he?"
"I don't know."
Just then both of their phones rang.
"Beckett. Okay I'll be there in 20."
"Dr. Parish. I'll be there in 20."
"I'll give you a ride."
"Yeah, and then I can pick at you for more information about your exhilarating night."
"Haha, Lanie."
I'd to know what you guys think of this one. :)
Another point, this fic will be not be that case heavy. :)